Billy Mays pitched it.
Simoniz makes it.
As Seen on TV sells it.

But does it work?

According to the late Billy Mays, "Why pay for expensive scratch repairs.  Get professional results instantly!"

Non-Toxic, Permanent, Water Resistant, Odorless, and Works on all colors......hmmm but does it work, stay tuned!

Escort has addressed the increased use of safety and red-light cameras by programming the location of these units into its memory.  The database of known red light and safety cameras can be updated by downloads via your computer.  How does it work?  Very well. 

I have used the unit for the past couple of days and so far the Passport 9500ix successfully detected every red light camera.  The unit gives a verbal warning and then a graphic display of how far the red light camera is.  Here is a picture of the unit when it detects a red light camera:



Then the unit tells you how far you are from the red light camera, as seen in this picture:




I love this feature!

It's a sunny Saturday afternoon and I have a couple of hours to burn...what's a fella to do?  Take the car cover off the Ferrari F355, plug in the Passport 9500 ix and take a 80 mile drive through some of the best mountain roads in Southern California. 

Again, I am using the windshield mount and placed it near the driver's side.  The cig. lighter in the Ferrari sits in the middle of the car, right after the gated six speed shifter.  I was worried the included cord would be too short but it fits in perfectly.  In spirited driving, I was able to unplug the unit several times which was really annoying.



But it does look good:




After logging around 80 miles I noticed a couple of things that have damped my initial enthusiasm for the Passport.  The first thing was the fact that the display gets totally washed out in the sun.  I had a hard time reading the display and did not even realize the unit was unplugged a couple of times.  The visibility was set at its highest setting.  The second was not entirely the detector's fault it was my car.  The location of the cigarette lighter and the short cord made me accidentally dislodge the power cord on several occasions.  For those of you who drive on the Pacific Coast Highway, you know that there are several radar guns posted that display your speed.  This was where I miss the Valentine One's arrows.  The Passport was able to pick up these radar signals from a fair distance but since I had no idea where the signal was coming from I was trying to determine if it was indeed the radar up ahead or if there was a cop coming from behind.  The unit did impress me again with it's ability to filter out the false signals.  In my entire drive it gave me only four false alerts and 0 on PCH!  Again very impressive. 

Ok really excited to see how this thing works in the real world.  I still haven't read the instruction manual so I am leaving all the settings in automatic and default mode.  I plugged the unit into my Audi A8 and will driving approximately 11 miles from my house to work.  It is all local streets in Los Angeles so it will be a real test of it's filtering ability.

I will be using the window mount:



The included power cord is of sufficient length. 




I have not changed any of the default factory settings.  It is left in "AUTO" mode:




Overall my first impression is pretty positive.  Here are some things the unit did very well on:

1.  False alerts:  Note the 11 miles driven was in the heart of Los Angeles.  The unit stayed silent almost the entire drive.  The  Escort gave 4 false alerts.  Normally when I drive in the city I just leave my Valentine One unit off because it is constantly falsing.  This greatly surprised me and I'm eager to find out how sensitive the unit is in terms of picking up real radar threats.

2.  Voice alerts:  I liked this very much.  Whenever the unit detected radar the unit gave a beep followed by a voice alert telling you  what band it is.  The unit, because it is GPS enabled, also is able to calculate your current speed.  So in addition to giving you a 
audible beep and a voice alert the unit also displays your current speed.  Very important since you don't have to look a second 
look at your speedometer to find out how fast you are going.  Very nice touch.

3.  Traffic cameras:  Ok, this one is very cool.  The Escort has the location of all the speed and red light cameras in it's database.  In my 11 mile commute there are a total of 3 red light cameras and it was able to detect all of them.  A voice warns you that you are approaching a red light camera.  I noticed that the warning goes off aprox. 100 feet before you encounter the camera and then  another warning when you have safely passed the threat.  This was very cool.

I was not able to run into any real radar threats so I can't report on its ability to pick up actual threats but so far I am very impressed with the unit.

The Passport 9500 ix might look like any other radar detector but after just one drive with it I feel like it is an evolutionary step forward in radar detector technology.  The Passport 9500 ix, according to Escort, is notable for the following features:

Blistering All-Band Protection

360-Degree Radar and Laser Detection

Variable-Speed Radar Performance

AutoLearn Feature

Safety Camera Database - (pre-loaded with thousands of safety camera locations, including red light and fixed position speed cameras, located throughout North America)

Web Ready for Location Database updates

GPS-Powered Truelock™ Filter

Mark Location Features

Speed Alert™

Crystal-Clear Voice Alerts

Intelligent Volume Control

User-Selectable Preferences

Brilliant Blue Display

5 Levels of Brightness Control

Mute, AutoMute & SmartMute

Built-In Earphone Jack

Safety Warning System

I will read the instruction manual later but I was eager to test out the detector in real world driving.  My first report will come shortly.

I received the Escort 9500 ix Passport radar detector yesterday.  The unit is expensive:  $499.00 plus $13.00 shipping via UPS Ground.  I ordered the unit on July 31st, 2009 and received it on August 6th.

My first impression of the unit after opening the box is that it looks really well made.  The unit has some heft to it and comes nicely packaged.  The package included the radar detector, suction cup mount, cig. lighter adapter, two extra suctions cups, and instruction manual.




Here are some more pictures of the unit:



Note the UBS port on the picture below.  This port allows you to connect the unit to your computer to download the newest firmware as well as the latest information regarding speeding and red light cameras.

After testing and then using the ShamWow for the past couple of weeks in real life situations I give the ShamWow my highest recommendation.

Not only is the ShamWow able to absorb copious amounts of liquid--its use extends beyond taking care of spills.  I have used my ShamWow along with Lysol to clean counter tops, stoves.  I use it to dry a wet dog.  The amount of paper towels saved from using the ShamWow more than makes up the initial cost.

I give the ShamWow my highest recommendation and plan on buying more in the future.

The Description: 

Global Instruments, the manufacturer of the Pest A Cator 2000 describes it as an, "electronic device that utilizes electromagnetic technology and was specifically engineered for use in the larger home (generally regarded as approximately 2000 square feet), apartment or condo.  The device is designed to cause a slight phase shift (delay) in the timing of the electromagnetic field which surrounds the wiring in the home.  This "phase shift" is the primary reason that this technology has been shown to have some kind of an effect on pests, and more particularly upon rodents.

The device functions by broadcasting an electromagnetic signal in a pulsing fasion with an on--off cycle in order to avoid the numbing effect obtained with any constant sensory stimulus.  Multiple units are needed in larger areas or multiple stories.  As with the Pest A Cator 1000, the patented pulse technology allows it be plugged into any 110V outlet within the home.

Completely maintenance free--not a trap--not a chemical.  Safe to use around children and household pets (except rodent-type pets), this product may help in reducing your monthly exterminator costs and is so easy to use."

hmmm....sounds amazing, I was really skeptical. 

Instructions:  Just plug the unit into any outlet in a central location. 

The Problem:  I just moved.  The place has a huge backyard and I see an occasional animal at night...no big deal.  But one night I hear a scratching noise coming from underneath the floorboard near the front door.  I bang on it...it goes away and comes back.  It became a pattern.  The noise is absent during the day and like clockwork comes at night.  I hear it bang on the floor and it goes away and comes right back.  I think this happened for a couple of days before I got annoyed to do something about it.

On a Sunday night I go to Home Depot and pick up a Pest A Cator 2000 for around $25 dollars.  It wasn't too much money and it came with a 60 money back guarantee so why not.  I plug the unit in and wait......the scratching comes back...ugh!  I plug the unit into a different outlet--an outlet that not really closer from the sound but within the same room.  The scratching noise stops almost immediately.  I wait...nothing that night.  It's been 4 nights and so far no noise! 

I will update in another week but so far I would give this product my highest recommendation!

I tested how long it takes to brew 10 cups of coffee using the Technivorm and an off brand regular coffee maker.  Remember we are shooting for a brewing time of roughly six minutes.