Batlacit's stats
- Review count193
- Helpfulness votes910
- First reviewFebruary 13, 2016
- Last reviewMay 23, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.4
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- Answer count55
- Helpfulness votes96
- First answerSeptember 21, 2016
- Last answerJanuary 21, 2022
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- Best answers11
Pair this Fnatic miniStreak Professional e-sports keyboard with your gaming setup for quick response in fast-paced games. Ideal for FPS and multiplayer gaming, this tenkeyless mechanical keyboard makes the most of your space, while Cherry Brown MXRGB switches provide tactile reaction and satisfying speed. Complete with a detachable leather wrist rest, this Fnatic miniStreak Professional e-sports keyboard is ideal for tournament play.
Customer Rating
5
Extremely solid keyboard
on September 1, 2018
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
It's always difficult to recommend a keyboard to someone because of how much individual preferences come into play with them. That goes double for mechanical keyboards, given that if someone's looking at buying one it's a pretty good bet that they're an enthusiast with an abundance of very particular opinions regarding them. But after spending a few weeks with it, there's very little I can find with this keyboard that I think even an enthusiast would find off-putting.
The keyboard's deck is rock-solid, with no perceptible flex and a somewhat austere powder-coat finish. The keys are well made with a clear legend that makes it equally viable to use it with or without the integrated lighting effects. It's also got onboard storage for user profiles and settings, allowing you to set it up how you like and bring it to another machine without needing to install the Fnatic software to get it. And the keyboard is just as responsive and clicky as one would expect being built with Cherry-MX Brown switches.
As one would expect, there's also quite a few gamer-centric features that have been baked in alongside the Cherry switches and RGB lighting. To start, they've provided mute buttons for both the speakers and microphone on the keyboard - a rather useful addition for anyone who's routinely making use of online voice chat. They've also added a dedicated competition mode which will immediately put the keyboard into a mode best suited for use in tournament environments where you can expect somewhat low lighting and probably don't want the RGB effects set to their most attention-grabbing. And finally, they've added a removable illuminated nameplate on the front which they say should eventually be swappable with custom made ones they plan to sell on their site. While it remains to be seen how expensive this will be or how long people will have to wait for this to become available, the design is simple enough that someone with a 3D printer could probably DIY themselves one of their own if they want to add that extra personalized touch.
The only things I have to take issue with are all very minor. The volume keys, for instance, are mapped to the Function keys rather than having their own dedicated controls on the keyboard. This can be a bit frustrating during games, when I frequently want to have access to both, but only rarely has it been a problem. The RGB effects are also a bit less programmable than some other mechanical keyboards I've seen. There's no option for individually addressing the keys, and you're limited to only a few pre-programmed effects. The software also doesn't offer any integration (so far) with other lighting controllers, so anyone looking to synchronize this with the rest of their rig might be disappointed. And finally, I was rather disappointed to see that there isn't any kind of USB pass-through built in to the keyboard. Normally this wouldn't bother me that much, but since this is the first keyboard I've seen to actually make use of a USB-C connection it strikes me as a bit of a missed opportunity. With the amount of bandwidth that USB-C provides, you could build a very powerful hub into a device like this without much difficulty. As it is, there just isn't that much added utility with using USB-C except for future-proofing.
Despite these complaints, I have to say that overall I'm extremely happy with this keyboard. It's probably something you'll want to try out in person in you can just to make sure the feel is right, and anyone who doesn't plan to use it for typing a good deal of the time might want to consider the model using the less tactile Cherry MX Red linear switches over this. But I personally expect this to be my daily driver for a very long time.
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Get ready to game with this Fnatic Clutch 2 gaming mouse. It's specifically designed for e-sports so that you have an edge on the competition, and because it is full-size, this ergonomic mouse fits neatly in the palm of your hand. This Fnatic Clutch 2 gaming mouse features highly accurate sensor technology to ensure every movement is delivered on screen.
Customer Rating
4
A mouse for gaming and little else
on August 30, 2018
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
While I’ve always tended to gravitate towards mice that were known as good gaming mice, the Clutch 2 is the first one that would be considered “tournament quality.” And I have to say I’ve got mixed feelings on it.
I have no complaints whatsoever in build quality. They appear to have used excellent materials and the internals are top notch, with high quality clicky Omron switches and what might be the biggest Teflon pads I’ve ever seen on the bottom of a peripheral. There’s an extremely precise programmable sensor which works on a wide variety of surfaces (though there’s no replacing a regular mousepad if you want to really get the best out of it.) I’m also a fan of the size, which fits my hands very well (though it might be a bit much for some. And the RGB effects and branding are a bit more understated than I’d have expected.
Where I struggle with it is all the ways in which it differs from the peripherals I’m used to, which place a similar emphasis on the internals but also add in other features for ergonomics and ease of use that you just don’t get with this. You’ve only got four buttons to play with to start (there is another one behind the scroll wheel, but this is dedicated to adjusting the mouse DPI) and the body is very light by design to reduce resistance to movement. These are all features that I can see being ideal for a gaming tournament, where you don’t want to have an abundance of small buttons you can mix up and need to carry out a lot of actions on reflex. But for every day use, I have to say that I kind of struggled with it. It doesn’t help either that the shape of the mouse is pretty much perfectly in line with something you’d expect to be bundled with a new computer, likely a concession to its e-sports pedigree since it’s not always a guarantee that you’ll be able to bring your own peripherals with you into the game. It’s a shape that’s fine if you’re using it an hour at a time, but as a power user I have to say that it didn’t take that long past that before I started to miss a proper thumb rest.
In the end, I’d say that I’d recommend the Clutch 2 to anyone with serious aspirations of e-sports play or diehard Fnatic fans, but probably not many people beyond that. As impressive a piece of hardware as it is, I just can’t see this mouse becoming a daily driver for anything outside of gaming.
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Style your beard easily with this Philips Norelco beard trimmer. It has 10 adjustable lock-in length settings in 1mm increments for precise trimming, and its Lift & Trim comb effectively targets low-lying hairs. Enjoy up to 90 minutes of wireless use thanks to this Philips Norelco beard trimmer's rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
Customer Rating
5
Another great trimmer from Philips
on August 5, 2018
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
This is my second Norelco beard trimmer. The last one went for over ten years before the battery finally gave out - and I'm very pleased to say that it looks like this one is no less durable. There are a lot of metal parts, it seems decently sealed against small hairs, and it's easy to clean. And, while this probably goes without saying, it does a pretty good job of trimming your beard too.
The only real issue I found after a week of use is that the guide isn't quite as precise as advertised. There's just a little play in the mechanism, meaning that the lowest two length settings (1 and .5mm) have no perceptible difference. But apart from that, I have to say that this delivers exactly what is promised.
The only real issue I found after a week of use is that the guide isn't quite as precise as advertised. There's just a little play in the mechanism, meaning that the lowest two length settings (1 and .5mm) have no perceptible difference. But apart from that, I have to say that this delivers exactly what is promised.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Plug in and light up your outdoors. Simply plug in and connect to your existing Hue bridge to enjoy the 16 million colors available to enhance the beauty of your yard or create any ambiance you like. This base kit provides three light points and all cables/power supply you need to get started. Lily landscape spots are fully weatherproof. Hue bridge is not included.
Customer Rating
5
Smart lights in a smart package
on July 10, 2018
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
I've started to lose track of how many times I've left reviews for Hue products where I enthusiastically endorse the system, but I know it's more than three and I'm running out of superlatives. As you might be able to guess from this decidedly first-world problem, the Lily spotlight kit has once again demonstrated the strength of Philips's approach to smart lighting.
The biggest thing I was worried about getting these was the build quality. I’ve worked with lawn lights before and encountered innumerable woes with fragile wiring, cheap plastic parts, dirt-attracting lenses, and holes large enough to let bugs build nests inside them. The Lily lights, however, don’t appear to suffer from any of these flaws. The lights may be small but they’re surprisingly hefty, with a solid metal frame and a thick glass lens protecting the fragile LED element from the elements. Both the screw base and the included lawn spikes are solid metal, rendered in the same unobtrusive black as the spotlights rather than the weirdly easy to spot green that I’ve seen in other similar fixtures. And I can confirm that it is indeed able to stand up to the worst that local wildlife (in my case, a “helpful” wiener dog) can throw at it without difficulty.
The build quality extends beyond the fixtures as well. Rather than hard-wiring everything into a single power supply, they’ve instead opted for a terminal system which allows you some flexibility in how you hook up the lights. You get two junctions and three extension cables to play with to set up the lights as needed, and they might be the beefiest cables I’ve encountered for outdoor lighting. While I haven’t found explicit confirmation of this yet, my guess is that they’re heavy duty enough to stand up to being buried for years to provide protection against any wandering lawnmowers that might do them harm. Screw terminals at each junction point provide a durable watertight seal (though given the expense of the units I’m very much tempted to add an additional layer of silicone just for paranoia’s sake.) And power is provided via a low voltage DC power supply intended to be plugged into an exterior outlet. It’s rated to drive a total of five of the spotlights, so there’s a bit of room for future expansion or a very comfortable cushion against wear and tear, depending on how you look at it. The control signal, like with all hue lights, is handled over the 2.4gHz band with each light capable of serving as a repeater to help make sure that the control signal makes it out to the furthest bulb.
With all that being said, there are a few things you should watch out for. The biggest one is that control signal. The lights are next to useless if they can’t daisy chain their way back to the Hue bridge. And 2.4gHz signals can sometimes struggle to get through exterior walls depending on how they’re built. So before you commit to this particular system it might be a good idea to just do a quick check with your cell phone to make sure that your yard isn’t a complete dead zone. If it is, there’s a good chance that you’ll need to either exercise clever bulb positioning both inside and outside to get a clear signal through or install a Hue security light to keep the signal going.
The other thing to be aware of is that unlike most of the Hue starter packs, this one does not come with the bridge needed to coordinate the smart functionality. So if this is going to be your first time using Hue lights, you’ll need to factor the cost of buying either a starter pack or a separate bridge into the overall package.
All in all, the system is a great way to add a little extra color to your lawn or garden!
Mobile Submission: False
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NordVPN is a virtual private network (VPN) – an online security tool that routes your internet traffic through a secure tunnel, changing your virtual location in the process. But NordVPN does more than just that — it comes equipped with powerful features against common online threats.
Customer Rating
5
Great VPN for experts and amateurs alike
on July 1, 2018
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
These days, securing your online activity against anyone who might be interested in exploiting it has become an increasingly difficult task. VPNs have long been recognized as one of the more effective ways of doing this, as when used correctly they can provide nearly completely anonymous browsing, but finding a good one is a lot harder than you might think. Some keep their own logs of user activity, which can end up being sold off to the exact same people you're trying to avoid having that data. Others can suffer from unreliable or highly congested connections thanks to not having enough servers to meet demand. And some are fine, but require too much technical knowledge for a layman to use properly.
NordVPN, through use of sometimes gratuitous technical overkill and a surprisingly straightforward interface, seems very well protected against all three of these concerns. The box advertises that setting it up is as simple as creating an account and flipping a switch on an app, and they aren't lying. And yet it still provides a wealth of advanced tools for the more technically inclined to set up the precise VPN setup they need for specific applications. And it does all of this without maintaining any logs whatsoever of your activity.
There are a few hurdles to overcome when using it, mostly related to the fact that it's somewhat overzealous by design when it comes to security. Any website or service which checks against the physical location of the servers making login requests as a security precaution is likely to flag your activity as suspicious when you login through the VPN, and unless you take steps to make sure that you're always using the same proxy it's likely that you'll get these repeatedly since it tends to rotate you around whatever country you happen to be in. It'll also try its best to block anything which it thinks might be trying to redirect you somewhere it shouldn't, and it does throw up a fair amount of false positives which can shutdown even major sites. And while it does its best to minimize the increased lag time inherent with any kind of proxy routing, it's really not hard to notice the loss in performance you get with the VPN turned on. I certainly wouldn't advise using it for much 4K streaming, particularly if your goal is to stream content from another country.
That said, these are problems you are going to have with any VPN service worth having. And if you've already decided that you need a VPN to provide yourself with some added security, having one this overzealous is probably a feature. The only real downside I can name is that it provides so many options that it's very hard to imagine anyone making regular use of all of them, so you're probably going to be paying more for extras you don't need. But speaking for myself, if I'm going to be using a VPN for anything I want it to be one that I could use for everything. And NordVPN is by far the most impressively comprehensive consumer grade option for that I've seen thus far.
Mobile Submission: False
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Capture and share special moments with Google Clips. Engineered to recognize faces and expressions, this clever camera automatically takes several-second-long audio-free motion photos, leaving you free to focus on the occasion. Enhanced with Super Res mode, the Google Clips device syncs data with your phone and lets you save any frame as a high-resolution still photo.
Customer Rating
3
Interesting idea, but poor execution
on June 10, 2018
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
As someone with a dog who routinely does meme-worthy things and a nephew who you need to take at least 50 pictures of to get one where he's smiling, I REALLY wanted this camera to live up to the promise of a device capable of finding that perfect moment to hit the shutter so that you don't have to. But, after spending a week trying to train this thing up on what I'm interested in taking pictures of, I'm forced to conclude that Google's engineers have some work to do or that my own photos are so bad that it's learned the wrong thing.
It does do some things very well. The app and pairing experience are both pretty good, the hardware is a lot better than I was expecting in a unit this size, and the facial recognition system does seem to work. What I can't find is any indication that it's actually looking for optimal lighting, framing, or any of the other things it's supposedly considering when deciding when to take a snapshot. Rather it seems like it'll start snapping photos whenever it spots something it recognizes, producing a rather extensive slideshow of blurry photographs and animations of the back of my own head or the top two inches of my dog's scalp. Maybe one in every twenty shots is of something you'd actually want, and of those most aren't particularly good photos.
That said, I'm giving it three stars because I do think there's still room for it to get better. As I mentioned earlier, the hardware is quite decent. All the shortcomings of the device really have to do with software - and software can be updated. Given some more time for Google's dev team to refine it (or perhaps just more time for it to learn from my photos) the Clips might yet be able to live up to the lofty goal the marketing team has set for it. And, in its current form, there are still some use cases where it's nice to have. I was pretty pleased with the results when I clipped it onto my pack and took it on a hike, for instance (though I'd definitely recommend a battery bank for any prolonged outdoor use) and it did produce some pretty good photos of my nephew that probably wouldn't have been possible with my phone. I'm just not quite sold on the idea that the Clips as it currently stands is the smart camera for the masses the marketing materials make it out to be.
My Best Buy number: 2187428738
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Listen to your favorite playlists with these Sony wireless noise-cancelling headphones. They're equipped with the Google Assistant for instant help with a range of tasks, and their silicon support fittings keep the headphones in place while you're active. Use these Sony wireless noise-cancelling headphones' Ambient Sound Mode when you need to stay aware of your environment.
Customer Rating
4
They really do mean sport in this case
on June 2, 2018
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
My feelings on these headphones ended up being a lot more complex than I was expecting. On paper, they seem to do just about everything I could want. They’re compact, wireless, offer both ambient audio passthrough and active noise cancellation, and have enough battery on board to easily last all day. Plus, they’re built by a brand known for quality audio hardware. But after using them for about a week, I’m not entirely sure that they'll end up being my new daily driver as I’d originally planned.
To make it clear, there's nothing really wrong with the headphones. In fact for the most part they're pretty great. The NFC pairing makes connecting it to your phone as close to effortless as possible, the earbuds are surprisingly comfortable to wear while still offering the kind of rock solid fit you need for a device ostensibly to be worn while jogging, and the battery is great. They even offer good bass response. If we just go by that, they’re some of the best wireless headphones I've ever tried.
The problem is that there are just a bunch of littler things in the design which make carrying them around with me all day a bit more of a hassle than I'd expected. To start, the charging case is very large and thick compared to most similar pod style headphones, making it somewhat uncomfortable to carry around in my pocket like I'm used to. My usual response would be to just throw it in a bag, but the swivel lid they use is very thin and a bit fragile. Just one day in my bag left it with a few dents and scratches which make me concerned that it might not be able to survive a week. It's also still using micro-usb for charging. While I know USB-C isn't the most common cable out there yet, the writing is on the wall at this point that it's going to be in a couple of years. Even Sony has it in their phones at this point, so I’ve got to carry a separate micro-usb cable around for charging.
I'd probably be able to look past this all if not for the last thing on my list of things to look at: the active noise cancellation. Overall, this was the one thing I was most excited about with these earbuds and also the thing that left me most underwhelmed. It's not that it doesn’t work so much as that it can't. The earbuds simply aren't that effective at blocking exterior noise, so even with noise cancelling working you get a lot of sound filtering in.
Overall, I’d still recommend them for their intended purpose. The fit and pass-through quality alone would be enough for me to suggest them to anyone who wants really good wireless earbuds to use when exercising. But I'm not sure these are the ones I’d bring with me to block out the noise if the train or the engine roar of an airplane.
My Best Buy number: 2187428738
Mobile Submission: True
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Keep track of your nutrition intake with this NutriBullet Balance smoothie blender. It calculates the nutritional data of the smoothie ingredients you’re using and sends the information to your smartphone via Bluetooth. This NutriBullet Balance smoothie blender comes with two 32-oz. blending cups with lip rings and to-go lids for versatility.
Customer Rating
3
Good hardware, bad software.
on May 8, 2018
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for smart devices of almost any type. But when I saw that NutriBullet Balance had produced a Bluetooth connected blender, I was dubious. The description they gave made it seem like the blender was essentially only serving to replace the equals sign on an app-based calculator. But, being a smart device sucker, I decided to try it anyway.
The first thing I discovered is that the product description does not do nearly a good enough job of selling this thing’s strengths. The best feature of the system is most definitely not the nutrition tracking (which I do find to be very dubious – more on that later) but rather the fact that they’ve built a highly precise digital scale into the thing. Which means that when you go to assemble a recipe, you can skip the measuring cups and simply add each ingredient to the cup until it tells you that you’ve reached the right amount.
I know it doesn’t seem like much, but the effects of this are huge. The Nutribullet parts, designed as they are for frequent use and small batches, are engineered for easy cleaning. When you don’t need to use two or three different measuring devices, the total time to clean everything up drops to just a couple of minutes. For someone like myself who isn’t always the greatest at staying on top of these things this alone makes me far more likely to use the Balance, which hopefully will translate to me eating healthier in the long run.
Speaking of, I also must give this thing serious points for build quality. In addition to being easy to clean (most of the parts are dishwasher safe) every single part has a satisfying heft and has been engineered to surprisingly tight tolerances. They’ve also thought of a lot of things that I’ll admit I wouldn’t have. For instance, the threaded tops of the cups can be covered over with a smooth plastic lip to make for easier drinking and easier cleanup, as the threads are protected from most things that might gum them up.
I only wish that I could say the same for the app that comes with it.
This, sadly, is ultimately the downfall of the Balance. Smart devices live and die on the quality of the app their paired with, and this one is only barely usable. It’s slow to run (even on my modern flagship smartphone) quick to crash and only marginally reliable when it comes to tracking your nutrition. The first day I had it, I used it for all three meals to test it out for this review. For two of them I used the built-in recipes (which are okay, but nothing too special) and for the third I created my own concoction out of the leftovers from earlier in the day.
The next day, all of that was gone. I don’t know how, I don’t know why, but the app managed to delete everything I’d stored in it. I can’t say I was too surprised though, given that it had frequently failed to respond to basic button presses, aggressively demanded that I log back in multiple times even though I never logged out, and froze up at least half a dozen separate times when I attempted to search for recipes. Oh, and if you want to add some simple granulated sugar to your recipes without anyone knowing, the Balance has your back. Despite having an encyclopedic collection of ingredients that I’ve never even heard of in its database, “sugar” is apparently not one of them. I understand that this is intended primarily for healthy living, but I’d rather have an accurate accounting of my dietary sins all the same.
This leaves me in somewhat of a frustrating position. Overall, I like the Balance. And when they worked, I could see there was some real potential in the smart features which I feel could end up being more widely adopted to make cooking as well as blending easier. But with the app in the state that it is, you’re not getting all the features that you’re paying a premium for. In the state that it is now I could only recommend getting this over a regular non-smart version of the NutriBullet if you’re willing to play the early adopter game and wait however many months or years it takes for them to sort out the problems with the app.
My Best Buy number: 2187428738
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Navigate your desktop precisely with this Corsair Dark Core gaming mouse. It uses low-latency Bluetooth for syncing with compatible devices, and its 16000 DPI optical sensor provides high accuracy performance during game play. This Corsair Dark Core gaming mouse has a contoured shape and interchangeable textured side grips for a comfortable feel in hand.
Customer Rating
5
Quality hardware with tons of customization
on April 18, 2018
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
I’ve long been a fan of Corsair’s hardware for my gaming PC builds, but I’ve never really checked out anything that goes outside of the case. I’m happy to say that their reputation for quality remains intact. The Dark Core RGB is a tastefully understated (by RGB standards) design which doesn’t boast overly aggressive styling or massive arrays of macro buttons, but still manages to squeeze everything that a gamer really needs into a highly versatile and extremely accurate optical mouse.
Your choice in mouse is ultimately going to come down to personal preference more than anything else though, and if you can’t try one out yourself it can be difficult to tell how much one person’s preferences line up with your own. So I’ve done my best to compile a list of pros and cons as I see them so you can hopefully figure out how it does in the areas you feel are most important.
Your choice in mouse is ultimately going to come down to personal preference more than anything else though, and if you can’t try one out yourself it can be difficult to tell how much one person’s preferences line up with your own. So I’ve done my best to compile a list of pros and cons as I see them so you can hopefully figure out how it does in the areas you feel are most important.
Pros:
The mouse manages to find that sweet spot between heft and lightness. You can zip this around your desk nearly effortlessly, but never feel like you don’t have control over it.
Tons of options to fine tune and customize the performance within the Cue software allows you to switch quickly between speed and precision modes, a boon not only for gamers, but also artists, designers, and anyone else who needs to engage in high precision work with their mouse.
The RGB effects are cool without being bright enough to light up a room, and very customizable.
The optical sensor really does seem to work on just about anything. Even dachshunds (though the wiener dog in my test case was less impressed by this feature than I was.)
Tons of options for connectivity and remarkably good wireless response with virtually no lag, even over Bluetooth.
The exchangeable side grips can be used to keep the mouse’s profile small or provide a more solid base for added control and comfort.
Overall build quality just feels solid and it’s very comfortable to hold.
The RF receiver comes with an adapter that allows you to plug it into the braided USB cord intended to be used for wireless mode. Not only does this help get the receiver out in the open where you’re least likely to get interference, but it makes it very convenient to switch between wireless and wired modes on the fly depending on what you need at the time.
Onboard memory allows you to store macros and settings within the mouse and bring it with you rather than needing to set things up on each computer.
Cons:
As far as I can tell, the only way to get the most advanced features out of the mouse is if you use it in wired or 2.4 ghz wireless modes. Which is somewhat disappointing if you’re planning to use this for a laptop and don’t want to bring the dongle with you.
In that vein, no internal storage space for the dongle like you get with some other models of mice. Again, very useful if you plan to use this with a gaming laptop.
Your hand ends up covering most of the RGB lighting effect areas during normal use, so there’s some question as to how much anyone’s ever going to see the cool lighting profile you whipped up for it.
The forward and back buttons are a little awkwardly placed around the sniper button. It’s very easy to miss the forward button thanks to the concave shape of the buttons, which leaves you only a small sliver to press down on.
No support for horizontal scrolling. I missed this feature very early on when using the mouse for non-gaming tasks.
While it does have 9 buttons, half of those go to controlling the mouse rather than being usable in game. While they can be remapped, you will end up losing some of those features.
The mouse manages to find that sweet spot between heft and lightness. You can zip this around your desk nearly effortlessly, but never feel like you don’t have control over it.
Tons of options to fine tune and customize the performance within the Cue software allows you to switch quickly between speed and precision modes, a boon not only for gamers, but also artists, designers, and anyone else who needs to engage in high precision work with their mouse.
The RGB effects are cool without being bright enough to light up a room, and very customizable.
The optical sensor really does seem to work on just about anything. Even dachshunds (though the wiener dog in my test case was less impressed by this feature than I was.)
Tons of options for connectivity and remarkably good wireless response with virtually no lag, even over Bluetooth.
The exchangeable side grips can be used to keep the mouse’s profile small or provide a more solid base for added control and comfort.
Overall build quality just feels solid and it’s very comfortable to hold.
The RF receiver comes with an adapter that allows you to plug it into the braided USB cord intended to be used for wireless mode. Not only does this help get the receiver out in the open where you’re least likely to get interference, but it makes it very convenient to switch between wireless and wired modes on the fly depending on what you need at the time.
Onboard memory allows you to store macros and settings within the mouse and bring it with you rather than needing to set things up on each computer.
Cons:
As far as I can tell, the only way to get the most advanced features out of the mouse is if you use it in wired or 2.4 ghz wireless modes. Which is somewhat disappointing if you’re planning to use this for a laptop and don’t want to bring the dongle with you.
In that vein, no internal storage space for the dongle like you get with some other models of mice. Again, very useful if you plan to use this with a gaming laptop.
Your hand ends up covering most of the RGB lighting effect areas during normal use, so there’s some question as to how much anyone’s ever going to see the cool lighting profile you whipped up for it.
The forward and back buttons are a little awkwardly placed around the sniper button. It’s very easy to miss the forward button thanks to the concave shape of the buttons, which leaves you only a small sliver to press down on.
No support for horizontal scrolling. I missed this feature very early on when using the mouse for non-gaming tasks.
While it does have 9 buttons, half of those go to controlling the mouse rather than being usable in game. While they can be remapped, you will end up losing some of those features.
One final note: I’ve seen a lot of other reviews for this product mention bad experiences with the Cue software. I kind of lucked out in this regard, as just a day before I got the mouse they released an updated version on their website. While I wouldn’t call it perfect, it does seem to be a noticeable improvement and I haven’t run across problems with stability or adjusting the settings. It still does require some basic knowledge about what you’re adjusting, but I didn’t see anything in the latest revision that I’d call a deal breaker.
My Best Buy number: 2187428738
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Turtle Beach Stream Mic is the first professional desktop microphone created for gamers streaming directly from their Xbox One and PlayStation 4, as well as from a PC or Mac. The Stream Mic features Adaptive Mic Patterns, customizable software, a dual-capsule mic array with advanced digital processing, and a zero-latency headphone output so anyone can stream like a pro.
Customer Rating
4
Great product marred by poor software
on April 15, 2018
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
For the longest time, I've really only wanted one thing from a desktop microphone. The ability to sound good while also filtering out the sound of a dachshund frantically alerting me to the fact that he's spotted a neighbor.
A pipe dream? Probably. But this mic came closer than anything else to actually living up to it.
While most of my recording is a little more casual these days, a few years ago I did a lot of VO work and narrated a few audio books. As a result, I happened to have a reference for what I sound like using a high end condenser mic in a recording studio handy when I sat down to see how this mic measured up. It's not quite up to par with that, but I have to say it came astonishingly close to it. The audio quality in cardioid mode is phenomenal, and while it might not perfectly emulate my voice or block out all the fan noises from my computer it makes it sound pretty fantastic all the same.
The only thing that keeps me from giving it the full five stars is the software which comes with it. As great as the hardware is, the software is just a chore to use. To start, it refuses to even recognize the mic is present unless it's been switched to XBox mode. But in XBox mode, Windows refuses to properly recognize it and I can't get anything at all out of most of my recording software. Perhaps I was just using the wrong software combination, but even so it seems rather ridiculous to require this. Fortunately I didn't miss it too much, as there isn't much in the software that's any good. The hypercardioid and supercardioid modes are the only things that really look useful - the rest is a somewhat over the top echo effect and a few equalizer presets. Personally I'd recommend that you skip the software and just run it straight out of the box. It's much easier.
My Best Buy number: 2187428738
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Extend your PC’s RGB lighting with the CORSAIR iCUE LT100 Smart Lighting Towers Starter Kit, part of the iCUE Smart Lighting Ecosystem. 92 RGB LEDs light up your room with ambient lighting that dynamically integrates with your games and media for a truly immersive experience. Cycle through 11 lighting profiles out of the box with push-button control or connect to CORSAIR iCUE software to synchronize your RGB lighting effects across all compatible CORSAIR devices in your system and all external iCUE Smart Lighting devices. The Starter Kit includes two lighting towers with 46 customizable LEDs each, housed in light-diffusing casing that softens and blends light. With an included removable headset holder, LT100 Smart Lighting Towers add convenient, versatile, and stunning RGB lighting to any setup.
how tall are they
Per the spec sheet they're 422mm tall - the headphone holder adds about two millimeters to whichever one you stick it to. In more practical terms, they're just about exactly as tall as a 32" LCD (not including the stand.)
2 years, 7 months ago
by
Batlacit
Meet the Ninja Foodi 14-in-1 6.5qt. Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid. The pressure cooker that steams and crisps. SmartLid slider unlocks pressure cooking, air frying, and Steamcrisping - all under one SmartLid. SteamCrisp Technology steams and crisps at the same time for faster, juicier, crispier results*. 14 one-touch programs unlock even more versatility. (*Vs. Ninja Foodi OL501 in dry mode only)
Does this model have hands free pressure release when pressure cooking timer is done, or do you have to manually release steam after pressure cooking?
You do need to manually toggle the valve. That said, it's very well designed to keep your hands free of any steam that might escape in the process.
2 years, 7 months ago
by
Batlacit
The new Alienware x17 is super thin, extremely light laptop . Now’s your chance to game with gear that knows no boundaries. The Alienware x17 gaming laptops with advanced Alienware Cryo-Tech™ cooling defy boundaries. Introducing Element 31 thermal interface material and a Quad-Fan Design. We are incorporating more fan blades, more copper materials, and vapor chambers to deliver ample power while dissipating the heat more efficiently and allowing the fans to run less resulting in reduced noise. The x17 features five tailored power states, and grants access to thousands of games with Windows. Alienware laptops will bring your favorite games into hyper-reality with Windows DirectX 12 Ultimate. Constructed with magnesium alloy and aluminum parts gamers can experience the evolved Legend Industrial Design that reimagines the way you game. The Alienware x17 is equipped with 11th Gen Intel processors, has more storage options with dual drives featuring SSD and includes powerful NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 30-series discrete graphics.
Can you please give me an idea of what is the most recent AAA game can this laptop play?. I'd love to get an idea of what I am going to expect when purchasing this laptop! like, can it play Deathloop? or perhaps Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart for example?.
It can play Cyberpunk 2077 on Psycho (at least while plugged in.)
2 years, 7 months ago
by
Batlacit
The new Alienware x17 is super thin, extremely light laptop . Now’s your chance to game with gear that knows no boundaries. The Alienware x17 gaming laptops with advanced Alienware Cryo-Tech™ cooling defy boundaries. Introducing Element 31 thermal interface material and a Quad-Fan Design. We are incorporating more fan blades, more copper materials, and vapor chambers to deliver ample power while dissipating the heat more efficiently and allowing the fans to run less resulting in reduced noise. The x17 features five tailored power states, and grants access to thousands of games with Windows. Alienware laptops will bring your favorite games into hyper-reality with Windows DirectX 12 Ultimate. Constructed with magnesium alloy and aluminum parts gamers can experience the evolved Legend Industrial Design that reimagines the way you game. The Alienware x17 is equipped with 11th Gen Intel processors, has more storage options with dual drives featuring SSD and includes powerful NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 30-series discrete graphics.
Please confirm if this specific model that is available for sale comes with the standard four zone RGB keyboard or the per key RGB keyboard?
The new Alienware x17 is super thin, extremely light laptop . Now’s your chance to game with gear that knows no boundaries. The Alienware x17 gaming laptops with advanced Alienware Cryo-Tech™ cooling defy boundaries. Introducing Element 31 thermal interface material and a Quad-Fan Design. We are incorporating more fan blades, more copper materials, and vapor chambers to deliver ample power while dissipating the heat more efficiently and allowing the fans to run less resulting in reduced noise. The x17 features five tailored power states, and grants access to thousands of games with Windows. Alienware laptops will bring your favorite games into hyper-reality with Windows DirectX 12 Ultimate. Constructed with magnesium alloy and aluminum parts gamers can experience the evolved Legend Industrial Design that reimagines the way you game. The Alienware x17 is equipped with 11th Gen Intel processors, has more storage options with dual drives featuring SSD and includes powerful NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 30-series discrete graphics.
Internal disc drive or is an external needed
No internal optical drive - pretty much everyone's started phasing them out at this point.
2 years, 7 months ago
by
Batlacit
The new Alienware x17 is super thin, extremely light laptop . Now’s your chance to game with gear that knows no boundaries. The Alienware x17 gaming laptops with advanced Alienware Cryo-Tech™ cooling defy boundaries. Introducing Element 31 thermal interface material and a Quad-Fan Design. We are incorporating more fan blades, more copper materials, and vapor chambers to deliver ample power while dissipating the heat more efficiently and allowing the fans to run less resulting in reduced noise. The x17 features five tailored power states, and grants access to thousands of games with Windows. Alienware laptops will bring your favorite games into hyper-reality with Windows DirectX 12 Ultimate. Constructed with magnesium alloy and aluminum parts gamers can experience the evolved Legend Industrial Design that reimagines the way you game. The Alienware x17 is equipped with 11th Gen Intel processors, has more storage options with dual drives featuring SSD and includes powerful NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 30-series discrete graphics.
Will the 1TB SSD be a Gen3 or a Gen4?
It uses PCIe 4.0. The drive that's included isn't the fastest I've seen, but it'll handily beat any of the last generation NVMe drives.
2 years, 7 months ago
by
Batlacit
The new Alienware x17 is super thin, extremely light laptop . Now’s your chance to game with gear that knows no boundaries. The Alienware x17 gaming laptops with advanced Alienware Cryo-Tech™ cooling defy boundaries. Introducing Element 31 thermal interface material and a Quad-Fan Design. We are incorporating more fan blades, more copper materials, and vapor chambers to deliver ample power while dissipating the heat more efficiently and allowing the fans to run less resulting in reduced noise. The x17 features five tailored power states, and grants access to thousands of games with Windows. Alienware laptops will bring your favorite games into hyper-reality with Windows DirectX 12 Ultimate. Constructed with magnesium alloy and aluminum parts gamers can experience the evolved Legend Industrial Design that reimagines the way you game. The Alienware x17 is equipped with 11th Gen Intel processors, has more storage options with dual drives featuring SSD and includes powerful NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 30-series discrete graphics.
I recently purchased this laptop. It came with windows 10 preinstalled. The product description tells that it has windows 11. Does that mean that I have to wait for the windows 11 update. Or is there an issue with my laptop
That'll depend on what date your laptop was manufactured. As of mid-October the factories aren't set up to load Windows 11 on new units yet, so they're shipping ones with Windows 10 with the keys needed to get the free update ASAP. Windows 11 is having something of a staggered rollout, with certain models getting the upgrade ahead of others. That said the one I received on 10/12 got the option to update within a day, so you might just need to check Windows Update to confirm that you actually want it.
2 years, 7 months ago
by
Batlacit
The Shark AI Ultra Robot Vacuum combines powerful vacuuming with Matrix Clean Navigation, leaving no spots missed for an ultra whole-home clean. Features include: powerful Shark suction power, Matrix Clean Navigation for a deeper cleaning, HEPA 60-day capacity base for collecting and trapping dust and allergens, and CleanEdge Technology for better edge cleaning.
WOW Awesome Can you please help me with what is the actual run time. Confuse with below- Up to 120 minutes of runtime for whole-home cleaning. And with Recharge and Resume, the robot will return to the dock, recharge, and can pick up where it left off
120 minutes is how much you might be able to get under optimal conditions assuming a battery that's close to brand new, a wide open room with nothing for the robot to get stuck on, and a floor that's already clean enough that it doesn't need to ramp up the suction for targeted cleaning. In other words, it's probably more than you'll get in day to day use. I wouldn't be that concerned about it though. The biggest advantage to having a robot with active navigation like this is that it knows where it was when it ran out of battery. So when it gets low it stops, returns to its dock, then picks up where it left off once it's gotten enough charge to finish the job. So long as it doesn't end up cut off from its charging base by a closed door or the like, it can stick with a cleaning job more or less indefinitely.
2 years, 8 months ago
by
Batlacit
Stream Deck gives you 15 LCD keys to control your apps and tools. Trigger actions, launch social posts, adjust audio, play sound clips, activate lights, and much more. Get visual feedback to confirm your commands. Set Stream Deck to automatically switch key configurations as you jump between apps. It’s the ultimate workflow hack, and it’s fully customizable. Personalize your Stream Deck with custom icons, screensavers, and a growing range of interchangeable faceplates. Use the app to configure keys with ease, and hit the Stream Deck Store for app plugins, icon packs, thousands of royalty free tracks, effects, and more.
Elgato's website is pretty terrible. No real info and only list one model with no model number listed anywhere. What's different about this one versus the KAA model?
In terms of functionality it's pretty much identical. They've adopted a slightly different design for the stand which makes the whole thing look a bit more streamlined, added the option to remove and replace the faceplate for increased customization, and modernized the USB interface. I'd say it's more like a refresh of the original aimed at extending the product's lifespan than a wholly new device.
2 years, 10 months ago
by
Batlacit
Explore realistic 3D audio with sound precisely projected from above, in front, behind and to the side of you with the latest acoustic technologies.
What does this new 850A do that the 2020 year 950T cannot? Would this 850A be the big brother to the 950T or does the 950T provide a better sound experience since it it is a 9.1.4 system. I too am tossed which one to purchase.
The 950 is the next model up from the 850 - even with the 850A being newer it can't compete with a system that's got 6 additional channels to play with. You'll be better up with last year's 950 model.
2 years, 11 months ago
by
Batlacit