Archive for the ‘Electronics’ Category:
A nostalgic look at the ever useful electric dishwasher
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The end of World War II marked a turning point in American life. Not only was the war over, a happy time indeed, but families could resume a normal life, without rationing or women working in factories geared to the war effort. Construction was booming and many families were for the first time able to buy their own home.
Rather than building war planes, ships and bombs, factory owners now turned their attention to more family oriented products, such as the television and the ‘automatic’ washing machine. This was the beginning of the age of electric appliances, which Americans embraced with great enthusiasm. This phenomenon began to snowball, with household and kitchen electric gadgets and appliances becoming the envy and source of marvel to enthusiastic housewives. Around 1960, the electric dishwasher appeared on the scene. “What will they think of next?” was the excited refrain of many a housewife.
The first electric dishwashers were called portable, due simply to the fact that kitchens had not been designed with cabinetry that accommodated such an appliance underneath a counter top. Thus, the portable dishwasher was a standalone appliance which, with rollers for feet, could be moved near the kitchen sink where it was then attached to the pull-out hoses and then plugged into an electrical outlet to do its thing. When the dishwashing task was completed, the hoses were detached, the unit was unplugged and returned to its station along a wall. Although this arrangement made the average sized kitchen a bit less spacious, the top of the portable electric dishwasher proved compensation in the form of additional counter space when the appliance was not in use.
Today, almost every American household sports a dishwasher of the non-human type. Most young people cannot imagine what a boon this invention proved to be for Grandma, washing and drying all the dishes from a holiday dinner with just a half-hour’s effort. Although the first dishwashers required that you rinse each dish well before turning the task over to the appliance, wipe spots from glasses and silver after the cycle and wash pots and pans by hand, the electric dishwasher was every housewife’s most beloved appliance.
With almost every household task now automated by some gadget or appliance, it’s difficult to guess what might be next. Say, how about an electric oil changer? Mom’s had the electric dishwasher for almost a half century. It ought to be Dad’s turn.
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Tags: electric dishwasher
Apple iPod Touch Review
The Apple iPod Touch (3rd generation) is the latest in the line of famous touch screen iPod MP3 players.
iPod Classic Vs iPod Touch
According to Apple, the iPod touch is more than an MP3 music player – it is a portable computer and games player rolled into one. This is what sets the Touch apart from the traditional iPod. The Touch also brings users into contact with a huge variety of ‘Apps’ that can perform pretty much any function under the sun. They include games, educational apps, lifestyle and more!
Features of the Apple iPod Touch
* Audio playback for: AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV
* Video playback for: MPEG-4, H.264
* Picture viewing: JPEG, GIF, TIFF, BMP
* USB charging,
* Comes with Apple earphones,
* Includes remote and microphone.
Pros of the Apple iPod Touch
The 3rd generation iPod touch is designed with faster performance in mind. As with any other of the iPod models, it comes in a fantastic sleek and trendy design, with a high quality screen and good sound quality that will support a wide variety of formats.
When compared to previous incarnations of the iPod, this model features a much larger RAM, loads faster, includes larger storage for a similar price, and comes with new earphones that include a remote and microphone in-built.
Voice control is particularly useful for people who like to use their iPod when they’re busy doing other things, as it allows you to control the music with your voice alone. Simple commands such as ‘shuffle’ will make sure the player does exactly what you need.
Cons of the Apple iPod Touch
For users who already have the second generation iPod touch, they may not experience a noticeable enough difference to justify the added expense of buying a new version. For this reason, it is not generally worth upgrading unless you use a number of intensive applications that would particularly benefit from the faster loading time.
The iPod Touch is also more costly than the iPod classic, but can be more cost effective for those who have a need for a more all-encompassing solution with its variety of apps.
Lastly, the third generation was widely expected to have a camera but did not deliver.
Conclusion
For those who have never owned an iPod before, you really can’t beat the design and features included in the iPod Touch. Some may opt for the smaller version – iPod Nano – though truthfully the Touch is sleek enough to carry around wherever you want.
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 | US $2,828.00 End Date: Tuesday Apr-06-2010 13:14:44 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $2,828.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 Webcam
The Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 Webcam is a webcam with a difference. More expensive than your typical low-end webcam, the Pro 9000 has been designed with quality in mind – which has led it to quickly become the top selling webcam on the market. With features such as HD video recording, RightLight2 Technology for poor lighting conditions, and much more, let’s see how the Pro 9000 webcam really fares.
Features of the Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 Webcam
* HD video recording capabilities,
* Can capture 16×9 widescreen videos and 8 megapixel photos,
* Built in microphone using RightSound Technology,
* Video includes RightLight2 Technology to automatically adjust brightness,
* Ultra-smooth AutoFocus with Carl Zeiss lens,
* High-speed USB connection,
* Monitor clip included.
Pros of the Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 Webcam
The Pro 9000 is designed to work well in low light conditions, thanks to the RedLight2 Technology that will automatically adjust the display brightness. It also uses a Carl Zeiss lens, and you’ll really notice the difference once you get it up and running. Its smooth autofocus technology means the image will stay sharp even when you’re moving around in front of the camera.
Like webcams should be, the Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 Webcam is fast and easy to set up, and connects to the PC through a high-speed USB. The stand means that it is suitable both for laptop or desktop usage.
Cons of the Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 Webcam
The software that comes with the webcam is not designed to be used with Macs, which means that Mac users will not have as many optimization functions, and will also not have access to video effects. The Pro 9000 is not the smallest of webcams, however it isn’t the largest either.
Some users, on both Windows and Mac operating systems, have reported difficulties in finding the right drivers for the camera. However, the issue can be rectified by going directly to the Logitech website and ensuring you have the latest drivers installed.
Conclusion
The Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 Webcam provides excellent image quality, but not at the expense of ease of use, which is important for many webcam users. On top of this, the stand and design make it a perfect choice whether you have a desktop or laptop computer. In short, the Pro 9000 is one of the best webcams on the market, thanks to its superior picture quality even in dim conditions.
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