Dropcam HD Wi-Fi Wireless Video Monitoring Camera

CUSTOMER REVIEW



My review is focus on one aspect so as not to be too long, but still useful. **Please note the updates at the end**



The Dropcam is a very good, very easy to use device. Many of the top rated reviews here do an excellent job of listing the pros and cons. Also, the firmware has been updated since many of the negative reviews were posted, so there have been subtle improvements (not enough) with motion detection, and also the iOS and Android apps are now easy and great.



The best use case of this camera, by far, is indoor remote surveillance of a kids room, a family room, or a workplace.



Here's the real, overpowering negative about the device for me: it uses about 60GB of upload data capacity each month. The camera transmits its HD video feed to the DropCam cloud servers ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. The cloud service is what makes the user experience so easy, and what allows you to view your camera from multiple places, phones, tablets, all with just a userID and password. It's good in that you don't have to learn about firewalls, IP port forwarding and such just to make it work. But, that also means that it sends enormous amounts of video of a room with nothing at all happening in it. If your ISP has a quota or a limit to how much you can send per month, this camera WILL DEFINITELY USE A LARGE PORTION. In Canada and with some US ISPs, the limit is 50GB...i.e. less than this camera sends!



- Lots of ISPs offer a quota of 250GB, so this camera won't put most US customers over their limit. Just know that this will soak up a good portion of your allotment.

- Each additional camera will add to the bandwidth you use.

- Consider that you are also downloading the video feed from your ISP, so if you are in the same place as the camera viewing it, it doubles the bandwidth used. Yep, that's right, your video goes up to the cloud server, then back down to you.

- FYI, the upload rate is about 400-600 Kbps

- The camera does use excellent compression, so the HD video is as compact as it can be in 2012.

- If you have anything less than awesome Internet service, the camera will slow down your uploads of other stuff, like photos, attachments, etc. Upload speed is always much slower than download on consumer Internet service, and that's what this camera uses.



So, take this important point into consideration. It may still be a great product for you, but you need to know the costs. For me, I planned on using this at a lake house with slow Internet, so it doesn't work for me. I'll have to find another use for it.



****Update, September 2012

The camera has just received a software update that lets you switch between SD mode and HD mode. All DropCams that are turned on and connected to the Internet will get the update automatically. The standard definition mode uses half the bandwidth of the HD mode. Overall, there is a big improvement regarding the problem I cited in my original review. The update has other benefits in motion detection, etc.



As for me, the 30GB a month is still too much, so I will continue to use the available software switch to turn the camera on and off, and only enable it when I want to watch.



via Amazon Best Seller V2 copy copy http://www.amazon.com/Dropcam-Wi-Fi-Wireless-Monitoring-Camera/dp/B006P88VSE/ref=pd_zg_rss_ts_p_photo_4

AVANTI 12 BOTTLE WINE COOLER

CUSTOMER REVIEW



After doing ALOT of research on wine coolers in all price ranges, I finally chose this one because of the ability to store opened wines upright. This was one of the few in all price ranges that had this feature and its a GREAT feature, and its eye appealing. I have had the cooler for a week now. I drink mostly white, some red wines, and I buy a variety of wines, mostly from grocery stores and some wine places, so the bottles are always different and different sizes. I have 12 different bottles of wine in there right now and they all fit just fine. Obviously you can't get a supersized bottle of wine in there. As for the sound everyone complains about, it is not bad, I have it in my kitchen and when it runs (it doesn't run all the time) I can hear it, but its not any different than the fridge running. I guess keep that in mind if you want it in your living room. The only downfall is the display light, it looks GREAT when its on, but it has a default shut off after 10 minutes. It would be nice if it could stay on longer than that, and its not something you can adjust. The convexity of the front glass and the digital read is very classy and I absolutely love this unit! I keep mine at 50* for my white wines, and it works great. I put this unit underneath a counter, but you have to make sure you have ample room on each side and above for it to vent. It does put out some heat when it runs. I have 4-5 inches on each side, including in the back. I would not recommend for a tightly enclosed space.



via Amazon Best Seller V2 copy copy http://www.amazon.com/AVANTI-12-BOTTLE-WINE-COOLER/dp/B004SUXZ5U/ref=pd_zg_rss_ts_la_appliances_5

Canon PowerShot A2600 IS 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and 720p Full HD Video Recording (Red)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Takes pretty good pictures for the price. Really slow recording speed tho so it takes a while before you can snap your next pic. It is faster if you don't have the auto red eye reduction feature on.



via Amazon Best Seller V2 copy copy http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-Digital-Optical-Recording/dp/B00AWYMZQG/ref=pd_zg_rss_ts_p_photo_4

Canon PowerShot SX170 IS 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 16x Optical Zoom and 720p HD Video (Black)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Technology marches on. I am an avid amateur photographer with 50+ years of experience with every film and focal plane technology ever created. This camera is my latest "pocket camera" to have with me 24/7, it's for those unique unplanned shots that always pop up when you least expect them and when your DSLR is just not an option to lug around with you all day.



Some have criticized the change from AA sized batteries to a Canon propriety battery pack. Hogwash. Technology is going to move forward and the use of a battery pack simply does not mean this camera is any less useful. When you travel into the great whatever with an older camera you thought ahead and took extra batteries with you. Now you think ahead and make sure your battery is charged and yes if you will be away from an outlet you take as many extra battery packs as you need. I am guilty of not thinking ahead plenty of times with the AA technology with no means of stopping into a store to buy more, this camera is no different.



The feel and user friendliness of this camera is outstanding. The controls are simple, the instructions (PDF on-line only) are clear and easy to follow, and the image quality is great. You are not going to shoot that perfect close-up shot of a running back diving across the goal line with this camera, but for every day snapshots it offers a nice, cost effective solution to carry in your pocket every day.



It's not a DLSR. If you want a full featured high performance camera you'll need to spend a lot more money!



9/30/2013 addition- the more I use thus camera the more I like it. The autofocus feature is very fast, and images shot at max optical zoom are beyond my expectations, far superior to earlier Canon point and shoot products.



via Amazon Best Seller V2 copy copy http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-SX170-Digital-Black/dp/B00EFILR6E/ref=pd_zg_rss_ts_p_photo_5

Fujifilm Instax MINI 25 Instant Film Camera (White)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Initially I had purchased the instax mini 7s from amazon and I really liked it, but the size and weight of the camera had always bothered me. Because this camera, the instax 25, uses 2 cr2 batteries instead of 4 AA batteries like the instax 7s its much smaller and lighter. I'm able to fit this camera in the instax bags you find on ebay with 2 extra packs of film whereas with the 7s i could only fit the camera due to its size.



Also when the 25 is used outside, the flash does not fire which is a definite plus when you dont want washed out photos. This camera also comes with a closeup lens which enables you to take close pictures without having to get too close. This camera also comes with an extra shutter button on the side of the camera in case you want to take pictures horizontally instead of vertically. The camera also comes with a feature that lets you either take lighter or darker photos. You can also control the flash somewhat by choosing whether you want the flash to be strong and highlight the background of the photo or you can switch it to landscape mode where i think it doesnt flash at all(not exactly sure because ive only used this option outside in bright light and the flash doesnt go off).



In order to really enjoy and appreciate these instant cameras you have to take a step back and appreciate them for what they are. Of course you can take a thousand pictures with a digital camera and print out 4x6 photos for 5 cents each, whereas each picture you take with the instax minis cost around 75 cents each, but its the appeal of having a photo seconds after you take it, and with these cameras each picture you take is one of a kind.



via Amazon Best Seller V2 copy copy http://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-MINI-25-Camera-White/dp/B002LLHHQ6/ref=pd_zg_rss_ts_p_photo_4

Apple iPhone 4 or 4s Full Body Decal Vinyl Skin - White Rose Garden By SkinGuardz (Wireless Phone Accessory) newly tagged "iphone"

via iphone: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Apple-iPhone-Full-Decal-Vinyl/dp/B00AEGTDMQ/ref=tag_rsn_rs_edpp_url?ie=UTF8&creative=381421&tag=mathesblog-20

Replacement BOTTOM DOCK Connector Screw Repair Parts Replacement for Apple Iphone 4g 4 g ~ Mobile Phone Repair Parts Replacement (Wireless Phone Accessory) newly tagged "iphone"

via iphone: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-BOTTOM-Connector-Repair-Apple/dp/B005680F3I/ref=tag_rsn_rs_edpp_url?ie=UTF8&creative=381421&tag=mathesblog-20