Batlacit's stats
- Review count242
- Helpfulness votes924
- First reviewFebruary 13, 2016
- Last reviewNovember 2, 2025
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.5
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- Answer count55
- Helpfulness votes100
- First answerSeptember 21, 2016
- Last answerJanuary 21, 2022
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- Best answers11
The Yale Smart Lock, designed to work seamlessly with Google Home, allows users to manage access from anywhere*, create passcodes for guests, and get real-time alerts when someone comes and goes. With Matter technology, it connects effortlessly to Google Home as well as other Matter-enabled products in your home for a smooth and connected smart home experience. This keyed, push button lock offers multiple unlocking options, IPX5 rating for enhanced weather resistance as well as is rated ANSI/BHMA Grade 2. With easy installation and optimized battery life, securing your home has never been more convenient. *Remote access requires Matter-enabled hub.
Customer Rating
5
Smart Lock with Modern Stylings
on August 19, 2025
Posted by: Batlacit
Yale’s latest smart lock is a compelling offering for anyone looking to upgrade their front door, marrying Yale’s considerable experience with door lock hardware to an equally flexible technical base that makes installation and use a snap. Since it is a bit more externally facing than many tech products and requires integration into your home, it’s hard to give a straight yes/no recommendation without taking into account where it’s meant to be installed. So instead, I’ve just jotted down my impressions on the design, installation process, and general ease of use.
Design:
The lock is unrepentant about advertising its technical nature. With a design meant to pair with the Nest doorbell and a silhouette that brings to mind a phone icon brought to life, it directly challenges the notion that smart home devices should seek to emulate more classic styling. This can admittedly present some challenges – particularly with the snow white version I received – as you may struggle to find many options for a doorknob which matches the aesthetic. However taken on its own, there’s a lot to like. For whatever reason a lot of smart locks have interfaces that sometimes struggle to be functional, with touchpads that are finicky or overly fragile. Yale has opted for a more robust keypad on the exterior that holds up just fine in inclement weather or while wearing gloves. Meanwhile the interior portion with its brushed nickel knob fares a little better in aesthetics, as it’s easily matched with other fixtures, while remaining very functional. The interior faceplate is held in place by two friction catches, allowing tool-free battery changes and keeping everything looking very sleek and seamless.
The lock is unrepentant about advertising its technical nature. With a design meant to pair with the Nest doorbell and a silhouette that brings to mind a phone icon brought to life, it directly challenges the notion that smart home devices should seek to emulate more classic styling. This can admittedly present some challenges – particularly with the snow white version I received – as you may struggle to find many options for a doorknob which matches the aesthetic. However taken on its own, there’s a lot to like. For whatever reason a lot of smart locks have interfaces that sometimes struggle to be functional, with touchpads that are finicky or overly fragile. Yale has opted for a more robust keypad on the exterior that holds up just fine in inclement weather or while wearing gloves. Meanwhile the interior portion with its brushed nickel knob fares a little better in aesthetics, as it’s easily matched with other fixtures, while remaining very functional. The interior faceplate is held in place by two friction catches, allowing tool-free battery changes and keeping everything looking very sleek and seamless.
Installation:
Yale’s expertise really shines here. The lock can be easily adapted to the two most common bore sizes and comes with installation templates/measuring guides that should cover just about any scenario you might come across for retrofits or installing a brand new door. In my case it was a simple drop-in replacement for both the bolt and the lock, which really only required a screwdriver, but if I had needed to dig deeper into my tool chest I would not have had any trepidation about it. There is one wire that needs to be passed through the two sides, however it requires no new holes to be drilled and getting it seated in its socket required very little contortions on my part.
Setting up the smart functionality was a little trickier, but I’d attribute that more to my inexperience with the Matter Smart Home standard than the design of the lock. The device I’d hoped to use as my border router turned out to be somewhat flakey when trying to pair with a newer device, resulting in it failing to get through the pairing process twice. As it happened I had another option sitting in my parts drawer that just worked as soon as it was plugged in, so it can be painless, but when it failed it did so in a way that offered me very little guidance on where to look for the problem. I think this is unfortunately going to be a somewhat common experience for a little while, as the number of devices with full support for this system is still small and not everything on it comes without a few caveats. Unless you happen to be buying this a year or three after this review is posted when presumably compatibility has improved, I would definitely recommend double checking the supported devices list to make sure whatever border router you plan to use doesn’t have any issues that need to be corrected before you start.
Yale’s expertise really shines here. The lock can be easily adapted to the two most common bore sizes and comes with installation templates/measuring guides that should cover just about any scenario you might come across for retrofits or installing a brand new door. In my case it was a simple drop-in replacement for both the bolt and the lock, which really only required a screwdriver, but if I had needed to dig deeper into my tool chest I would not have had any trepidation about it. There is one wire that needs to be passed through the two sides, however it requires no new holes to be drilled and getting it seated in its socket required very little contortions on my part.
Setting up the smart functionality was a little trickier, but I’d attribute that more to my inexperience with the Matter Smart Home standard than the design of the lock. The device I’d hoped to use as my border router turned out to be somewhat flakey when trying to pair with a newer device, resulting in it failing to get through the pairing process twice. As it happened I had another option sitting in my parts drawer that just worked as soon as it was plugged in, so it can be painless, but when it failed it did so in a way that offered me very little guidance on where to look for the problem. I think this is unfortunately going to be a somewhat common experience for a little while, as the number of devices with full support for this system is still small and not everything on it comes without a few caveats. Unless you happen to be buying this a year or three after this review is posted when presumably compatibility has improved, I would definitely recommend double checking the supported devices list to make sure whatever border router you plan to use doesn’t have any issues that need to be corrected before you start.
Ease of use:
Once I got past the initial issues with the install, I found the user experience for the lock to be excellent. Very little configuration was required to integrate it into the Home app and get it set up with an entry code. If you opt to go the extra mile and install the DoorSense feature which allows the system to detect if the door is currently open or shut you should expect to spend a little longer calibrating it for maximum accuracy, but once it’s done it seems to stay done.
As far as the app experience goes, I really have no complaints. The ability to give multiple people their own access codes and set up a schedule for when they’re allowed to use them is perhaps not the most useful in my day to day life, but there’s something undeniably cool about it that appeals to my techie heart nonetheless and it’s not hard to see how it could be great for someone looking to add this to a short term rental property or wanting to let the neighbors in to check on the cat while you’re on vacation. There are a few features that I wouldn’t mind seeing get added, such as a better way to use my smartwatch as a digital key that wouldn’t require me to go through the voice assistant, but these are very much minor gripes rather than deal breakers. And as someone who admittedly has a bad habit of accidentally leaving my door unlocked when I go out, being able to double check myself from across town does offer me some peace of mind.
Once I got past the initial issues with the install, I found the user experience for the lock to be excellent. Very little configuration was required to integrate it into the Home app and get it set up with an entry code. If you opt to go the extra mile and install the DoorSense feature which allows the system to detect if the door is currently open or shut you should expect to spend a little longer calibrating it for maximum accuracy, but once it’s done it seems to stay done.
As far as the app experience goes, I really have no complaints. The ability to give multiple people their own access codes and set up a schedule for when they’re allowed to use them is perhaps not the most useful in my day to day life, but there’s something undeniably cool about it that appeals to my techie heart nonetheless and it’s not hard to see how it could be great for someone looking to add this to a short term rental property or wanting to let the neighbors in to check on the cat while you’re on vacation. There are a few features that I wouldn’t mind seeing get added, such as a better way to use my smartwatch as a digital key that wouldn’t require me to go through the voice assistant, but these are very much minor gripes rather than deal breakers. And as someone who admittedly has a bad habit of accidentally leaving my door unlocked when I go out, being able to double check myself from across town does offer me some peace of mind.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Designed for both rising gamers and those upgrading from entry-level gear, the HyperX Cloud Jet dual wireless headset offers a seamless experience with 2.4GHz and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. Effortlessly switch between PC, console, and mobile devices while enjoying rich audio delivered by 40mm drivers for an immersive gaming experience. Stay connected with a swivel-to-mute boom mic that ensures clear communication with your squad. With up to 25 hours of battery life, you can dive into longer gaming sessions without interruptions. The onboard controls make it easy to adjust volume, mute the mic, and toggle between connections. Plus, its lightweight design, breathable mesh earpads, and elastic suspension headband provide ultimate comfort for marathon gaming. Elevate your gaming experience with the HyperX Cloud Jet!
Customer Rating
4
Very Serviceable Gaming Gear
on July 27, 2025
Posted by: Batlacit
Gaming hardware these days is often defined by the gimmicks it includes, most of which have little to no actual bearing on the gameplay experience for average users. The Cloud Jet opts to go a slightly different way. It is a lightweight, adaptable gaming headset that takes a somewhat minimalist approach to its design, focusing exclusively on the essentials. And while this may not be to everyone's taste, I suspect there are many who will appreciate having the option of something that just works as a decent headset.
You'll find a fairly standard set of options with the Cloud Jet. Connectivity is provided via Bluetooth or an included 2.4gHz dongle, both of which provide very good audio (though I think the dedicated receiver overall was a little bit better on the PC I used to test it with.) You've also got an adjustable boom mic with two detents to put it slightly above or directly in line with your mouth, a universal fit design, on-headset controls for volume, and USB-C charging. It all works, it's all very intutive, and none of it required any significant fiddling on my part, so it's very much a plug and play device. Audio quality is overall good, though it is perhaps a little light on the bass for my taste, and provided the mic is positioned properly recordings and voice chat comes through well to anyone on the other side. Noise isolation while you're wearing it is overall decent - it doesn't seal tightly enough against your head to stop you from hearing someone talking in the next room over, but it's enough to significantly cut down on fan noise. And battery life overall is quite good, and frankly better than some of the more "premium" headsets I've tried which end up spending wattage on elaborate RGB or rumble effects. While it may not stand out among the crowd there really aren't any of what I'd consider overt dealbreakers here - making it a good contender for when you just need a headset and don't want to have to think too much about which one to get.
It does, in my opinion, have a few downsides which I think are worth bringing up in case they end up being dealbreakers for someone else. To start: I do not like the way it sits on your head very much. The elastic band that acts in place of a mechanical adjustment mechanism feels like it needed to be just a little bit tighter, as the headset always seemed to be settling on my ears a few millimeters too low for it to be entirely comfortable. Now, to be fair, I have the kind of head shape that makes it hard to find comfortable headsets in general so this is not an unusual issue for me. But if you like me find it hard to find a Goldilocks headset design and was hoping that this adjustment free design might be the fix, you may need to keep looking. The second thing I noticed is that it seems like the drivers don't produce a ton of volume compared to most headsets I've tried. I actually debated on if this was a positive feature or not, since if I were giving this to a kid I'd probably rather they have something that can't be cranked up to the point that it could result in permanent hearing damage, but as an adult who occasionally does need to boost the volume to clearly hear dialog in a movie this can definitely be a little annoying.
Overall, this is not the kind of headset you buy because you want to show off or fall in love with the tech. This is the kind of headset you buy because you need a decent headset. Which I'd like to hope describes most of the people buying these things. This is what you buy to give to your teenager who hasn't quite learned how to take care of more expensive gear yet, to live in your backpack and take to LANs, or at 8PM because your ten year old beater just died and you don't want to do a week of comparison shopping to figure out which proprietary RGB utility offers the best compatibility with your smart home infrastructure. Go into it with that kind of mindset, and I think you'll be quite pleased with what the Cloud Jet has to offer.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The GIGABYTE AERO X16 Copilot+ PC redefines mobile computing, seamlessly blending cutting-edge performance with a sleek and thin design. Weighing just 1.9 kgs, its precision crafted chassis houses the powerful AMD Ryzen 7 AI 350 processor, delivering best-in-class CPU and NPU performance for demanding productivity tasks. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU unleashes next-generation graphics capabilities for both gaming and creative pursuits. Equipped with GIGABYTE GiMATE~an intelligent AI agent that personalizes performance to your workflow~ adapting system operations to your unique needs. With a creator-class display, portable build, and versatile performance, the AERO X16 is the ultimate laptop for gamers and creators alike.
Customer Rating
5
Excellent Gaming/Productivity Hybrid
on July 16, 2025
Posted by: Batlacit
The X16 is an interesting beast - straddling the lines between a high-powered flashy gaming laptop and a high-powered practical productivity machine. While there seem to be more and more of these stealth gaming machines being put out each year, many do unfortunately end up proving the old adage that a jack of all trades is a master of none. The Aero X16 manages to maintain the balance a bit more deftly than many of its competitors though - making it a solid choice for anyone looking for a daily driver that can do it all without forcing them to compromise too much on their experience.
As Gigabyte is more commonly known for their gaming gear, I'll start by discussing its performing as a machine for fun. The X16 features a powerful Ryzen CPU and tons of RAM, but the RTX5060 it comes with is definitely in the lower range of what you'd want for a fast WQXGA panel and does drag benchmarks down somewhat, placing it overall in the lower mid-tier category for performance. While some may be put off by that I think that's actually a pretty decent place to aim for with a machine this lightweight, as it means it still has the battery capacity to function effectively as a portable unit where many more powerful machines end up being effectively tied down to a desk. All the modern titles I played on it ran great at high settings (albeit a few definitely had to rely on dynamic upscaling to drive the screen at an acceptable framerate) so it seems like it should be a few years at least before it starts running into games beefy enough to start giving it problems. And it definitely gains extra points for having a battery big enough to last you on a long plane ride - though if you're smart you'll want to stick to the integrated graphics on the CPU as the 5060 will cut your battery life in half the moment it spins up.
What really surprised me though was how well the machine worked for productivity tasks as well. The 16:10 aspect ratio for the screen is great for design, coding, and word processing work. It also comes preloaded with Studio drivers for the dGPU - which tend to be a bit more stable and are the preferred choice for designers & video editors. These can be swapped out for the more gaming focused versions very easily, which will generally result in a slight performance boost in the latest gaming titles, but for most use cases this probably isn't going to be necessary. It's also got the latest AI coprocessor built into the CPU allowing it to make use of Microsoft's full suite of Copilot+ tools, should you wish to go that route. I'm not sure it would be my top pick for graphic design work - it's getting very hard to justify anything that doesn't have a color validated OLED screen for that at this point - but for pretty much everything else it looks like a great pick.
It does have a couple of downsides worth mentioning. The frame is a little more flexible than I'd like with a machine this large and thin, so if you're planning to throw it in a backpack or a messenger bag you'll definitely want to make sure it's got some kind of protection from anything else that might be in there. And the keyboard can definitely get a little uncomfortable over prolonged use, probably due to a mix of the very flat keycaps and essentially nonexistent elevation angle when placed on a table. But, despite this, I'd still say it's one of the better all-rounders I've tried. This makes it an easy recommendation for college students, young professionals, or anyone else in the market for a machine that can do everything.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Become the deadliest version of yourself with the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro~an ultra-lightweight wireless ergonomic mouse that~s the perfect esports specimen. Upgraded on all fronts with our most cutting-edge tech, feel the immediate impact as every advantage you have comes into play.
Customer Rating
5
Truly Unique
on July 11, 2025
Posted by: Batlacit
It's rare that I can say that something as mundane as a mouse offers an experience that you can't get anywhere else. There are so many different manufacturers shuffling around the same basic feature set that most are really just competing on tiny matters of build quality and overall aesthetics, so I really wasn't expecting all that much from Razer's latest Deathadder Pro. To my surprise, however, they have managed to produce something that I really don't think you can get anywhere else. It is a niche product, to be sure, but it knows exactly who it's built for and I think will find success with its targeted demographic.
The first thing you'll notice after unboxing the mouse is the weight. At 56g the mouse feels almost insubstantial, even more so than a lot of wired mice which don't have to worry about including batteries. Personally I've always viewed ultralight mice, particularly wired ones, with a little skepticism, but in this instance they've gotten the mass low enough to make me a believer. Every twitch of your hand will produce some feedback here, which can be a pretty big deal with today's e-sports titles.
If that were all the mouse offered, this could actually end up being a hindrance. But that is far from its only trick. The sensor on this thing is not only hyperbolically precise, it's tunable to a degree that I don't think anything else is. Once you've got the Razer Synapse utility downloaded and installed you can dial in sensitivity to match your exact preferences, allowing adjustments as small as 1DPI, or just let it figure it out based on the title you're currently playing. I'll admit that I'm nowhere near skilled enough or patient enough to calibrate my mouse sensitivity to suit my play style or environment, so letting the software just do it for me was actually pretty nice and made sure I was getting more value from that feature than I usually would. Additionally it allows you to adjust sensitivity for how far the mouse can lift off whatever you're using it on before the sensor stops tracking motion, a feature they refer to as asymmetric cutoff. This is honestly kind of essential for a mouse that's only 56g, as it does tend to lift off a lot more than most other mice I've used, but has a few other less obvious applications too. Specifically I found it helpful when trying to use the mouse on a couch I was sitting on, where the irregular shape and texture of the cushion serving as an impromptu mousepad wasn't the most friendly to the sensor. And you get all this somehow without sacrificing battery life or polling speed.
There are a few potential downsides. Perhaps the biggest one for a Razer product is that this is completely lacking in the company's usual over-the-top programmable RGB accents, which I imagine simply draw too much power for whatever microscopic battery drives this thing. Some will probably be thrilled to hear this, but I imagine most of them aren't looking at Razer products in the first place. Second is that connectivity is limited to the wireless puck included with the mouse, which is quite large as dongles go. And since it is built for E-Sports it has a pretty basic scroll wheel and a bare minimum of buttons, making it somewhat less appealing for day-to-day productivity tasks or more casual players that may wish to use the extra buttons for macro assignments. But let's face it - this is not a mouse built for either. This is a device built for E-Sports enthusiasts. And if you count yourself among them, I think the Deathadder v4 Pro is going to be a very tempting piece of gear.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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ACCENTUM Open brings a dose of Sennheiser~s legendary sound in a lightweight, breathable open design. With German engineering that just works~no instructions or app needed. With up to 24 hours of battery life, seamless multitasking, and IPX4 splash resistance, these earbuds deliver rich, natural sound without isolating you.
Customer Rating
5
Great Sound for a Very Particular Kind of Listener
on June 23, 2025
Posted by: Batlacit
The first day I spent with the Accentum earbuds was, admittedly, quite stressful. You see, I have somewhat weird ear canals and a history of being very easily distracted. I am very used to having earbuds suddenly drop out of place until I manage to figure out what the best cushion to use is.
These, however, have no cushions. They are held in your ear with nothing more than friction and positive feelings. And while I am aware that many have gotten used to this with earbuds from other brands I have never trusted myself with those, and spent roughly six hours waiting for them to suddenly fall out and get stepped on. Much to my surprise, however, they did not. Sennheiser appears to have performed some kind of engineering wizardry to make these smooth plastic pods perfectly balanced so that they actually stay where you put them - which seems to be something they are quite good at.
Simply put, these things sound a lot better than most things this small can manage. Audio is remarkably clear and has a surprisingly good range in both directions, making them a pleasure to use regardless of what kind of content you may be listening to at the moment. What's more, they're simple in a way that very few things today are. It was actually a little confusing when I first paired them to my phone and wasn't prompted to immediately install a companion app and create an account. Setup is literally nothing more than pulling them out and clicking a few buttons to run through the pairing process.
Granted, there are some downsides here. No app means no options for tuning the audio to meet your personal preferences, so you're basically going to have to stick with the sound profile Sennheiser picked for you. You also won't find features like active noise cancellation, and the touch controls are quite basic and so far as I can tell probably unconfigurable. I didn't find myself missing any of this while sitting at home or walking around the neighborhood, but I imagine there are a lot of people who, say, regularly commute by train that would consider this to be an immediate dealbreaker. These are basically earbuds for the audiophile luddite community - which I understand is surprisingly large these days. So you might want to be aware of that before deciding if these are the right pick for you.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Transform your daily listening with GO Pods ANC! Our new stem design earbuds stay comfortably in place and deliver crystal-clear conversations. Enjoy the freedom to adjust your fit without triggering unwanted commands, and create your personalquiet space with hybrid noise cancellation. With up to 26+ hours of rich audio and seamless device switching, these earbuds offer the perfect balance of comfort, clarity, and convenience for your non-stop lifestyle
Customer Rating
4
Great affordable options for ANC earbuds
on June 23, 2025
Posted by: Batlacit
I don't think JLAB is one of the first brands people tend to think of when looking for earbuds, which can sometimes lead to them getting overlooked. This is, in my opinion, a shame, as they do offer some endearingly rugged and capable products at a very affordable price point. The Go Pods ANC are no exception to that and I think could be a very good pick for your next daily drivers.
First, let's talk about what I liked. The earbuds and their case make very good use of the volume they have to work with, producing a very compact package that's one of the smaller charging cases I've come across. It also features an integral charging cable, making it very convenient to carry around in your pocket or throw in your bag without having to worry about bringing along any supporting parts. The earbuds themselves fit in your ear well and (provided you fit the right size ear cushions) didn't dislodge themselves while I was walking around or engaging in moderate exercise. The noise cancellation is also very capable. Due to some sinus issues I often find that high end noise cancellation can actually end up being uncomfortable after a while as it can create uncomfortable pressure zones inside my ear if they're blocking out everything, while cheaper noise cancellation options just don't do anything to reduce ambient noise. These strike a pretty decent middle ground - countering most of the annoying every day industrial noises produced by air conditioners or car engines without exposing you to too much pressure. I don't know that they'd be my first pick for something like flying, where I think the sheer volume of the sound might overwhelm the earbuds, but to be fair there aren't many earbuds I've found that can compete with over the ear options in that arena either. And battery is also excellent. The package states it can manage over twenty six hours between charges and while I can't say for sure how long mine lasted, they have currently managed to go almost a week on a single charge.
There are a few drawbacks I should point out, though. The sound is a bit weak in the lower ranges, particularly with the noise cancellation active. I mostly use earbuds to listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and other spoken word content so this wasn't really a problem for me but I imagine that a lot of people who listen to more music than me might be a bit disappointed. I also wasn't too impressed by the passthrough option. While it does the job of keeping you aware of what's going on around you the audio you get from it has a synthetic quality that's pretty hard to ignore, and it is usually present regardless of what ambient audio levels are like. As such I found myself generally just pulling out one of the earbuds to leave one ear free rather than messing with it.
Even with those warts though, I am very hard pressed to think of another option that can give you the same price to performance ratio these do. And unlike some of the more expensive out there, if you do happen to shake one out on a trail or in the gym and lose it, replacing it is no big deal. This makes it a very easy recommendation for me for anyone who just needs something that'll work and maybe doesn't have the greatest track record when it comes to keeping full sets of earbuds.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Turn heads and ears with the impeccable audio and timeless design of Kilburn III. This portable speaker comes with 360~ True Stereophonic sound and makes a statement wherever displayed. Its dust and water resistance rating means it~s not bothered by a bit of dirt or a splash of water. No wonder it~s got such an obsessive following.
Customer Rating
5
Pleasingly Tactile
on June 16, 2025
Posted by: Batlacit
My first thought after opening up the Kilburn III was that it is VERY good at looking like a classic amp. Marshall's signature design does a fantastic job of camouflaging a very modern and somewhat mundane piece of tech within a retro veneer, which I'm sure for many will be more than enough to convince them to buy it. But for those who are still on the fence, there is quite a lot to love here that goes deeper than styling.
To start, build quality. I haven't generally found much to complain about regarding the build quality of portable Bluetooth speakers, as they all tend to be pretty sturdy, but the Kilburn manages to take things a step further. The speaker is not just sturdy, but seems built to last in a way that I don't think any other speaker I've seen has been. There's a lot of machined metal making up the controls which I imagine should last a bit longer than the typical rubber membranes, the carrying strap is attached using the same kind of button fasteners you'd see on a guitar or small amp, and even the battery (which is positively gargantuan, I'll add) is designed for easy replacement, requiring nothing more complex than basic tools. In a world where everything seems to be moving towards seamless and impenetrable designs, these are features I wouldn't even think to look for anymore and their inclusion is very welcome.
Of course it doesn't really matter how well built the speaker is if it doesn't also sound good, and in my opinion it definitely does. That said it might require some tweaking to get it to sound the way you want. Out of the box it produces a deep sound which feels like it's trying hard to reproduce that analog warmth that is so often in demand. I'll admit my ear has never been particularly good at telling the difference between the genuine thing and a digital fake, but it seemed convincing enough for me. That said there are some cases where I'd prefer the digital sound I'm pumping through it to actually sound digital, and I'm pleased to say that it is possible. The app that comes with the speaker lets you tune the audio (and everything else about the speaker) to a satisfying and at times almost overwhelming degree. My only note on this is that I would recommend installing it before you begin the pairing process, as for some reason the speaker reads as two separate Bluetooth devices and the app did seem to get confused if they were not paired in the order it expects.
Oh, and it can be quite loud. Probably won't surprise anyone there.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Use D-Line Small Cord Organizer Boxes to hide power strips and excess cable clutter. By utilizing D-Line Cord Organizer Boxes, wasted space is regained, appearance improves and cables become less accessible to pets and infants. Perfect for cable management around computer workstations, audio visual equipment or holiday decorations for example.
Customer Rating
4
Cord Protection
on June 16, 2025
Posted by: Batlacit
Cord protection and organization was not something I generally thought much about until relatively recently when I brought a small, teething puppy into my home. Honestly I had no idea that there was a product like this, but as soon as I saw it I figured it was worth giving a shot.
First up, I feel I should cover something regarding my particular situation for others who may be looking to protect their pets from chewing on a cord that might end up hurting them: that is definitely not the intended use case. The material is reasonably sturdy but certainly vulnerable to being chewed on, and a smart dog would not have much difficulty prying the top off. That said they are not going to be able to do so quietly, and just getting the cables out of site has greatly reduced the amount of interest the puppy has shown in them, so I'm still considering it a success.
Moving on to what it's actually intended for, namely hiding unsightly rats' nests of wiring, I would say it does the job, but not much more than that. Getting everything into the box required a few tries, particularly with the large wall warts which were somewhat easily dislodged as excess wire was fed in. Because this is just an empty box to stuff things in. If you want to further organize the wiring (which I would recommend, particularly if you want the vents at the top for airflow to do their work or plug anything else into the power strip in the future) you will need to provide your own spools, cable ties, and other accessories.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Only from Roomba, the Roomba 205 DustCompactor Vac Robot is fully-loaded with innovation that keeps cleaning simple. The perfect vacuuming robot for homes where space is at a premium, this sleek, action-packed robot has all the benefits of a separate self-emptying dock built right into the robot. With the industry's first-ever mechanical compactor, debris is lifted into the robot and continuously compacted for up to 2 months at a time so you can keep your hands out of messes. The 3-stage Vacuuming System combines 70X more* power-lifting suction, a rubber brush that grabs all kinds of debris from crumbs in the kitchen to sandy footprints in the entry, and a corner brush that reaches into tight spaces and pulls up dust-bunnies wherever they gather. Feel confident the clean will be completed as the battery lasts for over three hours. But when it gets low, your robot automatically heads for a recharging and then returns to finish the task where it left off. Continuous, hassle-free cleaning is made possible by ClearView LiDAR hidden inside the robot. This high-performance navigation system quickly maps your home, smoothly steers around obstacles, and maximizes floor-cleaning coverage wall-to-wall. To customize your clean, simply tap the Roomba Home App to opt for multiple vacuum passes in high-traffic areas, choose the level of suction, or even schedule a night cleaning.This Roomba raises the bar with first-of-its-kind onboard compacting. Roomba blends seamlessly into your home decor with sleek, beautiful finishes, leaving behind a brilliant clean. *As compared to Roomba 600 series robots
Customer Rating
4
Decent vacuum, somewhat underwhelming software
on May 22, 2025
Posted by: Batlacit
I've used Roombas for years, and have generally been very impressed by each new model that comes out. Unfortunately over the years this has resulted in a bit of feature bloat, with each one getting steadily more intimidating and complicated to set up. The 205 feels in some way like the company hitting reset and getting back to basics in a way that doesn't require them to completely drop all the enhancements they've made with a new app, new brushes, and a clever new compactor system. It's an intriguing product that I'll admit I really hoped would win me over, but after spending a week with it I'm both impressed and frustrated in equal measure.
First, let's talk about the good points for the vacuum (and there are a lot.) The last few generations of Roombas have felt like they were making fairly minor changes to an established formula, but the 205 has been retooled practically from the ground up. The distinctive dual roller brush system has been swapped out for a more maintenance friendly single rubber brush. The LIDAR system has dropped inside the robot's body. The near ubiquitous self-emptying tower dock has been replaced by an enlarged dustbin that claims to be able to go over a month before needing to be emptied. And the entire chassis has been enlarged. While I was initially skeptical about some of this I have to say that most of the design tweaks are good ones. The new brush design is still very adept at picking up dust, grime, and pet hair. The LIDAR system is remarkably capable and very well protected, allowing for some of the best navigation I've ever seen from a Roomba. And the dust bin, while a little weird, does seem to do its job and push most of what it picks up into the back, leaving the front of the bin essentially clear for the next cleaning job. Getting it set up was very painless, mapping was completed in less than ten minutes, and overall cleaning performance is excellent.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of choices I find harder to understand. The first spot I began running into problems was with the charging dock. It's small, which is nice for aesthetics, but also lightweight to the point of being a problem. When I first set it up the robot was constantly knocking its own base around trying to come in to dock, and the little friction pads on the bottom did nothing to stop it. Eventually I found myself having to erect a small structure around it to brace it, at which point it worked quite well. At this point I began to notice another surprise: the battery life is a lot shorter than I've come to expect. I have it set up to run a routine covering roughly 700 square feet of mixed carpet and tile flooring, and I've never once seen it be able to get through it all without having to go back to the dock to charge several times. This tends to stretch cleaning out several hours, which was very much a surprise. To be fair it is quite smart about how it breaks the job up between various rooms, and the navigation is accurate enough for it to optimize the path it takes, but unless you're willing to crank down the vacuum level to the lowest setting it does kind of feel like it's always running. This is somewhat exacerbated too by the fact that the new simplified app lacks one of the better features of the old one: the ability to set up quiet times where the Roomba isn't allowed to resume a job. I don't know that the feature is completely gone as it does seem to avoid turning itself on during dinner, but having that extra bit of granular control was very useful and would have greatly helped in my attempts to optimize the cleaning schedule to make sure it actually had a chance of finishing. I'm also a little concerned about how long the dust compactor can actually extend cleaning time given that it's compacting dust directly over the vacuum filter, but admittedly I haven't seen it cause any problems so far.
Now to be clear this doesn't make it a bad vacuum. In fact I'd go so far as to say that for most people, this will fulfill their needs and is a great pick. But I'm not sure it's one I'd necessarily recommend owners of existing Roombas run out to grab as an upgrade. Hopefully some future software updates can smooth over some of the quirks but, for now, it feels very much like a lot of these ideas could stand a little more refinement before they become must-have features.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The myQ Smart Outdoor Camera doesn~t just watch, it acts. Equipped with myQ Smart Secure, it automatically locks compatible doors and closes your myQ smart garage, alerting you instantly when it detects someone during preset times.
Customer Rating
4
Decent camera once you get past setup
on May 14, 2025
Posted by: Batlacit
I've used myQ Smart devices in my garage for a few years, so expanding the system to include an outdoor camera to monitor activity around the garage seemed like a no-brainer. In the time I've spent with it I've found it to be a quite capable, if at times a bit temperamental device.
Pros:
- Excellent image quality in both daylight and low light conditions. You can clearly see faces, animals, and cars.
- Relatively easy setup with the myQ app that can be completed in less than an hour.
- Easily integrated with other myQ smart home products.
- 25 foot waterproofed USB power cable offers plenty of options for cable routing during setup.
- Supports a wide range of advanced features such as facial recognition, vehicle recognition, 2-way audio, and configurable motion triggers.
- Excellent image quality in both daylight and low light conditions. You can clearly see faces, animals, and cars.
- Relatively easy setup with the myQ app that can be completed in less than an hour.
- Easily integrated with other myQ smart home products.
- 25 foot waterproofed USB power cable offers plenty of options for cable routing during setup.
- Supports a wide range of advanced features such as facial recognition, vehicle recognition, 2-way audio, and configurable motion triggers.
Cons:
- App functionality out of the box was less than optimal, with the camera frequently losing connection and requiring multiple attempts at setup. These problems were resolved after a fairly lengthy firmware update.
- Most of the advanced features do require a supplemental subscription.
- No provision for long term local storage if you do opt to go without the subscription service.
- MicroUSB plug at the camera is an odd choice given that the connector isn't known for being particularly durable.
- Provided power supply is fairly bulky.
- App functionality out of the box was less than optimal, with the camera frequently losing connection and requiring multiple attempts at setup. These problems were resolved after a fairly lengthy firmware update.
- Most of the advanced features do require a supplemental subscription.
- No provision for long term local storage if you do opt to go without the subscription service.
- MicroUSB plug at the camera is an odd choice given that the connector isn't known for being particularly durable.
- Provided power supply is fairly bulky.
Overall I'd still consider this to be a fairly good camera, though I think I'd mostly recommend it to people like myself who are already somewhat invested into the myQ Smart Home system.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Explore realistic 3D audio with sound precisely projected from above, in front, behind and to the side of you with the latest acoustic technologies.
I am interested in this product to go with a new Samsung - 50" Class QN90A Neo QLED 4K UHD Smart Tizen TV however the TV is going to be on a swivel bracket from the wall. Is there any way to attached the sound-bar to the bottom of the TV?
Yes. It's got a pretty standard wall mount system, and there are VESA compatible brackets you can get to let you attach it to the TV instead. That said it does need a bit of clearance between the soundbar and the bottom of the TV set to make sure you don't block the upward firing speakers at all and the case is pretty deep compared to most sound bars, so you might want to keep in mind that it's not likely to be a very clean looking setup compared to some other options that are available.
4 years, 4 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.
Do you have to use the rear speakers when purchasing this item, and will it effect the system with the rear speakers Not in use
The rear speakers are completely optional. If you don't pair anything with them, it just reports itself as a 3.1.2 channel soundbar.
4 years, 4 months ago
by
Batlacit
Unleash the power of the Samsung 980 PRO PCIe 4.0 NVMe Gen4 SSD for next-level computing. 980 PRO delivers 2x the data transfer rate of PCIe 3.0, while maintaining compatibility with PCIe 3.0.~ ~The NVM Express~ design mark is a registered trademark of NVM Express, Inc.* Results are based on a comparison with Samsung PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSDs and SATA SSDs. PS5 compatible with heatsink as recommended by Sony; heatsink sold separately.
How about adding the endurance specification to your descriptions?
Endurance is rated at 1200tbw for the 2tb model, 600 for the 1tb, and 300 for the 500gb. All of them are warrantied for 5 years.
4 years, 4 months ago
by
Batlacit
Unleash the power of the Samsung 980 PRO PCIe 4.0 NVMe Gen4 SSD for next-level computing. 980 PRO delivers 2x the data transfer rate of PCIe 3.0, while maintaining compatibility with PCIe 3.0.~ ~The NVM Express~ design mark is a registered trademark of NVM Express, Inc.* Results are based on a comparison with Samsung PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSDs and SATA SSDs. PS5 compatible with heatsink as recommended by Sony; heatsink sold separately.
Has anyone noticed it being hot? Not quite sure if it would be ok for my laptop.
Operating temps never even hit 70°c in the ASUS gaming ultrabook I tried it in, and that's not exactly a cool machine to begin with. I think it'd do fine in most laptops provided they have decent cooling, particularly since there's some onboard thermal management to help keep it from burning itself out.
4 years, 4 months ago
by
Batlacit
BISSELL SpinWave wet and dry robotic vacuum provides two ways to clean in a single revolutionary robot. The two tank system actively mops or powerfully vacuums with smart, structured cleaning paths. Use it in dry vacuuming mode to collect pet hair, dirt and other debris on carpet, area rugs and hard floors. When used in wet mopping mode, the mop pads and BISSELL cleaning solution work together to scrub floors clean. And, with the Soft Surface Avoidance Sensor, there's no need to worry about the robot going up on area rugs or carpets when in wet mopping mode. Plus, this product doesn't just clean up after pets, it helps save them, too. BISSELL proudly supports BISSELL Pet Foundation and its mission to help save homeless pets. When you buy a BISSELL product, you help save pets, too. We're proud to design products that help make pet messes, odors and pet homelessness disappear.
Hi, does this cleaner spray water and mop the floor?
It's not spraying water so much as it's excreting it, but yes. It's got one of the most effective mopping systems I've tried in a robot.
4 years, 7 months ago
by
Batlacit
BISSELL SpinWave wet and dry robotic vacuum provides two ways to clean in a single revolutionary robot. The two tank system actively mops or powerfully vacuums with smart, structured cleaning paths. Use it in dry vacuuming mode to collect pet hair, dirt and other debris on carpet, area rugs and hard floors. When used in wet mopping mode, the mop pads and BISSELL cleaning solution work together to scrub floors clean. And, with the Soft Surface Avoidance Sensor, there's no need to worry about the robot going up on area rugs or carpets when in wet mopping mode. Plus, this product doesn't just clean up after pets, it helps save them, too. BISSELL proudly supports BISSELL Pet Foundation and its mission to help save homeless pets. When you buy a BISSELL product, you help save pets, too. We're proud to design products that help make pet messes, odors and pet homelessness disappear.
Can you make a map for the robot in the app?
No. The robot really doesn't seem to have any awareness of the geometry of a room, it just follows a set pattern from its starting point until it hits something. It's less random than the old bumper vacuums which means it gets further on a charge, but it's also easier for it to miss spots.
4 years, 7 months ago
by
Batlacit
BISSELL SpinWave wet and dry robotic vacuum provides two ways to clean in a single revolutionary robot. The two tank system actively mops or powerfully vacuums with smart, structured cleaning paths. Use it in dry vacuuming mode to collect pet hair, dirt and other debris on carpet, area rugs and hard floors. When used in wet mopping mode, the mop pads and BISSELL cleaning solution work together to scrub floors clean. And, with the Soft Surface Avoidance Sensor, there's no need to worry about the robot going up on area rugs or carpets when in wet mopping mode. Plus, this product doesn't just clean up after pets, it helps save them, too. BISSELL proudly supports BISSELL Pet Foundation and its mission to help save homeless pets. When you buy a BISSELL product, you help save pets, too. We're proud to design products that help make pet messes, odors and pet homelessness disappear.
Does this Vacuum and mop at the same time? Or first vacuum, then mop?
In mop mode it can do a little vacuuming as the vacuum head still runs and there's a tiny (unfiltered) dustbin to hold any debris it sweeps up, but I'm pretty sure it's not going to do much to trap dust. And it can't do both carpet and hard flooring in one go, you need to swap out a module for the different floor types.
4 years, 7 months ago
by
Batlacit
BISSELL SpinWave wet and dry robotic vacuum provides two ways to clean in a single revolutionary robot. The two tank system actively mops or powerfully vacuums with smart, structured cleaning paths. Use it in dry vacuuming mode to collect pet hair, dirt and other debris on carpet, area rugs and hard floors. When used in wet mopping mode, the mop pads and BISSELL cleaning solution work together to scrub floors clean. And, with the Soft Surface Avoidance Sensor, there's no need to worry about the robot going up on area rugs or carpets when in wet mopping mode. Plus, this product doesn't just clean up after pets, it helps save them, too. BISSELL proudly supports BISSELL Pet Foundation and its mission to help save homeless pets. When you buy a BISSELL product, you help save pets, too. We're proud to design products that help make pet messes, odors and pet homelessness disappear.
I have tile and carpet throughout home. Will it mop tile then switch to vacuum carpet? Or do I have to tell it what to do? .
It can't do both simultaneously. You need to switch modes by swapping out the standard dustbin for a motorized mophead containing a tank for cleaning fluid. In this mode it will not run if it detects that it's on carpeting.
4 years, 7 months ago
by
Batlacit
Fly through the sky in ways that seem impossible. We never lost our passion for flying, and with DJI FPV, those passions have turned imagination into reality. With this immersive and intuitive aerial platform, get ready to go into the beyond. Sleek and aerodynamic, the DJI FPV aircraft delivers powerful propulsion, battery life, and wind resistance, making this system as capable as it is visually stunning.
Will this drone and all it's features work well with my Samsung Galaxy Note 10+?
The DJI Fly app will run fine on a Note 10, but it should be noted that it doesn't actually need to use the phone for nearly as much as some other drones DJI has released. Most of the vital functions are handled in the included FPV goggles.
4 years, 7 months ago
by
Batlacit
Fly through the sky in ways that seem impossible. We never lost our passion for flying, and with DJI FPV, those passions have turned imagination into reality. With this immersive and intuitive aerial platform, get ready to go into the beyond. Sleek and aerodynamic, the DJI FPV aircraft delivers powerful propulsion, battery life, and wind resistance, making this system as capable as it is visually stunning.
Does this fly more combo come with more than 1 battery?
This SKU is not for the fly more combo, and it does not come with extra batteries. The one that's included runs for about 15-20 minutes in N mode, and requires a little less than an hour to charge.
4 years, 7 months ago
by
Batlacit