[
{
"unique_id": 3501,
"review_text": "Do yourself a favor and buy a different smart home speaker, because this one will stop working within a year, or two, of purchase.
Mine worked normally, until one day it just didn't. Now, depending on the day, it might spontaneously stop taking commands - It will light up when you give the wake command, but Alexa won't respond, or take any command requests. Factory resetting will fix it for a short period of time, but then it will go back to not responding. I have yet to find any other fixes for the issue.
Since my Echo Dot has been subjected to nothing but sitting on a nightstand from the time it arrived, I can only chalk this issue up to planned obsolescence. It isn't as if it goes through any sort of wear and tear.
I can't recommend buying it at this point.",
"asin": "B084J4KNDS",
"parent_asin": "B08F1P3BCC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3502,
"review_text": "Think planned obsolescence. Always back up at some point it will crash.",
"asin": "B00TKFEEBW",
"parent_asin": "B088PZR86K"
},
{
"unique_id": 3503,
"review_text": "I enjoy my Senn HD599's!
Needing a bluetooth headset, I turned to Sennheiser and was not disappointed, at first, with this truly wonderful sounding headset. I never got to fully break them in. Being a bit old school, I still feel that speakers get better with age, at least 120 hours of play.
The ear cushion accidentally came off and could not be put back on. This got me thinking, more below.
So I scheduled a replacement, packaged and returned the \"bad\" Momentum 3's, and awaited the arrival of the replacement. Then I got that game that Amazon blames on the vendors, where your replacement never ships, even though you could purchase one at a higher price right off of Amazon. It's been about a month now, they're not coming.
...and so my thoughts. Do I purchase another pair of Momentum 3's?
With the HD 599's:
--- the ear pads are replaceable - I have leather and velour sets which I change for ambient temperature (comfort), and sound quality
--- Mine have provided great pleasure nightly since Jan 2018
--- other parts are replaceable, no planned obsolescence
With the Momentum 3's:
--- ear pads NOT replaceable, and no other exchangeable parts
--- battery not replaceable, will only cycle so many times, and cannot be used while charging
--- noise cancellation is about average for the industry right now
--- after using for a while you will need a new set
So, as mine were not replaced due to what I perceive as games, the built-in planned obsolescence, and some minor comfort issues (a bit tight on the head), I am seeking another brand. Currently looking at the Shure AONIC 40, Shure being a very trusted brand going back to the 1970's for me.
Sennheiser, you lost a loyal customer going back to 1975...",
"asin": "B08B3MJBW8",
"parent_asin": "B08BNB4KY3"
},
{
"unique_id": 3504,
"review_text": "My Kindle Fire was used gently and primarily to read a few books. It died in less than 6 months. It won\u2019t charge or boot up. Amazon customer service could not fix it. Very poor product! Obsolescence in less than 6 months is absurd!",
"asin": "B077H6L7T9",
"parent_asin": "B07F4P3JH7"
},
{
"unique_id": 3505,
"review_text": "As a basic e-reader the latest Kindle does a great job. I have no complaints for what it was meant to do but there is one thing that bothers me and that is the battery life. After only about a week of using it, it seems half my battery is drained after reading through 300 pages.
Naturally I was thinking that maybe I've gotten a faulty battery. There was no manual or technical details in the Amazon description to see the battery capacity. I then saw some very small wording on the back of the Kindle itself to see "input 5.25v max 500mA". It hit me, I've been using too high of a current to charge my battery and as a result have deteriorated the battery health. The charger that Amazon suggests to use has a 1A output, or 1000mA.
In my opinion, Amazon is pulling some form of planned obsolescence. Not only is 1A the most common output for a usb charger, but it's next to impossible to find one with a "slower" charge. I'm going to end up charging my Kindle from my computer whenever I'm already on it from now on in efforts to keep the longevity of the battery. (Computer usb 2.0 ports output a maximum of 500mA)",
"asin": "B00I15SB16",
"parent_asin": "B00LWHUBPO"
},
{
"unique_id": 3506,
"review_text": "I've owned this rarely used device for only two years and it no longer works. That is a very aggressive planned obsolescence. Definitely makes me think twice about Amazon overall.",
"asin": "B07DPMXZZ7",
"parent_asin": "B07NPK4PY4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3507,
"review_text": "Quiet Comfort headphones have built in obsolescence! Look at Bose support page or google Bose quiet comfort beeping. headphones will randomly start a consistent beeping pattern. It can be reset once or twice and reconnect to bluetooth device to only happen again. This is not due to damage but built into the software. usually happens after warranty expiration and Bose will only offer you $20 off a new pair of headphones at their price (which ironically is higher than the Amazon price). Buy Sonos, Sony or any other product. This is not build quality, but coded into the product to fail and then force repurchase.",
"asin": "B0756CYWWD",
"parent_asin": "B09KQC7Z4S"
},
{
"unique_id": 3508,
"review_text": "Well, if you do not feel like downloading and registering your purchase with Bose's app - you are out of luck. It's amazing that everybody just wants to get your personal information to enable basic features of their product. When these 5,000 5-star reviewers will start rebelling???
Also, unlike QuietComfort 25, the battery is built in. That's right, that fantastic planned product obsolescence in place. No way you can quickly change AA batteries any longer. And you guessed it right - because your headphones are synced with your smartphone they will work just as long as those iphones when a new model is released. I have zero trust in these corporate rent-seekers.
These two features have killed my desire to touch any Bose's products in the future. I understand that QC 25 has a faulty design with the right ear eventually dying - it happened to me to after 5 years of use - but I will just go ahead and buy a replacement. Then there are other products on the market, but this almost $400 unit is a joke!",
"asin": "B0756CYWWD",
"parent_asin": "B09KQC7Z4S"
},
{
"unique_id": 3509,
"review_text": "For most of two years these seemed reliable. Now, over the week of Thanksgiving, with four house guests, they all stopped working. Every one! Tell me that\u2019s not designed obsolescence. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll be purchasing anymore of these!",
"asin": "B01MZEEFNX",
"parent_asin": "B07KTYJ769"
},
{
"unique_id": 3510,
"review_text": "Patrick Spence has ruined the company. I am so shocked he hasn\u2019t been fired yet. I know that\u2019s not news to anyone. The way he\u2019s handles the company is a joke. Things don\u2019t work like they used to. I\u2019ve lost more money in their plummeting stock than I want to think about. He has paced the company on a planned obsolescence of products as so many other companies have surpassed them. Look elsewhere folks, the Sonos future isn\u2019t bright.",
"asin": "B00EWCUK98",
"parent_asin": "B00EWCUK98"
},
{
"unique_id": 3511,
"review_text": "The picture was great for about a year-and-a-half and then the LEDs on the sides of the TV started to fail and these black streaks were appearing. Of course that's after the warranty expired and I read up on it and apparently Vizio and some other manufacturers use cheap LEDs. Basically designed obsolescence. The picture was good until this started happening. I have owned an LG TV for three and a half years and haven't had this problem or really any issue with it. So my next TV will be LG",
"asin": "B01A0LGUOI",
"parent_asin": "B01A6NLBQW"
},
{
"unique_id": 3512,
"review_text": "I travel a lot using rental cars, so having one of these handy when my rental doesn't have bluetooth capabilities is a lifesaver. I bought two back in March 2015, one to stay in my real car, and the other to be my travel version. It's now October 2016 and both have broken in different ways. One had the cord to the jack just completely snap one day -- there wasn't any fraying beforehand, just one day it was whole, and the next day it wasn't. But that's an issue that could have been down to my wear and tear -- maybe I was tugging the jack too hard. The second one just stopped working one day. One hour, it was playing fine. I pulled into a gas station, refueled my car, and then it wasn't working anymore, and never did again.
Most gadgets seem to have earlier and earlier planned obsolescence these days, so I honestly don't know whether this was a long time to have this gadget or a short time. I'll say that during the time I had the Himbox, it was awesome and wonderful and I was so grateful for it in my car.
My only quibble would be the audio for phone calls. I knew in advance it wouldn't be great for that, and that wasn't why I bought it, but I underestimated how often I'd be driving and having incoming phone calls at the same time. Trying to answer using the Himbox was really pointless -- I couldn't hear a thing and neither could the other party (same issue with Siri). But trying to tell my phone to switch away from the Himbox took more attention than I wanted to give while driving. So usually, if I had an incoming phone call I needed to answer, I would just pull out the charger or the jack and then answer my phone, which was moderately inconvenient. But if you don't end up with a lot of must-answer calls while driving, and just want this for the music, it works great.",
"asin": "B00GJFGE0K",
"parent_asin": "B00GJFGE0K"
},
{
"unique_id": 3513,
"review_text": "The unit itself is fine but if you watch The Pluto Channel, you will be treated to back-to-back FIOS commercials that are seriously the most annoying commercials I've ever watched. Apparently the tv brand or Amazon itself has a deal with FIOS but I will never buy this brand again. In addition, this TV constantly has streaming and technical issues so that I can barely watch anything. This cheap company seems to follow the \"planned obsolescence\" policy which is what so many greedy and immoral companies do now and it creates so much e-waste in addition to costing consumers billions of dollars.",
"asin": "B07G9XZ83W",
"parent_asin": "B089B6LTLV"
},
{
"unique_id": 3514,
"review_text": "Planned obsolescence? My HVAC guy said he\u2019s seen 5 of these fail in the last month. Mine worked inconsistently. Now I have an Emerson thermostat and it\u2019s simple. No app. No programming. Just temp up or down and it works. The Alexa is a Honeywell product and this was my 2nd one. First one failed too but they replaced it after a lengthy call with support. Not recommended.",
"asin": "B08J4C8871",
"parent_asin": "B09DFNGW8N"
},
{
"unique_id": 3515,
"review_text": "I was a bit surprised that my new mac doesn't seem to perform much better than my old MAC mini, but the performance meets my needs entirely. I was very happy with my old system but it was nearly ten years old ... obsolescence was on the horizon. If this one lasts ten years, it will probably outlive me.",
"asin": "B07Q1P5SB5",
"parent_asin": "B07Q1P5SB5"
},
{
"unique_id": 3516,
"review_text": "If you've owned Bose before this isn't going to surprise you but the quality on these headphones is probably the worst I've experienced in my life. The sound quality itself is decent, but when you couple it with the materials used they barely function. The cable is thin, made of poor quality material, and designed purposefully to cause strain in normal use guaranteeing the cable will break at some point.
These guys are getting so good at planned obsolescence that the headphones don't even work right out of the box, if you bend the cable or have it scrunched up the audio will either stop completely or go to static. FROM DAY ONE. replacement did the exact same thing, because that's what they're designed to do.
Also the mic is horrible, its incredibly sensitive with no noise filtering so anything anyone heres outside is wind, and god help you if you're on a conference call taking notes with a mechanical keyboard. Just get ready for \"I'm sorry who's typing? Can you stop while I'm talking?\"",
"asin": "B0117RFOEG",
"parent_asin": "B07KSPDR2K"
},
{
"unique_id": 3517,
"review_text": "Over the years I purchased a number of these. Much to like - they look and feel good, hold the tablet securely, and the magnetic on/off works just great.
However, at least for me, they don't last longer than 1.5 years. Then, the inner spline gradually disintegrates and showers nasty bits of fake leather all over. With some electricians tape one can delay the inevitable, but I wish the otherwise still good-looking case would not show this built-in obsolescence.
Purchased a slightly different one (from the same company), but I am missing the easy way to stand up this one.",
"asin": "B012HG9UKA",
"parent_asin": "B07CRW9JFS"
},
{
"unique_id": 3518,
"review_text": "One of my biggest issues with the cell phone/tablet market is that they build in obsolescence after a couple of years. Since I am in no way a technophile, I can't justify spending hundreds of dollars on something that will need to be replaced in a year or two. This Kindle Fire was a great solution for me. Even if it is obsolete in two years, I will just spend another $35 dollars and get a new one. The biggest drawback is the lack of apps available on the Amazon market, but there are enough to keep me satisfied since I only use my tablet occasionally anyway.",
"asin": "B00TSUGXKE",
"parent_asin": "B010BWYDYA"
},
{
"unique_id": 3519,
"review_text": "Until the M305 started to automatically double-click about 18 months after purchase, Logitech's M305 worked just fine. I originally wrote a positive review which I now regret. Granted, Logitech's FAQ notes that dust is likely a culprit in their mice's tendency to start randomly double-clicking, but I had a previous mouse from Logitech, the V320, that suffered the same fate. In my 40 years of computing of which 30 years has consisted of using a mouse, I don't recall any other brand suffering from random double-clicking even after 5 years of use. I certainly hope that Logitech can fix their problems as I will NOT be purchasing another Logitech mouse in the foreseeable future as planned obsolescence seems to rule the day. I fully expect a mouse to perform reliably for at LEAST 5 years of CONSTANT use with little maintenance. Yes, in both cases I used compressed air to try to fix the mice without positive results. Logitech, you've just lost another customer who won't be easily won back.",
"asin": "B002Y6CJJ8",
"parent_asin": "B002Y6CJJ8"
},
{
"unique_id": 3520,
"review_text": "I'll never buy another chromebook again. While the battery life is great and the weight is exceptionally light, the ability to to do anything but get onto the internet is vastly lacking. In addition, after only 5 years I now have a perfectly good laptop, such as it is, that will no longer receive security updates, and the message from Google? \"Go buy another one.\" Talk about planned obsolescence. It's nearly impossible to install another operating system that will continue to be updated. This is exactly what's wrong with out current \"economic\" system - companies produce the cheapest junk they can convince us to buy while making it obsolete as quickly as we'll tolerate, all in the name of grabbing the almighty dollar. No more Google.",
"asin": "B08LBZRVLG",
"parent_asin": "B08LBZRVLG"
},
{
"unique_id": 3521,
"review_text": "Solid Reliable Switches. Miles ahead of the low end units like Netgear, Linksys but only marginally more expensive. Well worth the extra cost for the higher reliability given they dont fail at the 3 -4 year mark leaving you with intermittent network errors. These are enterprise grade at SMB pricing.
I have disassembled a few of the lower grade switches like Lynksys after having problems and removing them from clients. Once the fans fail,which always happens, then intermittent network issues begin from overheating. Its is planned obsolescence. Replacing the fan cures the issue if the switch has not cooked itselft but no one does this. I use them as backup spares in an emergency.
We have recently replaced some HP Switches that were 10/100 and over 10 yrs old with these. I personally have never seen one of the lesser brands last past 5 yrs in a 24x7x365 business environment.
We have installed about 14 of these recently of various port density. The WebGUI is easy to use and the switches are very reliable.
I have used HP support on several occasions and they are top notch. You get to a tech right away. They don't drag you through a long qualification process like some companies to verify you product and sn, they just stand behind there products.
The only Con is I personally dislike the Captcha at logon but this is a minor thing.
Over all I would highly recommend these for Small/Medium Business over other brands. You cannot go wrong with the HP support and lifetime warranty and they release regular firmware updates to keep improving the products.",
"asin": "B00O1ACEL8",
"parent_asin": "B00O1ACEL8"
},
{
"unique_id": 3522,
"review_text": "I have an HP desktop replacement laptop ca. 2011. Love it dearly. After a brief battle with obsolescence the battery passed away ( RIP). I\u2019ve never used anything but genuine HP parts so when I found that they no longer sold replacement batteries I was a tad anxious. I found Ninja bat on Amazon and they got good reviews and they had a model listed as direct replacement. Yeah, right.. Options limited I bought the replacement anyway. It was as advertised and my Laptop is once again humming away. Perfect fit. In addition the price point was half the HP price on a battery they no longer carry. SWEET!!",
"asin": "B013UIGFXO",
"parent_asin": "B09NVZCB8G"
},
{
"unique_id": 3523,
"review_text": "It took a long time for Olympus to shake off moribund adherence to a storage system worthy of the best efforts of any engineering team to thwart any attempts to mimic a system doomed to obsolescence. What? Yeah, the XD is dead: long live the SD! With all the technical excellence Olympus has consistently demonstrated, it defies quantification that they hung on to a totally ridiculous storage medium long after the steadily rising voices of those asking 'Why?' reached the ears of their resolute but unwavering engineering team(s). So, for those who STILL use older Stylus models (incredibly rugged and capable of delivering outstanding images in any conditions) handy gizmos like the eTech XD reader have filled the gap created by a giant whose feet seem, from time to time immovably mired in the old. But that's only if you don't want to use an adapter that allows use of the micro-SD (multiplying the number of contacts and increasing, though minimally, the possibility of contamination-related failure) for about the same cost of the reader. However, to utilize the 'panorama' function of the Stylus, a genuine 'XD' must be used.",
"asin": "B003XD8GJ8",
"parent_asin": "B003XD8GJ8"
},
{
"unique_id": 3524,
"review_text": "I have been using Jabra products for 3 years now. My old 65t had to be replaced due do to them being old and the left earbud not working anymore, not big deal I just accept planned obsolescence at this point. What I do not accept is the fact that 3 months after getting my new elite 75t active I have to deal with the same problem yet again.
For some reason out of nowhere the left earbud keeps having issues were the sound is much lower than you experience on the right side, it started a month after the purchase, a quick look showed me the fix that cleaning the small hole next to the connector plug fixes it. A month after that we are back to the left earbud sound deteriorating.
If you are lucky enough to reach Jabra support and them being useful congrats. Clearly not the experience the majority of users over the internet have experienced.",
"asin": "B082Y214W3",
"parent_asin": "B09V3W5XFY"
},
{
"unique_id": 3525,
"review_text": "I loved this laptop until the planned obsolescence kicked in. It started when the screen cracked after closing it faster than normal one time. That wasn't a major issue. Two months after that, it began to overheat during normal activity, causing it to crash every few minutes. I bought the laptop refurbished, so it was out of the warranty period. To fix the heating issue, they wanted to charge $1200, two hundred dollars more than I bought it for. I'd rather buy a more reliable laptop instead. There are guides on how to apply better thermal pads and paste, but at this point, I dont know if it is even worth it.",
"asin": "B07CTHN94Z",
"parent_asin": "B07HZSSNJ3"
},
{
"unique_id": 3526,
"review_text": "On the face of it the Kindle seemed like a good alternative to my paper subscription to the New York times. At $13 a month the Kindle should pay for itself in less than a year compared to the paper subscription of $50. But for some reason the NY times doesn't provide most of it's photographs with it's Kindle subscription despite the fact that the Kindle technology is quite capable of reproducing them. This renders many articles largely useless. I find myself going to the on-line site of the NY times to make sense of Kindle articles about art, fashion, vintage cars, and the thursday home section. Many other Kindle articles make reference in the text to photos that aren't there. That raises the obvious question: If I have to go on-line to make sense of these articles, why wouldn't I simply read the NY Times on-line? If there existed a simple notebook computer, with the same easy to read e-ink technology screen that Kindle uses, then I would see no reason at all for the Kindle to exist. I believe the Kindle represents a useful transition technology that is doomed to early obsolescence.",
"asin": "B00154JDAI",
"parent_asin": "B00154JDAI"
},
{
"unique_id": 3527,
"review_text": "I made the mistake of buying this keyboard/mouse set because I wanted a cheap keyboard and mouse for when I'm using my laptop at home. My reasoning? It's a keyboard! It's a mouse! It's a piece of commodity hardware that's been mass-manufactured for personal computers for nearly thirty years! I can buy an MP3 player for $30 that will never die, so how hard could it possibly be to manufacture a reliable keyboard and mouse?
Well, apparently it's beyond the abilities of the people at Logitech, because this is not the first time I've had a Logitech keyboard/mouse go belly-up on me. I fired up the computer this morning...mouse working, nothing from the keyboard. Okay, I thought, time for some new batteries. So I put in a new pair of AAA's, and what do I get? llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll*
****
*llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllkkkkk
...and more of the same, none of it (need it be said?) in response to actually touching the l, k or asterisk keys. After wasting half an hour going through their connect sequence and scouring the web for solutions, I've come to the conclusion that this is simply another worthless piece of Logitech garbage. Perhaps Logitech feels that it's a canny business strategy to build this kind of obsolescence into their products, so people like me will be forced to run out and buy another of their craptastic products. Well, you know the saying -- fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. No more Logitech products, EVER.
Stay far away from this dog. You'll be glad you did.",
"asin": "B0009V6TL4",
"parent_asin": "B0009V6TL4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3528,
"review_text": "DO NOT PURCHASE!!! \ud83d\ude21\ud83d\ude21\ud83d\ude21
I've paid for two of these now and both broke just after the return their period passed. Now I feel dumb and cheated rather than just cheated. \ud83d\ude24
Seriously, did they hire a materials scientist to construct a product that had a planned obsolescence of one month and one day???",
"asin": "B07ZPZWYLZ",
"parent_asin": "B07ZPZWYLZ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3529,
"review_text": "I liked this charger while it lasted, about 3.5 years. Performance was good at first. Then it started showing errors, rejecting batteries that were almost new. Then the indicator lights stopped working though it was still charging. Now it is completely non-functional. Planned obsolescence? I would not buy again.",
"asin": "B003V89RYS",
"parent_asin": "B01E08I2TI"
},
{
"unique_id": 3530,
"review_text": "Greatest battery of all time. I own five of them. I'm weird and I actually enjoy how the battery/case turns my phone into an ugly monstrosity. Get this phone and this battery if you don't like the unibody trend - specifically, how cellphones have planned obsolescence built into them by making the battery so difficult to replace.",
"asin": "B01MQFT3SP",
"parent_asin": "B01MQFT3SP"
},
{
"unique_id": 3531,
"review_text": "Pile of garbage, it died just a few months after buying it and conveniently out of return window. The remote kills the batteries within minutes of putting them in. The fire stick will not respond to the fire tv app. It is now a useless paperweight. I've already had two others die within a couple of years, I chalked that up to built in obsolescence like cell phones, but this one lasted less than five months. Maybe Roku is better.",
"asin": "B08C1W5N87",
"parent_asin": "B08WJSHSLC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3532,
"review_text": "This system has several regretable design features. First, the antenna has a unique plug that prevents the supplied antenna from being easily replaced by a better antenna. The supplied antenna is probably OK for urban areas but is likely not sufficient for more remote locations. Second, the speakers use very fine wires and a phone type connector. This makes it very difficult to connect other speakers to the system. Given the very fine wire used in the speaker connection, I find it very doubtful that this system is able to deliver anything like the advertised 360 watts of music power. The third problem is that Sony is now designing obsolescence into their bookshelf systems.
I have purchased two Sony bookshelf systems, this one most recently. My older set lasted a couple of years before the receiver stopped working.
The last few times I attempted to change stations, the system kicked me out of radio mode whenever I attempted to change stations. Now, this replacement set behaved the same way right out of the box. Any attempt to set the radio station results in the system switching to another input mode.
Sony used to make quality electronics. Then their CD readers and writers began having problems with the lazer burning out fairly quickly. After a couple of such failures, I stopped considering Sony as an alternative for computer devices.
Now their bookshelf systems are showing systematic failures in the radio functions of their systems. While I regret seeing the downfall of what used to be a quality company, I am forced to conclude that Sony is now designing its' electronics with built in obsolescence. Unfortunately, this means that the lifetime of the system you purchase may well not even last out the warrantee period and most likely won't last very much longer than the warrantee.
Regretfully, I can only recommend that consumers avoid Sony products until Sony finally get the idea that selling junk isn't a very smart way to run a company. Not all consumers are so stupid that they'll just replace failing equipment with another similar device from the same manufacturer. Or, to quote a cliche, you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.",
"asin": "B003IBB9CG",
"parent_asin": "B003IBB9CG"
},
{
"unique_id": 3533,
"review_text": "My only negative is that the new version makes me get a new case b/c, hey, obsolescence, baby!!! Gotta change the size and tweak where the three buttons are so that the auxilliary pieces have to be re-bought too. Nice marketing ploy. Clap Clap!",
"asin": "B07TMJ1R3X",
"parent_asin": "B07TMJ8S5Z"
},
{
"unique_id": 3534,
"review_text": "My Samsung rs267lbsh refrigerator stopped cooling. I did a lot of quick research, and I was angry, frankly, that a six-year-old fourteen-hundred-dollar refrigerator could flat fail- only the lights showed any obvious sign of life.
I checked both the freezer side and the frig side for sounds of functioning fans, and, yes they were working- quietly, and that's good. There was no sign of ice build up in the defroster mechanisms- that seems like a common problem.
Websites listed common problems, and they indicate that the compressor and main circuit boards are rarely any problem. Compressors, particularly, should last well longer than 6 years. (I did check the continuity of the three compressor terminals- a very simple procedure- and the were within acceptable range.
In my limited experiences with refrigerator failures, but being relatively mechanically inclined, I went looking for solenoid parts. I was very suspicious of "electrical points"- like the old days when cars had points in their distributors that needed regular cleaning and resetting of their "gaps." It seems there are a number of these in modern machines- those that not only cool and freeze but also make ice cubes and deliver cold water.
I ordered this "pcb" despite advisories that indicate rare failure, because I felt I couldn't easily eliminate other culprits until I was sure of the functioning of the "brain." And it has some critical solenoid-type components embedded. And it wasn't expensive relative to a repairman. And it very easy to replace.
Problem solved- for now.
The board should not have failed after only 6 years, but testimonies all over the net indicate that there is no brand of refrigerator that lasts 20 years anymore. They all get terrible marks for durability. Five stars for ease and the quick return of cooling. One star for the obscenity of "built-in-obsolescence."",
"asin": "B00MNKUONS",
"parent_asin": "B00MNKUONS"
},
{
"unique_id": 3535,
"review_text": "DC charging port out of the box is BROKEN, makes a crunching/poor connection noise on first connection (must plug in to be able to boot for first time) then shortly failed entirely and cannot charge, meaning Acer has either ZERO Quality Control from the factory OR Amazon/Acer selling trash refurbs they didn't even look at after the first return, a process MANY big corps have been found guilty of and unfortunately both corps here giving that strong impression, wasting my time trying to find some brand loyalty (my first acer). Or did their planned obsolescence just glitch and kick in super early? Lose lose lose for everybody.",
"asin": "B093TK1PXF",
"parent_asin": "B0CCN9VDB4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3536,
"review_text": "I purchased this from Best Buy for the same price (plus taxes), I was weary about buying an item of this size shipped to my house.
I am not very tech savy when it comes to Home AV. To put it into perspective, the last tv I bought was one of first LCD generations LG 32' (first XD system) for around $2300. Phenominal TV for the times, but it doesn't hold a candle to current tech.
Fast forward, I finally got the itch for a new tv because I was getting the AmazonTV to replace using the horribly slow online content with my Samsung Blueray. I knew this was a Smart TV, and I originally wanted my money to go more towards the picture quality than features....until I saw this TV!
Like the other reviewer, I was on the fence between this, Vizio M501d-A2R which was $200 cheaper, or a 60'' Sharp Aquos for $999 that was a clearance model 2013.
I still had skepticism about Vizio long term, and the Sharp was possibly going to be too big for my single-bedroom apartment, but the biggest factor was screen quality, which the Sony trumps all!
I considered LG and Samsung, but Samsung has left a bad taste in my mouth with the last two products I've owned from them, and their panel picture seems overly saturated, which is nice if that is what you like. LG has a more natural screen like Sony, but the models in the same specs just didn't measure up in picture quality not to mention if I wanted a LG with 4 HDMI, I would have had to spend a few hundred more to get it. The Sony is really that good!
I am still toying with the settings (there is a lot of them) and have no experience with the 3D since I do not have a 3D source, but my understanding is that the components used to make the 3D panel is better quality than the 2D panels which improves the 2D quality as well. The blacks are very black, but accurately differentiate shadows. I cannot comment about the hertz rating with the 120,240, 480Hz stuff, but there is more than enough custom settings there to get the exact performance you are aiming. I believe some sources stated that the 2013 version of the 800 series were a bit of a letdown, and that those same sources state that the 2014 (this model) is significantly better, and dialed to compete with other brand's high models that cost $100s more, and I honestly believe it looking different brands/models side-by-side.
Nearly every aspect of this TV is understated with the exception of the actual panel which pops with very vibrant and natural picture. The bezel is very thin so there is very little distraction. There is a small light that can be configured to your liking that will flash when there is remote activity or turned off. I turned it to low so that it isn't distracting while watching TV, but when it goes to screen saver mode (when my pandora times out after a few hours) I know the TV is still on.
The remote was a bit of a letdown cosmetically. Even my 2003 LG LCD had a much nicer remote, but I plan on investing into one of Logitech's universals to simplify things anyways. However, it is easy to understand and navigate with so in the function department, it's all good. Everything is done on the screen anyways. It has 4 HDMIs which I had a requirement of 3+, but in the end I couldn't get the Audio Return HDMI to function properly sending the audio signal to my AV Receiver so I ended up resorting back to running everything into the receiver and having one HDMI going to the TV. The Good thing is that even with the pass-through, the banner will still recognize the device automatically.
All-in-all, if picture quality trumpts all, and you want a 50\" from a company that is a proven performer in the AV world. The biggest companies in the biz (Samsung, LG, Sony, Sharp, Vizio) all offer great product, and there are small differences between the brands. The only one that measured up spec-wise was the Vizio M501d-A2R which also had a really good picture and a $200 cheaper price tag, but the Sony wins out hands down with a bit better screen quality, less glare, and the peace of mind that it will most likely still be working 12yrs from now in a world of planned obsolescence and product engineering. I feel that Sony is a superior product in that respect and feels a little bit more \"future proof\" as future proof as a tech product can be these days.",
"asin": "B00HPMCN7Y",
"parent_asin": "B00HPMCN7Y"
},
{
"unique_id": 3537,
"review_text": "Over a decade I've owned some six of these portable DVD gizmos, for home use only and daily screenings of mint-condition DVDs and CDs. Planned obsolescence seems to be engineered in; all brands--save Sony--quite predictably fail on schedule in the seventeenth month of the standard eighteen-month warranty period. Panasonic is marginally acceptable but will ultimately break down. Sylvania players were marginally acceptable but current production models balk at playing brand-new DVDs. RCA players are a regrettable joke, shoddily manufactured and barely functional.
Some thought has gone into the engineering of Sony players, although the AC power cord is ridiculously short and may necessitate some furniture jockeying in your viewing area as it did in mine. Sony is committed to delivering, with its big crisp pixels, exactly what is inscribed on the disc, and that means Original Aspect Ratio. If you insist on \"full frame\" presentation (a tragic marketing misnomer if ever there was one), look elsewhere. Sony delivers--if the DVD distributors have been doing their element restoration and print sourcing correctly--precisely what the director and cinematographer intended for us to experience, nothing more nothing less.
The sound quality is adequate and much improved by using headphones (not supplied by Sony), the picture quality superb: bright, sharp, excellent resolution. The touchpad controls are sleek and very responsive if not ideally viewer-friendly. The unit is sturdily constructed (cf. RCA) and fits comfortably in the viewer's lap, short power cord notwithstanding.
The Sony is very fairly priced and represents good value in an offshore manufacture. It is clearly superior to its would-be competitors and will outlast them. If you appreciate Original Aspect Ratio and crisp visual imagery, the Sony player is the most reliable way to get visual authenticity out of your DVD library. Inexplicably a major big-box retailer based in Chicago which used to feature this brand can no longer do so, and I worry that the portable DVD player may become obsolete hardware (along with our cherished DVD software). Fortunately, Amazon and its third-party vendors continue to market the ideal Sony player fairly widely, and we must hope Sony sees fit to keep it in production since it fulfills a real need admirably and affordably.",
"asin": "B007F9XHCM",
"parent_asin": "B007F9XHCM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3538,
"review_text": "This was a replacement for another iPod Touch which exhibited a very short battery life. Not excited about this planned obsolescence.",
"asin": "B00M4L4MQG",
"parent_asin": "B00M4L4MQG"
},
{
"unique_id": 3539,
"review_text": "I was a VERY EARLY adopter of the RATtrap and purchased the firewall directly from the company. Back then, there was no monthly subscription fee and support was 5 star. I still have the email from one of the founders and he was always courteous and helpful. I gave the RATtrap 5 even two years after I bought it. Now, the product has become \"long in the tooth.\" The product cannot handle gigabit and higher internet speeds. I currently get 1.2 GB/s internet speeds without the RATtrap attached and shy of 300 MB/s with the RATtrap attached between the modem and the router. As per a recent conversation by email with the company, there will be NO upgrade to the RATtrap to handle GB speeds. They are pushing their MESH routers. Because my internet is now an all Ubiquiti UniFi system which gives me the capability to setup independent VLANs and a powerful Guest VLAN/WiFi that simply won't work for me. As soon as the replacement for the USG comes out, I will go that route and sadly retire my RATtrap because of obsolescence. That is a pity because this is a company that went from great with no subscription fees to good by selling one near obsolete product.",
"asin": "B06W2N476V",
"parent_asin": "B06W2N476V"
},
{
"unique_id": 3540,
"review_text": "This headset over-all earns itself 3 stars in my opinion.
The first thing I noticed when I first opened the package was that they were enormous. This doesn't affect the weight much as they are made of very lightweight plastics. The plastic seems as though it isn't hyper-prone to breaking however. The metal band in their hopefully helps the overall durability, however that is the only metal in this thing. The rest of it is made of plastic. Next, and this is why I ended up returning them and ultimately lowering the score to 3, is the cord itself. I was amazed at how flimsy this thing was. As soon as I held it in my hand I had a flood flash of scenarios of how this cord will break fill my mind's eye. The cord is very flat, very thin, and made out of a rubber with loads of friction. This is a recipe for a multitude of various accidental mayhem. The cord seems so flimsy that one could argue that there was no other intention other than planned obsolescence (purposefully engineered garbage). I would have kept and happily used this headset but for that one flaw.
I did try them out before I packed them back out as well. The sound quality is nothing to write home about, but it is about what I would expect for the $60-$70 range. Clear sound without to much distortion. Good for talking on Vent, Skype, etc. Music is alright, however if music is more important to you I would definitely recommend a higher cost/quality set. But for most this headset quality would be adequate for general use. The mic itself is of standard quality. It gets the job done without sounding bad, but it doesn't sound particularly good either.
The headset itself is very comfortable to wear and didn't cause me any pain over a period of an hour. I do wear glasses and although the material formed well over my head and the frames. The ear-pad material does make a very annoying vibration sound as it rubs against my glasses' frames when I move my head. This doesn't bother me much, but I know many would be bothered by it.
Over all the sound and mic quality gave this guy 4/5 stars for the price range.
Comfort was a 5/5
Construction (because of the cord) was a 2/5
Hope this helps people out.",
"asin": "B0041OMWNY",
"parent_asin": "B0041OMWNY"
},
{
"unique_id": 3541,
"review_text": "After about 3 years and less than 500 pictures taken my DSC-F717 failed terribly. I never dropped it, it never got wet, always stayed in a dry warm place. No one else handled it. All of a sudden when I was taking pictures it took a long time to get the picture every time and it started having horizontal lines running across the screen without allowing to see anything. Today the camera failed to see an image completely. Some horizontal \"ghost\" and lines that move across the viewer screen and the screen is completely dark, although the charge minutes remaining indicator is appearing and I can view my taken pictures as well, but when I put it on \"take photo\" mode, the screen is black with sometimes lines running through it. How do I describe the problem otherwise? It is like if the camera has lost vision completely. It works, charges, takes pictures, but it can not see, the pictures come out either totally dark without any image or with some violet ghost light and no image whatsoever. When I point the camera to an object, the screen is dark or dark with horizontal running lines or some violet coloured ghost moving across the screen. Of course, I made sure I removed the cap and etc. I also did RESET and changed the battery, but no help. June 2007 UPDATE: it appeared to be a failure with all or most SONY cameras, just like a pre-programmed timed failure. There was a class action against SONY and they set up a recall program and I shipped my camera to them (SONY paid the shipping both ways as a part of the recall program) and they fixed it and sent it back to me. UPDATE: October 2009. My camera keeps on working, so I'm going to raise the rating a bit. UPDATE: August 2011 - camera still works although I rarely use it. Before this one I used to own a camera for 30 years that never broke and I'm sure the thief (ex family member) who stole it from me still uses it.
Today (Year 2020) my camera still works, although I never really explored everything it can do. Certain features never worked well. For example when I am done downloading photos into my PC I am pressing the three tiny buttons one at a time, in a row left to right in order to erase all the photos from the camera to free space for the next shots. So those steps are often hard to achieve since the commands buttons don't really work from the first press. Must be something in the functionality of these cameras. Is this the problem for you also?
Conclusion: typical case of Planned Obsolescence.
PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE.",
"asin": "B00006JU62",
"parent_asin": "B00006JU62"
},
{
"unique_id": 3542,
"review_text": "Sigh. This is a good mouse marred by horrible production choices and a seemingly incompetent, or negligent, Logitech QA department. I'm guessing all the 5 star reviews here are from people who've owned the mouse for a short period of time, so I'll give you my perspective after 1 year of use.
If you don't want to read the rest, I can sum up this mouse by saying: it feels awesome, and can get good battery life with a steady supply of NiMH AA batteries, but the incredibly loud coil whine will drive you nuts. For a $100 mouse, the quality is dreadful.
Long version:
Ergonomically, this mouse is a real pleasure to use. The button placement and the feel is just perfect. I love using this mouse for extended periods of time for precision Photoshop work and even competitive gaming. Maybe not the best choice for pro-level FPS gaming, but if you were at that tier you wouldn't be looking at a wireless mouse to begin with. For pretty much EVERYTHING else, you cannot find a more comfortable and capable mouse.
That being said, you need to know 2 things that every owner of this mouse (yes, every owner) will eventually encounter: short battery life and coil whine.
Regarding battery life, when I first used this mouse, the battery life was HORRID. I'm talking about maybe 1 or 2 days of use (avg 8hr/day). It was a pain in the ass to keep plugging in this mouse to the USB charging cord. I wouldn't mind charging the mouse as required, but using the mouse half of the time using the USB wire defeats the point of having a wireless mouse, no? To solve this issue, I just ordered a pack of Amazon Basics rechargeable NiMH batteries and a charger. The good thing about this mouse's battery is that it uses a standard AA format, so what I do is if the battery gets down low, I just pop out the old battery and plug in a freshly charged one I keep stored in my desk. Great thing about NiMH batteries is they will retain 99% of their charge even if they are sitting in your desk for a few months. To solve the actual fact that this mouse is a life-sucking battery demon, I reluctantly used the bundled Logitech Software to lower the mouse DPI Settings to more reasonable levels. Now I'm happy to say I get about 4-7 days out of a single battery (avg 8hr/day), which is just fine with me. Just keep cycling the batteries with some new ones and you'll never have to plug in the mouse.
Now, the only other real issue with this mouse is the coil whine. Unfortunately this is something I, and many others online, cannot fix. Do a search around and you'll see after a few months of regular use, nearly ALL of these mice will develop a horrible coil whine. Search \"Logitech Performance MX Coil Whine\" into Google to find the countless threads of users reporting it. Even on these Amazon reviews you'll find people mentioning it. I'm sad to say that my mouse has also succumbed to coil whine. It's an INCREDIBLY annoying high pitched noise that resonates from the mouse every single time you move it. I've opened the mouse up and packed it full of dense foam to drown out the noise, which worked for a short while. Then the noise came back even WORSE than before. Basically it's an issue that gets worse over time regardless of what you do. You cannot fix it and if you replace your mouse, it will happen again after 6 months. How do I know this? Because my office ordered 7 of these mice and all 7 developed coil whine. 3 of them were so loud that we actually replaced them through Logitech. Yeah, those 3 developed coil whine again.
This is a production flaw and a QA flaw on behalf of Logitech that is, quite frankly, shameful for nearly a $100 mouse.
At some point Logitech was considered a decent brand, but it seems in an attempt to cut costs or introduce planned obsolescence into their products, the quality of their mice are horrendous. We use to order 300+ Logitech mice/keyboard kits for our office ever 2 years when we upgraded systems. Not anymore.",
"asin": "B002HWRJBM",
"parent_asin": "B002HWRJBM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3543,
"review_text": "For reasons I don't understand, It's a pity the manufacturer can only supports Windows 8 and doesn't provide driver support Windows 10. There are 100s of 1,000s, perhaps millions of laptop and desktop computers, including my quite expensive and nice HP-DV8T that have been upgraded from Windows 7 and 8 to Windows 10. 10 is a FAR better operating system than 8. I'm not buying a new computer, nor am I going back to Win 8 (ugh!!).
My research reveals that this device could be supported with the Win 10 specific device drivers so that desk/laptops that don't make the Miracast Licensing cut off date can't be allowed to run Miracast.
Back in the days of tail finned automobiles there was much adieu about "planned obsolescence". Apparently the tail fin marketing mentality lives on (sigh).
And yes, I did read that only Win 8, the worst MS OS since millennium, was supported, with the not mentioned out loud inference Windows 10 was not supported on a bit older, but still quite good systems running Windows 10.",
"asin": "B06XBLB261",
"parent_asin": "B06XBLB261"
},
{
"unique_id": 3544,
"review_text": "First off, it seems like Bi-amp wiring is only a feature of the RX-V575. I'm still happy with this purchase, never bi-amped before and don't really necessitate it for my needs, setup, or taste as of yet. Say whatever you may about digital vs. analog, but for me, this receiver is replacing a 16-year old JVC bookshelf system that I rigged to run just music through. So basically it's like sight to a blind man, a bottle of vodka to a wino, a breath of fresh air in how I enjoy my audio visual experience and it is far overdue, and really exciting.
I really needed to step up into the big-boy world of AV receivers and I haven\u2019t looked back. I really want to get myself the other 3 speakers and run surround to take full advantage of the RX-V475\u2019s 5 luscious and lifelike channels. This piece of kit brought new life to my Polk Monitor 40s. It\u2019s like making the transition from a rusted-out, baby poo brown Dae-woo Lanos to a Civic Si or a nice Jetta. No, it\u2019s not a multi-thousand dollar AV receiver, and I\u2019m not some kind of Rockefeller.
First things first, noise\u2026 what noise? This shiz runs quiet as a lamb. Wearing moccasins. Through a meadow. Covered in snow.
The power cord is permanently affixed. Not a huge minus, but a quick replacement at the most common point of failure would add some value to the product.
So many inputs, I would run out of money buying components before I run out of input space. The 4K pass-through will hopefully keep this machine away from obsolescence\u2026 but then again, my JVC still has a tape deck.
DSP (digital signal processing) is great, it adds some fidelity to low-quality MP3 rips. Doesn\u2019t fully return the integrity to the track but it\u2019s still like day and night listening to unprocessed MP3s and back to the DSP tracks.
Haven\u2019t had a chance to use the YPAO feature yet, but I\u2019m looking forward to it.
As a strange observation, these are going at Best Buy for $400+tax. I paid $349.95 AND THEN it went to $320 within 3 days. Full price guarantee refund, cash back in the pocket.
I hate the interface for the USB/iPod playback. Sucks. At least you can use the phone to select and control the music... the USB storage drive, not so much. Only works with FAT16/FAT32 hard drives, by the way... so this is a good chance to rig up your library on a cheapo external and leave it hooked up.
I might get around to setting up the network/internet radio and Airplay features. I can't tell whether or not the computer you would like to play Airplay from will need a hardwired connection or if it will work over WiFi. It's a shade gimmicky, sure to be obsolete in a few years time.
Great flexibility for volume trim on input devices. So, say you don't like the loudness difference between two different sources. You can program it to pad or boost a targeted signal and worry no more.
So in three words, I would describe this as feature-oriented, flexible, and well-designed.",
"asin": "B00B981F2O",
"parent_asin": "B00B981F2O"
},
{
"unique_id": 3545,
"review_text": "I am now on my 4th drive. I bought the ASUS because yes, the older firmware allowed the reading of 4k media. Having a large collection and realizing that they are even more delicate than Blu Ray media due to data density, I wanted to backup my legitimately purchased retail 4k movies after several have become unreadable due to the slightest hairline scratches. Well, ASUS is making that increasingly difficult in each firmware revision. But I digress. The real reason for this review is that I am now on my 4th version of this drive. I seem to be able to backup about 40-50 4k discs before the drive just suddenly starts reporting numerous read errors. Then just as suddenly the drive no longer responds, Windows hangs, then the drive just vanishes. Unplugging the drive and plugging it back in has no effect. I thought I got a bad batch initially but after three consecutive failures, I am convinced that there is a bit of planned obsolescence going on here. I know I am asking a lot and the drive is probably not rated for continuous service, but I only backup a couple of my discs a day since a 4k disc takes so long. IMO a drive should be able to run for several hours at a time and last more than 4-6 months. Buy it because you have to I guess, but this will be my last ASUS. There is an LG that is also highly rated for this type of usage. I highly suggest you opt for that drive. I know I will from here on out.",
"asin": "B00DWFPDJI",
"parent_asin": "B00DWFPDJI"
},
{
"unique_id": 3546,
"review_text": "I bought this product to allow me to play some reasonably more demanding games on my Gen 5 Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Yoga, which has good RAM and processor (I think) but virtually nothing in the way of a video card. Even though Lenovo specifically states that this product is not supported with other devices besides the one it's optimized for, I've found it to work very reliably on my X1 Yoga. Initial setup took some work (there are good YouTube videos explaining how to do it, and Lenovo's page for the product has fairly clear instructions) but since installing the proper drivers, I've found this dock to be pretty much plug-and-play. It's lightweight and slim (the charging adapter is almost as big as the dock itself) and the dock and included cables feel pretty high quality. You can hear the fan when working the video card, but it's not unexpectedly loud and certainly not egregiously so. It may be worth investing in a cooling pad if you're worried about heat, though, as the dock can get pretty warm in my experience. I'm glad I chose this dock as opposed to one of the bulkier options, especially since the graphics card is included, whereas in the other rigs you usually have to buy the card separately. This has the drawback of making the dock prone to obsolescence, however, as you can't upgrade the card as technology improves and renders it less and less up to the task of running the latest games. All in all, I would recommend this dock to anyone who wants to use it for the same stuff I use it for--namely mid-level gaming with games like Total War, Mount & Blade, etc.--provided they've done the research and are sure this dock will work with their setup (there's no guarantees unless you can find someone who's gotten it to work with the exact same computer as yours, so if you buy this, make sure you can return it just in case). Then again, don't sleep on the option of just getting a gaming PC or laptop. Buying a $2,000 laptop plus $500 graphics dock made sense for my financial situation because of reasons, but most people aren't going to be in that position, which I suppose is why the eGPU market is so dry. Still, if you're doing research to try to find the right eGPU for you, hopefully this review can be helpful in narrowing down your search.",
"asin": "B079JFW3YT",
"parent_asin": "B079JFW3YT"
},
{
"unique_id": 3547,
"review_text": "This keyboard cover is still durable, protective and reliable after almost 3 years so far! Fits the keyboard perfectly on my 3 plus year old MacBook Pro and never slides around or comes off the keypads. Keyboards on laptops are vulnerable areas for dirt, dust and debris. This is a perfect way to protect your Mac investment. I read that Apple does not recommend these covers on their Macs but I believe this is sadly self serving information to go along with Apple's planned obsolescence philosophy. I did try to take it off and clean it but somehow lost it in the process - I guess it is hidden somewhere in my house : so buying another.",
"asin": "B00AQFFSAG",
"parent_asin": "B017NL2HG8"
},
{
"unique_id": 3548,
"review_text": "I never write reviews, but this is just absurd. After using and mostly loving this tablet with my two kids for a year, it has become borderline unusable due to a faulty/malicious system problem - simply stated, every time your child downloads an app, even if they delete another, the system KEEPS the files from the \u2018deleted\u2019 apps in the Miscellaneous -> Others file. This file, unlike EVERY OTHER FILE in the Storage menu, is completely inaccessible. You are not able to clear space after a certain point. This is not made clear when purchasing the tablet and is a serious functioning issue since they expect us to pay an ongoing membership on top of the initial cost of the tablet, yet, it\u2019s rendered useless if you use it as directed normally for a year or less. Absurd.
I worked with an Amazon rep for over an hour who tried and tried to help, but eventually ran into the fact that it was impossible to access this Others file, or delete anything in it, and admitted that the tablet becomes severely limited then unusable after a certain point due to this error. So for now, my kids can play with the ONE app they can fit on their profile, and only that app. After a while we will have to delete our subscription and scrap the tablet, which is a real shame because there\u2019s not a lot of good competitors out there. Nice job, Amazon. Way to rope our kids into the consumer disappointment of planned obsolescence just like us grownups with our iPhones that get buggy after a year or clothes that fall apart after 3 washes.",
"asin": "B08F62DV1Z",
"parent_asin": "B08YXY5XMD"
},
{
"unique_id": 3549,
"review_text": "I honestly wanted to just get a dedicated digital audio player so I wouldn't have to always use my phone's battery to listen to music. But I now see why this technology became irrelevant after 2010. The audio player is made just fine. Good screen, nice build quality. easy to see buttons for volume control and powering off. But everything else is just 15 years of obsolescence. First off, it comes with a Micro-USB cable, which is about 5 times slower than the Android's Type C charging cable, and the iPhone Lightning cable. I could sync 5 complete albums onto my smartphone in the same amount of time for this thing to sync just ONE. On top of that, some of the music that got transferred has a couple of hitches and bugs which result in stutters at certain times during the song that do not go away. Imperfect transfers right off the bat are not a good indicator. I literally just listened to it for about 5 minutes and then thought to myself, \"Do I really want to go through something this laborious? All just to have to carry a separate device to listen to music, Which my smartphone can already do?\" The answer became crystal clear.
Buyer's Remorse all around. Also the menus and navigation is just so outdated and bad. I almost wanted to take a pair of scissors and jam it into my eye than go through all those antiquated menus. The touch sensors on the device are really inconsistent and more trouble than they're worse. I used to hate smartphones because of how temperamental their touch screens can be. This was way worse. It was to the point where I could barely get from one artist to another without wanting to chuck the thing at the wall. I literally just put it back in its case and put it in a drawer. Could have been better.",
"asin": "B08CXCQR9K",
"parent_asin": "B093S4ZDKM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3550,
"review_text": "Purchased from One Deal outlet, it so I just found out. After having this keyboard and loving it for just over a year with really pretty minimal use, I unplugged it and plugged it back in a few times today. Now the USB will not work, I know because the keys light up a little when I juggle the connection on several different computers. For the $70+ I paid for this, there is NO REASON this should be dead already. Very angry. Will buy one more time with the 4yr insurance, and it gets the second star because I really do like it when it works, but man that's a lot for what's really not a super high-tech kb. Very frustrated with planned obsolescence in general this week.",
"asin": "B001F51G16",
"parent_asin": "B08SM7QW5K"
},
{
"unique_id": 3551,
"review_text": "As an owner of four previous pairs of featured earphones, potential buyers can certainly read my following unbiased review with confidence.
Pros:
--design has an ultra-modern, sophisticated minimalist aesthetic perfect for the mature, serious individual. Quality feels high, i.e wiring, metal accents on earbud, semi-gloss black parts used, rubber earbud cushion. Excellent value particularly for the amazing price offered on Amazon.
--Excellent nosie-cancelling properties. Whether at the gym, the metro, airport, or at a crowded cafe with loud patrons, I have to say that this product really does a remarkable job tuning out environmental noise.
--Sound quality is excellent: indeed, it is oriented more towards the treble side; however, make no mistake that the bass is more audible, palpable, and crisp compared to the competitors out there. I listen exclusively to bass-heavy, techno music with pleasure.
--Generous, swift, and easy warranty. JLAB makes the product replacement process a breeze.
CON
--as much as I love these, there is absolutely NO DOUBT in my mind that this product is created according to the PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE philosophy. In other words, I can vouch that this product is not meant to last beyond a reasonable time period which is closer to six months and rarely a year. Each of my four pairs have broken down exactly within that time frame (i.e., sound suddenly blows out in both ears or one ear; choppy, static interference perhaps due to wire deterioration). Considering that I'm not a heavy user--the gym, some metro travel, and the occasional flight overseas--I'm suspicious of these breakdowns that seem to be well-coordinated with the introduction of newer product iterations.
Would I recommend this product for purchase? Of course! That being said, after my fourth pair, my last broken only two days ago, I'll be buying a replacement from elsewhere.",
"asin": "B002RWJDB6",
"parent_asin": "B00WUCHEH8"
},
{
"unique_id": 3552,
"review_text": "Subject really says it all. I followed every instruction, checked every troubleshooting step. It connected once, but no matter what I did it wouldn't reconnect.
I got this intending to use it as a baby monitor because every video baby monitor I've tried appears to be made to fall apart after a year or two of use (planned obsolescence so you have to buy another for the next baby I'm sure) so I thought maybe I'd try a security camera.
I'm still going to try a security camera, but I figure if I, as a software developer with over a decade of experience troubleshooting malfunctioning software, am having trouble with it, how am I going to be able to set it up for a babysitter or even so my wife can use it when I'm not home? Just not worth it.",
"asin": "B0145OQTPG",
"parent_asin": "B07GXDLJP9"
},
{
"unique_id": 3553,
"review_text": "Liked the older version w/ the QWERTY keyboard better. Still, it seems to work pretty well. This was purchased for my wife on the occasion of her old Kindle up & dying on her. She tried Amazon tech support / customer service first to see if it was salvageable. She said the rep was surprised the Kindle was so old; that, "They really weren't designed to last that long." So ... built in obsolescence? That's disappointing. It will certainly inform my choices when it comes time to replace mine (just as old as her's but still chugging along).",
"asin": "B00I15SB16",
"parent_asin": "B00LWHUBPO"
},
{
"unique_id": 3554,
"review_text": "No news is good news: after a month of use I found very little wrong with this keyboard for the iPad. My fingers fit it just fine, it has a nice feel, the keys don't touch the screen when shut, bluetooth \"just works\", etc. I used it constantly during a conference to take notes and it was a lot easier than lugging around a laptop.
I carried the iPad in my backpack and never found the keyboard to have slipped off. There's nothing holding the keyboard fully in place and closed against the iPad (just as, with a book, there's nothing keeping the book from opening), but there's normally no reason the two should become detached. The iPad itself can be used in landscape or portrait mode, a definite plus. About the only annoyance is \"what do I do with this thing when I don't want to use it?\" - in my perfect world the keyboard could store itself by attaching to the *back* of the iPad (and turn itself off when in this position) when I want to use just the iPad itself, but I guess we need to leave the engineers something to do for next year.
I noticed a number of reviews dinging this keyboard for not being a strong protective cover. Correct: if you are tossing your iPad around, go buy a protective cover, and Apple thanks you for your planned obsolescence program. If you don't normally let stuff hit your iPad, this keyboard is fine, and should be considerably more protective of the glass than the default Apple cover.",
"asin": "B007PRHNHO",
"parent_asin": "B01DKA81PW"
},
{
"unique_id": 3555,
"review_text": "The screen quality and battery life were okay on this VastKing Kingpad SA8 10\" tablet, but it really wasn't great for much more than reading. Several of my android-based games would not run on it and now it won't even turn on. I know companies make electronics with planned obsolescence built in, but a year is downright ridiculous! Overall, it is not worth the money spent on it.",
"asin": "B08R6X7C6Y",
"parent_asin": "B08R6X7C6Y"
},
{
"unique_id": 3556,
"review_text": "I really loved this mouse for the first few months. I purchased this on April 25, 2014 and by July 7, 2014 my computer is saying that it is not recognizing the USB. I have used the USB outlet with my multioutlet and it works just fine. Planned obsolescence at its best. Another product in seemingly great shape that is now going to the dumb.",
"asin": "B003NSBLP4",
"parent_asin": "B09BQVHBMD"
},
{
"unique_id": 3557,
"review_text": "I love this bluetooth! It works fantastic and since it is a bright pink color, I haven't managed to lose it yet! :)
UPDATE - Oct 2014: Bluetooth all of a sudden stopped working for no apparent reason. I checked the paperwork and come to find out that it comes with a 1 year warranty from the date of purchase. Funnily enough, mine stopped working exactly 1 week after the warranty had expired. Planned Obsolescence at its best. Don't buy this bluetooth unless you like replacing it every year.",
"asin": "B009CRH0L4",
"parent_asin": "B009CRH0L4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3558,
"review_text": "Well I tried! I thought I would buy an expensive cable modem to try to \"future proof\" myself against rapid obsolescence. At nearly $300 it was a big investment. It lasted 90 days and died! When I contacted Netgear it was relatively easy to diagnose the problem and then they sent me an email to confirm the return. I was not sure why that was needed until I got the email. The question was how much did I want to pay to return the garbage that lasted 90 days! $30 for next day (actually 2 days) or $16 for some slower method. Or free...which meant I had to pay to return the garbage and once they got the garbage they would sent out a new one. The shipping cost me $9.00 send it USPS Priority Mail (2 days). I must admit the replacement arrived in several days. To my shock, I received a refurbished unit! That means someone else's garbage that did not work. If I wanted refurbished I could have bought one for $100 less! Beware of this garbage! I should have read the reviews first - hopefully I will save you this nightmare.",
"asin": "B08GWNZ9VF",
"parent_asin": "B0C682GZ5X"
},
{
"unique_id": 3559,
"review_text": "I purchased this camera in December of 2005. I started using it in Janary of 2006. It started looking very strange (the camera image on the live video) by April of 2006 looked very poor.
Details: The image quality was fading, but it did not reach a level where the image had degraded. I compensated for the \"fading\" image by adding additional light. In other words, it was hard to see me as clearly. Always looked like a dim room.
It is now August of 2006. The color looks like a 1971 rock video. The image is purple, blue, green with many hotspots. The best example is to picture a photo negative (for those of you that remember film). I have upgraded firmware, drivers, programs. This did not help. I plugged, unplugged, use less USB, more USB etc.
I have configured by bypassing the white balance, image correction, gamma etc. I used to work as a videographer, so this was not something daunting and if there were adjustments that could be made , this would have fixed it.
My rating of 1 is that the camera worked fine for almost exactly three months (give a week). I did not describe June or July. I can only say that the colors went beserk (multi colors--eyes and shadows from light were \"hot spots\", sparkles appeared on different points of the live video.
The warranty from Creative is only for 3 months. This, for me, is mighty suspect. The camera is pristine, left in one spot since installation. I would recommend when buying these webcams, to look at ratings, durability, google, and decide between that balance of buying low cost (due to potential obsolescence) or paying more but still potentially owning the same problem. This was an average priced camera that should have lasted years. My previous Intel camera lasted over 6 years and would still be going but the drivers are unsupported by the company.
I would not recommend this camera (unless) Creative creates a 1 year warranty. (Ah yes my other criteria) Buy a camera but make sure it has a fair one year warranty. A three month warranty is hardly worth the price of admission.
Thanks,
Ralph",
"asin": "B00006I9T6",
"parent_asin": "B00006I9T6"
},
{
"unique_id": 3560,
"review_text": "When Apple switched over to a different type of connector, my older but superb Bose Sound Dock speaker became suddenly obsolete. This wonderful device saved me from obsolescence. Just plug it in and Bluetooth is born and my Bose Sound Dock is born again.",
"asin": "B00GHUHMUS",
"parent_asin": "B00GHUHMUS"
},
{
"unique_id": 3561,
"review_text": "Bricked after an update 1.5years later. I hate the planned obsolescence.",
"asin": "B00DXFDIAS",
"parent_asin": "B00F4WM1H4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3562,
"review_text": "Bought this item so as to stay in the loop... Not sure of improvements. Perhaps the marketing department becomes too hungry. For some this burden of planned obsolescence is too much.",
"asin": "B06XD5YCKX",
"parent_asin": "B06XD5YCKX"
},
{
"unique_id": 3563,
"review_text": "Bought one of these a couple of years ago. It worked well with Intel WiDi on my old Dell laptop, using Windows 7. I upgraded to a new Dell laptop with Windows 10, and now it won\u2019t work. It only runs with Intel WiDi, which has been discontinued by Intel, and I haven\u2019t been able to find a source to download it to my new laptop. Supposedly, the new Windows 10 laptop has Miracast to perform the function that WiDi did, but the Netgear device only recognizes WiDi. Another example of planned obsolescence.",
"asin": "B004SBEVSY",
"parent_asin": "B004SBEVSY"
},
{
"unique_id": 3564,
"review_text": "THE ABSOLUTE WORST!I've had this piece of crap for two years and it is HORRIBLE! Do not purchase one or caveat emptor! First the on/off button for the radio quit working and now you can't set the time! Totally planned obsolescence on the part of a Chinese/Amazon (synonymous) company.",
"asin": "B0016CWV3U",
"parent_asin": "B00J2METJU"
},
{
"unique_id": 3565,
"review_text": "I got this item, and it's not even the same one shown in the image. The piping is black, not chrome, and the keyboard tray is super small for any keyboard, and the arm for the chair pretty flimsy, and too small to use mounting equipment with my chair, an Aeron.
First I was going to send it back, but being a pain in doing so, I decided to try it anyways. About a year or so later, I'm glad I kept it, as it's worked wonderfully for me for most things, but would love to see a better quality version of this that wasn't built in a half-baked chinese factory.
The build quality is a bit suspect, particularly the keyboard pivot point, which was really rough to use. I took it apart and found really bad flash, ie sharp metal left that made the ball not perfectly round, and rather was gouging the plastic tray that it mounted to. Some 80 grit sandpaper to the metal to remove the bad cast flash fixed this, and now works great.
I had to drill holes and ziptie the arm to my chair, which wasn't that bad, but requires to have zip ties, a drill, and be comfortable modding things.
The worst part I fight with is the clamp assembly that mounts to the chair base itself. This is a really chintzy plastic bushing that the metal arm clamps around, and I find this tends to come loose over time. First time it fell apart on me, I added some lock washers to it, which helped. Probably nylon lock nuts are necessary, but the worst problem is the plastic bushing is breaking/wearing down over time.
My chair came apart again at the base just last week, and found the plastic now had cracked in some ways, and is only a matter of time before it disintegrates fully. Thanks for the planned obsolescence china. I'm debating taking some downtime on a weekend to pull what is left of the plastic bushing to measure and see if I can get something like a Delrin bushing made (machined) to fit this.
Any better quality solid bushing at the base mount would make this thing perfect honestly, but his plastic bushing and shoddy metal parts are it's biggest problems.",
"asin": "B06Y5JMHTZ",
"parent_asin": "B06Y5JMHTZ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3566,
"review_text": "Thumbs up to SanDisk for its reliable drives. Thumbs down to Apple for making this necessary by eliminating the USB port in its newest laptops. This is one more reason Apple is far from customer friendly. I have three functioning MacBooks from within the past decade and each one has a different configuration for the charging cable and ports. C\u2019mon Apple, stop the degree of planned obsolescence in your design!!!",
"asin": "B01EZ0X55C",
"parent_asin": "B0BS9VBHP7"
},
{
"unique_id": 3567,
"review_text": "First off, though this was not factored into my rating, it is nearly impossible to repair the 9.7\u201d iPad Pro, especially if your trying to replace a cracked screen after a fall. The old screen is adhered to the base, making taking it off like peeling an orange, even with heating. Then, if the aluminum frame was bent inward at all, you\u2019re probably going to break this new screen, trying to wedge it into place.
All that being said, the only issue with this replacement screen is that it is a bit hazy, making blacks not all that black, even in pitch dark. Have to get just the right angle to see clearly during night scenes in videos. But it gets the job done. Now I can use the iPad until Apple decides to throttle it into obsolescence. ;)",
"asin": "B07JJV6RHX",
"parent_asin": "B07JJY4N33"
},
{
"unique_id": 3568,
"review_text": "If you believe, as I do, that most devices manufactured today have a limited life and a planned obsolescence, you may want that extra level of security brought by an extended warranty. But, it requires some contemplation. Square Trade prices aggressively to help tip the balance in their favor during your purchase, when you're least likely to do that contemplating (you've spent an hour agonizing over your choice of widget and want to get some dinner!). But once the irrational exuberance has subsided, and you begin to read through your new protection plan, it's then that you find yourself scratching your head as you try to make sense of that pesky overlapping year of coverage you've just bought. Hmmm, you think... "Why do I need a year of "extended" coverage during the year the manufacturer will gladly repair or replace my device?" Good question. And one worth contemplating BEFORE you buy. Not all manufacturers warranties are for 1-year like mine, and you decisions should be based on your situation. I believe that the price I paid is still fair for the (actual) one year of coverage I will get.",
"asin": "B008I649KA",
"parent_asin": "B008I649KA"
},
{
"unique_id": 3569,
"review_text": "I got this to replace the older model of the same mouse I'm using for CAD at work. We were trouble shooting mouse issues and figured this was cheaper than replacing the graphics card. I really like the ergonomics of the tilt base. The software is \"ok\". I run the speed up at max and it's still not as fast as I would like, probably not fast enough for gaming. We still have mouse stutter issues on that pc though so we suspect graphics card issues since we have two identical PC's with the same drivers and my pc has issues while my coworker doesnt. This mouse performs better in his pc too. The quality of this feels much better than the previous model. My only real complaint is the scroll wheel clicky switch is harder to push than most modern mice, even from logitech who makes this. So they definately could improve that. For the record we are using this with AutoCad 2019. I have the previous model at home still and a spare.
I do wish this was a user replaceable battery too. Rechargeable electronics are essentially examples of programmed obsolescence.
That being said, it's a track ball and the most comfortable one I've ever used and it's used about 8.5-9hrs a day.",
"asin": "B0753P1GTS",
"parent_asin": "B0753P1GTS"
},
{
"unique_id": 3570,
"review_text": "Google updates to this device ended less than 3 years after the purchase. I am now unable to use important features of this device. This is planned obsolescence at its worst. Buyer beware.",
"asin": "B00T03KQ34",
"parent_asin": "B00T03KQ34"
},
{
"unique_id": 3571,
"review_text": "I liked the Tile quite well for a year. I used it to find my keys when I misplaced them, and it worked great. But when the battery wore out I would have had to buy a new tile for about $12, instead of just replacing the battery. That feels like a scam to me. Planned obsolescence. I no longer use the Tile.",
"asin": "B01L3VEC08",
"parent_asin": "B01L3VEC08"
},
{
"unique_id": 3572,
"review_text": "It broke six months in, with some very careful handling. First the pivot on the mic broke and then the mic actually came off... I expected at least a year or two out of them. Can you say Planned Obsolescence? I can.",
"asin": "B00906E03I",
"parent_asin": "B00906E03I"
},
{
"unique_id": 3573,
"review_text": "It works find with windows 10. But it still has some quirks. !> It will only operate Kingston ssd's. Though it did recognize WD black 2.5\" HDD. But would not load my LMDE4 OS. Instead it loaded the default OS. So I had to purchase a 240 Gb Kingston ssd. Before I could get LMDE4 to load.
2> Notification alerted me to the fact that the video, and audio drivers did not load. When I checked Display. I was told that the display was set to Laptop as default with no other option. This caused some display problems.
So I hooked the ssd to my old pc and loaded the ssd from the boot menu.
FX 6300 (CPU) M5A78L-M/USB3 (Mb) 16 Gb Dimm3 is my old build.
It loaded LMDE4 OS with no problem. Nor was there any Notification of any video or audio problems. This tells me that the problem could be their bios could be the problem.
All emails were answered and they tried to help me. Though the last one stated that is was the drivers and that I should keep looking. I will do some more research. But I may be forced to return this machine.. Because all my work and files are stored in Linux mint.
Update:
Switched to LM 19.3 and no problems until I tried LM 2.0. But I digress. Will have to add eight giga bytes of ram to fix some small loading problems. Other than that, It is what it is. Good for web surfing, word processing and some light gaming is what this machine is made for.
Update: 7/27
No problems now. Update to LM 20.1 with no problems except it will not syn Alacarte flip phone and that one is a head scratcher.
Update 6/1/22
They fixed the ssd problem and now I can use any brand ssd. Tho it still cannot sync with Alacrte flip phone. Still this will not be a problem as they have stop making the batteries for it and I will have to buy a new phone.
Got to love their planned obsolescence, now I will be force to buy new junk when the old phone is still good. An so it is what it is with greedy short sighted fools of every stripe and political ideology.",
"asin": "B08FD3RFJC",
"parent_asin": "B08FD3RFJC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3574,
"review_text": "Product arrived as stated before payment at checkout. Opened the box to see that it was the correct device and it is correct. Haven't tried it out yet because I am waiting to get a case on it first to make sure it is safe and protected before using it. It does look really nice though, a big step up from the Fire 7 that I've used for several years. I take careful care of my products so my Fire 7 still looks nice and runs great after several years of everyday use.
I chose the Fire HD over a similarly specs/priced ASUS because my Fire 7 has been so reliable and I liked my Fire 7 more than the higher end ASUS tablet I bought for my mom. It seems like tech today is so blatantly built for obsolescence and major companies do half-@$$ re-branding without even trying to hide that they are just suping up old devices/computers at a ridiculous high price.
I really enjoy that this Fire HD is an obvious overall improved chassis and display which can be easily seen without even turning it on. I am super excited to get a case on it, and I will comment again when I get to play with it!",
"asin": "B018SZT3BK",
"parent_asin": "B018SZT3BK"
},
{
"unique_id": 3575,
"review_text": "I discovered the joys of photoshop and so these colored filters have been relegated to the shame of obsolescence.
I have had no issues with the tiffen filters not being glass however.",
"asin": "B00004ZCD6",
"parent_asin": "B0063D88SY"
},
{
"unique_id": 3576,
"review_text": ""For $50 it is fine" is the common theme. If you've never owned a tablet, have kids, or others are a bit too expensive, then this is fine. The nature of technology is obsolescence, but the Fire line is planned obsolesce. It is the norm. I had a $200 7" HDX, but the internal charging mechanism broke. Amazon said they couldn't fix it, but they offered a discount on any fire (Always have appreciated the customer service). They had recently stopped making the HDX (since it was likely a money loser for Amazon) and had a few left. Sadly, I chose this.
Which would I rather buy every two years as they break: a $50 thing that takes 30 seconds to open many apps...or a $200 thing that takes 1 second? Seriously, that is the difference. Heck, I didn't realize Candycrush even had a load screen until I bought this! Time is money, sure, but time is life. How many minutes...hours...do I now waste on load screens? Maybe I should just take a walk outside. Once this breaks, I'm looking for the better compromise of price and performance that the HDX represented.",
"asin": "B00TSUGXKE",
"parent_asin": "B010BWYDYA"
},
{
"unique_id": 3577,
"review_text": "I love my Surface Pro, but the design of the power cord that plugs into the unit needs to be rethought, unless planned obsolescence is the goal. If you use this as a portable unit, the male unit that plugs into the device will eventually break. This will be my third replacement in less than a year.",
"asin": "B074P3K3RW",
"parent_asin": "B074P3K3RW"
},
{
"unique_id": 3578,
"review_text": "Purchased July 10th 2013
So far, barring any potential "planned obsolescence," this is a beautiful machine. Warm wood finish, heavy construction, real metal nobs and buttons, streamline CD player with all the typical extras, auxiliary input for the iPod in the back next to the power button, headphone jack in the front, and solidly constructed turntable with 45 rpm adapter. And, the speakers are warm and deep with no crackling or rumbling, etc.
I searched for the better part of a day for just the right retro-player. The more I searched, the more frustrated I got until I had to lie down for a nap. As I drifted off to sleep, I asked God to help me find the right player, because my wife and I require utter saturation with deeply spiritual music. I napped for 20 minutes or so, and when I awoke, I heard, but on the inside of my mind, the words "Winston CD." I had never heard of a Winston music player before. I typed the words into the DuckDuckGo search engine and lo! the net took me straight to Amazon and the Electrohome Winston 3-in-1 Vintage Classic. Ask, and you shall receive.",
"asin": "B004F1NDP4",
"parent_asin": "B004F1NDP4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3579,
"review_text": "I have had this notebook for just over one year. Unfortunately, HP built in instant obsolescence in that apparently the hard drive is so small, the operating system by Microsoft can never be updated. My system is 18 months old and will no longer turn on. Hp SmartFriend says that they have no responsibility to replace anything, despite an extended warranty. I have kept computer applications in the past for over 5 years. Very disappointed.",
"asin": "B01JLCKP34",
"parent_asin": "B0C8CK2XV6"
},
{
"unique_id": 3580,
"review_text": "Two major flaws makes this keyboard a dud: The lettering starts to wear off within a year! Then, the whole keyboard finally frizzed out on the right upper bank of keys. I get built-in obsolescence, but I think a keyboard should last at least longer than 4 years.",
"asin": "B000A6PPOK",
"parent_asin": "B081C4XWXZ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3581,
"review_text": "I don't care how great this is the first week if it dies after three months. If I had known that would happen, I would have bought a cheaper cooler- there's no lack of them. It worked yesterday. It doesn't work today - the blue \"on\" light does not go on, the fans do not go on. I checked out my usb ports - they still work fine with my other devices. Bad quality. I did not have it on every day all day, either. I live in a temperate place, so it didn't get too hot or cold. I have never dropped it. There's no reasonable explanation except poor quality - Planned Obsolescence for $[...] bucks. It's plugged into a 17 inch screen laptop, which still works fine but is now running hot again.",
"asin": "B0012WXFO8",
"parent_asin": "B0012WXFO8"
},
{
"unique_id": 3582,
"review_text": "Bought this keyboard exactly one year ago, on the dot. It has served me fairly well, though I have had several instances of it not logging all of the keystrokes, leading to me retyping things occasionally, but no glaring issues otherwise - that is, until recently. It now cuts out (stops responding / logging keystrokes) entirely after about 5 minutes of use. Popping a battery out and back in will revive it for another 5 mins, at which time it dies again. No amount of troubleshooting resolves this, despite the mouse and numpad continuing to work normally. This of course happened immediately after the warranty expired, hinting at planned obsolescence. Or perhaps it's just poor design. Either way, the result is a keyboard that is not worth your money. Do yourself a favor and avoid this one. Buy a Logitech instead, like I should have done. Lesson learned.",
"asin": "B00CYX54C0",
"parent_asin": "B00CYX54C0"
},
{
"unique_id": 3583,
"review_text": "The adapters seem to give out faster than the outdoor security cams, etc., and I was glad to find these on Amazon. I don't know yet if they'll out last the others, but with planned obsolescence being the way manufacturers go these days it's good to at least be able to get replacements.",
"asin": "B002P5O4K0",
"parent_asin": "B002P5O4K0"
},
{
"unique_id": 3584,
"review_text": "Comcast was charging me $7 a month to "rent" their modem which was giving me about 16mps downloads. Told them to keep their modem, bought this one and now get a consistent 25mps downloads, 10mps up and no more monthly rental. Don't worry about obsolescence since it's DOCIS 3.0 compliant already and you will only need to upgrade if you elect a service in the 50mps range.",
"asin": "B004XC6GJ0",
"parent_asin": "B004XC6GJ0"
},
{
"unique_id": 3585,
"review_text": "Great features, but I have had many logitech mice over the years and one thing is consistent. They last a couple years and then the buttons start getting flaky. I cannot believe this is anything but engineered obsolescence. I've had other much cheaper mice which have lasted for more than a decade. At least at 30 bucks a pop, I can live with a mouse as an expense versus capital expenditure.
Update: 1.5 years later, I'm buying a replacement for this mouse. Looking at my purchase history, this is the third one I've had to purchase in about 7 years. Maybe it's time I look at other brands...the new version of this mice is nearly twice the price.",
"asin": "B0082D5660",
"parent_asin": "B0082D5660"
},
{
"unique_id": 3586,
"review_text": "I have owned several logitech mice (this one, MX, VX) and all have within a year or two failed. This is a well documented issue in which the mouse button starts double clicking because the switch inside wears out. These are expensive mice and I think this is completely unacceptable. I have a Microsoft brand mouse that I used for nearly 10 years that is still going strong, so in my opinion this is simply engineered obsolescence and a class action suit waiting to happen. I like the way these mice feel, but I cannot recommend them any more due to the high cost of replacing them frequently.",
"asin": "B003TG75EG",
"parent_asin": "B003TG75EG"
},
{
"unique_id": 3587,
"review_text": "This is simply the best sounding speaker in this size and price class.
The highs are crystal clear. Mids are good. Bass is great. I listen to a huge range of music, and every genre sounds great. Aqua's 'Barbie Girl' and Ace of Base's 'The Sign' are good representatives for how it handles deep, thumping bass. Consider that representative of hip-hop.
The majority of my listening is 60s-70s folk and classical. Simon & Garfunkel, Neil Diamond, Jim Croce, etc for the 60s-70s. Bach, from pipe organ to orchestral suites, sounds awesome. Mozart operas too. When I auditioned this in Target with my own music, it was love at first hearing. It is often repeated in speaker reviews here that \"it would be fine for classical, but not for [some modern genre with thumping bass]. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you've ever heard a pipe organ in a 600 year old cathedral, you know what I'm talking about. When the low notes are keyed, one can feel it in the chest. When at a classical symphony, one can likewise feel the bass section in the chest, as well as really hear the lows. It's just that we get used to not hearing them, because of either inferior recordings or poor frequency response. (the older crowd who tend to listen to this music don't tend toward bassy sound systems, right?)
Once in a while, I listen to the 80s and 90s Metallica and Ozzy Osbourne of my youth. That kind of music is not too demanding of a speaker, compared to classical; it has a much narrower frequency range. That just requires no distortion and ability to play loud. This speaker is not going to make your ears ring with hard rock and metal music like a bigger system will, but it will sound really good within its range, which is plenty loud enough to upset others in the same house.
This SRS-X5 handles at all with grace.
I bought this for portable use around my 850 sq. ft. apartment, mostly in the kitchen and bedroom. It is shallow enough to just sit on the windowsill, not taking up any counter space while I cook. The dual bass radiators in the back use the window as a reflector, and make the bass sound about 50% deeper than it does when sitting out in the open. I start up the tunes from my iPhone, then either put it back in my pocket or go back to the recipe I'm making on allrecipes dot com. Do you notice that cooking with music is much less like work, and much more like singing while doing some light work?
Pressing the SOUND button engages a DSP circuit which simulates much better stereo separation than would seem possible, considering the full-range drivers are only a few inches apart. It really works; it makes the speakers sound about 2-3X as far apart as they really are.
The speakerphone works great. MUCH better than using the speakerphone built into the iPhone. The USB charging works great too.
COMPARED TO:
Bose Soundlink Mini, same price, at the time of this writing. After comparing this to the Bose Soundlink Mini, there is no comparison. The Soundlink Mini has \"The Bose Lows\", which sound pretty muddy compared to those of this Sony. The lows also don't sound as deep. The highs are not as crisp or clear as this Sony. It DOES sound huge for its size, but it doesn't sound as good as the Sony, and it is deeper too, so not quite as good on a narrow surface like the aforementioned windowsill.
Bose Soundlink III: ($100 more) - The SRS-X5 and Soundlink III are about the same size. The Bose is a smidge bigger in every dimension, as it has a larger battery pack. The finish treatment is a bit more interesting on the Bose; nicer to look at than the plain, minimalist Sony. The lows on the Soundlink III are equal to those of the -X5, but the highs on the Sony are much better, and with the SOUND mode, stereo separation is better on the Sony too. The Bose has better battery life and regular buttons, instead of the capacitively coupled ones on the Sony. Seems like it plays just a bit louder, esp. on battery power. But... it is 50% more money, so not even really in the same class.
Jawbone Big Jambox: ($50 more) is not in the same class. It has the metal speaker grille which surrounds the unit, which will be prone to pick up dents on the corners. The bass is not as deep and the highs are not as clear either. The Big Jambox may be the original, but The Sony SRS-X5 easily trounces it.
JBL Pulse: ($10 less) Not in the same league as the Sony, nor even the Big Jambox. Lows are totally absent, in comparison. All it really has going for it is the light show.
JBL Charge: ($70 less) Not in the same league as the Sony. Sounds about like the Pulse, but without the fancy lighting. To be fair, this is in a lower class, and is priced commensurate to its class. A good value, but in this price range, the Sony SRS-X3 sounds better; same highs and a bit more bass.
Sony SRS-X3: ($50 less) Sounds awesome for its size, on par with the Bose Soundlink Mini, at half the price. (though it doesn't have the cool extruded aluminum case as the Bose) It's kind of like the -X5, but without the subwoofer.
TDK A34: ($50 less) Couldn't compare the sound, as I didn't audition it in person, but it is splash-proof and has replaceable batteries. About the same specs as the Sony, except that reviewers say the highs can be a bit lacking at times.
Klipsch KMC 3: ($150) more. By all accounts, this one has outstanding sound, both highs and lows. It has triple the RMS power though, and is much bigger and 75% more expensive, so not really in this class. I was going to stretch to get this, but decided that if I can't put it on my windowsill easily, I may as well just use my old Sony boombox w/subwoofer and a cord. This has the advantage of using D batteries too. High-capacity rechargeable ones are available from Tenergy, though they are pretty dear. If you only will use it on battery power occasionally, just get alkalines and don't look back.
I wish I could have auditioned the TDK A34 in person, as it has a great price, ($50 less than the -X5) and a bit more rugged construction. Replaceable, rechargeable NiMH battery pack is a nice feature, as the Sony's Li-Ion pack doesn't seem to be replaceable, but after reading several reviews that said the highs are lacking, I decided to give up some of the future-proofness of replaceable batteries for better sound. Maybe I will regret it several years from now when my -X5's internal battery dies, but for now, I'm super happy.
That brings me to the last point: I deducted one full star for the non-replaceable battery issue. Maybe it was part of their design spec, (less things to rattle loose, without a battery door or screws) or maybe it is planned obsolescence, but either way, I don't like it. When I spend this much money on a quality product like this, I want to be able to use it for 20 years. I finally decided that by the time the battery on this dies, there will be completely different products available, and that $150 extra that I would have spent on the Klipsch KMC 3 can buy something new in the same class as this Sony.
I'll post updates to this from time to time, so click that checkbox to be notified if you want to read them.
***Update: Oct. 18, 2014****
I just got back from my birthday part at my mom's house. I brought this little gem with me to show it off to the family, as this is what I'd bought with my gift card from Mom and my sister. Everyone was impressed with the sound. My brother, who listens to classic rock almost exclusively and who is also a guitarist in a garage band. My mom, who has a bachelor's degree in music, and who played flute and piano in weddings, privately taught flute and piano professionally, etc. She always complained that the bass in classical music is lacking, unless the sound system REALLY has good bass. She was impressed too. We listened to everything from AC/DC to Scott Joplin to Mozart. My bro even tried it out with a live Cream recording and Ozzy's 'Diary of a Madman.'
Compared to my mom's sound system, which consist of a pair of Bose 301 speakers and a nice older Sony Receiver with Dynamic Bass Feedback (DBFB) and a single tray Yamaha CD player, it is not quite as room-filling or bassy. But it sounds as good or better than a 10 year old Sony boombox with powered subwoofer that is at least 5X as big.
This is a thing I like about Sony: they make so many things so well. They're not always top of the class, but they usually make something that is NEAR the top. This X5 is one such device. The Sony X9 looks and reads really great, but I doubt it competes with the Klipsch KMC 3, which costs half as much. (350 vs 700) Their TVs are great, their phones are great, their boomboxes are great, their clock radios are great, their shortwave radios are/were great, their digital photo frames are great, etc.",
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{
"unique_id": 3588,
"review_text": "Normally, I would take off stars for that, but considering the price, one can't complain. If Samsung made one just like this, but with high quality ear bud speakers inside instead of cheap ones for phone calls, it would be GREAT, even at double the price.
As another reviewer said, the cord is long enough to be useful, but not long enough that it is always in the way. Just as importantly, the insulation on the cord wires has kind of a slick surface, so that it doesn't easily stay tangled. (like my Sennheiser ear buds that I use for music)
The microphone is a high-gain type, so that it doesn't have to be separately held close to one's mouth to be effective. The flip side of this is that it picks up more ambient noise too.
Even so, this is quite useful for the car, or even for around the house, so that I can have a long comfortable conversation with someone while doing something else.
I switched to this when my fancy Plantronics bluetooth headset crapped out. With this, you do have wires to contend with, but no issues with batteries, charging, radio frequency signals, or obsolescence of the whole product when the battery wears out. (just like corded tools vs. cordless)",
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{
"unique_id": 3589,
"review_text": "My kindle 10 came with no Underground tab or link in apps or games. After an hr without various customer service reps I found out this was intentional. However im having a hard time thinking the 10 launched with this feature removed, two yrs before the estimated closure of the Underground service from Amazon. So, in order to continue using Underground, I have to go to my other kindle devices and load from there and then resync, or use the computer app store and then sync. frustrating a bit shady, all they had to do was load an update when the time came for closure.
regarding the device, its like all the other kindles, quality seems good, its a large screen, there is some fading of crispness to the resolution of game screens and such but its tolerable. gotten on sale its a good deal.
Update 6/20/18
I have 5 kindles, still trying to figure out how that happened lol. mostly obsolescence from amazon forced upgrades and also wanting bigger screens and more memory. Still love the kindles but out of the 5, 3 needed replacement due to bad/faulty charge ports. 2 were replaced by Amazon, I didnt bother with one. So its design fault... all failures occurred during the warranty phase, 2 within a couple of months, the kindle 10 lasted longer but still went. I understood the problems so was careful, always bracing the unit flat while charging, not leaving the port where it could get banged, not dropping it etc etc. Its just a lousy design. Due to the repeated forced obsolescence of kindles and the whole charge port thing this will be my last kindle. I will just go with an ipad and be done with this. As for the earlier mentions of lesser graphical quality I just dont see it now, it all looks very clear. Audio with a cover on is dampened alot however.
still..... love my kindles. wish they made em to last",
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{
"unique_id": 3590,
"review_text": "i ordered two of these -one for me and one for my mom- when we became exasperated with Apple's garbage accessories. Maybe i was left starry-eyed and hopeful with words like "kevlar" etc like "someone can shoot at me and this cord will save my life this is going from last foreverrrrrrr." Turns out he "forever" was about six months. i don't know if there's a planned obsolescence where these things self-destruct after a given period of a time, but both of our broke around the same time, and in different fashions. Actually, hers gave up the ghost months before mine did. She connector-end thing broke after about two months. Mine appears structurally sound, but i invariably get "this device may not be supported" message or screaming loud static that threatens the life of my car speakers. At home sometimes it may charge, sometimes it doesn't, somtimes is does both, alternately like the rhythm of a heartbeat. c'est la vie",
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{
"unique_id": 3591,
"review_text": "My battery operated mouse finally ate it, and that is not the cheese I am referring to. The one thing that disappoints an old fart who is accustomed to buying something once and making it last forever is the planned obsolescence that forces us to constantly buy new - when it comes to modern technology, I have about half a dozen mice I can no longer use. This one, is sleek, charming, quiet, easy to operate on a variety of tabletops, responsive, quick, and I am not suffering the carpal tunnel pain because it does not sit so high. It is well designed and very efficient and a godsend since I am a MS veteran user, and even though the mousepad works, I actually find the positioning and the poise I must maintain to quickly navigate using the mousepad makes my hands, wrists and arms hurt. I also make many mistakes with the mousepad. Yeah, I am old now. I get to accommodate my age, and this mouse is the answer. Love, love, love this mouse.",
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},
{
"unique_id": 3592,
"review_text": "The blue one lasted for less than a week. I wonder if this is what they call planned obsolescence. They are great when they work, but, again, they don\u2019t last long, at least not for me.",
"asin": "B00T9KFUQQ",
"parent_asin": "B00V6358D4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3593,
"review_text": "If you like planned obsolescence, this is the trackball for you. The buttons become non-functional over time. The Logitech forums are chock full of complaints from bitter users, but the company continues to sell this product, banking on the fact that it's cheaper than the competition and it works for a while. BUYER BEWARE.",
"asin": "B0043T7FXE",
"parent_asin": "B0043T7FXE"
},
{
"unique_id": 3594,
"review_text": "Powerful processor. Same graphics as the Macbook Pro
Trackpad with Mac like advanced functions, however lacks touch sensitivity
Direction pad arrows overlap 10 key, making it annoying to navigate in word documents, Spreadsheets, flight sim, other games, or areas requiring key inputs.
Does have exception processing power as stated above. Can run a flight sim with full detail, on top of 30 tabbed out windows on Firefox, with 10 other applications running in the background. Will get occasional hiccup on video under these extreme conditions, but generally I can close some other programs to free up system resources, and in most realistic scenarios I will only have Word, Misc program and heavy Web Browsing, with no problems at all running a maxed out flight simulator.
SD CARD READER DOES NOT SPRING EJECT BY DESIGN TO SAVE MONEY. [...] This is one annoying corner to have cut. You have to pick up the front of the laptop chassis and fish your card out using your fingernail. SERIOUSLY Samsung, what does the CARD EJECT SPRING SET YOU BACK IN PRODUCTION? No more than a Dollar, tops, maybe 50 cents. Its small subtleties like that which make me wonder how long this machine is engineered to last to begin with. Clearly this laptop is disposable in their eyes, and I would expect forced obsolescence well before Moore's Law would have it.
Lack of PCMCIA card bus slot, I guess I could live with out it, and most people probably don't utilize one, but I have some odd projects that now I must use my old laptop for (which was a Gateway NX860, and in my opinion, a better quality built keyboard, chassis, and with an eject-able memory card reader) [...]
I really bought this thinking the i7 would help me keep up with the rest of the modern world, but it seems that the faster computers get, the more windows OS will demand of it making the improvements marginal at best.
I did like the dual HDD bay, as I was able to pull my old one and run them both with some degree of work. You can go into the BIOS and set HDD boot priority, loading into your old computer, considering you have the drivers available to do this, so before you put your old HDD, burn the drivers to CD, as the SD will likely have other drivers, and NIC will likely not work to DL them. Shutdowm, switch HDD, boot to new Samsung W7 64, make driver disk, shut down, switch to old HDD... It can become time consuming is all.
Works well with Ubuntu which I have on my other HDD, dual booting alongside my 32 bit version of Windows 7 on my old 500GB 7200 HDD Giving me over 1TB. I still would like the simplicity of XP, and may install that at a later date when I have time to do my massive HDD and File migration and reorganization project.
Screen seems to get marks from transport against keys. USE A CLOTH OR SOME BARRIER TO PROTECT YOUR SCREEN.
The Laptop will fit snugly into an OGIO Mastermind 17in Laptop bag.
http://www.amazon.com/Upscale-Mastermind-Messenger-Laptop-Backpack/dp/B00332MA1E/ref=pd_sbs_a_3
(the one I got did NOT have the White piping around the smaller outer pocket)
Will not fit the OGIO Metro.. FYI.
The Laptop has sharp corners that snag while trying to insert it into the Smaller Ogio Metro, overall chassis design is poorly laid out IMO.
Not really any bloatware to mention, one program to uninstall, which is nice, compared to HP, and if you have ever had one recently, you know what I am referring to.
Fast start is awesome.
Charging via USB, would be nice if it were accessible from a laptop backpack, more toward the edge of the corner where you might be able to leave slightly unzipped to have access to USB port, and to be able to plug AC Adapter in to charge the laptop in with minimal effort while on the go. As it is, you must remove the laptop to charge it (at least in my bag) my old laptop had the power AC plug located behind the corner. And on the same token, my classic car didn'd need smog or seat belt chimes either...
My next laptop will likely be a mac, as they integrate the i7 chipset into the 17\" models, and they just work. This seemed like the next best thing, but with no stores I could try it in person near my house, or even state for that matter, I had to go off of the TigerDirect reviewer's push on YouTube.
This is a generally all around very decent laptop that I am using to go thru my Flight School and University endeavors, with short battery life, some corners cut to save money on production, 5400 Rpm HDD, etc, in otherwords, some compromises made on quality to be able to push an i7 chipset... Call me picky, but, stuff like the SD card reader and bulky protrusions on the edge of the laptop would have been easy fixes, as well as fixing the 10 key and D pad. I wouldn't return it, because at the time, there were no better laptops comparable to this for a grand. Biggest complaint is the Card reader and D Pad where the 0 should be on the 10 key. Oh, and the fact that Samsung seemed clueless when I called them to ask if the card reader had a broken spring and needed repair, or if it was just a poorly designed feature.",
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{
"unique_id": 3595,
"review_text": "I didn't think that planned obsolescence was only after one year.... But I guess that after the year warranty is up they want you to pony up another Benjamin eh? It worked awesome the first six months, 50 down, 10 up, solid. After that it was about 35ish down and 5-8 up. I had it in the laundry room but I swear this think would heat a 2500 square foot house on its own so I moved it to be better ventilated. Maybe that's the fatal flaw, too darn hot? Anyhow, after about 14 months it started to drop the connection to the ISP weekly, then daily, then constantly. Had the ISP come out and check the lines, signal is great (not good, GREAT). I live in a brand spankin' new neighborhood and the fiber junction box is 30 feet from my house. When this hot trash started to drop the signal consistently it actually dumped ALL of the settings too. The wireless SID, passwords, all were defaults. It also wouldn't renew DHCP leases on the local LAN.
Buy the SB6121 or SB6141 instead. Those have great reviews all over teh intarwebs. You'll end up paying more for the separate wireless router but it's time you upgraded to 802.11ac anyways.",
"asin": "B0040IUI46",
"parent_asin": "B0040IUI46"
},
{
"unique_id": 3596,
"review_text": "I am amending my original review with a mea culpa: I had not found the setting to ask the chromebook to connect to the wiki automatically. Now that I have, all my issues with the machine are gone. I am very happy with it, like I was with the previous Samsun Chromebook I had.
(minus the planned obsolescence of \"last update\" being set even before one can buy the thing, but oh well)",
"asin": "B08M2X68W5",
"parent_asin": "B08M2X68W5"
},
{
"unique_id": 3597,
"review_text": "As many of you should know about programmed obsolescence, this zmodo camera fits perfect to the concept, after 2 years working i tried to clean the camera to my surprise that it didn't turn back on again, so realized the truth... the microusb port was completely inside and broken, nothing i did could make it work again.",
"asin": "B01A52KLTC",
"parent_asin": "B01A52KLTC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3598,
"review_text": "Purchased 2022-07-23 for a 10900K system. With stock clocks and ambient 24\u00b0C it idled in the high 20's low 30's. Under full load, non turbo (so 4.9-5.2 GHz) it would average high 50's to just barely cracking 70\u00b0C. The fans were loud only when the system spun them up based on temps, but I gamed mainly with headphones so it wasn't a big deal. LED's were nice too. Was a good cooler.
Until it wasn't. November 18th I started getting random lock-ups and reboots. Discovered idle temps were in the mid 40\u00b0C's and upon any gaming it quickly rocketed up to 100\u00b0C and then shut down on me. So it just lasted long enough to no longer be covered under warranty by a four months. I call that planned obsolescence. After reading other reviews here of failures, I disassembled and tested mine to find that it WAS FULL of liquid (the radiator + tubes + pump holds the 4 oz shown in the photo) so that wasn't the issue. I tested the pump on an external 12V battery and it ran fine. Finally I cut the tubes and when draining the water these chunks of crap came out (second photo). My only thought is these somehow clogged up or partially clogged one or both tubes or the more of it got in the pump and caused a flow blockage.
Super disappointed and lost a lot of time waiting for Amazon to ship me a replacement AiO from another brand. I'm glad it's not currently available, and if you're reading this and it is, don't buy it.",
"asin": "B07YP78445",
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},
{
"unique_id": 3599,
"review_text": "I have several SquareTrade warranties. While I haven't had to use any, from what I've heard from others, they are very good. I know that the protection they offer is at a lower than manufacturer's price. I've recently gotten one for my daughter's IPhone and her laptop computer. In an age of planned obsolescence and limited warranties, it provides peace of mind.",
"asin": "B001N89O9Q",
"parent_asin": "B001N89O9Q"
},
{
"unique_id": 3600,
"review_text": "I bought this exactly two years and one day ago. Two year warranty. Now it is dead. $30.00 back and forth shipping fee to get it looked at. Dealing with Bushnell's customer service is awful. I think I will try a different brand with the next one. I guess that is what planned obsolescence is all about. By the time people read this, they will be on v4.",
"asin": "B00AHPQ0RK",
"parent_asin": "B00AHPQ0RK"
},
{
"unique_id": 3601,
"review_text": "I used these to make a system images/backup drives of my works computers...then I just seal it in a little baggie (for dust protection), and put it INSIDE the case of the computers. If the computer ever bricks, the restore drive is right inside....never to be lost!
So, question is...why don't manufacturers do this? Why must they insist on YOU making a disk(s) with the price of a thumb drive? Anyway...like a lot of 'planned obsolescence' in this world....they don't like to make repair easy for you...just like they don't like you healthy.",
"asin": "B081PJQRYS",
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{
"unique_id": 3602,
"review_text": "I am so frustrated. I received my new kindle a few days ago but am just having the chance to set it up. YOU HAVE TO SET UP A GOODREADS account first, or you can't even set it up, and now it is frozen on the screen that either lets you sign up for kindle unlimited at 9.99 per month or say, 'no thanks, just set go to my account'. I'm waiting for it to restart and the software is updating. "This can take a few minutes. DO NOT turn your kindle off during the update process". The only reason I bought a new kindle is that my old one would go back to the beginning of a book instead of picking up where I left off! I think there is built in obsolescence in these things, and the new products just aren't debugged enough to really be ready for market. I ALMOST want to go back to real paper books!! Insanely frustrated. East of Eden is waiting for me!",
"asin": "B00JG8H09Q",
"parent_asin": "B00DOPNKLY"
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{
"unique_id": 3603,
"review_text": "Installation: 5 stars, straight forward. I am running mine in access point mode over Ethernet back-haul. . . that said, setting this up in access point mode took about a minute, added to network environment, set my static IP address and boom. Up and running, easy enough to log into with the static IP to update the firmware. All good.
Range: I haven't tested the maximum range of this unit yet, and really, I don't care how far it'll go, it services all the spots in my house I had spotty/limited wifi signals previously. Whatever the range, this is meeting my expectations.
I did not require tech support to set this up, so I did not rate that category. That said: Any time I've needed more info or \"jeeze, where was that again?\" questions, netgears knowledge database (found on basically any google search) has pushed me in the proper direction. Instructions are updated and spot on for new hardware or devices.
I know there are some folks that say, \"yeah, but it's netgear\". I say \"yeah, it's but it's netgear.\" It might read the same, but the emphasis between the two is incredible. The first group don't like it for whatever their reasons. The second group (that I sit in) has never had any issues with any netgear appliances and have only ever updated any products due to obsolescence (this access point is the final component in a journey that has seen me replace the cable modem/primary router/ethernet backhaul upgrade and now my final access point. It seems the \"AC\" tech isn't **THAT** much stronger (esp at 5ghz) that my old school \"N\" tech that this system replaced.
I'm happy with my purchase, it works exactly as I want it to, and it did so with very minimal work on my part. Netgear: Please continue to deliver quality products at quality prices.",
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{
"unique_id": 3604,
"review_text": "Update 18 months later. DESIGNED OBSOLESCENCE! Happy with the functions and performance of the Scanwatch with a few exceptions. The watch continues to undercount steps. Because the watch uses changes in altitude to estimate floors climbed, it\u2019s figure is always wrong\u2014and counting floors is a feature I didn\u2019t activate. MOST troublesome is battery life. I don\u2019t link to GPS and seldom do an EKG or oxygen measurement. Originally, I was getting about 3 weeks between charges. Now, after 18 months, I\u2019m lucky to get 7 days. I\u2019m told that the battery is not replaceable\u2014the Scanwatch is designed to become obsolete! But, after 18 months of use and about 40 to 60 charges, I\u2019m concerned, with declining battery life, that the watch will need replacement in a year or two. It\u2019s purportedly designed to work through 500 charges and get up to a month of use without the need to charge. That may be true, but what\u2019s not disclosed is that the ability of the watch to maintain a charge progressively and too rapidly declines and the time between charges also declines\u2014in my case rapidly. Caveat emptor!
Update to Review: After using the ScanWatch for one week, I\u2019m upgrading the rating from 3 to 5 (4.5 being more accurate). It took a bit of patience, but everything seems to be working, most features well. The only issue is that sometimes when exercising the heartbeat monitor is inaccurate. When sedentary or moving slowly, it\u2019s accurate. I\u2019ve compared results on the ScanWatch with readings from a pulse oximeter, heart rate monitor, timer, and step counter on other devices and everything seems close to right.
Suggestions for Improvement: 1. The device should work out of the box, but doesn\u2019t. Getting everything working required calls to Withings Customer Service and some common sense. Patience paid off though. 2. The instructions are a joke. There needs to be a larger font, step-by-step guide and there isn\u2019t . Such a guide could be included with the watch or a link to such instructions should be shown. 3. I bought the 38mm black dial. It fits well (I have a 7.25 inch diameter wrist) but it\u2019s difficult to read. The white dial looked even more difficult to read. It would help if the white dial would have time indicators that are black. Withings offers this on other watches and it should be offered here. 4. The vinyl black band on the watch is uncomfortable. The watch must be fairly tight to work well. I bought one of Withings polyester bands and it makes the timepiece much more comfortable and the package is lighter overall (and the \"quick release\" feature on the Withings bands is great). 5. While the Healthmate App works, it lacks many features. An example: it would be nice for the app to mimic the watch features while a feature has been activated. If the step counter or heart rate monitor are \u201con,\u201d it would be great if the user could look at the app and see the same thing (of great use in the sun, when the circular digital display on the watch is hard to read).
Bottom line: The Withings ScanWatch is a nice, simpler alternative to an Apple Watch and other competitors. It looks like an elegant watch but conceals many health features that most users want (I think). I was waiting for simpler version of the Apple Watch that focused exclusively on health features (without needing to delete all of the extraneous things I don\u2019t need on a health watch), and Withings fits the bill.
Original Review: I waited a long time for the FDA to approve the Withings Scanwatch ECG feature and it finally happened last week. Bought the watch from Amazon. Out of the box its elegant (bought the 38mm, all black version) and looks like a high-end timepiece. The \u201csmartwatch\u201d features are available via a circular scroll bar activated by turning or pressing the wind apparatus. The Scanwatch links to a \"Healthmate\" app (I use the IOS version). Everything looks fairly intuitive but, unfortunately, it\u2019s not. The ECG and Blood Oxymeter options were no where to be found. Users are asked to \u201cactivate\u201d these features via a \u201cTutorials\u201d page in Healthmate, but when going to the screen there were no tutorials. Finally, a call to the Withings support line helped. A reset of the watch plus some remote programming enabled an
\u201cAll Settings\u201d option to appear on the \u201cMy Devices\u201d Healthmate screen, and a new option appeared called \u201cHealth Features.\u201d Here I was able to activate both of the missing options. But, still, ECG and Blood Oxymeter did not appear on the watch. The support person was at a loss and told me that the matter was being turned over to a \u201cspecialist.\u201d Haven\u2019t heard from that person, but I was able to fix the problem by doing a reset of the watch (go to \u201csettings\u201d and hold the wind mechanism in for a few seconds. A new menu will appear by winding the mechanism and, eventually, a \u201creset\u201d option appears. You hold the mechanism in and after five pushes of the wind mechanism, the watch resets).
Another unexpected fly in the ointment is a notice that the first ECG must be evaluated by some medical professional and will not appear in Healthmate until that\u2019s done. Bummer.
All in all, after a few days, I\u2019m satisfied with the purchase. The included instruction book is pretty much worthless as are the prompts in Healthmate. I think this elegant-looking timepiece ultimately will be what I wanted\u2014an attractive watch that looks like a watch but conceals a bundle of useful smartwatch applications (in addition to ECG and SPo2, there are step and distance counters, a heartrate monitor and sleep assessment tools). What would make this experience better is a CLEAR and comprehensive instruction manual. The watch did not work out of the box and it took technical support to get it going. This can and should be fixed. Once it is, this piece of technology will, in my view, be better than an Apple Watch, Fitbit, etc. Simple, elegant, and with all of the basic health applications most people would need (and it will also provide message and phone call notifications). But, for now, it\u2019s not quite ready for prime time!",
"asin": "B08D6LNBPN",
"parent_asin": "B096MFS66S"
},
{
"unique_id": 3605,
"review_text": "computer seems to work fine, once in a while windoze will flip out on me and lock up, probably some MS-designed 'planned obsolescence ', I can't blame the hardware until I install a version of Linux that I prefer, right now I am living with the occasional MS handicap.",
"asin": "B008D4IHZU",
"parent_asin": "B008D4IHZU"
},
{
"unique_id": 3606,
"review_text": "I didn't know this until I opened the box and started setting it up, but it is impossible to review events that happened even seconds earlier without a subscription, and 3rd party applications are impossible unless you're willing to use a public URL. So if Google sells nest or changes their cloud services to force obsolescence of old products, then you will have nothing. Security cameras are supposed to be for piece of mind. How is that when you have to constantly watch the monitor so that you don't miss something that can't be reviewed, and if you did see something nefarious, you will have nothing to show the police or investigators. This product is a lie.",
"asin": "B01M66NWOQ",
"parent_asin": "B01MREI7I7"
},
{
"unique_id": 3607,
"review_text": "This is a professional switch that can be bought used at a steeply discounted price because it's been discontinued. If you don't already know what this switch is and what it does, then it's probably not the right switch for you. If you want to know about professional networking and Cisco, I'd suggest reading up on the CCNA study material so that you know what you're getting yourself into before you go this route. As techie home hobbies go, learning and using real Cisco stuff is pretty hardcore and could be a substantial time investment.
If you want the best enterprise-grade networking gear, then Cisco is what you want. This switch still performs to its original specifications, so if those specifications meet your needs, it is a good choice and will likely last a very long time. I have heard their products described as "heirloom quality" due to the fact that they're built very solidly and usually function long beyond their technical obsolescence. You probably wouldn't want a switch that you can hand down to your kids, but if you did, this would be the sort of thing to look at.
If you're already a networking pro, then you probably found everything you need on Cisco's spec sheets and aren't reading this.",
"asin": "B003OAPEEK",
"parent_asin": "B003OAPEEK"
},
{
"unique_id": 3608,
"review_text": "I\u2019m done with Tile. When they first introduced them, they were great\u2014a bit pricey, but my first batch worked perfectly and lasted nearly three years. Loved them; recommended them to everybody.
Then I bought a four-pack of the last version that had the unchangeable batteries in them. They all died almost within two days of each other, almost exactly a year after I bought them. Obviously total planned obsolescence. They went out of their way to install batteries they knew would fail in exactly one year so they could keep people buying new ones annually. Not worth it.
Then they introduced slightly cheaper versions of the Tile that had replaceable batteries! Problem solved, I thought. I bought one and it worked fine for about a month until the battery died.
Well, it\u2019s the stock battery, I figured\u2014I\u2019m sure if I replace it with a Duracell, it\u2019ll last for at last a year.
Bought the Duracell replacement battery on a Sunday. It worked great...until it died on Tuesday. Two days for a $6.00 battery.
Tile was such a great idea, but they ruined it with bad execution driven by greed. I\u2019m never buying one of their products again. Here\u2019s hoping that some ethical tech company will make a competing model that lasts more than two days and provides more tracking range than the length of my driveway that makes Tile obsolete.",
"asin": "B07GLY3HCS",
"parent_asin": "B07H3W1FD8"
},
{
"unique_id": 3609,
"review_text": "I loved these so much I went all in and built a whole theater system with playbar and subwoofer only to receive a Sonos Mobile application update that now blocks the ability to play music from your iPhone on the Sonos One. This was a feature I used about 40% of the time I spent listening to these. Sonos promised to add features but this is the first time they removed these features. The only way I can now play music from my iPhone is via AirPlay but I would have to disconnect these from my home theater to do that. I feel this is planned obsolescence! Shame on you Sonos!",
"asin": "B00EWCUK1Q",
"parent_asin": "B00EWCUK1Q"
},
{
"unique_id": 3610,
"review_text": "Mine is just 6 months old and Sonos updated their mobile application so you can no longer play music. They told me that my brand new Sonos play doesn't support Airplay and thus even though the Sonos 1s and subwoofer do support it, they disabled this ability. I asked them why they stopped supporting the play music from phone and they said it wasn't as reliable as AirPlay. I contend that it worked for me.
I also feel that their CEO Patrick Spence's assertions do not match facts. He claims they will continue to maintain their platform and it's just if you have the older equipment, you do not get some of the newer features which that require different hardware. Hearing him talk about how he strives to make a platform that can last over 10 years, I bought it for Christmas as a family present. Now their latest upgrade took away a feature that I used a lot. I feel like they've built planned obsolescence into their platform. I will never buy another Sonos product again!
In the past, I could have been a salesman for Sonos. I loved their products and have both the full theater and Sonos 5. Their CEO Patrick Spence professes that they will keep adding features and improving their product but if you buy one and",
"asin": "B00AEMGGU2",
"parent_asin": "B07D6L7N1G"
},
{
"unique_id": 3611,
"review_text": "I bought this item (Actually, the VE228T) from amazon.co.jp, but I think it would be more useful to write my English language review of the product here.
I have a sense of brand loyalty to Asus, but in this case I was very disappointed. I realize, however, that my expectations for monitor quality are unusual. I've been using a 21\" CRT at 2056x1536 pixels for years and years. The fact that the pixels on a CRT are actually glowing rather than a backlight shining through them, along with the sheer pixel density made the experience of using it amazing. I have so much more work space at that resolution. Few, if any, LCD screens can match that quality... eventually, I expect OLED computer monitors will become available that will come up to a similar standard.
This Asus monitor is, of course, \"Full HD\" which means it runs at the much lower resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, across a similar screen width. Therefore, the picture is much grainier. Furthermore, the colors are very washed out. I understand that many computer users like this type of pastel paper-like matte screen. However, for me, with my hobby of digital photography, I'm frustrated with not being able to see the true colors of my images as they will be printed on paper.
Finally, I don't appreciate the planned obsolescence built into this ASUS VE228T monitor, in that it has a case where every part is buffed to a high-gloss finish. The fact is, that in normal use, that kind of finish will scratch up (even trying to wipe fingerprints off will damage it)... and it will look really bad in a year or two.
I ended up returning this monitor and buying the glossy version of the Acer H226 monitor (the closest thing available at amazon.com is probably [[ASIN:B00AZMLIDQ this]]). This type of screen (you can see your reflection in it), is much better for color quality. It has a nice matte-finished housing and even has a magnetic paperclip area on the monitor base thrown in for good measure. Naturally, though, the relatively grainy 1920x1080 screen resolution and the limitations of LCD technology means it is still a downgrade for me.
I never thought I'd be a person who moans \"They don't make [product x] like they used to,\" but in this case, it is definitely true.",
"asin": "B00413PHDM",
"parent_asin": "B00413PHDM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3612,
"review_text": "I have had a sense of brand loyalty to \"Turtle Beach\" for many years. I like the quality of sound they build into their product lines. I find it to be a lot more rich and full than that of many other popular alternatives.
I bought both this product and [[ASIN:B00726ARTE the full headphones]] from the same series. Ear buds like this are much more easy to wear for long hours than the over the ear phones model which tends to press on the pinnas of your ears until they get very sore.
Pros:
I like the angled design of these M1 ear pieces. They do stay in my ears solidly, and seal well against my ear canals.
The microphone is of a high quality, if your device's 3.5mm jack is compatible with it.
If you need it, warranty service is very efficient. You'll just need to make a PDF of your Amazon receipt and upload it on the Turtle Beach website RMA request web form.
Cons:
In short, there is planned obsolescence built into this device. The cord is a very fragile soft rubber which is covered with a more durable mesh netting. My phones have gotten a \"hernia\" where the rubber cord is looped out of the mesh netting, and somehow I haven't figured out a way to get it back in. The mesh also frays in only a few weeks at the ends of the cord.
The cord has a terrible tendency to tangle up. You'll need to develop some system of wrapping it up, if you're going to carry it around in your pocket. Lacking a system like that, you'll spend 3 to 5 minutes each time you want to use the headphones, simply trying to untangle them. The shape of the ear pieces catches when you're trying to untangle the cording and slows down the process a lot.
Be very careful if you hook these up to a big amplified stereo system, or a desktop computer. If the volume happens to be too loud, it will blow out one or both of the ear pieces in a mere split second before you have time to react and lower the volume.",
"asin": "B007F9XWGI",
"parent_asin": "B007F9XWGI"
},
{
"unique_id": 3613,
"review_text": "I usually leave glowing reviews, but this is not worth the money I spent for it, or even the cost of shipping it. Never thought I would find something as simple as a power cord could be badly made and sent to an export market knowing it would be trash soon. China has learned the lesson of planned obsolescence well.",
"asin": "B01ISXWCW4",
"parent_asin": "B01ISXWCW4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3614,
"review_text": "So far so good. This hub worked right out of the box, no set up required. It has a jack to attach a power supply (which is not included) but it has worked fine just plugged into my laptop. I've even used it daisy chained off an external SSD with USB ports and its performed flawlessly.
The hub itself is a firm black plastic. Seems sturdy and well built as do the on/off buttons for each port. There is an approx 3 foot (1 meter?) USB cord built into the case to connect it to your machine. The length is good for portable applications but might be a bit challenging if you have a PC sitting on a floor under a desk. Like most of these accessories I wish the manufacturers would just put a port on the device, include a cable but allow you to change it if you need something longer, shorter or if it wears out with use. Maybe that's part of the planned obsolescence to keep you updating with new products ;-). Any how I've gone through many USB hubs and this one seems well made and currently at $20 for seven (7) ports with individual on/off buttons is competitive with similar USB 3.0 devices.",
"asin": "B0B562X88J",
"parent_asin": "B0B562X88J"
},
{
"unique_id": 3615,
"review_text": "I wanted to love this tablet as I just cannot stand Apple and their business model of planned and forced obsolescence. And when you unbox this tablet, your first thought is that someone finally made something that can dethrone the basic iPad. But this thing only looks the part. The performance is just too middling in browsing and in app switching. Too sluggish. I wish the build quality would have been sacrificed to give it better internals because what this ends up being is a pig with lipstick.",
"asin": "B086Z2XFYP",
"parent_asin": "B08NTQH23X"
},
{
"unique_id": 3616,
"review_text": "Got this as a renew TV; and it's perfect. What a nice picture. I've been waiting a long time to upgrade from my plasma. The plasma obviously uses to much energy; thus this TV. Went alternate energy with many things and the TV is the big one operated on a daily basis. The picture quality is very nice though I've still not decided if it's nicer than my plasma; yet it has a way of drawing you into the picture. The only thing I can say; is when attaching the lower bracket; it has two tabs I presume that would lock in; and I only had one tab (other looks broken off). Which is not that big of a deal; unless I had children; because you also have four small screws backing that up. Nowhere could I find which four screws go on top and on the bottom. There are two sets of four. Anyway; it worked out... used the silver ones on the mount bracket and the brown on the tv bracket. I'm really happy with this TV; and I went ahead and purchased a insurance package with it. Though I'm sure they will never repair it if needed; so in retrospect I should not have gotten it. Since I got it for a steal; any repair would be more than I paid for my 65 inch TV; and they will just refund the price. So take that into consideration when buying an insurance package on renewed TV's. It either works or it doesn't and amazon gives a 90 day warranty. Your credit card may cover the rest. Finally I will say; UPS or someone else butchered the packaging. I had a sign on the door saying knock upon delivery. The guy ran off before i could open the door and I was on the other side of the door; the box was broken in half and I was sure the TV was broken. It was grusom. But the Tv was ok; and I\"m happy about that one. My neighbor who I don't' know tried to stop the driver; because she felt something was odd; to no avail. It must of been the last stop of the night just before 8pm. Actually 7:30. So much for checking the shipment when seeing severe damage to the box. But they pack them really well in bubble wrap that supports the TV and that saved the day. Unless you are shopping for the best high end TV in the world and have the money to back it all up; this Tv will more than suffice for everyone else. I hope they did not do the planned obsolescence thing here; since our planet is running out of resources. End of review/rant.",
"asin": "B07NDFJNV8",
"parent_asin": "B07G8NPV6L"
},
{
"unique_id": 3617,
"review_text": "It's hard to find concrete examples of planned obsolescence but the Audio Technica ATH-PRO700 SV \"Professional\" Monitor Headphones are just that. One would expect headphones which cost upwards of $250 that claim to be professional quality to last a good deal of time. I can search eBay and find studio headphones from the 70's that are still functioning great. However the ATH-PRO700's were not designed to last. The engineers at Audio Technica were clearly pressured by the Executives at the top to encourage the consumers of this process to again buy a new pair sooner than later if they want a functioning product. They did a good job at that.
When I purchased these headphone roughly a year ago I ignored the (now missing from Amazon) reviews that these headphones would break as soon as you purchased them. I did this because the design makes these headphones \"looks so durable and well prepared for rugged environment[s].\" This is a deception. Within a month the poorly made plastic parts on the right side that adjust the speakers to the head broke. I then used a giant paper clip and a twist tie to keep it together. This lasted for a year until the left side broke. Now I have both parts of these headphones supported by the most ugly reenforcement possible. Here is the thing....
I work as a web designer and these headphones have never left my office. NOT ONCE! They are not being used in an environment where drunk frat boys are lighting bottle rockets and killing hookers. It's in a boring officer where the most sever stress placed on them is when I have to quickly take them off because someone needs me to fix a problem. Ooh! Any professional would laugh at these models of expensive consumer trash.
But one the plus side they do sound amazing. It's why I have no problems wearing what is the equivalent to over bearing unsightly headphone orthodontics. When the rubber head part breaks (which it feels like it's about to) then I will have to strip everything out of the headphone and purchase a shell from a 70's pair and replace the parts. Oh yes. That is the extent to which I will not give into Planned Obsolescence.
Don't buy this product unless you like either recycling electronics or enjoy spending an unnecessary amount of money on what is more or less a toy.",
"asin": "B000EDO2PW",
"parent_asin": "B000EDO2PW"
},
{
"unique_id": 3618,
"review_text": "The keyboard seems to work well at first. Unfortunately the \u201cg\u201d key, \u201ch\u201d key, and space bar all stopped working after a month. This is a clear case of planned obsolescence. I was hoping to get a refund for this junk, but since I won\u2019t receive one it makes me all the more bitter about the transaction.",
"asin": "B07Z77RWDB",
"parent_asin": "B08421KFJX"
},
{
"unique_id": 3619,
"review_text": "For an inexpensive alternative, this case was great... At first. The bluetooth disconnects pretty quickly when pausing, which is not a huge deal. The charge lasts forever- which is great! However, today the \u2018d\u2019 key has stopped working properly. It either won't type at all or just continuously types the letter, making this keyboard unusable. There has been no damage, and there's nothing visibly wrong to fix. There's no option to return or contact the seller to see if theres a way to fix it or if it is planned obsolescence. Maybe you get what you pay for- but I was hoping for a little longer life out of this keyboard case.
If you're looking for a short term solution, this is a good option. Otherwise, be prepared to have to buy something else within a few months. Such a waste.",
"asin": "B08HYZ4MQD",
"parent_asin": "B0C16GDYRY"
},
{
"unique_id": 3620,
"review_text": "Piece of crap that stopped working after return date....won\u2019t update. Planned obsolescence.",
"asin": "B00ZV9RDKK",
"parent_asin": "B075X8471B"
},
{
"unique_id": 3621,
"review_text": "SAmsung and Disney conspired to not support Smart TV's purchased before 2016. I have a perfectly good working TV purchased in 2015. I wasn't about to spend another $2000 for a new TV just to watch new streaming channels such as Disney+. Also, my TV is 3-D and you can't buy them any more. Enter Firestick. I bought the 4K version and I swear my UHD picture is better than it was with just my cable service. Perfect answer to a forced obsolescence plan by Samsung.",
"asin": "B079QHML21",
"parent_asin": "B07GZFM1ZM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3622,
"review_text": "So, I'm torn on this router. I moved into a very busy, old, made-of-block apartment complex. The year I was there it was great - it was easy to set-up and worked without issue. Signal across the whole apartment, on both bands. Strong signal and I learned to set it so it had less interference and one of the main reasons I needed something with 5ghz. I think maybe 1 or 2 other apartments used 5ghz, so when I could, that's the band I was on.
I then moved when the family expanded into a house, that's big, old, and made-of-block. It is one far corner (old owners put phone/cable/satellite cables in terrible locations). Even in my master bedroom, I get say about 25% signal and quite usable wifi, even on 5ghz. After own this about another year in my new house, I got a great surprise! The 5ghz network went haywire. My Roku and its remote were going bonkers. The iPad wouldn't stay connected beyond 2 minutes, on a good day. I permanently left my phone off the wifi. After realizing it was a 5ghz only issue, switching every to 2.4ghz fixed my issue. Given my new neighborhood isn't as saturated, this isn't such a big deal, but I paid for this feature set and at 2 years in, the main draw is junked out.
I have a regular desktop PC and a home server plugged directly into this - no issues on that front ever. I never used the USB port as my server did back-ups and file sharing and my printer is wireless - so no comments on that.
So, the positives are it's a strong 2.4ghz router covering a pretty 'bad' house for wifi. As a wired router too it's sufficient. The 5ghz really stinks though. Additionally, the lights. My gosh! This thing appears to be a router as well as nasa space signaling device. If someone slept in the guest room where this is, I'd just unplug it so they didn't get a sunburn from this device.
Overall - I can't recommend this. People seem to have gotten used to routers and modems going bad after a couple years - this seems like planned obsolescence and wasteful. I've had desktops and laptops run for years, some as servers, without any issue. So, saying these are always on is a bit bogus.",
"asin": "B0041LYY6K",
"parent_asin": "B0041LYY6K"
},
{
"unique_id": 3623,
"review_text": "Wanted a way to add a cheaper faster low power SSD media storage option to my aging Turion TL-64 2.2 GHz ACER 5050. I could have used the on-board SD reader, but it is slower than molasses as it only operates at class 2 settings. Added this reader to the machine and a 64GB class 10 SD card- And whiz-bang! The old ACER has been saved once again from obsolescence.",
"asin": "B0027VL2F2",
"parent_asin": "B0027VL2F2"
},
{
"unique_id": 3624,
"review_text": "After over 9 years (bought my paperwhite 1 as soon as it came out in May 2013) of reading on this baby, I thought it was time to share my experience. Maybe I got lucky, maybe I just took good care of it, maybe it's just a great device but it's unbelievable that with today's programmed obsolescence in most technological devices, I've had my kindle for such a long long time. And, I have to add, I'm a book worm: for the last 9+ years, I've used my kindle every single day, be it for an hour or five (or more when I was hooked on some saga!). When I first bought it, I also invested in the original leather case (it's very expensive, so I call it an investment) and I think the good state of my kindle has to do with the great quality of the case. A few weeks ago I decided it was time to retire the case and I bought an identical one to replace it. But the kindle itself is as good as new! Other than a few restarts while I was reading (maybe 4 or 5 over the years?), the battery is holding, the light works the same way it did on day one, and the screen doesn't have a single scratch. I did use a screen shield (similar to the ones you get for your phone) for three or four years, but then I got tired of it and never replaced it. My kindle fell a few times (including a scary fall from a top shelf, over 5 feet) but nothing happened to it and I think a good quality case was essential for that.
TL;DR: The paperwhite first gen is a total gem! I suspect Amazon discontinued it because it was too good, and they make money when people keep buying new stuff and not stick to the same device for a decade. If you can buy it on ebay or a different platform, I'd absolutely go for it.",
"asin": "B007OZNZQ0",
"parent_asin": "B007OZNZQ0"
},
{
"unique_id": 3625,
"review_text": "Bought mine awhile back. The batteries last night melted. The overcharged and almost caused a fire. Had purchased a few to test them one overheated IMMEDIATELY this one seemed to be a 'winner'- nope.
As for the usage I only use them for 1 Roku remote with a headphone jack to not be an a hole to my roommates. I can say I wouldn't have been very popular burning down the house with this.
My concerns are the industry overall. There is a real thing called the Science of Obsolescence* (look it up) scientists and engineers started to reverse engine items so they wouldn't last and keep profit margins up. It's stupid and unsustainable garbage mentality fully. They reversed engineered this to not last. It doesn't which defeats the purpose of buying reusable. We have piles of garbage on a once beautiful planet & polluted water supplies due to subpar products and this version (not the only version) of capitalism. One ENABLED by consumers.
I've been in customer service for various companies over 20 yrs including troubleshooting items to being a consumer I can say not only is this Science of Obsolescence stupid it is dangerous. Very DANGEROUS because of a dangerous faulty product by GREEDY companies as well as consumers enabling this cr@p ypu can lose you house via fire or life etc.
This isn't the only charger with issues they are ALL DESIGNED TO FAIL. It started out great then turned dangerous. Buyer beware and kindly educate yourselves. This isn't isolated issue. Some people simply get lemon items others have a better experience regardless, the products are not built to last.
Keep that in mind. That economic structure is toxic and unsustainable we call all do better. After all we share a planet a lot of faulty products really add up in a short period of time. I prefer my water supplies without battery acid or other stuff.",
"asin": "B00IM3P8GS",
"parent_asin": "B00IM3P8GS"
},
{
"unique_id": 3626,
"review_text": "First off, Drok makes hella good products, they don\u2019t have the stereotypical \"planned obsolescence\" in mind for their products. I\u2019ve brought a mini amp from them before and now this meter, and it works, installs, and looks awesome.",
"asin": "B07V373LKR",
"parent_asin": "B07V373LKR"
},
{
"unique_id": 3627,
"review_text": "The extender was easy enough to install but just shy of 1 year it just spontaneously stopped working with all white lights consistently flashing. Restarting did nothing. Resetting still no fix. Hit the WMA sync button to connect to router without any changes to white light flashing of apparent failure. Called the customer service and after being on hold for 45 mins they told me that I needed their netgear gear head team to run diagnostics to determine if it is a hardware problem but the catch is that they will not do this unless you buy one of their service agreements ranging from 60 to 200 dollars. I used to like the netgear nighthawk product line but never had to deal with their service aspect. Now that I know how much of a fraud they are I will not be purchasing anything they make again. Nor would I ever recommend anything from Netgear. After reading through multiple threads online, it looks like this issue is pretty common so it seems to me some planned obsolescence is at play here. Netgear is trash as is their products.",
"asin": "B074F3M2W8",
"parent_asin": "B074F3M2W8"
},
{
"unique_id": 3628,
"review_text": "Years ago, products were made to last. Today, companies seem to operate on a planned obsolescence mandate which is why nothing seem to last very long. Having Asurion protection is a must for me almost always when I purchase something. Asurion has been very good about honoring my protection policy. Just return the unusable product and Asurion dispenses a gift card for the purchase price of the item to be used on Amazon. I feel so much better knowing that Asurion has my back.",
"asin": "B07QB55FXS",
"parent_asin": "B07QB55FXS"
},
{
"unique_id": 3629,
"review_text": "I had a Logitech trackball for a little over 20 years that finally fell and cracked the case, so I thought it was time to go ahead and get a new one. This one was pretty OK, but now after only 2 years, the Left click button has gone psychotic. I've tried everything, turned on & off, new battery, re-downloaded the driver - nothing has worked. If you're OK with 2 years of use, then throw away and get another, then this is fine. Personally I'm disappointed with Logitech - I always held their equipment in the highest respect, but it looks like they've succumbed to the capitalist planned obsolescence like everyone else. Too bad.",
"asin": "B0043T7FXE",
"parent_asin": "B0043T7FXE"
},
{
"unique_id": 3630,
"review_text": "It works. I have been using it to support a game camera and it does the job. The clamp for the joint is a bit frustrating to use due to - you guessed it the designer being cheap and trying to make one part do too much. That is, one screw tightens the two plates that apply pressure against an upper and lower ball joint. Rather than go with one ball joint like my previous small tripod had or using separate clamps this design genius created a clamp that when loosened gives you four pieces to juggle. The trick here is too slightly loosen the clamp and force the stand into the configuration of your desire. This will lead to accelerated wear of the plastic (vice metal) parts however slight that may be. I suppose that planned obsolescence is also part of the design. Cheap, cheap.",
"asin": "B000ANCPNM",
"parent_asin": "B000ANCPNM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3631,
"review_text": "First I have to say I love my kindle. But now that it is 2 years old it crashes so much I think it must be dead. Maybe its me but I think products should last and not have a built in obsolescence. It would freeze since the beginning and Amazon would tell me how to reboot it, but it seems to me they should have fixed the design flaw and recalled the product. Another area that needs work are the 2 holes on the side where you attached the cover. Those should not be plastic because they also eventually crack and break and now I cant keep the cover on.
I guess I am forced to buy the paperwhite now, although I could have happily continued with my current reader.",
"asin": "B004HZYA6E",
"parent_asin": "B004HZYA6E"
},
{
"unique_id": 3632,
"review_text": "On the cheap, new Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II collapsible kit lens ==> Talk about light weight and small!
I tested this lens with VRII on at 35mm in comparison to Nikon's new 35mm, f/1.8 prime DX lens without VR that many rave about as being super sharp. I used point focusing for both with a D5200 camera body. The day was bright and sunny. This lens is noticeably sharper with the VRII on than the prime lens. Go figure. No one seems to consider this point in gauging sharpness or much else.
Then process the JPEG's and RAW photos taken with this lens in the DxO Optics Pro program which corrects for all of this specific lens' optical faults down to even softness in the corners and you are ahead of many megabuck lenses out there.
No one talks about these matters because they have marketing, profit and obsolescence implications for the companies involved.",
"asin": "B00HQ4W4PC",
"parent_asin": "B00HQ4W4PC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3633,
"review_text": "I purchased this in April 2020 and by May 2021, the power just didn't come on anymore. Disappointing, because I bought TP Link thinking it was a reliable brand. Should last more than a year, though I'm guessing this is just another form of wasteful planned obsolescence.",
"asin": "B000FNFSPY",
"parent_asin": "B0BYYJPGQB"
},
{
"unique_id": 3634,
"review_text": "Tv was great.... for one month. Then the entire display turned green and audio went to static. Even the static & menus are tinted green.
Entirely broken after 1 month and 1 day.
I was happy with this product until today, but this will be the last LG product I ever purchase.
As much as I loathe planned obsolescence, these companies with their cheaper and cheaper products are even worse.",
"asin": "B00KVLT08G",
"parent_asin": "B00KVLT08G"
},
{
"unique_id": 3635,
"review_text": "I purchased these in November 2015, and have loved them since. Great sound, outstanding battery life, and excellent sound isolation without active noise canceling technology (which can give me a headache). These lasted ~18 months before the arm holding the left speaker AND the yoke on the right side BOTH cracked. I babied these things, used a headphone case (a Vectron) to transport them back & forth to work when I wasn't wearing them. They seem almost engineered for obsolescence, and the replacement part costs almost as much as what I paid (and would require me to rewire everything).
I think I'm going to spend a little more money and buy another pair of Sennheisers next.",
"asin": "B017TSSAZM",
"parent_asin": "B00NYBGNQ2"
},
{
"unique_id": 3636,
"review_text": "You just don't expect anything to last over a couple years nowadays with the proliferation of planned obsolescence. Most electronics are outdated as soon as you've left the store. This surfboard is still ticking.",
"asin": "B004XC6GJ0",
"parent_asin": "B004XC6GJ0"
},
{
"unique_id": 3637,
"review_text": "What the hell, Philips? I got this to replace one I had from 2018, which finally burned out. I generally hate un-repairable products and planned obsolescence, but I liked this alarm clock so much that I was willing to get another one because it was so well designed and I could justify spending $80 every other year if that's what it took.
Too bad they had to ruin it. The new model still has the excellent lighting and color transitions from the old one, but it's cheap plastic crap all around and it feels so much less durable. I actually researched a while because I thought it might be counterfeit. You can even see the electronics housings straight through the thin front... If they cut corners that hard on something clearly visible, who knows what cost cutting changes they've made to the inside components.
I'm still trying to decide if I want to return this because it was definitely a bait and switch. Needless to say, even if I keep it, I will NOT be getting another one. I can't afford the $200 models so I guess I'll just get the knockoffs next time because Philips' value add was their durability and aesthetics, so now there's no difference at all.
Pics are of the new model on the left vs the 2018 model.
Also, be warned that the antenna wire is very thin and delicate. Even on the old model it got gradually shorter as my cats play with it and break bits off. Radio still worked great even when the wire was almost gone but I have no faith that this new model will preform that well.",
"asin": "B0093162RM",
"parent_asin": "B0093162RM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3638,
"review_text": "These fail, spectacularly and reliably within 6 months of use every time. OneAdio warranted my first set due to a failure in one of the bendy joint they designed with planned obsolescence in mind. I tried to like them, I tried to use them, but all of the extra bendy parts designed for \"travel and storage\" Are likely designed to make sure the headphones that otherwise sound good, fail at the joints relatively quickly. The free set also failed at the same point in the same amount of time, about three months. The Issue is all of these manufactures are designing these headphones now with the same idea in mind. Make them foldable, because you know they fail when they do. They did give me another set but the lifetime warranty only extends to the one set, so its the lifetime of the first set of headphones, which is 3 to 6 months, and then another set you don't get a third. I wouldn't want one if they offered anyway as they way they bend when you do to put them on your head is annoying as s***. They flop and bend awkwardly whenever you set them down and if they are plugged into anything below them, the length of the cord is just such that it drags the headphones clean off of the table or desk and onto the floor, all but ensuring they break tat the joints designed to break when this happens. Bad design, avoid this garbage.",
"asin": "B01N6ZJH96",
"parent_asin": "B091K4WYD1"
},
{
"unique_id": 3639,
"review_text": "First, I would like to say that I love my original [discontinued] Gyration Ultra. It was first generation and performed incredibly for a good six or seven years. Unfortunately, due to planned obsolescence, I could not service the worn out batteries in the molded battery pack and decided to try one of Gyration's latest incarnations - the Gyration \"Air Mouse\" with MotionSense (it's the product with the catatonic female yuppy jumping in the air). Unfortunately, the company decided not to improve on an incredible product, and really screwed up every good thing about the original.
First, durability - it feels extremely cheap and that you could crush it or snap the pieces apart by squeezing it. To it's credit, I do believe it could withstand a drop from a chair and I did give it a squeeze test, but the battery cover feels as though it will fail.
Second, ergonomics - unfortunately, this is the most poorly conceived design I've ever experienced. Imagine holding a regular cheap mouse and trying to use the scroll wheel and clicking buttons that your grip is always at least partially depressing (the buttons cover 85% of the top side). This is made only worse by the fact that it has no weight to it, and that you have to hold an awkwardly placed cursor-activation trigger making the \"egg\" seem slippery. Unlike the original pistol-gripped Gyration Ultra, this low-end model is so awkward to hold that it hurts my wrist and strains the pollicis muscles (meaty thumb part) after a minute of surfing. Moreover, hand size has nothing to due with these design flaws.
Third, control - this awkwardness makes it hard to wave the cursor outward (from your body) since the odd handling limits your range of motion, and clicking/not clicking buttons is a serious pain in the arse. Two more issues: sometimes the thing can't wake up and worst of all - since it's so awkward - if you let go of the motion trigger because you've centered on an onscreen button the weightless awkward piece of crap \"jumps\" because of this tiny motion and you miss the mark. Alternatively, (because it's so hard to hold) keeping the trigger depressed while repositioning your thumb to right/left click something makes it start to slip out of your hand. It almost feels like squeezing a lathered bar of soap that wants to jump out of your hand.
Anyway, I'm going to exchange it and pay the difference for the next model up and write a review for that as well. And hopefully I don't end up buying a Logitec mouse or breaking into my old Gyration Ultra's molded case to replace the worn out batteries.
PS - in case Gyration ever reads this, here's what they should do: re-release the Gyration Ultra with a wider keyboard that doesn't fall between your knees, design serviceable batteries, and get rid of the charging cradle. Also, you can make it so that setting it on a flat surface depresses a plate or push-button switch that activates the laser mouse feature instead of having a sensor sucking batter power the entire time it's operating. And why not plug the mouse in instead of having a cradle? Or make it functional as a laser mouse as it charges in the cradle. Does it really need to be unusable as it charges?",
"asin": "B001CHKTQU",
"parent_asin": "B001CHKTQU"
},
{
"unique_id": 3640,
"review_text": "Had to replace my original chime after about 3 years, as it kept dropping off line. Their app showed that the chime was online, as was the doorbell, but the chime hardly ever sounded when someone pressed the doorbell. Couldn't trust it. Took awhile to troubleshoot and verify the root of the problem. Ring was no help. I got the distinct impression that this is a case of planned obsolescence. The first one seemed to work when it wanted to, which wasn't very often in the end, and it just kept slowly getting worse. That's not how solid state electronics fails. That's more like a software time out.",
"asin": "B07WML2XTD",
"parent_asin": "B07WML2XTD"
},
{
"unique_id": 3641,
"review_text": "This must now be only a "niche" item, since the enthusiast community, the OEM manufacturers of PCs at large and the technology have banished IDE drives to the heap of obsolescence.
As an enthusiast, I have many surplus hard disks. I am still trying to rid myself of lower-capacity IDE drives.
But I had invested some years back in a Startech IDE hot-swap drive bay-and-caddies with three Hitachi 500GB IDE spinners. Since these devices were all intended for backup, they still have "low-mileage." I estimate the total of the original outlay in 2006 nominal dollars at ~$345. I maintain a home-server running WHS-2011 (Win 2008 R2). I wanted to use these old items as part of a backup strategy for the server itself.
I tried several SATA-to-IDE devices such as this StarTech bi-directional unit, but they were older and therefore slower. The residual problem with ANY of these devices arises because the adapter(s) remain powered when you wish to "safely remove" and swap the drives-in-caddies. But it turns out that most bay-and-caddy designs provide a 12V port for a rear option fan, and the 12V fan plug is switched to the bay/caddy keyswitch. The Bi-directional (and other such) adapters are powered by a 5V connection to the computer power supply. So we were able to run a floppy-power-plug connecting the adapter with a 7805 5V voltage regulator spliced into the wiring, and we connected the ground and + wires to the 12V port on the rear of the hot-swap bay. Works like a charm, so the adapter powers down with the drive, and the IDE drive with its SATA connection through the adapter is completely "hot-swappable" as one would wish.",
"asin": "B00310MFPY",
"parent_asin": "B01JZ8Z7C8"
},
{
"unique_id": 3642,
"review_text": "I purchased the Koss Porta Pro Limited Edition for sentimental reasons. I really wanted these headphones to be a lot better than they are. This Retro 80s headphone unfortunately reminded me of just how bad most 1980s mass-market audio products were. Very flimsy, cheap, hard plastic body, foam ear pads, and thin cable. Feels like they were designed with planned obsolescence in mind. No better or worse than any Walkman-style upgrade headphones from the time period.
Sound is respectable relative to price. Okay bass and somewhat bright, these phones are certainly not EDM-friendly. Okay soundstage. Very lightweight and reasonably comfortable. Three position tension adjustment seems to have only two positions. Sound-isolation is poor. I suspect that these phones will not be functional within noisy environments unless the volume is kicked-up to hearing-unfriendly levels. Not sure how people used personal portables with this type headphone while commuting on the subway back-in-the-day.
Headphone technology has progressed significantly after the introduction of iPod and the proliferation of smartphones. There are many better choices in this price range that offer better or similar sound quality and more impressive build. Returned to amazon for refund. Some things are better left in the past.",
"asin": "B01N7EXSJL",
"parent_asin": "B07Q1JRKC4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3643,
"review_text": "Sol Republic are great headphones, but this is the third time that I have had to replace the cable. Planned obsolescence maybe? In any case it arrived in two business days, a day earlier than it said it would be here and this cable works great, looks sleek and is comforatable",
"asin": "B008DKHZDO",
"parent_asin": "B00CDI65AQ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3644,
"review_text": "Another undependable Garmin product loaded with great features. It looks absolutely fantastic and it's a little slimmer than most of its competitors given everything they've packed into it. (I'd buy a Suunto Ambit for the more reliable GPS unit if it didn't look so ridiculously huge on my wrist). The wristband is excellent, which is #1 reason I had no choice but to return the top-quality Suunto Ambit that was a terrible fit on my small wrist (6.5in diameter, 2.25in across). The FR235 is a really nice watch when it actually charges and works.
It's disappointing when my new FR235 with all it's shiny new features lacks the performance of my FR10 when it comes to basics like acquiring a fix on satellites. I had problems with the FR10 being accurate when I ran on trails under tree cover. I was this close to buying the Epson Runsense SF-810 (based on a strong review by DC Rainmaker) if not for the fact I really wanted my new watch to connect with a footpod to give me cadence stats. I decided to give Garmin 235 a chance based on the strong reviews here that said this GPS unit did a better, more reliable job of getting a satellite signal.
So I've had the FR235 watch for a month now. My $125 Garmin FR10 gets a satellite connection from my upstairs bedroom and this watch will not. I've stood outside getting cold for 10-15 minutes in 30\u00b0 winter temps and never getting a satellite signal despite standing still in different places in my driveway or front sidewalk (with no trees overhead). Because Garmin's newest $330 running watch can't do what their 3-year-old bottom-of-the-line $125 FR10 could do. What does it tell you when DC Rainmaker tests show a brand new entrant to the market (Epson/Seiko runsense) develops their own GPS unit in-house and right out of the gate, it's GPS accuracy matches the best Garmin can offer after years of Garmin being the leading GPS sportswatch manufacturer? It tells you somebody is being lazy about their basic GPS performance and focusing only on developing new features. Epson, please add footpod compatibility to your top of the line running watch! (I hear their online alternative to Garmin Connect is clunky-looking but it works)
I bought the soft external heartrate monitor with strap (not included) for actual runs, because I read reviews here that said the optical HR works fine holding a steady pace, but does not respond well to sudden changes in heart rate like when you do intervals. I've worn it most all day and night because the optical HR monitor is nice for doubling as a Fitbit for your everyday activity, movement, steps, etc. Optical HR is a new technology and I came in with lowered expectations there (unlike rapidly and reliably acquiring a satellite signal, which should be a given by now).
So far as I can tell, the footpod (bought separately) works well with it and the FR235 is supposed to calibrate the footpod itself without me doing anything to calculate anything and manually enter an adjustment factor. At first I had trouble getting the footpod and external heartrate monitor to connect, so much so that I wondered if only one of them could connect with Bluetooth at once. After a few days, though, both settled in and connect pretty quickly. I wish I could say the same thing for acquiring a satellite signal connection... Perhaps because there are so many more menu options than on the FR10, I have yet to find a way in the menus to turn off the GPS connection when recording an activity indoors, such as running steps in a building in the winter (DC Rainmaker encourages runners to disconnect GPS when using a footpod indoors like on a treadmill).
It is not nearly as intuitive as the FR10. The FR10 makes it really obvious when it's searching for a satellite signal and when it finds one. I didn't really need a manual to figure anything out on the FR10. The first few runs with the FR235 I thought I had a satellite connection and started running, and it was only when I got home and uploaded the data that I discovered my first mile or two were based on the footpod, and my track on the map only picked up partway into the run. I printed out the FR235 manual and took a highlighter to it even to figure out some basic stuff. You have to really look a lot harder to recognize whether the FR235 is still trying to find four satellites, and it's subtle enough I couldn't tell until I read the 235 manual first.
Previously I had the ForeRunner10 which had no problem lasting through a marathon the first year I had it, but by two years the lithium battery gave out before I could complete two 13-mile runs (the FR10 battery is soldered in place and Garmin says it costs ~$75 to send it in to get a new battery). Approaching three years, the FR10 would often drain in a few days when I wasn't using it, then half the time it wouldn't be ready when I go to run. A lithium battery that's no good after 2-3 years? Planned obsolescence.
Four times in a row the past week I've put the 235 on the charging clip and the watch failed to charge. It was on the charging clip all day today yet the battery is around 20% now. At first I thought maybe I had bumped a button and so it was in an Activity when I put it on the charger, or I'd accidentally put the clip on upside down with the contacts on the watch face or something. Not so. I cleaned the contacts. Still nothing. I read a post "unable to charge via usb wall charger" where some people complained the charging indicator no longer showed it was charging from a wall outlet when the firmware updated from 3.13 to 3.20 (the posters say in fact the watch was charging, but no longer showed any indicator it was charging). That's not the problem I'm having because my Garmin is clearly not charging at all from the wall outlet. My FR10 never had this problem, and now my FR235 is unreliable when it comes to charging after I've had it less than four weeks. Currently my FR235 has Software Version 3.20 (44efa83) installed. My suspicion is my watch had 3.13 when I bought it (like the forum posters writing in Dec 2015 about wall outlet charging issues), and the watch updated automatically to 3.20 when connected to my computer. Nothing happened to the usb wall plug that came with my iPhone, it will still charge my iPhone or any other USB device just fine ... except not the FR235. So just because a Garmin product is working fine the day you bought it, there's no guarantee they won't screw up things with firmware updates at any moment, whether two weeks or two years after you bought it. How do you trust a product like this? Makes you tempted to never connect to Garmin Connect and use some other service to store your data instead, doesn't it? One of the five-star reviewers who gave a glowing review after they had it for a whole week, now comments that Bluetooth is not connecting well after the same firmware update (between beginning of Dec and end of Jan sounds like same 3.13 to 3.20 update). So ... what's the ratio of "fixes" to "broke-something-basic-that-previously-worked-fine" in Garmin FR235 firmware updates here?
When I used the FR10, Garmin Connect no longer worked with my laptop OS when my OS was not quite three years old. Garmin first started insisting I must upgrade my OS when it was barely two years old, when no other online program or installed software on the market required me to do so. Rude.
When I looked at other Garmin devices (both watches and handheld units for hiking) in 2015 I discovered the company has refused for years and years to tell you which GPS units they install in which watches (or handheld hiking units). In fact I learned here on Amazon reviews that they switched to a completely different brand GPS unit in their top-selling handheld hiking GPS unit without telling anyone or putting this anywhere in their product information. Reviewers who'd bought and later replaced the same GPS handheld unit consistently said the performance of the later Garmin handhelds was seriously degraded as a result of this bait-and-switch (which resulted from a court case against the chip manufacturer and not a cost-cutting measure by Garmin, but it's still not honest to hide this from customers). Would you buy a laptop from a company that refuses to even tell you if it has an Intel or AMD processor, let alone whether or not their cheaper and more expensive laptops use the exact same specific processor? Garmin needs some serious competition so that they start to treat their customers with more respect. A lot of people are buying Garmins on their lon list of new features and small size/looks, when their basic GPS performance is undependable if you're not standing in an open parking lot/field, and the way they expect their customers to blindly buy an unknown GPS processor or to constantly update their computer OS just for the sake of a running watch is just plain rude. Does Garmin disable the charging capabilities of my FR10 and their other GPS watches after just two years with their firmware updates? Am I uploading only fixes or am I also uploading updates that break my watch too so I'll have to buy a new one? Given Garmin's track record on being rude and less than forthcoming in other areas, I have to wonder.",
"asin": "B0160BC18G",
"parent_asin": "B0160BC18G"
},
{
"unique_id": 3645,
"review_text": "I bought one of these protection plans for my last printer, an Epson XP-830. Over the years, I've had a love-hate relationship with Epson printers. They work beautifully at first, but over time they inevitably start misbehaving -- even though I always used \"Genuine Ep$on Ink\" It was this inevitability that got me to consider a protection plan.
Frankly, I have always been skeptical of these protection plans, mostly due to what I call the \"obsolescence cycle\" of high tech products. In other words, by the time they start malfunctioning -- or just die altogether -- it's time for a latest-and-greatest-shiny-new-model anyway. But with inkjet printers, it's a little different. They are doomed to fail by design, mainly due to the way they constantly hemorrhage ink internally as part of their, ahem, \"cleaning cycle\".
So, after barely over a year old, when the XP-830 starting messing things up intolerably (and just out of warranty, of course,) I started the claim process on the protection plan. I thought for sure it would be a hassle. I'm happy to report that the process was quite painless, thank you. It simply involved some texting back and forth with an Asurion representative (whom I am 99% certain was an actual human being and not a robot.)
The next pleasant surprise was that they promptly reimbursed me 100% of the purchase price. I though I would have to settle for a repair or \"reconditioned\" unit or some such. So then the hardest part was deciding on a new printer. Epson had, in the meantime, (can you guess?) discontinued the XP-830 -- one of the few printers by any maker with the exact feature set I require. After much research, I decided that after 3 Epsons in a row (all of whom had met with early demises) it was time to give them a rest and try something new. So I got me a Canon TS9120, which has all the features the XP-830 had.
Oh, and did I buy a protection plan along with the Canon? You better believe it.",
"asin": "B01LZ1UJKY",
"parent_asin": "B01LZ1UJKY"
},
{
"unique_id": 3646,
"review_text": "For some reason Netflix and Amazon streaming services became unavailable on our two TV sets...due to age? planned obsolescence? Or perhaps the services/programming became too complicated for older \"smart\" TVs. So, the Fire Stick has gotten us back in the \"game.\"",
"asin": "B0791TX5P5",
"parent_asin": "B0791TX5P5"
},
{
"unique_id": 3647,
"review_text": "Garmin offers a lifetime offer for maps and traffic which sounds terrific EXCEPT that means lifetime of the unit which doesn't seem to include their ability to write code that allows the unit to be recognized by newer versions of Windows. That was once called planned obsolescence! So, Garmin effectively dictates the \"lifetime \" of the unit, not the hardware.",
"asin": "B003ZX8B2S",
"parent_asin": "B003ZX8B2S"
},
{
"unique_id": 3648,
"review_text": "I bought this for my daughters brewery. I have a autoformer hooked up to the receiver driving four sets of speakers on channel A. I have another set of speakers on channel B going into the brewing production area. I have a powered sound bar hooked up over the bar connected to an output channel. An amazon bluetooth receiver hooked into an input. I have TV sound out plugged into an input channel. AND... I have a 12 channel mixing board connected into another input channel that supports open mic night on every Thursday and various other artists that come in and play about every other Saturday. All speakers are BIC speakers, the sound bar is from Vizio. I even have speakers in the restrooms:) Every input and every output is used on this receiver.
This damn receiver drives all this for about 8-10 hours a day, seven days a week. It has been going like this for six or so months and I keep expecting it to fall over. Crap, it's like a Honda Civic that won't die, I have one of those also. Sometimes the musicians over power the mixer board into the receiver and the receiver shuts down. But it just powers right up again.
For the money this is the best receiver I have ever used. Not sure how much longer this will keep going. I have contemplated buying a commercial unit but heck I'll just let this receiver continue to march ahead.
UPDATE: 12/31/17
Still going strong! We now have a separate amp for "open mic nights" now but this receiver keeps ticking 8 hours a day / 7 days a week. What can I say, a great product.
Update 3/17/2020
OMG - still running strong 7 days a week, 10 hours a day. No planned obsolescence in this product. Loved it so much I bought 3 Yamaha dirt bikes. All virtually industructable. What a great company. Oh, also just bought a 15 year old Yamaha 2 stroke outboard. Had it checked out and the tech said it will outlast me.",
"asin": "B00F0H88SY",
"parent_asin": "B00FPLMSK4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3649,
"review_text": "I bought this for my daughters brewery. I have a autoformer hooked up to the receiver driving four sets of speakers on channel A. I have another set of speakers on channel B going into the brewing production area. I have a powered sound bar hooked up over the bar connected to an output channel. An amazon bluetooth receiver hooked into an input. I have TV sound out plugged into an input channel. AND... I have a 12 channel mixing board connected into another input channel that supports open mic night on every Thursday and various other artists that come in and play about every other Saturday. All speakers are BIC speakers, the sound bar is from Vizio. I even have speakers in the restrooms:) Every input and every output is used on this receiver.
This damn receiver drives all this for about 8-10 hours a day, seven days a week. It has been going like this for six or so months and I keep expecting it to fall over. Crap, it's like a Honda Civic that won't die, I have one of those also. Sometimes the musicians over power the mixer board into the receiver and the receiver shuts down. But it just powers right up again.
For the money this is the best receiver I have ever used. Not sure how much longer this will keep going. I have contemplated buying a commercial unit but heck I'll just let this receiver continue to march ahead.
UPDATE: 12/31/17
Still going strong! We now have a separate amp for "open mic nights" now but this receiver keeps ticking 8 hours a day / 7 days a week. What can I say, a great product.
Update 3/17/2020
OMG - still running strong 7 days a week, 10 hours a day. No planned obsolescence in this product. Loved it so much I bought 3 Yamaha dirt bikes. All virtually industructable. What a great company. Oh, also just bought a 15 year old Yamaha 2 stroke outboard. Had it checked out and the tech said it will outlast me.",
"asin": "B00F0H88SY",
"parent_asin": "B00FPLMSK4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3650,
"review_text": "This device lasted for about 4 years on the original battery. Then I tried to replace the battery. It was impossible to find a direct replacement because the compartment had been designed to accept a non-standard size battery. Then I read another review that said it was possible to modify the compartment to accommodate a standard size, same power, battery. So I did that by cutting out the added plastic partitions in the compartment that prevented the use of the standard battery. This is shameful of Cyber Power to plan the obsolescence of this device.",
"asin": "B0030SL08A",
"parent_asin": "B07L5YHD5N"
},
{
"unique_id": 3651,
"review_text": "I have, literally, had this item for less than 24 hours... By fault of my own, I accidentally stepped on the cable while my phone was charging. However, the cable is now no longer usable. The male connection to my phone bent and will now not hold in place properly. As a result, my phone will charge with the cable. It seemed like a sturdy cable when I got it. Now I realize that it was just another piece of planned obsolescence, junk. You get what you pay for.",
"asin": "B002I8MUJG",
"parent_asin": "B00SKHWBU2"
},
{
"unique_id": 3652,
"review_text": "Pro: You'll have no regrets if you can treat the cables with respect and not carry them in any pant pockets.
Con: If they could just make the cable lines more durable these would easily become the best Earbuds you could ever buy, every pair I've had, ended up needing the cables replaced, The very thin wires break inside the insulation, all from just hanging from your ears (over a years or more), it honestly seems like its planned obsolescence, since they all fail the same way on every pair I've owned
The SCOSCHE SportFlex 3 have a great cable, very strong and durable, but the sound quality is absolutely trash compared to these, I just don't understand why they cant add the drivers from these into the sportflex 3 and have a win win for everyone.
Buy them.",
"asin": "B00AEVNRJ6",
"parent_asin": "B078SVBYFM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3653,
"review_text": "I am a forever apple user and I am used to the dynamic at this point. This is a great piece of technology, exorbitantly overpriced and designed to work with and only with the latest generation, like all the other devices I own, because I\u2019m addicted to apple products. it\u2019s too late for me. There\u2019s no way back.
But yeah this is a brand new Apple Pencil, it\u2019s top of the line. It does exactly what it should and slightly more for the allotted time it has before apple forces it into obsolescence.",
"asin": "B07K1WWBJK",
"parent_asin": "B07K1WWBJK"
},
{
"unique_id": 3654,
"review_text": "I liked that I could spread out several oversized older type of power plugs over the many sockets. The usb sockets however are not so useful. The inserts are all white, which means usb 2.0. If they were usb 3.0 the sockets would be blue. Importance is speed of transmission; usb 3.0 system is 10 times as fast in mbps as 2.0. Which means if you try plugging a phone in this strip, you will have to wait 10 times as long for recharging to occur. Actually the Lighting to USB adapter cord that came with my i13 would not even fit into those sockets, indicating their obsolescence. I bought this device to cope with all the old fashioned power plugs on my desk and mission accomplished, but don't think you're getting a bonus usb \"hub\" with this device unless everything you own moves at snail pace anyway.",
"asin": "B08P5LRY37",
"parent_asin": "B0B496582G"
},
{
"unique_id": 3655,
"review_text": "I love the sound even in the wind... but I have a pair that the wire broke inside near the plug... that could easily be designed to be reparable by anyone but the old set that has nothing else wrong with it is useless.
I bought a new pair and attached a tube to the plug and it seems to be protecting the wire from breaking but looks pretty goofy.
Yesterday I lost my first bud cover that does all the work but is designed to fall off... before long at all... and the replacements are way over priced... planned obsolescence is not only greedy but hurries climate destruction along... way to go Yurbud.",
"asin": "B00NJ5LD68",
"parent_asin": "B00NJ5LD68"
},
{
"unique_id": 3656,
"review_text": "DO NOT BUY!!! I unfortunately have purchased three of these units by Sony over the past couple of years and each has experienced unreconcilable problems with the \u201cChild Lock\u201d. The unit\u2019s tray locks and will not open again. Ever. Regardless of all the advice and guidance provided in the thousands of internet posts regarding this problem. I will NEVER purchase another Sony product again. Unreliable and seemingly engineered for obsolescence.",
"asin": "B07YGP42ZX",
"parent_asin": "B07YGP42ZX"
},
{
"unique_id": 3657,
"review_text": "What more can be said in favor of the rapid obsolescence of technology than that you can get something like this for a couple hundred bucks? I used to have a 3.2 MP camera and was told that it was unsuitable for a piece I was trying to submit which made me go out and charge up this one. After taking my first few pictures I had eureka moment after eureka moment. I felt as if I were looking at slides produced by my old Nikon model from the mid-nineties. There isn't much that is \"digital\" about this photography apart from its ease of use. The back screen is quite impressive and it satisfies everyone who can't wait to see the shot that you just took. The display is certainly an added advantage of the model; although, the price is what brought me to it in the first place and my bank account is pleased with my decision.",
"asin": "B000EJU7MI",
"parent_asin": "B000EJU7MI"
},
{
"unique_id": 3658,
"review_text": "You'd think in this age, no company would try to save a few pennies by building a device with 100 Mbps network interface when 1 Gbps has been standard for ages now. The fact that most televisions today do exactly that smells suspiciously like planned obsolescence. Fortunately, this worked perfectly to remedy the inadequate wired and wireless interfaces in LG's CX television. Where it would struggle to locally stream video files over 50 Mbps on either native Wifi (5ghz x 80mhz with no interference) or wired (1Gbps); with this USB adapter, it can stream video files up to 140 Mbps without buffering. That is more than sufficient for the highest quality H.265 2160p 10-bit files that you will realistically throw at your smart TV. One note on LG WebOS, you must disable wifi for this to work, and despite WebOS indicating there is no connection, it works. Tested on OLED55CXAUA running software 04.35.10.",
"asin": "B00BBD7NFU",
"parent_asin": "B0C5B6TQNL"
},
{
"unique_id": 3659,
"review_text": "Would not recommend, bought the 2019 model, it died a month after the warranty ended. Good job at planned obsolescence, Samsung, but bad job if you want me to buy another one of your TVs! On the upside, I'm glad to not be locked into the Samsung OS anymore, would rather have Android or Roku with more apps to choose from.",
"asin": "B084JHKT7S",
"parent_asin": "B08KXFRDZW"
},
{
"unique_id": 3660,
"review_text": "Do you need a paperweight or just want something that is designed to look like a radio but is in reality a brick? All GRACE Internet Radios pre-2017 no longer work because the required server, Reciva, has been de-commissioned. Emails to the manufacturer are simply replied with standard \"sucks for you\" emails. Did you get a coupon code to reimburse you for the loss of use of your radio? That's almost as useless as well since Grace appears to be chronically sold out and the one unit they seem to have is on backorder and grossly overpriced. Was this a victim of advancing technology or a deliberately planned case of planned obsolescence? I'll let you decide but I recommend you avoid Grace manufactured radios.",
"asin": "B004YI9HG2",
"parent_asin": "B004YI9HG2"
},
{
"unique_id": 3661,
"review_text": "Trash, Avoid, Planned obsolescence causes battery to fail 1 month after purchase.",
"asin": "B011HT9AL2",
"parent_asin": "B01A0MTS3W"
},
{
"unique_id": 3662,
"review_text": "A year to the date, the back web button started doubling then not responding. Not the first Logitech mouse I've had that had microswitch issues. Lt needs to up their QC. There is no reason other than planned obsolescence for a mouse to die at a year. No reason for it have issues within 5 years. Others have noted the same issue with their switches.",
"asin": "B01694XMF0",
"parent_asin": "B01694XMF0"
},
{
"unique_id": 3663,
"review_text": "This laptop has been the best of 3 I've tried. The "business class" laptops are built sturdier (like they should all be bu not the 100% plasticisized feel). The mesh metal matrix encasing the display is light and strong... not that uncertain feel of brittle casing crunching in between your fingers when you need to do an "emergency grab"! The graphics are NVidia. I felt uncertain about that, since Nvidia had to settle a class action lawsuit related to defective GPU's in this type of laptop model, however graphics are steady and consistent.These defective graphics processors seem to have placed in any number of laptops.I found them in a Dell Latitude 620, much to my dismay. Perhaps the vendor corrected this prior to the sale . On that note, SWM Electronics Recyclers took care to optimize this unit to it's full potential. That's been a most pleasant surprise. There are no post-market optimizations I expected to have to do myself. I'd certainly seek this vendor out for repeat future purchases The unit arrived with a SSD, additional 2GB RAM to allow for a 64 bit Win 7 Pro experience "out of the box". The 2.2 G.Hz. Intel Processor allows for a smooth, fast, seamless 64 bit OS flow--nice!. (I'll delay loading Linux for a while!) Linux users-- the Thinkpad is reported to be highly adaptable our favorite distros. I'll update this post someday after an Ubuntu Gnome install.
The BIOS and CMOS are well plotted out and readily accessible with the blue "ThinkVantage" button .The 3 USB slots and 1 SD card reader, and audio jacks have extra reinforcement to give them longer life. Keyboard is nice sized, responsive. No cheap construction noted. Some critics complained of the IBM imprint on this model, however I find it to be well thought out for a laptop-- not just something slopped together to end up on the scrap-heap a few years later.(There's nothing like planned obsolescence.) This unit does not run hot. Sitting on top of my thigh doesn't make me feel like I'm going to fry. (my Toshiba, does that well.)",
"asin": "B004O8EFIM",
"parent_asin": "B004O8EFIM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3664,
"review_text": "Still my favorite phone. Why? Feature list:
1) Replaceable battery - I can't stress enough how much this feature means to me. What happens when you can't replace the battery and the internal battery will no longer hold a charge? Time for a new phone? No thanks to the planned obsolescence.
2) MicroSD card slot will hold a 256 GB card which is less than 60 dollars on Amazon. Do you know any manufacturer selling a phone with 256GB of storage? Half the phone manufacturers don't even bother adding an SD card slot anymore.
3) Quad core CPU @ 2.65 GHz - It's not an octa-core note 5, but the note 5 doesn't have 1 or 2 above.
4) 1440x2560 display - The same or better resolution as most other high end phones on the market to this day
5) This is one of the last of the Samsung Galaxy line of phones that can be completely taken apart and put back together in less than half an hour with nothing more than a screwdriver.
I love this phone, mostly because I abandoned the terrible fingerprint reader",
"asin": "B00NWE81SY",
"parent_asin": "B00NWE81SY"
},
{
"unique_id": 3665,
"review_text": "This is a general review of Kindle Fire tablets based on my experience with my Kindle Fire HDX tablet. I bought my Kindle Fire HDX in December 2013. I have used it for 4 years. On Wednesday, April 25,, my Kindle Fire HDX abruptly stopped supporting the AOL app I use for my email, shortly following AOL's announcement they had merged with Yahoo to form Oath under the Verizon anner. No new mail. When I tap on the AOL icon on the home screen, I am taken to the AOL Home Page (not email). I then tap on the email icon and I am taken to a screen that says the version I am using of the AOL app is being retired, please update to the latest version. So I tap on "Update Now" and I am taken to the Apple App Store where it says this app is only available for IOS devices (not Kindle).Sp I tap on the arrow to go back to "Mail" and I am back at the AOL Home Page (not email), where I started. I can go in this loop forever. If I choose not to "Update", I can login to AOL. I am taken to a page that says "Go to AOL.com to sign in". I go to AOL.com (where I just came from 2 steps ago) and I click to sign in. I sign in. I click on the email icon. The next page says "Discover the new AOL app" and I click on "Get the App". Then I'm back to the Apple App Store. Ad infinitum. So you get the idea. So I called AOL. India. So after some discussion I was told that the AOL app I was using on my Kindle was not authored by AOL, that it was a 3rd party app (in spite of the fact that in the app store it said AOL was the author). They said "We can do nothing, you'll have to talk to Kinidle". So I called Kindle. At first I spoke with a woman who took me through a series of steps: Settings>Applications>Manage All Applications>AOP>Force Stop>Clear Data. That wiped out my access to even my old stored AOL mail using the AOL app. When she saw that that did not restore my app function, she connected me to a very harsh man named "Max" in the "technical department". Indian. He said ultimately, after some conversation, that my 4r-year old device is "obsolete" and that "I need to buy a new device" because "they" were no longer supporting that app. I told him that's ridiculous. He started speaking with me very harshly, in a loud voice, telling me there was nothing they could do and that if the AOL app was no longer in the Amazon App Store then it was no longer being supported and that I would have to buy a new device. Max said I needed to buy a newer Kindle Fire. So according to them when an app stops working I need to buy a new device. Isn't that like buying a new car when the tires wear out? I told him then that my "built in" Mail app (that comes with the Kiindle Fire) didn't work either, that it wasn't updating as it should when new mail came in. It was only pushing new mail through once every 24 hours, in spite of my setting to push it as it is received. Max argued with me and said I was wrong (????). Anyway, I ended up hanging up in frustration after telling him he was wrong and he was saying things he did not know to be true, i.e., he was making stuff up to suit his argument.
My advice to you - don't buy a Kindle. Rapid obsolescence - I didn't get in to it but in addition to my AOL Mail app failing, my YouTube app doesn't function properly, Ihad to delete my Microsoft OveDrive app after got stuck in an endless loop similar to the AOL "log in", "update", "not available" log in" .etc loop. Limited app store, very narrow choice of apps available. Quirky behavior. Poor Help Line.",
"asin": "B01GEW27DA",
"parent_asin": "B07P374FF3"
},
{
"unique_id": 3666,
"review_text": "This is a general review of Kindle Fire tablets based on my experience with my Kindle Fire HDX tablet. I bought my Kindle Fire HDX in December 2013. I have used it for 4 years. On Wednesday, April 25,, my Kindle Fire HDX abruptly stopped supporting the AOL app I use for my email, shortly following AOL's announcement they had merged with Yahoo to form Oath under the Verizon anner. No new mail. When I tap on the AOL icon on the home screen, I am taken to the AOL Home Page (not email). I then tap on the email icon and I am taken to a screen that says the version I am using of the AOL app is being retired, please update to the latest version. So I tap on "Update Now" and I am taken to the Apple App Store where it says this app is only available for IOS devices (not Kindle).Sp I tap on the arrow to go back to "Mail" and I am back at the AOL Home Page (not email), where I started. I can go in this loop forever. If I choose not to "Update", I can login to AOL. I am taken to a page that says "Go to AOL.com to sign in". I go to AOL.com (where I just came from 2 steps ago) and I click to sign in. I sign in. I click on the email icon. The next page says "Discover the new AOL app" and I click on "Get the App". Then I'm back to the Apple App Store. Ad infinitum. So you get the idea. So I called AOL. India. So after some discussion I was told that the AOL app I was using on my Kindle was not authored by AOL, that it was a 3rd party app (in spite of the fact that in the app store it said AOL was the author). They said "We can do nothing, you'll have to talk to Kinidle". So I called Kindle. At first I spoke with a woman who took me through a series of steps: Settings>Applications>Manage All Applications>AOP>Force Stop>Clear Data. That wiped out my access to even my old stored AOL mail using the AOL app. When she saw that that did not restore my app function, she connected me to a very harsh man named "Max" in the "technical department". Indian. He said ultimately, after some conversation, that my 4r-year old device is "obsolete" and that "I need to buy a new device" because "they" were no longer supporting that app. I told him that's ridiculous. He started speaking with me very harshly, in a loud voice, telling me there was nothing they could do and that if the AOL app was no longer in the Amazon App Store then it was no longer being supported and that I would have to buy a new device. Max said I needed to buy a newer Kindle Fire. So according to them when an app stops working I need to buy a new device. Isn't that like buying a new car when the tires wear out? I told him then that my "built in" Mail app (that comes with the Kiindle Fire) didn't work either, that it wasn't updating as it should when new mail came in. It was only pushing new mail through once every 24 hours, in spite of my setting to push it as it is received. Max argued with me and said I was wrong (????). Anyway, I ended up hanging up in frustration after telling him he was wrong and he was saying things he did not know to be true, i.e., he was making stuff up to suit his argument.
My advice to you - don't buy a Kindle. Rapid obsolescence - I didn't get in to it but in addition to my AOL Mail app failing, my YouTube app doesn't function properly, Ihad to delete my Microsoft OveDrive app after got stuck in an endless loop similar to the AOL "log in", "update", "not available" log in" .etc loop. Limited app store, very narrow choice of apps available. Quirky behavior. Poor Help Line.",
"asin": "B01N44JBS4",
"parent_asin": "B01N44JBS4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3667,
"review_text": "This is a general review of Kindle Fire tablets based on my experience with my Kindle Fire HDX tablet. I bought my Kindle Fire HDX in December 2013. I have used it for 4 years. On Wednesday, April 25,, my Kindle Fire HDX abruptly stopped supporting the AOL app I use for my email, shortly following AOL's announcement they had merged with Yahoo to form Oath under the Verizon anner. No new mail. When I tap on the AOL icon on the home screen, I am taken to the AOL Home Page (not email). I then tap on the email icon and I am taken to a screen that says the version I am using of the AOL app is being retired, please update to the latest version. So I tap on "Update Now" and I am taken to the Apple App Store where it says this app is only available for IOS devices (not Kindle).Sp I tap on the arrow to go back to "Mail" and I am back at the AOL Home Page (not email), where I started. I can go in this loop forever. If I choose not to "Update", I can login to AOL. I am taken to a page that says "Go to AOL.com to sign in". I go to AOL.com (where I just came from 2 steps ago) and I click to sign in. I sign in. I click on the email icon. The next page says "Discover the new AOL app" and I click on "Get the App". Then I'm back to the Apple App Store. Ad infinitum. So you get the idea. So I called AOL. India. So after some discussion I was told that the AOL app I was using on my Kindle was not authored by AOL, that it was a 3rd party app (in spite of the fact that in the app store it said AOL was the author). They said "We can do nothing, you'll have to talk to Kinidle". So I called Kindle. At first I spoke with a woman who took me through a series of steps: Settings>Applications>Manage All Applications>AOP>Force Stop>Clear Data. That wiped out my access to even my old stored AOL mail using the AOL app. When she saw that that did not restore my app function, she connected me to a very harsh man named "Max" in the "technical department". Indian. He said ultimately, after some conversation, that my 4r-year old device is "obsolete" and that "I need to buy a new device" because "they" were no longer supporting that app. I told him that's ridiculous. He started speaking with me very harshly, in a loud voice, telling me there was nothing they could do and that if the AOL app was no longer in the Amazon App Store then it was no longer being supported and that I would have to buy a new device. Max said I needed to buy a newer Kindle Fire. So according to them when an app stops working I need to buy a new device. Isn't that like buying a new car when the tires wear out? I told him then that my "built in" Mail app (that comes with the Kiindle Fire) didn't work either, that it wasn't updating as it should when new mail came in. It was only pushing new mail through once every 24 hours, in spite of my setting to push it as it is received. Max argued with me and said I was wrong (????). Anyway, I ended up hanging up in frustration after telling him he was wrong and he was saying things he did not know to be true, i.e., he was making stuff up to suit his argument.
My advice to you - don't buy a Kindle. Rapid obsolescence - I didn't get in to it but in addition to my AOL Mail app failing, my YouTube app doesn't function properly, Ihad to delete my Microsoft OveDrive app after got stuck in an endless loop similar to the AOL "log in", "update", "not available" log in" .etc loop. Limited app store, very narrow choice of apps available. Quirky behavior. Poor Help Line.",
"asin": "B01J6RPGKG",
"parent_asin": "B01MTF2Z37"
},
{
"unique_id": 3668,
"review_text": "Great while it worked, stopped working after a year. Feels like planned obsolescence. This is the third set of Turtle Beach in 3 years, time to switch manufacturers.",
"asin": "B08486NP2G",
"parent_asin": "B082R17ZJG"
},
{
"unique_id": 3669,
"review_text": "Review Update: January 22, 2016
Well, I am still using this K120 keyboard almost five years after I wrote my original review. I have increased my review from 2 stars to 3 stars. Not because I particularly like this keyboard, but because it deserves something for lasting this long. In my original review I complained about this board not living up to the manufacturers claim of being "Whisper Quite". Well, this problem has only gotten worse. It is not probably the loudest keyboard I have ever used. So why am I still using it? Well, I just can't find another keyboard that is quite. It seems that once again, I am the rebel in the crowd that is rowing up stream while everyone else is drifting down stream with the current. I want a quite keyboard and everyone else want a loud keyboard that goes "CLICK, CLICK, CLICK" every time you touch a key. I can't really blame manufacturers for catering to the crowd, but it would sure be nice if they would make a model for us people that don't want to sound like we are crunching aluminum cans when we type.
As far as the keyboard goes, it is still here doing it's job. All the keys still work and have their paint. The only keys that show signs of wear are the A, W, S, & D keys, but this is from gaming which is much more hard on keys then regular typing. In spite of this keyboard feeling cheap, it has proven to be quite durable and that is saying something in these days of universal designed obsolescence.
ORIGINAL REVIEW POSTED ON: October 22, 2011
Don't get me wrong, this is an okay keyboard. But the description of it is over rated when it comes to how quite it is. I have a computer center that sits in a hall way area adjacent to my living room where I am using this keyboard. My wife sits about 20 feet away while watching TV and she can easily hear me typing, even when the TV is on. How do I know this? Because my wife constantly ask me what I am writing. Now this keyboard is quieter then my last keyboard by about 50%, but the words "Whisper-quiet" used in the description are a far cry from the truth of the noise this keyboard makes. I am a big advocate of honesty in advertising. The tech industry is a very competitive industry and it has become so common for tech companies to make unfounded claims about their products, that consumers have been trained to overlook these false or deceptive claims as just being part of the reality of living in the tech world. I for one, do not subscribe to that notion. I believe that companies should not make claims that are not true. (LOL! My wife, who is doing yoga with a netflix video 20 feet away in the other room, just asked me what I was writing again. I am using the K120 to type this review).
This keyboard deserves at least a 4 star rating for what is, a good keyboard. I would have no problem giving it a 4 star review if the description would have used a term like, "Reduced Noise" instead of "Whisper-quiet". Or maybe something like, "Up to 50% less key noise then the average keyboard". But "Whisper-quiet", is just plain deceptive and not true and I believe companies should be held accountable for making false or misleading statements. This why I gave this keyboard a 2 star rating. If Logitech modifies the description to reflect the truth I will be happy to edit this review and give it a better score.",
"asin": "B003ELVLKU",
"parent_asin": "B095JX15XF"
},
{
"unique_id": 3670,
"review_text": "A little temperamental, sometimes craps out. Unfortunately I\u2019m on Xfinity and they upgraded, so it\u2019s not supported anymore. I\u2019ve only had it three months and it\u2019s a sacrifice on the altar of planned obsolescence. Not Netgear\u2019s fault, it\u2019s at the ISP\u2019s feet.",
"asin": "B0111MRLES",
"parent_asin": "B07XPQF1FJ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3671,
"review_text": "It's hard to write reviews for things that you like because even though I'm giving this mouse 2-stars, if it was still working I would be giving it 4-5 stars.
PROS
1. Very light
2. Good tracking on various surfaces and great design
3. Adjustable sensitivity
4. Great styling
5. Great ergonomics
CONS
1. Unreliable. stopped working spontaneously after just a couple of months (and yes I tried switching computers, switching from Bluetooth to 2.4Ghz, trying it wired, charging with a different wall dongle, etc.). I've owned at least 6 different Logitech and Microsoft wireless mice over 2 decades and have never had a mouse die on me.
2. Painfully slow customer support. It took more than a week to star the RMA process (they kept asking for me to try things over again and their e-mail reply speed was usually only once a day.) Now it's a month after my mouse died and appears that my product is lost in shipping (or stalled in shipping) so I'm up a creek without a paddle.
3. Micro-USB charging port - this thing came out in 2020, why isn't it USB-C like everything else?!
4.. Non-user replaceable battery. Planned obsolescence at its best.
5. Bluetooth connection not quite as reliable as I was hoping. Not sure whether to blame Windows 10 or Razer.",
"asin": "B08BQXL6DD",
"parent_asin": "B08BQXL6DD"
},
{
"unique_id": 3672,
"review_text": "Save your money and buy a Apple TV or Roku. It is to small to have a good antenna to pick up your wifi so it drops the signal constantly. If you read other reviews this is common, I chanced it anyway and it was a mistake.
I have a FireTV box which works great, wanted to add streaming to another tv and bought this. Wish I hadn\u2019t.
I do not and will never use Alexa and this thing pushes Alexa on you constantly. I even turned it off in the settings and during the screen saver it gives you hints on how to use Alexa and tells you how Alexa can make your life better. No it can\u2019t.
It updated itself right into obsolescence. It is now useless. It turns on, says to connect to the network, once you connect it to the network, it says it can\u2019t update and stays on that screen.
You reboot it, and it repeats. Do not waste your money.",
"asin": "B0791TX5P5",
"parent_asin": "B0791TX5P5"
},
{
"unique_id": 3673,
"review_text": "I received my kindle fire as a present for Christmas 2011 and it initially worked very well.
I had no problem at all in accessing my Kindle library, .pdf files, facebook, websurfing, videos, games, etc. When it works, it is a really nice tablet. One oddity is that it has a camera which its software does not support, but it was nothing that counted as a problem.
In August 2012 the first Kindle Fire stopped charging (as many have done, it seems) because of some kind of looseness in the connection. Amazon were great about sending an immediate replacement. I continued to use the replacement daily, with no issues.
In June 2013 (this month), the 2nd Kindle died in exactly the same way. Amazon sent me a new charging kit, which had no effect. They have refused to replace the item again, on the grounds that it is out of warranty.
I understand that electronics have a certain amount of build-in obsolescence, but for two separate $199 devices ($199 is what my husband paid originally) to die in less than two years is unacceptable. Nor are the various pieces of advice I was given by customer service staff at all confidence-inspiring: Lay the Kindle flat while it's charging! Did you wiggle the connector? Don't read while it's charging. Oh, you charge it overnight? Oh never do that! Overcharging could also be an issue!
Lastly, when I called to report the second Kindle dead, I was initially told I'd get an immediate replacement. Then the customer service staffer called me back to say I could have a free upgrade! Then I got an email saying to call them. Then I was told that, no, no free upgrade. And no replacement. At all. But I can pay $169 for a new one! I don't usually complain about call center customer service, but OUCH!
Long story short, I am not sure what to do. I do not want to pay Amazon more money for another suspect product, but I have no great love for Apple's treatment of its customers either. I'll probably just wait till a better third option shows up.",
"asin": "B008GFUA4C",
"parent_asin": "B008GFUA4C"
},
{
"unique_id": 3674,
"review_text": "It has a great resolution for what you pay. I needed a camera to record some church service s didn't want to spend a great deal of money on a new camera to replace a Cannon DV that was ending it's use in the world of obsolescence. The room it is being used in contains black walls, and some windows that bring in light into the sanctuary that can make white balancing corrections real fun.
I did notice the lens curvature in shots when used in far shots. It can go away when zoom is in place. This lens is considered a fish eye lens.
I use the product with Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Version 16, and tried to capture using the web cam option. The software didn't recognize the device as a web camera. It does recognize the device as a device drive for importing videos.
This should take care of the media needs for now.",
"asin": "B00X9Y2NKY",
"parent_asin": "B06ZYSNBGP"
},
{
"unique_id": 3675,
"review_text": "The main motivation I had for buying premium headphones, in addition to the sound, was also the battery life and the durability of the product.
In terms of sound quality I have no complaints. The battery life was my first disappointment, they always put small print but it is not the first time that happens to me.
Where they have really made me feel disappointed was with the durability, it happened to me as if it were 2005 with traditional cable headphones: one of the speakers stopped being heard. My heart aches because I thought I had found a sound mark to marry, but it was not the case. In fact I think that was a bit of planned obsolescence, but in short save your money avoid this.
PS: If you have headphones or brand, feel free to give me your opinion.",
"asin": "B07J4QRB8L",
"parent_asin": "B07J4QRB8L"
},
{
"unique_id": 3676,
"review_text": "I enjoyed this until I\u2019ve begun to have issues with this monitor specifically. My HDMI out on the PC works perfectly fine with other monitors. This one recognizes it\u2019s plugged in but doesn\u2019t display anything.
For gaming it looked great but for longevity I can\u2019t recommend it being purchased. I\u2019m unsure if I received a defective unit or this is standard planned obsolescence among newer made products. I will be trying to contact Samsung support to get assistance with this and update if anything can be done to resolve the issue.",
"asin": "B08FF3F5HR",
"parent_asin": "B09JSJNMNT"
},
{
"unique_id": 3677,
"review_text": "With the planned obsolescence in the computer world, maybe a product whose fans break after a year is generally good enough. Not for me, though.",
"asin": "B002MU1ZRS",
"parent_asin": "B002MU1ZRS"
},
{
"unique_id": 3678,
"review_text": "I think I got victim of the planned obsolescence of that product. It\u2019s a shame. So much waste",
"asin": "B084WW85YG",
"parent_asin": "B07RYQX9DG"
},
{
"unique_id": 3679,
"review_text": "I'm a very technologically savvy individual and have been using GPS for many, many years. My Garmin handheld unit currently shows 2,558 hours of use on the permanent timer. I've always been a big fan of Garmin products, and couldn't fathom going with another manufacturer. I've done a lot of research, and finally decided on the TomTom GO 910 for my first real automobile navigating unit. The final selling point was the inclusion of maps of Europe in addition to the entire USA. It truly is a pleasure to use and navigate with, as other posters have described here in greater detail. For those who have complained about the mount, I find their complaints unsubstantiated. The suction cup locks onto the windshield by rotating the base of the mount. There are two detents, and you must pass through the first detent before the arm locks tightly in place. Once you have locked down the mount by rotating the locking device through to the second detent, the mounting arm doesn't move, period. No problems found. You just have possess a little mechanical aptitude to figure out on your own how to properly use the mounting device, because the hardware instructions supplied with the unit are dumbed-down too much. Apparently, the people who complained that the unit droops after driving for a little while wouldn't be able to figure out how to change a tire either. The unit's operating menu is dumbed-down for the general population as well. It has an option to show a more comprehensive and detailed menu if you choose to do so, but it is not set this way by default. I hope TomTom will be offering updated maps. This unit doesn't show the development in which I live, and it's been here over 3 years. But, in their defense, neither does any other GPS unit I've tried. This country's suburbs are rapidly expanding all over the place, so I hope to be able to get updated maps one day without being to required to just throw the 910 in the garbage and be forced to buy a new unit through planned obsolescence. All in all, I'm very impressed, and you will be too. You won't be disappointed.",
"asin": "B000F007K8",
"parent_asin": "B00XJJ3I94"
},
{
"unique_id": 3680,
"review_text": "[[VIDEOID:6a1534215e1d0be18fab4e51b7663ef3]] I bought this over ten years ago, and it is still going strong. It only has a port for the iPhone 4 and earlier, and similar connection iPods. When I still had an iPod, it\u2019s speaker was good enough (far better than my iPhone 12 or MacBook, but no where near as good as say, $100 Logitech computer speakers). The display is easy to read, the alarm functions (programmable by day for your schedule) are excellent, and the radio just works. I use the remote a lot, something I did not expect when I bought this.
Overall, this is the best alarm clock/radio I have ever owned. Sony really knows how to design consumer electronics, and their products last decades (unlike Apple). In an age of disposable consumer goods, I highly recommend you buy a used one of these and keep it for the rest of your life. Stop filling landfills and lining the pockets of greedy executives who conspire to rape the earth with unrepairable products and designed obsolescence. We need to stop playing their game, for the fate of our planet lies in the balance.",
"asin": "B009Z54AXY",
"parent_asin": "B009Z54AXY"
},
{
"unique_id": 3681,
"review_text": "Poor durability. While these last they are great headsets. Noise cancelling is best in class. But they will literally fall apart on you after a year or two. And it has to be planned obsolescence because so many reviews say the same thing. Shame on Bose.",
"asin": "B00X9KV0HU",
"parent_asin": "B00ZBA3OSO"
},
{
"unique_id": 3682,
"review_text": "I bought the Amazon Fire TV to replace my Roku Streaming Stick that I was extremely disappointed with. So far, I'm cautiously optimistic about the Fire TV.
The biggest problem with my Roku is that it didn't really like streaming content from the internet, which, for a device built to stream content from the internet, is a big problem. In the wee hours of the morning, far away from peak internet usage times, the Roku would buffer frequently or stop playing all together. My internet connection was fine and other devices could stream content in HD without any problems. It was the Roku that was defective. And thanks to their crappy (read: short) warranty, I'm stuck with it and out $50. So my first and primary expectation for the Fire TV is that it be able to do what it was designed to do: stream content from the internet. So far, it has done that fabulously. Why am I cautiously optimistic then? Because my Roku worked great at first too. But at least the Fire TV has a better warranty. Time will tell and I will certainly update this review should my experience change.
Pros:
-It works. There used to be a time when we expected the things that we bought to work. Now days, with planned obsolescence and products being engineered to fail after a particular time or being manufactured in the cheapest way possible in some small Asian country that most people can't find on a map, something working the way that it is supposed to becomes a "pro" and not just and expectation. Yay, capitalism!
-It is a lot faster and more responsive than my Roku. My Roku wasn't particularly slow when it worked, but this is instantly responsive to button presses, enough to notice the change.
-It has an extremely flawed and basically useless Twitch TV app. Why is that a pro? Because the Roku didn't have one at all and I'm hoping that the developers fix this one.
-It's very small and unobtrusive. It doesn't look out of place sitting under the edge of my TV.
-While I haven't used it yet, there is a gaming controller and a decent selection of games. Some of those games I've played on my computer and are pretty good, and I was surprised to see them available here. This is never going to compete with a gaming console or PC, but it does add a little value to this box.
Cons:
-The user interface could be a lot better. Once you learn it, it's okay, but still not great. This is one way that the Roku trumps the Fire TV, having a very clean and simple UI.
-The home screen is very focused on alerting you to the fact that you need to buy more stuff. I guess that's to be expected since this is an Amazon product, but the last thing that I want to see after spending $100 on this box is a home screen showcasing movies that I can buy for another $15 and games for another $5. God forbid that you should buy this without first having a Prime membership, lest you will see nothing that doesn't cost you more money. The whole thing feels like an advertisement that I just paid to look at.
-You can't (or at least there is no easy way to) install apps that aren't officially approved by Amazon (in the app store). They took one of the freest (as in freedom) operating systems around today and locked it down like a virgin on prom night, all for the sake of "delivering the best possible experiences to our users", blah, blah, blah. Yeah, we've heard your corporate jargon before and we know BS when we hear it. You don't care about my experience, you care about my money!
Pros nor cons:
-The remote is bluetooth, not wi-fi. I'm a little worried about how that will effect its battery life, but that may also be why it's so quick and responsive.
-Lack of HBOgo. I don't have cable, thus I don't have HBO. And since you can't use HBOgo without a subscription to HBO, the lack of HBOgo doesn't matter to me. Since cable television is thankfully making its way towards extinction, I'm sure that HBO's policy towards use of HBOgo by non-subscribers will change eventually. When that does happen, I would expect them to add the HBOgo app to Fire TV. What those costs end up being will ultimately determine whether its of use to me.
-Doesn't include the games controller. Since I game on my PC, the lack of a games controller doesn't really matter to me. Maybe they sell it separately in order to keep costs down since a lot of people probably won't use it anyway. On the other hand, I'd be much more inclined to make impulse purchases of cheap games if I already had the controller. Will I buy it? I don't know. It's not really that expensive so I don't know why so many people were upset that it wasn't included. I mean, if you buy a brand new car you still probably end up paying for the floor mats.
-Optical audio output. I'm not using it right now because my surround sound system is a tab bit....broken. Even if it wasn't broken, I would still be using the optical audio output on my TV instead so that I can enjoy surround sound from all of my sources. If I ever buy a new TV without an optical audio output I'll be glad that the Fire TV has one, but until then it makes no difference to me.
-USB port. I'm not even sure what this is for. If I can plug an external hard drive into it and play movies stored on that hard drive then it's awesome. I highly doubt that that is the case though. I imagine that, at best, you can view photos from a USB stick or maybe even play some music. Maybe some day I'll play around with it and update my review should my movie viewing dreams come true, but don't hold your breath.
Well that's about it. It's not perfect but it's the best thing out there compared to the similar products that it competes with. I'm glad that I bought it, sad that I wasted money on the Roku, and hope that it lasts for a long time.",
"asin": "B00CX5P8FC",
"parent_asin": "B00CX5P8FC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3683,
"review_text": "My echo dot, which is an the bathroom, some 30 feet away has much better voice recognition and has much better WiFi range than this version of Show. I ended up changing the voice activation word so that the quality (dot) product wouldn't answer me every time I was attempting to talk to this inferior (show) product. Folks, why do you always downgrade your products with new versions? I'm less and less inclined to buy any tech products these days due to the planned obsolescence and quality.",
"asin": "B07MV64LGF",
"parent_asin": "B07S9THRC5"
},
{
"unique_id": 3684,
"review_text": "After a year and a few months, right bud gave up the ghost, wont pair at all even if its charging and because its outside of warranty I'd have to pay as much to fix it as I would just getting a brand new pair.
Tried it once, it was fun, think I'll be sticking to wired earbuds since they apparently will have the same life span at the faction of the cost.
If you're not getting extended warranty then don't bother, one of them will die out just as the regular warranty is over. Feels like planned obsolescence but that's just my two cents",
"asin": "B083KVM9VW",
"parent_asin": "B09JF83P1H"
},
{
"unique_id": 3685,
"review_text": "So far I am satisfied with the Sony BDP-S3100 DVD player. The reason my rating is not higher is because I want to give it more time to see if it continues to work. My past experience with a variety of different DVD players has been that they work fine for a few months to a year or so, then die. We've gone through 5 DVD players in about 6 years, while our old VHS player that we've had for 20 years still works fine. Are the vendors deliberately planning obsolescence and quick failure into DVD players to keep their coffers filled?",
"asin": "B00AWKC0EC",
"parent_asin": "B00AWKC0EC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3686,
"review_text": "The laptop arrived actually a day early configured as ordered. I bought itt o replace my old I7 machine which had crashed. I will use it for software development on the Windows platform. This PC is hands down faster than my 8 year old i7 machine. I was able to salvage the SSD drive from the old machine with data intact and purchased an inexpensive enclosure to plug it into a USB connector on the new machine. Worked like a charm, comes up under the File Explorer as a second drive. Configuring the new machine for Windows is a bit of a pain trying to avoid unwanted apps but overall a great laptop. A lot of laptops offered by major brands currently are not repairable (planned obsolescence). This HP machine appears to be able to be opened in order to for instance to fix or upgrade the SSD. An important consideration...",
"asin": "B08XM39G5L",
"parent_asin": "B0B82V8V77"
},
{
"unique_id": 3687,
"review_text": "I was one of those people who never bought supplemental plans like this but did when I bought a new HP printer for my wife (and not a cheap one) It died at about 14 months and of course no one repairs printers but I checked with Staples and sure enough I had bought the Square Trade plan when purchasing the printer. I submitted the claim and had a check in about a week for the full retail price of the printer $499.99. What a bargain in an era of planed obsolescence and lack of reasonable repair options",
"asin": "B008I63KD2",
"parent_asin": "B008I63KD2"
},
{
"unique_id": 3688,
"review_text": "5 STARS for the concept and functionality but
1 STAR because "programed obsolescence" of a 1 year non-replaceable battery. Your only option is to buy a new tile. This is very frustrating. With all this technology, this is a terrible flaw.",
"asin": "B01L3VEC08",
"parent_asin": "B01L3VEC08"
},
{
"unique_id": 3689,
"review_text": "Not as good as I expected. I have an older kindle which I loved this one is not as easy to navigate and more difficult to retrieve items that were archived. I suspect there is built In obsolescence in kindle products.",
"asin": "B018Y227MY",
"parent_asin": "B010BWYDYA"
},
{
"unique_id": 3690,
"review_text": "Apple TV is an excellent product by all means. It permits playing games using the remote or pairing with a joystick (bought separately). All major streaming players are there, and the image quality is great.
I had the previous Apple TV generation; putting programmed obsolescence aside, some may say this new version doesn\u2019t seem to be a great breakthrough, especially because the user interface of the main menu is similar to the previous generation. But this resemblance stops here; at the moment you start opening Apple TV embedded apps and other apps, everything is different.
I also have Google Chrome attached to my TV, but the Apple TV usability is better. Having to keep your mobile phone on your hand to access the TV isn\u2019t a good idea at all... in particular if you use work\u2019s phone (certainly a call for trouble).",
"asin": "B075NCMLYL",
"parent_asin": "B075NCMLYL"
},
{
"unique_id": 3691,
"review_text": "The product performed fairly well for the length of the warranty. The day the warranty expired, the unit died. Customer Support refused to honor the warranty because it was out of warranty (calculated from order date not delivery date).
Apparently they have engineered obsolescence to an art that would be envied by Leonardo DaVinci. I have a house full of Samsung products most experience failure close to warranty expiration, and I could understand their refusal to assist in these issues, but with this failure and the terrible customer assistance, I will not buy anything else made by Samsung!",
"asin": "B06XR6HR7J",
"parent_asin": "B07Y4822BG"
},
{
"unique_id": 3692,
"review_text": "I can\u2019t even tell you how useless this camera is. Please just don\u2019t even waste your money. Images are blurry af, you can barely tell what you\u2019re looking at (yep, I removed the lens protector, calibrated it several time, and played with the lighting.) This was a return after we went through $40 worth of film trying to troubleshoot it and then realized that the planned obsolescence of this item starts on photo number two.",
"asin": "B075WXBGP6",
"parent_asin": "B0BXM4RTZ4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3693,
"review_text": "This product lasted about a couple of months. Now it comes on for a second then goes off. This is the second one of these speakers to do this. Sounds good while it lasts. Is this planned obsolescence?",
"asin": "B07HZ6ZP1G",
"parent_asin": "B07HZ6ZP1G"
},
{
"unique_id": 3694,
"review_text": "Worked fine for 2 years and then just stopped dead. Built in obsolescence?",
"asin": "B01N32NCPM",
"parent_asin": "B075JZNHTD"
},
{
"unique_id": 3695,
"review_text": "I was amazed that in this world of planned obsolescence I could find a device that would convert my old roady2 into a portable live on air XM reciever with an FM radio to boot! The battery life is excelent and the design is logicaly cool. the only drawback is that there is no way to lock the controls to prevent accidental volume or chanel changes. it is the same size as a standard walkman and fits nicely innto my coat pocket. The reception is great, even indoors.",
"asin": "B0006GX0J6",
"parent_asin": "B0006GX0J6"
},
{
"unique_id": 3696,
"review_text": "This GPS unit is not bad if you only use it in the USA. However, you cannot purchase and use mapsets from any other country.
In my mind, this is a planned obsolescence design, and not acceptable.
We wanted to plan some trips through Europe, and thought it would be easy to purchase some maps for some European countries.
No can do. Even if you found them to purchase, they will not work with c520 units purchased in the USA with USA mapsets on them.
Here is the conversion from the MIO website regarding this subject:
Mio Agent (1:22:47 AM): In order to quickly solve your problems, please provide your model name, S/N, if any.
To purchase additional accessories, [...]
Thank you for choosing Mio! How can we help you?
Eugene (1:23:19 AM): I have a c520 GPS, we are travelling to Italy this spring, how can I purchase the map set to use in Italy/Western Europe?
Mio Agent (1:23:40 AM): We are sorry that no information is available at this time. We will send your inquiry as a feedback to our product team for future planning. We appreciate your patience and please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience.
Eugene (1:24:09 AM): Do you have any other reference sources I can check with?
Mio Agent (1:24:25 AM): No sir.
Eugene (1:25:25 AM): So.....either there is nowhere to purchase a Europe mapset, for the c520, or the c520 purchased in the USA will not work with a Europe mapset?
Mio Agent (1:26:45 AM): We do apologize but we do not have additional country maps for our devices.
Eugene (1:27:29 AM): If I did find a Western Europe mapset for the c520, purchased in the USA, would it work with my unit?
Mio Agent (1:28:13 AM): No sir.
Eugene (1:28:42 AM): Do you sell refurb c520 units, with Europe mapsets installed, instead of US mapsets installed?
Mio Agent (1:29:12 AM): No sir.
Eugene (1:31:51 AM): Thanx for the answers, basically, this unit is only operational with the USA mapsets. Will share this with as many people as possible. For obvious reasons, and though no fault of your own, we will not be purchasing any MIO products in the future.",
"asin": "B000MWNJPE",
"parent_asin": "B000MWNJPE"
},
{
"unique_id": 3697,
"review_text": "For the price, a pair of usable 2.5\" drive slots makes this an unexpected option. Almost bought a single drive for the same price. This is much better and avoids obsolescence.",
"asin": "B078BGLCS8",
"parent_asin": "B078BGLCS8"
},
{
"unique_id": 3698,
"review_text": "I really like this tablet.
I had the oriinal Galaxy Tab, which still works, but it's not compatible with the latest Android OS's and I was finding fewer and fewer apps would work with it. Even though I'm not thrilled with the forced obsolescence of my original Galaxy Tablet, I found it to be well built and reliable, so I went ahead and purchased another Samsung.
This tablet is thinner than my older one, has a better processor, more memory, and connects to wifi using 802.11n, so overall, it's a big improvement, plus it runs the latest version of Android so my compatibility problems are gone.
I do miss the menu button on my old tablet. But can't blame Samsung for that, it's not supported by Android anymore.",
"asin": "B00J8DL6UI",
"parent_asin": "B017TK4H6G"
},
{
"unique_id": 3699,
"review_text": "I've had over ten Belkin power-surge units over the course of the last two decades and, even in cases where they've been on wall-switched outlets and operated under power for a mere handful of hours per week, they tend to fail in 2-5 years.
I just had two units of this 12-outlet model fail within days of each other this summer after about 3 years of relatively light-duty operation.
The fact that this smells strongly of planned obsolescence is, however, not the primary reason I'm rating this product at 1 star:
in the final days of their usable life, these powerstrips began to buzz, spark, and make loud short-circuiting sounds when powered up by switch or when new plugs were inserted into their receptacles.
When this happened with the first unit, I demoted the second unit from computer & peripheral use to even less frequent garage use on my workbench, but it still died shortly thereafter.
Oh, and did I mention that the little plastic, sliding outlet \"covers\" started falling off both units as soon as we took them out of the box? Do Belkin's engineers actually test their own products before sending this stuff off to production?
In summary: I do not recommend entrusting sensitive & valuable electronics to this Belkin power strip. For general use with more robust electrical tools and equipment, there are better, more durable options out there.
FWIW: these options do NOT include the Belkin, BP1 Pivot-Plug Series: I had two of these units fail in 2.5 years as well.
You may have better luck with the Belkin F9G series, however: I'm using a 10-year old F9G930 to protect my Mac right now as I type this.
Bottom line: look elsewhere, I'm going to be trying out other brands in the future!",
"asin": "B000J2EN4S",
"parent_asin": "B0BB6Y5N3M"
},
{
"unique_id": 3700,
"review_text": "The recent forced updates (weekly now) to this TV seem to be \"improving\" the image, but there seems to be no option to choose a less-dense image; now streamed programs are stuttering and freezing. There's no way to block updates -- every time you want to get the TV out of sleep mode, a prompt blocks every other activity unless you accept or dismiss the prompt. Furthermore there is NO information on what is being updated. LG's opaqueness, secret tracking of viewer activity, could still be a problem. But the bigger one (aside from LG's limited formatting negotiation ability so some popular apps can't be directly used) is that LG seems to be forcing this TV into obsolescence with its forced updates.",
"asin": "B07R11T5MC",
"parent_asin": "B07R11T5MC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3701,
"review_text": "Does it work? Yup, works fine. The website for the Sport hilariously touts 'Eco-Friendly,' yet you literally throw it away after the battery dies. The battery is not replaceable. Just wow. I HATE planned obsolescence. What a waste of packaging.",
"asin": "B073QPMFVJ",
"parent_asin": "B077T4G4PX"
},
{
"unique_id": 3702,
"review_text": "So after about 8 months, the first camera completely lost its night vision capabilities. Another year after that, and the second camera also doesn't work in the dark. About a week ago, the recorder unit woke me up at about 3AM with a loud, long beep and now it no longer saves any of the recordings. Trash product should at least last a few years longer. I have a NES that's almost 40 years old sitting in my daughter's playroom that still works fine. Now, all these crappy Chinese products build in the obsolescence so that you have to keep buying more of their garbage products.",
"asin": "B079HW5XF4",
"parent_asin": "B0BBGDHFXD"
},
{
"unique_id": 3703,
"review_text": "https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O6CIF5A/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0 MANHATTAN STEREO HEADSET
I've been using this headset for a couple weeks now, and couldn't be happier with the build-quality and feature set. I'm using this with a Y-adaptor for my iPhone-4. I'm hearing-impaired, and had problems using the speakerphone function: When the speakers were loud enough for me to hear, they would bleed into the iPhone's mic, causing on-going audio disruption for me as well as my caller. Tried Skullcandy earbuds w/inline mic, but callers always complained about my voice quality on their end. Next, I tried & returned Skullcandy bluetooth wireless headphones, because the mic was contained in one earcup, yielding the same problems.
This MANHATTAN Headset, with its flexible boom-mic & earcups was THE ANSWER, and the inline volume wheel; the icing on the cake! This pruduct lives up to its Amazon description of being sturdily built, from its well-protected cable, over-size volume wheel, flexible metal boom-mic & well-constructed headband & earcups, the quality seems apparent throughout.
This headset is a winner for me. I used to dread long phone calls, with all the dropped audio, and attendant repeating for both parties, it was never an enjoyable process. With this rig, I now look forward to catching up with friends! PROBLEMS SOLVED. I will update this review if any of that changes. But with careful use around the house, I expect to get years of good service from this product. This manufacturer seems to want to build repeat business on reputation, as opposed to the planned-obsolescence model so pervasive in today's products. GREAT JOB!",
"asin": "B00O6CIF5A",
"parent_asin": "B00O6CIF5A"
},
{
"unique_id": 3704,
"review_text": "For the most part the Kindle Oasis 3rd generation is my favorite kindle for features and back lighting. The weak point in every kindle I have owned was the battery life, however before this kindle the battery life has taken 3-4 years to degrade to 5 days of usage with wifi turned off. The kindle oasis 3 has taken 2 years to degrade to 2 days of usage per charge with only minimal back lighting being used.
I thought no big deal I have replaced the battery in all my kindles in the past so I order what is supposed to be this models replacement battery from iFixit as I am well out of the 1 year warranty. To my surprise there are no tear down guides for the Oasis 2nd and 3rd generation devices that will not destroy the device. These devices were designed to be destroyed if opened for any reason meaning I spent more money than I ever have on a kindle that had designed obsolescence of roughly 2 years. This is a disgusting practice to have been picked up by amazon on a flag ship product.",
"asin": "B07L5G6M1Q",
"parent_asin": "B07L5G6M1Q"
},
{
"unique_id": 3705,
"review_text": "After resetting the router many times, because it would simply refuse to connect to the gateway, and going through the most frustrating mandatory router setup I finally got it to do a speed test without throwing a latency error and timing out, but only scores a 229Mbps on Gigabit internet...
If you want a better experience, buy a $15 wish.com router.
Pros:
\u2022 Ability to setup without Phone app
\u2022 Ability to easily return it to amazon
Cons:
\u2022 The mandatory setup genie forces you to answer multiple choice questions and makes you disable the modems wifi and reboots the router, taking an unnecessary long time to get to the main gateway.
\u2022 There are Subscription ad walls in the gateway config you have to click through
\u2022 Slow internet throughput
\u2022 Router frequently crashes and restarts itself
\u2022 Not ideal for Streaming or Gaming
If you ask me i wouldn't doubt netgear sent an update to cripple the router to sell newer more expensive units, planned obsolescence is still legal.",
"asin": "B00R2AZLD2",
"parent_asin": "B09G3MBH6V"
},
{
"unique_id": 3706,
"review_text": "I've owned the tablet for 2 years and have enjoyed the great display. Although I don't like the inability to remove Samsung spyware and apps on a device that I own - seems to me that Samsung should rebate a portion of the cost of the device every month for the right to seize my personal information without my consent.
After 2 years of use, the battery life is greatly reduced and the tablet requires charging every two days. I'd rate the tablet 4.5 stars if the battery had held up beyond 2 years. Planned obsolescence....",
"asin": "B0134RE54W",
"parent_asin": "B0134RE54W"
},
{
"unique_id": 3707,
"review_text": "I have gone through at least a dozen charger cords for my sons various tablets and phones I\u2019ve let him play with. He\u2019s rough on them as any kid is. While I didn\u2019t realize the design when I bought these, I wish I had known about it before! Makes so much sense to have the cord go off to the side. This design should really be industry standard instead of the current, flawed design that is obviously planned obsolescence. I will never buy a cord from the device manufacturer again! This one hands down.",
"asin": "B09G5XQG3T",
"parent_asin": "B0B6QSZBT6"
},
{
"unique_id": 3708,
"review_text": "Not bad. Looks nice and the speeds are accurate to 3.0 standards. Ran the bench using Geek on Mac Pro and Macbook Pro. Both using 3.0 ports with my own 3.0 certified cable. Different results with spin/solid drives of course. But all tests pretty much came back solid at around 3 to 5 Gb/ps up+down and around 5 to 6 on one way read/write. My only complaint is that the controller chip does not screw onto the drive in any way. It's a very nice, stainless steel unit with a nice long White cable included.
*****UPDATE*****
Ordered November 2015 and the USB cable failed for good. There is absolutely no reason why a USB cable shouldn't last a lifetime unless it was planned obsolescence. I have USB cables dating back to the late 90's that still work. I recommend the manufacturer exclude the cable and lower the price. This",
"asin": "B00MQ97QGE",
"parent_asin": "B09XWXHRJP"
},
{
"unique_id": 3709,
"review_text": "First, what I liked: 1) easy-to-read digital display 2) caller ID on basic unit and on cordless unit (my first caller ID-- how useful!)
Now, what I disliked: Okay, maybe I had not purchased a phone for awhile and I had certain expectations based upon the features of many a previous phone system. To my surprise, with this phone I could not turn off the ringer. This is a desirable feature for those of us with a home business (one line for home, one line for the business). When the day is done, you might like to turn off the line that you use for business only. But NO -- you'll hear the phone ring whenever a client is calling: Sunday, evenings, during family gatherings, at night when you are asleep, etc. But here is the worst: after less than a year of use, all by itself it stopped ringing. If I was near the phone, I could see in the display that a call was coming in, but there was no ringing to alert me to that fact. Go figure! Is it planned obsolescence? If so, THAT really worked.",
"asin": "B0012CP1UY",
"parent_asin": "B0012CP1UY"
},
{
"unique_id": 3710,
"review_text": "After years of having to regularly replace my Microsoft 4000 because of its disappearing letters, I saw this alternative mentioned by another customer and jumped at it. I was even willing to give up some familiar comforts, like the ease of the up/down/sideways arrows on the Microsoft, which are really squinched together on the Fellowes and would take some getting used to. The Microsoft's wrist rest is also more comfortable: more generous in size, and softer, and its all-black design is snazzier and seems somewhat sturdier than the gray-and-black Fellowes.
But I felt so ripped off by Microsoft's planned obsolescence thing that I was eager to adopt this new one.
And even though it's a plug-and-play installation, with no extra software, I had my local geek squad do it, to be absolutely sure.
And it worked fine - for half a day. Then the keyboard stopped being recognized by my Windows 7 (although my track pad was fine, so it wasn't the ISB hub). I couldn't do my work at all, and as a writer on deadline, that's unacceptable.
The geek squad believes it's defective, and so it's going back. Good thing I kept the box, and the old keyboard! I have no heart for gambling that the next Fellowes will work. Too much else to do.
So I guess I must just resign myself to replacing my 4000 twice a year, although it looks like Microsoft has finally noticed the problem (after claiming they never heard of it). It seems to take a bit longer to rub off the letters than it used to. Now I can go six whole months without buying a new one!! ;-D",
"asin": "B0002CE0XO",
"parent_asin": "B0002CE0XO"
},
{
"unique_id": 3711,
"review_text": "Am I the only person this happens to?
A 95 words/minute typist and author (i.e., \"heavy user\") I'm on my 5th or 6th keyboard - two of them supplied free from Microsoft after the major-use letters rubbed off within a few months of use. (They cut me off after two, though.)
All their \"Help\" people claimed they never heard of such a thing, but in my experience every keyboard has the same flaw. In the past, I even tried painting clear nail polish on the keys to protect them, but that didn't help much.
I bought a 4000 in December,and now, less than eight months later, I can't see five letter keys or the period, and some of the other letters are shrinking as parts of them disappear. Although I'm a touch-typist, sometimes when I'm tired it helps to have visible characters. And it's really annoying.
So I gave up just now and ordered yet another one. This is a maddening problem to have in an otherwise-perfect keyboard. Is it just planned obsolescence on Microsoft's part?",
"asin": "B000A6PPOK",
"parent_asin": "B081C4XWXZ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3712,
"review_text": "I stopped reading for pleasure almost 20 years ago. A few years ago my love of reading was re-awakened when a friend gave me a novel printed in large size font. But that left me with a renewed appetite for a very limited selection. Yes the librarys have large print books, but not the ones I want. So when I first started e-books with Kindle I was like a ravenous child greedily gobbling up all the books I could.
So here is the thing. I love this Kindle, the old Kindle, the newer Kindle... but I resent the planned obsolescence. I was horrified that the previous devise only had a two year life. That is why I only gave the product 4 stars instead of 5. If I weren't convinced that I am going to have to buy a new one 2 years from now I would be much happier. I want to feel that if I have purchased a book that it will remain mine until the time that I decide to discard it. However having said that, I lost hundreds of books during Hurricane Sandy. Thank God for my Kindle.",
"asin": "B00AM2H31A",
"parent_asin": "B00AM2H31A"
},
{
"unique_id": 3713,
"review_text": "It is typical for Apple to design new products with built-in obsolescence. Example-your older USB printer requires a USB-C to USB adapter cable. You may need other adapter cables for other accessories such as Ethernet, FireWire, or Display. The hub fits well, works great and looks good. If Apple made similar it would cost much more.
One small point. Your SuperDrive will not work because it uses too much power. You will need the USB-C to USB adapter.",
"asin": "B07PFNXKV4",
"parent_asin": "B09WG24H42"
},
{
"unique_id": 3714,
"review_text": "Purchased to replace a much older pair of Sony noise-cancelling headphones that I've had since something like 2004.
I used those until the fake leather cushioning started to flake off, then replaced the ear cups & taped the head cushion to get another 2 years.
Finally decided it was time to upgrade when the NC recently stopped working.
I've been looking at the Bose 15s and newer 25s for a long time, but there was always some downside (mainly price).
I got these on sale for 1/2 the price of the Bose models, which was the main reason I finally decided to bite.
FORM & FIT:
Love these for being "over the ear" (like Bose 25s) vs "on ear" (Bose 15) which I've always found uncomfortable.
They're sturdier than my older model, but have the same fold-flat ear cups & a comfortable adjustable headband.
So far they are good for all-day workday use. Will be testing on a long flight next week.
If you wear glasses full-time or just for work, these fit as comfortably as any headphones would - not too tight.
NOISE-CANCELLING:
The noise-cancelling feature works well when wireless, or wired but not charging.
This model can automatically set separate NC modes for constant low noise (engines, fans, AC, etc) or variable office noise.
NC & Bluetooth don't work when charging, but you can still use these as regular wired headphones in that situation.
Integrated controls for NC, power, and playback/volume work well once you learn where they are.
BLUETOOTH/WIRELESS:
Bluetooth works fine, and pairs easily with my iPhone and Macbook. Haven't tried with another device.
Connection is a bit flaky if I'm too close to my monitor, wi-fi router, or facing away from the screen.
As long as I'm within ~10ft and facing the computer w/o obstruction, they're great.
Nice to be able to keep listening to a show or music when I have to get up for something.
Have noticed some minor latency issues - temporary stuttering or the audio gets slightly out of sync w/video. Not a big issue though.
MICROPHONES:
The integrated mics (one on each ear cup, maybe for slightly different frequencies) don't work that well with my phone.
Only used them for a few calls, but people said I sounded muffled & hard to understand. Haven't yet tried w/Skype or similar.
After switching back to the phone's mic, speakerphone, or other headphones, they said the call sounded much clearer.
Maybe something to consider if you plan to use these for gaming or calls.
BATTERY & PRODUCT LIFE:
My only real complaint is that these (like the Bose 25s) now have integrated Lithium-ion batteries you have to charge via USB.
The battery will have a finite lifespan of maybe 2 years, and isn't designed to be user-replaceable (might be w/some effort).
That's a FAR cry from my last pair that lasted more than a decade until they literally fell apart.
That was the main reason I trusted Sony again & bought these. They're nice for now, but "planned obsolescence" is exactly right...
Essentially, you rent the Wireless & NC features until the battery craps out, and will then be stuck with plain wired headphones.
The owners manual says when the battery life drops to ship the headphones to a Sony dealer for a replacement.
Sony lists no replacement batteries for the 770 or 780 models, so there's no way to estimate how much this costs.
They charge an insane $75 for replacement ear cups (I replaced my last set for $7, and paid $99 for these headphones, so they can #&)*^@_#).
For now anyway, the battery life is pretty good on a full charge.
They charge fully in maybe an hour, and I used them for about 2 days straight before they beeped at me & suddenly shut down.
That you can still use them wired when the battery is dead is a big benefit over some of the Bose models.
EXTRAS & ACCESSORIES:
The zippered case is nice enough, but unlike prior models that had a little velcro area to hold the cables, this comes with a tiny pouch to hold the charging adapter, cable, and headphone cord. Will be easy to lose that. They should've sewn or velcro'd it into the case.
It also comes with a fleece-like soft carrying bag for some reason.
Less bulky, but wouldn't protect the headphones as well in a backpack or something, so I'm not quite sure when/why I'd use it.
Maybe it's for carrying your headphones and a small tablet or something? I dunno - maybe I can trade it in for a spare battery?
Overall, happy with them for the price. They fit nicely, work well, sound good, and are better than the ones I had held together with electrical tape...
The Bose 25s have the same problem with Li-Ion battery lifespan, so for 1/3 the price these were a good deal.",
"asin": "B01MTP5Z7W",
"parent_asin": "B01MTP5Z7W"
},
{
"unique_id": 3715,
"review_text": "Purchased to replace a much older pair of Sony noise-cancelling headphones that I've had since something like 2004.
I used those until the fake leather cushioning started to flake off, then replaced the ear cups & taped the head cushion to get another 2 years.
Finally decided it was time to upgrade when the NC recently stopped working.
I've been looking at the Bose 15s and newer 25s for a long time, but there was always some downside (mainly price).
I got these on sale for 1/2 the price of the Bose models, which was the main reason I finally decided to bite.
FORM & FIT:
Love these for being "over the ear" (like Bose 25s) vs "on ear" (Bose 15) which I've always found uncomfortable.
They're sturdier than my older model, but have the same fold-flat ear cups & a comfortable adjustable headband.
So far they are good for all-day workday use. Will be testing on a long flight next week.
If you wear glasses full-time or just for work, these fit as comfortably as any headphones would - not too tight.
NOISE-CANCELLING:
The noise-cancelling feature works well when wireless, or wired but not charging.
This model can automatically set separate NC modes for constant low noise (engines, fans, AC, etc) or variable office noise.
NC & Bluetooth don't work when charging, but you can still use these as regular wired headphones in that situation.
Integrated controls for NC, power, and playback/volume work well once you learn where they are.
BLUETOOTH/WIRELESS:
Bluetooth works fine, and pairs easily with my iPhone and Macbook. Haven't tried with another device.
Connection is a bit flaky if I'm too close to my monitor, wi-fi router, or facing away from the screen.
As long as I'm within ~10ft and facing the computer w/o obstruction, they're great.
Nice to be able to keep listening to a show or music when I have to get up for something.
Have noticed some minor latency issues - temporary stuttering or the audio gets slightly out of sync w/video. Not a big issue though.
MICROPHONES:
The integrated mics (one on each ear cup, maybe for slightly different frequencies) don't work that well with my phone.
Only used them for a few calls, but people said I sounded muffled & hard to understand. Haven't yet tried w/Skype or similar.
After switching back to the phone's mic, speakerphone, or other headphones, they said the call sounded much clearer.
Maybe something to consider if you plan to use these for gaming or calls.
BATTERY & PRODUCT LIFE:
My only real complaint is that these (like the Bose 25s) now have integrated Lithium-ion batteries you have to charge via USB.
The battery will have a finite lifespan of maybe 2 years, and isn't designed to be user-replaceable (might be w/some effort).
That's a FAR cry from my last pair that lasted more than a decade until they literally fell apart.
That was the main reason I trusted Sony again & bought these. They're nice for now, but "planned obsolescence" is exactly right...
Essentially, you rent the Wireless & NC features until the battery craps out, and will then be stuck with plain wired headphones.
The owners manual says when the battery life drops to ship the headphones to a Sony dealer for a replacement.
Sony lists no replacement batteries for the 770 or 780 models, so there's no way to estimate how much this costs.
They charge an insane $75 for replacement ear cups (I replaced my last set for $7, and paid $99 for these headphones, so they can #&)*^@_#).
For now anyway, the battery life is pretty good on a full charge.
They charge fully in maybe an hour, and I used them for about 2 days straight before they beeped at me & suddenly shut down.
That you can still use them wired when the battery is dead is a big benefit over some of the Bose models.
EXTRAS & ACCESSORIES:
The zippered case is nice enough, but unlike prior models that had a little velcro area to hold the cables, this comes with a tiny pouch to hold the charging adapter, cable, and headphone cord. Will be easy to lose that. They should've sewn or velcro'd it into the case.
It also comes with a fleece-like soft carrying bag for some reason.
Less bulky, but wouldn't protect the headphones as well in a backpack or something, so I'm not quite sure when/why I'd use it.
Maybe it's for carrying your headphones and a small tablet or something? I dunno - maybe I can trade it in for a spare battery?
Overall, happy with them for the price. They fit nicely, work well, sound good, and are better than the ones I had held together with electrical tape...
The Bose 25s have the same problem with Li-Ion battery lifespan, so for 1/3 the price these were a good deal.",
"asin": "B01MTP5Z7W",
"parent_asin": "B01MTP5Z7W"
},
{
"unique_id": 3716,
"review_text": "I really like the combination of a high-refresh rate and FreeSync/Gsync. It makes movement so smooth in game. The HDR function looks really good albeit is a little slow with Windows. The colors are great too. If you don't use HDR, this monitor gets extremely bright as well.
I think that 1080p might not be a great fit for the size as you can pretty clearly distinguish individual pixels, but otherwise its pretty good.
The problem comes into place after you've owned it for a while. About a month or two into owning two of these, I got a stuck green pixel that could not be fixed on one of them. Literally a month after my warranty expired (1 year warranty according to LG) my other monitor stopped getting power completely. When I reached out to LG they said my warranty expired one month ago and that I could pay $150 to repair it. (I'd like to add that their tech-support is awful. Their website UI is not easy to navigate and I had to be transferred 3 times, each time getting disconnected by them instead of transferred.)
Unfortunately, to do a repair you need to take the monitor to one of their repair centers. There are none even close to me. (I live in a medium sized city on the coast of WA) I would spend more in gas than the monitor costs to go get it fixed.
I've never seen a monitor die so fast from regular use. I'm not buying anything from LG again since the timing of my monitor breaking is so sus. Either extend warranties for junk products or don't sell them at all. I'm really disappointed by the durability of this product. I'm also $300 poorer so thanks LG.
*Update July 22nd 2022* The second monitor that I purchased has just died. Weeks after the first. Feels like either planned obsolescence or they shipped me faulty monitors. Either way LG refuses to replace them so I will just warn others. Stay away. These are cheap, garbage monitors. I bought 2 and both failed just months after warranty ended.",
"asin": "B07R7636MH",
"parent_asin": "B07R7636MH"
},
{
"unique_id": 3717,
"review_text": "This item arrived while i was away on biz so the review is late.
Charges via the battery clip. The headphones have no charging port of their own. The charging clip had corrosion spread from one of the leads into the vents at the cable end of the unit. When trying to charge it did not work. I tried to scrub it with a toothbrush and the copper lead slipped right out. The headphones are therefore useless unless I purchase a new battery.
Also makes me wonder why the didn\u2019t choose a more functional design for connectors. They SHOULD have been made backwards compatible and the company SHOULD HalVE USED THE SAME PATTERN FOR THE LEADS. Ive had 4 other pairs of Jaybirds but none of the chargers work cause the pattern is different. That\u2019s ridiculous. If they simply had the same pattern as the non battery clip used in previous versions I\u2019d be in business. But then they wouldn\u2019t make money on selling accessories. Ok Jaybird. I see how the clip on system could reduce broken leads but if the pegs deteriorate then it wont stay. Thats from experience. Obviously whatever this seller allowed selling the corroded battery is another matter. Still wonder what other designs and better or less obsolescence planning would be great. Jaybird is quick and particular about disavowing all previous versions of their headphones, unfortunately. You won\u2019t even see them on the website. And they are barely mentioned or supported.
Had enough charge to test the product itself. These are passive noise canceling. A function of the fit of the ear tips. Fortunately Comply foam creates an excellent seal so its sufficient to block out most noise pleasantly.
Sound quality is positive but I won\u2019t go in depth. Not $500 - $1000 excellent, but good. No static or weirdness. Decent bass and isolation makes sounds true.
Good on moisture wicking with materials. I like the smooth matte finish on the headphones and the material of the cord also seemsgood for moisture wicking.
I still like Jaybirds. Ive bought more of the brand than any other headphones including Bose, Shure, and other low tier or low visibility Chinese brands (most of this stuff is made somewhere over there anyway) which are coming up in quality, support and features in a big way. Check Phaiser.
Bose Soundsport have the inner ear hooks attached to the sound tips so no Comply foam tips there. Lots of noise.
Phaisers are actually great. Sound quality is not the best but decent especially with included foam tips and for price ( you get every accessory that comes with any other sport headphones including cable management for back of head, shirt clips, foam tips). They also have magnetic clips for connecting the heads together around your neck when not in use. The new Jaybird Tara finally have this feature.
So I'll continue to try Jaybirds due to aesthetic, sound quality, comfort, fit, availability of accessories, and mainly cause design is still a cut above others that make good functional copies of current trends but don't do the same ergonomic research. They partner with athletes, keep the size down, and they feel good. but I will spend less money on them or use backups as other brands step up their game.",
"asin": "B01EHIQB1C",
"parent_asin": "B01H6TM5B4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3718,
"review_text": "I've purchased several of these boards for Haswell builds. I absolutely love this board for clients who don't really need to upgrade later on. Very simple to install, and has the base amount of ports to get this build going. 2 Slots for RAM, a slot for a video card and a slot for the optional Wi-Fi card(The PCIe x1 slot).
Definitely recommend for a non-upgradable budget build, however, this isn't a great choice for people who expect to get more RAM, or add another video card etc.
Just keep in mind; This board is not future-proof-able at all, as it will probably be maxed out as soon as you build it. So I'd give this board about a 3-4 year(From 2014) max lifespan until it reaches obsolescence.
A few complaints:
- All drivers are installed by windows and windows update, except for the ethernet adapter. But each board has it's own driver that doesn't install automatically, it's just more of a hassle to set up when you're making a ODD-less build.
- The RAM bus speed is only 1333, at the time of this review, 1600 Mhz RAM is actually cheaper than the older 1333 RAM. It's just a shame that some speed is wasted.
Note: 1600 Mhz RAM fits in this board just fine! It just runs at the lower 1333 Mhz bus speed.
I recommend pairing this board with a Haswell Pentium or Celeron, even an i3 if you want a little more speed. I can't warrant more than an i3, as bottlenecking will probably set in at this point. A good budget case would be the Rosewill R363-M-BK.",
"asin": "B00D12OAOG",
"parent_asin": "B00D12OAOG"
},
{
"unique_id": 3719,
"review_text": "These AmazonBasics cables last a lot longer than the OEM cable that comes with the iPhone, or any of the other knock-off certified replacement cables that I've purchased. Even with gentle use, these are destined to fail after a while. Design flaw, or engineered obsolescence?? Either way, AmazonBasics have been the most dependable for me.",
"asin": "B004SBBD8U",
"parent_asin": "B004SBBD8U"
},
{
"unique_id": 3720,
"review_text": "Purchased iPad Air 4 on behalf of my mother in law using my prime and the purchase went fine. She was in need of a new tablet to replace the original iPad Air, and 8 year old IMac, as most of their computing and banking is done from the iPad now. I use the iPad Pro 2020, and had I known about the Air 4 becoming released, I would have just gone with this model as I didn't need the extra memory or processing (although I am going to need video editing for a home issue I'm have to deal with now, so thankfully I already have one). The IPad Air 4 will be plenty useful for most people who want and expect their tablet to last for 5 years without showing any significant signs slowing down or fringing on obsolescence. In terms of shipping, Amazon needs to do something extra about their use of FedEx and USPS shipping services...this $600 device was just left inside my oversized mailbox. I haven't had to deal with a stolen package yet, but all I know is I'm not paying for an item if it's stolen after being dropped off in that manner.",
"asin": "B08J61FCVN",
"parent_asin": "B08J93K6ZC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3721,
"review_text": "I got this Asus RX 6600 on Amazon for 210 US$. I feel that is overpriced for this cards performance. The Asus construction of this card is supreme and the best on the market second to MSi. I would allways only buy Asus or MSi brand, no others.
The build quality of Asus is outstanding. It has the best thermals I have ever seen. On undervolting to 1125 mVolt the core temp in the middle of the card never passes 60 Celsius but stays near it if it draws more watts while gaming. The actual temp (on the edge of the card) is allways around 53 Celsius on gaming load. Somehow the card never runs on it's max clock speed but rather howers around 1300 MHz. I believe the card adjusts automatically to the game and my screen refresh which is 1080p and 60 Hz on high settings on the game hovering around 85 to 150 fps.
To me for this kind of modern cards thats a bit of an meager performance for an game from 2016 or the game gets allways heavier on the GPU over time as planned obsolescence to force the user to upgrade to an allways more expensive and powerfull card. The graphics on the game I play have improved over time but not that much since till 2019 I was still able to play H&G with an gaming laptop from 2012 with an GT 550M dedicated card and then end of 2019 it just did not work anymore with the GT 550M which had about 6 fps of frames while it got before 30 fps. So end of 2019 I bought an new GT 1030 GDDR5 from MSi which got then 50 fps continuously till today end 2022 when I noticed severe dips of fps when using the scope which dropped it to 28 fps which made the lag really to feel. Actually 2022 the game got more fps on the GT 1030 since it reached often between 40 to 70 fps but sometimes the fps dropped to below 30 fps and that was then not playable anymore. So I ordered now a few months ago the RX 6600 in the hopes I would get about 750 fps to 1000 fps on the game H&G on ultra high but was disappointed when the card reached only constantly a tad over 100 fps reliably and that only on high settings dropping the fps a bit on ultra high. Obviously all fancy graphic correction settings are on off since that would drop the fps further. Radeon Super Resolution (RSR) does not work on that game for some reason.
No big deal, it's just a game and if the gaming joke becomes to expensive I will just stop gaming alltogether. Screw then the gaming industry when they allways make games more heavy in order to make obsolete the newest, latest and greatest and specially expensiest GPU ever in order to force people to buy the expensive graphic cards every year. At the end I will just leave gaming alltogether.
As for now the RX 6600 has an price tag of whooping 350 US$ which is way way overpriced for the performance. The Asus thermal solution on these and overall quality is however second to none and the best in the industry. My MSi GT 1030 reached allways 74 degrees Celsius when not undervolted on the game with medium to low settings but 100% load (2 GB Memory GDDR5) and this Asus RX 6600 does not even reach 60 degrees Celsius. However when it draws 100 Watt it then starts to pass the 70 Celsius mark on the core but not on the edge.
Regards gaming with the game Heroes & Generals (the only game I play once in a while) this Asus RX 6600 gets only mediocre performance. I wrote this in an comment in an YouTube Video about that game: \"The RTX 3070 gets around 135 fps on H&G while my RX 6600 does around 110 fps on average depending on the internet speed or something related to online speed (maybe the host server?). The CPU is no where near that important in H&G as the graphic unit. With an octacore 5700G I get between 2% and 4% CPU load and my RX 6600 shows between 30% and 50% load all settings on high and I get between 95 fps and 165 fps hovering mostly around 115 fps depending on internet speed or some internet factors (I use AMD Adrenalin software). With the i3-9100 quad core processor it uses 75% of the CPU (according to MSi Afterburner) and with settings on low for clouds and shadows and medium for objects I get between 30 fps and 65 fps with the GT 1030. So the difference between those 2 GPU is not that big certainly not justifying the price of 210$ and power draw of 80 Watts of the RX 6600 with incredible heat generation as such as it heats up my room uncomfortably much. A GPU acts like an 80+ Watt space heater in the room. The RX 6600 is hovering around 1200 Mhz and 1600 MHz on GPU clock speed and between 30 and 50 Watts sometimes it gets higher and then th fps rise as well. The memory speed of the card is allways at max around 1700 MHz on that game. I undervolted the card to 1125 mVt with it's automatic setting. Temps are between 50 and 60 degrees Celsius on the card\".
Do not buy the RX 6600 but buy instead the RX 6600 XT for hopefully a bit more performance. Specially do not buy these if they cost over 250$ and you already overpayed when you pay more than 200$ for these. I would price these as 120 MSRP understanding when people pay 150$ for these. But never more. That are good prices. To charge for these 210$ is already theft and frankly usury if they ask an 350$ price for the RX 6600 (non XT). The RX 6600 XT I would appraise for an MSRP of 160$ and the RX 6650 XT I would put an price tag of 190 MSRP on it - not more. That would be honest prices.
The RX 6600 I would never buy for 350$ nor past 250$ being aware in the later price I am getting ripped off already.
The GT 1030 from MSi I bought end of 2019 new for 79$ and the RX 6600 is not that much more performing in real life on that H&G game as to justify an 200$+ price tag.
However the quality and thermal construction of Asus puts off a bit the ripp off and is worth as well a few bucks so I believe I did not to much overpay at 210$ for this card new since it is an Asus.
The Asus has an metal backplate which I believe has a few heat transfer patches but not to much of those but it has 3 heat pipes and an massive cooler. The end facing the front fans of the ATX case has an wide open mouth which acts as an wind catcher so the 3 fans I have installed in front blow directly into the cards cooler grid transporting the hot air to the back and exhausting it. However my Arctic F12 and Gamemax 120mm case fans run similarly as the 0 RPM fans of the RX 6600 and start only when the CPU reaches about 50 Celsius and stop at 49 Celsius again. Similar run scheme as the Asus have my 4 case fans (3 in front and 1 in the back). The GPU fans run hardly ever since during gaming the CPU hovers allways arond 64 Celsius keeping the case fans on at about 1000 rpm. The CPU fan is allways on on silence. So the aluminum back plate acts as an heat sink as well in an limited way.
If the cards draws 70 Watt the room can be heated up rather quickly since it acts as an space heater. Considered normal space heaters have 2 elements of 1000 Watt or 2 of 700 Watt that means then this card emits 10% of the heat of one 700 Watt heating element of an space heater constantly. It is if you have running in middle of the summer in Miami or Texas, Nevada, Arizona, etc in an room of ambient temp of 30 Celsius an space heater of 70 Watts. The room can fill up with heat rather quickly and in hot zones not even an 18000 BTU air condition could potentially cope with the heat. Be aware of that. So an RX 6600 XT which draws about 170 Watts instead of the 132 of the RX 6600, will heat up your room uncomfortably if you live in subtropical zones.
On full speed the fans of the Asus RX 6600 will be annoyingly loud but for gaming sessions it is manageable. You would not want to hear those fans the whole day long, though.
55% of performance satisfaction for the RX 6600 non XT but 100% of built, thermal solution and quality satisfaction of Asus.
I use the AMD Adrenaline software. No drivers issues whatsoever. The software hanged up a few times but it works flawless. Yes for 150$ buy by all means this Asus RX 6600 GPU. Passed 200$ look out for something else more powerfull. I never tried to overclock this card nor my MSi GT 1030.
Installing this card I had a bit a problem and I would not see how people can install these without having their CPU integrated graphics. You need some sort of display working to get this RX 6600 running. How do you do that without integrated GPU of the CPU? I have the Ryzen 5700G and had to reset several times the BIOS since it did not recognize the RX 6600. At the end only pre installing Adrenaline worked and then it recognized the RX 6600 suddenly. With the GT 1030 I had no such problems and it worked just plugging it into the PCIE 3.0 port. I use and 600 Watt PSU for this system and that is plenty for this card. This card uses 2 entire slots and covers the 3rd below as well and the one on top is not usable as well. Non of my other PCIE 4 lane plugs are usable since this card covers them all. It is an Mini ATX Asus B450M-A II board. No interference with RAM slots or SATA pluggs. But all else PCIE slots are blocked by the RX 6600. I believe I see there between the aluminum back plate and the PCB at least one single long heat transfer strip (thermal pad) and maybe some smaller ones further to the front - but I am not sure what it is. So the back plate acts as well a bit as an heat sink additionally to the excellent big cooler and heat pipes. The heat pipes are all nickel as it seems and are not copper.
Do NOT buy the RX 6600 but rather buy the RX 6600 XT or RX 6650 XT or any more performing. Buy only the Asus or MSi brand - those have the best thermal solutions IMHO.
But customer support of Asus and MSi is non existant so if there is an issue with your card you are on your own basically. EVGA does not respond to my warranty claims for the Z15 neighter, so the whole industry tries to get rid of any customer claims lately. CS is non existant on Asus and MSi.",
"asin": "B09J8879JC",
"parent_asin": "B0B2KPVR45"
},
{
"unique_id": 3722,
"review_text": "When I go to update the maps using the online updater, I find out that the maps update doesn't fit on the device! This is the second Garmin Nuvi I have owned that was effectively obsoleted by the fact that the maps failed to fit. It is a clear consistent modern case of planned obsolescence. So if you put any value in the \"lifetime\" maps update, change that value to zero. I've been loyal to Garmin with my business but not any more.
At this point I can accomplish 99% of what this device does with Google Maps.
I would recommend getting a charger cord and stand for an iPhone or Android device instead of buying this.",
"asin": "B006SOLITY",
"parent_asin": "B006SOLITY"
},
{
"unique_id": 3723,
"review_text": "This is a decent low cost notebook PC for basic use, though it does require some work to properly set it up.
=-=-=-=-=-Hardware Review Time!!!==-=--==-=-=-=-=-=-
The system comes with an Intel Celeron N2840 (Dual core with no hyperthreading, with a base clock speed of 2.16GHz, and a boost clock speed of 2.57GHz. (Due to the decent passive cooling, the system can pretty much stay at its boost clock nonstop during full load without throttling). The performance at its boost clock is similar to that of older core 2 duo based laptops (specifically, the Intel Core 2 Duo P8400) (the Notebookcheck website has a number of benchmarks done on this CPU)
It also has 2GB of RAM, of which 119MB is reserved for the GPU, and, thus leaving you with 1929MB of user accessible RAM (DDR3 1333). It has a read speed of 8352MB/s, and a write speed of 5260MB/s.
The GPU performance is very low, it will not handle much beyond random 3D games from 2011. Overall, do not get this system to game on it natively. On the other hand, the GPU has full hardware acceleration, and thus it works quite well for game streaming.
The storage performance is also decent for a low end system, with read speeds up to 168MB/s (buffered speeds at 210MB/s, tested in AIDA64), and a Write speed of up to 124MB/s
The read and write speeds far exceed the performance you will find in even 7200RPM laptop drives, especially when you consider the low 4K reads and writes, (this makes the system boot rather quickly).
Now for the display, this is where the budget nature really shows its self. The display seems like a 600:1 contrast ratio panel with relatively poor vertical viewing angles. Furthermore, it is not factory calibrated very well, with an improper white balance (too much blue). I was able to get a good improvement in the picture quality by using a colorimeter, and generating an ICC profile. This improved the color of the panel, especially when it comes to highlight and shadow detail. (by default, any luminance value below 1.6%, is clipped to black, 99-100% luminance is clipped to white. Display calibration, helps to improve the contrast accuracy, as well as the color accuracy, while still allowing for 0% for black, and 100% for white.
For the keyboard, it appears to have a small amount of flex while you are typing. This is not an inward flex, but an outward flex. it is due to how the keyboard is mounted. The keyboard its self has 2 mounting posts in the upper corners, 2 in the center, and clips near the bottom. The problem is that due to how the system is designed, there are no screws holding the center posts in place, thus the keyboard is not held flush with the top panel, and thus it has a small amount of flex. (the top panel of the system is solid though).
The speakers are also decent (considering the cost of this device). They can get pretty loud, though like many small speakers, they cannot do frequencies below 100Hz, thus you get no bass, though they are better than most tablet speakers, (even the higher end ones).
=--==-=-=-Windows 10 aspect-=-==-=-=-
First, make sure you update the bios as soon as you get it. I received mine about 3 days ago, and it came the 1.04 BIOS, which has what is pretty much a BIOS level rootkit that installs some of the Lenovo bloat onto the machine. Version 1.05 of the BIOS and newer, removes that rootkit.
Next, grab a 16GB flash drive or Micro SD card and connect it to the notebook, and then do the windows 10 upgrade; this will allow you to have a permanent activation for windows 10 home (far better than windows 8.1 bing edition). After that, use a tool AIDA64, or "ShowKeyPlus", to display your windows product key (save a copy of that key) (it is good to have this just in case windows does not automatically activates during a clean install, which we will do later)
After upgrading to windows 10, use that 16GB flash drive, or another large flash drive, download the "Windows 10 media creation tool" from the Microsoft website.
After that have the tool create a bootable USB for installing Windows 10 Home (64 bit).
After the bootable USB installer has been made, open the drive in windows explorer, and create a new folder (name it anything you like, e.g., Lenovo drivers).
After you have finished that, head to the Lenovo website and download all of the windows 10 drivers for the Lenovo "S21e-20" (You will have to click on "Show All" on the bottom of the page to see all of the windows to drivers).
Save all of the windows 10 drivers to the folder you made on the bootable flash drive. You will need these drivers later since windows 10 will not have generics for most of the components. Furthermore, also understand that on a fresh windows 10 install, the touchpad will not work until its drivers are installed, so you will have to use a USB mouse, or navigate using the keyboard. (Install the Intel Serial-IO Driver first)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Doing the clean install of windows 10 (after you have done the free upgrade):
Once you have the flash driver with the windows installer, and drivers ready, we can then reboot the PC and head into the bios (by default if is Fn + F2 (press and hold Fn, and rapidly tap F2 when the screen goes black after you have begun the reboot process, or are turning the computer on from a powered off state). Once in the BIOS, you can head over to the "Boot" tab, and then under "EFI" you can select your flash drive containing the windows 10 installer, and then press F6 to move it to the top or at least ABOVE "Windows Boot Manager"
After that, you can save changes and restart.
The system should then boot from the flash drive, thus allowing you to begin the installation process.
We can now do the clean install. After clicking on install now, you may have 2 options, You will want to select "Custom"
Next it will display a list of all of the partitions on the NAND.
Delete all of them, you want the entire drive to be unallocated. (PS, this will erase the windows 8.1 recovery partition).
Now you can proceed with the install, Windows 10 will automatically handle all of the partitioning, and once it is done installing, you will have an additional 7GB of free space compared to the factory windows 8.1 install. The clean install will further save another 2-5GB by not having the Lenovo bloat, and various other redundant files, leaving you with around 18GB of free space. You can further free up more space by removing the windows 10 bloat such as the xbox live software, the 1 month trialware for office, and various other useless windows Windows 10 bloat. (Google search for Windows 10 what to remove, for more info on what to remove and how to remove some of the more annoying bloat).
=-=-=-=-=-=-External overview notes worth mentioning=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The system has a micro SD card slot on the right side of the unit. It is mostly recessed, but the end of the micro SD card does stick out about 1mm (the slot its self is spring loaded, so you push the card in to eject, or install the card).
The touchpad is a decent size, though it has a few software issues, the 1 finger right click detection is not 100% reliable, and sometimes you may end up with it performing both actions (e.g., you try to right click on a link to open it in a new tab, and the system initiates a left click in addition to bringing up the right click menu. Until that issue is fixed, it is better to push using 2 fingers, that gesture does a completely reliable right click.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-A few awesome use cases=-=-=-==-=-
I mainly got this system for basic productivity work, and audio recording. Since it is all solid state, with passive cooling, the system makes no noise. With this, I can connect a high quality USB mic to it (or use a USB to XLR adapter) and do some audio recording, without worrying about the sound of an active cooling system showing up in the audio recording).
=-=-=-=-=Interesting UI tweaks that I recommend=--==-=-=-=-=-
Since this is a low resolution (1366x768) display that is 11.6 inches, screen space is really limited.
A significant amount of screen space can be recovered without giving up any features or functionality by going into the taskbar settings, and then setting it to use small buttons.
After that, UI tweaking tools (which automate the registry editing process, such as winaero tweaker), to reduce the height of the title bar, and window boarders. Setting window boarders to the smallest size, will give you the nice thin borders from the windows classic theme from windows 7 (saves a good amount of screen space).
For the title bars, set it to the lowest size, it will automatically snap to the smallest size that will fit the text and buttons, thus it removes the negative space, without making buttons harder to use, or text harder to read. With all of this, you can save around 50-60pixels of vertical screen space, which is a lot on a 768pixel high display. Windows 10 generally has a lot of negative space surrounding UI elements because it is designed to also work with touch screen displays, thus they add a lot of negative/ blank space to make the UI more finger friendly. If you are using a mount and keyboard, or mouse cursor, then this is simply a waste that makes the device more frustrating to use.
=-=-=-Closing Statement=-=-
All in all, with a little work, I managed to customize the system to better fit my needs. I recovered most of the wasted screen space, I calibrated the display, and by removing the bloat, I managed to free up enough space to have windows fully updated, with many apps, and still have over 10GB of free internal storage.
I keep music and videos on a micro SD card .
=-=-=-=-Cons=-=-=-=-
For a device of this class, you cannot really knock it for some low end specs, but you can knock it for bad design choices that are part of planned obsolescence. The battery is not user replaceable (to get to it, it requires a lengthy teardown process, and even worst, it is a custom design, thus finding replacements will be very hard. For most consumer electronics, the only reason to ever make a device not have a user replaceable battery, is to implement planned obsolescence through the use of using a component with a known limited lifespan. li-Ion batteries typically can do 500-1000 charge cycles, but with each charge cycle, they lose a little bit of their capacity. In the past when this happened (e.g., your laptop battery only lasting 20 minutes), you could buy a replacement battery and have it changed within a few seconds. With non user replaceable batteries, the average user is forced to replace the device, even if the hardware is not obsolete yet.
-----
Edit: I wanted to add a photo of the Micro SD card slot when a card is actually fully installed.",
"asin": "B00WR2888U",
"parent_asin": "B015TPLFFO"
},
{
"unique_id": 3724,
"review_text": "This thing wont allow you to adjust the fan settings with software. not with 3rd party fan controllers not with native software.
AMD software cant adjust the settings
Windows cant adjust the settings
MSI afterburner cant adjust the settings
Asus GPU tweak cant adjust the settings
This thing is hell bent on not running the fans until the GPU reaches 62c ARE YOU KIDDING ME, turns out I'm not the only one who has experienced this as an issue. STAY FAR AWAY from this garbage product.
The only way I was successful in getting the fans to run ( When and how I wanted) was by disconnecting the fans to the graphics card and running it to a separate controller. My graphics card now stays between 34-45c even when gaming... Why ohh why would they program their products to run only when it reaches 62c?????????
One obvious reason would be planned obsolescence, by running hotter for longer periods of time it degrades the lifespan exponentially. forcing us ( the consumers ) to purchase their products again and again to boost their sales. Actions are either deliberate or the product of ignorance... so which do you think is happening here? Are we to believe that a multi million dollar corporation \" just dropped the ball\" in the R&D area regarding thermal degradation? Or a much more simple explanation did you do it knowing it would cause issues with longevity?
Either way its shady. Buyer beware",
"asin": "B083WD3DK6",
"parent_asin": "B083WD3DK6"
},
{
"unique_id": 3725,
"review_text": "My husband actually ran over my old i-pod, but only the Roo Case protective glass screen fractured, and the i-pod still works.
This new one did not include the screen protector., but the rear clip is springy enough to provide cushioning in case of compression or droppage.
It as only available in black, which makes it hard to see at the bottom of my bag. Pls bring back purple.
Such is the price of planned obsolescence.",
"asin": "B009Z3SVRM",
"parent_asin": "B00CDGPIDI"
},
{
"unique_id": 3726,
"review_text": "Planned obsolescence? Is it designed to be replaced?",
"asin": "B079P81YLP",
"parent_asin": "B079P81YLP"
},
{
"unique_id": 3727,
"review_text": "Don't know how a cable that goes unstressed simply stops working, but count this one from Anker among those that do. Given the fact that I have other cables that are many years old that still work perfectly, the fact that the ones I keep trying that are sold here on Amazon all die within a few months comes down to one thing: designed obsolescence.
Make 'em so they only last a couple months and the people will have to come back and buy another 3-4 before the year is done. Trash!
UPDATE:
Glad to let other buyers know that Anker provided a replacement cable to me! They were prompt in their follow up and delivery, so I give them kudos for customer service. I will update if the product fails prematurely again but for now I am very happy they are willing to put some effort into retaining customers...",
"asin": "B00R124LAK",
"parent_asin": "B00R124LAK"
},
{
"unique_id": 3728,
"review_text": "Don't know how a cable that goes unstressed simply stops working, but count this one from iXCC among those that do. Given the fact that I have other cables that are many years old that still work perfectly, the fact that the ones I keep trying that are sold here on Amazon all die within a few months comes down to one thing: designed obsolescence. Make 'em so they only last a couple months and the people will have to come back and buy another 3-4 before the year is done. Trash!",
"asin": "B00ZS6QPTQ",
"parent_asin": "B082P3XMS5"
},
{
"unique_id": 3729,
"review_text": "I've owned these buds for almost two years, with infrequent use. Out of the box, the battery lasted almost three hours at medium volume. Now I get no more than 45 minutes before I get the 'recharge battery' warning, then about five more minutes before they die. Sound quality is great, as is the fit and the charging/storage box. But buyer beware, these won't last much longer than two years, perhaps built-in obsolescence to get customers to upgrade after a couple of years.",
"asin": "B07JF3XCHL",
"parent_asin": "B074F3YW3R"
},
{
"unique_id": 3730,
"review_text": "It works fine, but they changed the location of the charge plug and controls so you are forced to buy a new case for protection. That is such malarkey, built in obsolescence. I altered my old one with scissors.",
"asin": "B07YGYVSPX",
"parent_asin": "B07YGYVSPX"
},
{
"unique_id": 3731,
"review_text": "I bought my 27er in January of 2017. In August of 2019 I returned from vacation and discovered that occasionally the OSD buttons would cycle by themselves, as if someone were holding down a button. Mostly, it was cycling through the input sources, meaning it would flicker on for a second then cycle to a different input. This bug rendered the monitor unusable. I left it until I had time to investigate. This time, it wouldn't turn on at all. The power LED was glowing so I knew it had power, and my computer was recognizing the monitor, but it simply wasn't displaying anything just an empty black screen. No warranty, no help from HP, and my local computer store wouldn't work on it. Discovering that others had experienced the problem, I tried out some solutions but nothing worked. I am a mechanic, so I'm pretty good at fixing things, even if electronics are outside my wheelhouse. I am very frustrated by this turn of events. There was no damage, no change, no misuse. I honestly believe this was a bug that was left intentionally to force obsolescence. I know it sounds paranoid, but why else would something function perfectly one day and die the next? There were no insects or dust on the inside of the case, no rust on the contacts, no loose leads, everything was immaculate.
No as you can tell I am very frustrated by this experience. As a mechanic, I'm not exactly rolling in cash, so having to now buy a new monitor for seemingly no reason is maddening. I definitely won't be buying an HP.
So why 2 stars and not 1? Well, when it did work it worked great. Beautiful image, attractive design, reasonable price. Just don't buy this expecting it to last.",
"asin": "B01F6V704G",
"parent_asin": "B0BB4F88KR"
},
{
"unique_id": 3732,
"review_text": "I bought this camera after much research two Novembers ago. My main criteria were 1) it had to be VERY small; 2) it needed to take great still shots with high resolution; 3) I wanted HD video.
1 This camera, is, indeed, VERY small. So small that my little fingers have a hard time with the buttons sometimes. This has not been too much of an issue, as I am now used to it. The small size is a huge asset.
2 I have received THOUSANDS of compliments on the photos I've taken with this camera. Without editing, or with very simple cropping and retouching, this camera delivers high-quality photos, even set at medium resolution. The number of settings give excellent functionality for all levels of photographers. If you want a highly functional SMALL camera that takes great photos, this is it.
3 The HD video is also really good but it takes up a lot of space on the memory card and takes a long time to upload anywhere. I've used the next grade down and had fine results taking videos of sports events.
Other plusses: Battery life is amazing.
Minuses: over time, this camera has acted strange at times, especially with the opening and closing of the lens and with time between pressing the button and the flash activating. While a simple \"restore factory settings\" usually got it back on track, this dysfunction was unsettling when I was in once in a lifetime situations I HAD to memorialize in photos.
Finally, after probably 10,000 photos on the beach and in other grimy, humid conditions, the lens refuses to open all the way when I turn the camera on. This problem can be fixed, but I'm being told that the fix will cost more than a new, better camera. I'm bummed even though I think I've probably used this camera to death.
Great camera. Too bad all our electronics now come with built-in obsolescence.",
"asin": "B001SER47O",
"parent_asin": "B001T9NUQM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3733,
"review_text": "I LOVED this new (2022) Pitbull Gold Pro Skull Shaver when I first got it! Everything seemed Very well made and it shaved perfectly and quick! Thought I had finally found a product thet actually cared about build quality. Had it for a little more than One Month... Then while shaving one day it started making this Crazy \"SCREECHING\" sound intermittently! It would start and then stop and then start again. Sounded like a Banshee! Obviously my initial judgement was completely WRONG... Another piece of China Crap?? Contacted customer Service but they were of no help... BEWARE!! AVOID spending $100 for this Skull Shaver!! Looks like it's made really well, but must have BAD internals or mechanical problems! Ever hear of \"Planned Obsolescence? (look it up) Take my word it's still being done today!",
"asin": "B076GRD77Y",
"parent_asin": "B076GRD77Y"
},
{
"unique_id": 3734,
"review_text": "I have an old Dell laptop computer that is still running after over 8 years. However, it was constantly overheating. I could tell when the computer was about to shut off from the heat when it started to run really slow. And forget about trying to use it when the temperature was over 80 degrees F. I cleaned the vents and checked the computer's cooling fans and everything seems to be working OK but not enough to cool the computer.
I searched for something to help cool the computer and finally came across the Cool Master. It does the job and now I can use the laptop again without any problems. I was a bit concerned after reading other reviews about fans not working out of the box or dying after only a short time in use. I finally selected on the Cool Master because the base is made of metal and has lots of mounting points. I figured if the fans broke then I could buy some other ones and attach them to the base without any problems. The $20 I spent (the item plus shipping) was worth it just for the base.
I have been using this device for a couple of months now and it runs just fine. The two fans hum right along. The fans can be mounted almost anywhere on the platform, so you can configure them to fit the computer hot spots. The device is powered from the USB slots on the computer, so when the computer is off the device is off. The USB plug has an adapter so that you can still use the USB slot for something else even with the fan plugged in. Useful if you only have 2 slots like I do on my old computer.
So, it is hard to find any fault with this device as it does what it is supposed to do and I am saved, once again, from having to buy a new computer. I hate the planned obsolescence in the computer industry and plan to keep running this laptop until it finally dies of old age. So take that, Microsoft, Apple and the rest of you !!!!
UPDATE MAR 2014
OK, this cooling unit is still running fine after about a year of almost constant use. I cannot complain as it was easily worth the $20. One thing I do notice, though. It runs from the USB port and the computer must somehow vary the amount of power through the plug. Sometimes the fans seem to vibrate quite a bit. It happens at the same time as the \"regular\" fan in the computer really kicks in. I cannot tell what is going on, but maybe that is what some other reviewers were complaining about? Whatever, it is still working fine for me. With this fan my laptop is going strong after 9 years. The battery is long dead, the CD/DVD drive long ago quit, but as long as there are 32 GB thumb drives I am good to go. I even loaded a LINUX system to a drive, called Puppy LINUX. The computer can actually boot from the thumb drive and I use it whenever I am just browsing the internet. Runs much faster than Windows and boots up in a couple of minutes.",
"asin": "B002NU5V4A",
"parent_asin": "B00GFNH9H8"
},
{
"unique_id": 3735,
"review_text": "Previously had the Harmony Ultimate Home, but it stopped working one day. Logitech couldn\u2019t do anything. So rather than spent the big bucks on another remote that would fail after a few years, decided to go with this Harmony Companion. We have had it for 3 months, HATE IT. When using Roku, there is either a lag or no operation at all. Sometimes it will double the action you selected. Arrow right once but it reacts x2. The macros for turning multiple devices on/off doesn\u2019t always work. The Harmony Companion requires constant attention to get it to work correctly. I have the IR blasters situated with line-of-sight to all the electronics to no avail. We use the Companion to turn everything on (hoping it works every single time), then use the OEM Roku remote for everything else. Waste of money. High likelihood it will fail/quit working within 2yrs. PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE, I will not buy another remote from them and actively looking for alternates.
On a positive note, the 4 additional buttons for Z-wave/Zigbee controls is nice.",
"asin": "B00N3RFC4G",
"parent_asin": "B00O4RRHP6"
},
{
"unique_id": 3736,
"review_text": "Having read and researched for several weeks, I took a flier and decided to purchase an Acer laptop. In the past, Acer has \u2013 at least in my circles \u2013 had both a less-than-sterling reputation, and one as a \u201cbargain basement brand.\u201d However, over the last few generations of Acer laptops, it\u2019s been clear that their quality has been improving significantly. So, when the initial reviews for the Predator Triton 500 came out, I sat up and took notice. This laptop proves that Acer is no longer the \u201cBlu of laptops.\u201d
Aside from the impressive specs on what\u2019s under the hood, this laptop offers features such as a metal chassis and skin (except the screen bezel). The backlit keyboard is well-designed, with the keys having a surprising amount of travel for so thin a laptop. Okay, it\u2019s not equipped with Cherry MX switches, but for a laptop it\u2019s not at all bad. In contrast to some of the other reviewers here, a very careful inspection of my RTX 2060/6GB/16GB \u201centry level\u201d machine revealed zero assembly flaws. Its fit and finish remind me of my old IBM Thinkpads and MacBooks.
Overall, the design strikes me as well thought out. The hinges are sturdy, the case quite stiff, with an abundance of cooling vents. The only possible complaint is that the anodized brushed aluminum case is a bit of a fingerprint magnet.
Unlike most gaming rigs, this laptop is not the garish LED wet dream of a 14 year old gamer nerd, but actually rather tastefully appointed. The inclusion of a turbo button over the F1 and F2 keys, and an Acer-specific button to the right of the backspace key (which starts the Acer Predator Sense utility), and a multi-hue RGB backlit keyboard with some special effects will sooth the above-mentioned nerd\u2019s yearnings for flash and glitz. Unlike others, I found the touchpad to be more than adequate; Windows 10\u2019s control panel allows for sufficient fine-tuning as to eliminate most issues.
The ability to utilize both wired and WiFi internet \u2013 separately or together \u2013 is a welcome plus to this user, as my last few laptops did not offer an RJ45, and the various other ports \u2013 3 USB 3.1, 1 Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, etc., offer significant expansion capabilities from the base system. While not \u201cobsolescence proof,\u201d the Thunderbolt 3 should delay such to some degree.
Contrary to what others have commented, under normal load, I\u2019ve not noticed the fans at all. Sure, under full load from a graphics intensive game, or in turbo mode, they are a bit loud, but this IS a gaming laptop and certain trade offs are inevitable. The case does get warm under heavy load, but I\u2019ve had far worse laptops in this regard. A caveat: thanks to 42 years of punk rock, my hearing\u2019s not what it was and the fans noise may be in a frequency in which I\u2019m partially deaf.
This is a 4.2 lb (1.9 kg) metal chassis/case gaming laptop with three fans an i7, an RTX 20(X)0 and an ultra-thin design. Expecting 8 hours of battery life is unrealistic. Expecting much battery life at all when playing a graphics-intensive game is just foolish. That said, a plethora of battery saving options are available and I found that, with moderate use of them, I was able to extend battery life to about 4 hours, 40 minutes (to 5% charge) while doing mixed productivity (word-processing), web-surfing via WiFi and watching 1080p videos. That\u2019s not too shabby. Had I gone full bore on the battery saving options, I feel certain I could have eked out another hour, at least.
The PCIe SSD makes short work of moving large files about. Loading LibreOffice Writer by clicking on a 10 page .odt file brings that file up in about 3 seconds, unzipping large files (e.g. gzipped 4GB Linux isos, etc.) is extremely fast, and moving such files to and from a 3.1 USB pendrive is jaw-dropping to someone who remembers using 8MB USB 1.0 pendrives.
Others have suggested the screen is slightly dim, but I found it to be adequately bright, about par with most ICP laptops, with rich colors and clean definition. Of course, 144Hz makes gameplay seamless. No, it\u2019s not UHD, but my senior citizen eyes aren\u2019t able to discern the difference on a 15\u201d screen.
Gameplay \u2013 I haven\u2019t really tried to push it yet, but Elite:Dangerous runs pegged at 144 FPS, and League of Legends never dips below 215 FPS, even in team fights, both at highest settings. A portion of my next pension check will be spent on a game that will test the 2060\u2019s limits. HD movies play flawlessly, and I was noting details that I\u2019d previously missed on my last laptop (a Dell 2-in-1), such as facial fuzz.
There\u2019s never such thing as a perfect machine, and this one has one significant \u2013 even mortal \u2013 flaw in my book. I am a Linux user and gamer, and thanks to the asinine security restrictions Acer has placed in the BIOS, the only way to install Linux is either on a pen drive and boot to it via the F12 boot drive selection menu, or ship your laptop to Acer, paying $100 for them to flash an unlocked BIOS to it, a process that\u2019ll take 7-10 days after they receive it. Had I been aware of this, I probably would have bought something else, as a large percentage of my games library is Linux-based. Thanks, Acer, for kissing Microsoft\u2019s monopolistic ass.
If you\u2019re not a Linux geek, disregard the above; this is an excellent machine for Win10 users.
-----------------------
The review is supposed to be about the merchandise, so no deduction was made for the truly pathetic customer service I received from Amazon in this particular instance. Attempting to buy on the installment plan, I had to cancel and reorder three times, before, thanks to an extremely kind and helpful lady in customer service, my order was tagged, flagged, marked and all boxes otherwise ticked to indicate it was not to be paid all at once. Thus, it took 2 weeks to receive this laptop from the date I initially ordered it. Caveat Emptor when attempting to buy from Amazon in this fashion.",
"asin": "B07NDVGYZQ",
"parent_asin": "B07PK138MB"
},
{
"unique_id": 3737,
"review_text": "After two years of moderate use, all the letter, number, etc. markings on the keys started to come off......I'm a fairly good typist, but I still need to look down there and see which key it is from time to time. Really no excuse for this. Just another Microsoft planned obsolescence rip-off.",
"asin": "B004SUIM4E",
"parent_asin": "B081TK1W3Z"
},
{
"unique_id": 3738,
"review_text": "Was way easier than expected to place on the tablet, and there was zero fuss with bubbles after following the instructions. Once on there, the tablet felt like new. This shield is better than the one the store put on for $36! Besides the great quality of this item, they give you two shields in one package, which will probably outlast the life of the device thanks to planned obsolescence by Apple.",
"asin": "B071CW4T9M",
"parent_asin": "B071CW4T9M"
},
{
"unique_id": 3739,
"review_text": "These are ergonomically great. The middle ball is supposed to be better for you than a thumb ball, and I agree with this. The ball is removable for cleaning. These are great, but on one of the two that I have one of the buttons became stuck after a year. I tried to take it apart for cleaning but I discovered not only is it screwed shut it is glued shut too! I destroyed it trying to get the glue apart. I can't think of any reason to add the glue except for planned obsolescence. Thus minus a star. As far as good trackball functionality I give this five stars. It is ergonomically wonderful to use. The trackball tracks well. It is probably the best reasonably price trackball on the market.",
"asin": "B001F42MKG",
"parent_asin": "B001F42MKG"
},
{
"unique_id": 3740,
"review_text": "Was a great little power strip while
It lasted. RIP little guy. Planned obsolescence is so depressing.",
"asin": "B01H4YTH6W",
"parent_asin": "B07RW8W2WW"
},
{
"unique_id": 3741,
"review_text": "It is all to easy to succumb to the upgrading maddness bug. All companies are guilty of planned obsolescence and in Minoltas case giving up to Sony an excellent camera line because they got into the digital world to late. Mimolta did however make the 5d, (which is very good camera), before giving in to Sony. Sony has caught up in quality and value with Nikon and Canon with the A77 but the file size is huge. Using my Sony A77 for school is like using a Porsche to just drive around town. The 5d in my camera bag was my answer. Working with Raw 6 megapixel files for school work provided quality image contol with modest blow up capabilities. A new Minolta NP400 Li-ion Battery works much better with the 5d then other replacement batteries. If you still have this or the 7d, it is worth dusting it off. Those who don't probably not. The point however is you may already have what you need in your closet just in need of a battery.",
"asin": "B0000D8G7E",
"parent_asin": "B0000D8G7E"
},
{
"unique_id": 3742,
"review_text": "Horrible product!! Planned obsolescence! Once internal battery dies, which will be a year, throw unit away. Cant replace battery! This company should be havily penalized for carbon footprint they create, not allowing a replacement battery. Shame on you, you greedy, evil company!",
"asin": "B00N2ZDXW2",
"parent_asin": "B00N2ZDXW2"
},
{
"unique_id": 3743,
"review_text": "Had mine for a bit over three years. Worked decently. Wasn't compatible with on new monitor, but everything else was fine, until I moved. Unplugged it, packed it, set it back up 48 hours later, and it no longer turns on. Guess it was okay for the money, but probably worth spending a bit more and getting something that will at least last five years. Engineered obsolescence is the pits.",
"asin": "B019XOJ874",
"parent_asin": "B0B8W72ZG6"
},
{
"unique_id": 3744,
"review_text": "This is the second Echo product I've purchased. After around a year, you have to unplug and replug to get it to work. Eventually the Dot quick working all together. Poor components I guess, or planned obsolescence.",
"asin": "B08J8FFJ8H",
"parent_asin": "B08XVF418R"
},
{
"unique_id": 3745,
"review_text": "I'm a software person, but not a router expert. I just want my router to provide quality connection to my computers (work at home, little video, no gaming), and my Blu-ray players (primarily movie streaming via Amazon Prime). This was just about the highest rated AC box at the time so I grudgingly purchased it. The set up and interface are good/simple enough, no drops or hangs, and the range & signal (even for my non-AC connections) seem to be as good or slightly improved over my previous generation routers (D-Links, Cisco's, etc). So yeah this costs a bit, but it works well and should have quite a long life before obsolescence.",
"asin": "B00FB45SI4",
"parent_asin": "B09P4KJSTQ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3746,
"review_text": "The Kindle 3G e reader is the Yugo of electronic equipment. I just had my second display failure in as many machines. It is ultimate in planned obsolescence. The worst thing though was the hour of dealing with incompetent customer service reps who were more like used car salespeople. I will never buy another kindle product. It's just not worth the time,frustration and disappointment.",
"asin": "B002GYWHUO",
"parent_asin": "B002GYWHUO"
},
{
"unique_id": 3747,
"review_text": "I've had this for a year and a half now. Use everyday for multiple hours. Now the planned obsolescence has set in.
The last update has made the device near impossible to use. Apps constantly crashing or will not open at all. Even official Amazon apps like Audible won't work. Battery life has gone down to 2 and a half hours. Complete waste. This sort of purposeful bricking should be illegal.",
"asin": "B07K2HBB1H",
"parent_asin": "B07PHQ93TV"
},
{
"unique_id": 3748,
"review_text": "Speaker sounded ok: acceptable for it's price point. I was able to use it a few times before it took a tumble with the ac/aux adapter plugged in. That killed the ac/aux adapter. Without this highly proprietary adapter, this speaker cannot be charged, nor connected by cable. Since the required cable is HIGHLY proprietary, it is not easy to replace. If they had used a standard stereo mini-plug aux. cable, and standard mini-usb charging cable. I'd still have a usable unit. Now I have an expensive paper weight. This unit absolutely does NOT represent thoughtful engineering. It does well represent \"PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE.\" I hate that kind of dooky.",
"asin": "B07DNDTY8N",
"parent_asin": "B0BGDLLL4W"
},
{
"unique_id": 3749,
"review_text": "I'm pretty sure I've never come across a tech product that represented quite as much value as this little gem. If you're considering a Chromebook and are shopping online, you should know that this model has a better keyboard than Chromebooks costing twice as much or more. (This is more important than you probably realize.) As the old saying goes, it's got everything you need and nothing you don't. It represents the best imaginable approach to minimalism in tech design and, with a few days' worth of use under my belt, I have no complaints. If you're thinking about dipping your toes into the Google ecosystem and the Chromebook environment, this is a great place to start. NB, this machine is on Google's list of Chromebooks that will be compatible with Android apps so you're not looking at instant obsolescence as Chrome OS evolves. For $150, this is the biggest no-brainer ever.",
"asin": "B014MIBQXA",
"parent_asin": "B014MIBQXA"
},
{
"unique_id": 3750,
"review_text": "Was awesome - until it melted. We've had it for six months or so; initially, it was *amazing*. However, over time, it seemed to slowly start losing connections and having bandwidth issues. Electronics, when it overheats for a long time, will slowly start to have minor connection issues all over its internals - which means it will mostly work, but occasionally do slightly the wrong thing without it being clear why. The problem is, identifying that it's heat damage is always difficult - it could also be something specific being broken. So I did all the normal checks; I touched it to see if it was too warm - it wasn't. I looked for anything else that could be wrong: I tested the bandwidth right next to the router - it was still spotty. I tried plugging directly into the modem - suddenly, everything was fast. I tried changing the antenna configurations - no change. I tried moving the router - no change. I repeatedly double checked that everything was plugged in right, that the network cable worked, that the power from the outlet was clean - everything seemed fine. I double checked the settings, there was nothing visibly wrong; I reset many things to defaults repeatedly, even when they already were set to the defaults - nothing improved.
I kept on wondering what the problem was until I realized that I work with someone who designs embedded devices like routers. I asked him what his thoughts were - I didn't even finish telling him what I'd tried, as soon as I said "it's failing and it's passively cooled", he was like "yep, it's melting". I still went through each thing, and he double-verified that yes, if you have a passively cooled device that does a little bit of work for a long time, and it's not in a very well ventilated area, then it will melt.
I'd give it one star, but that wouldn't really be fair - this has happened with every router I've ever owned or interacted with, I just haven't known what the problem was until now. I'm having difficulty finding actively cooled routers on amazon, I think business routers might be better about this. But I really don't know what to call this except planned obsolescence; why do routers not have cooling systems in them? the tradeoff is between cooling, which creates a bit of noise and is less fancy, but will last much longer; and no cooling, which makes the router seem classier and more appealing, but means it'll melt.
Fair warning, anyway. you might be able to make this work, if you put it in a nice cool spot with some air flow. A cool spot is probably not enough - if there isn't air flow across it, I'm not sure it'll help. And even then, it's a plastic case. It's going to hold the heat in unless something pushes it through the vents. So, watch out.",
"asin": "B00JZFG6QS",
"parent_asin": "B00JZFG6QS"
},
{
"unique_id": 3751,
"review_text": "After a ton of troubleshooting, don't flash to the newest .02E update, keep it at the 1.16. The .02E stops the device from charging. That's right folks, the End Of Life drivers stop the device from charging. Nothing like forced obsolescence. It works otherwise apart from playlists, that isn't supported.",
"asin": "B00VXMY262",
"parent_asin": "B09BDX2C9X"
},
{
"unique_id": 3752,
"review_text": "[[ASIN:B006K553QA Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 18.2 MP Exmor R CMOS Digital Camera with 10x Optical Zoom and 3.0-inch LCD (BlUE) (2012 Model)]]
Pro's:
1. Great Camera... Love the zoom, it's awesome and it works...
2. I referred 2 friends to this camera after my purchase of this camera and all of us think the same for the use, picture quality as well as the HD video for this camera.
3. I purchased the Blue one and the color is an awesome Blue / both my friends love the Black color they purchased.
4. The zoom is great, you have to be steady and it takes great pictures when zoomed out.
5. The Macro - O Man this is great from our last Sony as you can use the Macro without selecting the Macro button, its \"Auto Macro\" so you subject don't get away faster than you can select the Macro button and make sure your on Macro! Love it! Sony makes an awesome camera both for functionality, looks, design and sleekness.
6. From my previous camera and yes all three of us had the previous Sony and it don't compare to the Video in this new camera - this one has great picture quality for the movies.
7. Seller shipped as promised and SUPER shipping rate! Received package intact as described by seller with no missing parts...
Con's:
1. I was a bit taken back as to the quality of this camera. I'm used to Sony having a wee bit more weight for their product. This one appears to be of another metal or plastic where-as all my other Sony Cameras were of real quality metal and it showed it! I guess it's expected when things are moving at the speed they are today and the rate of planned obsolescence of a product being less than a year it's a wonder they're not made of paper for automatic degradation!
All in All - Pleased with out purchase",
"asin": "B006K553QA",
"parent_asin": "B007BJC3M6"
},
{
"unique_id": 3753,
"review_text": "A beautiful device that works flawlessly until the assumed "planned obsolescence" kicks in. I've used this device for over 2 years and loved it. Never had any problems with it! Then, in January 2016, I got a "no battery" error, and the device stopped working. The only way to get it working again is to take out the battery, put it back in, and restart the device. It works for a while (the battery is at 90% power), and then the device disconnects and gives you the error again. You'd think it's a bad battery, right? Well, it looks like I'm not alone with this problem: https://community.netgear.com/t5/AirCard-LTE-Hotspots-Gateways/AirCard-770s-no-battery-error/td-p/512430 People mentioned that this might be "planned obsolescence", which is really be sad if it's the case.",
"asin": "B00BLTCZ70",
"parent_asin": "B00BLTCZ70"
},
{
"unique_id": 3754,
"review_text": "Don't buy anything from Roku that is "legacy", their term for "We aren't issuing any updates". I have a perfectly good Roku N1000 that is useless
because Roku chooses not to support their products,in a obvious planned obsolescence marketing strategy.",
"asin": "B00426C57O",
"parent_asin": "B00426C57O"
},
{
"unique_id": 3755,
"review_text": "Another device with planned obsolescence as a feature. Worked okay for a year and a half, then stopped. Now it's garbage.",
"asin": "B00R2AZLD2",
"parent_asin": "B09G3MBH6V"
},
{
"unique_id": 3756,
"review_text": "this sits in one of my desk drawers waiting for a use. The Sony equipment this was bought to control died as many of the Sony components that I have bought lately have. Sony used to be the pinnacle one of the best but it seems they have lost their edge. Maybe it's in trying to control to many things or just built for obsolescence but when I get more value from a panasonic or a GE it really makes you think twice about laying out a grand for a blu-ray player even if it holds 400 disks",
"asin": "B00385XUG0",
"parent_asin": "B00385XUG0"
},
{
"unique_id": 3757,
"review_text": "I used to think that Skullcandy was the best on the market. Premium sound, and excellent material quality. Well, it actually looks like they have taken the path that so many companies do... crappy materials and poor manufacturing.
To save a few bucks and to make a bigger profit margin, Skullcandy uses a very cheap plastic that does not stand up to the rigors of taking on and off your headset.
They know it, too. They do testing. Not to assure the consumers of quality and workmanship, but to figure out how long they'll last so they can set their expectations of replacements and warranty limit to further escape the shoddy quality.
I had these for nearly 3 months and in the normal course of putting on the headphones, the left earphone broke away from the headband in an irreparable way. I had already noticed, in the last few days or so, an ever widening crack in the right earphone happening, and I thought, when the earphone came off in my hand, that I had put them on backwards, and it was that side that had broken off. I was wrong. It was the plastic hinge that broke.
When will manufacturers and engineers ever learn, plastic hinges are NOT durable and will always eventually, inevitably fail. Planned obsolescence I guess... keep them buying...
Dammit, I'm mad! I should be offered a full refund for a manufacturing defect, because they cannot seriously think that these parts are solid.",
"asin": "B01DWH7AIM",
"parent_asin": "B0B37TT7JB"
},
{
"unique_id": 3758,
"review_text": "initially this was a great gadget which did the job of helping us keep an eye on our toddler while he was in his room. It always had a really annoying feautre which was that if it sensed movement or sound it would either beep or vibrate as a warning. You can not turn this off. My son is three -can you imagine having this thing bleeping or vibrating every time he talks, rolls over or coughs - maybe when he was a few weeks old that was ok- but i see many are getting this product to watch older kids or pets. Also the temperature monitor was always about 5 to 10 degrees off - which i think is an unacceptibly useless error margin. Most offensive is its dimished lifespan:at about one year the device no longer worked without being plugged in - it will not hold a charge for 5 minutes. considering this device was not cheap: I am out almost $200 with no warrantee. just another example of planned obsolescence at its worst.",
"asin": "B004VG6FBC",
"parent_asin": "B004VG6FBC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3759,
"review_text": "These headphones were nice when I got them in Feb 2021. Not perfect - a lot of bass, which is why I ordered them, but when using the bass, heavy distortion. Other than that, quality of sound was pretty good, although the headset was a little too large and could not be adjusted down enough. But I was happy and the sound was good. I'm very gentle with electronics, and stuff lasts for 5-10 years no matter what I buy. I thought these would too, but in 6 months, the bass adjustment button came loose and stopped working. Then the ear pads started falling off - turns out they were barely attached by a thin piece of plastic. And finally, the soft \"leather\" started tearing and shredding like thin black soft plastic. I've loved Skullcandy products before this headset, but won't ever buy the brand again. The company now exceeds in making a product look and act fantastic out of the box but is so cheap it's trash in a few months. Talk about planned obsolescence. Now I'm back to look for new headphones, and Skullcandy is permanently done in my book.",
"asin": "B01DWH77GC",
"parent_asin": "B0B37TT7JB"
},
{
"unique_id": 3760,
"review_text": "Not too happy with this company these days, due to the completely unrestrained avarice they\u2019ve exhibited for about a decade now, except now it\u2019s painfully clear that was always the goal.
Let me preface this review by saying that I\u2019ve been using this service and site pretty much since it\u2019s inception in the late 90\u2019s. I considered myself their biggest fan for a long time.
Years ago I purchased a 3rd gen HDX Fire for my wife which worked perfectly well, at about 150 USD or so, and it has been maintained with utmost care ever since. Amazing hardware really, almost too good for the price I paid at the time, not to mention the lifetime I got out of it. 4-core processor, banging sound with rich bass, and my favorite part, a 1920x1080 razor sharp screen condensed into a 7\u201d screen. You could see every bristle from a brush stroke if you zoomed into a painting, every pore in the canvas. The device has never received a scratch or a blemish, no impacts, no water damage, no bad habits even.
Within the past year (specifically since the final software update my device was eligible for in Dec 2018) it has stopped streaming video properly and now issues random and esoteric error messages for no good reason, primarily when streaming video. The connection to my WiFi is robust and there is definitely no hardware issue, since the rest of the time it works like a dream.
What\u2019s actually going on is that there is an opportunity to resell my device for more money to an emerging market, so the device has started acting up all of a sudden. I finally broke down a bought a replacement kindle for my son because I was losing my sanity having to work around the error message every time I left the room, then when browsing for a new one, I saw that they offered a nice little trade-in package. So, this company is now engaging in the structured obsolescence busI was model for their hardware/software, on top of their other lines or business already worth literally hundreds of billions of dollars. I am about ready to close my account down for good because I won\u2019t tolerate nor encourage this level of absurd greed and consumerism.
This new kindle is just awful, a hideous downgrade in every sense, but suspiciously cheap enough to make you not care that much. The thin plastic, low resolution screen, buttons, and weight are all as cheap as can be. They\u2019re practically giving them away at cost and you get what you pay for (or perhaps even less in this case).
Also, could someone explain what business a kid has with a forward and backward facing camera? Sorry, but no poorly made device that connects to the Internet should have a camera pointed right at my kid\u2019s face, or anybody\u2019s face for that matter.
Don\u2019t trade your old device in; keep it alive as long as it will go and then throw it away, or commit it to the bottom of the sea. Maybe repurpose it into something else if you\u2019re into robotics/rooting Android devices. Whatever you do, don\u2019t trade your old one in.",
"asin": "B07H8WS1FT",
"parent_asin": "B07H8WS1FT"
},
{
"unique_id": 3761,
"review_text": "The laptop I received from them has been a complete and utter \"unit.\" Powerful as hell & without the planned obsolescence my previous Apple devices had built into them. Asus is my computer brand for the foreseeable future.",
"asin": "B018AX3OHO",
"parent_asin": "B018AX3OHO"
},
{
"unique_id": 3762,
"review_text": "Let me start by saying that I have far too many Amazon products in my home - but just had to have one more.
The new Fire TV is in the kitchen, attached to a HD monitor with a sound bar. My wife enjoys being entertained while she cooks and its her kitchen. The new device replaces an original Fire Stick, that isn't upgradable; There is problem number 1 - planned obsolescence. I'm hoping that the new Amazon device will have a longer service life before it has to be tossed for an upgraded unit.
I decided to buy the Fire TV for 2 main reasons. The improved streaming and Alexa. The Fire Stick could not stream a movie without buffering or completely losing the signal.. Hopefully this has been solved by the specs of the new unit. So far, so good, and if it continues to work, I may upgrade my rating. The unit was easy to set up, with the exception of the remote is hard to open. To be fair, I have trouble opening a lot of remotes; my wife says I push too hard. Also, there should be a note with the product description that an additional HDMI cable is required. If you don't have one you will be annoyed.
My wife loves the voice commands and played with it for quite a while. It never missed a search, even with the kids as background noise. Finding what we want to watch just got a lot easier. This alone makes it worth the upgrade.
Now to Alexa. This is Alexa number 2. We have an original Alexa in the kitchen already. We both use it daily. Most often for music, timers, and alarms. I thought that with a new Alexa, I could stream music through a vastly better sound system attached to the Fire TV. The original Alexa is a portable Bluetooth speaker, with sound quality to match. Good, but far from great.
The main advantage of the original Alexa is it responds to verbal input WITHOUT a remote; it constantly listens for commands. You tell it what to do and it does it, even when your hand are in the sink. The new Alexa, on the Fire TV, only responds to commands spoken into the remote. So, if you are washing dishes, or any other chore in the house where your hands are full, you can't activate Alexa. This may seem pretty trivial, but the next step in Alexa is light and appliance on/off. To find, or carry a remote, to turn on or off a light defeats the purpose of voice commands. If I have use a remote to set a kitchen timer, I might as well use the stove.
Actually, I reinstalled the original Alexa to use for voice commands. I will use the new Alexa to stream music, albeit, having to use the remote. There is problem number 2. I have use 2 devices to get the desired result results.
And problem number 3 is really part of problem 1. While researching the Fire TV, I noticed that Amazon have an exchange program for certain used electronics. News to me. However, not one Amazon item was listed in the program. The iPhone is listed, but not my Fire Phone. So someone can trade in an Apple device to upgrade, but I can't trade in my Amazon device to upgrade. Seems odd that Amazon products aren't given preference as a trade in items. Instead they just go to the trash.",
"asin": "B00U3FPN4U",
"parent_asin": "B00U3FPN4U"
},
{
"unique_id": 3763,
"review_text": "I have bought two of these. The first lasted exactly two years, then stopped working. I bought another one, because the pictures it takes under almost all circumstances are fantastic. It worked for exactly two years, then ....broke! Must be planned obsolescence. Anyway, I am now shopping for a Minolta or Olympus, which hopefully will last longer. I would have given this product 5 stars for picture quality, but have deducted two because of its lack of durability.",
"asin": "B00004SCWX",
"parent_asin": "B00004SCWX"
},
{
"unique_id": 3764,
"review_text": "It worked for a while. I bought one of these a few years back and it's not working now. I wish companies would inform their customers of planned obsolescence so we can make more informed decisions. Google "can't open WD Passport" and you'll see the most common issue with this product. I will not be purchasing another because I want something a bit more reliable for my photos, music, movies, and docs. Western Digital, how long do you design your products to last?",
"asin": "B01LQQH86A",
"parent_asin": "B089PMMT1X"
},
{
"unique_id": 3765,
"review_text": "Planned obsolescence with Apple laptops is maddening. This is a good replacement battery for the MacBook Pro. Easy to install with the screws made for ants if you don't lose any.",
"asin": "B071G53YBQ",
"parent_asin": "B071G53YBQ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3766,
"review_text": "Works great for the first few months. The connection is not sturdy between the part that goes in the phone and connects to the magnetic part of the cable, eventually will break down. Then corrosion does the rest. Planned obsolescence. Don't buy.",
"asin": "B07ZCQRBTP",
"parent_asin": "B07ZCQRBTP"
},
{
"unique_id": 3767,
"review_text": "The kids loved it, but it died a week after the warranty was up. Very precisely planned obsolescence.",
"asin": "B01J90MSDS",
"parent_asin": "B01M4NU4OM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3768,
"review_text": "Update 06/16/16
Ok, well, I have owned this keyboard for 20 months now and in that time, I've used it MAYBE 10 times and I went to use it the other day and the thing wouldn't work. At all.
(I rarely use my tablet and when I do, it's pretty much just for an e-reader. I had originally bought my tablet to use as a wordprocessor to take to coffee shops with me so I wouldn't have to carry my laptop, but the tablet really doesn't work well as a wordprocessor due to the limitations of the available android wordprocessing software. And then all the finickiness of using a bluetooth keyboard and bluetooth mouse make the time spent trying to type on the tablet, not very productive.
In any case, I still do very occasionally use my tablet for typing, at which times, I would pull my Anker Bluetooth Keyboard from its storage box where I keep it safely stowed on my office shelf.
So, I hadn't used the keyboard in well over 6 months, and I kept it stored in its box with the batteries removed. I went to use it about 2 weeks ago and there was no power when I turned it on. So I tried a brand new set of batteries. Still nothing. I briefly got the power light to flicker on with the 3rd set of brand new batteries, and it synced very briefly with my tablet and then ... nothing. The thing stopped working after only being used about 10 times and sitting unused for the rest of that time. The last time I used it, over 6 months ago, it was working just fine. Something in it failed while it was sitting on the shelf, and there was no visual sign of what the problem might be.
I contacted Anker viia my Amazon purchase link to see about getting a replacement for the defective keyboard. It took them over a week and a half to reply to my email. And when they finally did, they said sorry, we can't help you since you're 2 months past our warranty period... (even though I had barely used the keyboard at all) and the best they could offer me was 15% off a brand new keyboard. Yeah, like I'm going to spend even more money on defective products that they won't even honor with what they claim is their incredible warranty.
Can you say 'planned obsolescence' boys and girls? (If you haven't heard of this, it's when companies plan for their products to fail right after the warranty period ends, forcing the user to buy a new one. Usually, people think that the failure is just due to regular use and wear and tear, but this isn't the first time I've had an electronics product that has been hardly used at all, and within 1-2 months after the warranty period ends, the thing fails for apparently no reason. Apple products are known for this feature, as are several brands of printers. (You can watch the documentary, "The Story of Stuff" to learn how electronics products are actually engineered and designed to 'self-destruct' right after the warranty period ends.
Anyhoo... back to my dealings with Anker.
There was a hyperlink in the email they sent me that said 'if you want to escalate this complaint, click here to submit a claim'. Except the hyperlink went to empty cyberspace. I replied to the email saying that yes, I wanted to escalate the claim, and that their hyperlink didn't work, but no reply. Again.
After being a loyal Anker buyer in the past - any time I've needed to buy cell phone batteries, tablet accessories, etc, I've always gone with Anker, mainly because of their warranty policy which in the past, I thought was a good deal and would protect me from their products failing... even though their prices are almost always significantly higher than the competition's products. But the last time I bought cell phone replacement batteries from them, the first set they sent me was completely defective (and yes, they sent me a replacement set, but it happened after I'd already had to buy replacement batteries from another provider on here -- for half the price of the Anker batteries, I might add. Those other brand replacement batteries lasted more than twice as long as the Anker replacement batteries (in fact I'm still using them, whereas the Anker batteries started swelling up after about 6 months which is potentially very bad for your cell phone, so I had to toss them).
So I'm now starting to see a trend with the quality of their products. Yes, they have a great return policy if you need to return something shortly after purchasing it, but if something conks out after hardly having been used, they no longer stand behind their products.
After the terrible customer service regarding this keyboard situation, this is the last time I'll be buying anything from them.
I would recommend you avoid their products and just buy from a cheaper seller and use the Amazon return policy for anything that's defective (this kind of electronic stuff is often hit or miss in any case, but Anker's prices are almost always a lot higher than everyone else's comparable products. In the past I was willing to pay more because I thought they would stand behind their products, but the email I got from them about this matter, offering me a slight discount to buy from them yet again, and refusing to honor what they say about standing behind their products, took the cake. And considering the product failed right after the warranty period ended, while sitting unused in a box, makes me very suspicious.
In any case, I am not impressed with Anker or their products.
__________________
Here's my original review written right after getting the keyboard:
I wrote this original review for the first keyboard I bought and returned on Amazon, The Hastech HB-007A "Solar" keyboard (which I rated at 2 stars).
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EPDH0HE/ref=pe_385040_30332190_TE_dp_1
I ended up getting this Anker T300 keyboard after I returned the Hastech, and I'm happier with this one.
Here's the review for both keyboards, starting with the Hastech:
I was pretty sure from looking at the specs that this Hastech HB-007A keyboard was not, in fact, solar powered, as the title claimed it to be. But I figured that even if it weren't and it was only a standard rechargeable battery with a limited life (as it is) that it would still be worth paying the extra $9 for this keyboard, just to have the cool built-in clips to prop my tablet on.
Unfortunately, the clips are so flimsy, that if you put a tablet or even a smart phone on them, every time you type on the keyboard, the phone or tablet starts flopping forwards and backwards and eventually falls off the clips from the built up wave motion from the typing action.
Besides all of this, the keyboard is just too small to do any serious typing (and I don't have big hands). I sent mine back and, instead, bought the Anker T300 battery powered keyboard which I'm happier with.
http://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Slim-Bluetooth-Wireless-Keyboard-Tablets/dp/B005ONMDYE
The Anker keyboard weighs only 3 ounces more than the Hastech (with the batteries installed), has an autoshutoff battery saving feature, and is also more sturdy in general. (plus you won't have to throw it into the landfill in a year or two when the rechargeable battery no longer holds a charge as is the case with all of the rechargeable keyboards.)
Plus, the Anker is a full size keyboard (without the side number section), so it's exactly the same width as my Samsung Tab 12.2. Very portable and super easy to set up and use.
This Haskell keyboard is not recommended for any application, however. Anker prides themselves on having amazing customer service, too, so, if they believe in their products that much and stand by them with what they say is an incredible warranty, I'd say you can't really go wrong buying any of their products.",
"asin": "B0096M8VR2",
"parent_asin": "B0096M8VR2"
},
{
"unique_id": 3769,
"review_text": "Screen froze with battery low symbol after a couple of years. Was never abused, never dropped. Plain old planned obsolescence. Amazon was less than helpful on the phone. Basically, "Hold this key for thirty seconds, plug it in." "Doesn't work? OK, you can buy a refurbbed Kindle fire/touch/paperwhite for a minuscule discount." While it did work, it was ok. Annoying habit of going to the middle of the book for seemingly no reason.",
"asin": "B005890FN0",
"parent_asin": "B005890FN0"
},
{
"unique_id": 3770,
"review_text": "I use various Character key drives to keep father, son and archive backups periodically, instead of an external backup drive for my computer - built-in obsolescence has made me a sadder but wiser user, hopefully.",
"asin": "B00OXNBAT0",
"parent_asin": "B00OXNBAT0"
},
{
"unique_id": 3771,
"review_text": "Old reliable phone shows when there is a voice-mail message ... hard to replace ... grateful that Amazon.com carries things other people have to sell, what with obsolescence and all.",
"asin": "B001EBHHU0",
"parent_asin": "B001EBHHU0"
},
{
"unique_id": 3772,
"review_text": "Bought this set in July 2020, got almost 2 good years of use but it has officially died on me. I noticed they needed more frequent charging as time wore on and today they officially stopped working after charging my keyboard & mouse only yesterday. I guess for the price I got my monies worth out of them but it feels a bit like planned obsolescence and now I have e-waste to dispose of. If you can afford a better quality option, I'd recommend investing in something that will last longer.",
"asin": "B07VJXFFJW",
"parent_asin": "B082CG3L2D"
},
{
"unique_id": 3773,
"review_text": "Seagate is a crappy company. I should have known better. Get the 2 year replacement if you plan on buying this piece of crap. Have you heard of the term \"Planned Obsolescence\"? Well, if not, this is what this dumb thing is. Working on a big project, and wanting to back up files every day is not uncommon. What is uncommon is buying this over two years ago at Costco and now it suddenly doesn't work. I'm in deep doo-doo. Save yourself some agony and do not purchase this external hard drive. I shut my computer down for a couple of hours and lo and behold, the external did a back up. All is well in my world, but this is a scary situation that I hope does not happen again.",
"asin": "B00829THO6",
"parent_asin": "B00GPL2ZJ2"
},
{
"unique_id": 3774,
"review_text": "I've got two of these, purchased piecemeal elsewhere, as demo units, and not for six hundred bucks each. They're great and the only part of owning that I have yet to experience is to hang both of them off one CPU, which was the plan all along.
The recent acquisition of a USB to Displayport adapter, plus the displayport cable, has worked extremely well on my 2013 laptop (it's having its pudding right now) and only upon looking it up here did I notice that the AMD thing is built into them, nice! I'm not a gamer, but increasing system performance is an ongoing process for me and for everyone who computes.
My own slide into obsolescence has made ever-larger monitors necessary. This has been a stellar choice, and while not 4K -- a least, I don't it is -- this display is beautiful, and when I finally pair the two I have, using a CPU the size of two packs of cigarettes, the curved displays will be ideal. I suspect the other curved models will yield that same benefit in that context.",
"asin": "B01D3BDXQA",
"parent_asin": "B01D3BDXQA"
},
{
"unique_id": 3775,
"review_text": "NEVER AGAIN WILL I BUY AN APPLE PRODUCT. I got one for Christmas and was the biggest mistake I have ever made buying a PC. Everything the sales staff told me about being able to use an old apple products as monitor or a TV, Apple keyboards, tracking pad and mouse was wrong, they would not work with the mac mini. After multiple calls for intermittent problems I found out from a slip of the tongue that both the Big Sur operating system and the M1 chip have NOT been fully beta tested they are using their customers as beta testers. This is the last Apple product I will ever buy their planned obsolescence is down to 2 to 3 years before your product is no longer what you bought, they remove features and replaced them with an Apple dependent or a long term rental for what was once free.",
"asin": "B08N5PHB83",
"parent_asin": "B08N5PHB83"
},
{
"unique_id": 3776,
"review_text": "Device does not remain powered on (no indicator light appears) after initial boot up, and the single button on the unit does not appear to be working as operation instructions would indicate; depressing the button does nothing.
Very disappointed that there is no help available for this product. What is this, planned obsolescence? Sell me another PCB for this thing and I'll fix it myself; why is that not an option?",
"asin": "B0798KPH5X",
"parent_asin": "B07H9YX94V"
},
{
"unique_id": 3777,
"review_text": "Nice toy until the battery died 6 months in. What should we expect for $75 ($50 + case, extras). Amazon sells garbage and puts its name on garbage. Planned obsolescence Mr. Bezos? Customer-focused Mr. Bezos? Now both the tablet and its case are worthless. How about making improvements and sticking with the same design so the case is still useful?",
"asin": "B01J90O7KK",
"parent_asin": "B07P374FF3"
},
{
"unique_id": 3778,
"review_text": "Didn't even last 2.5 years!!! My last Sony lasted more than 10!!!! I guess planned obsolescence is helping make bank for their shareholders now.",
"asin": "B007F9XHAY",
"parent_asin": "B07S6X2D8C"
},
{
"unique_id": 3779,
"review_text": "I liked my Fitbit Versa 2...until it started slowing down at about the two year mark. I decided to factory reset it to see if it would help. It would never turn on again. I went through over an hour with customer service and they couldn't help me. Because I was out of warranty they offered me 35% off a new one, but no replacement. I clearly won't be using this company ever again given the obvious planned obsolescence of their product.",
"asin": "B07TWFVDWT",
"parent_asin": "B08M8Y6473"
},
{
"unique_id": 3780,
"review_text": "No, not the greatest product ever made. These are just ear hooks for a cheap blue tooth ear piece. The old ones wore out. I don't know why. Probably poor design to begin with. But. I was very happy to see I could replace them. They were reasonably priced, and arrived quickly. What more could I ask for? But I had to order two. I suppose their obsolescence plan is on a very tight schedule.",
"asin": "B003UDG0TO",
"parent_asin": "B003UDG0TO"
},
{
"unique_id": 3781,
"review_text": "Although now, when my Fire is new, I'm tempted to give it 5 stars, I hold back...because I already know that it will have a short little life. Soon (probably within 8 or 9 months) it will mysteriously malfunction inside, and will lose the ability to hold it's own little charger in place, rendering it useless. It's been an issue with Fires #1 and #2, so I know what's coming. Is Amazon guilty of planned obsolescence? Can this be the case? I have my suspicions.",
"asin": "B00TSUGXKE",
"parent_asin": "B010BWYDYA"
},
{
"unique_id": 3782,
"review_text": "**IMPORTANT UPDATE**
I was very happy with this product for about the first 10 months. Now, after 11 months the USB Port has become so loose that no cords will sit in it properly to charge, which of course renders the speaker useless even though it itself still sounded good at the end. This brings the product from 4 down to 2 stars. Even in our economy of built-in obsolescence, a product like this should last more than 11 months.
In addition, after the first six or seven months the Bluetooth connection inexplicably became problematic. It generally doesn't connect by itself anymore like it used to, and I sometimes get a connection confirmed message despite is not being connected and have to manually force it to connect. This issue could be my phone, though I sort of doubt it, but I'm not downgrading the speaker further because of this issue.
--Original review--
I've had this item for a few months now and so far I'm very happy with it.
Positives include really good volume, and very solid construction. It also comes with a good USB cord of reasonably good length, but not so long as to be cumbersome. The volume controls and power control work fine. They are covered with rubber to make the unit water resistant. There is a Bluetooth connection light, and it works well and consistently. Every time the Bluetooth connects or disconnects the speaker also emits a tone, which is a nice touch.
There are two cons, and these are the reasons I have knocked this down to 4 of 5 stars. First of all, I find it a chore to plug the mini USB into the speaker. Granted, this is often an issue with USB in general, because you have to get the right side up etc. But there are design solutions that would make it easier for users to get the aim right the first time and more easily seat the USB without having to fiddle around with it. I find this kind of shortcoming incredibly annoying, partly because it's completely avoidable. The designers of this product have not only not taken any pains to make it easier, but the design itself makes it a little more difficult than usual to get it right the first time (for example, while I appreciate the way the USB port rubber cover fits very snuggly for waterproofing, it doesn't quite\u00a0 adequately swing out of the way while you're trying to plug the cord in).
The other slight con is that sometimes the Bluetooth connects automatically and sometimes it doesn't. I haven't been able to figure out any pattern to this. It's not a big deal though, because it ultimately does connect every time even if I have to tap the item in the list of bluetooth available items in my phone.
I have thought about getting a second unit and might do so. The 4 instead of 5 stars I've given this item [NOTE THAT I HAVE KNOCKED THIS ITEM DOWN TO 2 STARS IN REVISED REVIEW AT TOP] in no way prevent me from doing so, because ultimately it does the two most important things:. Connect quickly and everytime to Bluetooth, and emits very good sound. Good product [UNFORTUNATELY, NOT SO MUCH, I'D YOU EXPECT IT TO LAST. ]",
"asin": "B01LZV6TYQ",
"parent_asin": "B01LZV6TYQ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3783,
"review_text": "Worked fine for a 16 months then headband broke at earpiece on the right side, four months out of warranty so no help there, have to go looking around again. Was hoping for 2 year warranty. Liked it up till now, just wished they would design it sturdier so I wouldn't have to go looking around every other year for a replacement.....planned obsolescence?",
"asin": "B002BH3JDA",
"parent_asin": "B002BH3JDA"
},
{
"unique_id": 3784,
"review_text": "I recommend caution with products from Livescribe. The idea is good, but the implementation, and the customer support are not.
I\u2019ve been using their pens for over 4 years now, and I\u2019ve been through 3 of them already. They barely live past the warranty period, in what can be an engineering flaw or simply planned obsolescence.
The problem is always the same as well, regardless of the model (I had the Pulse, and 2 Echo pens): the display starts fading slowly until it is no longer readable. When you email support, they acknowledge the issue and send you a new pen if you\u2019re still on the warranty period. The problem is it mostly happens a few months after it is out of warranty.
There\u2019s a pretty crowded topic on their own forums, which was closed for comments mid-2013, where users were voicing their mistreatment: [...]
There\u2019s one more thread:[...]
I used to recommend their products to friends and family, and I even gave Livescribe the benefit of the doubt when the first pen stopped working out of warranty (I purchased not one, but two new pens), all the time hearing the rehearsed script that it was a problem with a specific batch etc.
Don\u2019t be fooled by it. It is not affecting only a specific batch and you\u2019ll very likely encounter this problem if you buy one of their smart pens. Maybe it is related to the OLED display part they use in all pens, as there were lots of concerns about the lifespan of OLED displays. The single fact they\u2019re still using the same one may be more planned obsolescence than anything else.",
"asin": "B00524DLZ0",
"parent_asin": "B083JFRF5N"
},
{
"unique_id": 3785,
"review_text": "I've tried other big name headphones and ear buds, and for opera listening, these Sony MDR7506 are excellent. They are almost as good as the Sony MDR V700, which sound even more present. The problem with both of them is this: they sound wonderful for opera, but they break quite easily and are short-lived.
Why bother? The sound is worth it, if you've realized and accepted that you're going to have to have to replace them every year or two. I had read that they were made for voice and that specialized function comes through with flying colors, clarity and full bodied, rich beauty of sound.
They aren't even comfortable. But they do deliver excellent sound for the opera lover, so, only if you don't mind shoddy workmanship undermining superb excellent sound...... I realize many wouldn't purchase a product with such transparent planned obsolescence, but for my ears, the sound was truly exceptional, and worth it, at least until I find something better. I continue to look.
-------------------------
Post script: I just took my 4th pair in for replacement 5 months after I purchased them. I was told by the large, national (and sympathetic) seller that these headphones are the industry standard, but so notoriously breakable, that schools and studios usually order many of them, knowing that they just won't last long... Sorry if the other fans of these headphones are outraged, but it's apparently a known/accepted fact that these Sony headphones are great sounding but cheaply made. I have to add that I lead a very sedate life and don't even take them anywhere with me, using them exclusively at home with iPod or computer. I've also decided that I prefer them to MDR V700s.
[[ASIN:B00001W0DH Sony MDR-V700DJ DJ Style Monitor Series Headphones]]
Update Feb. 2012 As I knew would happen, these headphones broke once again, in exactly the same way. They seem to develop a short at the plug, causing one of the channels to kill. This inevitable breakdown occurs after 1 or 2 years of in-home use. I suspect that the chord - which is immensely long and heavy - is inappropriate for an iPod. The weight of the chord seems to stress and break something in the plug.
I can no longer justify buying these headphones, no matter how much I like the sound. It's too costly to keep replacing them and they're bad for the environment. I think I've had about a half dozen pairs over the years, all of which met the same fate. I've read that Sennheisers have a replaceable chord. I'm going to look into them.
Another Update Autumn 2013 Couldn't resist. I bought another pair. I had the plug replaced on my previous pair but it only worked for a couple of weeks before the exact same problem returned - one channel shorted out. My new pair is very nice, but I anticipate its death in the next year or two.",
"asin": "B000AJIF4E",
"parent_asin": "B07CQMZVZ6"
},
{
"unique_id": 3786,
"review_text": "the tile is great! except it only lasts for 1 month! and when you go to customer support they are not helpful! I'm so supremely and completely and utterly disappointed! this is the DEFINITION of planned obsolescence! you make a great product and then once we figure out we like it you BREAK it and we have to BUY A NEW ONE! there is NO WAY to charge or change the battery! I would GLADLY buy a more expensive product that I have control over rather than be enslaved to tile's capitalist bs! this is a complete disrespect to the customer and a waste of time, energy, and resources just so tile has higher profit. at what cost?!
the technology is POSSIBLE to make this work in a way that is SUSTAINABLE and COST-EFFECTIVE, and yet tile still subscribes to capitalist bs. I'm so endlessly frustrated. be better, tile. shame on you.",
"asin": "B01L3VEC08",
"parent_asin": "B01L3VEC08"
},
{
"unique_id": 3787,
"review_text": "Obviously with planned obsolescence, I wanted to make my headphones last. I havent run into a problem with the spiegen case yet as my headphones fell and hit hard surfaces a few times and returned to me unscathed. Look into it.",
"asin": "B09DRPDR4M",
"parent_asin": "B09DRPDR4M"
},
{
"unique_id": 3788,
"review_text": "I'm updating this review because truly this is an ingenious little product. I have an old Bose SoundDock Portable speaker that I loved to use to listen to my music. Back then I could use my iPhone 6+ as it was compatible with the now obsolete 30 pin connector that was utilized by the Bose SoundDock speaker. Once that connector was replaced by the iPhone lightening connector on the newer phones my Bose speaker basically went into obsolescence because I couldn't listen to my music anymore. Then presto!...along comes this device. I simply plug it into the Bose SoundDock, it automatically connects to bluetooth via my new phone, and I can listen to my music again on this great speaker because of this device!! I highly recommend this device to anyone if your circumstance is the same as mine or for similar applications.",
"asin": "B07G3653DF",
"parent_asin": "B07G3653DF"
},
{
"unique_id": 3789,
"review_text": "I have used HP laptops for years, but the last two HP laptops have been a major disappointment. I bought my current laptop (HP Pavilion) in September of 2016, to replace my 18 month old HP laptop because the motherboard fried. I used the computer on my desk at home, with out issues for 6 months. A few weeks ago I pulled the computer by the base towards me to due some typing. The screen went crazy - vertical lines appeared everywhere. The screen is unusable. HP says that my warranty does not cover screen issues like mine. It appears that HP is building obsolescence into their new laptops. Computers should last longer than 1 or 2 years, and certainly longer than 7 months.
I won't be buying another HP laptop, and I strongly recommend that you avoid HP when considering buying a new computer.",
"asin": "B01CGGOZOM",
"parent_asin": "B01CGGOZOM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3790,
"review_text": "I got this tv about 5 months ago, have been very pleased about my purchase. A couple of quirks, one being having to unplug and plug the tv back in after a power outage, the other being sometimes not sensing the hdmi input that it's receiving. I have a PS3 and a HD dvr, sometimes the tv can't find the ps3 and or the cable in. Just turning it off and turning it on fixes this problem.
Edit: tv died a few years ago. Buy a newer model of any other kind of tv. This one was a planned obsolescence model. Junk.",
"asin": "B000WXB7MK",
"parent_asin": "B000WXB7MK"
},
{
"unique_id": 3791,
"review_text": "Flimsy & built for quick obsolescence. Never buying a rechargeable device that has a proprietary cable & plug again.",
"asin": "B09BPXZJZP",
"parent_asin": "B09BPXZJZP"
},
{
"unique_id": 3792,
"review_text": "This salvaged my Bose speaker from obsolescence. It worked right out of the box, just snapped it into the iPod slot and paired it with my phone and played music, 3 minutes top. My husband paired it with his android. Had to unpair for him to pair but once paired, he could connect and kick out my song. Not sure if that's a good thing but pretty convenient that you can easily change sources. Highly recommend.",
"asin": "B00GHUHMUS",
"parent_asin": "B00GHUHMUS"
},
{
"unique_id": 3793,
"review_text": "Happy with the boost it gave one of the computers here in the office. Extended its obsolescence by at least a year with this small upgrade.",
"asin": "B00A6GBN5Y",
"parent_asin": "B09Y5PWHZM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3794,
"review_text": "Dead unit after less than two years. Outside of warranty period. Seems to be a perfect planned obsolescence.
When it worked it was pretty good. Subscription angle is obviously a ripoff.",
"asin": "B00F9FCW7K",
"parent_asin": "B00WUICTXG"
},
{
"unique_id": 3795,
"review_text": "This is a nice looking car charger. Very nice space age metal gray finish works well with many car interiors.
PROS:
- Looks pretty good, nice fit and finish
- Color coded ports, so easy to pick right one (Orange red is Quick Charge and black one is plain 2.4A.)
- Two different ports, so it supports Quick Charge 3.0 and below devices with fast charging, but can also provide fast charge to non-QC devices at the max 2.4A
- The blue ring is the indicator light, which is pretty nice
- Offers 36 month warranty (Didn't need that, so can't comment how well that works, but nice to see warranty beyond the usual 1 year.)
CONS:
- Some similar products have a solid machined build
Works great, and supports older devices with 2.4A port, which is better than many cheap chargers 1.0A, or 2.0A ports, and has QC 3.0 port for newer devices, or future purchases avoiding obsolescence.",
"asin": "B072XD4SKK",
"parent_asin": "B072XD4SKK"
},
{
"unique_id": 3796,
"review_text": "So far this does what it should; I have a fairly long driveway and to my knowledge it's never missed alerting to a vehicle. There have been a couple false alerts, but nothing major.
Where this product looses points is the incredibly poor design. In the photo I posted, it's put together and ready to mount. That huge gap is what is left over after the screws have been fully tightened. Plenty of room for moisture and critters to get in and shorten the lifespan of this product, forcing me to replace it much sooner than I should have to. Planned obsolescence.
The other design flaw, while a huge inconvenience, should not shorten its lifespan; it has to be removed from its mount before it can be gotten into to access the battery. Not the end of the world, but it takes 5x longer to get into the battery casing than it really needs to. This was clearly designed by someone who never planned to use it themselves and wasn't thinking of ease of use for the purchaser.",
"asin": "B07PRGGRGW",
"parent_asin": "B09HHM6BXW"
},
{
"unique_id": 3797,
"review_text": "I have two sets of the previous model Bose earbuds on my bookcase shelf, both quit working due to faulty wiring. They both lasted about 13 months. I called Bose tech support/customer service. Out of warranty, out of luck. For $100 each, the name is not enough to make up for poor material quality. The sound of Bose is great, as long as the wiring holds up. I do not run or exercise, ski or cycle with them. Just wear them while I play billiards, not a sweating sport, and they both just disintegrate internally at the Y junction. I have a set of Sennheisers and Shures and Panasonics that don't sound as good, but at least they don't fall apart. All three of those earphones together didn't cost $100, either. So disappointed in the supposed Bose "name". And judging from dozens of other comments, the problem seems to be planned obsolescence on Bose's engineering and workmanship.",
"asin": "B003XU6H8I",
"parent_asin": "B00WU374RM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3798,
"review_text": "The item was as described battery life average, very easy to use . I use the item as a Bluetooth obd scanner. Hopefully getting past the update obsolescence of most dedicated Obd scanners.",
"asin": "B07BSFXVCH",
"parent_asin": "B07BSFXVCH"
},
{
"unique_id": 3799,
"review_text": "I originally loved this receiver. I mostly had no issues with it for the first year or so, but as the warranty ended, I began having serious problems with the audio. As of now, just a few months out of warranty, I am stuck with a receiver that has zero audio output - a $400 brick. I have tried every single solution in order to remedy the problem, including hard resets, re-wiring, power cycling, and so on. Nothing works. I spoke to the manufacturer and opened a service ticket, but that has not helped at all. I was told to email their parts department and that \"maybe\" they would be able to help. I emailed them a week ago and have yet to even get an acknowledgement from anyone.
Given the lack of response from the company, and a build quality that smacks of planned obsolescence, I'm inclined to advise against purchasing this product or any other product from Onkyo until their service and product life improve.",
"asin": "B003BIFOL8",
"parent_asin": "B003BIFOL8"
},
{
"unique_id": 3800,
"review_text": "I love this DiNovo for my HTPC setup. I have several other wireless keyboards that are much cheaper (they are Logitechs also), but nothing compares to this. I used a heat gun to help remove and re-apply the orange backing. Battery has charged up after the first install and it's working great once again.
It's a shame Logitech plans obsolescence into its devices but thanks to companies like this that also include great instructions and tools, we can keep these devices useful much longer, especially since no superior replacement is available.",
"asin": "B007M0LY8S",
"parent_asin": "B007M0LY8S"
},
{
"unique_id": 3801,
"review_text": "I would never buy an Amazon Fire Stick again after my experience with this product. I bought this last December, not even 7 months ago. We used it infrequently (maybe 1-2x month) since then. It stopped working today. Won\u2019t even turn on. I called Amazon expecting them to replace this obviously poorly manufactured product. IT ONLY HAS A 90 DAY WARRANTY. The extended warranty is 10% more. I never buy extended warranties unless it\u2019s a really big ticket item. It\u2019s a loser\u2019s game. I was on the phone 30 minutes. I was polite. I spoke with an Amazon rep then her supervisor. Neither would do the right thing and replace my broken fire stick. GIVE IT A ONE YEAR WARRANTY AND CHARGE 4$ MORE. Don\u2019t build something with designed obsolescence and then treat your valuable customers like excrement. I have spent well over 100,000$ at Amazon. Well over that amount. Well, given their response to my reasonable request today I am going to start shopping \u2018Mom and Pop\u2019 stores again like we had to do in the 70s and 80s. I miss the 80s, don\u2019t you?",
"asin": "B08C1W5N87",
"parent_asin": "B08WJSHSLC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3802,
"review_text": "Designed obsolescence. Lasts for a year and you get an alert on your phone telling you it will stop working soon. I\u2019m switching to a tracker with a replaceable battery.",
"asin": "B01L3VEC08",
"parent_asin": "B01L3VEC08"
},
{
"unique_id": 3803,
"review_text": "2 stars durability and a \"recommended\" stellar review??
General
I still buy Anker products, I like their PowerLine cables and have bought a dozen or more over the years. Anker have figured out almost to the month the durability of their cables (18 months) and offer that exact warranty.
$10 cable that lasts only 18 months? OK, it's not a power cable for a laptop, it's a lightning 6ft cable that will get yanked, run over by chair wheels, pinched between something, dog chew on it.
There are so many ways the product can fail, even with normal usage.
Planned Obsolete & Obsolescence
To Ankers' credit, they know they can appease a bothered person by replacing the cable for free (and they do, thank you, they replace ONE of mine). But, they (also) know cables are a CONSUMABLE - and if you're stuck in East OshKosh, Nowhere, you're gonna buy a cable at the local 7-Eleven to charge your cell, get on with your life - and forget about the Anker.
By the time it fails at 18 months, the cable has changed part number (obsolescence), and it's a little harder to return (Powerline becomes Powerline improved, etc)
So, buy it if you must, it's one of the better brands with good support - better than Apple or even AmazonBasics, but buy 2-3 on sale - throw them in your glove compartment - and know they'll need to be replaced at 1.5yr intervals.. with normal usage.
Superglue to the rescue??
One suggestion: The next Anker I buy, I'm gonna superglue that junction between the cable and lightning connector and see if I can get - 19 months - it's worth a shot.
YMMV. Good luck..",
"asin": "B07DHLZ7Z2",
"parent_asin": "B07DHLZ7Z2"
},
{
"unique_id": 3804,
"review_text": "For some reason I've decided to purchase this particular replacement charger multiple times from several different vendors. On every single one I've bought, the connection between detachable cord and the black box starts to not work properly after several months. Just to get my computer to charge, I have to stand around shaking the plug in it's slot (not on the wall but on the charger box itself) until the charger will stay powered, and then if I so much as breathe in it's direction it will become disconnected again. I don't usually make a point of writing a bad review, but this is the third one of these exact same brand \"replacement\" chargers I've bought and PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THEY'RE BEING RIPPED OFF through planned obsolescence.",
"asin": "B01N95GL1S",
"parent_asin": "B01N95GL1S"
},
{
"unique_id": 3805,
"review_text": "Build quality is decent, but could be better. Wish people werent so eager to use the cheapest plastic available.
It does attach firmly within the CD slot, but I wonder just how much damage may be happening in the process. My CD player doesn't work anyway, so no big deal; but I'd hate to crank this thing tight into a CD player that actually works. Just speculating, though - it may actually be harmless.
My only real complaint is the locking/release mechanism. I've bought enough of these cheapie phone mounts to know that the lock mechanism is typically the first thing to wear out. Considering the chosen materials pretty much assure a relatively short life span, I feel the price should be lowered a bit to reflect the planned obsolescence.
All in all, it'll do the job needed to securely hold my Note 9. Just wish it didn't look/feel so low-end.",
"asin": "B07TVYB73T",
"parent_asin": "B07TVYB73T"
},
{
"unique_id": 3806,
"review_text": "I just purchased this recorder before going to a lecture, hoping to record it to listen to again later. I must say, this little toy is slick. It's very small, and has a very nice interface. Unfortunately, when I played back the recording I made, it was almost inaudible. It was extremely muffled, with periodic extremely loud noises, whenever the recorder was gently touched or moved. I've also tried testing it, recording my own voice when holding it up in front of me. It was definitely audible, but not as clear as I had expected it should be.
Another thing to consider is that, despite the fact that this unit has a USB interface, you cannot access your recordings without installing Sony's custom software. The disc that comes with it only has software for Windows 98 through XP, and although it does support wav, it does not seem to support MP3, as advertised on the box. I doubt you can rely on Sony to support this recorder indefinitely, so its future obsolescence might also be a deciding factor in purchasing it or not.",
"asin": "B0001YFYKG",
"parent_asin": "B0001YFYKG"
},
{
"unique_id": 3807,
"review_text": "Microsoft has manufactured these mice to fail at exactly a certain time.. also known as manufactured obsolescence or another way to describe it more simply is GREED. M$ is at it again and this time they literally design these devices to FAIL after a specific date. I've had two just stop functioning nearly around same time. You will answer for your GREED Microsoft. you will one day answer for this. F'rs",
"asin": "B00BZC31WQ",
"parent_asin": "B00BZC31WQ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3808,
"review_text": "I had an Altec Lancing set for over 13 years and it finally was getting a noise from a failing component internally. With that kind of lifetime to the system in todays marketing and product 'planned obsolescence' manufacturing trend, I chose the same brand I had and hope for it to last as long as the old one did.",
"asin": "B0038W0NEU",
"parent_asin": "B01GR12G9S"
},
{
"unique_id": 3809,
"review_text": "Shipping was quick per mostly usual Amazon deliveries, stressing the word mostly. The 7 series has so many more features than my series 2. The silver mesh loop wristband is so stylish and and sleek. I love that the battery life is so much better than the old one, this one still has half battery power left at the end of the day. And yes Apple planned obsolescence is the driver for most tech stuff upgrades. This was no exception.",
"asin": "B09HFJW3RM",
"parent_asin": "B09RL7NM59"
},
{
"unique_id": 3810,
"review_text": "This is my 2nd Kindle Fire, and I bought this certified refurbished one after my first died one due to battery charging issues right after the warranty ran out. And true to form, this one started to "act up" with the battery shortly after the warranty ran out. I do not abuse my Kindle, it sits on my night stand and I use it in the evening or early morning to read, check email, play games. I can't help but wonder if there is built in "obsolescence" so we are forced to purchase a new one each year. When I called regarding this latest issue (the battery will not charge completely, only about 40-50%), they sent me a special Amazon power charger, but that did not make any difference. So I called again and was told the Kindle need to be replaced and I could receive a discount towards a new Kindle, but that they would not replace it for me at no charge. I am an extremely loyal Amazon customer, but now I'm very disappointed at the less than stellar experience and the lesser quality electronic products they produce. I'm buying an iPad -- it will be cheaper in the long run because I'm confident I won't have to replace it every year due to a much better quality product.",
"asin": "B00D4CFICQ",
"parent_asin": "B00D4CFICQ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3811,
"review_text": "I see this product is no longer in stock. A shame. It is a VERY fine monitor. Sharp and crisp even if you're a bit lazy with the cleaning like I am. An auto-contrast(?) feature so you don't destroy your eyeballs, and overall has lasted me two years without so much as a dead pixel. Granted, I've yet to have smaller and older monitor give me dead pixels but, still, worth mentioning all the same.
EDIT 2020:
So I've had the monitor for about 7 years now and still not a dead pixel to speak of, or if there is one I haven't seen it. A very reliable model to be sure and still a crying shame it's out of stock. I wish manufacturers of these things would stop with the obsolescence BS and keep reliable models like these around longer. When this monitor goes and I am forced to find a new one, I doubt I'll be able to find one so reliable.",
"asin": "B007ZS3O62",
"parent_asin": "B007ZS3O62"
},
{
"unique_id": 3812,
"review_text": "Another Sonos planned obsolescence product, anyone who purchased this before some time in 2015 just received an email that Sonos is going to stop supporting this, meaning no more updates, which means the moment any of your music services changes anything about how they run their API (thus needing an update), you now have a useless brick.
I have a house full of Sonos gear and I will not be buying any more.",
"asin": "B001CROHX6",
"parent_asin": "B01G05YFZY"
},
{
"unique_id": 3813,
"review_text": "Like so many other reviewers, I loved this mouse at first. It's a joy to use, feels like a premium mouse, and is a flagship Logitech mouse. With that comes a significant price tag but, I liked it so much that I bought a 2nd. Just after the 3 year warranty expired, I started to have major issues with the first one I bought. I'm having issues with the left mouse button double-clicking and not being able to click and drag. I started doing some research as to why this was happening and it turns out Logitech is using cheap Chinese Omron D2FC-F-7N microswitches in this product. They are only good for 100,000 actuations, versus the 1 million actuations for the Japanese version which is only slightly more expensive. I'm 99.9% sure this was done for planned obsolescence because the left click button/microswitch is the most heavily used component on a mouse. The engineering team is likely aware of how long the product will last.
In an attempt to save my mouse, I disassembled it and tried to solder in new Japanese-made Omron microswitches. Unfortunately I ruined the PCB board trying to desolder the old one. I have an electronics background and had a heck of a time trying to desolder the old one. I would assume this is because they're using a lead-free solder and my particular iron didn't get hot enough, just as an FYI. If you're comfortable with a soldering iron and your mouse is out of warranty, give it a try though.
As a consumer who actively seeks out high quality products, this angers me greatly. You do not put crappy Chinese microswitches in a flagship product; especially in a high-wear location. Logitech has lost me as a customer.",
"asin": "B002HWRJBM",
"parent_asin": "B002HWRJBM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3814,
"review_text": "I use my Logitech trackball for both work and home, so it sees a lot of use. I must have purchased over 15 of the M570 in my lifetime for my family of 4. The primary and secondary (MOUSE1, MOUSE2) buttons always start failing first. The type of failure is they will either fail to click, accidentally double-click, or let go and then click during a drag (the most frustrating case)--in general, causing many misclicks. This is a well-known problem with Logitech, and I thought maybe by paying for the most expensive trackball model they sell, that it might last longer, but no. The only solution I have found is to take the mouse apart and desolder + resolder a new replacement part (OMRON D2F-01F micro switch). Now I have a whole bag of those replacement switches from AliExpress. I have chosen to perform this repair rather than continue to purchase new every time. That's because these switches last much longer (I've not had to replace the same switch twice yet). For such an inexpensive part upgrade, I can only conclude that this quality issue is intentional planned obsolescence on Logitech's part. They want you us keep buying new every year. This didn't used to be the case with Logitech, as I have been using the brand for more than 30 years now. But in the last 10 years or so, this seems to be a sales strategy. I have seen similar quality issues with the Logitech USB headsets. Very unfortunate. Not eco-friendly as most people are likely not recycling but throwing into the landfill.",
"asin": "B0753P1GTS",
"parent_asin": "B0753P1GTS"
},
{
"unique_id": 3815,
"review_text": "Great product for the 1st 364 days. I bought it to be disposable and Samsung did not disappoint!
Excellent battery life. Good performance/durability. Very Slim/Lightweight.
Back to the reason I gave it 2/5 stars(reduced from 5/5)
My Chromebook had a TPM failure ~1 week before manufacturer warranty expired. Samsung's customer support was a 5/10 on this issue at best. My opinion was it seemed like they considered dealing with their quality issue to be an unfortunate chore rather than an opportunity to restore confidence in their brand. Very disappointing experience.
Assume designed obsolescence when purchasing this product and do not expect their warranty department to be eager to correct their mistakes if they find themselves liable for a repair. Credit where credit is due: the return shipping to California was very fast, however I resented that they refused to pay for residential pick-up(making it my problem to drop off the package).
World's smallest violin and all that, but their handling of the situation was already unsatisfactory. :/ Squaretrade warranty can resolve some of these issues, although the need for a secondary warranty is a hidden cost which should be considered when purchasing goods from Samsung. If I wanted customer support to treat me like a nuisance I would buy my laptops from Acer. I have no illusions about their brand(they charged for recovery DVDs last I checked) so I'm glad Samsung finds themselves in good company(I used to consider them on a higher level)!
For comparison, if Harbor Freight was this tight-fisted I would shop at Home Depot. I don't make returns often but I buy enough cheap garbage that I know better than to pinch pennies by going though suppliers that don't stand by their products when they break. If I wanted "Caveat Emptor" I'd knock another 30% off the sticker and buy through Chinavasion/DealExtreme/Alibaba Express. I wouldn't be surprised if their customer support was actually BETTER than Samsung so I don't want to insult them by making a comparison.
If Samsung wants to compete with Apple they should increase their prices by 5%, and add a week to their designed obsolescence. Then they can have as much contempt for their customers as they want because their products will fail under warranty so rarely that their only job will be to recommend that their customers "should have bought the extended warranty if they wanted it to last 366+ days".
I blacklist brands for years when they burn me on customer support. Maybe I'll try another one of their products in ~2018 after their shareholders have had some time to cry over sales figures.",
"asin": "B009LL9VDG",
"parent_asin": "B009T3EYHO"
},
{
"unique_id": 3816,
"review_text": "The product does not work on AT&T cell services. This product is specifically advertised, and sold, by AT&T, and is discontinued. Released August, 2019. I do NOT recommend this product for cell activities.
Besides its cellular malfuctions, this tablet runs on current Android software, which I do recommend. Planned Obsolescence dated for 2023 from AT&T's manufacturing site in Houston, TX.",
"asin": "B082DJMLCD",
"parent_asin": "B082DJMLCD"
},
{
"unique_id": 3817,
"review_text": "I am accusing Netgear of "planned obsolescence" aka intentionally breaking their product in order to force people to buy new ones.
There are elaborate "fixes" on the internet for the failure of the product after the latest "update" that no consumer should have to find, much less implement. It would be trivial for the company to fix.
A boycott is in order.",
"asin": "B00MRVJY1G",
"parent_asin": "B00MRVJY1G"
},
{
"unique_id": 3818,
"review_text": "Is it built-in obsolescence? They seem to be fragile and poorly made. it's a nifty racket, when you think about it\u2014just get people to continually drop $20 bucks on these things. I use it primarily to connect to an older printer, and sometimes to charge a phone or a Kindle. Really sick of the waste and unreliability.",
"asin": "B00VU2OID2",
"parent_asin": "B00XIUT6WC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3819,
"review_text": "Very irritated, They are not the most comfortable headset, but the sound quality is great.
My real gripe is that after only 6 months of use, the set will not charge, and the battery is dead.
For whatever reason the coupling isn't connecting correctly. Which makes them useless.
An email to Logitech Support had no effect at all. Will not buy again, this feels like planned obsolescence.",
"asin": "B005GTNZUM",
"parent_asin": "B005GTNZUM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3820,
"review_text": "Was a decent phone until the burn in started to become noticable 6 months in. Now closer to a year the screen burn in is unbearable. Planned obsolescence at its finest.
Good antenna good battery. Bixby doesn't seem any more useful than google assitant.",
"asin": "B06Y14T5YW",
"parent_asin": "B07W371S8F"
},
{
"unique_id": 3821,
"review_text": "This cable appears sturdy and stylish; I was hoping it would last a good long time but it\u2019s on the fritz after 4 weeks of daily use, going to/from school in my kid\u2019s backpack. I would not buy this again as it appears to be a \u201cplanned obsolescence\u201d design. :-(",
"asin": "B086D42KGP",
"parent_asin": "B08DR1DTD3"
},
{
"unique_id": 3822,
"review_text": "Cannot replace, or recharge internal battery. Planned obsolescence, environmental waste.",
"asin": "B086DKSYTS",
"parent_asin": "B08F6GPRH6"
},
{
"unique_id": 3823,
"review_text": "I'll have to replace my AR200 purchase with another brand.
I like Anker and have purchased multiple of their products, so writing about this experience saddens me. This AR200 has performed fine with microsd cards but for whatever reason this reader thinks or marks SD cards as \"write protected\" regardless of the SD card lock switch. Was able to test with another reader and various SD cards that work fine, put it in this reader, and you cant write to the card (which includes trying to format it... which is after all...a write procedure). Since I mainly used this for microsd cards until recently and put aside trying to troubleshoot why the full size SD card was being seen as write protected; I went over the supported warranty by ~19days. If you search, you'll find others are also experiencing this same issue, including on the Anker community forums.
I sent a support message and that's where I learned that I was 19days out of warranty and they wont do anything beyond that date.
Lessons learned: Seems their products are designed for obsolescence. I understand a warranty is a warranty, but being days out seems where extending *something* as good customer services, is valid.",
"asin": "B006T9B6R2",
"parent_asin": "B006T9B6R2"
},
{
"unique_id": 3824,
"review_text": "Wow, this took about three clicks to set up! It seems to be getting a stronger signal out then our previous two routers from the huge companies that MUST build in obsolescence as they only lasted about 2 years each.",
"asin": "B0087NZ31S",
"parent_asin": "B0087NZ31S"
},
{
"unique_id": 3825,
"review_text": "After more than 2 hours troubleshooting why I the Ring Doorbell won't keep a charge, we were told to buy a new one. The thing is only 18 months old and the only option is to cough up ANOTHER $200 because it has failed???? Are they joking?! This technology is being so aggressively marketed, but it doesn't last. Seems like planned obsolescence is part of the scheme.",
"asin": "B072QLXK2T",
"parent_asin": "B072QLXK2T"
},
{
"unique_id": 3826,
"review_text": "Excellent; able to use immeditely....disappointed original one wore out that quickly but such is planned obsolescence.
Would order again if need",
"asin": "B002HK32XI",
"parent_asin": "B002HK32XI"
},
{
"unique_id": 3827,
"review_text": "I got this pair of earbuds almost a year ago as a gift for my birthday, they are very expensive and I was hoping they would last me a long time before I'd replace them. Hopes dashed. After a month or two the silicone padding began popping off at the slightest provocation. I'd take them out of a pocket or out of a bag and one or both inserts would remain there. Then, unavoidably, they were lost and I had to order replacements from a Chinese knockoff dealer. Now, almost a year later, the rubber started to peel away, exposing the wire.
Along with wire, this exposed the simple fact that these earbuds aren't designed to last more than a year. Planned obsolescence is what I expected from a 15 dollar set, not 100 dollar one. Blatant money grab. That's the last pair Sennheisers I'm ever going to own, and not for the \"good\" reason.
EDIT:
At the time of original review I replaced the bad headphones under warranty. Why? Because the left earpiece stopped working. Guess what? Half a year later the replacement headphones also developed the exact same problem. Replaced the under warranty again. The hassle-free way with which they replaced them tells me all I need to know about how common this malfunction really is. Score lowered to ONE. Don't buy this junk. I had headphones that lasted longer that I got for free with cheap Chinese MP3 players.",
"asin": "B00N3RFFZ2",
"parent_asin": "B08FZ8MFCX"
},
{
"unique_id": 3828,
"review_text": "Don't be fooled by it's vintage look, because it isn't built to last such as old things did.
It's really sad, because I loved my Stanmore for the year it worked. It sounded and felt great (better that the Bose Sound Link speaker). I loved the quality perception it gave: the leather, the grill, the switches and buttons felt well made (even the jack cable feels high quality)... I really loved it.
However after 8 months it start having a static sound when it was connected to my turntable. At the beginning I thought the problem was with my pre-amp. Sadly it wasn't. Like a cancer, the static sound start to spread to the other input-modes. Now, after a year it don't turn on at all.
I have contact Marshall support and they said that the warranty last for a year... How convinient. I'm really disappointed of the brand and it's programed obsolescence designed speaker.",
"asin": "B00GI26GPC",
"parent_asin": "B00GI26GPC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3829,
"review_text": "A year and a half later, won't start. Seems like after upgrade. Scheduled obsolescence, anyone?
Common problem for many people, but no clear indication from Asus as to what the issue is. I don't use it too often, so its unlikely charge/discharge cycles. And it wont start up when pluggedin and the LED is green.
I think the price/size implies it could be tossed out if it does not work, so they figure not to make it work more than a couple of years. Not going back to ASUS brand anymore. My banged up ipad v1 with cracked screen still functions.",
"asin": "B00NC06K3G",
"parent_asin": "B00NC06K3G"
},
{
"unique_id": 3830,
"review_text": "If I could give this product a negative minus rating that is what I would do. One star offered here is an over exaggeration of its performance. I felt with a name like Logitec and the money I paid for it, TWICE, I would be getting a superior product... boy was I wrong! When a product has a multi-year warrantee, one would naturally anticipate it to at least last that long, however such was not the case on more than one occasion. Six(6) months..REALLY! The only applicable words that apply to the performance of this product are \"planned obsolescence\". What a lousy piece of manufactured plastic crap! You couldn't give me this product as a gift... I'd be so insulted.
I finally replaced it with an off brand, fully functional headpiece I purchased at Radio Shack for under $20 that continues to perform flawlessly for well over 2 years now. On a positive note... Logitecs full and complete failure here did lead me to search, locate and purchase another product that actually performs and that I am happy with.",
"asin": "B000TG4AGU",
"parent_asin": "B000TG4AGU"
},
{
"unique_id": 3831,
"review_text": "These products are designed to stop working after 2 years through phone updates. Planned obsolescence!! Very frustrating.",
"asin": "B01F9RGWF0",
"parent_asin": "B01F9RGWF0"
},
{
"unique_id": 3832,
"review_text": "Braided or not, this cable stopped working after two years. No tear, it's just been plugged and charging my phone bedside. Just stopped working out of the blue. Not worth spending more on this cable as the standard white plastic one I purchased around the same time still works. I suspect programmed obsolescence. I'd rather be able to purchase a good quality cable and not add more waste to landfills, but Amazon does not seem to offer that type of product.",
"asin": "B01F9RH0R4",
"parent_asin": "B01F9RH0R4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3833,
"review_text": "LOVED the design, but sadly should last longer than it did. I\u2019d give it 5 stars if the product support would cover replacement when it failed in 8 months. Unacceptable obsolescence.",
"asin": "B07D25RSWX",
"parent_asin": "B08N5TC2Z3"
},
{
"unique_id": 3834,
"review_text": "Usual Chinese junk. At least this one did not spark or catch fire. Dead as doornail. Worked fine since we bought it last July. Just wish things would last a decent amount of time.
I have a Belkin Power Authority II PC base thing I bought in the early 90s. Still using it every day.
Planned obsolescence will be the end of us and the planet it seems.",
"asin": "B07D25RSWX",
"parent_asin": "B08N5TC2Z3"
},
{
"unique_id": 3835,
"review_text": "I loved almost everything about this ipod except for the fact that it's a ticking paper weight. It's impossible or nearly impossible to fix. I bought it brand new when it first came out at full price just about $200 for 8gb version. Fast forward 3 years later, with light to moderate use, and I got the dreaded white screen of death for no reason other than it's apples planned obsolescence business model. Sorry Apple..it won't work this time, as a matter of fact you lost an Mp3 market customer, never again will I buy such an expensive product that's built to self destruct in less than 4 years, which will surely need a replacement. If you're okay with that go ahead and buy it.",
"asin": "B0012S7GRY",
"parent_asin": "B00XJZ7OFM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3836,
"review_text": "This Onn. 3561 tablet is pretty good for the ~$50 I paid for it. The screen is bright enough but a bit fuzzy with it's 1280x800 resolution; more important, it's Android 10 OS apparently cannot be upgraded which I was counting on. I wish I knew why this has to be. It's a real limitation with built in obsolescence since we are now on Android 12. But it's reasonably fast and easy to use for simple tasks - browsing, email, reading articles, etc. I haven't tried streaming or music but it should be ok for that too.",
"asin": "B09FBZ4D9T",
"parent_asin": "B09FBZ4D9T"
},
{
"unique_id": 3837,
"review_text": "Setup was easy, and everything was fine. Then one day I entered the room where this photo frame is placed and noticed it had just stopped working. I tried everything, unplugging and plugging, playing with the settings, checking to make sure the USB plugged into it wasn't defective. Nope. It's the frame. Nix has taken planned obsolescence to the max. Don't waste your money",
"asin": "B015XVAKG4",
"parent_asin": "B07GW7X5MK"
},
{
"unique_id": 3838,
"review_text": "Guys, same story here: \"Memory Card Error\" after about 14 months of ownership. I've been in contact with Canon about this and they are turning a blind eye, basically. Here's their email (in response to mine which pointed them to this Amazon page to show them the extent of the problem):
--------------
Dear Mr. C,
Thank you for your inquiry. We are sorry to hear of any issues with the PowerShot S400 detecting a CF card.
I do apologize, but Canon USA does not monitor, confirm, endorse, or attest to the accuracy of any information posted on third party websites. It seems many customers are overwhelmed by the barrage of information (or misinformation) being posted on unregulated, non-Canon websites. Unfortunately, this is not something which Canon has any control over. We are able only to confirm the performance of the camera based on our own testing.
----------
I responded, and their next email then went on to tell me my servicing options because the product \"will need factory service for correction\". So basically they refuse to admit that it is a widespread issue and are certainly not releasing a firmware upgrade or anything to fix it.
Does this sound like planned obsolescence to anyone else?
It's too bad that I have to give this camera a 2-star review; until the error it would have been 5.
Tom",
"asin": "B00008OE6I",
"parent_asin": "B00008OE6I"
},
{
"unique_id": 3839,
"review_text": "This is the third Kindle that I have bought on which the screen has died!!!!! The Kindle representative to whom I mentioned planned obsolescence said that wasn't the case. Originally, no recompense was offered, but after some gentle negotiation, she applied a $15 discount to the purchase of the new plain vanilla Kindle. Not that I wanted it at all. I liked my old button page turner type and I shouldn't have had to buy another one. Or the previous dead one. Or the previous dead one!",
"asin": "B00I15SB16",
"parent_asin": "B00LWHUBPO"
},
{
"unique_id": 3840,
"review_text": "It worked great until about three days after the warranty expired. That's when the color wheel started flickering and making everything look splotchy. I called and the company was no help despite this being a "known issue." I have now paid more than $300 to get the part r placed and now less than a month later the wheel is giving out again. Score one for planned obsolescence.",
"asin": "B01LD12E1C",
"parent_asin": "B01LD12E1C"
},
{
"unique_id": 3841,
"review_text": "DO NOT BUY. I bought this 60 inch a little over two years ago (out of warranty; on me) and customer service told me that there is nothing that they (Vizio) can do and the panel is 'unrepairable'. I did NOT buy this from Amazon but from the famous place that rhymes with MART (purchased 11/23/13). Vizio has a TON of fake positive reviews. You'll know once your panel goes out and discover the world of designed obsolescence (Google this concept and learn it well). This post may start a snowball effect of disgruntled Vizio owners....it's not just this particular model either. The problem is so bad that they went back to extend their initial warranty an additional year to mute customer complaints. A good MAJORITY of their panels (across all product categories: 1080p/4K) suffer from backlight issues (sound/power but no picture). You get what you pay for and I paid the price. Learn from my experience with this product. DO NOT BUY.",
"asin": "B00JP7OW76",
"parent_asin": "B00CW6QESM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3842,
"review_text": "DO NOT BUY. I bought this 60 inch a little over two years ago (out of warranty; on me) and customer service told me that there is nothing that they (Vizio) can do and they panel is 'unrepairable'. I did NOT buy this from Amazon but from the famous place that rhymes with MART (purchased 11/23/13). Vizio has a TON of fake positive reviews. You'll know once your panel goes out and discover the world of designed obsolescence (Google this concept and learn it well). This post may start a snowball effect of disgruntled Vizio owners....it's not just this particular model either. The problem is so bad that they went back to extend their initial warranty an additional year to mute customer complaints. A good MAJORITY of their panels (across all product categories: 1080p/4K) suffer from backlight issues (sound/power but no picture). You get what you pay for and I paid the price. Learn from my experience with this product. DO NOT BUY.",
"asin": "B00SMBFPDG",
"parent_asin": "B00SMBFPDG"
},
{
"unique_id": 3843,
"review_text": "There are many affordable smartwatches, but this one ensures you\u2019ll not shell out more $$ for additional straps. The leather, silicone, and black steel mesh easy-to-replace (tool-free) straps are enough to cover most occasions.
The FitCloudPro app required for this smartwatch doesn\u2019t need you to create an account to use the essential features of the watch.
These affordable smartwatches rely primarily on BT to pair with your phone & use its (phone\u2019s) GPS for most of its features, including activity-tracking. Their batteries last long because they have less built-in hardware, including GPS. But the watch\u2019s BT capability is robust enough to operate simultaneously with other BT-enabled accessories like earbuds or headphones.
I\u2019ll credit this smartwatch\u2019s good looks, clear & colorful screen, and spare straps. The app is typical of the multitude of others in its price range. I don\u2019t expect much from an unknown company and compare it with others with multi-billion R&D budgets for software development alone.
It\u2019s no secret that most companies (including the big boys) churning out these gadgets design their products for planned obsolescence \u2013 more so with ones with a limited-lifespan battery inside. So, if this smartwatch lasts me only a couple of years (or less), it fails or no longer functions as intended \u2013 I won\u2019t despair a lot as it\u2019s genuinely affordable.",
"asin": "B0BXCH38QW",
"parent_asin": "B0BXCH8R3D"
},
{
"unique_id": 3844,
"review_text": "Look great and the sound was fine, but the mic didn't work well and they died less than half a year after I bought them. I know planned obsolescence is key for these low-budget electronics, but that life-span is just ridiculous.",
"asin": "B00BYVYBPE",
"parent_asin": "B00BYVYBPE"
},
{
"unique_id": 3845,
"review_text": "This is my third Kindle. After you have sold your book collection, and have been using one of these for over 10 years, you are stuck. There are many things to like about this new version. But everyone else has talked about them.
This is why I gave this new 2022 iteration a rousing 1 star. There is no cord that comes with this device. If you want the cord that fits the port, you will have to buy one for about $10. This port is different from your other Paperwhite, if you had one, so your old cord and charger will not work. That is listed nowhere in the product description. Moreover, you will also have to buy a charger for another $20. So slap $30 onto the price of this baby.
When you do go to purchase said cord and charger, good luck choosing the one that is right for your new device. Amazon has gotten away with one of the most feeble search bars on their website for years. Just try finding the right cord and charger for this new Kindle. You will get pushed a bunch of cords and chargers that are all wrong for you. It took a customer rep from Amazon, and I, about 20 minutes trying to find the right ones. And, honestly, I think we may have gotten it wrong. I went back and ordered a different cord and charger today to be sure. Because I believe he chose the 2021 cord and charger. Even the Employees of Amazon can no longer accurately choose the right products that work with Amazon devices.
So, for the inflated price, the ridiculous add-ons, the sloppy marketing and website, and the fact that any customer who reads with frequency will have to buy a new device every 5 years, because their Kindle battery will fail, and has that obsolescence built in, I have subtracted 4 stars. I wish I could have subtracted 10.",
"asin": "B08B495319",
"parent_asin": "B09F81Q875"
},
{
"unique_id": 3846,
"review_text": "Good reviews shock me. Must be fake reviews as they sound terrible and breaks a couple of months before warranty limit (planned obsolescence). Jaybird spends more on packaging than the actual product. Worst part is customer service is non existent - its a blackhole of no response and not even an acknowledgement that you reported an issue. Spend your money on cheap ones. I could\u2019ve bought 5 for the price of this so-called premium product.",
"asin": "B074JSB6GW",
"parent_asin": "B074JSB6GW"
},
{
"unique_id": 3847,
"review_text": "Garbage. Planned obsolescence. Breaks a couple of months before warranty limit. These guys spend more on packaging than the actual product. Worst part is customer service is non existent - its a blackhole of no response and not even an acknowledgement that you reported an issue. Spend your money on cheap ones. I could\u2019ve bought 5 for the price of this so-called premium product.",
"asin": "B013HSW4SM",
"parent_asin": "B013HSW4SM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3848,
"review_text": "It died in less than a year. I guess that's "planned obsolescence" for you. It dies right after the warranty does.",
"asin": "B00004Z6KW",
"parent_asin": "B00004Z6KW"
},
{
"unique_id": 3849,
"review_text": "You are a rare bird for taking a peek at a three star review.
IMHO this is my favorite router from a company with crappy tech support and I'm shopping for something better today.
The good:
- Price performance is great!
- The quality of this particular router is far better than past D-Link products, which have had a poor reputation.
- Plenty of reach and bandwidth for one or two users.
- Full-featured firmware.
The bad:
- Limit of 24 MAC addresses in the network filter. That's a problem for a small family LAN.
192.168.0.1 > Login > Advanced > Network Filter
Turn ON network filtering (to prevent unauthorized access to your network)
Sadly, you can only enter 24 MAC addresses. Do you bring your laptop from work home to use? If you have a laptop for each family member, maybe a few e-readers, a few smartphones, a Wi-Fi printer, Wii or other gaming box, etc. You're maxed out.
- Be very careful about firmware upgrades. Some a great. Some will make you think it's time to buy a new router. Planned obsolescence? Not sure they're THAT smart, but the effect is the same. Backup your BIOS and Settings.
- Tech support is horrid. Scripted, slow, all-too-often just plain wrong. If you know anything about computers you will be frustrated. And if you don't know anything about computers, you won't know you got bad information.
FREE TIP: If you run any kind of a technical blog, post a solution on your blog regarding any of the many simple problems found at the D-Link forums and then post a forum link back to your blog. You'll see great website traffic, because people want answers and D-Link often fails to deliver.",
"asin": "B000LIFB7S",
"parent_asin": "B000LIFB7S"
},
{
"unique_id": 3850,
"review_text": "I agree with other reviewers that this machine offered a good compromise of media capabilities and a nice large 17\" screen, webcam, with moderately good speed, big harddrive, and 2mb ram. When I bought in October 2007, it was the most laptop you could get for the money ($850 from Staples).
Generally, I've been pretty pleased at the machine's performance, and, for the money, I'd still say it's been a pretty good buy. But, HP shoots itself in the foot (and consumers, too) with these shortcommings:
Four main issues have arisen:
1. quick wear of body and keyboard due to cheap materials;
2. issues of mediocre or seemingly duplicitous support from HP;
3. Windows Vista problems;
4. the coup de grace: HP just informed us that this series of laptops, only a couple years old, won't have Windows 7 support.
RAPID PHYSICAL WEAR: Within 6 months of purchase, the mouse button finishes began to wear off, going from silver to black, which looks ugly. The surfaces of the rather noisy, flimsy, and annoyingly placed keys on the keyboard began to go blank and erode. Then the finish on the body wore off at the edge under my right hand. At least that I could 'fix' by covering with clear nail polish (otherwise the erosion would continue, and it causes a skin rash). The corner of the laptop developed a small crach (and I'm very careful when I move it). Clearly HP learned from experience, because later models have improved these materials, finishes, surfaces.
Then came the battery built-in obsolescence bait and switch -- twice. HP's Update and system monitoring software just told me my battery was no longer fully functional, and funneled me into a new battery purchase program. Thankfully, I spent the time online with chat support, who originally toed the 'you need a new battery' line, until I objected strenuously, pointing out that with my very light use of the battery (less than 10 hours/month) over first 13 then 19 months of ownership, the battery is clearly defective if it's already failing. So, then the HP Customer Support people suggested this tricky work around: they suggested I install a bios update for another machine, not this model (sorry, but have forgotten which). When it was installed, it first downloaded files, then stopped before seeming to finish, with a message saying this bios wasn't for my model, installation cancelled. But NOW the battery management software seemed to work again, and the system now told me what charge was on the battery, and when plugged in recharged.
To me, the most plausible interpretation of events was that this was a case of built in obsolescence in a very sneaky way: the driver or software to manage the battery fails, and HP's system is rigged to automatically funnel most people into buying a new battery -- a very high margin sale for HP. But, those who are willing and able and angry enough to push hard will eventually be directed to the back-door, under-the table, and notably free solution.
VISTA BUGS: The issues with Vista were sluggish performance, and strange conflicts and bugs with ZoneAlarm (and Norton) and various BitTorrent clients (Azureus, uTorrent), which would slow down the machine to a crawl, and then made shut downs interminable and error prone. It was a daisy chain of blame: HP, Microsoft, ZoneAlarm and the software publishers all blaming one another, but no good solutions. Everyone's been waiting for Windows 7.
NO WINDOWS 7 SUPPORT: To add aggressive obsolescence to cheap materials and aggressively upsell oriented support, I installed Windows 7 the other day just to learn that HP isn't supporting it on this class of machines(?!@#$%^&*) Just when I thought we'd finally get out of the Vista wilderness to the promised Windows OS, it turns out HP in it's highest wisdom and customer service has decided not to support Win7 on all but the most recent Pavillions, and machines like mine, a whole two years old aren't being supported.
I installed Win7 x64 on my HP dv9620us (Turion dual core 64) yesterday. While it's faster, cleaner, smarter, can do more at once, and has some very pretty, useful, and advanced functions, and some sotware providers have updated their software accordingly, I also I discovered HP -- the built-in-obsolescence kleptogarchs -- are NOT supporting Windows 7 on my model laptop -- which is only two years old! If it were over 4 or 5 years old, that would be close enough to industry norms -- but to not support the new standard Windows operating system on a two year old computer from the biggest manufacturer?! As others here have discovered, many of the drivers available for Vista x64 can be finagled into service -- the special function buttons work, so does QuickPlay.
But I haven't yet found working drivers and controller for:
* Conexant High Definition SmartAudio HD2 card
* HDAUDIO Soft Data Fax Modem with Smart CP
* and, while some Nvidia drivers seem to be working, while still being identified by the system as not, I'm not able to get fast forward to function.
While this is frustrating me, it's reassuring to know it's also frustrating 10s of thousands of others, and there will probably be drivers out soon for whatever's missing, and I wouldn't be surprised if HP relents and changes it's mind. We've got to make sure there is a clear, loud, open airing of these issues. But HP will surely not heed the angry e-mob of dissatisfied customers past until after the Christmas buying season, during which it hopes enough people will be frustrated and bovine enough to be connived into buying new equipment. I notice they're sticking it more to owners of personal computers, not corporate oriented machines.
ANY LEADS ON DRIVERS AND SOLUTIONS TO THE ABOVE ISSUES ARE GREATELY APPRECIATED.",
"asin": "B000VINRCY",
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},
{
"unique_id": 3851,
"review_text": "For the first year, I thought the Alienware R11 was of exceptional value for a Spring 2021 purchase, at a time when it was impossible to find NVidia graphics cards for retail price.
Shortly before my 1 year manufacturer's warranty expired, I received a notice from the Alienware Command Center software that I need to update my BIOS, which I did. A month later, I'm notified my warranty has expired but I can reinstate it for approximately $250 per year.
And now, magically, whenever I turn on my computer, I get a system scan alert telling me my CPU Pump Fan failed pre-boot testing. After Windows loads, none of the bundled Alienware software finds any issues during their hardware scans, but my CPU is steadily at about 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Anyway, I'm gonna try resetting the bios, then replacing water cooler all in one system myself, and if all else fails, I'll send it to Dell. But I'm done with Alienware and Dell products. Too much \"planned\" obsolescence.
You can find more about these types of common issues on Dell and Alienware machines by doing your own searches, as I think listing them here is not an option.",
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{
"unique_id": 3852,
"review_text": "This product deserves 4.5 stars. It is almost perfect but for the small SSD supplied.
I have used laptops of various sizes, 12\" to 15\" and now 18.4\".
I was looking for a laptop which had a fantastic keyboard (ala \"Lenovo\") and sufficient GPU power for the latest games. Not that I'm a hardcore gamer but I was looking for a new laptop which could last longer (in terms of obsolescence) as nowadays it is the GPU rather than the CPU which determines whether or not your laptop is capable of running games.
Without further ado, here's the reasons why I bought this unit. No offence to owners of the other brands but I had to eliminate other popular choices due to the reasons below. I actually narrowed down my final choice of a new laptop to either SAGER or TOSHIBA.
PROS
1. Keyboard
A full keyboard (backlit!) is provided along with a full numberpad.
For me, the keyboard design was really important. I have used a Lenovo Thinkpad laptop before and their keyboards were (and still are) really the best for typing.
Yes, even better than this unit.
H/w, this Toshiba unit has the edge over Alienware and SAGER/CLEVO units where the keyboard is concerned. I actually went to a real store to check out the Alienware laptops but just did not like the feel of their keyboards. I also do not like the way SAGER/CLEVO removed some of the keys on their numberpad.
BTW, the MSI GX/GT 660 series deserves honorable mention for their keyboard design. I like the look on it. H/W some reviewers have claimed that there is a certain amount of flex, hence I did not go for the MSI units.
2. Battery Life
Granted, most people would not move a desktop replacement unit around much. H/w, this unit is listed as being able to last 3hr 47mins on battery power.
I have tested this unit, running on battery, it lasted 1hr 35mins with maximum LCD brightness settings. I have no doubt that it could really reach 3 hrs + if I had run on the Toshiba ECO mode with a dimmer lcd setting.
This was also the reason why I rejected the SAGER units as they can only last about 47mins from the online reviews I have read. ok, desktop replacement units are not meant to be moved around, but a laptop, IMHO, should be able to function normally for at least 1.5 hrs on battery and not treat the battery as a \"UPS\".
3. NVIDIA GTX 460M
This GPU is really fantastic!
I managed to get an average framerate of 31FPS for BATMAN AA GOTY with all the graphics settings maxed out. Yes, even with 16x Anti-aliasing! ha ha :) That's how smooth it is!
And this was running under the 18.4 inch laptop screen at native 1920 x 1080 resolution!
Had the new MSI gaming unit with the 460M been available at the time that I bought this Toshiba, I would not have eliminated such an option from my short-list.
4. Sound system
This unit comes with Harmon Kardon speakers.
Again, SAGER was edged out on this factor.
5. Build Quality
For me, aesthetics are not that important. Hence I was willing to consider either the SAGER line of laptops.
This Toshiba unit is very well made. The keyboard does not have any flex. The handrest portion beneath the keyboard has a special smooth glossy feel to it, and it is akin to marble. Typing on this keyboard really makes you enjoy using the product. :)
The trackpad is also very well made and responsive. The buttons are firm.
The laptop itself is a work of art! The Japanese aesthetics really shows with the black laptop and red trimmings. The Trackpad and media control buttons on the left are also illuminated in red led.
I read many horror stories (motherboard dying and bad servicing) about the ASUS G73 line of laptops, hence I regretfully had to eliminate that from my consideration. To be fair, the G73 series supposedly has less problems with the new 460M Nvidia GPU as compared with the ATI 5870 GPU but I just did not want to take the risk of being subjected to the horrible after-sales service of ASUS. You can google this to find out more.
6. 18.4\" FHD screen
Yes, this comes with a blu-ray player which works very well with the Full 1080HD screen.
Given the limited space on my desk, I needed a laptop with the largest screen possible. This fit the bill exactly.
7. SSD Boot Drive
The SSD boot drive really makes a difference.
Imagine being able to boot up in less than 30secs.
Windows 7 shutdown only takes 10s.
BTW, I checked the SSD drive for SSD alignment issues, I am glad to report that the SSD drive supplied by Toshiba fresh from the factory does not have any SSD alignment issues.
8. CPU
The Intel i7 740 seems to be able to handle multi-tasking very well. I can open up many other programs whilst running 64 bit Adobe CS5 Photoshop smoothly.
CONS
1. Weight
This laptop is not as portable as a 15.6 incher. So if portability is really required by you, I'd suggest that you look for a smaller laptop.
2. SSD only 64GB
You will have to install progams into the 500GB secondary HDD.
The 64GB boot drive is really only meant for that purpose.
If only Toshiba used a 128GB SSD, this would have been perfect. Hence my giving the laptop 4 stars.
I have no doubt that I will have to carry out a personal upgrade of the primary SSD to one which is at least 128GB in size very soon.
3. Lack of Customisation
One of the reasons why such a high quality product can be sold so cheaply is due to mass production.
Unfortunately, this means that you, the customer, cannot get a laptop according to your required specs. I had to carry out a personal upgrade of the RAM to 8GB because I needed it for Photoshop CS5 for photo editing.
Likewise for my point about the SSD above. If only Toshiba allowed customers to buy one unit with a 128 or 160 GB SSD.
Final Words
To any SAGER owners out there, please don't take this review the wrong way. I'm not trying to be one of those \"my dad is bigger than your dad\" type of reviewer.
Despite my misgivings, I really do admire the SAGER line of laptops for their build quality, reputation and latest technology employed at an affordable price. My final shortlisted choices were either a SAGER or this Toshiba unit. If only SAGER/CLEVO keyboard designs were improved, I might have bought one of their units instead of the Toshiba.
Likewise for those ASUS G73 owners. I really do admire the stealth fighter inspired design and basic specs. H/W, I read too many horror stories from G73 online owners' lounges about ASUS products. Hence I decided not to take the risk of buying an ASUS G73 gaming laptop.
[P.S. Edited on 17th March 2011]
1. USB 3.0
For those who are interested, it is possible to add USB 3.0 functionality via the following USB 3.0 expresscard.
\"AKE expresscard Express To USB 3.0 FL1000 34mm\" with ASIN: B0046Y3INC.
I confirm that this expresscard works with the Toshiba Laptop.
This expresscard does not protrude out of the expresscard slot and so it is highly recommended.
2. Latest NVIDIA drivers
The latest NVIDIA drivers v267.24, despite being a beta driver, can be installed onto this laptop. It is also very stable.
This NVIDIA driver was released during March 2011 and was meant to provide improved performance for the game Dragon Age 2.
I confirm that the graphics under DA2 seem to run slightly better with this driver.
BTW, I finally installed the GPU demanding game, Crysis 1, on my machine. This laptop can handle the maximum graphics settings with no problem whatsoever.
Any laptop which can do so really deserves the moniker of \"Gaming laptop\"!!!",
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},
{
"unique_id": 3853,
"review_text": "The SMSL IDEA is designed very badly; perhaps even designed to fail. After experiencing connection issues with the Micro USB port on this device, I looked on other review sites and found that many people have had the exact same problem. When this port begins to fail due to the poor construction of this product, you have to start putting the cable in at an angle in order to get a connection. As you continue to use the product, connection problems get worse until the device is unusable. In my case, this problem manifested slowly so that it did not start to be a concern until a short time after my return window passed. I even purchased a new cable, however it did nothing because the flaw is with the device itself. I contacted SMSL about this problem and they did not even reply. As other customers have noted, the software and firmware exhibits various issues as well, especially when the product is used with Android phones. Perhaps the only aspect of this product that is not flawed is the part SMSL did not have a hand in creating: the SABRE DAC chip. When the product is a failure on nearly every level except for the audio from the chip SMSL did not produce, it says a lot about the company. SMSL's engineers were supposed to create a platform to enable use of the SABRE chip, but they ended up designing a jail for it. It seems the only testing they performed on this product was for planned obsolescence. There are better options for the same price that have the same sound quality, that have better construction, and that are made by companies that care about their products and customers over making a buck by rushing an unfinished product to market.",
"asin": "B06Y1WFT4W",
"parent_asin": "B06Y1ZBXZB"
},
{
"unique_id": 3854,
"review_text": "It lasted for about a year and a half. Then it refused to charge beyond 60%. I blame Dell for not providing replacement parts for their equipment.
That being said, it is very easy to replace if you have a correctly sized Phillips screwdriver.
There is only one cable connecting it. You only remove it from the battery, no where else.
Sigh. Smells like planned obsolescence.",
"asin": "B07GKW5HPC",
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},
{
"unique_id": 3855,
"review_text": "After my last DVD player died in a world where planned obsolescence seems to be the rule, it was time to buy a new one. I have always had good luck with Sony products in the past, so this seemed to be a no-brainer, right? After all, the TV is Sony - actually, everything I have electronic is Sony with the exception of my CD player - and it just seemed natural a new DVD player would have to be a Sony. I read all the reviews on this plus several other Sony products, but knowing that the planned obsolescence rule is always in effect (it's old the day after you get it and if you're lucky it will last a year or two before it dies, and since it's cheaper to buy a new one than get an old unit replaced, a cheap one seemed to be the best way to go)and I really wasn't expecting anything great. I didn't get it!
I can usually set up anything in about 5 minutes - give or take a couple. Why did it take me 48 minutes to get this one set up? Because the instructions - such as they were - weren't written, all you get is a bunch of cute little pictures which made little or no sense. After swapping around input jacks all over the place (I actually had to take the ones from the old DVD player and use them since the wires on this were too short)I finally - maybe I should say FINALLY!!!! - got it hooked up to where it plays.
Initially, the picture quality seems alright as does the audio - it will be interesting to see what happens when I actually sit down to watch a movie, so I can't complain about that. At this point, all I really have to complain about is the fact it took forever to hook it up and the fact the on-screen menu doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Good luck with that if you buy one of these.
Why do I give it a 3 star rating? I have an idea if I sneeze loudly in the same room, the vibration will knock it off onto the floor - yeah, it's that lightweight. Very cheaply made and not exactly what a person who has used Sony products over the years has come to expect from a company that was an industry leader. For now, it will serve the purpose for which it was purchased - notably, showing DVDs, but I'm really not expecting it to last a long time and when this one bites the dust as it most assuredly will in a year or so (it's predecessor lasted 11 years), its replacement will be one which is larger and where the instructions are easy to follow so it can be set up in 5 minutes!
Overall, this isn't Sony's finest moment - if you're looking for something functional that doesn't have a lot of gadgets and displays and will show movies once the tray opens and you can insert a disc (takes forever and it is noisy!)this will probably serve the purpose. If you're into different angles and being able to do all sorts of fun things - get one that's more expensive - I wish I had. Actually when this one dies, I'm getting a Blue Ray player which is probably what I should have gotten this time. And, it may not be a Sony.",
"asin": "B007F9XHBI",
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},
{
"unique_id": 3856,
"review_text": "I bought this from a Wal-Mart because the store only had 2 brands and the other was an off brand. I should have known better. This combo is typical of HP's low quality junk.
The keyboard and the mouse have lagging issues. You will constantly be going back and retyping things because the keyboard misses sometimes up to 3 keystrokes after the keyboard hasn't been used for a while. Capitals made with the shift key often are in lower case instead of the upper. The mouse cursor randomly lags behind where you're moving it. Plus, the cursor detection is shaky. Just now, I tried typing shaky and had to go back and retype the s because the keyboard missed it.
However, if I did have to list some Pro's, there are 2. One is the unified USB receiver. The keyboard and mouse both receive their signals from one USB port, not requiring the use of 2 ports, one for each device. The other is the keyboard is powered by standard AAA batteries that you can replace. Some keyboards have irreplaceable batteries that, after their charge is gone, you must replace the whole keyboard! Dumb, planned obsolescence designed to get you to spend unnecessarily, but it's sometimes true.
Do NOT get this or any other HP product! Everything they make is low quality. Their PC's, their printers, and now their wireless keyboards and mice. In the 14 years I've had experience with HP products, I've only ever come across 3 items that were worth it. A printer from 2000, my digital camera from 2002, and my scanner from 3 years ago. I've tried about a dozen other products from them since and they were not worth the price. They either didn't function right out of the box or stopped working shortly after I got them.",
"asin": "B00501T8XY",
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},
{
"unique_id": 3857,
"review_text": "They're as bad as early 90's Sony Walkmen, but they don't have to be, they're planned obsolescence. A light breeze or a speck of dust has enough force to disconnect them. I tried them with three different wall chargers, with a pc, at work with different wall chargers.. I've purchased these in the past and they were pretty bad so I don't know why I was stupid enough to try again. I received two of the 9.8ft cables and three of the 6.5ft cables this time. Only one of the five is working. The gold plated male connector is too slim so the cables sag out of their sockets and don't make a good connection.",
"asin": "B00NH134L6",
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{
"unique_id": 3858,
"review_text": "Here is my review of the JBL Flip 3 and its major flaw. JBL again has decided to not address this problem with the Flip 4. So here is the review that should likely help you when deciding:
Don't buy this product, it is unethically designed and built. When I first purchased it I initially wondered why JBL decided to leave the sensitive speakers on both ends exposed. It was obvious that the speakers are extremely vulnerable but because the sound was good I thought I would take care of it and hopefully there would be no problem. There is no reason why a personal speaker such as this should not last a good 5 or 10 years even with the whole planned obsolescence thing.. Anyhow, within about a year the speakers failed and starting making distorted and crackling noises. I called JBL for replacement and was basically left high and dry despite the obvious design flaw. The only recourse was to write this review to warn others. Almost $100 down the drain because this is the way JBL has decided to do business. There are better cheaper options out there. Best wishes.",
"asin": "B01N0QHI8L",
"parent_asin": "B099V8GPR4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3859,
"review_text": "Don't buy this product, it is unethically designed and built. When I first purchased it I initially wondered why JBL decided to leave the sensitive speakers on both ends exposed. It was obvious that the speakers are extremely vulnerable but because the sound was good I thought I would take care of it and hopefully there would be no problem. There is no reason why a personal speaker such as this should not last a good 5 or 10 years even with the whole planned obsolescence thing.. Anyhow, within about a year the speakers failed and starting making distorted and crackling noises. I called JBL for replacement and was basically left high and dry despite the obvious design flaw. The only recourse was to write this review to warn others. Almost $100 down the drain because this is the way JBL has decided to do business. There are better cheaper options out there. Best wishes.",
"asin": "B0145EVLMM",
"parent_asin": "B0145EVLMM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3860,
"review_text": "I like the device but I am very disappointed that the socket for the power cable is crap. It is almost impossible to get a good enough USB connection to charge. This should never happen in a device less than 2 years old. The device has not been mishandled as I am the only one to use it. The USB socket is flimsy and not snug. Otherwise I really love the machine, although without power it is useless. I paid more for the version without ads but lately I am getting ads every day. I am not confident the updated USB-C on the most recent version will be any better. Planned obsolescence at its finest!",
"asin": "B07TMJ1R3X",
"parent_asin": "B07TMJ8S5Z"
},
{
"unique_id": 3861,
"review_text": "i HATE that one day they simply stop charging! Why is that? They last only as long as the warranty and then they die. It simply will not charge again. I buy the warranty but the period of not charging doesn't start until the warranty runs out. I
s there a specific procedure to prolong battery life!? I don't keep it on charge all they time causing it to overcharge, in fact I don;t put it on charge until the battery is a 20% which is almost every night. I love the Kindle, as I am an avid reader and a Kindle weighs significantly less than a book. With this purchase I also bought the charging station thinking that perhaps the inserting the charger nightly might have been the reason why the Kindle stops charging. I have no answers from Amazon on why they just stop charging.
Is there a limited life expectancy associated with the Kindle? Are they designed to only last three years? Is anyone at Amazon investigating why the Kindle stops accepting a charge.? don't think that three years is enough time for a device to simply to working. I miss my reading device but I hate not knowing If I've done something wrong or is this a planned obsolescence. If it should only last three years I'll accept that but I need an answer.",
"asin": "B018T075DC",
"parent_asin": "B01BRWH8G8"
},
{
"unique_id": 3862,
"review_text": "Planned obsolescence. This thing is designed to fail and designed so you cannot do what would be simple repairs yourself. This is designed to be a throwaway tablet. Save your money. Do not get scammed.",
"asin": "B018T075DC",
"parent_asin": "B01BRWH8G8"
},
{
"unique_id": 3863,
"review_text": "I bought this item on September 5th on Amazon.com (I have an Amazon Prime membership), the return window expired on October 7th and the Motorola S10-HD Bluetooth Stereo Headphones stopped working on October 15th (all dates for the year 2012). Talk about designed obsolescence! Don't spend your money on this device; it worked great for about 1.5 months, just long enough to get past the return window.",
"asin": "B004BHCSQC",
"parent_asin": "B004BHCSQC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3864,
"review_text": "5 months. Bought January. Issues started May. That\u2019s with taking extra care.
I thought the flexable ripples would help at the ends. Nope.
I even made sure that cable was never bent or angled to far. Nope.
I\u2019d rather by a $20 cable I know will last 2 years than this.
Also there are ones that offer replacements within a year. My previous one broke within a year but the listing was gone. Shady business practices.
First cable ever lasted 2-3 years. My iphone 4 cable still works after 8 years!!!
Planned obsolescence is being more criminal.",
"asin": "B07DDPQ1HZ",
"parent_asin": "B07DDPQ1HZ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3865,
"review_text": "So great sound, loud, blah blah blah you know all that.
Let's talk about the weak spot. The micro usb plug in the back of the sub. On a device that is going to move around a little they used the weakest connection they could. Combined with a one year warranty. This sounds like planned obsolescence to me.",
"asin": "B07B2WLS17",
"parent_asin": "B07B2WLS17"
},
{
"unique_id": 3866,
"review_text": "It's a radio and it's a Sony.
Sound quality: I give 5 stars. It's a pocket radio, it wont sound like a Klipsch, no matter how much you want it to. It tunes to stations with a wheel and old-style scale instead of digitally, which is a plus to me. I hate digital tuners on radios, for some reason.
Volume control: I give 5 stars. It's a wheel and it works to both raise AND lower the volume. Bravo.
Battery life: I give 5 stars. It takes AA batteries which are much better than 9 volts for battery life imho, and if you don't leave it on all the time, they will last a good while. If you DO leave it on all the time, well, this is a POCKET radio, and you should probably get a bigger radio with a wired power connection for that purpose. Your alarm clock probably already has a radio and will suffice.
Finally, it is a Sony instead of some off-brand crap-fest that may not even exist tomorrow...Sony is a good, reputable brand whose products I have used and enjoyed for years. Thanks for still making a simple, no-nonsense analog portable radio for us. Now please, get busy on widely offering Sony computers/smartphones in the USA, because FCUK apple and samsung. THEY BOTH SUCK. They are geared toward maximum Planned Obsolescence; their computers SUCK and their smartphones SUCK.",
"asin": "B012F0DGYE",
"parent_asin": "B07DQCDY9M"
},
{
"unique_id": 3867,
"review_text": "I really like these earbuds in terms of how they look? But both pairs broke within two months and I am very careful with my air buds. It\u2019s a giant disappointment because there are no earbuds in any stores where I live everything is sold out so I\u2019ll be waiting a week or two, living my life without earbuds. It really does feel like planned obsolescence in this case. It\u2019s pretty then it breaks and they want you to buy another one. As well, the company never responded to my reaching out to them.",
"asin": "B07XL1LLHM",
"parent_asin": "B07YL6332F"
},
{
"unique_id": 3868,
"review_text": "I love these things. I bought in August 2010 and have not been disappointed at all. No problems and the battery life is still great. I recently tried a pair of turtle beach z300 to get the blue tooth functionality and answer calls while gaming. The audio was no better with frequent cut offs and my gaming buddies kept telling me "move the mic closer!". I sent them back and went to old faithful here and haven't looked back. These will be my pc gaming cans until the hardware fails. Good job logitech in an industry where everything is built with "planned obsolescence" you have made a high quality and durable product with great audio.",
"asin": "B003VANOFY",
"parent_asin": "B003VANOFY"
},
{
"unique_id": 3869,
"review_text": "It had a protective sleeve (OMOTON Kindle Paperwhite Case ). It slowly stopped working starting in April, but when I took off the case, charged it up and hit the open button, it would restart. Periodically after that it would stop and I did the same for it to restart. It finally stopped last week. I guess I'll jusst have to purchase a new one ... planned obsolescence?
When it worked, it's worked well.",
"asin": "B07CXG6C9W",
"parent_asin": "B07J2FGZSM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3870,
"review_text": "I'm tickled pink about this purchase. This Roku TV is the cheapest new TV I've ever purchased. Don't know how long it will last. Will it last as long as my old analog TV sets? Only time will tell. There are a lot of new products with built in obsolescence these days. I'm definitely thinking of buying one or two more for the homestead. I'm quite sure the picture quality is not on par with say Samsung or other high end sets, however it's only a fraction of the cost. Roku Rocks.",
"asin": "B00UB9UJBA",
"parent_asin": "B00X3TUHWG"
},
{
"unique_id": 3871,
"review_text": "I previously bought this and after some time I bit through my other bit mount. I am not sure how often this happens, but they should figure some thing out with that, to make it more durable. Sounds like planned obsolescence 101.. I do get some cool videos though from this mount. I don't have to keep my abs 100 if people get your 3rd party view. Otherwise, board mount and stay crunching...",
"asin": "B00P9HFRDE",
"parent_asin": "B00P9HFRDE"
},
{
"unique_id": 3872,
"review_text": "More planned obsolescence. Just 1y of use and it stops microwaving evenly/power is significantly less. I swear they program cheaper appliances to crap out after a year.",
"asin": "B07VQJ5P3L",
"parent_asin": "B07VQJ5P3L"
},
{
"unique_id": 3873,
"review_text": "I bought this router in September 2014. The weekend of 14 February 2015 the device stopped working. It's completely cooked. The vendor or Amazon will not allow returns after five months, so I will have to buy something else. What an absolute waste of money! I've heard of "planned obsolescence" before, but five months? I would be avoid buying this brand router.",
"asin": "B0040IUI46",
"parent_asin": "B0040IUI46"
},
{
"unique_id": 3874,
"review_text": "I hesitated so long before finally clicking \"submit order\" on a Kindle 2 a few weeks ago. It took me months to research it from every angle--quality, obsolescence, price, convenience, usefulness, technical achievement, competition. I haunted the Kindle Forums here at Amazon and the Kindle owners groups all over the Net. I read every third-party Net article on Kindle. I don't know anyone who owns one and had never seen one in person. I didn't want/need an expensive, useless techy gadget that would ultimately collect dust, or worse, become obsolete in a short time. But everything I had been reading suggested that Kindle and me (I?) might be a good fit (I am a major de-clutter and keep very few books I read, usually donating when I'm done) and that Amazon seems to be committed to the Kindle and will support it down the line. So when Amazon dropped the price, and after confirming the Kindle return policy, I decided to check out the Kindle 2 in person.
It had me at hello. Or more precisely, when Whispernet wirelessly sent my Kindle 2 a free sample of a book I was curious to check out but not sure I wanted to buy/read. And then again when I changed the font to a larger size that my old eyes could actually see without squinting. And when I realized achy hands, arms and shoulders (victims of hoisting up hardcover books) were a thing of the past. I tucked the Kindle into the awesome Octo faux leather sleeve [[ASIN:B001S7DJ20 OCTO Faux Leather Slip Cover for Amazon Kindle 2]] and popped it into my handbag and began showing it off to envious neighbors. It seems that many more people (particularly readers) know about Kindle and are curious about the concept. The serious readers in book groups were happy to learn they could take notes on the Kindle as they read, for later group discussions. Kindle will be on a lot of Christmas lists in my neck of the woods.
I know I will save loads of money on books I normally would buy and ultimately not read due to lack of interest. I am already saving money due to the reduced Kindle book prices. My eyes will benefit by the font changing option. The convenience factor is through the roof thanks to the Whispernet feature, since Amazon is where I buy books anyway, new and used. (I honestly think my enthusiasm would be seriously dampened if I could not use Whispernet to download books wirelessly.) The few questions I had were answered immediately here at the Kindle discussion groups.
I subsequently ordered the Mighty Bright light [[ASIN:B000TXZIDM Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 Clip-On Light (Black, Kindle Version)]] because I am eagerly awaiting the lovely late summer-early Fall evenings in New England when I will be parked on the front porch with my Kindle for hours of reading under the moon and stars.",
"asin": "B00154JDAI",
"parent_asin": "B00154JDAI"
},
{
"unique_id": 3875,
"review_text": "We initially tried a 'whole-house' DVR from our cable company. That was fine for starting in one place and ending in another, but it actually gave us less flexibility to do things like pause live TV. We also started to become more interested in streaming content. We purchased a couple of TIVO units and have enjoyed the experience very much!
Two things kept this from being 5-stars. First, I worry about obsolescence of purchased equipment and second the lack of ability to stream from more sources that are either in existence now (Amazon Prime) or may be available in the near future (Redbox).
I also should note that TIVO does not pair(remote wise) with BOSE 321 systems--no one seems to have any real explanation about why not.",
"asin": "B0036OR91A",
"parent_asin": "B0036OR91A"
},
{
"unique_id": 3876,
"review_text": "I purchased a Magellan Roadmate 700 two weeks ago and returned it for the following reasons.
1. I sent two emails to product support and have in three weeks had no response. I will not purchase products from a company that does not support their products
2. The power failed twice for no apparent reason during critical parts of the drive, and I had to pull over restart the unit which was a considerable annoyance. For the price, the quality control is lacking and I won't buy a unit I cannot trust to function.I have seen others complain of quality control
3. Magellan should be embarrased by the speaker and recorded sounds. On a $1300 unit the quality of the sound is dismal ,scratchy and equivalent to that which comes out of my three year old's $10 toy that plays back pre-recorded sounds. The sounds generated when touching buttons and the keyboard are like a spring breaking or twanging and are jarring and highly annoying and cannot be disabled.
4. There is no ability to to add a current location to favorite addresses- what an oversight on a $1300 unit.
5. There is no identifiable way to update this product for future database changes or firmware changes. A huge oversight that guarantees obsolescence in one year. After paying $1300 I have no intention of paying yet more to buy 120Volt adaptor and USB connector if upgrades ever become feasible.Note no mapping CD is included, and one can bet that will be a big extra cost too if ever offered.
6. Again for the $1300 there is one poorly designed mount included. One promising mount, the friction mount,remains unavailable and the expectation is to pay $50 to buy additional functional mounts[although there is a discount coupon included for first purchase of an accessory]. Where is the friction mount promised for January? [It is now February].
7. The auto contrast function never worked - again a quality control issue.
8. In over two weeks of driving with the unit on the dash and under cloudy or clear conditions, flat or hilly conditions the WAAS [Blue]accuracy never appeared. Is this a malfunction or statement that the suppled antenna cannot get the reception promised [ie shell our more money for an external antenna]
9. The screen proved difficult if not impossible to view in sunny conditions due to reflections on the screen surface. Not very useful when the sun is out.
10 Search by cuisine would be helpful.
Overall for the quality of the product and its features/reliability it is way overpriced. It was released before thinking some options through and without even a full array of mounts for the unit probably for competitive reasons.",
"asin": "B0000DJEK7",
"parent_asin": "B00XJ79CQE"
},
{
"unique_id": 3877,
"review_text": "Pictured is this hard drive after 7 YEARS of DAILY USE. It was used in multiple vehicles mounted to the dash and driven over rural mail routes every day with the worst potholes and washboards you could imagine. It has since been relegated to home use and being lent to friends. It has taken many spills and lived up to the terms \"waterproof\" and \"shockproof.\" I did manage to break off a piece of one of the plastic plugs, but a ten-minute repair with a 3D printer pen and it was waterproof once again (Repair is light blue plastic in picture).
With the pace of innovations in storage size, it may seem as though this model is entering obsolescence. However, if you need a tough, reliable, reasonably fast hard drive that is both portable (fits in a large pocket) or easily mounted, look no further.",
"asin": "B005GHTEV8",
"parent_asin": "B07L8H6BBG"
},
{
"unique_id": 3878,
"review_text": "Edit 9/22/22:
On my second one, I took it apart and saved the magnets before I threw the rest in the landfill. They're tiny, but strong. They're little neodymium rare earth magnets. I can pin things to my fridge with them.
So far the third one has worked flawlessly. It's lasted long enough where I'd be ok if it stopped working now. I've been expecting it to for awhile.
Changing my review from one to three stars.
-----------------
Original review:
I love my Fitbit Sense. It's a great watch. The problem is the cable. These companies have you over a barrel with their proprietary designs. Yes, other manufacturers make aftermarket versions, but those are likely even worse (according to the reviews). I don't need worse. These are bad enough, thank you. I have to believe these are similar to \"planned obsolescence,\" only this is \"planned failure\" so that you have to keep purchasing them.
I've gone through two of these and I treat them very gently. The problem is the prongs \"give in\" and get pushed into the body of the charger, rendering it unable to charge your watch.
The original lasted from Nov 25, 2020 until Sept 20, 2021. The second one lasted from Sept 20, 2021 until 12/22/2021. That's THREE MONTHs. This company knows this is a problem, they fail to fix the problem because they've got you. Pay up... Well fine, then, one star for you.",
"asin": "B08FY2TBWW",
"parent_asin": "B08FY2TBWW"
},
{
"unique_id": 3879,
"review_text": "I am not an audiophile. I appreciate clear, quality sound, but I'm not going pretend to know things I don't. So, for average people like me, I give three thoughts about using this product. Oh, and you should know I have the 900 soundbar paired with the 700 bass module (I am indifferent) and the smaller 700 surround sound speakers (I love those).
First, I only have the 900 soundbar because my 700 died after just over two years. That really ticked me off and made me wonder about planned obsolescence, particularly when Bose charged me $170 to \"repair\" it and the repair do not work. So they \"upgraded\" me to the 900. Again, I'm no expert, but I really don't notice any significant performance difference. I think this is born out by several online head-to-head review as well.
Second, the 900 has some sort of power issue. It is plugged directly into the socket and no other device has any problem with that socket. But the 900 losses power, overnight, about every third day. Meaning I turn it on in the morning and there is no audio. I've contacted Bose. They told meet that there may be an issue if plugged into a breaker bar, but this goes directly to the socket. They then told me that the \"cure\" is to unplug the bar for about 30 seconds, plug it back in, press the power and rewind buttons simultaneously for about 10 seconds, then press the TV button for another 10...and see what happens. Sometimes this works the first time, sometimes not. It always works eventually, but it is always a pain in the a##, and it happens every 2-3 days.
Third, the remote for the 900 is much shorter than the 700. I don't really care, but the HUGE difference is that the 700 remote was illuminated. The 900 has no illumination. This means, if you are watching a movie in a dark environment, you have somewhat cramped buttons and no way to see them. This is a very poor design.
Oh, if you do not know, you should also understand that Bose customer service is really in two forms - call in and online manual/trouble shooting. Call in is only available M-F business hours. The manual/trouble shooting is quite generic and has never applied to any issue I had. So, if you are looking for help after hours, you know, like when you are trying to watch a movie at 8:00 PM or any time on weekends, you are out of luck. And, when you call in during hours, you get in line.
I do not write this to bag on the 900. Maybe the Sonos is superior, but I have no experience with it. I do know that my 700 served my purposes better and that Bose customer service is quite personable, and equally limited.",
"asin": "B094YN85V2",
"parent_asin": "B09KRV5B71"
},
{
"unique_id": 3880,
"review_text": "Died 2 months after warranty...talk about planned obsolescence.",
"asin": "B007WT9SU0",
"parent_asin": "B007WT9SU0"
},
{
"unique_id": 3881,
"review_text": "I consider myself a fairly eccentric tech guy, and above everything else I appreciate value. I don't care so much about the latest version of planned obsolescence phone but I do seek out tech that works well and does what I want.
I saw these headphones on various websites and since I was in the market for a self-birthday gift, I thought - why not.
I can use these for just about everything. Jogging and/or doing some lifting at the gym? They are loud enough to drown out the annoying gym music if you set them as such. Need some tunes while you're banging out a couple spreadsheets but still want to hear if someone needs you for something without tapping you on the shoulder? Totally perfect.
Equally fun, showing them off. I probably have sold about ten pairs of these to friends and colleagues. I cue up some demo music (usually Equinox by Audiomachine) and watch their jaws drop as they can hear it clearly WITH NOTHING IN THEIR EARS. While I have not yet been accused of witchcraft, I am looking forward to that AfterShokz commission check that I'm sure will be coming in the mail. Eventually.
Small warning, the vibrations are definitely noticeable if you are sitting at your desk. So if you are susceptible to any sort of illness (such as migraines) related to that, keep it in mind.
Friends share music, not earwax. Buy some today.",
"asin": "B07G3JN2JB",
"parent_asin": "B07G3HYDJQ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3882,
"review_text": "Amazon sells this as a fully functional Alexa device, but seems to have abandoned support of the device since the firmware update that enabled the active listening feature.
1. It does NOT support calling
2. It does NOT support intercom
3. It does NOT support multi-room music
4. It does NOT support the Echo remote
Basically, all of the newly released Alexa features have not been enabled on the Tap. It seems to have been relegated to obsolescence. Not good for a device that is less than a year old.
And, maybe most tellingly, Amazon has not given us any reason WHY this should be so. The development team and Amazon management leave us in the dark about these issues. It turns out that they have done the same with their Echo/Alexa support staff as well -- I talked to them and they told me that they haven't been told anything either, and frequently are not told about new feature releases until the public is notified. What a strange way to treat your own specialized tech support staff.
Bottom line, I strongly advise against getting the Tap at this point. It's a quality device, but Amazon seems to have abandoned it and their customers along with it.
If you want a portable bluetooth enabled Alexa device, instead look into purchasing an Echo Dot (which is bluetooth enabled), and one of the battery powered aftermarket speaker "docks" for it -- the cost is about the same as the Tap, and you'll get a fully capable Alexa device, longer battery life, and better speaker than the Tap.....",
"asin": "B01BH83OOM",
"parent_asin": "B01BH83OOM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3883,
"review_text": "Amazon sells this as a fully functional Alexa device, but seems to have abandoned support of the device since the firmware update that enabled the active listening feature.
1. It does NOT support calling
2. It does NOT support intercom
3. It does NOT support multi-room music
4. It does NOT support the Echo remote
Basically, all of the newly released Alexa features have not been enabled on the Tap. It seems to have been relegated to obsolescence. Not good for a device that is less than a year old.
And, maybe most tellingly, Amazon has not given us any reason WHY this should be so. The development team and Amazon management leave us in the dark about these issues. It turns out that they have done the same with their Echo/Alexa support staff as well -- I talked to them and they told me that they haven't been told anything either, and frequently are not told about new feature releases until the public is notified. What a strange way to treat your own specialized tech support staff.
Bottom line, I strongly advise against getting the Tap at this point. It's a quality device, but Amazon seems to have abandoned it and their customers along with it.
If you want a portable bluetooth enabled Alexa device, instead look into purchasing an Echo Dot (which is bluetooth enabled), and one of the battery powered aftermarket speaker "docks" for it -- the cost is about the same as the Tap, and you'll get a fully capable Alexa device, longer battery life, and better speaker than the Tap.....",
"asin": "B01133ZTQM",
"parent_asin": "B01133ZTQM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3884,
"review_text": "Very frail and poor quality. It's planned obsolescence will all too soon be realized. It cannot withstand constant but moderate bending that will occur when connected to a 3.5 jack and the device being a phone, the device will be upside down and the dongle will lean. From there, the quality declines. Sound becomes distorted and then eventually disappears. Search elsewhere to spend your money.",
"asin": "B08DQSYTWM",
"parent_asin": "B08DQSYTWM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3885,
"review_text": "This device was found to be unnecessary to me.. While Apple is phenomenal with their concepts and products, some adaptability designs are asinine!!! There, I said it. And the deconstruction of poorly made accessories is is crime against humanity since most technology is planned obsolescence. While this is supposed to transfer files, it may not be powerful enough to do so. The devices may struggle to recognize, much less read, files. Further, for understandable security reasons, the apple paradigm can be biased with other devices.
I hope to not have to order this again. I found that I only needed to connect my iPad to my hp laptop and external hard drive to accomplish all the transfers needed.",
"asin": "B01F7KJDIM",
"parent_asin": "B01F7KJDIM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3886,
"review_text": "I have 4 of these that have all worked great for the last 4 years but recently I started getting a message on my iPhone \u201caccessory not supported.\u201d So....is this planned obsolescence? I have to spend money to replace something that otherwise isn\u2019t broken? Reading the reviews on the \u201cupdated\u201d model of this same device I see a lot of ppl stating that the new ones fall apart easily.",
"asin": "B00M4QANB4",
"parent_asin": "B00M4QANB4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3887,
"review_text": "Looks great and well designed with good quality materials. My one caveat is the strap attachment does not look robust. Ideally they would continue the strap at the top down onto the body of the bag. This is the common failure point for backpacks that don't do this.... designed obsolescence I fear. I love to buy quality that will last me many many years, in the long run its better for the environment, and less expensive. There is also the minor issue of the padding in the laptop area, but thats easily fixed. There is none on the bottom! I installed my own so now my 15 inch macbook pro is safe and comfy.",
"asin": "B00M3DUSBI",
"parent_asin": "B0C71JNW9R"
},
{
"unique_id": 3888,
"review_text": "These are really good earbuds. Wires are reinforced with woven metal for excellent durability and the bass the buds is startlingly intense. Highly recommended. (or, you know, pay 10x for airpods that fall out and get lost.)
Update: The connection between the jack (plug) and the wire failed within 6 months. YMMV. Buying another pair, for what that's worth.
Update 2: Bought a second pair (slightly different Betron model.) 6 months later, connection to the jack crapped out again. Hooray for planned obsolescence.
Update 3: Third(? - I may have lost count) pair just crapped out. (4/2021)",
"asin": "B00P89DXYI",
"parent_asin": "B0BXT9S5NK"
},
{
"unique_id": 3889,
"review_text": "Recently I purchased a second pair, due to me classically losing an earbud down a gutter a while back. That's all on me though, I actually liked the sound quality and noise cancellation in these. Despite that, my second pair now refuses to charge after days of working normally.I suspect that the charging case doesn't receive power anymore. I've used working cables and even swapped my earbuds into my brother's case. They charged perfectly fine then. I would give this a five star rating if not for the built in obsolescence of the case. Maybe I got a faulty one? Other than that, totally fine.",
"asin": "B07J2Z5DBM",
"parent_asin": "B08XPWDSWW"
},
{
"unique_id": 3890,
"review_text": "Play/pause function (single tap) doesn't work. The fit seems comfortable, and sound is good..but upon immediately testing the headphones, I can tell how the functionality of these headphones is just not good, and potentially very frustrating after a few years of use. There are no buttons, only a touch sensitive surface. So everything functions (poorly) as tap or hold. E.g. double tap right for volume up, single tap either for play/pause. The search for quality, good fitting headphones,that don't have an absurd amount of planned obsolescence baked in, continues. Returning",
"asin": "B0BDQNBMZX",
"parent_asin": "B0BRL5KJ96"
},
{
"unique_id": 3891,
"review_text": "I love Kindles. I have purchased 4 regular Kindles and 2 Kindle Fires over the years. I had one of the original Kindle Keyboard devices and I loved it. It lasted for years! My first Kindle Paperwhite lasted for about 5 years and then the screen froze and the device refused to unlock. I tried everything, but couldn't fix it. Then, in 2019 I bought this Kindle Paperwhite. Other than the power cord not fitting in the port properly (Amazon sent me a new cord that fit better, but I couldn't use any other charge cords other than that one), it was fine. I only used it occasionally because I often read Kindle books from my phone. It was not abused in any way- not dropped, not exposed to water, etc. Recently, it started showing the screen you see in the picture. I tried plugging it in to charge. At first, the charging light lit up and it seemed like it might be okay. But it never charged and that screen remained. Now, nothing happens. That screen won't go away and no light comes on when I plug it in or press the power button.
I've only had this device a little over a year! I checked and, not only has the return window closed, but it says the support window has also closed. I'm starting to wonder if these devices have planned obsolescence built in. Basically, they it seems like they are programmed to work for a period of time and then stop working. It's odd that this exact thing happened to my last Kindle Paperwhite. It was working fine one day, the battery ran down and then it refused to charge or work after that. I'm very disappointed. I'm not sure I'll be buying another Kindle after this. I like them, but it's a huge waste of money and not good for the environment to keep throwing out and replacing these devices. I expected better from Amazon.",
"asin": "B07CXG6C9W",
"parent_asin": "B07J2FGZSM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3892,
"review_text": "After 14 months I got it and being a decent speaker with clear resonance, is now starting to be annoying, emitting a pinching sound, Fortunately wasn't expensive, so there you have it....the golden rule of economic production "planned obsolescence" ...sign of times ....decadent....",
"asin": "B010OYASRG",
"parent_asin": "B0BW4PFM58"
},
{
"unique_id": 3893,
"review_text": "Apple used to have easy-to-use accessories. Its phones used to have audio ports instead of being so thin only junky, planned obsolescence ports now are available. Why should charging a phone cost >$50? Switch the standards and quit migrating into your proprietary closed garden or people will shrug and jump to Android. Not that you're getting a great deal with anyone, but at least you're not being nickel and dimed to death.",
"asin": "B08L5NP6NG",
"parent_asin": "B0BVY4JVNG"
},
{
"unique_id": 3894,
"review_text": "I bought this AVR as a replacement for the Onkyo in my MBR Mini-HT setup. Even though the Onkyo was only a few years old and offered every feature I needed, I finally got sick of its constant HDMI handshaking issues with every device and display I ever connected to it. I'm not sure if Onkyo has gotten their act together since, but it'll be a long time before I ever consider buying another of their products. Sorry, I digress.
I was apprehensive about straying from Denon/Marantz again as I have two of them in other setups around the house and have never experienced any deal-breaker issues, HDMI related or otherwise. During my research I decided to see what Sony had on offer -- I hadn't considered them for audio equipment since the 80s! When I came across this particular product, I was most intrigued by its diminutive size. I've been wanting to downsize my MBR setup for a while now but I refuse to make the \"sound-bar sacrifice\". This little AVR enabled me to replace the large cabinet I was using previously and maintain a level of sound quality I find acceptable.
Regarding how this AVR performs, I'd call it average overall but good for the price. It supports both ATMOS and DTSX over eARC, which means it shouldn't meet obsolescence for at least a couple more years. Sound quality is decent if not exceptional and the UI, while a bit disjointed -- the OSD only supports a subset of functions -- is serviceable.
Most importantly, I've not once had to do the power off, unplug, restart in a random order, count to thirty, blow in the cartridge... dance I had to do every few days when the Onkyo lost HDMI connectivity. When I press the Apple TV home button, this AVR powers up, switches to TV input, powers on my TV, picture is seen and sound is heard... every time. Basic I know but not always a given.
Bottom line; if a compact AVR appeals to you and this product fits your budget, its worth strong consideration. If size isn't a factor, you could probably do better at this price point but not significantly. It's a good purchase regardless.",
"asin": "B079YW5VQL",
"parent_asin": "B07JG1Z31R"
},
{
"unique_id": 3895,
"review_text": "I have two desktop computers with custom hard pipe water cooling and I was constantly buying canned air to blow the dust out of the radiators and off of the fans... no more!
I don't have a wind speed meter but just going off of the 'feel on the hand' gauge this blower is very compatible to the velocity from canned air, and it doesn't run out!! I figure it'll pay for itself in a few months and then I'll be saving money. It is corded but I selected that on purpose. I have enough cordless gadgets around here and most of the time they're either dead or not enough of a charge to get done what I need to do. As long as I keep my electric bill paid this will work whenever I need it to and there's always an outlet to plug it in to for power.
The air does get a little warm after it's been running for a while but that just goes with the tool and isn't a defect. My use is about 10 minutes at a time and it ought to last ages or until planned obsolescence takes it out of the game. If/when that happens I'll definitely get another one to replace it.
This is just a blower and not a vacuum so the dust you remove will get blown around the room. Tit for tat... there are other models out there that will do both if that's your desire. If you have some dust that needs moved from one location to another, this is your machine!",
"asin": "B09T2XX783",
"parent_asin": "B0BQQVHGXC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3896,
"review_text": "I bought 3 of them. I'm using one and keeping the others as spares.
Why did I buy 3 you may ask? Because I was looking for something that was able to use a AA or AAA battery, and had a card slot for expandable storage.
If you have been looking for mp3 players- you know that not many- if any at all- offer these features anymore. I didn't want a video player- all I wanted was a simple mp3 audio player.
Planned obsolescence has dictated that mp3 players come with built in non replaceable batteries nowadays. That means when the battery runs out of juice, you have to stop using the device and recharge it, instead of just being able to pop in a fresh battery.
Most also use lithium polymer batteries- NOT lithium ion. Lithium polymer batteries have a much shorter lifespan, and when they die you have to throw the whole device away.
This is bad for the environment, and for your pocketbook as well.
Navigating the directories takes a bit of getting used to. I suggest you keep the manual handy.
Ok, to be fair- the other complaints about low volume are correct. The device does suffer from a low volume problem. I usually use it at night in bed to listen to audio books, and I have it as loud as it can go. I imagine that in a noisy environment it would be almost impossible to hear. There are tiny battery operated inline amplifiers that might help with this problem.
Also- you might want to google for a freeware program called \"mp3 gain\". It will boost and/or normalize mp3 files and make them easier to hear. It's very fast, simple, and free.
So I deduct a star for the low volume, but I still give the device 4 stars, because it was exactly what I was looking for.",
"asin": "B000NDZ0O0",
"parent_asin": "B000NDZ0O0"
},
{
"unique_id": 3897,
"review_text": "We bought this TV from Amazon less than three years ago. It worked fine until recently when it started showing vertical bands across the screen. It started with one or two then finally filled the whole screen. When we took it to our TV Repairman, he said that this is not unusual. These new TVs (both LCD and plasma), whether Sony, Samsung or any other maker all use the parts made in Korea. Obviously, quality control is severely lacking in the TV electronic industry. The repairman said it may be cheaper to buy a new one, depending on the problem. I find this the worst kind of consumption to be blamed on the electronic makers themselves. Just picture all of the three-year-old TVs loading up the land fills. So, don't believe it when you hear people say that Sony is a better product. They are all the same and don't count on them lasting more than three or four years. Our old Panasonic tube TV lasted 20 years! We consumers really should raise our voices on this kind of planned obsolescence.",
"asin": "B001TKJ7XQ",
"parent_asin": "B001TKJ7XQ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3898,
"review_text": "This is a very nice portable DVD/CD writer, with an attached USB 3 connector cable, that stores neatly beneath the drive. It doesn\u2019t come with a case of any kind, so if you are going to go on the road with this you\u2019ll need to figure out how to protect it while transporting.
It is very quiet when burning and operates nicely. Plug and play, without a hitch. Ultra slim is a debatable term. it is about the middle of the \u201cthinness\u201d range of the Lighyscribe portable burners, but that isn\u2019t a negative, IMO. It feels very solid and substantial, not at all delicate, like some. The DVD tray operates smoothly also.
The cord being attached underneath, and having to be bent at a sharp angle, back and forth each time you use and store it, is, I think, a slight bit of a weakness. Bending it sharply, as you have to, enough times, and the wires may wear or break. That is just my opinion, of course. It will probably take many thousands of bends, so who cares?
I don\u2019t do Windows, I\u2019m an OS 10.13, High Sierra, Mac user. Lightscribe ran into issues with the OS 10.11 update. So it became \u2018impossible\u2019 to install the Lightscribe software.
If you are a little bit of a geek, and feel comfortable following some quite simple instructions, you can use this drive to label Lightscribe discs. Web search for a workaround, and you can tweak your machine and install Lightscribe on the systems below.
I have reached my computer\u2019s operating system obsolescence with my 2009 big desktop machine. It still functions perfectly though, so I make it do what I want it to.
Here is the list of \"unapproved\" operating systems that will allow you to install Lightscribe.
El Capitan OS X 10.11
Sierra OS X 10.12
Also works on\u2026
High Sierra OS X 10.13
Mojave OS X 10.14
But, Catalina OS X 10.15 is rather hit-and-miss
and BigSur OS X 11 seems no go at all.
Your OSX Version Must Allow 32bit Software Installation
THIS IS NOT an \u201cofficial list\u201d, so, if you do it, it\u2019s at your own risk.
I burn on Lightscrobe DVDs Just like the officially approved operating systems using High Sierra (see the screen caps and photos).
Overall, I like this burner.",
"asin": "B0BX92P6PS",
"parent_asin": "B0BX92P6PS"
},
{
"unique_id": 3899,
"review_text": "I recently purchased this phone from the AT&T Go Phone website for a mere $50 (refurbished). My previous Go Phone, an AT&T Fusion 2 (Android OS) smart-phone was a great deal at $40 bucks, but its operation was somewhat sluggish, and I decided to take a chance with this Windows phone.
The FEEL of the phone is much higher quality than you are going to get with other non-contract phones at this price-point. This is easily the nicest build of any model of Go Phone that I've put my hands on. The Nokia 520's hardware is powerful enough to run everything very smoothly; I was able to noticeably recognize its superiority over the Fusion 2 instantly. Nokia's "Transfer My Data" app was able to very easily import all of my contacts from my microSD card (I had previously exported all of my contact information to the SD card using the Android phone). Thus, I was up and running very quickly.
Some more tidbits:
-A problem that I've had with three previous Android phones was that the volume of my media files was consistently weak--this phone pumps the volume when you want it!
-Many people (including myself) probably look at the Windows home screen and see a lot of junk. The things that you don't like can be easily unpinned or resized. It is not difficult to set up a home screen that will suit your desires.
-Another problem I've had with ALL Android phones is that they come loaded with many junk apps that cannot be uninstalled. I was able to uninstall ALL junk apps from this Nokia Windows phone without any fuss, a MAJOR plus for me.
For someone like myself, who primarily uses their cell-phone to text, read emails, listen to music, and browse the internet, I cannot observe anything wrong with this phone. The build quality is FANTASTIC for a $50 dollar phone and given the rapidity of obsolescence for any contemporary digital device, I cannot justify spending over $100 on a telephone. I have been an Android user for several years, and I still enjoy using that operating system on my tablet, for which I feel Android is better suited. When using my tablet, there are a number of apps (bit-torrents, comic book readers, game-system emulators, etc.) that are not available for this phone. For me, this is a non-issue. I don't care to do my reading, gaming, and other such activities on a tiny phone display. For the price, and for my purposes, this is currently the best (non-contract) phone that money can buy.",
"asin": "B00E45043A",
"parent_asin": "B00E45043A"
},
{
"unique_id": 3900,
"review_text": "Seems some work great some not so much. Just bought a \"new\" fire stick. 2 months old, watching TV when it disconnected from the network. Error message said network out of range. The TV next to it with fire stick ( and same network) works just fine.
I understand pre planned obsolescence, but come on! I have bought 6 new fire stick for 3 TV's in the last 2 years.( All replacement)
Probably going to Roku",
"asin": "B08C1W5N87",
"parent_asin": "B08WJSHSLC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3901,
"review_text": "Bought these in the end of April 2017, and now they have completely stopped working. Only 4 and a half months later. They first started skipping in one ear and then just stopped working all together. Prior to them malfunctioning they were awesome. So dissappointed.
I received a replacement pair and now 14 months later this pair has completely stopped working. Even though the warranty is two months over they will not replace them!
If you want earbuds that last less than a year then get these it\u2019s planned obsolescence in my opinion and throwing good money away!",
"asin": "B01G8JO5F2",
"parent_asin": "B01G8JO5F2"
},
{
"unique_id": 3902,
"review_text": "Does what it says, at a reasonable cost. Should get a few more years of use out of my old iPod.
Replacing the battery is a bit of a headache, but that's the product of Apple's insistence on programmed obsolescence and short working lives of their products, not on the manufacturer of aftermarket parts.",
"asin": "B000P9I6B6",
"parent_asin": "B000P9I6B6"
},
{
"unique_id": 3903,
"review_text": "I gave this Canon pocket camera to my wife, and she has used it on several trips to the desert and to other continets. It is tough, easy to use, compact, takes great photos and the battery life is quite good. She is very happy with it. For point& shoot there are several excellent makes of camera, but Canon seems to me to be the best buy. The only problem is obsolescence, all digital cameras become obsolete in a short time and it is impossible to get them repaired. Fortunatley this little Canon is a survivor and still works perfectly. Definitely recommended.",
"asin": "B0032JRRXE",
"parent_asin": "B005UVRYFS"
},
{
"unique_id": 3904,
"review_text": "Q Cameras worked great with my previous WiFi provider, but the new 1 gig Google Wifi now being rolled out in my area uses the same SSID for both the 2.4ghz and 5ghz bands, and the cameras WILL NOT connect to it, All my other newer WiFi devices connect right up to the faster 5ghz band, while all my older devices (except the Q's) connect to the legacy 2.4ghz.
Customer service from Arlo is non-existent. Unless you have a paid subscription they shuffle YOU off to the \"Community\", which I duly did and posted every detail of my setup. The Arlo moderators basically stopped responding when it became apparent that the cameras they were still building last year are obsolete and I wouldn't be put off by suggestions that I \"try resetting again\" and \"stand closer to the router\". Nothing but planned obsolescence junk and terrible customer service.",
"asin": "B01G7JERCY",
"parent_asin": "B084T3RMQ6"
},
{
"unique_id": 3905,
"review_text": "I got this in January 2020. The screen \"locked\" that April; couldn't get it to do anything. No buttons, touches, or swipes worked. Called Fitbit and they sent me a replacement for free. That one worked until December 2021 where during the middle of an exercise-bike ride, it gave me an error message with a big red X. I called Fitbit and they walked me through an entire reset. That worked, but it didn't record my 45-minute bike ride. The next day I noticed it was low on a charge; now it needs to be charged EVERY DAY. I don't have all-day display on, I only have it activate when I tap the screen or push the side button, the screen timeout is only 10 seconds. There's no reason it should need charging every day! I'm frustrated because it wasn't cheap and the warranty is only 1 year. Am I supposed to buy one of these every year? I researched alternatives like Garmin and Samsung smartwatches, and their warranty is only a year as well. I really don't like the idea of having to buy a new one of these annually. Not sure I'll replace it with another Fitbit; seems like planned obsolescence. When it works, it's a great little device, but it just doesn't work long enough for the price.",
"asin": "B07TVC2KLW",
"parent_asin": "B08M8Y6473"
},
{
"unique_id": 3906,
"review_text": "It looks like this same product is being sold for more than the 12 dollars I paid for it. I got this in early March and it hasn't lasted past the end of July. I'd love to get a replacement that lasts longer than a few months since otherwise it's a nice product, but I figure it's also fair to point out that purchases like these feed the market for products designed around the idea of planned obsolescence.",
"asin": "B07QB1BNQ4",
"parent_asin": "B07QB1BNQ4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3907,
"review_text": "This was an awesome TV. That is until the warranty expired and the engineered obsolescence kicked in. I've had this TV for about a year and a half, handled and installed it properly, kept good care of it in a 65\u00ba room, which this TV actually keeps heated in the winter, another great <sarcasm> feature, and now I'm getting vertical lines of bad pixels. I've also had power supply issues which I found out were quite common on these sets, although I got lucky and it magically started working again (make sure you keep it on a protected outlet with no high draw devices like a fan, that was what caused it). I also found the buttons on the front impossible to use (although you could hardly call them buttons, more like areas of pressure influence if you're lucky and have good eyes). Anyway, I would tell you to stay away from samsung products, especially plasmas, but honestly, I don't think I've seen anything these days that is made well. Every major TV is made to last just past the warranty period and if you're lucky maybe a couple more years. Start planning for $800/year for your tv needs.",
"asin": "B0036WT3XO",
"parent_asin": "B0036WT3XO"
},
{
"unique_id": 3908,
"review_text": "Why would you buy a product from a company who builds obsolescence blatently into their product. My ipod nano's screen scratched beyond readability from the first time i put in my pocket. Do you even stop to think that so much R&D goes into these things how could they not have known that their product is so fragile. They do it on purpose to screw the customer and make you buy a case or a new ipod. Sandisk takes the other approach and rubberizes the case so it won't scratch. It also has more features than the nano and isn't restricted to use with only iTunes. All in all you are getting a much better product for the same price. Ipods are just fashion statements bought by lemmings.",
"asin": "B000HZ9CCA",
"parent_asin": "B00XJ5U76A"
},
{
"unique_id": 3909,
"review_text": "This alarm clock had it all (loud alarm and otherwise silent, lots of features, electric with battery back up, big numbers, switches from blackout mode to dim to bright with ease), BUT
after three years, the buttons stopped working. I hate this throw-away/planned obsolescence economy! Is it too much to ask for electronics to last 5 years at the minimum?",
"asin": "B0787W458R",
"parent_asin": "B091BD9T1Z"
},
{
"unique_id": 3910,
"review_text": "Bought these to replace the flimsy braided brass terminators on my now-discontinued Monster Z-series cables. Planned obsolescence is the ugly side of capitalism, but these terminators prolonged the life of my expensive but otherwise useless Monster cables. I had accidentally broken some of the old braided terminators when removing the receiver from an awkward location. This banana plug style is much more robust and appears to be original OEM factory quality fit.",
"asin": "B00IK3802E",
"parent_asin": "B00IK3802E"
},
{
"unique_id": 3911,
"review_text": "Shuts off in less than 10-15 minutes. Use it very rarely over the last 6 months so this is just bad quality assurance and or planned obsolescence. Either way - don't buy it.",
"asin": "B01EAB9A28",
"parent_asin": "B01EAB9A28"
},
{
"unique_id": 3912,
"review_text": "Loved the ease of use, the sound was much better through speakers than iphone 12Pro, however, the item stopped working exactly 6 months after purchase and no amount of recharging coaxes item to work. Luckily I purchased two, one was a gift, not given. So starting again with new in box Speaker. Obsolescence in 6 months is not a sound investment nor an acceptable piece of plastic to recycle.",
"asin": "B08GC1G4Y9",
"parent_asin": "B0BC78N85F"
},
{
"unique_id": 3913,
"review_text": "I've only had these for a few weeks but the battery is so shoddy. The Bluetooth range and reception is fine, but the portability of these are shot because of the ridiculously low battery life. I am not sure whether this obsolescence and power deterioration is on purpose or not. The sound is fine. I'd go with the SoundPeats though for similar price & style & quality. Those lasted at least a year and a half.",
"asin": "B01N6DC2ZE",
"parent_asin": "B01N6DC2ZE"
},
{
"unique_id": 3914,
"review_text": "I definitely like not having to hold the11\u201d iPad in landscape mode 22/7. I don\u275ct sleep much, am disabled and have no life \ud83e\udd23. That\u275cs the good news for you. It stands up.
However my first one began losing rubber feet after a few months. \u201cNo big deal,\u201d I thought to myself, \u201cI\u275cll just stick back on when they fall off.\u201d
\ud835\udc30\ud835\udc1e
Not gonna happen folks. They don\u275ct fall off because of poor fit or bad glue. The metal legs are flexible and as such are covered with wound plastic. With enough changes in how the legs are bent - and in real life with limited options as to where one may place the stand every time it\u275cs removed from a lap - that can be quite a few times every day.
Each time those legs are bent the plastic covering the metal begins to unwind very slightly and never tightens up again. This tectonic upheaval eventually forces a new landscape at the foundation of your stand and the feet are PUSHED off permanently. If you\u275cre into crafts or surgery perhaps you can excise the extruded windings without further unraveling and secure those errant Feets. Or not. I don\u275ct have the tools, dexterity or patience so I bought another one.
Planned obsolescence at its best, right?
Not really. Because I bought ANOTHER TABLIFT thinking I didn\u275ct mind the half-life expense.
But the next supposedly identical model was completely different and is a terrible replacement\u203c\ufe0f
THIS TIME the tension cord that holds a plastic 1\u215b\u201c hook along the long edge of an 11\u201d iPad was not installed with adequate tightness. Even twisting the elastic cords three times still doesn\u275ct work - it\u275cs a case of feeling like Miss Moffat here. Twice is too loose; thrice too tight.
I suppose the only recourse left to me other than this HORRIBLE REVIEW I hope the SELLER SEES and sends a FREE REPLACEMENT THAT HAS BEEN TESTED TO WORK PERFECTLY (I can live with the feet), is to take a tiny screwdriver to quite a few screws at the underbelly of THIS SUBSTANDARD STAND and hope I can figure out a way to shorten the cord \u201cJUST SO\u201d \ud83e\udd23",
"asin": "B01AHGIDE6",
"parent_asin": "B01AHGIDE6"
},
{
"unique_id": 3915,
"review_text": "They break because the cables are way too short. If you accidentally let your MBP 2015--which has no FW 800--I suggest you invest in a sturdy surface and forego using your laptop in your lap w/o adequate slippage support. I am buying two this time (thanks, Apple, for making my 4 Drobo Gen 2s obsolete, not to mention dropping the admittedly problematic SCSI-2 port /adapter that has me using a G3 so I don't have to toss my $15K Hasselblad/Imacon film scanner. Even ATTO has no PCI card to adapt the scanner to my G5 the last time I called them. Planned obsolescence=greed?",
"asin": "B00SQ2CJUS",
"parent_asin": "B00SQ2CJUS"
},
{
"unique_id": 3916,
"review_text": "They never stay connected, they lag when they are connected, and they have a painfully shirt designed obsolescence.",
"asin": "B07VBP4R7F",
"parent_asin": "B091V836P2"
},
{
"unique_id": 3917,
"review_text": "YEA! Ever since this device entered my life, it has been changed forever. I have since sold off all my other possessions. Lamps? No longer needed. Pencillin? Never getting sick again. Running water? Who needs it when there's corn tea. If I could just inject an IV with corn tea into my veins, I totes would. Boyfriend? He's still there, and hasn't realized his obsolescence as of the time of this writing.
Edit: Boyfriend has realized his obsolescence at the time of edit, but that's okay, because I have the kindle. Peanut butter and chocolate still sucks.",
"asin": "B00GDQDRPK",
"parent_asin": "B00LWHUCRQ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3918,
"review_text": "I have the original ARLO base station and bought this camera. Having spoken to ARLO Customer Service and their tech support for hours I finally learned that my base station will not work with this device. I was requested to spend another $100 or more for the newer base station. Rather than deal with a company that doesn\u2019t care about obsolescence I sent it back to Amazon and bought an equivalent Ring camera that does the same as the ARLO with no risk of buying newer equipment.",
"asin": "B0875FRJPT",
"parent_asin": "B09M8N7YML"
},
{
"unique_id": 3919,
"review_text": "Adapter dongles like this are notoriously expensive. This product is not. Finally a reasonable price for an absolutely necessary product in this age of forced obsolescence. Personally I love mine, I have multiple pieces of equipment plugged in and it doesn't heat up or effect performance. Would definitely recommend this product for others that feel good not buying ridiculously overpriced apple products.",
"asin": "B0822M7ZP5",
"parent_asin": "B0822M7ZP5"
},
{
"unique_id": 3920,
"review_text": "Bought thos sound system for one of our Karate schools. Some months later I bought another one for another school where the sound system didn't have Bluetooth. The first one started acting up about 8 months in. No sound...then it would work for.a week, then no sound. Tried everything, buy the sound would cut out while playing. Finally it would not work, Bo BT, no radio, rca. Turns on ok but nothing. Anyway, dumb me, I bought another unit, same model, and installed it 3 months ago, that one is still working. But the one at the second school started acting up and finally stopped putting audio a couple weeks ago. Bought a different brand to replace that on, and I'm sure in a few months the 3rd unit will die too. Built in obsolescence...",
"asin": "B07P9BBJM2",
"parent_asin": "B09WBTSP2P"
},
{
"unique_id": 3921,
"review_text": "For a few months my Nexus 7 was working fine, but two days ago the touch screen simply stopped responding at all. It no longer responds to a finger or to a stylus. This is seriously disappointing from what was otherwise a decent product. But when the only input method dies, that's the end of the tablet as a tablet. It only lasted about seven months, which is much less than even planned obsolescence for electronics.",
"asin": "B00DVFLJDS",
"parent_asin": "B00E56OIWG"
},
{
"unique_id": 3922,
"review_text": "USE CASE: The KEF LS50 Wireless II isn't just a pair of speakers, it's a complete digital audiophile system. Though flexible enough to accommodate numerous use cases, in my opinion its attractive, minimalist aesthetic and integrated electronics make it best suited for standalone use to bring superior stereo sound into a living or working space. These are excellent speakers and will absolutely reveal the difference between high and low resolution material, so I strongly encourage choosing a high fidelity source: consider upgrading your streaming subscription to the Hi-Fi tier or replacing compressed files with lossless versions if you store your music locally.
CONNECTIVITY: The LS50W2 is set up and controlled through the KEF Connect app, which requires an iOS or Android device. Once you\u2019re up and running, though, you can use the speakers with almost any source. Roon, Google Cast, AirPlay 2, and UPnP are all supported, as is Bluetooth (though if you ask me using Bluetooth with speakers this good is like putting cheap gas in a racing car). You can also play directly from the apps and web browser interfaces of all the major music streaming services. Physical digital inputs are S/PDIF via TOSLINK or RCA and eARC-enabled HDMI suitable for connection to a television (the USB connector is a service port and does not function as an audio source). Analog input is limited to a solitary 3.5mm plug. Those considering use in a home theater should note that LFE is not supported, nor are outputs for surround speakers. Both units do, however, have an RCA subwoofer out.
SETUP: I found the system very easy to set up; if you\u2019re comfortable using a smartphone or tablet in your daily life you should get on just fine. There\u2019s a primary speaker- which has all of the inputs at the back, a simple set of touch controls on top, and the IR receiver for the remote in front- and a secondary speaker which receives its input signal from the primary. The quick setup guide will tell you that the primary speaker should be your right channel, but reversing them is a simple toggle in the app so put it on whichever side makes sense for your space. Each speaker must be connected to a grounded power socket- a pair of two meter cords are included and KEF has used standard C13 connectors so you can cheaply and easily buy longer ones if desired. The primary unit is equipped with Wi-Fi, but you can connect it to your router via Ethernet if your wireless is dodgy. Likewise the primary and secondary units communicate with each other wirelessly by default, but a toggle in the app can set them to use Ethernet instead (doing this also increases the audio sample rate from 96kHz to 192kHz). A single three meter Ethernet cable is included. I use mine over Wi-Fi without issue, though I did wire them together for the higher bitrate only because in my configuration there was really no reason not to. The included remote is basic, but convenient if you don\u2019t want to keep picking up your phone/tablet just to use simple playback controls.
PERFORMANCE: The most impressive thing about the LS50W2 is its versatility: with a minimum of care taken positioning the speakers and utilizing the in-app EQ they can be made to sound very good in almost any space. I use them primarily for near- and mid-field listening on stands pointed at a chair near the back corner of my living room. Aside from an area rug in that corner this room has basically no acoustic treatment: hard floor and ceiling, lots of bare walls, only moderate furnishing (including a big glass table), and a large window with plastic blinds all along one side. A sound engineer would surely shake his head. Despite all this, they have an excellent horizontal soundstage and a level of fidelity at the main listening position that I would have doubted was possible given the setting. As great as they sound there, what\u2019s crazier still is- though you obviously lose the soundstage- they don\u2019t sound bad even if you\u2019re just hanging around in the room; beside or behind them! With respect to placement and listening position they\u2019re easily the most forgiving non-omnidirectional speakers I\u2019ve ever lived with.
WEAKNESSES: Though quite powerful for their size (enough to fill pretty much any residential-sized room at what I would consider to be plenty loud volumes), note that these are designed to reproduce fine detail, not to blast your hair back at a house party. There\u2019s very little vertical soundstage, though that\u2019s not really a fair criticism considering you generally need big floorstanding speakers to get that. In my experience they don\u2019t perform quite as well on a table or shelf as they do on a proper filled speaker stand, so I would recommend stand mounting if that\u2019s possible for your space. The LS50W2\u2019s greatest weakness from a sonic standpoint is another consequence of its small size: weak sub bass performance. If you live in an apartment like I do that might be a blessing in disguise, but if you want to bring the low end power the in-app EQ includes basic bass management controls to assist with the integration of one or two subwoofers through the aforementioned RCA outs. It's also important to keep in mind when making your choice that, since this is a self-contained streaming platform, you're effectively bundling a computer into your speakers: long-term that means these will be subject to at least partial obsolescence in a way that traditional speakers are not.
SUMMARY: If you\u2019re a person who listens to a nice pair of Bose or Sonos speakers and thinks \u201cwow, that sounds fantastic!\u201d count yourself fortunate and buy something cheaper than this. If, however, you\u2019ve heard such products and been left wondering \u201cis this really the best that wireless audio has to offer?\u201d I encourage you to give the KEF LS50 Wireless II a try. Properly set up it can rival traditional stereo systems with separate components well above its price point, but what really makes it extraordinary is that even if you just throw the speakers into an existing multi-use space with very little fiddling they can be made acceptable for critical listening. The audiophile community has a great many snobs who turn up their noses at this kind of casual approach to high end audio, and if I\u2019m honest there\u2019s better sound out there to be had for those with the time, money, and interest to make a hobby of it, but for the rest of us? At this price, with these features, this compact, this attractive, this flexible and easy to use ...I wouldn\u2019t choose anything else.",
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},
{
"unique_id": 3923,
"review_text": "I just moved into my own apartment for the first time in two years. Because of the current housing shortage, I was forced to move into a less safe area and decided to invest in a few security cameras for my new home. A friend of mine has one of these and recommended it, so I bought one to try it out.
It seemed decent at first, and like the low price point was a great deal, so I bought two more. They all worked great for almost exactly a month, and each failed almost EXACTLY a month after I set it up -- almost like planned obsolescence.
I had Amazon replace two of them, each on the day it failed, and the third just developed the exact same problem today. Basically, each one developed intermittent connectivity issues. At first it would go offline once per day at around 3 am. Eventually they progress to the point of only recording for a few minutes at a time, with hours offline in between. Finally, they don't connect to wifi anymore at all.
No amount of rebooting or factory resetting helps. Blurams support gave me the run-around, asking for \"detailed videos\" of the issue, which were then ignored. I'm *hoping* the replacements don't develop the same issue, but with a 100% failure rate so far I'm not too hopeful.
I'm really disappointed because now I have to spend considerably more to get reliable cameras that actually work. This whole thing was such a waste of time and money and I absolutely do not recommend these. They're low-priced for a reason in this case, and you ultimately won't end up saving money if they just fail in a few weeks.
(In the screenshots I uploaded from the app, you can see how bad the connectivity issues got before they failed. The gray dots on the side are time that the camera is online, and any black gaps in between the dots are offline time. In a working camera, that vertical bar should just be solid gray all the way up and down.)
Other notes:
1. These cameras record audio by default. If you live in a two-party consent state, it's highly illegal to record someone else's speech without the consent. You'll either have to inform everyone in your house about this before they enter, or disable this feature manually.
2. If you want to store the video footage to the cloud (you do), there is a monthly fee for this. This fee is on a per-device basis, so when one fails, you'll need to remember to cancel that subscription because I don't think it'll transfer to your replacement.",
"asin": "B07NRTV8PF",
"parent_asin": "B07NRTV8PF"
},
{
"unique_id": 3924,
"review_text": "The touch screen on my Fitbit Versa 2 stopped working a few months after the 1-year warranty on the watch expired, making the watch entirely useless. I called Fitbit customer service, and they said the best they could do for me was a small percent discount on buying a new watch. In case you're wondering, I treated the watch well and never damaged it -- only used it to track my runs. Do not buy this watch unless you want to get ripped off!
You will find similar complaints to mine if you search Google. I, for one, will not buy another Fitbit product again and I hope this review saves you the trouble and wasted money. This is built-in obsolescence at its prime! Do not support such awful, wasteful brands!
A few other complaints:
* The phone app is extremely buggy. Several updates have made the app and watch stop working entirely. Check the Google Play App Store reviews as this is a common problem!
* The watch face store is extremely clunky. There's no way to filter out watch faces by average reviews and it's extremely time-consuming to sift through hundreds of (crappy) watch faces to find one mediocre one. Horrible user experience.
* Most of the watch apps I tried did not work properly. Want to control your Spotify playback via the watch? Sure, there's an app for it, but it does not work the grand majority of the time. Apps are truly a badly executed afterthought for this watch and any Fitbit watch.",
"asin": "B07TWFVDWT",
"parent_asin": "B08M8Y6473"
},
{
"unique_id": 3925,
"review_text": "stopped working after 16 months...built in obsolescence",
"asin": "B07TWFVDWT",
"parent_asin": "B08M8Y6473"
},
{
"unique_id": 3926,
"review_text": "I bought a Versa 2 for Christmas 2019. I have used it for the basics -- time, sleep tracking, and measuring my steps, walks and workouts. My Fitbit worked well for these functions and only needed recharging every 5 days or so, which was easy and convenient. The watch was priced reasonably at first, But Fitbit immediately tries to sell you their premium service, which helps you track and interpret the data that the watch provides. It's an nice upgrade but in a $200 tracker should have been included in the basic software package. So if you, like me, thought you were saving money off the price of an Apple Watch, this is why. It's like paying for an app and finding that you're missing the important features unless you subscribe to the upgrade.
I bought the premium service and used it for a year before discontinuing it. It wasn't worth the ongoing price. The basic features I needed worked without it. At least, they worked while the watch was working.
My main complaint is that the watch died -- twice. After six months, the watch simply went off the tracks. The screen whited out, and required constant re-syncing. After a week of this, it wouldn't sync at all and the screen was blank. Customer service walked me through a couple of steps and then said they'd have to replace the watch. Still under the one-year warranty, I got my second Versa 2 for free. It worked fine for another year, then the same thing exact thing happened. This time, with the watch beyond the one-year warranty, customer service advised that I'd have to buy a new one.
Fitbit offered a discount on a new Fitbit, but after two bad experiences, I'm not buying another Fitbit. There seems to be a built-in obsolescence of about one year. This is too much money to spend on a watch/tracker that only lasts a year or so.",
"asin": "B07TVC2KLW",
"parent_asin": "B08M8Y6473"
},
{
"unique_id": 3927,
"review_text": "This is the 3rd Logitech MK270 keyboard + mouse combo I've bought in the last 3 years for both home and office computers. My office keyboard just stopped working. Checked all the usuals to no avail. Rather than investigating further and wasting time and productivity, I just ordered another pair which arrived the next day! Hooray for plug and play. Shame I'll have to discard the working mouse and bluetooth USB but they seem to only work as preassigned pairs. Wish Logitech would find a way to reuse them but that's a big problem with today's seeming \"planned obsolescence\" products - more expensive to re or upcycle? Had credit on file with Amazon so the $25 minimum order for free shipping did not apply. Note to Logitech - please move the power button or make it a switchable type so I don't accidentally turn off my pc with a slipped keystroke! One is once too many. Ultimately - Recommend !",
"asin": "B079JLY5M5",
"parent_asin": "B0BVBDXFHM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3928,
"review_text": "Its important to extend the planned obsolescence, because is the newest but is impossible buy something by 3 months",
"asin": "B08XVYZ1Y5",
"parent_asin": "B0C3NMZ2C7"
},
{
"unique_id": 3929,
"review_text": "This is the latest in a fairly long line of Kindles I've used, and it's definitely an improvement over the previous models. I decided to invest in the Kindle again after reading for a couple of years on my phone/tablet. Advantages to this Kindle include being small and light enough to hold in either hand for long periods of time, being able to read in any light conditions, and the fact that I can't access anything but my books so I'm not as distracted by the call of the Internet. I like having the swipe/button option for page turning as well. Four stars because the battery life hasn't been as long lasting as claimed, but it still gets me through looong travel days without a charge, and it charges quickly. So...for now I'm happy with the investment. One of the big caveats with my former Kindles was their tendency to go belly up after only a year. We'll see.
EDIT January 26th, 2017. Well, Amazon keeps batting 1000. 10 Months and my Oasis won't hold a charge for 2 hours. I've only used the charger that came with the unit and I'm very careful with my electronics. While it worked the Oasis was great. Once it didn't I wrote Amazon and requested a new one (not only was it short term junk, but I purchased an extended warranty) and they insisted I chat or call with a call center. The representative proceeded to grill me about how I had charged it...including the angle I charged it at...what? After a few of these I just said, cut to the chase...are you going to honor the warranty or not? Someone else had to come on the line, and finally a new unit was ordered. So...I'll keep using the Kindle until my warranty or the replacements run out and then that's it for me and Amazon devices. The planned obsolescence is obscene.
EDIT January 30, 2018
So, whoever is in charge of the Oasis, promised me a new unit. They sent me a refurbished one. The first one was garbage, but I bought it new. Amazon should replace it with a new one. Done. This is my last Amazon branded purchase ever. DO NOT BUY THIS. Unless you want a part-time job trying to return it.",
"asin": "B016381AHE",
"parent_asin": "B011WESR1G"
},
{
"unique_id": 3930,
"review_text": "Waited a while to review and glad I did. Looked great and fit perfect, but after a few months of using my thumb to flip open the cover the plastic/rubbery material is pulling away from the frame. Still works OK but it is pretty shabby. Just the way of the world these days. Planned obsolescence.",
"asin": "B00ITIQI92",
"parent_asin": "B00ITIQI92"
},
{
"unique_id": 3931,
"review_text": "I love this tablet except that it quit charging just outside of my replacement period! Built in obsolescence that I can\u2019t afford to replace!",
"asin": "B01M7RD5ZL",
"parent_asin": "B01MTF2Z37"
},
{
"unique_id": 3932,
"review_text": "Last Saturday this SAMSUNG LN46A630 : bright red tinge, extreme contrast, vertical lines like watching cartoons.
I did get over 4-1/2 years out of it, that's $300 per year. But my 1982 17\" Sony Trinitron is still working great.
Does any manufacturer build a reliable TV or anything?????? I have a feeling is NO.
Even if I buy an expensive TV the manufacturer warranty is still a whopping 1 year. Go figure.
Seems now like everything is build to fail (plan obsolescence, my washer and dryer, oven, AV receiver all had problems after a few years only.
My conclusion, buy the less expensive TV (appliance, etc) and plan to buy every 3-4 years. (I guess it keeps the economy going)",
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"parent_asin": "B001CE5LNY"
},
{
"unique_id": 3933,
"review_text": "Failed after two years. Will reload every few minutes. Factory reset and update did not solve. Do not recommend. Gen2 seems like programmed for obsolescence and replacement. Only package change is Gen3 remote.",
"asin": "B08XMDNVX6",
"parent_asin": "B08XMDNVX6"
},
{
"unique_id": 3934,
"review_text": "Failed after two years. Will reload every few minutes. Factory reset and update did not solve. Do not recommend. Gen2 seems like programmed for obsolescence and replacement. Only package change is Gen3 remote.",
"asin": "B08XMDNVX6",
"parent_asin": "B08XMDNVX6"
},
{
"unique_id": 3935,
"review_text": "I am on my fourth set of TV Ears and have encountered the same recurring problem with every pair. That is, one of the headset bows breaks about 30 days after the 180-day warranty expires. They are very proud of their 5-year warranty, but it does not cover the thing that goes bad the most often. It irritates me that they always blame operator error, despite the fact that I handle them and put them on exactly the way they suggest. Then they have the unmitigated gall to charge me $49.98 plus shipping for a new headset. I have also noticed that sound quality is not nearly as good on the newer models as on the older ones. Their business model smells a lot like planned obsolescence to me. It's a scam. To add insult to injury, the folks at TV Ears are scamming older customers who really need a reliable product and who are often times on a fixed income. I plan to tell everybody I know about how unreliable this product is and how the so-called warranty is a hoax.",
"asin": "B000MUT5AY",
"parent_asin": "B000MUT5AY"
},
{
"unique_id": 3936,
"review_text": "I love using the product. Love it. The fact that it's water-resistant is wonderful. I wear this thing on workouts and bike rides, sweat heavily on it, and it works great. Having my ears uncovered while bike riding is essential to safety, so that's wonderful. And even at near maximum volume, no one around me can hear my music: you have to wear it to hear it. It's wonderful.
Now the bad part. The glue used to secure the little speakers inside has some issues with normal product usage. I originally bought the Aeropex in December 2019, and two months later, one of the speakers inside came loose, producing a rattling sound and an unpleasant buzzing whenever using the product. AfterShokz was great about doing a free warranty replacement, and the process was speedy and easy. However, the replacement unit has just gone bad again, same issue, although this time it lasted 20 months or so. Still, having a set of premium headphones become unusable in less than two years seems a little like planned obsolescence, and I'm disappointed they didn't last longer under normal usage.
The other bad part is the loud beep that others have complained about. I pair these headphones to both my iPhone and my iPad, and the dual pairing is a great feature. But when I head out on a bike ride, the headphones obviously lose connection with the tablet at home. They alert me to this lost connection by emitting an piercingly loud \"beep-beep\" every fifteen seconds or so, and this continues for maybe a good 5 minutes or so until they finally give up. Dude, I know you lost connection to my iPad. It's cool. You're still connected to my phone and playing music. Stop freaking out. I don't know why they're so loud about this nor why they're so persistent about it for so long. I've tried repairing them to just my phone, but they keep insisting on dual reconnecting the iPad too, which is cool when the iPad is nearby. But the beeps when the second device moves out of range? Totally unnecessary, and WAY TOO LOUD.",
"asin": "B07RRQ59JR",
"parent_asin": "B08BG7J2MN"
},
{
"unique_id": 3937,
"review_text": "I've learned--the expensive way--the difference between large and medium. My large broke down and Wacom refused to do a minor repair. (Their customer service leaves a lot to be desired.) I could only afford a medium to replace the large. I work on two screens and so need something that allows the mouse or pen to go from one edge to the other edge of both screens together. While it can be done using the medium tablet, it can't be done without a hassle. Often I run out of tablet before reaching the other edge, and then have to circle the mouse, etc., etc. to get it where I need it. And this is NOT a mapping problem. It's a tablet surface area problem.
Otherwise, Wacom makes great tablets, no doubt. The auxiliary keyboard running down the left side can be very useful. There are lots of choices as to what one can assign each key to do, depending on needs or preferences. For instance, I use one in combination with the pen to act as the right click for the pen, because I find the location of the keys on the pen itself to be very awkward to use. That, for me, is one failing in these Intuos tablets. Course, full disclosure, I have only partial use of my right hand. But you get an idea of how useful the keys can be, along with the center circular tool, which can, among other things, be used to turn your photo or painting to whatever angle you need on screen. It will rotate the piece. It can also be used to scroll, cycle layers and to zoom as well.
The biggest problem, and the reason for four stars, is the weak connection where the USB cable inserts into the tablet. That's what broke on my first one and now I'm having trouble with that on my second one. It's just poorly made and liable to breakage. Be VERY careful how you handle the tablet with the cord plugged in. For Wacom, there's just no excuse for such a weakness in a device that costs a whole lot of dough. By the way, screws to remove the back are hidden under the pads. Just peel those away and you'll find the screws you need to take the tablet apart should you ever need to do so. Don't bother with any of the visible screws, which do nothing.
Wacom needs to get their act together and cut out the built-in obsolescence routine. I should add that having a pen does allow for effects that cannot be achieved with a mouse alone, the primary one being the ability to execute fades, something for which Photoshop has no really workable tool.",
"asin": "B001TUYU06",
"parent_asin": "B00267SENK"
},
{
"unique_id": 3938,
"review_text": "It was fine if not for somewhat a convoluted app to control it. But they released an update that intentionally blocked the ability to play music stored on an iPhone or iPad. Their \u201csupport\u201d team suggest such useful options as getting a different Sonos that has airplay, or setting up a NAS, or playing from a desktop computer, in other spend a bunch of money for utilities that cripple the convenience of why I got this thing in the first place (strictly speaking I put it on a gift registry so this won\u2019t show as a verified purchase). In further reading I\u2019ve found this isn\u2019t the first time Sonos has disabled otherwise functional products via software update and given some BS excuse about improving stability (read engineered obsolescence). Don\u2019t buy this or any Sonos product.",
"asin": "B00EWCUK1Q",
"parent_asin": "B00EWCUK1Q"
},
{
"unique_id": 3939,
"review_text": "I've had it for 6 weeks and it is incredibly bad on the internet with the touch screen. It at best approximates where you are clicking with the result that you get every ad on a page and spend half your time cursing at the dumb machine. My old kindle died (planned obsolescence??) and I had to get a new one or lose 2000 books.
It misremembers the last page read in books at least twice in each book. It no longer allows you to \"remove from home\" a book, but asks you to hide it. Then try to find it again (good luck with that). This is the 6th kindle I've owned and in many ways the least satisfactory.
Amazon didn't help with one of my big issues. They said I could download my old apps, but some are no longer compatible apparently, and some are no longer available. But if I had them on my old kindle, they should have been in the cloud to get them back. No help from the help team at Amazon. And forget having it remembering where you are in a game where you have spent good money. All down the tubes. But what can you do? If your old one dies, they've got you.",
"asin": "B087F1SVDZ",
"parent_asin": "B087F1SVDZ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3940,
"review_text": "This TV began flickering a month ago. At first I thought it was my Fire TV. After several reboots not solving the problem, I thought I was going to have to spend $50 on a new Fire TV. If it was only that easy. The TV began flickering faster and faster until completely dying. THREE AND A HALF MONTHS AFTER BUYING BRAND NEW FROM BEST BUY. Look, I understand planned obsolescence. New technology doesn't last as long as it should. But for a $600+ TV that is absolutely ridiculous. I thought I was buying quality by going with Samsung. I guess not. I'll update this review after I go through the process of contacting Samsung's warranty department. Hopefully they make it right.
Edit: Samsung sent someone out (third party repair) who replaced the back board it got it working again. However, a month out of their limited warranty window a black circle appeared on the screen. I will never buy another Samsung TV and you shouldn't either.",
"asin": "B07F26ZKYZ",
"parent_asin": "B07H2JV72Y"
},
{
"unique_id": 3941,
"review_text": "I bought 2, the 2012 model and the 2013 model, both for my daughters. The charging port port broke on both of them. Planned obsolescence at its worst. Read all of the other reviews here claiming the same.",
"asin": "B009X3UW2G",
"parent_asin": "B009X3UW2G"
},
{
"unique_id": 3942,
"review_text": "These are the best you\u2019ll get for your money, hands down. Great sound, solid bass, good mic built in, and have a great build. Why three stars? I\u2019ll tell you, it\u2019s because of the biggest flaw, the worst oversight, possibly the worst case of planned obsolescence you can ever imagine: The actual connector. Who in their right mind would EVER intentionally design them like that! Let me explain why this is such a bad oversight.
The bit where the cable meets the phone WILL bend. Constantly. When you put it in your pocket it\u2019ll constantly be bending at a sharp 90 degree angle. If you use it for a nifty gaming mic, it will always be bending at a sharp 90 degree angle. Even if you\u2019re just holding your phone in your hand, it\u2019ll bend 90 degrees downwards. After awhile of the constant bending the cord WILL fray. Not IF, not even if you take very good care of it, WHEN it WILL fray because they designed the end bit so poorly.
Logically you wouldn\u2019t have it be a 90 degree connector because logically the cord will always be bending back against the plug. Logically you\u2019d just have it come STRAIGHT out, like an Apple cord or any other cord, not with a BEND in it that will cause the cord to always be bent at an angle, slowly destroying it. Hell you can see the cord has a permanent curve to it now in my picture!
There\u2019s only two reason why they\u2019d make it this way. Either they\u2019re stupid, or they planned it so you eventually buy another. Me? The microphone just broke on my pair, only a matter of time before the entire thing fails. They lasted maybe 5 months at most.",
"asin": "B00JRD13T8",
"parent_asin": "B09HLGPB3D"
},
{
"unique_id": 3943,
"review_text": "In the late 60's I accessed remote computers using a Teletype Model ASR 33. It used paper tape (ticker tape) for storage or computer source code, and you could edit it by splicing in lengths of tape and adhesive patches which had all of the holes clear. Eventually teminals (or microcomputers) supported audio cassette tapes for data - even my very first IBM PC had a cassette port. I used the 5.25\" floppy disks which eventually supported 360KB each. Then 1.2MB on the PC/At, and ultimately 1.44MB on the diskettes with the metal shutter. All history now, if you have any of those you may have to work hard to find a drive to handle them. Windows 95 didn't 'officialy' support USB out of the box, it became available with Windows 98, the quick answer to some 'oops' stuff in Windows 98SE and subsequent Windows releases. My very first flash drive may very well have been by Lexar - I think it was a whopping 128MB. (Biggest 'diskette' I had was a box full of Iomega 100MB 'ZIP' disks. That Lexar is still around - somewhere. I called it 'Fat Albert' in that it was short and stubby, round - maybe 1.5\" in diameter and thus couldn't be used if the other USB ports were adjacent rather than stacked.
One of the things that make USB great is that it is extensible and downwards compatible. As of this writing we are at USB 3.1, but a USB 1.0 such as that old Lexar 'Jump Drive' from the 90's will still work with it. That can't be said for now essentially obsolete technologies such as the paper tape, cassettes, floppy drives of various sizes and capacities. Even optical media (CD, DVD) is disappearing fast. When did you last see an optical drive in a notebook or desktop? Can you put a CD or DVD in your pant's pocket?
So now I have a Lexar 128GB Junp Drive. I think I will nick-name this one 'Slim Jim'. 128GB. My first hard disk was in an expansion chassis, case same size as the IBM PC - it held a 20MB hard disk. Expansion chassis and drive cost something like $650 in 1984 dollars. (Thankfully the corporation paid for it.) I still have some of the C-language code I wrote back in the 80s. There is a good chance that some of it may have been on that 128MB flash drive. And it may gave made its way onto this 128GB drive. 1,000 times the capacity and about the same cost if you ignore about 35 years of change in the CPI. About the only thing I miss from those old days is the labels you culd write upon - and in a few words identify everything on the disk(ette). Now I probably will need a searchable database on the flashdrive to identify the contents and where in the hierarchy of filefolders where it is.
Alright, let's get to some specifics. Don't read anything in the sequence presented:
1) It \"plays nice with others\". It won't block access to other ports.
2) Fast - USB 3.1 - it could be limited by the speed of the other devices from which you are reading or writing.
3) Capacity - This is the largest I have (so far,) and it is almost 'too big' for my needs. But I don't have huge video files or a large music collection, etc. Consider your needs, not mine.
4) Ergonomics - the slider which moves the male USB connector out of the body is recessed and needs slight pressure to release it from locked in either exposed or retracted position. Thus it won't retract when you are inserting into a port. And none of those easily lost 'dust caps' to enclose the plug when not in use. The 'top surface' is flat, the bottom surface is slightly rounded so you know 'which side is up' by feel.
5) It has (optional) security/encryption software (LexarDataShield 1.0.39) is included. I don't use, so I won't comment upon it other than to mention its presence. I'm sure that you can find reviews on the web. As with all of these, if you forget your password there is no recovery mechanism such as \"I forgot my password\" link. You are out of luck and data. (Unless, perhaps, you are with the NSA - maybe.)
6) It has a very small (but sufficient) activity LED.
7) It has a hole on the butt end which allows for fastening to a lanyard or keyring.
It will probably last forever, or until the 'next advance in storage technology' takes place - which ever comes first.
For an interesting read on the subject of storage technology obsolescence, look for the JPL's \"Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project\" on Wikipedia.",
"asin": "B0BXRJ54H6",
"parent_asin": "B0C27N2BMP"
},
{
"unique_id": 3944,
"review_text": "these things r junk EXPENSIVE junk. they look cool, and these guys mastered the art of internet promotion...but when it comes to the actual item, the sound sensitivity is HORRIBLE, every time u move, the image FREEZES, but the real kicker is the battery, PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE. these guys married a dud battery to the unit, so essentially when it dies...u're toast...ur unit dies w/it! in their mercy and compassion, they offer u another unit after their brief warranty period is over for $80. not a bad way to make money. sell an inferior item, with a death-wish built-in, and when it dies, offer to replace it for a whoopin' profit!!!!!!!!!!!!![[ASIN:B0040702I4 Flip MinoHD Video Camera - Black, 8 GB, 2 Hours (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL]] CROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!",
"asin": "B0040702HA",
"parent_asin": "B00472NSX8"
},
{
"unique_id": 3945,
"review_text": "I got my ring in 2019, 3 years later the hardware failed & talking to tech support they tell me that the doorbells aren't expected to last more than 3 years. This made me upset, because who buys a doorbell expecting to replace it every 3 years? Especially when its a more expensive doorbell that was supposed to be better than a standard one. I got it because I'm physically disabled and have a flight of stairs between my apartment and the outer front door. I needed a camera to know if I needed to go down to the door or could just press the buzzer to let in people I know. now I need to buy a whole new doorbell every 3 years? the doorbell before this one lasted more than 4 decades (I know because I grew up in this building and moved back in my middle age). Planned obsolescence in tech is a standard that really bothers me, making tech to break is shady at best.
I have my ring doorbell hardwired in where the old doorbell was so it would trickle charge and should continually work, but according to the ring customer support the battery went from 40something percent to 4% and then a few days ago it just stopped working. they had me remove the ring and charge it directly, but after 6.5 hours on a fast charger it only gained 1%. The battery isn't holding a charge and the trickle charge isn't enough to keep it working. Now I have to decide if I need to buy a new ring for $100 every 3 years or do I find another solution that might last longer.",
"asin": "B00N2ZDXW2",
"parent_asin": "B00N2ZDXW2"
},
{
"unique_id": 3946,
"review_text": "Have had the TomTom XXL 540T since Thanksgiving. Basically, now realize I wasted $100 on a GPS which may or may not work. The first trial run from mid Long Island into Manhattan was total negative. During the entire one hour ride the GPS was looking for satellites and did not navigate one inch. The following day spent an hour on the internet to ascertain what the problem may be. Did reset with a minor annoyance when I inadvertently programmed another language into the system and had to guess how to get back to English. Next trial run to La Guradia Airport more successful- the GPS actually had satellite service and did work. But, when pre-programming destination had difficulty finding airport address to be directed to- went to Mapquest to find out what destination address for La Guardia is. Cannot yet review traffic feature as more concerned at this point seeing if the TomTom can actually navigate. In conclusion, a cheapo $4.50 map offers more bang for the buck! GPS systems as stand alone systems are destined for obsolescence. People with navigation features in their phones fare much better.",
"asin": "B003B3P2CE",
"parent_asin": "B003B3P2CE"
},
{
"unique_id": 3947,
"review_text": "Loved it until it suddenly stopped powering the camera ... Planned obsolescence?",
"asin": "B01G9MNH6Q",
"parent_asin": "B01G9MNH6Q"
},
{
"unique_id": 3948,
"review_text": "ALL THE REST OF THIS REVIEW MEANS NOTHING. THE CAMERA DIED WHILE PROPERLY STORED IN ITS CASE WITH THE BATTERIES REMOVED. IT NEVER WAS DROPPED. IT JUST PLAIN DIED. HAVING RECEIVED NO ABUSE WHATSOEVER, THE CAMERA'S DEMISE MEANS EITHER PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE OR CRUMMY CONSTRUCTION. EITHER WAY, I'LL NOT BUY ANOTHER CANON SINCE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE TO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS. I'VE DROPPED IT FROM 4 STARS FOR ITS SLUGGISHNESS TO 1 STAR FOR ITS POOR VALUE GIVEN ITS EXPECTED LIFE SPAN.
While I am delighted by the camera's picture quality, wealth of features, and logic, there are some caveats. But, although this is just a 3.3MP camera, I think the color quality and resolution will satsify all but the perfectionists.
The caveats are all really related to the pace of the focusing, especially when the zoom is used. Going from no zoom to a 10X zoom is to wait for a good two to three seconds for the focus to catch up. At first, the zoomed-in on object will be just a blur -- both to the viewfinder and to the picture itself if you opt to shoot before the focus catches up. And, in addition, there is -- zoom or no zoom -- about a second's delay between getting the frame in focus and getting the shot.
So, I've taken off a star for the camera's speed. My objection is not about one to three seconds but about the loss of several candid shots you might otherwise enjoy.
The other disadvantage is that the camera DOES go through regular batteries rather quickly. However, with rechargeable batteries, the battery life is several times greater tha with disposable batteries and quite good. (I took about 140 shots on vacation and spent a lot of time fiddling around with the camera in between shots without needing to swap out my rechargeable batteries.)
If your primary reason for wanting the camera is to shoot animals, sporting events, or small children, it's quite possible that you'll be less satisfied with this camera than I am.
On the other hand, there is more to love than the quality and color of the pictures you do catch. The features, which are many, are easy to use once you've read the manual to find which buttons do what. (This is NOT, as a few have written, a difficult camera to learn to use. You can and will be up and running with it in a short time. However, thanks to the wealth of features, the advanced features will take some additional time to learn. This seems reasonable enough to me. Excel is more difficult to use than a calculator and quite difficult to master in all its aspects. That's not because Excel (or this camera) is awkwardly designed. On the contrary, both are very well-designed. Excel is more difficult to MASTER (not use but master) than a calculator because it does so much more. So, of course, MASTERING all the features of this camera will take more time than MASTERING all the features of a disposable camera. Seems fair and logical enough to me.)
Some of the features I especially like:
- It is a cinch to disable the flash by simply cycling through the flash options afforded by the dial (i.e., \"diopter adjustment dial\") that is located, logically enough, right next to the flash. If you decide to shoot a picture off your TV or to shoot a lit Tiffany lamp at night or to capture just the candles on a birthday cake (and so on and so on), you'll love the ability to turn off the flash.
- The default settings for the camera seem very logical -- the highest setting for photo quality, the disabling of the digital zoom, the enabling of the red-eye protection, etc. So, if you can't wait to start shooting, you'll start off with high quality shots and with setting that you'd probably want most of the time. (Your digital zooming can and probably should be done via software after you've captured the highest quality image with the optical zoom. This will give you the option to decide later whether you really want to give up the quality of the image for a closer look. If you use the digital zoom when you shoot, you've given up the option to back off for higher quality. If you decide that you'd rather give up the quality for a closer shot than the 10X optical provided, you'll get the same result via the included editing software.)
- Macro photography requires no special setting. However, to avoid overexposed macro shots indoors, you may elect to use the zoom rather than to get right on top of your subject.
- The included software provides the option to see what apertures and shutter speeds were used for each shot and whether or not the digital zoom was used. (It doesn't directly tell you whether the optical zoom was used.)
- For those not adverse to reading, the Canon documentation is extensive.
Final tip:
Discover early the diopter ajustment dial next to the immediate left of the viewfinder. This is a focus for the viewfinder. The focus on the viewfinder was not clear until I discovered this little dial. Once adjusted, it has tended to stay adjusted.<P(...)
If the MAIN attraction of this camera is the stabilized 10X optical zoom, you might be surprised to find that it becomes the least desireable feature thanks to its slow focus. However, as one who has owned a Nikon and a Fuji in the past, I soon found that the Canon jumped to the head of the list for its picture and color quality -- as well as for its excellent additional features.
And, oh yes, the camera is loads of fun. You can spend hours exploring its features and in discovering the advantages of its various modes. In just two days, the camera has me taking shots I've never been able to take before. I haven't mastered the camera, but I've acquainted myself with a host of new (i.e., to me) features already. More important, most of my pictures are coming out great. I can still come up with some duds, but that's not the camera's fault!
SUMMARY: The camera is too slow to focus to rely upon for action shots, but -- WOW! -- it's a joy for most purposes.",
"asin": "B0001G6U52",
"parent_asin": "B0001G6U52"
},
{
"unique_id": 3949,
"review_text": "I failed to rate or review the two Fire 7 Tablets we purchased in a timely manner but please allow me to provide a review now after considerable time has passed. My two children, young adults actually, were unfortunate enough to have a hard time in keeping tablets operational for more than a few months; Until they obtained these back in September of 2018.
After daily use, for at least a few hours a day, my daughter's machine is still fully operational with no faults. My son used his less than she did but his too works perfectly fine to this very day. It is now April of 2021, these devices have experienced the burden of the COVID lock downs and remain in good working order.
I understand the marketing and necessity of planned obsolescence but I'd rather markets follow this standard of retaining functionality; Even if the device is no longer capable of keeping up with high end new models.",
"asin": "B01GEW27DA",
"parent_asin": "B07P374FF3"
},
{
"unique_id": 3950,
"review_text": "To other reviewers that said this is identical to the original. It is not. At least not my original. There is definitely a reduction in cable grade (thickness). I started out with a pair of E4C's which failed 3x within the warranty period. The last earphone replacement was the 425s with the detachable cable and formable over-ear wire. I can't tell you how long it took to arrive at a "system" for easily slipping these earphones on and off, but I must say when the cable failed last time, it failed at the plug, not at the ear stress points and it failed beyond the 2 year warranty (2 years, 8 mos.) Congrats Shure. You finally mastered planned obsolescence.
I know enough about plastics engineering to know it isn't strictly thickness that determines durability. I do like the greater flexibility of the replacement cable. It feels "more natural" in hand and is easier to untangle. I also know that any cable that is subjected to routine stress is going to routinely fail at some point. So, I got the new one yesterday. The clock starts. I'll come back in two years and eight months or at first sign of failure to let you know if this replacement is equal to, less than or superior to the part it replaced.
Side note: While I was waiting for my cable replacement, I did my nightly walks with a pair of cheapie open-air Sennheisers. While I liked the greater awareness of my urban environment that the open cans give you, I really missed the clarity and depth of my 425s. So when I go out with the Shures, it's with the volume low and pretending that I'm hearing impaired. Because you are hearing impaired with a pair of noise-suppressing buds that knock at least 50% of the ambient volume out of your awareness. Stay frosty and always groove safely.",
"asin": "B0046HADYG",
"parent_asin": "B0BNFKBQ1M"
},
{
"unique_id": 3951,
"review_text": "Worked good for 6 months but then bit the dust. Planned obsolescence or faulty product? The player should last longer than 6 months.",
"asin": "B004OF9XGO",
"parent_asin": "B004OF9XGO"
},
{
"unique_id": 3952,
"review_text": "I bought this a few months ago and it worked well at first but then it just quit working. The feed was patchy and caused my monitor to flash and blink practically inducing seizures. At first I thought it was the monitor, because this adapter was so new, but I had the monitor looked at and it turns out...it was the adapter all along. Yikes what a waste of time and money...Can I get my 30 bucks back Moshi? Stop making electronics that don't work! I understand planned obsolescence but really???",
"asin": "B003XCVQ3C",
"parent_asin": "B003XCVQ3C"
},
{
"unique_id": 3953,
"review_text": "Has everything. Buy this to use at work. You can lose your job for using the company computer for browsing and shopping Amazon on line, viewing Super Bowl Pools and following Basketball during March Madness. HR calls it "Time Theft". Now, to keep the Lithium battery from aging to fast avoid elevated temperatures, shocks. Aging decreases the performance over time. In other words lithium battery manufacturers take a conservative approach and specify the life of Li-ion in most consumer products between 300 and 500 discharge/charge cycles (That's the number of re-charges). So if you recharge it every day for a year that 365 cycles. So the advice is plug it in, take the battery out and use the battery only when traveling without a plug. Environmental conditions, and not cycling alone, govern the longevity of lithium-ion batteries. The worst situation is keeping a fully charged battery at elevated temperatures. Battery packs do not die suddenly but the runtime gradually shortens as the capacity fades. Remember "planned obsolescence". Very important, modern laptops run cooler than older models and reported fires are fewer. When running electric devices with air-cooling in bed or on a pillow, keep the airflow unobstructed. A cool laptop also extends battery life. Energy Cells, which most consumer products have, should be charged at 1C or less. Avoid so-called ultra-fast chargers that claim to fully charge Li-ion in less than one hour.",
"asin": "B01B0DKPG4",
"parent_asin": "B01B0DKPG4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3954,
"review_text": "This case is very good--better than a previous one for an earlier iPad. It works nicely and provides good protection for the iPad when closed. You should know that the small print that comes with it says that the battery will die after about 3 yrs. and it cannot be replaced. Planned obsolescence.",
"asin": "B071P135XZ",
"parent_asin": "B071P135XZ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3955,
"review_text": "I don't know if paying more insures higher quality with this device or not, but the reviews were good for this one, and I didn't want to chance taking a low quality wireless out on assignment. I'm using it on a Nikon D200 and this RFN-4s wireless remote does indeed function quite well. Before this, I was using a cable release made by Digital Concepts which after a few months use, the slide-lock to hold the button down kept slipping over the button causing a series of shots I hadn't planned on. I finally had to tape it back out of the way. This wireless, however, has a much better design and is not likely to cause such a problem. I like its compactness, though I do wish the antenna could have been engineered to NOT protrude above the camera body. Because attaching the screw mount of the receiver to the camera body is kind of difficult, I'm leaving it attached all the time. But, I had to make alterations in my camera bag's design to accommodate this feature. The only other negative comment I'll make (why I didn't give it 5 stars) has to do with the fact that it's almost entirely made of rather cheap (therefore very breakable) plastic. Why couldn't they have used more metal alloys, or at least a higher grade of plastics? I'm from the old Nikon F school of photography, when only the best, most hearty materials were employed in manufacturing quality photo equipment; tough products built to last more than a lifetime. I don't like living in a world of planned obsolescence...make things that won't last, so we'll keep buying more. Well, at least this wireless works very well for now, and I'm happy to get away from the cable release that's been so cumbersome for so long. Wireless DOES make a difference in picture quality.",
"asin": "B005PCDSBQ",
"parent_asin": "B005PCDSBQ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3956,
"review_text": "Where do I start. This product is a discontinued model. It doesn't tell you that anywhere. I'm using a Dell Vostro 1510. Windows XP (Any newer OS has 0 support with this item. I read this and heard it direct from a Creative Labs technician.) I'm also using this with a set of Wireless Sennheiser RS120's. (I assure you anything you are about to read is not a reception issue as I can tell the difference and am only feet from the receiver.)
This is my experience before during and after my purchase. I have on-board sound and while it was fine for some time and definitely at least worked for videos and movies etc, it left a lot to be desired. Here is an explanation of my default sound setup in the 1510:
\"Audio:
The speaker quality was on par with notebooks of this size and price range. The stereo speakers on the 1510 are located on either side of the keyboard and produces relatively shallow sound with limited range and no bass. You can get the volume loud without much distortion, but the audio coming out of these tiny speakers is less than impressive.
This is unfortunate because many 12\" and smaller notebooks (such as the HP tx2000z or HP 2133 Mini-Note) have stereo speakers that produce high quality sound with excellent range of highs, middles, and lows. The Vostro 1510 is a budget business notebook, but I'm certain that Dell can do better than this.
On the bright side, both speakers are positioned perfectly for directing sound up and towards the user. Also, the headphone out port delivered crystal clear audio to my headphones during the test period.\"
Now as with all laptops, if you haven't ordered a high quality sound and graphic card pre-installed you are stuck with it for the life of the laptop. There just aren't any satisfactory solutions out there to compete with a quality PCI card or pre-installed card. PCMCIA cards, ExpressCard's, and USB all suffer from the same bottle neck transfer issue and are just not suited to properly power music. I was playing both .mp3 and .flac and it's just garbage all around. I really wanted this to work but it didn't and I am too honest to fool myself into thinking it made a satisfactory difference. I feel like I wasted my money and needless to say I will be returning it 1 day after ownership. I only wish to save everyone else the experience of being disappointed as well. This will not solve your problem despite what the inaccurate or over enthusiastic reviews tell you. Most are just \"Views\" not Re-Views.
To sum it up, I plugged the card in, Windows detected it, installed automatically after a medium size download of around 50mb maybe. Plugged my headset in and still no difference over stock. Used CD and installed everything on it then rebooted. Still crap. Updated all software in another huge download using their auto-update which also updated the drivers. Rebooted. Minor improvement, still insignificant and highly lacking in performance. It's as if it just made the garbage sound I already had \"smell\" better. Some songs I can turn up higher but others I have to turn back down. There is even a noticeable buzzing sound now that you hear when a speaker goes bad that sounds like it is loose or broken. The bass is horrific in that it is lacking in impact totally and also just sounds bad. EQ and EFX* Bass Boost and 3D Surround Features? Forget about it. Useless when it just sounds bad to begin with.
*There is a hissing that you hear when a track goes silent and is sometimes noticeable when the track is playing that I was hoping this would cure. I did experience it on my on board sound and a CD Player too so I don't blame it for that, it could be the headphones there. I do know they work because at least on the CD Player I could turn up the volume all the way and hear it clearly despite lacking in bass as well.
Pros:
-Fit into my expresscard slot with a little room to spare.. I guess this could be a con since it isn't flush but i'm just glad it fit right.
-Installation while time consuming and required large file downloads (100-150mb) was flawless. I ended up uninstalling the wave software and Mediasource package as it seemed worthless enough.
-Item came neatly packed and with seemingly all new products and packaging all factory sealed. (Ordered the refurbished one since I knew this item wasn't even worth $30 after reading the reviews and talking to tech support before I got it.)
Cons:
-Audio improvement was marginal if not worse.
-
-Complimentary Earphones that came with item has a label that reads the following:
\"California Proposition 65 Statement - WARNING: Handling this product may expose you to chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.\"
Now that's just ****'*** nuts. As a reviewer at the egg site put it, how about a non-mutagenic product please?
The earphones do look cool, but I refuse to even touch them to find out and I was busy looking at them through the clear packaging. I mean you'd think when a company knows they are using dangerous materials/chemicals they would recall it completely. Not Creative Labs! They conveniently make use of the resources to save every penny with no regard for their customers whatsoever.
As another reviewer said here, Creative is just an all around lousy company. I used to enjoy their PCI sound cards a few years ago and didn't have many gripes about it but really this company isn't just bad, they have gotten worse with time over the years. The only thing they are \"Creative\" about is their ability to create an endless array of problematic or sub-par products with built in planned obsolescence. I mean even the techs admitted that this product was better than the newer black one. They purposely make the items worse and then better to give you a reason to come back. This is a horrible business philosophy and permanently turns people off to your products. The tech also revealed that all Creative product are discontinued every 3 years. Support for their products is hell. Just try calling them. Right now go try to call them. I bet you can't. Everything tries to direct you back to email. Using a new Contact directory website I found using the popular G search engine I was able to find a working number in the comments there after failing to get through their Extremely irritating broken prompts in the 2 main numbers listed.
I wrote this review out of an unbiased honest experience. I have no interest in wasting my time writing this just to \"flame\". I have better things to do really and I hope if enough people speak up about this company they might get their act together. By the way you only get a 90 Day limited warranty. It's not a year. Why? Because they simply don't stand behind their products and for good reason. It is cheap, ineffective, junk. I have owned speaker systems from them and they worked acceptably. So if anything at least heed my advice for all these external sound cards. The technology just isn't there yet.
And next time? Make sure you spring for the best graphic and sound card you can afford on your next laptop. I know I will. I am better off going with a wired USB Headset, at least the Logitech USB set I had last sounded great before they broke. This implies USB must be better than these PCMCIA or ExpressCard options. I wish it weren't the case because I like using the side slot because plugging it in the front jacks jab me when it's on my lap, and having it cleanly installed in the laptop is nice too. Oh well.
-Cheers.
*Product Update:
-2 New issues have arisen. 1st, the item gets extremely hot when not in an air conditioned room with a cooler beneath it. This is an obvious detriment to the laptop since heat is its worst enemy. Second, the microphone jack is useless and does not work. It detects the sound of my voice but plays back muffled. It also disabled the main microphone jack from working despite changing the sound configurations in Windows and simultaneously setting the card to \"Play through Windows speakers\". This is a major downfall but COULD be a random issue with this one I got being defective. I am fairly sure it is not because the item \"works\" in every other way and seems new enough but I am being generous to assume it's possible the microphone jack could have been the previously defective issue before it was \"refurbished\" or in this case, just repackaged nicely. I have already requested my Return Merchandise Authorization. I am still shopping for a satisfying alternative so if anyone can suggest a real solution for my setup I would love to hear it.",
"asin": "B000QRV3NU",
"parent_asin": "B000QRV3NU"
},
{
"unique_id": 3957,
"review_text": "Where do I start. This product is a discontinued model. It doesn't tell you that anywhere. I'm using a Dell Vostro 1510. Windows XP (Any newer OS has 0 support with this item. I read this and heard it direct from a Creative Labs technician.) I'm also using this with a set of Wireless Sennheiser RS120's. (I assure you anything you are about to read is not a reception issue as I can tell the difference and am only feet from the receiver.)
This is my experience before during and after my purchase. I have on-board sound and while it was fine for some time and definitely at least worked for videos and movies etc, it left a lot to be desired. Here is an explanation of my default sound setup in the 1510:
\"Audio:
The speaker quality was on par with notebooks of this size and price range. The stereo speakers on the 1510 are located on either side of the keyboard and produces relatively shallow sound with limited range and no bass. You can get the volume loud without much distortion, but the audio coming out of these tiny speakers is less than impressive.
This is unfortunate because many 12\" and smaller notebooks (such as the HP tx2000z or HP 2133 Mini-Note) have stereo speakers that produce high quality sound with excellent range of highs, middles, and lows. The Vostro 1510 is a budget business notebook, but I'm certain that Dell can do better than this.
On the bright side, both speakers are positioned perfectly for directing sound up and towards the user. Also, the headphone out port delivered crystal clear audio to my headphones during the test period.\"
Now as with all laptops, if you haven't ordered a high quality sound and graphic card pre-installed you are stuck with it for the life of the laptop. There just aren't any satisfactory solutions out there to compete with a quality PCI card or pre-installed card. PCMCIA cards, ExpressCard's, and USB all suffer from the same bottle neck transfer issue and are just not suited to properly power music. I was playing both .mp3 and .flac and it's just garbage all around. I really wanted this to work but it didn't and I am too honest to fool myself into thinking it made a satisfactory difference. I feel like I wasted my money and needless to say I will be returning it 1 day after ownership. I only wish to save everyone else the experience of being disappointed as well. This will not solve your problem despite what the inaccurate or over enthusiastic reviews tell you. Most are just \"Views\" not Re-Views.
To sum it up, I plugged the card in, Windows detected it, installed automatically after a medium size download of around 50mb maybe. Plugged my headset in and still no difference over stock. Used CD and installed everything on it then rebooted. Still crap. Updated all software in another huge download using their auto-update which also updated the drivers. Rebooted. Minor improvement, still insignificant and highly lacking in performance. It's as if it just made the garbage sound I already had \"smell\" better. Some songs I can turn up higher but others I have to turn back down. There is even a noticeable buzzing sound now that you hear when a speaker goes bad that sounds like it is loose or broken. The bass is horrific in that it is lacking in impact totally and also just sounds bad. EQ and EFX* Bass Boost and 3D Surround Features? Forget about it. Useless when it just sounds bad to begin with.
*There is a hissing that you hear when a track goes silent and is sometimes noticeable when the track is playing that I was hoping this would cure. I did experience it on my on board sound and a CD Player too so I don't blame it for that, it could be the headphones there. I do know they work because at least on the CD Player I could turn up the volume all the way and hear it clearly despite lacking in bass as well.
Pros:
-Fit into my expresscard slot with a little room to spare.. I guess this could be a con since it isn't flush but i'm just glad it fit right.
-Installation while time consuming and required large file downloads (100-150mb) was flawless. I ended up uninstalling the wave software and Mediasource package as it seemed worthless enough.
-Item came neatly packed and with seemingly all new products and packaging all factory sealed. (Ordered the refurbished one since I knew this item wasn't even worth $30 after reading the reviews and talking to tech support before I got it.)
Cons:
-Audio improvement was marginal if not worse.
-
-Complimentary Earphones that came with item has a label that reads the following:
\"California Proposition 65 Statement - WARNING: Handling this product may expose you to chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.\"
Now that's just ****'*** nuts. As a reviewer at the egg site put it, how about a non-mutagenic product please?
The earphones do look cool, but I refuse to even touch them to find out and I was busy looking at them through the clear packaging. I mean you'd think when a company knows they are using dangerous materials/chemicals they would recall it completely. Not Creative Labs! They conveniently make use of the resources to save every penny with no regard for their customers whatsoever.
As another reviewer said here, Creative is just an all around lousy company. I used to enjoy their PCI sound cards a few years ago and didn't have many gripes about it but really this company isn't just bad, they have gotten worse with time over the years. The only thing they are \"Creative\" about is their ability to create an endless array of problematic or sub-par products with built in planned obsolescence. I mean even the techs admitted that this product was better than the newer black one. They purposely make the items worse and then better to give you a reason to come back. This is a horrible business philosophy and permanently turns people off to your products. The tech also revealed that all Creative product are discontinued every 3 years. Support for their products is hell. Just try calling them. Right now go try to call them. I bet you can't. Everything tries to direct you back to email. Using a new Contact directory website I found using the popular G search engine I was able to find a working number in the comments there after failing to get through their Extremely irritating broken prompts in the 2 main numbers listed.
I wrote this review out of an unbiased honest experience. I have no interest in wasting my time writing this just to \"flame\". I have better things to do really and I hope if enough people speak up about this company they might get their act together. By the way you only get a 90 Day limited warranty. It's not a year. Why? Because they simply don't stand behind their products and for good reason. It is cheap, ineffective, junk. I have owned speaker systems from them and they worked acceptably. So if anything at least heed my advice for all these external sound cards. The technology just isn't there yet.
And next time? Make sure you spring for the best graphic and sound card you can afford on your next laptop. I know I will. I am better off going with a wired USB Headset, at least the Logitech USB set I had last sounded great before they broke. This implies USB must be better than these PCMCIA or ExpressCard options. I wish it weren't the case because I like using the side slot because plugging it in the front jacks jab me when it's on my lap, and having it cleanly installed in the laptop is nice too. Oh well.
-Cheers.
*Product Update:
-2 New issues have arisen. 1st, the item gets extremely hot when not in an air conditioned room with a cooler beneath it. This is an obvious detriment to the laptop since heat is its worst enemy. Second, the microphone jack is useless and does not work. It detects the sound of my voice but plays back muffled. It also disabled the main microphone jack from working despite changing the sound configurations in Windows and simultaneously setting the card to \"Play through Windows speakers\". This is a major downfall but COULD be a random issue with this one I got being defective. I am fairly sure it is not because the item \"works\" in every other way and seems new enough but I am being generous to assume it's possible the microphone jack could have been the previously defective issue before it was \"refurbished\" or in this case, just repackaged nicely. I have already requested my Return Merchandise Authorization. I am still shopping for a satisfying alternative so if anyone can suggest a real solution for my setup I would love to hear it.",
"asin": "B002ZAYHD4",
"parent_asin": "B002ZAYHD4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3958,
"review_text": "enjoyed the kindle reader till it DIED two years from the day I received it. built in obsolescence?
and I now have many books in the Kindle so I am trapped into paying for another. nice system!
do I sound angry? good guess.",
"asin": "B004HZYA6E",
"parent_asin": "B004HZYA6E"
},
{
"unique_id": 3959,
"review_text": "This recorder is just fine for what I needed it for....recording in obsolescence. However, the sound is definitely inferior and, worst of all, I failed to notice that there is no counter before ordering. Very inconvenient to find a specific spot on a tape. Almost not worth it.",
"asin": "B00UY8QEGW",
"parent_asin": "B0742G22Q5"
},
{
"unique_id": 3960,
"review_text": "I bought this last year in September. Just like most WD recent HDDs, it lasted just over a year and now it doesn't load any files or appear in the file explorer. I can hear the drive spinning and there is power going to it but it shows up as a drive but (1) it doesn't show the capacity of the drive and (2) it won't open to view existing files. I am not sure if this is planned obsolescence or just poor quality but I am done buying WD HDDs.",
"asin": "B0713WPGLL",
"parent_asin": "B09ZQ4GHM8"
},
{
"unique_id": 3961,
"review_text": "I owned a set of Powerbeats prior to trying these new earphones - they fell apart on me just one year after purchase. I've been using my new BackBeat earphones for a few weeks now and so far here's the verdict:
Audio Quality - Powerbeats sounded better. They had their own volume control that worked independently of my phone - I could increase the volume on my phone to be at its loudest and still be able to raise the volume on my Powerbeats earphones separately. With BackBeat I can't do that - raising the volume on the earphones also raises the volume on my phone if that makes sense. Also the sound quality is a little off compared to Powerbeats - everything sounds slightly muffled even after using my phone's equalizer.
Durability - the jury is still out on this one. Powerbeats fails because if its poor durability, especially considering the cost. Planned obsolescence is a real thing. If you take care of something and make sure you never damage it, you'd expect it to last longer than a year right? I haven't owned my BackBeats long enough, but I can share that it at least warns you what your remaining battery life is (unlike Powerbeats, which would just stop working when the battery ran out... even after it was just charged). The curious thing about BackBeat is that the battery life mysteriously diminishes. For example, at the beginning of my workout I've got 6 hours left. I exercise for 40 minutes. At the end of my workout somehow I only have 4 hours left...? So I turn them off and don't use them until the following day when suddenly I only have 3 hours. It doesn't add up, and so far it doesn't look promising.
Comfort - they're about the same. The earpieces for both sit somewhat comfortably in my ears. Powerbeats' earphones came with extra buds. BackBeats' earphones do not, but the ear pieces are adjustable.
When it comes to wireless earphones I am at a loss. The options are limited to whatever expensive, mediocre product is available. Right now all these brands are starting to look the same. My criteria is straightforward - I need comfortable, sweat-resistant earphones that deliver an excellent audio quality and last a long time. Guess it's too much to ask.",
"asin": "B01JKJN71A",
"parent_asin": "B01JKJN71A"
},
{
"unique_id": 3962,
"review_text": "Enjoyed the kindle while it worked. One month after my warranty ended the battery died and is unable to charge. I tried changing cables, different chargers, and plugging into my computer. Nothing. A little too suspicious for me with planned obsolescence being a thing.",
"asin": "B07CXG6C9W",
"parent_asin": "B07J2FGZSM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3963,
"review_text": "I bought this tablet to replace one of the same vintage that succumbed to built in obsolescence. It's the perfect size at the perfect price.",
"asin": "B018URWWLE",
"parent_asin": "B018URWWLE"
},
{
"unique_id": 3964,
"review_text": "I love the unit but after 2 years we have a problem charging it. I know we are a year out of warranty, but come on. Two years into using this we have a problem. Amozon sent me a new charger saying it fits better so there must be others out there with the same issue. They offered to sell me a certified used one. Why would I want to pay for another unit. This is planned obsolescence at it's worst.",
"asin": "B0083Q04IQ",
"parent_asin": "B0083Q04IQ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3965,
"review_text": "Garmin 810's are approaching obsolescence. I've had 3 of them. First one died when it fell off the handlebars in a crash. Second one, the button on the side wore out (my fault). So this one is number 3.
I like the touchscreen aspect of it (versus the 510-520 series). The navigation and map features are really hard to use, and therefore useless for me.
I did have a problem for a long time with rides not uploading to Garmin Connect. After clearing out all rides and saved routes, it started to work again. Also you have to opt in to all the garmin connect features and keep your phone on full battery mode. Make sure Garmin connect runs in the background on your cell phone so when you press SAVE, it uploads. Wont work without Wifi and Bluetooth enabled on your cell phone. --- none of that last part has to do with the 810 model, its just Garmin Connect.... Check the garmin forums, and DCRainmaker for more info.",
"asin": "B00APBMNQ8",
"parent_asin": "B00APBMNQ8"
},
{
"unique_id": 3966,
"review_text": "Headphones were fine and comfortable, but the battery died on me about a year after purchasing them and there doesn't seem to be a way to replace the battery, which seems like planned obsolescence to me. I'm not buying another pair of headphones from a company that expects me to buy a new pair after a year.",
"asin": "B00WGM39QM",
"parent_asin": "B00WGM39QM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3967,
"review_text": "This WAS a decent keyboard but the most used keys such as \"S\" and \"A\" stopped working after about 9 months. It's not acceptable for a keyboard costing over $100 to break down under light use in less than a year. We don't need more disposable garbage and planned obsolescence. No.",
"asin": "B001FB55GC",
"parent_asin": "B001FB55GC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3968,
"review_text": "Newer televisions and laptops won't require the use of one of these, but there are still quite a few glass tube and analog TVs as well as older laptops that do not have native HDMI capability. My use was for connecting a laptop which only had VGA out ports to an older 27' glass tube set which only had RCA and co-axial inputs. The VGA, USB, and audio cables connect quite well to the laptop and the RCA cable side which attaches to the TV was plug and play. The only adjustment I had to make using the input controls was screen size adjustment, and in my case that was just 2 button clicks. After 1 1/2 years of semi continuous use it has had zero issues, and puts up with being hastily wrapped up and thrown in a wooden drawer occasionally quite well so I would say it is quite rugged. Also, the asking price was not unreasonable. I've seen some sellers asking ridiculous prices for adapters like these which are primarily intended to be used on TVs or similar devices which are nearing obsolescence.",
"asin": "B003BVVYSM",
"parent_asin": "B003BVVYSM"
},
{
"unique_id": 3969,
"review_text": "I've had a Seagate FreeAgent Pro 500GB drive that has worked satisfactorily since day one, and thus anticipated no problems with this drive. However, the 750GB drive appears to be a different item. Almost from the beginning this drive failed to be consistently recognized using either the SATA or USB connectors. As others have noted, regardless of how soon after you purchase this drive you experience problems, Seagate will only exchange it for a reconditioned unit. That is, you cannot even get the unit you bought repaired by Seagate and sent back to you.
If you need to return this product due to defects during its warranty period you pay return shipping and, as noted above, the replacement will be reconditioned and not new. Combine these observations with the fact that drive prices drop and drive technology improves significantly from year to year. Thus, the extended warranty while a nice feature is not quite as attractive as it might first appear.
Other user comments as well as my experience suggest that the failure of this drive to be consistently recognized when connected is not uncommon. Other drives installed in external enclosures, on the same system, have never shown this problem. My experience combined with the experiences reported by other users, may indicate a systemic problem in the design of this device's external interface. Some users appear to be lucky enough to never encounter this problem; however, others such as myself are not so fortunate.
It was also a surprise to learn that Seagate has decided *not*, at least as of this review, to support Vista 64-bit with their software for this product, so its not possible to use any of the important features otherwise available. Even simple tasks, such as controlling the large light associated with this drive, cannot be handled with the incompatible Seagate software. Seagate apparently has no plans to update this product's software for compatibility with this newer operating system. Thus, a FreeAgent Pro drive is probably not the best choice if you update your systems on a reasonable schedule. Even if you don't own or plan to purchase Vista 64-bit, Seagate's failure to support this software may foretell their approach to support Seagate FreeAgent Pro hardware when even newer operating systems are released. With a greater concern for purchasers, this type of unnecessary obsolescence could easily be delayed.
The underside of the drive base gets surprisingly hot, and with no internal fan, drive life might potentially be shortened from this heat.
The enclosure does not have an external on/off switch. To turn the drive off you move a finger over a covered \"sensor\". The sensor is supposed to detect your finger and switch the unit on or off as appropriate. Detection by the sensor has proven to be an intermittent feature, usually requiring many attempts to get the system to recognize your on/off input. Its not clear if this was done to improve styling, add a unique feature, or simply save money; whatever the reason, the design does not work as desired.
Seagate products are usually quite well designed. So, its probably particularly telling that at the time this was posted 8 out of 12 reviews, on Amazon's main page for the Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750 GB, rated it 1 star.
Sadly, my experience with this product suggests its not up to the usual Seagate quality and is probably best avoided ... particularly, when there is a much wider range of drives available separately that can be added to an external enclosure with fan. If you choose this approach, you can select a drive with the specific characteristics you want, e.g., speed, power consumption, noise, size, MTBF, raid ready features, etc. rather than the restricted set available in the FreeAgent series, and most likely have a more reliable product.",
"asin": "B000ND93DO",
"parent_asin": "B000ND93DO"
},
{
"unique_id": 3970,
"review_text": "I have two of these Iogear 320 GB external hard drives. Both are in perfect working order. One is almost a year old - that is the breaking point for some other drives I have used. So we will see if the Iogear drives continue to work year after year. I have my most important data burned onto DVDs so I am not too worried. Best to play it safe. Anyway, the Iogears are very good and they have the most GBs for the money. I recommend to all.
Update 11/15/09 - the Iogear hard drives that I bought in 2005 still work perfectly. They are the only ones that still work after such a long time. However, of course they no longer make them! I wish they would make some 2 TB external hard drives that would last as long as their 320 GB drives. It figures - if they forget to build in planned obsolescence then they stop making them! Frustrating!",
"asin": "B00083Y4M4",
"parent_asin": "B00083Y4M4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3971,
"review_text": "I bought this silly piece of junk for ONE reason: to watch videos and whatnot while I do cardio on my elliptical at home. Guess what happens after a year or so of ownership and a few updates later? The screen won't rotate after one YouTube video. After the first one, I have to restart this paperweight in order to get the landscape orientation, which is how my mount in my elliptical works. Guess what else happens ALL THE F'ING TIME? Open YouTube, start watching video, app closes. Open Netflix, start watching a movie, app closes. Open Prime Video, start watching a series, app closes. Does this a LOT. It's not easy to use the non-responsive touch screen while trying to do cardio with your arms and legs.
Dear Sumsung. I don't have a lot of money. The only reason you and I have ANY relationship is because I spent said money on your product. How about making one that actually WORKS. And how about providing some sort of SUPPORT?????
I'm tired of products not working, especially when they worked great when I purchased it and after an \"update\" said product becomes a USELESS PILE OF RAGE-DIRECTED HATRED. Where are all the blood-sucking attorneys? How about some class action lawsuits that prohibit updates from making products not work right? That's OUR MONEY!!!!!!!!!! We're almost lost in life anymore without electronic devices thanks to planned obsolescence and multi-million dollar manipulative advertising and marketing, and when they CONSTANTLY don't work...well, it's all the little things in life that all add up to unhappiness and discontent.
I tell you what. You're lucky you don't have a local store I can walk into because I would NOT go there peacefully. I'm sure you've planned it this way.
It's time for us consumers to get F'ING ANGRY AND DO SOMETHING. My citizenship in this country shouldn't be summed up into how much money I can spend as a consumer. Money is hard to come by and hard to part with, you jerks.
Die in a fire, Samsung. Die in a horrible, corporate fire. A holes!!!!",
"asin": "B07XJZ7VQD",
"parent_asin": "B07XJZ7VQD"
},
{
"unique_id": 3972,
"review_text": "100% the best tablet I've ever used. Big, smooth, and convenient with the buttons and everything. It's worth the investment.
UPDATE: Yeah, it's beautiful and convenient but uh, if I could go back 2 years and warn myself, I'd say not to bother. Your wire WILL stop working after a couple of months and you'll end up buying wireless kit after wireless kit, external charger after external charger, as each one ceases to function and you ultimately end up with a $300+ paperweight. Save your money, Wacom charges far too much for the frankly sub-par quality of its modern work, and you're also signing up for years of planned obsolescence forcing you to buy a new model. Wacom has become the Apple of art tablets with cash-tinted goggles and little concern for the artists-for-hire trying their best to make ends meet with their work.",
"asin": "B00EN27SHY",
"parent_asin": "B00EN27SHY"
},
{
"unique_id": 3973,
"review_text": "This item worked very well for 14 months then stopped completely. Great sound while it lasted. Seems like planned obsolescence to me. Will not buy again.",
"asin": "B00SMBFZNG",
"parent_asin": "B00SMBFZNG"
},
{
"unique_id": 3974,
"review_text": "I was really debating giving this two stars but I\u2019ve settled on three because it simply works albeit some caveats depending on your vehicle. With that said, let me explain why this kit could use some improvement:
- Non-replaceable, unidentifiable amperage, full height fuse. This inevitably means that you\u2019ll have to ditch the entire wiring harness itself to buy another when the fuse goes bad or as I did with my install, lop the red wire off and solder it in to an \u201cadd a fuse kit\u201d. I absolutely would not trust a crimp on a joint like this since butt connectors don\u2019t typically accommodate a wire this thin and I have an inherent distrust of wires that aren\u2019t physically connected. I don\u2019t know if the lack of a replaceable fuse is a planned obsolescence measure, a decision to cut cost in the kit, or both but this is the most egregious issue here.
- Speaking of the wire, these are incredibly thin and short. By my estimate, the ground and hot wire are 24 gauge in thickness and didn\u2019t fit a standard pair of wire strippers (smallest size it can strip is 20 gauge). This makes stripping insulation from each wire a sketchy endeavor at best. I put forth great effort and care to heat shrink my soldered joints and route them in a way to where they will not have stress placed on them, but I\u2019m very skeptical of the longevity of the wire. In the topic of the length, there was no way I could fit this into my Tacoma without modification. The closest ground point was simply too far from my fuse box.
- Back on the topic of fuses, this kit uses full height fuses. The 2013 Kia Optima and 2017 Toyota Tacoma I installed this in both use micro fuses. If you have a newer, non-domestic car, my best bet would be that you likewise have micro fuses in your vehicle. In my wife\u2019s Optima, this would be a non issue because of the fuse box design but in my Tacoma, there\u2019s no way the stock cover is fitting back on.
With all of this said and doing further research on these kits, it appears all of them are made this way which is disappointing. I\u2019d happily pay $3-$5 more for a kit with the following improvements:
- add a replaceable fuse for the hot connection and give buyers the choice between standard fuses and micro by having two different models harnesses available
- I know thin wire is very cheap but thicker wire, at least 18-20 gauge in thickness would go a long way here in sturdiness. It would also help to make more of the exposed wire a tiny bit longer at about 6 inches in length for the hot and ground respectively.
If you\u2019re a buyer and you\u2019ve made it this far, I commend you but please bear with me one moment longer. If after reading all of this, you still plan to buy this kit, I highly recommend you take these steps:
1) If you don\u2019t own a soldering iron and don\u2019t want to learn, don\u2019t even bother with this project/kit. Have it done by a professional who can deal with the headache for you.
2) Go to the local auto parts store and buy an add a fuse kit for whichever is compatible with your vehicle.
3) Dont think you need to buy a fuse puller from the auto parts store. Chances are very high that your vehicle has one under the hood in the fuse box.
I hope this helps someone. I would have taken pictures to document the process and further illustrate my complaints but in my overwhelming frustration I no longer cared to do so.",
"asin": "B06XQ16C31",
"parent_asin": "B09SKKXR3G"
},
{
"unique_id": 3975,
"review_text": "I read the reviews of this device before purchasing, so my expectations were mediocre. I was neither impressed nor disappointed. I own several Echo Dots and was considering buying the newest Dot model with clock display for my night stand. What ultimately sold me on the Echo Show 5 over the Dot was the comparable price on sale (at time of review the Dot w/clock is $39.99 and the refurbished Show 5 is $42.99) and the added video capability.
The video capability is lackluster. The device is pretty much only optimized for Prime Video -- YouTube runs through a browser, Netflix failed to even launch for me, and there are no apps for popular services like Hulu, Disney+ or HBO Max. Even for apps that work, touch screen menu support is limited. There's no search or episode select, you can only touch-browse featured content, or select a specific episode with your voice. Most disappointingly, there's no way to cast from your phone, even with Prime Video, so you must work within the device limitations.
The speaker is serviceable. Not quite as good as the Echo Dot as the high end is a little tinny and the low end washes out the mid-range, but all-in-all is a decently full sound for such a small device.
And it IS small -- chances are your phone screen is comparably-sized if not bigger. The screen itself leaves a lot to be desired -- it's pretty low res and washed out, with substantial backlight bleed. It definitely reeks of impending obsolescence, but if you don't need cutting-edge tech then it does its job.
App capability is extremely limited. Don't expect anything close to the functionality of a tablet, even a limited-feature one like a Kindle Fire.
Customizability is extremely limited. Adding your own photos or turning the device into a scrolling picture frame seems to be counterintuitive to the point where I found it wasn't worth it. The slide sources don't seem to be customizable at all.
Speaking of slides, of course I have to address the biggest customer complaint, the never-ending \"Things to try...\"/sponsored content slideshow in the device's idle mode. I found that turning on Do Not Disturb worked for the most part, and I did find an option screen that allowed you to turn off categories of slides, like news, weather, sports, skills, etc. I turned them all off and turned off \"continuously scrolling\" and it seems to be suppressing it for the time being, although I have had them randomly reactivate and I'm not sure what triggers that.
Bottom line is, if you're looking for an affordable combination smart speaker/alarm device you could do a lot worse; but the Echo Show 5 is not going to change your life.",
"asin": "B07NJQTTXK",
"parent_asin": "B07NJQTTXK"
},
{
"unique_id": 3976,
"review_text": "The product is held on by the screen and not the keyboard. The keyboard does not have any means to attach it to the cover that I can discern. There is a small flap under the keyboard that I cannot tell what it is for. Over all, it appears to be well made and to be made specifically for this Lenova Yoga laptop 720-15IKB, just as the seller described. Very impressive. I just received it so I cannot comment on it's durability but it does seem to be VERY well made and I believe it will last me probably longer than the life of this laptop as computers tend to have an obsolescence of about 5 years. I want this laptop to last me at least 5 years and I hope to get between 8 and ten years out of it which is the reason I purchased this product. I want to keep the laptop looking good. This product feels good on the laptop, and I believe it looks professional. It arrived very quickly. I recommend this seller and would buy from them again.",
"asin": "B07CM3XNJR",
"parent_asin": "B07CM2Y11M"
},
{
"unique_id": 3977,
"review_text": "WiFi signal is atrocious. Lose signal every few days to the point of having to reboot the router. My house is barely 1200 sqft and the signal struggles to reach the whole house. I updated the firmware to the most recent which causes the router to need to be rebooted hourly until I downgraded it back to an earlier firmware. For how expensive this router is - it\u2019s absolutely junk. Oh and the tech support via phone expired days before I started having the most trouble. Talk about planned obsolescence - never getting another nighthawk product again. As I type this out with my Verizon network because my Wifi is down yet again.",
"asin": "B00R2AZLD2",
"parent_asin": "B09G3MBH6V"
},
{
"unique_id": 3978,
"review_text": "I purchased this Kindle Fire 10 HD after my Kindle 7 HDX died after 4 years of daily usage. Like many other Kindle owners I really was impressed with my old HDX model. Initially this Kindle Fire 10 HD was pretty good. Right around the 12th month of daily usage which is basically web browsing, reading, streaming and games, small issues started to pop up. The web browser would crash and apps would load slower. I noticed myself power cycling my Kindle a lot more often. I knew it was bad when just pressing the power button didn't work, and had to search online to find out that I holding the power button and volume button simultaneously was going to be something I'd be doing far more often in order to power cycle this device.
Twenty months have passed and web browsing can be ridiculously slow at times until it crashes. Power cycling has become a normal and often occurrence. My Kindle also will drop wifi, and resetting it usually works. Luckily streaming movies and tv still works fairly well, along with reading is fine.
Pros: Nice display, battery life, charges quickly, affordable price
Cons: Slow over time, crashes fairly often, Amazon app store is limited, drops wifi
I know planned obsolescence is a thing but this is kind of ridiculous.",
"asin": "B01M6YJEAH",
"parent_asin": "B01MTF2Z37"
},
{
"unique_id": 3979,
"review_text": "JIELV Canvass backpack
I am an archaeologist working on projects as far apart as Montana and southern Georgia. With travel that far apart I have to have a durable backpack. So - when I saw a promising one on Amazon recently I ordered it. We have all learned not to rely on product photos on the Internet - but this backpack from JIELV looked good enough to tack the risk.
When it arrived I was thrilled - this vintage canvass backpack was exactly what the manufacturer - and the photos - promised.
Here is a first look at the outside - the canvas is super heavy, solidly stitched and the leather components are made of quality, supple leather (not the cheap stiff stuff). Once I treat the leather it will last a lifetime. The metal components are made of heavily anodized metal - not going to rust when I sweat all over them in the far reaches of the Orinoco!
The exterior of the pack is well designed. There is a large, zippered front pocket and two open side pockets that will hold a large water bottle if you are a student and a pint bottle of Lagavulin if you teach at an Ivy League university (maybe Bulleit Bourbon if you are from somewhere else).
There is a neat hidden zipper pocket on the back - a secure place to stash, cash and a passport.
The cover flap has a nice feature - once you have adjusted the straps and closed them down - there's no need to ever undo them - each buckle has a strong magnetic stud that will hold it in place. You only need to redo the buckle if you drastically change the load you are carrying inside the pack. Another nice exterior feature - both sides of the main compartment can be cinched in with snaps to prevent lighter loads from floating around inside.
Two other exterior features well worth mentioning - a strong canvas loop is secured to the center of the bag - ideal to hang the backpack securely. Most important - the shoulder straps. These are double layered, well stitched - and best of all they are wide - which means they will comfortably carry the weight across your shoulders - a feature many low quality backpacks cut corners on.
So...let's take a look inside. First you will notice there is atop flap that closes under the main flap - this is great extra insurance that your contents are safe and will not spill out.
(don't you hate it when a special item or two spill out of your old backpack when going through airport security?). As is that is not enough - there are these to pull cords that will also cinch down the top of the pack.
The interior is fully lined with what appears to be a water resistant rip stop fabric. There is a padded compartment for a laptop with a velcro fastener, another zippered pocket and two smaller pockets for your cables and accessories.
I like a product that is built for long service rather than short-term obsolescence. This one is thoughtfully designed for hard use. I was fully expecting a price above $100 - and was more than surprised to find the cost is $45.99 (please charge me the penny so I only have to write two figures!)",
"asin": "B0BFKVVLWL",
"parent_asin": "B0BFKVD6TQ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3980,
"review_text": "Long time owner of the IPAD series, from the first to the latest, I can honestly say this is an overpriced, propitiatory system that is a pile of junk. Apple sells overpriced crap with under functioning specs. I was a die-hard fan until my job forced me to use an Android platform. The Android runs circles around this thing, and I can do what ever I want. I not locked into some stuffy shirted pseudo-buisness toy.
The forced obsolescence of the older devices is the real killer. Nothing wrong with the old hardware, just the software updates to destabilize the programs and cash memory crashes. In a years time Apple will have a new version of this and it will start degrading this platform.
The equivalent android devices are much cheaper and much better.
Seriously, the software for apple is clunky and unforgiving. Expect memory crashes.",
"asin": "B00OTWPEBK",
"parent_asin": "B00OTWPEBK"
},
{
"unique_id": 3981,
"review_text": "This is my second Vision Computer. The first was purchased in 2008 and worked flawlessly for almost 8 years. You can't get better than that in this age of planned obsolescence. I highly recommend Vision Computers and their helpful staff.",
"asin": "B0136ZNF0W",
"parent_asin": "B0136ZNF0W"
},
{
"unique_id": 3982,
"review_text": "1 YEAR UPDATE: The device will not last you. It is a throwaway piece of trash. All of its features have an astonishing degree of planned obsolescence built into it, and to top it off the customer service is agonizingly slow, redundant, and tedious. My speakers blew after 1 year with never exceeding the maximum volume for longer than a few test runs when I first got it, and less than 2 hours a week of use. I definitely used the speaker in some wet and jostling conditions, but that's what this is advertised as built for!!! After a deplorable degree of having to repeat myself I was finally shipped a replacement, which stunningly was faulty right out of the box. There seems to be little to no quality control. At the very least Logitech honored the warranty, but now I'm stuck in the 2-3 week purgatory of trying to get this faulty device shipped back.
When I first got this I asked rhetorically "what's not to love?" The answer: the fact that you will be throwing this away in less than 2 years.",
"asin": "B00TXBOWVA",
"parent_asin": "B07L913BK9"
},
{
"unique_id": 3983,
"review_text": "We\u2019ve had two of these for about 4 years. One just quit. Red lights flashing but nothing charging. The button we thought was a reset does nothing. Another example of Chinese junk being sold as the best thing since sliced bread.
We\u2019ve had no electrical surges. Nothing to cause this to stop other than planned obsolescence. Now I\u2019m waiting for the other one to go. If anything, check to see if it comes from China, then buy anything elsr.",
"asin": "B01FHMPV1S",
"parent_asin": "B0BBR71NCL"
},
{
"unique_id": 3984,
"review_text": "Replacement for Previous PWr Replacement that lasted a few years but inevitably cords quit working usually when the warranty has Just Expired.
Built in obsolescence seems to be the Norm and this is on par or better than most with a better cord length. Good but they should be made to last.",
"asin": "B003WRT7CA",
"parent_asin": "B003WRT7CA"
},
{
"unique_id": 3985,
"review_text": "Looks and works same as original. Will likely develop the same issue eventually since the connection from the wire to the terminal is not reinforced, just like the original. Planned obsolescence? Works great for now.",
"asin": "B01GPFM5GA",
"parent_asin": "B01GPFM5GA"
},
{
"unique_id": 3986,
"review_text": "I prefer trackball as it is more comfortable. The unifying receiver makes connections easy. I would have given it 5 stars, but the mouse buttons - right and left click fail after approx 6 to 9 months of use. Logitech support ignores these complaints so I guess planned obsolescence is a great business model for them. That may change if someone else produces a more durable mouse at roughly the same price. I would also like more programmable buttons.",
"asin": "B0043T7FXE",
"parent_asin": "B0043T7FXE"
},
{
"unique_id": 3987,
"review_text": "I've been using my Belkin hard snapshield for a while now. I got it for the iPad 2 and then another when the (limited edition) 3rd iPad showed up.
The case, when combined with Apple's smart cover has better functionality than nearly any other solution due to the metal strip on the back. Even Apple's full cover doesn't have that and it makes a real difference in how you use the device.
The first problem is that perhaps the device was designed to be tooo snug on the back of the iPad 3. The corners broke off within a month of ownership-- and not through hard use. You see, in addition to the case and smartcover, I keep the whole kit within a neoprene sleeve when i'm walking anywhere with it.
The second problem is that it's pretty expensive for something that's not very durable. It can't cost more than $5 to produce (if that) so Belkin's taking a huuuuuuge margin on something that's got \"planned obsolescence\" basically built in by way of it's short life all built in and yet they've made it a burden to replace. A $10-$15 price point would be more appropriate but then there's the fact that it's basically disposable; that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
If you need a protective covering for the back of your iPad 3/4, then this will do nicely... for a few months before it's cracked and tattered. Belkin can do better.",
"asin": "B007CCUJUK",
"parent_asin": "B007CCUJUK"
},
{
"unique_id": 3988,
"review_text": "I noticed the display on my Logitech Duet device had started to dim slightly. Figured it was time, after 6 years, to maybe replace the battery. In a totally random coincidence, I spotted this battery offer one day from an Amazon emailer. Great price for TWO batteries (same as the shipping+ single offer!!!). Not sure I'll ever use the second one, given the unfortunate obsolescence of this device, but still a good deal. And this replacement works just fine with a great charge time and long cycle.",
"asin": "B00FABVIG4",
"parent_asin": "B00FABVIG4"
},
{
"unique_id": 3989,
"review_text": "I have owned 3 Dlink routers in my time, each new one dying sooner than the old. The best router ever, I don't even remember the model number of, it was strictly wired. Then I got a DI-624, it lasted about 2 years, but for the last 6 months of it's life it would gripe or completely disconnect on large file transfers. Now I have this, the WBR-2310. It has lasted about 6 months. I opted to use wired connections when possible thinking that the ethernet part would be as robust as the first Dlink router I purchased, but alas this one was even weaker than the last. Is this planned obsolescence? Incidentally, the first router is still up and running after 8 years at my parents' house. I don't know what is so hard about designing a router to last? I can only assume it's either shoddy parts or workmanship, because when the router did work, it was awesome.",
"asin": "B000FJ3I5U",
"parent_asin": "B000FJ3I5U"
},
{
"unique_id": 3990,
"review_text": "Just had to comment on reading one of the reviews by A. Hallmark \"Zerghumper\"; the warranty is not, and I repeat not!!, voided by sending in the documentations required for a rebate. What is \"voided\" is the return of merchandise after filing for a rebate. You don't get the cash for trying it, and then, changing one's mind, sending it back for a refund and pocketing the profit. That would be scandalous, and companies would never offer rebates in such circumstances. Corsair is an awesome PSU company from all reports, (and I do my homework), and will be my next power supplier as soon as I recover from my holiday's self-imposed spending deficit. Just haven't decided between the 850HX or the fully modular 850AX. Not that much more when we are in this price range, and should change-out ever occur for upgrade or repair, only the connections at PSU body would need to be disconnected. I hate unplugging any computer peripherals, be it hard drives, video cards, or direct motherboard attachments. I don't even like reconnecting fans. Legos they are not, and I like that firm snap of new connections and trust that once connected they will never have a better connection. Check that old lamp cord or outlet box that you have to spread the contacts on to hold in the wall, for example. And with a seven year warranty, I suspect upgrading might actually be a possibility. I never would have thought a need for a 500+ watt PSU would ever come to be. Don't have any idea what lies in the pipeline of the future, but we can be assured it will only be better, faster, and most likely in need of more power. Already have 6 Gbps (SATA III's) replacing SATA II's at 3 Gbps (doubled). Same price practically, at twice the speed maxes, and USB 3 coming in a close second @ 5Gbps, making our USB 2's (a mere 480 Mbps) nearer obsolescence, an almost 10 fold increase.",
"asin": "B0029F21LA",
"parent_asin": "B005NJ2SLC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3991,
"review_text": "So far so good. Logitech has gone way down in quality and longevity. Built in Chinese obsolescence. My old Logitech were workhorses and lasted over 5 years, new ones, it is a gamble and a risk. Maybe 2 months to a year or 2? Read the reviews on all of their mice.That is why I bought this one, I had a top end mouse of theirs die after a year. They all think consumers are stupid.",
"asin": "B01694XMF0",
"parent_asin": "B01694XMF0"
},
{
"unique_id": 3992,
"review_text": "I am not well-versed in the ways of audio technology, so do not take this as a review from an audiophile.
Reasonably comfortable, decent sound quality. Poor construction - the connector is flimsy and bends under very light pressure. After a minimal number of slight bends, it just snapped today.
Planned obsolescence is a wonderful thing, isn't it Sony?",
"asin": "B000AJIF4E",
"parent_asin": "B07CQMZVZ6"
},
{
"unique_id": 3993,
"review_text": "I bought these about 6 months ago and I was quite pleased with them initially. They sounded pretty good, not like my Beyerdynamic 770's but good for gaming and chatting with other players. Then after 4 months the right side broke where the metal band meets the swivel connector piece. I don't mean they fell apart but the rigidity got real sloppy which prevented a tight seal for the muffs to my head. Then 2 weeks ago the left side did the same thing. It's a shame that a decent set of headphones are junk because of poor design, talk about planned obsolescence. I understand these are fairly cheap to begin with the the part that failed could have been beefed up for less than $0.01 per unit.",
"asin": "B07G748HKJ",
"parent_asin": "B091K4WYD1"
},
{
"unique_id": 3994,
"review_text": "Good to know that products and merchants are out there to prevent obsolescence.",
"asin": "B001E6GKXA",
"parent_asin": "B001E6GKXA"
},
{
"unique_id": 3995,
"review_text": "I couldn't be happier with this card, I don't think. I could have spent another $100 on a 680, though I don't know how much more that would have really gotten me in the immediate term, only a slightly longer life before obsolescence. So far I have been able to play every game I own at max settings and 60FPS performance, and that even includes playing Crysis 2 or Metro 2033 at max settings in 1920x1200 while I have a 720p movie playing on my second monitor at 1600x1200.
As the reviews I sourced for this card at Tom's Hardware indicated, this card is VERY quiet, and the fans do an excellent job of keeping it cool. Even in a beta of a game I play that has a bug in the menus that allows the GPU to run away at max load, the card never gets hotter than 78c at a 58% duty cycle for the fans (which are just BARELY audible over my CPU fan at that point), whereas the pair of GTS 250's I replaced this card with used to regularly get up to >90c.
This is definitely one powerhouse of a card, and I have to concur with the reviewers at Tom's Hardware that this card is definitely a \"best bang for your buck\" in its class, and I'm very pleased I elected to spend the extra money to get not only the ASUS (as opposed to the Gigabyte card Tom's also recommended, for $20 less), but to get the 670 instead of a lower-end or lesser model of card.
Crysis 2 with max settings, HD textures, in DX11, looked SO much better on this card than on my 2xGTS250's that it was actually worth playing through again!
Metro 2033 was... mind boggling, and proved to be, to me anyway, one of the most underrated and fantastic looking FPS' I've played in recent memory, and all thanks to this GTX 670.
I chose ASUS because, well... it's ASUS, and I have owned or sold many of their products with nary a complaint, and what very few issues I ever dealt with as a reseller, their customer service took direct ownership of, and always resolved the issue to everyone's satisfaction.
NVidia because of driver support and compatibility. I don't run *nix on my desktop these days, but that could change any day, week, or month from now, and AMD driver support for *nix has traditionally been rotten, regardless of what Torvalds seems to think about NVidia's reluctance to open-source their own drivers. NVidia supports their cards well, works closely with developers to ensure performance, and releases driver updates for their entire product suite on a regular basis, which AMD cannot be counted on to do.",
"asin": "B0081IFO2C",
"parent_asin": "B0081IFO2C"
},
{
"unique_id": 3996,
"review_text": "Apparently I have different ears than most humans; they are ear bud proof. There is not an in-the-ear type of contraption that stays, not even when I\u2019m perfectly still (which I shouldn\u2019t have to do anyway, but\u2026), so out of pure necessity, I buy these as they\u2019re the only ones I can find with the adjustable, over the ear wire feature. These are my 3rd set. The first ones stopped taking a charge after about a year; the 2nd had a meltdown at the charge input, also after less than a year. Ain\u2019t planned obsolescence great, \u2018Mercia??? Anyway, the charge plug (placement & plug/cover) on these is different than the first two. Did they actually respond to complaints and make improvements? That\u2019d be a welcome development in the 21st century. I\u2019ve only had them for a few months, and I\u2019ve yet to run (read: sweat) in them like I did with the others, so the jury\u2019s still out. But one thing is for sure; the range is AWFUL. 25 feet, completely unobstructed, is as good as it gets. I have Bluetooth speakers (and other headphones) that triple that, even with several layers of brick in between. Yikes. It\u2019s bad. But they\u2019re the only option I\u2019ve found for the warmer months when I can\u2019t bear to wear the bulky, padded ones that cover my ears, so here I am. #3.
That said, the battery life is exceptional, and better by far than with any of my other Bluetooth devices.",
"asin": "B084WRK2WV",
"parent_asin": "B084WRK2WV"
},
{
"unique_id": 3997,
"review_text": "I purchased an aluminum-bodied Apple Watch 2 in late Feb. 2017. I also purchased the care program, and the Milanese loop. I found I liked the functionality of the watch very much, more than I had been led to expect from other reviews.
BUT
- BEFOREWARNED THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO REPLACE THE FACE SHOULD IT GET SCRATCHED. Apple will not cover such scratches under warranty nor under the Watch care contract.
- The face scratches much more easily that I had been led to expect. Despite my very very careful treatment, the watch face began to show scratches within 3 weeks of purchase. This was not due to any bumps or scrapes when wearing it (there are no scratches on the watch body). I only use soft clothes to wipe the face, such as those used for cleaning eyeglasses.
- The likely source of the scratches is actually the woven metal Milanese loop. When the watch is placed on the magnetic charging puck, the Milanese loop will get attracted by the magnet and will double over onto the watch face.
- When purchasing an Apple Watch, it would seem to come with a planned obsolescence. After a few years when the face becomes much more scratched, you need to purchase a new watch.",
"asin": "B00WUKULAC",
"parent_asin": "B00WUKULAC"
},
{
"unique_id": 3998,
"review_text": "Purchased two of these locally at a gift shop. Both \"conveniently\" stop working after the 90 day warranty period is over.
The fan on the right died in 10 weeks and the one on the left is 92 days after purchase and is spinning at half it's normal speed. Both were used in an office for 2-3 hours four days a week.
Planned obsolescence at its best.",
"asin": "B06XQ4M1HZ",
"parent_asin": "B06XQ4M1HZ"
},
{
"unique_id": 3999,
"review_text": "I was looking for a DVD Recorder that I could use to transfer a load of old home movies I have on VHS tape to DVD and this unit looked just right price-wise, i.e. very inexpensive, since I did not envision much further use once I got all the tapes transferred to DVD. But this baby has proven to be a real versatile unit. I have it hooked up to my VCR on one line input and my TIVO on the other line input and I can easily transfer materials from either unit to DVD. I also hooked up the built-in tuner and recorded a couple of programs right off the air to DVD. Again, no problems ... and in all cases the quality of recording was awesome (I used the default 2 hour mode). The built-in MP3 player is a real bonus. I transferred a lot of my MP3's to a DVD Disc with 4.7 Gig capacity (yes, that's a lot of MP3's) and I could easily play them all on this unit. I have not tried the JPEG viewer but if that works as well as the other functions that I have tested then what is there to complain about? For a hundred bucks ... how much better can you expect? I am wondering about all those one star ratings ... this unit is a bit complicated to set up and I can understand someone's frustration if they have a less than satisfactory out-of-box experience. But if you are not technically challenged or if you are willing to spend some time reading the manual and understanding the setup you will not be disappointed. I took away one star from my rating because the remote is not very well organized and has very small keys. But all in all, great product at an unbelievable price!
PS. Someone reported that they were able to burn a DVD-R on this unit even though it is advertised as a DVD+R only. If that is true then this is truly one outstanding device!
UPDATE 12/21/05 -- Out of curiousity, I went out and got hold of a couple of DVD-R discs to try out with this unit. They worked just fine. Upon insertion of the DVD-R I was prompted to format the DVD-R which I did. Then I proceeded to record a couple of programs off the air, all recorded just fine, each recording in a separate \"Chapter.\" Then I finalized the disc and was able to play the DVD-R on a regular DVD player. So this unit DOES indeed work with DVD-R even though it is advertised as DVD+R only. I have not tried DVD-RW so I cannot say for that type of disc. DVD+RW works just fine. Lastly, what is truly a wild card is the overall long term reliability of the unit. In today's age of rapid obsolescence and cheap, cheap prices for consumer electronics the very definition of \"long term\" needs to be rethought. To me long term means 12 months. So if the unit dies after 12 months I will have gotten my money's worth since I would be looking to upgrade to the next, new thing anyway right about in the 18-24 month time frame. It is unfortunate that we have come to view consumer electronics items as essentially \"disposible\" ... but that is how things are. So all in all, I am a happy customer with this unit.
The \"Version\" information from my unit (obtained from the Setup screen) is as follows:
UI: C00065MCU
Serve: DX043D D 037S
Adap: V08.00.01.46.R0.2
Control: DVR1600CHN1M02540",
"asin": "B0007PCFOW",
"parent_asin": "B0007PCFOW"
},
{
"unique_id": 4000,
"review_text": "I've had this keyboard for about a year now, and it just hit me--I haven't had the slightest twinge of wrist pain since I got it. In fact, I'd forgotten all about the issue.
If you've been on a flat keyboard all day, roll your wrists out about 45 degrees and see what a relief that is.
If you are on the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard right now, twist your wrists up into the position a flat keyboard requires and you'll probably think to yourself, \"My god, how did I ever make it through a whole day like that?\" (I just tried it, and that was exactly what I thought.)
Flat keyboards are bad for you. If you are having wrist problems from typing, you should probably get one of these.
I just wish they'd start making keyboards dishwasher safe.
Edit: funny...less than a week after writing this review, several letters stopped working for no apparent reason. I'm going to reduce my rating to four stars because apparently this keyboard isn't durable and long-lasting. I won't reduce it more because I've only been without it for an hour and I already miss it terribly. I'm simply going to have to get another one and hope it lasts longer. I hope this isn't planned obsolescence. I'm going to see if anyone else makes an equivalent board before I make my purchase.",
"asin": "B000A6PPOK",
"parent_asin": "B081C4XWXZ"
}
]