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callmeageeth's Reviews
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Explore the 27" inch S39C FHD Curved Monitor with a 1000R Curvature and advanced eye comfort technology. Its minimalist design features a borderless display, fabric-textured backside and slim metal stand. Game Mode, a 75Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync™ support make playtime as smooth as work time.
 
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3 out of 5
3
Basic monitor at premium price
on April 26, 2023
Posted by: callmeageeth
I’m a fan of Samsung displays. I have no qualms with the image quality of this monitor, but it doesn’t feel worth the cost. Even with the speakers, which can only be described as “basic” don’t make up for the lack of mounting options and height/angle adjustments. And while I don’t dislike curved screens, it seems unnecessary for screens smaller than 34 inch. In essence, I feel like the curve brings with it a premium price that’s not really worth it.
IN THE BOX AND SETUP
The contents of the box is like any other monitor. There’s the stand, the display, power cable, and HDMI and display port cable. There’s also the back cover of the monitor that hides the ports.
Attaching the stand to the monitor was simple, but it requires a screwdriver. I really wish it came with a thumb screw, but this is a minor annoyance as you’re not likely to unscrew the base.
There’s 2 HDMI 1.2 ports and 1 display port and a 3.5 mm audio port.
The screen is obviously curved which supposedly reduces eye strain at the outer edges of the screen.
DISPLAY
It’s full HD which is perfectly acceptable and maybe even preferred by some. But when my work monitor at my office is QHD, the downgrade in resolution is definitely noticeable. However, the FHD resolution is perfectly fine. Its default refresh rate is 60 HZ, but you can change the settings in Windows to get it up to 75 HZ. Again, going off past experiences, 75 HZ refresh rate isn’t something that you’re likely to notice. To me, you really need to get to 144 HZ to really tell a difference in the refresh rate (a higher refresh rate basically means smoother animations).
It has FreeSync, which is compatible with both AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards. By default it was off, and you have to turn it on via the monitor’s menu (it was simple). My computer has a dedicated NVIDIA GPU. In playing Far Cry I didn’t notice any screen tearing with it on. I didn’t test it with it off, but I was satisfied with the performance, nonetheless. My other go to game is Lego Builder, which is less graphically demanding, and again, experienced smooth gameplay. I had some issues playing Cyberpunk, but I’m still struggling with getting my settings just right with my graphics card, so I don’t blame that on the monitor.
It’s plenty bright, and has basic screen adjustment options. There’s a game mode, but it’s tough to say what it does. You just toggle it on and off. It has an eye saver mode, and while I like the idea of having a picture mode that helps with eye strain, it turns the screen amber, which I don’t like. I guess I’d rather suffer eye strain than look at an amber screen. But the point is, the option’s there.
DESIGN AND OTHER FEATURES
It comes with two 5 watt speakers built in. They are fine. If you’re serious about gaming or watching videos, you won’t want to rely on them. But if you’re using this for work and just need ANY speakers, they are plenty adequate. I found them adequate enough for a Zoom call, and playing background music. And while they certainly work playing games, I definitely plugged in my 2.1 Logitech speakers instead for more bass. The speakers are a nice addition to simplify your setup, but depending on your needs, you might want more power.
I also have a 42 inch curved Samsung monitor. It’s awesome. It’s so wide, the curvature of the screen feels necessary. I just don’t feel the same way with a smaller 27 inch display. Sure, it’s fine and I do like it, but I feel like you’re paying a premium for this curved monitor without it being entirely necessary - like a 42 inch monitor.
That being said, I like the design of the monitor. It looks nice and professional, the base is pretty small and the bezels are minimalist (although I’ve seen smaller bezels). The back of the monitor, which frankly, you’ll probably never find yourself staring at, looks like cheap plastic because it is. The design of the monitor and how it looks is fine, but for one big caveat:
There’s no option to mount the monitor. You’d have to buy something else if you wanted to mount it to the wall or an arm attached to your desk (which I like to do to give me more space on my desk). On top of that, you can’t adjust the height. I like the middle of my monitor to be at eye height. It sits way too low for me, and there’s no adjustment. I can’t even tilt it back to face me. The only option is to prop it on something.
CONCLUSION
There’s certainly nothing wrong with this monitor. True to Samsung, the picture quality is terrific. I have no qualms with that. I like the inclusion of speakers which are nice depending on your needs and eliminates having speakers on your desk if you can live with the quality of the built in speakers. The curved screen is also nice, but I have my doubts on how much benefit to preventing eye strain it provides at 27 inches. But the inability to adjust the height or tilt is a big deal to me; not to mention the inability to mount it out of the box. At the end of the day it feels like a budget monitor at a more premium price. I can’t speak to the value/cost of all monitors but it just feels like for what it is, you can get a similarly featured monitor at a better price. The 75 HZ refresh rate doesn’t do much for me as the benefits over 60 HZ are negligible.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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3of 7voted this as helpful.
 
Get your first feel of racing thrills with this Thrustmaster T128 Racing Wheel for PlayStation 4/5 and PC. Optimized Force Feedback system with a lightweight wheel rim renders fun, intuitive racing sensations in different types of vehicle-oriented games. Precise T-MP magnetic paddle shifters gives you clear activation feel. Gear up for your next racing adventure with this T128 Racing Wheel!
 
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5 out of 5
5
Great "budget" option for better immersion
on April 26, 2023
Posted by: callmeageeth
I’ve played racing games for decades, but oddly enough, never owned a steering wheel. Part of it was cost, the other reason was space. I’ve played a ton of racing games, with Gran Turismo being my favorite. I’m no professional, but I can certainly hold my own. What changed now? PSVR2. I bought PSVR2 and was blown away by the immersion. After that I decided I wanted a steering wheel to add to the level of immersion. The Thrustmaster T128 is a great value for those (like me) that want to dabble in racing with a wheel without breaking the bank. Big drawbacks are lack of a shifter and mounting it. Arguably, mounting issues apply to most steering wheels, but for the casual racer who’s purchasing a wheel for the first time, it’s something to think about. My only other gripe is the short cables. Of course you can use an extension cord and longer USB cable, but longer cables should have been included in the box
IN THE BOX
Inside you get the steering wheel, AC power cable, a USB-A to USB-C cable, and pedals. There’s nothing to put together or otherwise assemble. You simply plug the USB cable, power, and pedals cable to the base of the steering wheel. You’ll obviously need to mount the steering wheel to something, and somehow secure the pedals so they don’t slide. I don’t have experience with other brand steering wheels and what mounting options they employ, but the T128 has a clamp that can attach to a table or a desk.
As a larger adult, I wish the steering wheel was a bit bigger, but it certainly doesn’t feel cartoonishly small. But it feels really nice and not too plastickly. In other words, it feels well made and durable.
SETUP
I ran into a little hiccup on getting my PS5 to recognize the T128. And there was no instruction manual (there is, but it’s lacking in information). A little Google research essentially fixed the problem. After everything is plugged in, a greenLED light was on on the steering wheel. It needs to me blue. Green (I think) means that it’s ready for PC. If it’s blue, then it’s ready for a PS4 or PS5. To change the settings, I had to hold the MODE button down for 8 seconds and then when it started blinking, hit the PS button (I’m going off memory here, but the point is, there is a process and it’s not in the included instructions manual). After I hit this button combination, the light changed blue and it was immediately recognized as an accessory to my PS5.
Another comment about setup, and this is geared towards first time steering wheel purchasers. When looking into this steering wheel (or any other) you really have to give consideration to how you’ll mount it. As I previously stated, it can be mounted to a desk or table. But if you’re playing in a living room, you might not have anything you can mount it to, and you’ll have to bring something into the room to mount it. If you’re playing on PC it’s likely less of a problem because your monitor is on a desk. Even when you mount the steering wheel, there’s still the issue of the pedals. They WILL slide away if not attached to something. There’s no clamp for the pedals (they’re on the floor so I didn’t expect one) and there’s a small selection of holes. You’re best bet, out of the box with no steering wheel stand, is to put something behind it to prevent it from sliding away from your feet. I highly recommend investing in a steering wheel mount. There are a bevy of options with the cheapest I found being about 50 bucks. It allows you to mount the steering wheel up high and mount the pedals to the base of it, at an angle. You’ll see the one I purchased in my photos.
PLAYING
Once your setup, however that looks, it was quite the treat. There’s a D pad and buttons on the steering wheel, allowing you to navigate the PS menus from the steering wheel. I’ll skip forward to my experience and thoughts of actually racing. I was playing Gran Turismo 7 in PSVR2.
As you can tell from the product description, there’s force feedback in the steering wheel. If you hit a wall, you’ll feel the resistance in the steering wheel. Turning the wheel feels similar to a real car in certain ways. In other words, it doesn’t just spin freely. Now I couldn’t tell much if any difference between the type of car I was driving in the game. So the base level Honda Fit didn’t seem to drive any different than a high performance sports car in terms of the feedback on the steering wheel. I can’t say if it’s supposed to or not, and maybe someone else can tell the difference but I can’t. But this resistance/feedback on the wheel is great for holding your driving lines. You can even feel the tires slipping when losing grip on the road. Going over bumps you feel it too. The turning radius goes from 270 degrees to 900 degrees depending on the vehicle. But it’s just like driving a real car (versus being limited to rotating once to the left and/or right).
I’m not very good with the paddle shifters, but they have a great responsive feel to them. Satisfying click if you will. The steering wheel has engine RPM lights on it to help notify you when to shift gears - although it wasn’t much help to me because I was wearing a PSVR2 headset and can’t see it when playing. But it's a nice touch.
The pedals are described as being magnetic and are supposed to last a long time. All I can say is that they are really smooth and responsive. You can tap on the breaks, slam the breaks, or even push down on the accelerator halfway. It’s very similar to driving a real car.
LIMITED COMPATIBILITY
One thing that bummed me out was the limited number of games it’s compatible with on PS5. I don’t own a lot of racing games, but I wanted to play Hot Wheels Unleashed with the wheel but it’s not supported. This isn’t necessarily an issue with the steering wheel, but just a word of warning when looking into buying a wheel. Gran Turismo is obviously the big game it works with, but others, including Need for Speed, aren’t supported. You’ll need to check their website for a full list of compatible games.
CONCLUSION
If you have PSVR2 and Gran Turismo 7, this is a no brainer purchase for someone wanting to experience complete immersion in a racing game. Even if you don’t own PSVR2 it’s worth looking into without breaking the bank. It’s about as close as you can get to feel like you’re racing without actually racing expensive sports cars. I had a lot of fun and it makes me want to play Gran Turismo even more. Only real drawbacks are the lack of clutch and gear shifter (I prefer that over paddles) and the mounting issue. It’s designed to quickly mount and unmount the steering wheel which you might be able to find something in your house to work but it doesn’t solve the issue of the pedals. Again, I highly recommend buying or even building some sort of stand. While it adds to the cost, I almost think it’s a necessity to get the setup just right.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Elvie Stride Plus is a hands-free, hospital-grade electric breast pump with 3-in-1 carry bag that is made for mamas on the move. Finally, hospital-grade performance (a whopping -300 mmHg*) that’s portable, liberating you from sockets and wires. That way, you’re free to express efficiently wherever you pumping please— and all with peace of mind knowing your breast milk is being kept cool. Our breast pump offers powerful—yet comfortable—pumping, putting you in control. Go ahead, mama, milk it for all its worth. *in a single cup set
 
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4 out of 5
4
Hands free, easy to use pump
on April 1, 2023
Posted by: callmeageeth
We recently had our third baby. My wife has been pumping from the get go. We have an old Medela freestyle pump from our prior child but she wanted to try something new. While I obviously can't speak to the pumping part (I rely on my wife) I can speak to the features, ease of cleaning, transportation etc. All in all, it's an intuitive pump that's easy to put together and use. It's about as convenient as a breast pump can be and it comes with everything (except large nipple guards, it comes with what I would call a small and medium size - large size are an additional purchase).
IN THE BOX
You get a lot, you get a travel bag, inside that are two more bags. One holds the "cups" the part that attaches to the breast, and the other holds the milk, which includes an ice pack (it doesn't come with bottles to hold the milk you've pumped). The top of the lid of the soft bag includes a storage space for the pump/motor itself and the tubing that connects the motor to the cups. It also comes with a USB C charting cable and an extra set of rubber plugs (to prevent milk from leaking out of the cups).
There's instructions that come with it, and luckily they're very easy to use and understand. The first thing to note is that you'll need to sterilize everything that comes into contact with breast milk before the first use. I've had a lot of experience with different brand pumps (Medela and Spectra specifically) so I have a sense of how it works. But even if this is your first go around, if you spend a few moments familiarizing yourself with it, you'll quickly realize it's really intuitive (again, reading the instructions will get you there).
PUTTING TOGETHER
It's actually simple, and everything only goes on one way. Meaning, if it doesn't fit you're doing it wrong. Once you put it together once or twice you'll easily get the hang of it. The rubber seals have to fit the inside of the plastic shell before you can put the shell together and it won't snap shut unless the plastic seal is installed correctly. The hoses snap in easily into the shell, and then you put the hose into the motor. Voila. The motor has an outer protective rubber shell if you will, that has a lanyard allowing you to wear it like a necklace, or a belt clip allowing you to clip it to your waistband.
USE
I relied on my wife here. For frame of reference she has large breasts. She's used to holding the other brand breast pumps against her breasts while pumping. In other words, not hands free. The Evie cups for inside a sports bra for her and she was able to get a good pump hands free. It was liberating for her. At first, she commented that the suction didn't seem as strong as the Medela Freestyle, however, she had no problem filling up the cups with breast milk. The motor is much quieter than the Medela, although it still makes that "wrrr, wrrr, wrr" sound.
The battery life is pretty strong, lasting about 4 pump sessions worth. It's about the same as the Medela. The difference is, and it's a big one, the Evie uses USB C charging. No more proprietary charger to keep track of. The light blinks red when the battery is low. If this happens during a pump you need not fear that the battery will die, but you are advised to pump it immediately after that pump session.
Cleaning. I'm a pro at cleaning pumps, it's the primary way I help my wife in that endeavor. Honestly, cleaning it is no different than cleaning any other pump. You still have to do it. The cups are large pieces of plastic and as long as you have some kind of foam brush wand, you shouldn't have any issues. There are less pieces to clean than the Medela and Spectra which is a plus.
The one downside or I should say difference between the Evie and the Medela or Spectra brand, is that you have to pour the milk from the cups into another cup. You can't store the milk in the cups in which the milk is pumped into. It's not a huge deal, but with the Medela, my wife will pump, the milk ends up in the bottle that we store it in for the fridge and all she has to do is put a cap on it. With the Evie, you have to uncork the rubber plug and pour it into a bottle. If you're freezing milk you have to transfer it either way, but it is an extra step if you're just temporarily storing it. For my wife, the pumping on the go is a good trade off. But she does have to keep clean bottles around in the "ice pack" bag to store the milk when she's say, at work pumping.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, breast pumping is still breast pumping. It's a necessary chore for most breast feeding moms. But the Evie pump is well built, has everything you need starting off (absent some storage bottles) and works well and is easy to clean. My wife, the breast pumping pro, gives it a 4 out of 5, claiming it to be one of the best pumps she's used (she's been pumping off and on for some 7 years with our kids).
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Designed for small and medium-size businesses, the imageCLASS MF654Cdw model balances speedy performance and minimal maintenance. The MF654Cdw is easy to set up and offers media versatility to print on a variety of media types and sizes, including envelopes, banners and more. The customizable, 5" color touchscreen delivers an intuitive user experience. Produce crisp, colorful documents with fast print speeds of up to 22 pages per minute1, using high quality Canon Genuine Toner 067 / 067 H. Use Poster Artist Online to create professional-posters, banners and signage. The MF654Cdw offers a plain paper capacity of up to 250 sheets, 1-sheet multipurpose tray, and 50-sheet simplex automatic document feeder. Easily connect and print through high-speed USB, Ethernet, or wirelessly from computers or mobile devices. Print using a variety of mobile apps, including the Canon PRINT Business app2 using your compatible mobile device. The MF654Cdw comes with a 3-year limited warranty3 and is backed by Canon's Service and Support network.
 
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3 out of 5
3
Great printing quality, but complex to use
on March 16, 2023
Posted by: callmeageeth
I work in a small law firm. We have a large commercial printer, but we also have small printers in various locations throughout the office. And they’re a hodgepodge of brands. Not to mention some scan, some don’t, some are inkjet others are laser. Prior to getting this Canon, I had a desktop scanner and laser black and white printer on my desk - which I used for smaller jobs, large printing jobs I sent to our commercial printer (not because the Canon couldn’t handle it, but for other financial purposes). This Canon printer replaces both devices and does even more (wireless printing for example, allowing others in the office to use it). It has the feature set of a large commercial grade printer/scanner (minus some finishing features like stapling and hole punching) in a much smaller and more money friendly package. The biggest drawback, with virtually any printer, especially a laser printer, is the crazy cost of toner. Replacing all the toner costs half the cost of the printer.
IN THE BOX
Inside you get a power cable, printer, instructions (which aren’t worth much) and a DVD to install programs (really?). I wish they would include a USB cable, but I had one from my old printer so it wasn’t a huge deal. (it’s not necessary, but I always like having a hard wired ability to print from at least one computer).
Know that this is a HEAVY printer, so I advise in getting help when moving it.
SETUP
The setup process was a little wonky, but nothing truly out of the ordinary. Of course, you have to take off all the tape that holds the printer doors, flaps, etc. closed during transit. From there, there’s a sticker covering the USB port telling you to ONLY plug in the USB after you installed the software.
After plugging it in, you follow the onscreen prompts, of which, there aren’t too many. The big one is setting up Wi-Fi. After I did that, I did a Google search on my computer of what software I needed to download (my PC didn’t have a PC drive). It wasn’t hard to find the drivers/software, but there are a bunch of options on Canon’s website that can make it confusing as to what you really need. I ended up downloading the recommended software. My computer installed the necessary software and I seemed to be off and running. I didn’t however, see that there was actual software you open - it seemed to be the necessary software to transfer scans and print from your computer. After that I plugged in the USB cable but my computer didn’t recognize. A quick restart of the printer fixed that.
In the meantime, I ran a diagnostic test to check the color of the printer. It printed a sheet and then you put that on the scanner glass. The one thing I didn’t do during the initial setup, which I wish I did, was setting up the UI interface. I’m unsure as to what it is, and how to set it up, and that’s because I couldn’t figure out how to do it (more on that below).
All in all, getting things up and running didn’t take that long. And by running, I mean taking the printer out of the box, connecting it to WiFi and printing documents from my computer.
FEATURES
There’s a lot of features, most of which you would expect from a printer of this caliber. That is, it can fax (which I don’t use), scan and print. Its real value would be from how you can use it. When setup properly, you can print from your phone (although this requires yet another app on your phone, and Canon print services), from any computer on your network, and you can easily scan large batches of documents. I don’t think it does anything revolutionary, but what it does, it does well.
There are additional features that require this UI interface. For example, there’s the ability to scan documents and “tag” them with the date (presumably when they’re scanned) and to scan photo ID cards. These are things that aren’t necessary, but can save you time on the back end. But I couldn’t use them because I was required to set up some UI interface. The screen gave me a QR code to scan, but that seemed like a dead end. There was no mention of it in the instruction manual. So while I can’t say I can’t use the features of this Canon printer, some of the potential conveniences are unavailable to me (for now) which is a bummer.
Scanning was easy. I do often scan things in bulk. The tray on top of the printer holds I think about 50 pages. To scan, you hit a button on the homescreen and it feeds the documents through the scanner. It scans pretty quickly, and for me, it saved them to a folder that’s created based on the date I scanned. One of my pet peeves in scanning is how much effort it takes to find what’s scanned, rename it, and move it to the location where I ultimately want to save it. So while there might be times I want to scan something and email it directly, for the most part, I just want to save it to my office’s network and having a location where documents are saved on my computer until I’m ready to move them to their final location is nice. It does save me time.
PRINT QUALITY AND SPEED
With most Canon products, the printing quality is superb. I was impressed with its photo printing capabilities. I was using standard white copy paper but was left impressed with the color reproduction. Black and white documents, which is honestly the bulk of what I print, looked crisp. No bleeding, no fading. The speed is terrific. I’m never one to sit there and count the minutes as a printer prints something, but this moved things along pretty quickly.
QUIRKS
As I said, the UI interface thing is a bummer. I find most printers to be complicated to use and require too much effort to figure out the basic tasks and this printer is no exception. Is it difficult to use? No, not necessarily, but it does take a little time to figure out how to use it to its full potential. This requires some trial and error, which can be off putting. So long as it prints and scans, I’m typically ok, but it can be hard to justify the cost of this printer - and its toner - when I can use all the special features. I’m sure I’ll eventually figure it out overtime, but it should be more intuitive.
It’s also extremely loud. Maybe it’s not so noticeable in a loud environment, but man, it sounds like a jet engine roaring up when I print something. It’s not the end of the world, but when first hearing the thought definitely crossed my mind “does it really need to be that loud?”
CONCLUSION
The print quality and speed is great. This includes scanning. It seems to have even more features that are just too difficult to figure out to use without a substantial investment of time by the user. It’s this “unintuitiveness” that really makes it hard to justify the purchase. Not necessarily because of its cost, but these features are what might make this particular printer stand out in the crowd. But if printing and printing quality is the most important factor or even the only thing you care about, I can wholeheartedly recommend this printer, it will not disappoint in that regard.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Certified for Microsoft Teams with exceptional voice capture and reduced background sound. Connect up to 2 monitors with HDMI and USB C connections.
 
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3 out of 5
3
Works really well, but limited in purpose/value
on February 22, 2023
Posted by: callmeageeth
This dock is really good at what it sets out to do. And the more I used it, the more it grew on me. Its biggest drawback is its limited use case and the fact that it might not fit into your workflow depending on your current setup (without additional investments beyond the dock itself). I originally thought of using it more as a travel accessory to make video calls on the go, but it’s too bulky for travel - I could make do with the dock, but it has a large power brick. Especially when the only tangible benefit is better audio. This is intended for those who work primarily in Teams (it works with Google Meet and Zoom as a microphone/speaker) in a home office with an external monitor and webcam. And if you don’t plan on plugging a monitor into the dock, it’s definitely not worth it. The other caveat is that while it delivers power to your laptop (eliminating the need of a separate power cable to your computer) it may not power fully featured gaming laptops (like mine) - at least during GPU intensive tasks.
IN THE BOX
You get the speaker dock as well as a large charging brick. The USB-C cable is permanently attached to the dock. At first, I thought there was something weird going on with the base (there’s a piece of rubber) but it’s intended to wrap the excess cord inside. I thought this was a nice addition to help keep your desk as clutter free as possible.
SETUP
Setup is about as easy as it gets. You plug the power cord into the dock, then plug the USB-C cable into your laptop’s USB-C port. Here, I do have to confess some ignorance, as my laptop has two USB-C ports, one that has power delivery and the other that doesn’t. The dock operated as a speaker/microphone when plugged into either port but it only delivered power to my laptop when plugged into the one designated for power. I mention this because 1) your laptop needs a USB-C port, and 2) it seemingly must be able to accept power. I’m guessing most laptops made within the past few years qualify, but something to keep in mind if you have an older laptop.
When I plugged it in (I’m using Windows 11) I got a notification that it was setting up the device, and then a window popped up walking me through the dock’s features. That was it. I noticed off the bat that my ASUS Rog gaming laptop was charging (I was concerned the dock wouldn’t give it enough power). But I was unable to tell the difference between power delivery from the dock and power from the ASUS charger.
AUDIO QUALITY
Once I was set up, I started listening to music. I was pretty impressed with the sound. It’s plenty loud for an office or home office. It provides rich bass and clarity. Is the loudest or best speaker? Probably not, but for 99% of what people need - including me, for work - this is more than enough in that department.
For video calls, I didn’t really get any “wow, you sound really great” feedback from other participants, but that’s expected. People typically only tell me when they can’t hear me or I sound terrible. When asked how I sound, I got, “yeah, you sound good.” I didn’t walk around the room to test how far away I could be while talking, I only talk when in front of my meeting, but you should have some wiggle room there.
MY IMPRESSIONS AND USE CASE
I do have a dedicated work desktop. But I use my ASUS laptop for more GPU heavy tasks like editing videos/audio. I basically have several workstations between my office and home. I have a 27 inch monitor that I sometimes plug into my laptop, but sometimes I don’t because I don’t want to hassle with plugging everything in. This dock alleviates some of those problems. I can now plug my monitor into it, my webcam, and USB receiver for my mouse (my keyboard is Bluetooth). Here I see the benefit but also the drawbacks. It has as many display out ports as USB ports. One of those is USB-C and I confess not to have a USB-C monitor or know its capabilities. So I use the HDMI out. I’m left with a USB-C port and a normal USB port. One of those is reserved for my webcam. Leaving me with one. For most people this should be enough, but I would like to see more. (your laptop should have a few USB ports to use as well, but that's more cables to plug in, eliminating one of the benefits of a dock). I now find myself using my monitor more because I only have to plug in the USB-C cable on my desk into my laptop. I don’t have to fiddle with my laptop’s power brick. The drawback is that the dock only gives you half of your virtual meeting setup. Obviously there’s no webcam, so you need that. And webcam’s have built in microphones, so what’s the point of the dock?
You can then point to the buttons on the top of the dock. There are 5. There’s a dedicated Teams button, play/pause button, volume up and down and a microphone mute button. The Teams button brings up Teams in a moment’s notice. So if you don’t use Teams, this button is rendered useless. Our office uses Teams, but not for video chat. It’s not much use for me in that department. I do however, like having large play/pause buttons and volume buttons as I am listening to music most of the time. I also like having the microphone mute button so readily available, and how it lights up red when muted. This is the easiest way to quickly mute and unmute yourself during a call.
CONCLUSION
All this leads me back to the question of who is this device for and is it worth it? As with everything, it’s a loaded question as everyone’s needs are different. This dock doesn’t give you anything your laptop doesn’t provide. Sure, it has a microphone and a louder speaker but is it worth it? If you have a desktop computer, probably not, you could get a good microphone and speakers for less than the cost of this. This is meant for those who take their laptops with them and like to work at a monitor in their workspace. I love the dock aspect and frankly, wish I would have gotten a dock before, but that doesn’t mean this audio dock is the best for you. The Teams integration button is a little much for me - again, I’m not a heavy user of Teams audio/video calls. But I like the convenient buttons that I use frequently on top of the speaker that sits right above my keyboard for easy access. I find myself adjusting volume and muting/unmuting frequently. Even if it had more USB ports, I’d say it’s a tough recommendation but to all the heavy Teams users. Don’t get me wrong, it works really well, but I’m not sure it’s the best value proposition. If you are looking for a dock, want to minimize cables and speaker quality matters to you, and you can look past the cost, I’d say it’s definitely worth it.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+2points
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Stainless steel precision for a perfect beard, hair and body trim. The Philips Norelco Multigroom 9000 will help you perfect your personal style with our most precise and versatile trimmer. Craft your personal look with this premium stainless steel trimmer, which includes 21 quality tools and accessories for styling your face, head and body. The precision trimming guard delivers a precise trim at the exact length you want, with 5x more precision settings vs the predecessor. The Philips Norelco Multigroom 9000 comes equipped with a body shaver attachment to efficiently shave body hair while protecting skin. The Multigroom 9000 also has Smart BeardSense technology to boost power exactly when you need it to tackle dense, bushy or long beards. The self-sharpening stainless steel blades remain sharp as day one for long lasting performance, no oil required. Plus, the steel frame and rubber grips deliver superior control and the Lithium-ion battery yields 6 hours of runtime. A premium storage case helps you stay organized and is convenient for travel. USB-A charging cable included (wall power adapter not included)
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
High performance, extremely versatile
on February 2, 2023
Posted by: callmeageeth
I’m a hairy guy, have a beard and typically have my wife shave my back hair every few months. So I use a shaver regularly to trim/clean up my beard and to shave my body. But I don’t give myself haircuts (or even cut anyone else’s hair). While pricey, this Phillips set is a great deal, even for someone like me who doesn’t use the guards to cut your hair. The trimmer is professional, and comes with lots of adapters making it extremely versatile. My only gripe are the instructions and the labels of the various guards/trimmer attachments. Phillips needs to redo their graphics/instruction manual department. I had to use the pictures on the box to help me figure out which attachment did what.
IN THE BOX
I gripe with anything I buy that has multiple attachments, etc. with no storage option. Without something, even a bag, to keep accessories in, I tend to lose them. One of the benefits of this shaver is the inclusion of the travel bag. While I don’t typically travel with a shaver (on vacation, I’ll just let me beard grow) I personally just like being able to keep all the guards and attachments in one spot.
In addition to the case you get a bevy of guards and attachments. I won’t list them all, but you get everything you need to cut your hair, trim your beard, trim your eyebrows, and even trim your nose/ear hair. I was seriously impressed with everything it comes with.
Then there’s the charging cord which is USB, requiring a charging brick or a USB port in an outlet. Minor inconvenience, I guess it was done to give you flexibility, but I would have just preferred a two prong power cord at the end.
Finally the trimmer itself. It has some heft without being too heavy. The metal on the outside makes it feel premium. It’s what you’d expect a hairstylist to own. It’s well balanced and easy to hold. Shaving itself is a chore, but using this trimmer is about as close as you can get to it “being a joy.”
USE
It took a few hours to full charge. It’s rated to last about 6 hours which seems to be in line with older trimmer - which I would charge and then several times a week for a few weeks before having to recharge again. There’s a light on the outside that lets you know when it’s done charging and when it needs to be charged.
There are several different attachment heads, and then there are guards. All of which snap on and off in the same manner, flipping the front of it up towards the back. (It makes sense when you see it - point is that it’s easy). While they come off easily, I didn’t have any concern with them falling off in use.
The width of the trimmers seems slim to me, as in I wish they were a bit wider to cover more area for every swipe, but the size seems to be similar to other trimmers. And this really only applies to the haircutting guards; which I admittedly won’t use. But compared to what I see when a stylist cuts my hair, they seem small.
There’s not much to say in terms of performance other than it’s terrific. When trimming my beard I had no issues; my hairs didn’t get caught in the beard and the whole process was smooth. I made quick work of trimming my beard. When shaving my body hair, I swapped in the appropriate guard (which again, required me to look at the retail packaging). Here I didn’t have any issues, there was no pinching at all. Of course, it won’t be as smooth as a razor, I was still left impressed with how close it was able to shave.
CONCLUSION
This really is an all in one package, containing everything you could possibly need in cutting/trimming any hair on your body. For that reason alone it’s worth it. But when you add in the quality/durability of the trimmer (it is waterproof) and battery life, you have a winner. Sure there are cheaper alternatives out there that do the same thing, but this has to be one of the best all around packages. Shaving/trimming is never fun and I still don’t necessarily look forward to it, but having this nice of a tool to get the job done certainly helps.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+3points
3of 3voted this as helpful.
 
Show up to every video call feeling confident, seen, and heard. Logitech Brio 500 includes features like auto light correction for low-lighting conditions, auto-framing so you can move during calls, and Show Mode for presenting objects on your desk. Brio 500 Webcam creates a more authentic Google, Teams, or Zoom meeting experience, allowing you to connect genuinely with others.
 
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4 out of 5
4
Nice but pricey refresh of the 1080p line
on November 4, 2022
Posted by: callmeageeth
Ever since the pandemic, Logitech has seemingly dominated the webcam market. Other than the Brio, and a few outliers, they haven’t really given us a new “basic” 1080p webcam in a while. Finally, the Brio. I’ll be honest, I was happy with my C920 1080p series Logitech, but I became more frustrated with the inability to adjust the image. I was stuck with what I had. The newer programs, like Logi Tunes, that works with the Brio 500 just weren’t compatible.
Bottom line is, if you’re in need of a new webcam from a trusted brand, this is one to look at. But don’t expect major improvements over other (non 4K) webcams. Yes, low light and HDR performance is nice, but I find those rarely translate well over video conferencing. My biggest complaint is the absolute tragedy of having too short of a USB-C cable. I’m all for new peripherals moving to USB-C, even though my desktop only has one such port, but I can not stand these short cables. For laptops they’re fine, but if you have a large monitor and a desktop that sits under a desk, forget about it. It won’t be long enough. Which undoubtedly requires an extension cable.
In the box you get the camera and mount. That’s it. The camera has a magnet in it that sticks into the mount. You can tilt the mount all the way down so the camera faces your desk. This doesn’ fit into my line of work, but I can see someone else finding it useful. The mount has an adhesive pad to help it stick in place, which I don’t use, but, I can see if being nice for some people who adhere to a stick protocol in the setup of their video conference room. The stand is similar to every other Logitech stand in that it sits on top of the monitor, and has an arm that extends backwards and rests on the backside of the monitor. It’s easy to turn the camera left and right or tilt it down.
The privacy lens is a nice feature. Older Logitech cameras had privacy lenses that you could snap on and off, and while I never lost mine, I like it being built directly into the camera itself. It might be one of the reasons why the camera itself is so big, but it’s simple to use the privacy cover and there’s no mistaking when you are using it (there’s a shield in front of the lens).
Plugging in the camera is really all you need to do. It should work just fine. I found the performance to be pretty good, especially in low light settings or at least settings where I had a lot of shadows on my face because of the positioning of the sun and my window. I’m the guy that always insists on the highest image quality, so Initially balked at 1080p at 30 FPS or 720p at 60 FPS. But honestly, the video looks great. I have to remind myself that everyone is watching the video streaming over the internet live and the resolution of the video feeds will be scaled down to save bandwidth.
The Logi Tune software provides some adjustments. The software is ok, I like how it’s kind of hidden until you need it, it pops up on the bottom right of your screen for a video preview; it doesn’t take up all your screen real estate. There you can change the FOV, zoom settings, and other color/saturation/brightness settings. Honestly, I tried tweaking the settings, and other than FOV and zoom, I’d leave everything else on automatic. I thought the software/camera handled everything pretty well even if different light settings.
CONCLUSION
This is a welcome refresh to the Logitech webcam line. However, it’s much too expensive. It’s not worth buying just to upgrade, but if you are in the market for a webcam that has versatility, this is one to look at. The Logitech software will allow you to make basically all the adjustments you’d ever need and it’s easy to navigate. The privacy lens is also a big bonus as there can be no mistake when your camera is on or off.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
 
Meta Quest Pro is a virtual reality system that unlocks new perspectives into how we work, create, and collaborate, so you can go beyond what was previously possible. A completely reimagined headset is slimmer and more well-balanced for long-lasting comfort. Breakthrough high resolution mixed reality passthrough uses full-color sensors to let you see and engage with the physical world around you–even as you connect, work and play in virtual spaces. Multiple room-sized displays let you skip between tasks to get more done, more easily. Connect better with friends or collaborate with peers like never before with real-time avatar expressions that mirror your authentic facial reactions. Intuitive, redesigned controllers dispense with tracking rings, using self-tracking cameras to capture a greater range of motion and fine motor controls to translate detailed finger operations like writing and drawing into VR. Advanced multi-point haptic feedback makes virtual interactions feel more real. Meta Quest is for ages 13+. Certain apps, games, and experiences may be higher.
 
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3 out of 5
3
Excellent tech that lacks purpose; for now
on November 4, 2022
Posted by: callmeageeth
Putting on a VR headset is in some ways magical. You can become completely engulfed and forget your actual surroundings. But it’s not for everyone and especially at this price point when Meta makes a cheaper version of its headset. I’m not going to convince anyone whether VR is worth the effort or if it’s even the future. But below is my honest take and feelings on the Meta Quest Pro. I won’t spend a ton of time on the hardware and features, there are other websites that can cover that in greater detail than me. I just want to speak to it as an experience. The bottom line is that this is a wonderful piece of tech (but not without its flaws) that can do a lot of cool things. The main issue I have, from a software perspective, is how these cool things fit into your work (or productivity) life. Is it great for entertainment, absolutely. Will it change how you collaborate with others, either professionally or in your personal life? For now, no. I love using it, but I fail to see how, at least for now, it is of much use other than playing games or VR experiences. And then by extension, how the price justifies the Meta Quest 2.
IN THE BOX
The Meta Quest Pro comes with a lot. Charging stand, controllers, charger, portable charger, light blockers, stylus tips, protective cover. Sure, this is all great. But it is a travesty that no carrying case is included. Headset manufacturers are doing this, basically, the product packaging is the case. For $1500, I expect that. Especially for a device that is touted as portable and supposedly the future of your work and social life. What stings even more is the only official case, by incase, costs $120. Come on.
Another travesty: no headphones in the box. Again, at this price point, I expect every thing I would need. Luckily, I’ve had no complaints about the noise from the speakers bothering anyone, but I also enjoy VR in private settings so it’s not an issue. There are two headphone jacks one on each side of the front part of the headset. Which one can I use? Both? Neither? How does that work? Without clear directions on how to use the headphone jacks, which there isn’t, they should especially be included.
SETTING UP FOR INITIAL USE
I had no issues setting up the Meta Quest Pro. I know some people might complain about the need to have a Facebook account or even Meta account, but I can’t help you there. Putting that aside, you simply download the app on your phone, login using your Facebook account or Meta account. You can, like me, turn the headset on first and go through the setup process. However, on your headset you’ll eventually get to the point where it says to finish setup on your phone. And you’ll be stuck looking at your phone with the headset on; which is doable, but annoying.
The headset and controllers will need an update. This didn’t take too long. The headset tells you to put it on the charging base until completed. This isn’t necessary, I didn’t, I anxiously waited with the headset on my face.
After that, you’re just kind of thrown into the Meta VR experience. For me, there was no tutorial on the fit of headset or the like. There is a way to seek assistance in this regard; in other words there is a tutorial, but for me, it was not something I was forced to go through which would have been nice. I mention this because I found the headset blurry at first. Not terribly blurry, but more blurry than I thought it should be. I knew there was an option to move the lens closer together or further away, but I just couldn’t get a clear picture. After stumbling on the tutorial for fit when getting acquainted with the face tracking, I realized I needed the headset to rest a little higher on my forehead. Bam. The picture was even better.
THE “PRO” VR EXPERIENCE?
My experience with where the headset should rest on my head is a microcosm of my biggest issues with the Meta Quest Pro. It’s a technological achievement and I love using it, but what and how do I use it? Watching Netflix, or VR content, or playing games, sure I get it. And it’s awesome for that. Playing table tennis in VR is unreal, so is cubism (a modern Tetris like game, but a slower pace). But these are available on the Meta Quest. So why pay a premium for this headset? I don’t know the answer. In Meta’s marketing, and in the tutorial of the product, there’s no way to know. In the app store there’s a section of apps that take advantage of the Meta Quest Pro’s features, but there’s often a large paywall. I’m not opposed to paying for a well developed app, but I don’t know what these things do or how I could use them. Games, they’re different, I’m really referring to the productivity and work apps.
Even the apps that are free, which are truly a sight to behold, have a steep, steep learning curve. There’s a nanome app that allows you to manipulate the COVID gene sequence like you were Tony Stark in iron Man. It was really cool. But I’m no biologist, this was a glorified tech demo. I was impressed, but don’t know how it fits into my life.
Other apps like shapes XR which takes advantage of the augmented reality, are, again, cool, but have a steep learning curve and seemingly limited user base. It’s just tough to see anyone using these “productivity” apps in the real world.
Another point, I’ve only had a limited amount of time with the headset. I’ve yet to figure out how to link your computer to it. I’ve seen videos of other users using the Meta Quest Pro to connect to their computer and have multiple displays. You can even connect a Bluetooth keyboard to the Meta Quest Pro, and using one of the external cameras, can see the keyboard. But HOW do you do this? I don’t know, again, there’s little by way of a guide. A lot of this is figure it out on your own.
GAMES
I just want to say that I will continue to use my Meta Quest Pro, if for no other reason than the games. I have a PSVR which I adore. I just find experiencing games in VR to be amazing. Brand new experiences from one of my favorite mediums. The controllers are much better than the PSVRs (as expected) in terms of sensitivity and accuracy. I found playing table tennis and cubism fascinating and have been playing them a lot. I’ve downloaded the Vader Immortal and am excited to play them. Point is, as a gaming centered VR system, it’s great. It’s definitely a step up from the PSVR but I can’t speak to the differences between it and the Meta Quest.
BATTERY AND SOUND
A couple other things I wanted to mention. THe battery life is fine. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s not. I mean, I find it too uncomfortable to wear the headset for more than an hour (that’s not say the Quest Pro is uncomfortable, I mean any headset). I need to give my eyes a break. So the battery life, unless you literally plan on wearing it all day, shouldn’t be an issue. You can charge it while playing. The built-in speakers are pretty nice. They sound great. As I said earlier, I don’t know how much noise bleed there is, but you’ll never want for sound. Sure, some nice headset cans might sound better, but these are more than fine.
CONCLUSION
It’s tough to rate and talk about the Meta Quest Pro. It’s undeniably a great piece of tech. Maybe Meta’s vision of the future is accurate, and this is a preview of what’s to come. But it’s hard to really see what Meta’s vision is. I’m told this is a productivity device, but I’m given no direction on how to incorporate it into my life, which is the problem. Why pay $1500 for a productivity device when all you’re going to do is game and there’s a more reasonably priced gaming headset? Meta has laid the foundation of its vision of the future, but they need to show us how to get there and how to incorporate it into our lives. For now, this is a niche device. It’s tough to recommend unless you really plan on digging into its capabilities. The learning curve (outside of the gaming, video experiences) is steep.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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The Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum & Mop combines an ultra-powerful vacuum with Sonic Mopping for a complete clean from start to finish. Featuring Matrix Clean, the robot cleans in a precision grid taking multiple passes from multiple angles over debris ensuring no spots are missed on all your carpets and floors. Using Matrix Clean, the vacuum delivers 30% better carpet cleaning*and 50% better stain cleaning** (*vs. RV2610WD single pass tested on level loop sand, **vs. RV2001WD). Engineered to pick up more pet hair with its self-cleaning brushroll, this robot vacuum leaves no cleaning detail unmet. It even cleans edges and corners with CleanEdge Technology using blasts of air to pull debris into its cleaning path. The robot's intelligent navigation features precision home mapping and object detection. With Precision Home Mapping, the robot uses it’s 360° LiDAR vision quickly and accurately maps your home so your robot can methodically clean detecting and avoiding objects in its path, day, or night (*objects 4.5 inches or greater in its path), adapting to everyday changes in the home. When low on battery, the robot can return to its base, recharge, and pickup cleaning where it left off. Set a cleaning schedule, initiate on-demand cleaning, or activate Matrix Clean, all with sound of your voice using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Utilize the app to set custom carpet and no-go zones for complete control of where the robot cleans and doesn’t clean. This robot masterfully integrates powerful Shark(R) cleaning performance with intelligent navigation to give you the ultimate floor cleaning machine.
 
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4 out of 5
4
Great performance, but requires lot of upkeep
on October 6, 2022
Posted by: callmeageeth
I’ve owned several different models of robot vacuums. They’ve all let me down. Granted, they were all dumb robots, meaning they weren’t guided by lasers. I was hoping this Shark vacuum with it’s AI and laser mapping would be the one to change my mind on robot vacuums. While this one impresses me in its capabilities and smarts, it is still plagued by issues - some of which come with owning a wide variety of smart home products and having 5 GHz internet. But make no mistake, as a vacuum or even mop, it’s pretty darn good. So long as you come in with tempered expectations, I think you’ll enjoy this vacuum/mop. But if you think this will replace all vacuuming/mopping and you can just let this vacuum do its thing without any intervention from you, you’ll be disappointed.
IN THE BOX
Inside the package you get the base station, which plugs into the wall, a circular plastic disc that attaches to the base station and is what the vacuum sits on when it’s charging. You’ll get the vacuum, of course, two side brushes (one is extra), the water tank and two mopping pads as well as a small bottle of floor cleaner.
SETUP AND GETTING READY TO VACUUM AND MOP
The first thing to do is to set up where you want the base station. There’s no warning that “X” amount of space is between the charging station and a wall. (some have such requirements). The charging station plate snaps into the charger, and then you plug that into the wall and that’s about it. There’s a lot of blue tape to remove before getting started, but the dustbin is already inside. You do have to snap on the side brush, which is easy to do.
That’s the easy part of the setup. The next step is to download the Shark app and register an account. Finding and registering the robot was easy. And I thought the app did a terrific job walking you through all these steps.
MAPPING YOUR HOUSE AND “NO GO” ZONES
After the robot is registered and charged, the first step (which you can skip) is to let it roam around your house and map it. It took about 30 minutes, but when it was done, I was shocked at how accurate the map was. After that’s done, you can assign rooms which permits you to clean one or two rooms at a time (using your voice and/or app).
From there, the next step is to setup “no-go zones”. These are areas like cords on the ground, maybe a pet food container, basically everywhere you don’t want a robot banging into things. You do this by creating boxes on the app, using the map it created. I found the process pretty easy, it’s a little finicky as you have to zoom in when adjusting the size of a box in some instances to really fine tune it.
From there, now you have to map out where your carpets are so when your mopping, the robot doesn’t drag a wet scrubbing pad on your carpet. The process is similar to creating no go zones - with the difference being that when vacuuming, your robot will still go over your carpets vs. no go zones, where the robot will never go. However, after you create the carpet zones, you have to (again, you could skip it, but I advise against doing so) let the robot go around the areas you blocked off to make sure it follows along the rug, not driving over it. For rooms with carpet this is simple, but area rugs are finicky. I found this to be a long process. I’d create the zone of a runner rug, and then have the vacuum drive around it. It would be too far away sometimes, and drive over the edge of the rug on other instances. I’d have to wait for it to be done exploring, then redo the box based on what I saw, and try again. It’s definitely a process of trial and error. Multiply that by several area rugs, and you have a time intensive process.
After that’s done, you’re pretty much ready to go. I recommend scheduling your robot to run on it’s own - that’s what it’s for, to automate your life. And that is pretty easy to do on the app.
VACUUMING
I don’t have any complaints with the vacuuming power. First, it’s not very loud, compared to other robots I’ve used. Second, it does a great job of picking things up, even along baseboards. It still will get caught up with cords, I had a couple errors that required me to create no go zones where it kept sucking up cords near one wall in my house, but that was expected for me in figuring out what works best. The dust bin isn’t too too big, and I admit, I had to empty it every few days, so I was wishing I had the automatic emptying bin. But nonetheless, every few days isn’t that bad. And honestly, after the first few runs, it picks up less and less as it does a good job of maintenance vs. letting a lot of dust and pet hair accumulate.
MOPPING
I had the impression that I could hit a button and this thing would either mop or vacuum or even both at the same time. Wrong. In order to activate the mopping, you have to fill up the water canister (and add the floor cleaning solution) and then slide it into the back of the vacuum. Not the biggest deal in the world, but a bit of a letdown. Now I have to have a place to keep the water tank and remember to put it on.
The mopping on my hardwood floors was great though. No complaints. And it avoided my carpets after putting in the time and effort to create carpet zones. It can’t mop the entire first floor of my house, however, with one fill up. That was another slight disappointment. The bigger concern for me, at least in terms of costs, was knowing that I would need more cleaning solution. I always knew I would have to buy more, but I feel like it’s more than I anticipated. But I would also be spending money on other floor cleaning solutions so honestly it’s a bit of a wash. (pun intended).
QUIRKS AND ISSUES
As I said, as a vacuum and mop, it performs well. But I’ve run into issues, some of which might be specific to me, but I don’t know. I find the app to be unresponsive, it doesn’t send me notifications when the vacuum gets stuck or needs to be emptied. I have to open the app and then it refreshes, then I can check all my notifications. I have a Samsung phone and every other app sends me more notifications than I can stand, so I don’t know why this doesn’t work. It doesn’t have obstacle detection - which I think only the really high end models have - which means that you have to keep the house relatively clean and not leaving things around for it to get caught on. I also had problems with the bumper - the app told me the bumper was stuck. At that time, it had only ran once or twice so I was a bit flummoxed. It’s happened twice and I don’t know what caused it or how to stop it from happening. And the vacuum will just stop what it’s doing. And I don’t get a notification to tell me when it happens (most of the time it runs when I’m at work, so it’s not like I could have done anything about it when it does happen, but still).
I use Google Home. I, for the life of me, cannot get the vacuum recognized on Google Home. The Shark Clean app is there, but the Home app tells me I don’t have any devices. This isn’t a huge deal since I schedule cleanings within the app, but it does take away the ability to say “Hey Google, clean the kitchen.” Not the end of the world, but still annoying as I like to sync all my many different type of smart home products in the Home app.
CONCLUSION
This is one of the best performing robot vacuum and mops I’ve used. The AI smarts and laser mapping is awesome, and accurate. It allows you to really fine tune your cleaning to help avoid issues like running into things it shouldn’t, or getting caught on things. But it requires a lot of upfront work. It also requires additional work for the mopping and cleaning out the dustbin regularly. It’s things you likely do when using traditional vacuums and mops, but I’ve always wanted robot vacuums to be autonomous and require little maintenance. For the day-to-day cleaning, and say, mopping on the weekend, it’s pretty great.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+33points
35of 37voted this as helpful.
 
You have a lot on your plate and need a printer that’s going to give you great results without slowing you down. Our fastest WorkForce printer for home offices, the WorkForce WF-2960 delivers presentations, spreadsheets, flyers and more at remarkable speeds. Engineered with Epson’s leading-edge PrecisionCore technology, this all-in-one printer consistently produces professional-quality prints with rich, vibrant colors and crisp text. With a built-in scanner, copier, fax and Auto Document Feeder—plus, a large 2.4" color touchscreen display and 150-sheet paper tray—the WF-2960 is the ultimate printer for productive home offices.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Multifunctional workhorse w/ cheap ink
on October 1, 2022
Posted by: callmeageeth
Great printer for small business/home office. Finally, print cartridges that don’t cost more than the printer itself. This is a terrific all around printer that can handle high volume scans and print. The color printing looks great and the speed is spot on. It’s perfect for small business/home office use. Plus, it’s easy to setup and operate, perfect for those who might be a little intimidated with setting up a printer.
IN THE BOX
You get the printer, a power cable, ink cartridges (more on these in a moment) and an instructional manual. I wish it came with a USB cable, but given that it’s primarily billed as a Wi-Fi printer, so I understand it. But USB is the easiest way to get setup and going immediately.
SETUP
The instructional manual takes you to the Epson app. So, after plugging in the power and turning it on, you download the app and it walks you through it. THe app you download is the Epson Smart Panel. It’s fine, but like most Epson apps (if you’ve ever used them) it’s a bit outdated. When you get the app going, my phone found the printer pretty quickly, and then there was like an automatic chat feature that walked me through the process. The app tells you what to do (i.e. install the ink cartridges) and gives you the option of “showing you” via videos if you’re unsure what to do. It made the process really simple.
At some point, the app tells you to go to the touchscreen to complete the alignment. This is a 5-10 minute process where the printer prints out several sheets of paper and you input which options were properly aligned. It’s dead simple to do to ensure proper printing.
At this point, your printer should be connected to your Wi-Fi. You could plug in USB to your computer for direct connection, but there’s really no need. I can’t speak to Mac computers, but if you open up the Printers in Windows setting, search for printers, and as long as you’re on the same Wi-Fi as the printer, you should easily find it. From there, you’re set to print. To get scanning features, however, you have to install the Epson Scan software on your computer. This will require some internet search, but you can find it easily. Once it’s installed, you’re able to use the touchscreen on the printer and scan to your computer.
EASE OF USE/PERFORMANCE
First, the performance. I printed a 20+ page black and white document and while I didn’t time the speed in which it printed, I was really satisfied with the speed. The speed dropped when inserting some color documents, but the speed was negligible. Bottom line is that printing speed and quality is not an issue.
In terms of scanning documents, I was pleased with the speed and accuracy. On the top of the printer is a document feeder that allows you to scan multi page documents. I didn’t test the limits of how many pages it could hold and scan at one time, but I easily scanned a 30 page document. I’m guessing it could hold about 50. Even if you scanned pages in batches, the Epson software allows you to add scanned pages before saving the final document. The scans came in straight despite the volume of pages scanned.
If you’re scanning a single page, or say a photo, where quality is crucial, you can lift the lid and place a document on the glass scanner. This also applies for papers that aren’t 8.5 x 11. Other than lifting the lid, the process is the same, when you hit scan the Epson software opens on your computer and you can save it where you want from there.
FEATURES/MISC
I want to mention a few other things - first being ink. I own an Epson Ecotank. The features in that model are very similar to this Workforce printer. The only difference is the ink. The Ecotank is my favorite printer because the ink is cheap and the tanks hold a lot and print a lot of pages before needing to be refilled. Bottom line, it’s efficient and cheap to replace ink. So, I was a bit concerned about this printer requiring cartridges. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see how relatively cheap the cartridges are. Clearly, you’re saving money on this model vs. the Ecotank, and it’s nice to see Epson isn’t overcharging you on replacement ink. But I do have some issue with the cartridges that come with this printer. They’re labeled as “charging” cartridges, meant for charging the printing head. And then there’s a warning that you might not get as much printing out of these cartridges as replacement ones. It’s not a huge deal given the relatively low cost of replacement ink, but I’m still waiting for companies to deliver the XL ink cartridges in the box and making them the “only” ones you can buy.
Printing from your phone. This is important to me. Sometimes I get something on my phone that I need to print. It’s much easier just printing from my phone than to email it to myself, then log into my computer and print from there. I can’t speak to Apple devices, but I am operating on a Windows computer and Android phone. There’s two ways to print from your phone, one, you can add your printer to Google Printing services (which I didn’t do) and the other is from the Epson app itself. In fact, the Epson app, for its visual flaws, is pretty robust and easy to understand. You can pretty much do anything from your phone, scanning/printing. Again, I was impressed at how easy it was to do.
CONCLUSION
If you have the option, I would recommend the Epson Ecotank over the workforce because of the cheaper ink. But this is a competitively priced printer with relatively cheap ink in its own right. Not to mention that it has the same features as similar Epson Ecotank products. This is a great business printer that handles all your small business/home office needs.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+9points
9of 9voted this as helpful.
 
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No, it does not come with a lever. You're stuck with what you have, or going to a home improvement store to get one.
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callmeageeth
 
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2 years, 7 months ago
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callmeageeth
 
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What if I purchase this bike now and and later is cheaper on Black Friday. Do I get the different?

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2 years, 10 months ago
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Does Google pixel buds pair with iPhones?

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Can I use my Goggles with the DJI mavic air 2s?

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Will Air 2s work with note 20 ultra?

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callmeageeth