3Tcubed's stats
- Review count217
- Helpfulness votes1,609
- First reviewJanuary 3, 2014
- Last reviewSeptember 7, 2025
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- Average rating4.4
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- Answer count72
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- First answerJanuary 10, 2015
- Last answerJanuary 12, 2022
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Hold your iPhone XR confidently with this Speck Presidio Pro case. It has antimicrobial treatment to prevent bacteria from accumulating, and its slim two-layer design doesn't interfere with wireless charging. This blue and black Speck Presidio Pro case prevents device damage from 10-foot-high drops thanks to its IMPACTIUM shock barrier.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from PHOENIX
I've been an iPhone user for 8+ years, My wife had been using Samsung's until this year when I convinced her to get a iPhone XR. She's been through 2 folding, card holding cases, in a little over 18 mos (break apart, get dirty, look crummy). Well, I convinced her to try the Speck Presidio Pro, as it's very sleek and much protective than what's she been using. With some reluctance she agrees that it's easier to hold than her old case(s). I told her about the Antimicrobial technology, and I was greeted by a mumble about not being dirty. It's easy to charge her iPhone XR in the case and it sounds better, the thickness of the bottom case wall, slightly amplifies the sound vs her old case. And she feels safer knowing the phone should survive a drop the the floor (not going to test the 10' claim). And surprisingly she really likes the Deep Eclipse blue color. So we really do have a winner here, especially when it's on sale!
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Game on the go with this Dell Inspiron laptop. An NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti runs most titles, while the two tuned speakers and 15.6-inch Full HD anti-glare narrow-border display deliver an immersive experience. This Bluetooth-compatible Dell Inspiron laptop has a 9th-gen Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM, handling multitasking without issue, and the 512GB NVMe SSD offers exceptional data access speeds.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from PHOENIX
I have a 2yr old Dell Inspiron 7559 (the Dell G3,G5 & G7 have replaced the Inspiron 7000 series - Nvidia gaming), which I had upgraded to 16GB memory with a 512GB M.2 drive and a 1TB SSD. I had recently run the Steam VR performance test on this machine and I was disappointed in the results, and I had some issues running current games smoothly. So I thought this would be a good opportunity to see how the latest Intel i5 (G9) processor and the newer GTX 1660Ti compared to what I had been using.
One of the things I really like about the Dell Inspiron and G# series is that they are easily upgraded. Remove a few screws (10, none hidden), pry loose the back and you can get to everything that can be upgraded. I've had great success with both HyperX and Corsair - Vengeance memory, both have a lower CL than Dell's stock memory (at about $75 for 16GB), and both support Intel's XMP memory standard (insures it will work with latest processors at maximum speed). The HyperX memory I used to upgrade my G3 to 16GB is CL15, and Dell's stock memory appears to be CL19 at 2666Mhz - so there should be a performance difference.
But first the G3 is clearly narrower (<1") and thinner (~1/4") than the Inspiron 7559, it is only hinged in the center vs all the way across. The keyboard backlight lighting on the G3 is a nice blue that shines through the keys vs white just under the keys on the Inspiron. IMHO the G3 looks much better and has a better keyboard feel. The trackpad seems to be exactly the same (except for a blue outline). The G3 has a SD card slot, 1 USB-C ports (non-thunderbolt) and 1 USB 3.1 ports, 2 USB 2.0 ports+ 1 HDMI + 1 Gigabit Ethernet port + Audio port (same as Inspiron except it had no USB-C). The G3 weighs one ounce less at 5.57 pounds. Battery life will be highly dependant on the application load I found I could get about 6 hrs mixed usage from Inspiron, I'd expect the same from the G3. The G3's bezel is slightly narrower than the Inspiron, but has a matte screen vs a very shiny screen on the Inspiron. Initially I prefered the matte screen as reflections can be very annoying on the Inspiron. The G3 is a much sharper looking laptop.
Attached are images of the G3 in use and with the back removed (note the 4 screws by the spine do not come out, and when prying the back off the spine should be pulled apart last (carefully). The G3, if ordered without a SSD still includes the SSD cable and screws for the SSD inside the case (well done Dell). The system can support Optane 10 memory, but not with the M.2 drive and a 2.5" drive both installed, so you can add either Optane memory or a 2.5" drive. I opted to add a 1TB Samsung EVO 860, which was immediately recognised, it just needed to be formatted and partitioned (took 30s) from Computer Management, Storage, Disk Management.
On to some testing, just comparing the G3 with 8GB stock memory and 16GB CL15 memory. As expected the performance of the Processor in both configurations was excellent (1.2% better with the faster memory) The Graphics performance was essentially equal, the disk performance was 24% points higher (probably due to caching being faster). And the memory performance was 16% points higher - about what I might have expected. But seeing the memory improve the disk performance was a bit of a bonus.
I then ran set of PowerUp benchmarks comparing the Insperion w/530 GPU & Nvidia GTX 930M to the G3 w/Intel 630 GPU and Nvidia GTX 1660Ti. Here the texture fill numbers and the bandwidth numbers are most telling how much faster todays dedicated graphics processors are compared to a base Intel GPU.
I then ran the more substantial 3D graphics test with the Valley Benchmark v1.0, here the speed of the Nvidia GTX 1660Ti (129 FPS) clearly blows away the GTX 960M (29 FPS) this explains my failure on the Steam VR performance test. And boy did the 3D graphics look great on the G3. Considering the G3 with i5 is less than $xxx's is quite a performer for the price and for a few $s more add more faster memory for even better performance.
Dell did cut few corners (losing a star), the USB 2.0 ports are a disappointment, USB-C not supporting Thunderbolt is too bad. You can't currently get a 4K display (which the GTX 1660Ti w/6GB mem could easily drive) - you can still use a 4K display externally via USB-C or HDMI. The fan is a bit loud. The sound quality is not as good as the Inspiron (it is just acceptable) - Before upgrading to the latest drivers & BIOS speakers had a hum, which the updates corrected.
None of the above is a show stopper, the G3 is quite a bargain as a base system, I recommend more faster memory and adding a 2.5" SSD. The base 512GB SSD is more like 440GB partitioned & formatted and 300GB after OS installation etc. But all told it's substantially better than a 2 yr old (Dell) i7 configured almost exactly the same. So I'm now ready to find my first VR application/game, now searching for a headset.
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Experience an immersive acoustic performance with these Sony XB Extra Bass wireless headphones. The noise-isolating fit mutes ambient noises, while the lithium-ion battery offers up to 30 hours of playtime, keeping you entertained during long-distance travels. These Sony XB Extra Bass wireless headphones have a touch sensor for convenient control.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from PHOENIX
About 15 months ago I reviewed the Sony CH700N headphones and said it sounded better than 6 other BT headphones I had, but they were not comfortable for more than an album or so. Needless to say I've kept looking, and with 2 more set earbuds and 2 more over the ear headphones to consider I now have the Sony XB900Ns. They weigh about the same as the CH700's but have a completely different foam configuration. They have deeper, softer foam around the ears, they are deep enough that my ears don't touch the inner drivers, which is what I think caused the discomfort with the CH700s. The are much more comfortable and do a better job of noise canceling. I've found them much more comfortable than the CH700's, the foam at the top is a little thicker and they don't squeeze quite as tightly. In addition; changing volume or music is accomplished with a simple swipe to the right headphone, and if you cover your right ear (headphone) with you hand it mutes the music and enables the ambient mode so you can clearly here the environment around your. I really missed this in the CH700's, several other headphones I've acquired recently have this feature in one fashion or another. It's truly worth having if your going to wear headphones around others.
Using these headphone on the telephone is somewhat better than the tunnel sound I found on the CH700s, the echo cancelation seems to works better, I believe the CH700s prevented me from hearing myself talk and these XB900s allow my voice to be heard as I talk. This is another big improvement.
Now how do they sound. I tried to compare the two headphones (which BT I can't pair simultaneously (nor can I wear). There is no question that the VB900Ns are louder (more efficient: specs say by 4dB). The the bass is undeniably more pronounced, maybe deeper. They remind me more of the sound profile you expect from 'Beats' headphones, but at the same time these Sony XB900N's mids and highs are a bit brighter and louder than that of the CH700's. I'd expected to compare the same volume level on my phone, but to make them equivalent the XB900N's needed to be one notch lower. I think that the XB900's do a much better job of noise cancelation; I tried listening to both with my television on, and the external noise bleed with the CH700's was noticeable, where it was (nearly) non-existent on the XB900s. But I was doing this to also test the XB900's ambient listening environment, where you turn off noise cancelation and "bring in" the external noises. This allows you to hear what's going on around you. I could clearly hear the television and my music, by placing my hand over the right headphone it muted the music and I could only hear the television (clearly; the headphone mic was picking up the external sounds and playing them through the headphones). As I said this is a great feature.
Now to some music from Boston and Pink Floyd; The transition from "Foreplay to Long Time", has some great surround stereo separation, softly swirling from ear to ear. The XB900s were clearly deeper but also more airy, both had a great complex midrange, but the overall balance of the lower lows and higher highs on the XB900s was captivating. As "Smokin's" bass built the XB900 certainly get your attention, maybe a little overwhelming, but it was not uncomfortable. Here the CH700's were not as captivating, lacking the thump of the XB900s. Listening to the Immersion Edition of TDSOTM, the voice in my head in "Speak to Me (Live)" were surreal with the subtle background noises. But here again the XB900s soundstage was more fulfilling. The girls in "The Great gig in the Sky" sounded ethereal. I enjoyed the comfort and sound of the XB900's more. That being said, the deep bass of Money seemed over the top. But after spending some time with Sony's HeadPhones App I found that via the 'Equailzer' I could either use their Bright mode or create my own custom mode, taking down the bass a notch and kicking up the highs, to give me a better balance. The app also has a surround mode (VPT) that can put you in an Arena (to much reverb), a Club (kind of bassy), Outdoor Stage or in a Concert Hall (my preference for live music). You can't get to these features from the headphone directly (that I could find). You need to access them from the phones 'Headphones App' which is fine, as it's probably not going to be changed that often. So, I'd say the Extra Bass from the XB900s can be a bit over the top, but you can modify their sound curve from the Headphones app to you liking.
One other touted feature is Google and Alexa integration. If this is enabled it disables the Noise Cancelation/Ambient button's operation and that button then functions to interface with Alexa or Google (they should have added a dedicated button). Having both Google and Alexa I tried Google first, but the first instruction I tried (skip to next song) was not supported. It could handle volume up and volume down thought. Also when issuing voice commands, my other Google devices could hear my commands and they "won" over the headphones. Maybe my understanding of how this integration is supposed to work is misunderstood.... but it's not explained anywhere in the "manual" or via the online Headphone app. At best I'd say this is a work in progress.
I also listened with the wired connection and as expected the overall sound stage is much wider and brightness of the headphones really shined. Until I connected these headphones directly to my DAC I really didn't know how good how good the XB900s were (with bass tuned down via equalizer). I'd really like to see a headphone that can connect direct via Google play (Wi-Fi) some day.
The headphones take 7+hrs to fully charge, but are rated to play for 30hrs (plenty). The headphones are still a little heavy (8.96oz), but the improved foam helps a lot. They are a nice step up, in both sound and functionality from the Sony CH700's, and still a reasonable price. I'm impressed, looking forward to trying them on a long air flight. Sony XB900Ns: my new favorite.
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+76points
152of 228voted this as helpful.
Enjoy flawless printing without the hassle of cartridges with this Epson EcoTank all-in-one printer. The front-facing ink tanks support easy monitoring, while Wi-Fi compatibility allows printing directly from a smartphone or tablet. This Epson EcoTank all-in-one printer features refill tanks that print up to 6,000 pages in color, making it ideal for your busy office.Prints up to 15 ISO ppm*, up to 8 ISO ppm* in color.
Customer Rating
5
Finally an Economical Inkjet printer
on June 23, 2019
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from PHOENIX
First I hate buying ink cartridges, but love the convenience of printing pictures and color images (and copies). It's always been a catch-22, until now (almost). First it takes about an hour to get the Epson 3710 set up. Time to load the ink into the ecotanks, time for the printer to initiaize, then to connect to your home network, and time to install Windows/iOS software. My box did not contain an installation disk, only instructions on where to download the software from (this is actually preferable to me as I know I'm loading the latest software). With a fast connection the download took less than a minute. But I'm getting ahead of myself, as the last part of the setup is the software installation.
So you when you unpackage the printer, there are a bunch pieces of blue strapping tape that keep all the parts in place during shipping. Find them all and remove them (2 hidden under scanner).
Then you load the 4 ink bottles (keep in mind once the ink is loaded the printer should not be tipped (keep it level)); all are keyed so they must be put into the right tanks, note there will be a little ink left in each bottle, re-cap set them aside, well get back to them later. Then you plug the printer in and power it up. The printer will ask you to confirm you loaded the ink, then the on screen (2.5" color lcd) you start the initialization process, which takes about 10 minutes. During this time the printer sucks some ink from the large tanks into it's internal reservoirs, does a lot of repositioning. You can now load some paper. At the end of the process it will ask you to print a series of alignment pages (5). On each of these pages you will be asked which of several images is better (closest to perfect alignment). Choose the appropriate image number and move thought each of the alignment tests (these can be re-done from the maintenance menu).
Once aligned you will be asked how you want to connect your printer to your PC/network. For most you will use wi-fi to connect to you internal network (you can also connect to a PC via USB, Ethernet to your network or use wi-fi direct to the printer). I used wi-fi to my home network; the printer can only see 802.11bgn networks (so no 5g n or ac). It will show you the networks you can connect to and then allow you to specify the networks password via the input screen and selecting from the displayed characters (clumsy but it works). I believe it also support WPS (where you push a button on your router to add a product), but I did not try this.
Now the printers ready to use, you just need to install software on the device(s) you want to use it from. I started with a windows 10 install based on software found at: epson.com/support/et3710
The download was very straight forward. Before running the software install make sure that your computer is on the same wi-fi network you selected for the printer. Now proceed with the install, which will install drivers and Epson application software, the software should automatically find your printer (it did for me). At the end it will ask you to print a test page, if all went well it will emerge from the printer a few seconds later (it did for me). Setup also lets you set up the printer as cloud device (giving it a email address you can send to it to print) and for MS "One Drive" printing as well as setup for iOS/Android devices. I setup my iPhone to print from Epson's app found in the app store. Again an easy operation.
The download was very straight forward. Before running the software install make sure that your computer is on the same wi-fi network you selected for the printer. Now proceed with the install, which will install drivers and Epson application software, the software should automatically find your printer (it did for me). At the end it will ask you to print a test page, if all went well it will emerge from the printer a few seconds later (it did for me). Setup also lets you set up the printer as cloud device (giving it a email address you can send to it to print) and for MS "One Drive" printing as well as setup for iOS/Android devices. I setup my iPhone to print from Epson's app found in the app store. Again an easy operation.
So, so far, so good. My test pages all came out properly from my various devices. At this point I recommend adding the leftover ink from each of the ink bottles to the printer, there is not much, but the will nearly fill the reservoirs, the bottles can then be discarded (note the ink refill size is 502 (your likely to need more in a couple of years). I did a number of tests with color copies, I found on the default density setting of 0 for copies were a tad light, but changing the default to +1 the results were very good. All text that I printed was excellent.
I then loaded some 4x6 HQ Canon photo paper and send the printer my first photo. It was pretty good, but not exactly true colors, the darkest areas were not a inky black, more of a very dark gray. The yellow and blues were pretty true, but the deep dark reds, here a tad light, more dark pink than dark red. Flesh colors were pretty good, acceptable. I guess it probably fine for 90% of the print's I make (no worse than I what I expect from Walgreens/CVS digital prints), but for real HQ prints I'm going to keep my canon 6 cartridge printer. Maybe with more use the quality will improve/change (I only tested 3 prints I send directly) one that I scanned had the same not quite deep red issue, and you could see it did not have the full resolution of the original. I've attached a series of color copies showing density-1,0,+1 & the original, here again you can see the red heart is a bit pink, but all else (especially the last +1) looks great. I also have a Laser printer that I use for text output, I compared the laser output (600dpi) to the mono output from this printer, and this EcoTank 3710 was just as crisp, and the gray scale output just as good as what the laser produced. The laser was much faster, and holds 500 pages vs 150 in this EcoTank 3710 printer.
Finally in summary, this printer is a great buy, especially if you consider total cost to output the first 5000 pages/prints. I don't expect to get 200 pages out of my canon cartridges, so every 200 (color) pages cost nearly $60, using their larger cartridges its more like 400 pages for $85. I've bought new printers to avoid replacing cartridges (and with each generation they are a different cartridge #s) where the cost of the new printer (with included ink) was about the same as a full set of new cartridges. I now plan to stop doing this. I'm accustomed to duplex printing, and would not buy another printer without it. This printer is no speed demon when dealing with duplex printing, but it's fine for small jobs. I do wish it could handle 2 paper sizes without needing to change the paper. I'd like to keep letter, and 4x6 print paper in the printer, I don't think any of the ecoTank series of printers support this (yet). Yet, I highly recommend this printer, unless you're expecting HQ photos, in which case I don't think you'll be satisfied. But for any plain paper printing this is a great buy.
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+91points
95of 99voted this as helpful.
Listen to music all day with the JLab JBuds Air Executive true wireless earbuds. Three EQ settings let you customize sound easily, and soft Cloud Foam eartips keep you comfortable while listening. Plus dual mics offer clear phones calls. Powerful batteries and the included charging case let these JLab JBuds Air Executive true wireless earbuds deliver up to 30 total hours of massive sound.
Customer Rating
4
A great find for the Price
on June 22, 2019
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from PHOENIX
I keep trying to find the perfect travel headphones and or earbuds, I've kind of drawn may max line at $400, and not found anything "worthy" under $100 until now. I first tried the Jlab Flex Sport headphones about 9mo ago; and quite frankly they suprised me with what they brought for the money. So when I discovered they JLab had a new ear bud for about $70 I thought I should give them a try. My current earbud favorite is the Jaybird Run, which I've had for nearly 2 years (and travel with all the time).
First some obvious differences the "Run's" case can be charged for 12h and the buds for 6h; these Jlab Jbud AirExecutives case can be charged for 20h and the buds for 6h. Both of their cases contain batteries to charge them on the go, but the JLabs Jbuds recharge much faster (80% in about 15m, half the time the Jaybirds take.
The JLab Jbud AirExectives come with 4 in ear tips, small, medium and large, and a memory foam which is about the same size as the medium tip. I did the goldilocks test, and found the medium was best for me; and I then compared the silicon medium tip to the foam tip I was immediately impressed how much more outside sound the foam tip kept out and how much deeper the bass was. The JLab Jbud Air Executives have 2 microphones on them one to listen to external sounds the other to listen for your voice (cell phone calls). The latter is on a tip that extends down the bottom of the earbuds. This extension does allow for your voice to be picked up from both earbuds in what they call C2 calling, it works quite well, as I took several calls and those that I talked to said I could be heard quite clearly, possibly better than I could hear them (I had to turn the volume way up on incoming calls, but thats just a few taps on the right earbud).
Speaking of taps, you change the volume up by taping on the right earbud once, and down by tapping on the left earbud once. tapping the left earbud twice bring up siri (something I did several times accidentally). And tapping the left three times cycles through 3 eq settings (I found their custom signature mode the best for general listening). Triple tapping the right earbud turns on and off there "be aware" mode which sends external sounds through the earbuds.
A couple things about this "be aware" feature, it's a great idea. But the Jlab Jbuds should tell you with a voice prompt what mode is enabled (like it does for EQ mode), and it should also tell you this when you turn them on initially. I really liked this functionality in their FlexSport, and I'd say it worked better in the flex sport than it does with the Air Executives. When enabling "be aware" you can hear external noises and voices through the earbuds; and yes I could but the volume level of the external sounds was not nearly as pronounced as I found them to be with the flex sports. Like I say this is a great feature, to me it was not implemented as well in the the Air Executives. Still It's nice that it is there.
Now how did they sound with Music. Comparing the $70 JLab Jbuds AirExecutives to the $170 Jaybird Runs is not exactly fair, but that what I did. I listened to some AC/DC, Boston and Pink Floydo on both. And both handled highs extremely well with a very nice resolution, I couldn't decide which I prefered. But with the foam tips I prefered the bass of the JLab Jbud AirExecutive, but the mids of the Jaybird Run's seemed to float, and have more punch then that of the Jlab Jbud. The JayBirds seemed to have a better, wider, mor open sound stage.
But I could move much further away from my iPhone with the JLab Jbud and keep a solid stereo signal, than I could with the JayBird (possibly due to newer BT 5.0 technology). Also pairing of the JLab Jbuds AirExecutives was much easier/more consistent than with the Jaybirds (something I greatly appreciated). So the Jlab Jbud's were more reliable to use with my iPhone.
So for the money they are a great find; their sound is very good and they are reliable, and easy to travel with, the stated 20h play time is also great for the price. The "cloud" foam tips work really well. I'm sure I'll trave with these then next time I get on a plane.
A couple of things they (all earbud manufacturers) should consider, include the operating instruction on the inside or back of the case. Yes, after a while you figure it out, but if you use many different headphones/earbuds this would really help.
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+24points
36of 48voted this as helpful.
Realize immersive room-filling sound from your TV with this LG 3.1-channel high-resolution audio soundbar. DTS technology creates a thrilling surround sound experience, while high-resolution audio support ensures a stunning reproduction of sound and music. This LG 3.1-channel high-resolution audio soundbar features optical, USB, HDMI and Bluetooth for convenient connections to all compatible equipment and TVs.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from PHOENIX
First I have 4 Surround System setups in my house; 2 with sound bars, 2 full Dolby 5.1 & 5.2 setups (all much more costly than the LG SL6Y setup). I using this LG SL6Y with 55" Sony (9 series) in my secondary viewing area, I had been using a ZVOX, but for movies it's output was insufficient, for news and sports it was fine, just not "good enough" for 4K surround movies. I was torn between the cost of this unit and spending 3 times as much for a full Dolby Atmos setup. My wife "helped" me make the decision (for now) not wanting any more exposed speakers on the rear wall. So the LG seemed like a good compromise,it offered both HDMI (ARC) and Optical hookups. I tried both and really could not tell the difference, the television offers fixed and variable outputs to both the optical and the HDMI output, so I can still control the volume from my primary remote (something I was not sure I would get). The instructions I received with the unit, were incomplete, the latest user and owner manuals were available online.
Getting the sub to pair with the sound bar was just a matter of powering on the Sub then the soundbar, and a green light (on the back of the sub) blinked a couple of times and then stayed on steady, indicating it was connected. When the sound bar is powered on, on the front, there is 5 character LED display, barely mentioned in the manual. Here you can see the connection information as well as the operating (surround) mode.
I first watched/listened the end of a baseball game, I prefered the Standard mode over the Bass Blast and the DTS Virtual. The LG's subwoofer was reasonable improvement over the ZVOX I had been using,and the dialog was much better than the TV's speakers (not surprising no flat panels are very good).
I then watched 2 DTS Movies, and the DTS Virtual Surround really works; not as well as my $10K Home theater set-up but for a smaller listen area it is quite suitable, I was pleasantly surprised. The LG SL6Y could more than fill the 16x24 room with full dynamic sound. The bass is not chest thumping still noticeable. It nicely paired with the volume of the sound bar. I tried placing the subwoofer in the front of the room (close to sound bar), on the right and left side of the room and in a corner. In the corner the bass was more pronounced, "thumpier", I prefered this placement, I'd expected to prefer it in front of me, but that not what I ended up liking the most. Having it wireless and it automatically re-pairing with the sound bar made experimenting with it so easy (convenient). I tried it further away, but that failed the most, it needs to be close to the listening area, but not necessarily pointed at the listeners.
I'm so happy with this setup, I'll probably break down and get a set of the SPL8-S speakers, and try hiding them out of sight (see if the wife notices). For the money this is a nice setup, especially if your budget or space constrained. It's a big improvement over all the 2.1 SB's I considered, and it can be expanded, whether that's worth it is the subject of a later review. The SL6Y is worth it im my opinion.
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+35points
43of 51voted this as helpful.
Enjoy flavorful lattes, macchiatos and cappuccinos with this Ninja specialty coffee maker. Six brew sizes offer full coffee shop function and versatility, while the dishwasher-safe parts are easy to clean. This Ninja specialty coffee maker features a fold-away frother that turns milk into a silky-smooth froth, and the gold-tone permanent filter withstands daily use.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from PHOENIX
I'm a coffee connoisseur, I've been ordering Coffee from Boca Java and getting specialty coffees from Starbucks for years (whole bean). I've been using a Cuisinart craftless (Coffee on demand) brewer for nearly 20 yrs (on 4th unit), Always been happy with quality brew and that it keeps coffee away from air and hot for hours.
Upon unpacking the Ninja I was impress with quality of the unit, it looks very nice and does not take up and unreasonable amount of counter space, just slightly larger than my Cuisinart, with so many more functions. So the Ninja says you should 2 run water through it twice before use (this takes just over 4 min per pot, make sure to completely fill (but not overfill reservoir) otherwise it will tell you you need to "Add Wtr". Learned something about the unit already. Now with that done I found the smart scoop a large and small size, probably 1tbsp and 2tbsp. The Ninja craft is 50oz my Cuisinart makes 60oz (10 vs 12 cups), I generally use about 6-8tbsp in my Cuisinart for 12 cups (~2.5 oz) so I use one less tbsp in the Ninja vs the Cuisinart. The Ninja has 2 brew strengths (Classic and Rich + Over Ice), I decided to start with Classic, and off we went. Both units finished within 5 minutes. The brewed temperature of the Ninja was clearly hotter than the Cuisinart. My instant read thermometer had the Ninja at 194 degrees and the Cuisinart coffee at 185. I let both sit a couple of minutes, as I don't drink my coffee that hot. The comparison... The Ninja was slightly bitter compared to the Cuisinart coffee, I'd say from brewing too hot. It was acceptable, I've had worse, but my first impression didn't impress. I looked through the manual to see if there was any way to change the brew temperature, and it said it was all automatic to yield the perfect brew. I did note there was a means to calibrate it for high altitudes (where water boils at a lower temperature (I'm in Phoenix at about 1600ft, I'd not expect much difference, but worth a try) - press and hold the Classic and Over Ice Button at the same time and the timer will say CAL. Much to my suprise it stopped after about 1 minute, probably only 12 oz of water used. So I repeated my test (after offering my wife and daughter coffee from both test brews - and there was a consensus the Ninja was slightly bitter, but maybe fuller also.) I brewed another Ninja pot it's initial temp was 191 degrees, so the calibration did do something. I let is cool a bit and it was improved, not as bitter, very close to the Cuisinart taste (which is good).
Now to try single (large 12oz) cup, I used 2 rounded small scoops (probably close to 2 total), I filled the reservoir full, but selected the XL cup size. The brewing started, paused and then resumed, finishing in under 2min. The temperature was 190 at the end of the brew. IT was more full bodied than the full pot, far more coffee flavor, more like the black coffee I get from Starbucks. So this it did very well, in fact excellent, very similar to the single serve k-cup machines. I can see my wife liking this for her Caramel Latte.
My biggest hope was for great Iced Coffee, about all I drink in the summer. I filled the carafe with ice, which seemed strange, but that's what it said to do, put the about 7 small scoops of coffee in, and hit the "Over Ice" button. It again started brewing, but paused longer, as I think the brew temp was lowered then more slowly it entered the pot of ice. It looked very quite dark, and after 10min it was not done, maybe just over 1/2 done. It finished after about 15m. the served ice coffee was cold, but much of the ice was gone. I added more ice to a vente cut and poured my brewed Iced Coffee over it, added a little cream. And not bad but not starbucks, just on the thin side, lacking the rich coffee taste; it was ok. it might save me some afternoon trips to SB, but might not stop me from going in the morning. I tried making a single travel mug with with 5 small scoops, not much difference, still a tad thin. I wish I could instruct the machine to let it brew longer, or use a slightly higher temp, not exactly sure but it's too watery, not the richness I'd hoped for.
This is a nice machine, it does a lot, mostly well. IMHO if it gave the user some more flexibility to better taylor the brew temp/time/strength for all beverages if might be more successful. But many might see this as making it too complicated (my wife would). So it does a good job for coffee and brewed beverages. It's not quite got Ice Coffee nailed yet. I've now tried adding an ounce of cooled specialty coffee to the ice coffee, and that does the trick, I now brew a cup of specialty coffee, put it in the fridge when I make Iced Coffee, then add some to each cup of IC served, it's more work but it get me closer to a great cup of IC from my Ninja (my tip to you).
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I would recommend this to a friend!
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Secure your smartphone while driving with this iOttie iTap 2 Magnetic air vent mount. The metal plates and protective film support wireless and wired charging, and the twist lock ensures precise installation. Rare-earth magnets on this iOttie iTap 2 Magnetic air vent mount deliver a strong hold for your device, while the rotating ball joint offers customized viewing angles.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from PHOENIX
My car's center console has 2 cup holders which are not really wide enough to hold my iPhone 8+, there is a place for "change but it's not quite wide enough to fully hold the phone, so if I take a sharp turn the phone can fall to the floor. I saw the iOttie magnetic phone holder and thought it a possible solution. My phone has a simple silicon case on it so "hiding" a thin metal plate on the back of the phone was very easy to do. The plate has a pull off adhesive back to "stick" in one place. I found that I did not need the adhesive back, that the plate stayed in place because this case was quite tight. This I saw as an advantage. The iOttie comes with a large and small plate, it seemed to have plenty of holding power, based on your case you may need the larger pad (good to know it's available (included)).
Mounting the iOttie in the vent was pretty easy, with one catch, if you want to prevent it from moving, it's seems best for it to be mounted on the top or bottom horizontal deflector, now the catch, inside your vent there is a vertical deflector, you want the iOttie to be centered on one of these vertical deflectors. If you don't do this there is some wobble, if you properly "catch" the vertical deflector (hard to see w/o a flashlight (don't forget there is one on your phone)) you can tighten the ring on the back and the iOttie should stay stably secured.
Now you can magnetically secure your phone to the iOttie in your vent. It's easy to have your phone securely held while your driving. unless you phone's in a heavy case, folding case, or case with belt clip, you should have nop problem using the iOttie.
I found the iOttie was a better solution than leaving my phone "loose" on/my center console.
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I would recommend this to a friend!
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2of 2voted this as helpful.
Enjoy movies and other streaming content with this Sony 4K Blu-ray disc player. Built-in Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity allow for media to be streamed in high quality, while a super quick start mode minimizes fuss during use. This Sony 4K Blu-ray disc player has two HDMI outputs for simultaneous use with multiple screens.
Customer Rating
2
Don't buy for Streaming Services
on May 10, 2019
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from PHOENIX
First I'll start with the Bad/Disapointing/Hard to Explain.
Compared to the previous version of Sony UHD BluRay players this player only supports 3 Streaming Apps, so if you have an online Video Library, forget about accessing it from this player. I contacted Sony, to verify this was not part of a future release, and was told in no uncertain terms apps cannot be added to this player (in the future). So the only apps you get are: Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube (paid). No MoviesAnywhere, Vudu, Hulu, UV (going away anyway).... So if you've been collecting titles, and storing UHD in the cloud you wont be able to access them, even though the previous version of this player UBP-X800 had these capabilities. Be fore warned, there is no info in their manual to identify what apps are available (asked Sony about this; no real answers why).
Compared to the previous version of Sony UHD BluRay players this player only supports 3 Streaming Apps, so if you have an online Video Library, forget about accessing it from this player. I contacted Sony, to verify this was not part of a future release, and was told in no uncertain terms apps cannot be added to this player (in the future). So the only apps you get are: Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube (paid). No MoviesAnywhere, Vudu, Hulu, UV (going away anyway).... So if you've been collecting titles, and storing UHD in the cloud you wont be able to access them, even though the previous version of this player UBP-X800 had these capabilities. Be fore warned, there is no info in their manual to identify what apps are available (asked Sony about this; no real answers why).
So how does it work with UHD 4K discs, most excellent. This is is my second UHD BluRay player, the first with Dolby Vision & Atmos.
Now it hard to tell where HDR comes into play and where Dolby Vision come into play. I watched Jumanji (Welcome to the Jungle) on my old player and with the new Sony UBP-X800M2, and there were some "dark" seans that were much more vibrant/decernable on the M2 player. When lighting was bright things were pretty much equivalent with the M2 player having a bit more pop in the colors, but generally hard to differentiate. In the much darker ending it was much easier to see what was moving in the shadows and the shadows seemed to contain more color detail. To some extent this is hard to explain with words, and I tried photographing both to show the difference, but the camera could not capture the subtle differences. Suffice it to say that HDR10 with Dolby Vision does improve picture quality, offering a more real/lifelike picture. Dolby Atmos certainly has improved audio quality. The sound quality from Jumanji was spectacular.
Now it hard to tell where HDR comes into play and where Dolby Vision come into play. I watched Jumanji (Welcome to the Jungle) on my old player and with the new Sony UBP-X800M2, and there were some "dark" seans that were much more vibrant/decernable on the M2 player. When lighting was bright things were pretty much equivalent with the M2 player having a bit more pop in the colors, but generally hard to differentiate. In the much darker ending it was much easier to see what was moving in the shadows and the shadows seemed to contain more color detail. To some extent this is hard to explain with words, and I tried photographing both to show the difference, but the camera could not capture the subtle differences. Suffice it to say that HDR10 with Dolby Vision does improve picture quality, offering a more real/lifelike picture. Dolby Atmos certainly has improved audio quality. The sound quality from Jumanji was spectacular.
I've been collecting 4K UHD Blu-Ray's for a couple of years now (It's all I buy), I probably have 40+ discs, and their production quality does seem to keep improving (can say the same for all the movies). I've been upgrading many of my DVD's to UHD quality via Vudu. Having several hundred Digital Copies in the cloud, I very disappointed I can't access them with this player. The player has better output than anything else I've used/seen. If you don't store you video collection in the cloud, this may not matter to you. It does to me.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Enjoy major networks without paying a monthly fee with this Mohu Arc Pro indoor HDTV antenna. An integrated signal indicator helps you to find the optimal signal location, while the LED lights let you adjust antenna placement in real time for a more stable connection. This Mohu Arc Pro indoor HDTV antenna uses FirstStage amplifier technology which results in less distortion and stunning picture quality.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from PHOENIX
I live in Phoenix, lots of OTA HD. But I live behind a mountain that blocks southern OTA HD reception. I have a 20' mast with a 120" Antenna on my roof (cost several hundred dollars), it can pull in 60+ stations. So I'm not comparing apples to apples with the MOHU Pro at less than $100.
I first mounted it in my upstairs office, pointing east; I scanned for DT channels, I "acquired" 10 but only 4 were watchable. I then changed to the adjecent wall pointing south; scanned and "acquired" 17 stations 9 were watchable (3 of these were Spanish). It's interesting to note none of the channels overlapped (they were all different). For me most of the channels acquired were SD broadcasts, only 1 (on my first scan) was true HD.
But that being said the content that I acquired proves the Antenna works, and can pull in signals. I know I'm not the perfect test case, due to my "Mountain". I can say that the antenna is highly directional which depending what direction your stations come from may be a good or a bad thing. But they offer no way to mount it that it can easily be moved. If the mount had some sort of sliding device that would allow adjustment it would be a MUCH better product.
I was a little surprised to get any stations at all. When DTV was just getting started I tried 2 different indoor antennas - got nothing That's how I ended up with the big roof antenna. I did try the antenna on a downstairs TV and got no digital channels. So depending on your location this antenna may work out for you, but you might have to move it to get different channels.
But with BB, you can always try to see if it works for you!
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I would recommend this to a friend!
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10of 10voted this as helpful.
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The Brydge 12.3 Pro+ wireless keyboard with touchpad matches the quality and functionality of the Surface Pro 4,5,6, and 7 seamlessly. Designed to meet the standards set by Microsoft, the Brydge 12.3 Pro+ features a precision touchpad, adjustable viewing angles and 3-level backlit keys, bringing a laptop-like experience to your Surface Pro.
Is it running on windows 10? And What’s the speed how fast is it?
This is a Keyboard/Track pad only.
It is intended to be use with a MS Surface Pro (G4-G7); the Surface typically runs Windows 10, and there are multiple versions (processor/memory for the surface).
It is intended to be use with a MS Surface Pro (G4-G7); the Surface typically runs Windows 10, and there are multiple versions (processor/memory for the surface).
4 years, 8 months ago
by
3Tcubed
The Brydge 12.3 Pro+ wireless keyboard with touchpad matches the quality and functionality of the Surface Pro 4,5,6, and 7 seamlessly. Designed to meet the standards set by Microsoft, the Brydge 12.3 Pro+ features a precision touchpad, adjustable viewing angles and 3-level backlit keys, bringing a laptop-like experience to your Surface Pro.
Is this a laptop and keyboard
Keyboard/Trackpad only intended to be used with MS Surface Pro (G4-G7)
4 years, 8 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Make healthy smoothies and drinks with this SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender. A 1400W motor base ensures exceptional ice-crushing results, while the 800W heating element cuts down boiling time for faster preparation of soups and sauces. This SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender features preset Auto-iQ smart programs that take the guesswork out of operation and dishwasher-safe parts for effortless cleaning.
Is there a compatible single serve blending cup that I can use with this blender? I’m interested in a 20 or 24 ounces blending cup option.
It comes with 2 x 16oz personal containers (actually 32oz, but for blending you should only fill to 16oz when using
4 years, 10 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Make healthy smoothies and drinks with this SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender. A 1400W motor base ensures exceptional ice-crushing results, while the 800W heating element cuts down boiling time for faster preparation of soups and sauces. This SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender features preset Auto-iQ smart programs that take the guesswork out of operation and dishwasher-safe parts for effortless cleaning.
There's no Puree' option, so does this blender not have a way to blend a smoothie until it's basically almost as smooth as milk? That's pretty much going to be my deciding factor between this and the Instant Pot blender. Thanks.
It does have a Pulse mode that moves the mixture thought-out the container, fine for a puree
4 years, 10 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Make healthy smoothies and drinks with this SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender. A 1400W motor base ensures exceptional ice-crushing results, while the 800W heating element cuts down boiling time for faster preparation of soups and sauces. This SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender features preset Auto-iQ smart programs that take the guesswork out of operation and dishwasher-safe parts for effortless cleaning.
What is the height of appliance with glass jar and lid attached ?
Make healthy smoothies and drinks with this SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender. A 1400W motor base ensures exceptional ice-crushing results, while the 800W heating element cuts down boiling time for faster preparation of soups and sauces. This SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender features preset Auto-iQ smart programs that take the guesswork out of operation and dishwasher-safe parts for effortless cleaning.
How do I purée foods? It doesn’t have a purée button.
It has 2 modes, smooth and pulse, the pulse mode move the mixture throughout the container very effectively, would easily puree.
4 years, 10 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Make healthy smoothies and drinks with this SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender. A 1400W motor base ensures exceptional ice-crushing results, while the 800W heating element cuts down boiling time for faster preparation of soups and sauces. This SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender features preset Auto-iQ smart programs that take the guesswork out of operation and dishwasher-safe parts for effortless cleaning.
Can I use another attachment with this blender like Nutri Ninja or the coffee and spice grinder ?
They offer a separate small jar (not included) which would be great for a spice grinder, you could probably use the included large polycarbonate container for grinding coffee with the pulse mode, it should work well.
4 years, 10 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Upgrade your daily cooking with this Instant Pot Duo Nova pressure cooker. The 8-quart capacity holds enough food for up to eight people, while the 14 one-touch smart programs simplify meal preparation. This Instant Pot Duo Nova pressure cooker includes a steam rack, soup spoon and measuring cup for convenience.
Does instruction manuals come with it and recipe book
Yes, but pretty limited. There is on online app with a lot of recipes (well organized, searchable) you'll find several for just about everything.
4 years, 11 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Upgrade your daily cooking with this Instant Pot Duo Nova pressure cooker. The 8-quart capacity holds enough food for up to eight people, while the 14 one-touch smart programs simplify meal preparation. This Instant Pot Duo Nova pressure cooker includes a steam rack, soup spoon and measuring cup for convenience.
What are in internal dimensions? All I can find are external.
Upgrade your daily cooking with this Instant Pot Duo Nova pressure cooker. The 8-quart capacity holds enough food for up to eight people, while the 14 one-touch smart programs simplify meal preparation. This Instant Pot Duo Nova pressure cooker includes a steam rack, soup spoon and measuring cup for convenience.