Reviews by ntwrkguru

ntwrkguru says "The LG Voyager is a fun phone, full of features" about Verizon - LG VX10000 Voyager Cell Phone

ntwrkguru — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:19:31 GMT

I recently upgraded form my ancient Razr V3m to the Voyager and am quite pleased! I text a lot (50-100 messages per day) and so I was looking for a phone with a large screen and a full QWERTY keyboard. The touchscreen interface was just a cool bonus! Ironically, I find myself using the virtual T9 keypad much more than the "real" keyboard for most of my texting.

Since I purchased this phone as an upgrade, and after it has been on the market for a year, I got a GREAT deal. In fact, when all the discounts and instant rebates were done, I got the phone for FREE. That said, I would have gladly paid between $100-150 for the features that this phone provides.

What I like:

- Touchscreen. Maybe this is a novelty, but after using the phone for almost 2 months, it's still fun!
- Large screens. Both the external and internal screens are big and crisp.
- Real QWERTY keyboard. Although I only use it when the T9 feature won't recognize a word.
- Haptic feedback. The screen vibrates as you......

ntwrkguru says "Electrasol tabs are super easy and convenient" about Electrasol 3 in 1 Tablets

ntwrkguru — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:00:20 GMT

Expensive compared to bulk dishwasher detergent, but so much simpler! These things work great, and the kids love to put them in!

We bought a small metal tin that we keep under the sink, then buy a large canister from Sam's club. While they do break apart easily, it really doesn't matter. Open the package over the dishwasher...it will get dissolved anyway.

What I like:

- Easy
- Convenient
- Works great

What I dislike:

- Easily crushed
- Expensive compared to bulk detergent...

ntwrkguru says "The Magic Eraser really is 'magic'" about Mr Clean Magic Eraser, Extra Power

ntwrkguru — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:56:04 GMT

The Arm & Hammer Magic Eraser works like magic! I was skeptical, but now use these things all over the house. With small children, I get concerned using strong chemicals, but the Magic Eraser requires only water. I use it in the kitchen, bathroom, walls, door jambs, etc.

It's the only thing I found that will get dirty handprints off the walls. It also cuts right through soap scum in bathtubs, sinks and showers. I give the kids one each and let them tackle the bathrooms!

As others have stated, they will crumble as they get used, but that's how they're designed. It's not hard to brush off the crumbles. I take the crumbling as a minor inconvenience for the job that these things accomplish.
...

ntwrkguru says "A Kirby is indestructible" about Kirby Vacuum Cleaner

ntwrkguru — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:47:07 GMT

When my wife bought this, I was shocked and a bit miffed that she would pay so much for a vaccum cleaner! Ours is over 8 years old now and looks and performs like brand new! For anyone unsure about the initial cost, do the math. A $100 vaccum that lasts for a year or 2 will cost you between $500 and $1000 over 10 years. Given that the Kirby has a lifetime warranty and that (as another reviewer stated) is "built like a Sherman tank", it will pay for itself.

What I like:

- Durable. This thing is SOLID. It just "feels" high-quality.

- Ease of maintenance. As with any bagged vaccum, the bag can be a pain to change, but Kirby makes it pretty easy. I've never had a pile of dust when changing the bag. In addition, it's simple to take apart the beater brush assembly to clean the brush or change the belt.

- Flexibility. There are so many attachments and uses for this. We bought the whole kit and kaboodle, but really only use the beater brush and hose attachments with the bare floor......

ntwrkguru says "Yahoo! Answers is very addictive!" about Yahoo! Answers

ntwrkguru — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:44:58 GMT

I normally would only review tangible goods, but I find Yahoo! Answers so entertaining and addictive that I had to review it. :-)

For those that may not know, Yahoo! Answers is one part of Yahoo's push into the Web2.0 arena and offers a place where any Yahoo user can ask any question. In return any Yahoo user can offer up answers to that question. The asker can choose a best answer or in the absence of the asker choosing a best answer, the community can vote on a best answer. The whole system works on a points system where you are charged points to ask a question, and awarded points for answering. At first this seems silly, and in fact many questions that you will find are, but the premise behind user generated content provides entertainment and information, as well as the ability to genuinely contribute to the online community.

Normally, the silly or frivolous questions would be annyoing, but I find them to be humorous and entertaining. However, the biggest draw for me is the ability......

ntwrkguru says "Poor call quality...still." about Lingo VoIP

ntwrkguru — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:20:23 GMT

Having had several VOIP providers over the last 5 years, I'm no stranger to the game. I first tried Lingo 2 years ago as an alternative to using my cellular minutes during peak time. Recently, we were looking to move from the cable company's digital voice service to save a few bucks and I decided to give Lingo another shot (the $25 gift gard helped a bit...)

Within 1 week, I called to cancel. The same easy ordering process...the same poor quality calls.

Ordering was very easy. I had my ATA within 2 days both times. The web portal is about average in terms of it's usability. Features were standard as with other VOIP providers.

Having used Vonage, AT&T CallVantage, Comcast digital voice and Skype also, I had a pretty good range of services to compare with. With Lingo, I would routinely experience delayed dial tone, dropped calls, incoming calls going straight to voicemail, and garbled calls. I would compare the experience to using a cell phone in a very poor reception area. ......

ntwrkguru says "Liked it so much, we bought a second one!" about Scion xB Sport - 2006

ntwrkguru — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:53:37 GMT

As a family of 4, we needed a practical, fuel-efficient, fun car and the Scion xB fits the bill perfectly! We liked it so much in fact, that we bought a second one! We have since added another child to the family and have taken our Scions on several road trips. Inside it's extremely spacious with more rear seat leg, shoulder and head room than most full-size SUV's.

I average 28 MPG and run the AC nearly all the time....

ntwrkguru says "The Maxtor One Touch Mini is perfect for mobile workers" about Maxtor One Touch Mini

ntwrkguru — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:34:54 GMT

I was in the market for a back-up solution. I carry my laptop to and from work every day and needed a portable backup solution in case the laptop was damaged or stolen. After many hours of scouring online reviews, and price shopping, I settled on the Maxtor One Touch Mini after seeing it on sale at a major office supply store.

Unboxing-
The drive came in a blister pack which contained the hard drive (duh), a dual-tipped USB cable (more on that later), a software CD, a quick-start guide and registration paperwork. The blister pack was labeled as recycleable, so Maxtor gets a bonus "green" point.

Installation and setup-
The included USB cable is a Y-type cable with 3 ends; male USB labeled Data+Power, male USB labeled Power, and a male mini-USB that plugs into the drive. The reason for the Y-cable is a bit puzzling to me since both ends are the same length. I can't see why you would need a connector purely for power, but it's there just the same. Installation on my Windows XP Pro......

ntwrkguru says "Spend the extra money and get the PuR" about Brita FF-100

ntwrkguru — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:03:33 GMT

We were looking for a water filter solution. We had previously had a PuR faucet filter and were pleased for the most part with it, but while shopping this time the Brita Faucet Filter was the better value and so we went with it.

Installation was fairly straight-forward:
1. Remove the aerator from the faucet.
2. Install the appropriate adaptor onto the faucet.
3. Install the filter housing to the adaptor.
4. Insert the filter element.

Simple enough, but the adaptor struck me as being a poor design during installation since it only has 2-3 threads to connect the adaptor to the Brita filter housing. In addition, the plastic nut of the fitler housing felt "cheap". At any rate, installation was a breeze and took only a couple of minutes. As per the instructions, I prepared to let water run through the filter for 5 minutes to condition the filter and remove the charcoal dust. That's when the problems started...

As soon as I turned on the faucet, the entire filter assembly came flying off,......