optimummind's stats
- Review count148
- Helpfulness votes4,820
- First reviewJune 28, 2014
- Last reviewMay 27, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.7
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- Helpfulness votes0
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- Answer count23
- Helpfulness votes25
- First answerAugust 30, 2017
- Last answerMarch 4, 2021
- Featured answers0
- Best answers3
Master it, anywhere with MX Anywhere 3 –a compact performance mouse designed for mobile work –from the home office, to the cafe, to the airport lounge.The electromagnetic MagSpeed scroll wheel is faster, quieter, and more precise. A low-profile design is contoured for the shape of your hand –with silicone side grips ensure that it’s always soft to the touch.MX Anywhere 3 is built to withstand the bumps and drops of mobile work. And a track-anywhere sensor means you can work on virtually any surface.App-specific button customizations speed up your workflow in the apps you use most.
Customer Rating
5
Lived up to all of my expectations.
on September 20, 2020
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange
_____
*Pros:
*Pros:
-Light, compact, and easy to find space for it inside any bag.
-Very ergonomic and comfortable design.
-Very responsive buttons with a perfect level of clickity-ness.
-Excellent scroll wheel.
-Logitech Flow actually works well and seamlessly.
-LONG battery life.
-Charges up via USB-C.
-The Logitech Options app is intuitive to navigate and set up custom keyboard shortcuts.
_____
*Neutral:
-Very ergonomic and comfortable design.
-Very responsive buttons with a perfect level of clickity-ness.
-Excellent scroll wheel.
-Logitech Flow actually works well and seamlessly.
-LONG battery life.
-Charges up via USB-C.
-The Logitech Options app is intuitive to navigate and set up custom keyboard shortcuts.
_____
*Neutral:
-It's a bit heavier than my MX Anywhere 2S.
_____
*Cons:
_____
*Cons:
-None
I've been a big fan of the Logitech MX Anywhere series for years and the MX Anywhere 3 met all of my expectations. I liked the previous-generation MX Anywhere 2S so much, we have two in the household - one for myself (black) and one for the wifey (white).
The build quality and fit-and-finish of the Anywhere 3 is excellent. As you run your finger across the contours of the mouse and between the seams, it feels really nice and flows very well. There are no harsh edges and no part of the mouse puts any strain or annoying pressure on your hands. The buttons are clickity, responsive, and predictable. The scroll wheel, which has been updated from the Anywhere 2S, not only rotates with more precision and fluidity but it also looks better cosmetically.
The Anywhere 3 also excels in the everyday point, drag, and click operations. As expected from Logitech who's been in this business for years, everything was top-notch - accurate pointing, smooth gliding, no erratic jumpiness or lags, and overall smooth performance.
Hardware-wise, the only slight negative is the increased weight. It's still lighter than most other computer mice with a similar feature set, but the difference was immediately noticeable when gliding it across my mousepad and when picking it up.
To get the most out of the mouse, you have to install the Logitech Options app, which will open up fine-tuning options (pointer speed, smooth scrolling, scroll force, SmartShift sensitivity, etc), custom button shortcut configurations, and the ability to enable Flow. After ignoring Flow for the first year of owning my MX Anywhere 2S (thought it was just a gimmick), I tried it last year and it was great. With my wifey's laptop and mine side-by-side, I was easily able to jump my mouse cursor from one PC to another in a seamless fashion. I don't use it very often but it's great to have when certain scenarios call for it.
Overall, I'm quite happy and satisfied with the MX Anywhere 3. The improvements from the MX Anywhere 2S to the 3 isn't huge and mostly subtle. The Anywhere 3 looks a bit better, feels a bit more comfortable, and the battery life is longer. If your Anywhere 2S is still holding a decent charge and everything works well, then you can probably skip the Anywhere 3. But if you're looking for a light, portable, and very ergonomic mouse with a fabulous battery endurance, then the MX Anywhere 3 should be on the top of your list.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+8points
9of 10voted this as helpful.
BlueParrott's best selling headset just got better. The new BlueParrott B450-XT is the latest wireless bluetooth trucking headset designed to help you while on the go. It's been redesigned to be a lot more comfortable with a more cushioned ear cup and more padded headband. It still maintains 96% noise cancellation so the other person(s) you are communicating with can hear you crystal clear regardless of the noise surrounding you. You can talk on the headset up to 24 hours before you need to recharge the device. Charging is now a breeze using the included USB-C cable. You now have the capability to roam up to 300 feet when connected wirelessly to a class 1 device such as a smart phone. You also get additional features such as voice control to answer and reject calls using just your voice and you get a customizable BlueParrott button that can be programmed to quickly mute a conversation, speed dial a number, and more. Also, the headset is now built to last with an IP54 rating meaning it's dust and water resistant. Lastly, the headset software is updateable meaning you can plug it directly to a computer or pair it with smartphone running the BlueParrott updater program and you will be able to update the firmware on the headset. This way, it will always maintain it's great performance regardless over time.
Customer Rating
5
Impressive noise cancellation and battery life.
on August 6, 2020
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange
_____
*Pros:
*Pros:
-Noise cancellation performance is amazing.
-Volume is very good & it can get pretty loud.
-Both incoming & outgoing voice is clear and crisp.
-Excellent battery life.
-Charges up via USB-C.
-The Parrott Button can be programmed & is quite useful.
-The soft leatherette ear pad is soft, comfortable, and offers great passive noise cancellation.
-The Blue Parrott app is easy to use and intuitive.
_____
*Neutral:
-Volume is very good & it can get pretty loud.
-Both incoming & outgoing voice is clear and crisp.
-Excellent battery life.
-Charges up via USB-C.
-The Parrott Button can be programmed & is quite useful.
-The soft leatherette ear pad is soft, comfortable, and offers great passive noise cancellation.
-The Blue Parrott app is easy to use and intuitive.
_____
*Neutral:
-As expected, as an audio device, the sound is just so-so.
-Upgrading the headset's firmware took way too long (>30 minutes).
-The foam earpad is bad and way worse than the leatherette one.
_____
*Cons:
-Upgrading the headset's firmware took way too long (>30 minutes).
-The foam earpad is bad and way worse than the leatherette one.
_____
*Cons:
-None
After having used the Blue Parrott B450-XT, my search for the perfect and ideal Bluetooth headset is finally over! There are so many things great about the B450-XT - light yet sturdy frame, superb noise cancellation performance, long battery life, USB-C charging, comfortable leatherette ear pad that also offers very decent passive noise cancellation, and crisp voice coming in and going out.
Prior to getting the B450-XT, I had never spent more than $70 for a Bluetooth headset. I told myself that since I don't drive for a living or spend that much time on the road, I don't need to spend that much money. After receiving gushingly positive feedback from the people I've been talking to with the B450XT on, I now realize that I should've made the jump earlier. They all appreciated the much louder voice volume, as well as the more clear and crisp words that sound more natural.
In order to really push this thing, I tested out the B450-XT by driving around town with the window down and going about 50 MPH. Despite the deafening cabin drone inside the cabin caused by my aftermarket exhaust system, my friend told me that I sounded like I was talking to him from a quiet room. It was only after I stuck my head outside the window like a dog that he heard some "whooshing" sounds punctuated by some intermittent clicking noises. Even then, he said the clicking noises were low-volume and non-irritating.
I also tested out the headset inside the living room with the TV on and my iPad playing some music video at full volume about two feet away. My friend said that some vocals would carry over to him once in a while but he couldn't really make out the words because they sounded very muffled. During all this time, all of my words were delivered perfectly and clearly.
I was very impressed by the battery life as well. Including the 30 minutes it took to update the firmware and the 1 & 1/2 hours of talk time, the battery drained to only 90% after two hours. Not bad!
As for comfort, the soft and plush leatherette earpad is fantastic. It is large enough to cover up my left ear and provides good passive noise isolation that makes talking to people and listening to audio a good experience. Even after two hours, my ear felt just fine and had no soreness. I can't say the same about the extra foam earpad that's included inside the box. Because it is completely flat, it offers virtually no passive noise isolation and it feels very uncomfortable and harsh, relatively speaking.
As an audio device, the B450-XT is just so-so. Despite having some bass, music comes out muffled and murky. If my Sony 1000XM3 is a 10/10, then the B450-XT would be a 4/10. And my old ~$50 in-ear Bluetooth headset would score a 2/10.
In order to get more out of the B450-XT, I downloaded the Blue Parrott app and I liked it for its clean design and intuitive layout. I programmed the Parrott Button to call upon Google Assistant and I was soon able to start calls with my voice and control my smart home devices like lights, security cameras, and wall plugs. The entire setup process within the app was easy and seamless. I just wish firmware updates wouldn't take so long. Out of all the devices I maintain, updating the B450-XT took the most amount of time at ~30 minutes.
All in all, I'm super satisfied and happy with the B450-XT. It's got the looks, the comfort, the battery life, and its noise cancellation performance is superb.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+17points
21of 25voted this as helpful.
Full-size cleaning without the cord. Full-size Bin. Full-size cleaner head. Now with full-size bin and full-size cleaner head for full-size cleaning, without the cord. ¹ Tested at the cleaner head to ASTM F558, dust-loaded.² Runtime based on consecutive use of two battery packs. Actual runtime will vary based on power mode, floor type, and/or attachments used.³In Boost mode. All other modes achieve at least 99.97% filtration.
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange
=== My Take ===
As expected from a Dyson product, the Dyson V11 Outsize stick vacuum is super expensive but also really good. The motor and the suction system are very powerful - more powerful than my regular traditional Dyson vacuum cleaner and 2-3 times more powerful than my other stick vacuum cleaner from a large and national competing brand.
The fit-and-finish is excellent, as are the build materials and build quality. If you're spending more than $800 after tax for a vacuum, you'd expect a stylish design, powerful motor, superb suction ability, and quick and easy disassembly and clicking together of all the different attachments. Fortunately, Dyson delivers all of the above with flying colors.
True to its marketing claim, the intelligent "Auto" mode does a fantastic job quickly distinguishing between different surface types - hardwood flooring to carpet and vice versa - and adjusts the power & style (and sound) of suction accordingly. I expected a lag in the response of about 2-3 seconds but the device only took about 1/2 second to 1 second. I was impressed.
Dyson threw in several different attachments inside the box and they're all very useful and helpful. The crevice tool is always useful for those tight spots inside the car and around the house, the mini motorized tool is great for couches, sofas, and pet beddings, and the dusting brush is excellent for window blinds and ceiling fan blades. The mini motorized tool attachment is a family favorite because it allows us to effectively pick up all the pet hair from our three indoor animals (two dogs and one cat). XD
The inclusion of two batteries and two chargers is probably what makes this product so expensive. But because there are two batteries, you won't need to put a pause in your cleaning to wait for the battery to recharge (which takes about 4 hours).
Most companies get it right when it comes to the dirt bin ejection mechanism, and Dyson got it right as well. Pushing down on the lever forcefully pushes out all the dust and debris and I usually have to repeat the motion just one more time to get everything out (our pet hairs are "sticky").
Besides the high price, I'm slightly disappointed that Dyson seems to have reduced the warranty period down to just two years. I could be wrong but I thought high-end Dyson products used to come with a 5-yr warranty.
All in all, I'm highly impressed by this powerful and versatile cleaning tool. If you got the coin, I doubt there is a nicer and better performing stick vacuum than the Dyson V11 Outsize. 5 stars.
_____
*Pros:
*Pros:
-Very, very strong suction power.
-Comes with two batteries for extended cleaning sessions.
-Easy to swap between attachments.
-Dirt ejection mechanism is simple.
-Long battery life.
-Intuitive and responsive touch-based control interface.
-Comes with two batteries for extended cleaning sessions.
-Easy to swap between attachments.
-Dirt ejection mechanism is simple.
-Long battery life.
-Intuitive and responsive touch-based control interface.
_____
*Cons:
*Cons:
-Very expensive.
-The warranty is only 2 years.
-The warranty is only 2 years.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+15points
15of 15voted this as helpful.
Game on the go with this Dell Inspiron laptop. An NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti runs most titles, while the two tuned speakers and 15.6-inch Full HD anti-glare narrow-border display deliver an immersive experience. This Bluetooth-compatible Dell Inspiron laptop has a 9th-gen Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM, handling multitasking without issue, and the 512GB NVMe SSD offers exceptional data access speeds.
Customer Rating
5
Good mid-range gaming laptop with a fair price
on December 19, 2019
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange
=== Summary ===
The Dell G3 3590 is a good mid-range gaming laptop with a decent selection of components inside. It's built entirely of plastic, but it manages to feel solid and durable with a great fit-and-finish. The display is bright and vibrant, the speakers sound surprisingly good, and the keyboard is responsive enough for enjoyable gaming. Unfortunately, it comes with two ancient USB 2.0 ports that are very slow, and its single USB-C port is not of the Gen 2 (10 Gbps) variety. The performance is fantastic but it comes at a cost to battery life.
_____
*Pros:
*Pros:
-It's made from plastic, but it's durable with a good fit-and-finish.
-The speakers sound loud and clear.
-The Precision Touchpad works well.
-General usage performance is excellent. Fast and snappy with a quick boot time.
-1080P gaming is handled smoothly and games run well.
-NVME SSD is fast and file transfers finish quickly.
-The bottom cover is very easy to take off for future upgrades (SATA HDD, bigger NVME drive, RAM upgrade).
-You get a lot for your money (H-class Core i7, 8GB DDR4, 512GB NVME, bright screen, good speakers).
-The speakers sound loud and clear.
-The Precision Touchpad works well.
-General usage performance is excellent. Fast and snappy with a quick boot time.
-1080P gaming is handled smoothly and games run well.
-NVME SSD is fast and file transfers finish quickly.
-The bottom cover is very easy to take off for future upgrades (SATA HDD, bigger NVME drive, RAM upgrade).
-You get a lot for your money (H-class Core i7, 8GB DDR4, 512GB NVME, bright screen, good speakers).
_____
*Neutral:
*Neutral:
-The keyboard keys aren't very tactile and a bit wobbly. I wish its uptake rate was faster.
-Although accurate and responsive, the surface of the plastic touchpad feels a bit coarse and grainy. It's not glass smooth and jarring at first.
-Why does Dell include two different support apps to check for driver updates?
-Although accurate and responsive, the surface of the plastic touchpad feels a bit coarse and grainy. It's not glass smooth and jarring at first.
-Why does Dell include two different support apps to check for driver updates?
_____
*Cons:
*Cons:
-The battery life is poor, as expected, even when you're not gaming and just browsing the internet.
=== Design & hardware ===
Fortunately, Dell is following the trends embraced by other companies and not going overboard with the design. For a gaming laptop, the G3 is not in-your-face blingy nor overdone with garish design elements. I appreciate its subtle and modest shape and color scheme. Most people will probably glance at the Dell G3 and assume it's just a regular black laptop. I'm totally cool with that.
As for build materials and quality, I found both to be satisfactory. Everything's plastic but that's okay because it doesn't feel coarse or cheap. The fit-and-finish is excellent as well. For a 15.6" gaming laptop, I found the weight to be manageable and the form factor not too bulky.
The number of ports offered is good, but it's disappointing to still find USB 2.0 ports in a 2019 laptop. All the USB ports should've been minimum USB 3.1 Gen1. Even the single USB-C port is only USB 3.0 with no Thunderbolt support. There's at least a full-size HDMI port as well as an ethernet port.
For a $1,000 laptop, the components Dell decided to put inside seem fair and reasonable. The 9th-gen Core i5 9300H CPU, 8GB of DDR4 memory, 512GB NVME drive, and the Geforce GTX 1660 Ti with 6GB of memory come together well to make the Dell G3 very speedy and performant. For casual PC usage, the specs of the G3 3590 are overkill. For 1080P gaming, it's great.
I really appreciate that Dell made future upgrades easy to perform. The bottom cover comes off easily and all the parts you can upgrade later - SATA HDD, DDR4 RAM, NVME drive - are easily accessed. There's plenty of space to work in as well. The battery is simple to take out as well, should you need to change it out later. I wish all laptops were this easy to take apart and upgrade.
=== Display ===
Although the Dell G3 only has a modest 60Hz 1080P screen, I found it good enough in terms of color accuracy and brightness for both gaming and general usage. The backlighting is even and the contrast level is pretty good. The bezel around the screen is also decently thin for a gaming laptop, and I didn't find it distracting at all.
=== Keyboard and touchpad ===
The G3's keyboard is better than the one on my $2500 Alienware m17. The keys have good travel, feel responsive most of the time, and give good feedback. However, I felt the keys wobbling a bit during fast typing which slightly got in my way when working and during gaming. I got used to it after a while but Dell definitely could've done better by tightening things up a bit.
As for the touchpad, it's been great. It's very responsive, tracks well, and all of my custom Precision touchpad gestures worked flawlessly. With that said, I wish the surface of the touchpad was smoother. If you're used to gliding your fingers on a glass-covered touchpad, the G3's touchpad surface will feel very coarse and weird at first. Once you get used to it, though, it's fine.
=== Performance ===
The Intel Core i5, 8GB of DDR4 memory, and the 512GB Toshiba NVME drive make Windows 10 run very fast. For general use scenarios, the G3 is more than fast enough. For 1080P gaming, it's also pretty good. You can't turn on every single eye-candy setting to the max and still get 60 FPS, but the nVIDIA Geforce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q will run most games very well at medium or high settings.
Fan loudness wasn't much of an issue for me. It never became loud enough to become distracting and didn't force me to put on some headphones.
I'm playing Darksiders Genesis on it and it runs beautifully at Ultra settings with no lag or frame hiccups. Audio is great out-of-the-box and Dell gives you the option to tune it to your liking through its Alienware FX app.
Overall, I'm very happy with the G3 3590.
=== Battery life ===
As expected, battery life is just so-so on this gaming laptop. When I game off the AC charger, I could only get about 1 hour out of it. When set to 75% brightness and doing just general browsing, I got up to 3 & 1/2 hours, which isn't too bad.
=== Should you buy it? ===
Sure. For $1,000, Dell gives you a decent design with solid build quality, great selection of components, a good screen, good audio, and an easy upgrade path for the future. This laptop will last a long time.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+14points
14of 14voted this as helpful.
Own your space with Logitech Pebble M350 – a modern, slim, and silent portable mouse designed for your curated lifestyle. Make a statement with a slim mouse that can easily be scooped up and brought to the cafe or library. Silent clicking and scrolling means you can stay focused without disturbing those around you. And the Logitech Pebble stays powered for up to 18-months on a single AA battery so you don’t have to worry about losing power.
Customer Rating
5
Stylish, light, and quiet
on November 23, 2019
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange
=== Summary ===
Logitech is well-known for making great computer mice for various different categories and price points. For those who want lightness, quietness, long battery life, and a touch of playful style, the Pebble M350 is a great choice.
_____
*Pros:
*Pros:
-Small and stylish design.
-Very light and slim.
-Button operations are very quiet.
-Accurate and tracks well.
-Needs just one AA battery.
-Comes with optional Bluetooth adapter underneath the top cover.
-Top cover pops off easily and frustration-free.
-Fast and easy Bluetooth pairing.
-Very light and slim.
-Button operations are very quiet.
-Accurate and tracks well.
-Needs just one AA battery.
-Comes with optional Bluetooth adapter underneath the top cover.
-Top cover pops off easily and frustration-free.
-Fast and easy Bluetooth pairing.
_____
*Cons:
*Cons:
-None
=== Design & Performance ===
True to its name, the Pebble M350 has a smooth, curved, and rounded design that fits comfortably in the hand. Even after using it the whole day while working in front of a computer, I felt no hand fatigue or discomfort.
It is also very light and easy to swipe around with despite carrying a USB Bluetooth adapter dongle underneath the top cover as well as a single AA battery.
Mouse clicks are VERY quiet and responsive - perfect for quiet settings like a library or other places where you wouldn't want to be intrusive to others. The scroll wheel felt a bit stiff initially but after prolonged use, it did get loosened up.
In terms of tracking over different types of surfaces, that was very satisfactory as well. Even with a modest 1,000 dots per inch sensitivity (my gaming mouse has 12,000 dpi), the Pebble worked perfectly fine on top of my white desk that has a thin sheet of glass on top.
Instead of the boring gray color, I chose the pale pink tone and my wifey loves it! It goes well with her white HP Spectre 13 laptop.
=== Should you buy it? ===
Yes! The Pebble M350 looks stylish and cute, button operations are super quiet, and it tracks accurately and well. It's also very portable and easy to pack thanks to its slim design and lightness. And thanks to that AA battery, it is one less device you have to remember to plug in to charge.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+9points
16of 23voted this as helpful.
Capture smooth time lapse videos with this GoPro HERO8 camera. The HyperSmooth stabilization technology offers two levels of stabilization for smooth video reproduction, while the optional media mod offers advanced customization, giving aspiring creators a convenient way of adding more lighting and pro-quality audio to their footage. This GoPro HERO8 camera features a streamlined design with folding fingers at the base for swapping mounts quickly.
Customer Rating
5
Superb action camera. Probably best on the market.
on November 3, 2019
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange
=== Summary ===
The GoPro Hero 8 is one of those slam-dunk products that exceed your expectations and live up to all the PR marketing hype. It is small and light, ergonomically pleasant to use, and it produces high-quality 4K 60FPS videos with excellent stabilization and clear audio recordings. Even its photography is great, especially of low-light scenes. With its water-resistance and sturdy build, plus the vast accessory ecosystem behind it, the Hero 8 is THE action camera to get.
_____
*Pros:
*Pros:
-Small, pocketable size.
-Light and easy to handle.
-Folding-finger design is brilliant, allowing for quick mount changes.
-Solid build quality.
-Responsive button and touchscreen controls.
-Bright & crispy screen.
-Simple to connect to smartphone & PC (has USB-C port!)
-HyperSmooth 2.0's video stabilization is superb.
-4K 60FPS video is awesome - vibrant & moderately saturated colors, great HDR effect, and smooth playback.
-Audio recording is clean & clear and filters out background noise very well.
-Has lots of nice & useful features, such as TimeWarp, Night Lapse video, 1080P live streaming.
-Low-light photography is surprisingly very good.
-Water-resistant out-of-the-box.
-Lots of available accessories.
-Light and easy to handle.
-Folding-finger design is brilliant, allowing for quick mount changes.
-Solid build quality.
-Responsive button and touchscreen controls.
-Bright & crispy screen.
-Simple to connect to smartphone & PC (has USB-C port!)
-HyperSmooth 2.0's video stabilization is superb.
-4K 60FPS video is awesome - vibrant & moderately saturated colors, great HDR effect, and smooth playback.
-Audio recording is clean & clear and filters out background noise very well.
-Has lots of nice & useful features, such as TimeWarp, Night Lapse video, 1080P live streaming.
-Low-light photography is surprisingly very good.
-Water-resistant out-of-the-box.
-Lots of available accessories.
_____
*Neutral:
*Neutral:
-Battery life isn't that good when recording 4K60FPS with screen always on.
-As expected, during very low-light conditions, video becomes grainy - slight to quite a bit. Still, very capable & acceptable quality.
-As expected, during very low-light conditions, video becomes grainy - slight to quite a bit. Still, very capable & acceptable quality.
_____
*Cons:
*Cons:
-None
=== Design & Build Quality ===
I'm impressed by all the cool tech GoPro has managed to cram inside the Hero 8 Black in such a light and small footprint. Despite its low weight, the build materials and quality are excellent, and the camera feels substantial and durable in hand. The "folding-finger" mount design is cool, and it allowed me to quickly make attachment changes between my hand-held grip mount and hat mount.
The layout of the two main buttons are ergonomically located, and they're tactile and quick-reacting. With the Hero 8 turned on, pressing the Power/Mode button on the left side quickly toggles among three modes - Time lapse, Video, and Photo. From there, you can use the responsive touchscreen to either use a preset video or photo profile or create your own. GoPro offers lots of options for video and photo fine-tuning, which will surely be appreciated by the vlogging and other enthusiast groups who demand extra control over their video and photo outputs. As for me, I just used the regular standard profiles -- 4K 60FPS with HyperSmooth video stabilization on for video and Wide lens with HDR applied for photo.
I found several settings to be both very nifty and useful, one of them being QuikCapture. With this feature activated, I can start recording a video right away by pressing the capture button just once, even with the Hero 8 in an off state. There is a slight lag of about 1 & 1/2 seconds but that's totally acceptable for me.
Voice control is another setting I really liked. Instead of pressing & holding the power button to turn on and off the Hero 8, I can just do it with my voice. You can also take pictures, record videos, change between modes, and start time lapses. It found it to be highly convenient and useful. In order for voice control to work reliably, however, the device had to be pretty close to my mouth - about 8 inches away. Also, voice control led to a faster battery drain.
Being able to change the screen saver behavior is another cool option. By default, the screen turns off after a couple of minutes to save battery life. If you'd rather see the video you're recording without the screen going dark, then you can do that by simply turning off screen saver altogether. I find this useful when I'm recording with my hand-grip mount. If I'm recording from my hat, then I set the screen to turn off after 1 minute.
As for everything else, it was smooth sailing. The Hero 8 easily connected to my Galaxy S10+ phone via the mobile app, as well as my laptop via a USB-C to USB-C connection. The battery cover is easy to open and close and the battery slides out smoothly without a struggle.
All in all, GoPro has done a fantastic job crafting the Hero 8 and making it so ergonomic, feature-rich, and intuitive to control and use.
=== Performance ===
The Hero 8 is my first GoPro device but not my first action camera. Before getting the Hero 8, I've been depending on my Rylo 360 action cam for outdoor outings and sporty activities. After doing a side-by-side comparison with the Rylo and also comparing it to the video output of my Galaxy S10+, I got to hand the win to the Hero 8.
The 4K 60FPS videos it output were fantastic! The videos were crisp, well-saturated, and buttery smooth. The brighter the scene, the nicer and smoother were the videos. During low-light conditions, some grainness did creep in, as expected, but the videos were still very usable and acceptable. Sudden motion transitions are handled very well with minimal artifacts. On the Rylo and Galaxy S10+, snapping the camera quickly from left to right would sometimes produce large video artifacts. The Hero 8 manages such trasitions very well. GoPro's older video stabilization tech may have been disappointing, according to some reviews I've read, but the Hero 8's new HyperSmooth 2.0 stabilization delivers the goods.
I was quite surprised by the audio quality of the Hero 8. It did a fantastic job filtering out wind and background noise. Even with the Hero 8 mounted on top of my hat, it picked up audio from myself and from my subjects 30 to 40 feet away very clearly.
The quality of the night-time photos was a HUGE pleasant surprise. I frankly didn't expect much and I was prepared not to be disappointed because, I figured, this is just an action cam and not a smartphone after all. After taking many low-light photos, I was impressed that is $400 action cam could take pictures almost as well as my >$1,000 smartphone. I've attached 3 pictures to my review - 1st pic is by the Hero 8, 2nd one is from my S10+ in normal Auto mode, and the 3rd pic is from the S10+ using Night mode. It's the same scene at same lighting conditions.
=== Is it worth it? ===
Most definitely. $400 is a fair price for all the nice technology and features you get from the Hero 8 Black. Its video stabilization is supreme, its 4K 60FPS HDR video quality is super smooth and crisp, and it even takes really nice low-light photos. Plus it's water-resistant, small and light, and the Hero 8 is supported by a large accessory ecosystem to meet the demands of a diverse group of people. 5 Stars Win~!!
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+58points
68of 78voted this as helpful.
Keep an eye on your home or business day and night with Arlo Pro 3. With no wires, you can install Pro 3 in minutes and view video directly from your phone. Spot unique details with color night vision, and see more in dark areas with the integrated spotlight. The advanced lens provides superior image quality, a wider field of view, and allows you to auto track and zoom on moving objects with clarity. Receive notifications when your camera spots people, vehicles, animals, or packages, and view live video or recorded clips directly from your phone, with 3 months of included Arlo Smart.* Hear and speak to visitors clearly with two-way audio.
Customer Rating
4
Very good wire-free home security system
on October 5, 2019
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange
=== Summary ==
I'm a huge fan of the Arlo Pro 2 camera system so I was naturally very excited for the Arlo Pro 3. It has many features my Arlo Pro 2 does not have, such as 2K recording, color night vision, integrated spotlight, and 160-degree viewing angle. After using it for the past five days, I can say that Arlo didn't disappoint -- for the most part. Although I LOVE its reliable video and audio quality, easy-to-use mobile app, its quick and smart notification system, and long-lasting battery, I'm very disappointed that Arlo chose NOT to include 7-day free cloud recording for the Pro 3 and still hasn't kept their pledge to make locally saved clips accessible from its mobile app. If Arlo had kept that option, it would've been a 10 out of 10 product and a Complete Win. As it is, I rate it 4 Stars out of 5 overall.
_____
*Pros:
*Pros:
-Slick and attractive design.
-Super simple & quick setup process.
-Clean and color-accurate video quality from HDR & 2K recording.
-Audio recordings are noise-free, skip-free, and sound clean and clear.
-Smart Alerts are smart & accurate most of the time.
-The mobile app is feature-rich and easy to use.
-Long-lasting battery.
-The motion-detection sensor is very responsive & quickly turns on the spotlight.
-Robust & varied accessory ecosystem.
_____
*Neutral:
-Super simple & quick setup process.
-Clean and color-accurate video quality from HDR & 2K recording.
-Audio recordings are noise-free, skip-free, and sound clean and clear.
-Smart Alerts are smart & accurate most of the time.
-The mobile app is feature-rich and easy to use.
-Long-lasting battery.
-The motion-detection sensor is very responsive & quickly turns on the spotlight.
-Robust & varied accessory ecosystem.
_____
*Neutral:
-Accessories are expensive. $50 for a 25-ft charging cable?
-The cool features require a monthly plan.
-The cheapest Arlo Smart plan costs $2.99/month per camera.
_____
*Cons:
-The cool features require a monthly plan.
-The cheapest Arlo Smart plan costs $2.99/month per camera.
_____
*Cons:
-Clips can be saved to local storage but you can't view it from the mobile app. Arlo has 2 months left to keep their promise.
=== Design & Setup ===
When it comes to design, build materials, build quality, and general fit-and-finish, Arlo has done a fantastic job with the Pro 3. The cameras and base station look great and blend perfectly within my home. In the hands, it feels solid and durable, and taking it apart to insert the battery was a smooth and frustration-free experience.
The charging port is on the bottom and the charging interface from the cable connects magnetically to the camera now, which is a huge improvement in terms of convenience. With the Arlo Pro 2, the charging cable on the back got in the way of my outdoor mounts and the rubber flap was fragile and easy to become dislocated.
Setting up the Arlo Pro 3 was a completely frustration-free and speedy process. Connect the base station to the router, give it power, and add each camera one-by-one inside the Arlo mobile app. Upon first startup, there were firmware updates for both the base station and each of the cameras. Those went through without any hiccups.
In the box, there was one magnetic wall mount and one outdoor mount accessory. Sadly, the cable in the box was too short and I couldn't run it from the wall to my front porch. But checking Arlo's accessory store, a 25-ft charge cable is available so I'll probably be getting that. It's too bad most accessories are so expensive, though. For some of these accessories, I'll be waiting for third-party companies to make cheaper alternatives.
=== Mobile App & Customization ===
After all the cameras have been added, I fine-tuned the camera settings within the well-organized and easy-to-use Arlo mobile app.
The app has three main tabs on the top: Mode, Devices, and Library. In the "Mode" section, you tell the cameras when to detect for motion and audio events and what to do about it. For one of my cameras outside in the front porch, I have it to detect for both motion (80% sensitivity) and audio (level 3 sensitivity out of 5) and to record a video for 300 seconds. After the event has finished, Push notification is sent to my smartphone. Other options inside Mode include "Disarmed," "Scheduled," and "Geofencing." I leave my cameras "Armed" all the time.
In the "Devices" section, you can view each camera video feed to initiate two-way speaker conversations, manually take photos or record a video, and turn on or off the spotlight camera. You can also create Activity Zones so you only receive alerts when something happens inside that zone. And there are numerous other options -- battery level indicator, camera LED behavior, check device info, motion detection test, video quality levels (brightness, Auto HDR, local 2K live streaming, auto-zoom & track, low light settings, night vision), power management, and video angle (160-, 125-, or 110-degree).
The final section is the "Library" and this is where you go to view all the clips that have been recorded in response to events. The newest event is always on the top and you can select a video and mark it as a Favorite, share the file with someone, "donate" it to Arlo for their R&D, download it, or simply delete it.
But wait, there is more~! From the main screen of the app, when you tap on the 3-dot menu icon and tap on Settings, you'll discover the "Arlo Smart" section. It's here where you can tell the cameras to detect for package deliveries (only one camera can do this) or detect specifically for people, vehicles, animals, smoke/CO alarms, and more. For the part, these smart detections worked pretty well, correctly flagging my dogs and cat as animals and my UPS delivery man as a human. Package detection wasn't as quite consistent, probably because not all of my packages arrived in rectangular or square boxes but sometimes in large envelopes or plastic bags.
All in all, I'm very impressed and delighted by all the features that are offered by Arlo. It truly is a complete home security camera system.
=== Video & Audio Quality ===
With its 160-degree viewing angle and 2K video resolution, the crispness and clarity of the videos were highly satisfactory. The colors were true-to-life, color gradation was handled very well, and the HDR feature did an excellent job correctly exposing the dark areas.
The audio recordings were exceptional as well, way better than my Arlo Pro 2. The audio is cleaner with less noise and skips and I was very impressed by how far it can record conversations. My wifey and daughter were talking about 30 feet away from my Pro 3 in the living room and I could hear and understand each word they were saying loud and clear.
I love it when a new successor product completely outperforms the previous model and Arlo Pro 3 succeeds in doing that.
=== Battery life ===
I've been recording 5-minute clips in 2K and viewing live feeds in 2K. Also, the spotlight camera is set to turn on all the time during low-light situations. After recording 82 5-minute clips (almost 7 hrs of footage), the Arlo Pro 3 camera still had 25% battery left. I'm impressed.
=== Cloud Recording, local storage, & Arlo Monthly Plans ===
This is the part of my review where I get a little negative. After being used to the 7-day free cloud recording feature of my Arlo Pro 2 system for the past two years, I'm very reluctant to begin paying a monthly fee. To be honest, it's not TOO bad. For $2.99 per month per camera with the Arlo Smart plan, I get 30 days of video playback, enhanced notifications, activity zones, and person detection. After all, it probably costs Arlo lots of money in server and storage costs. But still...the Arlo cameras are one of the most expensive wire-free security camera systems on the market. Therefore, I think Arlo should make available AT LEAST a 3-day free cloud storage option for customers who are shelling out so much money for their systems. I think that's a good compromise.
In terms of local storage of video clips, Arlo has dropped the ball here too. Yes, you can store your clips locally but you can't view your local clips from inside the mobile app. What was Arlo thinking? I've had that feature in my $200 Samsung camera for four years already! Arlo announced that in the second half of 2019 they will implement a way for users to view local clips from within the app. Well, Arlo, you have two months left to keep your word.
I'm currently using the 3-month free trial subscription and time will tell whether I stay on the basic Arlo Smart subscription plan or not. Whether I do or don't, I'll come back to this review and add a comment to share my opinion on whether I think it's worth it or not.
=== Conclusion ===
Overall, I like the Arlo Pro 3. It's well-built and engineered, it produces high-quality video and audio clips, its mobile app is simple to use and very responsive, and its smart features like animal detection and package detection are cool and neat. But with such a high $500 upfront cost, Arlo should've included some form of free cloud storage and ability to access locally saved clips from the mobile app. With that said, I still recommend it because the execution is so good and it has such a robust accessory ecosystem.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+163points
164of 165voted this as helpful.
The IQAir new edition HealthPro Plus is the best choice for asthma and allergy sufferers. IQAir HyperHEPA filtration is proven to trap the smallest, most harmful particles in the air, down to 0.003 microns – 100 times smaller than 0.3 microns. That includes viruses, pet dander, dust mites, air pollution, even cigarette smoke. IQAir nanofiber technology and innovative design stop particles 100x smaller than 0.3 microns. IQAir uses only safe, proven technology to clean the air. IQAir systems produce no unhealthy ozone, ions, UV or chemicals. IQAir tests every HealthPro Plus system at the factory to ensure its performance meets our strict specifications. We test total system efficiency – the actual air coming from the outlet. Results are detailed in a hand-signed Certificate of Performance that is shipped in the box with every HealthPro Plus system. V5-Cell filtration provides the best solution for gas & odor control. The V5-Cell combines 2 types of media: one adsorbs odors & gases, the other changes pollutants to oxidized form. The new edition HealthPro Plus delivers up to 25% more clean air, up to 38% longer filter life, and 32% less sound.
Customer Rating
5
Top-Tier Air Purifier
on September 14, 2019
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange
=== Summary ===
The IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier is one excellent air purifying machine. It is built rock-solid and durable, its control panel and remote control are easy to operate, and its three filters do an outstanding job pumping out clean and fresh air while getting rid of odors. The results can be felt & noticed even after just one day of usage. It's a 5-Stars Win product~!
_____
*Pros:
*Pros:
-Came incredibly well-packed & protected (double-boxed & dense foam).
-It's surprisingly lighter than it looks (35 lbs).
-Wheels make moving it around easy. Same for the very sturdy top handle bar.
-Decently long power cord (10 ft) with a 2-prong power connector.
-Simple, easy, and intuitive control panel & remote control operation.
-Pretty quiet (speeds 1 through 3). Can sleep through no problem.
-The 3 filters are separate & not an all-in-one combo unit.
-All 3 filters have relatively long life, especially the Hyper HEPA filter.
-Accessing the filters requires no tool. Just snap off & snap on the two locking arms.
-Hyper HEPA filter can capture fine & ultrafine particles (e.g., bacteria, viruses, combustion by-products).
-Filter life reminder indicator lights are useful.
-Magazine-sized user manual is well-written and easy to follow. Lots of useful diagrams & pictures.
-10-warranty is AWESOME~!!
_____
*Neutral:
-It's surprisingly lighter than it looks (35 lbs).
-Wheels make moving it around easy. Same for the very sturdy top handle bar.
-Decently long power cord (10 ft) with a 2-prong power connector.
-Simple, easy, and intuitive control panel & remote control operation.
-Pretty quiet (speeds 1 through 3). Can sleep through no problem.
-The 3 filters are separate & not an all-in-one combo unit.
-All 3 filters have relatively long life, especially the Hyper HEPA filter.
-Accessing the filters requires no tool. Just snap off & snap on the two locking arms.
-Hyper HEPA filter can capture fine & ultrafine particles (e.g., bacteria, viruses, combustion by-products).
-Filter life reminder indicator lights are useful.
-Magazine-sized user manual is well-written and easy to follow. Lots of useful diagrams & pictures.
-10-warranty is AWESOME~!!
_____
*Neutral:
-Remote control's range is not good.
_____
*Cons:
_____
*Cons:
-None
==== Design & Build ====
In terms of how it looks, the IQAir HealthPro Plus doesn't really stand out in its plain light gray color. What it lacks in flashy design and more stylish color options, it makes up for it through its high-quality and sturdy plastic build material, its excellent fit-and-finish, and its solid construction. When moving it around via its wheels or the heavy-duty handle, the unit feels rock-solid and doesn't make any rattling or tappity plastic sounds at all. Speaking of wheels, the caster wheels are very easy to install and having them on improves air flow by lifting up the unit an additional two inches off the floor.
Air is taken in from underneath the unit, filtered, then expelled out through the top opening which IQAir calls the "Evenflow Diffuser." IQAir says the air is blown out in a 320-degree radius to reduce noise and prevent drafts. After sleeping with the IQAir for several nights, I can definitely confirm that their claims are true. The air sound is even, constant, and very low-noise (at speed settings 1 through 3). At higher speed settings, you may not be able to fall asleep. Your mileage will vary, of course.
As for draft prevention, I didn't feel any. When I put my hand across the vents, all I feel are steady and even blow-out of air.
The centrifugal fan, which offers speed settings between 1 through 6, performed as expected with no weird or unusual sounds. Speeds ramp up and down smoothly and predictably.
For filter access, it is a very simple affair. No tools are required and all I had to do was to use my thumbs and push to pop off the two locking arms. To relock, they just snap back in.
For design & build quality, it gets 5-Stars from me.
==== Set Up ====
Using the IQAir HealthPro Plus could not have been any easier. Thanks to its long 10-ft power cord with a 2-prong wall outlet connector, it was easy to find the "sweet spot" for it in any room. With all the filters pre-installed, all I had to do was press the "power on" button to begin using it. By default, the fan speed was set to Level 3 when I first turned it on, which was the perfect setting for my bedroom.
In order to calculate the ideal fan speed for a room or living space, the user manual offers a very helpful general formula:
Hourly air delivery of IQAir (cfm) x 60 / Air volume of room (cu.ft) (L X W X H) = Air Changes Per Hour (ACH)
According to IQAir, an air purifier system "should be able to filter the room air volume at least twice every hour on the set fan speed to achieve a significant air quality improvement." Based on their recommendation and the formula above, my bedroom's air volume would be cleaned three times every hour at fan speed Level 3.
For larger living spaces, such as my living room, I had to use the control panel to increase the fan speed to Level 4.
Inside the Control Panel menus, there are several options for the user to set - view Filter Life Monitor, set Timer On period, set Automatic Timer days of the week, Timer On fan speed, Timer Off fan speed, Time & Day setting, Filter Life Reset, Airflow Unit display, Language display, and Current Model display. All the buttons on the Control Panel are well-laid out, easy to press, and very responsive to my inputs.
The remote control buttons' input responsiveness was also good, but the range was kind of poor. The manual says I should have a 20-ft range but in my case, it was more like 5 to 6 feet.
All in all, the IQAir HealthPro Plus is a very easy and intuitive machine to operate.
==== Performance ====
I mainly used the IQAir HealthPro Plus inside my bedroom and it was a pleasure. We have two indoor dogs (a Maltese and an American Eskimo) and one cat (doll-face Persian) and they generate lots of pet pander, loose hair, dust, and odors collectively. The IQAir cleaned up the air and made it refreshing and easier to breathe, reducing allergy symptoms such as runny nose and sneezing. It also managed to suppress and get rid of the lingering dog smell which sometimes wakes me up in the middle of the night.
I guess I shouldn't be too surprised about how well it worked considering this is a $900 machine. Regardless, I'm VERY impressed and satisfied with my IQAir HealthPro Plus. With a 4-yo daughter running around everywhere, it is very reassuring to me and to my family to have such an awesome air cleaner.
==== My Take ====
The IQAir HealthPro Plus has definitely lived up to all of its claims for me - solid & durable build quality, low-noise fan, easy & intuitive control panel, odor-eliminating filters, and production of clean and refreshing air. $900 is a lot of money but IQAir justifies its cost through its high-quality air filtration, long filter lives, and flexible timer and scheduling options. Not only that, it will protect both the short-term and long-term health of my family and I, which is the most valuable thing for me in the world.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+16points
16of 16voted this as helpful.
Keep friends and family safe by installing this Onelink smart smoke and carbon monoxide alarm in your home. The backup battery lets protection continue even when the primary battery runs out of power. This Onelink smart smoke and carbon monoxide alarm uses voice alerts to notify you of the type of danger and its location.
Customer Rating
2
Good but lacks Google Home Integration
on August 29, 2019
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange
=== Summary ===
The Onelink Smart Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm is a pretty decent product. It offers the usual 2-in-1 alert protection from carbon monoxide (CO) and smoke, comes in a clean & minimal design that is not an eyesore, setup is fast & simple, and both its alarm sound effects & voice notifications are loud and clear. For $120, however, I expected better smart home integration with more ecosystems, such as Google Home and SmartThings. Also, it failed in one important and basic metric. Because of that, I rate it 2 Stars.
_____
*Pros:
*Pros:
-2-in-1 protection.
-Clean & mininal design.
-Fast & easy installation.
-Voice notifications are informative, clear, and loud.
-Alarm sounds for CO and Smoke are both very loud & distinct.
-The Onelink smartphone app is fast, responsive, well-designed, & neatly organized.
_____
*Neutral:
-Clean & mininal design.
-Fast & easy installation.
-Voice notifications are informative, clear, and loud.
-Alarm sounds for CO and Smoke are both very loud & distinct.
-The Onelink smartphone app is fast, responsive, well-designed, & neatly organized.
_____
*Neutral:
-Doesn't support 5 GHz WiFi.
-No support for Google Home or SmartThings.
_____
*Cons:
-No support for Google Home or SmartThings.
_____
*Cons:
-When the alarm went off, it did NOT send me a push notification to my phone.
==== Design & Build ====
I find the round-corner square design in white to be clean, minimal, and pleasing to the eye. The plastic build material and quality are both excellent and the back plate and the main unit snapped together effortlessly. Inside the box, there are three power adapter plugs, all very useful to have in hand for fast and simple installation. In my case, I used the plug with the three open wires on one side.
Although this is the hard-wired version, there is a backup battery inside, which the manufacturer states will work as a standalone detector for a few weeks should it lose power for some reason. That's definitely reassuring and good. The battery level was already 100% out of the box.
5 Stars!
==== Set Up ====
The setup process couldn't have been any easier. Before powering up the detector for the first time, I downloaded & installed the Onelink app from the Play Store and created an account. I logged in to the app, powered up the detector, and followed the onscreen prompts to add it to my home WiFi network. This whole process took literally two minutes on my Samsung Galaxy S10+ phone. Thumbs up!
==== Onelink App & Smarthome Control ====
The Onelink app was a pleasure to use. To my surprise, the interface was very clean and designed following Google's Material Design language. Navigating around the app was fast and lag-free and all the important setting options were neatly sorted & easy to find.
When you first open the app, you'll see the picture of your detector located in the room where you decided to set the detector into during the initial setup process. Tap on the room and you'll be taken to a different screen where all the useful information reside - Battery Level, Wi-Fi status, Device Status, an option to test the detector's functionality, an option to silence the detector, and an option to adjust its "Nightlight" brightness level.
There is also a "Recent History" tab where you can see all the alerts & activities that have occurred.
Tapping on the cog Settings icon is where more options are available - Language, Room, Announcement, Push Notifications, and device info (e.g., firmware, serial number).
All in all, it's a clean and speedy design and I like it.
With that said, there was one thing I was majorly disappointed about. This detector, although it supports Amazon Alexa, is not supported by Google Home and SmartThings. I expect most new and modern smarthome products to support at least Alexa and Google Home. I love it when things support all three. Hopefully, at least the Google Home support will be coming later via a firmware update.
I'm knocking One Star off here for that.
==== Performance ====
Due to safety reasons, I didn't purposely test out the CO detection part. But I did create a controlled fire inside a can and tested out its smoke detection capability. As I had hoped, the Onelink detector sounded the alarm very loudly & also spoke out saying there is a fire. See my short video clip here:
https://youtu.be/ZFnJKuhpcsw
When I tried to silence the alarm through the Onelink app, I couldn't. That's because the alarm failed to create a push notification first to my phone. Without that push notification, the silence option simply wasn't selectable. To make things worse, this recent "smoke fire" event did not even register and get entered into the "Recent History" tab.
This is a MAJOR fail by First Alert. If I had been away from my home and the alarm had gone off, I would not even had known about it. Push notifications have been around for a LONG time so there is no excuse for any company to get this wrong.
Minus 2 Stars.
==== My Take ====
Although the Onelink Smart Smoke & CO Detector is attractively designed and promptly detected the smoke in my testing, its poor push notification system, aka broken, prevents me from recommending this. If it can't send a push notification to my smartphone in case of an alarm event, then it's not a "smart" home device. It's better to save $70 and get a non-smart one that can detect both smoke and CO.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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+7points
8of 9voted this as helpful.
Ninja Foodi Grill. The grill that sears, sizzles, and air fry crisps. With Cyclonic Grilling Technology, super hot 500F air delivers Surround Searing, while the 500F high-density grill grate creates char-grilled marks and flavors virtually smoke-free.
Customer Rating
5
Fantastic & Versatile Cooking Machine
on August 26, 2019
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange
=== Summary ===
The Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill is one awesome cooking machine. It looks sleek and modern sitting on a counter, it is simple & easy to operate, and most importantly, churns out well-cooked food. In addition, clean up is fast and easy. It's another Win from Ninja.
_____
*Pros:
*Pros:
-Sleek and modern-looking design.
-Excellent build quality and materials.
-Ergonomic and easy to handle.
-Easy to operate.
-Four different grill cooking temperatures.
-Food comes out well-cooked in a predictable fashion.
-"Cyclonic" air circulation really works & food is cooked evenly on both sides.
-Air crisping food is healthier for you.
-Comes with a useful & informative user manual & settings suggestions.
-Low- to no smoke while cooking.
-Easy to take apart and clean.
_____
*Neutral:
-Excellent build quality and materials.
-Ergonomic and easy to handle.
-Easy to operate.
-Four different grill cooking temperatures.
-Food comes out well-cooked in a predictable fashion.
-"Cyclonic" air circulation really works & food is cooked evenly on both sides.
-Air crisping food is healthier for you.
-Comes with a useful & informative user manual & settings suggestions.
-Low- to no smoke while cooking.
-Easy to take apart and clean.
_____
*Neutral:
-Can't grill at set temperature with the lid open. Lid must be closed.
_____
*Cons:
_____
*Cons:
-None
==== Design & Build ====
The Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 grill is a well-built cooking machine that looks sleek and is very easy to operate. All the buttons are well-lit, easy to read, and button operations are responsive with no lag.
When you first select a cooking function, the machine will pre-select a temperature for you. Depending on what you're cooking and the weight/amount of the food item, you just increase or lower the cooking temperature and time using the Up and Down arrow buttons. Then just press the Start/Stop button and wait until it chimes to let you know that the cooking has finished. So simple and easy.
Build quality and materials are impeccable and the machine is also ergonomically designed for easy handling. It is kind of heavy but my petite wifey who weighs around 105 lbs had no problem lifting it up onto our dining room table.
Cleanup is also easy as well. Thanks to its coating and the included brush, all the food matter collected on the grill and the pot underneath wash off easily. Just don't use abrasive sponges.
The Foodi 5-in-1 grill is an handsome addition to our kitchen.
==== Performance ====
This thing can cook! Out of the four functions offered, we found ourselves using the Grill and Air Crisp functions the most. The Grill function was used to cook up some New York Strip steaks as well as some thin-cut Korean beef brisket meat. The Air Crisp function was used to make some curly french fries.
In both scenarios, the food came out perfectly and tasted wonderful. To our great surprise, there was no perceptible smoke coming out of the machine, just heat waves. Whatever technology is being used, it is wonderful that smoke can be filtered out like that.
Another touted feature, the "Cyclonic" air circulation, also performed well and as advertised. The meat was evenly cooked on both sides to our satisfaction. You should still flip the steak over but it isn't as critical and necessary thanks to the Cyclonic heat circulation.
The grill comes with a very useful user manual that contain charts and diagrams that list suggested cooking temperatures and times for different types of food as well as how to use the different functions of the 5-in-1 (e.g., Grill, Air Crisp, Roast, Bake, and Dehydrate).
With such a short prep time, easy handling, and excellent cooking performance, the Ninja 5-in-1 is a true jack of all trades.
==== My Take ====
For ~$230, the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 indoor grill is a fantastic value proposition. Ninja has crafted a modern and cool-looking machine that operates easily, clean up easily, and most importantly, cooks everything so well in a consistent and predictable fashion. I can't give this thing anything other than 5 Stars!
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+4points
35of 66voted this as helpful.
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Listen to your playlist in peace with these Sony headphones. They have a 40mm dome driver to deliver the full depth of audio, and the noise cancelling feature minimizes outside disturbances for a better listening experience. These Sony headphones have a battery life of up to 30 hours for extended jam sessions.
Are this headphones are waterproof ?
Listen to your playlist in peace with these Sony headphones. They have a 40mm dome driver to deliver the full depth of audio, and the noise cancelling feature minimizes outside disturbances for a better listening experience. These Sony headphones have a battery life of up to 30 hours for extended jam sessions.
Hi, I just read that these headphones should be charged thru a booted computer. Does that mean I can’t use a wall charger for this? I’m a frequent traveler and I don’t always a laptop or pc around. Can I not just plug it in thru a wall adapter?
Dell Inspiron Laptop: Play your favorite PC games on this 15.6-inch Dell Inspiron gaming notebook. Its robust quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of DDR4 RAM and fast NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card let you run power-hungry video games easily. This Dell Inspiron gaming notebook has a large 1TB hard drive to store plenty of files.
I need more than 8 gb of RAM so what type of RAM Stick would I buy for this laptop? (Sorry kind of new with laptops). Where would I go to buy said RAM Stick?
Unfortunately, the RAM is not user-upgradeable.
6 years, 9 months ago
by
optimummind