If you’ve been looking for a superior shaver then here’s your chance to snatch one up at half the price! Regularly listed for $599.99, the Panasonic ES-LV81-K Arc 5 Multi Flex Wet/Dry Nanotech Rechargeable Shaver with Vortex Cleaning System, Black is now going fro only $219.99 as today’s Amazon’s Deal of the Day (with $50 post-purchase rebate). You save $330 (or 55%) off the original price on this technologically advanced shaver that’s loaded with a variety of cool features to deliver a very comfortable shave.

The fully loaded men’s wet/dry washable ES-LV81-K electric shaver is a five-blade (Arc 5) shaving system, which means more foils for better coverage and reduced shaving time (the hypoallergenic blades and foils cause less irritation and are best for sensitive skin). Also featured is 30-degree-angle Nanotech blades and Lift-Tech outer foils to cut hair at its base with close, accurate precision. Its Multi-Flex pivoting head allows the shaver to glide along the contours of your face (chin, jaw line and sideburns) uniformly so that everything is covered, while still providing maximum comfort.

With a fast 14,000 CPM linear motor that eliminates tugging and pulling that can sometimes occur at the end of the charge, the ES-LV81-K electric shaver has peak power right up until the end of a charge. It’s also easy to recharge the shaver’s Lithium-Ion batter; just insert the shaver into the automatic cleaning and charging system for a clean, renewed shave. When purchasing the shaver, you’ll get a travel pouch, 10-stage LCD display, travel lock switch, and pop-up trimmer. Optional accessories include: foil (WES9171PC), blade (WES9170PC), combo set (WES9030P), and cleaning cartridges (WES035P). The shaving system weighs 7.1 ounces and measures 2 by 2.8 by 6.3 inches (LxWxH).

Despite the fact that the iPod and iPhone has grown to a ridiculous level of popularity, it doesn’t mean that they’re the best choice for listening to music.  Some will wholeheartedly argue this, while I’ll flat out tell them they’re wrong.  Why?  Both are fragile devices that are heavy, cumbersome and require you to use a set of headphones.   Ultimately, it’s not practical and nor does it provide me with that streamlined feeling I like to have if I’m taking a jog, jumping rope or lifting weights.

Last year I reviewed Sony’s W252s.  If you recall they pretty much answered my above quandary.  However, they had a few shortcomings that lead Sony to issue a new version last month.  The result?  A lighter, easier to use portable audio player, the W263.

This iteration has done away with the magnets, which have been replaced with a simple on/off switch. The magnets, which served as power switched (off when attached, on when not), proved impractical, since many a people found a simple jolt in the bag could separate the headphones and thus draining the battery.

They’ve also reduced the weight  (1.6 vs 1.2oz) and size making them more comfortable and less of interference when performing any sort of rigorous activity.  However, I still had problems with positioning the buds at the correct angle to optimize audio response and more importantly bass.  Sony does include a few different ear bud sizes, but your stuck with one pair of headphones with no options to upgrade.  And speaking of which, the hardware from the previous iteration has remained the same, which is 5+5 watts of power and 13.5mm drivers.

The W263 are relatively bare bones in the feature department.  Fortunately, in this case, that’s a good thing.  Adding music is as simple as plugging it in to your computer’s USB port and dragging and dropping music files directly from iTunes to the player.  The player itself boasts the same controls as the previous iteration, which include shuffle, play, pause, track skip and volume control.  A small LED battery light changes from green to orange to red to indicate remaining battery life.   A full charge takes 1.5 hours, producing 8 hours of playback, where as a 3 minute charge can provide enough just for up to 60 minutes of playback. I fully charged my W263 and haven’t seen the battery life deviate from the specs.

Sonically, I’m more than pleased with the W263.  I received the Meb Keflezighi special edition version of the player.  I loaded up the 2GB of storage (there is a 4GB version, though it’s not available in the special edition) with a variety of music, got the buds warmed up with a few hours of music and then cranked them during my workouts.  The spectrum of sound is not the widest, though at loudest volume they held their own and didn’t distort. As already mentioned I had to reposition them to get the most bass response from the buds, but just as fast as I did that they would revert to their original position and reduce the lows.  This is largely due to the shape of my ears and partially the band that connects the two ear pieces together.

Bottom line: A water resistant all-in-one MP3 player that will surely satiate any workout freaks music needs while in the exercise trenches.

Editor’s Rating:

4.5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Pros:

• Compatible with iTunes; drag and drop to add tunes
• Water resistant build
• All-in-one design makes the W263 ideal for workouts

Cons:

• Stuck with one set of headphones
• Buds may accommodate all ears for maximum audio response

Looks like Netflix has more competition as VUDU emerges as an up-and-coming player in the movie rental biz. Both offer instant streaming movies, but Netflix requires a membership while VUDU is more of on-demand service. Both have loads of titles and releases, but which one is best for you? Read on to find out!

Background

Netflix has become the No. 1 provider of on-demand Internet streaming media and DVD-by-mail rental programs. Membership for Netflix includes either a DVD-by-mail rental program or unlimited streaming, with the option to have both for a higher membership fee. VUDU only provides an Internet streaming media option that features on-demand service so you only pay for what you watch, making it a video-on-demand program.

User Friendly

Netflix members will find that it’s quite easy to rent DVDs by mail or watch streaming movies, TV shows and more. Once you sign up online, whenever you want a movie, you go online and search for the movie title/show name and begin watching (that is if you have streaming membership). Those who have only DVD rentals choose their “wish list” and then get movies mailed to them. With no due dates, users can keep movies as long as they want before returning and starting all over again with their next desired movie.

With VUDU, you get to stream directly to your VUDU-friendly device any time you’d like to watch movies. Just connect your HDTV, Blu-ray player, computer, or PlayStation 3/Xbox360 to the Internet and select VUDU as an option. Sign up for a free account and then browse through their selection of titles and then watch. You only pay per movie since it’s on-demand based.

Winner: Tie since both are fairly easy to use. All you need is the Internet and you’re on your way to movie enjoyment!

Compatible Devices

Netflix offers quite a wide variety of compatible devices users can choose from. Its streaming service is available on devices, including: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, iOS devices, some Android-based phones and tablets, the Windows phone, a few Internet-connected Blu-ray players and even some Internet-connected HTDTVs, TiVo or Roku, D-Link, home theater systems form the likes of Panasonic, LG, Sony, Samsung and Insignia. A great perk is that you can easily connect multiple devices to one account and then jump from device to device, while still leaving off at the same point you did on the last device.

VUDU also has a bunch of devices where its services will work, such as PS3, Xbox 360 (it requires an Xbox LIVE Gold Membership, though), computers (PS and MAC) and even Apple’s iPad.  VUDU also asserts that it’s “available on virtually every Internet-connected Blu-ray player and HDTV on the market.”

Winner: Netflix, obviously, offer more compatible devices so it’s a no brainer here!

Titles

Everybody knows that Netflix has quite the assortment of titles in its service. With more than 100,000 movies and TV shows on DVD and Blu-ray (even unrated and NC-17 ones) and “tens of thousands” of titles available for streaming (both TV and movies, along with many HD options), users can find old favorites and discover new ones.  VUDU users have access to 20,000 titles (and growing), including titles the same day they hit DVD. VUDU also claims it has the “most HD titles on demand” with more being added weekly. Their biggest claim to fame against Netflix is that they offer titles faster than Netflix would, stating that it takes Netflix 28 days later to have a new release on DVD and up to seven years for it to hit its streaming service.

Winner: VUDU wins here since it offers new releases a lot faster than Netflix.

Membership Perks

VUDU was bought by Walmart back in July and this provided a huge step for the company as it launched VUDU streaming directly on Walmart.com for instant viewing. VUDU also offers a $5 credit for newcomers and offers HDX quality that makes viewing just like it is in the movie theater, featuring 1080p True Digital video and rich Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 surround sound. Users can now also use the website of America’s largest retailer as yet another outlet. Netflix allows for a month’s free trial so that new users can test out the service.

Winner: Since Netflix offers unlimited streaming along with DVD rentals, there is a bit more bang for buck, and wins here.

Content

Netflix’s ability to land some big deals with movie companies has afforded them a wide assortment of content, from TV shows to movies. Since they’ve landed some pretty good content deals, users will find a great selection of TV shows from the likes of CBS, ABC, FOX, NBC and BBC libraries. Deals with Sony, NBC Universal and DreamWorks Animation (which is exclusive, but doesn’t start until 2013) also provide a large variety of content. But VUDU also scored some major content deals, too! They’ve been able to establish content licensing contracts with all major movie studios, as well as more than 50 smaller and indie studios, and that means a large library that might not be as large as Netflix, but is definitely on its way there.

Winner: Netflix steals it here by having a wide assortment of TV shows and older movies that can’t be so easily found nowadays.

Speed of Service

VUDU’s minimum speed requirements for its services is: 480p: 1 Mbps for SD; 720p: 2.25 Mbs for HD; and 1080p: 4.5 Mbps for HDX. Netflix recommends that its users have a minimum speed of 500 kbps (0.5 MB) to get maximum results for its service.

Winner: Tie

Quality

VUDU offers movies in HDX, which delivers the highest quality true High Definition 1080p content available from any Internet, broadcast or satellite on-demand service. It also provides rich Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 surround sound and offers many HD titles. Netflix also has HD movies and is capable of streaming 1080p video.

Winner: VUDU’s had the edge with its HDX and 7.1-channel surround.

Limitations

Netflix users saw a price hike for using both streaming and DVD-by-mail rentals, which many might consider a limitation. Since VUDU’s services are on a per-movie basis, you can easily rack up a high tab if you go movie crazy.

Winner: Netflix has less limitations for the money; they just offer more.

Price

Netflix charges $7.99 for unlimited streaming movies OR unlimited one-disc at a time rental service ($11.99 for 2 unlimited). For those that want both, they’ll have to dish out $15.98 a month. Netflix also offers Blu-ray discs for an additional $2 a month. Unlike Netflix, VUDU is s available without a monthly subscription or contract with some movies available to rent for just $2 for 2 nights. But some movies can cost up to $5 a pop (HDX is the most expensive option, but usually it’s SD for $3.99 and HD for $4.99). You can also opt to purchase the video and this various per movie.

Winner: Netflix’s monthly charge doesn’t look so bad compared to VUDU’s per-movie charge.

Overall Winner

Netflix wins! VUDU might be quickly crouching on Netflix’s tail, but it still hasn’t overtaken the popular movie rental service. Its low monthly fee and numerous titles proves it can’t be beat!