Product Trends Magazine

About Magmall: Would you like to save money on some of the most popular magazines in circulation today? If you’re like most people, you probably have at least a couple of magazines that you subscribe to on a regular basis. If fact, most individuals would like to order more magazines if they had the extra time and money to spare. Although they can’t provide you with more time, the staff at Magmall can help you to save with some of the lowest prices around on magazines subscriptions. At the Magmall, you can save up to eighty-five percent on a large selection of over one thousand different magazines. With rates as low as this, you can’t afford not to shop here.

The big pitch: Shopping at the Magmall is both simple and smart. Whether you’re purchasing your favorite magazine titles, buying magazines for office employees, or selecting a gift for a friend, Magmall’s is the place to get some of the lowest prices on magazine rates around.

If fact, most customers who shop at the Magmall will agree that managing their magazine subscriptions couldn’t be any easier. Why trouble yourself with mailing in payments when you can now manage all of your subscriptions online? After selecting your favorite titles, all you need to do is fill out the short information request form located at their website. Ordering and saving on magazine subscriptions couldn’t be any easier. In addition to saving a bundle on rates, Magmall also enables you to renew your subscriptions online at the end of the year or whenever your term expires. In fact, they will even send you a friendly reminder when your subscription is about to expire.

For business customers the savings are endless. The Magmall is happy to provide companies will all the support they need in ordering magazines for their business. After signing up, the Magmall will send your company a welcome package that entails all of the different ways that orders can be placed. Whether you order online, by fax, or mail order, you won’t be disappointed by the magazine rates offered.

If you’re searching for the perfect gift idea, the Magmall will provide you with a free gift card on all gift orders processed. For friends or family members that are difficult to buy for, a gift certificate from the Magmall is the perfect choice. Gift certificates are available in denominations ranging from $10 to $250.

Product Trends rating: When it comes to magazine subscription rates, the prices at the Magmall can’t be beat. In addition to saving a lot of cash, the friendly staff at this company is more than happy to assist you with any concerns you may have while placing an order. Since the company was founded in 1984, Magmall has been providing customers with excellent service and low prices on some of the most popular magazines around. Four stars.

About the company: Magazania is your one stop shop on the Internet for all of the magazines you desire. Since 1997 they have been providing the online community a place to purchase and subscribe to hundreds of different magazines. No matter what your tastes, Magazania offers reading material on a variety of different subjects and interests. Currently they have over 1500 different magazines for readers to choose from. Whether shopping for yourself, your child, or a gift for a friend, you’re bound to find magazines that will delight readers of all ages.

The big pitch: How many magazines do you currently subscribe to? Whether the answer is five, ten, or too many to count, wouldn’t it be much easier to do all of your ordering in one place? Why bother with the hassle of sending subscription payments to several different companies, when you can complete all of your orders and make payments in the same place?

At Magazania, all customers need to do is register for an account and select the magazines that interest them. In addition, you’ll be able to browse through hundreds of different magazines to compare styles and prices. From computers, to religion, to alternative health, Magazania has a wide selection of periodicals designed to please a variety of interests.

Besides the headache of having to mail out payments, it can also be confusing trying to remember when magazine subscriptions expire. If you’re like most people, you’re constantly sending out payments for different subscription invoices. By ordering through Magazania, you can purchase several different magazines at once. This in turn will make all of your magazines renewals due around the same time. In fact, once you order from Magazania, there is no need to send payments elsewhere. When a magazine reaches the end of its subscription period, simply log on to your online account and renew. Ordering and paying for magazines has never been simpler.

Magazania offers customers the convenience of paying for magazines via credit card or PayPal. Whether you prefer to have the amount charged to a credit card or deducted from your personal checking account, at Magazania the choice is yours. Many customers find it convenient to have the amount withdrawn from their account. This eliminates the need for writing a check.

Product Trends rating: Magazania offers magazine lovers the convenience of purchasing all of their reading materials in the same location. Their huge selection of magazines makes great gift ideas for both family and friends. Ordering online from this company is both easy and hassle free. Four stars.

About the Company: The Sony Brand has always been synonymous with the entertainment scene since as long as even the most season music fan can remember. The leaders in just about all things electrical, it is no surprise that Sony CONNECT™ has become the website of choice for music punters when it comes to downloading tunes.

The Big Pitch: Featuring one of the most extensive music libraries online, if you’ve ever heard it, chances are Sony CONNECT™ will stock it.

While Sony CONNECT™ might pride itself on its easy to use nature, and extensive catalogue of songs, it is more then just a musical jukebox.

How many times has this happened to you? You’ve got into the car, switched on the radio and a catchy little ditty strikes you like a bolt of lightning. You’re mesmerized. You know it sounds familiar but you just can’t picture the group in your head. The song finishes and the DJ says it’s the new track from Radiohead. You can’t believe it. You need to hear it again. You know you wont make it through the rest of the day without hearing it again. Now thanks to Sony Connect, you can access any song you like, anytime. What’s more, you don’t even have to leave the house to get your music “fix”. Sony CONNECT™ is that music store you have always dreamed about. It features everything you need and more. Music fans, Sony Connect allows you to listen to the hits, or explore new music - whatever you decide. If you hear something you want to keep, you’re always just one click away from owning it.

Sony Connect also boasts such impressive features as Connect Player as well as Radio Connect.
Sony’s Connect Player is a state of the application that allows music lovers with a practical and simple to tool to organize your music. The Connect Player also allows you to transfer your songs to your digital music player as well as the means to create your own compilation CDs.

Meanwhile Radio Connect provides you with the radio station to die for. Radio Connect features an eclectic array of music programmed by people who share your musical tastes and passions. What’s more, you won’t hear a single commercial on Sony’s Radio Connect. And best of all, it’s free.

The Product Trends Rating: Sony has always been at the forefront of home entertainment technology and is now considered the pioneers of the digital revolution. With Sony CONNECT™, Sony now further confirms its reputation as the number one home entertainment provider. 4 stars.

About the company: The A&E Television Networks have exclusive DVD collections from Modern Marvels to World War II, and far beyond. The three channels that make up the networks, A&E, History, and Biography, have a host of educational and fascinating programs available, all of which is very affordable.

The big pitch: Quality A&E programming at prices far less than you expect.

The A&E Television Networks have regular sales and an incredible range of gifts for the holidays. There are a couple of navigation options, including “shop by show”, which leads you to a list of the shows for all three channels on the network and allows you to go through them in alphabetical order. There is also a menu on the left on the alphabetized page that lists several of the more popular buys.

You can also shop by subject, looking at everything from sci-fi and fantasy (like Thunderbirds, Stingray, and Supercar) to Science and Tech (like Medicine, Space & Exploration, and Weapons) to Ancient Civilizations (like The Mayans, Egypt, and Ancient Greece). Each of these categories opens up into a page full of great choices for both education and entertainment. There is literally something for everyone’s tastes.

You can also shop tabs for special offers, best sellers, and their new releases. A&E Television Networks makes it easy to find exactly what you are looking for on their easy-to-use site. There is also a tab on the side of the screen that leads into toys and games. Mostly educational and all fun, these games are a great gift idea. And if you don’t know what to give, the site offers gift certificates as well.

If you would rather take your time and browse on the go, request a catalog with their easy fill-in form, and you can be shopping the site in the park or the doctor’s office in just a few days. There is no hassle, and no pressure to buy.

With the ease of use, variety of products, and many ways to surf, this site is a number one in our book. There is something for every taste, all you have to do is take a look.

The Product Trends rating: The site is easy to use, and has a great list of products to entertain a wide range of people. There are plenty of search options and even a mailing list where you can sign up for special offers. The site is secure and pleasant to navigate. Five stars!
— Reviewed by Dionne Obeso

To try A&E for yourself, click the image below:

About the company: “Founded in 1961 as the book division of Time Inc., by 1966, Time-Life had combined its book offerings with music collections and packaged them as a sturdy box set. Throughout the ’70s and ’80s, the selection of books, music, and then video grew, diversifying into all genres. Today, Time-Life is one of the world’s pre-eminent creators and direct marketers of unique book, music, video/DVD, and multimedia products. The Time-Life name is one of the most recognized and trusted brands in existence today.”

The big pitch: A leader in the sale of music and video products, the Time-Life brand offers great value for quality entertainment products.

You are up late one night watching television and you come across a commercial for Time-Life music or video products, and wanted to order but didn’t get the number down in time. Hey, it happens - but now, Time-Life has created a website that you can visit and review all of the music, videos, and other product that they offer, without the need to dig behind the couch cushions for a pen that works.

How do you find that product you saw on television? Easy - just click on the “As Seen on TV" icon on the home page, category pages, and product pages throughout the site, to find the products advertised on TV. You can also search for the product that you are looking for by using the empty search box option that appears on every page. Just enter the product name and hit go, and all of the products will come up.

Want to listen to some of the music before purchasing? That option is also available on the site. If your product includes music CDs, you can listen to a 30-second sample of almost any song you choose - just click the song you want and it will play right there on your PC speakers.

Ultimately, Time-Life is the home of the various artists’ box set. With titles such as Legends: Ultimate Rock, Lifetime of Romance, and Classic Soul Ballads, you know pretty quickly what you’re in for. I mean, there’s just no confusing Superstars of the 80’s as being anything more than a collection of songs by the likes of Billy Ocean, Cyndi Lauper, Rick Springfield, Fine Young Cannibals and Huey Lewis and the News. But what may surprise is just how huge these box sets are. The Superstars of the 80’s set, for example, boasts discs for every genre - ten of them, in fact. In essence, with just one of these box sets, you could be purchasing enough music to get you from Jacksonville Florida to Spokane Washington without ever hearing the same song twice, or having to fiddle with a radio dial.

The video side of things is even more impressive, with DVDs of entire runs of classic TV shows, from Columbo to Murder She Wrote, Hee Haw to Second City Television. Even better, Time-Life regularly lists items for sale in their ‘clearance’ department, with prices dropping from the usual $16.99 to as little as $5.99. In addition, if you buy more items, you earn big discounts - buy 3 and get 10% off, buy 6 and get 15% off, or buy 9 and get a whopping 20% discount. That’s great stuff.

Customer Service is a number one priority for Time-Life. They are there for you before, during, and well after your purchase to answer any questions you may have, and to assure you are happy with our products and service. You have three ways of getting to customer service: Call Toll-Free: 1-800-950-7887. Call between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday, and Saturday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., except holidays. Send an email using the customer service form provided on the website, or if you prefer the age old methods, mail ‘em a letter.

If customer service matters to you, then Time-Life has our heartiest recommendation. When I called and asked various questions about the products, they were very helpful and easy to speak with. The return policy is fair and clear to the customers.

The Product Trends rating: If fast, quick and quality entertainment products are what you are looking for, then Time-Life products are for you. Five stars. —Reviewed by Denise Seegobin

To try Time-Life for yourself, click the image below:

About the company: "At Cambridge SoundWorks, we sell our award-winning speakers direct from the factory, eliminating distribution costs and passing the savings directly to you, our customer. This same high value formula allows us to match our high-performance speakers with electronics from brands like Sony, Onkyo, Samsung, Toshiba and Marantz, and offer incredible deals on great-sounding complete audio systems.”

The big pitch: Cambridge SoundWorks sells a great product for less because they cut out the middleman.

These guys were one of the first businesses to be selling online. Cambridge SoundWorks sold their first stereo product on the internet back in 1994. The company itself was set up over 15 years ago as a catalog business, and would later open retail stores based on their online success. They are still powered by their philosophy that “…the only good value is when you get a great price on a great product."

Naturally their business is founded on speakers and subwoofers, but their stereo products include all kinds of home electronics, including LCD televisions, DVD players, radios, multimedia units, soundcards, digital cameras, flash players and more. They have a wide variety of portable music players which includes a large selection of MP3 players, and if you’re looking to build yourself a home theater system, you don’t have to look any further than these pages.

The layout of their online store is simple and easy to navigate. Every product is logically categorized and can also be found through a search bar. Product pictures are clear and easily enlarged. Items can be viewed in all of their available colors, but the only thing lacking is a 360 degree view of the electronics, which you find on many other manufacturers websites these days. That said, the written descriptions are as good as you’ll find on any home electronics store website.

When you’re trying to narrow down what radio, flat-panel TV or subwoofer you want look at their “good-better-best-wow” rating system. This helpful tool will instantly identify which products are entry-level and which ones are fully loaded with all there is to offer. If you have more questions then the site seems to answer, their customer service offers more than most. Email them at one of several departments or phone them up during their generous business hours.

Cambridge SoundWorks has been given high ratings from consumers and reviewers alike. Their products stand up to the test of feature quality and durability. If you like to shop around, they offer a price guarantee. Once you’ve bought it, you have a 45 day satisfaction guarantee. If you like what you see, there isn’t much to lose by trying these guys out.

Unlike a lot of small startup companies these guys are able to offer a lot of other great shopping benefits. There are frequent clearance specials and even an online outlet store for people who don’t care if they have the latest gadget or don’t mind if it’s from an open box. Best of all there is free shipping on most purchases, and for customers with approved credit there is a great monthly payment plan for larger purchases.

The Product Trends rating: If you’re in the market for a sound system or other home electronics this is a great place to shop but it wouldn’t be fair to say that each of their products is as good as the next. You’ll likely find yourself looking for individual product reviews before making your final purchase. On almost all counts though, this is a great store with great products so it’s an easy four stars. —Reviewed by Phil Pivnick

To try Cambridge Soundworks for yourself, click the image below:

About the company: No matter whether you’re looking for video games, toys, games, standees, soundtracks, home furnishings, gift certificates, convention items, DVDs, collectibles, clothing, books, stationery, artwork or posters, if it has something to do with Star Wars, you’ll find it sold at the officially mandated, Lucasfilm-owned Star Wars Shop.

The big pitch: Discounted items for sale everyday, including exclusives that you won’t find anywhere else.

I have to admit, I hated, hated, hated the last three Star Wars movies. I know certain people love them and get all up ins, but to me, they were some of the worst big budget filmmaking in the last thirty years, like a trio of Waterworlds all lined up in a row. But hey, what do I know? I have a life that doesn’t involve Yoda-talk, so maybe I’m just missing out.

For those that aren’t missing out and worship the ground that George Lucas walks on, there’s the Star Wars Shop, the official Lucasfilm merchandise outlet that sells everything from ‘holiday edition Darth Vader statues’ to something called a ‘Lando in Skiff Guard Disguise Mini-Bust’.

I have to say, I wouldn’t know a ‘Covert Ops Clone Trooper Figure’ from a ‘Star Wars Porcelain Character Ornament Set’, but one thing I can tell you is that the items on sale at the Star Wars Shop are a lot cheaper than you would expect, especially seeing as much of it is limited edition collectible gear. I don’t know that I’d personally spend $279.99 on an ‘Attackus Wicket Statue’ or $399.99 on a 15 inch ‘Attackus Tusken Raider Statue’, but presumably someone out there will be saving every last penny of their summer babysitting money to do just that, in the expectation that one day it’ll be worth, like, $405 or something. So good luck to ‘em.

But you don’t have to be the geekiest geek of all geekdom to shop at the Star Wars Shop. Even a Star Wars hater like me can geek out a little at the General Greivous Bobbleheads (for just $16.99!), or the Framed Episode IV Film Cells (a snap at $69.99). And yeah, okay, I’ll admit that I wigged out a little at the Dark Side basketball jersey, though there’s no way I’d meet the hundred-dollar price tag for it.

All in all, what could have been a giant nerd rip-off is actually a collection of reasonably priced merchandise (for the most part) that will find a warm place in the hearts of those who dig it. We abide.

The Product Trends rating: It’s not our scene, but credit where it’s due, some of this is good stuff, especially to those who have The Empire Strikes Back memorized down to the last line, or have hung an Attack of the Clones poster over their john. If you go to sleep at night thinking about scenes from Return of the Jedi, then this is the store for you. 3.5 stars.

To try the Star Wars Shop for yourself, click the image below: