optimummind's stats
- Review count155
- Helpfulness votes4,843
- First reviewJune 28, 2014
- Last reviewSeptember 24, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.7
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- Answer count23
- Helpfulness votes25
- First answerAugust 30, 2017
- Last answerMarch 4, 2021
- Featured answers0
- Best answers3
Provide delicious beverages for everyone with this Calphalon Special Brew 10-cup coffee maker in dark stainless steel. The premium boiling system extracts up to 20 percent more flavor. The nonstick warming plate keeps the 10-cup glass carafe warm for up to four hours, and the Delay Brew feature lets you select a brewing time in advance. The strength flavor adjustment feature in this Calphalon Special Brew 10-cup coffee maker ensures the coffee is to your preferred taste.
Customer Rating
3
Overpriced & Bulky Coffee Maker
on November 19, 2018
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange, CA
==== Summary ====
This Calphalon coffee maker, despite looking very sleek and modern, is an overpriced and underwhelming product. The unit is too tall for use underneath my kitchen cabinets, the left-to-right orientation takes up too much space on the kitchen counter, the "20% more flavor" sounds like a nebulous marketing claim, and the features it offers (Delayed Brew, Strong, Keep Warm) are no better nor more special than my older <$50 coffee maker. Its few saving grace are its good-looking design, easy programmability, and its ability to brew coffee pretty fast.
**Pros:
-Slick & modern design in stainless steel & dark gray color scheme.
-Crisp and bright LCD screen.
-Easy to clean and maintain.
-Simple operation.
-Brews coffee really fast.
-Delayed Brew function is helpful & easy to set up.
-Crisp and bright LCD screen.
-Easy to clean and maintain.
-Simple operation.
-Brews coffee really fast.
-Delayed Brew function is helpful & easy to set up.
**Cons:
-The power cord is a bit too short.
-Unnecessarily too tall.
-Takes up too much space on the kitchen counter.
-Very prone to fingerprint smudges.
-Too expensive for what it can do. Not a good value.
-Unnecessarily too tall.
-Takes up too much space on the kitchen counter.
-Very prone to fingerprint smudges.
-Too expensive for what it can do. Not a good value.
==== Design ====
My first impressions of this Calphalon coffee maker started off great. The dark gray design with stainless steel color elements looked great and I liked that it looked modern and high-tech. The LCD screen is big, bright, and easy to read. All the buttons are tactile and worked well. All the parts actuated smoothly and in a frictionless precise manner.
Then the negatives began to surface. The short power cord, the unnecessarily tall design that makes it difficult to fit underneath my kitchen cabinets, and the left-to-right orientation that takes up too much space. Once I started to touch and move the coffee maker around, I realized that it is very fingerprint- and smudge-prone and a hassle to constantly adjust it around the kitchen counter.
It sure looks fancy but that's not enough for me to like this thing.
==== Functionality ====
When it comes to executing its primary function - brewing a cup of coffee - this Calphalon coffee maker does a good job. I poured about 6 & 1/2 cups of water, pressed "Brew," and it finished brewing in about 2 & 1/2 minutes. Speedy~! The water was very hot as well, which I liked.
Afterwards, it automatically entered the "Keep Warm" mode that lasts for about 4 hours without burning the coffee, according to Calphalon. I would never leave coffee alone for that long so I don't know if my coffee would've gotten burned or not. But it is nice to have that option nonetheless.
Using a coffee grinder and the included filter, I tried the "Strong" setting but I couldn't taste any difference. Maybe it was just the particular coffee beans I used, maybe it is just some hazy marketing gimmick, or maybe my tongue isn't sophisticated enough to detect such nuances.
When it comes to performance, though, I'm happy with this Calphalon coffee maker.
==== Value ====
For the price this Calphalon sells for, it is NOT a good value. My older <$50 Black & Decker machine can do almost all the same things this Calphalon can do - brew coffee, perform delayed brew, and keep warm. My older unit's brewing time is definitely longer and water feels less hot.
The Calphalon looks fancier, of course, in its stainless steel and dark gray color scheme. However, it is just a paintjob over a build that does not feel any sturdier than my older Black & Decker model.
Unless you really, really like the way this Calphalon looks, I recommend that you purchase something else.
==== Conclusion ====
I wouldn't recommend this Calphalon coffee maker to my friends or family. At its current price point, it simply isn't a good value. Sure, it brews coffee really fast and water is hot and steamy but its inconvenient design quirks - too tall, bulky left-to-right orientation, large footprint, short power cord - and basic functionality do NOT justify its unusually high price.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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The Shark WANDVAC Cord-Free Handheld Vacuum combines lightweight portability with the incredible suction power of a high-speed brushless motor. Weighing just 1.4 lbs., this lightweight handheld vacuum boasts a tapered nozzle for easy debris pickup and two accessories for tackling pet hair, upholstery, and tight spaces. Between cleanings, return your vacuum to the charging dock for fast recharging. Fast cleaning, always ready when you need it. The Shark WANDVAC: Extraordinary power for the everyday mess.
Customer Rating
4
Highly Portable & Ergonomic Hand-Vac
on November 19, 2018
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange, CA
==== Summary ====
The Shark Ion W1 hand-held vacuum is a great little product that balances many things out very well. It is light, ergonomic, easy to operate & charge, easy to clean & maintain, and has enough suction power to clean up most things. I found it most useful when vacuuming my cars, ceiling fans, and getting those little crevices on and between furniture. It's good stuff.
*Pros:
-Light (1.4 lbs) and well-balanced.
-Ergonomic and easy to hold.
-Easy maneuverability to get at those little spots & crevices.
-Simple cleanup and maintenance.
-For its size, it's decently powerful.
-Cool battery charging dock with LED light indicator.
-Ergonomic and easy to hold.
-Easy maneuverability to get at those little spots & crevices.
-Simple cleanup and maintenance.
-For its size, it's decently powerful.
-Cool battery charging dock with LED light indicator.
*Neutral:
-The motor sometimes emits a high-pitched whine during longer use.
-Needs a charge after about 10 minutes.
-Has a difficult time sucking up very small debris.
-Needs a charge after about 10 minutes.
-Has a difficult time sucking up very small debris.
*Cons:
-None.
==== Design ====
I'm really liking the design of the Shark Ion W1. I prefer its stick-like form-factor to my other hand-held vacuum cleaner which is a gun-like trigger design. At 1.4 lbs, it is light and manageable and I found it very easy to navigate and maneuver through tight spaces.
Emptying the dust cup is a simple one-button press operation and all the parts that can be cleaned are easily and quickly accessible. I like that the filter can be cleaned by simply running it underneath some water and letting it dry for 24 hours.
The charging dock accepts the vacuum smoothly and perfectly and I appreciate the blinking LED light indicators that show the charge status of the vacuum at a quick glance.
The included accessories - a Multi-Surface Pet Tool and Duster Crevice Tool - slide into the Ion easily and work well as intended.
The build quality and fit-and-finish of the Ion W1 are fantastic.
==== Functionality & Performance ====
The Ion W1 - with its 14.4 V, 11.1 A, 120W brushless motor - delivers good but not phenomenal performance when it comes to picking up debris. I first used the Ion to vacuum the interior of my 4-door sedan and it took multiple passes before it picked up all the debris on the floor mats and on the seats. The Ion had difficulty picking up really small debris such as beach sand, clingy pet hair, and tiny grass debris. Still, I'd say it managed to get rid of about 95% of debris which is impressive considering its small size and low amperage power.
The Ion did much better when I used it to dust up around the house. It picked up everything on my leather couch and other furniture and did a fantastic job sucking up the dust bunnies on my ceiling fans.
As Shark describes it, the Ion is a great supplemental tool that one can quickly pull out and use for quick and simple jobs. Viewed in that light, its suction performance and approximately 10 to 15 minute battery life are fitting and adequate. For more heavy duty stuff, you just have to use different tools.
With that said, I'm satisfied and content overall with the functionality and performance of the Ion W1 and I consider it a great addition to my cleaning arsenal.
==== Closing Thoughts ====
The Shark Ion W1 is a great supplemental cleaning tool to have around the house for cleaning up small messes for which you don't want to take out the bigger and heavier tools for. High portability, lightness, and simple cleanup and operation are its greatest strengths.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+29points
35of 41voted this as helpful.
Move essential data across devices efficiently with this Western Digital My Passport Ultra External Portable Hard Drive. The drive uses USB 3.0 technology for quick read and write speeds, and the USB-C connector offers effortless plug-in options while boosting transfer rates. Abundant storage space for all types of media and applications. The backup software lets you automatically save works in progress at your preferred intervals. Password protection and 256-bit AES hardware-based encryption for added security.
Customer Rating
5
Fast, Quiet, Highly Portable Drive with USB Type C
on November 6, 2018
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange, CA
==== Summary ====
The WD My Passport Ultra is an excellent portable hard drive and a winner from Western Digital. It looks good, it's light, setup and operation are simple, and file transfer speeds are fast and reliable. With a long 3-year warranty and WD's excellent reputation for durability and reliability, the Passport Ultra surely sits nearly at the very top tier of portable hard drives. I'm very happy & satisfied with it.
*Pros:
-Slick & modern design finished in anodized metal.
-Light and easy to grip.
-Ample storage (4TB).
-USB Type C cable comes with a Type C to Type A adapter.
-Supports up to 10 Gb/s transfer speed (USB 3.1 Gen 2).
-Simple Plug-n-Play installation and setup.
-Useful features: auto-backup, password protection, drive diagnosis, & hardware encryption.
-Quiet operation.
-3-Year Warranty.
-Light and easy to grip.
-Ample storage (4TB).
-USB Type C cable comes with a Type C to Type A adapter.
-Supports up to 10 Gb/s transfer speed (USB 3.1 Gen 2).
-Simple Plug-n-Play installation and setup.
-Useful features: auto-backup, password protection, drive diagnosis, & hardware encryption.
-Quiet operation.
-3-Year Warranty.
*Cons:
-None.
==== Design ====
The WD My Passport Ultra is a slick and contemporary-looking portable hard drive updated for modern computers (USB Type C, USB 3.1 Gen 2) outfitted in a compact & lightweight design. The anodized aluminum silver faceplate with its grooved and dimpled lines look cool and the black rim and bottom cover offer a nice contrast. The unit looks premium and the build quality is excellent as is the fit-and-finish. Taking this thing out at school, work, or at a coffee shop definitely won't cause any embarrassments and it will look great sitting next to your laptop or PC. Placing the 2018 Passport Ultra next to my older 2016 plastic model made me appreciate the great strides in design that Western Digital has progressed.
On the bottom of the casing, at each of the four corners, are some rubber feet that offer secure grip on any surface.
On the bottom of the casing, at each of the four corners, are some rubber feet that offer secure grip on any surface.
The front of the Passport Ultra includes an LED indicator light for power & activity status as well as a USB Type C port. The included cable has USB Type C connector types on both ends, which is perfect for modern desktops and laptops. Should your PC support only a USB Type A connection, that is no problem as Western Digital included a small USB Type C to A adapter. Brilliant and thoughtful.
Another noteworthy thing about the Ultra was its near-silent operation. Even during long file transfers, I could barely hear the drive as it quietly performed its duties in the background. WD did a fantastic job with the sound control and dampening.
To sum it up, I give the Passport Ultra a 10 out of 10 in terms of design & build quality!
==== Setup, Usability and the Extras ====
Using the Passport Ultra couldn't have been any easier. To get it up and running on my Windows 10 laptop, all I did was plug the USB Type C cable into the drive then plug the other end into a Type C port on my laptop. Windows 10 recognized and installed all the necessary drivers silently in the background and it was ready to go in a couple minutes.
Out of the box, 3.63 TB of space (pre-formatted as NTFS) was available with just 2 files preloaded onto the drive - a "Install Discovery for Mac.dmg" file and a "Install Discovery for Widows.exe" file. Launching the file for Windows with an active Internet connection started the downloading of the WD Discovery application plus a few more apps.
Through the Discovery app, one can perform device registration, sign in to the WD "My Cloud Home" account, view Notifications about new app updates, install updated apps directly, import data from cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon, OneDrive) or a social media account (Facebook, Instagram), set a device password, control the LED light behavior, and launch other WD apps such as WD Drive Utilities, WD Security, and WD Backup.
The "WD Drive Utilities" app has 3 main functions - diagnosis (check status, scan for performance issues), drive behavior (sleep timer, LED control), and drive erase.
The "WD Security" app allows you to set a drive password with an option to auto-unlock it when the drive is connected to a trusted computer.
The "WD Backup" app, as its name suggests, is used to backup and restore your data. Initiating the backup routine will give you an option to backup your data to either the Passport Ultra or to your Dropbox cloud account. Once you've made your choice, you then set up a backup schedule (Hourly, Daily, or Monthly -> Week of the month -> Day of the Week -> Time of Day) and select the files and folders you want backed up. Setting up an automated backup schedule couldn't be any easier.
The fast and clean UI interface design of all the WD apps made all operations super simple and easy to use.
It's another 10 out of 10 for the Passport Ultra.
==== Performance ====
Fortunately, the Passport Ultra backs up its good looks & lean software with great performance. Moving 26.9 GB of 4K 60 FPS drone footage from my laptop to the Passport via a USB Type C Thunderbolt connector only took about 4 minutes with an average transfer speed of 120 MB/s.
When I transferred 180 GB of data (9551 files, 53 folders, 153 GB in videos, 27 GB in photos, 654 video files, 8897 photos), it took 29 minutes over a USB Type 3.0 Gen1 (5 Gbps) Type A connection on my desktop PC.
For a portable storage system with a spinning drive inside, these speeds are quite good. If you require even faster transfer rates, then you would need to get an SSD portable drive which costs A LOT more (e.g., 1TB Samsung T5 SSD is $228 & 2TB Samsung T5 SSD is $398). For most people, I think the Passport Ultra will be more than adequately fast for their transfer and storage needs.
I, for one, am very happy and content with the performance of the Passport Ultra.
==== Closing Thoughts ====
As expected from WD, it has produced another fantastic portable hard drive product. The My Passport Ultra looks great with its metal design & clean lines, it is light & portable, compact, very performant, and arrives with modern interface technology (USB Type C, USB 3.1 Gen 2). It is also a great value at about $0.03 per gigabyte. It's an absolute Win & I can easily recommend this for anyone looking for ample and reliable storage.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Enjoy interactive streaming with this Google Nest Hub. With the built-in Google Assistant, you can view your calendar, receive alerts and reminders, and control devices from the single dashboard, and voice control lets you access other smart features. This Google Nest Hub lets you listen to music from Spotify and Pandora and view YouTube content. "
Customer Rating
5
Compact & Intelligent Smart Display System.
on October 31, 2018
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange, CA
==== Summary ====
Google has created a really good smart display hub system that combines a sharp and vibrant 7" screen, a decent music speaker, and a smart artificial intelligence program (the Google Assistant) held together by an interface that expertly blends sight, speech, and touch controls. It is fun to use, simple to control, and offers powerful automation control options for a home equipped with smart devices & appliances. It can also serve as a delightful picture frame. Best of all, the pricing is just right ($150) making the Google Hub accessible to most people. It's a Win from Google.
*Pros:
-Clean, minimalist design that blends easily into most settings.
-Compact footprint.
-Sharp, responsive, and colorful touchscreen.
-Decent sound quality for its size.
-Far-field microphones work well & reliably.
-Google Assistant is smart and responsive.
-Smart Home controls (e.g., lights, TV's, security cameras, thermostat, doorbell, etc).
-Routines (multiple automated tasks) are easy to setup and use inside the Google Home app.
-Via “Voice Match” technology, up to 6 different people can create their own custom Routines.
-No video camera/webcam (good for privacy).
-The Hub makes for a lovely picture frame.
-Comes with 6-months of free YouTube Premium.
-Compact footprint.
-Sharp, responsive, and colorful touchscreen.
-Decent sound quality for its size.
-Far-field microphones work well & reliably.
-Google Assistant is smart and responsive.
-Smart Home controls (e.g., lights, TV's, security cameras, thermostat, doorbell, etc).
-Routines (multiple automated tasks) are easy to setup and use inside the Google Home app.
-Via “Voice Match” technology, up to 6 different people can create their own custom Routines.
-No video camera/webcam (good for privacy).
-The Hub makes for a lovely picture frame.
-Comes with 6-months of free YouTube Premium.
*Neutral:
-The Hub needs to be plugged in all the time - no rechargeable battery inside.
-I wish there was an onscreen keyboard for YouTube music & video search.
-In a pitch-dark room in ambient clock mode, it's difficult to tell the time (unless you're really close-by) because the screen becomes too dark.
-I wish there was an onscreen keyboard for YouTube music & video search.
-In a pitch-dark room in ambient clock mode, it's difficult to tell the time (unless you're really close-by) because the screen becomes too dark.
*Cons:
-Can't cast Netflix videos to it.
==== Design ====
I find the design of the Google Home Hub to be clean, simple, and unobtrusive. The Hub, with its 7" LCD touchscreen framed by a white front bezel and a fabric-textured charcoal stand in the back, is able to fit in easily and naturally pretty much anywhere in the house (e.g., desk, nightstand, kitchen counter, dining room table). The white rubber mat on the bottom of the stand is super grippy and prevents the Hub from moving around and easily falling over.
The screen is nice with its sharp and vibrant colors and the viewing angle is good as well. The ambient light sensor on the top middle of the frame does an excellent job adjusting screen brightness and reacts quickly. If the default auto-brightness is too bright or too dim for you, you can adjust the Ambient EQ auto-brightness level from the Google Home app (Settings -> Display Settings -> Ambient EQ). From there, you can also control other settings such as Screen Timeout, Screen Color Matching, and there is an option to show the clock during low light.
Also on the top frame of the screen are the two far-field microphones that does an excellent job picking up your voice commands easily from across the room. The Hub always picked up on my prompts and commands reliably. Speaking to it in low volume worked just as well. Should you want to disable the voice command functionality, there is a toggle behind the screen you can slide to Off which is a nice touch.
The microphones and the speaker performed satisfactorily together during phone calls and the voices came in and went out clearly.
Behind the right edge of the screen is the volume control button that goes from 0 (silence) to 10 that is tactile and easy to locate. Although the speaker is small, it gets loud enough to entirely fill out a small- to medium-sized room. Music playback was pretty decent although, as expected, bass is weak and the soundstage is limited. It is no replacement for a quality bluetooth speaker. Audio quality can be slightly adjusted inside the Google Home app where you can set Bass and Treble levels between -6dB to +6dB. Your music won't become super fantastic all of a sudden but the inclusion of these settings is still appreciated. For what it is, however (a smart AI display), the Hub is good enough for me for casual music listening and streaming videos.
Some other notable hardware features inside the Hub is the inclusion of Bluetooth 5.0 technology, 2.4 & 5 GHz Wifi capability, and support for multi-room audio sync and playback with other Google Home enabled speakers (such as my JBL Link 10).
The Hub is powered via a power cord tethered to the wall and has no rechargeable battery inside, which is a slight disappointment. It would've been nice to temporarily unplug it and carry it around with me around the house. I'm hoping for third-party companies to quickly release battery base mods so I can turn the Hub into a portable smart display.
All in all, the Google Home Hub is a very well-designed smart display system with many thoughtful touches and good hardware.
==== Control & Navigation ====
There are two main ways of interacting with the Google Hub - via touch or voice - and both methods worked very well. The screen is very responsive to taps and swipes and all the animations and transitions are smooth and fluid. A single tap wakes up the display from its slumber clock mode into its ambient mode. Another single tap takes you into your "home screen." From there, you can swipe from left to right to go back into ambient mode or swipe from right to left to view your Reminders, Calendar events, News, Music, Videos, and more.
Swiping up from the bottom of the screen reveals some convenient shortcut settings - the Ambient EQ brightness setting, Volume level, Do Not Disturb Mode, and a About Device screen. Swiping down from the top of the screen reveals the "Welcome home" or "Home View" screen where you can control all the smart devices around the house such as smart light bulbs, speakers, thermostat, etc. There is also a "Broadcast" option which allows you to say something and have it played back across all the connected speakers around the house like an intercom system. Very neat.
The second major way of interacting with the Hub is via your voice and this method, too, worked very well. Just speak "Hey, Google or "Ok, Google" and speak out your query or command and the Google Assistant responds back quickly. Simple and powerful.
The only control option I wish the Google Hub had included was an onscreen keyboard. Having a keyboard would’ve made searching for music and videos more precise and easier. Hopefully, Google will add an onscreen keyboard in one of the future firmware updates.
To sum it up, Google did a fantastic job with the control options. Everything worked well without any hiccups.
==== Functionality & Usefulness ====
The brain behind the Google Home Hub is the Google Assistant AI software and what a powerful tool it is~! The list of things that Google Assistant can do and perform is too numerous to list in this review. Instead, here are two links that showcase some of the capabilities of the Google Assistant - one from Google and one from a popular news site.
https://assistant.google.com/explore
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/pictures-story/917-best-google-assistant-features.html
For me personally, I find Google Assistant to be very helpful for the following things in my life - playing music and music videos, setting up Reminders and viewing my calendar entries, getting weather forecasts, creating shopping lists, having the news read to me, setting up alarm clocks, viewing my family photos in Ambient Mode, making hand-free phone calls, quickly finding recipes in the kitchen, getting restaurant recommendations, and turning on and off my smart home devices (e.g, light bulbs, TV).
I do wish, however, for a little bit more. As of right now, the Google Hub cannot send text messages and for some reason, Netflix movies does not work although it is listed inside Settings as a supported “video service” that can play videos. Casting from other video apps such as Tubi and Hulu, however, worked just fine.
Despite these somewhat minor gripes, I feel confident that the Google Hub will continue to be improved steadily by Google and new features will be added in the short- and long-term future.
Overall, I’m excited and enjoying the convenience of having such a smart AI assistant nearby that can, in addition to speaking back answers to my queries, also show me videos, make phone calls, control my smart devices, and act as a wonderful and dynamic photo frame.
==== Closing Thoughts ====
For ~$150, the Google Home Hub is a fantastic product with great value. It has a clean and pleasing design, the AI component is brilliant, the screen is vibrant and clear, and the powerful automation and smart home control features are well-integrated & highly functional. It also doesn't take up too much space, easily blending into almost any environment inside a home. The Hub is an excellent creation from Google that I highly recommend.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+171points
195of 219voted this as helpful.
Grill, bake, roast or broil with this Delonghi Livenza 0.5 cu. ft. digital compact convection oven. This compact oven saves space while providing enough capacity to save the hassle, heat and cost of using your full-size oven. This Delonghi Livenza 0.5 cu. ft. digital compact convection oven has toasting _and warming functions for maximum flexibility.
Customer Rating
5
Versatile Toaster Oven with Predictable Performanc
on October 24, 2018
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange, CA
==== Summary ====
The DeLonghi Livenza toaster oven is a great cooking machine that is well-built and stylish, easy to handle and use, and high-performing in its various functions (Toast, Bake, Convection, Roast, Pizza, Cookies, Broil/Grill, Keep Warm, and Reheat). For a toaster oven, you can't get much better than this. Excellent product.
*Pros:
-Stylish & modern design.
-Compact footprint.
-Easy to handle and use.
-Analog dials are grippy and satisfying to turn and use.
-Bright and easy to read digital screen.
-9 Preset Modes for quick and easy cooking.
-Very helpful User Manual with a Functions Table and a Recipes List.
-Food comes out well-cooked, even, and as desired from its two heating elements and double glass door.
-Easy cleanup and maintenance.
-Compact footprint.
-Easy to handle and use.
-Analog dials are grippy and satisfying to turn and use.
-Bright and easy to read digital screen.
-9 Preset Modes for quick and easy cooking.
-Very helpful User Manual with a Functions Table and a Recipes List.
-Food comes out well-cooked, even, and as desired from its two heating elements and double glass door.
-Easy cleanup and maintenance.
*Cons:
-None.
==== Design & Build Quality ====
I find this DeLonghi toaster oven to be pleasing to my eyes with its modern design in silver and stainless steel. The fit-and-finish is perfect and all the moving parts actuate and move about fluidly and precisely.
The display is bright, easy to read, and conveys all relevant information in a concise format (Toast Level, Function icon, Timer, Clock, Temperature, etc).
I like using the two main dials very much (Function selection dial and Time/Temp dial) due to its clickity and precise operation and good grip. The rest of the control buttons are well-laid out and simple to use.
The unit heats up quickly and its double-pane glass door design does an excellent job keeping the heat in and even.
The toaster oven comes with 4 accessories - a Bake pan, a Crumb tray, a Pizza tray, and a wire rack. All in all, the Livenza toaster oven is a nice and complete package that is ready to cook up many delicious meals and treats.
==== Performance ====
I find the cooking performance of the Livenza oven to be very satisfactory and good. My toasts came out perfect - regular bread, flat bread, pita bread, garlic bread, and bagels.
Cooking fish via the baking function, such as flounders, and broiling some Korean short rib BBQ meat were right-on as well.
Another frequent menu item is some CPK Pizza that I enjoy with my daughter and it, too, came out perfectly.
By following the suggestions inside the Functions Summary Table in the User Manual that lists the recommended temperature setting, timer duration, and pan/wire rack position, the uncertainty and slight stress of cooking were evaporated (yes, I'm a noob cook). XD
I especially appreciate the Keep Warm function that can not only keep my cooked food warm but which also doubles up as a slow cooker.
DeLonghi has created an awesome toaster oven with many convenience features and excellent cooking performance at a price level that is reasonable and inside that "sweet spot."
==== Closing Thoughts ====
I can easily and highly recommend the DeLonghi Livenza oven for its great performance, simple functionality, excellent user manual, and its handsome design. It really is amazing how such a compact toaster oven can do so much and do them so well in a consistent manner. It's a complete Win from DeLonghi.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+35points
38of 41voted this as helpful.
Look sharp with this electric Philips Norelco Prestige shaver. Its Superb SkinComfort rings ensure the NanoTech precision blades flow fluidly across even seven-day beards, and the multi-direction ContourDetect head follows the definitions on your face for a precise trim. This Philips Norelco Prestige shaver's lithium-ion battery recharges in one hour so you can quickly resume your grooming routine.
Customer Rating
5
Premium & Excellent Shaver with Smart Features
on October 11, 2018
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange, CA
==== Summary ====
The Philips Norelco S9000 Prestige is an excellent rotary shaver that is light, easy to operate, and offers a close shave that rivals a foil shaver. The fit-and-finish is excellent and both the shaver and its carrying case feel premium and durable. Smart features such as Travel Lock and Cleaning Reminder are thoughtful and helpful additions. It is a great product from Philips.
*Pros:
-Premium feel, nice fit-and-finish, & great build quality.
-Easy to operate.
-IPX7 water-resistant.
-Quiet operation.
-Nice, big LED screen.
-Easy maintenance.
-Helpful smart features (Travel Lock, Cleaning Reminder, Replacement Reminder).
-Easy to operate.
-IPX7 water-resistant.
-Quiet operation.
-Nice, big LED screen.
-Easy maintenance.
-Helpful smart features (Travel Lock, Cleaning Reminder, Replacement Reminder).
*Cons:
-None
==== Design ====
I was impressed from the get-go when I started unboxing the S9000 Prestige. The box is attractive and has a nice, soft texture to it. The parts are neatly organized inside and easy to unpack everything. It kind of felt like I was unpacking a premium smartphone from Samsung.
The carrying case for the S9000 is the nicest of its kind I've seen and touched so far. It is a hard case with soft textures front and back and it exudes quality and durability. The soft texture offers solid grip and reminded me of high-end eye glassware cases. Just by looking at the carrying case, you know there is something nice and expensive inside.
As for the shaver itself, the S9000 Prestige is constructed very well with its attractive matte black and brushed stainless steel design. Despite the appearance of lots of metal components, the unit is surprisingly light and comfortable to use for an extended period of time. All the seams and lines are perfect and the fit-and-finish is excellent.
Operating and maintaining the S9000 couldn't be any easier. To start shaving, just press the big Power Button, use the + and - buttons to set your shaving comfort level (Low, Medium, and Fast), then put the three rotary heads on your skin to start shaving while making small circular motions.
Here is a nice tutorial video from Philips on how to shave with the S9000 Prestige for those not familiar with rotary shavers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GjUCQBVKf4
After shaving is finished, I cleaned the shaver by turning it on and running the head under some warm tap water as instructed. For a more thorough cleaning, you can just pull off the top part of the rotary shaver head to rinse off the hair chamber inside and/or twist off the three individual shaver rings. Once done, you just snap the top back on to the base. Super simple and easy.
The smart features of the S9000 are conveyed through the big and bright LED screen & offers useful information at a glance - the battery level, the shaving comfort level, and notifications if any are available (e.g., Battery Low, Cleaning Reminder, Travel Lock, Overheating, and Replacement Reminder). I find Travel Lock to be an especially thoughtful and helpful addition as it can prevent accidental power-on and drainage of battery.
The S9000 came with a single extra attachment - the Sideburn/Mustache precision trimmer. It was a simple affair to pull off the rotary shaving head and snap on the attachment. And it performed very well neatly trimming my sideburns.
For design and build quality, I give the Norelco S9000 Elite (SP9820) a 10 out of 10~!
==== Performance ====
Having used a Philips Norelco rotary shaver in the past before switching to a Braun foil shaver, I was pleasantly surprised by how close the shave was. The older Norelco model I used from about 6 years ago was not able to shave as close as my Braun foil shaver and it was too time-consuming to use due to the many passes I had to make on the same spot.
With the S9000, not only is the shave as close as my Braun Series 7 foil shaver - if not better according to my wifey - it doesn't require so many passes that I get impatient and frustrated. As a result, I'm quite pleased with it and I can put aside the Braun as a backup now.
Other aspects of the S9000 that compares more favorably to my foil shaver is that it is much quieter in operation and it does a much, much better job at shaving the angled areas of my face (i.e., jaw area) and my neck area. This is just an inherent advantage of a rotary shaver compared to a foil shaver.
It is not a complete win for the S9000, however. Although it offers a closer shave than my foil shaver, the S9000 does require more shaving passes than the foil. Approximately, I would say that my shaving time increased by about 1 minute overall.
With that said, I rate shaving closeness a 10 out of 10, time consumed a 8.5 out of 10, and overall performance & satisfaction a 9.5.
==== Closing Thoughts ====
Philips has created a fantastic rotary shaver that is premium in build with great fit-and-finish that is lightweight, performant, and simple in operation and maintenance. The built-in smart features such as Travel Lock and Cleaning Reminder are great additions. I would highly recommend the S9000 Prestige for those looking for a close shave with a quiet operation and easy maintenance.
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I would recommend this to a friend!
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+27points
30of 33voted this as helpful.
Ninja Foodi's TenderCrisp pressure cooker allows you to achieve all the quick cooking and tenderizing wonders that you love about pressure cookers. The Foodi's Crisping Lid allows you to air fry, bake/roast, and broil. That means you can give your tender, juicy pressure-cooked meals a golden, crispy finish. The secret is TenderCrisp Technology, which produces the perfect combination of heat, fan velocity, and air circulation to give your food even crisping from top to bottom.
Customer Rating
5
Wonderful Cooking Machine
on October 7, 2018
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange, CA
==== Summary ====
The Ninja Foodi TenderCrisp Pressure Cooker is a fantastic, wonderful cooking machine~! With one machine and two lids, it can do so much~! All the dishes I tried came out perfect - New York steak, asparagus, Korean Kalbi Stew, multi-grain rice mixture dish, and french fries. The number of different dishes the Ninja Foodi can churn out is staggering. Ninja has created a superb cooking machine that is also easy to use, clean up, and maintain.
*Pros:
-Well-designed and ergonomic.
-Control Panel is easy to figure out and use.
-Food is cooked very well.
-Easier to clean up compared to conventional cookware.
-Air Crisp, with no oil, leads to healthier food.
-Pressure cooker function is fabulous.
-Saves lots of time in the kitchen cooking food.
-Predictable cooking performance.
-Control Panel is easy to figure out and use.
-Food is cooked very well.
-Easier to clean up compared to conventional cookware.
-Air Crisp, with no oil, leads to healthier food.
-Pressure cooker function is fabulous.
-Saves lots of time in the kitchen cooking food.
-Predictable cooking performance.
*Neutral:
-Takes up lots of kitchen counter space.
-The audio alerts could be a bit louder.
-The audio alerts could be a bit louder.
*Cons:
-None.
==== Design & Usage ====
The Ninja Foodi is a solid and well-designed cooking machine with great ergonomics and a very intuitive and easy-to-use Control Panel.
All the parts are well-placed, easy to grip, and sculpted with round soft edges for comfortable grip and operation.
The included accessories - the Reversible Rack, Cook & Crisp Basket, Detachable Diffuser, 6.5-quart Cooking Pot, Pressure Lid, and Condensation Collector - fit perfectly and harmoniously with each other. All the parts are easy to clean as well, more so than conventional cookware.
The Control Panel is another wonderfully easy-to-use and intuitive part of the cooking experience. All the functions are laid out in a clear and quickly understandable manner highlighted with big letters and bright white LED light. It was a pleasant surprise that such a complicated machine was so simple to use. My wifey does most of the cooking but even a newbie in the kitchen such as myself was able to quickly serve up several dishes that didn't suck~! XD
Ninja has truly created an awesome product with oh-so-many-uses that is so uncomplicated and simple to operate. Bravo~!
==== Performance ====
The cooking performance of the Ninja Foodi blew everyone away in my household. During colder weather, I love to enjoy a Korean dish called Kalbi Stew. Using a conventional manual pressure cooker, it takes about 6 hours to cook as one has to slow cook all the meat and vegetables over a fire for about 6 to 8 hours. It takes even longer (12 to 16 hours) if one uses a regular pot. With the Foodi, it took only 35 minutes~!! Unbelievable. The meat came out buttery soft and juicy.
Another food item that normally takes a while to cook (1 to 2 hours) is some multi-grain mixture my mom likes to eat. With the Foodi, it only took 15 minutes and all the grains came out super soft.
The BIG test from me for the Ninja Foodi was cooking up some New York Strip steak, asparagus, and crinkle french fries for the family for dinner. Following the general recipe and instructions from the included Recipe Book, I churned out three perfectly cooked steak meat (medium rare for me and well-done for the wifey and mom) with crispy and juicy asparagus on the side. The french fries turned out perfectly as well - crunchy and super crispy and all without using any oil. Wonderful~!
Thanks to the Foodi, I look forward to spending more time in the kitchen experimenting and serving up more delicious meals for my family to enjoy.
==== Closing Thought ====
Ninja has created an awesome cooking machine that even a newbie such as myself can use to fire up delicious meals. It is sturdy, durable, and well-designed with good ergonomics. The Control Panel where all the commands & settings are entered are super simple and intuitive to use. Cleaning up is fast and easy. Most importantly, food comes out perfectly cooked and ready to enjoy. Things can't get any better than that.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+72points
91of 110voted this as helpful.
Get better audio with this Samsung Dolby Atmos sound bar. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Amazon Alexa integration provide multiple methods of control and audio sources for easy streaming from anywhere. This Samsung Dolby Atmos sound bar has 7.1.4-channel surround support and uses Dolby Active technology to produce immersive high-fidelity audio throughout your living room.
Customer Rating
5
Superb, Powerful, and Immersive Audio System
on October 6, 2018
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange, CA
==== Summary ====
The Samsung HW-N950 is a fantastic soundbar system that offers genuine 7.1.4-channel surround sound with clear and focused dialogue, crystal-clear sound, excellent dynamic range and soundstage, thundering bass, and excellent object-based audio (Dolby Atmos & DTS-X). All the hardware components are built with premium materials and the fit-and-finish is excellent. Besides the remote, the soundbar can also be controlled & updated via the intuitive SmartThings app. Samsung and Harmon Kardon have hit it out of the park with this premium and great-sounding audio system that enriches your multimedia experience at home. It is a sensational product.
*Pros:
-17 speakers deliver amazing surround sound - from the front, the sides, and from above.
-Genuine 7.1.4 speaker configuration - no psychoacoustics or virtual audio processing trickery.
-Dolby Atmos & DTS-X deliver an immersive and dimensional sound experience. No gimmicks.
-Thunderous & hard-hitting bass.
-4K Pass-Through.
-Easy and simple setup (not even 5 minutes).
-Can stream music through Bluetooth and Wifi.
-The SmartThings app provides additional control over the soundbar.
-Amazon Alexa integration & control. Samsung Bixby is supported as well.
-Cheaper than building a comparable system using a 9-channel AV receiver with a 5.1.4 speaker package.
-Genuine 7.1.4 speaker configuration - no psychoacoustics or virtual audio processing trickery.
-Dolby Atmos & DTS-X deliver an immersive and dimensional sound experience. No gimmicks.
-Thunderous & hard-hitting bass.
-4K Pass-Through.
-Easy and simple setup (not even 5 minutes).
-Can stream music through Bluetooth and Wifi.
-The SmartThings app provides additional control over the soundbar.
-Amazon Alexa integration & control. Samsung Bixby is supported as well.
-Cheaper than building a comparable system using a 9-channel AV receiver with a 5.1.4 speaker package.
*Neutral:
-Expensive.
*Cons:
-None.
==== Design & Connectivity Options =====
The first thing I noticed during my unboxing was how BIG and heavy the box was. It was no wonder as each part of the system has quite a bit of weight. The main soundbar unit weighs ~20 lbs, the subwoofer weighs ~21 lbs, and the two rear speakers weigh ~9 lbs.
Out of the box, the HW-N950 is a thing of beauty. It's modern, sleek, and clean in design. It is a bit minimalist but I appreciate that quality for its simplicity and ability to easily blend in. The thing feels solid and premium with metal components. It's built like a tank~!
Keeping things clean, the soundbar has 4 buttons (Power, Source, Volume Down, Volume Up) and an LCD read-out display that is easy to view from afar. The Source button toggles between Optical Digital Input, ARC HDMI, HDMI, WiFi, and Bluetooth.
Another thing that caught my attention was how much longer and thicker the soundbar was compared to my previous Polk MagniFi Max soundbar system. The soundbar is longer than my 55" TV~! It is understandable, however, when you look closely at the specs. Altogether, Samsung has managed to fit in 11 amplified speakers around a total of 17 drivers. After adding in the rear speakers and the subwoofer, there is a total of 512W of audio power goodness.
Besides looking good, the HW-N950 is very easy to setup and control as well. As instructed in the manual, I plugged in the subwoofer first, followed by the Left and Right surround speakers and then main soundbar unit. I used the ARC HDMI port to connect to my 55" 4K Samsung TV and used one of the HDMI ports to connect to my LG 4K UHD Blu-Ray player. All the speaker components synced right up and the system was ready to play under 5 minutes.
The remote controller is another item of minimalist and clean design. Besides fitting inside the hands comfortably and being pretty light, all the buttons and the general layout was intuitive in use and function. With the remote, one can control additional aspects of the sound system - Subwoofer volume level, Mute, Bluetooth pairing, Sound Mode (Standard, Surround, & Smart), track control when playing music via Bluetooth or Wifi (Play, Pause, Skip), and volume control over each of the speakers (Center, Side, Front Top, Rear, and Rear Top). In addition, Treble and Bass levels can be adjusted.
If you connect the N950 to your home Wifi and launch the SmartThings app like I did, then even more configuration options are opened up. For instance, one can open the Equalizer setting and create your own custom EQ setting or select from one of the three predefined ones (Pop, Jazz, and Classic). You can also use the Sleep Timer function to automatically turn off the soundbar after a set amount of time (max of 1 hr & 30 mins). If you want to create custom voice commands to control the power state of the N950 or its volume level, you can do so via the Samsung Bixby app with a compatible Samsung phone (I have a Galaxy S9+).
Amazon Alexa is onboard as well for those with an Amazon Echo device.
Finally, manual firmware updates can be handled inside the SmartThings app which is very convenient.
All in all, Samsung has done a tremendously good job crafting the HW-N950. It's a great-looking system with a clean design, premium build materials, and it's packed full of the latest and greatest audio components and technologies.
==== Performance ====
"Wow~!" and "Dang~!" were the first words that came out of my mouth when I watched Avengers Infinity War, a title that supports Dolby Atmos, after everything was set up. The sound quality and immersion blew me away because it was just soooo good. This is my first experience with an object-based audio technology such as Dolby Atmos and I came out of it truly impressed and awed. It really does feel like you're watching the movie inside a theater.
Sound separation is excellent, soundstage is wide and accurate, dialogue is clear and focused, the bass is thunderous and yet clean, and all the environmental sound effects shift around the room seamlessly with good balance. Experiencing such high-quality and immersive audio firsthand was a definite eye-popping and ear-opening experience. Samsung has created a truly magnificent 7.1.4 audio system and I can't say enough good things about it. My wife isn't easily impressed in general when it comes to audio but she gave the N950 a complete thumbs-up.
Even when watching regular content such as TV or 2-channel and 5.1/7.1 content, the N950 delivers a great auditory experience. Ditto for music and music videos. Everything just sounds fantastic on this system.
==== Verdict ====
The Samsung HW-N950 receives a 10 out 10 from me and it is a complete win from Samsung. They have created a visually appealing soundbar system that is packed with the latest & greatest audio technologies and outfitted it with premium build materials. The setup process is painless and fast, the remote control functionalities are thoughtful and intuitive in design and usage, and the additional control of the system via the SmartThings app is well-integrated and helpful. And that audio experience...what a fantastic experience it is being immersed and bathed in 7.1.4 audio bliss sound field. If the N950 fits within your budget and/or you don't want to bother with setting up a complicated receiver + multi-speaker setup with numerous wiring, do definitely add the N950 to your home and experience TV and movies in new & fresh ways. You won't be disappointed.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+53points
54of 55voted this as helpful.
Capture video from the air using this orange Autel Robotics EVO quadcopter drone. The full-color video panel on the controller gives you a real-time view of the terrain below, and the four propellers let you precisely maneuver the drone into position over your subject. This Autel Robotics EVO quadcopter drone folds into a compact configuration for storage.Fly Responsibly:Before takeoff, update all software and firmware, and read the instructions thoroughly.See the FAA website for registration requirements and information about flying a drone safely: https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/. Additional state or local requirements may apply. Check your local jurisdiction. The following websites may help you make informed decisions about flying your drone: www.knowbeforeyoufly.org and www.modelaircraft.org.
Customer Rating
5
Splendid & Brilliant Drone with Neat Features
on September 24, 2018
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange, CA
==== Summary ====
The Autel Evo is an impressive drone that takes fantastic videos & pictures. It's very easy to fly with its excellent controller & safety features, flight is stable & smooth, and comes with many cool flight modes. The fit-and-finish is excellent ensuring long-term durability. Autel has created a very compelling & quality drone and app ecosystem. I love it~!
*Pros:
-Good-looking design with nice colors.
-Quick & responsive flyer.
-Easy to control.
-Remote is well-designed & has a 330-nit 3.3" OLED screen.
-Can fly without a smartphone & still have a live video feed.
-UHD 4K video at 60FPS looks stunning.
-3-axis stabilized gimbal = stable videos and pictures.
-Obstacle avoidance (front, rear, & below).
-Comes with a nice carrying case.
-"Intelligent Flight" modes are cool, such as Dynamic Track and Orbit.
-No "No-Fly Zone" restrictions & forced firmware updates.
-Charger charges the drone & the controller at the same time.
-No privacy & security scandals like Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI) drones.
-Quick & responsive flyer.
-Easy to control.
-Remote is well-designed & has a 330-nit 3.3" OLED screen.
-Can fly without a smartphone & still have a live video feed.
-UHD 4K video at 60FPS looks stunning.
-3-axis stabilized gimbal = stable videos and pictures.
-Obstacle avoidance (front, rear, & below).
-Comes with a nice carrying case.
-"Intelligent Flight" modes are cool, such as Dynamic Track and Orbit.
-No "No-Fly Zone" restrictions & forced firmware updates.
-Charger charges the drone & the controller at the same time.
-No privacy & security scandals like Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI) drones.
*Cons:
-The drone is a bit sensitive to magnetic interference.
-No automatic obstacle avoidance function when flying in reverse (just a warning).
-Too easy to accidentally press the buttons on the back of the controller.
-No automatic obstacle avoidance function when flying in reverse (just a warning).
-Too easy to accidentally press the buttons on the back of the controller.
==== Design & Function ====
The Autel Evo drone is my first drone experience & I love it. Whether it's folded up into its compact travel form or stretched out for flying, I think it looks really cool with its striking color combo of glossy red orange with matte black color.
Build-quality & build-material of the Evo are top-notch as well. The drone has been constructed with tight tolerances & all the seams and lines are clean and even. In other words, it has excellent fit-and-finish in a durable package.
It's kind of embarrassing to admit but my first two flights ended in a crash - first inside the house & once outside during nighttime (not recommended by Autel). The Evo survived both crashes with no damages except some cosmetic scruff marks and a bruise to my pride. :P
Handling the Evo is a simple & frustration-free affair. The folding front & rear arms actuate smoothly and the propellers fold and tuck away neatly. Gripping & carrying around the Evo one-handed is effortless thanks to its light weight and folded-up portability.
The LED lights on the legs provide a quick visual status & orientation of the Evo. As for buttons & ports, there is a microUSB port (for file transfer) & a controller pairing button hidden underneath a plastic flap right below the two rear IR sensors. On the battery itself, you have a Power On button as well as a concave button you depress to slide off the battery from the Evo. Finally, there is a microSD slot on the right side of the Evo underneath a pull-back tab.
Besides the drone and the controller, Autel also includes a carrying case with an adjustable shoulder strap that has ample room for the drone, the controller, extra batteries, and cables.
Although the Evo is my first drone, I can still tell that it is a highly-crafted machine that has been meticulously designed with good durability in mind. It's stylish, very easy to handle and fly, and all the parts work harmoniously. 10 out of 10.
==== Controlling the Evo ====
The Evo can be flown in two ways - with just the remote controller & the embedded 3.3" live video screen or with the controller paired with a smartphone via a cable.
The controller is quite a remarkable. The handles fold in and out smoothly from the body and is comfortable to hold. The smartphone holder can easily accommodate larger smartphones such as my Samsung Galaxy S9+ housed inside a case with its grippy rubber and secure clamping force. My S9+ was never once in danger of accidentally falling or popping out.
There are many buttons on the controller that make it easy to operate the Evo. The four main ones are the "Take Off/Land" button, "Power On/Off" button, "Pause aircraft" button, and the "Hold to Start Go Home" button.
On the shoulders are the "Record video," "Take photo," and "Screen navigation (DISP)" buttons as well as two Dial Switches - one switch controls the gimbal pitch/angle & the other is used to scroll through Settings & to select your choices by pressing down on the switch.
On the back of the controller are the "A" and "B" buttons that are currently used to set Waypoints inside the Autel Explorer app. Per Autel, they will be customizable in future firmware updates. Due to their location, I found myself pressing them accidentally numerous times. I'm getting better at avoiding them with each flight session but they're still kind of annoying nonetheless.
On the left and right of the screen are the two controller joysticks that you use to move/fly the drone. They work great and I had no issues with them.
On the top are the two antennas that neatly fold away when not in use.
Then in the middle of the controller is that nice 3.3" OLED screen. It gets as bright as 330 nits and that's where you will be viewing the Evo's "Flight Information Panel" data or a live 720P HD video feed, all without a smartphone attached. Sweet~!!
The Flight Information Panel offers lots of condensed data in a straight-forward and easy-to-understand manner. It's a LOT of data but I never felt overwhelmed.
By flying the Evo with just the controller, you won't be able to use the Evo's Intelligent Flight Modes (Dynamic Track, Viewpoint, Orbit, Waypoint, VR). Plus you won't have access to the more advanced drone settings.
Pair up the Evo to a smartphone and launch the Autel app, however, then you'll have full access to ALL the flight modes & the advanced settings. In addition, your smartphone's display will now act as your live visual feed (1080P resolution). My phone gets much brighter than the controller screen so it was my preferred way of viewing the live feed.
With that said, I think it's wonderful that Autel provides the user with such flexibility to allow flight without a smartphone and still offering a live video feed. It's a very thoughtful & brilliant design by Autel.
==== How Does It Fly? ====
The Evo is one smooth operator and it flies great~! It performs all flight maneuvers very well - smooth take-off, graceful landing, quickly making turns and orbits, speeding forward, quick reverse, etc. With the built-in safety measures augmented by sensors and obstacle avoidance, the Evo is a great drone for novices and first-time fliers such as myself. More experienced users will have a blast thanks to modes like the "Ludicrous" mode which changes the top speed of the Evo to 45 MPH.
10 out of 10.
==== Video & Photo Quality ====
I was BLOWN AWAY by the quality of the UHD 4K 60FPS videos the Evo took. I've never before seen such high-quality, well-stabilized, and splendid video from any of my tech gadgets & toys. Auto-exposure & white balance are handled very well & 4K 60FPS is simply awesome.
Here are two short videos I took & uploaded to YouTube - one in a residential neighborhood with mild wind & one at the beach during windy conditions:
https://youtu.be/D8uh64AebFU
https://youtu.be/MsI4W0Banuc
When it comes to photo quality, the Evo was pretty good as well. The 12MP 94-degree camera in Auto Mode takes good consistent pictures with good dynamic range, exposure, and contrast. For more control, Autel offers many customizable settings within Settings.
Low-light scenarios introduce some granniness and noise in the pictures but that's to be expected. Still, photos came out decent and useful.
Overall, I'm very satisfied and happy with both the video & photo capabilities of the Evo. 10 out of 10~!!
==== Autel Explorer App & Intelligent Flight Modes ====
The Autel Explorer app is well-designed, comprehensive, and simple to use. Besides granting the user access to ALL the drone settings & the special Flight Modes, firmware updates are handled here as well.
Inside Settings, there are 8 main entries on the left column & inside the "Intelligent Flight" menu, there are 6 modes to choose from - Camera (default startup mode), Dynamic Track (Evo follows a subject), Viewpoint (Evo flies toward a subject), Orbit (Evo flies in a circular pattern around a subject), Waypoint (Evo flies a predefined flight path), and VR (Virtual Reality goggles).
I had lots of fun playing around with all the special flight modes (except for VR) & they all worked very well as intended. My favorite one is Dynamic Track, which I used often to chase around my hyper toddler.
==== Wish List ====
I'm very happy with the Evo but I wish it could do a little bit more. The highest on my list is for the automatic obstacle avoidance system to work while the Evo is flying in reverse. Please, Autel, include this feature in an upcoming firmware update~!
Second, I wish it was less sensitive to magnetic interference. At times, the Evo's compass had to be recalibrated because I put the Evo down on some concrete (such as my driveway) & the metal inside caused a calibration error.
Third, I wish the Waypoint Flight Mode will let me select flight points on the map first then having the Evo fly toward them instead of me having to fly the Evo to each Waypoint first.
==== Conclusion ====
Flying around in the skies while recording videos and taking pictures with the Autel Evo has been a highly fun and joyful experience, filling me up with child-like wonder and delight. I now have an additional tool to capture wonderful memories of my family and pets. I highly recommend the Evo to everyone for its user-friendly design & flight control, excellent build quality, and all the fun flight modes & safety features that work harmoniously together. Autel has engineered a high-quality drone & app ecosystem and I look forward to their future endeavors and products.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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58of 68voted this as helpful.
Pair your smartphone with these Jaybird X4 wireless sport headphones and head to the gym or hiking trails in comfort. The thoughtful design works with music or your contact list, letting you take and make calls easily. Equipped with Comply Ultra soft tips and rated IPX7 to resist water and sweat, these Jaybird X4 wireless sport headphones create a comfortable experience with every jog or set.
Customer Rating
5
Awesome earphones with great sound & comfort.
on September 15, 2018
Posted by: optimummind
from Orange, CA
==== Summary ====
The Jaybird X4 earphones blew me away with its quality build, supreme comfort, and excellent audio quality. It does so many things right - light & durable, super comfortable in the ears, water resistant, excellent control over sound through the custom EQ app, great audio, and long battery life. Athletes will love the Jaybird X4 as well as casual users who value sound quality and water resistance flexibility. Jaybird has lived up to the hype and has created a very good and compelling product. These are fantastic earphones.
**Pros:
-Light and comfortable design.
-Secure fit with soft ear fins/hooks.
-Both the silicone & Comply foam ear tips are comfortable.
-Comfly foam ear tips provide great natural/passive sound isolation.
-Fantastic audio quality (with in-app EQ adjustment).
-Good phone call quality.
-Excellent battery life.
-Earphone control buttons work well.
-Excellent Jaybird app (custom EQ, battery status, Find my buds).
-IPX7 water resistance.
-Quick charge.
-Tangle-resistant cord.
-Cord cinch is useful.
-Secure fit with soft ear fins/hooks.
-Both the silicone & Comply foam ear tips are comfortable.
-Comfly foam ear tips provide great natural/passive sound isolation.
-Fantastic audio quality (with in-app EQ adjustment).
-Good phone call quality.
-Excellent battery life.
-Earphone control buttons work well.
-Excellent Jaybird app (custom EQ, battery status, Find my buds).
-IPX7 water resistance.
-Quick charge.
-Tangle-resistant cord.
-Cord cinch is useful.
**Cons:
-Very short (~3") & propriety charge cradle cable with no wall charger.
==== Design & Comfort ====
The Jaybird X4 earphones are designed very well - for both athletes and casual earphone users. It is light, made with durable materials and quality plastic, very comfortable for extended usage during normal & physical activities, and come with both soft silicone and Comply foam ear tips (in different sizes).
Between the two types of ear tips, I prefer the Comply foam tips (size small). They are more comfortable to wear and they also offer better passive sound isolation than the silicone ones. In addition, sound quality gets a boost, especially in bass-heavy songs.
The ear fins come in two different sizes as well and they're soft and compliant and fit inside the ears snugly and securely. I'm a jogger and the X4 was an excellent running companion with its secure fitment, outside noise isolation, and comfort. During my usual 5 to 6 miles run, I sweat profusely so it was good to know that the X4 is IP7X water resistant. I also appreciate being able to quickly clean the earphones with water without fear of damaging them.
The Jaybird X4 is controlled with a 3-button remote module located near the right earpiece - volume up, volume down, and the middle multi-function button. The middle button is used for Power On, Power Off, Bluetooth pairing, answering/ending phone calls, and launching Google Assistant (with my Samsung Galaxy S9+). Everything worked smoothly and perfectly.
The X4's battery is replenished by a charge cradle with a cable. One side of the charge cradle snaps onto the body of the remote module of the X4 and you then plug the other end of the cable into a charger or device that accepts USB Type A. I successfully charged the X4 by plugging it in to my laptop, my desktop PC, and one of my smartphone chargers.
It took a little while for me to get used to snapping on the charge cradle to the X4. It was kind of annoying trying to align the pins on the charge cradle to the remote module despite the four small guiding tabs on the charge cradle that help with the alignment. I'm sure muscle memory will kick in soon, though, and the process will become easier and faster through time and repetition.
With that said, I prefer this charge cradle method over having to using my fingernail to pull back a rubber or plastic flap before inserting a charging cable. I believe Jaybird is using this method to meet its water resistance and durability requirements.
All in all, Jaybird has created some awesome hardware with lots of thoughtful and useful features. 10 out of 10 from me~!
==== Sound Quality =====
Out of the box, I found the sound to be just so-so though it was still better than my other two wired Bluetooth earphones - some $30 earphones from Amazon and a $100 JLab earphones. Once I opened the Jaybird app and played around with the EQ settings, however, the sound quality became FANTASTIC and AWESOME. I started with the "Warmth" preset profile and made sound quality my own by adjusting the Low, Mid, and High ranges within the "Customize" option.
After saving & applying my custom preset, my enjoyment of music from the Jaybird X4 went from a 7 to 10 out of 10. I highly recommend everyone to invest some time and play around inside the EQ settings to tailor the music to one's personal tastes. It really does make a HUGE difference.
I am not what you call an audiophile but the X4 - after EQ tuning - has really impressed me with its sound quality. The sound is crisp and clear, the bass is pretty decent (for Bluetooth earphones), sound separation and dynamic range are well-presented, and it delivers very well-balanced audio. I love it.
Is it as good or better than over-the-ear headphones such as the Sony 1000XM3 or Bose QC35 Series II? Of course not. But for wired Bluetooth earphones that offer easy portability, lightness, and durability during physical activities, I don't think one can do better than the Jaybird X4.
10 out of 10~!
==== Battery life ====
The X4 offers very good battery life. 8 to 9 hours of playtime is higher than most other similar competing products and you won't have to charge it midday like you do with those small wire-free Bluetooth earphones.
10 out of 10.
==== Conclusion ====
Jaybird has created an excellent product in the Jaybird X4. It is stylish, light, well-built, super comfortable, durable, easy to use, and provides fantastic sound quality. The icing on the cake is its IPX7 water resistance and long battery life. For anyone that asks me to recommend a good pair of wireless Bluetooth earphones, I'll tell them to get the Jaybird X4. It is some good stuff.
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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?
I charge my 1000XM2 with a USB wall charger.
6 years, 11 months ago
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optimummind
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