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RonM
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- Review count38
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- First reviewApril 20, 2010
- Last reviewJune 10, 2018
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- Average rating4.8
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Browse the internet or play your favorite apps on this Acer tablet. It runs on an Android operating system and is powered by a quad-core 64-bit processor for full functionality. Google Mobile Services and Microsoft Office Suite are preloaded on this Acer tablet for out-of-the-box work or play capabilities, and DTS-HD Premium Sound lets you enjoy videos.
Customer Rating
4
Good single-tasking tablet for the price
on October 30, 2016
Posted by: RonM
Short version:
A mid-to-lower end Android tablet with above average front facing speakers. 1280x800 resolution screen that looks better than expected. Somewhat heavy and low on RAM, but supports 5GHz Wi-Fi and works best for one app at a time.
A mid-to-lower end Android tablet with above average front facing speakers. 1280x800 resolution screen that looks better than expected. Somewhat heavy and low on RAM, but supports 5GHz Wi-Fi and works best for one app at a time.
Long version:
When mainstream tablets first came to prominence, many believed they could do everything whether it was productivity or consumption. Over time, there have been less tablets on the market and they typically focus more on one versus the other. In my opinion, the Acer Iconia One 10 (B3-A30) tries to focus on the latter.
Although it is commonplace to have smartphones with a 5.5 or 5.7 inch screen, it still isn't the same as a 10.1 inch like this tablet. The screen resolution is 1280x800 which puts it in the lower-end market but it actually looks decent. An ambient light sensor is also missing, so you'll have to manually adjust brightness when needed. It's running Android, 6.0 Marshmallow; I'm not sure about Acer's track record when it comes to major Android updates, but Marshmallow is actually a great version in my opinion, so it would not be terrible to be "stuck" on it.
Besides the tablet, you get a USB cable, USB AC charger, and a mini tablet stand which is handy.
With 1GB of RAM, the tablet works best when focusing on one app at a time. Trying to use multiple applications back and forth resulted in a lot of waiting, I found.
The front facing speakers are above average so watching YouTube and movies is a good experience. VUDU unfortunately only supports downloading in SD with this tablet.
One nice touch is that the volume buttons match the screen orientation; in landscape left lowers and right raises; in portrait, up raises and down lowers.
You'll find 32GB of built-in storage, plus a microSD expansion slot and a second microUSB port are hidden under a stylized latch above the camera.
Happily, 5 GHz Wi-Fi is supported, which is better for streaming media and I experienced no networking issues.
When mainstream tablets first came to prominence, many believed they could do everything whether it was productivity or consumption. Over time, there have been less tablets on the market and they typically focus more on one versus the other. In my opinion, the Acer Iconia One 10 (B3-A30) tries to focus on the latter.
Although it is commonplace to have smartphones with a 5.5 or 5.7 inch screen, it still isn't the same as a 10.1 inch like this tablet. The screen resolution is 1280x800 which puts it in the lower-end market but it actually looks decent. An ambient light sensor is also missing, so you'll have to manually adjust brightness when needed. It's running Android, 6.0 Marshmallow; I'm not sure about Acer's track record when it comes to major Android updates, but Marshmallow is actually a great version in my opinion, so it would not be terrible to be "stuck" on it.
Besides the tablet, you get a USB cable, USB AC charger, and a mini tablet stand which is handy.
With 1GB of RAM, the tablet works best when focusing on one app at a time. Trying to use multiple applications back and forth resulted in a lot of waiting, I found.
The front facing speakers are above average so watching YouTube and movies is a good experience. VUDU unfortunately only supports downloading in SD with this tablet.
One nice touch is that the volume buttons match the screen orientation; in landscape left lowers and right raises; in portrait, up raises and down lowers.
You'll find 32GB of built-in storage, plus a microSD expansion slot and a second microUSB port are hidden under a stylized latch above the camera.
Happily, 5 GHz Wi-Fi is supported, which is better for streaming media and I experienced no networking issues.
My Best Buy number: 0312783059
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The SoundLink Color Portable Bluetooth speaker II was engineered to deliver bold sound wherever life takes you. From the pool to the park to the patio, its rugged, water-resistant design lets you enjoy the music you love in more places. Voice prompts make Bluetooth pairing easy. And up to 8 hours of listening per battery charge lets you keep your playlists playing.
Customer Rating
5
Great water resistant companion for on-the-go
on October 12, 2016
Posted by: RonM
This review is for the Bose SoundLink Color II, a portable Bluetooth speaker that is water resistant and available in multiple colors. It is actually the second release in the SoundLink Color line, although I'm finding it difficult determining what is new/changed from the original SoundLink Color.
For many people, Bose has a reputation for good sound at somewhat of a premium. Yes, you can often find competing products at a lower cost but they typically have a compromise in design or refinement, and it seems like the Bose products set the bar that competitors measure against.
With that said, I find the sound of the SoundLink Color II suitable for on-the-go listening. When on-the-go, I think you want clear sounding music with a good range (both highs and lows) as well as being loud enough to compete with the outdoor ambient noise and it does both. It can reasonably fill a room, and while it does sound best when on-axis (it directly facing you), it still sounds good when off-axis.
Being a Bluetooth speaker, it pairs using Bluetooth and has voice prompts to assist with pairing, as well as to provide battery level. Speaking of battery, it is rated to last 8 hours on a full charge. There is a companion Bose Connect app as well which lets you adjust settings such as the Auto-Off Timer.
A standard 3.5mm auxiliary input jack is also available if you want to use that.
When paired with an iPhone, the battery level is communicated so you can see it on the iPhone as well.
A standard micro-USB plug is used to charge and while a micro-USB cable is included, a charger is not. I found I was able to charge it with most USB chargers, and it seems to draw just over 1A. It is possible to charge and use at the same time.
Like many other Bluetooth speakers, the SoundLink Color II has a microphone and can be used as a hands-free speakerphone when connected using Bluetooth. This can help for the impromptu phone call that comes in while listening to music, although it'll be far from a private conversation!
The Aquatic Blue color is a lighter shade, which may do well outside in the sun compared to darker colors that might absorb the heat.
With a 1-year warranty and Bose's reputation, I recommend the SoundLink Color II to anyone looking for a reliable portable Bluetooth speaker with good sound and water-resistance.
For many people, Bose has a reputation for good sound at somewhat of a premium. Yes, you can often find competing products at a lower cost but they typically have a compromise in design or refinement, and it seems like the Bose products set the bar that competitors measure against.
With that said, I find the sound of the SoundLink Color II suitable for on-the-go listening. When on-the-go, I think you want clear sounding music with a good range (both highs and lows) as well as being loud enough to compete with the outdoor ambient noise and it does both. It can reasonably fill a room, and while it does sound best when on-axis (it directly facing you), it still sounds good when off-axis.
Being a Bluetooth speaker, it pairs using Bluetooth and has voice prompts to assist with pairing, as well as to provide battery level. Speaking of battery, it is rated to last 8 hours on a full charge. There is a companion Bose Connect app as well which lets you adjust settings such as the Auto-Off Timer.
A standard 3.5mm auxiliary input jack is also available if you want to use that.
When paired with an iPhone, the battery level is communicated so you can see it on the iPhone as well.
A standard micro-USB plug is used to charge and while a micro-USB cable is included, a charger is not. I found I was able to charge it with most USB chargers, and it seems to draw just over 1A. It is possible to charge and use at the same time.
Like many other Bluetooth speakers, the SoundLink Color II has a microphone and can be used as a hands-free speakerphone when connected using Bluetooth. This can help for the impromptu phone call that comes in while listening to music, although it'll be far from a private conversation!
The Aquatic Blue color is a lighter shade, which may do well outside in the sun compared to darker colors that might absorb the heat.
With a 1-year warranty and Bose's reputation, I recommend the SoundLink Color II to anyone looking for a reliable portable Bluetooth speaker with good sound and water-resistance.
My Best Buy number: 0312783059
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Power your Apple devices with this Belkin charge dock. It comes with a Lightning connector that charges iPhones and an integrated magnetic charger that provides Apple watches with more juice when needed. The single built-in cable of this Belkin charge dock lets you charge both devices simultaneously, saving you the inconvenience of using multiple cords.
Customer Rating
5
Great companion for iPhone + Apple Watch
on September 18, 2016
Posted by: RonM
If you have an Apple Watch, you already know you're best off charging it every night. If you travel or forget to charge it one night, it is somewhat of a hassle to have to take the special magnetic charging cable with you. So, what to do? You can buy a second magnetic charging cable from Apple which costs a decent amount.
Or you could go with the Belkin PowerHouse. It has a built-in charger for both an iPhone and an Apple Watch. The Lightning connector on the dock for the iPhone also has their "VersaCase" dial which raises/lowers the Lightning connector itself to make it compatible with virtually any case.
The included power supply provides up to 2.4A of charging to the iPhone and (I assume) full current required by the Apple Watch, with a single power adapter. This does reduce the number of power adapters to plug in as well.
Or you could go with the Belkin PowerHouse. It has a built-in charger for both an iPhone and an Apple Watch. The Lightning connector on the dock for the iPhone also has their "VersaCase" dial which raises/lowers the Lightning connector itself to make it compatible with virtually any case.
The included power supply provides up to 2.4A of charging to the iPhone and (I assume) full current required by the Apple Watch, with a single power adapter. This does reduce the number of power adapters to plug in as well.
My Best Buy number: 0312783059
I would recommend this to a friend!
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This Apple® MD821ZM/A Lightning-to-USB adapter lets you connect devices that use a 3.5 mm audio plug to your Lightning devices.
Customer Rating
5
You'll want to pick up a spare (or more)
on September 18, 2016
Posted by: RonM
from Sacramento, CA
If you buy a new iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, you get one of these in the box. But, inevitably you'll leave it at home when you need it at work, etc. For those that aren't aware, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus do not have a headphone jack so you absolutely need to use one of these if you want to use wired headphones with a 3.5mm (1/8" inch) connector. It does work with any other iOS device running iOS 10 or newer. Again, if you are running an older version of iOS (such as iOS 9), this will NOT work until you update to iOS 10.
The adapter itself is fairly small and lightweight. It has a 1.5 inch cable between the two connectors which probably helps avoid putting strain on the Lightning jack.
For once, I think Apple priced this reasonable (for Apple standards) at $8.99.
The adapter itself is fairly small and lightweight. It has a 1.5 inch cable between the two connectors which probably helps avoid putting strain on the Lightning jack.
For once, I think Apple priced this reasonable (for Apple standards) at $8.99.
My Best Buy number: 0312783059
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+18points
29of 40voted this as helpful.
Your household is busy streaming media, working online, and playing games every day. This Linksys Wi-Fi Router will expand your network coverage, send signals directly to your devices, and deliver a lag-free connection, even when you’re all online at the same time.
Customer Rating
5
Excellent coverage and easy to set up
on June 26, 2016
Posted by: RonM
I've been a fan of wireless ever since the very beginning, and am always looking for faster speed and better coverage. My most recent wireless routers have been the ASUS RT-AC66 (AC1750) and the ASUS RT-AC68 (AC1900). I bought the RT-AC66 when 802.11ac was still pretty new and I only had one 802.11ac device at the time. With the RT-AC68, I was hoping for better speeds and coverage, but the improvement seemed to be only minimal.
So, when it comes to the Linksys EA9500 (AC5400), I had some pretty high expectations. First off, it has eight Gigabit ports, which is twice as many as my previous routers had. It also has eight antennas, compared to three each. It has a display on it although it doesn't seem to be very useful, most of the time simply showing some lines.
One of the things I like about the ASUS routers is that they seem to be geared towards those that like to tweak. The Linksys web interface (and the mobile app even more so) are geared towards making it easy to just get things configured and working. There is a hidden advanced settings web page, although even that page does not go into the detail found in the ASUS offerings.
But beyond that, how does it all work? In my single story 2000 sq ft household, I was pleasantly surprised to find a noticeable increase in both speed and coverage. Speed increase could partially be attributed to the fact that the EA9500 has a dedicated radio that picks channels from the "lower" 5 GHz band, and an additional radio that picks channels from the "upper" 5 GHz band. Then, your device can be directed towards whichever one is better at the time, since the "lower" channels don't travel as far but can be faster.
No arguing that this is a very expensive router, but for me I actually see noticeable improvements over my previous routers.
My Best Buy number: 0312783059
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Thanks to a camera cut-out, this Cole Haan Pinch 16CHRM71010-PRY case makes it easy to shoot photos and videos with your Apple iPhone 6 Plus or 6s Plus. The leather material offers a stylish look and defense against damage.
Customer Rating
5
Great fit/appearance; helps with 1-hand usability
on February 7, 2016
Posted by: RonM
from Sacramento, CA
Many times I prefer not to use a case on my device, but because the iPhone 6/6s Plus is a bit slippery and round, I have been using various ultra-thin cases to help with the grip. This case wouldn't qualify as a ultra-thin case, but it isn't as thick as a typical heavy duty case. The leather has a good feel and one of the distinct features is the raised line that runs vertically along the back, not quite centered. This line actually gives you something to grip to make it even easier to use the iPhone 6/6s Plus one-handed. The thickness of the case keeps the protruding camera off any surface, and at the same time the phone does not sit flat because of the raised line which seems different at first but really isn't a big deal at all. The top and bottom are fully open which maximizes compatibility with docks and cables. Thankfully, there are open cutouts for all of the buttons so they operate almost the same as with no case. Finally, the inside of the case I believe is cardboard and the fit is snug so there I would not expect much in the way of scratches from dust or dirt. Overall, I would not expect this to provide a ton of protection, but it fits my needs very well.
My Best Buy number: 0312783059
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Shield your HTC One (M8) cell phone from scratches and scuffs with this HTC 63-2841-05-BB case that features a hard shell design for durable defense. A screen protector is included for additional peace of mind.
Customer Rating
5
Great choice for scratch/scuff protection
on April 30, 2014
Posted by: RonM
from Sacramento, CA
This is a first-party case from HTC, with the Product Name on the box listed as HTC HC C942 Hard Shell. It is translucent, as opposed to transparent, so on my Amber Gold M8 the color is definitely muted. It has HTC branding located directly over where HTC is on the back of the phone. The overall feel is good; exact match to the M8's curves with no seams that can be felt. It isn't slippery, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it soft touch. It also includes a screen protector, although I am not currently using it. It's nice to have a real first-party offering of this type of case and priced reasonably.
My Best Buy number: 0312783059
What's great about it: Perfect fit
I would recommend this to a friend!
Durability
5
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+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
Use this dock connector-to-VGA adapter to connect your Apple iPad to a TV, projector or VGA display and watch videos and slideshows on the big screen with family and friends.
Customer Rating
2
Current very limited functionality
on April 20, 2010
Posted by: RonM
from Sacramento, CA
At least with the current 3.2 software, this VGA adapter is very limited. Of the built-in apps, the only items that are sent out the VGA output are YouTube videos, and slideshows within the Photos app. All videos I tried to output from the Videos app were blocked.
As for add-on apps, supposedly Keynote supports the VGA. Netflix and ABC Player definitely don't support it.
I seem to have more functionality with Apple's component and AV cables. Also, unlike those cables, you cannot keep the iPad charging at the same time with this adapter.
Apple has an article with more info:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4108
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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+24points
28of 32voted this as helpful.
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