Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Many millions adore it, many others probably wish it was illegal, but there’s no denying the magnetic pull of American Idol on television viewers. Maybe it’s that we can’t avert our eyes from the train wreck that comprises about 90% of the contestants, or that we appreciate the heart and soul of the ones who are genuinely talented; or maybe we just love to hate house villain Simon Cowell and his caustic put-downs. Good, bad, or whatever, American Idol really is the phenomenon it claims to be. And with some ten hours of material spread out over three discs–there’s so much stuff here that even the bonus features have bonus features–this overview of the first four seasons will surely satisfy even the most ardent fans.
Disc One, The Best Of, takes us from the first step in the process (the cattle-call try-outs so popular they need stadiums to accommodate all the hopefuls) through the initial auditions and interviews with judges Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul to the performances seen on the telecasts themselves–including those by eventual winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, and Carrie Underwood, as well as runners-up Bo Bice and Clay Aiken, among others. In other words, nothing unexpected. Indeed, for many viewers, Disc Two (The Worst Of) will likely be the favorite. For it is here that the set focuses on our fascination with the profoundly clueless, those utterly untalented folks who make us squirm with their outlandish self-delusion and willingness, nay eagerness, to humiliate themselves on TV (epitomized by William “She Bangs” Hung, the so-bad-he’s-good sideshow that’s depressing on so many levels), only to then find themselves genuinely astonished and angry when they fail to make the cut. Finally, Disc Three includes an interview with Abdul, “homecoming” footage featuring Underwood and Bice, and additional interviews from the fourth season.

If American Idol has a dirty little secret (aside from Abdul’s personal life), it’s that the show hasn’t produced a single artist with not just a good voice but an original one–a Norah Jones, an Alicia Keys, a John Mayer, someone can play and write as well as sing. But then, that’s not what the show is about; we’re frequently reminded that this is “a singing competition,” pure and simple. Which brings us to what may well be this exhaustive (and perhaps exhausting, too) set’s defining moment: When a particularly awful “singer” begs to do another tune, Cowell says, “There’s only so much punishment a human being can take.” Replies the contestant: “No, I can take a lot more.” –Sam Graham

Product Description
Features both full Best of and Worst of American Idol discs and an exclusive bonus discs. Bonus disc features never-before-seen footage from season 4, interviews and exteneded hometown footage featuring Carrie, Bo, Constantine and Vonzelle and an exclusive interview with PAULA ABDUL.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Many millions adore it, many others probably wish it was illegal, but there’s no denying the magnetic pull of American Idol on television viewers. Maybe it’s that we can’t avert our eyes from the train wreck that comprises about 90% of the contestants, or that we appreciate the heart and soul of the ones who are genuinely talented; or maybe we just love to hate house villain Simon Cowell and his caustic put-downs. Good, bad, or whatever, American Idol really is the phenomenon it claims to be. And with some ten hours of material spread out over three discs–there’s so much stuff here that even the bonus features have bonus features–this overview of the first four seasons will surely satisfy even the most ardent fans.
Disc One, The Best Of, takes us from the first step in the process (the cattle-call try-outs so popular they need stadiums to accommodate all the hopefuls) through the initial auditions and interviews with judges Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul to the performances seen on the telecasts themselves–including those by eventual winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, and Carrie Underwood, as well as runners-up Bo Bice and Clay Aiken, among others. In other words, nothing unexpected. Indeed, for many viewers, Disc Two (The Worst Of) will likely be the favorite. For it is here that the set focuses on our fascination with the profoundly clueless, those utterly untalented folks who make us squirm with their outlandish self-delusion and willingness, nay eagerness, to humiliate themselves on TV (epitomized by William “She Bangs” Hung, the so-bad-he’s-good sideshow that’s depressing on so many levels), only to then find themselves genuinely astonished and angry when they fail to make the cut. Finally, Disc Three includes an interview with Abdul, “homecoming” footage featuring Underwood and Bice, and additional interviews from the fourth season.

If American Idol has a dirty little secret (aside from Abdul’s personal life), it’s that the show hasn’t produced a single artist with not just a good voice but an original one–a Norah Jones, an Alicia Keys, a John Mayer, someone can play and write as well as sing. But then, that’s not what the show is about; we’re frequently reminded that this is “a singing competition,” pure and simple. Which brings us to what may well be this exhaustive (and perhaps exhausting, too) set’s defining moment: When a particularly awful “singer” begs to do another tune, Cowell says, “There’s only so much punishment a human being can take.” Replies the contestant: “No, I can take a lot more.” –Sam Graham

Product Description
Features both full Best of and Worst of American Idol discs and an exclusive bonus discs. Bonus disc features never-before-seen footage from season 4, interviews and exteneded hometown footage featuring Carrie, Bo, Constantine and Vonzelle and an exclusive interview with PAULA ABDUL.

Product Features

Easiest way to manage expenses, prepare for taxes, create expense reports and scan business cards
Scans permanent digital copies of all your financial papers
Organizes data from receipts into a searchable database that can run reports
Works with QuickBooks, Quicken, MS Money, Excel, PDF, Act!, and Peachtree
Includes NeatReceipts software and a lightweight, color, portable scanner; USB interface

Product Details

Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds. (View shipping rates and policies)
Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
ASIN: B000BBCKOC
Item model number: 899061P
Average Customer Review: based on 9 reviews. (Write a review.)
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #192 in Electronics (See Top Sellers in Electronics)
Yesterday: #147 in Electronics
Date first available at Amazon.com: September 8, 2005

Product Description

From the Manufacturer
NeatReceipts is the easiest way for individuals and small businesses to manage expenses, prepare for taxes, create expense reports and scan business cards. The NeatReceipts package includes the proprietary NeatReceipts software and a lightweight, color, portable scanner.
Features:

Makes permanent digital copies of all your financial papers: NeatReceipts comes with a free, high resolution portable scanner. All you have to do is scan your receipts, invoices and other financial documents through this scanner, and our software will save permanent copies that you can depend on for years to come!
Eliminates financial data entry, simplifies expense tracking: Using patent-pending NeatScan technology, NeatReceipts extracts all important information from each receipt including date, amount, vendor and payment type. It then organizes all this expense information into a searchable expense database.
Speeds up tax preparation: NeatReceipts allows you to leave digital comments on receipts and mark them for tax purposes. During tax season, retrieve all the marked receipts with ease and review those comments for easy preparation. NeatReceipts stores each receipt in a secure digital format that is accepted by the IRS.
Integrates with QuickBooks, Quicken, Money, Act!, Peachtree: Export to QuickBooks, MS Money, Quicken and most other financial software. By automating data entry and making it easy to export to other software, NeatReceipts makes sure you never have to type information into your financial software again!
Scan business cards: NeatReceipts captures key contact information from business cards and syncs with your Outlook address book. You can also create V-cards to upload to your PDA.
Automatically creates expense reports: Automatically creates expense reports from scanned receipts and attaches images of the original receipts for simple verification. Users can email these reports from within the software or export them into PDF, DOC, XLS or HTML formats. If you are looking for expense reporting software with in-built approval, analysis and administration capabilities, please consider NeatReceipts Enterprise.
NeatScan Technology Using advanced Optical Character Recognition, NeatScan technology (patent pending) extracts key information from your receipts, such as date, amount, payment method, expense category and vendor. If you scan in business cards, NeatScan automatically pulls out information like name, company, address, phone numbers, email address etc.

NeatScan actually learns to associate an expense category (such as meals or lodging) to a particular vendor (brands such as Starbucks or Hilton) so you don’t have to type in the information each time. This ensures that your financial records are filed consistently and with minimal effort.

The NeatReceipts portable scanner Each user of NeatReceipts Professional receives the NeatReceipts scanner — a lightweight, portable, durable color scanner. Our software was designed with this scanner in mind and offers the following unmatched functionality:

Auto-sizes any scanned receipt or document.
Auto-crops and auto-rotates any scanned receipt or document.
Scan widthwise or lengthwise — the image will appear upright in image viewer.
Powered by USB port, so no plug needed (it’s truly portable!).
Scans quickly and easily without opening and closing scanner lid (flatbed).
Small, portable and lightweight. Perfect for the office, the home and the road!
Links receipt to expense A high resolution image of every receipt is stored right next to its corresponding expense. This makes verification of expense reports a snap!

The receipts are stored in a secure digital format, and cannot be edited once scanned in. The IRS accepts our secure digital format and this means you can throw away your tax-related receipts once they are scanned into NeatReceipts.

Business Card Reader NeatReceipts Professional now includes a business card reader at no additional charge! Simply scan your business cards and sync your contact information automatically with your Outlook address book, or create a V-Card for your palm pilot.

Integrates with QuickBooks. Creates expense reports in PDF, XLS and more NeatReceipts Professional can export all extracted and entered information to:

Intuit QuickBooks
Intuit Quicken
Microsoft Money
Other accounting software (through IIF and CSV formats)
Microsoft Outlook (for business card information)
vCard format compatible with all handhelds (for business card information).
In addition, expense reports can be created in a variety of formats, including:

Microsoft Excel (XLS)
Microsoft Word (RTF)
Adobe Acrobat (PDF)
Microsoft Access and other databases (CSV)
Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Netscape (HTML)
Advanced search for expense reports, receipts and business cards NeatReceipts has advanced search capabilities that allow you to find expense reports and receipts with any combination of criteria, including:

Time period
Project or Client information
Total amount of expense report, total for any category or expense amount
Expense purpose
Payment class (billable, reimbursable, paid by company, personal, taxable)
Payment type (cash, name of credit card, check)
You can also find contact information from scanned business cards in any of the following criteria:

Name
Company and title
Address
Phone or fax number
Email address
…and much more!
What’s in the Box: Scanner, carrying case, stand.

Product Description
The NeatReceipts lightweight portable scanner is the perfect tool for the on-the-go professional. Sleek and durable, it looks as good on your desktop as it does in your briefcase.

List Price: $728.00
Price: $199.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
You Save: $528.01 (73%)

Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Features:

Oven-safe to 350 degrees F; lifetime limited warranty
2-, 3-, 4-quart covered saucepans; 8-, 10-inch skillets; 5-1/2-, 8-quart covered stockpots; 5-quart saute
Hard-anodized exteriors with aluminum core for optimum heat distribution
Interiors have three coats of Dupont nonstick, Hi-Low grooves for superior food release
Stay-cool safety-grip handles; 18/10 stainless steel lids

Product Promotions

Save $25.00 when you spend $125.00 or more on Kitchen & Housewares or Bed & Bath products offered by Amazon.com. Enter code SPRINGIN at checkout. Here’s how (restrictions apply)

Product Details

Shipping Weight: 30.9 pounds. (View shipping rates and policies)
Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. A separate shipping charge will also apply.
Note: Gift-wrapping is not available for this item.
ASIN: B000064608
Item model number: 80015
Average Customer Review: based on 40 reviews. (Write a review.)
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #214 in Kitchen & Housewares (See Top Sellers in Kitchen & Housewares)
Yesterday: #144 in Kitchen & Housewares

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

This functional 14-piece set offers a complete array of cookware for the kitchen at a reasonable price. The set includes three covered saucepans in 2-, 3-, and 4-quart sizes; 5-1/2- and 8-quart covered stockpots; 8- and 10-inch shallow French skillets; and a 12-inch, 5-quart covered sauté pan. The exteriors of the pans in this set are durable hard-anodized aluminum while a hard-anodized aluminum core distributes heat evenly through the pans without hot spots. Three coats of DuPont nonstick coating line the pan’s interiors. Circulon’s patented Hi-Low grooves protect the nonstick coating from wear by exposing only a small portion of the nonstick surface to cooking. The result is longer lasting performance and easy cleaning. The 18/10 stainless steel lids are slightly domed to capture moisture when steaming or braising foods. Handles are made of stay-cool heat-resistant plastic and are oven-safe to 350 degrees F. This cookware is covered by a lifetime limited warranty. –Cristina Vaamonde

What’s in the Box

2-quart saucepan with lid; 3-quart saucepan with lid; 4-quart saucepan with lid; 5-1/2-quart stockpot with lid; 8-quart stockpot with lid; 12-inch, 5-quart sauté pan with lid; 8-inch French skillet; 10-inch French skillet

Book Description
1919. Topics covered in the 12 lessons include: Concentration Rightly and Wrongly Used; Character of Thoughts We Think; Thought Habits; Inharmonious Thought Habits; Consciousness and Thought Habits; I’ll Try Thought Habit; Overcoming Self-Consciousness; Law of Harmony; Law of Force; Oneness of All Life; Individuality; and Will Power.

Product Details

Paperback: 216 pages
Publisher: Kessinger Publishing (March 30, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN: 0766192520
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces. (View shipping rates and policies)
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #140,839 in Books (See Top Sellers in Books)
Yesterday: #108,761 in Books
(Publishers and authors: improve your sales)

Product Features

3.8-inch TFT color display automatically adjusts to lighting changes
Built-in 20 GB hard drive with preloaded North American maps
Room for 300 PDA address book uploads; 6.6 by 3.3 by 1.5 inches (W x H x D)
In-car GPS navigation system with user-friendly touch-screen interface
Turn-by-turn 3D directions with voice prompting in 11 languages

Product Details

Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.9 x 4.3 inches ; 2.3 pounds
Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds. (View shipping rates and policies)
Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
ASIN: B0009MFQ12
Item model number: 760 North America
Average Customer Review: based on 59 reviews. (Write a review.)
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #949 in Electronics (See Top Sellers in Electronics)
Yesterday: #1,025 in Electronics
Date first available at Amazon.com: May 6, 2005

* Aesthetically pleasing Lifescape design
* Seats two adults comfortably
* Lid opens and provides 5 cu. ft. of storage
* Durable roto-molded construction lasts for years
* Quick and easy assembly
* Maintenance free
* UV inhibitor
* 53″L x 24″W x 33″H
* Exclusive to Canadian Tire

Product# 60-0230-8

Canadian Tire Warranty
1-year warranty against manufacturing defects in workmanship and materials. Proof of purchase required.

Description:

Juno-D the most competitively priced and full-featured synthesizer in its class. Hundreds of radio-ready sounds are packed into the Juno-Ds jet-black metal chassis, along with a world-class array of expressive multi-effects, realtime performance controllers, and tools for groove creation and composition.

Keyboard 61 Keys
Maximum Polyphony 64 voices
Parts 16 *Two Tones can be assigned to each part (Patch), and can be split or layered
Wave Memory 32 M bytes (16-bit linear equivalent)
Preset Memory Origional Tones: 640; Patches: 640; Rhythm Sets: 20; Performances: 32.
User Memory Patches:128; Rhythm Sets: 2; Performances: 8.
Effects Multi-Efects: 47 types; Reverb: 8 types; Chorus: 8 types.
Rythm Guide Preset Patterns: 32
Tempo 5-300 BPM (with tap tempo function)
Multi-Chord Sets Preset Chord Sets 16 *12 chord forms are assigned to each set.
User Chord Sets 8 *12 chord forms can be assigned to each set.
Phrase/Arpeggio Templates: 342; User Templates: 8; Styles (Variations): 473
Controllers 1 D Beam Controller, 1 Pitch Bend/Modulation Lever, and 5 control knobs.
Display 20 Characters, 2 lines (backlit LCD)
Connectors Output jacks (L/MONO, R), headphones jack, MIDI Connectors (IN/OUT), Hold Pedal jack, Control Pedal jack.
Power Supply DC 9 V (AC Adaptor
Current Draw 1,000mA
Dimensions 40-1/4″ x 11-1/2″ x 4-1/16″
Weight 11 lbs 1 oz

Features

Affordable 61-note synthesizer with 64-voice polyphony, improved keyboard feel
640 top-quality patches, 20 rhythm sets, GM2 compatibility
Patches conveniently organized in categories (Piano, Guitar, Orchestra, etc.) for quick access
47 multi-effects, 8 reverb types, 8 chorus types
Mac/PC editing software included
Powerful arpeggiator, with 400 phrase/arpeggio templates
Multi Chord memory for one-finger chord triggering; Rhythm Guide metronome with preset patterns and variations
2 Tones can be assigned to each patch, and can be split or layered
D Beam controller and front-panel control knobs

Description:

Awesome voices, triggering, step functions; these modes along with the standard controls of Speed, Depth and Regeneration give you the independence and confidence to use your creativity to make your own flowing effects in stereo.

Series Single-Effect Pedals (This isn’t your mothers old stomp box!)X Series Single-Effect Pedals (This isn’t your mothers old stomp box!)
The DigiTech® team has taken the common garden-variety modulation pedal and raised it to studio level, (but without the hefty price tag), features and all! So, how do you make a chorus, a flanger and a phaser pedal even better?

The Hyper Phaseâ„¢ and the Turbo Flangeâ„¢ each deliver 7 operational modes, instead of the typical one mode only that you find in some other pedals. These operational modes are easily selectable using the mode control allowing you to choose from a selection of awesome voicing sounds, triggering feature, and useful step functions. Now you are no longer limited to a one-trick pedal. You can dial in the exact phaser or flanger sound you want! Both the Hyper Phaseâ„¢ and the Turbo Flangeâ„¢ each have Speed, Depth, Regen, and Mode controls. Outputs for both pedals include Left/Mono and Right.

Type Flanger

Features:

7 Different flange types
Triggering and step capability
Stereo and switchable CITâ„¢ Cabinet Modeling outputs

List Price: $1,395.95
Price: $698.99
You Save: $696.96 (50%)

Product Description
From the Manufacturer

Built for business, the imageCLASS D880 is a powerful device designed to produce high quality laser output for busy small offices. Equipped with Canon’s single cartridge system, the unit is virtually maintenance-free. Just put in the cartridge, make the proper connections, and you are ready to copy, print and receive faxes.
For copying, use the platen glass for single page originals or the 30-sheet automatic document feeder for multi-page originals. Program the quantity needed and you’re done. Multi-page documents will be collated in the output tray. You will have a large supply of paper using the 500-sheet paper cassette and the 100-sheet multipurpose tray to draw from. The multipurpose tray can accommodate a variety of sizes and types of paper stock. The imageCLASS D880 copies at 18 copies-per-minute (cpm) for letter-size documents. Using Canon’s Advanced Printing Technology (CAPT), the imageCLASS D880 also prints with high-quality laser resolution of 2,400 x 600 dpi at up to 16 pages-per-minute (ppm) for letter-size prints.

Fax and receive documents with ease. Documents will transmit with Super G3 (33.6 Kbps) modem speed, which keeps phone line costs down. With a host of convenient features like 12 Speed Dials, 100 Coded Dials, 255-page memory backup and print in order, faxing will be simple and effortless.

Features:

Laser output at 2,400 x 600 dpi print quality
Copy up to 18 cpm and print at 16 ppm (letter)
Fax up to 33.6 Kbps with Super G3 speed
30-page automatic document feeder
Legal-size platen glass for copying convenience
500-sheet cassette plus 100-sheet multipurpose tray
Energy Star compliant
USB compatible
Canon Advanced Printing Technology
What’s in the Box
Printer, CD-ROM with driver software, toner cartridge, 30-sheet auto document feeder, 500-sheet paper cassette, 100-sheet bypass tray, power cord, user manual, warranty card; printer cable not included

Product Description

Laser output at up to 2400 x 600 dpi / Copy up to 18 cpm and Print at 16 ppm (letter) / 30-page Automatic Document Feeder / Legal-size platen glass Individual unit dimensions (w/attachments) – 24.5(W) x 17.4(D) x 15.1(H) / Weight – 52.9 lbs

Technical data

Functions: Prints, copies, faxes
Printer type: Black and white laser
Print speed: 16 ppm
Print resolution: Black: 600 x 600 dpi; 2400 x 600 dpi quality
Print area: 8.5 by 11 inches maximum
Memory: Information unavailable
Printer languages: Information unavailable
Print cartridges: Black toner
Paper handling (standard): 500-sheet cassette, 100-sheet multipurpose tray
Paper types: Letter
Gray scale: N/A
Interface: USB, parallel
Copier type: Black and white laser
Copy speed: 18 cpm
Copy resolution: Black: 600 x 600 dpi; 2400 x 600 dpi quality
Media sizes: Up to A4 size
Media types: Bond, plain and color paper, transparencies, labels and envelopes
Magnification: 50% to 200%
Input-tray capacity: 500-sheet cassette, 100-sheet multipurpose tray
Number of copies: Information unavailable
Recommended monthly usage: Information unavailable
Exposure control: Automatic
Fax type: Black laser
Interface: RJ-11 telephone line
Transmission time: Information unavailable
Transmission memory: 255 pages
Auto doc feeder: Yes, 30 sheets
Dialing: 12 speed dials, 200 coded dials
Receive options: Fax Only, Manual, Answering, DRPD, Fax/Tel Auto Switch
Other fax features: Memory Back-up, Print in Order
Fax resolution: 406 x 391 dpi
Modem speed: 33.6 Kbps (Super G3)
Energy Star compliant: Yes
System requirements: Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP, Server 2003, NT 4.0
Included software: Canon printer driver for Windows
Width: 24.5 inches
Height: 17.4 inches
Depth: 15.1 inches
Weight: 52.9 pounds
Warranty, parts: 3 years
Warranty, labor: 3 years
In the box: Printer, CD-ROM with driver software, toner cartridge, 30-sheet auto document feeder, 500-sheet paper cassette, 100-sheet bypass tray, power cord, user manual, warranty card

Product Features

USB and parallel interfaces; PC compatible; 3-year warranty
Copies, prints, and faxes with laser-sharp quality
Up to 16 ppm print speed; up to 2,400 dpi resolution
Copies up to 18 cpm; platen glass for copying convenience
Fax up to 33.6 Kbps with Super G3 speed

Product Details

Product Dimensions: 61.6 pounds
Shipping Weight: 61.6 pounds. (View shipping rates and policies)
Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
ASIN: B0002UM0FG
Item model number: 9829A001
Average Customer Review: based on 1 review. (Write a review.)
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #36,625 in Electronics (See Top Sellers in Electronics)
Yesterday: #36,174 in Electronics
Date first available at Amazon.com: August 8, 2004