GPS, the initials for Global Positioning System, was technology that was originally developed for the US Armed Forces It is a United States global navigation satellite system, providing reliable positioning, navigation, and timing services for world wide users continually, regardless of the time and weather conditions anywhere on or near our planet. There are three part to the GPS system: twenty-four to thirty-two satellites in Medium Earth Orbit, four monitoring and control stations here on Earth, and the navigation devices, themselves. GPS satellites send signals from space that the GPS devices, or receivers use to provide three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude), as well as the time. GPS is now a very widely used navigation aid around the world, and is also a very useful tool for map-making, scientific uses, tracking and surveillance, land surveying, commerce and hobbies. Furthermore, the very precise time reference is included in many applications like the study of earthquakes and for synchronizing the time on cellular networks. GPS has become indispensable for transportation systems globally, as a provider of navigation for aviation, ground, and maritime operations. GPS provides important location information for emergency services like search and rescue and disaster relief. GPS provides accurate time for everyday business and industrial functions, such as mobile phone operations, power grids and even banking. The accurate, free, and constantly reliable signal from GPS have increased both safety and production in many areas of activity around the globe. GPS units that used to be so expensive that only the military could use them have come way down in price over the years, and have gone WAY up in quality. Today, you can buy very reliable, light weight and ever portable GPS units manufactured in China for a fraction of what they cost only a few years ago, and with little of the bulk of originals. Because of trade regulations, the Chinese manufacturers and wholesalers cannot sell or recommend maps for the US market, but savvy users have quickly discovered that the IGo8 system as used in TomTom, Magellan and Route 66 works well on these Chinese GPS units, and, in fact, that the units work exceptionally well for the price. The Chinese manufacturers also are very helpful in providing support and excellent explanations of how to load the software, so these make a very good, reliable and economical choice for the average user.

This fully portable DVD and CD burning drive is the simplest way to add optical disc burning capability to your existing desktop or notebook computer. Great news for those out there with older computers or those who have bought new netbooks or mini laptops only to find they don't have an optical drive to burn files and back up their system externally. This new slim, lightweight and durable form-factor drive will mean you can easily carry it around and you'll barely notice it in your notebook bag. This is a simple plug and play device for Windows computers that reads and writes all of todays DVD and CD disc types. To use this drive, simply plug in the supplied USB cable and it'll power up and it's ready to go. As a smartly designed additional feature, an external power supply is also included for the drive should you find that too many USB devices have reduced your computers speed. Don't lose your data by forgetting to back it up. Optical disks give you multiple gigabytes of storage at an unbelievably low price per disk. Just think how depressed you would be if you lost the last few years of digital pictures currently on your computer. And given the current tougher economy, why not stay home and treat yourself right on your next holiday by doing some upgrades to your existing equipment, with a little TLC, that existing computer can easily get another year of service for you. At a Glance... * Portable sized DVD-R/RW and CD-R/RW optical disc drive * High-speed USB 2.0 reader and writer - great for backing up data as well as playing discs

There's nothing like a vintage manual camera without all the bells and whistles of the modern Auto Focus Single Lens Reflex (SLR) film cameras or the even newer Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR)cameras. The new cameras can perform all manner of fancy functions, and if you read the hundred page manuals, can produce professional results for amateur photographers with litle effort. However, if you drop a new camera, or if you get it damp, or if one of the little plastic pins that hold the gears for auto focus or aperture breaks off (and the list goes on and on), your camera will likely no longer function. And if the battery goes dead, your camera is totally dead! With a vintage manual camera, like the Asahi Pentax K1000, you pretty much have to run over your camera with a tank to make it stop functioning, and it will give you reliable service in all conditions for YEARS without special treatment. If the battery happens to go dead, you can do like anyone who is used to his MANUAL camera, and accurately set the aperture from experience. I have taken many excellent pictures this way WITHOUT a light meter. An original Asahi Pentax K1000 from the late 1970s is a very desirable and well built camera, that was built in Japan by Asahi Optical Company (Asahi Kogaku), before the manufacturing of the famous K1000 was moved to several other countries (and the ASAHI label was removed). These earlier, solider, members of the K1000 family are what many experienced photographers still look for for backup and back country cameras. These are STILL the back bone of photography classes in schools. What makes the K1000 so unique is it's simplicity. While everyone else during this time period was adding all the bells and whistles of auto-focus, programming, electronics, etc., the Asahi Pentax K1000 continued to be built with the ability to function well with NO battery at all. The only reason for using a battery in the K1000 is to operate the light meter, making it virtually foolproof in the field, with very, very little that could go wrong with it! The Asahi Pentax K1000 (later marked the Pentax K1000) is a great camera for beginners, students, and serious photographers who love to have full control over all aspects of their art. It uses the K-mount lens, which offers tremendous options for a wide variety of other choices. It uses a horizontal travel, cloth focal plane shutter made of rubberized silk, with a speed range of 1 second to 1/1000 of a second and B (bulb), with a flash X-sync of 1/64 of a second. It is finished in black leather body with chrome top, bottom and lens mount. The K1000 is almost all metal, mechanically controlled with springs, gears and levers, instead of chips, wires and led screens, and is a manual focus SLR with manual exposure control. It is fully operable WITHOUT batteries. It needs one LR44 or equivalent only for the light meter, with is a simple center-the-needle galvanometer needle pointer that moves up and down between a + and - visible vertically at the right side of the viewfinder. Note that this meter does not have an on/off switch, so the lens needs to be covered when not in use, or the battery needs to be removed. To some, this might sound like a silly design flaw, but the reality is, switches can break, and the K1000 left it out, making it even more foolproof. Personally, I would recommend that anyone using a manual camera like the K1000 should get a hand held meter and never even put a battery in this camera! You just can't go wrong that way! Furthermore, once you get used to your camera, you can learn to take great pictures without a light meter. It's not difficult and a lot of fun.