Best Stuff for Men » Tech

How to Get a Good Discount On Perry Ellis Men’s Clothing and Accessories

ECJ — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:48:30 +0000

Getting a good discount at Perry Ellis online right now is pretty simple. Just click the link below. Perry Ellis is one of the most popular and stylish men’s clothing brands, known for well-made, innovative menswear. It will fit your active lifestyle and help you look sharp.

Just use the link here to shop and save money…

=> Click here to shop the PerryEllis.com semi-annual suit sale; get suits starting at just $119.48, plus additional savings on shirts and ties. Ends March 27.

Click to get this Plaid Scarf from Perry Ellis at 50% off

At left is one of the men’s accessory items you can find at Perry Ellis — a Plaid Scarf in warm tones of black and brown. This scarf normally goes for $40, but shop right now and you’ll get it for $19.99.

Perry Ellis’s “brother” brand, Original Penguin, is also offering good deals on men’s active-wear and casual clothing. Get 30% off using code OPSALE30 at checkout at Original Penguin. Shop shirts, ties, hats, shoes, and more. This 30% discount is good online only and ends March 30, so click the link to check it.

Perry Ellis Men’s Shirts

Perry Ellis is known for quintessentially-American men’s shirts — dress shirts and casual shirts. You can get an extra 40% off now on well-made Portfolio shirts for the office — 100% cotton in solid colors. Most are priced at $50 – $60, so you’ll be getting them now for around $30 or less. This is a good chance to stock up! Click the blue Perry Ellis text link above to get my special affiliate-only additional 40% off using code PRPE40AF.

Much More Than Shirts — Suits, Jeans, Shoes, Etc. — A Complete Men’s Clothing Store Online

Of course, Perry Ellis carries a complete line of all types of men’s clothing and accessories, so you can shop for coats and sweaters, stylish blazers, ties, jeans, dress pants, underwear, shoes, slippers, socks, belts, cufflinks, sunglasses, wallets, watches, suits, resort wear, and more. (Check the video below to see examples of what’s new from Perry Ellis.)

Perry Ellis currently has savings of 30% off all watches when you use coupon code WATCHES30 at checkout.

Women’s Clothes at Perry Ellis, too (plus Rafaella)

But what’s more, Perry Ellis does not just sell men’s clothes and accessories on their site. They also offer something for women: swimwear! Now, you may debate the merits of buying a swimsuit in winter — unless you’re traveling to Mexico or Hawaii, in which case it’s important — but I don’t think a guy would ever argue with the wisdom of a woman having plenty of bikinis and beachwear. So, click here to get 50% off all Perry Ellis swimwear using code PESWIM50.

And if you’ve got a gal pal (or you are a gal) who wants to shop for additional women’s clothes at good prices, go to the site of Perry Ellis’s sister company, Rafaella Sportswear, where you can get everything on the site at 35% off for a limited time, no code needed. Tell your fashionista buddies about this sale.

Or, if that 35% site-wide deal at Rafaella as expired, you can still get all dresses for $39.00 at Rafaella Sportswear using code DRESS39AF.

Anyway, back to men…

Shop now and save on well-made men’s attire and tons of accessories from Perry Ellis. If you don’t need anything personally, does someone you know have a birthday coming up? And don’t forget Easter and Father’s Day…

I figure you would regret it if you didn’t take advantage of this sale — after all, you have to wear clothes at some point, right?

Perry Ellis on Vimeo.

Take Advantage of the 72-Hour Sale at Moosejaw to Get the Outdoor Gear You’ve Been Waiting For

ECJ — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 21:25:22 +0000

Click to get The North Face Surge Backpack on sale during the Moosejaw 72-hour sale -- and get free 2-Day shipping using code TWODAY.

Moosejaw is currently having an excellent sale on many categories of outdoor, adventure, camping, hiking, ski, snowboard, travel, and sports equipment for men (and women). This sale is only happening for 72 hours. Plus, during the sale, you’ll get free 2-Day shipping on all purchases (not just sale items). It’s a good time to shop for that outdoor gear you’ve been waiting for!

(Funny, it’s just about a week until Christmas. Do you think Moosejaw noticed? Do you think Moosejaw thinks men are shopping this weekend?)

=> Click here to shop the Moosejaw 72-hour sale now. And get FREE 2-Day shipping on any order when you use code TWODAY at checkout

Maybe you’ve been waiting to get a Hyllus Jacket from Arc’teryx — Moosejaw has certain sizes and colors on sale. Or a men’s Patagonia Torrentshell Jacket.

Or a Surge Backpack from The North Face (click here to see it, or on the photo above) — customers tend to rave about this pack.

Or a Yakima Raptor Bike Mount.

Or Smith sunglasses.

This is a BIG sale (that’s why there’s an end to it). Moosejaw is offering a lot of the best stuff for good prices for 72 hours and you should shop now to take advantage of it. Stock up on the things you’ll need for winter — and don’t forget spring and summer, which, you know, come after winter. For example, how about Bridgedale Men’s Bamboo Hiker Socks?

Take a look at the extensive customer reviews for many products on the Moosejaw site to help hone your gear selections. And even if the 72-hour sale is over, click here to see current promotions at Moosejaw — they’re always offering something.

Here’s a good one during the current sale: Sorel Men’s Caribou Boots. These are some of the better winter boots you can wear. (They have the Sorel Women’s Caribou Boot on sale, too, because, you know, women like to keep their feet warm and dry in the winter, too. If you’re interested in more about winter boots, you can click here to see my post reviewing some of the best winter boots.)

Even if you don’t find an item on sale, you can still get FREE 2-Day shipping on any purchase using code TWODAY.

Free 2-Day shipping itself is a good deal because when you order online you often don’t have to pay sales tax and, when you don’t have to pay for shipping either, it’s like getting the product for a discount anyway. Better than shopping at the mall, man.

Don’t wait to take advantage of this sale, because colors and available sizes are going fast. Moosejaw knows what they’re doing. I wouldn’t recommend them otherwise.

An Easy Place to Find Gifts for Guys Is at “Presents For Men”

ECJ — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:13:17 +0000

Are you trying to find a gift for a man who’s hard to shop for? When it comes to shopping for gifts for guys, you will certainly be able to find something suitable at Presents For Men — the UK men’s store online that features 2,000 gifts, tech gadgets, and manly accessories for men, travelers — even women. But mostly for men. Presents For Men has gathered some of the most interesting, unusual, useful, and fun gifts in one convenient place.

If you can’t find a present for a man at PresentsForMen.co.uk, then you are not online. That is a prerequisite — you must be able to get on the Internet. Presents for Men will take it from there. (Even better, see below for a special, secret deal.)

Fun Gifts for Men

Click to get a Camera Lens Cup from Presents For Men

For example, at Presents For Men, you can find a Camera Lens Cup — a mug that looks just like a camera lens, and includes a removable lens cap that doubles as a coaster. How many male photographers do you know who would enjoy a cup that looks like a lens? All of them! (If they don’t, they have no sense of humor or whimsy, so why are you hanging out with them?)

This lens looks and feels like a real lens and is insulated to keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold.

Hey, photographers get thirsty, too.

Puzzles and Games

Do you know a guy who likes to solve puzzles? Does he enjoy the challenges of things like Rubik’s Cube and Sudoku? Then what better gift to get him than a Sudokube — a 3-dimensional Sudoku game where the object is to get the numbers 1 to 9 on each face of the cube by rotating the different rows.

Click to get the Sudokube for a puzzle-solving guy

Get him a Sudokube and he will probably miss his next flight because he will be too absorbed in enjoying his new puzzle and won’t hear the boarding announcement in the terminal. He will blame you. But it will not be your fault.

Anyway, he will forget all about it after he boards the next flight out and continues to play on the plane. And the Sudokube is just £3.99! (Multiply that by 1.6 to get approximate US dollars.)

Travel Gifts

You don’t want your traveler guy getting lost, so a handy tech-related gift you can get him at Presents For Men is a Universal GPS Nav-Pack. This ingenious travel case will hold and protect his portable GPS device — and, when he wants to use it, he can set it up on the dashboard of his car so he can easily read the screen.

Get a Universal GPS Nav-Pack for your techy traveler

No more fumbling with or holding the GPS device when driving. Instead, the Universal GPS Nav-Pack will position the screen of the GPS at 3 different angles, depending on preference. And the case will not slide off the dashboard because it has a weighted base. It will hold most standard portable GPS devices 3½” and 5″ in size. The case is padded to protect his unit.

See the video below that explains the uses of the Universal GPS Nav-Pack.

You can also explore their travel-related gift store at Travel Paraphernalia for even more gift ideas related to travel.

Brilliant! Click here to get the Universal GPS Nav-Pack from Presents For Men.

I could go on listing dozens of cool, unusual gift ideas for men that are available at Presents For Men, but where would be the fun in that for you? I think you get the idea.

It will be much more fun for you to explore the site yourself and find just the right present for that man who’s hard to buy for. (You know the one I mean.) Plus, see the text link below for a special Christmas deal!

Just for your holiday-shopping ease… Click here to go to a “Secret Christmas Gift Ideas” page at Presents For Men and get 50% off everything you see there by using code SECRET50 at checkout. This is a special code that is not generally available!

The Presents For Men website has guides to Best-Selling Christmas Gifts, the latest fun products (see “New Products”), and Stocking Fillers.

Presents For Men even has an interactive “Gift Finder” that helps you find just the right present for your guy (or gal). You input the recipient (man, teen, grandparent, etc.), the price range, and an area of interest — Presents For Men then suggests many different gift ideas suitable for that person. What could be easier? You can do all this while wearing your pajamas.

They have gifts in the categories of Home, Garden, Travel, Gadgets, Fun & Games, Health & Beauty, Books, and more. They even have Clearance items on sale for ridiculously small amounts of money, so you can shop economically there, too. (If you’re shopping from the US, shipping to American addresses is not terribly expensive — starts around $18).

The Presents for Men site is laid out intelligently and is easy to navigate. It has a search function and will let you know whether items are in stock or not.

The Presents For Men company has been in business for 22 years. They have built their success on word-of-mouth recommendations and repeat orders, so you can shop there with confidence. Presents For Men pride themselves on their customer service and providing quality, practicality, and value when it comes to shopping for a gift.

Try ‘em! Solve all your challenging gift-shopping problems now!

The Energy RC Micro 5.1 Home Theater System is Hard to Beat on Price vs. Performance

ECJ — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 02:46:02 +0000

The RC Micro 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System by Energy is one of the best values today when considering mid- to high-priced home theater surround-sound systems. And right now, Newegg is offering the RC 5.1 Home Theater System for under $400.

Click to get the Energy RC Micro Home Theater System from Newegg for a good price

The Energy RC 5.1 Home Theater System is one of the most consistently top-rated surround-sound speaker systems when it comes to both professional reviews and customer reviews. CNET (see their video review of the RC Micro 5.1 System below) rated this home theater system “Excellent,” and the customer reviews on the most reputable online electronics retailers — such as Vann’s, Buy.com, and Newegg — are all 5-star ratings, nothing less.

So, if you’re in the market for a home theater system that will give superior performance for a good price, you must take advantage of the deal from Newegg on the Energy RC Micro 5.1 Home Theater System now. You can get an additional $50 off Newegg’s already low price, making it the lowest price available on the Web:

==> Click here to get the Energy RC Micro 5.1 Home Theater Sound System from Newegg for under $400 <==

You can see detailed spec’s of the RC Micro 5.1 System at Newegg and the other electronics retailers referred to in this post (the description at Vann’s is particularly good). The deal at Newegg will last as long as they have systems in stock, which won’t be forever. Don’t wait!

Energy Speakers Are Known in the Audio Industry for their Quality

As an audio-engineering company, Energy is respected for its nearly 40 years of innovation in producing state-of-the-art sound systems for both professional and home use. Its technical philosophy can be summed up as “striving for acoustic perfection.” To achieve that objective, Energy’s engineers have studied not only the physics of speaker systems but how people listen to and respond to sound (psycho-acoustics) and have created speaker systems that combine technical excellence with consistently satisfying audio performance. The end result is speakers and home theater systems such as the RC Micro 5.1 System — high-performance audio components that deliver clear, realistic sound, sound that will remind you of what you hear at a live venue or the way movies sound at your local theater.

Here’s the Energy RC Micro 5.1 Home Theater System review by CNET:

In a technical sense, Energy explains the development of their superior sound systems as hinging on three vital factors which their research uncovered: flat frequency response (flat on-axis response with wide bandwidth); wide, constant dispersion; and low distortion and resonance. Applying these criteria, they developed their first breakthrough speaker in 1982 — the Pro 22 — which has since become legendary in the history of audio system development. In fact, the Canadian National Research Council and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation made the Pro 22 speaker the benchmark for speaker audio performance.

What all this means for you is that when you buy a speaker system made by Energy, you will own an audio system whose performance you can count on.

In the RC Micro 5.1 surround-sound system, Energy created a home theater system that produces immense sound from a small (some say tiny) form factor that is both stylish in appearance and acoustically sophisticated.

Customer Reviews of the Energy RC Micro 5.1 Home Theater System

Satisfied customers have found that the Energy RC Micro 5.1 Home Theater System meets and even exceeds their expectations. Since its introduction in 2008, this system has built a proven track record of success among home theater system users. Here are excerpts from some of the online reviews of this system:

“I’m no audiophile, but [I] had a 7.2 speaker system costing several times what I spent on the RC Micros which my ex took possession of. I was getting by on a pair of self-rebuilt bookshelf speakers that are nice, but 30 years old. When I watched a movie, I’d have to resort to headphones to make out the dialog. Well, I’d read the reviews on these speakers and decided to splurge… These speakers are small! But they more than fill my condo with its 18 foot ceilings. And they sound great right out of the box! I’m maybe 20 hours into the break-in period and really happy with them. I’m still playing with the receiver to get them perfect, but I’ve played classical…, all kinds of rock, internet radio, vinyl, DVDs, iPod, regular radio, Jazz, CDs — it all sounds great. Really rich sounds.”

Another reviewer wrote:

“Awesome speaker system. Very clean and natural sounding speakers. And they are very compact and perfect for satellite speakers. Get a decent receiver to go with them, and you will be blown away by the sound. I wouldn’t say they are really too boomy or loud, but sound quality is very good and can be compared to what you find on some of high end systems.”

The Energy RC Micro 5.1 System is stylish and will complement whatever room you put it in

A couple of caveats that customers mentioned in their reviews are: don’t expect these compact speakers to perform loudly and well in a huge room (for a huge room one customer recommended getting 5 NHT SuperZero 2 speakers with an NHT sub-woofer — which can be bought for double the price of the Energy RC Micro 5.1 System). Two customers said that they wished the small satellite speakers had a little richer mid-range and low frequency response, but that this didn’t really impact their satisfaction with the RC Micro 5.1 System. One of them went on to say that, considering the price, “This system is a steal.”

Bottom line: you can pay more for a home theater surround sound system, but for good performance at a reasonable price, the Energy RC Micro 5.1 Home Theater System is hard to beat. If you’re interested, be sure to take advantage of the Newegg deal on this system now.

Even if the discount at Newegg has expired, at $450+, the Energy RC Micro 5.1 System is still a good buy (its MSRP is $800). In addition to Newegg, you can find this system at: Vann’s, Buy.com, and Circuit City. Click the links provided here to see current pricing. Get the RC Micro 5.1 System and enjoy your music and movies the way you’d like to hear them!

Rolex Watch Cyber Monday Deals at Melrose Jewelers — Up to $1,000 Off

ECJ — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:11:48 +0000

This is a high-end Cyber Monday deal from Melrose Jewelers, one of the largest online retailers of luxury Rolex watches in the world.

Men's Silver Dial Rolex Datejust Super President Watch

Melrose Jewelers specializes in selling both new and meticulously-restored Rolex wristwatches — pre-owned watches that have been restored to original factory specifications, both the internal works and the case. And on Cyber Monday, they are offering the following excellent deals:

Get $250 off any Rolex Datejust Watch using code CYBERCJ250
Get $500 off any Rolex President Watch using code CYBERCJ500
Get $1,000 off any Rolex Super President Watch using code CYBERCJ1000

==>Click here to shop for Rolex Watches at Melrose Jewelers now and take advantage of their Cyber Monday deal<==

You’ve Always Wanted a Rolex Watch

Admit it — ever since you heard that Rolex accompanied Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay to the top of Mt. Everest in 1953, you have wanted one. The legend of Rolex has only grown in the decades since that first successful climb of Everest, and many now feel that it is the finest wristwatch available.

So why not take advantage of this excellent sale on Rolex watches by Melrose Jewelers, a company that has come to the attention of Business Week, the N.Y. Times, MSNBC, and CNBC for its growing success at selling high-end luxury watch brands online? There’s a good reason almost 170,000 people have “Liked” Melrose Jewelers on Facebook. This is a company that creates loyal customers.

Melrose Jewelers is especially known for its expertise when it comes to Rolex watches. In fact, both knowledgeable customers and Rolex technicians use the Rolex Education section of their website. On their site, you can find out much more about, for example, the watch pictured above: the Rolex Men’s Silver Dial Beadset Bezel Datejust Super President Watch.

Every Rolex watch they sell has been restored to showroom condition. You can shop with confidence at Melrose Jewelers for several reasons. Each of their watches comes with an independent authentication and appraisal by the Associated International Gemological Laboratory. Melrose Jewelers provides a comprehensive warranty on their Rolex Watches, including a two-year warranty on functionality (if it ever needs repair or replacement, you can overnight it to them at their cost and they will repair or replace the watch for free), a lifetime authenticity guarantee, and a no-risk 3-day return, 10-day exchange policy.

Melrose Jewelers is a BBB-accredited business and has many testimonials by satisfied customers.

Isn’t now a good time to get that Rolex you’ve always wanted? Make note of the coupon codes above and enter them during checkout to get your savings.

Then plan the adventure on which you’ll wear your new watch.

Great Deal Today on an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) from Vann’s to Protect Your Audio-Visual System

ECJ — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:26:21 +0000

You have spent thousands on your video system — HDTV, blu-ray player, DVD server, DVR, video projector, and so on — and your audio system — amplifier, receiver, speakers, etc. — but have you invested in a device to protect your high-end Home Theater and other equipment from power surges and other power problems? If your answer is no, then here’s a great deal: today only, Vann’s has the APC S15 900W UPS Power Conditioner, which normally retails for $1,499.00, on sale for $249.88. That’s a savings of $1,250! Today’s price includes an additional $50 instant rebate from Vann’s. This “deal of the day” ends May 17, 2011.

Click for APC S15 Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) with Battery Backup

Sensitive audio-visual electronic equipment — your high-definition television, DVR, surround-sound speakers, audio amp, and the rest — is susceptible to power surges, interruptions, brownouts, blackouts, lightning strikes, and other “surprises” that our overtaxed system for providing electricity to homes and businesses can deliver. These unwanted occurrences will not only compromise the performance of your audio-visual electronics, they can destroy your components entirely — chips, hard-drives, and boards — along with the pricey cables (ethernet, video, and audio) that you use to connect them. The solution to power interruptions, spikes, and fluctuations is an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) with battery backup, that “smooths out” power distortions and protects your components from damaging surges, blackouts, and start-up spikes.

To protect your home theater equipment and data devices, an excellent choice of UPS is the S15 900W/1500VA Power Conditioner with Battery Backup from American Power Conversion (APC). This unit will protect your expensive audio-visual components from undesirable power events, keeping your devices running smoothly on battery power long enough for you to shut them down properly. And today, Vann’s is offering the APC S15 900W UPS Power Conditioner for the incredibly low price of just $249.88. And US buyers get free shipping to the lower 48.

Saving your video projector bulb alone could easily re-pay the cost of this device.

Rear view of APC S15. Click to get it from Vann's.

The ACP S15 900W UPS Power Conditioner has received excellent reviews, both in professional publications (such as UltimateAVMag.com) and from customers. You can read a complete description of this unit on the Vann’s site, and purchase it from Vann’s for under $250, today only. For a UPS that normally retails for nearly $1,500, this is a great deal. For in-depth spec’s from the manufacturer, click here to go to the APC site. APC is a well-respected name in the physical infrastructure protection industry.

Can you trust this low price? Of course. The unit is new, factory-sealed, and comes from Vann’s, one of the most respected, customer-friendly, and knowledgeable retailers of electronic equipment in the world.

Here are some excerpts of reviews from customers who have purchased the APC S15 900W UPS Power Conditioner from Vann’s:

“I wanted to buy a power conditioner for my Home Theater (HT) setup. After looking at much more expensive units from other manufacturers, I happened to see that APC made HT power conditioners as well. Upon taking a closer look, I found that the value on this piece was too good to be true. It originally listed for $1500 when it first came out & it had great professional reviews. The silver version that I bought was only $299! Seemed like a steal.

“The 2 features that are unheard of at this price level are the voltage regulation and the battery backup with pure sine wave output. Right now, I have my 55-inch flat screen TV, computer, stereo components, and DVD player plugged into it. The information setup screens are easy to use and very intuitive. I loaded the Powerchute software onto my computer which will power the computer down automatically if the power goes out and the battery goes low. I did a test by shutting off the circuit breaker simulating a power failure. My TV and stereo didn’t even blink. You wouldn’t even know the power dropped out. For the $299 price, this product can’t be beat. From what I found, similar HT units with battery backup are going for over $2000. I highly recommend it.”

“I’ve been looking and procrastinating over which power conditioner I was going to buy. Not one of them was under $1000.00. I happened on this site [Vann's] and saw the APC S15 unit, saw the price and spent the next 10 minutes researching this unit, and could not believe what I was getting for the money. I was amazed how quickly I received the unit. Vanns was amazing! I have had it set up for a week now, and am incredibly impressed, some people say you can’t tell a difference sonically, I disagree. It cleaned up my soundstage, especially with vocals and bass response. I recommend this unit to anyone who has been looking for a very good conditioner, but afraid to spend the money. You really can’t go wrong, you can’t get a half-way decent power strip for this price, GO AHEAD take the plunge and get one of these before they are gone!”

Vann’s can offer the APC S15 900W UPS Power Conditioner at this price because they bought all the remaining inventory from the manufacturer. But they only have about 200 units left, so this deal won’t last long before they sell out (and the additional $50 instant rebate ends May 17). If you want a reliable UPS to protect your home theater investment, get it now. You will not find a price this low for this unit anywhere else.

Note: some consumers have mentioned that the software that comes with the S15 is not compatible with Windows 7. However, you can upgrade the included software with a download from the APC site that will enable it to work fine with Windows 7.

10 Days of T-Shirts: Day 6 – Beta Unit Planetary Crew Tee from Revolve Clothing

ECJ — Sat, 14 May 2011 22:48:42 +0000

Let it not be said that Best Stuff for Men neglects fashion. We simply take the view that fashion consists primarily of a singular expression: you.

No one else expresses your stylistic being. No matter if you wear exactly what someone else wears, it will impinge on the world differently. Fashion blends elements of function and art, industry and politics, nature and nurture, along with the personal vision of a designer. We are tribal, after all. So, unless you invent and construct your own clothing, whatever you wear is part of the zeitgeist. Your unique part, animated by you.

Planetary Crew Tee - $44

Sometimes you want to know that you have something to wear that’s rather cutting edge, without trying too hard. And this series of posts is about tees, after all, so here’s a T-shirt by Beta Unit: the Planetary Crew Tee. It’s got a an amorphous image with a vaguely forward-looking quality that’s in keeping with Beta Unit’s aesthetic: that which used to work or is about to work, that which broke in an interesting way, the implications of almost-obsolescent technology, re-purposed as art.

Not that Beta Unit’s production is anything less than modern high-quality. You get a 100% cotton T-shirt with iconoclastic styling and interesting details that you won’t find in T-shirts you get at Walmart (or any store with “mart” in the title). That’s fashion. And, via Revolve Clothing, not too expensive. And you get free shipping. And good prices today, cotton-wise, is what this series of posts is about.

Another cool thing about this shirt: your girlfriend will want to sleep in it. (That’s good for you.) And if you don’t have a gf, this shirt will help you find one, because women pay attention to the fact that you’re not just an animal but a creative animal, and are more likely to come to you as a result.

You can get the Beta Unit Planetary Crew Tee from Revolve Clothing. If you want to be au courant most of the time, Revolve Clothing is the solution, without trying too hard. Shop there and they’ll take care of you (including accessories and lifestyle tech, such as interesting cameras). Your canniness will impress. See, for example, the “Editor’s Picks” section of their site (under “Men,” “New”).

Alvaro Quiros Drives to the Lead in the 2011 Masters Using His Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver

ECJ — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 04:53:42 +0000

Alvaro Quiros is one of the longest drivers among pro golfers and his ability to blast tee shots to the 330-yard mark and beyond has now been coupled with one of the most advanced golf drivers ever created — the Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver.

The combination of the Callaway RAZR Hawk and Quiros’ talent propelled him to a share of the lead on the first day of the 2011 Masters Tournament.

This apparently is no fluke. After Callaway released the RAZR Hawk Driver to the world in February, Quiros promptly used it to capture the Dubai Desert Classic in, well, classic fashion, hitting a hole-in-one on the 11th hole (after triple-bogeying the eighth) to win by one stroke. (And the week before, also using the new Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver, fellow Callaway pro Thomas Bjorn out-dueled Quiros and won the Qatar Masters title.) After years of middling-to-good results on the European Tour, the 28-year-old Spaniard seems to have hit his stride at just the right time. As he mentions in a Callaway bio video, when he finally got clubs made for him (as a boy, he used his father’s heavy clubs), he found that his quick swing, long arms, and height allowed him to regularly hit golf drives which most mortals can only dream about. (An “average” golfer hits a drive around 200 yards.) On the first day of the 2011 Masters Tournament, he was hitting crazy-long, achieving the best distance out of a field of 99 players, and also putted effectively to card a 65 and share the top of the leader board with Rory McIlroy.

What does this have to do with you? Maybe you’ve been thinking about upgrading your golf equipment, and a great driver is one of the best things to start with…

The drive in golf is perhaps the most crucial shot on each hole (a view shared by Ben Hogan, among others), and the Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver is a precision instrument that still manages to do a great amount of violence to the ball. When it’s time to tee it up, if you can’t consistently drive it straight (or draw it around a corner or fade it away from water), almost no amount of skill with the irons will save you (unless you’re Phil Mickelson). And if you can’t drive it accurately and fairly long — whether as a pro, a low-handicap amateur, or an aspiring recreational golfer — you’ll never get to take full advantage of your ability to make a reasonable putt.

In other words, the drive is the foundation of the score on a given hole, and the Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver is a cutting-edge implement that will enable you to propel the ball down the fairway in impressive fashion and give yourself the best opportunity to birdie the hole.

Pro Reviews of the Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver

Here’s what some of the professional testers at PGA.com had to say about the RAZR Hawk Driver after they tested it along with a collection of other new drivers in March, 2011:

“Among the top-rated models in the test. RAZR Hawk packs a big punch.”
“Several testers hit the club longer than their current club — as much as 20 yards farther — with consistent results.”
“Heel or toe hits are quite playable.”
“Very stable, head-heavy feel; shots jump off the springy face…”
“Improved feel over previous Callaway composite drivers.”
“Testers hit all sorts of shots with ease; repeatable, hot flight.”

Repeatable hot flight — that sounds like what you need, doesn’t it? That’s what Alvaro Quiros is experiencing.

Click to see spec's of the Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver

You can tell from their product description of this golf club that Callaway is proud of it. The Forged Composite technology they used to build the club was developed in collaboration with Lamborghini; engineers from the two companies fabricated a material that uses millions of “turbostratic carbon fibers” to precisely control the thickness and shape of the head. The new material is one-third as dense as titanium yet features a greater load-carrying capacity per unit mass in bending. This translates to greater lightness in the head, which enables a longer club configuration for faster head speed, ball speed, and greater distance without sacrificing “forgiveness.”

Anyway, you’ve got to figure that any golf club developed in conjunction with Lamborghini has got to be cool.

Customer Reviews of the RAZR Hawk Driver

What does this translate to for, say, an intermediate player? Here’s a review of the Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver from a customer (who plays “every couple of months”) at Golfsmith:

“Yes, this Callaway driver is great! I’ve tested a lot of the drivers but the Callaway definitely tops it… This driver is much better than their Diablo and the feel is fantastic. I have the Callaway FT-9 Tour which is almost a mirror to the new RAZR. Give it a chance and rip it… you will not be disappointed.”

Here’s what a couple of customers had to say about the RAZR Hawk Driver on the Callaway site:

“I like the way it looks when at address. It is easier to hit than I thought it would be and gave me 20 yards more in my drives — it gave me 20 yards further distance in my swing and the comments from my fellow golfers were: ’Boy, did you hit the ball much farther than you did before’.”

“Head volume/size seems to be a little smaller, and really sets up ‘clean’ and square at address. Forgiveness appears to be excellent, especially mis-hits on the toe. Distance is excellent, and feel/playability performance is not compromised as a result of the improved distance. I’m really not into the adjustment features of a number of new clubs, so I really like the clean set-up of this club, and simplicity. The last thing I need is a wrench or some other tool to tote around with [sic]. Sometimes, great clubs should just be left alone.”

Get a Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver for yourself, and you’ll want to be left alone to hone your driving distance and accuracy. And, after all, isn’t golf ultimately about hitting the ball in a satisfying way? Lower scores…impressing your buddies…feeling confident in your game are all great, too, but when you come right down to it, a well-hit golf shot is its own reward. And you should seriously consider adding the Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver to your bag if you want to experience that feeling more often. You can get it from In the Hole Golf or Golfsmith right now — two outstanding places to shop for a huge selection of the best golf equipment online, with good prices (featuring frequent coupons and sales — see the various banners and links on this page for current deals) and excellent customer service. (The RAZR Hawk Driver comes in a Tour version and other models, too. Click here to see current Masters-related deals at Golfsmith and shop for the entire RAZR Hawk line, but note: some items from the Callaway brand and other brands are excluded from some deals.)

As for the fate of Alvaro Quiros in the current Masters Tournament, time will tell… Today he gave up a little ground, but he’s still in the thick of things. As the final two rounds loom, and he finds himself in contention on the weekend for the first time in his career at Augusta National, this is what he’ll be carrying in his bag:

Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver, 9.5°, with Grafalloy Blue X shaft
Callaway X Tour Fairway Woods (13°), X (15.5°), with Grafalloy Blue X shafts
Callaway RAZR X Muscleback Irons (which will be available to everyone on May 1, 2011). In the meantime, you can get his previous irons: Callaway X Prototype Irons (3 PW)
Callaway X-Forged Vintage Wedges (51° and 58°) with Rifle Lite 8.0 shafts
Odyssey Black Series i#1 Putter
Callaway Tour iz Balls (also used by Phil Mickelson)

If you want to emulate a player who’s starting to break into golf’s upper echelons, consider taking advantage of what the above excellent golf equipment can do for your game. You can get it all at Golfsmith (where you can also take advantage of their “Playability Guarantee”) or In the Hole Golf. It remains to be seen whether Quiros can prevail in a major* over veterans such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, as well as young guns like Rory McIlroy, but with his ability to go long and the best equipment modern technology can offer, he’s given himself a fighting chance, and that’s all any tournament pro can ask for.

And when you want to see how long you’re driving the ball with your new club(s), use the Garmin Approach G5 Touchscreen golf GPS unit.

Speaking of asking for things, take advantage of the following coupon to stock up on golf gear now at Golfsmith:

Get Free Shipping on orders over $75 with code FS75CJ exclusively at Golfsmith.com! Offer ends 5/31/2012

*Update 4/11/11: Quiros shot 75 on Saturday and 74 on Sunday to finish tied for 27th — the same position, incidentally, as Phil Mickelson.

Free T-shirt from ThinkGeek for April Fools

ECJ — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 22:57:07 +0000

Is the offer of a free T-shirt from ThinkGeek for April Fools an April Fool? No! I mean – yes, they will give you a hip, free T-shirt if you buy $15 worth of stuff! Whatazüper deal!

ThinkGeek is, of course, where thoughtful geeks go to shop and think. And right now, you can get a free T-shirt by clicking this link. But the dudes at ThinkGeek are not just stuffy, intellectual, T-shirt-wearing elitists. They can get down and dirty with some Ape-to-the-Fools, too…

Yeah — get the Playmobil Apple Store Playset.

So, if you go here, or click the banner below, you can take advantage of this insanely great T-shirt offer (yes, I graduated from Steve Jobs Marketing University). You’ll get a T-shirt with Ken Jennings’ (legendary Jeopardy contestant, later crushed by Watson) assimilative pronouncement: “I, for one, welcome our new computer overlords.”

What should you buy from ThinkGeek that costs at least $15 so you can get your free T-shirt? Well, they have thousands and thousands of other cool T-shirts, you know. But maybe you don’t want another T-shirt if you’re already getting a free T-shirt already, you know? Fortunately, they have many, many other things. Many! Like, such as:

The Bucky Balls Toy of the Year…

BuckyBalls Magnetic Building Spheres

Now in Three New Executive Styles! Ah, carbon – how sweet you are. You are the basis of life on Earth, you let our pencils write, and you form the most fortuitous fullerenes. And what are fullerenes, but a collection of balls. Now, imagine replacing those hard to play with atoms, with rare earth magnetic spheres. Suddenly, you have BuckyBalls Magnetic Building Spheres, and now your life will never be the same. Because BuckyBalls Magnetic Building Spheres are really that cool. You can build basic shapes, complex sculptures, magnetic jewelry, or even outfit your refrigerator in bold and unique ways. Just look at all the shapes and forms you can make with these bad boys – it’s amazing! BuckyBalls Magnetic Building Spheres are just what you need to help you brave the boredom of the office. And really, when else will you get to play with your BuckyBalls at work and not get in trouble?

Butterfly in a Jar…

Electronic Butterfly in a Jar

When we were kids, we liked putting butterflies in jars so we could keep them forever and ever. But sometimes they always died. It was sad – extra sad because butterflies (in our opinion) are like rainbows and unicorns: unadulterated creations of magic and beauty. That why we got so excited when we saw this Electronic Butterfly in a Jar. Read on, and find out why you need one very badly. Each Electronic Butterfly in a Jar is a jar with a wire in it. The wire has a fake butterfly on the end. Somehow, when you tap the top or make a loud sound, the electronics in the cap make the wire wiggle. This creates the very realistic illusion of the butterfly flittering around your jar. It even just stays on the glass and flexes its wings sometimes. There is absolutely no way you can look at an Electronic Butterfly in a Jar and not smile. It is like having a piece of magic nature on your desk that defies death. Pick your favorite butterfly flavor (or collect the whole team) and get ready to feel good when you marvel at your Electronic Butterfly in a Jar. Electronic Butterfly in a Jar Looks just like a real butterfly in a jar. Responds to taps on the jar and sound. Four different flavors to chose from: Blue Morpho, Pink Morpho, Yellow Swallowtail, and Monarch. One butterfly per jar – butterflies cannot be combined into one jar. Batteries: 3 AAA (included). Dimensions: 3.5″ x 3.5″ x 7.5″

And the formidable Bag of Holding…

The Bag of Holding Messenger Bag

When the last d20 is rolled, and Tiamat’s dying scream shakes the cavern walls, only two things remain: the distribution of experience points to the party, and loot. Your party’s dwarf fighter and that human paladin might be able to lug piles of gold and platinum, but your little gnome mage can’t quite heft that much stuff. What to do? The chaotic neutral halfling thief offered to carry a portion of your loot, but do you really trust “Shifty McFingers” with your well-earned booty, or can you find another way to carry it all? Luckily, amidst the ponderous piles of platinum lying about the place is a simple nondescript bag that everyone overlooked – except you, of course. Peering into the bag, you see nothingness – an almost infinite depth in which you can place way more loot than your entire party combined! While the rest of your party is trudging away with a backbreaking mass of booty, you’re happily plundering ton after ton of coins, and casually flinging your new bag over your shoulder. While transdimensional space is, as yet, impossible in this plane of existence (Doctor Who fans, keep quiet for now), ThinkGeek Labs has developed our own messenger bag that comfortably carries way more than a bag of its size normally could! It’s big enough to carry a 17″ laptop, Large 3-ring binder, two college textbooks, two paperback books, Amazon Kindle, iPod, cellphone, cables, pencils, business cards, spare batteries… I could go on and on.

Don’t wait on this T-shirt deal, because when the free shirts are gone, they’re gone, and you’ll be out of shirt luck.

And who would like to be that?

Want to Help the Japanese Economy Recover? Shop at Rakuten

ECJ — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 05:22:28 +0000

You may be wondering how to help the people of Japan cope with the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that occurred March 11. You can do it by buying goods from Japanese companies online. This post tells you the best way to shop Japan via the Internet.

One idea for economic recovery that I have not seen mentioned is to shop directly with Japanese businesses online. Americans and others around the world have donated millions of dollars through various relief organizations, such as the Red Cross, and many others have traveled to Japan to volunteer their services. But, while donations of money satisfy the immediate need to get supplies to the people in the towns of the tsunami-ravaged Tohoku region, dollars can be infused into the Japanese economy long-term by shopping via the Internet from anywhere in the world at Rakuten.

Click to explore Rakuten's huge online mall

Many people outside Japan have not heard of Rakuten. It is an online shopping company. It is Japan’s equivalent of Amazon. The Japanese name “Rakuten Ichiba” translates to “Rakuten Shopping Mall,” which is exactly what it is — an aggregation of 33,000 Japanese shops and businesses. This huge online shopping site offers 60 million products. Rakuten is the second most visited site in Japan, with over 50 million registered users. In fact, this Internet shopping giant is the reason Amazon has not been able to make much headway into the Japanese market. It is estimated that one-third of households in Japan shop at Rakuten. And that says something: Japanese consumers, particularly online, are known for being finicky and demanding. Rakuten has met their needs to the point that it is now one of the top ten Internet companies in the world, and has an international presence. In addition to products, it also has its own extensive travel services site, which anyone in the world can use.

Rakuten is now actively expanding its shopping services in other markets throughout the world, including Europe and the United States. Amazon may be the largest online shopping company, but sheer size is no guarantee of quality (Microsoft sells more operating systems than any other company but no one thinks their OS is the best, and General Motors became the largest automaker in the world selling cars inferior to a number of other makes), so I would not be surprised if, in a few years, Rakuten has noticeably eroded Amazon’s market share. You can think of Rakuten as the Honda of online retailing.

What does that mean with respect to helping the Japanese economy weather the aftermath of the earthquake?

We know that the world’s economic fortunes are subject to ripple effects that transcend national boundaries. Mortgage foreclosures in the American mid-west affect the value of the Euro. The price of labor in China impacts how much Walmart pays its US workers. The Russian wheat harvest affects the price of food in Delhi and Des Moines. With respect to the world economy, Japan is a titan, boasting the third largest economy after the US and China. So any financial woes that Japan experiences as a result of the triple whammy of the earthquake, tsunami, and radiation contamination from damaged nuclear power plants will affect not only the Japanese people but people in the United States and around the world. (Already, it is projected that demand for the Prius will not be able to be met, since there are parts suppliers for the car in the affected region. And US beef exports to Japan may be hampered by damaged port facilities.) In other words, the domino effect from an economic slowdown in Japan coupled with the need to re-build infrastructure could affect your personal financial situation. So it behooves you to help your neighbor.

Thus, if you shop for Japanese goods, you can help not only Japanese businesses and consumers as they recover and re-build, but your own economy as well. The easiest (and most enjoyable) way to shop in Japan from outside Japan is Rakuten. Spend a few bucks there, get yourself some interesting, well-made Japanese products, and you’ll be helping float everyone’s boat. After all, just imagine what it would have meant to a local hardware or stationery store in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina if they had had a steady influx of customers… If they had experienced damage or hardship from the hurricane, sure, packets of freeze-dried food and blankets would have met their immediate physical needs, but long-term, it’s customers buying from businesses that sustain an economy, whether in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi or Ofunato, Japan.

You can find just about any kind of product at Rakuten, from books to ice cream to motorcycle parts. But why not get something interesting or unusual? How about:

Sake
Momotaro Jeans (maybe the best jeans in the world)
Japanese Sandals
Tea Sets
Samurai Clothes and Accessories
Edible Seaweed from Ofunato (the northeast region)

You can also try using the search field on the Rakuten homepage to search for city names in the northeast region, such as Sendai, Kamaishi, Miyako, and Kuji, in order to find stores in those cities from which to buy. Keep in mind that operations at those stores might be curtailed or slowed for awhile — but they will still appreciate the business!

Rakuten currently ships to over 50 countries (and the list is expanding) and their site has pages optimized for a number of countries, including the USA, Canada, China, France, and the UK. If you’re outside Japan, when you place an order you’ll usually be put in touch via email with the shop that sells the item to arrange a shipping method and cost. (Note that some shops offer special free international shipping promotions, or $1 international shipping.) There is a weight restriction on items shipped to the US via certain carriers, but many shops can arrange a shipping method to the US that gets around this limit.

When you first explore the site, you may wonder where to go and how to approach it, but anyone familiar with online shopping can quickly figure it out. Explore. In addition, they have a handy instructional page here.

Think of it as an adventure, man. As well as a good deed.

Here’s a testimonial from a customer in the US posted on the Rakuten site:

“I recently found Rakuten via Facebook, and boy I couldn’t be happier. As a person interested in Japanese culture, this website is great. I’ve found many things I had been looking for as well as new items that have caught my eye. The website is well laid out and very intuitive to navigate. And the search feature is one of the better ones I’ve encountered for a merchant website. And this is all from a website that isn’t set up for business in the USA. If the USA website is half as good, then it’ll be better than most merchants that I’ve purchased from. by Nick M – NJ, USA”

Hey, if Nick can do it, you can, too. And remember, you’ll be helping the cause. It all adds up.

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