New URL - thewsreviews dot com

Concept: 2 out of 5
Execution: 3 out of 5
Yeah, but: No further action required.

The Long Version: Almost 24 hours ago, thewsreviews dot blogspot dot com became thewsreviews dot com. The transition seemed to go well, with just a short amount of downtime for people who avoid the 'www' prefix. (It's lame, I know.) All previous links from google searches and bookmarks redirect seamlessly to the new address, and if you see this through a feed, then that's working too.

Ultimately, though, nothing else has changed. The site is still hosted by the Blogger branch of Global Internet Domination, Inc., the same people who drive most of the traffic to this site and provide the advertising that's not expected to actually pay anything until mid-2012. But everyone needs a retirement plan, and I'm going to be starting the slow process of copying the HTML of each review into my own archives just in case there's a need to move. While Strobist redirects their dot com to their blogspot address, I'm still haunted by The Online Photographer's need to shift services mid-stream, giving it both blogspot and typepad incarnations.

The biggest real changes are the new header, a new contact e-mail, and a shorter web address to type and remember. Well worth it, as long as I didn't break the feed links.

Maha Powerex MH-C801D Charger

Concept: 3 out of 5
Execution: 3 out of 5
Yeah, but: Dinosaur not included.

The Long Version: There are certain things in life that are basic necessities. For photographers, flashlight collectors, and general electronics junkies, those ubiquitous AA batteries are inescapable. Unfortunately, so are cheap chargers - the sort of thing that comes in a set for an extra ten dollars. These chargers aren't terrible, and that's exactly what's wrong with them. They do the job well enough that they take the place of better ones, without being good enough for serious use.

The Maha C801D is the grand-daddy of hard-core chargers. It's been given rave reviews by Imaging Resource, Digital Dingus, and pretty much everyone on Amazon; it's even used by Joe 'Speedlight' McNally. It can fully charge eight AA batteries in an hour, or do a 'soft charge' that's easier on the cells but takes a little longer. There's also a button to do a full discharge-charge cycle to condition the batteries and keep them in their best condition. Each battery is on its own circuit, ensuring that they get their ideal treatment. While I don't have the ability to run any tests, I do get the distinct impression that my flashes are giving me more pops per charge.

Besides having the largest AC power brick in the known universe, the other distinctive feature of the C801D is its two identical buttons on opposite sides of the LCD. One of them will do a two-hour soft charge, and should be pressed whenever there's enough time for a more leisurely pace. The other button is for the conditioning cycle, which can take 12-14 hours to complete. The functions are marked in the plastic, but it's not the most visible or clear. Fortunately, I have a handy pack of stickers that I bought to let me distinguish between my two SB600's. It turned out to be an easy fix.

If only more of life's problems could be solved with the judicious application of dinosaur stickers.

Elsewhere on the Web: Bill Beebe reviews the Olympus E-P2

The Long Version: Longtime friend of thewsreviews Bill Beebe has posted an excellent review of the new Olympus E-P2. Whether you're interested in this specific camera, or just want to see the current state-of-the-art that Samsung and Sony are aspiring to, head over and check it out.