Epinions Recent Reviews for 3rdalarm

I Know the Best When I See It

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:48:28 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - I have always been a PC affectionado. I have never wanted much to do with Apple's color-coordinated computers and music systems with proprietary files. On the other hand, I know efficiency, power, and grace when I see it. Apple's...

Best Case for the Iphone

Wed, 9 Sep 2009 16:32:48 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - While I love the iphone, including its sleek, sexy body and wide screen, it is simply too expensive and fragile to go around naked. There are no repair/damage contracts available for iphones, only extended warranty to cover the battery/internal...

Camera for the Real World

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:01:33 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - I held the camera a few inches off the water and snapped some shots of my daughter splashing on her float. "Aren't you worried about dropping that?" said the gentleman next to me." I smiled and said, "Nope," and went on to extole our new...

Get Lost in Style

Mon, 18 May 2009 10:23:39 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - First, some background. I am a 15-year volunteer FF, EMT, Water Rescue Team Leader. I have been using GPS units since about 2001 and have extensive experience in maps and geographic information systems. I use GPS units for search...

A Friend In Need

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 17:26:36 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - I purchased 2 GARMIN RINO 130's and 6 GARMIN RINO 120's for my swiftwater rescue team. I purchased these for several reasons. 1. Reviews - these units got great online reviews as being durable, accurate units. Many soldiers deployed in the middle...

"Truth, Justice, and the Freedom Force Way!"

Fri, 17 May 2002 11:12:42 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - Comic book heroes coming to the PC have had a rough road to travel. Several projects have been planned and canceled for an anticipated “lack of audience”. Perhaps designers felt they lacked a flexible environment in which to place such heroes...

"This is My Rifle, This is My Gun..."

Thu, 16 May 2002 16:27:47 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - Tactical shooters took the industry by surprise a few years ago. Rainbow Six, with its realistic weapons, single shot kills, lack of power-ups and health packs, and deadly accurate enemy converted a following that decided real is better. Red...

Let your Left Hand Evolve

Fri, 30 Nov 2001 15:34:21 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - The PC keyboard has always been a blessing and a curse for PC gamers. It was never really designed to move secret agents through hallways, or simulate the cockpit of the latest stealth fighter, was it? Yet, it has survived because PC gamers are...

Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! Platinum 5.1 Sound Card: Play it Again, Soundblaster

Tue, 27 Nov 2001 16:12:44 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - While buying components for the computer system I was building, I was very impressed with the Soundblaster Live! 5.1 Platinum kit. I have used Creative products for some time in the systems I have built and repaired over the years. While...

Lock & Load

Mon, 26 Nov 2001 16:24:38 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - Most sequels get thinner with age, substituting flash for plot and style. Interplay’s Fallout series seems to be an exception. The original Fallout was hailed as the unofficial sequel to Wasteland, an 80’s vintage RPG with...

Digital Dream Machine

Mon, 30 Jul 2001 15:52:29 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - I’ve always been a bit of a camera buff. I took a black & white course in college with my trusty SLR and loved processing my own images. I graduated to a 32 bit Nikon flatbed scanner, a decent color desktop, and a current version of...

"Is That Bacon I Smell?"

Fri, 13 Jul 2001 10:08:35 GMT
rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm -

Well, no, maybe not bacon, but perhaps something fishy. I knew something was wrong only a few minutes after installing Half Life: Blue Shift.

Following a similar trend that Red Storm tried with Rainbow Six: Covert...

Tough Enough

Tue, 10 Jul 2001 12:11:13 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - Last year, our county furnished all the career and volunteer rescue companies with a DeWalt DW938 reciprocating saw, or as some know it, a “sawsall”. Granted, most people will not use this tool in the ways we do at the fire department, but it...

"Honestly, Honey...I Only Go For the Wings!"

Thu, 28 Jun 2001 17:45:32 GMT
rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - For the incredibly sheltered, Hooters is a chain restaurant/bar featuring attractive waitresses in half tops and short-shorts. If you need to have it explained to you that "hooters" is slang for breasts, than you should not be eating outside...

"Look Alive, Soldier!"

Fri, 11 May 2001 11:08:38 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - The original Army Men game was introduced on the PC several years ago. I recall the nifty packaging that featured two real plastic soldiers bundled with it. The game was a fun little romp, but was troubled by awkward controls and silly AI...

Nice Doggy!

Fri, 20 Apr 2001 11:48:22 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - Someone once said that "diplomacy" is the art of saying "Niiiiiice doggy," while reaching for a rock. If you tried that against a Red Dog tank, you would find yourself blasted to kingdom come. No negotiations here, just a flashy, stylish...

Get Lost!

Tue, 27 Feb 2001 20:48:56 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - I have considered purchasing a GPS unit for some time. I thought it would be handy for mountain biking, hiking, occasional boating, and for Search & Rescue operations with my volunteer fire department. After reading some articles about geocaching, I...

Keeping in Touch

Sun, 25 Feb 2001 16:20:25 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - I recently replaced my ancient cellular phones for my wife and I with current service. I was looking for a convenient, casual use phone, primarily to keep in touch with my wife. My work suggested a Family Talk plan with Cingular...

The Best Biking in Baltimore

Fri, 5 Jan 2001 18:11:03 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - I grew up, and still live, less than 2 miles from the Patapsco Valley State Park. As a Cub Scout, we hiked many trails, and did many projects in this beautiful valley. The area is rich with history and connections to Baltimore and nearby...

Save Your Bottom and Your Pride

Fri, 5 Jan 2001 12:40:42 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - Even though I am only an occasional, intermediate mountain bike rider, I do tend towards some rough trails. I had heard reports in the past about a link between cyclists and male impotence due to pressure on the nerves and blood vessels in the perineum...

"It's Good to be King"

Fri, 5 Jan 2001 11:48:07 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - Pharaoh is an intriguing city/civilization planning games by Sierra. It plays very much like Caesar III, also by Sierra, but this is more than a simple case of switching tile sets. Personally, I find ancient Egypt an...

Gun Control Means Hitting Your Target

Sat, 30 Dec 2000 12:19:43 GMT
rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - I have closely followed the Rainbow Six series from its inception on the PC. I have spent many hours stalking terrorists in Rainbow Six, Eagle Watch, Rogue Spear, Covert Ops, and Essentials. I knew full well that...

The Nerd and the Floozie

Wed, 20 Dec 2000 18:31:28 GMT
rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - From reading the movie jacket, Boys and Girls sounded a lot like When Harry Met Sally, a movie that my wife and I both enjoy. In the sense that the two main characters kept bumping into one another while growing up, this was true, but...

Escape from Monkey Island for Windows, Mac: "Look, a Three-Headed Monkey!"

Fri, 15 Dec 2000 16:43:42 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - In a recent series of articles, PC Gamer magazine interviewed some of the authors of some past great adventure software, such as Al Lowe of Leisure Suit Larry series fame. Most had a similar resigned opinion - that today's market did not...

More Meat Here

Fri, 15 Dec 2000 15:12:15 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author 3rdalarm - My coworkers and I have been delving into a more sophisticated business lunch at the frequency of about twice a week. While more expensive than fast food and deli fare, it is certainly nice to take an hour break and sit down to a nice lunch, which,...