$19 for the Sansa Clip at OfficeDepot

Great price on Sansa Clip 2gb model: $19 from OfficeDepot
http://www.officedepot.com/catalog/search.do?fkey=null&Ntt=sansa+clip+2gb

Sansa Clip plays mp3 and wma files, works with Audible and Overdrive books, features an FM player and recorder, and offers a voice recorder to boot.

Canon is the consumer's friend

The sensor on my Canon Powershot A40 went bad. Even though it was out of warranty by a couple of years, Canon sent me a replacement camera with a good sensor at no charge and even paid to return it to me by Fedex 2-day air.

I love that Canon stands behind their products. Because of this, my next digital camera will be a Canon.

Great deal on the Sansa Clip

Buy.com is having a great deal on reconditioned 1 GB Sansa Clips. Note that no documentation is included but you can find that online.

http://www.buy.com/prod/sandisk-sansa-clip-mp3-player-1gb-recertified/q/loc/111/210490112.html?adid=17654&dcaid=17654

DVDPlay--Better for new video releases

My new video fave is DVDPlay, video rental boxes that are now appearing in Genuardis (part of the Safeway grocery store chain). The boxes are winning me over on two fronts: price ($1.49, except for a special 99 cent price on Mondays) and selection (so far I haven't been shut out of renting any new releases).

I left out one other advantage--convenience. I'm at Genuardis all the time as the designated food shopper in my household. Combining video rentals with my food shopping saves time and gas.

Check out if there's a location near you:
dvdplay.com

Jimbo

Blockbuster back in the game!

Blockbuster, which had been turning into an also ran, has a compelling new offering: Blockbuster Total Access.

Like Netflix, you can order and receive movies by mail at Blockbuster. The twist is you can return your mailer to the store and get a free movie. Effectively, this doubles the amount of movies you receive. In addition, the store immediately logs in your movie as returned, signalling the online service to send your next movie. If that weren't enough, each month you also get a coupon for a free movie or game.

Netflix has an incredible selection but new, popular movies are often waitlisted. With Blockbuster, those movies are often available in the store. So you can you use a two-fold strategy with Blockbuster. Use the online service for more obscure titles and the free, in-store movies to get the latest blockbusters.

Netflix is countering with a new service that will allow you to stream movies to your computer. That's innovative, but who wants to watch a movie on their computer?

Jimbo

Panasonic Showstopper: TiVo-like capabilities without the subscription

I'm a long-time TiVo user. I thought my wife would like DVR capabilities, but I didn't want to shell out for another monthly subscription. (My brother says these nickel and dime payments are the bane of modern existence, so he keeps them to a bare minimum--including watching only broadcast TV. But I digress).

My solution: purchasing a Panasonic Showstopper on Ebay. These units do not require a monthly subscription. They usually go for between $100 and $150. I upgraded the hard drive using an external USB hard drive case and this software, RTVPatch W2K GUI. I also downloaded an image file (Showstopper&replay30xximage3.02.zip) from www.replaytvupgrade.com/ This approach meant I didn't have to monkey around inside my computer.

In short order, I had a no-subscription DVR for about $200.

Wendy's frescata club: the reviews are in

Apparently, I'm not the only one who's a fan of Wendy's frescata sandwiches.

Check out these blog reviews;

• Tales from the Dorkside: The new Wendy's Frescata Club sandwich is really good (May 8 entry).
  
  
• NCP Authors blog: I tried the new ham and swiss Frescata sandwich at Wendy’s and loved it.
  
  
• Savory Notebook: My oldest son tried one of their new Frescata sandwiches and I asked him for a bite. It was actually pretty good! He tried the Roasted Turkey and Basil Pesto Frescata.
  
  
• Health Hacks: I was literally shocked at how good the taste was (April 3 entry).
  
  
• Anna's blog: I can’t get enough of their Frescata Club sandwich! I’ve had it 3 times in 2 weeks now! (April 20 entry).

fast food

Wendy's Frescata Club

It had been about ten years since the last time I stepped into a Wendy's fast-food restaurant. I was no longer enamored with the burger and fries experience.

But recently I was intrigued by the new Frescata line-up of sandwiches. Today, I ordered a Frescata Club sandwich, and I was really impressed. I topped it off with a baked potato and a Dasani water. All for a little over $5.

Thanks, Wendy's. I'll be back.

Frescata club

fast food