New Amazon Kindle Touch – Lighter, Smaller, Faster With Wi-Fi and Cheaper!

As was the Kindle DX last Christmas, Amazon are touting that their new Kindle which is lighter by 30%, which means less than 6 ounces, 18% smaller yet with the same screen size with the most advanced E ink display which accordingly reads like paper where the built in Wi-Fi allows you to grab books in less than 60 seconds and will now fit into your pocket – will be one of the top selling items this Christmas 2011.

At a cost of $109, far cheaper than last years Kindle which cost $359 it’s clear that Amazon has improved this now pocket sized e-reader considerably.

Kindle Touch Features:

• Holds 1,400 Books - Carry up to 1,400 books within internal memory.
• Most Advanced E Ink Display - Clear, crisp text and images.
• Low Book Prices - Over 800,000 books $9.99 or less.
• Read in Bright Sunlight - Reads like real paper, with no glare.
• Free, Out-of-Copyright Books - Millions of free, out-of-copyright books available.
• One Month Battery Life - Read for up to one month on a single charge.
• Free Cloud Backup - Amazon automatically back up your library using their cloud software.
• Built-In Wi-Fi - Connect to Wi-Fi hotspots anywhere.
• Buy Once Read Everywhere - Books can be read on iPhone, iPad, Android devices, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7, Mac, PC, or web browser with their free Kindle Reading Apps.
• Simple to Use - No setup, no software to install, no computer required to download content.
• Whispersync - This synchronizes your last page read, bookmarks and annotations across your devices.
• Faster Page Turns - It’s new processor purportedly provides seamless page turns.
• 6 New International Languages - You can now set your default language on Kindle to English (US and UK), German, French, Spanish, Italian, or Brazilian Portuguese.
• PDF and Personal Documents - You can now email personal documents and PDFs direct to your Kindle.

Advantages of the New Kindle Touch:

• Firstly it has to be the price. At almost $250 cheaper than the old Kindle DX, this has to be its biggest and boldest advantage.
• Secondly, it now fits in your pocket, perfect! Ever noticed how awkward some people found the old DX when on the move standing up on the bus or the subway? Also, having the ability to stick it in your pocket provides you with a greater sense of security.
• Thirdly, Wi-Fi at last! Which is 100% free.
• Fourthly, the battery life by far exceeds any other e-reader as research would suggest.
• Finally, if you are an avid note-taker or do a lot of writing with your Kindle, you can adapt a Kindle Keyboard.

Disadvantages of the New Kindle Touch:

1. No audio, so not possible to listen to music, podcasts or audiobooks for example.
2. Only 2GB but additional books can now be kept in the new Amazon Cloud.
3. No colour again! Still, this is in part what attributes to its extensive battery life.

Price: $99.00

Kindle Touch, Wi-Fi, 6″ E Ink Display – includes Special Offers & Sponsored Screensavers

Learn More About The New Kindle Touch From User Reviews by Visiting Amazon.com

Steve Jobs Book Review by Walter Isaacson

This book by Walter Isaacson is based on over 40 interviews with Steve Jobs, along with hundreds of interviews with family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues, which took 2 years to piece together and was released just before the sad death of the inspirational lead character, the man himself, Steve Jobs.

In essence, Steve Jobs revolutionized six industries:

• 1. Animation movies
• 2. Personal computers
• 3. Music
• 4. Tablet computing
• 5. Phones
• 6. Digital publishing

In a competitive world where America is seeking to strive ahead and sustain its innovative edge – Steve Jobs stood, and still stands as the ultimate icon of inventiveness and applied imagination.

This would be the perfect gift for innovative inspirational man. Steve Jobs knew that the best way to create value in the 21st century was to connect creativity with technology.

Apple became therefore and is still a company where leaps of the imagination are combined with remarkable feats of engineering.

Whilst contributing through a number of interviews with Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs specifically requested that he should have no control over what was written nor even the right to read it before it was published.

There were no off limits and he asked all those that were interviewed by Walter Isaacson to not hold back.

Speaking brutally at times about his fellow colleagues and those he competed against, his friends and foes also talk candidly without any cosmetic touch as to the man they found him to be.

A perfectionist, obsessionist, artist, fiery and sometimes outright rude, this book is pieced together where you learn to feel how his personality and products are so interelated.

With 150 5 star reviews out of 264 on Amazon as of November 8th 2011, despite its girth of nearly 600 pages, this book is argued to zip along at a torrid pace.

Customer reviews reveal this book is both fascinating and revealing. The one slight disadvantage of this book is that as one reviewer puts it: ” He accomplished as much as 10 ordinarily famous men….. and you just can’t fit a man like this in a book, even if that book’s nearly 600 pages”.

On the downside, it’s hoped by a number of book reviews that someone will come along and write a much better treatment of Jobs’ life. For now, it’s implied that he carried a narcissistic disorder, so don’t expect to learn any larger truths about Jobs and his world; just enjoy the anecdotes, and observe how a comprehensive tyrant could achieve so much, so prepare to make your own conclusions about the book’s fascinating subject.

Price: $17.88

Steve Jobs

Learn More About Steve Jobs Book From User Reviews by Visiting Amazon.com

Clocky Alarm Clock on Wheels – Perfect for Late Starters!

.

The  Clocky Alarm Clock On Wheels is a wicked little gift designed to make those early wake up calls as pain free as possible with an amusing touch to them as well.

What does it do?: Basically, the Wheeled alarm clock will roll off the bedside table beeping whilst scooting away!

Being the perfect alternative to the usual screaming wakeup call, the Clocky alarm clock on wheels combines a customizable snooze and a playful mobility to get you out of bed on time.

Built on wheels, you can tailor the snooze feature for between 0 and 9 minutes, after which Clocky will beep again, roll off the bedside table, and start scooting itself out of reach the bed!

To turn it off, the reluctant riser has to get out of bed and chase the bugger down which improves the odds of staying awake.

Built to withstand heavy impacts in a cute chunky shape, Clocky’s warranty states that it’s designed to survive a drop of up to 3 feet.

With the ability to travel on low carpet or hard flooring, Clocky includes a backlit night display for easy reading.

The wheel (scooting off!) feature can also be disabled.

Measuring 5-1/4 by 3-1/2 by 3-1/2 inches, the alarm clock takes 4 AAA batteries, but are not included.
Clocky Alarm Clock On Wheels comes in a fun array of color choices.
.

Features and Benefits:

Wheeled alarm clock: Rolls off bedside table beeping whilst scooting away
Durable housing: With a digital display it incorporates a backlight for night viewing
Customizable snooze function: Allows you 0 to 9 minute snooze duration; wheels on/off button
3-foot maximum drop height: Designed to withstand high impact drops! Clocky runs on 4 AAA batteries, (not included).
Dimensions: 5-1/4 by 3-1/2 by 3-1/2 inches; available in several color choices.
.

Negatives:

In user Amazon reviews, Clocky lands on the ground with a resounding thud!
Changing the batteries is reported to be difficult.
.

Do we recommend it?

If you hate conventional alarm clocks and are a serious snooze adict, user’s recommend trying this cracking unique gift.

.

Price: $34.50

Visit Clocky Alarm Clock on Wheels on Amazon For More Comprehensive Reviews

Apple iPhone 4G 16GB Quadband World GSM Phone Review – Gifts for Men and Women

The Apple iPhone 4G 16GB Quadband World GSM Phone doesn’t come cheap and this is not without reason.

Without forcing you into an unwanted 2-year cell phone contract which can cost you up to $2000, you can now purchase an AT&T prepaid GoPhone account, the iPhone 4 is the ultimate device if you want a Wi-Fi touch screen phone with a 5 Mega Pixel Camera.

Apple iPhone 4G Features:

• 1. 3G
• 2. GPS
• 3. Wi-Fi
• 4. luetooth
• 5. 5 MPixel
• 6. EDGE
• 7. iOS 4

Advantages of the Apple iPhone 4G 16GB Quadband World GSM Phone:

• Widely considered the world’s best PDA and lightyears ahead of any phone or OS.
• Beautiful high-resolution screen.
• The iTunes app store.
• An astoundingly good 5 Mpixel camera.
• A surprisingly effective eBook reader.
• It can be massively customized to make it the best electronic friend you ever had.

Disadvantages of the Apple iPhone 4G 16GB Quadband World GSM Phone:

• The built in apps, the contacts manager, notepad and calendar are considered primitive.
• All pictures taken with the iPhone camera go into one huge folder called “Camera Roll.” This means that pictures can’t be moved into sub-folders, renamed, sorted, or rotated if the orientation ends up backwards, however additional apps can installed to change this.
• No flashlight app to go with the new LED light.
• Listed on Amazon by some sellers at $650 to $750 it can also be found for around $400 but you would have to sign a sign a 2 year contract which could mount up to $2000 over 2 years so you would obviously in the long run pay much more. Either way, hunt around if you want to shop online and avoid retail costs.

Price: $400 (Includes 2 Year Contract) or $769.95 Unlocked – No Contract
. 

BARSKA 40070 Starwatcher Compact Refractor Telescope with Table Top Tripod And Carrying Case Review

For any entry level telescope amateur enthusiast, 2011 see’s the new BARSKA 40070 Starwatcher Telescope, which has received some solid reviews on Amazon since its release earlier this year.

Looking to be one of the best selling items for men this Christmas, the Barska Starwatcher 300-power telescope brings you closer than ever to the stars and planets, but more specifically the Moon.

At $69.94,  this “travel scope” is perfect as a guide-scope for astro-photography. With a 3.5 star rating out of 5, as of November 8th 2011, it is argued to deliver stunning views of the moon using this scope, plus you will also be able to see the the bands on Jupiter and the rings on Saturn as well as track their moons.

BARSKA Starwatcher Telescope Features:

• Max power: 300x
• Focal length: 400mm
• Finder scope: 5×24
• Eyepiece 1: SR4
• Eyepiece 2: K20
• Diagonal: 45 degrees
• Draw tube: 1.25 inches
• Warranty: Limited lifetime

Advantages of the BARSKA 40070 Starwatcher Telescope:

• The refractor telescope is equipped with such features as coated glass optics for enhanced image brightness.
• Computer Deepsky Astronomy software, which is packed with a searchable database of more than 10,000 objects, including nebulae, star clusters, double stars, variable stars, and other types.You simply load it on to your PC and begin your journey to the stars and planets.
• It’s ability to focus clearly on the moons surface and as stated above the bands and moons surrounding Jupiter and the rings of Saturn.
• Sturdy and good optics.
• Excellent value by user reviews on Amazon in comparison to the price.

Disadvantages of the BARSKA 40070 Starwatcher Telescope:

• Make sure to use the 45 degree diagonal or you will not get good focus otherwise.
• Made of plastic but sturdy.
• The quality of the eyepieces and the finder-scope are of average manufacturing build based on the price.

Price: $59.99
. 

Learn More About BARSKA 40070 Starwatcher Telescope From User Reviews by Visiting Amazon.com

Syma New S022 Big CH-47 Chinook 3 Channels Remote Control Helicopter Review

Once $129, now just $40, this big Chinook Remote Controlled Helicopter is a pretty cool gift for any kid or guy. With an average 3.5 star rating out of 5 on Amazon from 194 reviews as of November 14th 2011, this RC helicopter flies to a radius of about 100 ft, and will stay in the air for up to 12 minutes from about a 45 minute charge.

Known by avid remote control aircraft enthusiasts as the famous Syma New S022 Big 3CH RC Chinook, this helicopter is factory pre-assembled and Ready-To-Fly. Just insert the batteries as they will be pre-charged and get ready to take off!

This type of RC helicopter is quite rare and wasn’t around last Christmas.

CH-47 Chinook RC Helicopter Features:

• 3-CH Radio Controller with Antenna. Go Up, Down, Left, Right, Forwards and Backwards – (6 AA Batteries are not included).
• 7.4 800mAh Li-polymer Rechargeable Battery Pack (for Helicopter).
• Home AC Charger (110V).
• Instruction Manual (English).
• Item Weight: 2.8 pounds.
• Length: Approx. 18.1 Inches .Height: Approx. 7.1 Inches.
• Flight Range: up to 100 ft Radius Control Range.
• Altitude & Rotor Speed Control and Stable Hover.
• Flight Stabilizing System with Adjustable Trimming Control.

.

Chinook RC Helicopter Advantages:

# Not light and plasticy and will withstand multiple crashes.

# Spare parts and accessories available online at Amazon.

# For price, reviews suggest this is the coolest RC helicopter for any guy.

# It has some serious lift; blows a crazy downwind, magazines and newspapers will fly around! So fly outside.

# Can go from the ground to 20ft high in 3 seconds.

# Can carry the weight of 2 spoons.

# Can be accurately landed in a 2×2 Ft landing area.

# Extremely durable.

Chinook RC Helicopter Disadvantages:

# The charger is pretty cheap and may be worth upgrading to a better Li-Po charger.

# Some users have stated that it goes full throttle when it’s just flown 2ft from you however there is a full warranty should something not be right.

WARNING: You should keep small children at a safe distance as this is quite a heavy powerful RC helicopter.

Price: $40.95

Learn More About Chinook Remote Control Helicopter From User Reviews by Visiting Amazon.com

.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3: Amazon User Reviews So Far

This Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Review is a review of the First-Person shooter game which has been tipped to be best selling computer game, if not gift in general this Christmas after MW2, its predecessor which wracked up over a billion dollars in sales in the first 48 hours of its release.

Priced at approximately $50 this gift would surely make any gamer chuffed to bits whether it’s your brother, boyfriend, husband, son or dad.

Based in a fictional, near-future conflict where American forces face off the Russian Federation around the globe, its graphics are argued to be ultra realistic. (Click on the image above and you can judge for yourself).

Call of Duty MW3 Features:

# Heavy focus on multiplayer gameplay.

# Argued to include an innovative new functionality that encourages combat strategies.

# 2-player co-op option.

# New play modes.

# A supposed gripping single player campaign that picks up where Modern Warfare 2 left off.

# Game integration with Elite online service.

As this article is geared towards how users have reviewed MW3 since its release in November 2011, one of the best places to take a broad feel for how this game performs is from users at Amazon.com.

This is in part due the fact that only users who have bought this product from Amazon can leave reviews for this product, whilst reviews are independently monitored also to check that no financial incentive is included in someones review, for example if someone were to leave a link to their website etc.

So, as of the 14th November 2011, out of 388 Amazon reviews there are currently:

117 – 5 Star Reviews

46  – 4 Star Reviews

46  – 3 Star Reviews

59  – 2 Star Reviews

120 – 1 Star Reviews

As you can see therefore the user reviews are somewhat mixed, where this number one selling game on Amazon ranks on average 3 stars out of 5.

So what are the broad advantages and disadvantages listed by users who have purchased MW3?

Call of Duty MW3 Advantages:

# Spec Ops is greatly improved.

# Includes ranking.

# A lot of maps.

# Feels a lot more like Black Ops which is regarded as highly rated among gamers.

# The theater mode returns.

# “Kill Confirmed” is good.

# Kill streaks have been warmed over with strike package streaks that differ on classes meaning that you can continue to rack up your points in objective based achievements instead of just kills. However these games are still essentially about kill or be killed!

# You still can hide in a tin building during an air-strike and live to tell the tale.

# MW3 is set to play much faster than MW2.

Call of Duty MW3 Disadvantages:

# Guns have had a serious working over. Nothing sways and you die much much faster than in MW2.

# No wager matches.

# Still relies on P2P host networking which means lag and ended games still crop up.

# The maps have the same convoluted layout, based on the “ruined city” theme.

So, in short, as one Amazon user of Call of Duty Modern Warfare put it: “Like any heavily marketed fighting game, just play it for what it is – don’t expect this game to do your laundry for you”.

Price: $51.77

Learn More About COD MW3 From User Reviews by Visiting Amazon.com

Multiplex Easy Star RTF Electric RC Airplane

With a 4.5 rating out of 5 on Amazon, whilst the Multiplex RTF Easy Star is designed for first time pilots, user reviews suggest it takes a little more skill. Multiplex are argued to make some great products and this quite pricey RC airplane is argued to be one of them.

.

This plane comes as an RTF (Ready To Fly) not ARF (Almost Ready To Fly). This is important if you are purchasing a RC plane as an ARF will need considerable skill.Therefore this plane only takes some basic assembly and requires no skill.

.

.

Multiplex Easy Star RTF Features:

.

# Stable flight characteristics

# Durability

# Powered by a Speed 400 motor mounted on the top so hard landings won’t break the prop or damage the motor.

# It does as stated require a little skill to fly, but has the ability to recover easily. Made from Multiplex’s durable “Elapor” foam.

If the Easystar does break it can be easily repaired with CA (super) glue.

.

Here’s a great 10 minute review video found on youtube:

.

.

Learn More About Multiplex RC Airplane From User Reviews by Visiting Amazon.com

.
The Easy Star Electric RTF RC Airplane Includes:

# Installed Hitec HFS-04MG Receiver.

# Battery: 1200mAh 7.2V NiMH.

Hitec Neon-SS FM 72MHz 3-Channel Transmitter.

# Servos: Two Installed Multiplex Tiny-S Servos.

# Installed Multiplex Multicont X-08 ESC.

# Hitec CG-207 2Amp DC Peak Charger.

.

Multiplex RC Airplane User Review Advantages:

# The radio system is excellent.

# This is a quality plane made with above the bar parts.

# The receiver is 4 channel and the servos are micro therefore the setup can be moved into another plane as your level of experience and tastes change.

# The wingspan is argued to be seriously impressive!

# Having a top-notch radio system will mean that switching it is as easy as reversing a plug in the transmitter and the back is screwless so no pulling out and putting back in 8 screws like on other models.

# Very nice simulator software available for this model on Internet.

# It can be used as an FPV (first-person view) pilot who use a real-time video camera in the plane to fly it, while the pilot is on the ground.

# The plane is very fast because it’s so aerodynamic and many manouvers like looop the loop or flying upside down will become second nature after a little practice.

# You can modify it to take longer wings from other planes.

# More powerful motors and lipo (lithium polymer) batteries have upped its performance greatly.

# To land on water if you can find some scrap foam, shape it into floats, and you’ve got a float plane.

.

Multiplex RC Airplane Disadvantages and Advice:

.

# You should glue in the tail and rear wings instead of using their included double sided tape.

# Place a small piece of tape on the front and back of the canopy.

# Make sure you are 3 miles away from any airfields as it can be flown great distances and some users have stated that once the Easy Star Electric RTF RC Airplane is maybe half a mile away, the plane began to take instructions from someone else at the airfield.

# Put your telephone number and name on it so if it flies off into the woods someone will hopefully find it and return it.

.

WARNING: This thing is MASSIVE so keep kids at a safe distance.

.

Price: $122.99

.

Learn More About Multiplex RC Airplane From User Reviews by Visiting Amazon.com

. 

Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sport Watch with Heart Rate Monitor

This Garmin Forerunner GPS Sports Watch is the perfect gift for men looking to get fit and healthy starting January 2012.

The Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch Records:

Your time

Your distance

Your pace

Your calories burned

Your heart rate

The Garmin Forerunner 405CX Features:

# Advanced training technology built in will challenge you to step up your pace and race against Forerunner’s Virtual Partner.

# You can share your locations, advanced workouts and courses wirelessly with other Forerunner 405 users.

# It comes with a flexible, wireless heart rate monitor to help you make the most out of your training.

# Upon logging in your miles, the innovative ANT+ wireless technology automatically transfers data to your computer you are in range.

Garmin Forerunner GPS Sports Watch Advantages:

# Automatically transfer data.

# Effortlessly pairs with your heart rate monitor and foot pod (which must be purchased separately).

# The 405cx not only has an automatic power save mode, but you can turn off the GPS when running indoors to further save power.

# The bevel and touch system on the 405cx is easy to use.

# The Garmin watch is argued to be miles ahead of the competition on the market.

# With GPS you can click on any single run you’ve logged to see the route so if you like to travel a fair amount, it’s a great way to memorize places and routes whether through running,cycling etc.

# If you get lost you can have it point you the way back.

Garmin Forerunner GPS Sports Watch Disadvantages and Advice:

# The GPS CAN be turned on or off. With the GPS on 24 hours a day, the watch will run out of battery after about 8 hours and you will need to recharge it. With the GPS off however, it lasts almost 2 weeks. It will work like a normal watch, tells date and time, heart rate monitor, calories burned etc.

# The wrist band closure some say is said to be a bit of a hassle.

Price: $198.88

Learn More About Garmin Forerunner GPS Sports Watch From User Reviews by Visiting Amazon.com

.