Batlacit's stats
- Review count228
- Helpfulness votes918
- First reviewFebruary 13, 2016
- Last reviewJune 23, 2025
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- Average rating4.5
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- Answer count55
- Helpfulness votes100
- First answerSeptember 21, 2016
- Last answerJanuary 21, 2022
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Experience high-quality sound anywhere with this Polk Audio BOOM Bit wearable Bluetooth speaker. Its steel spring clip attaches it securely to your clothing, providing great audio without blocking out noise from the surroundings. The 3-hour battery life of this compact Polk Audio BOOM Bit wearable Bluetooth speaker keeps the tunes coming on any adventure.
Customer Rating
3
Definitely a niche item.
on April 29, 2017
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
I've tried a few different bluetooth speakers/speakerphones over the years, and I've gotten used to the various tradeoffs you usually need to make with them. This one is a pretty thoroughly middle of the road one in terms of performance, though it does have a few nice features to help it stand out.
So, to start with those features, this speaker forgoes a charging port in order to just stick a full USB drive on the bottom, covered by a protective cap. As such there are no cables to worry about when it comes to charging. And the speaker does seem to be fairly waterproof based on what happened when I got unexpectedly caught in a rain storm wearing it. I'm not sure how much I'd recommend you put that to the test, but for the intended use taking it outdoors on bike rides and hikes it should be rugged enough. It also does seem to genuinely get close to 3 hours of battery life as advertised.
So, to start with those features, this speaker forgoes a charging port in order to just stick a full USB drive on the bottom, covered by a protective cap. As such there are no cables to worry about when it comes to charging. And the speaker does seem to be fairly waterproof based on what happened when I got unexpectedly caught in a rain storm wearing it. I'm not sure how much I'd recommend you put that to the test, but for the intended use taking it outdoors on bike rides and hikes it should be rugged enough. It also does seem to genuinely get close to 3 hours of battery life as advertised.
Beyond that though... There isn't much to say about this. The volume is good, but not that much better than what you can get on most phones with the volume turned up. The audio itself is definitely weighted towards giving you more bass, and this can cause some sound to be lost out in the world. And the controls are all centered around the volume buttons, meaning it's rather difficult to remember all the specific combinations of long and short presses you need to run through all the different functions. This led to some awkward moments when I thought I'd turned it off, only to have a private call suddenly broadcast to everyone in my vicinity at maximum volume.
All in all, I'd still say you're probably better off just going with a single earbud than you are a wearable speaker for listening on the go. But if that won't work for you, this is a workable compromise.
My Best Buy number: 2187428738
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Clean carpets, couches and stairs easily with this adaptable Dyson Ball Animal vacuum. Various attachments, including a tangle-free turbine tool, a multi-angle brush and a stair tool make pet hair removal quick and simple. The Dyson Ball Animal vacuum comes with a generous 35-foot cord, making it ideal for larger homes.
Customer Rating
4
Powerful Vacuum with just a few Weak Links
on March 28, 2017
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
So like pretty much everyone, I've heard that Dysons were good vacuums. I'd heard that they were powerful. I'd heard that they were well built. But I'd never actually tried one until this.
So when it arrived I assembled all of the parts, pulled out the cleaning wand, and turned it on.
The suction created was powerful enough to immediately collapse the extended tube leading to the wand, almost pulling the Dyson over in the process. And make no mistake - had it not quite obviously been designed to keep this from happening, it would have yanked the entire vacuum straight across the room.
The power that this thing can produce cannot be understated. And while there are plenty of other great features, that's the one I keep coming back to.
So, on those other features, the cleaning head, wand, and accessories are all very well thought out, highly modular, and in many cases built in clear plastic so that if something goes wrong, you can immediately spot where it is. The cleaning bin is very cleverly designed, with a drop out bottom that lets you simply hold it over a trash can and press a button to dump everything straight into the can. and most of the accessories are stored nearly seamlessly in the vacuum cleaner itself. Most will collapse down into more compact forms as well, and are built with 2 latches so that they can be locked in place either in their storage or use position. Even the little stabilizer wheels to keep the ball base from falling over when it's being used as a cannister vac or being stored seamlessly fold up and out of the way when you pull back on the handle, and snap back into place when you bring it back upright. At times, it kind of feels like someone took a Transformer toy and made a working version, which I'll admit does make it an unusually fun thing to use.
That said, this similarity is also where I did find a few downsides to the unit as well. They're fairly minor things that wouldn't affect normal use, but does make me worry a bit about long-term durability. Namely, just about all of these moving parts are made of plastic, and some of them seem worryingly light duty. The button which opens up the bottom of the bin, for instance, is basically a long, thin plastic plunger that will bend ominously whenever you don't press it just right. Given that this is going to be one of the most heavily worn parts not in the engine, I'm really astonished they didn't go with something more robust or, failing that, at least install some guides to keep the bending from happening. More worrying is the fact that this button also serves dual duty in keeping the bin attached to the rest of the vacuum. If the rod snapped and it just kept you from being able to open the bottom of the bin quite so cleanly, that would be annoying but not much of a problem. But I do find myself concerned at the prospect that damage to it could also potentially make it impossible to keep the bin in place.
Another thing that I found somewhat annoying is the fact that there is no place to stick one of the key accessories that makes this an Animal rated vacuum - a small tangle-free brush-head for removing fur and hair referred to as the mini turbine tool - does not have a storage space on the vacuum itself. This seems to be because apart from some internal differences, it's mostly just a standard Dyson design cast in a different color of plastic. It would have been very nice to be able to keep all the accessories in one place, particularly since the turbine tool is small, expensive, and the kind of thing one could easily lose for a prolonged period.
That said, these misgivings really only keep me from giving this thing a perfect score. The cleaning performance of the thing is fantastic - it was able to pick up a full bin of dust even on floors that are vacuumed daily. Long hair, animal fur, mud, even some wet messes didn't so much as slow it down. It's an expensive tool to be sure, but it's also one of the best.
So when it arrived I assembled all of the parts, pulled out the cleaning wand, and turned it on.
The suction created was powerful enough to immediately collapse the extended tube leading to the wand, almost pulling the Dyson over in the process. And make no mistake - had it not quite obviously been designed to keep this from happening, it would have yanked the entire vacuum straight across the room.
The power that this thing can produce cannot be understated. And while there are plenty of other great features, that's the one I keep coming back to.
So, on those other features, the cleaning head, wand, and accessories are all very well thought out, highly modular, and in many cases built in clear plastic so that if something goes wrong, you can immediately spot where it is. The cleaning bin is very cleverly designed, with a drop out bottom that lets you simply hold it over a trash can and press a button to dump everything straight into the can. and most of the accessories are stored nearly seamlessly in the vacuum cleaner itself. Most will collapse down into more compact forms as well, and are built with 2 latches so that they can be locked in place either in their storage or use position. Even the little stabilizer wheels to keep the ball base from falling over when it's being used as a cannister vac or being stored seamlessly fold up and out of the way when you pull back on the handle, and snap back into place when you bring it back upright. At times, it kind of feels like someone took a Transformer toy and made a working version, which I'll admit does make it an unusually fun thing to use.
That said, this similarity is also where I did find a few downsides to the unit as well. They're fairly minor things that wouldn't affect normal use, but does make me worry a bit about long-term durability. Namely, just about all of these moving parts are made of plastic, and some of them seem worryingly light duty. The button which opens up the bottom of the bin, for instance, is basically a long, thin plastic plunger that will bend ominously whenever you don't press it just right. Given that this is going to be one of the most heavily worn parts not in the engine, I'm really astonished they didn't go with something more robust or, failing that, at least install some guides to keep the bending from happening. More worrying is the fact that this button also serves dual duty in keeping the bin attached to the rest of the vacuum. If the rod snapped and it just kept you from being able to open the bottom of the bin quite so cleanly, that would be annoying but not much of a problem. But I do find myself concerned at the prospect that damage to it could also potentially make it impossible to keep the bin in place.
Another thing that I found somewhat annoying is the fact that there is no place to stick one of the key accessories that makes this an Animal rated vacuum - a small tangle-free brush-head for removing fur and hair referred to as the mini turbine tool - does not have a storage space on the vacuum itself. This seems to be because apart from some internal differences, it's mostly just a standard Dyson design cast in a different color of plastic. It would have been very nice to be able to keep all the accessories in one place, particularly since the turbine tool is small, expensive, and the kind of thing one could easily lose for a prolonged period.
That said, these misgivings really only keep me from giving this thing a perfect score. The cleaning performance of the thing is fantastic - it was able to pick up a full bin of dust even on floors that are vacuumed daily. Long hair, animal fur, mud, even some wet messes didn't so much as slow it down. It's an expensive tool to be sure, but it's also one of the best.
My Best Buy number: 2187428738
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Make your home an internet haven with this versatile Linksys Velop wireless Wi-Fi system. Three identical tri-band dual-stream AC2200 routers, each equipped with a quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor, deliver lightning-fast internet. Equipped with Bluetooth 4.0/LE, this Linksys Velop wireless Wi-Fi system is simple to set up and pairs easily with computers, tablets and smart devices.
Customer Rating
4
Flexible and powerful if you need it
on January 12, 2017
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
So first thing you need to understand is that this is very different from most consumer routers. It's an example of a mesh wi-fi setup, which for most people who don't have very large homes is complete overkill in terms of coverage. The box advertises up to 6000 square feet with some caveats. I wasn't able to really figure out what the upper limit might be in a real world setup, but I do feel pretty confident that you could probably at least hit around 5000 without too much difficulty.
But assuming that you do have that much space you absolutely need to cover with high speed Wi-Fi, this is probably one of the more user friendly systems I've seen. A big part of that is that unlike a lot of similar systems where you have a base station hooked up to your modem and a variety of satellites, this one has gone for a more generalized design. Each node contains everything it needs to serve as either a satellite or a base router. In fact I'm pretty sure you could just set these up as 3 independent routers without any difficulty. Not only does this mean you don't need to worry about sorting out which is which when you're setting it up, but it also might help with the longevity of the system as a whole. One of the biggest issues with these that I've always seen is that if you were to invest heavily in a system only to have the router break, your only option would pretty much be to buy the starter kit again or, even worse, scrap all the functional satellites and buy the latest version. As far as I can see, you wouldn't have that issue here, and it strikes me that the system might be more capable of being combined with newer node designs as a result.
As for the nodes themselves, they're attractively built pillars with good ventilation and only a single small LED at the top to illustrate status. If you're looking to determine the status of your network at a glance this isn't going to help, but for a home user the design work is quite unobtrusive while still looking suitably like something that came out of Star Trek. This is helped by a pretty good little rubber clip at one corner to help manage cables, making it very easy to hide the more technical necessities.
Speaking of those, the system is rated at AC6600, basically meaning that the system's total rated throughput is 6.6gbps. If that sounds too good to be true... well, it is. Typically the speeds for these multi-band systems is arrived at by taking the sum of the maximum speed for all 3 of the wireless transceivers supported by the router (2 5ghz and 1 2.4 ghz.) In this case, the fact that the system is actually 3 separate routers has allowed them to multiply that sum by 3, so really what you're getting is 3 nodes capable of 2200mpbs. That's still fast enough to place this in one of the higher performance tiers for AC routers, but it's still on the low end of the scale there unless your traffic is physically spread out in your environment. I don't think most users will ever actually have enough Wi-Fi devices running simultaneously to create serious network congestion with something this fast and distributed, but if you're one of those rare people who can bring a router to its knees it might be worth keeping in mind that there are a lot of added factors that go into determining just how fast this system actually is.
Going a step further in the technical details, this router takes a somewhat different approach to configuring it. Rather than requiring you to plug directly into it with a computer, as many routers do, this one handles all the setup through the Linksys app available for both iOS and Android. To provide a bit of extra security, each node comes equipped with a Bluetooth connection that the instructions encourage you to make use of. Given that the nodes are capable of independent use and designed to throw the Wi-Fi signal as far as possible, that's probably a good call. The App makes the setup process extremely user friendly. Once it's done, the Linksys app itself is actually very comprehensive, and the router has most of the advanced configuration features that you'd expect for something in this range.
Unfortunately, at this point I do need to get into a few of the things that I didn't like much about the Velop, and the biggest one actually has to do with that app. It is compulsory at this point to use the app to setup the router and administrate it. While this isn't as onerous as it once might have been these days with smartphones being nearly ubiquitous, the lack of a traditional web-based interface is very annoying, and something that I can only hope is remedied in future updates. The other issue I have with these is that in trying to make the individuals nodes small, they've only left space for 2 wired ports in each of them. This is both a blessing and a curse. A curse for anyone who set their router and modem up right at the core of a bunch of wired devices, as it pretty much requires you to either get a much less photogenic switch to plug into or place 2 nodes right next to each other just to get 3 of them tied in. And a blessing in that it does allow you to spread your wired devices out all around the house without having to worry about it. There are no USB ports for network storage or printers to be found either. These two, ultimately, are what kept me from giving the system 5 stars. While these may make things very easy for the average consumer to deal with, more advanced users may well find themselves frustrated with the lack of features that they're used to taking for granted.
All in all though, despite my issues with it, I do think the Velop might be my favorite one of these systems to work with. There are a few features that I wasn't able to test, most notably advertized integration with Amazon's Alexa AI assistant, but what I did see was a very clean, very polished product.
My Best Buy number: 2187428738
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Enhance footage and create professional-looking video montages with Adobe Premiere Elements 15. Access the software’s de-haze feature on your traditional computer or touchscreen device to reduce mist and fog for a bright, clear result. Features like enhanced search, which help you sort and label videos appropriately, make Adobe Premiere Elements 15 an essential for any budding videographer.
Customer Rating
5
Good Midrange Software for Hobbyists
on November 7, 2016
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
These days, just about every computer you can get will come with a video editing package capable of handling basic cuts, transitions, and filters. If that's all you're looking for, you probably don't need to invest in anything more advanced.
But if you're looking to do something a bit more ambitious, but can't justify the high cost of a subscription to get access to the full professional versions of Adobe's products, the Elements version of Premiere is probably what you want to aim for.
There are several drag-and drop guided editing modes available which are all pretty much what you'd expect from a standard video editor, just with a little bit of added Adobe flair thrown in for good measure. They're quite serviceable, but honestly that's not really what makes this product stand out. For that, you want to switch to the Expert mode, where you suddenly get access to fine control over various effects, chroma keying, and several other effects.
You definitely don't have everything that you might get with a full professional level video package. But if all you're looking to do is make a really impressive video for youTube, a wedding, a fanfilm, or just for fun, this will probably meet your needs.
But if you're looking to do something a bit more ambitious, but can't justify the high cost of a subscription to get access to the full professional versions of Adobe's products, the Elements version of Premiere is probably what you want to aim for.
There are several drag-and drop guided editing modes available which are all pretty much what you'd expect from a standard video editor, just with a little bit of added Adobe flair thrown in for good measure. They're quite serviceable, but honestly that's not really what makes this product stand out. For that, you want to switch to the Expert mode, where you suddenly get access to fine control over various effects, chroma keying, and several other effects.
You definitely don't have everything that you might get with a full professional level video package. But if all you're looking to do is make a really impressive video for youTube, a wedding, a fanfilm, or just for fun, this will probably meet your needs.
My Best Buy number: 2187428738
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Connect your external wireless devices to the internet with this Linksys dual-band router. Two 5Ghz bands support both high-end gaming and low-end applications without compromising speed, and remote management lets you make adjustments from any location. This Linksys dual-band router has a sleek design that integrates easily into most workspaces.
Customer Rating
3
Powerful equipment with a learning curve.
on November 7, 2016
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
So first, I should mention that I have a fair degree of experience working with enterprise grade networking hardware thanks to work. I've also set up many, many consumer routers. So the idea of this particular router, which is basically being presented as a midpoint between the fully customizable professional grade equipment and the cheaper and more user friendly consumer products, was interesting to me.
Unfortunately, the conclusion I drew after spending a day struggling with the basic setup was that they've managed to bring a lot of additional complexity to the product along with the improved specs. This router was not at all easy to get running the way I needed it to. Getting it operational required a ton of tinkering, a manual firmware downgrade, and a LOT of working around the bugs that kept popping up. Fortunately I knew how to do all of this - and the fact that it's designed to be a bit more accessible than most to tinkerers helped. But when it comes right down to it, this is more aimed at consumers than it is at pros, and for a consumer product that's very worrying.
The thing is, once I did get it working, the router performed brilliantly. It's extremely fast, has good range, and has a host of features that I find very useful in managing my home network. It's got good prioritization, fine control over the guest network, and the option to merge the 2.4ghz and 5ghz bands into a single SSID. Not only that, but the way the 5ghz band is setup does indeed seem to result in an overall increase in speeds with compatible devices (though it's not quite the 3x boost advertised on the box - this kind of equipment never actually reaches its theoretical capacity.) But in the end, these are features that consumers can find elsewhere.
So yeah. If you're a hobbyist or need a cheap option to set up an extremely complicated environment, this router is a great choice. But if you're not particularly experienced in working with open-source networking equipment, I can't say that the added cost of this router will necessarily be worth it.
Unfortunately, the conclusion I drew after spending a day struggling with the basic setup was that they've managed to bring a lot of additional complexity to the product along with the improved specs. This router was not at all easy to get running the way I needed it to. Getting it operational required a ton of tinkering, a manual firmware downgrade, and a LOT of working around the bugs that kept popping up. Fortunately I knew how to do all of this - and the fact that it's designed to be a bit more accessible than most to tinkerers helped. But when it comes right down to it, this is more aimed at consumers than it is at pros, and for a consumer product that's very worrying.
The thing is, once I did get it working, the router performed brilliantly. It's extremely fast, has good range, and has a host of features that I find very useful in managing my home network. It's got good prioritization, fine control over the guest network, and the option to merge the 2.4ghz and 5ghz bands into a single SSID. Not only that, but the way the 5ghz band is setup does indeed seem to result in an overall increase in speeds with compatible devices (though it's not quite the 3x boost advertised on the box - this kind of equipment never actually reaches its theoretical capacity.) But in the end, these are features that consumers can find elsewhere.
So yeah. If you're a hobbyist or need a cheap option to set up an extremely complicated environment, this router is a great choice. But if you're not particularly experienced in working with open-source networking equipment, I can't say that the added cost of this router will necessarily be worth it.
My Best Buy number: 2187428738
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Add high-end performance to your everyday life with the Google Pixel XL. A quad-core processor, a 5.5-inch LED screen and 32GB of memory ensure this phone is able to handle daily life, and Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protects the screen. Easy cloud storage ensures you never run out of space on the Google Pixel XL.
Customer Rating
4
Good Hardware, Fantastic Software
on October 20, 2016
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
The Pixel is the first time that Google has tried to create it's own phone rather than just providing the software. And, frankly, it shows. The hardware on this phone is a bit of a mixed bag that I'd say overall is rather average as flagships go. But that doesn't particularly matter - it's the software that sets this thing apart from every other Android device I've used.
If you've never had a chance to try stock Android, you probably have no idea just how much faster it is than the modified versions that phone manufacturers tend to use. And the Pixel, running the latest version of Nougat (yet to be released anywhere else) is a step above that already high bar. The phone is amazingly responsive and quick to work, not to mention a lot more stable than most. It's also got some really impressive optimizations when it comes to power. The battery isn't particularly big by modern standards, but you'd never know that from how long it lasts. Even after a full day of use, it still had 40% power left when I got home. Adding to this performance is the rather hefty fast charger, that can very quickly top you up and uses the latest USB-C standard.
The build quality is also excellent. It just feels good in your hand - owing to a very subtle taper to the design and careful machining on the aluminum body. There are no gaps or issues with balance. And the antennas are perhaps the most comprehensive I've ever seen on a phone - making it possible for you to use this thing on pretty much anything you want anywhere in the world barring a few exceptions. That alone might make this worth picking up if you frequently travel out of the country.
If you're looking at the cameras, I think you will also be pleasantly surprised. The camera is amazingly sharp for only being 12MP - in fact it's much better than the 16MP cameras I've seen on the market. The autofocus is instant, the color balance pretty decent under most light, and it supports a wide range of specialized features such as slow motion, photospheres, and filters.
That said, there are a few lingering issues that keep me from giving this phone full marks. Biggest is the fact that Google has neglected to include any options for removable storage, opting instead for a cloud based solution that will offload videos and photos. That's fine in theory, but if you're going to be spending a lot of time away from WiFi it could chip into your data plan pretty quickly. Also, it seems to me that this misses the fact that most android users end up eating up more space with apps than they do media, and there's no way to move those into cloud storage. With Android having so many options for expandable storage, the lack of a microSD slot seems to be a glaring omission.
Another issue I noticed is heat. Under most circumstances, the phone's quad core processor runs in low power mode. And when that happens, it's actually very cool. But if you start taxing it, the metal body begins pumping heat straight into your hand at a rather startling rate. It quickly became uncomfortable when I was transferring large amounts of data, I can only imagine that sustained use could be difficult without a case.
The last main feature of the phone - it's integration of the Daydream VR technology also by Google - is unfortunately not something that I could test for this review. I suspect it's very good given the high resolution of the screen, but suspect is all I can do.
Overall, I rate the Pixel very high, but not quite at the top of the pile. There's no question it's got the best software on the market. But the hardware very much feels like a first attempt no matter how I look at it. It's a very good first attempt, but still no doubt room for improvement. I think almost everyone would be happy with the phone as it is, and if the standout features are what you're looking for, then it'll probably be fantastic. But if you're holding out for expandable storage, a more compact design, or some of the more ambitious features Google has been prototyping, you may want to wait for the second generation. If this one is any indication, I anticipate great things.
If you've never had a chance to try stock Android, you probably have no idea just how much faster it is than the modified versions that phone manufacturers tend to use. And the Pixel, running the latest version of Nougat (yet to be released anywhere else) is a step above that already high bar. The phone is amazingly responsive and quick to work, not to mention a lot more stable than most. It's also got some really impressive optimizations when it comes to power. The battery isn't particularly big by modern standards, but you'd never know that from how long it lasts. Even after a full day of use, it still had 40% power left when I got home. Adding to this performance is the rather hefty fast charger, that can very quickly top you up and uses the latest USB-C standard.
The build quality is also excellent. It just feels good in your hand - owing to a very subtle taper to the design and careful machining on the aluminum body. There are no gaps or issues with balance. And the antennas are perhaps the most comprehensive I've ever seen on a phone - making it possible for you to use this thing on pretty much anything you want anywhere in the world barring a few exceptions. That alone might make this worth picking up if you frequently travel out of the country.
If you're looking at the cameras, I think you will also be pleasantly surprised. The camera is amazingly sharp for only being 12MP - in fact it's much better than the 16MP cameras I've seen on the market. The autofocus is instant, the color balance pretty decent under most light, and it supports a wide range of specialized features such as slow motion, photospheres, and filters.
That said, there are a few lingering issues that keep me from giving this phone full marks. Biggest is the fact that Google has neglected to include any options for removable storage, opting instead for a cloud based solution that will offload videos and photos. That's fine in theory, but if you're going to be spending a lot of time away from WiFi it could chip into your data plan pretty quickly. Also, it seems to me that this misses the fact that most android users end up eating up more space with apps than they do media, and there's no way to move those into cloud storage. With Android having so many options for expandable storage, the lack of a microSD slot seems to be a glaring omission.
Another issue I noticed is heat. Under most circumstances, the phone's quad core processor runs in low power mode. And when that happens, it's actually very cool. But if you start taxing it, the metal body begins pumping heat straight into your hand at a rather startling rate. It quickly became uncomfortable when I was transferring large amounts of data, I can only imagine that sustained use could be difficult without a case.
The last main feature of the phone - it's integration of the Daydream VR technology also by Google - is unfortunately not something that I could test for this review. I suspect it's very good given the high resolution of the screen, but suspect is all I can do.
Overall, I rate the Pixel very high, but not quite at the top of the pile. There's no question it's got the best software on the market. But the hardware very much feels like a first attempt no matter how I look at it. It's a very good first attempt, but still no doubt room for improvement. I think almost everyone would be happy with the phone as it is, and if the standout features are what you're looking for, then it'll probably be fantastic. But if you're holding out for expandable storage, a more compact design, or some of the more ambitious features Google has been prototyping, you may want to wait for the second generation. If this one is any indication, I anticipate great things.
My Best Buy number: 2187428738
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Brew delicious coffee your way with this single-serve Ninja Coffee Bar system. It uses any ground coffee while bringing out the best flavor with advanced thermal flavor extraction technology. This versatile Ninja Coffee Bar system has a built-in frother that lets you brew, froth and drink out of one mug.
Customer Rating
4
What do you know, it works!
on September 28, 2016
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
Okay, so first a disclaimer. I received this product for review purposes.
Which is probably a good thing, because when I first saw what it was, I really wasn't convinced that it was anything other than a coffee maker with a gimmick. There are just so many products these days that claim to vastly improve your food through some kind of culinary magic that, in the end, doesn't produce a perceptible difference.
But in this case, the gimmick (namely precise temperature control on the water) really does seem to have a noticeable impact on the coffee produced Not only that, it can be used to make a ton of coffeehouse style beverages that really do taste just as good as anything produced by a barista. What's more, I found that it actually requires less coffee to achieve the same relative strength, so there are some actual cost savings here that I never anticipated.
I also have to say I'm very pleased with the design ethic behind it. These days, single serve coffee makers all tend to rely on the k-cup, a horrifying invention from an ecological standpoint as it's managed to balloon our already absurd amount of plastic waste. This one, however, has none of it. The thing comes with a very nice and easily cleaned permanent filter, but if that's not to your taste it can be swapped out for another one or a paper filter.
As for ease of use, it supports a wide variety of containers, and really is just a question of pushing the right buttons to get it to work. All the parts are well labeled and straightforward. The integrated frother takes a little practice to learn how to avoid splattering liquid with it, but after a couple of accidents I learned it well enough.
That said, there are some downsides to this thing. The first is that this is definitely one of the bigger single-serving coffee makers I've seen. I don't really see any way around that, but the fact that they did their best doesn't change the fact that it takes up a lot more space than I expected on my counter. So if counter space is at a premium, you may need to take that into account.
The second has to do with one of the bigger features advertised for it - the ability to produce coffee house drinks. Sufficed to say, it provides the necessary parts (namely the concentrated coffee) but not much beyond that. The recipe book included has some great ones, but nothing about the device makes it any easier to actually prepare the drink. If that's what you're looking at this for, expect to have to practice a bit.
Which is probably a good thing, because when I first saw what it was, I really wasn't convinced that it was anything other than a coffee maker with a gimmick. There are just so many products these days that claim to vastly improve your food through some kind of culinary magic that, in the end, doesn't produce a perceptible difference.
But in this case, the gimmick (namely precise temperature control on the water) really does seem to have a noticeable impact on the coffee produced Not only that, it can be used to make a ton of coffeehouse style beverages that really do taste just as good as anything produced by a barista. What's more, I found that it actually requires less coffee to achieve the same relative strength, so there are some actual cost savings here that I never anticipated.
I also have to say I'm very pleased with the design ethic behind it. These days, single serve coffee makers all tend to rely on the k-cup, a horrifying invention from an ecological standpoint as it's managed to balloon our already absurd amount of plastic waste. This one, however, has none of it. The thing comes with a very nice and easily cleaned permanent filter, but if that's not to your taste it can be swapped out for another one or a paper filter.
As for ease of use, it supports a wide variety of containers, and really is just a question of pushing the right buttons to get it to work. All the parts are well labeled and straightforward. The integrated frother takes a little practice to learn how to avoid splattering liquid with it, but after a couple of accidents I learned it well enough.
That said, there are some downsides to this thing. The first is that this is definitely one of the bigger single-serving coffee makers I've seen. I don't really see any way around that, but the fact that they did their best doesn't change the fact that it takes up a lot more space than I expected on my counter. So if counter space is at a premium, you may need to take that into account.
The second has to do with one of the bigger features advertised for it - the ability to produce coffee house drinks. Sufficed to say, it provides the necessary parts (namely the concentrated coffee) but not much beyond that. The recipe book included has some great ones, but nothing about the device makes it any easier to actually prepare the drink. If that's what you're looking at this for, expect to have to practice a bit.
All in all though, I'm very happy with this thing, lost counter space notwithstanding. The size and skill requirement for doing anything more complex than basic coffee does mean it's probably best suited for serious coffee drinkers, but as someone who prefers tea (which this can also brew) I'm still quite pleased having it in my kitchen.
My Best Buy number: 2187428738
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Your household wants to play, stream and work online all at once. With this Linksys router, you can do it all without buffering or other interruptions. Use the Smart Wi-Fi app to get started, control, and monitor your home network from anywhere.
Customer Rating
5
Impressive speeds at a reasonable price point
on February 13, 2016
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
I'd previously used a Linksys router that I'd been very happy with right up until it died of overheating. It was a very good router for everything I needed, but had a very poor design as far as heat dispersal went. It left me a little cautious with the brand ever since, so I was not expecting to be quite so impressed with this one!
First up, as you might imagine the first thing I was watching for with this thing was heat. I'm pleased to say that they obviously learned their lesson - the heat dispersal is vastly improved, and it's never gotten much more beyond "mildly warm" to the touch. The new case might not look as sleek as the previous designs, but it's far better in terms of performance.
The downside though is that this also means it's substantially larger. This occupies about twice the footprint of my old Linksys, and about 50% more than the router that replaced it. I'm more than willing to put up with that for something that gives me a substantial performance boost without making it prone to suicide, but it is something you might want to consider if desk space is at a premium for you.
Speaking of performance, WOW, the new AC standard is a step up in regards to speeds! Advertised rates go up to 1.3 gbps, but that's really just a measurement of burst speeds. In real world conditions you generally don't get anything near advertised rates, so once I'd set it up and made sure it was running cool I went and started running some benchmarks to see what I actually was getting. And it's very good indeed! On the 5ghz band I was easily maintaining speeds of about 900mbps. These routers really are to the point where they're comparable to a wired connection in terms of speed, and so far my attempts to get it to choke as far as reliability have been thwarted every time. The connection is fast and stable.
Going a little deeper, the router maintains networks on both 2.4 and 5 ghz bands. I'm liking this feature more than I thought, as it lets me separate out my devices into the networks best suited for them to make sure that routing speeds aren't negatively affected by a few older devices. This is made very easy through the highly customizable and very accessible router interface, which lets you be as technical or simple as your skill level requires. Some of my favorite features here include a prioritization system which lets rank the three most important devices on your network in terms of bandwidth priority, which is great if you've got a network under heavy load from a dozen bandwidth hungry devices but really just want to watch Netflix, and the very clever feature which gives you a dimmer switch for the onboard lights for the router, even letting you turn them off entirely! Were I still living in a place where my router was located in my bedroom this might have almost been a deciding factor alone in choosing this router.
The MuMIMO feature, of course, is a big selling point. I'm sorry to say I can't quite say for sure if it's all that it's made out to be based solely on my tests. Things were improved, yes, but not so much so that I can rule out the possibility that I'm just seeing the results of the higher bandwidth capacity. I give this feature a cautious thumbs up for now. It's probably not going to blow your mind on its own, but it certainly won't make your performance worse with multiple devices.
First up, as you might imagine the first thing I was watching for with this thing was heat. I'm pleased to say that they obviously learned their lesson - the heat dispersal is vastly improved, and it's never gotten much more beyond "mildly warm" to the touch. The new case might not look as sleek as the previous designs, but it's far better in terms of performance.
The downside though is that this also means it's substantially larger. This occupies about twice the footprint of my old Linksys, and about 50% more than the router that replaced it. I'm more than willing to put up with that for something that gives me a substantial performance boost without making it prone to suicide, but it is something you might want to consider if desk space is at a premium for you.
Speaking of performance, WOW, the new AC standard is a step up in regards to speeds! Advertised rates go up to 1.3 gbps, but that's really just a measurement of burst speeds. In real world conditions you generally don't get anything near advertised rates, so once I'd set it up and made sure it was running cool I went and started running some benchmarks to see what I actually was getting. And it's very good indeed! On the 5ghz band I was easily maintaining speeds of about 900mbps. These routers really are to the point where they're comparable to a wired connection in terms of speed, and so far my attempts to get it to choke as far as reliability have been thwarted every time. The connection is fast and stable.
Going a little deeper, the router maintains networks on both 2.4 and 5 ghz bands. I'm liking this feature more than I thought, as it lets me separate out my devices into the networks best suited for them to make sure that routing speeds aren't negatively affected by a few older devices. This is made very easy through the highly customizable and very accessible router interface, which lets you be as technical or simple as your skill level requires. Some of my favorite features here include a prioritization system which lets rank the three most important devices on your network in terms of bandwidth priority, which is great if you've got a network under heavy load from a dozen bandwidth hungry devices but really just want to watch Netflix, and the very clever feature which gives you a dimmer switch for the onboard lights for the router, even letting you turn them off entirely! Were I still living in a place where my router was located in my bedroom this might have almost been a deciding factor alone in choosing this router.
The MuMIMO feature, of course, is a big selling point. I'm sorry to say I can't quite say for sure if it's all that it's made out to be based solely on my tests. Things were improved, yes, but not so much so that I can rule out the possibility that I'm just seeing the results of the higher bandwidth capacity. I give this feature a cautious thumbs up for now. It's probably not going to blow your mind on its own, but it certainly won't make your performance worse with multiple devices.
There are really only a few nitpicks I can offer. While the case design is improved, there's still some niggling issues I noticed. First is the antennas. Like the rest of the router they're big, solid, and serviceable. But maybe a little too solid. There are pivot points allowing you to adjust the angle of the antennas for the best reception - but the resistance on them is pretty high. Higher, in fact, than the resistance of the screw holding them in their socket. The right antenna kept popping off on me when I was trying to make adjustments.
Second is that all of the link lights and status indicators are on the rear panel of the router, making them pretty much impossible to see. I understand this was probably to cut down on light pollution, but if you're already adding a dimmer switch, why not put them somewhere where they'll be visible without having to lift up the router?
And finally, there is the size issue. I don't think I've seen much in the way of small AC routers, and I think this is going to cause a lot of people some annoyance as we've all gotten used to being able to hide these things out of the way. There's really no hiding this thing. It's about the size of a lower end commercial grade access point. The performance you get in terms of speed over 802.11N is probably worth it in my view, but if you're looking for something you can hide behind a houseplant and don't have a lot of in-network traffic, you might want to stick with the N standard for now and wait for the AC tech to get a bit more mature.
Second is that all of the link lights and status indicators are on the rear panel of the router, making them pretty much impossible to see. I understand this was probably to cut down on light pollution, but if you're already adding a dimmer switch, why not put them somewhere where they'll be visible without having to lift up the router?
And finally, there is the size issue. I don't think I've seen much in the way of small AC routers, and I think this is going to cause a lot of people some annoyance as we've all gotten used to being able to hide these things out of the way. There's really no hiding this thing. It's about the size of a lower end commercial grade access point. The performance you get in terms of speed over 802.11N is probably worth it in my view, but if you're looking for something you can hide behind a houseplant and don't have a lot of in-network traffic, you might want to stick with the N standard for now and wait for the AC tech to get a bit more mature.
My Best Buy number: 2187428738
What's great about it: Accessible but still customizable, Great speeds, great range, decent price, light controls, USB 3.0 port
What's not so great: Larger than most routers, Antenna attachment points are too stiff,
I would recommend this to a friend!
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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.
Is the headset stereo or is it 2D only?
It's strictly 2D. The screens don't actually take up all that much of your field of vision, so it's more like having a very big monitor floating in front of your face than actually being inside the drone.
4 years, 3 months ago
by
Batlacit
Bose Sport Open Earbuds are true wireless earbuds like you’ve never seen or heard before. What makes them truly unique is that they are the first workout headphones of their kind that combine exclusive Bose OpenAudio technology with an innovative open-ear headphone design to produce high-quality sound without covering your ears. This allows you to hear your music and the world around you for an unbelievable, full-sensory experience. The city. The surf. Your running buddy. Hear it all and your music at the same time with these entirely new, entirely open sport earbuds. Sound is what motivates, and Bose Sport Open Earbuds deliver. The exclusive Bose OpenAudio technology produces clear, consistent sound that’s more authentic and comfortable than bone conduction. In addition, acoustic spillage is minimal thanks to speaker placement that’s closer to the ear. A comfortable and secure fit is crucial when exercising. These sport earbuds were rigorously designed and tested to gently rest on your ears while staying put no matter how intense your workout. Bose Sport Open Earbuds also offer up to eight hours of play time (with daily charging), an advanced mic system for crystal-clear calls, and IPX4 sweat and weather resistance. Now you can combine the environment that invigorates you with the content that motivates you.
can one earbud be used at a time to either take/talk on phonecalls?
Yes, this works fine. Though weirdly audio quality seems much better when you use both.
4 years, 5 months ago
by
Batlacit
Upgrade your entertainment setup with the Core Innovations 150” Home Theater Projector - White (CPJ600WHBY). With an adjustable screen size between 32”-150”, this projector is perfect for solo gaming marathons or an immersive movie night experience with the entire family. Stream videos, view photos or play your favorite games by linking your preferred device to this projector via numerous versatile connections, including HDMI, VGA, USB, Micro SD and AV.
Looking for dig projector for art projects. Is this good for photos off phone
I think that'll mostly depend on the art project. It can show photos, but the resolution is low enough that you're not going to get a ton of fine detail with them. It also needs to be pointed pretty much straight at the projection surface, as the keystone correction screws up the focus pretty badly.
4 years, 7 months ago
by
Batlacit
Upgrade your entertainment setup with the Core Innovations 150” Home Theater Projector - White (CPJ600WHBY). With an adjustable screen size between 32”-150”, this projector is perfect for solo gaming marathons or an immersive movie night experience with the entire family. Stream videos, view photos or play your favorite games by linking your preferred device to this projector via numerous versatile connections, including HDMI, VGA, USB, Micro SD and AV.
Does this projector come with the cords needed to connect to a laptop or do I need to purchase it separately,
It does not - you'll need to provide your own cables. And batteries, if you want to use the remote.
4 years, 7 months ago
by
Batlacit
Supreme stereo sound, impressive comfort and extended cross-platform compatibility – that's the ROCCAT® Elo X Stereo Wired Cross-Platform Gaming Headset for PC, Xbox, PlayStation®, Nintendo Switch & Mobile. Experience a weightless, dynamic fit thanks to a self-adjusting metal headband, superior memory foam ear cushions and ProSpecs™ Glasses Relief System for glasses wearers. Precision-tuned 50mm drivers produce crisp highs to thundering lows to help you seek out opponents with pitch-perfect stereo sound while a detachable noise-cancelling microphone featuring TruSpeak™ technology ensures your commands are heard perfectly with crystal-clear voice communication. Finally, the 3.5mm jack lets players go from PC to game console to mobile devices with ease.
Does it work for a Nintendo switch?
Yep, it'll work with anything with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The headset has a 3-pole combined headphone/mic plug attached to it and comes with a y-splitter that'll separate it out into discrete 2-pole connectors for the mic and headphones.
4 years, 8 months ago
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Batlacit
Offering the ultimate true-wireless experience for any fitness-loving music lover, JLab Epic Air Sport ANC offers customized sound and active noise canceling plus industry-leading 70+ hours playtime. Transition from gym to calls or from work to a run, effortlessly, with features like wear-detect, movie mode, wireless charging and more.
1. Does leaving the buds in the charging case for long periods of time degrade the battery? 2. Is any operating system specific apps or drivers needed for use? My use case is running it off a Linux laptop without Windows installed
1. Technically, yes, but letting lithium batteries go unused for long periods of time is bad for them in general. Keeping them in the case is on the balance probably better for them than the alternative of letting them sit outside the case since it'll take longer for them to run completely dry, at which point they won't be able to accept a new charge.
2. Some of the proprietary features like the touch controls or EQ settings do require a mobile app to configure, but apart from that you shouldn't have any issues connecting it to your Linux machine as a generic audio device so long as you've kept the Bluetooth stack reasonably up to date.
2. Some of the proprietary features like the touch controls or EQ settings do require a mobile app to configure, but apart from that you shouldn't have any issues connecting it to your Linux machine as a generic audio device so long as you've kept the Bluetooth stack reasonably up to date.
4 years, 8 months ago
by
Batlacit
Refreshed and ready to take its rightful spot atop a new generation of consoles, the Turtle Beach® Stealth™ 600 Gen 2 is the successor to the best-selling wireless gaming headset for PS5™, PS4™ & PS4™ Pro. The Stealth™ 600 Gen 2 wireless gaming headset is enhanced with a host of upgrades, including a larger high-sensitivity flip-to-mute mic that delivers improved chat clarity and now seamlessly integrates into the headset when muted. The headband and hinge design have been reinforced for added long-term durability, and soft, glasses-friendly ear cushions provide plush comfort while refined 50mm speakers produce high-quality, immersive sound and are optimized to unleash the power of Sony 3D Audio on PS5™. A user-friendly audio preset button on the headset allows for easy access to customize audio, and gamers can still count on Turtle Beach’s Superhuman Hearing® for an audio advantage on the battlefield. Finally, connectivity is made easy with the included, mini-USB Transmitter that wirelessly connects from your PlayStation® console to headset.
would a usb type c to 3.5mm audio jack work for the headset so i could make it wired and will the mic still work as well?
No. it looks like the USB port is only wired for charging - audio either goes through the USB dongle or not at all.
4 years, 9 months ago
by
Batlacit
Refreshed and ready to take its rightful spot atop a new generation of consoles, the Turtle Beach® Stealth™ 600 Gen 2 is the successor to the best-selling wireless gaming headset for PS5™, PS4™ & PS4™ Pro. The Stealth™ 600 Gen 2 wireless gaming headset is enhanced with a host of upgrades, including a larger high-sensitivity flip-to-mute mic that delivers improved chat clarity and now seamlessly integrates into the headset when muted. The headband and hinge design have been reinforced for added long-term durability, and soft, glasses-friendly ear cushions provide plush comfort while refined 50mm speakers produce high-quality, immersive sound and are optimized to unleash the power of Sony 3D Audio on PS5™. A user-friendly audio preset button on the headset allows for easy access to customize audio, and gamers can still count on Turtle Beach’s Superhuman Hearing® for an audio advantage on the battlefield. Finally, connectivity is made easy with the included, mini-USB Transmitter that wirelessly connects from your PlayStation® console to headset.
Will this work with a PC?
Yes - though there are a few caveats. It doesn't respect system audio settings, so software volume controls are out and automatic gain control on the mic is hit or miss. But if you're willing to manually set the stuff up the user experience is decent.
4 years, 9 months ago
by
Batlacit
Capture high-quality videos with this Sony Handycam 4K camcorder. The 0.4-inch CMOS sensor delivers high-resolution 4K content with fast intelligent autofocus and enhanced audio, while the SteadyShot image stabilizer boasts clear detailed shots even at full zoom. This Sony Handycam 4K camcorder has a built-in Highlight Movie Maker that lets you create and share videos seamlessly.
Can I use a remote wireless microphone or lavalier microphone with this camera?
Yes - though depending on the exact model of mic it might require you to purchase some accessories that expands its input options. Out of the box it only supports external mics using a standard 3.5mm minijack.
4 years, 11 months ago
by
Batlacit
The Philips Hue HDMI Sync box adds premium surround lighting to your home theater by syncing your Hue smart lights with movies, music and video games. Watch, listen and play with more wonder and excitement as your lights dance, flash, dim and brighten with your screen. Requires Hue color capable lights and a Hue Bridge (sold separately).
Will this work with every generation of Hue bulbs?
Provided you've kept up with software updates, this should work with any Hue bulbs you may own.
5 years, 6 months ago
by
Batlacit