The OneCall Blog &#187; Scot Drew

My Review of iPod Touch Black 16GB iPod Touch with Software Upgrades

Scot Drew — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:40:54 +0000

Touch your music, movies, and more
The revolutionary Multi-Touch technology built into the gorgeous 3.5-inch display lets you pinch, zoom, scroll, and flick with your fingers.

The Internet in your pocket.
With th…

Total Entertainment Anytime

By Copywriter Scot from Spokane, WA on 9/4/2008

Pros: Sleek/Compact, Reliable Performance, Great Sound, Simple Controls, Easy To Set Up

Best Uses: Small Spaces, Travel

Describe Yourself: Avid Listener

Primary use: Personal

I bought this for my wife, and she just loves it. (To be honest, I got the 8GB size, but that one’s not on this site currently.) She mostly uses it at work for music, but often takes it with her when visiting friends or family to show them pictures. We also often use it while watching TV to look up web sites and check out YouTube videos and such. I have used while traveling to have wi-fi access to email.

Scot Drew

Copywriter. Gamer. TV/Movie Freak.

My Review of UAM Universal Adapter Plate for 32-42 inch Flat Panel Displays

Scot Drew — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:50:01 +0000

Universal Adapter Plate for 32-42 inch Flat Panel Displays

Necessary…but well worth it.

By Copywriter Scot from Spokane, WA on 9/4/2008

Pros: Sturdy, Easy To Install

Best Uses: Changing Viewing Angle, Home

Describe Yourself: Tech Savvy, Practical

Not the coolest product out there…but something I needed to get my 42″ plasma attached to an awesome cantilever-arm wall-mount bracket. It was easy as pie to attach (and I knows my pies). IIRC it was as simple as sliding the side arms in and out until they lined up with the holes on the TV…and then screw it into place. Shazam! Done. It does exactly what I needed it to do.

Scot Drew

Copywriter. Gamer. TV/Movie Freak.

My Review of CL-L Platinum Wishbone Cantilever Mount

Scot Drew — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:40:53 +0000

CL-L Platinum Wishbone Cantilever Mount

OmniMount’s new Wishbone cantilever mounts are a breakthrough in flat panel mount design, combining strength, easy installation, and striking product design that is unparalleled in the industry.

Wishbone design for added strength

Lift n’ Lock for easy insta…

Give your flat panel a hand (or an arm)!

By Copywriter Scot from Spokane, WA on 9/4/2008

Pros: Easy To Assemble, Easy To Move, Holds All Components, Supports Weight

Best Uses: Convenience, Space Saver

Describe Yourself: Practical, Tech Savvy

Primary use: Personal

My wife built bookshelves into our living room alcoves that flank french doors. On one side, she only built the shelve up halfway, and we mounted our 42″ plasma above them. Perfect! This cantilever arm allows us to push the TV back flat against wall when not in use (although, we normally are lazy and leave it pulled out). Also, since my wife sits on the couch and I sit in a rocking chair, we can get the perfect angle for both of us to see the screen clearly. Visitors are always impressed with the professional look, too. It was easy to install…my wife and I did it quite easily with just the two of us.

Note: I needed a universal adapter plate for this to attach to my TV. Be sure to check if you’ll need an adapter plate, too.

Scot Drew

Copywriter. Gamer. TV/Movie Freak.

My Review of XtraPower PRO Ni-MH AA Battery & Charger Kit

Scot Drew — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:51:50 +0000

The PROMASTER XtraPower PRO Ni-MH Battery Charger Kit is a high performance rapid charger designed for your demanding power needs. The XtraPower PRO Rapid Battery Charger will charge either AA or AAA NiMH cells to usable capacity in just 6 to 8 hours. The XtraPower PRO Ni-MH Battery Charger Kit com…

Save Cash AND the Environment

By Copywriter Scot from Spokane, WA on 9/3/2008

Pros: Reliable Performance, Charges Quickly, Long Lasting

Best Uses: Having Around The House, Wireless Controllers, Portable Electronics

Describe Yourself: Quality Oriented

Primary use: Personal

I picked up a charger and a couple extra sets of batteries. My wife and I use these for all kinds of things around the house (clocks, my beard trimmer, hand-held games), but they really shine for our Xbox 360′s wireless controllers. We always have a handful of fully charged replacements ready to go!

Scot Drew

Copywriter. Gamer. TV/Movie Freak.

My Review of AH-C351W White In-Ear Headphones

Scot Drew — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:17:01 +0000

AH-C351W White In-Ear Headphones

You walk happily listening to the music you love. You are enveloped in the artist’s world wherever and whenever you like. But, don’t you sometimes wish the quality of the sound was better? The Denon AH-C351K are inner ear headphones that faithfully reproduce the original sound with a qual…

It’s like a home theater in your ears!

By Copywriter Scot from Spokane, WA on 9/2/2008

Pros: Lightweight, Versatile, Rich Sound, Comfortable

Best Uses: Travel, Music, With My Computer, Portable Devices

Describe Yourself: Gear Head

Primary use: Personal

I mostly use these with my Sansa MP3 player while I’m at work. They sound sooooo much better than the original earbuds, which quickly lost their foam sleeves and became super uncomfortable. Not a concern with these Denon buds – the multiple inserts ensure a perfect fit – so perfect that they almost become as good as noise-canceling models! I got my wife a pair, too, and she loves them with her iPod. And she’s much more an audiophile than I am!

Scot Drew

Copywriter. Gamer. TV/Movie Freak.

My Review of 80GB iPod Classic Black iPod Classic

Scot Drew — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:56:26 +0000

80GB iPod Classic Black iPod Classic

Cover Flow
If a picture says a thousand words, think of what all the album art in your collection might say. With Cover Flow on iPod classic, you can flip through your music to find the album you want to hear. Use the Click Wheel to browse music by album cover, then…

Going with the (cover) flow..

By Copywriter Scot from Spokane, WA on 8/7/2008

Pros: Lots of Storage, Great Sound, Simple Controls, Sleek/Compact

Best Uses: Commuting

Describe Yourself: Casual Listener

Primary use: Personal

Bought this for my wife’s new car as a dedicated storage iPod for her digital media receiver. But I’ve been using it at work before I get the receiver installed for her. I love the cover flow feature. It not only looks very cool, but it makes choosing albums to play that much easier.

Scot Drew

Copywriter. Gamer. TV/Movie Freak.

My Review of SC-PT960 5.1-Channel 5-Disk Home Theater System

Scot Drew — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:57:09 +0000

Premium Sound Quality
Use of a highly rigid bamboo material in the center speaker helps achieve an extremely pure, clean sound. A Kelton Subwoofer system with a dual diameter structure delivers a deep, powerful bass. Whisper-Mode Surround allows you to enjoy rich s…

Almost-Perfect Wireless Surround System

By Copywriter Scot from Spokane, WA on 7/29/2008

Pros: Thundering Bass, Easy To Setup, Clear Sound

Cons: Network Interference

Best Uses: Surround Sound Solution, Movies, Living Room, Larger Rooms, Television Shows

Describe Yourself: Practical, Tech Savvy, Professional

The only problem is that the wireless transmitter (sending sound to the rears) is powerful enough to knock my Xbox 360, the Roku Netflix-streaming box, and my wife’s laptop off our wireless network. Granted, these items are all within the same room, so perhaps moving some items to another room (like a dedicated media room) will solve that problem. Otherwise, excellent sound and booming bass. The cats are still sometimes fooled by the sound effects that come from the rear speakers! LOL @ silly felines.

Scot Drew

Copywriter. Gamer. TV/Movie Freak.

Home audio for a video freak.

Scot Drew — Fri, 30 May 2008 21:56:19 +0000

It’s not like I’m becoming an audiophile or anything…my eyes will always win out over my ears when it comes to my home entertainment system…but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a new sound system. Like this one:

I brought a Panasonic SC-PT960 surround system home with me last night and hooked it up. It’s better than I could have hoped for…basically because it allows my wife to really crank up her iPod playlists…on its included iPod dock. That was one of two clinchers in our buying process; the other being the wireless rear surrounds.

Speaking of those rear surrounds…know how good they are? They freak out our cats! Our big golden tabby (Fonzie) was lounging on the end of the sofa near the left rear speaker when some background noise startled him. He spun around and started sniffing around near the base of the speaker stand, trying to find the culprit. All the while, our other cat (Chaplin), who had been across the room, had also been roused to curiosity and joined his brother in a futile effort to sniff out some intruding critter.

And the bass is really good. Really, really good. There’s a button on top for Bass Boost. And it works. It really works. The bass normally has 3 settings, and my wife and I were watching a DVD preview for Prince Caspian with the bass on 3 and the Bass Boost kicked in. It was too much for me…I feared waking out retirement-aged neighbors! Even my wife (who would marry bass if it were a human) decided that we’d have to stick with bass level 1 if we’re gonna use Bass Boost…except for during parties, watching horror movies, and when playing the Xbox 360, that is.

The picture is excellent, for both DVDs and TV programming…just as I expect from Panasonic (since I have a Panasonic plasma TV). But I never knew they’d give my ears the same quality experience they’ve been giving my eyes. I’m glad I was wrong!

Scot Drew

Copywriter. Gamer. TV/Movie Freak.

Panasonic 50″ Plasma wins CNET Editor’s Choice Award

Scot Drew — Thu, 29 May 2008 20:21:58 +0000

With an overall rating of Excellent (8.7/10), the Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U clinched the coveted CNET Editor’s Choice Award for May 2008. Citing deep black levels, highly accurate colors, THX mode and an antireflective screen, CNET’s editors compared the Panasonic TH-PZ800U to their reigning favorite, the Pioneer PDP-5080HD Kuro, calling it a “worthy competitor,” but also adding that “in many ways, it performs even better.”

CNET’s bottom line summed it up: “With the accuracy of its THX mode and great black-level performance, the Panasonic TH-50PZ800U is one of the best-performing HDTVs available.”

The full review with video can be found here.

Scot Drew

Copywriter. Gamer. TV/Movie Freak.