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    June 21, 2013
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    July 8, 2016
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emiliosic's Reviews
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Say goodbye to long styling routines and hello to salon-quality results at home with the Shark SilkiPro Straight Wet to Dry Straightener + Rapid Blow Dryer. Designed for a silky smooth finish in half the time*, SilkiPro Straight combines high-velocity airflow with HeatSense Ceramic Plates for fast styling without the heat damage**. With three interchangeable combs, you can straighten, smooth, or shape hair effortlessly while protecting it from heat damage**. Whether your hair is wet or dry, straight, wavy, curly, or coily, SilkiPro Straight delivers silky, shiny results that last all day. Perfect for every texture, this tool simplifies your routine while keeping hair looking healthy and its best. *vs. air drying **In wet to dry mode
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Works with wet hair
on August 30, 2026
Posted by: emiliosic
In short, this is a combination hair dress with a hair dryer, with obvious benefits.
Unlike press attachments to hair dryers that can become too unwieldly, this is larger than a standard hair press but much more manageable.
It provides recission temperature control for the hair dryer part and press.
The tool is very sleek, and this being in Plum Satin, very stylish too.
It also comes with a long brush attachment and two smaller brushes that fit within the press.
Because of the combination of hot or cold air with the press, it not only flattens curly hair but also is able to provide the silk press finish of a glossy hair from a hair salon.
My daughters have been using this as well and they’re very happy with it.
Like other newer Shark hay dryers, it's very sleek, doesn’t burn out the hair and it's relatively quiet.
Besides the dryer and the fact that can be used with wet hair, it works best when one parts the hair in sections before using it.
Controls are extremely simple, with an wet/dry/off, temperature and fan speed buttons.
There is a latch button to keep it pressed for storage.
It comes with a pouch for the accessory brushes and a cable tie for the power cable.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Aqara Thermostat W200, the first thermostat to support Apple Adaptive Temperature and Clean Energy Guidance, delivers effortless comfort and smarter energy savings. Your iPhone learns your routine and adjusts automatically~no schedules required. More than a thermostat, it works as a Zigbee and Thread hub with Border Router capabilities, expanding your Matter network and enabling local control across Apple, Google, Alexa, SmartThings, and Home Assistant. Built-in mmWave presence detection, dual-band Wi-Fi, security alert playback, and seamless doorbell streaming and lock control bring powerful automation together~subscription-free and designed for a future-proof smart home.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Very capable
on August 20, 2026
Posted by: emiliosic
This is the USA version of the Aqara thermostat, which integrated well with Matter hubs and particularly with Apple Home.
Installation was straightforward in my case as I replaced an older thermostat in a relatively modern AC/Gas heat unit that already had the correct wiring.
This kit comes with an adapter in case a C wire is not present like in older furnaces. I did not use this so it was a matter or drilling two new holes in the wall (thermostat brackets are not standard across different models), reconnecting the same cables (newer systems follow a standard wiring pattern), and set up took a few minutes. It also comes with an optional backplate which can cover the holes from a previous thermostat. The backplate is pure white while the thermostat is matte black, so it didn't work out with out painted wall.
Note that this is a thermostat and also a home automation hub, so one can choose to use just as a thermostat by adding it via Matter to Apple Home and other platforms as well as setting it up as a hub which allows additional features and supports additional temperature sensors.
I started by first adding it to Apple Home: By scanning a QR code that appears on the thermostat screen, I was all set up within minutes. Apple Home set up Wi-Fi and automatically created a base schedule, and enabled 'Adaptive Temperature'.
Adaptive Temperature is new as iOS 26 and is a simplified automation that manages the day/light schedule and sets the thermostat in away mode when people is no longer at home. Apple does this by tracking the location of the primary devices associated to each user in the home. When it detects no one is home it changes the temperature to save energy, and if it predicts people are returning to the house by inferring from phone activity, it can start the AC/Heat earlier to the home is close to the target temperature when arriving.
Besides Apple Home, it officially supports Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings and Home Assistant, and should also work with any other Matter platform, all at the same time.
As an Aqara hub it also supports Aqara Matter, Thread, Zigbee and Bluetooth devices. When adding temperature sensors to the system, the thermostat can use these to average the temperature around the home or to make another sensor the primary point, or combine with presence sensors for more complex automations.
Overall, I like how it works. The screen is matte and turns off when no one is around. It allows for some screen customization as well. It also provides English audio prompts during initial setup.
Being a Matter thermostat that supports Apple's Adaptive Temperature is something that sets this apart.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Denon AVR-X2900H delivers high-performance Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D sound designed for immersive home entertainment. Advanced room correction fine-tunes playback to your space. Multi-room streaming Powered by HEOS lets you enjoy music throughout your home, and modern connectivity supports today~s TVs, sound sources, and formats. With intuitive setup tools and scalable surround options, the AVR-X2900H provides a refined, flexible foundation for movies, music, and gaming~built to support your system as it grows.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Works with current A/V specs, beautiful sound
on August 1, 2026
Posted by: emiliosic
This is a classic mid-range receiver with updated to current functionality.
There are 7 audio channels, Which accept banana connectors, and two separate subwoofer pre-outs, for up to a 7.2 arrangement, with support for Bi-Amp front-speakers in a 5.1 configuration, or a separate Zone 2 in Stereo with the main as 5.1. There is also a Pre-out for Zone 2.
There is Dolby Atmos support with height speakers.
The 'Surround Back' speakers are assignable for all these different alternatives: Bi-Amp, Atmos Height or Zone 2.
As expected, supports most Dolby including Atmos and DTS formats including DTS:X
As for audio inputs, it has phono RCA connectors with a ground connector, six assignable RCA stereo connectors, one digital RCA and two optical inputs.
Separate AM and FM antenna connectors, with an included AM loop antenna. And a separate FM cable antenna. The FM receiver does not appear to support digital broadcasts.
The included remote control is large and well organized. It does not control other devices however the receiver supports HDMI CEC so it can control them this way. It's infrared only so the receiver needs a line of sight with the remote. It also has remote control jacks (In and out) so one can add an external IR sensor.
Additionally it supports RS-232C for automating it via a controller, and has a DB9 connector on the back.
HDMI connectors are essential on a receiver, and partly the reason for upgrading to this. Out of the six assignable inputs, three support 8K sources and the other 3 support up to 4K inputs. There are two HDMI outputs that support 8K and one supports eARC (Return audio from the TV). All support HDCP 2.3 and CEC.
HDCP is the encryption format and it's important because otherwise media players can refuse to play in high-definition if they cannot negotiate HDCP.
CEC is used to control one unit from another, and this receiver supports it, turning on and off devices and selecting the corresponding input.
There is an USB port in the back to provide power to something like a streaming stick, and an USB port on the front that can be used with memory sticks or drives for playing audio.
Bluetooth: It can either receive from a Bluetooth device like a phone or it can connect to Bluetooth headphones, depending on the audio source being used, and it can play on speakers and BT headphones simultaneously or just the headphones. It does not support high resolution codecs like AptX or LDAC, which I found surprising.
Internet connections:
Connected via either WiFi or Ethernet, it can play back internet radio stations via Tune-In, with no account required, it has excellent Apple Airplay 2 support, with even lets me set up WiFi credentials via Apple and the receiver displays album art on the TV while playing.
There is also Spotify Connect support but does not support Google cast audio.
Then there is HEOS, which is a multi-room home audio protocol similar in concept Sonos. It supports home NAS servers as well as a few internet services like Spotify, Amazon Music, TIDAL and a handful of others. Not a huge list but covers the basics. There is no YouTube Audio nor Apple Music (Although Airplay support is excellent and very responsive). HEOS can also connect to other internet speakers from Denon and Marantz, so a vinyl record player connected to the phono input of the receiver can be heard using HEOS on a separate Marantz speaker for example. HEOS can also be used to cast audio from an Apple or Android phone.
It comes with an acoustic calibration microphone for Denon's Audyssey system that I found it worked well for my room. The calibration microphone comes with a very long cable and is only needed during calibration and can be stored afterwards. It supports attaching to a tripod and comes with a cardboard extension if there are no better options. Denon also offers a paid phone (iOS/Android) application to use the phone for assisting in the calibration, which I chose not to purchase at the moment.
It also supports, in alternative to Audyssey, 'Dirac Live', which offers more complete calibration toolset, although the receiver supports the 'Core Optimization' technology and not the Active Room Treatment (ART). This is entirely optional and the license is expensive. Not an option for me but I appreciate it's offered.
Although there is classic matrix display on the unit that works very well, most of the setup is much simpler through the menu on the TV, and some settings are even simpler from the programming menu on the phone app.
For phone apps, there are two basic ones required to install: The Denon remote app is very simple and mostly replaces the remote control, and adds direct access to some advanced settings, shows cover art of what's playing when available.
The second app is HEOS which handles any streaming audio sources and some other basic controls.
The Audyssey app is completely optional, as the included mic is often enough.
So, overall, it's a great traditional receiver with some quality of life improvements necessary to function with the latest TVs and 4K/8K sources. To me this model covers the vast majority of home audio/TV setups without the extras required on private listening rooms. And offers slightly more flexibility than the base models and including support for home automation, 12V trigger, a second simultaneous HDMI output (Like for example a projector and a TV), and so on. Internet sources support is good but not great. IN any case it excels in audio quality which is the most important aspect of a receiver and the HDMI switching works very well.
I do like the warmth of the sound.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Flip your day, your way. More than just a laptop~it~s your all-day, anywhere companion with 4 flexible modes. Power and performance for AI acceleration, it keeps pace with your most creative ideas and demanding workloads. With fast charging and a design that~s both sleek and durable, the OmniBook X Flip moves as effortlessly~and stylishly~as you do.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Quality laptop at a good price
on June 19, 2026
Posted by: emiliosic
This is a great laptop that covers the middle ground with a modern Intel CPU that is capable of some local AI processing, hence labeled as a 'Copilot PC', 16GB of RAM that is adequate for daily use without feeling underpowered, and with today's memory prices, it doesn't break the bank.
SSD storage is 1 TB, so more than enough for anything one could possibly do on a laptop if one doesn't expect to store all the photos and videos on the laptop, but with plenty of storage, 2TB is on the higher end without going into custom laptops. I don't expect to fill its capacity but larger SSDs tend to last longer because they can spread out wear on its larger capacity.
The display is beautiful. Note that the display is 1920x1200 pixels, so it's a16:10 aspect ratio, which I prefer, because it gives me more space when working with text and spreadsheets and even watching video is a bit longer vertically so the progress bar and controls remain below the image. The screen is a high quality OLED display with perfect blacks, and HDR capable, but only when used for video, not HDR text, which is fine with me. The display is 60Hz so it's not the fastest but also is more power efficient than a screen with a higher refresh. Not the most ideal for games, but this is not a gaming laptop and more than adequate for casually playing some decent games.
The screen is touch sensitive. Although the laptop doesn't come with a pen, I'm using a Windows compatible pen I already had and works just fine. The right side of the laptop is magnetized and can hold the pen.
Also note that this screen is not the best for working on daylight. It's bright enough but there is a coating on the glass that looks like it has some triangles on it. It's very much usable but distracting.
The keyboard is a full keyboard with number pad. Great for working with numbers but I have to say I don't love the fact that it's aligned to the left and the very large trackpad is mostly on the center. If I had a choice I'd prefer a more centered keyboard without the number pad, however I will get more used to it over time. I like that the keys are lighted, with enough travel and pleasant clicking feel to them.
The trackpad is very large and physically clicks on the bottom (The side towards me). It works well as it should.
The speakers are under the front, firing directly towards me, calibrated by Poly (As in Polycom, which is now an HP brand).
As for connectors, it has two Thunderbolt/USB4 ports, one on each side, which can also be used for video and either one for charging as well. There is a standard USB3 port on each side as well, and the left side also has an HDMI and audio jack. Works just fine with a Thunderbolt 4 dock with a 4K monitor.
And this is a folding laptop so folding the laptop with the screen on front activates the Windows Tablet mode. It works well as a very large table, and somewhat heavy. Note that if folding as a 'tent', it doesn't have rubberized edges so do this only on a soft surface.
During normal use, It's either silent or very quiet fans. Only when running heavy tasks or installing a major windows update I can hear the fans.
This laptop has a 'Windows Hello' 5MP camera and does not have a fingerprint sensor.
Installation is on par other Windows laptops, first install was quick as long as I first connect to the internet, and have to use my Microsoft account as a user (No local user on new Windows installs), and then spent a good amount of time installing updates. Nothing against this laptop, this is how Windows goes these days.
There is not a whole lot of junk installed except an overwhelming amount of 'HP' related apps. Besides these, the ubiquitous McAffee gave me no problem uninstalling (There are two apps to uninstall), and an Adobe shortcut that didn't want to uninstall automatically. Then I uninstalled an HP Password Manager that I didn't find a use for, and overall I expected more junk. Surprised that it went smoothly. However please check what you agree to with each HP app, as some explicitly ask to share activities with third parties for marketing purposes. Although I understand some telemetry is reasonable, having the manufacturer asking to monitor my activity to sell this info to others is a big no.
The charger is a tiny USB-C wall plug providing 65W, and comes with a large USB-C charging cable (Don't use for data). I wish HP would provide a charger with an extra port, but it is indeed very small for what it is. It's thin and long so it sticks out on a wall plug but doesn't block other outlets. Nice design.
Repairability: I like to see what I'm getting because over the years I replaced components myself, and unfortunately this has screws hidden under its rubber legs, so I left it alone for now.
Talking about components, it has a WiFi 7 card with a 6 Ghz radio using a Realtek components. Internal audio is also Realtek. 1the CPU is 'Intel Core Ultra 7 355 at 2.3 Ghz.
OmniBook is the new name for HP's higher end 'Envy' laptops. Within that range this is a middle ground that is excellent for daily use, with a large screen and doesn't break the bank. 16 GG RAM is adequate. The 1TB SSD is plenty. The screen is very nice, it's not 4K but doesn't need to be. It's a beautiful OLED display that has a pleasant 16:10 aspect ratio.
I like the feel of the keyboard but I don't love that it's off-center because of the number pad. This is me and I realize others might like that.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Enjoy better sound quality, long lasting playtime, and a tough design that stays intact no matter where it's packed. With Milton A.N.C. on-ear wireless headphones, your playtime outlasts your weekly commute. Stay locked in to your music with next-generation adaptive active noise cancellation, adjusting automatically in real time to your surroundings.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Great headphones with personality
on June 1, 2026
Posted by: emiliosic
First of all, I like how these headphones look and feel. The look is distinctive.
After using another model from Marshall from a few years back, this improved in about every aspect, while preserving its distinctive look and it's more sensibly priced than other brands.
These headphones are 'above the ears' so they sit above your ears, not around them like in larger models, so they are smaller.
They feel very comfortable, I can wear them most of the day. The padding on the earcups is very comfortable as well as on the band. Height adjustment is very straightforward without much friction and they stay in place. The pieces between the headband and earcups are metal, with solid folding hinges, it's built nicely and to last.
There are two buttons: On the left there is the distinctive 'joystick' that's truly fantastic. I used many headphones, and this is among the best. It's intuitive and reliable. Moving the button up or down is volume, back and forward for tracks. Single press is play/pause. Long press for power, and for pairing, either double press or keep holding it while turning on for pairing.
On the left earcup, there is a single button that's configurable and by default controls the ANC/Transparency. These headphones are perhaps the most intuitive of all the headphones I used.
It has microphones to handle voice calls, assistant and to detect noise level. Nothing too special about it, works as it should. Can take calls with these headphones at home no problem. Didn't use it outside for calls though.
The noise cancellation works, is has three pre-set levels and an adaptive mode that senses the amount of noise to auto-adjust. Because it's an on-ear design it doesn't isolate noise as much as models that completely cover the ears, but works for the most part, and it's very comfortable.
At home or while working, when the noise levels are not too high, I prefer using the transparency mode instead, which keeps me aware of the environment while still sounding great.
The audio quality is very good. I generally tweak the sound using the equalized, which is part of the Marshall app, however the pre-set 'Marshall sound' produces a rich sound, with excellent mids, with very clear voices, good highs and decent bass, so end up leaving it as-is.
From podcasts to an eclectic selection of music, all sounded very good.
When setting up the headphones, the phone recommends installing the Marshall app for Bluetooth, which I did. About everything on the headphones is customizable, from button functions, equalizer, noise cancellation levels, soundstage, manage paired devices, how it powers off, etc.
For example, one can choose to leave the headphone on if music is not playing or no phone connected, like when traveling, or turn it off quickly to preserve battery.
For wired connectivity, it has an USB-C port that's for charging, but also for USB audio, so could connect it directly to a phone, tablet or computer, and it provides microphone over USB-C as well.
It also comes with a coiled cable for USB to audio jack, so it would work on a plane that provides audio jack, computer or tablet.
It comes with a short USB-C cable and the long, coiled USB-C to audio.
Bluetooth supports the latest BT 6.0 with Auracast (which I currently have no use for but it, but through the app, supports joining a 'Bluetooth Broadcast' like in a venue without having to stay connected to the phone, once set up), or share audio from some phones to multiple headsets. This is something that's planned for concerts, theaters or stadiums, mostly.
For audio codecs, it supports the standard SBC that works on any phone, AAC that's mostly for Apple and some Android, and supports LDAC, which is an alternative to APT-X and it's intended for Hi-Res audio. Besides high end phones, some Sony turntables and receivers support it as well. This was a pleasant surprise.
The headphone can connect to two devices at a time of a total of 8 connections, and the connections can be edited from within the app. While I personally use an iPhone, I also use a Pixel phone and connected both at the same time. When either device starts playing, it switches seamlessly. I was pleasantly surprised how well this works.
A pleasant surprise is that it supports either Android or Apple's find my. When in pairing mode, Android will prompt to add it to its network, and on Apple, open the Find My app and it recognizes it.
Lastly, it also supports a 'Soundstage' mode which can optionally adjust the audio to make it sound more like being in a stadium or similar stage where the audio sound more spread-out, with customizable settings.
Battery is excellent, like expected on headphones, there is space for the battery and after using it for good part of a week since last charged it, it has many hours left.
While the ANC could be better, it's good in most cases and the sound is excellent. I like how easy it is to control it with the button.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Hohem iSteady MT3 Pro is the most advanced AI camera stabilizer. It tracks humans, pets, vehicles and any subject you want, and it comes with a detachable remote for more flexible control. From camera mounting, balancing, to switching to vertical shooting, everything is quick and easy. The kit version includes the Spot Mini Motor and twist handle for professional, efficient filming.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Excellent professional tracking gimbal
on May 9, 2026
Posted by: emiliosic
As an amateur photographer, I'm familiar with other gimbals, like the ones for phones, which I had for years.
However this is next level, particularly at this price point.
The unit itself is very well built, mostly of aluminum, with some rubberized sections where it matters.
The operation itself is very smooth, allows for 360 degrees of movement horizontally, in a 3-axis configuration, one can walk normally, rotate the handle and the camera remains in position. This is what's expected from a motorized gimbal.
The next level in this is that it has its own camera, like a phone camera, and also has an embedded light, which has adjustable kelvin and brightness in white mode and full RGB in color mode. The light can be controlled from a wheel on the handle or via the remote control.
The remote control is a standout feature that I have not seen in other products double its cost: The screen is a small touchscreen that receives a live feed from the gimbal's camera and allows one to select via the touchscreen what to track. It also has a joystick to move the gimbal, zoom and trigger for the connected camera.
The AI tracking has various modes and can track people or animals. The gimbal can also perform other tricks like different rotation patterns that can be triggered from either the handle or the remote, which can of course stay attached to the handle as well.
The gimbal has an internal battery that can also charge the remote, which has its own battery, and is powered by an USB-C connector.
The gimbal can control mirrorless/reflex cameras, action cameras or phones via either USB-C or Bluetooth.
My camera is on the basic mirrorless side, a Canon R100. When I tried connecting it to the gimbal via USB-C it recognized it as a PC, so the remote trigger confused the camera, but works perfectly when paired as a remote via Bluetooth.
The gimbal also has several mounting points for different accessories like flashes, as well as additional USB-C output connectors that could be used for accessory lights.
It also comes with a phone adapter and a mount that could come handy in some action cameras (GoPro, etc.).
Initially, one needs to manually balance the gimbal based on the weight distribution of each camera. It can be a chore. Took me about 15 minutes initially and with some minor adjustments got the hang of it. The gimbal does have an automatic calibration, but the initial balancing needs to be done manually.

The gimbal can be paired with the 'Hohem Joy' phone app when it's attached to a phone and want to use the remote to shoot and to upgrade the gimbal's firmware, which was not needed in my case. Otherwise there is no requirement to use it. The feed from the gimbal's camera is not streamed to the phone.
It supports up to 2.5 Kg weight for the camera.
Overall, I'm extremely impressed by this. Professional build quality and features at a prosumer price.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Breeze through everyday tasks on this 27-inch monitor with 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms Moving Picture Response Time (MPRT), and T~V 3-star certification for eye comfort.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Great everyday business monitor
on May 6, 2026
Posted by: emiliosic
This is a simple, everyday bustiness/home user monitor with a 1080p resolution (1920x1080) and supports high refresh rates. The higher refresh rate is good for a better gaming experience, but it also helps with eye strain.
The monitor has a large 27" screen that makes for more comfortable reading.
The stand comes mostly pre-assembled. There is a tool-less crew on the base that has a Lazy-Susan on it, and the height is adjustable. Like other Dell monitors, this works very well.
The arm has a VESA backplate and requires four included screws (Screwdriver is also included). Takes about a minute to put together, and also comes with an HDMI cable.
On the back of the monitor, there are two HDMI inputs, so one can switch between two computers if needed.
Note that there is no audio output, not even an RCA out, so if you want audio, use either a docking station or the computer's connections or speakers.
The screen is crisp and bright, with uniform colors since being an IPS display. There is no HDR or any other special feature besides the high refresh rate.
I'm using this on a work laptop with a docking station, which provides only DisplayPort connectors, so got a cable from DP to HDMI and works fine.
There are no distracting lights on the monitor except a tiny light on the power button under the monitor that's just faintly noticeable.
Overall, good no-frills office monitor with a crisp and large screen. For a budget and larger monitor, this is just right. The stand is solid and works just fine with no frills.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Skylight Calendar 2 - 15" Digital Calendar with removable Shadowbox Frame. Daily Planner and Touchscreen Smart Display for Family Schedules, Work, and Office. Get the whole family organized with chore charts, meal planning, and customizable lists on a WiFi-connected system with a beautiful and intuitive digital display.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Works very well
on March 21, 2026
Posted by: emiliosic
This is about the size of a large laptop display, with an appealing frame that's made to be hung on a wall, and can also be set up on a table like a picture frame.
Had this for a couple of weeks, and I'm planning on setting it up on the wall. Right now I set it up on a side table until we all get more familiar with it.
It's main purpose is to serve as a family calendar. It has the familiar format of a calendar application like Apple's Calendar or Outlook. It can be set with different display patterns like full week, month, day or schedule. One can tap, pinch to zoom, edit entries from within the screen, it has a light sensor to adjust brightness, can be set with a black or white background, change the font size and so on.
In itself is a very competent calendar application.
The screen is easy to read, it has a white bezel and the frame around it is made of black (or white) painted metal and it's removable, held by strong magnets. It's made to be interchangeable with other finishes and depths to be offered later on.
Although it's a touchscreen tablet, and the initial wi-fi connection and some other settings are done within the screen, the calendar setup is done via their Skylight app on one's phone.
About every calendar type that the phone can handle, and more, are available through the Skylight service. The way it works, and this is important, is that the calendars are synced via the Skylight servers and then synced to the calendar screen. The Skylight app is also available via a web browser, so it can be set up from a computer instead of the phone. I used a bit of both, for typing convenience.
Besides syncing calendars, it adds a concept of users: For a family, one creates the different persons and then associates each calendar to a different person, so an icon of the user is shown next to the calendar entry. Names of the calendars and their colors can be customized, regardless of which service the calendar entry comes from.
It also provides users with an email account to which one can forward items like calendar entries and more, like a virtual assistant.
It also includes Tasks, which is a chores list which can be assigned to each person. It comes with some templates.
There is also a Lists, like a Grocery list or a To-Do list, and can also be integrated with Amazon's Alexa (Like "Alexa, tell skylight to add milk" and so on). The wording has to follow this pattern.
All of this is free, and doesn't require a subscription.
However, top go beyond a basic calendar display and lists, there is a subscription. I highly recommend anyone looking at it to check the current prices first, as it can come as a surprise.
This enables other features like meal and recipes planning, or using the screen as a photo frame, making it more like a family hub.
Using these additional features also requires interacting with the screen like a tablet, unlike a static display.
It can be used either horizonal or vertical. On one of the corners, behind the bezel, there is a large button that can be used as a reset, but more importantly, turns off the screen with a simple press, which is convenient when hosting.
Overall it's a convenient organizational tool, particularly for families with multiple kids activities. I'm considering another for helping elderly relatives with their appointments, meds and other schedules.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Meet Google Pixel 10a. Brilliant photography, helpful AI,~ and a durable design.~ It~s got all the essentials, plus features you~ll love.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
High end features, smooth at mid-range pricing
on March 14, 2026
Posted by: emiliosic
I had the opportunity to upgrade from a 9a to the new Pixel 10a, and while it's in some ways a small upgrade, the upgrades are noticeable.
One of the biggest draws for me is that Pixel phones get updates earlier and will be supported for far longer than third-party phones. It ships with Android 16.
The phone is thin, lightweight and the cameras on the back are flush. No more camera bump if you plan on using it without a case. I'm definitely adding a case though. This is a change from previous models that had a small camera bump.
The cameras are great. Fantastic for daily use. The main camera is 48 MP, with good night settings. Keep in mind that more megapixels usually means more packed sensors and image quality can suffer specially at night. This takes great pictures day and night. The second camera is an ultrawide 13MP. The standard camera app takes great pictures with natural colors, not over-saturated. Being a Pixel phone, all the photo-related Gemini features are enabled, including the 'Add Me' feature to superimpose pictures, ability to choose the best picture when taking multiple shots and short videos embedded in the picture (Similar to what iOS had for years)
Screen is a bright OLED with a fast refresh rate, that when enabled makes scrolling and overall interaction very smooth. I immediately noticed how smooth this. It's a 6.3" size diagonal and it's slightly brighter then the previous model.
The CPU is a Google Tensor G4 with 8 GB RAM. This remains the same as in the 9a and AI processing improved with Android 16. The nice thing about Tensor CPUs is that Google can optimize Android and Gemini to this CPU unlike on other phones.
Battery is great. I didn't charge it for almost two days after the initial setup and updates, and battery had over 40% charge. Granted that I didn't use it much at first. Although the battery size remains the same as in 9a, it lasts longer due to other hardware and Android optimizations.
It charges faster than previous models with 30W wired and 10W wireless.
Note that it doesn't come with magnets for MagSafe/Qi2 chargers, however the case itself needs to have magnets to work with these chargers so it's really not an issue. I use a Magsafe charger on my car using vent clips and the phone stays in place while charging.
There is one physical SIM card slot and can support multiple eSIMs. This is nice when traveling, I can add virtual eSIMs for little money and avoid roaming charges. When I first migrated from my old phone, it offered to migrate from the physical SIM card on my old phone no an eSIM, which meant I didn't have to actually swap the SIM card, but I'm not ready to part from my physical
SIM yet, so keep ion mind what you choose to do. It also incorporates emergency calling via satellite. This is new and I'm sure I'd really appreciate it if needed. I'm glad I don't need to get a top of the like phone to get a safety feature like this.
Also of note, moving from a Pixel to another is very easy. Signing in with a google account and the phones next to each other makes the migration very simple. Note that it can also use the USB-C cable to connect both phones to make the migration quicker.
WIFI is 6E and includes a 6Ghz radio. I get around 450 Mb/s download and 380 Mb/s upload over WiFi with some distance from the access point. Bluetooth has been upgraded to Bluetooth 6.
When connecting the phone to my laptop dock for charging, I noticed that it can either mirror the screen or work in Desktop mode. In Desktop mode, Chrome and other apps are windowed, similar to a Chromebook. It also supports keyboard, mouse and Ethernet through the dock. Mine has a 2.5g Ethernet and worked fine. Movies/YouTube appear in full screen. Ideal for 1080p monitors. Connecting it to a 4K TV also works (With the USB-C cable) however it's scaled down to 1080p resolution.
It also has NFC so it works with payments with Google Wallet.
Unlock is via face detection and also has a fingerprint sensor built into the screen. I like the option of setting up both biometric methods in addition to the PIN. Face and fingerprint unlocking works very well and it's quick.
Overall it's a fantastic phone. It does everything I want from it with no frills. Great screen, very fast and smooth, all the connectivity options I need, nice cameras and backed by Google with many years of support and Android upgrades.
I also have to remark that Gemini is inconspicuously everywhere in this phone. Very much every google app has some level of Gemini integrated on it, and it disappears in the background and can be very helpful, like looking at the whole phone screen when invoking it for search, and camera/photos integrations are useful.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Experience next-generation noise cancellation and studio-level sound, co-created with mastering audio engineers. WF-1000XM6 earbuds deliver our best call-quality, a secure and comfortable fit, and long battery life. Powered by advanced QN3e and V2 processors, you~ll enjoy pure, uninterrupted listening and crystal-clear conversations all day, wherever you go.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Great sound quality
on February 25, 2026
Posted by: emiliosic
Let me say first that these sound great. I used several earbuds and to my surprise, these sound excellent with a detailed sound, clear highs, lots of detail and a balanced amount of bass without using the EQ. To my preference, disabling EQ adjustments sounded the best.
Now to the looks:
It arrived in a recycled polished carton box, and it's of course, recyclable.
Inside, there are three extra sizes of ear tips, including the medium-sized already installed.
Both the charger and earbuds, the 'Platinum Silver' looks more like a light graystone, matte finish with black specks. The top and bottom of the charging case are flat. The base has wireless charging and charges when standing up.
Fit:
The earbuds are comfortable to wear for hours, and although they stick quite a bit out of the ear, are much more than others I used before, and can wear them for longer. The eartips are made of a soft foam material.
However I could not get a good tight fit. Tried different tips, different sizes on each ear. The Sony app for these earbuds is the same 'Sound Connect', which years back used to be called Sony Headphones Connect. When initially setting up the earbuds, this app has an excellent eartips sizing system that measures fit with different sizes. However in my case, it recommended the medium size for both ears, and even after testing every other size, it does not feel tight enough.
Controls:
One can tap the center of each earbud multiple times or hold them for different actions like playback control, ANC control, invoking the voice assistant and so on. There are no swipe gestures. Controls are easy to learn, although I'd prefer clickable buttons. It can be too sensitive, like brushing an earbud can cause an undesired action. It has some interesting features like holding the left earbud lowers the volume and allows to have a quick interaction with someone. Much of these actions are configurable.
App:
The Sony app is quite extensive. About every aspect of the earbuds can be configured. The earbuds can switch between noise cancellation (ANC) and ambient sound modes depending if one is sitting, walking, or moving with the help of GPS access via the app, with presets for known locations. When it works, it can smoothly transition from ambient sounds to ANC automatically. (This can also be done via taps on the left earbud as well).
If one registers with a Sony account, it can also backup earbud settings and other presets.
The app can also tracks listening history, which is concerning to me, and one can opt out of some of these settings.
Audio calls:
Quality of voice conversations on these is great. Multiple microphones can isolate ambient noise from the conversation, and also has a configurable sidetone, which is the amount of our own voice that's heard back through the earbuds, providing a more natural interaction.
Ambien Sound:
This works great, because I can hear clearly my surrounding when I need to. It can be configured to allow more voices and less of external noise, at different levels. This works very well and find it useful.
The battery is very good, can wear them much of the day without recharging, and the base can charge the earbuds through the week.
Noise Cancellation:
This is one of the main features I got these for, and it's a bit of a letdown. Perhaps because the eartips don't fit as I wanted them to, but it doesn't isolate ambient nose. It cakes these more muted, but I can still hear a conversation a few feet away, or the sound of a treadmill.
Connectivity:
It has Multipoint Bluetooth, meaning it can connect simultaneously to two devices like the phone and a tablet or laptop, and play sounds or calls from either. It also supports Bluetooth LE for audio with the upcoming Auracast. On Android devices, it has Android Fast Pair, even showing the right color of the earbuds when pairing them with Android.
Codecs are SBC, AAC, and Sony's LDAC.
Doesn't seem to support Dolby, and gave up trying to set up spatial audio with an iPhone. Went over fitting and measurements, and then it requires an external app with a subscription to enable it on certain apps, which does not include Apple Music. This is similar to the same issues I had several years back with other headphones from Sony and I mistakenly expected this would've been resolved for now.
The base has wireless charging and an USB-C port, which only works for charging. Connecting it to a computer doesn't support USB audio, unlike other earbuds which I used while traveling.
Overall these are great. Very comfortable to use all day, however the less than ideal fit, the noise cancellation that didn't quite work for me and lack of proper spatial audio are letdowns in my view, on otherwise great earbuds with very detailed, natural sound, and very good voice calling as well.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Simplify your everyday life with the Google Home, a voice-activated speaker powered by the Google Assistant. Use voice commands to enjoy music, get answers from Google and manage everyday tasks. Google Home is compatible with Android and iOS operating systems, and can control compatible smart devices such as Chromecast or Nest."
 

Will it work with xfinity home

Not directly, but it supports IFTTT, so you can create individual applets on ifttt.com and from there have them act on 'Comcast Labs' that controls XFinity X1 boxes, but not Xfinity home
9 years, 10 months ago
by
emiliosic
 
Simplify your everyday life with the Google Home, a voice-activated speaker powered by the Google Assistant. Use voice commands to enjoy music, get answers from Google and manage everyday tasks. Google Home is compatible with Android and iOS operating systems, and can control compatible smart devices such as Chromecast or Nest."
 

will amazon music work

I couldn't make it work. There's no direct integration and the Amazon apps on phones do not support chromecast, so no.
9 years, 10 months ago
by
emiliosic
 
Simplify your everyday life with the Google Home, a voice-activated speaker powered by the Google Assistant. Use voice commands to enjoy music, get answers from Google and manage everyday tasks. Google Home is compatible with Android and iOS operating systems, and can control compatible smart devices such as Chromecast or Nest."
 

If this works with Nest system will it work with Ecobee* system? I We decided against the Nest system due to the class action suits regarding house fires. I would love to add this to our home.

No, unlike the Echo, it does not integrate directly with Ecobee. It supports Samsung SmartThings, so that could be a way, or via IFTTT.com is another way of integrating with Ecobee, but not directly today.
9 years, 10 months ago
by
emiliosic
 
Simplify your everyday life with the Google Home, a voice-activated speaker powered by the Google Assistant. Use voice commands to enjoy music, get answers from Google and manage everyday tasks. Google Home is compatible with Android and iOS operating systems, and can control compatible smart devices such as Chromecast or Nest."
 

Can you ask Google Home to retrieve local phone numbers? We're considering one for elderly parents and were hoping it could help them answer simple frequent questions.

Yes, it provides phone numbers like when searching on a computer. For example, asking it for the phone number of a local pizza place will provide the number along with some other information. It won't dial any phone though.
9 years, 10 months ago
by
emiliosic
 
Simplify your everyday life with the Google Home, a voice-activated speaker powered by the Google Assistant. Use voice commands to enjoy music, get answers from Google and manage everyday tasks. Google Home is compatible with Android and iOS operating systems, and can control compatible smart devices such as Chromecast or Nest."
 

Will Google home translate English to Korean and Korean to English?

Yes, it works like Google Translate. You have to tell it to translate between languages every time though. so not good for carrying conversation but good enough to ask it for phrases.
9 years, 10 months ago
by
emiliosic
 
Simplify your everyday life with the Google Home, a voice-activated speaker powered by the Google Assistant. Use voice commands to enjoy music, get answers from Google and manage everyday tasks. Google Home is compatible with Android and iOS operating systems, and can control compatible smart devices such as Chromecast or Nest."
 

Does google home has an accesory for lock and unlock doors?

No, but look into integrating it with a Samsung SmartThings that can control locks and can be controlled by both Amazon Echo and Google Assistant. However be aware that it doesn't recognize who's talking so it will open the door to anyone that knows how to ask
9 years, 10 months ago
by
emiliosic
 
Connect favorite peripherals to this Acer Aspire laptop. Four USB ports let you connect accessories, transfer files or charge a cellphone while you work, and HDMI outputs make dual-screen functionality possible. Access nearby wireless networks with this Acer Aspire laptop and stream videos or upload your own images captured with the built-in HD webcam.
 

i need it to be plugged all day every day as my primary work laptop. is it OK? what is the recommendation to prolong battery life?

The battery is not removable. You might want to consider replacing the hard drive for an SSD to extend the run time.
10 years, 2 months ago
by
emiliosic
 
Connect favorite peripherals to this Acer Aspire laptop. Four USB ports let you connect accessories, transfer files or charge a cellphone while you work, and HDMI outputs make dual-screen functionality possible. Access nearby wireless networks with this Acer Aspire laptop and stream videos or upload your own images captured with the built-in HD webcam.
 

Does it only come in the color grey? or is there more available colors?

It only comes in steel gray. It's actual metal.
10 years, 2 months ago
by
emiliosic