There are literally thousands of options available in comforter set designs. However, there are several critical issues that one must consider in order to make the best choice possible when picking out a comforter set. Many comforter sets, quite frankly, can be a bit of an investment for your home. That is why it so important to do your homework and make your selections based upon multiple factors, not just one or two.
It is after numerous hours of dedicated research and careful consideration, that the average consumer will understand their options well enough to make a solid product purchase decision. Hopefully, as you conclude reading this article, you will have a much better idea as to which direction you would like to go in selecting a new comforter set for your bedroom.
A comforter set can mean many things to different people. There are some sets, which come only with the comforter, while others will include the complete "bed in a bag." If you know up front what accessories you wish to get with your comforter set and the budget you have to spend on your bedding, it will help you reach the end of the process in a more satisfactory purchase decision.
Bed comforter sets can run the gamut of styles and pricing, ranging anywhere from a hundred dollars to thousands. This is why it is so important to understand how much you are willing to spend before you engage the shopping process. Once you understand your spending limits, then you are better prepared to determine whether you might just want a comforter, a bed in a bag package, or the full meal deal with pillow shams, canopy covers, dust ruffles, additional sheet sets, etc. If your budget is not a major concern, you may even opt to have a comforter set custom made just for you.
Once you have determined how much you are willing to spend on a comforter set, now it is time to get down to the nitty-gritty of picking one out.
One of the primary questions to answer, after you have set your budget, is how many bedding accessories do you want to purchase with your comforter? Many bedding manufacturers will offer items such as a matching dust ruffle, coordinating pillow sham, sheet sets, even window treatments. Depending upon the name brand of the product, many bed comforter sets can also be found with additional elements that the average consumer may not have even considered, such as wallpaper, borders, and coordinating bathroom decorations. Many of the comforter sets available today provide so many more options, which are designed as companion products to be sold with the comforter set.
Once a shopper understands how many and what accessories they want to get with their comforter set, they need to determine what types of materials they want to pursue in their bedding products. Polyester, cotton, and silk are the primary fabrics used to enclose the comforter package. On the inside of the comforter, polyester fibers, cotton, wool and down are often used as a stuffing material. Each kind of material, at each level of the comforter's design, has its positives and negatives to consider.
It is important to understand in advance what fabrics you would like your comforter and bedding to be made from, because, depending on the individual, there are some fabrics that the consumer will want to avoid at all costs. For example if you want to stay within a reasonable price frame, then choose fabrics such as cotton or polyester synthetic blends. There are multiple comforter sets available in these fabrics, which tend to be reasonably priced with various design options. If money is no issue you may want to go the route of a silk comforter set. Lightweight yet warm, this may be a great choice for you if you have no fears of breaking the bank.
Wool filled comforters can be a wise choice in a comforter set if you are allergy-prone and desire a natural product. These, however, can get very warm so you should know your internal thermometer well, before choosing this kind of comforter. Additionally, a down-filled comforter can make for a great comforter set that offers plenty of warmth on those cold, winter nights, but down-filled products can create havoc for those who are prone to allergies. Many people like the down-filled option, since it typically offers product choices that range from lightweight to heavy, and the new baffle box stitching keeps the down product from shifting like it did in the comforters of old.
You should also consider your individual style when it comes to making a comforter set selection. After all, the design and styling of a comforter set speak to the personality and taste of its owners. There are numerous choices that one now has when choosing styles, colors, and patterns. Determine which color palette works best with your individual tastes and start there. Decide if you would like to see this palette in solids or if patterns are a better fit with your taste. Also know which patterns and styles work with your fabric choices and this will further help in the decision making process.
Choosing the right comforter set for you can be a challenge, but it can be made just a bit easier when you follow the above guidelines. If you do that, you will be able to turn your humdrum bedroom into one of luxury and bliss with your new comforter set, suitably tailored to meet your own unique individuality.
2009/07/28
Auto Security - It Pays To Stay Safe
Auto burglaries are quite a common phenomenon these days. It does not surprise anyone if a person finds something missing from his/her car, from a busy parking lot. This is why most auto companies are putting in a tremendous amount of effort, time, and investment into exploring new avenues of maintaining auto-security.
One of the most common reasons of car theft is the carelessness of the owner, and their little or no concern for the security of the car. If you take care of the simple things, the chances are that your car will remain safe. Make it difficult for the thief to steal your car; nine times out of ten, he will leave it alone.
A significant auto security tip: park your car carefully
Here are a few helpful tips that will help you park your car securely:
> Never, and this means never, forget your key in the ignition. Also, roll up all the windows and also lock all the doors. Check all these things before leaving your car.
> If possible, always park in an area that is busy and well-lit.
> Do not, absolutely do not; leave any secret key, in the glove compartment or in any other accessible place.
> After you park, do not forget to pull the emergency break and also steer the wheel sharply to the right or the left, just before the key is removed from the steering column.
When at home
Many a times, people have a garage but choose to park the car outside their home. This is usually the case, when the car is to be used after a brief period of time. Therefore, people do not want to go through the whole process of parking the car in their garage.
Try not taking the easy way out. Use the garage as often as possible and not only lock the garage door, but also the car inside the garage.
If you do not have a garage, it is always advisable to park the car in the driveway, and not on the street.
Alarms
Install the loudest and the best car alarms. Of course, the price is an issue, so install the car alarm that you can afford and the one that best suits your requirements. Some of the high end devices that are available in market these days are sound discriminators, transmitters that help in computerized tracking, motion detectors, and various types of silent alarms.
You can also advertise the fact that you have a burglar alarm installed in your car by sticking various posters or warning stickers on the windshield or window of your car. This will help dissuade a potential thief.
Advanced locking systems
You need to taper lock buttons into the doors, which would deter thieves from using appliances like coat hangers to open the door of the car. Another lock, which you can use, is the ignition lock, which is the latest in high security technology.
Another type of lock that people are now choosing is the “J-bend” lock, which acts as a hook between the brake pedal and the steering wheel.
Other disablers
The popular disablers that are used by car owners are:
> A fuel cut-off device
As the name suggests, a fuel cut-off device helps in cutting off the supply of the fuel.
> An ignition kill device
This device provides enough interference to the ignition system, in order to deter thefts. Even if the automobile is ‘hot wired’; the thief cannot get away with the car.
Both the devices can be hidden in a way such that thieves won’t be aware of them.
For the price conscious
There are people, who buy a car, but are loathe to buying the necessary security accessories that would protect the car from thieves. The reasons cited range from the mundane to the extraordinary.
Some people make expense the overriding factor, while others claim that the car has enough inbuilt security to dissuade any thief and thus protect it. Both claims are valid to a certain extent, but the fact remains that you cannot do without auto-security.
It makes sense to invest some amount of money, to ensure that you car does not get stolen.
Auto-security is easy to use
Rapid advancements in technology and highly complex security systems have not made the use of these systems complicated. If at all, they have become easier to use and most of them can be handled by a novice.
You have to follow the instructions, and you can use them effectively.
Easily available and easy to install
Why wont your install auto-security systems in your car? They are easily available at all car accessory shops and moreover they are quite easy to install. You don’t have to go to an expert to install them. You can do it yourself.
All this essentially means, that auto-security is a must, when you have a car. Yes, you might have to put in a certain amount of money, but it will definitely pay off in the end.
One of the most common reasons of car theft is the carelessness of the owner, and their little or no concern for the security of the car. If you take care of the simple things, the chances are that your car will remain safe. Make it difficult for the thief to steal your car; nine times out of ten, he will leave it alone.
A significant auto security tip: park your car carefully
Here are a few helpful tips that will help you park your car securely:
> Never, and this means never, forget your key in the ignition. Also, roll up all the windows and also lock all the doors. Check all these things before leaving your car.
> If possible, always park in an area that is busy and well-lit.
> Do not, absolutely do not; leave any secret key, in the glove compartment or in any other accessible place.
> After you park, do not forget to pull the emergency break and also steer the wheel sharply to the right or the left, just before the key is removed from the steering column.
When at home
Many a times, people have a garage but choose to park the car outside their home. This is usually the case, when the car is to be used after a brief period of time. Therefore, people do not want to go through the whole process of parking the car in their garage.
Try not taking the easy way out. Use the garage as often as possible and not only lock the garage door, but also the car inside the garage.
If you do not have a garage, it is always advisable to park the car in the driveway, and not on the street.
Alarms
Install the loudest and the best car alarms. Of course, the price is an issue, so install the car alarm that you can afford and the one that best suits your requirements. Some of the high end devices that are available in market these days are sound discriminators, transmitters that help in computerized tracking, motion detectors, and various types of silent alarms.
You can also advertise the fact that you have a burglar alarm installed in your car by sticking various posters or warning stickers on the windshield or window of your car. This will help dissuade a potential thief.
Advanced locking systems
You need to taper lock buttons into the doors, which would deter thieves from using appliances like coat hangers to open the door of the car. Another lock, which you can use, is the ignition lock, which is the latest in high security technology.
Another type of lock that people are now choosing is the “J-bend” lock, which acts as a hook between the brake pedal and the steering wheel.
Other disablers
The popular disablers that are used by car owners are:
> A fuel cut-off device
As the name suggests, a fuel cut-off device helps in cutting off the supply of the fuel.
> An ignition kill device
This device provides enough interference to the ignition system, in order to deter thefts. Even if the automobile is ‘hot wired’; the thief cannot get away with the car.
Both the devices can be hidden in a way such that thieves won’t be aware of them.
For the price conscious
There are people, who buy a car, but are loathe to buying the necessary security accessories that would protect the car from thieves. The reasons cited range from the mundane to the extraordinary.
Some people make expense the overriding factor, while others claim that the car has enough inbuilt security to dissuade any thief and thus protect it. Both claims are valid to a certain extent, but the fact remains that you cannot do without auto-security.
It makes sense to invest some amount of money, to ensure that you car does not get stolen.
Auto-security is easy to use
Rapid advancements in technology and highly complex security systems have not made the use of these systems complicated. If at all, they have become easier to use and most of them can be handled by a novice.
You have to follow the instructions, and you can use them effectively.
Easily available and easy to install
Why wont your install auto-security systems in your car? They are easily available at all car accessory shops and moreover they are quite easy to install. You don’t have to go to an expert to install them. You can do it yourself.
All this essentially means, that auto-security is a must, when you have a car. Yes, you might have to put in a certain amount of money, but it will definitely pay off in the end.
2009/07/27
The Four Poster Bed - The Ultimate Dream!
Life would be very boring if everybody wanted the same thing, so it is just as well we all have different tastes. The function of a bed could be solved with a mattress on the floor, and in many countries in the world this would be regarded as a luxury. Any culture capable of reading this has progressed from this stage in evolution, although it would be wonderful to eradicate poverty. People want more than a plain bed frame; they want a centrepiece of the room, probably the room in the house where they spend most time, albeit asleep. For many generations, the four-poster bed has been revered as the elite bed, many believing it to be the ultimate possession. Four-poster beds with or without canopies made in wood or metal are still extremely popular, with history playing an important part in how we feel about it.
There are two fields of thought relating to the four-poster bed, that of the British, and the Americans. In the U.K. (and Europe) we consider a four-poster bed to be a bed with four posts, cornice, high headboard and roof, but in the States, I understand this would be called a four-poster canopy bed. In the U.S. a four-poster bed is exactly that, a bed with four posts, no cornice, no roof, just four posts. The tall, elongated posts stand like spires above the rest of the bed, often ending in finials. For obvious reasons, this style is frequently called a pencil bed. We have seen and made a variety of posts for these beds, either slender to give it a Shaker feel, or chunky for a country flavour. The posts can be turned round, left square, but tapering with some shaped features, or octagonal. They can have twists, flutes (dished hollows), or reeds (raised beads), or even inlayed wood down the length of the post. The list for the traditional looking posts is long enough, but if you start to get away from the past, and what’s been done before, then a whole new world can open up, it’s just a question of what the public will tolerate.
Traditional British four-poster or canopy beds had turned, reeded, fluted or twisted posts, indeed, many were made more ornate with extensive carving added to them. In years gone by, only wealthy noblemen would own such a bed and when he died one of the treasures was the four-poster bed.
It’s amazing just how many people love or always wanted a four-poster bed with a full canopy, many feeling it an ambition or dream fulfilled when they finally own one. You will hear comments like, ‘I saw one once,’ or ‘I slept in one, and I’ve always wanted one ever since.’ Many consider the four-poster to be extremely romantic, but it may all come back to fairy tails, and the days of fair maidens, white horses and shiny knights, or were they white knights. Tradition has instilled into many of us to aspire to own a four-poster bed, antique if possible. Failing that, then reproduction is a good alternative, as it is often not as costly, and when you commission a piece of furniture, you get what you want. People at furniture auctions either seem to compromise their wish or wait till next time, whereas asking a furniture maker for something you can have any size, style, wood, colour or carving that you wish.
The more bed you have, the more you can personalise it, and by the time it is complete, you would rarely find two the same. So the four-poster bed is ideal, with a choice of several wood, post and panel designs, carving, finished colour (including paint), and the variety in size and height, four posters are very individual. If you add to that the variety of fabrics, patterns and colours available from which drapes can be made, there is no end to the possibilities. It is not just the look of the bed that is important, but also the feel. The sheets are a critical factor in feeling the quality of your bed, and as you spend a third if your life there, you may as well make it comfortable, so buy good quality linen.
From heavy tapestries draped over deeply carved posts, with linenfold panels and a fully enclosed oak roof, to light silks and lacy dressing an American style pencil bed with no footboard, fine rope twists ending in a finial rather like that of a pawn or bishop in a chess set, the four-poster bed will survive for many more centuries. It is up to us to start looking into the future, moving with the times, developing new styles, dragging the bed by its’ posts into the 21st Century, to be held in esteem as the ultimate dream for another 600 years.
There are two fields of thought relating to the four-poster bed, that of the British, and the Americans. In the U.K. (and Europe) we consider a four-poster bed to be a bed with four posts, cornice, high headboard and roof, but in the States, I understand this would be called a four-poster canopy bed. In the U.S. a four-poster bed is exactly that, a bed with four posts, no cornice, no roof, just four posts. The tall, elongated posts stand like spires above the rest of the bed, often ending in finials. For obvious reasons, this style is frequently called a pencil bed. We have seen and made a variety of posts for these beds, either slender to give it a Shaker feel, or chunky for a country flavour. The posts can be turned round, left square, but tapering with some shaped features, or octagonal. They can have twists, flutes (dished hollows), or reeds (raised beads), or even inlayed wood down the length of the post. The list for the traditional looking posts is long enough, but if you start to get away from the past, and what’s been done before, then a whole new world can open up, it’s just a question of what the public will tolerate.
Traditional British four-poster or canopy beds had turned, reeded, fluted or twisted posts, indeed, many were made more ornate with extensive carving added to them. In years gone by, only wealthy noblemen would own such a bed and when he died one of the treasures was the four-poster bed.
It’s amazing just how many people love or always wanted a four-poster bed with a full canopy, many feeling it an ambition or dream fulfilled when they finally own one. You will hear comments like, ‘I saw one once,’ or ‘I slept in one, and I’ve always wanted one ever since.’ Many consider the four-poster to be extremely romantic, but it may all come back to fairy tails, and the days of fair maidens, white horses and shiny knights, or were they white knights. Tradition has instilled into many of us to aspire to own a four-poster bed, antique if possible. Failing that, then reproduction is a good alternative, as it is often not as costly, and when you commission a piece of furniture, you get what you want. People at furniture auctions either seem to compromise their wish or wait till next time, whereas asking a furniture maker for something you can have any size, style, wood, colour or carving that you wish.
The more bed you have, the more you can personalise it, and by the time it is complete, you would rarely find two the same. So the four-poster bed is ideal, with a choice of several wood, post and panel designs, carving, finished colour (including paint), and the variety in size and height, four posters are very individual. If you add to that the variety of fabrics, patterns and colours available from which drapes can be made, there is no end to the possibilities. It is not just the look of the bed that is important, but also the feel. The sheets are a critical factor in feeling the quality of your bed, and as you spend a third if your life there, you may as well make it comfortable, so buy good quality linen.
From heavy tapestries draped over deeply carved posts, with linenfold panels and a fully enclosed oak roof, to light silks and lacy dressing an American style pencil bed with no footboard, fine rope twists ending in a finial rather like that of a pawn or bishop in a chess set, the four-poster bed will survive for many more centuries. It is up to us to start looking into the future, moving with the times, developing new styles, dragging the bed by its’ posts into the 21st Century, to be held in esteem as the ultimate dream for another 600 years.
2009/07/26
A Sticky Situation for Do-It-Yourselfers
Though people have been stuck on duct tape for decades - using it for everything from short-term home repairs to creative fashion fixes - advances in the tape world are now getting repair gurus out of even stickier situations.
Originally green and called "Duck" tape, this kind of tape was first used by soldiers in World War II for repairs and to keep moisture out of their ammunition cases. After the war, it became known as "duct tape," when people began using it to connect heating and air conditioning ductwork.
Duct tape was credited with saving the lives of three NASA astronauts aboard Apollo 13, and more recently, the Department of Homeland Security recommended using duct tape with plastic to protect against bio-terrorism. A 2002 study showed that duct tape can even be used to treat unsightly warts.
While it's good for a quick fix, consumers find that duct tape needs to be replaced often, particularly on rough, porous or metallic surfaces. But one company recently improved upon this household staple by creating a tape with a double-thick adhesive that sticks to wood, stucco, plaster, brick and metal.
Gorilla Tape, developed by the company that makes the popular Gorilla Glue, also has a unique webbing that makes it stronger than traditional duct tape yet still easy to rip by hand, and an "all weather" shell that allows it to stand up to the toughest elements. Gorilla Tape has a multitude of uses, from sealing leaky hoses to repairing broken lawn furniture to patching holes in convertible tops.
"The fact is that normal duct tape doesn't work well unless the surface is perfectly clean and smooth - something we all know is rarely the case," said Doug Roach, director of product development for Gorilla Glue. "Gorilla Tape simply sticks to things that ordinary duct tape can't stick to."
While duct tape has long been a notable part of American history, recent developments make it certain that the tape will continue to be a part of everyone's toolboxes for years to come.
Originally green and called "Duck" tape, this kind of tape was first used by soldiers in World War II for repairs and to keep moisture out of their ammunition cases. After the war, it became known as "duct tape," when people began using it to connect heating and air conditioning ductwork.
Duct tape was credited with saving the lives of three NASA astronauts aboard Apollo 13, and more recently, the Department of Homeland Security recommended using duct tape with plastic to protect against bio-terrorism. A 2002 study showed that duct tape can even be used to treat unsightly warts.
While it's good for a quick fix, consumers find that duct tape needs to be replaced often, particularly on rough, porous or metallic surfaces. But one company recently improved upon this household staple by creating a tape with a double-thick adhesive that sticks to wood, stucco, plaster, brick and metal.
Gorilla Tape, developed by the company that makes the popular Gorilla Glue, also has a unique webbing that makes it stronger than traditional duct tape yet still easy to rip by hand, and an "all weather" shell that allows it to stand up to the toughest elements. Gorilla Tape has a multitude of uses, from sealing leaky hoses to repairing broken lawn furniture to patching holes in convertible tops.
"The fact is that normal duct tape doesn't work well unless the surface is perfectly clean and smooth - something we all know is rarely the case," said Doug Roach, director of product development for Gorilla Glue. "Gorilla Tape simply sticks to things that ordinary duct tape can't stick to."
While duct tape has long been a notable part of American history, recent developments make it certain that the tape will continue to be a part of everyone's toolboxes for years to come.
2009/07/25
A Review of Popular Metal Detector Products
Metal detectors come with a control box that contains the circuitry, controls, speaker, batteries and the microprocessor; a shaft that connects the control box and the coil; a search coil that actually senses the metal; and a stabilizer that keeps the unit steady as it is moved. The performances of the detectors are based on the features of these parts.
Tesoro Metal Detectors
At less than 2½ pounds, the Tesoro Golden Max lets you control what you want to find. It is the lightest detector in the market with full size depth, sensitivity, four tone audio ID and a user adjustable Notch Filter Discriminate. The Tesoro DeLeon is a Target Identification Detector (TID), named after the famous explorer Ponce de Leon, who searched Florida looking for treasure and the Fountain of Youth. The DeLeon is designed as an easy to use, turn-on-and-go detector.
Whites Metal Detectors
The Whites E-series metal detectors include the following models. DFX™ brings together the ultimate combination of sophisticated microprocessor technology, and turn-on-and-go simplicity. It has an operational frequency of 3 kHz and 15 kHz. The XLT® Metal Detector is high-performance simplicity and versatility at its best. It has five programs to choose from along with 10 Basic Adjustments, and 29 Pro Options. The MXT has three completely separate operating modes -- gold prospecting, coin/jewelry, or relic.
Prizm series
The Prizm series include Prizm II, III, IV, and V. All have a pinpoint mode that zeroes in on target location, instruction videos that show when and where to hunt.
Fisher Metal Detectors
Dr. Gerhard Fisher, a German immigrant, obtained the first patent ever issued on aircraft radio direction finders in the late 1920s. Fisher's 1266-X comes factory shipped with 8-inch Open Center Spider Coil, instruction manual and Fisher's 5 Year Warranty. It has a duel discrimination system, which will allow you to search at a great depth. This unit does not work very well on wet saltwater beaches.
Garrett Metal Detectors
The Garrett Super Scanner hand-held detector can detect a medium-sized pistol from distance of 9" and even a tiny 1” piece of jewelry. Simplicity of operation of this metal detector is unmatched. The Garrett SuperWand Security metal detector is one of the most popular metal detectors. It provides uniform sensitivity 360° along the scan area and pinpointing at the tip to detect weapons and other metal objects with extreme accuracy. The Garrett Magna Scanner PD 6500 Walk through metal detector has some unique features. Its ultra-enhanced multi-coil detection field pinpoints the exact location of any metal object within 33 distinct areas of the archway.
Bounty Hunter Metal Detectors
Bounty Hunter metal detectors are made by First Texas Products. The Tracker IV priced at $160 is streamlined in appearance, with only two operating controls and a mode selection switch. The Tracker IV has a built-in Automatic Ground Tracker that maintains ground balance. The Bounty Fast Tracker offers value for your money. It is a user-friendly instrument that delivers effective performance over a wide range of conditions and applications.
Minelab Metal Detectors
The Minelab Explorer II priced at approximately $1395 is a coin and jewelry detector with an operating frequency between 1.5 – 100 kHz. The signal travels deeper at a lower frequency and the signal detects objects close to the surface at a higher frequency. The Minelab Quattro MP, priced at approximately $1300, is suited for use in parks, beaches or the battlefields. Minelab’s FBS technology provides outstanding performance even on saltwater beaches.
Tesoro Metal Detectors
At less than 2½ pounds, the Tesoro Golden Max lets you control what you want to find. It is the lightest detector in the market with full size depth, sensitivity, four tone audio ID and a user adjustable Notch Filter Discriminate. The Tesoro DeLeon is a Target Identification Detector (TID), named after the famous explorer Ponce de Leon, who searched Florida looking for treasure and the Fountain of Youth. The DeLeon is designed as an easy to use, turn-on-and-go detector.
Whites Metal Detectors
The Whites E-series metal detectors include the following models. DFX™ brings together the ultimate combination of sophisticated microprocessor technology, and turn-on-and-go simplicity. It has an operational frequency of 3 kHz and 15 kHz. The XLT® Metal Detector is high-performance simplicity and versatility at its best. It has five programs to choose from along with 10 Basic Adjustments, and 29 Pro Options. The MXT has three completely separate operating modes -- gold prospecting, coin/jewelry, or relic.
Prizm series
The Prizm series include Prizm II, III, IV, and V. All have a pinpoint mode that zeroes in on target location, instruction videos that show when and where to hunt.
Fisher Metal Detectors
Dr. Gerhard Fisher, a German immigrant, obtained the first patent ever issued on aircraft radio direction finders in the late 1920s. Fisher's 1266-X comes factory shipped with 8-inch Open Center Spider Coil, instruction manual and Fisher's 5 Year Warranty. It has a duel discrimination system, which will allow you to search at a great depth. This unit does not work very well on wet saltwater beaches.
Garrett Metal Detectors
The Garrett Super Scanner hand-held detector can detect a medium-sized pistol from distance of 9" and even a tiny 1” piece of jewelry. Simplicity of operation of this metal detector is unmatched. The Garrett SuperWand Security metal detector is one of the most popular metal detectors. It provides uniform sensitivity 360° along the scan area and pinpointing at the tip to detect weapons and other metal objects with extreme accuracy. The Garrett Magna Scanner PD 6500 Walk through metal detector has some unique features. Its ultra-enhanced multi-coil detection field pinpoints the exact location of any metal object within 33 distinct areas of the archway.
Bounty Hunter Metal Detectors
Bounty Hunter metal detectors are made by First Texas Products. The Tracker IV priced at $160 is streamlined in appearance, with only two operating controls and a mode selection switch. The Tracker IV has a built-in Automatic Ground Tracker that maintains ground balance. The Bounty Fast Tracker offers value for your money. It is a user-friendly instrument that delivers effective performance over a wide range of conditions and applications.
Minelab Metal Detectors
The Minelab Explorer II priced at approximately $1395 is a coin and jewelry detector with an operating frequency between 1.5 – 100 kHz. The signal travels deeper at a lower frequency and the signal detects objects close to the surface at a higher frequency. The Minelab Quattro MP, priced at approximately $1300, is suited for use in parks, beaches or the battlefields. Minelab’s FBS technology provides outstanding performance even on saltwater beaches.
2009/07/24
Passover: Laugh While Cleaning
Passover, or Pesach as it is called in Hebrew, is the 8 day festival where the Jews celebrate their liberation from Egypt more than a thousand years ago. One of the most important features of this freedom festival is that the Jews cannot eat anything that is leavened. They eat unleavened bread.
They must also make sure that no bread crumbs exist in or around the house: the cupboards, the drawers, the kitchen, behind the bed, under the refrigerator and anywhere else where crumbs might have fallen through. To ensure that the house is clean of leavened food materials, the Jews have to clean the entire house from top to bottom as thoroughly as possible. And they do. During the week before Passover, house cleaning is what goes on in most Jewish houses. To answer this demand and to ease the tension, here is a joke on this subject called Impossible Timing, which highlights this cleaning tension.
Impossible Timing:
Samuel, an observant Jew, who was also a financial wizard, left Brooklyn to accept the position of Vice President in a famous broker firm in Utah, which is well known for being a Mormon state.
When they learned this, the company's directorate applied tremendous pressure on the company's president. "We are religious people here," they said. "It can't be that a Jew will handle all our money."
The president tried to ward them off, but when he couldn't manage it anymore, he called Samuel to his office and explained the situation to him. Samuel was offered the choice of either converting or leaving the attractive job which also had a six figure salary quote attached to it.
Samuel had no choice but to convert, and he went home and told his wife that from Sunday, they will start attending the Church services.
A few months went by and his wife kept troubling Samuel about the conversion. "This is too difficult for me. I miss the Sabbath: lighting candles and blessing the wine. I miss the holidays. Money is not everything, Samuel dear."
And with each time that his wife complained, Samuel's conscience increased until he could not take it anymore and he went to meet the company's President.
"Look, I can't go on like this," Samuel said. "I am full of regret. Money is not everything. I can't sleep and neither can my wife. This is too heavy a burden for me to carry. I was born a Jew and I want to die a Jew. And if you want me to quit, I will without making any trouble."
The President looked at him in wonder, "Listen, Samuel, I had no idea that this was so difficult for you. I thought it was a trivial matter. But you don't have to leave. Everything will be the same as before: you can stay here with us without converting.
Samuel returned home happy and grinning from ear to ear. He ran to his wife, who was watching Ricky Lake, "You won't believe it! It's a miracle. We are going back to being Jews, and I still retain my job."
His wife looked at him with eyes that spat fire, and said," Are you mad?"
Samuel was shocked. "But I thought that this is what you wanted!" He cut in. "All this while you have been crying and complaining. Don't you wish to go back to becoming a Jew""
His wife looked at him with ever more fury, "Of course I want to. Of course I want to," she said. "But now? Only a week before Passover?"
They must also make sure that no bread crumbs exist in or around the house: the cupboards, the drawers, the kitchen, behind the bed, under the refrigerator and anywhere else where crumbs might have fallen through. To ensure that the house is clean of leavened food materials, the Jews have to clean the entire house from top to bottom as thoroughly as possible. And they do. During the week before Passover, house cleaning is what goes on in most Jewish houses. To answer this demand and to ease the tension, here is a joke on this subject called Impossible Timing, which highlights this cleaning tension.
Impossible Timing:
Samuel, an observant Jew, who was also a financial wizard, left Brooklyn to accept the position of Vice President in a famous broker firm in Utah, which is well known for being a Mormon state.
When they learned this, the company's directorate applied tremendous pressure on the company's president. "We are religious people here," they said. "It can't be that a Jew will handle all our money."
The president tried to ward them off, but when he couldn't manage it anymore, he called Samuel to his office and explained the situation to him. Samuel was offered the choice of either converting or leaving the attractive job which also had a six figure salary quote attached to it.
Samuel had no choice but to convert, and he went home and told his wife that from Sunday, they will start attending the Church services.
A few months went by and his wife kept troubling Samuel about the conversion. "This is too difficult for me. I miss the Sabbath: lighting candles and blessing the wine. I miss the holidays. Money is not everything, Samuel dear."
And with each time that his wife complained, Samuel's conscience increased until he could not take it anymore and he went to meet the company's President.
"Look, I can't go on like this," Samuel said. "I am full of regret. Money is not everything. I can't sleep and neither can my wife. This is too heavy a burden for me to carry. I was born a Jew and I want to die a Jew. And if you want me to quit, I will without making any trouble."
The President looked at him in wonder, "Listen, Samuel, I had no idea that this was so difficult for you. I thought it was a trivial matter. But you don't have to leave. Everything will be the same as before: you can stay here with us without converting.
Samuel returned home happy and grinning from ear to ear. He ran to his wife, who was watching Ricky Lake, "You won't believe it! It's a miracle. We are going back to being Jews, and I still retain my job."
His wife looked at him with eyes that spat fire, and said," Are you mad?"
Samuel was shocked. "But I thought that this is what you wanted!" He cut in. "All this while you have been crying and complaining. Don't you wish to go back to becoming a Jew""
His wife looked at him with ever more fury, "Of course I want to. Of course I want to," she said. "But now? Only a week before Passover?"
2009/07/23
How To Buy A Plasma Or LCD TV In 3 Easy Steps
You know what? Buying a TV isn't the same old process that it used to be. Long gone are the days when you could walk into Sears with your wife, pick your favorite CRT television and be on your merry way. Nope. Thing are much much better now! A side consequence of the information revolution is that the free flow of information gives the consumer a definite advantage over the dealer. No matter what claim is made about the 'incredible deal' you are about to receive on your new plasma or lcd television set, the information is easily verifiable with a few simple Google searches or mouse clicks.
Lets take a quick look at some of ideas you can use to make sure you are getting the best bang for your buck in your new television selection.
a) Take your time. Just because a LCD TV is on sale, it doesn't mean that the TV is going to go away forever. There are tons of different resources out there for you to peruse before investing several thousand dollars in a brand new big screen television set. ConsumerReports.org is one of them that I use frequently. There are a ton of others.
b) Compare offline closeout sales with the deals you can find online. Big Box retailers can sometimes offer incredible discounts to what you see online. We've found that the best strategy is to straddle both the online and the offiline world. Make sure what you are doing is maximizing your bang for your buck.
c) Don't be afraid of non name brand merchandise. Well, lets put a caveat on that. Make sure the model you buy is from a somewhat decent manufacturer but the manufacturer doesn't have to be a world famous one. Sometimes what you are paying for is a high ticket brand name and not a great product. A new plasma tv by a not so well known manufacturer might be just as good as a new name brand one.
There are hundreds of other tips to buying the LCD or Plasma TV of your choice and these are just the tip of the iceburg. In fact, some of the best kept secrets to buying a big screen tv make these items seem insignificant in comparison. Learn them all and get the best deal possible.
Lets take a quick look at some of ideas you can use to make sure you are getting the best bang for your buck in your new television selection.
a) Take your time. Just because a LCD TV is on sale, it doesn't mean that the TV is going to go away forever. There are tons of different resources out there for you to peruse before investing several thousand dollars in a brand new big screen television set. ConsumerReports.org is one of them that I use frequently. There are a ton of others.
b) Compare offline closeout sales with the deals you can find online. Big Box retailers can sometimes offer incredible discounts to what you see online. We've found that the best strategy is to straddle both the online and the offiline world. Make sure what you are doing is maximizing your bang for your buck.
c) Don't be afraid of non name brand merchandise. Well, lets put a caveat on that. Make sure the model you buy is from a somewhat decent manufacturer but the manufacturer doesn't have to be a world famous one. Sometimes what you are paying for is a high ticket brand name and not a great product. A new plasma tv by a not so well known manufacturer might be just as good as a new name brand one.
There are hundreds of other tips to buying the LCD or Plasma TV of your choice and these are just the tip of the iceburg. In fact, some of the best kept secrets to buying a big screen tv make these items seem insignificant in comparison. Learn them all and get the best deal possible.
2009/07/22
Using Power Tools 101
The power tools of today are not the same as the ones that were carefully placed on the pegboard near your grandfather’s workbench- they are actually quite far from it. Modern technology has made amazing advances in the simplest of features, including automatic shut-off, enhanced guarding and more resilient materials just to name a few. But one trait has come to be worth its weight in gold within the power tool industry, and that’s the owner’s manual.
Today’s manuals not only have better graphics showing its users what each part of the device should look like (and what to do when it doesn’t), many individual manufacturers will have explicit directions and instructions for the safety and maintenance of each individual power tool. Of course, no instructions are completely fool proof, especially if the content of such manuals isn’t completely understood by the user. This is why many manufacturers have implemented training seminars and classes for both companies and individuals on the proper procedures for optimum performance and safety. Local home improvement stores often hold such classes and seminars on a regular basis.
However, a bit of common sense and know-how never hurt anyone, so there are a few safety guidelines which should be followed by all users of power tools. For example, wearing the proper clothing is essential, and you should never wear loose clothing that could easily get caught in a power tool. Safety gear is crucial- hard hat, safety goggles and gloves, along with the proper footwear. Using the right tool, whether it be size or something else, for the job at hand, including the right type of extension cord (indoor, outdoor, proper length) if applicable. The work area should be clean, uncluttered and well lit. Keep all electric tools away from water and flammables. Do not use power tools with frayed or damaged cords. Damaged parts anywhere in a power tool, including saw blades and drill bits, can cause damage to the tool itself or the individual performing the task. Unplug all electric power tools when finished with or before changing to another tool.
As far as the maintenance aspect of such power tools, common sense is again of the highest importance. For example, making sure that the proper guards are placed on saw blades when not in use is both a safety and maintenance issue. Saw blades need to be sharp to deliver the best performance possible, but can also be incredibly dangerous, so taking the proper preventive measures will yield the best results in all aspects, not just project outcome.
For more information on power tool basics, the U.S. government has many publications that can be of high value to consumers. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission offers product recall information, and OSHA has a few such publishings regarding both general industry and personal use of power tools.
Today’s manuals not only have better graphics showing its users what each part of the device should look like (and what to do when it doesn’t), many individual manufacturers will have explicit directions and instructions for the safety and maintenance of each individual power tool. Of course, no instructions are completely fool proof, especially if the content of such manuals isn’t completely understood by the user. This is why many manufacturers have implemented training seminars and classes for both companies and individuals on the proper procedures for optimum performance and safety. Local home improvement stores often hold such classes and seminars on a regular basis.
However, a bit of common sense and know-how never hurt anyone, so there are a few safety guidelines which should be followed by all users of power tools. For example, wearing the proper clothing is essential, and you should never wear loose clothing that could easily get caught in a power tool. Safety gear is crucial- hard hat, safety goggles and gloves, along with the proper footwear. Using the right tool, whether it be size or something else, for the job at hand, including the right type of extension cord (indoor, outdoor, proper length) if applicable. The work area should be clean, uncluttered and well lit. Keep all electric tools away from water and flammables. Do not use power tools with frayed or damaged cords. Damaged parts anywhere in a power tool, including saw blades and drill bits, can cause damage to the tool itself or the individual performing the task. Unplug all electric power tools when finished with or before changing to another tool.
As far as the maintenance aspect of such power tools, common sense is again of the highest importance. For example, making sure that the proper guards are placed on saw blades when not in use is both a safety and maintenance issue. Saw blades need to be sharp to deliver the best performance possible, but can also be incredibly dangerous, so taking the proper preventive measures will yield the best results in all aspects, not just project outcome.
For more information on power tool basics, the U.S. government has many publications that can be of high value to consumers. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission offers product recall information, and OSHA has a few such publishings regarding both general industry and personal use of power tools.
2009/07/21
What to look for when buying a Poker Table for your Game Room?
What to look for when buying a Poker Table for your Game Room?
When shopping online for poker tables there are many things you need to consider before purchasing your poker table. Depending on the room size you have available you should consider how much of that you want to use for your poker table that which then help you decide what styles are available for you game room. Then of course you have to consider the quality differences and pricing. And of course get permission and opinion from you wife.
What style poker table would look good?
When purchased poker tables to play Texas hold'em on you should always try to consider purchasing a oval shape size table. Oval size tables usually start from 72 inches all the way to 96 inches. Even though some casinos use 108 inches or longer you will not find any that size online and plus it takes up a lot of room. I will consider purchasing a poker table 92 inches or 96 inches. Texas Hold'em tables are usually to most common tables to play on and they are ideal for tournaments and cash games. Most Texas holdem tables have chip trays built into in and a drop box to deposit cash or tips. You can find some texas holdem tables which just a dealer position or just a 10 player position.
Round poker tables have been common in many households before the poker boom.
Round poker tables usually come in 2-3 sizes, 48 inch, 54 inch and 61 inch.
54" round poker table will comfortably accommodate 6-8 people. If you need to seat more then 8 or if you need to be very comfortable and have the space for it, then I would diffentely consider purchasing a 61inch table. Many of the round poker table come with a dining top which you can place on top on the table when not being used. This will also make your wife happy because you can use it when you have guest as a dining table.
How about Folding Poker Tables?
Folding poker tables are pretty common for households. You can find the average folding table starting from $289.99 to $525.00. Folding tables have improved in the last few years. You can find very nice fold up poker tables with racetrack and stainless steel cups. Folding poker tables are perfect if you have a game once in a blue moon and you don't want to play on a dining table furniture or on any just table. For a little investment you can get a nice table that you can put your beer bottles and drinks and still sturty enough to play on.
Furniture Poker Tables
The best table for game room are the furniture style full size poker tables. They look very nice and they belong in game rooms. Since poker gaming has been very popular in America more American people enjoy playing on a furniture style poker tables. The furniture tables come with matching chairs which match the wood finish from the table. Most of the furniture poker chairs are adjustable in height, so you are able to move the chairs under the table when not being used. When considering to purchase a furniture poker table and matching chairs you should give your game room space for your table and chairs about 10 inches from each size of the poker tables' length and width.
Where can I find good pricing and compare quality and styles?
The best place to do you research and find poker tables and supplies is online. You can go to a local billiard place in your area but the prices online and the comparison you do online does not compare. Most online stores have many poker tables for sale and they offer free shipping as well. So do you homework and make a decision that would be happy with and remember that life is too short and playing poker you should play on a real table.
When shopping online for poker tables there are many things you need to consider before purchasing your poker table. Depending on the room size you have available you should consider how much of that you want to use for your poker table that which then help you decide what styles are available for you game room. Then of course you have to consider the quality differences and pricing. And of course get permission and opinion from you wife.
What style poker table would look good?
When purchased poker tables to play Texas hold'em on you should always try to consider purchasing a oval shape size table. Oval size tables usually start from 72 inches all the way to 96 inches. Even though some casinos use 108 inches or longer you will not find any that size online and plus it takes up a lot of room. I will consider purchasing a poker table 92 inches or 96 inches. Texas Hold'em tables are usually to most common tables to play on and they are ideal for tournaments and cash games. Most Texas holdem tables have chip trays built into in and a drop box to deposit cash or tips. You can find some texas holdem tables which just a dealer position or just a 10 player position.
Round poker tables have been common in many households before the poker boom.
Round poker tables usually come in 2-3 sizes, 48 inch, 54 inch and 61 inch.
54" round poker table will comfortably accommodate 6-8 people. If you need to seat more then 8 or if you need to be very comfortable and have the space for it, then I would diffentely consider purchasing a 61inch table. Many of the round poker table come with a dining top which you can place on top on the table when not being used. This will also make your wife happy because you can use it when you have guest as a dining table.
How about Folding Poker Tables?
Folding poker tables are pretty common for households. You can find the average folding table starting from $289.99 to $525.00. Folding tables have improved in the last few years. You can find very nice fold up poker tables with racetrack and stainless steel cups. Folding poker tables are perfect if you have a game once in a blue moon and you don't want to play on a dining table furniture or on any just table. For a little investment you can get a nice table that you can put your beer bottles and drinks and still sturty enough to play on.
Furniture Poker Tables
The best table for game room are the furniture style full size poker tables. They look very nice and they belong in game rooms. Since poker gaming has been very popular in America more American people enjoy playing on a furniture style poker tables. The furniture tables come with matching chairs which match the wood finish from the table. Most of the furniture poker chairs are adjustable in height, so you are able to move the chairs under the table when not being used. When considering to purchase a furniture poker table and matching chairs you should give your game room space for your table and chairs about 10 inches from each size of the poker tables' length and width.
Where can I find good pricing and compare quality and styles?
The best place to do you research and find poker tables and supplies is online. You can go to a local billiard place in your area but the prices online and the comparison you do online does not compare. Most online stores have many poker tables for sale and they offer free shipping as well. So do you homework and make a decision that would be happy with and remember that life is too short and playing poker you should play on a real table.
2009/07/20
Weber Summit Silver D Built In Gas Grill Reviewed
The Weber Summit Silver D built in gas grill has a total barbecuing area of 700 square inches. This includes warm up basket area thats 88 square inches, a warming rack area that is 108 square inches and 504 square inches of primary gas grill space. You'll be able to easily cook up plates full of steak, burgers, chicken and hotdogs, using your Weber Summit Silver D built in gas grill.
The Summit Silver D has a dedicated stainless steel smoke burner with stainless steel smoke box. It provides 8,000 BTU's per hour input, which will enhance the flavor of your meal. To get started quickly and easily the Weber Silver D is equipped with an Electronic Crossover ignition system.
The Summit Silver D Weber grill produces 44,000 BTU's per hour input. This heats its four stainless steel burners. Producing 9,600 BTU's per hour input is its handy rear-mount infrared rotisserie burner and spit fork rotisserie.
To make this built in gas grill install easily the Summit Silver D has been amazingly engineered to install just like an indoor range installs into a kitchen counter. This makes grill installation less costly and easier, plus simplifies island construction, and provides better access for service.
To ensure years of cooking enjoyment the Weber Summit Silver built in gas grill is constructed with a stainless steel hood with a center-mounted thermometer for easy monitoring. Plus cast-aluminum end caps. For extra space and storage there are stainless doors and a bottom shelf.
The Summit Silver D has a dedicated stainless steel smoke burner with stainless steel smoke box. It provides 8,000 BTU's per hour input, which will enhance the flavor of your meal. To get started quickly and easily the Weber Silver D is equipped with an Electronic Crossover ignition system.
The Summit Silver D Weber grill produces 44,000 BTU's per hour input. This heats its four stainless steel burners. Producing 9,600 BTU's per hour input is its handy rear-mount infrared rotisserie burner and spit fork rotisserie.
To make this built in gas grill install easily the Summit Silver D has been amazingly engineered to install just like an indoor range installs into a kitchen counter. This makes grill installation less costly and easier, plus simplifies island construction, and provides better access for service.
To ensure years of cooking enjoyment the Weber Summit Silver built in gas grill is constructed with a stainless steel hood with a center-mounted thermometer for easy monitoring. Plus cast-aluminum end caps. For extra space and storage there are stainless doors and a bottom shelf.
2009/07/19
Back in Time with Vintage T-shirts
Are you one of those people that never throw anything away? If you are then you may be one of the smart ones. There is a new market that has emerged here of late and that market is demanding to have vintage clothing. Actually more to the point they want vintage T-shirts. This is something that has started to boom in recent years as the old style of clothing is starting to make a major come back for the youth of this country. So that means that all of the people in the world that have saved all those old clothes and successfully fought their mothers from throwing them in the donation box may be sitting on a gold mine. Who would have ever thought that some of the horrible things that we used to wear would ever come back into style. It may seem like a nightmare to some but it is a dream come true for many.
The dealers of vintage T-shirts are having a ball with this market. They know that there is a lot of stuff out there that can be sold and that there is even more people that want it. The demand for these items has tripled in the past six months making them one of the most sought after clothing items in the market today. The problem is that there is not a lot of places where one can find such items to resell. In the very beginning of the boom there was more than enough of these vintage T-shirts laying around resale shops the world over, but since the surge there is a shortage as most of the shops now know the value and they are taking advantage of the boom like the rest of the population.
If you are lucky enough to have one of these items then you have paid the price that somebody would want for it. The price range is rather high right now because the demand is so high and the supply so low. There is some hope though that you may be able to pick something like this up without having to pay too high a price. That is if you do not mind wearing something that is not technically vintage but it has all the right looks and such. This is how many of the people are getting around the supply problem and they are making the best of it. This stands to reason because not everyone can afford the price that the vintage T-shirts are commanding right now.
For most the vintage T-shirt is a dream. The most popular styles are the concert T-shirts from the seventies and eighties. The most well known bands are commanding prices of nearly one thousand dollars or more. A record was set recently when an original Rolling Stones concert T-shirt sold for almost ten thousand dollars. This is something that was bound to happen eventually but those of us who were there for these shirts when they were new are no less amazed. This is taking into consideration that some of these clothes were less than ten dollars when they were brand new.
Right now the vintage T-shirts market is very hot. If you are looking for the best deals then you need to get going. These items are flying off the shelves and people are hungry for more. If you happen to find one at a tag sale or what have you then you should certainly pick it up as it may very well be worth it’s weight in gold. This is only the beginning and you should hold on to see what the next big thing is.
The dealers of vintage T-shirts are having a ball with this market. They know that there is a lot of stuff out there that can be sold and that there is even more people that want it. The demand for these items has tripled in the past six months making them one of the most sought after clothing items in the market today. The problem is that there is not a lot of places where one can find such items to resell. In the very beginning of the boom there was more than enough of these vintage T-shirts laying around resale shops the world over, but since the surge there is a shortage as most of the shops now know the value and they are taking advantage of the boom like the rest of the population.
If you are lucky enough to have one of these items then you have paid the price that somebody would want for it. The price range is rather high right now because the demand is so high and the supply so low. There is some hope though that you may be able to pick something like this up without having to pay too high a price. That is if you do not mind wearing something that is not technically vintage but it has all the right looks and such. This is how many of the people are getting around the supply problem and they are making the best of it. This stands to reason because not everyone can afford the price that the vintage T-shirts are commanding right now.
For most the vintage T-shirt is a dream. The most popular styles are the concert T-shirts from the seventies and eighties. The most well known bands are commanding prices of nearly one thousand dollars or more. A record was set recently when an original Rolling Stones concert T-shirt sold for almost ten thousand dollars. This is something that was bound to happen eventually but those of us who were there for these shirts when they were new are no less amazed. This is taking into consideration that some of these clothes were less than ten dollars when they were brand new.
Right now the vintage T-shirts market is very hot. If you are looking for the best deals then you need to get going. These items are flying off the shelves and people are hungry for more. If you happen to find one at a tag sale or what have you then you should certainly pick it up as it may very well be worth it’s weight in gold. This is only the beginning and you should hold on to see what the next big thing is.
2009/07/18
Firefox 2 Review
Mozilla Firefox 2 (formerly known as Bon Echo) builds on the strength and the security demonstrated in Firefox 1.5 by adding several new features. Like Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 2 includes built-in antiphishing, but overall, Firefox 2 is much better than Microsoft Internet Explorer 7. Firefox 2 offers forward-looking features, such as Live Titles, as well as practical here-and-now tools, such as search engine suggestions, session restore, and inline spell-checking. Despite its many improvements, Firefox 2, like Internet Explorer 7, still does not pass the Acid2 Web Standards test, although, unlike Microsoft, Mozilla says it is working toward full compliance. Given its many pros and relatively few cons, Firefox 2 receives our Editors' Choice award for best Internet browser. For a look inside, see our Firefox 2 slide show.
You can download Firefox 2 for free, and unlike Internet Explorer 7, Firefox is available on a variety of operating systems: Windows, Mac, and Linux. There are also a wide variety of localized language versions, including Basque and Byelorussian. Again unlike IE 7, Firefox 2 does not require that you shut down antivirus protection nor does it perform a system reboot.
Unlike IE 7, which has reorganized its toolbar, Firefox 2 changes only the look and feel of its buttons. The new shiny-glass look is much more sophisticated, as are the rounded tabs and the hairline borders around the address bar and the search engine box. Missing, however, is Places, a side panel feature we saw briefly in alpha builds; Places organizes bookmarks, RSS feeds, and history in one place, much like IE 7's Favorites Center. The good news is that Places will return in Firefox 3, which is currently under development.
Tabs have long been a part of Firefox. Now, with Firefox 2, you can open any number of tabs, rearrange them, and reopen a previously closed tab using the hot keys Ctrl-Shift-T. With another feature carried over from Firefox 1.5, you can also save active tabs as a bookmark so that you can open the entire set of tabs at a later time. Missing, however, are thumbnail previews of each tab (still available only as an extension).
At the far right of the Firefox toolbar is the search engine box. Firefox 2 now includes suggested search terms from the search engine itself; for instance type fire and Google returns Firefox among other suggestions. Firefox 2 provides several built-in search engines, such as Amazon and eBay--far more than provided by IE 7--with the option to add even more search engines.
Should you decide to remove Firefox, you'll be disappointed. Despite the speed we witnessed upon instigating uninstall, the uninstall feature left behind several folders and far too many registry entries. Thus, if you want to clean out your Firefox completely or you attempt to load Firefox 2 as a clean browser, you'll be stuck with your previous bookmarks and preferences, including extensions, intact.
New in Firefox 2 is session restore; if Windows crashes and you have several tabs open in Firefox at the time, you can now relaunch Firefox with all the tabs intact. We found this feature to be very useful during the course of our tests.
Firefox 2 also gives you the ability to correct your spelling mistakes online, just like using a word processor. This is great for typing blogs or posting to a newsgroup. Common dictionary words are checked, with misspellings identified with a squiggly red line. You can add more words and even include dictionaries available in various languages. Once you have access to inline spell-checking, you won't want to surf the Web without it.
Possibly the coolest new feature is Live Titles, formerly Microsummaries, which allows Web sites to stream updated data to your bookmarks. You can add the Live Titles functionality to the Merriam-Webster dictionary site, for example, and once you have done so, when you bookmark a page, you can choose the Live Title option to display the word of the day in your bookmark. When you drop down the bookmark menu or open the bookmark side panel, you'll see the Merriam-Webster logo followed by the word of the day. For news sites such as the BBC's, you'll see the latest headline. Think of Live Titles as RSS-like feeds for your otherwise static bookmarks.
Unfortunately extensions designed for Firefox 1.5 will probably break within Firefox 2. When you install Firefox 2, a handy wizard checks to see if there are new versions of already installed 1.5 extensions available; in our case, some but not all of our favorites had not been optimized for 2.0, but then again, we were testing ahead of public release. In general, the Firefox add-on community is much more robust than that of Internet Explorer.
Security enhancements within Firefox 2 continue. New is a dialog box informing you of cross-domain scripting, a tactic used by criminal hackers to link nonrelated sites to sites you think may be legit. And Mozilla remains very responsive to fixing its vulnerabilities, pushing out updates within a few days of public notice. Microsoft, on the other hand, parses out its vulnerability fixes a little at a time. In the five years since its release, IE 6 has accrued a large deficit, and we see no sign that Microsoft is addressing new vulnerabilities found in IE 7 any faster.
The underlying Web rendering engine within Firefox 2 is Gecko 1.8, and it is largely unchanged from the previous release, Firefox 1.5. The next release of Firefox should include a new rendering engine.
Unfortunately, Firefox 2 does not fully support all the standards supported by the W3C organization, so it fails what is called the Acid2 test, a test designed by the Web Standards Project, although Mozilla is working hard toward full compliance. For comparison, of the browsers tested by CNET, only Opera 9 passed the test; IE 7 fared the worst, unable to render the page in the correct colors or shapes.
Antiphishing technology within Firefox 2 is good, and the technology has steadily improved throughout the various betas we've seen. We tested Firefox 2 on a fraudulent Bank of America site less than one hour old; the program caught the page immediately. For comparison, IE 7 also flagged the same fraudulent banking site. Most phishing sites are removed after their initial 72 hours of existence. In general, we have found that stand-alone antiphishing filters, such as Netcraft's, perform far better at flagging brand-new phishing sites than antiphishing filters bundled with Internet browsers.
There are many enhancements within Firefox 2, making it a worthy upgrade for existing users and a fine introduction for new users. Firefox is truly innovative, yet it's also very practical for everyday use.
You can download Firefox 2 for free, and unlike Internet Explorer 7, Firefox is available on a variety of operating systems: Windows, Mac, and Linux. There are also a wide variety of localized language versions, including Basque and Byelorussian. Again unlike IE 7, Firefox 2 does not require that you shut down antivirus protection nor does it perform a system reboot.
Unlike IE 7, which has reorganized its toolbar, Firefox 2 changes only the look and feel of its buttons. The new shiny-glass look is much more sophisticated, as are the rounded tabs and the hairline borders around the address bar and the search engine box. Missing, however, is Places, a side panel feature we saw briefly in alpha builds; Places organizes bookmarks, RSS feeds, and history in one place, much like IE 7's Favorites Center. The good news is that Places will return in Firefox 3, which is currently under development.
Tabs have long been a part of Firefox. Now, with Firefox 2, you can open any number of tabs, rearrange them, and reopen a previously closed tab using the hot keys Ctrl-Shift-T. With another feature carried over from Firefox 1.5, you can also save active tabs as a bookmark so that you can open the entire set of tabs at a later time. Missing, however, are thumbnail previews of each tab (still available only as an extension).
At the far right of the Firefox toolbar is the search engine box. Firefox 2 now includes suggested search terms from the search engine itself; for instance type fire and Google returns Firefox among other suggestions. Firefox 2 provides several built-in search engines, such as Amazon and eBay--far more than provided by IE 7--with the option to add even more search engines.
Should you decide to remove Firefox, you'll be disappointed. Despite the speed we witnessed upon instigating uninstall, the uninstall feature left behind several folders and far too many registry entries. Thus, if you want to clean out your Firefox completely or you attempt to load Firefox 2 as a clean browser, you'll be stuck with your previous bookmarks and preferences, including extensions, intact.
New in Firefox 2 is session restore; if Windows crashes and you have several tabs open in Firefox at the time, you can now relaunch Firefox with all the tabs intact. We found this feature to be very useful during the course of our tests.
Firefox 2 also gives you the ability to correct your spelling mistakes online, just like using a word processor. This is great for typing blogs or posting to a newsgroup. Common dictionary words are checked, with misspellings identified with a squiggly red line. You can add more words and even include dictionaries available in various languages. Once you have access to inline spell-checking, you won't want to surf the Web without it.
Possibly the coolest new feature is Live Titles, formerly Microsummaries, which allows Web sites to stream updated data to your bookmarks. You can add the Live Titles functionality to the Merriam-Webster dictionary site, for example, and once you have done so, when you bookmark a page, you can choose the Live Title option to display the word of the day in your bookmark. When you drop down the bookmark menu or open the bookmark side panel, you'll see the Merriam-Webster logo followed by the word of the day. For news sites such as the BBC's, you'll see the latest headline. Think of Live Titles as RSS-like feeds for your otherwise static bookmarks.
Unfortunately extensions designed for Firefox 1.5 will probably break within Firefox 2. When you install Firefox 2, a handy wizard checks to see if there are new versions of already installed 1.5 extensions available; in our case, some but not all of our favorites had not been optimized for 2.0, but then again, we were testing ahead of public release. In general, the Firefox add-on community is much more robust than that of Internet Explorer.
Security enhancements within Firefox 2 continue. New is a dialog box informing you of cross-domain scripting, a tactic used by criminal hackers to link nonrelated sites to sites you think may be legit. And Mozilla remains very responsive to fixing its vulnerabilities, pushing out updates within a few days of public notice. Microsoft, on the other hand, parses out its vulnerability fixes a little at a time. In the five years since its release, IE 6 has accrued a large deficit, and we see no sign that Microsoft is addressing new vulnerabilities found in IE 7 any faster.
The underlying Web rendering engine within Firefox 2 is Gecko 1.8, and it is largely unchanged from the previous release, Firefox 1.5. The next release of Firefox should include a new rendering engine.
Unfortunately, Firefox 2 does not fully support all the standards supported by the W3C organization, so it fails what is called the Acid2 test, a test designed by the Web Standards Project, although Mozilla is working hard toward full compliance. For comparison, of the browsers tested by CNET, only Opera 9 passed the test; IE 7 fared the worst, unable to render the page in the correct colors or shapes.
Antiphishing technology within Firefox 2 is good, and the technology has steadily improved throughout the various betas we've seen. We tested Firefox 2 on a fraudulent Bank of America site less than one hour old; the program caught the page immediately. For comparison, IE 7 also flagged the same fraudulent banking site. Most phishing sites are removed after their initial 72 hours of existence. In general, we have found that stand-alone antiphishing filters, such as Netcraft's, perform far better at flagging brand-new phishing sites than antiphishing filters bundled with Internet browsers.
There are many enhancements within Firefox 2, making it a worthy upgrade for existing users and a fine introduction for new users. Firefox is truly innovative, yet it's also very practical for everyday use.
2009/07/17
Air Bed Shopping with a Convenience Factor
Looking to beat the crowds (and prices) that are currently allotted by traditional stores, many people have headed to the internet to make their air bed purchase. While this is a perfectly understandable notion, it is important that consumers are informed of the precautions they should take while shopping online.
First and foremost, air bed shoppers need to be sure they're purchasing from a reputable vendor. Many have been stung (sometimes severely) from not sticking to this rule. While you may be forking over a few more bucks buying from a reputable online vendor, it's truly worth the piece of mind. We recommend checking out Amazon, Target, or QVC. If you unsure about a particular vendor, we suggest heading over to the Better Business Bureau for more information.
Second, online shoppers should conduct adequate research on the bed they plan to purchase before inputting any sort of credit card number. Don't stick to the description and review(s) available on the vendor's site. These might be biased and thus inaccurate. Once you've got a good overall idea on the product, then you can go ahead and either purchase it or scour the net for a new one.
Finally, you should check to see what the final price will come out to. Remember, when your purchase things online, you have to factor in shipping costs. Although air beds aren't very heavy, they can rack up a noticeable shipping bill. Analyze the final cost and see how it compares to the price at a retail store.
We wish those looking to purchase their air beds online the best of luck! If you exercise good judgment, chances are good that your online shopping experience will be pleasant. Review each and every site you visit before purchasing from a specific one. The last thing you want is to get scammed.
First and foremost, air bed shoppers need to be sure they're purchasing from a reputable vendor. Many have been stung (sometimes severely) from not sticking to this rule. While you may be forking over a few more bucks buying from a reputable online vendor, it's truly worth the piece of mind. We recommend checking out Amazon, Target, or QVC. If you unsure about a particular vendor, we suggest heading over to the Better Business Bureau for more information.
Second, online shoppers should conduct adequate research on the bed they plan to purchase before inputting any sort of credit card number. Don't stick to the description and review(s) available on the vendor's site. These might be biased and thus inaccurate. Once you've got a good overall idea on the product, then you can go ahead and either purchase it or scour the net for a new one.
Finally, you should check to see what the final price will come out to. Remember, when your purchase things online, you have to factor in shipping costs. Although air beds aren't very heavy, they can rack up a noticeable shipping bill. Analyze the final cost and see how it compares to the price at a retail store.
We wish those looking to purchase their air beds online the best of luck! If you exercise good judgment, chances are good that your online shopping experience will be pleasant. Review each and every site you visit before purchasing from a specific one. The last thing you want is to get scammed.
2009/07/16
Burners: Up Close and Personal
There's been a bunch of smoke blown about in the grill industry lately about burners and burner materials. One manufacturer says this, and another says that, one sales rep tells you there's not much difference, the next tells you it's the heart and soul of your grill.
So much is said, but little is shown or demonstrated, and it's hard to know just what is the best material for a grill burner. If you pardon our pun here, it's easy to get burned.
In another article, we graphically explained what happens to a sheet metal burner after time and use. We explained how burn-through happens, and what materials are less succeptible.
How do you avoid burn-through? Well, you *could* keep the burner clean. This is a messy and time-consuming process, as you have to get in there with a small, pointed tool and carefully poke each little hole in the burner. *Some* manufacturers actually require this, else you void the warranty.
If this sounds like a lot of work, well, it is. It's a ton of work, and it isn't the cleanest job on the planet.
There's an easier way: know what you are getting into when you look at a particular grill. Obviously, there is no way to know the thickness or quality of a burner - that is, unless you actually cut a few of them in half! Now, no person in their right mind would even think about doing this, right? Think of the expense, the mess...
Well, we did. In fact, We cut open the burners from several of today's favorite high-end grills: Alfresco, DCS, Fire Magic and Lynx. Looking for thicknesses, we also examined how these burners are constructed to see if the orifices are drilled, molded or punched. We looked at other features as well, including nickel content.
(At the time of this article, we were able to review a Star grill, a relative newcomer to the consumer grill market, which has been producing professional cooking equipment for almost 80 years. Their new entries in the consumer market use essentially the identical burner as DCS: a 14-gauge Stainless Steel Sheet Metal burner. The only difference we noted was the burner's feeder tube: the DCS is ramped up to the burner tube, while the Star's feeder tube is level with the burner tube. For this comparison, use the DCS burner as Star's performance. Where there are differences, we will note them.)
Here's what we found:
Fire Magic:
* .240" * 2 guage * 4 lbs., 4.6 oz. * 13, 125 Btu, used in pairs
Lynx:
* .240" * 2 guage * 8 lbs., x.x oz. * 25,000 Btu
Alfresco:
* .035" * 20 guage * 2 lbs., 2 oz. * 27,000 Btu
DCS:
* .75" * 14 guage * 3 lbs., 2.24 oz. * 25,000 Btu
Grill Burner Comparison: Cross Sections
All stainless steel burners are not created equal. When comparing burner systems, there are a few key points to look for. Most manufacturers use stainless steel sheet metal to make their burner systems. The downside of sheet metal burners is that they are prone to a process called burn-through. The manufacturer's warranty covers sheet metal burners against rust-through, but does not cover against burn through. To combat burn through, select manufacturers use CAST stainless steel burners. The warranty on these burners does cover burn-through as well as rust-through, twisting, warping and any other problems.
Compared side by side it is plain to see by our photos at Gas Grills Now, that where a sheet metal burner is not as thick as a U.S. quarter, a cast stainless steel burner is a full ¼ INCH thick. Along with being thicker, note the placement of the burner ports on the side of the burner. On the sheet metal burners, the ports are exposed to grease drippings, and food particles, which can clog the ports and speed up the burn-through process. The cast burner is designed with a protective ridge, so that drippings cannot contact the ports.
There are several choices offered to the consumer: Cast stainless steel, Tube stainless steel, Sheet stainless steel, porcelain, cast iron and chrome burners.
* Stainless Steel: Sheet Metal burners are the least expensive. They are mainly used on grills under $800. A tube burner is better than sheet metal, but is still very thin compared to cast. The tube burner is a great place for high end grill manufactures to cut costs. They are not even as thick as a quarter. As far as I know, all tube burners do not cover burn through.
Cast Stainless Steel is the best. Look at the burner pictures and you will see that the cast is 1/4 inch thick.
Warranty covers burn through!
* Cast Iron: Cast-iron conducts heat better which makes it the preferred cooking surface for many cooks. To protect against the natural rusting process, cast-iron cooking grids have a porcelain finish which requires special maintenance.
* Porcelain: Porcelain enamel is essentially a highly durable glass which, with coloring oxides and other inorganic materials, is fused to metal at extremely high temperatures. Most grids are made of steel rods; some are coated with porcelain to make them rust resistant and easier to clean.
* Chrome: Chromium is a silver-gray, lustrous, brittle, hard metal that can be highly polished. It does Not tarnish in air, but burns when heated, forming the green chromic oxide. It is used in plating other metals because of its hardness and non-tarnishing properties. In alloys with other metals it contributes hardness, strength, and heat resistance. This is quicker to burn through. It takes about 1 to 2 years.
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