nickcal's stats
- Review count328
- Helpfulness votes1,316
- First reviewFebruary 22, 2014
- Last reviewAugust 20, 2025
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- Average rating4.7
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- First answerMay 23, 2016
- Last answerSeptember 7, 2020
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The PRO pressure cooker that crisps. 11 programmable cooking functions provide endless recipe options inside the nonstick 6.5-qt cooking pot and 4.6-qt Cook & Crisp Plate. TenderCrisp Technology lets you pressure cook then air fry finish.
Customer Rating
5
A great space-saver in the kitchen
on November 9, 2020
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
If there is one thing that I truly value in our kitchen, it’s counter space. While I love our home, the kitchen is kind of an odd design, and therefore, it doesn’t have a lot of counter space. The house was designed more than 50 years ago so, at the time, counter space wasn’t taken up primarily by gadgets and electronics like what we have now. That said, in the present time that leaves me with limited countertop real estate to work with. I love all the modern cooking devices that are coming out these days like pressure cookers and air fryers - but I don’t have the space to have all the individual products stored in my kitchen. Fortunately, The Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 6.5-qt Pro Pressure Cooker + Air Fryer is a possible solution for my conundrum.
The idea behind this device is remarkable. It combines 11 different products into one succinct pot. The product looks a lot like a standard pressure cooker or slow cooker, but the controls on the side show the special features of this all-in-one device.
The cooker can complete the following functions - air fry/crisp, bake/roast, broil, dehydrator, pressure cooker, sear/saute, slow cooker, sous vide, steamer, yogurt, and food warmer. While it can do all of these functions, the Foodi really excels at pressure cooking. I primarily use it for that purpose as well as air frying. I have noticed that the air frying function does take a bit longer than some stand-alone air fryers, but when you consider the fact that you don’t have two devices fighting for storage space, I don’t mind waiting a little longer for food to be air fried in the Foodi.
The cooker comes with a pressure cooking lid, 6.5-qt nonstick cooking pot, 4.6-qt nonstick cook & crisp plate, and a stainless steel nesting broil rack. One thing I found odd was that the air frying portion of the product only came with a nonstick plate. I’ve used another all-in-1 device of the same brand that had a nonstick basket with it. This made it easier to get food out when it was done cooking. If you only have the plate, you end up having to use tongs to reach in and get your food items. That said, the nonstick cooking pot - as well as the other accessories - are super easy to clean.
So far I’ve cooked frozen egg rolls, tater tots, hot dogs, bacon, and chicken in the pot. Everything came out delicious. While there are some settings on this device that I may never use, it’s really nice to have them available in case I do ever need them.
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I would recommend this to a friend!
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Make the most of every day with the sleek style, performance, and all-day battery life~ you need in the lightest Surface Laptop, all at an exceptional value. Ultra-light and portable profile, the apps* you use every day, premium materials, and a choice of must-have colors will make this your go-to laptop. ~Up to 13 hours of battery life based on typical Surface device usage. Testing conducted by Microsoft in September 2020 using preproduction software and preproduction configurations of Surface Laptop Go Testing consisted of full battery discharge with a mixture of active use and modern standby. The active use portion consists of (1) a web browsing test accessing 8 popular websites over multiple open tabs, (2) a productivity test utilizing Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook, and (3) a portion of time with the device in use with idle applications. All settings were default except screen brightness was set to 150nits with Auto-Brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.
Customer Rating
5
Ultra-portable and ready for work
on October 25, 2020
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
Disclosure: Reviewers in this invitation-only program are provided products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased reviews. This review is based on my own personal experiences with this product.
Technology is always changing and now more than ever before, people find themselves in need of better computers. This amazing laptop from Microsoft has the power to provide support for students as well as business people while staying compact and having a sleek design.
I want to start this review by saying that this computer is designed for basic productivity-style performance. It does have 8GB of RAM, which is enough to support video chatting and standard office-style tasks like word processing and mild design work, but it’s not enough to be efficient for a video editor or heavy graphic designer. That said, I found the Surface Laptop Go to be a very capable machine for basic activities.
The design of this laptop is stunning. There are three color options for this laptop model - sandstone, platinum, and ice blue. I have the ice blue version. It’s a cool, sleek color that is subtle while still drawing attention. When its lid is closed, the laptop is very thin and compact. I’m used to a 15-inch laptop, but I frequently use a 12-inch tablet and my fiance uses a 13-inch laptop as her daily driver. At first glance, my initial response to its size was, “Wow, this is a small computer.” Once my fiance had it open and working on it, she didn’t have any complaints about its size. And again, if you are doing standard productivity-style tasks like answering emails, word processing, and even spreadsheet editing, the size is somewhat irrelevant. The keyboard has a very soft feel to it and it’s a joy to use. Keys are very well spaced out and I didn’t find myself mistyping much.
This laptop was designed to be minimalistic. There are only four ports on it -- the charging port, one USB-C port, one USB-A port, and a headphone jack. Now even though the headphone jack is included, the laptop is Bluetooth capable so you can connect headphones in that way, too. The laptop is touch-screen compatible so you can operate it as a hybrid machine (tablet/laptop), but the screen does not fold flat against the back of the laptop. I find the hybrid operation quite helpful.
The screen resolution is 1536 x 1024. It’s not a premium screen, but with this being a ‘basic’ level laptop, it’s more than ideal for this machine. I did quite a bit of typing and regular tasks on the laptop and never had a problem with clarity or visibility. One thing I’m not a big fan of with this laptop design-wise is the charger. It’s a two-part power cable and adapter. The cable has a proprietary connector that plugs into the laptop and it’s connected to a brick, which is similar in size to other laptop power adapters. Now, even though it comes with an enormous power adapter/cable since the laptop has a USB-C port, it can receive power through that port as well. I tested this out with a USB-C cable and wall adapter I had available and was able to charge the laptop.
As far as performance goes, the laptop starts up very quickly and registers my fingerprint within about a second. I opted to work through a cloud-based word processor and didn’t have any issues with the laptop slowing down or being tripped up by that process. I opened up 9 tabs in my browser and had 9 streams of 4K video playing simultaneously while I was working on a document in another tab and I had my cloud-storage drive open in an 11th tab. The laptop did not seem to slow down at all. The Surface Laptop Go does come with Windows 10 installed in “S Mode.” This is really a sandboxed version of Windows 10 in my opinion. It gives you the operating system with limited functionality. It does not allow for external applications to be able to be installed. While this mode might be good for someone who does not understand the basics of how to keep your computer safe from outside downloads, it’s a little bit of a hassle to work with if you want to customize your experience at all. I wanted to download an alternative browser. I had to take the computer out of S Mode, which is a free process, but irreversible, in order to download that one program. This is just a feature that users should be aware of as they set-up their laptop.
Battery life seems to be pretty strong. The specs of the machine state that a user should be able to get approximately 13 hours of activity out of the laptop when it’s got a full charge. I did not use the laptop for 13 hours straight, but after I made sure it had a full charge, I did find that after about 30 minutes, only 4% of the battery had been drained. That means that I was getting an average charging rate of around 0.13% per minute. When you use that charging rate and multiply it by 780 (13 hours converted to minutes), you get a total of 101.4. Now, that is of course slightly more than 100%, but it’s a close enough average that I can say that the 13-hour estimated battery life is accurate.
One other thing I noticed while using the laptop was the heat collection on the bottom. I was using it on a flat surface and I noticed that while the laptop was plugged into a power source (either using the provided power cable/adapter or the USB-C cable), the bottom of the laptop near the hinge did get quite hot. The power button also gets quite warm. I think this is a charging issue though because when I started using the laptop unplugged, it was much cooler.
The Surface Laptop Go is a very strong laptop for someone who needs an ultra-portable, performance-driven machine. It’s lightweight, very easy to travel with, and it has the power to complete most standard tasks. I can recommend this for most types of users (business, educational, or personal), but wouldn’t recommend it for creative professionals.
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I would recommend this to a friend!
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Crush ice in less than 10 seconds.* Discover a world of new tastes and healthy possibilities with the perfect ice-crushing blender for your best tasting smoothie. This blender features an optimally-designed ice-crush setting, or choose any one of the 3 speed options, for your perfect blend no matter the ingredients. In addition to the 48-oz blender jar, this blender comes equipped with 2 dual-purpose personal blender jars, to first blend your smoothie, and then convert to an on-the-go container. *Half tray of ice.
Customer Rating
5
Simple, but powerful
on October 25, 2020
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
Last summer, I went to a local fair with my family and experienced a sweet tea slushy. It was essentially just sweet tea blended with finely crushed ice, but it was an incredibly refreshing treat on a hot summer day. Ever since then, I’ve attempted to recreate the concoction with my blenders at home, but they just haven’t been able to cut it. While most blenders can make smoothies and crush ice, they can’t shave the ice like what you would find with a snow cone vendor or a slushy. The Kitchen Aid 3-speed Ice Crushing Blender is the answer to this query.
The blender looks like it is a standard blender, but the asymmetric blade ensures that ice is crushed in a way to achieve that snowy texture. The blade design cuts the ice in four distinct angles so that it pulls the ice into the center as it blends. There are three-speed options as well as the Ice-Crush setting. This makes it possible for you to not only crush up ice for your perfect frozen drink treat but also be able to crush up certain foods. My grandmother lives with me and she has trouble eating solid foods sometimes. So, we end up pulling out a huge blender that is designed to chop up different foods for that purpose. This Kitchen Aid blender gets that same job done, but isn’t quite as large as the other one we’ve been using so it’s much easier to work with.
One of the other things I like about this blender is its simplicity. It has three speeds and an ice setting. That’s it. Again, this is something that is easy enough for my grandmother to work with. Some of the other blenders we have employed a digital display and they have multiple settings that she frankly doesn’t need and those settings just confuse her. The knob control on this blender is easy to turn and you can feel a stopping point when you reach each setting. This is very helpful for people who just need a simple blender. It’s powerful, but not complicated.
The only real issue I had with the blender was that it didn’t cut up all the ice I placed in the blender. For the first test I ran, I put two scoops of ice from our ice maker into one of the personal blender jars. Then, I used both speed setting 2 and the ice-crush setting to chop up the ice. When you just put ice in the blender jar, it gets stuck to the inside of the blade element and on the sides of the jar as it is processed. I had to tap on the sides of the jar and bottom of the cup in order to loosen it up and get the remaining ice cubes blended. As it turned out, I still had 3 almost whole ice cubes in the jar after blending the ice off and on for about 30 seconds. Now, after this initial test, I placed the same amount of ice in the personal blending jar and added some fruit-flavored drink. By adding the liquid, it kept the ice from sticking and I got a much better blend.
This blender could potentially serve as a snow cone maker, but given the fact that ice sticks pretty badly when there is no other liquid in the blender with it, I would recommend this for smoothie mixes over snow cones. The Kitchen Aid blender works really well and for its price, I would recommend it to others looking for a simple, but powerful blender.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Instantly shoot, print, and stick photos, from the IVY CLIQ2. The Canon IVY CLIQ2 is a simple and fun Instant Camera printer that is pocket-sized so you can take it with you on-the-go. Easily shoot and print 2~x3~ photo stickers instantly, and place them almost anywhere thanks to a peel and stick backing. You can even get creative and print with a white border or filters with Built-in Frame & Filters. The IVY CLIQ2 also has a Large Selfie Mirror so you can take the perfect selfie and even a memory card slot to save your photos!1
Customer Rating
4
a fun novelty camera
on October 25, 2020
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
Growing up in the 1980s, we didn’t have the luxury of having a digital camera to carry around in our pockets. In fact, most photos we took had to be processed and we wouldn’t know for sure if the pictures turned out for about a week after we dropped them off. We did, however, have an instant camera that would print photos out from the camera and within about 10 seconds after the photo was pushed out, it was developed. That is what the Canon Ivy Cliq2 reminds me of.
The design of the camera is very similar to a slim point and shoot digital camera, but it’s not as heavy. I have to admit that when you hold the camera, it almost feels like a toy. It has a simple layout and only has four buttons (five including the reset button) for operation. To use the camera, you turn it on, snap a photo, and then it prints out automatically. The printer is audible, but not ‘loud’.
The camera is rechargeable and uses a Micro USB connection to gain power. This was one of the things I didn’t care for about the camera. I personally feel that Micro USB is ‘old tech’ and that devices should be moving more toward USB-C as a charging option. That said, the port for the Micro USB cable is a bit on the large side. At first glance, I actually thought it was a Mini USB port. Next to that port is a Micro SD Card slot, which can be used to store photos.
The camera is only a 5MP camera. Therefore it takes decent photos to capture the moment, but in all honesty, most people’s smartphones have a higher megapixel count than this camera. It’s a fully automatic camera so you don’t really have any control over focus or lighting effects. You can change the photo to black and white or upgrade its basic look by changing the vivid filter settings. You also have the option to add a border if you like. But, since there is no preview option for the photo, you cannot see what the filters might do to the picture before it prints out. Once you print out your photos you can peal to stick the photos with its sticky back. I can see a quick family photo for fun and sticking it to the fridge. My daughter will love this but for me, I am a bit more on the high-end of photography. I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark IV. So it was a bit getting used to when playing with the Ivy
The printer portion of the camera can hold up to 10 sheets of its specialty paper (Zink Photo Paper). One set is shipped with the camera, but you can purchase additional packets of the paper. This is the major downside to this camera - the specialty paper.
All in all, the Ivy Cliq2 is a fun instant camera to play around with. I could see using this for a variety of things including as a party favor or holiday gift. It’s almost a novelty-style product.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Caf~ quality beverages at home with the Bella Pro Series Capsule Coffee Maker and Milk Frother. Save time, money and customize your morning experience. Easy to use with programmable buttons to brew a single or double shot. Enhance your espresso and make a latte or cappuccino with perfectly textured milk ready in 90 seconds, hot or cold. Powerful 19 bars of pressure with a 1050-watt heating system provides rich and aromatic flavors. Quick 40-second preheat time so you can go about your day. Large 22-oz. removable water reservoir for added convenience and removable drip tray for a variety of cup sizes.
Customer Rating
4
Machine makes good coffee drinks
on October 12, 2020
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
I’m not much into fancy coffee, but my fiancé is. She loves getting lattes and iced coffee from coffee shops. Lately, though, she hasn’t wanted to spend the extra money on those luxury drinks or put herself at risk by visiting one in person given the community health situation. So when we were presented with the option to get a new coffee maker with milk frother, we jumped at it.
Getting started with the coffee maker is pretty easy. Out of the box, it doesn’t have any assembly that’s required other than pulling packaging tape off the parts that open up. The coffee maker is one large, narrow machine that has a removable water tank at the back, used capsule storage, and a removable drip tray to accommodate different cup sizes. Now, at this point, I want to point out that even though the name of this product is ‘coffee maker’ it really makes espresso sized drinks. There is a large and small drink size indicator on the maker that you select to start the coffee processing. The manual indicates that the small size is 1-1.5 ounces while the large size is closer to 2-3 ounces. The product description also says, “enhance your espresso,” in reference to adding the frothed milk to it. With this in mind, I feel that this product shouldn’t be called a ‘coffee maker.’ It should be referred to as an espresso maker.
This brings me to the one real issue I have with this coffee maker. There are no capsules included with it. I’ve used other systems that are similar to this one and they usually ship with a sampler pack of the pods or capsules that work with that coffee maker. This machine did not come with any. In addition to that, the only information I could find about the compatible capsules was a line in the manual that states, “This appliance is designed for Williams Sonoma Coffee Capsules, available exclusively at Williams Sonoma store or online. That is all the information given about the capsules. I did some research and discovered that a different brand will work as it's the same style/size capsules. This style capsule can be found more readily at local grocery stores than the Williams Sonoma brand. I would suggest that the manufacturer consider either specifying what coffee capsules will fit this machine or include a sampling of them in the kit so that consumers know what will work with it.
The milk frother is a separate device and it sort of looks like an electric kettle. You can froth and warm milk or just use it as a warmer or frother. There are two different attachments that come with it that either help with frothing or warming. The frother doesn’t hold much milk and the ‘max’ line that’s marked is designated that way so that it doesn’t overflow when it’s frothing the milk. I have used the frother several times now and each time I have never added more milk than is recommended and each time I’ve used the frothing tool, the milk has spilled out of the frother. I’m not sure what to do to prevent this since I’m using the recommended amounts and following the instructions.
Even though I found a couple of imperfections in the design of the coffee machine, I do want to say that it makes a very smooth coffee drink. I haven’t found any water leaking out of the reservoir, which has been an issue for me in the past with other coffee machines and it’s very easy to refill. I love that the machine comes with a capsule container so that you don’t have to empty the capsule with every drink you make. I also like the convenience of the milk frother even though it overflows.
While I think some improvements could be made to the system overall, I like the slim design of it and it’s very simple operation. I’ve used other coffee drink makers that require a lot more steps from beginning to end and this is much easier to use.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Automate your home lighting with this Peace by Hampton smart color LED light bulb. A full spectrum of colors and shades of white deliver custom ambiance. The Peace By Hampton app lets you control, dim, create scenes and automations from anywhere. Use vacation mode for security when you’re away. You can even use Amazon Alexa or Google Assistants to control the lights with your voice.
Customer Rating
5
Great option for smart lights
on September 30, 2020
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
I was an early adopter of all things smart home. One of my first purchases was actually smart lighting. I loved the idea of being able to have my phone control the lights in my house and not having to worry about forgetting to turn them off when I left the house. My phone connected to the lights seamlessly and I was able to have control of the devices even when I was away from the home. Because I was an early adopter, I have seen smart lighting evolve over the years and new products emerge. The Peace by Hampton Light Bulbs is a welcome addition to the market. They are easy to set-up and produce bright, vibrant light.
The light bulbs are standard A19 sized bulbs. They should work in most standard light sockets in your home. The bulbs come in a 4-pack and cost 25-30% less than other popular smart lights. Another differentiator for the lights is that they don’t require a hub to work. They will connect to your Wi-Fi network independently and communicate directly with the app on your mobile device. One thing that I noticed right away was that this set is not compatible with Apple HomeKit set-up, but it does work with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa services. Even though it’s not compatible with HomeKit, the app to control the lights is still available for iOS devices as well was Android-based ones.
The light bulbs are very lightweight. They seem to be made out of plastic or another composite material rather than actual glass. The specs for the lights on their product page state that they are dimmable, but the information on the box clarifies that the light bulbs are only dimmable by using the app. They are not supposed to be used with a dimmer switch. Most smart lights are like this so it didn’t phase me in the least. We decided to install the light bulbs into a light bar that’s located over a bar in our kitchen. The light bar happens to hold 4 light bulbs, which was perfect for this kit. The lights were replacing some basic efficiency light bulbs that always had to be controlled by the light switch. I had been looking at swapping them out for quite some time, but didn’t want to spend nearly 3 times as much as these bulbs to match my other lights. The lights do everything my other lights do - they just don’t connect to my digital assistant of choice — Apple HomeKit. Since they were so easy to install and so easy to work with, I was willing to overlook the difference.
I was actually shocked at how colorful these light bulbs ended up being. Since I have used other types of smart lights, I was expecting the lights to be close to what the others look like. I was surprised by how vibrant the colors were. The light bulbs do feature a full-color spectrum of 16 million colors and shades of white so that you can make the colors as cool or warm as you want. The lights will last up to 25,000 hours, which is equivalent to 3,125 days (or 8.5 years) of use at 8 hours a day. That is a vast difference from older incandescent bulbs that only last 1,000-2,000 hours.
When I first installed them I had a firmware update that needed to take place. I thought for sure it was going to be clunky but to my surprise, the update was super quick and I had no issues even with four bulbs updating. it was awesome. I would like to see Siri control intergraded but I can see myself moving all my home lights over to these because the color is just so good.
The set-up was very easy. The app walks you through the process and once the lights are connected, you can set up automations and create groups to make it easier to control them. Because I’ve had experience with some other smart lighting I was completely blown away by these lights. Not only are they cost-effective (as far as smart lighting goes), they are also very easy to work with. I would for sure recommend these and look forward to seeing how these evolve in the future.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Print your memorable photos with this Canon SELPHY Square QX10 compact photo printer. The compact, lightweight design offers easy portability, while the dye-sublimation technology delivers quality quick-drying 2.7 x 2.7-inch prints that last for a long time. This Canon SELPHY Square QX10 compact photo printer has a built-in battery for cordless hassle-free printing.
Customer Rating
3
Produces nice prints; Lacks good app support
on September 24, 2020
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
I come from a time when photos were captured on film and you had no idea what your image was going to look like until you get the film developed, which sometimes took 7 days for processing. I remember in my college days (20 years ago now) when we were still making scrapbooks with printed photographs. When smartphones became commonplace, we started seeing photos transition to the digital realm instead of the paper-based one. So what happens when you want to print your memories out to share? Do you go to a drugstore every time? What if you could just print the photos out at home? That’s what the Canon Selphy Square QX10 Wireless Photo Printer can do for you.
The printer comes in a Canon-branded box and is well-identified for the consumer. The unit comes with a multilingual user manual, Micro USB charging cable, a starter pack of photo paper, and the starter ink cartridge. Before I even set-up the printer, I found things I would upgrade immediately — the charging cable and the starting kit. The charging cable is Micro USB, which in my mind is ‘old technology’. It doesn’t seem very forward-thinking of Canon to release a new product with this older type of charging cable. Is it more cost-effective? Probably - but it’s not future-proof. The other issue I have is that the manual calls out using a wall adapter to charge the printer, but they don’t include one.
The other issue I had out of the box was the miniature starter set of paper and ink. The starter ink cartridge is only enough ink to cover the 3 sheets of paper included in the starter kit. According to the specs of the device, the printer can hold up to 10 sheets of paper. I think the sample kit should include at least that much and the ink cartridge should match that. It seems silly to me for the consumer to have to purchase those items right off the bat in order to get the most out of their device. Imagine if this was received as a gift and the giver didn’t realize that what was included was such a small sample? They would effectively be telling the recipient that they had to spend money to enjoy their gift. It looks like Canon sells the set for around $15 so I’m not sure why they wouldn’t just include one set with the printer when it ships.
The user manual booklet that comes in the box with the printer provides you with details on the device and then directs you to download the mobile app to complete the set-up. As it turns out, you can only print images directly from your Android or iOS smartphone (or tablets). The printer is not compatible with desktop computers. The first device I attempted to connect to the printer (via the app) was my iPhone 11 Pro. The instructions in the app tell you to scan a QR code that’s found inside the printer cartridge compartment. The QR code is supposed to connect you to the printer’s internal Wi-Fi network. I am assuming the code contains the Wi-Fi name and password for the device’s network. I tried a couple of dozen of times to get this process to work and my iPhone would never connect. I tried to scan directly from the QR code on the plastic door of the compartment; I tried to scan the QR code from an enlarged photo I took; I tried to enter the information manually; I even tried deleting the app and reinstalling it AND resetting the printer, but I could never get the iPhone to connect to it. I kept getting a failure to connect message. Just as I was about to throw in the towel, I decided to pick up my iPad and give it a try. I downloaded the app onto the iPad and scanned the QR code and within a few seconds, the printer connected to the iPad. I still can’t figure out why there was a problem with the iPhone/printer connection, but I was at least able to use the printer.
Once the printer was connected, registered, and set-up, I selected a few photos of our family dog to print. The design interface of the Canon SELPHY app is pretty basic. You select your photo, choose a border size, the position of your photo, whether or not you want a date printed on the photo, choose a frame, add stamps or text, paint on the photo, select filters or embellishments, and then you print.
Photos take approximately 45 seconds to print. The SELPHY Square uses a process called dye sublimation. With this process, the ink ribbon is heated and transfers the dye to a special photo paper. This process gives printed photos a much longer life (up to 100 years in some cases) than Zink-based prints. Once you send a photo from the app to print on the paper, the paper actually makes four passes through the printer ribbon. On each pass, the printer lays down a color. It goes in this order - yellow, magenta, and cyan. The fourth pass is actually a clear coat that helps to highlight the photo and protects the image.
The quality of the photos is actually very good. So, even though it seems as though I have had a lot to complain about in this review, I can’t deny that the product the printer creates is very nice. One thing I wish the software would do a bit better is to allow for some color/brightness adjustments. On the screen, I thought the photos looked fine, but when they printed out, they were a bit darker than I expected.
As far as cost goes, photo paper and printer ribbon kit is around $15 for 20 sheets. That would mean that each print (not including this the device charge) costs approximately $0.75. To me, this is a tad on the expensive side of things since you can order larger photo prints from drugstores for about half the cost (4x4 print on standard photo paper is $0.39 per print).
The Canon SELPHY Square is a unique mobile printer, but I think the software really needs some upgrades to make it an exceptional product. I also think the support for it should be beefed up, too since I had a lot of trouble finding answers for issues I had when I was setting it up. I hope that Canon refines this product and its offerings so that the next version is better than the first.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Feel relief aid anywhere, anytime with Compex~ Ayre~ compression boots. Designed for therapists, coaches, elite and recreational athletes on-the-go, Ayre is a therapeutic product using intermittent pneumatic compression. When exercising, the body builds up lactic acid as a biproduct of muscle contraction. Ayre compression boots work to break up these small molecules and send stimulus to your nervous system. These compression boots are designed to help improve blood flow and circulation in the legs by mobilizing lactic acid, access fluids, and other toxins. Compex Ayre uses a dynamic pulsing compression up the limbs in waves for the duration of its use, which helps promote quick healing. Sit back, power up the boots, and enjoy your recovery for up to 60 minutes anywhere on a single charge.
Customer Rating
4
Amazing option for pain/discomfort due to sports
on September 17, 2020
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
More than 20 years I was working as Taekwodo instructor. An unfortunate accident during a demonstration resulted in a torn ACL which required 2 surgeries to repair. Ever since that time I’ve been fighting constant pain in my leg that I can’t seem to get relief for. I’ve tried every type of physical therapy possible, attempted various exercises, tried different types of medicinal therapies, went through several rounds of injections into the knee, and even had another surgery recently to try to alleviate the discomfort I feel every single day. Nothing ever seems to really help except for compression. My fiancé tries to help by massaging the muscles in the leg, but she can only do so much. I’ve been to various masseuses and right after the massage, I have temporary relief. So, when I saw the information on these compression boots, I thought it would be worth a try since compression therapy has proven to help those recovering from ACL injuries.
There are a couple of things I want to point out right off the bat. First, the boots can be used independently from each other, which was a big plus for me. Even though both of my legs exhibit some throbbing sensations, the injured leg is my left one. So, it was a big help to me to be able to use just one boot at a time, or be able to use both depending on how my legs were feeling. Second, these boots are wireless! This is a big deal to me because other compression devices I’ve used tend to have multiple wires and tubes leading to it and trying to get all of those hooked up is quite miserable when you are already in pain. The boot slides on and is adjustable so it can work for different sizes quite easily.
To say I was skeptical when I first tried the boots out is an understatement. I’ve just had so many products let me down — especially ones that ‘claim’ to compress. Those products just never seem to provide enough pressure for me to find relief. These boots provide powerful compression and in fact, I haven’t had them turned up full power yet, which is something I typically have to do in order to get any relief from compression devices. The Ayre boots are beneficial to me because they can provide compression for the entire leg at one time. That’s something that’s been hard to come by for me.
The boots store very easily. They come with a storage case and when deflated, they fold up nice and neat into that box. There is enough space for the charging cable and manual, too. I have found the boots very easy to use, but I do wish there was a deflate button on the control panel. There has been more than one occasion that I’ve needed to stop a session midway and when you turn the boots off, then don’t automatically deflate. It would be nice to be able to press ‘stop’ and then ‘deflate’ to return the boots to a flattened state.
Even though these boots are designed to help athletes recover from workouts, they have done a great job reliving me of pain that has been plaguing me for years.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Life~s extraordinary moments deserve to be captured with smooth video. DJI OM 4 is a magnetic gimbal designed to complement your smartphone, allowing you to start recording right away. Ultra-compact, easy to use, and bursting with intelligent features, OM 4 is the ultimate solution for capturing and sharing your world.
Customer Rating
4
A nice smartphone stabilizer with lots of features
on September 7, 2020
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
A few years ago I was introduced to my first camera gimbal. At the time, I didn’t have a strong use for them, but as I grew into my photography, I found more and more uses for a stabilizer. Since I’ve tried to make stabilizers part of my standard camera equipment - or at least have one available - I’ve done a lot of research and tests with different types of gimbals and have finally landed on the DJI OM4.
The box is a nicely branded DJI package. If I saw this on a retail shelf, I would immediately recognize it as a DJI product. The front of the box clearly identifies the OM4 and there is a nice photo of the product in use. The bottom of the box outlines the serial number, UPC, EAN, and DJI Care. The back of the box reads “Create Magnetic Moments” - a nod to the newest feature of the magnetic quick mount. Also shown on the back of the box are the logos for Google Play and the Apple App Store indicating that the DJI Mimo app is available for both operating systems.
When you open the box, you will notice a simple illustrated guide for gimbal operation. The first step is to attach the magnetic quick mount to your phone and then connect that to the magnet on the OM4. Finally, you are instructed to unlock the gimbal arm and power it on. There are several items included in the box with the OM4 — a quick start guide, a magnetic ring user guide, DJI disclaimer and safety guidelines, a USB-C charging cable, the magnetic ring that users can attach to the back of their phone instead of attaching the magnetic quick mount, a riser pad for smaller phones, a packet of various adhesive options, an alignment guide for the magnetic ring, a storage pouch for the gimbal, and the stabilizer itself.
The OM4 is resting just inside the box and you can immediately use it. I pulled it out of the box and started playing around with it just to see how well its basic operation/stabilization worked without the advanced controls in the app. I was very impressed with how smooth its movements are. Even without the app, you can switch from portrait to landscape mode using the MODE button on the OM4 controls. The gimbal will still balance the phone and work as a basic stabilizer and be able to control the direction of the stabilizer arm with the handle’s joystick. You will not have access to control your phone though, or be able to use modes like ActiveTrack or DynamicZoom without the app.
The app seems to work extraordinarily well alongside the gimbal. I didn’t have any connection problems between the device and the app at all and after the initial set-up, my phone was immediately recognized when the OM4 was turned on. To test out the remote features, I followed my dog around for a little while. The DynamicZoom feature worked really well although users should be aware that it’s not a smooth zoom; it’s incremental because it’s a digital zoom function.
The app seems to work extraordinarily well alongside the gimbal. I didn’t have any connection problems between the device and the app at all and after the initial set-up, my phone was immediately recognized when the OM4 was turned on. To test out the remote features, I followed my dog around for a little while. The DynamicZoom feature worked really well although users should be aware that it’s not a smooth zoom; it’s incremental because it’s a digital zoom function.
The ActiveTrack didn’t work quite as well as I had hoped either. The app allows users to draw a box around an object they want to follow and the gimbal tracks it and keeps the camera on the phone balanced as that object moves. This works well as long as the object you’re following doesn’t leave that box. As I said, I was following my dog around and when he walked out of the room, the ActiveTrack box turned red and I had to remap the dog when I turned the corner and he was in view again. I sort of expected that to happen when he walked completely out of range, but it also happened when he was still in frame. I found that ActiveTrack works best when you can actively follow your subject so that it doesn’t leave the ActiveTrack frame.
One of the first things I noticed about the OM4 was its weight. I’ve worked with several styles of stabilizers that are made out of very heavy materials. The OM4 feels solid, but also does not feel weighed down. I looked at another brand’s stabilizer for smart phones and it weighed more than 3 times as the OM4. To me, I want something that’s lighter - making it more portable - for use with smartphones. And since this is the OM4’s primary application, I love that DJI eliminated excess weight from the device.
One of the newest features of the OM4 is the magnetic clip. This makes attaching and removing a smartphone from the OM4 super easy. The only downside to it is that the quick mount is designed for use with phones that are not in a case. If you have a small enough case, you might be able to get the phone to stay put. I had some issues with this because I have a leather case on one of my phones and it kept popping off the mount. DJI also includes a magnetic ring that is similar to a pop-socket. You can attach this to the bare back of a phone and use it to mount to the OM4 instead of using the quick mount. The downside to this option is that you won’t be able to use a wireless charger with the magnet mounted to the back of your phone. So, while both of these mounts make it easy to connect with the OM4, neither is 100% practical with standard use of a smartphone.
I’ve seen other reviews state the OM4 doesn’t live up to their expectations. I have to say that I’ve been quite impressed with it. While there is still room for improvement, I’m happy with its operation, design, accessories, and overall value it adds to my video projects. Even though this is my first DJI gimbal, I’ve used other brands before and feel that the OM4 is a nice upgrade from previous models I’ve used.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Extraordinary sound and style are yours with the LG TONE Free HBS-FN6 true wireless earbuds. The UVnano charging case kills 99.9% of bacteria* for total confidence~plus save time by refueling your earbuds and case simultaneously with wireless charging capabilities. Ergonomically designed buds, encased in medical-grade silicone, deliver in-ear comfort, while Meridian~ technology ensures rich, true-to-life audio. Premium form and high fidelity~the LG TONE Free HBS-FN6 true wireless earbuds are the total packag
Customer Rating
4
Comfortable, high-quality earbuds with added bonus
on August 14, 2020
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
The LG TONE Free Wireless Stereo Earbuds come in a compact box. There is an image of the earbuds on the cover. The back of the box includes an image of earbuds in the charging case and a list of what’s included in the package. The side of the box includes some of the main features including: MERIDIAN Advanced Audio Technology, Clear Voice Call Quality with Dual Microphones, Wireless Charging Case, Fast Charging (5 minutes for 60 minutes of playtime), IPX4 Water and Sweat Resistant, and Playtime Earbuds 6 hours/18 hours with the charging case.
When you open the box, you will find the charging case with the word “TONE” stamped on the top. TONE describes a line of audio products from LG. The LG TONE Free is one of the products in that family. Since the earbuds ship inside their charging case, they come pre-charged and ready to use out of the box. In order to activate the earbuds, you have to open the case and press the pairing button (located on the side of the case) for 3-5 seconds until the LED on the front blinks. Then you look for the device in your Bluetooth menu (LG HBS-FN6) and select it. For me, I connected the earbuds to my iPhone and turned on some music on Apple Music. I typically judge earbuds in three areas: comfort, sound quality, and functionality/features.
COMFORT: The earbuds are very lightweight. According to the product specs, they only weigh 1.38 ounces (that’s 0.23 ounces lighter than Apple AirPods Pro). The earbuds come with three sets of ear gels - small, medium, and large - with the medium ones already installed. The majority of the time I will immediately swap out the ear gels for a smaller size, but this time, I tried on the earbuds with the default ones in place. The fit was ok, but it wasn’t perfect. In my experience, if you don’t have just the right fit, the sound quality is effected as well as the comfort. Since I thought the earbuds didn’t fit as good as they could, I replaced the medium ear gels with the smalls, and was able to get a much more stable, secure fit. I’ve not felt as though the earbuds might fall out of my ears in fact, I haven’t even felt them shift as I’ve been using them. Even though they have a tight fit, they aren’t too tight and I haven’t noticed a vacuum effect like I get with a lot of earbuds. I did get to a point (after a couple of hours of continuous use) where I wanted to take a break from using these earbuds and switch to a different style (one that doesn’t have ear gels).
SOUND QUALITY: As I mentioned above, fit effects sound quality. At first, I would have rated these earbuds with a solid 2-stars for sound quality because with the medium ear gels, the earbuds didn’t fit far enough into my ear canal or have a tight enough fit to seal sound into my ears. Therefore, sound was quite hollow and there was a bad echo. After I switched the ear gels though, I was much happier and bump the star rating up to a 4 for sound. They still aren’t perfect in my mind because the bass depth just isn’t there (at least not enough for me). That said, sound - no matter where it’s coming from - has been incredibly clear and the earbuds have a powerful volume. They do not have Active Noise Cancelling, but they isolate ambient noise quite well. Because of that, LG included an Ambient Noise feature that allows you to hear noise more clearly around you. I tested this feature out by typing for a little while with the filter turned on and then I turned it off. The thing I noticed the most was the sound from my mechanical keyboard. It’s not a 100% sound buffer and the earbuds still block some ambient noise even with the filter turned off, but with the filter turned on, I can’t hear the clicks from the keyboard. With it turned off, I can. It’s actually one of the best ambient sound filters I’ve experienced because the sound quality/volume of the music you are listening to is barely effected by the filter. All it does is block or unblock sound.
FUNCTIONALITY/FEATURES: The LG TONE Free earbuds work vey well. I’ve not had any issues with connectivity or staying connected to the earbuds. The touch controls are intuitive and fairly responsive. I think one of the best features that the earbuds have is the wireless charging case as well as the UVnano cleaning feature of the case. I don’t have a way to test how clean the earbuds get using the charging case, but given the fact that the case uses UV light to sanitize the earbuds is refreshing.
The LG TONE Free Wireless earbuds are an incredible option for people on the go. With the exception of bass depth being subpar (you can hear bass, but it’s not as strong I would prefer), these earbuds are pretty much perfect in my mind. I didn’t have any major issues with them and they come with some interesting features that you don’t typically find on earbuds.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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5of 9voted this as helpful.
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nickcal's Answers
Life~s extraordinary moments deserve to be captured with smooth video. DJI OM 4 is a magnetic gimbal designed to complement your smartphone, allowing you to start recording right away. Ultra-compact, easy to use, and bursting with intelligent features, OM 4 is the ultimate solution for capturing and sharing your world.
Does the magnetic sticker phone attachment interfere with wireless phone charging?
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Is this an air fryer, microwave and convection oven
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 work with ECOBEE Thermostat?
No. Unfortunately, Google has limited functionality to only the Nest thermostat. At this time, I don't see them opening up support for third parties as they are probably trying to push it with their own hardware, but that could always change.
8 years, 10 months ago
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nickcal
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can i download skype
Depends on the Google Play store. If Microsoft has a version of Skype for Android then yes.
9 years, 3 months ago
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nickcal