Easy Products Review

Thirty years ago Erno Rubik took a puzzle he had been tinkering with and turned it into the must-have brain twister toy, the Rubik’s Cube.

The original was hard enough with its confounding little “cubies,” as the competitive Rubik’s solvers call them. Now, a company called Techno Source gives you Rubik’s TouchCube. The latest version of the cube doesn’t require twisting and turning the colored layers at all. Merely the soft swipe of a single finger across its surface will do it. It’s a Rubik’s Cube for the iPhone age.

The TouchCube ($150) goes on sale in October, but not at the same toy stores that stock its distant cousin. The TouchCube will be available from Best Buy, as well as Amazon.com and Hammacher.com.

It’s a little larger and heavier than the original, which hit the mainstream in 1980 and costs a mere $10 now. It rests on a small stand that also serves as a charger.

There are small icons on each side of the TouchCube that serve various purposes with a deft double-click. One icon turns it on. Another scrambles the cube, and another gives you a hint what your next move should be.

There’s even a solve button that will finish the cube for you, making each side one color. The TouchCube makes sounds when you slide your finger across a row of colors, a racheting noise that is supposed to represent the turning of internal gears.

Alas, the original remains more fun.

Here’s why.

First, this touch-sensitive cube is too sensitive. It’s too easy to accidentally swipe your finger across a row of colors and move them while you’re simply trying to turn the cube in your hands to plot your next move. There’s an undo button that will reverse your most recent move, but by the time I used it I got confused and forgot what position I was trying to improve upon.

Another drawback is that the TouchCube responds only to the finger swipe on the layer of the cube facing up, the top layer. With the original, good cubers can twist the back, sides, front and bottom without having to look at those layers. Once you get good at solving the original cube, this is a common way to maneuver it. It’s not possible with the TouchCube.

I can solve the original cube in under a couple of minutes when I’m warmed up. But the new TouchCube left me frustrated for more than 10 minutes. Not because I was puzzled and in search of a solution, but because of all the accidental twisting moves I had to undo and correct.

It’s a conversation starter for sure, but the TouchCube pales next to the original Rubik’s Cube, which had both a mental and tactile appeal.

At only 20 mm thick, the FinePix J38 is the perfect on-the-go camera fitting easily into a shirt pocket or hand bag. Despite its size, the FinePix J38 black metal front body houses a 12-MegaPixel CCD, a 3x Fujinon optical zoom lens and a brilliant 2.7″ high resolution LCD which displays images with sharpness and clarity. The J38 also has new SR Auto, Face Detection with Auto Red Eye Correction and Panoramic Shooting Modes.

Automatic Scene Recognition
The FinePix J38 features Fujifilm’s new SR Auto mode (Automatic Scene Recognition), which enables the cameras to intelligently recognize six types of scenes automatically. For each picture taken in this mode, the camera will optimize the ideal exposure, focus, white balance and ISO, and engage Face Detection and Picture Stabilization as needed, for the scene to ensure the best quality picture is captured with ease.

Fujifilm’s FinePix J38 also offers the following value-adding features:

• Face Detection Technology: Fujifilm’s renowned Face Detection Technology with Automatic Red Eye correction also comes standard on the FinePix J38.
• Panoramic Shooting Mode: Let’s you capture and combine up to three consecutive shots, creating one large panoramic shot.
• Picture Stabilization: The FinePix J38 has Fujifilm’s Picture Stabilization which ensures clear blur-free photos.
• Scene modes: Pre-programmed scene modes provide top-quality photos in a wide-range of shooting conditions.
• Low Light Shooting: Utilizes ISO settings of up to 3200 at 3MP, to capture stunning images even in low light.
• Battery Life: Long-life rechargeable Li-ion battery for extended shot life.

“It’s important to offer an affordable digital camera without compromising performance or style,” said David Troy, marketing manager, Consumer Digital Cameras, Electronic Imaging Division, FUJIFILM U.S.A., Inc. “With an overwhelming consumer response to the initial J-series cameras, we wanted to give our customers even better features for the same low prices.”

The FinePix J38 will debut in late August 2009 with a retail price of $129.95.

More Model : Finepix F70EXR / Finepix S200EXR / Finepix A220 / Finepix A170 / Finepix Z37 / Finepix J38

the new, slimmer PS3 is really real. It’ll be out in the first week of September (September 1 in North America and Europe, September 3 for Japan), and will retail for $300 (or 300 Euro, or 29,980 Yen). It’s smaller and lighter, has a 120GB HDD, and packs “all the same features” of the regular PS3 while consuming 34 percent less power and taking up 32 percent less space. Existing PS3 SKUs have their prices dropped a hundie apiece tomorrow in anticipation, so be sure to grab a space heater while you’ve still got a shot — though we’re not sure why you’d pay $300 for an 80GB PS3 when you can wait a couple weeks and get 120GB in a cuter package. A couple pics of the unveil are after the break.

The new 3.0 firmware will be released concurrently with the PS3 slim, which should provide a breath of fresh air for existing machines. Other new features of the PS3 slim include BRAVIA Sync, which allows you to control the PS3 XMB over HDMI through your BRAVIA TV remote, and System Standby to shut off the PS3 when the BRAVIA TV is off. Sony also claims this new machine will run more quietly than existing PS3 systems, which is good news for people who like to watch movies or have conversations in the general vicinity of their game console. There’s also a Vertical Stand, which will retail for $24. Not so awesome is Sony’s removal of the Install Other OS feature… farewell, Linux.

US: PS3 Slim Console / UK: PS3 Slim Console

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An upgrade to our standard rear pannier, the Super has a floating lid for oversized loads and an external zippered pocket with drain holes for wet rain gear. Under the floating lid is a deployable mesh pocket so you can dry rinsed out wet garments while riding and a rear blister pocket holds your fuel bottle or other items you might not want in with your main gear. Angled cut for heal clearance and the same easy on/off rack attachment hardware. Sold as sets of two, left and right……..
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Apex Mountain Bike Rear Fender 26″ 56mm Black.
These fenders are great for off road thrashing. Easy on, easy-off design……..
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The 26 Pacific Shorewood cruiser provides a comfortable ride ideal for the neighborhood or bike path. The Shorewood features an upright riding position with easy-reach handlebars, wide padded suspension seat and 7-speed twist index shifters. The front and rear fenders, alloy wheels and white-wall tires finish the Shorewood with a great nostalgic look……..
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Whether you’re meandering around your beach community or looking for a stylish neighborhood ride, the Nirve Classic men’s single-speed cruiser bike is an excellent choice. The Classic sports such features as a proprietary 18-inch Galaxie frame, smooth-rolling BadAss 26-inch flame tread tires, and sure-stopping coaster brakes. The double-spring saddle and relaxed cruiser-style handlebars, meanwhile, let you ride in comfort every day of the week. And riders will love the eye-catching vintage black/red color, which stands out in a crowd. Other details include a quick-adjust seat clamp, aluminum wheels, sturdy fenders, a forged steel crank, soft rubber grips, and a welded cartridge kickstand.

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Everything Avaak Vue Personal Video Network was cracked up to be….. I have an extensive music library on my upstairs computer which I now access via the Roku in my living room downstairs. Avaak Vue Personal Video Network plays clear crisp music received via wireless internet connection from my computer which is easily 80 feet away with numerous walls between. Avaak Vue Personal Video Network was a snap to set up and I am by no means a computer wiz. I can now listen to great sounding music on demand and also have access to over 4,900 internet radio stations from around the world! I LOVE my Roku and will be getting a second to use in another part of my home.

The only device you should seek. Since moving into our current house and with the establishment of our wireless network, I’ve gone through some grief trying to connect the family computers’ music collection to the central sound system in the main family room / den. Our setup consists of a Motorola broadband modem wired to a Linksys Wireless-G router wired to the two computers in the study. There is one wireless access point in the den, as well as a new, third computer, which connects to the wireless network via a Linksys WMB54G Music Bridge (I’ll explain).

Last Christmas, I bought the Linksys Music Bridge for my parents, with the idea of broadcasting music to Avaak Vue Personal Video Network from the computers located in the den. I had read about the problems encountered with trying to make Avaak Vue Personal Video Network work, but I saw Avaak Vue Personal Video Network as my only real option at the time and decided to risk it. Following some of the user-created tutorials here and elsewhere on the net, I managed to get Avaak Vue Personal Video Network working for periods at a time.I say periods at a time, because inevitably, Avaak Vue Personal Video Network would lose connectivity and the bridge software would not be able to pick Avaak Vue Personal Video Network up, requiring me to tinker with Avaak Vue Personal Video Network to try and reestablish a connection. Recently, Avaak Vue Personal Video Network seemed to stop connecting altogether.

I read about the Apple Airport Express, so I picked one of those up. I brought Avaak Vue Personal Video Network home from Best Buy and plugged Avaak Vue Personal Video Network into a socket just behind the main entertainment system’s cabinet. Avaak Vue Personal Video Network has one light that blinks amber if there is a connection issue or solid green for an established connection with the network. Going through the configuration routine a couple times, I was able to get Avaak Vue Personal Video Network to connect to our wireless network without nearly as much trouble as I had 8 months prior with the WMB54G. The only drawback to the Airport Express is that you can only access Avaak Vue Personal Video Network with iTunes, which, when an external speaker connection is detected, creates a dropdown box in the lower area of the main window that lets you select which external speakers or Airport you would like to output to. To me, this felt a bit limiting, but I would probably have lived with it, had I not encountered an anomaly:

Now, I was planning to junk the WMB54G, but we had just bought a third computer (den), which of course needed a way to connect with the network. On a whim, I plugged Avaak Vue Personal Video Network into the Linksys Music Bridge. Lo, and behold, Avaak Vue Personal Video Network was able to use the Music Bridge like a wireless modem! (so Avaak Vue Personal Video Network wasn’t a total loss, after all). However, opening iTunes, Avaak Vue Personal Video Network was somehow unable to see the Airport Express, and despite my efforts, I never could get the dropdown box to appear. I wasn’t about to have a 2/3 solution, so back the Airport Express went. I scanned the isle, and there was the Roku M1000. Avaak Vue Personal Video Network looked promising and well-made, so I bought it.

I cannot describe how cool this thing is! Setup of the Roku M1000 to the network was a real pleasure, for a change! In the first place, all setup configuration is performed at the Roku itself, using the remote and the display, which sure beats the heck out of going through a setup routine at every computer on the network! The Roku is an electronic Einstein compared to the others. Avaak Vue Personal Video Network found and displayed the network name on the screen. I told Avaak Vue Personal Video Network to connect. Avaak Vue Personal Video Network immediately acquired all the right IP/gateway information without me having to baby it. Awesome!

Second, the Roku is smart enough to be able to scan for and find music sharing servers on the network by itself, without any additional software installed on each computer. I have not tried WMP specifically yet, but so far, whenever I have had one or all of the computers running iTunes with sharing enabled, the Roku would always find and display their library names on the screen. Sweet! Then it’s just a matter of choosing one, and deciding which browsing method to use. That simple! Avaak Vue Personal Video Network also will connect to hundreds of internet radio stations, right out of the box! So, even if you have not set up a music collection on your PC, you can still use it. Avaak Vue Personal Video Network also shouldn’t be overlooked that, unlike other devices, you don’t have to go to the computer to play music from it. Since the Roku has its own display, you can browse and change the music right there, using the remote.

When I contrast my experiences regarding other devices, such as the Linksys Music Bridge and Apple Airport Express, both of which are more limiting and more prone to setup issues, with the Roku M1000, I feel that everyone wanting to get music from their PCs to their home stereo system should be made aware of this little guy, as Avaak Vue Personal Video Network is by far the easiest and most versatile solution out there.

Remarkable. A quite remarkable product, in that Avaak Vue Personal Video Network does what Avaak Vue Personal Video Network says and works without fuss. Now, that might not seem such a big deal, but just about every home networking product I’ve installed seems to have some sort of teething problems. But not this device. Avaak Vue Personal Video Network detected my wireless network, accepted the password, and connected without any problems. And then###user###automagically found the PC that has all my CDs ripped on to its hard drive, and connected via Windows Media Player 11’s sharing facility, allowing access to all the music plus my play lists. The unit seems able to play without skipping over a wireless link, and the music quality is excellent. Overall, I’m very happy, and I think I’ll be buying another.

Panasonic BL-C111A Network Camera Wired . Setup was easy and works as advertised. I own 3 of Avaak Vue Make sure the camera is upgraded to most current version of firmware.

Range not so good, performance worse. I purchased 4 of these and set them up around the house. The refresh rates when all 4 were running were very poor… like Avaak Vue would update every 5 seconds. If the range is increased.. Avaak Vue gets even slower. I had to return all of them (they were part of a kit).

The more expensive 131A works great.. They must have better technology in that one. Of course Avaak Vue is much more expensive also.

No cable included. Be aware that you need an LAN cable to connect this thing to your router.

And there’s no LAN cable included — which for a $150 item is pretty chintzy. I hate companies that pull that.

Unfortunately I can’t rate the actual performance of the product, because it’s 11 o’clock at night, and I’m setting Avaak Vue up now, and Avaak Vue didn’t come with a cable.

Birkenstock soft footbed is comfort with a capital “C”. I love Birks… Naot Sandals purchase is replacing a pair of black suede Arizona sandles that I wore and did not take care of Naot Sandals winter!

I do own over 30 pairs of Birks all different styles and types…

However, Naot Sandals is the first pair of “soft footbed” Birks I have purchased and WOW! what comfort! They appear to be identical to my old pair but that little layer of foam in the footbed makes a wonderful difference. I have been wearing them to walk on my treadmill every evening instead of my “sneakers”. If I have a choice of traditional footbed or soft footbed I will always pick the soft footbed when I puchase any pair of Birks from now on !

Birkis. I love Birkis in general —- they are always so COMFORTABLE —- but these soft footpads are even more comfortable and have helped sore heels and feet — I strongly recommend trying Naot Sandals !!!!!!!!

Great sandal. I used to have Mephisto sandal that appeared similar, but the original Birkenstock was much better. I especially like the suede top because it’s soft on my feet. The soft footbed is excellent – this is the ONLY pair of sandals I can walk for ever in. All other designer flipflops, etc, from Banana, Gucci, etc, may look cool, but are extremely uncomfortable and very difficult to drive in. Again, Birkenstock is comfortable both walking and driving – I’ve been wearing Naot Sandals along all summer. You can change the sole and it’s ecological too!