Share Namdnas's profile
Namdnas
Namdnas's stats
- Review count58
- Helpfulness votes360
- First reviewNovember 20, 2016
- Last reviewMarch 26, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.3
Reviews comments
- Review comment count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First review commentNone
- Last review commentNone
- Featured review comments0
Questions
- Question count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First questionNone
- Last questionNone
- Featured questions0
Answers
- Answer count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First answerNone
- Last answerNone
- Featured answers0
- Best answers0
Record captivating vlogs and take brilliant photos with this black GoPro HERO9 camera. The high-quality CMOS sensor captures 5K video and up to 20.0MP images for stunning clarity, and support for a microSD card offers customizable storage space. This water-resistant GoPro HERO9 camera allows for use at the beach or pool.
Customer Rating
5
This is all you need. Get in on the GoPro hype!
on October 12, 2020
Posted by: Namdnas
from TN
Preface to this review:
Unfortunately, I was NOT able to upload the images I took with my GoPro Hero 9 due to Best Buy website limitations. When trying, I get "We were unable to accept the image you uploaded because it was too large. We can only accept images that are 5 MB or smaller." In looking at the details of the images from the device, the pictures are around 12-18MB, on average.
Now, on to the review:
I've always wanted a GoPro device since, well, forever. Where we live, we are in the Appalachian mountains and there are tons of hiking trails and such around us, along with beautiful over-mountain views. We also go to the next state and some short trips for the trails there too. In doing all of this, we've always just resorted to our phones for videos and pictures. Never really had anything dedicated to it. Now, I do and I'm super pumped to go exploring with it!
The unboxing is pretty simple. I want to say that the most shocking part for me, as someone who's never owned a GoPro before...this thing is TINY!!! Much tinier than I anticipated. It pretty much fits in the palm of my hand, comfortably. Anyways, the unboxing: You get an elongated case that it comes packaged in, which has a cardboard sleeve over it. Taking everything out (all the common stuff, charging cable, a few small accessories, paperwork, etc), the GoPro was pretty simple to set up. However, I will mention that other than a small quick-start guide, I was unable to find any other documentation on how to use it. Now, I'm a new GoPro user, so I'm sure everything works pretty universally the same as previous models. But for me, some more detailed information would have been handy. Like, how do I really open the battery compartment (I had to look it up and watch a video to make sure I was doing it correctly, as I didn't want to damage it) or how do I get the pictures off of this thing and onto my PC?
Luckily, just in digging around and playing with everything, most of it is pretty easy to figure out. I did download the GoPro app and subscribe (1 month free trial, $5 a month after that), which is pretty nifty. Unlimited online storage, GoPro replacements, up to 50% off accessories in the store and some other benefits. I did also order some of the accessories from GoPro directly to verify that this discount DID work as advertised. I got the Travel Case (includes a different style case than what it came with, a Shorty stick, a clip so you can attach it to say, a backpack, and another thing that already came with the camera), the Media Mod, a lanyard case and a battery charger with an extra battery. Later, I want to get some extended-range sticks and the Max Camera mod...and possibly the light mod to go with my Media Mod kit. Outside of GoPro, I also ordered a 128GB Sandisk Extreme memory card.
Unfortunately, due to the weather, I've not gotten to play around with everything as much as I would have liked. We had a hiking trip planned and the weather was so terrible, we had to cancel it. So, I've just taken some test videos and pics when I could, just to make sure everything was functioning properly for this review.
One thing that I did want to touch base on - I've seen some issues online about dead pixels being an issue for the Hero9, but thankfully, I've not had any issues such as this. Everything has been pristine, perfect and great to use! I'm super happy with it! The battery life is good and the initial setup went well. The firmware updated fine with no issues there. I did notice some initial screen lag when swiping between various modes (slo-mo, camera and pictures), as well as when creating a custom setting. Since then, I've used it and it seems a little better. Hopefully another firmware update will come later to get this fully resolved, as I don't think the Hero8 or Hero7 models suffered from this.
The videos are amazing and the pictures are...eh?? I've taken several pictures in various modes and none of them "amaze me". To be quite honest, I'd rather just use my iPhone 11 Pro Max camera for my photos and leave the video to the GoPro...I mean, after all, isn't this what they're intended for? I appreciate being able to take pictures and it can be handy when you don't want to juggle two devices, but...yeah...just not that impressed. Most of them that I've taken look a bit "darker" than what is taken on our other devices. I thought about knocking a star off for this, but, I'm not, since everything else works as it's supposed to.
One last thing that I want to add - 5k video seems more like a marketing gimmick than anything. I'd much rather use the 4k or 2.7k settings when doing my recording. The 5k isn't that much of a noticeable difference to make the extra storage and battery drain worth it. One other small issue I've had in use is when changing a setting on the camera via touch, sometimes the screen will rotate on me and I cannot seem to get it to rotate back without wrestling with it and turning it all sorts of ways.
So, with the above being said, I'm going to give the GoPro Hero9 a solid 5 out of 5 stars. Sure, there are some minor issues hampering the use of the camera, like the screen lag when changing settings and the rotation from landscape to portrait...when I didn't even turn the camera. But, most of this COULD be fixed in a firmware update. I thought about knocking a star off for the overall picture quality and the 5k "gimmick", but I"m not. Also, if this is too much to spend for the newest model, check out the GoPro Hero 7, as I'm sure it's a bit cheaper and from my research, I've heard that it's even better in some ways than the Hero 9. I just feel the Hero 9 will be a bit more future-proof. Either way, take the GoPro route and you won't be disappointed!
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
ECOVACS DEEBOT OZMO T8+ is an all-in-one vacuuming and mopping robot with TrueDetect advanced 3D obstacle avoidance. It detects and cleans around furniture and objects like shoes and cords for hassle-free, uninterrupted cleaning. TrueMapping™ laser navigation scans, maps, and plans an efficient cleaning path faster and more precisely to prevent missed or repeated areas. The OZMO™️ mopping system vacuums and mops in one go, with precise water flow control and automatic carpet detection and avoidance. The Auto-Empty Station conveniently empties the dustbin into a disposable bag for weeks of maintenance-free cleaning.
Customer Rating
5
This is the best vacuum bot that I've seen!
on September 9, 2020
Posted by: Namdnas
from TN
So, we already have a previous Deebot model, but got lazy with using it. Our biggest issue with it was the overall thickness, due to the sensor height on top. It was always getting hung under things and we'd have to go to "rescue" it. The new T8+ model seemed slimmer, overall and most noticeably, the sensor on top didn't see to be as thick. So, we thought we'd give it a go and definitely glad we did!
I'm going to go ahead and say that this an awesome vacuum bot and I'll probably stay with the Ecovacs brand. It has TONS of features, which all work great. The only feature I was expecting and was missing was the ability to talk to your pets via the on-demand live video stream from the T8 AIVI model. Given this was the T8+, I made the mistake of "assuming" it was a given for this model, as well. Nope, it's not there. Too bad, as I was super hyped for this feature.
Another thing I noticed. I already had the Ecovacs app installed on my iPhone 11 Pro Max, which I used with my then-current Deebot model. However, this one requires the newer Ecovacs Home app. Yeah, it can be a little confusing in the naming...one for the older bots and one for the newer. Couldn't they have just combined everything into a single app? This isn't a negative in any way though, just an observation.
Unboxing of the T8+ model was a nice experience. Everything was packed neatly and there was no excess waste. The box is nice and premium, as well! It was super easy and quick from unboxing to getting it on the charger. Maybe 20 min, tops (using the quick start guides)? What I LOVE about this model is the use of the auto-empty dirt bin. There's a bag pre-installed and you get an extra one. Each bag supposedly lasts for about 30 days. I'm not sure if this is when using it once a week, twice a week, or what. I did look up the bag, however...as it didn't seem to be a standard vacuum bag. They're $19.99 for 3x on Ecovacs website, under the accessories section. Also, the main brush appears to have a 300hr lifespan and the side brushes, around 150. I've not tested or used the mopping option, as our house is a mix between carpet and wood. I would like to try the mop feature in the future, once I get used to it and more comfortable with how it works. I'm not going to lie - at first, it can be a little intimidating.
Setting up the bot via the app, connecting to the network and such was super easy. We had random issues with our first bot, but this one had ZERO problems. Everything worked the first time. Once set up, firmware updated and fully charged, we set it out for it's first adventure. Our first cleaning and mapping with the unit took a little over an hour (1 hour, 6 minutes). Once done, it went straight back to the base, emptied itself and started charging. I even received a notification via the app that cleaning was complete. I don't think I ever got this with the previous one! After a bit, we all noticed that the house just "felt" better. It smelled cleaner than usual and you could see all the lines in the carpet where it ran. It also did a superb job on the regular flooring, too!
We will definitely be using this at least twice a week. I just need to get around to ordering some more bags soon. We are much happier with this model and other than the missing feature I mentioned above (checking in on your pets and such) - which in fairness, was NOT the manufacturers fault...it was mine - I give this unit a 5/5 stars. The hassle free setup was great, it ran perfect when used and had ZERO hang-ups and rescue moments. It definitely seems much lower maintenance than we were used to with our previous one.
I'd recommend this model OR the T8 AIVI one for the remote check-in features with pets and such. Now...just need to teach the cat to ride it while it's in action!
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+7points
7of 7voted this as helpful.
Designed for sports. Engineered for sound. Bose Frames Tempo will take your audio game to the next level. With Bose Open Ear Audio, you get loud, deep, lifelike sound thanks to wafer-thin speakers hidden in the temples. It’s a jaw-dropping experience that leaves you free to engage with the world around you, all while discreetly listening to music. Performance doesn’t end with audio. Bose Frames Tempo is also designed for maximum comfort and durability with a lightweight nylon frame, sweat-and weather-resistance and durable, soft, silicone nose pads. Tempo gives you sound you expect from Bose with everything you need from sport sunglasses.
Customer Rating
4
Great for driving and exercising.
on September 8, 2020
Posted by: Namdnas
from TN
Wouldn't it be nice to listen to music in your own "personal space" without distracting others with a speaker? How about taking that walk or run without annoying earbuds or headphones on, but still be able to listen to your music?
With these Bose shades, you can certainly do that. Yeah, it's a niche market, but with a little more improvement to the overall volume levels, these sunglasses can be a winner. I've found the perfect driving glasses and pretty close to perfect for exercising!
I get tired of having headphones in/on ALL THE TIME. I've got some Bluetooth over-the-ear cans that I love and wear while I'm at work (from home). Then I have my Airpod Pro's that I also use when I don't want my whole head taken over and also for phone calls. I have some other Bluetooth earbuds that I use specifically for exercising, so I don't ruin my other headphones/earbuds. The Bose Tempo sunglasses fill a certain void that I never knew existed. I only have two issues that prevent them from being daily drivers in my life. Read on to find out more.
Unboxing: These things look and feel premium! The unboxing process was definitely nice and you feel you get what you pay for. You get the glasses, a storage case (with a snug fit!), a USB C charging cable and a microfiber cloth. I left the cable, cloth and any other accessories (if there was anything else?) in the box, as I have my own cable and cloth already that I use for other devices. One thing that I did think was neat is the fact that you can actually swap out the lenses. I discovered this in the app as I was setting them up and honestly, didn't even know this was a feature before getting them.
Setup: Outside of Airpods, this has to be the smoothest "headset" setup I've ever done. I downloaded the Bose Music app and just followed the steps. I didn't have to do anything special and, as an extra cool step, it allowed me to name my glasses. I gave them one of the default names, as I wasn't feeling very creative at the time (Slay All Day!) and I can always rename them later. It also updated to the latest firmware version. Once setup, everything else within the app is pretty minimal. You can use the app to control your music (I don't), among other basic maintenance-type things.
Design: Once everything was setup and ready to go. I gave tested them for a bit. I personally love the look of the Tempo frame on me and had to wind up using the larger nose piece. Even with that, they just felt really stiff when I put them on... thanks in part due to the HUGE, bulking side pieces that contain the speakers. There is NO wiggle room for me once on my face and the large speaker portion feels like it rests against my bone, on the upper sides of my cheeks. At first, I felt this was uncomfortable, but got used to it after about 10 minutes of wearing. Outside of this, the physical controls are kept to a minimum. There's pretty much just the charging port and the power button. All controls are done by swiping and tapping on the side of the frame (the speaker piece), where it says "Bose". Not the direct side, but the upper part that is kind of angled. You can swipe one direction to turn up the volume and another to turn it down. You can summon Siri (I tested with my iPhone 11 Pro Max) with a double tap, among other common controls.
Call quality: The day after I received these, I wore them driving and made two calls. The first person said that I sounded identical to my Airpod Pro's and couldn't really tell a difference. The other person, my wife, said that I sounded louder and clearer than I did on my Airpods. I didn't get to test calls in windy/noisy conditions or anything, so I'm not able to vouch there.
There are a few other features. As I mentioned before, the ability to swap lenses. Also, if you place them upside down after taking them off, it will pause your music and auto-play when you pick them up and put them back on. They will also turn off automatically after some time of inactivity.
All in all, really...my BIGGEST complaint with these is the overall volume. They don't get terribly loud and given that the speakers are sitting just above your ears, it's just the nature of the beast, I guess. I realized this after walking and being able to hear the traffic go by the road and such - it seemed to mute the music some and even at over 3/4 volume, it became difficult to hear. Indoors seemed fine...but I don't have a need to wear these inside. In the car, they're mostly fine.
A few other issues I had: I have very oily skin and when I exercise, I sweat a TON. As soon as I put these on, they pull the oil right off my face. Luckily, they're pretty easy to clean and it's all come off without leaving residual oil residue on the hulking plastic speaker part. As for sweat, they get drenched, but so far, has not affected them. They do fit a little snug for my liking due to the behemoth sides. I can see people asking "why are the sides of your sunglasses so big", but once you tell them it's speakers, they'd be like "ooooh, ok".
So, these make the perfect driving glasses (especially if you don't want to disturb your passengers) and semi-perfect exercising glasses - marred by the tight fit (which may be a bonus to some) and super big sides.
Overall, I give them a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+1point
5of 9voted this as helpful.
Sony's intelligent noise-cancelling headphones with premium sound elevate your listening experience with the ability to personalize and control everything you hear. Get up to 30 hours of battery life with quick charging capabilities, enjoy an enhanced Smart Listening feature set, and carry conversations hands-free with speak-to-chat.
Customer Rating
5
This is the only good thing to come out of 2020!
on August 19, 2020
Posted by: Namdnas
from TN
Ok, I"m gonna cut to the chase at the very beginning of this review. If you are in the market for a pair over over-ear headphones, buy these Sony XM4's. For the price range, these are the best it gets.
Let me start out by saying that I have a minor hearing issue in my right ear. Because of that and just my overall preference, I have always used earbud style headphones. I've owned both generations of the regular Airpods and I also have the Airpod Pros, as well. Before wireless, my go to were the Klipsch buds.
However, here lately, I've been having issues with the outer edge of my ear canal getting irritated and dry feeling. This did not start until I began regular use of my Airpod Pros - must be the silicon or the way they fit. I can't quite figure it out, as I've tried all three tips and I'm back to using the default Mediums. This has gotten me to looking into over-the-ear headphones here lately. My first pair I purchased was the fairly new Razer Opus and I have to say, those are amazing. But after reading and hearing about the "legacy" of the Sony XM3 headphones (I've done a LOT of research on them)...I wanted the new XM4's as soon as I heard about 'em.
So, I got them. I initially wanted the black, but wound up getting the Platinum Silver instead. To be honest, I kinda wish I'd gotten the black - but the Silver is slowly growing on me. I call it "Playstation Grey", as it resembles the color of the original PS1 system. Once I realized that, I accepted the color more, lol. But that's just the color - not sure how well the Silver will hold up over time, but the sound is where it's at.
The first thing I want to say is that these puppies are the most comfortable thing I have every placed on my head. I work from home and I can wear these 4-6 hours with ZERO problems. None. Nada. Zilch. After a while, I totally forget I have them on. They can get a little "warm" if wearing for a greater number of hours, especially if you keep your house on the warmer side (yes, we are demons who keep the regular house temp at about 73-74 in the Summer, haha). Outside if this, they're PERFECT.
Ok, sound. Like I said, I do have a small hearing disability in my right ear. I've tried wireless over-ears before in the past by a few other brands and just found the overall volume to be...lacking. The only way to improve it was to connect the wired cable, which I thought was silly and surprisingly, this seems to be the case with a lot of Bluetooth over-ear headphones. Not these. These have a digital amp build into them and in the music I have listened to, I keep my phone volume (iPhone 11 Pro Max) at about halfway and it's perfectly loud for me there. I go a tad higher when I really wanna jam out. NO complaints on the audio side here. There is an equalizer within the Sony Headphones app, as well and it works wonderfully.
Next up, lets talk about the various features. As I mentioned above, the Sony Headphones app is the central hub for everything you do with these and it was super easy to set up. I immediately paired the headphones and the first thing it did was a firmware update. After that, it gives you a brief tutorial and you're on your way. One thing I love about these Sony's is, much like my Razer Opus cans, when you take them off and set them down or put on your neck, it auto-pauses your audio. This is an amazing feature and I'm so happy Sony implemented this into this XM4's.
There is a Noise Cancellation button (an "optimizer" on the headphones themselves. You can press and hold the button to customize that. You can also set this within the app. The speak-to-chat function is pretty good, too. When you talk to someone, your headphones detect this and temporarily pauses the music and lets in ambient sounds to you can conversate. This is great in theory, but if you work from home or are home a lot and you have animals...which you talk to...lol - well, this may get annoying. I turned this feature off since I don't really have a need to use it for it's intended purpose.
Finally, there is a multi-device connection option you can enable so you can connect your headphones to both your iPad and iPhone (for example). With this, you can listen to audio on say, your iPad and then take a call from your iPhone. However, I did have it happen a few times where there was a delay in switching over to the phone for the call and it wound up being kind of a hassle. I disabled this one as well because I mostly just use one device anyway. I don't remember the details, but I think there is something else that you lose by enabling this feature... The touch panel is great and I've not had any issues there, either. I've heard that the XM3's had issues with function in that department in cold weather. The XM4's are supposedly improved in this area, but I did not get to test that, as it's Summer where I live.
There is also a quick charging feature. By default, these headphones have about a 30 hour battery life. Out of the box, they were at 100% and to be honestly, I've still not had to charge them yet. However, Sony says 10 minutes of charging time nets you about 5 hours of playback. That's insane!
So, as you can see - these cans are pretty much loaded and I consider these to be the BEST Noise Cancelling headphones on the market, with second best being my Airpod Pros. If you're in the market for a pair of headphones, just go ahead and get these. Don't wait for anything else to come out (like the rumored Airpod Studios)...these are gonna be the cans to beat and likely, the top rated headphones for 2020 and at least the next few years.
I will even go so far as saying this - I love these SO MUCH, I'm almost tempted to get the black pair as well. So yeah, that should say something. 5 stars, well deserved. It doesn't get any better than this. Buy it now.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+7points
12of 17voted this as helpful.
Nugget Ice. Pellet ice. Drive-in ice. Whatever you call it, you know it's "the good ice." Now that chewable ice is available from the convenience of your countertop with the Opal 2.0 Ice Maker. It is capable of producing up to 38 lbs. of ice in 24 hours and stores up to 3 lbs. of ice at one time. The Opal 2.0 Ice Maker has WiFi connection capability and comes with the side tank attachment for 3x more ice production.
Customer Rating
3
Great ice, marred by a number of smaller issues.
on July 23, 2020
Posted by: Namdnas
from TN
As a family, we love the Nugget-style ice. We buy a bag of it from time to time, but it just takes up so much space in our freezer, we don't do it often. I seen this GE Opal Nugget Ice Maker and thought it would be a good investment, as we collect and drink quite a bit of "Energy Supplements", like GFUEL, Sneak, GG (Gamersupps), etc - as well as some non-caffiene hydration supplements. We use the GFUEL shaker cups and also Blender Bottles. A lot of times, regular ice cubes just get in the way or, in the GFUEL shakers, you have to remove the inner "rim" that mixes the powder when you shake, before you can put the ice cubes in it.
I received this and let me say - it is HEAVY. Like, way heavier than I expected it being. Also, don't be like me and try to lift out the Ice Maker from the box. I found out afterwards that once you cut the plastic bars from around the box, the top part of the box just lifts up and exposes the full unit. Yeah, do that instead... (the box wasn't marked in any way, that I seen - I only noticed when I went to move the empty box).
The Quick Start guide and the manual have different initial set up instructions, which I found very confusing. I spent hours trying to figure out what I should do. The quick start guide wants you to do a full bleach clean cycle (a 14 step process...) before using. However, the regular manual wanted you to just do a "rinse" cycle before using. I did neither because...honestly? It was so confusing. Especially with the whole side tank thing. I couldn't find anywhere that expained how to just do a "rinse cycle" without doing a clean cycle. So, I just went ahead with the normal hookup of the unit, following the manual. I let it make it's first full batch of ice and just tossed it. I figured that would be as good of a "rinse" as any. Also, to minimize having to clean this, since it's such a huge, convoluted process, I'm just buying gallons of distilled water and using it with the unit. Also, of note - when doing the full cycle clean process with bleach...you MUST remember to remove the water filter before doing so. It's not even listed in the normal cleaning steps that I could find...I didn't see that until later on.
It does make great nugget ice. However, I have a few caveats with this machine. When making ice, the water runs down the back of the unit (on the inside), down into the reservoir, below. But, I noticed in doing so, it enters the Ice Tray and melts the ice. Because of this, it seems to be "wasteful" to an extent, because this melts some of the ice and it has to make more. There is a drain area in the ice tray...I guess for this and for when any of the ice does melt. I usually have to fill the side tank about once every two days. There is no "Water Level Low" indicator light or beep to let you know it needs refilling. So, you do kinda have to babysit this thing. As for noise, we have it on our kitchen counter. It's not TOO loud, but when it is making ice, you can definitely hear it (not just the ice dropping, but the hum of the machine).
Also, the Opal app is worthless. I downloaded it on my iPhone 11 Pro Max phone and I still have yet to get it to connect to the machine. It flat out doesn't work for me. It just says "Searching for Appliances". I have deleted and reinstalled the app twice now. Rebooted my phone several times. Unplugged the Ice Maker several times (as was suggested in the troubleshooting FAQ online). Nothing works. In the app, I did notice when I hit the Menu button, followed by "App Info", it says the current version is 1.0.0.1 and there is a new 5.1.0 update available. There is an "Update" button, but tapping it does nothing and there still have been no updates to this app in the app store. It also says the Bluetooth and Firmware versions are 0.0.0.0. So, who knows.
I tried calling Opal Support for the above app issues and to ask them if the water running from the unit into the ice tray was normal. I was on hold for 30 minutes. Pressed option 1 for a callback when an agent was available. I got a call back...several hours later...to a DEAD LINE. I answered and nobody was there. I stayed on the line for about 6 minutes and there was still no agent - so I hung up.
I'm beginning to think that the bluetooth/wifi portion of my unit is defective or something, since the app doesn't detect it. Then again, the app isn't greatly reviewed either, so it could just be a poor app. I've delayed my review so I could get this fixed and see how well the app worked (from what I've read, it's really just for scheduling and turning the unit off and on, remotely)...but that never happened. So, this will play a major factor in the number of stars I give.
In conclusion - due to the above issues: The initial confusion when setting up the unit (the differences between the quick start guide and the manual in regards to initial setup and cleaning vs rinsing), the fact that water pours down through the ice tray and melts the existing ice (when making more ice), the number of issues I've had with the app and being unable to reach phone support...
I'm giving this unit a 3 out of 5 stars. I mean, it seems to be working O.K. and the Ice itself is fantastic. There's just too many random issues with it, that I've experienced. If I could, I'd totally go with a different brand.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Share this review:
-2points
6of 14voted this as helpful.
Get the results you want every time with the wireless meat thermometer. Choose your preferred doneness, adjust cooking settings, and track your cooking remotely with your smartphone or tablet using the free Yummly app. The preset programs for meat, fish, and poultry eliminate the guesswork, while the timers and alerts let you be confident in your cooking even when you're multitasking.
Customer Rating
5
The best meat thermometer I’ve ever used!
on June 27, 2020
Posted by: Namdnas
from TN
This will be a shorter review than I usually do, as I’ve had Carpal Tunnel surgery.
This is 5 stars, all the way. I’ve been looking for a good Bluetooth thermometer and I’ve finally found the one I want to stick with! Before this one, I’ve been using the one that is built into my indoor grill and it’s been great. The Yummly thermometer itself is super sleek looking and I love that it has a tool included that you can use to grab it with when it’s hot.
I’m now subscribed to the Yummy app because this thing is so awesome. I do want to add that this has to be, hands-down, the best Bluetooth pairing experience that I’ve ever had. I charged it and it immediately connected to my phone with no issues.
I’ve tested this so far with steaks and fish (Salmon) and every time, it’s been perfect. The app and Bluetooth works flawlessly, as well as the notifications and such.
If you’re in the market for a good meat thermometer that you can use daily, this is the one to get!
Mobile Submission: True
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Capture stunning photos with this Polaroid Now i-Type instant camera. Autofocus lets you adjust the lenses to take sharp images, while the self-timer mode is ideal for selfies with your friends or family shots. This Polaroid Now i-Type instant camera features double exposure to combine two images into one for an enhanced look.
Customer Rating
4
Great camera, but film is costly / Pics too blurry
on May 2, 2020
Posted by: Namdnas
from TN
My wife loves taking vintage-style Polaroid pictures, so, I figured this Polaroid Now camera would be perfect. It's a modern version of the "old" ones, but with zoom options and a USB charger.
Unboxing the camera is a pretty standard affair. Nothing special here. I did want to say that there was only a Quick Start guide included with the camera. No manual that we could find. The included camera strap was a pain to put on. So much so, that I went online and downloaded a copy of the manual to see if we were doing it right. The strap listed in the manual was for a different type of strap - not the one included. Just disappointed that there was no regular manual included to outline how to use the features of this camera, such as the zoom and such.
During the first two days of use, we took 11 total pictures. Of those, 4 came out blurry. Of these 4, 2 were zoomed in a bit, the other 2 were not. This is why I needed to reference the manual for something as simple as the zoom feature. The other 7 pictures that came out normal were good. They kept the vintage "old-school" style look to them and captured the correct lighting around and behind the subject.
However, my biggest issue with this camera is the cost of the i-type film that it uses. I looked at Best Buys site and for a pack of 40 total pictures, it's around $65. That's pretty expensive and a significant investment in something that we would just use for "fun" and nostalgia. It does use another type of film as well, but this was not tested and the manual says the default/best use film for this camera is the i-type, so that is what we will stick with.
Overall, I give it a 4 out of 5 stars. The camera itself is great and well build. But with a lack of an included manual and having to look it up online, just to figure out some simple features such as the zoom and certain questions, such as "did I load this film right?" and "do I remove the tab from the film cartridge?" that were just a mystery when trying to figure it out on your own. We even had to watch a few YouTube videos. This, in addition to the cost of the film itself and the amount of blurry pictures we got with only 11 total pictures taken, was a huge concern to me. So much so that I almost gave this 3 stars. But I figure the more we use the camera, the better we will get at using it. Based on this, I wouldn't personally recommend it to a friend.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Share this review:
+6points
10of 14voted this as helpful.
Experience powerful sound with these black Plantronics BackBeat PRO 5100 true wireless earbuds. The four noise-canceling mics and WindSmart technology let you answer calls in noisy environments by filtering background and wind noise, and the three eartip sizes offer a comfortable fit. These Plantronics BackBeat PRO 5100 true wireless earbuds feature 5.8mm drivers for high-quality sound.
Customer Rating
1
Connection issues and subpar support...AVOID!!!
on December 12, 2019
Posted by: Namdnas
from TN
I received my Plantronics (now branded as..."Poly"...) Backbeat Pro 5100 headphones yesterday. I have Airpods Pro already and I love them, but really didn't want to get heavy wear and tear with exercising and going to the gym. So, I've been looking for some dedicated "exercise" buds. Done a lot of research between these Backbeat 5100's (currently the flagship model), the Jabra Elite Actives and several other similar types of Bluetooth earbuds. Since these are Poly's flagship model and just released, I thought I'd go with them. Man, mistakes were made.
The packaging is really nice and from the Quick Start guide, I honestly thought the setup would be great too! Alas, their completely unusable and total garbage. Out of the case, which was in a deep-sleep mode to preserve battery (you hold the button on the front of the case for 2 seconds to power everything up), the battery on the buds were low, to the point I couldn't even use them until charged (so much for the purpose of deep sleep?). So, I put them on charge before bed and started playing around with them today.
Followed all instructions, everything paired and connected to my phone correctly. Went into the Backbeat app on my iPhone 11 Pro Max and followed the steps. It connected and found the buds, then prompted for a firmware update. It was initially on version 13 and the update was to version 15. I had the buds in my ear during the update, but it was taking soooooo long. There was no transparency mode or anything, so after about 15 min and the update at only 35-40% done, I had to take them out because you know, I needed my ear for something (and I was getting tired of the silence in my ears for that length of a time). The app states to keep them within 1 meter of your phone. So, I laid them down, literally, right beside the phone. I left and came back 5 min later to an "update failed" notice and a "retry" option.
From there, I've wasted over 2 hours of my life trying to get these paired correctly, not drop connection and fracking UPDATED. These are the absolute worst Bluetooth headphones/buds I've ever seen in my life. I've done everything. I've put them in and out of the case a gazillion times, at least; I've manually powered them off and back on; I've went into Bluetooth settings on my phone and done "forget this device" at least 6 times and repaired them; I've deleted the headphones in the app and added them back as new; I've deleted the actual app and re-installed it. I've also looked through the online manual and was unable to find any info to reset them back to factory defaults.
Every time I get them connected to my phone and verified that BOTH are working, I go into the app, start the update and after about 15 seconds, It'll voice over that they've been disconnected from the phone. About 2-3 minutes after that, the update fails and the app says they've been disconnected and fully greys out. I have to force close the app each time and go back into it to start over. The steps I've done in the above paragraph have all been in between each update fail. They will NOT update. When I go into my Bluetooth settings, they are disconnected.
I even started over, went into my music app, started playing music (which at that time I realized how low the overall volume was, even at max and how "tinny" the sound was...the bass was pretty bad, too), THEN went into the app so I KNOW they are connected. Music playing, both buds firing away....started the update and boom, connection drops, update fails.
I gave up and thought, well, let's give support a call. I called and explained to the guy in full detail what was going on. He did some "research" and said they don't have any information for support on this model right now and that they were not aware of any known issues surrounding this. He sounded like he didn't really want to help, but he took some of my info and basically said "do they work otherwise"? I was like, well, yeah, as far as I can tell in the 5 minutes I played music on them...but the app prompts for an update when you go in, so until the update, it basically makes the app worthless - outside of that, the app won't stay connected, either. He said he didn't really know what else to tell me but to just use them without the update and he would "forward it over to IT" for further review...yeah, I bet you will. The whole call was very general and generic.
So, I'm extremely unhappy with these. The setup experience is awful and so is the support...I honestly don't know at this point, which of the two is the worst. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for beta testing (which I shouldn't be, given the retail price of these buds)...but if you are going to have consumers test a fully released product, at least have the Support to back it up...
1 star. Abysmal. Avoid like the plague.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Share this review:
0points
1of 2voted this as helpful.
Enjoy crisp powerful sound while gaming with this Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero wireless PC gaming headset. The rechargeable battery offers up to 30 hours of use, and the remappable on-ear controls let you adjust settings as needed. This Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero wireless PC gaming headset has a sleek metal headband and interchangeable cooling gel-infused memory foam ear cushions that provide a comfortable, secure fit.
Customer Rating
5
Great headset, but the
on November 10, 2019
Posted by: Namdnas
from TN
O.K, being brutally honest here. I've had nothing but issues with the Turtle Beach developed Control Studio with Waves program on my computer that I use these headphones on. Due to this, this review will be much shorter than my normal ones. Basically, it doesn't work. Instead, I'm forced to use Windows Sonic in the meantime. Installing the Control Studio generates an error with the Waves driver. I've contacted Turtle Beach about this and they acknowledged the issue and had me, on two separate occasions, grab some files and send to them. They did give very specific step-by step instructions for doing so, which made it easy.
However, the last I heard, I had received an e-mail requesting me to call them and remote in so they could manually and fully remove all of the old Wave drivers and Control Center application. Then I received another e-mail shortly after that stating to disregard, as they are working out further issue. It's been a mess, really.
So, why am I giving these 5 stars, then? Well, they are wireless and they are super comfortable to wear. I love the design and how light-weight they are. Volume is fantastic as well! Additionally, my contacts with the Tech Support team have all been very personable and NOT off-shored. I feel once they get this kink worked out, these headphones will be amazing, by any indication of my use of them using Windows Sonic.
So, I'm going to continue being patient and hope they get this issue sorted sooner than later, so I can get the full bang from these cans. I've had previous Turtle Beach headphones and I love them. I use primarily Turtle Beach and Astro and neither have disappointed me.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+7points
8of 9voted this as helpful.
Play your favorite tunes anywhere with this weatherproof and drop-resistant Sonos Move portable speaker. The Trueplay automatic tuning adapts and balances the sound based on where you are and what you're listening to. This Sonos Move portable speaker incorporates built-in support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplay and the Sonos app to let you stream audio from a smart device.
Customer Rating
5
The best portable speaker I've ever owned.
on October 11, 2019
Posted by: Namdnas
from TN
Note: This review will be focused primarily on Wi-Fi mode and using Airplay 2. Bluetooth functions the same as a normal Bluetooth speaker would
I work from home. So, I move around the house a lot and I've accumulated quite the number of Bluetooth speakers over the years. Among all of these, the Logitech Ultimate Ears series have always been my favorite and regardless, I'll always have a soft spot for them.
Then, I seen Sonos was coming out with their own version of a portable speaker. Not only was it portable, but rugged and designed for the indoor/outdoor and elements. Never having owned the Sonos brand before, but hearing great things about it, I thought I would give it a try. I'm so glad I did - it was worth the investment and now ranks as my favorite portable speaker!
As soon as I got it in the mail, I was in shock at how big the retail packaging was. This speaker was much bigger than I had anticipated. Opening the box itself felt like a moment to indulge. I has so much quality and inside, the speaker itself with inside a micro-fiber type bag with draw-strings. I immediately knew that this was going to be a high quality device, given what I knew about the Sonos name. Taking it out of the box, I noticed while it seemed huge, it's not TOO big, as to be awkward and was a bit smaller than I expected after seeing the size of the box. It has some heft to it, which makes it feel super high quality, but not over-burdening. I also want to mention the charger. It's an oval-shaped ring with a very generous cord length to the wall plug. Wherever you sit the charger, it will take up some space, but is very low-profile.
I put it on charge and out-of-the-box, it was nearly topped off. It only needed about 15-20 minutes to get to full battery level. While it was charging, I downloaded the Sonos Controller app to my iPhone 11 Pro Max and iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd gen) - all running iOS 13.1.2. I turned on the speaker and set it up via the app on my phone first. Everything went great, got it set up on my Wi-Fi and the firmware auto-updated itself, which was nice to see. After this, I went to set the Sonos app up on my iPad and it would not, for the life of me, find the speaker. I tried putting it in "join" mode via the bottom button on the back and still could not locate it. After several hours of this, I rebooted my router. After my network came back up, I went back into the app on my iPad and it went in immediately, no fuss.
Now, since this is my first real Wi-Fi speaker, I've had to get used to a few differences over my normal Bluetooth ones. There are two modes, which are select-able via a button on the back. Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Basically, when at home, you want it in Wi-Fi mode to take advantage of the full set of features. If you venture out, then you can put it in Bluetooth mode and pair it to your device and it will act as a normal Bluetooth speaker and connect automatically when the speaker is turned on and in Bluetooth mode. At home and on Wi-Fi, I simply power up the speaker via the power button on the back and it connects automatically. It's still taking me a bit to get used to the power button being on the back. I'm used to this being on the front or top of the device. However, it is big enough and is the top button, so it's easy to find by blindly feeling around and after a while, you will develop the muscle memory to go straight to it and not accidentally hit the other buttons.
I fired up the speaker with my phone, turned on the Airplay connection to the Sonos Move via my iOS Control Center. It connects perfectly and takes just a few seconds. I use Spotify, so I played my music from the actual app. I did register my Spotify account with the Sonos app, but it feels more of a bare-bones, less featured offering than just using the native iOS app itself. In listening to a variety of songs and genres, from "Thunder" by Imagine Dragons to groups like Infected Mushroom, Rammstein, Professor Elemental, Daft Punk, Kraftwerk, AC/DC and tool, while mixing up some loud, faster sounds with slow ones. I can say that this speaker handled everything well. Even at half volume, it gets loud, which made me happy! The bass is spot on, as were the lows, mids and highs that I checked for. Even at near-max volume, I didn't detect any form of distortion or other anomalies. Overall, I'm VERY satisfied with how well this speaker performs, not only with music, but Podcasts and even my Twitch streams that I listen to!
I also do want to add that this speaker has Trueplay tuning build into it. This is really neat because, any time you move or relocate the speaker while it is powered on and sit it down in the new location, for a few minutes after, it will automatically tune the speaker to the environment it is in, so it can accommodate the sound to loud or quite rooms. However, the speaker does have to be powered on during the move in order for it to do this - otherwise, it has no way of know it was relocated. It also has a set of mics up top, along with an indicator so that you know if it is in use or not. I love that you can tap the mic indicator to turn it off for privacy. There are also touch buttons up top as well that controls the volume, track selection, play/pause and again, the microphone on/off status.
During my 3 day use of this speaker, I am seriously impressed. It's what I expected, coming from the Sonos brand and even more. The sound is full, rich and room filling. The design is elegant and you wouldn't even know it was a "rugged" speaker without being told. I also love the handle that is build into the back and have never once feared dropping it while migrating.
My only real complaint with this speaker is that I've had an issue where, when I've had it on charge and powered off, it turns itself back on randomly. It'll be off and on the charge base, then when I go into the room the next day, it'll be on and I have no idea for how long it was on for. I'll turn it off and a few hours later, it'll be on again. I would also like to have seen a plug or port cover for the USB-C charging port in the back, for when you are out and about and do not have the charging stand to place it on. This would even have further increased the ruggedness, as there would be no worry of water or other particles getting into the port.
Overall, this is getting 5 stars, all the way around. I am absolutely in love with this speaker and I can't wait to return to working back at home here in another month or so, so I can begin using and enjoying this speaker on a daily basis.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+10points
13of 16voted this as helpful.
Namdnas's Review Comments
Namdnas has not submitted comments on any reviews.
Namdnas's Questions
Namdnas has not submitted any questions.
Namdnas's Answers
Namdnas has not submitted any answers.