Reviews by Cosci

Cosci says "Great Prices, Bulky Site" about Amazon.com

Cosci — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:44:11 GMT

Bottom Line -- It's hard to top Amazon for prices and good deals. And with free shipping on many items, you probably won't find a better deal anywhere on the Internet.

What started as a mere online bookshop has exploded into one of the biggest retailers on the net. Books, music, toys, clothing, tools... you name it, they probably have it. What's better is that they have it at equal or lower prices than almost anywhere else. They have particularly good deals on new books and music. Add to that their competitive "Spend $25 and Get Free Shipping" deal, and you have yourself a no-brainer for inexpensive, reliable online shopping.

While I certainly use and recommend Amazon, there are a few things to note. For starters, the site is very bulky. Whenever you view an item, you will be exposed to dozens of links to other items. You will see recommended items based on the item you're viewing. There will be a list of items purchased by people who bought the item you're viewing. Then there are customer-created...

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Cosci says "Pure Number-Crunching Fun" about Dell Math Puzzles and Logic Problems Magazine

Cosci — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 23:02:05 GMT

Bottom Line -- Dell's Math Puzzles and Logic Problems is a fantastic collection of some of the most popular number puzzles around, having brought Sudoku and Kakuro to fans long before they entered the pop culture mainstream.

Every issue of this magazine is page after page of quality puzzles. There are plenty of logic problems, ranging from one-star (fairly easy) to five-star (practically evil). There are Figure Logics -- crossword puzzles consisting entirely of mathematic clues. There's also the standard collection of Number Places (Sudoku), Cross Sums (Kakuro), Word Arithmetic (long division problems with numbers replaced by letters), and Trigons (a puzzle game of fitting number trios into an interweaving grid of triangles).

The puzzles get more difficult as the magazine goes along, providing a challenge for puzzlers at virtually every level. But since every puzzle is based on numbers and logic, they're all solvable by puzzlers at any level -- providing you have the time and patience!...

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Cosci says "Intelligent and Clever -- Never a Dull Issue" about Mental Floss

Cosci — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 22:20:53 GMT

Bottom Line -- Mental Floss is an interesting magazine filled with fascinating trivia and great articles. And while the topics can range from intellectual to historical, the writers find a way to stay factual without being boring. The articles are written very tongue-in-cheek, so they're simultaneously thought-provoking and fun to read.

Every issue starts out with a section of article bites called Scatterbrained. It's a collection of facts and anecdotes cleverly divided into categories within a uniting theme. For example, a recent issue had a section called "Food for Thought." Within it were articles on the use of pigs in science ("Pigging Out"), odd inventions ("Best Things Since Sliced Bread") and confusing biblical rules ("Is That Kosher?").

Then it's on to the featured articles with topics that touch on practically every facet of human interest: history, art, sports, pop culture, literature, science... you name it. And even if a subject isn't exactly up your alley, the articles...

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Cosci says "Quality, Inexpensive Photos and Great Gifts" about Snapfish

Cosci — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 16:44:19 GMT

Bottom Line - Snapfish is an overall great site for not just sharing your photos, but also buying quality prints and gifts.

I have been uploading photos to Snapfish for years. Admittedly, uploading hasn't always been 100% problem-free. Occasionally it's slow or glitchy. However, if I'm not in any rush, I can usually try again a few hours later (or the next day), and the problem is usually gone.

Once the photos are uploaded, Snapfish easily allows you to rearrange them and caption them. Then, you can easily share these photos with friends and family. While they will also have to sign up for a Snapfish account, it costs nothing to view photos. It also costs nothing to upload them. The only time you have to pay is if you actually purchase something.

Snapfish has some of the greatest deals on photo prices. While the standard price is cheaper than most other online or even physical locations, special Web deals and e-mails from Snapfish frequently give you even better prices. And if you're worried...

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Cosci says "A Get-Something-For-Free Service That Actually Works" about MyPoints

Cosci — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 16:22:29 GMT

Here's the bottom line -- With MyPoints, you can earn gift certificates and other prizes simply for reading e-mail and doing your normal online shopping. No catch. No surprises. Just earn points, then redeem them. It's amazing that something this simple actually exists.

Of course, the amount and frequency of rewards you earn depends on how much you actually do. If you simply wait for e-mails to read, read them and look forward to collecting your reward, you're in for a long wait. Typically, you get 5 points for reading an e-mail, and it takes a good 750-800 points for even a $5 gift certificate. That's at least 250 e-mails worth of points.

However, many e-mails come with offers worth more points. Offers range from signing up for mailing lists (usually worth 25-50 points) to buying products from major online retailers (Omaha Steaks, PeoplePC, Columbia House -- with points ranging from 50 to well over 1,000 points). If you're not interested or worried about giving your e-mail out dozens of...

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