Friday, November 13, 2009

Please help, my computer goes rogue on me

CNET TechSpecials partner newsletter
November 13, 2009
Please help, my computer goes rogue on me

Dear CNET members,

Happy Friday the 13th! Before I get into Michael's laptop keyboard that has gone rogue on him ever since he dropped it, I have a couple of quick announcements. First up is the launch of CNET's Toolbar. Right now if you go to any CNET Web pages and look at the bottom of your screen (sorry, this feature is not available to Internet Explorer 6 users) you will see a subtle black bar going across the screen. From this toolbar you can access all the wish, research, and recommendation lists you've created--from using the CNET My List feature, your Download.com Watch lists, and if you are using CNET TechTracker, it will even list all your software updates. Everything from logging in and out to accessing your profile is also incorporated into this too bar--so everything is right at your fingertips. I hope you enjoy using this, and if you have any feedback, you know how to reach me.

The second item on my list is the about the Deals and Bargains forum. The holidays are in full swing already. And with budgets being especially tight these days, every dollar we can save helps. So if you run across a great deal online or in your in-box, share it with all of us by posting it in the Deals and Bargains forum. This way all of us can benefit from it. The forum is only as good as the people who participate in it, so start sharing! Thanks all! Now let's see if we can home in on Michael's rogue keyboard issue.

Well, Michael, sorry to see you had dropped your laptop. Before we get any further, I hope you have all your important data backed up, just in case something really goes rogue like your hard drive. Reading through all our members' answers to you, I would have to say many suggested that your problem stems from a hardware issue since your keyboard started to act up after the drop--ranging from a keyboard, hard drive, RAM module that has a loose connection to more serious issues as a damaged motherboard. However, we also can't rule out the possibility of other factors such as coincidental malware infection around the same or simply because of intense system resources being used up--best explained by member clap_clap here.

I will admit these types of issues are difficult to troubleshoot and narrowing it down can be time consuming and takes some patience. And the only real way is the process of elimination--starting with simple stuff and knocking out the eliminating the possibility one at a time. For instance to see if the physical keyboard is the culprit, a simple yet effect solution was suggested from member wilswong on how to test to see if the physical keyboard is either loose or damaged.

There are plenty of other great ideas and suggestions that you can try, and if some of the suggestions are beyond your technical ability, Michael, I would suggest leave it to a professional. I have selected a few suggestions from our members in the Q&A to start from, but there are plenty more member recommendations to read through. Good luck and please come back and follow up to tell us what you discovered and exactly what worked--we are all very curious. Thanks to everyone for your efforts. Have an awesome weekend and take care!

Cheers!
- Lee


Got suggestions? Send me an e-mail: messageboards@cnet.com

Lee Koo
Lee Koo
CNET Community manager
Last week's question
Please help, my computer goes rogue on me
QuestionI have a three-year-old laptop, a Compaq nc6400. It's loaded with XP and I am using Microsoft Office '07, as I had a new hard drive installed last year when the old one started acting up. Now, I do go online at various hot spots around my community, but always have my AVG Security active during these visits. I recently dropped the laptop onto a hardwood floor while taking it out of the travel case I use. Since then it seems to run fine, except it will frequently (at least once every day or so) go "rogue" and stop responding to any key except possibly arrow up and down. When I repeatedly strike a key it won't respond until suddenly it will respond with multiple lines of a single character (or back spaces) until I hit "page down" or some other random key and it stops its machine gun behavior. I have picked this unit up held it securely and shaken it upside down, shut it down for 5 minutes and restarted it, used canned air across the keys and a Dust Buster-type vacuum with a focused nozzle on the keyboard, thinking maybe a food particle might be hiding back in some obscure corner. I have run Ad Aware, AVG Security, and Spybot Search and Destroy wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiithout any apparent help. What do your knowledgeable and generous tech helpers suggest? Do I spend my limited funds on a "hospital visit" at my local computer repair shop, or is there something else I should try first? Or maybe do again? Do I have a virus? Have I been hacked? Or is there just something shaken loose in the abrupt impact with the floor? I would appreciate your suggestions.

Thanks in advance for all your thoughts and attempts to help with this challenge.

-- Submitted by: Michael G.

AnswerFeatured member solutions
for last week's question:

 "A few ideas "
-- Submitted by: dj_halnon

 "I suspect the hard drive... "
-- Submitted by: Watzman

 "Rogue keys.... "
-- Submitted by: PaulTercier

 "Bust keyboard or loose keyboard cable... "
-- Submitted by: darrenforster99

 Read all member contributions

 Thanks to all who contributed!

Previous questions and answers
1. Why all the hype for installing lots of RAM?

2. Windows update went bad, now my PC is stuck in endless updating cycle

3. Power supplies for PCs: How much power is enough and which brands are reliable?

4. Help! Hard-drive space doing the disappearing, reappearing act!

5. Broadband: Is my cable connection becoming saturated?

 All previous Community newsletters
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2. Is it ever right to give a virus?

3. CD & DVD recordable media disk reliability

4. IP address allocation running out!

5. Autonet Wi-Fi for your car? Worth the $199??

6. Netbook: Windows XP or Windows 7 Starter?

7. Need Laptop advice for Best Buys Black Friday sale...

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3. Caution to MacBook users upgrading to Snow Leopard

4. 3.06GHz Duo vs. 2.66GHz i5 Quad Core

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Security alerts and updates
1. News - November 13, 2009

2. Virus and spyware alerts - November 13, 2009

3. Updates - November 13 2009

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Check out next week's question:
Confusion over digital camera megapixels
Next week's questionMost manufacturers display the number of megapixels that their cameras have. What exactly is this number? Is it the number of pixels per square unit? If so what is this unit? In film cameras, the size on the film had a bearing on the quality of the final print, particularly enlargements and the larger formats were preferred by professionals who wanted to print large sized pictures. Is there an equivalence in digital cameras and do manufacturers display this? Under what name is this displayed? How much of this is good?

-- Submitted by: V.K. Subramanian

  Know the answer? Click here to submit it!

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· Digital music
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Need help tech right away? Don't wait for us, post your questions in the CNET forums for all the tech help and how-tos.
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Simple question, simple answer
1. Will I notice difference between Intel 2.5 GHz vs. AMD 3.0 GHz processor?

2. Disappearing items on Windows Vista Taskbar

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2. Windows 7 slow boot up 5 minutes

3. Setting up a home network using server 2008, Win 7, router

4. Where is iPhone backup stored on PC?
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3. Best Buy - $20 off $100.00

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CNET

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Must-have Windows tools

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Download Dispatch Newsletter Download Dispatch - Windows
 
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November 10, 2009
  In this issue    

 Paint.NET
 ShowTheOffer

 Crystal Office
 DayMate
  Must-have Windows tools
editor pic Jessica Dolcourt
Associate Editor
Twitter: @cnetdownloads
Contact Jessica
 
We round up seven system utilities to help keep your computer in top form. Did we mention they're all free?

 Read more
Recent reviews
Paint.NET
For those in need of a free image-editing application more powerful than Microsoft's Paint with many of Photoshop's tools but not the enormous cost, Paint.NET might be picture-perfect.

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ShowTheOffer
Discover discounts on the Web site you visit with this tool.

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Run Car On Water
Convert your car to run on water with this electronic book.

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The Spanish Language Speed Learning Course
This e-book for learning Spanish promises more than it delivers.

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ATP Player
Watch videos or view pictures with this simple program.

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View more recent reviews
New releases
Crystal Office
Get an office application for word processing, spreadsheets, and scheduling.

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DayMate
Plan your activities, display notifications, launch applications, and open documents.

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NotePro
Create or edit texts using an enhanced multi document replacement for WordPad and Notepad editors.

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VideoGet
Acquire videos from various video Web sites and convert them to different formats.

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BurnInTest Standard
Test components of your PC for endurance and reliability.

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Create your own Docks

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Download Dispatch Newsletter - Mac Download Dispatch - Mac
 
View online  | Share on Facebook
November 10, 2009
  In this issue    

 HandBrake
 SuperDuper

 FadeText
 Maperture
  Create your own Docks
editor pic Jason Parker
Senior Associate Editor
Twitter: @cnetdownloads
Contact Jason
 
This week's Download Dispatch for Mac includes DragThing, AppDelete, and Mad Skills Motocross. Get all the latest Mac news and updates in the Download Dispatch for Mac.

 Read more
Recent reviews
HandBrake
Handbrake is an open-source utility for converting video from any source into MPEG-4 files; it's especially useful if you want to rip movies and TV shows from your DVDs and watch them on your Mac.

  Read more   
SuperDuper
SuperDuper is a popular, powerful, and easy-to-use app for quickly creating a fully bootable backup (or "clone") of your hard drive, whether you're recovering from a mishap or just migrating between machines.

  Read more   
NetNewsWire
NetNewsWire is a serious RSS newsreader, a feature-filled desktop app specifically designed for voracious news consumers who want more RSS features than Safari and Mail provide.

  Read more   
UnRarX
UnRarX is a simple freeware utility for expanding .rar archive files and restoring corrupted archives with .par and .par2 files.

  Read more   
ScratchPad
ScratchPad is a free, simple text editor inspired by the old Mac default application Note Pad.

  Read more   

View more recent reviews
New releases
FadeText
screensaver that displays your favorite sentences

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Maperture
Geotagging plug-in for Aperture.

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Snow Leopard Cache Cleaner
System maintenance, optimization, antivirus.

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Splunk
Search tool indexes your log files to solve critical problems.

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Mail Unread Menu
Displays Apple Mail's unread count in menu bar.

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   View more popular products
 
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CNET

Monday, November 9, 2009

Samsung goes wide and long

Josh says, "The main attraction is the 24mm-equivalent wide-angle lens with 10x zoom, which is certainly a plus in a camera this size, giving you a lot of shooting flexibility for less than $280. It also has plenty of features to keep you experimenting with your photography." But you know there's always  a "but..."
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November 9, 2009
Samsung HZ15 reviewed
Lori Grunin
Lori Grunin
CNET.com
Compact megazoom
Josh says, "The main attraction is the 24mm-equivalent wide-angle lens with 10x zoom, which is certainly a plus in a camera this size, giving you a lot of shooting flexibility for less than $280. It also has plenty of features to keep you experimenting with your photography." But you know there's always a "but..." Read more

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Nikon D90 (with 18-105mm lens)

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Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR
Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR

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What's new
Preview: Is Olympus E-P2 enough of an update?
The E-P2 is Olympus' newly announced follow up to its first mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera, the E-P1, which also adheres to the Micro Four Thirds Standard (MFT). Read more
Lowepro unbags all-weather cases
From smaller, stealthier bags, to holster-style cases and full-size backpacks, there is something to meet the wide array of needs of professionals and photo enthusiasts. Read more
DxO aims for lower photo noise
DxO Labs announced a new version of its raw image editing software Tuesday that sports what the company says is a streamlined, more adaptable interface and the capability to extract a better ultimate image from those that begin with lots of noise. Read more
Indecent Exposure 67: Interrupting experiences
Honing your sharpening skills; how you left your ruts in the mud; and your fall foliage photos for all. Read more
News
Lori Grunin Poll: Are these EVIL cameras?
Lori Grunin
Words have always been considered powerful, mystical things--the story of the Golem is merely one example that pops into mind--but they take on more prosaic power when it comes to search engine optimization. Read more
CNET forum
4x6 Prints with 4x5.33 photos
Posted by lciobanu
Hello, I have a Canon SD990 IS camera and would like to get prints 4x6. However, photos are 4x5.33 with my camera and I always have to lose a little bit from the top and from the bottom of the photos. I do not understand why photo centers do not offer the possibility to print 4x5.33 on 4x6 paper leaving white the area from 5.33 to 6, so we could cut this white and get in a simple and cheap way 4x5.33 prints. Why do they have to increase image up to 4.5x6 so they cut 0.5 inch from top and bottom to get 4x6?  Read more 
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CNET

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

LG's super-streaming HDTV; Holiday gift guide

Armed with more features than any plasma TV to date, including numerous streaming video options and scads of picture controls, the LG PS80 series also manages to have uncannily futuristic styling. But what about its picture quality?
View online  | Share on Facebook
November 4, 2009
What's hot this week
David Katzmaier
David Katzmaier
CNET.com
LG plasma streams Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, local media, kitchen sink
Armed with more features than any plasma TV to date, including numerous streaming video options and scads of picture controls, the LG PS80 series also manages to have uncannily futuristic styling. But what about its picture quality? Read the full review

 Check out the slideshow
 Best plasma TVs
 Best HDTVs overall
LG 50PS80
LG 50PS80
Popular HDTV reviews
Samsung UN55B8500
Samsung UN55B8500

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Vizio VF551XVT
Vizio VF551XVT

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Panasonic TC-P50V10
Panasonic TC-P50V10

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Panasonic TC-P50G10
Panasonic TC-P50G10

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Samsung PN50B650
Samsung PN50B650

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Latest reviews and features
Holiday gift guide: Home theater
November marks the official ramp-up to the holiday season, so brace yourself for the media bombardment. To get a taste of what's to come, check out our holiday gift guide, presented this year in slideshow form to help exercise your clicking digit. Read more

 Holiday gift guide: TVs
Review: Onkyo SKS-HT870
Onkyo SKS-HT870
The Onkyo SKS-HT870 speaker package offers up tons of performance for the price, but it's not the most stylish speaker system. Read more

 Check prices
Review: Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7b
Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7b QuietPoint
We hoped that the Audio-Technica's QuietPoint ATH-ANC7b noise-canceling headphones would deliver more bang for the buck than Bose's noise-canceling models--but they don't. Read more

 Check prices
Interactive TVs compared
From Netflix, Yahoo Widgets, and Amazon Video on Demand to YouTube and video podcasts, today's HDTVs can display much more than just television shows. Here's a slice of the sets we've recently reviewed, each of which guarantees there's always something else to watch on TV. Read more

 Will Vizio's interactive TV beat them all?
Crave
David Katzmaier LG: OLED will fall to LCD price levels by 2016
David Katzmaier
On the heels of announcing a 15-inch OLED display going on sale in Korea this December, LG predicts that prices for panels using the coveted technology will fall below those of LCD panels in seven years. Read more
The Audiophiliac
Wanted: A basic home theater receiver
Posted by Steve Guttenberg
Today's receivers are so jam-packed with features they can be a hassle to set up and use. Even entry-level models boast features that flagship models from even just five years ago never had.  Read more 
More Audiophilia

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 Best cheap LCD HDTVs  Sub-$250 Blu-ray players  Plasma vs. LCD vs. RPTV
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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Top 5 free downloads

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Download Dispatch Newsletter Download Dispatch - Windows
 
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November 03, 2009
  In this issue    

 Microsoft Office Word 2007
 AbiWord

 Maple Professional
 Maple Reader
  Top 5 free downloads
editor pic Jessica Dolcourt
Associate Editor
Twitter: @cnetdownloads
Contact Jessica
 

One of our chief occupations at CNET Download.com is to keep our eyes peeled for excellent freeware. We've got our own picks for ultimate free applications (and also for the most essential), but we like to consider your opinions, too. CNET Executive Editor Tom Merritt recently conducted an informal poll among his Facebook and Twitter contacts, asking for their favorite no-cost software. Here are the five apps that readers--maybe you--tapped as the best of the best.

Every yin has its yang. To balance out the five best downloads, all of them available on Download.com, are the five biggest stinkers of the season. Should your want to gawk at the combined mediocrity of these duds, these applications are also available on Download.com. You've been warned.

In Windows 7 news, many of you have written in with questions about upgrading from Windows XP and Windows Vista. CNET News' Ina Fried tries to clear up some confusion about what you can and can't do with a Windows 7 upgrade disk. There. We hope that helps.



 Read more
Recent reviews
Microsoft Office Word 2007
Microsoft Word 2007's document types, interface, and some features--very nearly every aspect of this word processor--have changed.

  Read more   
AbiWord
This open-source program proves that you don't have to come up with a chunk of change to score a worthy word-processing program. And the fact that it's compatible with Microsoft Word certainly doesn't hurt.

  Read more   
IObit Security 360
Freeware IOBit 360 is a fast and welterweight utility for both detecting and removing malware, and determining any security holes in your system before they can been exploited.

  Read more   
MyVideoConverter
Make those old videos play again with this all-in-one converter.

  Read more   
System Mechanic
System Mechanic is a virtual toolbox that can enhance the speed, safety, and power of your computer with a wide range of functions and an extensive help system.

  Read more   

View more recent reviews
New releases
Maple Professional
Create hierarchy trees for your files and backups.

  Read more   
Maple Reader
View tree files created in maple.

  Read more   
Celerity
Process millions of C/C++ source code lines.

  Read more   
A1 Sitemap Generator
Generate HTML, XML, RSS, or text sitemaps for your Web sites.

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JEP(S) Greylist
Install spam filter for Microsoft Exchange server.

  Read more   
 
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2.  Avira AntiVir Personal - Free Antivirus
Category: Antivirus Software
3.  Ad-Aware Free Anti-Malware
Category: Spyware Removers
4.  Avast Home Edition - Free Antivirus
Category: Antivirus Software
5.  LimeWire
Category: P2P & File-Sharing Software
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6.  Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
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10.  IObit Security 360
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Mozilla Firefox 3.6 beta released

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November 03, 2009
  In this issue    

 UnRarX
 NetNewsWire

 GameSalad Creator
 Alkitab Bible Study
  Mozilla Firefox 3.6 beta released
editor pic Jason Parker
Senior Associate Editor
Twitter: @cnetdownloads
Contact Jason
 

Want to see what's in store next for Firefox on the Mac? If you consider yourself a tech-savvy Mac user, check out the latest 3.6 beta release of Mozilla Firefox. New enhancements, like the capability to change the browser's appearance with a single click, improved JavaScript performance, and numerous other tweaks, were designed to make your overall Web-surfing experience better. Like any beta software, make sure to save your important data before you install and run this program. Warning: there may be bugs.

Not an early adopter? Then check out Xupport, the Swiss Army knife of utilities that helps you safely optimize your Mac using several system tools. Our game this week is Solavant, the hardcore Solitaire game with 240 game types and absolutely no hints or cheats--it's just you against the cards.

Don't forget to check out our iPhone apps of the week!

 Read more

Recent reviews
UnRarX
UnRarX is a simple freeware utility for expanding .rar archive files and restoring corrupted archives with .par and .par2 files.

  Read more   
NetNewsWire
NetNewsWire is a serious RSS newsreader, a feature-filled desktop app specifically designed for voracious news consumers who want more RSS features than Safari and Mail provide.

  Read more   
ScratchPad
ScratchPad is a free, simple text editor inspired by the old Mac default application Note Pad.

  Read more   
QuicKeys
QuicKeys is a long-lived automation utility designed to save you time by letting you convert tedious, repetitive tasks into quick, painless one-step shortcuts.

  Read more   
Dejal Simon
Simon (from Dejal Systems) is a reasonably priced, feature-rich site-monitoring tool, especially useful to administrators who need to keep track of multiple sites, servers, and applications.

  Read more   

View more recent reviews
New releases
GameSalad Creator
Game development tool for non-programmers.

  Read more   
Alkitab Bible Study
Bible study app with multiple languages, search...

  Read more   
Cribbage Plus!
Customizable cribbage game.

  Read more   
Sorenson Squeeze
Video compression tools.

  Read more   
Lightning Brain FrameReporter
Adds a little non-printing 'info-label' to any selected page item.

  Read more   
 
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Category: Media Players
5.  Free YouTube Downloader
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10.  StuffIt Expander
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  Logitech Illuminated Keyboard
This keyboard features adjustable backlit keys that allow you to easily see your keyboard even in...
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The CV65 camera is ideal for monitoring yourchildren, your home, your retail outlet and more. The...
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