The Nikon CoolPix S8100

Nikon's CoolPix S8100 is definately an amazing compact mega zoom camera. Nikon has upgraded their S8000 when they put out the S8100. Don't let the drop from 14 megapixels to 12.1 fool you, the camera is definiately a step up. The 10x optical zoom remains the same between the two cameras. The Lens is the equivalent to a 30-300 mm lens.

The S8100 has been updated to include a BSI (backside illuminated) CMOS sensor over the S8000s traditional CMOS. The BSI CMOS sensor allows for more light to enter the diode, increasing the performance in low light settings. Making the S8100 a great camera for indoor photos. The shutter speed and camera responsiveness is also very fast.

Sized at 4.1 x 2.4 x 1.2 inches, the S8100 is just the right size for a compact camera. This makes it small enough to easily fit into a shirt pocket but large enough that it is easy to hold in your hand. The back of the camera has a clear and amazingly sharp 3 inch LCD display. The controls were incredibly easy to use and simple to figure out. Common with most telespcoping lenses, the S8100 shows a small amount of distortion when reaching it's maximum zoom level. 

The S8100 employees two different strategies to help with stabilization. It uses both digital and optical stabilization. The macro settings on this camera are also amazing. It was amazing to see how close you could get and the fine level of detail picked up by the camera. You also have a full range of ISO settings available. It offers both manual setup fro 160 to 3200 along with auto settings for those less inclined to play around. The S8100 is supposed to do it's best around 200 ISO.

You can take both JPEG and .MOV videos. The videos are recorded at 1080p with 30 frames per second, and the pictures come in at an impressive 4000 x 3000 pixels. The video option is impressive but not quite to the same caliber as a dedicated video camera.

The CoolPix S8100 makes a great buy running between $250 and $300. For the price this camera makes an great buy. Both professionals and amatures are giving the CoolPix S8100 their praise.

  (Five Stars) Best FPS yet!
only a few small bugs but overall a great game that has many great new features. also more offline options and the new game mode squads.

Published 1 hour ago by Spencer Sutter

Listening To Music While Swimming

If you enjoy swimming - either in the pool or in the ocean - you may have spent years wishing that there was a way to listen to music while you were underwater; but what you might not have known is that this technology now exists! While there are "waterproof cases" for your regular MP3 (which can be a bit scary, in case some water slips in and ruins your precious MP3 player), you can actually buy MP3 players that have been designed for use while swimming!

SwiMP3 Player: The SwiMP3 player is one of the forerunners in the "music underwater" market, and the best part of purchasing their MP3 player is that it is truly and 100% waterproof; some of the issues with the SwiMP3, however, include the fact that some people feel the audio is not great when they are swimming, the device does not hold charge very well, and the interface is not very user-friendly. Furthermore, you cannot select which songs you are going to listen to with the SwiMP3, as it plays the songs in the order in which they were uploaded, allowing you only to skip forward and back.

Speedo Aquabeat: Years ago, Speedo made waves by introducing a radio that worked underwater, and they have followed suit with the Aquabeat, which allows you to store up to 500 songs that you can listen to underwater; the battery life and sound quality on the Aquabeat are considered to be better than what you will find from the SwiMP3, but there is one problem with the Aquabeat, and this is the fact that the headphones sometimes wear out quickly.

H20Friendly iPod Shuffle: If you don't mind spending a bit more money for the absolute best in underwater audio, try out the iPod Shuffle that has been waterproofed by H20Friendly; this product is no different from a regular iPod Shuffle, except for the added benefit of it being totally waterproof!

Once you pick up the product that is the right fit for you, you will be able to swim your laps and engage in all your underwater workouts - with the benefit of music to keep you going!

  (Five Stars) Best FPS yet!
only a few small bugs but overall a great game that has many great new features. also more offline options and the new game mode squads.

Published 1 hour ago by Spencer Sutter

Tips For Optimizing Your Time In The Car

The majority of people find themselves in the car far more often than they would like to, as their daily commute and the errands they have to run at other points in the week leave them stuck in traffic for anywhere from a couple hours each week to a whole lot more! Complaining about all this time spent in the car is quite easy to do, but it is just as easy to learn how to optimize this time spent in the car; although you might still wish you were doing something other than sitting in the car, optimizing your time in the car will at least make it a whole lot more worth it.

Many people tend to simply turn on the radio or flip on their iPod when they are in the car, and they end up listening to songs that they have heard a hundred times already; rather than doing this, one thing that is well worth your time in the car – and that will be more enjoyable, and will make the time pass more quickly – is listening to books on tape while you are in the car.

While books on tape give you entertainment that is quite a bit more redemptive than the radio, you can even take your “productive car time” one step further by skipping entertainment altogether, instead using this time to listen to radio stations that will increase your knowledge in different areas, or even by using this time to start working toward learning a new language!

And another great thing to do while you are in the car is to talk on the phone to friends and family; with a good Bluetooth set, you can keep your attention on the road while still keeping up with all those people who you wish you had a chance to talk to more frequently, which will make your car time a lot more productive – and a whole lot more worth it!

  (Five Stars) Best FPS yet!
only a few small bugs but overall a great game that has many great new features. also more offline options and the new game mode squads.

Published 1 hour ago by Spencer Sutter

Tips For Packing Back To School Lunches

For the majority of parents, they want their children to have all the best things in life, and this goes for everything from emotional stability to creature comforts to good health, but because most parents want their children to also be happy, they often fail in the department of good health. As a parent, it can sometimes be difficult to make those tough decisions that will enable your children to be healthy, even when it goes against what your child wants at the time; when you send your children to school with a lunch, you cannot guarantee that they will actually eat the lunch (rather than trading it with others, or getting something different at school) but if you pack them a healthy lunch, you will at least be putting them on the right path.

Giving your children sustenance that will keep them full and energized for the rest of the day will be the foundation of a healthy lunch; for sustenance, the best thing to do is pack your child a sandwich.

It is also good to pack them fruit, even if you suspect that they are not eating it; as important as fruit is for adults, it is even more important for children, so make an effort to find a fruit that they like – or, to find a dried fruit that they like – and make sure they have this in their lunch when they go to school.

Another way to keep your children healthy is by making sure they have snacks to munch on throughout the day; a couple great ideas in this department are Cheerios and granola, which you can pack in a plastic baggie for them to pull out whenever they need a couple handfuls of snack.

And considering that the majority of children at your child's school probably do not have healthy lunches, you may also want to give your child some form of desert, so keep your eyes out for “healthy” desserts, and you will be able to keep your child feeling like they are not missing out!

  (Five Stars) Best FPS yet!
only a few small bugs but overall a great game that has many great new features. also more offline options and the new game mode squads.

Published 1 hour ago by Spencer Sutter

Surrounding Yourself With Creativity

One of the best things you can do if you want to be a creative person is surround yourself with creativity; of course, when many people think of being a “creative person,” they think of someone working in the arts – creating something for the consumption of others – but being a creative person stretches much further than this, as creativity can help to improve any and every area of your life.

Finding creative people who inspire you is one of the best ways to surround yourself with creativity; again, this does not just mean people in the arts (although it certainly can mean this), but it can also mean innovators, businessmen and businesswomen, and just about any other type of person you have noticed who seems to be full of creativity. And when you find such people, take the time to study them, finding out what it is that they did to get to the place where they are now, and finding out what they continue to do in order to continue progressing.

In addition to surrounding yourself with knowledge and information about creative people who inspire you, you should also surround yourself with the creative output of others; this can mean anything from movies to books to music, to thoughts people have put out that are specific to creativity itself.

And last but not least, one of the best ways by which to surround yourself with creativity is to be creative yourself; yet again, this does not just mean creativity in the arts (although it certainly can mean this!), but can also mean looking for creative ways by which you can live your life and accomplish things in your life. The more often you make an effort to engage in creative thought as you move through your life – especially as you also immerse yourself in the creativity of others – the more naturally this creativity will come to you, and the more you will find yourself leading a creative life!

  (Five Stars) Best FPS yet!
only a few small bugs but overall a great game that has many great new features. also more offline options and the new game mode squads.

Published 1 hour ago by Spencer Sutter

Growing Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are commonly passed over in peoples diets. Most of the time this is because most people are unaware of how to prepare them. However they provide a large nutritional value and a low glycemic index rating. They are high in vitamin A and C, which makes them great for meeting your daily recommended intake.

Sweet potatoes can be prepared in a variety of ways. Most people don't even realize these potatoes are on the table during thanksgiving, showing up as sweet potato pie or candied yams. Although these are great recipes, there are so many other ways to utilize this vegetable. A great book to consider purchasing that offers literally 100 different ways to prepare sweet potato is the Sweet Potato Cookbook.

When sweet potatoes are compared to regular white potatoes you will find that sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index because they have less starch and more complex carbohydrates. Making them a great alternative to white potatoes. You can make sweet potato fries easily at home by purchasing a small fryer You can add extra pop to them by shaking on a little cayenne pepper and some kosher salt. They are normally a huge hit.

A jumbo potato cutter is a definite want if you find yourself liking fries. This makes for cutting potatoes in general an easy task. Another great trick is tossing the potato in the microwave for a minute first before cutting. This leaves the sweet potato firm but not quite as rock hard.

Give sweet potatoes a chance in your kitchen. Your kids may even find that they love this sweet orange tuber.

  (Five Stars) Best FPS yet!
only a few small bugs but overall a great game that has many great new features. also more offline options and the new game mode squads.

Published 1 hour ago by Spencer Sutter

Spring Cleaning

When winter ends, you want a nice clean house to start the new year in.

But it is understandable that a full, deep house cleaning can seem like an impossible task.

Broken down into a few easy steps, though, spring cleaning can become an efficient and simple process. Cleaning high and low

The best way to get a great full-house clean is to clean from high to low.

What this means is that you should begin cleaning things up high first, and work to the floor.

For example, clean and wipe your stove and kitchen counters before you mop, so you don't end up with crumbs on your freshly cleaned floor.

Also, try working upstairs on the bedrooms and bathrooms that are generally less messy before you tackle the common living spaces downstairs.

Cleaning your windows

Throughout the fall and winter, dirt, grime, and lots of dead bugs have a tendency to accumulate in the space between your screen and the glass pane.

When spring comes, opening those windows to let in a breeze can be a shock when you find all the mess that has built up over the winter.

Cleaning the mess can seem like a huge task, but if you use the right tools, it'll be easy.

The Mr Clean Magic Eraser  is a great way to clean out those wintry windows.

It zaps the dirt and grime to away and it's easy to wipe some Windex  over over the window after to make your windows look like they're brand new.

Because of the sometimes still alive bugs and the chemicals in cleaners, it's best to wear a pair of disposable rubber gloves while you clean. Cleaning your floors

If you have pets or kids, you probably clean your floors once about once a week, so you may wonder why they need any special treatment during spring cleaning. To really give your floors a deep clean, you'll need to do things a little differently. Tile

Mopping is the only way to really clean your tile floor, and the best mixtures are bleach/water or vinegar/lemon juice/water. 

They'll both clean equally well with good mopping, but let your nose choose the mixture you use because you'll be smelling it for awhile.

Carpet

Getting carpets professionally steam cleaned is the only way to really know that all the dirt and dander trapped under the fibers is really gone.

Although you may think it's an expensive process, most local cleaners offer savings in the spring months; they'll clean a variety of rooms for one price that is discounted.

These deals will save you money and you won't have to give up on clean carpets.

They usually take a few hours to do the carpets, and you cannot walk on them until they are dry – plan accordingly.

Hopefully stress-free spring cleaning is now at your fingertips, so enjoy your results!

  (Five Stars) Best FPS yet!
only a few small bugs but overall a great game that has many great new features. also more offline options and the new game mode squads.

Published 1 hour ago by Spencer Sutter