Long hilarious name, National Terrorism Strike Force : San Diego : Sport Utility Vehicle (or better known as NTSF:SD:SUV) is the newest action show coming to cartoon network’s adult swim. They just premiered their first preview for the show on July 11th at 10:30pm during “Children’s Hospital” (which had an underwhelming first episode). Needless to say, NTSF:SD:SUV it looks amazing, the name alone left me laughing my ass off. Although I dont think they mentioned when the show starts on adult swim, and they dont have the preview or trailer online yet, but im definitely excited and keeping my eyes peeled!
PS: I am super duper stoked about that robot.
Here’s the show’s trailer that I mentioned I would be looking for. Unfortunately I didn’t have a DVR to record it myself, but it looks like a at least one other person was bent on getting the show’s trailer preview online. It makes me happy
So you have a 2009, 2010, or newer Subaru Forester and you are wondering about getting a trailer hitch for it. The one that comes from Subaru bolts right on and is designed for the vehicle, but its kind of expensive. Most people cant get the Subaru trailer hitch it to their door for under $300, and then they have to install it themselves… Or get the Subaru dealer to install it for an arm and a leg.
What about aftermarket trailer hitches? There are definitely a few options, but I chose the one from U-HAUL. My parents have ALWAYS gotten their trailer hitches done by U-HAUL and have always been happy with them. Not only that, but the prices are great. I got the trailer hitch and the install done for just under $200. I just had to drop my 2009 Forester XT off at the local U-HAUL place for 2 hours and then it was finished. It looks great too. The paint is nice and glossy, the steel tubing is robust, sleek, and round. Its also capable of towing 4000lbs (400lb tongue weight). I know the Subaru Forester has a max towing limit of 2,400lbs, but its definitely not a bad thing to know your hitch is rated for more, just in case.
As far as the trailer wiring harness goes.. U-HAUL wanted $100 bucks for that, but you can pick up an aftermarket wiring kit for about $40 bucks shipped from etrailer.com and it will plug right into your trailer wiring harness socket right in the trunk of your forester, no splicing required! You can watch them install it here too (installation video link)
I have a few images of the u-haul trailer hitch installed below. It sits nice and tight up close to the bottom of the vehicle. I was worried the trailer hitch it would hang too low, but I’m definitely very satisfied with how the install it came out.
So you are wondering if you should buy the Sanyo Xacti VPC-WH1 HD Waterproof Camcorder huh? Well there are a few things you should know about this device before taking the plunge. This Camcorder fulfills a small niche; its the best at what it does for certain things, and the worst for other things (considering its price range).
The first obvious choice of why you would pick this HD waterproof camcorder over other HD waterproof camcorders is the price. At the time of writing this review, there are no other HD waterproof camcorders on the market… However there are camcorders on the market that have waterproof case accessories availible. For example, Sony has pretty affordable waterproof cases for a lot of its camcorders (~$300), however its cases don’t let you directly see the LCD screen (you need to use a mirror that doesn’t work so well). Other manufacturers like JVC and Canon have cases that cost over $500! And in these situations, if your case leaks, you have destroyed your expensive camcorder. Since the price of this Sanyo costs the same as most cases for other camcorders, you might as well just get the dedicated Sanyo for your water adventures and have your separate high quality HD camcorder for less risky activities. If the Sanyo leaks, send it in for a warranty repair and continue using your other camcorder. The Sanyo is also much smaller and easier to swim with than a bulky buoyant waterproof case for a regular camcorder.
Other waterproof camcorders in the Sanyo’s price range have inferior image quality (non HD).
OK, so that’s why this is the best water proof camcorder in this price range, but why should I buy a waterproof camcorder over a regular camcorder anyways (will I really need the waterproof feature?)? Well for one thing its waterproof / sand proof / and dust proof. Spend a summer filming stuff anywhere near moving water (the beach, rivers, anywhere moist, with microscopic water droplets in the air), even light rain / fog, kids grabbing the camera with wet hands, dust from filming while outdoors (SAND AT THE BEACH!), and in the winter when you are skiing / snow boarding; more likely than not, you will end up with a deadregular camcorder on your hands, in less than 1 year…. And that’s with no physical abuse, its just mother nature slowly destroying your camcorder over time. (condensation in the circuitry, sand / dust in the zoom mechanism, etc)
HD Waterproof Camcorder
Well this is where the Xacti Shines. You can do all of the above activities with this camera and not have a care in the world about having to go to extra lengths to protect the camera. As long as it doesn’t sit more than 10 feet underwater for more than 60 minutes at a time, you will be fine!
But what are its cons? Well its image sensor is only 1/6″ (one 6th of an inch), which is puny. This thing is not going to like indoors filming unless you have all the lights on full brightness. Its not going to like dusk, and it definitely wont do night shots without extra lighting equipment. You see the larger an image sensor is, the more light it can receive. The smaller it is, the less light gets in. So a camera with a 1/2″ sensor has 9 times more surface area to absorb light than a 1/6″ sensor…. Other regular camcorders in this price range also have 1/6″ sensors, however some also have 1/4″ and 1/3″ sensors. Even a 1/4″ sensor will have a noticeable improvement in picture quality over this camera in low light conditions… But hey this is an outdoors camcorder, and even with a 1/6″ sensor, it is great when its used for its intended purpose.
The image processor… I’m sure in this day in age, we’ve come to learn that Mega Pixels aren’t everything. Why does a $200 6MegaPixel Canon take better pictures than a $75 12MegaPixel Kodak camera? Well it comes down to the quality of the sensor and the image processor; also how well it can focus…. This same concept transfers to digital camcorders. Sure the $800 canon may be the same resolution as the Sanyo Xacti VPC-WH1 (imagine both are 720p HD, this is a 1280 x 720 pixel image), however the canons superior image processor and sensor will produce much superior images. The canon will also focus faster, the picture will be much sharper and smoother.
This is where the Sanyo Xacti makes some sacrifices. Instead of getting the super good image quality, we get a care free waterproof housing. Its a trade off you have to expect, however it is worth noting there are a lot of other camcorders in this price segment, that are NOT water proof, that have equal image qualities to this Sanyo.
What are you using your videos for? If these are just going to be fun action videos for youtube and sharing on the internet, you may find that the Xacti’s picture quality is more than adequate. If you are making a wedding video or recording your child’s first steps you might want a better quality image than what this Sanyo can deliver… But if you have a pool and want to document your kids first swim?? see where I’m going with that one? In the case you REALLY care about getting superior image quality, you might want to get the Xacti as a second camcorder for when you go into situations where you wouldn’t want to destroy your nice camcorder, after all, the Sanyo Xacti costs less than most water proof cases for regular camcorders.
Now, About The Camcorder Itself
Sanyo Xacti VPC-WH1 inside a regular Camera Case
This camcorder is SMALL. You will easily be able to put it into a purse / jacket pocket / cargo pocket (if you have a tight belt) / or even a regular camera’s camera case (see image). In the image to the right, I have a USB cord, the camcorder, and the camcorders charger cable tucked inside my old regular camera’s case. It Fits perfectly!
It feels pretty solid; I mean its not all metal or anything, and its not a shockproof camcorder. I find myself treating it as if its made of glass though when I’m opening the hatches for the power cord and memory card… But this is mostly because I never ever want it to leak, and with water proof devices, you never want to abuse the areas around the gaskets.
I actually read a negative review about this camera because waterproof and shockproof typically go together with electronics (most digital cameras are like this). The person gave it a bad review because they dropped it into the tub to test its waterproof capabilities, and well, the case cracked from the fall into the tub… Well a word of warning, this is NOT a shock proof camera. Don’t drop it. Most camcorders probably wouldn’t fare well from even a 1 foot fall onto a tile floor. I’m not trying to say that I think this camcorder is flimsy or anything, it feels just as strong as any other camcorder, however the fact that it is waterproof suggests that extra care Should be taken to keep it from being physically damaged, because any physical damage to the case could potentially cause leaking (such as a crack or dent near the gaskets).
Anyways… Start up time is fast. Its not great at focusing in auto “9 point autofocus mode”, its a little slow that way. I like to set it to spot focus if possible. Spot focus makes the camcorder focus on whatever is at the center of the screen and i guess it has to do less math in this mode because it focuses much faster. If you are in a situation in which you cant always keep the subject at the center of the screen, auto focus would be perfectly fine.
The digital image stabilizer isn’t amazing, in fact its barely better than having nothing… But digital image stabilizers are never good. I should be able to reduce a lot of the minor trembles afterward in Adobe Premier or After Effects though. Try to bring a tripod if the situation allows.
Shooting Modes
There are a few nice shooting modes available. HD: (high definition) 1280 x 720 at 30FPS; SD: (Standard Definition): 640×480 (~DVD resolution) at 60FPS, and finally SD at 30FPS (to save space on the memory card). 60FPS (frames per second) mode comes in very handy during action scenes when there is a LOT of motion. The image is VERY smooth with almost no blur or ghosting. If you were riding a jet-ski or something, this would definitely be the way to go. HD mode is great for casual filming, the quality is a little better and the image is wide-screen. These are all “progressive scan” recordings, there’s no interlacing or anything.
Battery Time is pretty good at a little over 3.3 hours. It does take ~200 minutes to charge from an empty battery up to full capacity. A 16GB SDHC memory card will hold almost 4 hours of HD footage.
MAKE SURE YOU GET A class 6 “SDHC” memory card. SDHC cards come in 3 different classes. Class 2, 4 and 6… Each respectively with a maximum transfer speed of 2MB per second, 4MBPS, and 6MBPS. Obviously the class 6 allows the fastest transfer speeds. If your camera’s recording data exceeds your SDHC card’s speed, your quality will suffer tremendously.
Here is me unboxing the camera when I first got it.
I cant think of anything else to add at the moment. I enjoy this camera and I think you will too as long as you know what to expect out of it. For a cheap price you get decent image quality and take-anywhere capabilities. It IS the best HD waterproof camcorder on the market at the moment (for less than $1000 anyways). Feel free to add a comment.
Rain-X Latitude vs Anco Contour Premium vs Bosch Icon windshield wiper blade comparison Updated Jan 25th 2010 – See bottom
Not all bracket-less wiper blades (also called beam blades) are created equal. I have tried Anco Contour Premium, Bosch Icon and now Rain-X Latitudes and I must say that Rain-X Latitude Wiper Blades are by far, not only the worst bracket-less wiper blades I have ever had, they come close to being the WORST wiper blades I have ever had, in general.
Compared to regular bracket (old fashion) wiper blades, Rain-X Latitude Blades cost twice as much. That’s where the differences stop. They do not work any better than traditional wipers and they do not last longer either. At high speeds they also skip just like traditional blades. I started getting bad streaks after only 1 month of ownership and not even during bug season. Transitioning to winter, the rubber blades gets to hard they become completely useless (anything below 30 Degrees Fahrenheit). I must blast my windshield with hot air for at least 10 minutes until they soften up to the point of being able to remove fluids, and if I stop using defroster mode to heat the windshield, they stiffen up and become useless again (dangerously useless)!
In comparison to other bracket-less wiper blades (Bosch Icons and Anco Contour Premium blades), well, there is no comparison. Both the Bosch and Anco have a different spoiler design. Where Rain-X Latitudes have their spoiler right in the middle of the blade, making them symmetrical (and useless), Anco and Bosch put theirs on 1 side, making them work more like a real spoiler (see image). The effect of this real “spoiler” design creates down force on the blade and thus, the faster you go, the better these wipers work. Never will these skip on the highway, even in the winter.
I have found the Bosch Icons to have better longitudinal structural rigidity than the Anco Contour Blades. Where on 20″+ plus blade sizes the Anco’s may start to skip at the ends where they aren’t quite stiff enough, however annoying it is, it doesn’t seem to effect performance too much. Both of these work well in the winter and stay soft enough to remove water even during very cold temperatures. Ice buildup is not a problem and one smack against the windshield after a night of freezing rain is usually enough to completely clear them. I feel that while the Anco’s perform very well, the Bosch Icon’s seem slightly better in almost every way (maybe its just me).
An annoyance some people find (with all bracketless blades) is that the ends of the blades do not make as good contact as traditional wiper blades do. You may find that the last 2-3 inches of the blade smear a bit on certain lengths of the wiper stroke. For example, on my old Saab, the last 4 inches of the blade wouldn’t make contact on the lower right hand side of my windshield (but would for about 70% of the rest of the stroke), leaving that area either dirty or wet. These areas of no contact are nowhere near my line of sight, and thus, do not bother me, but some people find it very annoying.
In my opinion, there are no better blades than the Bosch Icons and they will always be my blade of choice. Not only do they outperform other bracket less blade designs, they last, for me, about twice as long as the cheap old fashion blades and completely outperform anything I have tried in cold winter weather.
What do you think of these blades? What other kinds are out there?
Update: Here is an interesting development… It was a pretty gusty day today in Maine (Blades are just over 4 months old at this point). As I was driving along the highway at about 60MPH, a gust of wind hit and literally blew apart my Rain-X Latitude Windshield Wiper into pieces. The entire spoiler on one side of the frame flew off, taking with it the clip that holds the rubber wiping blade in place, in turn which caused the rubber wiping blade to slide 1/2 way out of the frame! This was pretty dangerous as it was raining very hard and I was left with only a fraction of my wiper actually clearing my windshield, not to mention this is absolutely ridiculous for a $17 blade! See the picture below. VIP auto parts (where I bought the blade) was kind enough to replace it for me free of charge.. So we’ll see how long this new Rain-X blade lasts. Unfortunately they don’t carry any other bracket-less wipers at that store so I’m stuck with this brand for at least another 6 months or so (if they last that long!)
Update 2!:Ok so my new Rain-X Latitude replacement wiper blade (because the old one exploded a few weeks ago) has started leaving a large 3″ wide smear section directly in the middle section of the blade, right in front of my view through the windshield, for the entire sweep. Yes I have tried cleaning the blade… I am dumbfounded. In my entire history (over the years) with these I am now on my 3rd set of Rain-X blades and the quality has remained consistently horrible…
So you have had your cell phone for a year, maybe more, and you are starting to notice that your battery doesn’t last as long as it used to. Maybe you have to charge it every night or it wont make it through the next day. It can get pretty frustrating and it can be expensive (or impossible) to get the cell phone’s battery replaced at the cell phone retailer.
No doubt you have turned to the internet to search for a replacement. You see some on ebay and other websites for as little as $5.00 + shipping and you wonder, are these any good? Can I really get a battery for that cheap?
Well I have personally purchased several replacement cheap cellphone and laptop batteries from amazon.com over the years, and I have to say that they definitely get the job done, well.
So are these batteries any good? YES! they work great but the quality will never be as good as your brand new factory cell phone battery. I always end up buying one of these cheap aftermarket batteries about 1 year into my cellphone contract. At this point my battery usually lasts 1 day, less If I actually make calls with it (a low tech LG env2 (vx9100) for reference, not a smart phone with wifi). With these cheap sub-$5.00 batteries, they can last close to a week with little calling, however calling does seem to drain them faster than a brand new factory battery would. Do you have to worry about charging it every night if you call a lot? No, not even every 2 days, but you will notice that that battery charge indicator drops faster than you would expect from a real battery.
You have to ask yourself, how much longer am I going to have this phone. How much longer will it last in general If I DO keep it around (without it getting lost or stolen, or damaged in another way). Is it worth spending $20+ dollars at the cell phone store to get a perfect battery there ($40 in the case my my phone!)? Your phone may not have even cost that much to begin with in a lot of cases!
Extended Batteries – These are aftermarket cellphone batteries claiming to have even higher capacity than the originals. Usually they are larger and stick out of the phone more. These are usually a bit more expensive but can definitely be worth it. At a comparable price to your local retailers normal batteries, these extended batteries can have close to double the capacity.
In my opinion, these cheap (Chinese?) cell phone replacement batteries are a godsend. I would gladly pay ~$5.00 for a “good” battery to keep my phone functioning for decent charge periods until my contract runs out, than pay $20+ for something only slightly better from the local retailer… I mean, my phone is already over a year old, I’m surprised it still functions anyways, its not worth pouring $20+ dollars into. Buying an extended battery would definitely feel luxurious though.
Have you had any experiences with these really cheap batteries in cell phones? Or maybe laptops and other devices?
