Sony Micro Vault Tiny 1 GB USB Flash Drive (USM1GH/T2) Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently purchased this item, and I'm quite surprised that a drive that is so physically small can have a large storage capacity. After seeing the 256MB and 512MB models at my local Target, I went here to see if there were any larger capacity models.
And so, I found this model.
The drive is physically very small and thin, essentially being a USB connection with a small chip of flash memory. The file transfer speed of the device is relatively fast over USB 2.0. The included case is a plus, securing the drive itself in a silicone pocket, protecting the exposed connection and allowing relatively safe transport of the drive where needed.
However, the physical size of the drive is also it's main drawback. With a drive this small, I see the potential for the drive to easily become lost. However if you're careful, this should be a non-issue.
Albeit there are many other less-expensive options for a 1GB flash drive, but if you're looking for a very compact and stylish model, then this item should be the choice for you.

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USB Micro Vault Tiny Drive plugs directly into USB 2.0 and 1.1 ports. Preloaded with Virtual Expander to store three times as much data. Files are automatically compressed and decompressed when dragged to and from the device. Compatible with Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP and MAC OS 9 and higher.

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Sharp Aquos LC52D64U 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased the Sharp LC52D64U via a direct promotion with Sharp USA. The deal I was offered was too good to pass up. I have never bought a large format TV in my life and always got by with a Sony CRT 27" in my bedroom running SD TV. I was just fine with that for many years and when I moved into a new apartment with a nice big (and empty) living room and ordered HD cable, I decided to consider purchasing a large HD panel TV.
When I did my research, I was overwhelmed at the number of choices, formats and connections types, such as LCD, plasma, projection, 720i, 720p, 1080i, 1080p, Hdmi, HD channels recievers....argh!?!?!?!
Well after I did enough research, this Sharp LCD has everything that I need for at least the next 5 years. I am running a Tivo Series 3 HD reciever pumping 1080i HD channels over digital cable into one of the 3 available HDMI ports. The image quality is, to say the least, MAGNIFICENT!!!! The deep blacks and rich colors really cut through exceptionally well. I have not yet played an HD DVD or Blu-Ray movie through it, but if the 1080i HD channels look this great, I can only expect the same from watching Spiderman 3 on Bluray at 1080P when it's available this late October.
When I was researching large format panel TV's, my eye kept going to plasmas like Panasonics and the Elite series from Pioneer. Suffice it to say, these brands were very much out of my budget and consdered LCD's instead. So I did some research on the Aqous series and found alot of useful information. I also read many reports of the Sharp Aquos series suffering from a bad phenomenom known as "banding" and a recent review of the LC52D64U on cnet.com indicated that the problem was still present in this new model. This made me nervous about buying the TV, but then I reminded myself that those reviewers have eyes like a hawk and scrutinize every little detail that an average consumer (like me) probably wouldn't even notice until pointed out.
Well I don't know if I can't see it, or if it is not present in my particular unit, but I have NOT experienced any "banding" issues that may appear as color bleed, ghosting effects or ongoing pixilation.
Sharp does offer Aquos models that have a higher refresh rate as much at 120 hertz. This unit, I believe, operates at a 60 hertz refresh rate. The higher 120 refresh rate is supposed to handle fast moving images (such as football player running across a field) and improve the image so as to reduce any bluriness or undesireable pixilation.
Well I do not watch alot of sports, so this is not a deal breaker for me. There were a few times I was watching a movie and saw some pixilation occurring due to fast moving images. But as long as you watch your 52" sharp LCD from a practical viewing distance and loose yourself in the entertainment and not scrutinize every single image that's on the screen, you probably won't notice it when it does occur, if at all.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with the Sharp LC52D64U. Remember that to get the most out of this LCD panel, be prepared to spend some money and feed it a high resolution data feed for both audio and video. Everything I am sending it comes in at full 1080i/1080P, if not upscaled from 720/480. I plan to get the new X-Box 360 elite and it has an HDMI output port and many of the newer games run at 1080P, so I can only imagine that there's more visual pleasure to come my way.
I hope this non-technical review was helpful. Now go out and buy this damn thing and be a happy couch potato!!! :-)

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Large-screen 52 flat-panel TV offers full HD Spec 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution. Sharps proprietary Advanced Super View/Black TFT Panel with multi-pixel technology provides a native 2000:1 contrast ratio and a dynamic contrast ratio of 10,000:1 with Enhanced Picture Contrast Technology, 4ms response time and wide viewing angles (176 degree horizontal x 176 degree vertical). Multi-pixel technology divides each pixel into two sections and adds an advanced driving system to provide 60 percent improved color reproduction. Built-in ATSC/QAM/NTSC Tuners provide access to DTV and analog TV channels. Includes two HDMI inputs and two HD component video inputs. Compatible with 1080p signals. Features a sleek piano black cabinet with subtle, recessed bottom-mounted speakers. Included table stand easily removes for wall mounting applications. Flat-panel TV offers 16:9 LCD panel, S-video input, 15 watt speaker system and removable stand. Screen measures 52-1/32 diagonally.

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Onkyo TX-SR307 5.1-Channel A/V Surround Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)The advantage to this receiver (as well as the 507) is the depth fits most standard cabinets. This was my primary reason for looking at this receiver. I believe Onkyo is a good brand, and this receiver is better than my last, but it suffers in the high end features.
The HDMI passthrough is bunk. It does not look at the audio through the HDMI, which I specifically asked about and was misinformed. NO AUDIO THROUGH HDMI! You must attach a seperate audio in cable, which is not a big deal but for two reasons. 1) this receiver only has two optical inputs and one coaxial audio inputs (so only three surround audio inputs, and no popular product right now using optical, so you really only have two surround inputs) and 2) The inputs are not assignable to the HDMI, so you actually only have one optical input that will work while your HDMI pass through is working. Essentially, if you use HDMI through this unit, you are restricted to one optical audio input and the other is dedicated to "CD" so you can run a separate HDMI cable to your TV, but this defeats the entire purpose of HDMI on the receiver. Not a big deal to me, but may be a deal breaker for you. So, to repeat, and summarize, HDMI INPUTS ON RECEIVER ARE NOT FUNCTIONAL ENOUGH FOR YOU TO EFFECTIVELY USE THEM.
The price is great. $240 for a receiver with two optical audio inputs and an onkyo name? Works for me. This guy will NOT be future proof, and I will have to replace it if I want to have more than two surround sound sources, but that will be years from now, and I am now wise enough to know that IF YOU WANT TO HAVE TRULY GREAT VIDEO/AUDIO, YOU NEED TO BUILD A DEDICATED CLOSET IN YOUR HOUSE BECAUSE NO TELEVISION CABINET FITS MASSIVE HIGH END COMPONENTS, ONLY CONSUMER VERSIONS WITHOUT THE HIGH END FEATURES. I have my television floating on the wall with a tube running in the wall hiding the wires, and I have a beautiful setup, but I can't find components that will fit! I should have had a built-in placed during construction (NEED LOTS OF DEPTH!) or I should have ran the wires to the closet and dedicated it, but then you have the problem of IR-signals...
Also, don't buy this unit for the microphone. It doesn't work at all. Perhaps this is because the instructions ask you to place all the speakers on the floor for calibration, and mine are installed flush in the ceiling and are not coming out. Basically the microphone won't work for high end users. Too bad.
I'd return it, but I can't get anything better for this price, and if I spend more money ALL of the receivers have a larger depth which will NOT fit into any television stand (and believe me... I looked for over a year!)
Great beginning receiver, works well, powers speakers to a reasonably loud volume, high end features are bunk, and you can't use more than two surround sources with this guy. Hope this helps!

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Receivers-ONKYO, TX-SR307, 5.1 AV

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HP Pavilion Elite E9180F Desktop PC Review

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(More customer reviews)I've become a big fan of the HP Elite line since I bought mine last year. I've built and rebuilt (too) many systems over the years and I worked many years as an electronic technician. I can't recall seeing a retail computer that had better build quality. I have seen better quality systems, but they were not anything you could generally buy in a store and they cost 2x-3x more than this. If you want to spend that kind of money check out Alienware or Voodoo. The main negative I can give you about the Elite systems is that they aren't very upgradable. Part of how it competes with more expensive systems with similar specs is by cutting the motherboard down to a fairly minimal design. This one has room for one more graphics card (the Intel X58 Express supports Nvidias SLi enabling it to run two Nvidia PCI Express 16x graphics cards) and one PCI 4x card for whatever else you may want to toss in there. The nice thing is that this system is so loaded you probably won't need to add anything. Considering all the heat generating stuff inside it's pretty quiet. Just a soft fan noise. The main downsize is the large case, but that's pretty much standard for a system with these kinds of specs.
Let's go through the specs:
2.66GHz Core i7 920: The Core i7 is the best CPU you can buy today. There are faster i7s than this but I wouldn't stretch my wallet much more. The i7 has four cores, running two threads each, so it looks like eight CPUs to your system. You don't always need eight threads, so if you're running a game it can shut down some of those cores and up your clock speed. It has three DDR3 memory channels controlled by a fast on-die controller and each channel is running at 1066Mhz. All that feeding into a giant 8MB cache shared between the four cores, which each have another 1MB cache. It all adds up to a whole lot of fast.
9GB RAM: Nine? Do you need nine? I'm not sure. But that's 3GB per channel and that's a lot of fast memory that will pretty much guarantee you will not see any memory bottlenecks. You will probably throw this computer away before you will need to upgrade the RAM.
1TB HDD 7200 RPM: Considering the kind of user who is going to buy this system, 1TB, while a lot, seems reasonable. Just remember to pick up an external 1TB drive and back that thing up. There's no such thing as a reliable HDD anymore.
NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 1GB DDR3 Video card: I've been telling people to stay away from Nvidia lately because of some serious manufacturing issues that they have been less than forthcoming about. The GTS 250 however is built on a later (55nm) process and doesn't have the problems associated with the previous generation. In fact the GTS 250 is pretty much a 9800+ built on the new process. It's a good performing card and can handle any game on the market. And if you want you can pick up another in a year or so and start using the SLI in this thing to run two graphics cards (if this intimidates you take it down to your local computer store and they can have you up and running in thirty minutes). That good future proofing.
BLU RAY: It has a blu ray drive, which is cool but I can't really see using it for much. Still, now if you want to watch a hi-def movie on your computer, you can.
HP Pocket Media Drive bay ad HP Personal Media Drive bay: these haven't been quite as handy as I hoped. The "Pocket" media drive might be handy if you need to hand carry large files. They're generally too small of drives to use for system backups. The "Personal" media drives are just regular hard drives that can plug into a slot in the front of your computer. My complaint is that since personal drive is tightly packaged in platstic (to keep it small) the HDD cooling fan kicks in right away and just keeps running. It's much louder than my computer. For your money you'd be better off buying a larger form factor external drive or a Home Server (which I did, and I love it, but that's another review).
Ports: Ports for everything. Front ports for Firewire, USB 2.0., head phones, microphone, speakers, and a card reader. The rear has more USB and FireWire along with an E-SATA port (great for external HDD). Two DVI connects for two DVI monitors. There is a VGA connector if you really need it along with HDMI.
In short for your money you'd have trouble finding a better built system with real gaming specs. If you live to add stuff inside your computer you won't like the limited internal expansion. But if you just want to get a fast computer and have it work, this is a good buy.

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Get serious about computing with the HP Pavilion Elite e9000, a stylish, high-performance PC for your most demanding digital tasks. Premium performance levels enable an enhanced experience whether you¿re working, e-mailing, editing photos or videos, gaming or connecting with friends online. The HP Pavilion Elite e9000¿s flexibility and expandability let you add devices and features to support your growing needs. The elegant, chrome-accented design is sure to attract attention in any home or office décor.What's in the box: Pavilion e9180f desktop PC, HP USB keyboard, HP USB optical mouse, power cord, Cyberlink DVD Suite Deluxe software, muvee Reveal Premium, HP MediaSmart Software Suite, Microsoft Works 9, Adobe Reader 8, HP Easy Backup and Norton Internet Security 2009 with 60 days of complimentary live updates.

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Sharp Aquos LC52D65U 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)Only had this TV for a few days now (got it on 12/5/08). Ordered it with Amazon and it arrived within a week with no issues.
So far I love it - the picture looks so amazing. Upgraded from a 45" Projection LCD I've had for about 5 years now and I feel like I'm watching HDTV for the first time again.
Has more inputs then I'll ever need - can't see me ever using up all 5 HDMI ports. Even tried hooking up my Laptop through the VGA port and it was crystal clear.
Can't really comment on the speakers since I'm using a receiver/surround system. So far I haven't found any issues with it, but I've only had it for 4 days so I'll keep you posted if anything new comes up...

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The AQUOS LC52D65U sets a new standard for large-screen flat panel TVs. With Full HD 1080p resolution and an elegant new design, it produces a breathtaking picture quality that is second to none. The LC52D65U utilizes Sharp's proprietary Advanced Super View/Black TFT Panel with Spectral Contrast Engine, providing high Dynamic Contrast Ratio, 6ms response time and wide viewing angles (176�H x 176�V). The LC52D65U is HDTV with built-in ATSC / QAM / NTSC tuners and include 5 HDMI� inputs, compatible with 1080p signals, and 2 HD 1080p component video inputs. The LC52D65U features a sleek piano black cabinet with subtle recessed bottom-mounted speakers. The included table stand easily removes for wall mounting applications.

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Sony BRAVIA XBR Series KDL-40XBR9 40-Inch 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)I will admit up front that I am a complete HDTV newbie. I hung on to a 20 year old, 22 inch CRT color "monitor television" for far too long, in part because I do not watch much television programming (a bit of baseball, PBS, occaisional Law & Order reruns, that sort of thing) and in part because the whole HDTV techno nerd thing was too intimidating. After much online research and a few surreptitious visits to Big Box electronics stores, I finally settled on the 40XBR9 and bought it from an Amazon seller -- and could not be more pleased with my selection. The picture quality is simply riveting. The menus are reasonably user friendly and I have not found it all that difficult to calibrate for optimum results in a softly lighted room. With minor tweaking, the factory defaults work well for most cable television programming. I used the CNET suggested calibration for movies on the 52XBR9, and it works very well on this 40 inch unit.
This is a beautiful television. The bezel is as slim as they come and is an unadorned, moderately glossy black. While it is not a small television, it is not too overbearing for a medium sized bedroom or office. Considering its slender bezel, and the fact that there are no visible speakers, the sound is more than adequate for watching most TV programming. I purchased a ZVOX 525 sound base and an OPPO blu ray player to go with it. I have yet to watch a blu ray disc, but upscaled DVDs like Ratatouille and Wall-E are incredibly crisp, vivid and detailed, with wonderfully natural color, deep, pure blacks and brilliant whites and grey tones. With sound from the ZVOX, this is a wonderful way to enjoy movies in a moderate sized room without an enormous investment of time and money and without a lot of wiring and equipment monopolizing the space.
The one down side is that the XBR9 is not very forgiving of poor quality source material. My local cable provider still offers a limited selection of true HD content. SD television does not fare well on this set, although with some tweaks you can get acceptable picture quality -- ratchet down the sharpness so the poor resolution is not obvious, use a 4:3 aspect ratio rather than 'stretch' the image to fill the screen, so the perspective is not distorted, turn down the brightness and restrict the color range to avoid the exaggerated and artificial hues that seem to be part and parcel of SD TV, and you get a reasonable picture on par with a decent CRT. But once you've seen good quality 16:9 HDTV content, you will be somewhat disappointed with SD sources.
This competes head to head with the high end LCD and "LED" TVs from Samsung. I think it beats them for at least two reasons. First, the Samsung models have a very glossy, "wet look" screen, which is really a distraction. Under some conditions, it gives the picture more "pop," but except in a darkened room, the glare problem is insurmountable. Second, the comparable Samsung televisions have wider and more obtrusive bezels with a brilliant piano black finish, which is made even more garish by Samsung's somewhat ludicrous red "Touch of Color" gimmickry. The Samsung design is like over the top prom wear. The 40XBR9 is the electronics version of the perfect, simple and refined little black dress.
Prices seem to fluctuate wildly -- the prices quoted on the date of this review are about 15% higher than they were when I made my purchase ten days ago. You may want to keep an eye on the market and catch the next wave of "sales." But you won't buy this TV because it is an inexpensive "bargain" -- you may buy it because dollar for dollar, it will give you the most pleasure during the years it will be in service.
TWO MONTHS LATER: Having now had the opportunity to use my Sony 40XBR9 to watch post-season baseball in HD, as well as a number of blu-ray discs, I remain as pleased with my purchase as ever. This has transformed the way we watch movies and cable programming at home. I added a Harmony One remote to the system to avoid the remote control shuffle required to operate the blu-ray player, Zvox, cable box and Sony in tandem. It all works nicely and with a minimum of effort.

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Experience powerful performance and superior design with the Sony BRAVIA XBR9 HDTV, featuring Motionflow 240Hz technology for maximum motion detail and clarity, plus broadband internet connectivity with built-in BRAVIA Internet Video1 capabilities that let you view select on-demand movies, TV shows, music and more, and even lets you personalize your entertainment experience by selecting and positioning widgets containing the latest news, weather, sports and more directly on your TV screen. Buy This Product and Related Items

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Samsung LN52B630 52-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color Review

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(More customer reviews)After spending way too much time researching and viewing these TVs at big box stores, I eventually bought this set from Amazon, and could not be happier.
I was in the plasma vs LCD debate for a while and decided that I needed/wanted the brightness of an LCD, didn't want to worry about any burn in issues (I know they are almost non-existent today anyway). I wanted 1080p and most plasma sets with 1080p are close to this price point as well. I debated for about a month between last years ln52a630 and the ln52a750, and which one to buy. The matte screen on the 630 was its highlight for me, but there was a sacrifice in the contrast ratio and other miscellaneous little "bells and whistles". The A750 being the more expensive model, the price point dropped so much, it was now pretty much an even swap. Hearing about the problems associated with the 750 including glare, halo and TOC flaking issues, I decided the 630 with its matte screen was the TV for me.
So, I price shopped the A630 for a few weeks until I stumbled across the new version of the set, the ln52b630. A little more money is WELL spent when upgrading to this TV. The contrast ratio is double 40,000:1 vs 80,000:1, and even dominates last years 50,000:1 A750's contrast ratio. Again, this TV also has the MATTE SCREEN! Almost no glare issues in my very bright viewing room, that has multiple windows and a sliding glass door.
The TV's picture quality is the best my friends and I have seen so far from an LCD. Deepest blacks and brightest brights are the comments I have been hearing when people see this TV in operation. The clarity in blu-ray 1080p with 120hz is breathtaking, you almost don't want to take your eyes off the screen. I have it connected to Dish Network's HD service and the PQ in 1080i is also superb, a slight loss in clarity and blur in fast moving sequences that is non-existent in 1080p. Standard def programing also looks great as well.
As far as audio, I have it setup through surround sound, so I cannot comment.
I have yet to connect an ethernet cable to use those features as well.
**UPDATE** I have attached the ethernet cable and the "infolink" features do work as advertised. It is a nice feature, news stories, temperature/weather, stocks all positioned in the corners of the screen. Will i ever use it, probably not. But, it works as advertised. I wish it was a way to update firmware for the TV rather than for these features.
The USB media port is another excellent feature. It allows you to play movies, music and pictures directly from the side of the TV with a USB flash drive or external hard drive. It will play almost any codec you throw at it, supposedly even x264(HD), have not been able to test this.
The remote is nicely designed and easy to use. Samsung eliminated the dreaded "click-wheel' on this years new models.
Delivery: Pilot was my shipping service, and I cannot say anything bad about the service. The delivered early and made the necessary phone calls to arrange delivery. The box was in great shape, as well as the TV inside.

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With Samsung’s LN52B630, you’re connected to great HD entertainment and up-to-the-minute online info. Enjoy a Full HD feast for the eyes, courtesy of the 1080p resolution and 52-inch LCD screen. Check sports scores, stock quotes, weather and other update able RSS content at just the touch of a button on your remote, with the InfoLink feature. Samsung’s Auto Motion Plus120Hz technology keeps even the fastest on-screen motion smooth and natural. Enjoy bold black tones with an impressive 80,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Four HDMI inputs give you fast and easyconnection options for your Blu-ray Disc player and gaming system. And the stylish yet subtle Touch of Color design adds a red accent to the bezel’s border – perfect in any modern home.

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