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Buying an MP3 Player?

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There are so many MP3 players out there, how do you know what to look for when you’re out shopping? One of the first things to decide is how much you want the player to hold. If you are using it for music, how many songs do you want on it? Gigabites(GB) are the units in which the memory is measured. The more GB, the more songs the player will hold. A model with 80GB will store up to 20,000 songs, while a model with 2GB will store about 500.

Knowing your budget helps too- the more memory, the higher the price tag.

In general, models with more memory use microdrive technology. Microdrive technology is basically a tiny little harddrive with a spinning disc and a magnetic head reading it. These MP3s have moving pieces that can be damaged by shaking. You might want to go for a solid state model like the Sansa Shaker or others that are less likely to be damaged if used while exercising- or if you plan to loan it to your kids.

Nutone Door Answering System

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If you need hands-free security and media access in a compact unit, Nutone’s drop-down monitor will fit neatly under your kitchen cabinets. The system comes with one camera. A second camera (either recessed or surface-mount) can be added to monitor the back door. Lower the color LCD panel to watch cable TV with the integrated cable tuner, enjoy your favorite music, or access the morning news on its AM/FM radio. Answer and make telephone calls from its hands-free speakerphone.

Specifcations:

  • Includes a surface mount door camera.
  • Dimensions: 11-13/16″ x 2-13/16″ x 11-5/8″
  • 7″ color LCD monitor
  • Three-note door chime
  • IR remote control.
  • Digital, local voice message recorder
  • Digital clock with alarm

Slow Cooker Tips

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The wind is blowing here, the temperature is dropping and we’re expecting rain.  On days like this we look forward to hot, comforting dinners.  A slow cooker (Crock-pot is one brand) is a convenient way to have that satisfying dinner ready when you come home at night.

Here are some helpful tips for making your slow ccoker dinner simple and tasty.

  • Less tender cuts of meat such shoulder, chuck roast, brisket and poultry legs work best for slow cooking.
  • Fish and seafood are not well suited unless they are added during the last hour or so of cooking.
  • Ground meat is also not recommended as the texture changes during long cooking and becomes mealy.
  • Slow cooking tends to intensify flavors, especially black pepper, chili pepper and garlic.  Dried herbs may loose some flavor with long cooking times and fresh herns are best if added right near the end of the cooking.
  • It’s not necessary, but flouring and browning meat for stews will add a richer flavor and color and will help to thicken the sauce.  Be sure to scrape the browned bit from the bottom of the pan to add to the pot.
  • Plastic liners are available in the foil aisle of most major grocery stores.  They make clean-up almost nonexistent.
  • To ensure even cooking, be sure to fill the cooker at least halfway, but not to the brim.  also, try not to stir as it will break up the vegetables.
  • It generally works best to place the vegetables (chunks of carrot potato and onion, for example) on the bottom of the pot followed by a layer of meat.
  • Meals can be made even easier by prepping many of the ingredients the night before and then just adding them to the pot straight from the fridge the next morning.

One of my family’s favorite slow cooker meals is exceptionally easy.

Bar-B Que Beef

Place chunks of carrot, potato, and onion on the bottom of the slow cooker,
cover with a layer of beef short ribs or stew meat. Cover with one bottle of your favorite bar-BQue sauce and an equal amount of your favorite beer. Cook 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. Vary the amounts to suit your personal needs and tastes.

How a TV Works

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If you have ever wondered how your television works, HowStuffWorks has just what you are looking for. They cover the basic technology in the back of your TV: the four parts, electron gun, steering coils, phosphorus screen, and steering coil. It’s so much easier to understand if you watch the video.


Toastmaster Bread Machine Review

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AmericanChronicle offers this review of the toastmaster bread machine which is an option if you are looking for a less expensive bread machine than the Cuisinart that we reviewed here.

A Toastmaster bread machine is cheap to buy. This combined with their standard features makes these appliances attractive to buyers. But there are other cheap bread makes on the market and these can be a better bet than a Toastmaster. Here’s a reviews of the two best sellers.

Just because they’re cheap doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice a lot of functionality; you’ll be surprised at the amount features that come as standard on a Toastmaster breadmaker. The following appliances both do a good job at baking bread and many consumers are happy with their overall performance. The following review is for two models currently available from the Toastmaster range – the TBR15 and the TBR20 – and how they compare with a rival brand.

The Toastmaster TBR15 Bread Machine

This appliance currently retails for around $40 plus. It comes with an 80 minute quick bake cycle and can bake a loaf as large as 1.5lbs. You get a large viewing window and its pretty compact at 13″h x 13″w x 11.75″d. It comes with a fairly impressive list of 8 cycles; basic, whole wheat, French, Sweet, fast bake, Quick Bread, dough and bake. These are pretty much going to satisfy all but those that take home baking very seriously.

The cost of the TBR15 puts it in competition with the Sunbeam 5891 bread machine. The Sunbeam also comes with a quick bake – only 58 minutes, so it’s quicker. Also, it’s more versatile as it can bake either 1.5 or 2lb loaves. It also beats the TBR15 when it comes to the choice of cycles; there are 12 in all – including one for making jam.

Both machines have their drawbacks, the biggest being that they can sometimes fail to mix all the ingredients together so you end up with floury corners on the loaf – unless you manually intervene during the first mixing stage. But, this is a fairly common complaint with horizontal bread machines that use only one mixing paddle; even more expensive brands have this problem.

The Toastmaster TBR15 does have one main plus point over the Sunbeam 5891; its instruction book is far superior. It would be fair to say that the Sunbeam is pretty hopeless as it gives contradictory advice and has a very limited recipe list.

But, if you’re going to be spending this little on a bread maker, you’re best choice is the Sunbeam.

The Toastmaster TBR20 Bread Machine

This is a slightly more expensive machine and it currently retails at $55 plus. It can bake either 1, 1.5 or 2lb loaves. You also get a delay timer of 13 hours and a touchpad with digital readout. However, you still only get the 8 programs available on the TBR15 model. Its closest competition is the Oster 5838 ExpressBake bread machine. The Oster retails for around $10 – $20 more. It can also bake 1, 1.5 and 2lb loaves and has a 13 hour delay bake option. But it out does the Toastmaster on the selection of cycles that are available; the Oster has 18 cycles.

It’s a close call as to which is the better appliance. Personally, I prefer the Oster breadmaker but both models perform equally well and the TBR20 is cheaper. If you’re satisfied with the 8 cycles then the Toastmaster bread maker is probably the best option.

Both the TBR15 and the TBR20 Toastmaster bread machine are low priced but good appliances that get a decent rating on many customer reviews. But I would say forget about the TBR15; either upgrade to the TBR20 or buy the Sunbeam bread machine instead.

Great Gadgets for Holiday Giving?

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Today’s Los Angeles Times reviewed some interesting devices for the health conscious. Here’s one of their reviews for the Tanita Ironman Body Composition Monitor

If you’re planning to give someone a scale for the holidays, you’ve already shown a willingness to take risks. (Certain people would see a gift-wrapped scale as an invitation for violence.) But some gambles are doomed from the start.

Consider the Tanita Ironman Body Composition Monitor, sold for about $130. One of the scale’s main selling points is that it purportedly measures levels of visceral fat, the kind that builds up around the intestines and other organs. Experts believe that visceral fat can throw off a person’s metabolism, greatly increasing the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Unfortunately, no bathroom scale can accurately measure visceral fat, says Kenneth Ellis, principal investigator of the Body Composition Laboratory at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “It really surprises me that they are claiming to do it,” he says. Instead, scales such as the Ironman can make only a rough estimate based on a person’s weight and the ease with which a small jolt of electricity runs through the body. (Electricity moves easily through lean tissue, but lots of fat will make for a sluggish signal.)

Two recent studies from Japan have found that electricity-based estimates of visceral fat can be off by as much as 50%. Estimates of total body fat would be somewhat more reliable, Ellis says, but they’re still limited by the fact that they can measure only the electricity that flows up one leg and down the other. Anything you’re carrying above the waist would be essentially invisible to the machine.

The only way to accurately measure visceral fat is to have a CT scan or similar high-tech test. But, in most cases, Ellis says, your body mass index — a calculation based on your height and weight — will tell you all you need know. Unless you’re muscle-bound, a BMI of 30 strongly suggests that you have too much fat — visceral and otherwise — for your own good.

If you’d like to be not only a health conscious, but well informed consumer, you can read about the StressEraser and the Sleeptracker here for more information about these health related appliances.

Finding Your Inner Guide – or at Least a PDF Manual

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I recently overhead someone ask a friend: ‘how did we ever find out anything before Google?’. I gave away my internet age when I said “with altavista” and added for good measure – in a gopher guide. But nevertheless, the point stands. Google is just the greatest mindshare search tool, but its just a gateway into the riches of the internet. One of the great killer aps of customer service is the ability of any manufacturer to make all of their manuals available instantly to their customers.

att_logo.jpgMy ATT answering machine phone is acting weird, and my wife asked me to find the manual. After 10 minutes of wasting my time in paper files, I just did a quick search and came up with this page listing dozens of PDF manuals to various AT&T phones.

One of our goals here is to create a single point resource with as many manuals as we can hunt down. So here’s a start.

Heater Safety

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As the days get colder, many people are bringing their electric heaters out for the season. Give Space Heaters Space The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), the “best source of information about home appliances and the industry www.heatersafety.org. Tip number seven is one people might not be aware of:

Unless the heater is designed for outdoor use or in bathrooms, DO NOT use in damp or wet areas. Parts in the heater may be damaged by moisture.

Have a warm and safe winter!

Great Music, Great Gift

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The Sansa Shaker is a little, pink or blue, kid’s dream come true. I’ve listened to it with my kids-it comes with ports for two headsets- and the sound is fabulous! Sansa Shaker It retails for around $29-$39 depending on the memory you want. Check out a comprehensive review at TechTalk.net. This MP3 player is fun, easy to use and well priced.

Recall: Yamaha Recalls AC Power Adaptors Due to Electric Shock Hazard

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Yamaha AC Power Adaptors

Units: About 49,000

Distributor: Yamaha Corporation of America, of Buena Park, Calif.

Hazard: The housing of the power adaptor can separate, posing an electric shock hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Yamaha has received five reports of units separating. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves the Yamaha PA-3C power adaptor with a date code of 0624. The adaptor is used with Yamaha keyboards and digital drum sets. The model number is written in white print on the front of the plug of the adaptor and the date code is etched into the plastic at the bottom of the plug panel. The adaptor can be purchased as part of a set or separately.

Sold at: Musical instrument retailers nationwide from July 2006 through September 2007 for about $20.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled power adaptor immediately and contact Yamaha to return the power adaptor and obtain a free replacement.

Consumer Contact: For more information, contact Yamaha Corporation of America toll-free at (866) 509-0320 Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.yamaha.com/warranty_safety.asp

Picture of Recalled AC Power Adaptor
Yamaha PA-3C power adaptor