Good concept, perhaps poor execution
928933
We got this gate to keep our Siberian Husky out of the area where our cats' food/water/litter boxes are... Unfortunately, the dog has a taste for kitty kibble and "almond roca" (aka litter-covered feces). This gate was fairly easy to put together. The cats are able to get through (though we consistently have to make sure the door doesn't close when we close the gate - easily remedied if we want to take the time to remove the kitty door completely). The gate worked exactly as intended. However, we've only had it about 4 months now, and the locking mechanism gets stuck and won't pop back out for several seconds. Really frustrating if you're trying to close the gate securely behind you. Additionally, the product didn't match what was pictured by some other buyers, which of course raises some red flags.
181970
Love the concept, but the product needs more development.

Pros:
When it works it's fantastic
Decent daylight picture
Good audio

Cons:
The included screws strip almost instantly
Requires older Wifi, it doesn't work with N or AC WiFi (I hope you have a dual band router)
Lag time - there can be 30sec between the chime and the alert on your phone
Poor low light picture
Can't view the camera at will

Overall:
I will be replacing this with a Dropcam.  Maybe someday Doorbot will be ready.
101566
Good idea, poor execution.  The list only displays 3-4 items per page.  If I only had 3-4 items to remember, I wouldn't need a list.  I prefer seeing the whole list on one sheet.  Haven't found a way to reduce the font size to get more items on the screen.  The touch-screen keyboard is primitive and drives me nuts.  It's slow to respond and could really use arrow keys to move left/right within the text because it's so easy to tap the wrong letter key, which then requires "target practice" to re-position the cursor, or erasing the whole line.  Not keeping this on my Kindle.
3536964
I like the idea of this pannier but regret that it sometimes fails in execution.  Heres my observations after testing this bag.

PROS

1) Creative idea  Safety for my phone, twice as much room in this bag as in my under-the-seat bag, and reinforced opening for a cable to listen to music or podcasts while I ride.

2 ) Safety for my phone.  Im sure that my phone will not be released suddenly, and I like the padding under the phone when its in place.

3) Storage space  lost of room in the bag for tools, Kleenex, keys, sun glasses. Maybe even a spare inner tube.

CONS

1) Stitching  Not as good as it should be for and item that will be subjected to the stresses of unavoidable pot holes, unexpected stops, and all the other things that can and will happen to bike riders.  Threads were sticking out, zippers not double-stitched.

2) Slides around the top bar, sometimes on one side, sometimes on the other  Annoying.

3) Needs more padding in the bottom and sides  the phone is not the only thing that requires protection.

THREE STARS!

Sample provided for impartial review.
2814988
The concept is simple:  A docking station that allows you to plug multiple devices into one power outlet to charge them.  There are a lot of great reasons for this.  You can keep your mobile devices in one place (no more, "Where's my phone?" before leaving in the morning) and you don't have to hunt down those USB cables all the time.  I love this idea and was excited to receive this charging station.

Unfortunately, the execution of the concept is not so great.  I have found that devices often do not charge because of a loose connection.  Understand that when I say loose connection I mean that if the station is bumped ever so slightly, that will be enough to cause a loose connection.  This has been more of a hassle than its worth.

I would love to see this product improved so that I could trust it to charge my devices all the time.  Until then, the loose connections make this a no go for me.
1680814
3.75 stars: Excellent design concept (5 stars), but needs a little fine tuning to be a quality product (2.5 stars).

I really enjoy this new pencil case. The rolls have been frustrating for me because of how much room they need when opened and how frustrating it is for me to close them. This book-like storage case displays what I need, when I need it. It will be easier to travel with since I can open it up, grab what I need, fold it closed and tuck to my side. Much easier in those tiny airplane seats! Or the small shared space in a class, or the many places that you just cant spread out fully without causing yourself or another minor upset.

My frustrations with the product are the pencil tip cover and the quality of material and workmanship. After I use it for a while, I will likely rip out the seams in the pencil tip cover. It makes me a little twitchy that the pencils are not all parallel. (yeah, I know, visit the self-help section next!)

The quality of the material and assembly has room for improvement, but I am rather fussy so it might not bother someone else. I have a nice canvas pencil roll (Bianyo) and the construction of it is superior to this E'Plaza 72 Inserting Canvas Sketching Drawing Pencil Wrap Pouch Roll Up Case Holder Storage Bag (b) My pencil storage books stitching on the corners is sloppy, causing the corners to curl. The pencil tip cover is stitched into the edges, making it snug on the outside edges but in the middle is a pleat to allow more room; it doesnt line up nicely with the elastic loops so the pencils are askew. The fabric feels cheap, the elastic is thin but sufficient, and the velcro has very little grip, which will make it easy to open for people who have issues that limit their dexterity. The plain elastic band and velcro pieces were not cut (crooked) or sewn (misaligned) with any attention to detail and the raw edges are already unraveling after a few evenings of use.

Pro:
-Great design concept!
-Book-like design, I like to flip the page rather than pull the roll(s) this way and that way.
-Has a smaller footprint when in use compared to the pencil rolls; I don't take up the whole table with my pencils.
-Square shape packs up in bag along with other rectangular items like books and sketch pads.
-Stacks nicely with coloring books when put up for the night, no fussing to roll and snap correctly.
-Velcro is easier to figure out than the fancy closure methods on the rolls (I have never figured the roll snap closures out, even after watching videos.)
-Elastic loops are not so small that they limit the case to only pencils.
-Two pencils can fit snugly in one loop; three if you want to push it, but that is the max.
-Count 73 pencil slots and 1 more slot that is much wider
-Case is lightly padded for a little cushion, but not excessively adding bulk.
I- don't necessarily have to open the case if I want to pull out a pen or pencil

Con:
-Cheap materials, poor workmanship
-Fabric doesnt have a nice canvas feel; feels more plastic and cheap
-Binding on the edges is low quality material
-Binding was not sewn with much care and is sloppy in a few places
-Brown binding with black?!!? (Okay, I chose it for function over fashion anyway.)
-Pencil tip cover is stitched down in the middle but doesnt line up with pencils which causes cockeyed alignment and for me that is visually distracting
-Elastic loops are a little loose in a few places and that allows a few pencils to slip out if I am not careful of how I pick it up or store it.

For what it cost ($14.99), I am satisfied and happy with the product.
4830888
I was not satisfied with my current approach to getting amazon reviews. So, I got this book to try something different. The idea itself is a good one, and I think it would be an effective one too, (I won't give away the farm, so to speak, though others already have.), though I wonder if it would fit within amazon's policies. Aside from the fact the book delivers, I found the writing awkward at times, somewhat repetitive, and abundant with self-promotion. The formatting of the book also had issues. I found myself having to "work my way through it" to get at the nuggets--and admittedly, there are some nuggets to be mined. If you're looking for a fresh approach to getting reviews, but don't mind having to do a little work to glean it, then give this book a read.
4319025
I was really pleased when I bought this clock radio, it seemed a really good deal for the money.  And it would be, if it all worked as it was supposed to.

First the good: It comes with the time already set, and a battery installed to keep the clock running.  All you have to do is set a switch to which time zone you are in, and whether it's daylight savings time or not.  As long as you're in the Continental U.S., that's a breeze!  It has dual alarms which is handy too.  The display is easy to read, even through groggy half-asleep eyes.

The bad: The controls for turning on and off the alarms are very different in the way they operate from typical clock radios.  That means there's a bit of a learning curve in figuring out how they work.  However, once you get it down, it's not too bad.  A bigger problem is that there's supposed to be a feature that gradually increases the radio volume when the alarm goes off, so as to wake you somewhat gradually rather than blasting you all of a sudden.  To do this, there must be some temporary "override" of the volume that you've set on the dial.  That worked for about three days on the unit I received, and then the volume control became completely non-functional.  When you turn on the radio, or when it turns on due as a function of the alarm, it's at FULL VOLUME.  The volume control doesn't do anything and there is no way to set the volume to anything below deafening.  I find this extremely annoying and disappointing, but I hardly thought it was worth packing a $13 product up and shipping it back and forth, so I didn't bother.  Anyway, it indicates poor quality control or perhaps poor design to me.  As a result, I'd recommend you consider alternatives which may be less problematic.
930140
This is a fascinating set and a good concept. My twin boys, who are about to turn nine, have had a great time assembling it, and my six-year-old son has enjoyed being a "helper," getting pieces ready. It's complicated enough to require concentration, but the instructions are clear enough that it is doable. Kids who lack good visual-spacial sense will probably struggle at times. In terms of the final product, it's more delicate than I had anticipated. Even carefully put together, with all the connectors snug, the track is very wobbly. And we've found that the roller coaster car often doesn't make it all the way around the track. The other big issue is that our motor didn't work, so when we got all set up, we couldn't fully use the set. I'm hoping the company will rectify the issue. If not, that will quickly downgrade the review to 1 or 2 stars. But this is a fun idea, and the execution is good enough to make it a fun option for kids with interest in building.
4420214
The concept of this device is commendable, but the final results are less than stellar.  I purchased this device hoping to scale the image up better than the Wii's normal RCA plugs.  Though the image did look cleaner, there is a noticeable amount of screen tearing.  For me the biggest complaint would be the audio.  From the moment you turn on your Wii and the opening audio comes on the sound is noticeably louder than it should be and very distorted as if you just blew out the speakers.  You will notice this on every startup screen for apps and games that you activate.

I have owned this product since September of 2013, and have retired it in favor of using the component cables I recently purchased.

The Wii is not a HD system, and as great as the idea was to try and upscale the quality to 720/1080p sometimes its better to leave well enough alone.
2965527
This book has some very interesting elements. I love the concept, but the execution is lacking. Things that bothered me:

1. The relationship between the two main characters runs way too smoothly. They never have a fight. Brishen appreciates everything that Ildiko does. They get along wonderfully despite the fact that they are supposed to be from wildly different cultures and not even initially attracted to each other. It didn't ring true for me. Way to much telling us they are from different cultures--not enough showing.

2. Brishen is too affectionate for a man who is not attracted to his wife. He's a good guy, so he would treat her with respect--fair enough--but from the beginning he is touching and hugging and kissing her. Don't tell us he's not attracted and then make his act as though he is.

3. Ildiko is way too good at adapting to a culture where she is generally despised. We are told she has little understanding of the culture, but every step she makes is right. She is still learning the language, but she uses it perfectly. Is the culture really so different? Show. Don't tell.

4. Brishen's mother is supposed to be the horrible, wildly dangerous person, yet Ildiko gets away virtually unscathed with being mouthy and rude. The general impression that leaves is that the mother is just a spiteful old cat without claws. To be honest, right up until the epilogue, I couldn't see what all the fuss was about. Even her sins against Brishen did not seem sufficient to justify his hatred--his alienation, yes, but not his active hatred. Generally children are not so completely alienated that easily from their parents. I think more explanation was needed--or even better some internal conflict. Why wouldn't Brishen want to hope his mother could be better than she is?

5. Too much gratuitous description of sex. I accept that this may be a matter of taste, but having the bulk of a chapter committed to this sort of thing does not add anything to the book for me.

Overall, I wish there had been more showing of conflict and less telling of it.
752262
I have a small home at the moment and anything that can make organization more effective is a positive thing for me. I've never tried a broom organizer before, but I figured I have enough mops/ swiffers/ brooms/ and other floor cleaning tools to fill it up, so I may as well try and use one. I'm on the edge with this product. I really want to like it, because it's a great concept- but it just wasn't up to the standard I'd hoped it'd be.

The set comes with mounting accessories, which are relatively self-explanatory. It's not a big project, but you're going to need some kind of screw gun in order to mount this to your wall. Depending on the weight of the items you intend to hang, you may also want to try to find a stud. I have very light-weight brooms and mops- so I wasn't too worried about it. On the other hand if you're hanging something like rakes and shovels, you're going to want it to be on a sturdier surface. I placed both of these items in a little utility closet and they certainly did help organize everything and make things a lot more accessible and appealing to look at. It took me about 15 minutes to install both of these to the sides of the wall of my utility closet. Once installed they stayed put really well.

The mop/broom holder works with a spring actioned level that keeps the handles of different items in place. This is great because even items without a round handle on the edge (just a pole for a handle) can be hung with this. On the other hand, I feel like over time this will wear out and some of the areas will become too 'loose' to properly hold things in place. Right now, with only a week of use, they are holding up well though. I'll have to come back and edit this review in the future with as to whether or not they've held up over time. They're also a bit hard to clean. If you're keeping this in a dusty area or using it with grimy or dirty mops/ brooms/ etc., then be forewarned that this is going to be a bit difficult to keep hygenic. I try to keep things relatively clean and this just wasn't meant to be washed. There are too many small crevices and places for germs and dirt to hide. This downgraded the rating a star from me, and was my biggest issue with the set.

The plastic bag holder is actually great and easy to clean. It's made of a smooth plastic. I've never used a product like this before, but I'm definitely a fan. We keep plastic bags and use them for a ton of things (doggie poo bags, trash bags, yard sale bags, etc.). So having a nice place to easily organize them is very handy. I'm definitely a bigger fan of the plastic bag holder than the mop holder. It was worth the set for me.

I like this set, I do- but it's a little inconvenient to install and the mop/broom holder is difficult to clean. With that being said, they do look nice. The mop/broom holder is holding things in place good, so far. The plastic bag holder works great and is definitely what I needed. It'd make a great housewarming gift, wedding gift, or organizing tool for people like myself who are tired of mops and brooms stacked in the corner and plastic bags everywhere.
4487926
I love the idea of having only a few cards in my wallet and this wallet seemed like a greet idea...use your thumb to push out the most used card and easily pull out the other 3 cards from their respective pocket.

That said, when I first loaded my with 4 cards (one in the front push pocket) everything seemed perfect. for about a week, I was able to use my thumb to simply push the front card out for use and that was great. The other cards required a pinch with my fingers and then they seemed to come out easily.
However, after the first few weeks, the leather of the wallet became a little less smooth and that has resulted in the cards getting more difficult to push or pull out. I've tried a bit of powder in the front pocket where I push, and that seems to have made a difference, but the remaining 3 pockets are still tacky making it hard to remove the cards in those pockets.

I'm going to give it some more time to see if it gets better or worse. Right now, I'm not recommending purchase.
If I decide to move on, I will go back to the Distil Union which I have used and works perfectly.
2067508
This is a great idea that would be better if it actually had a way to put in a three-ring binder instead of being a separate thing to tote around. I don't know why it claims that in the description, but it isn't there, as is clearly seen (or not seen, more like) in the pictures. I also don't know where these so-called "adjustable corners" are as mine does not have those either. However, I do like that it has two "ledges" so there are different angles for the right tilt, plus the storage are for a stylus, pens, pencils and other various doo-dads. I found it doesn't work very well with my 7" tablet sitting vertically, as it has a tendency to slip down, but no problem horizontally, unless I bump it. The stickers used on the case are terrible. They leave residue and even when I used Goo Gone, I had to really scrub at it and I ended up with a huge mess. That didn't make me happy. As it stands, this is over-priced and I really don't like the thought of spending $15 and not getting the color I want, or the product described, for that matter. Work out the kinks, let me choose my own color (for the record I got the grey, which is really boring, but will go with most anything), and then we'll talk. As of right now, I really don't recommend unless you know exactly what you're getting for a cheaper price.
4886975
On the plus side, the concept of the novel is great. On top of that, the author definitely knows how to turn a clever phrase. A few of his lines had me bursting out laughing. For me though, there were also weak points. Too much of the story was devoted to a sub-plot whose relevance to the overall story was never very clear. Also, some characters were well-defined but others, most notably the prophets (or are they gods?) were overly bland and basically interchangeable (with the minor, superficial exception of Krishna). I don't think it's fair to criticize the book on theological grounds - that would be missing the point. So I'm more than happy to allow the author more fudging than fleshing out of doctrinal & philosophical differences among the religions & their teachers. But purely on the level of character depiction I found the prophets disappointingly weak & generic. Finally, towards the end the whole thing became kind of preachy.

It's a tough trick to strike a good balance between off beat humor and serious social & religious criticism in a single work. In the end, I felt like Oliver Benjamin gave it a good effort but didn't quite manage to pull it off.
2899361
The idea is great but not satisfactorily implemented for my particular needs.  This newer model seems to be built reasonably well for the price, although I can't comment on the longevity since I'm returning it after just a few uses.  I found the following to be issues for me:
-- Too bright too quickly (the dealbreaker for me): This is very subjective but it gets too bright too quickly for me, even at the 60 min (highest) setting.  The 30 setting was linear but too fast and the 60 setting *seemed* (as I did not follow up with later verification) to have a sudden uptick in brightness, as if the sun just came up over the horizon.  My main complaint here is that there is not enough lower-intensity ramp up time.  Again, this is subjective on my part, based on my specific needs which weren't being met in this case.  I didn't verify this perception with a light intensity meter.
-- Low volume "warbling" sound in speaker:  This could have been a defect in my particular unit.  From a technical view, it sounded lime poor power supply filtering.  This artifact manifested only when the alarm button was enabled.  After about a 1-2 second delay, a low whirring sound could be heard from over 6 feet away with good hearing.  If the clock is far enough away or your hearing around 200 Hz is not too good, it may not be objectionable.  I called customer service on this and in all fairness they said they had not heard of this complaint before.  The person did seem to be genuinely surprised so it may have been a genuine defect and not respective of other units.  I am inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt on this issue.
-- Size of Clock Digits:  The size of the digits is too small for my almost 60-year old eyes.
-- Clock dimming feature:  The clock only dims when the alarm button has been activated.  The brightness cannot be adjusted otherwise.
-- Sleep Sounds:  I only tried the ocean surf sound.  What I found is that it was too loud on the lowest setting.  Over time I could have adapted to that.  However the unique portion of the recording was so short that I found I was caught in a "brain loop", like anticipating when the scratched part of a record would come around again for the skip.  Very subjective on my part and may not be an issue for others.  If I had chosen to keep the unit, I would have just disabled the sleep sounds.

Otherwise, the unit seems well-built.  The customer service person was very patient and congenial.  If you like a faster, bright sunrise, this clock may be for you.
1467964
Great concept, questionable execution. As many have already said, the editing is non-existent and the writing is questionable. But if you're a KU member already you can borrow it at no additional cost. And at that price it's worth taking a chance on and I'm glad I did.

FWIW, I've read all the books in the series released to date and I just borrowed the recently released prequel. If it helps, the writing does improve and I'm pretty sure an editor at least looked at most of the later books.