1TO10REVIEWS

My Review: 10

This might be my favorite knife of all time. It’s funny, while I respect Cold Steel products, I am not a devoted fan of their entire production line. However, this folder has such a solid feel and has stood up so well to hard use that I am blown away.

I bought this knife with my friend Brooke while on a trip to Arizona. What first caught my eye was the big-bellied blade - it looked like a skinning knife. When you open the knife, and the blade clicks into the locked position, you can really feel it lock. And this knife passed the “flick test” immediately. (Meaning that you can hold the handle firmly and “flick” the blade out.) I love that.

There are five small allen screws along the spine of the handle holding the scales in place, and a much larger one to rotate the blade. There is a big elliptical thumb hole to open the blade one handed (if you don’t feel like flicking.) I have used this blade to cut, saw, whittle, pry, throw (I know, I know) and anything else I could think of. It has never failed or folded on me, and it still looks great in spite of consistent abuse.

It holds an edge pretty well; when it was new out of the box you could shave with the sucker. But that initial sharp edge usually wears out fast. I have re-sharpened it a couple of times since I bought it (3 years in August) and the steel really does do a good job of holding an edge.

The other thing I really love about this knife is how solid it feels when the blade is out. With most knives when you try to flex the blade, there will be some minimal movement and flex. This one is like a rock. The spine (back or dull) side of the blade is really thick, and the lock/release mechanism is so tight and well engineered that it holds tighter than any other knife I’ve had. The pro lite uses a strong leaf spring lock that’s rated to hold 100 lbs. Sweet.

The only bad think I have to say is that Cold Steel has stopped making them. I don’t know why, I think it’s one of the best knives they ever produced. If you hunt around on the internet you can still find them from time to time, but it ain’t easy. They were made with three different blades (tanto, clip point, and drop point) that come either serrated or non-serrated (all pictured below.) The knife features an extremely tough Zytel handle and the blade measures 4″. It also features a pocket clip, though it is set up for right side carrying only.

This knife kicks more ass than anything else I’ve had. Solid 10 and a ringing endorsement.

Mine (click to enlarge)

The whole range - all blade styles (click to enlarge)

Clip Point, serrated blade, pocket clip shown (click to enlarge)

My Review: 7

Today I am reviewing a website; they’re called Zamzar (www.zamzar.com) , and they will convert your files from one format to another. (i.e. convert a word document into a PDF, or a .AVI file into a .FLV file.) The name Zamzar is a play on Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis. The allusion being that they morph one file into another. Neat.

The thing I actually like best about Zamzar is how dead simple they are. The main home page has the entire User Interface all in one place, in four easy steps:

1. Browse to your file
2. Choose what format to convert to
3. Enter your email address
4. Click to upload your file and convert

Essentially you will upload your file to Zamzar’s servers, they will convert the file into the designated format, and then they will email you a link to download your converted file. The service is simple and really cool. The turnaround time varies between 20 minues and three to four hours. It seems to depend partly on what type of file conversion you are doing, as well as how much traffic they’re dealing with. Rumor has it that they are adding servers and working to speed up those long delays. The list of file types users can convert from / to is pretty extensive.

A couple of things are lacking here for sure. It would be sweet if they let you convert DRM’d files (like iTunes files) into DRM-free (.MP3) formats. I can understand them wanting to avoid legal entanglements, but it would be cool. Also, I’d like to see an account / upgrade system where you can pay for additional features. Currently you can upload a maximum file size of 100MB, or as many as 5 files at one time that add up to no more than 100MB. They will host your file for 24 hours. I’d like to see an upgrade option that allows for larger file sizes, more files uploaded at one time, and a longer hosting period. I’m told that’s coming in the near future. (~6 months.)

One cool feature is that the service is free. They use an ad model to cover costs and make money. An upgrade option could also allow users to get rid of the ads, though frankly I don’t find it bothersome. It’s still easy to navigate the site and the ads are pretty innocuous.

Another neat feature they added recently is a video file download/converter. Basically, you can plug in the URL for a video (i.e. URL hosted on YouTube), select the format you want the file to end up in (i.e. .AVI, or an video iPod file), enter your email and they will send you a link to download the file. That pretty much kicks ass.

There are a couple of competitors in this space. Media Convert performs a similar function, though I don’t like their UI as much. A new one called Hey!Watch also hit this space recently. A review may be forthcoming, because they sound pretty cool also.

Zamzar is based in London, England and is self and angel funded to date. They are in discussions with several different VC’s for a serious round.

This is a neat website with a useful service. Solid 7 and a hearty round of applause. Yaaayyy.

My Review: 7.5

The Samsung YPK-5 rules. The biggest problem is really the name of the device - no wonder Apple’s iPods are kicking so much ass. YPK-5 vs iPod. Shit.

So, the obvious cool feature is the slide out speaker. It really does sound great. If you are in the kitchen, outside smoking a cigar, or taking a shower in your hotel room, this portable mini-Boombox is awesome. And the device feels solid in your hands. There is no cheap, plasticky vibe. It feels solid, has some mass, and the speaker slides in and out perfectly time and again. The player is available with a 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB capacity.

The interface is really cool. There are little animations as you switch between functions (music, photos, alarm, etc.) and they are neat. It is responsive as well, not a long lag time between sections as you navigate. There is obviously a music section, as well as a photo section, alarm clock, FM radio, and the user settings area.

The interface is intuitive and easy to use. When a song is playing in the music section, if you slide out the speaker it continues playing without a pause or a hitch. The headphones included with the player are bass enhanced and really comfortable.

The FM radio is a neat feature as well. You do need to plug in some headphones - the metal in the plug acts as an antenna. Without it the device will not pick up a radio signal. You can still use the speaker though. As soon as the speaker slides out it takes over regardless of whether there are headphones plugged in. Cool.

Pictures look ok. Not great, but they look ok. It can be a fun diversion while you’ll sitting on the john, but it’s not a fantastic picture viewer.

The alarm is another thing I really like. You can set multiple alarms, and set them for particular days of the week (or to only run once, etc.) You can also designate a song on the device to play as the alarm tone. I wish you could pick multiple songs (or random) but it will only let you select a single song as the “alarm song.” Still, I like the option. And you do not need to open the speaker for the alarm to work. It will still play the song (pretty loud too) or regular alarm tone audibly, even if the speaker is closed.

The battery life also kicks ass. They list the battery use as 6 hours with the speakers open, and 18 hours using the headphones only. I have found those numbers to be very accurate. It’s got a strong little battery.

You have to use the USB cable to charge it; I’d prefer to have a wall charger as well, but I can deal with it. the bundled software (on CD-ROM) is ok, but nothing special. On most machines you can simply dump songs into the pre-set folders (MUSIC, PHOTOS, etc.) using Windows Explorer. I haven’t plugged it into a Mac, but I believe it the same basic story.

I think this is one of the coolest MP3 players on the market. The FM radio is nice, the alarm is rad, and the speaker kicks ass. For ultra-light / slim fanatics, Samsung has another version with the same features and interface sans speaker, which cuts the depth about in half. As is, with the speaker, the device still fits comfortably in your pocket and is easy to carry. And, you can plug it into any computer and add/remove songs, which in my opinion is a huge advantage over Apple’s iPod DRM madness.

Bottom line - this thing kicks ass and you should buy one. Solid 7.5

PS

The 1st link is to the YPK-5 section on the Samsung site. The second link is to J&R Electronics, they sell the YPK for a decent price.

http://samsung.com/Products/MP3Player/MP3Player/YP_K5JZBXAA.asp

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4140388

My Review: 7

So, this is my first Blackberry. My first smart phone as well for that matter. First impressions: this is a sturdy, powerful device. Now I went for utility rather than sex appeal. The Blackjack, the Sidekick 3, the Blackberry Pearl, and numerous other devices offer more fun features (like cameras, music players, expandable memory, etc.) The 8700 is a pretty utilitarian, no frills smart phone. It has a kick ass QWERTY keyboard that makes it super easy to type. It has a large screen making reading emails and even web-browsing totally tolerable. And the UI is straightforward and simple.

My feelings in choosing this device were as follows:

1. I want a phone
2. I want email on said phone
3. I already have a good MP3 player (or 3) - so I don’t need a crappy one
4. I already have a good digital camera - so I don’t need a crappy one

In my experience hybrids rarely perform well. You can buy a mountain bike or a road bike, and find one that works great. Buying a hybrid bike that attempts to do both usually results in poor performance everywhere, instead of excellent performance somewhere. I employed this same logic in choosing this device. Expandable memory matters if you are carrying large files (or lots of files) like music, photos or video. I wanted this device to do two things well: make/receive call and receive/send email. It does both par excellance.

That being said, there are a couple of small drawbacks. I am now a “Blackberry guy.” I mostly hate those guys. And I am putting my foot down on the holster. Not happening.

Also, it is a bulky mother-trucker. It’s not too heavy, but it is wide and pretty thick. In a jacket pocket, this isn’t a big deal. On a warm day, in a pants pocket, it feels a little awkward. The Pearl is a great solution to this issue, but I really like having the full keyboard and the track wheel on the side. It’s a trade-off (size vs. keypad) but I want to be able to send a message easily when I want to.)

But, overall, I am pretty pleased. There is a USB connection to sync it with the desktop software, and you can export contacts and calendar information in MS Outlook format if that’s your thing. I live my life with a little less organization than that, so I am holding off for the time being.

Also, incidentally, I have to say that T-Mobile is a cool company to work with. I know they get a lot of grief regarding the quality and breadth of their coverage areas, but I am lucky enough to live in an area (San Mateo, CA) that is well covered. And they offered to buy out my contract from Verizon and discount the device. As far as customer service is concerned, they have all the other networks I’ve worked with beat.

So, I give the Blackberry 8700 from T-Mobile a 7. Not that much style or sex appeal, but a reliable device with exactly the features I need.

My Review: 8

The spyderco Police model with the SpyderEdge serrated blade is awesome. I have been thinking about buying one for several years; I first heard about them when I read “Hannibal” by Thomas Harris. After learning that it was the preferred blade of fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter, I had to check it out. I am a knife enthusiast, but the $150+ price tag deterred me for a while.

However, I recently got engaged, got drunk, and my present to myself was to finally sack up and buy the knife. Here’s the deal:

• All stainless steel (blade, scales, etc.)
• Large thumb hole for easy one-handed opening
• Pocket clip for easy carry and access
• Good heft and balance - feels solid in your hand
• Indented lock-release - lets you really grip it without accidentally releasing the blade
• 4 1/8″ blade
• 5 5/16″ closed

This is a beautiful knife. It feels good in your hands, and definitely feels solid. It’s pretty heavy for a pocket knife, and has a fairly gigantic blade for a pocket folder. When you open it and feel the blade “snick” into place, it’s pretty damn convincing. The clip has 3 screws holding it in place, which will help it to stay solid. Spyderco traditionally has extremely high quality materials and workmanship (so I’ve read) - this is my first Spyderco knife, and it is everything I have been told it would be.

My friends and I often carry pocket knives, and frequently like to play the “flick out your blade one-handed” game. The spring, right out of the box, is pretty stiff on this one and it is not an easy flick. Although there is a lot of weight in the knife overall, there is not a lot of mass in the blade as compared to the handle. In order to flick this one (without using the thumb hole) you have to hold it pretty low on the handle. I suspect it will break in a little with time and use.

If you are interested in one of these babies, there are links below. Spyderco sells them directly on their site, and there are dozens of e-tailers who also sell this knife. My favorite, Smoky Mountain Knife Works is also listed, and they sell the Police model for well below MSRP.

This knife kicks ass. It gets a solid 8 rating, and I recommend it whole-heartedly.

http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=2

http://smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?Mode=Text&SearchText=spyderco&Search.x=0&Search.y=0&Search=1&SKU=SP07S

My Review: 1

Christopher Paolini published the first volume of his Inheritance Trilogy: “Eragon” when he was 16 years old. He has since completed volume 2 and is said to be in the midst of the third and final volume. I am a devoted fan of the series, and I can’t wait to read the third book. As a fan of the series and of the sci-fi / fantasy genre I was seriously excited to see the movie: Eragon. I was therefore very seriously disappointed at how bad it was.

Jeremy Irons, John Malkovitch, some new kid to play Eragon… this should have been really cool. But it wasn’t. The storyline was jumbled, the costumes were terrible, the acting was execrable, the plot was un-followable, ooohhh, it was bad.

Some of the dragon CGI stuff was pretty cool but overall this movie was pretty hard to watch. And by the way, this is not typical “the book was so good that the movie was bound to suck” kind of complaining. This movie was just bad. I think it was done with too little budget and a terrible screen-writer.

My worst moment in this movie was the big fight scene at the end. All these warriors, humans and dwarves (we’re talking thousands of fighters) have to fend off an encroaching army of evil dudes. As the evil army is about to swarm into the underground cavernous hiding place, the good guys “send in the archers.” The “archers,” for an army of thousands, to fend off a horde of tens of thousands, consists of two guys with crossbows.

Now, I know I’m geeking out a little bit here, exposing my inner nerd and all, but 2 guys? That was all they could muster up for: “send in the archers?” That was my most uncomfortable moment.

The Eragon books are fun, interesting, and extremely rich. The movie stank. It gets 1 out of 10.