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    September 21, 2016
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Batlacit's Reviews
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The CORSAIR M65 RGB ULTRA WIRELESS Tunable Gaming Mouse boasts a durable aluminum frame and connects with sub-1ms SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS or low-latency Bluetooth®. Experience pinpoint accuracy powered by a 26,000 DPI MARKSMAN optical sensor and optical OMRON switches, while a six-axis gyro enables convenient tilt gestures for in-game actions. 2,000Hz Hyper-polling registers your actions up to 2x faster than other wireless mice. With customizable weight between 110g and 128g and CORSAIR QUICKSTRIKE buttons, all your movements and actions register with the utmost speed. Take control with iCUE software to program the M65 RGB ULTRA’s eight buttons, customize its dynamic RGB backlighting, and save your profiles to onboard storage to take on the go. With up to 120 hours of rechargeable battery life, the M65 RGB ULTRA WIRELESS makes all your clicks count.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Another very solid mouse from Corsair
on January 27, 2022
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
The M65 clearly didn’t set out to try and reinvent the wheel. Which, given the overall reputation enjoyed by Corsair, is probably a good thing. Instead it offers a series of refinements to the features long-term customers are likely already conditioned to expect, producing something that I’d say is a solid choice both for competitive gaming and day-to-day productivity use (though it definitely leans more heavily into the former.)
The overall build quality feels very solid, with a solid aluminum frame overlaid with dense plastic that alternates between a polished and smooth, rubberized finish. It feels very pleasant in the hand, though some with longer fingers may find it to be just a hair on the short side for a relaxed grip. On the bottom you’ve got three sockets for optional weights, giving you a total of 27 different ways to adjust the exact mass and balance to your liking (which I think might be some kind of record.) As seems to be a theme as of late RGB elements are present but very understated, to the point that they really aren’t visible at all when the mouse is in use. And the use of optical switches in place of the usual mechanical ones for the right and left click buttons should make it a lot more durable than most mice, even under heavy use. The sound does take a little getting used to at first, but everything is still pleasantly tactile and solid enough to avoid accidental clicks under most conditions. I’d also like to give special note for the thumb button layout. In previous Corsair mice I’ve used they generally placed the sniper button (intended to allow greater precision so long as it’s held) in the middle of a larger forward/back rocker. While this looked great, in practice I found it was often very easy to accidentally hit the wrong one when stressed. The M65 breaks these out into their own buttons and separates them vertically, giving a much better feeling of control and making it easier to orient yourself by touch.
After getting it out of the box I spent about half an hour fiddling with the different weights, ultimately settling on a total mass of 117.5g which felt reasonably effortless to move around my mouse pad without being overly floaty for productivity tasks. One thing I will note here is that unlike some designs the weights here really don’t seem optimized for quick changes. Everything is screwed in rather than held in place by magnets, and the screw posts that hold the whole thing together all come with a thread-locking compound pre-applied. I’m of two minds on this. On the one hand, this system does mean you don’t have to contend with any kind of rattling or worry about the weights popping out during transit. On the other, it means you’re not going to be able to quickly swap things around to accommodate different users’ preferences or to better suit your current tasks. It’s not a feature that I think most will miss but is worth considering if you happen to be one of the few who does this sort of thing regularly. Other concessions to comfort include a narrow thumb rest and a small contoured grip for your pinkie. They certainly aren’t as comfortable as some I’ve tried, and again may be something for people with larger hands to watch out for, but once I settled into it, I stopped noticing. The overall shape seems to be designed to subtly encourage you to grip the whole thing with your fingertips, which makes a lot of sense for gaming but admittedly can get a little tiring during prolonged use. If that’s you, you’ll probably want to consider a decent wrist rest or desk pad so you can occasionally give your wrist a break.
Of the three operating modes the mouse supports (2.4ghz wireless, Bluetooth, and wired) I found using the dedicated dongle to offer the best experience. There didn’t seem to be any issues with interference or lag at my desk, even with other Slipstream RF devices from Corsair operating at the time. Wired operation worked great as well and does have the benefit of never needing to worry about running out of battery, but with a mouse this light you really do notice the drag introduced by the cable. And Bluetooth, while fine overall, doesn’t seem to be quite fast enough to keep up with the sensitivity of the sensor. With the wire or RF dongle, every movement felt smooth and natural (if somewhat twitchy, at times) all the way up to 3000DPI. With Bluetooth anything above 1200DPI started to feel jerky, with the pointer seemingly teleporting itself across the screen at times. I also found the lack of a dedicated pairing button to be a bit annoying. If you want to pair the mouse to a new device you must hold down the DPI Up button while turning it to the Bluetooth mode, which doesn’t feel at all intuitive and requires the use of both hands. It’s a minor gripe, but it would be nice if they at least marked the button in question so that you don’t need to consult the manual to remember what you need to push every time you want to pair it with a new Bluetooth device.
Finally, I’d like to talk about how it did in everyday use. Before writing this review I spent a couple of days using it for both my home office and gaming machines. And while the experience overall was good for both, I did find myself missing the option for smooth scrolling, a horizontal scroll wheel, or a more generous thumb rest on occasion. This is clearly a product aimed at gaming performance above all else, and I think you’ll probably have the best experience if you mostly stay focused in that arena.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Ease of Use
4 out of 5
4
Quality
5 out of 5
5
Value
4 out of 5
4
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
 
From the rock revolution of the ‘60s, to the art scene of the ‘80s, to the forefront of hip-hop culture – Wayfarer has become an enduring icon across endlessly shifting horizons. Now the journey continues with the latest in wearable tech. Ray-Ban Stories Wayfarer integrates the best of your phone with the timeless frame, bringing you a new way to capture and share your adventures.
 
Customer Rating
3 out of 5
3
I really want to love these...
on January 21, 2022
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
I’ve tried a couple pairs of smart glasses at this point, and have generally been happy is not overly impressed by them as discreet earbud replacements when you’re out and about. Ideally I’d like to one day find a pair that’s good enough to just wear as my every day glasses, removing the need to carry earbuds with me at all. The Ray Ban “Stories” doesn’t quite meet my requirements in that area yet, but it does show that we’re getting tantalizingly close.
At first glance, there really isn’t anything that’ll give away the fact that these aren’t just standard Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses, which I appreciate. The cameras and external indicator LEDs sit at the same place that the fasteners for the arms would go, and with how symmetrical the arrangement is they’re easily overlooked when they aren’t turned on. There’s also a bit more bulk to the frame pretty much everywhere, which makes them a bit heavier to wear but does serve to camouflage the areas that had to be expanded to make room for batteries and other equipment. They’ve even managed to hide the charging port, which is located at the inside one of the hinges so that when the arms are extended it’s completely hidden. My pair also came with a set of green transition lenses, so they only really become sunglasses when you go outside during a sunny day. The tinting isn’t exceptionally dark, but it’s sufficient for everyday use. I found that they’re easily comfortable enough to wear all day, though those with wider than normal heads should be aware that the design of the tech-loaded arms does mean that the frame isn’t quite as flexible as most, and it can pinch a little just above the ears.
As far as the actual tech goes, it’s a bit more mixed but still generally good. The basic interface and UX is surprisingly polished given that this is a first attempt from Ray Ban and Facebook. There’s a small rocker power switch hidden on the left side to prevent you from accidentally draining your battery when you don’t want to use the smart features, a notification light that sits just in the corner of your right eye and only draws attention to itself when absolutely necessary, and the entire right arm is set up with gesture controls to handle volume control, track selection, calls, and everything else you’d expect from a set of earbuds. For more complex tasks the mics worked just fine for Google Assistant and there’s an integrated Facebook Assistant as well, though at the moment it seems like it's only useful for telling the glasses to take pictures or video. And all of it is controlled through the Facebook View app which, I was pleased to discover, didn’t really give me any reasons to be concerned. There are robust privacy controls for both pictures and video as well as any audio captured by the assistant. And it doesn’t automatically try to publish everything to your Facebook profile (definitely useful, more on that in a bit). It does still require a Facebook account to work though, so if you’re trying to avoid that you should probably look somewhere else. Many will also likely be pleased to note that it’s not really built to be a spy camera. Taking a picture or video requires you to either verbally state your intention or hit the physical shutter button on the right arm, and both will trigger an LED and shutter sound that should be clear to anyone in your vicinity.
The actual hardware tied to all of this is, sadly, a bit less impressive. The 5MP cameras installed in the glasses produce photos that look pretty dated at this point. The pictures captured don’t have a very high resolution, and low light performance is very poor. Given that there’s no flash anything you take in the evening is pretty much guaranteed to come out very grainy and/or blurred. Pictures of animals tend to have a lot of red-eye issues as well, which surprised me given the lack of a flash. The View app does include some basic photo editing functionality to try and touch-up these photos and while it’s decent, it’s not powerful enough to compensate for the fact that everything’s basically taken with a webcam. It’s better suited to adding text, filters, and captions ala snapchat before you share them. Also, the process of taking and transferring photo or video seems like a massive battery drain. The glasses can’t really last all day at the best of times, but I found that using the camera feature extensively easily shaved hours off their useful life.
The sound system fared somewhat better. It’s hard to get decent sound quality out of thin open speakers like this and while I have certainly seen better results, they were from glasses that were a lot bulkier and more obvious than these. The sound isn’t particularly loud and there’s essentially no bass response to speak of, but they do just fine with assistant notifications, spoken content/calls, and some music. For whatever reason there seems to be a sweet spot at roughly 50% volume where it sounds the best, and straying too far from that in either direction results in the audio quality dropping quickly. Fortunately I don’t think that most will have reason to do so, as unlike some these speakers really can’t do much to isolate the sound being produced to your ears alone. So unless you happen to be the only one around, you won’t want to max out the volume.
Battery life, again, is decent. They advertise that a charge will last six hours, and so long as you stick to very light use and lay off the shutter that seems realistic. The charge can be topped up by stowing them in the included hard case/charger, which can charge them back up to full in a little more than an hour. The only thing to be aware of here is that the hard case if VERY bulky. You can just about fit it into a front pants pocket, though not comfortably, and it’d take up a lot of space in luggage. It definitely does its job of keeping the glasses safe and running, but they clearly don’t travel light.
Finally, I have to talk about the reason why I won’t be using these on a daily basis. While I’ve laid out a lot of minor issues here, I could absolutely live with all of them and would love to have prescription lenses made up to turn these into my every day glasses. But I can’t. The instructions for these glasses include a disclaimer that whatever lenses ship with your glasses are the ones you’re stuck with, because they cannot be replaced without voiding the warranty. And apparently, optical shops have been instructed not to work on them either. This strikes me as a major design flaw. While you can have prescription lenses installed at the factory, without a provision to allow them to be periodically updated with a fresh prescription it seems like a very bad idea to me. And even if you don’t need corrective lenses, they’re sunglasses. The things are eventually going to get scratched or broken, and I don’t think it’s at all reasonable that the entire device must be replaced in such a scenario. There isn’t any kind of screen or other smart function built into the lenses, so the only reason I can see for it is that they’re concerned that the frame can’t flex far enough to release the lenses without potentially breaking some of the internal wiring. And I have to imagine there are better solutions to be had here that would still let you swap out lenses.
So, for all their successes as a fashion statement and a pair of discrete sunglasses, I don’t think these are going to end up being a regular part of my wardrobe unless someone figures out a clever way to hack new lenses into the thing that doesn’t cost a fortune. Hopefully the second generation of smart glasses from Ray Ban can improve on this and bring back the replaceable lenses that made so many of their classic frames capable of lasting for so long. And I’m genuinely excited to see what kind of things the DIY community will be able to do with it as a platform. But, for what I’m looking for, it's not where it needs to be yet.
Mobile Submission: True
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
User submitted photo
0points
2of 4voted this as helpful.
 
This Element 27" frameless gaming monitor provides everything you need for premium gameplay or everyday tasks. This 1440P resolution monitor is equipped with FreeSync Technology for avoiding tearing and reducing stuttering. With easy set-up for multiple screens, you're able to expand your view and get more done. The 16:9 widescreen resolution partnered with a 1ms response time and 165hz refresh rate allows a vivid, realistic picture so you can be immersed in your gaming world. Built-in speakers and a sleek, frameless screen enable the monitor to blend with your decor for a clean aesthetic.
 
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Solid budget choice, but know what you're buying
on January 5, 2022
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
Over the last few years, gaming monitors have gotten ridiculously good. Resolutions have gone up, panels with high refresh rates and low latency have become the norm, and HDR has brought a new depth of color that’s gotten nerds everywhere to start actually caring about color fidelity. Unfortunately, prices for these devices have moved in lockstep with their specs. Element is one of the latest budget minded manufacturers to offer all these new innovations at bargain bin prices, and largely succeeds in doing so. That said there are some compromises present that I imagine most who’ve owned this kind of device will find very familiar.
I’ll start with the good news: the actual LCD panel here is quite good. Admittedly this is always going to be a bit of a grab bag since the most common way for manufacturers like this to cut costs is to buy the panels originally manufactured for higher end monitors which ended up being discarded due to failing quality control checks, but if the one I got is at all representative of what they’re buying I don’t think you need to worry too much. There were no dead pixels in sight, it had no issues maintaining the refresh rate it’s rated for, and colors are a lot more vibrant and clear than I’ve come to expect from a monitor at this price point. The viewing angles are also as generous as you’d expect for an IPS panel, so you don’t have to go through the usual dance of constantly adjusting your seat, posture, and monitor tilt to find a good spot to game from like you do with a lot of larger monitors these days. The backlighting is a bit anemic and unsophisticated, particularly for a panel that advertises HDR capability, but it’s certainly better than you’d get from most monitors aimed primarily at office use. Truth be told if I had the equipment necessary to check for compliance with the HDR spec I have my doubts it would actually pass, and their particular implementation of FreeSync seems to be a big laggy and as such still suffers from occasional screen tearing. But even a partial success in these areas is better than something that doesn’t even make the attempt in this case. Buyers should be aware however that this is not the out-of-the-box experience. For whatever reason just about every feature that can be employed to make the picture look good is disabled by default – requiring me to spend a few minutes navigating through menus toggling things on. So if you do buy one of these things, don’t be too surprised if the out of the box experience isn’t quite as good as you might expect. It can, in fact, do better.
Now that I’m through that though, it’s time to step back and talk about everything that was sacrificed to hit this price point.
As is common with these kinds of monitors, most of the cuts came at the expense of build quality. The minimalist metal stand is reasonably hefty and slots together well enough, but will likely prove frustrating to anyone who’s gotten used to the snap-and-go construction that’s become popular today. There are nine separate screws holding everything together, none of which are captive and two of which bound up during installation due to what turned out to be burrs in the threaded sockets. Pretty much everything else is stamped metal covered in cheap plastic, with visible panel gaps in a few places. The manufacturer’s logo and the legend for the OSD are both cheaply stenciled onto the front bezel, and while the logo came out pretty good the legend’s mismatched font and fuzzy paintjob is decidedly off-putting and clashes with the minimalist aesthetic they’re going for.
Speaking of, let’s talk a bit about this frameless design. If you look at the picture on the box, you’ll likely be under the impression that when the monitor is on it’s using every last mm of space to fill out the frame, leaving you with just a tiny little black border at the edges. This is most definitely not what you’re getting. There is a generous 5mm dead zone built into the panel itself, as well as an extra 1mm gap between the panel edge and the frame. Also, the edges of the panel itself are a great argument for having a bezel. There are an abundance of tiny chips and bubbles in the panel that were likely ignored at the factory because the expectation was that it would be fitted into a more conventional frame. The result is something that loses its ultra-modern styling the moment it gets turned on, and will likely prove to be a dust trap over time.
So… given all this… I’m still rating it at four stars. I do find some of their marketing decisions here to be questionable and some of the specs inflated. But at the end of the day, they are making their cuts in the right places. Fixing panel gaps or refusing to buy LCDs with less than perfect lamination around the edges might make the unit more Instagram worthy or increase the odds that the thing will still be running a decade later. But that’s not a typical use case for most of us, even if sometimes we’d like to imagine otherwise. This is a monitor for the more budget minded gamer who are only after something that’ll do everything they want and wait to die until it’s been rendered obsolete. So long as you don’t go into it expecting everything you’d get with premium device, which if I’ve done my job you won’t, this is a solid option for your desk.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
User submitted photo
+10points
10of 10voted this as helpful.
 
An industry defining 49” 1000R curved screen, equipped with a cutting edge Quantum Matrix HDR2000 panel, 240hz refresh rate, G-Sync and FreeSync Premium Pro support, 1ms GTG response rates, and fully customizable Odyssey Infinity Core lighting.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Endgame monitor
on December 12, 2021
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
The Odyssey Neo G9 is about as ostentatious as it's possible for a peripheral to be. It dominates not only your desk, but the entire room. It feels less like a real, functional object and more like an exhibit from a tradeshow escaped into your bedroom. And I love it to death for it.
Receiving and setting up the monitor was, admittedly, a bit of a daunting process. The intense curvature of the panel makes it somewhat unwieldy to move around and there's a fair bit of heft that needs to be accommodated by the stand, which are generally not great combinations for anything that needs to be shipped. Fortunately, Samsung's engineers protected it in transit with plenty of shaped interlocking foam that made it surprisingly easy to remove even with only one person (though having done it, I have to say that the instructions probably aren't wrong when they recommend having two people to avoid bumps and bruises while trying to navigate around corners and doorways.) The provided stand is sturdy and comes with some pretty decent cable management, though it did lose a couple points for the placement of the integrated USB hub. All the monitor's cabling is routed through the stand and into a small compartment that seals up once everything is plugged in, which makes sense as you really don't want to be moving this thing around too much once it's in place. Unfortunately they put the two USB ports in that same sealed cavity, which means that anything you want to plug in is going to need to be routed through the stand with everything else before you seal it up. It does look very clean and if all you're putting in there are wireless dongles it's fine, but my wired keyboard with its own USB passthrough ended up complicating the installation process somewhat.
Fortunately, once I'd actually gotten it into my desk things got significantly easier. Samsung includes both a full set of quality HDMI, DP, and USB cables, and all performed great once I had them picked up. The stand isn't exceptionally heavy but very well balanced so everything feels solid (though the swivel is definitely being tested by the amount of leverage produced by the monitor's width.) And the width and curvature are absolutely perfect. Sitting at a comfortable distance from the monitor completely fills my horizontal field of vision, and while there's plenty of gaps in the vertical I can't say I've noticed while gaming.
Which brings us to picture quality. It is, in a word, stellar. Before the monitor arrived I heard a lot of horror stories about poorly performing HDR, dead pixels, and flickering, but I haven't seen any of it. Given that the monitor arrived already loaded with the latest firmware (released just a few weeks ago) I suspect that it was part of a very recent manufacturing run, so hopefully Samsung has been making some improvements behind the scene to address these complaints. It's been quite some time since I've been wowed by something as simple as a Windows background (though, it should be noted, finding good ones of those that actually fit this monitor is a LOT harder than I expected.)
So, clearly, gaming on this thing is great. Good news though is that most everything else is too. For productivity this thing is basically equal to having a two monitor setup without the bezel gap. In fact if you're so inclined it can be exactly like that, as you can configure it to split the screen down the middle and map which input goes to which side to perfectly emulate a pair of QHD monitors.
Before you rush out to make what is probably an unwise financial decision though, there are a few compromises you should probably be aware of. First up: while this monitor can do dual QHD resolution and a 240 hz refresh rate, it can't really do them at the same time. This isn't really the monitor's fault as there are a host of very difficult technical issues that come with trying to pull off something like that, but I'll admit it was a little disappointing when I first discovered it. Switching to the higher refresh rate cuts your resolution in half to HD quality, and since QHD panels can't perfectly map to HD resolutions like UHD ones image quality gets noticeably fuzzier around the edges. Second thing to note is that a lot of the fringe benefits like the integrated lighting or headphone hooks are present but of somewhat dubious value. Reaching back behind the monitor to hang your headphones feels a bit riskier than it should given how every time your elbow bumps the monitor it tends to tilt slightly, and if you've got wired headphones I think you're ultimately just inviting awkward tangles. The integrated lighting is also surprisingly tame given how over the top the rest of the product is. The transparent ring around the mounting point glows with a fairly cool mirror effect that you will never, ever see because it'll almost certainly be facing a wall. It's also not exceptionally bright, so unless you've got it right against a white surface I don't think you'll get much reflected light around the edges either. If you plan to make this thing the centerpiece of a RGB display, which I suspect many people seriously considering this monitor are, you'll probably want to plan to supplement with separate light towers or RGB strips. Also, while this is a fairly minor point, the bezels on this are so thin that trying to stick a webcam on top for video conferencing or streaming is likely to end with you covering part of the screen. Though if you are a streamer, the fact that the screen's micro LED backlight can make a surprisingly good replacement for a ring light might make up for the inconvenience of having to get creative with where and how you mount your camera.
So... should you plan to get this monitor?
Realistically... most probably should not. Don't get me wrong, it will definitely do anything you want from a ultrawide display, but I think we all know that sensibility wasn't a key concern at Samsung when they designed this. It's a celebration of what we can do rather than what we should. There is, however, a place where such showpieces are not only appropriate, but essentially required. Tradeshows, high end flight simulators, build competitions, or just the most over-the-top Christmas gift ever. And in those contexts, the Odyssey Neo G9 is king.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
User submitted photo
0points
3of 6voted this as helpful.
 
PowerCore III 20K is a slim and powerful portable 20000mAh battery. With two USB-A port outputs and one USB-C PD input, this is all you need as your charging companion.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Reliable long lasting power
on November 26, 2021
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
Power banks are one of those products where it's really hard to be sure if what you're getting is actually worth the price you pay, which is why I'm glad that companies like Anker exist. There's nothing too complicated about their power banks, but they can generally be trusted to do a very good job selecting good parts and practicing stringent quality control. As a result I've found that Anker power banks tend to outlast those from pretty much any other brand I've tried. While I haven't had much time to spend with the PowerCore III, I haven't found anything to suggest that it'll break the trend.
The unit is definitely chunky, but not overly so given how high the capacity is. The casing is a mix of metal and molded plastic, with a slight crosshatch pattern on the top panel that makes it a lot more visually interesting than the usual nondescript black bricks Anker is known for. Charging the bank itself is about as fast as you can expect for a battery this size, and it easily lasted a few days of occasional use charging my Pixel 3XL and my roommate's phone before I needed to top it up again. I even tried using it to top up my laptop at one point. While the output isn't quite fast enough to keep up with the thing while it's turned on, it was a nice fallback to have when I found myself without my charger. And despite what it may say in the description, the USB-C port works as an output just as well as it does an input.
Accessories are very basic, with a mesh drawstring carrying bag and a single USB A to C cable that's about three feet long. Getting a C to C cable would have been nice as it does seem that the USB C port is the only one that lets it charge at full PD speeds, but that's an easy oversight to correct on your own.
It's certainly not the kind of product that'll set the world on fire. But for a lithium ion battery, I think that "reliable" is more than enough. If you're looking for a battery in this range, I doubt you'll go wrong with this one.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
-2points
0of 2voted this as helpful.
 
Enjoy a family barbecue in any kind of weather with the Cosori VeSync Aeroblaze Indoor Grill. 8 versatile cooking functions like Crisp, Air Grill, Dehydrate, and more let you whip up anything from delicious lunch to healthy snacks. Use the one-touch functions on the modern display or adjust settings and monitor meals remotely with the free VeSync app on your smartphone. Voice control compatibility lets you make meals with just the sound of your voice when your hands are full with food prep. The pre-installed activated-carbon smoke filter ensures virtually fume-free grilling for the best grilling experience, while temperatures up to 510°F guarantee those crispy grill textures you love. With included easy-to-clean accessories, bonus tongs, a meat thermometer, and a recipe book made by Cosori chefs, you’ll always be inspired to fire up your indoor grill.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Sturdy, powerful, easy to use
on November 26, 2021
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
Countertop appliances seem to be going through something of a revolution as of late, with highly capable multi-use mini appliances rendering traditional stovetops and ovens almost redundant. The Cosori VeSync Aeroblaze continues this trend offering a solid indoor grille with some limited smart capabilities and some extra bells and whistles for those willing to give up the counter space.
One of the first things you'll be likely to notice on taking the unit out of its package is how sturdy everything is. The unit itself is a mix of stainless steel and molded plastic with most of the structural elements opting for metal as well as a few parts you wouldn't usually expect, such as the housing for the smoke filtration. The main pot, grill, and air fry basket are all solid non-stick metal and designed to nest within one another for easy storage. All are advertised as dishwasher safe, and after several trips through I haven't noticed any decrease in their non-stick performance. I did notice that the removable splatter shield designed to protect the heating elements had been slightly damaged when being packed up though, with a small but noticeable bend in the frame on one side. It was easy enough to bend back into shape by hand though, and I haven't noticed any further problems with the fit.
As far as using the grill, while it looks somewhat intimidating at first glance I found the overall experience to be very user friendly. A combination of auditory and text alerts will let you know when it's ready for each stage of cooking, and it's remarkably resistant to common and not-so-common mistakes. The first time I tried to use it It ended up blowing the breaker in the GFCI outlet I had it plugged into, which I figured would mean starting over. But when i plugged it back in I was surprised to see that it still remembered the original program. And the food came out perfectly cooked in every setting and configuration I tried, with the charring on chicken and beef being better than any other countertop grills I've tried in the past.
The smart functionality is present but, if I'm being honest, a bit underwhelming at this point. As often happens with new smart products the hardware seems fine but the software seems to leave a bit to be desired. There's basic voice control through both Google and Alexa, which is always a plus, as well as the option to have the grill send push notifications in addition to the usual alerts. In theory it's all very good but the implementation definitely seems a little buggy right now, as I noticed several instances of alerts being delayed and in one case missed completely during my time with the unit. You're also not going to find any pre-programmed routines or monitoring to help you keep track of the food. The app does have a few recipes it can offer but for the moment at least the offerings are decidedly sparse with just a handful of suggestions produced by Cosori itself and a couple user-submitted options. I'm hoping this is something that they can improve on with time, however, so this might end up being an issue that only applies to early adopters.
Finally, I want to talk about storage. Personally I don't use a grill nearly often enough for this to have a permanent place on my kitchen counter, so if you're like me you're probably expecting this to spend a lot of time in a cupboard. It's definitely not a small device, easily taking up half of the cabinet I put it in, but the fact that all the parts and accessories can be stored inside the unit makes it very manageable. Provided you know what you're getting into I don't anticipate any problems in that regard, though it does annoy me a bit that it lacks convenient grab points to make it easier to drag out of the cupboard when needed.
Overall despite a few minor issues with the design and user experience the Aeroblaze is a solid first offering from Cosori. I'd recommend it for anyone looking for a decent grill, air dryer, or dehydrator.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
 
The Ninja Foodi Dual Heat Air Fry Oven gives you versatility in the kitchen with 11-in-1 functionality from Air Fry and Sear Crisp to Rapid Bake and Toast. With Dual Heat Technology, unlock up to 500°F cyclonic air and a directly heated SearPlate, which allow for fast cooking and restaurant-worthy results. Cook up your favorites and then flip the oven up and away to reclaim your counter space.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Powerful little oven
on November 9, 2021
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
I've gotten used to having Ninja combine multiple kitchen appliances into one package, but I'll admit I was a little thrown by their decision to combine a toaster oven and a griddle. After spending a week making dinners with it though, I've come to appreciate the method behind their particular madness.
In most regards this oven is basically just a minor upgrade over their previous design with a bit more capacity and an improved set of controls. But add in the sear plate to the bottom and you get something that's does things I'm really not used to seeing in an oven. It cooks fresh and frozen pizzas to perfection in less than twenty minutes, puts a perfect sear on sous vide cooked steaks, and even bakes cookies in style.
The overall design is well thought out and surprisingly compact. In addition to the sear plate you get a basic grille and air fryer basket, all of which can be stored inside the unit when not in use and have their own dedicated rails within the oven body a cinch. When you're done cooking it flips up flat against the wall to help you recover counter space, and features adjustable cable management that can hide the wires almost perfectly with some proper positioning. And the stainless steel and glass exterior cleans up nicely with a minimum of effort. If there's one downside it's that the accessories aren't entirely dishwasher safe. The manual doesn't say you can't do it at all, but warns that running them through the dishwasher will likely significantly shorten their lifespan. I suspect this is due to the nonstick coating on the sear plate in particular. Good news is that because of that coating it's been pretty easy to clean after each use so far - time will tell how it holds up long term.
Cooking with the oven is also a great time saver. With how small the interior is compared to most ovens you don't have a big mass of air working to soak up heat, which means that it reaches full temperature in just a few minutes. And with the fans circulating that hot air around inside the compartment it's far more efficient in transferring that heat to your food, resulting in cook times that are generally cut in half if not further. The documentation includes a cookbook with a decent collection of recipes and suggestions on how to adapt your existing cooking instructions for the oven, and I've found these to be fairly accurate. That being said I'd definitely recommend keeping a close eye on anything new you want to try in it, as there is very little margin for error to be had.
Oh, and it does toast too. ...It is very good toast. Not sure what more there is to say on that, really.
I'm not sure it's quite big enough to completely replace a standard oven. But for most every day baking jobs like roasting vegetables, searing a steak, or reheating leftovers it's definitely a faster and frequently more user-friendly alternative. And being able to properly cook things like homemade pizza which really requires a much hotter oven than you'll usually find in a kitchen opens up a ton of possibilities for more creative baking. After getting used to this, I don't think there's any way I'd go back to my old pop-up toaster.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
Jabra Elite 7 Pro true wireless earbuds have MultiSensor Voice™ technology, which combines 4 powerful microphones, an advanced Voice Pick Up (VPU) sensor in each Bluetooth earbud, and unique Jabra algorithms. Automatically activating when it’s windy, Jabra MultiSensor Voice™ uses bone conduction technology to transmit your voice through vibrations in your jaw, for wind noise cancellation and clear calls anywhere. Thanks to the adjustable Active Noise Cancellation, the ultra-compact earphones with rich and powerful sound lets you fully immerse yourself in your music. Multipoint connects to 2 devices at once, lets you seamlessly switch between devices, and is available as a firmware update via the Jabra Sound+ app. Also test your hearing in the Jabra Sound+ app, and tailor your music to suit your individual hearing profile. Hear your surroundings while on a call with the HearThrough technology - use left or right earbud alone with Bluetooth Mono Mode - Each offers up to 8 hours battery and 30 hours with the case.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Another great entry from Jabra
on November 4, 2021
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
I've been carrying an older set of Jabra earbuds around in my pockets for a few years now, and they have served me well. But after daily brushes with my phone, keys, and in one instance a near miss with a washing machine (oops) they've been starting to show signs of their age. So when the opportunity to pick up the latest and greatest version arose, I was eager to see what they'd come up with. And it turns out Jabra's been very busy.
If you've never owned a set of Jabra earbuds before, I can't say that you can go wrong getting started now. They may not have the name recognition of some of the luxury brands, but they can easily match them blow for blow when it comes to features and audio quality. The sound you get out of these is amazingly rich for their size, the built in microphones offer great utility for phone calls or video conferences, and they hold themselves in your ear amazingly well provided you've got the right plugs installed. All in all they offer a decidedly premium experience.
If like me you've already got a set of Jabra buds, you'll likely be very pleased to see the improvements they've made. The earbuds are significantly lighter than the previous generation, making them more comfortable for extended use (essential if like me you like to use them for remote meetings.) The case now features wireless charging and a longer lifespan which makes them far more convenient for all day use, though this does come at the cost of a slight increase in size and weight. And the new ANC feature has significantly improved the already great passive noise isolation. And if you really want to dial things in but don't have any of the expertise to do so, the updated app combined with the improved mics in the Elite 7 Pro means they can self-adjust some of their more fiddly features to really dial in the sound quality and noise cancellation. I'll admit that I don't have the kind of ear needed to really tell how good a job the app does at this, but I can definitely say it is doing something.
I've been using it pretty extensively for a few days, and found that overall it works more or less as you'd expect. The system meant to automatically detect wind noise and switch to bone conduction for voice pickup was a little unreliable my first day, but after that I applied a firmware update which seemed to improve performance somewhat. Audio is definitely better with the mics when they're available, but the bone conduction option is definitely good enough. The noise cancellation also definitely worked better on louder engine noises than it did on household fans, air purifiers, and other electronic noises, so they may not be the best pick if that's your main concern. That said they also didn't produce the same kind of persistent pressure in your ear canals that I've noticed on other more thorough noise cancelling headphones and earbuds, so if you expect to be wearing these throughout the day they're a little less headache inducing. And while I still wouldn't call them my first pick for strenuous activity or exercise, I was unable to dislodge them from my head no matter how firmly I shook myself around on walks and light runs with my dog.
It definitely feels like a product primarily being aimed at professional users who need a portable and lightweight option for hands free calls. I can't really say that I've ever seen a set of earbuds that put this much effort into making sure that call quality remains consistently good regardless of ambient audio, something that I feel most earbuds treat as an afterthought at best. That said, I can't say I spotted anything that's been cut in service of that goal. They are remarkably solid all-rounders, and a worthy successor to my own battered pair.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
Explore a new world of personalized home theater audio. The SRS-NS7 Wireless Neckband Speaker uses Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Personalizer technology to envelop you in the rich audio of your favorite shows and movies, while being unobtrusive to others in your home.
 
Customer Rating
2 out of 5
2
Interesting idea but no replacement for headphones
on October 27, 2021
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
As someone who lives with someone who has days where they are hypersensitive to sound, the idea of a wearable surround sound system seemed almost tailor made for me. Unfortunately after spending a week with the SRS-NS7, I've come to the conclusion that I might have to stick with my trusty pair of headphones for now. It's not that it's a bad system, per se, but it is severely lacking in polish and requires you to jump through a few hoops to get the most use out of it.
One thing that Sony definitely did nail was the overall design. The speaker is surprisingly light for how big it is, but still sturdy enough to hold up to the occasional rough handling. Controls are easily accessible, intuitive, and large enough to be operated by touch. And it's got enough battery to last through even the most intense binging sessions.
Unfortunately, it has to be said that if you want to get the best surround sound performance you pretty much need to have a Sony TV with their Bravia XR tech built in. As far as I can tell that is the only way to get the surround sound functionality to work, as every other mode limits you to simple stereo output. I generally wouldn't be too concerned by that if not for the fact that it really doesn't seem to want to do that. The speaker relies on a fairly standard bluetooth connection to receive audio. The first thing I tried out of the box was to pair that to a home theater projector with an Android TV streaming box hooked up to it, just to see how the quality compared with the included receiver. No matter what I tried, I could not get the speaker to accept the pairing with the projector. This is a process I've done several times before and I've never had anything like this happen. So I decided to try pairing it with the streaming box instead. It took multiple attempts but I was eventually able to get the two to talk to each other - but the audio it provided was of such poor quality that there really wasn't any point. Finally I tried pairing it with my cell phone (with Sony's app installed) and was able to get it to work. And the audio was... okay. There was surprisingly little bass response, the higher end sounded somewhat tinny, and while it was quieter than using standard speakers it was still clearly audible from several feet away.
I'd figured that I might have less trouble with the included transmitter, but while that did help improve the sound quality I still found myself underwhelmed. The only format it is compatible with is optical. While it's true that this is a port that's often not used on modern home theater systems which rely on HDMI-ARC, there are a lot of people who may still be relying on optical hookups with a dedicated receiver who might end up having to switch between the two. It's also worth pointing out that we are now starting to see home theater gear being shipped without optical hookups at all, which means you'd need an audio extractor if you don't want to rely on the hit-or-miss bluetooth pairing. Also, the speaker doesn't have any kind of intelligence to help simplify its use. After I was done testing it I hung it up and turned off the TV, thinking that the speaker would shut itself down once it stopped getting a signal. Instead the next day it suddenly announced that it was shutting down due to having exhausted its battery. It's been so long since I had to think about physically turning off a bluetooth speaker it took me completely by surprised.
If you own a high end Sony TV or can't use standard headphones for whatever reason, this might be something worth trying. It is an interesting idea, even if the actual implementation falls somewhat short of living up to it. But as things currently stand, I can't really recommend these as they are to anyone but early adopters.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
 
Extend your PC’s RGB lighting with the CORSAIR iCUE LT100 Smart Lighting Towers Starter Kit, part of the iCUE Smart Lighting Ecosystem. 92 RGB LEDs light up your room with ambient lighting that dynamically integrates with your games and media for a truly immersive experience. Cycle through 11 lighting profiles out of the box with push-button control or connect to CORSAIR iCUE software to synchronize your RGB lighting effects across all compatible CORSAIR devices in your system and all external iCUE Smart Lighting devices. The Starter Kit includes two lighting towers with 46 customizable LEDs each, housed in light-diffusing casing that softens and blends light. With an included removable headset holder, LT100 Smart Lighting Towers add convenient, versatile, and stunning RGB lighting to any setup.
 
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Gamer Lamp
on October 26, 2021
Posted by: Batlacit
from Madison, WI
iCue's smart lighting towers pretty much exemplify the gamer aesthetic. They are flashy, surprisingly robust, potentially quite cool, and excessive in the most fun way imaginable. I'm not going to try to sell you on the idea that there is some kind of practical application for this thing (though I suppose with enough tinkering one could figure out a few) but rather let you know how these things work as the high-end gamer lamps they are.
First up, Corsair's brought their a-game as far as overall asthetics. The towers are mostly machined metal, with the exception of the diffuser and the plastic headset hook. The LED's are bright and provide very vibrant colors, though getting the colors to match what you're getting on the screen may require a little bit of trial and error. the silicone diffusers are just a little sticky, which makes me wonder if they might have issues with dust collection long term, but seem like they should be reasonably easy to wipe down. And the iCue software offers a tremendous amount of control over the effects you can create with the lights, giving you plenty of control over the light show. The one thing that did cause me some grief at first was that before I had them hooked up to my PC, only the master tower (with all the I/O and hookups) lit up. I tried manually detecting the second tower by holding down on the power button as the instructions suggested, but didn't get any response until started setting the device up in iCue. At first I figured I was looking at a wirebreak (more on that later) and I'm very glad I tried with the software before reaching for tech support.
Unfortunately there are a few more practical concerns that keep me from giving it full marks, which Corsair can hopefully improve on going forwards. First up is the cable linking the two towers together. The RGB cable it's using is pretty much built like the RGB cables you'd use for your case lighting. While there's something to be said for standard parts, I have some concerns about its durability. The individual wires leading into the plug are unsleeved and lacking any kind of strain relief. In a perfect world you'd have the cable run along the back of a desk with tie downs or a hidden wire channel keeping it safe - but in the real world all too often this long crossover cable is going to be left out in the open on a desk that frequently sees junk being strewn around on its surface or bored cats batting at anything that looks remotely similar to string. It seems worryingly plausible that this thing could be getting regularly shoved around or caught on something, eventually leading to a wire break near the socket. Even though it would add to the cost it seems like it might be worth investing in a slightly more robust option to link the two towers together.
The second thing that I think could potentially use some improvement is the power cable. It seems the towers draw down a bit too much current to run from USB alone, so they've got their own power brick with a cord that turned out to be about 8 inches too short to get around to both sides of my 32" monitor when plugged into the UPS under my desk. It's an easy enough fix, but given how slick the towers themselves are and how long the crossover cable is it feels like the kind of thing that shouldn't be necessary.
Ultimately though I'd say these are fairly minor issues to have to deal with if you're looking for a literally flashy way to store your headset. And let's face it - you already know if this is something that's worth having for your setup. As extravagant gamer lamps go, this is definitely one of the better ones!
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
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From the rock revolution of the ‘60s, to the art scene of the ‘80s, to the forefront of hip-hop culture – Wayfarer has become an enduring icon across endlessly shifting horizons. Now the journey continues with the latest in wearable tech. Ray-Ban Stories Wayfarer integrates the best of your phone with the timeless frame, bringing you a new way to capture and share your adventures.
 

I'm unable to find a phone compatibility list, does anyone know if this works with android phones too?

Yes, it works just fine on Android. No idea why they don't advertise it on the box.
2 years, 3 months ago
by
Batlacit
 
This Element 27" frameless gaming monitor provides everything you need for premium gameplay or everyday tasks. This 1440P resolution monitor is equipped with FreeSync Technology for avoiding tearing and reducing stuttering. With easy set-up for multiple screens, you're able to expand your view and get more done. The 16:9 widescreen resolution partnered with a 1ms response time and 165hz refresh rate allows a vivid, realistic picture so you can be immersed in your gaming world. Built-in speakers and a sleek, frameless screen enable the monitor to blend with your decor for a clean aesthetic.
 

Is this monitor good for an Xbox one s gaming? I'm new to monitors and this one would be my first one

The integrated audio is pretty bad even by monitor standards, but apart from that it should work fine for console gaming. It's not going to deliver an exceptional experience, but it should be able to beat most TVs as far as latency goes.
2 years, 4 months ago
by
Batlacit
 
This Element 27" frameless gaming monitor provides everything you need for premium gameplay or everyday tasks. This 1440P resolution monitor is equipped with FreeSync Technology for avoiding tearing and reducing stuttering. With easy set-up for multiple screens, you're able to expand your view and get more done. The 16:9 widescreen resolution partnered with a 1ms response time and 165hz refresh rate allows a vivid, realistic picture so you can be immersed in your gaming world. Built-in speakers and a sleek, frameless screen enable the monitor to blend with your decor for a clean aesthetic.
 

Is this a good monitor for competitive gaming on the ps5 ???

Yes, I'd say it's a decent choice for that.
2 years, 4 months ago
by
Batlacit
 
This Element 27" frameless gaming monitor provides everything you need for premium gameplay or everyday tasks. This 1440P resolution monitor is equipped with FreeSync Technology for avoiding tearing and reducing stuttering. With easy set-up for multiple screens, you're able to expand your view and get more done. The 16:9 widescreen resolution partnered with a 1ms response time and 165hz refresh rate allows a vivid, realistic picture so you can be immersed in your gaming world. Built-in speakers and a sleek, frameless screen enable the monitor to blend with your decor for a clean aesthetic.
 

Does it have a hdmi?

Yes, it has two HDMI ports and does come with both an HDMI and DP cable.
2 years, 4 months ago
by
Batlacit
 
This Element 27" frameless gaming monitor provides everything you need for premium gameplay or everyday tasks. This 1440P resolution monitor is equipped with FreeSync Technology for avoiding tearing and reducing stuttering. With easy set-up for multiple screens, you're able to expand your view and get more done. The 16:9 widescreen resolution partnered with a 1ms response time and 165hz refresh rate allows a vivid, realistic picture so you can be immersed in your gaming world. Built-in speakers and a sleek, frameless screen enable the monitor to blend with your decor for a clean aesthetic.
 

Does it have integrated speakers?

Yes. But they sound horrible and require you to go through two menu layers to change the volume. I wouldn't consider them as a selling point.
2 years, 4 months ago
by
Batlacit
 
An industry defining 49” 1000R curved screen, equipped with a cutting edge Quantum Matrix HDR2000 panel, 240hz refresh rate, G-Sync and FreeSync Premium Pro support, 1ms GTG response rates, and fully customizable Odyssey Infinity Core lighting.
 

DP 2.0?

No, it's still using 1.4. Getting DP 2.0 certified is turning out to be a lot trickier than it was initially expected, most are saying we probably wont' see them hitting the market until 2022.
2 years, 5 months ago
by
Batlacit
 
An industry defining 49” 1000R curved screen, equipped with a cutting edge Quantum Matrix HDR2000 panel, 240hz refresh rate, G-Sync and FreeSync Premium Pro support, 1ms GTG response rates, and fully customizable Odyssey Infinity Core lighting.
 

My new g9 arrived in the box for the old g9. Even though the box has a sticker that says "Neo G9 Odyssey" sticked on it, the box itself is for the old model. Does anyone else have the same issue? Why is that the case?

They're just using up the old boxes and foam. The shape and size of the product hasn't really changed, I don't think it's anything you need to worry about so long as the monitor itself has the right model number.
2 years, 5 months ago
by
Batlacit
 
The Ninja Foodi Dual Heat Air Fry Oven gives you versatility in the kitchen with 11-in-1 functionality from Air Fry and Sear Crisp to Rapid Bake and Toast. With Dual Heat Technology, unlock up to 500°F cyclonic air and a directly heated SearPlate, which allow for fast cooking and restaurant-worthy results. Cook up your favorites and then flip the oven up and away to reclaim your counter space.
 

Can both trays be used at once?

Yes - depending on what you're cooking.
2 years, 6 months ago
by
Batlacit
 
Explore a new world of personalized home theater audio. The SRS-NS7 Wireless Neckband Speaker uses Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Personalizer technology to envelop you in the rich audio of your favorite shows and movies, while being unobtrusive to others in your home.
 

Do these have 3.5mm jack or do they only connect via bluetooth?

They will only work with bluetooth or optical connections.
2 years, 6 months ago
by
Batlacit
 
Extend your PC’s RGB lighting with the CORSAIR iCUE LT100 Smart Lighting Towers Starter Kit, part of the iCUE Smart Lighting Ecosystem. 92 RGB LEDs light up your room with ambient lighting that dynamically integrates with your games and media for a truly immersive experience. Cycle through 11 lighting profiles out of the box with push-button control or connect to CORSAIR iCUE software to synchronize your RGB lighting effects across all compatible CORSAIR devices in your system and all external iCUE Smart Lighting devices. The Starter Kit includes two lighting towers with 46 customizable LEDs each, housed in light-diffusing casing that softens and blends light. With an included removable headset holder, LT100 Smart Lighting Towers add convenient, versatile, and stunning RGB lighting to any setup.
 

how tall are they

Per the spec sheet, 422mm. The headphone holder adds another 2mm or so.
2 years, 6 months ago
by
Batlacit