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    October 22, 2014
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aarondr's Reviews
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Don’t let your phone battery die as you go throughout your day. The Insignia NS-MW330C1W22B 30W USB-C Compact Wall Charger Kit for iPhone 14 series, iPhone 13 series, iPhone 12 series, Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE, AirPods Pro (2nd generation) has a high, 30-watt output to quickly charge your iPhone 13 Pro Max, tablet, smartwatch and more. This kit also comes with an included 6 ft. Apple MFi-Certified USB-C to Lightning cable, giving you a fast charge that you can depend on. Its compact and durable body with a foldable plug easily fits into a purse or pocket, ready for when you need it. A simple white design pairs well with your other accessories. Keep your iPhone 14 series, iPhone 13 series, iPhone 12 series, Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE, or AirPods Pro (2nd generation) working as hard as you do with this fast, easy-to-carry charger.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
A solid USB-C charger and lightening cable.
on September 20, 2022
Posted by: aarondr
In the world of USB-C chargers, there are many. Some provide 3amps at 5v, some provide other power ratings. Few do power delivery correctly and even fewer do power delivery and are small enough to fit in a briefcase pouch. The Insignia 30w compact charger meets all that criteria and for an affordable price.
Now, there’s not a whole lot to say about chargers for most people. However since Apple added fast charging back in the iPhone 8/X days, it’s been possible to garner a charge utilizing 18w of power. This means you can charge approximately 50% in 30m on a modern iPhone. This adapter does that quite efficiently, barely getting warm thanks to its modern circuitry.
The included Apple MFi-Certified USB-C cable is almost worth the price of admission. Apple charges nearly the price of this charger and cable for their cable. It’s flexible and has a solid connection.
The adapter is a 30w USB-C PD charger. It supports PD at 30w with the following ratings: 5V 3A, 9V 3A, 15V 2A, 20V 1.5A. The fact it can do 20V means that it can charge many laptops and even the iPad M1 efficiently. Charging the iPad, it charged quite quickly.
Testing the fast charging claims, I was able to take my iPhone 12 Pro Max from 10% battery to 80% in 40m flat. That’s 70% battery in 40m, so it’s definitely charging at the maximum rate it can (and on a partially worn battery). It obviously slowed from there, taking almost an hour to reach 100%, but that’s more of a function of the iPhone’s charging algorithm trying to prevent damage to the lithium polymer cell.
Overall for the price it’s hard to go wrong. This is a high quality charger with Best Buy backing up the brand/device. Highly recommended for iPhone’s, iPads, and even MacBook’s (my Pro charged slowly and would do so completely while asleep). If you’re in need of a charger, look no further.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
The CORSAIR K60 PRO TKL RGB Tenkeyless Optical-Mechanical Gaming Keyboard delivers style and performance with a durable brushed aluminum frame, compact tenkeyless design, and detachable USB Type-C cable for optimal portability. CORSAIR OPX optical-mechanical keyswitches boast a hyper-fast, smooth linear movement with a 1.0mm actuation distance to swiftly register inputs, so you can gain the competitive edge. Rich per-key RGB backlighting bathes your keyboard in stunning lighting effects, fully customizable through powerful CORSAIR iCUE software. Sturdy polycarbonate keycaps with a standard bottom row layout enable you to swap in custom keycap sets for even more personalization. With convenient keyboard shortcuts that adjust media playback, volume, and onboard lighting on-the-fly, the K60 PRO TKL lets you be the key player.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
No frills keyboard with responsive optical keys
on September 13, 2022
Posted by: aarondr
Corsair’s latest TKL (TenKeyless or numberpadless) keyboard sports their new signature OPX keys. First featured on the K100 OPX keyboard, the optical switches found in Corsair’s K60 offer over 150 million (yes million) keystrokes per key. That combined with their linear actuation point, they offer an ultrafast actuation and zero debounce. So how does the K60 stack up against more traditional offers and other key types?
First of all, like most Corsair products, this one comes in a nice yellow box. The OPX switches are advertised as the primary selling feature along with the TKL form factor. It’s a highly recyclable box with almost no packing waste, so that’s a plus. Inside you’ll find the keyboard and a USB-C to USB-A cable. Unfortunately there are no USB ports on this keyboard, and at this price point, it would be nice to have a place to put a wireless mouse receiver or something.
As far as the keyboard goes, we have Corsair’s excellent lighting, their penchant for using aluminum casings, and solid keycaps (ABS given the feel). The keyboard layout is a standard layout, so replacement caps are easily found. The OPX keys have standard cherry mounts, so pretty much any set will work if you choose to replace them. The keyboard has an excellent weight to it and the aluminum plate makes flex minimal to none and give the keyboard a sturdy and premium feel.
The keyboard doesn’t offer anything beyond the standard TKL layout. Function modifiers allow volume and media functions as well as some basic keyboard functions like brightness. Even then, there are few frills here.
So what are the OPX switches like? They feel like Cherry MX Red’s with a shorter actuation point. To the point that you have to be careful when depressing or even resting your finders on the keys. For gaming it’s extremely responsive. For typing it takes some getting used to. However, when gaming, it’s extremely responsive. I play Starcraft 2 and I found the ability to spam on this quite high. Although I also found I miskeyed more too. Again, there is a learning curve when using this beyond shooters. CS:GO I found the adjustment was easier. Again, these are really short actuating keys, so your mileage may vary.
Corsair’s software allows you to tweak the keyboard to your delight. In iCUE 4 you can create lighting profiles, sync with other profiles, re-assign keys, and disable certain key functions (like the windows key or alt+tab). iCue also allows you to adjust important settings like layout and polling rate. This keyboard by the way supports a polling rate of up to 8000hz, which isn’t enabled by default. 1000Hz should be plenty for all but the most competitive gamer, and keeps CPU utilization to a minimum, but it’s there if you decide you need it.
Besides the excellent software, there are multiple lighting effects built into the keyboard. These are cool because they don’t require iCUE. You get 10 built in effects that can be customized and programmed into the keyboard. Some may find the Type Lighting to be cool, but honestly being able to set a static backup color for the backlight and program is a good fallback as opposed to the RGB throw up that used to be the default.
So overall the K60 TKL OPX is an interesting keyboard. It’s an excellent keyboard that would be perfect if it had a USB port and PBT keycaps.The key switches offer some unique features, and durability that may appeal to some. My experience was that it took several hours to adjust to their behavior, but now I’m able to type pretty quickly and game effectively. The ultra short throw and no debounce make this keyboard great for any type of gaming. The price and investment in an otherwise no frills keyboard is something that needs to be weighed. There are lots of keyboards at this price segment, so while the OPX switches offer a really unique experience, I’d like to see a bit more. Regardless this is a solid keyboard and offers Corsair’s excellent software, eco-system, and experience.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
 
The Shark Cordless Pro with Clean Sense IQ and PowerFins Plus is the newest lightweight cordless stick with the latest cleaning technology. Clean Sense IQ detects the dirt you can’t see and automatically boosts power. The PowerFins Plus brushroll combines flexible fins and soft microfiber material for continuous contact on all surfaces. Plus, Odor Neutralizer Technology guards against bad odors from debris you pick up. Combines two brushroll technologies into one nozzle—soft microfibers handle stuck-on dust & piles of large debris, and PowerFins directly engage floors and dig deep into carpets. HyperVelocity accelerated suction delivers incredible performance in an ultra-lightweight cordless. Removable battery can charge anywhere in your home, delivering up to 40 minutes of runtime. (In standard mode, measured at the hand vacuum.) Removable dust cup empties debris in seconds with a CleanTouch Dirt Ejector so you never get your hands dirty. | Shark Cordless Pro with Clean Sense IQ and PowerFins Plus | IZ562H
 
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5 out of 5
5
Innovative, useful, and powerful cordless vacuum
on September 12, 2022
Posted by: aarondr
The Shark Cordless Pro with Clean Sense IQ is an excellent vacuum. The latest in a line of lithium ion rechargeable upright vacuums that harken back to the original Shark vacuum. Shark has had some hallmarks that set it apart, and the Pro includes all of them and a slew of its own features that offer a unique offering.
So first of all, unboxing the vacuum is easy enough. Inside the box you’ll find the main unit, charger, battery (preinstalled), main tube and vacuum head, and attachments (pet multi-tool, and crevice). Everything is packaged securely and the unit is basically good to go out of the box (after charging of course). There are a lot of little removable stickers that tell you how to exactly use different features of the vacuum. This is appreciated because Shark has so many unique features. There’s even a handy QR code on the main unit that will take you to the digital manual.
This cordless vacuum builds on the construction and ideas of Shark’s previous vacuums. You get a detachable main unit and will hook on the main tube for storage. You have a bagless design with an easy to empty latch. You get a small but maneuverable vacuum head. Of course many of these ideas are evolved, honed, and refined to a large extent. For instance, the dust bin is larger, and the filter conic (compared to previous designs which seemed to get wrapped up in hair/fur more often). The battery packs are similar but different from previous models (at least the previous Duo Clean I had). The vacuum head has a load of sensors, etc.
Obviously, this vacuum is attempting to appeal to a Pro-sumer (get it?). Several features of this vacuum I really like that seem to be new and unique to Shark. The first is Clean Sense IQ. This uses an infrared sensor to attempt to detect dust and adjust the power of the vacuum dynamically. It gives an indication of how ‘clean’ the floors are. Another thing unique to the vacuum head is the Odor Neutralizer cartridge, which essentially is an air freshener for your vacuum. It keeps the vacuum smelling nice and the air it spews nice as well.
Power of the vacuum is interesting. The Clean Sense IQ means that on that Clean Sense setting that it’s always adjusting power to the required level. The idea here is to save battery when you’re doing maintenance cleaning, and then having the vacuum increase power when needed in dirtier areas. For the most part this does pretty well. There is an IR sensor scanning the dirt coming into the vacuum and adjusting the power. A row of LED lights will illuminate indicating the power level being applied and the idea is that it should abate as the carpet/surface is cleaned more thoroughly giving you a visual indicator if the area is clean. Of course you can override the Clean Sense IQ behavior by selecting ‘Eco’ or Boost mode. These settings change the runtime of the vacuum - which is estimated by Shark at 40 minutes in Eco mode. That’s about accurate, and you’ll get a variable amount with Clean Sense, but I was able to do a quick clean (about 3000 sq ft) on a charge. Of course a thorough cleaning would involve taking some breaks. Recharge takes over an hour, so you’ll want to plan out more through cleanings.
The brush element is another interesting feature, having silicon fins and microfiber stuffed pretty much everywhere else. It seems to do a pretty good job picking up most debris I’ve thrown at it. I do seem to have trouble with larger pieces like cereal (thanks kids), but it will pick it up. I appreciate that it’s gentle on surfaces like hardwood.
The crevice tool has a soft bristle brush that slides out to the edge, great for cleaning corners without leaving marks on the pain. It limits the crevice tool slightly due to it sliding back only about 6” but it shouldn’t be an issue but for those with deep cushioned couches. The pet multi tool is really just a flat brush with a removable soft bristle brush. It works pretty well on my microfiber couches without the bristle attachment.
The Order Neutralizer is an interesting feature and I can’t say I've noticed a huge difference (but I have been congested, so subjectively I might be missing it). Cartridges are $15 for 2, and you only get one in the box. I appreciate the idea, but I don’t know how often I’ll be replacing it.
Another great feature of this vacuum for those with allergies is the built in HEPA filter. This was hard to find, but luckily companies like Shark have listened to the market and brought .3 micron filters to the masses. The HEPA filter is important to those that suffer from dust, dander, or pollen allergies. Vacuums can exacerbate environmental allergens by picking them up and spewing them out at high speed in the air. Having an appropriate filter to capture these microscopic particles is essential. Also, the filter is washable, which is a huge convenience.
Maintenance is pretty simple. The entire container is washable, but you have to remove it by pushing an eject button found on the right side. That will allow you to remove the foam filters and then the plastic dust bin can be soaked and cleaned. The brush roll removes easily too, with a coin (or screw driver) to turn a lock cam. Once turned, it’s a spring loaded arm that you can then pull the entire brush roll out by. At this point, every tube/vacuum area is easily accessible - so if something gets stuck (cat toys anyone?), you can easily disassemble the vacuum to remove it. Overall, maintenance and build quality seemed to be higher than ever.
Shark continues to innovate off the original stick vacuum concept they helped pioneer. I still remember my OG Shark vacuum and how effective it was. Years later, I continue to love their products, especially their cordless models, as they are effective for the price and innovative.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+4points
6of 8voted this as helpful.
 
The G713 Wired Gaming Keyboard from the Aurora Collection delivers low-key vibes with high-key performance so you can express yourself and play your way. Float away with its dreamy white design and comfy, cloud-shaped keyboard palm rest. With a tenkeyless layout and adjustable height, this is an ideal compact mechanical keyboard for gaming that gives you that good game feeling, all-day long. Logitech LIGHTSYNC brings your gaming to life with four responsive Play Moods that reflect your state of play in 16.8M programmable RGB colors. Get your creative juices flowing, show off your style, and even create your own custom animation effects on your RGB mechanical keyboard with free G HUB software.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Customizable, solid, and unique.
on September 5, 2022
Posted by: aarondr
The Logitech G713 Aurora Collection TKL is an excellent keyboard. Incorporating Logitech’s GX switches, they offer a great feel, solid construction, and great lighting. Double shot PBT keycaps, metal casing, customizable plates, and cherry keycap compatibility mean that you get a highly solid customizable keyboard.
What makes the G713 unique? Well, the cloud wrist rest is a start - which is highly unique. This keyboard is white, and has a motif that is quite chiche. This isn’t your average black keyboard. In fact, while this keyboard comes stock white (with white keycaps) you can go a step further and get different color backplates from Logitech. There are pink and green options, and I would guess a can of Plastidip could be combined with any keycap set that’s cherry compatible to create a piece of art all your own. This keyboard speaks style, but it’s not its only appeal.
Below the excellent PBT keycaps, you’ll find cherry compatible GX Brown switches. These have a small tactile bump on their travel with a medium downpress force and no audible click (like blues). These are many typists' preferred keys, and mine as a hybrid between linear gaming and typing. The metal case doesn’t ping like some other metal keyboard I’ve had, and offers a solid non-flex typing surface. The overall build quality is excellent here and it shows that Logitech has continued to hone their keyboard making.
The USB-C port on the keyboard offers durability and flexibility that connector offers. Unfortunately you won’t find any additional USB ports or accessories here (a missed opportunity), but the ubiquity and quality of the connector are still huge benefits. The volume rocker is rubbery and flexible offering a nice feel and easy movement. Below the keyboard you’ll find 2 level tilt adjustments.
On top of the keyboard, besides the standard key arrangements, you’ll find a game-mode button (that disables the windows key), a brightness button (for lighting that toggles between different levels) and a few dedicated media buttons. These are minimal but useful additions to this TKL arrangement.
Of note: TKL keyboards are more ergonomic than their bigger brother counterparts, allowing you to mouse closer. So many people throw shade and say they want a number pad, and it can be quite useful. Do evaluate if you really need a keypad though as TKLs are more compact and better for most users.
Logitech software does a great job of making it possible to change effects and customize lighting/features. Logitech G Hub is a lot better than it used to be. Macros and key customization are nice and offer some great flexibility. Of course you can choose and customize both macros and lighting based on the active application. I don’t have a ton of use for this, but if you’re a heavy macro user, it could be pretty awesome.
Overall, if you’re looking for a unique keyboard with customization options by a big name manufacturer - then look no further than Logitech’s G713 Aurora. This keyboard brings colors, solid keys, great lighting, good software, and Logitech’s support. It’s expensive, but the combination of customization, top notch build quality, and lighting options makes this keyboard a great choice.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+1point
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Discover the power of X! The new Philips Sonicare Power Flosser creates an X-shaped stream of water that reaches deep between teeth for a gentle, thorough clean. This X-shaped water stream, known as Quad-Stream technology, covers more surface area for a faster, deeper clean versus manual floss. Because of Quad-Steam technology, Philips Sonicare Power Flosser enables you to improve your gum health by 50% in just 1 minute per day!
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Great Cordless Flosser
on July 3, 2022
Posted by: aarondr
Philips Sonicare Power Flosser 3000 is a cordless flosser that’s powerful and effective. The tank holds just enough for a 1 minute flossing session that is guided by the device’s pacer to hit all 4 quadrants of your mouth (front and back of the top and bottom). Its rechargeable nature means you can use it without much drama, although I would be hesitant to call it portable.
Philips Sonicare brand has been one of my favorite lines of hygiene products. The toothbrush has been pretty amazing for my oral health. However one problem for me remains: my crowded teeth mean I struggle with regular flossing. In fact I have one tooth that is crowded enough that I cannot get the floss back out without putting a lot of uncomfortable pressure on a filing. While I’ve tried water flossing before, I found corded units cumbersome and loud. The Power Flosser 3000 fixes both of those issues while still providing a strong flossing experience without the anxiety of getting floss stuck.
In the box you’ll find a charger, USB-C cable, the power flosser unit, the water tank, and a pair of nozzles. Charging the device for a couple hours will fully charge it and Philips claims you’ll get 25 flossing sessions from a single charge. While I haven’t verified that claim yet, it has been powering away for the flosses I’ve completed without issue. I appreciate the USB-C charging, as that means it’s pretty universal. However, as previously mentioned, its size makes it hard to imagine taking this on the road (not impossible, but not something you’d fit in a small toiletry bag.
Usage is pretty simple. Simply click in the nozzle of your choice. Fill up the tank, put it in your mouth, and push the power button. The device will spray for 15 seconds, then give a pulse and pause for you to reposition. The intent is to spend 15 seconds on the front of your upper teeth, then back of your upper teeth, then front of the bottom, and back of the bottom. 60 seconds lined up pretty well to the tank size, as I found each run required a refill. This isn't so bad due to its portable nature, and the easy fill tank that makes it quick and easy to fill up.
Using it took a bit of practice to be fully comfortable. You need to stay on target the entire time and get the teeth right around the gums. I definitely turned the intensity down the first couple times. I did use the quad stream, and liked that nozzle a lot.
The first time I used it my gums bled pretty well. They were inflamed, and not in great shape due to my lack of flossing. After just a couple days, my gums felt firmer, not inflamed, and healthy. I was surprised at the results. I wasn’t expecting a battery powered device to be as effective as it was. Philps really delivered here.
The device has 3 intensity settings, and a deep clean pulse setting. The intensity setting of medium was where I started and it was still a lot. By day 3 I was using it at full intensity without too much issue. You can hold the intensity button to turn off the 15 second pacer, although I found that setting essential.
The device has a 2 year warranty and seems to be built quite well. There is no user replaceable battery, but I’m still rolling on a 4 year old toothbrush with amazing battery life, so I’m not too concerned. Nozzles are designed to last 6 months.
Overall the Power Flosser 3000 is a solid product. I love the benefits that Philips has brought to my life with their products, especially the battery powered ones. I highly recommend this flosser!
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
Flawlessly connected, Fiercely protected. Austere is moving beyond the primary function of providing power, to a place where performance, safety, and design come together to define what you should expect in power. Using our PureFiltration technology, Austere Power cleans noise and artifacts, that can travel through power lines and keeps them from impacting your devices. In addition, the Omniport USB provides rapid charge and protection for low-voltage devices. Austere also employs flameless MOV circuits and thermal protected outlets, keeping you safe from a home electrical fire. And if anything were to happen, our Component Guarantee promises to protect your equipment from damage, regardless of its value, whenever your devices are plugged into an Austere Power product. And because how it looks is as important as what it does, Austere’s proprietary aDesign philosophy elevates function through purposeful engineering and sleek design. Our surge protector power strips have a brushed aluminum housing, which creates an elegant way to power your home electronic devices. Always. Not all power is created equal. You may not know it, but your surge protectors can wear out over time. Joules–the protective layer of energy that defends your components–are finite. And when they are gone, it leaves your system completely unprotected from shock or surge. Traditional surge protectors only last a year or two so if you can’t remember when you last refreshed your home’s power, it’s likely time to do it now. And to take out the guesswork of when your Austere Power needs to be replaced, the blue protection shield icon on the Power unit will cease to illuminate once the Joules have been used. But that won’t happen for a long time because Austere Power is rated to last more than five times as long as most power products and guarantees to safeguard your system with our Component Guarantee.
 
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Customer Rating
3 out of 5
3
Amazing build quality, but disappointing features
on June 23, 2022
Posted by: aarondr
The Austere V Series power strip is an absolute premier power delivery mechanism. At a price that is more than most consumer UPS’s, this might raise the eyebrows of most. After all, this is just a dumb power strip right? Not at all. You not only get a premium design, aluminum casing, well spaced outlets, braided cables, high current surge protection, and OCP, but also 5 USB (2 A, and 3 C) ports. While the price to entry is high, perceived built quality is quite high.
The Austere is packaged like a premium product. The soft touch inside gives a luxury feel which seems a bit out of place for a power strip. The aluminum casing feels like an Apple product to be honest. Pulling it out of the box, the sheer weight and feel make this product something you won’t forget. The braided 6ft cable definitely makes it easy enough to route and plug in. I love the flat angled plug, allowing it to be used in either a top or bottom outlet without consuming the other port or sticking 4” out of the wall.
Plugging the power strip in you’ll notice 3 LEDs light up that indicate Power, Ground, and Surge protection. This itself is pretty standard on power strips. The concept is that the surge light may go out as the product ages informing the consumer that the product is no longer providing protection as it was designed.
The power strip has pretty standard features. You get OCP (overcurrent protection), which is pretty standard, Metal Oxide Varistors (MOV) for current clamping (again, pretty standard in the mid-high end range), and the PureFiltration EMI/RFI filtration. While it’s hard to measure and quantify the EMI filtration, I was able to test the OCP. I did get the OCP to trip, but at what I believe was a much higher wattage than the rated 1800w. OCP did function properly and prevent any heat build up, so I’m not overly concerned (It took a 1425w air fryer on high and an 1800w toaster oven on broil to trip OCP after about 45 seconds).
Charging from the USB ports is effective and does deliver the 2.4 amps promised. Each port is rated to deliver 2.4 amps at 5v but disappointingly, the 5V DC output is only rated for 30w, so you can’t charge 5 devices at 2.4a, rather only 2 with some amperage leftover for the other ports. This is fine for most people’s use cases, but at this price point it would be nice to be able to claim to charge 5 iPads. Frankly at this price point I’d like to see USB-C PD at 45-60W. Unfortunately the unit's features are a pretty standard affair.
While this is definitely a premium product, with excellent build quality, I have to admit that I’m unimpressed with the value for the money. I have no concerns with safety, or longevity, but I do worry that the aluminum housing is affording an extra $100 premium. Without tearing it apart to inspect the circuitry, I’m a bit hesitant to recommend this power strip on specs and build quality alone. The USB charging limited to 30w total is unfortunate (as 5 ports delivering 2.4a is 60w). My iPad Pro and MacBook Pro wouldn't even report any charging at all on any of the USB-C ports, leading me to believe they're not implementing even basic handshaking. That said, its bigger brother does support USB-C PD and is worth checking out for the premium it draws.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+3points
3of 3voted this as helpful.
 
Introducing Logitech MX Master 3S – an iconic mouse remastered. Designed for designers and engineered for coders, now with Quiet Clicks and 8K DPI any-surface tracking for more feel and performance than ever before. It’s ergonomic silhouette is crafted to support your palm and fingers and allows you to work comfortably for hours across multiple computers and operating systems in one fluid workflow. With MX Master 3S, you can truly master what you make.
 
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5 out of 5
5
A refinement of a refinement - a great mouse.
on June 22, 2022
Posted by: aarondr
Logitech’s MX Master 3s mouse represents the pinnacle of the MX series mice. It offers refinement in materials, buttons, noise, connectivity, and ergonomics that set it apart from its predecessors. As a long time fan of the MX series this mouse tops the Master/Performance series by a good margin.
First of all, I’ll lead with the fact that Logitech has gone a long way to making their packaging more environmentally friendly. Practically all the packaging was made of cardboard that’s easily recyclable instead of the “I’m going to cut you” plastic of yesteryear. I appreciate this movement, and it means I can recycle or keep the box. The mouse itself feels even more durable and the materials in use feel like this mouse will last a good long while. While it does not include a user serviceable battery, I can attest that my 10 year old Performance MX can hold enough charge to be useful to this day, so I’m not concerned about this mouse becoming e-waste.
Now, a few things to know about this mouse: It’s a continuation of the original MX Performance mouse, but really it’s a reimagined MX Master 3. The Master 3s adds a new 8K sensor, super quiet buttons and an even quieter scroll wheel without messing with the existing ergonomics and connectivity already associated with the MX Master 3. If you have a Master 3, you may not want to upgrade, but if you’re an OG or Master 2 mouse user, this is a worthy upgrade for sure. Included in the box is a Bolt receiver which can be used with the first channel, and the other two channels can use Bluetooth (or another receiver). Finally a USB-C to USB-A cable is included for charging.
Speaking of charging, Logitech claims 3 hours of use from a single minute of charging. 70 days is possible from a full charge. While I can’t verify those claims, almost a week of use hasn’t dented the battery significantly. USB-C charging means this guy is pretty universally chargeable. One thing I noticed is that it didn’t seem to be able to operate as a wired mouse when plugged in (and no receivers or connections).
If you’re new to the MX Series, what really sets these mice apart is the scroll wheel. Designed to be able to flick through an Excel spreadsheet at lightning speed (Logitech claims 1000 lines per second), the free spinning scroll wheel was an experiment that really did catch on with those that adopted the performance MX. Originally a click in on the scroll wheel would change between free scrolling and clicky, but the later Master mice swapped to an automatic trigger (although the button right behind the wheel swaps modes). If you scroll with enough force, the clicky scrolling gives way to free scrolling. The MagSpeed scroll wheel is unique and functional. This, combined with the larger shape, and plethora of buttons is what made the MX Performance/Master mice popular amongst business/software professionals.
With the MX Master a horizontal scroll wheel was added, and this eventually turned into a more prominent feature. While some pros do use the horizontal scroll wheel to move about in their enormous excel spreadsheets, I love Logitech’s Options+ software. Not only can I set the primary feature to be volume control, in which the horizontal scroll wheel's heavy weighted feel is quite natural at, but the software also installs profiles: for instance in chrome, I can simply swap tabs using the horizontal scroll wheel, or use it for zoom in a powerpoint presentation.
Another big feature that’s unique to the MX series is the darkfield sensor. While Logitech has dropped the marketing wording around it, it’s still quiet the achievement in laser technology. The ability to track on glass is still not the most universal feature, and this mouse basically will track on any surface pretty accurately.
The big differentiator for the 3s is the quiet click buttons. It delivers its promise. While being nearly inaudible, the buttons still maintain a satisfying click feel. Logitech made sure every button had this feel, which is a nice touch. The thumb base button also feels quite soft. I was impressed that button included gestures for multi-tasking that map very naturally into Windows 10/11 and Mac OS.
Speaking of, the Logitech MX Master 3s fits right in a Mac environment. Logitech Options+ software works well on both Mac and Windows and enables things like Flow, which can transfer text, images, and even files between computers. It even allows swapping between computers by moving the mouse to the edge of the screen. Logitech has really done an amazing job nailing the software, as Flow is super slick.
Overall the MX Master 3s is a refinement upon several refinements. I’ve long been a fan of these mice, and despite what some may say, I’ve successfully played twitch shooters on these mice for years to great effect. The ability to trace anywhere is one of my favorite features. I’ve been a long time user of the smaller Anywhere MX series, but this full size MX feels more natural than any of the other full size MX mice I’ve used in the past (Performance MX, Master MX). For productivity, it’s hard to imagine a better mouse. Logitech continues to deliver the best mice in the industry.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Dream Team of Clean. With Imprint Link Technology, the Roomba i3+ EVO robot vacuum and Braava jet m6 robot mop team up to vacuum then mop automatically in perfect sequence, giving your floors a comprehensive clean with just a command to your voice assistant or in the app. With breakthrough Imprint Technology, we’re building a world where robots intelligently communicate with each other and the rest of your connected home.
 
  • Top 100 contributor
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Great combo setup that’s well integrated
on June 19, 2022
Posted by: aarondr
The iRobot Roomba i3+ and Braava Jet m6 combo pack is a great solution to home cleaning needs. You get both the i3+ (3550) and the Braava Jet m6 (6113) which form a dynamic duo that can both vacuum your floors and mop your hardwood. While neither of these represent iRobot’s high end, they both show how far this technology has come and how accessible it is.
First of all, the items came together in a large box holding their individual packages. This combo is definitely two off the shelf products, but that’s not to say they aren’t integrated well. Unboxing them was easy enough, with a few spare bags for the i3+ base, and a filter. The Braava Jet came with some solution and several reusable smart pads. What’s surprising is that both products were ready to just lay down on their chargers and get started. There wasn’t any remove this tape, plug in this battery or anything, just simply unbox and place on the charger. Having owned multiple robot vacuums - this was by far the easiest setup I’ve ever encountered.
After placing the i3 on its base, it will start up and be ready to pair. The Roomba app does a good job getting connected and I had no trouble with the initial setup. A firmware update later and it was basically ready to clean. There are just a couple buttons found on the vacuum - a home button (to return to base), a clean button, and a spot clean button. Most of your interactions take place in the app including its fancy room mapping feature.
I let the vacuum fully charge, and then sent it on its mapping way. You can have the vacuum first run just an exploratory expedition to map out your floor. I did this, and 3h later it returned to its base with a pretty accurate mapping of my floorplan. The geometry didn’t seem quite right, but it does a great job on approximating rooms. The vacuum never got stuck (unlike my prior vacuum), and made appropriate transitions from floor types without issue. After the map is complete you can take the auto created room boundaries, or in my case, customize them as you see fit. Once the boundaries are set, you can name rooms and that can enable voice control of cleaning specific rooms (more on that later). I found using the app was straightforward and a simple experience.
Perhaps my favorite feature of the i3+ is the automatic emptying base. It’s so freeing not to worry about emptying the bin every time it cleans. I love that this is becoming the new norm for robot vacuums. While the i3 isn’t the high end, it’s a competent vacuum and the base makes it super useful.
Some of the cooler things about the app is being able to set a schedule or use different integrations for automatic cleaning. iRobot is a big user of IFTTT, and can use my location, my august smart locks, or myQ garage door opener to use as triggers for cleaning. I found having a regular schedule on weekdays was easier for me, but I appreciate the concept of automatic cleaning. Alexa integration is also on tap, and it’s quite nice to tell Alexa to “ask [robot name] to clean the Family Room” is a nice parlor trick. I love the follow up question when you have a mopping robot available: “would you like to mop after your vacuum is finished?”
Which brings us to the Braava Jet. I was impressed with this little guy. Not only do you get wet mopping, but dry mopping as well. The wet mopping was quite effective and my floors felt clean. I’ve always been curious, but this little guy - mostly due to the lack of a vacuum, can go and go on mopping. It took 3:13 to finish my downstairs (535 sq/ft). Compared to the vacuum, which cleaned 622 sq/ft in 03:57 minutes (with 1h 20 minutes charging). Overall it’s a competent unit that helps bring a shine to your floors.
This combo is a pretty good investment. I’ve owned robot vacuums for over a decade now, and never an iRobot product. This is my first iRobot setup and it’s obvious these guys are still the leaders. This combo is perfect for my relatively small downstairs, and is making me consider getting another one for my upstairs level (although I won’t need the mop, so just an i3+ Evo). Overall, this is a great combo and product set!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The 23.8-inch TUF Gaming VG247QR1A WLED gaming monitor featuring AMD FreeSync compatibility for blistering-fast 165 Hz gaming. Its clever combination of Display Stream Compression (DSC), ASUS Extreme Low Motion Blur Sync (ELMB Sync) and AMD FreeSync Premium technologies enables buttery-smooth gaming on PCs.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Feature filled monitor for gaming
on June 8, 2022
Posted by: aarondr
The Asus Tuf Gaming VG247Q1A is a great 23” piece of kit. This monitor is no basic setup. It sports a 165Hz refresh rate, VA panel, Freesync 2 Premium, ELMB, and a great selection of modern ports (1 Displayport and 2xHDMI 1.4). Top it all off with 2x2w speakers, this monitor is ready to roll. It’s lightweight and takes a standard PC power cable (meaning no wall warts). Overall this monitor's features to price are a great balance.
First of all, the Tuf Gaming VG1A comes with a basic tilt stand, but does support standard 100mm VESA mounts. It's weighted enough to be stable, but it’s pretty basic. The casing of the monitor is plastic - of a matte variety with some flare. The bezels are quite small, with only a slightly larger ‘chin’ at the bottom of the monitor. On the right side you’ll find the buttons - 4 - plus a joystick button where the primary functions and menus are accessible. The bottom most button is the power button, and others are used for quick navigation to features like Asus’s GamePlus mode. These buttons can be customized to different features, like quick brightness or speaker volume. Port wise, there is a Displayport 1.2, and 2 HDMI 1.4 ports - more than enough to run the 165Hz 1080p resolution this monitor supports. A Kensington lock exists on the back left side. Additionally there is a 3.5mm headphone jack for either hooking up a headset or speakers.
Speaking of speakers, at this price point it’s odd to see speakers included - especially in a monitor that is already jam packed with features. The speakers are definitely nothing to write home about, but they are there and work in a pinch. Sometimes it’s handy to have something to provide basic sound support while your headset is charging.
There are no USB or other ports on the monitor. Again, hard to complain at this price point, but a USB hub with charging capabilities would have made this a hard monitor to pass up.
The panel itself is a decent VA panel. VA panels offer deeper contrast and better uniformity than many of the cheaper IPS panels out there. They tend to be slower, and perhaps don’t have the same color as IPS. That said, it’s hard to tell the difference, and the sample of this monitor seems to do well. There is plenty of motion blur, but the ELMB helps tremendously. Of course that disables Freesync, which truly is of more use for FPS and other high refresh rate esports titles. Speaking of Freesync, Nvidia G-Sync worked perfectly and hit the range of 48-165Hz variable. The panel’s intrinsic qualities are pretty good black and gray uniformity. There is no backlight bleed. The panel’s backlight is DC driven, so flicker free. The VA panel tends to smear a bit more than IPS and especially TN, and the built in overdrive does compensate a bit. There is ghosting, but it’s not especially noticeable. No dead pixels and overall it’s a great looking display. The brightness is limited, but sufficient for gaming and office use.
Asus’s GamePlus offers some interesting features. The crosshair is probably the least useful, but I do like the FPS counter when running freesync. It even offers a graph that can show framerate stability. The timer is useful when you want to give yourself a timer to keep a session limited. I like that you can move the timer and framerate counters around using the joystick.
The display alignment I suppose could be helpful in a multi-monitor setup, but I’m not sure.
There are a whole other host of features, like the blue light filter, ASCR, and VividPixel - which you may or may not like to use. Frankly these are nice extras, and still applicable for some consoles, but I’d rather let my OS worry about my blue light filter, and VividPixel can overdo it sometimes with sharpness (best leave on default).
Overall for the price, the VG1A series is a nice monitor. It seems like it would be great for a portable lan party setup or gaming meetup. The built in speakers, multiple HDMI ports, and variable refresh rate make this a great portable or permanent option. The VA panel helps control costs so that Asus can deliver some great features like Freesync 2 Premium, ELMB, and even a passable set of built-in speakers. I think this is a great monitor for the price and the 165Hz really allows FPS games to shine.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Govee Glide Hexa Light Panels are composed of 7 panels that can be assorted into various shapes. It can be controlled using your favorite voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant as well as the Govee Home App. You can even customize your design, effects, colors, and more.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Fun panels with great lighting
on May 31, 2022
Posted by: aarondr
Govee's Hexa lights are no unique idea. These sort of hexagon shaped lights have been around for a bit, but Govee's execution is top notch and sets them apart from the normal things you'll find on amazon. Are they worth the price of entry?
First of all, I'm not going to tell you they're worth the price immediately. Accent lights like this need to fit your decor and are extremely modern. My office is a tech wonderland, so they fit right in, but one would not want to mix art deco styling with these for instance. That said, they provide a very interesting piece of lighting for rooms. The integrated controller really sets them apart, with native app integration, Alexa and Google Assistant support, there's something for everyone.
Setup and installation is pretty straight forward. The app guides you through setup, connecting, and arrangement. Each tile is affixed with multiple output ports. Essentially you design a layout in the app, and it will tell you exactly what port to plug cables into one at a time. This way you can arrange them as you peel the adhesive off. It's kind of fun to design different layouts. Once you have them installed that's when the fun begins.
The controller is truly where Govee has knocked this out of the park, and where it's value comes from.
Essentially you can find tile style lights like this for very affordable prices online, but they're mostly remote controlled. The built in controller on the Govee's not only is app controlled, but has a decent integration with Alexa. Being able to set these lights in scenes, change modes, dim/brighten and set colors on demand with voice is a game changer compared to the cheaper competition. Also, the music mode is solid with excellent effects and sensitivity adjustments. It's not often I find so many lighting features in an app so well executed. I'm quite impressed.
Beyond that, the app also allows the community to expose programs, so there's a lot of flexibility. I'm a bit overwhelmed, as there's almost a social network built into the app, but it's nice to be able to springboard off of other people's ideas.
Govee has produced an excellent set of lights here to bring some fun to any room with a modern vibe. I really like these, and I think they'll stay in my house for a very long time.
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aarondr's Review Comments
 
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Tablet: The new Surface Pro 3 is in a category of its own. With a stunning 12" display in a sleek magnesium frame, Surface Pro 3 has all the power and performance of a laptop in an incredibly lightweight, versatile form. It may just be the ultimate device.
 
Overall3 out of 53 out of 5
STILL NO NATIVE MKV PLAYBACK???
By worknstiff from NC
Why can't surface pro 3 play mkv's? I really wanted to like the Surface Pro 2 and now especially the new Surface Pro 3's bigger screen and higher resolution. I like that it is a laptop replacement and also can be used as a tablet, but without native MKV support I can't see it replacing my Samsung tablet anytime soon. What a shame that you have all this computing power and still can't watch HD video's on this excellent HD screen. Why is Microsoft so adverse to making this the "PERFECT" multimedia consumption device, especially since all the lower price tablets (using MX Pro Video Player) seem to handle 1080p mkv's with DTS audio and subtitles just fine. I guess Microsoft doesn't want my money, SIGH.
Customer Avatar
aarondr
Richmond, VA
Uh...
July 8, 2014
MKV is a container format. VLC or other apps can play those natively (just download from the marketplace). You can also install codec packs that will bring support to windows media player. Any Windows machine can do it, but for legal reasons they don't include the codecs. Android gets away with it since it's GPL2 to start with (meaning all the open source codecs that are GPL2 can be included without infringing on FSF license. MS on the other hand would have to open source all of windows to distribute GPL based codecs).
+4points
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This NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB GDDR5 graphics card features multiple NVIDIA technologies, including CUDA and G-Sync, that ensure lush, realistic gaming visuals. NVIDIA SHIELD and GameStream allow you to stream portable and PC games.
 
Overall2 out of 52 out of 5
good gpu but false info. spec.
By kojisan from nevada
i originally bought this card because of the 4GB memory and future 4k display usage but after having this for a month. the performance is very good, low wattage, low fan noise, led custom and heavy on weight. over all, i don't see a 4GB usage on this gpu in the future and nvidia gave a real spec. of a gpu memory of a 195GBPs on 3.5 and 20GBPS on 0.5 memory.
my setup is
-amd fx 6100
-samsung SSD 120
-wd 250 HDD
-2x wd 2TB HDD
-gtx 970
-seasonic 520W
Customer Avatar
aarondr
Richmond, VA
February 5, 2015
I agree that the specs sent to reviewers were false. I'd even agree that Nvidia knew about this probably since the first public reviews went out (if I'm an engineer, I'm reading reviews of my work - and noticing the incorrect specs - hopefully sounding the alarm). But to be fair, the specs (save arguably the memory bandwidth) are accurate on the product page and always have been. The fewer ROPs, smaller L2 cache, and segmented memory all suck compared to the press reviews, but there's nothing on the product box or product page that's false here.
-1point
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Power your home theater with this Insignia™ NS-SB515 2.1-channel soundbar, which features Bluetooth technology for easy wireless streaming. The 6.5" subwoofer produces quality low-end sound to enhance your favorite films.
 
Overall2 out of 52 out of 5
Good Sound, Poor Execution for the Price
By aarondr from Richmond, VA
* Packaging
Unlike many sound bars, the box is actually a rectangular cuboid. The packaging is secure and quite nice. Everything is wrapped in standard plastic and the larger items in a foam padding. The package itself was surprisingly light considering its size. Expect this to arrive in great shape if you are having this shipped.
* Setup
Setup was really easy. Just plug all the included cables in the holes that fit and you’re pretty much done. The subwoofer paired automatically and the included RCA cables will get most people running in no time. A RCA to 3.5mm phono adapter adds the ability to plug in your phone or tablet directly to the RCA inputs, which is a handy addition. No optical cable was provided even though this unit features it, so that's a negative in my book.
* Build Quality
The main devices (bar and subwoofer) are not regular cuboid shapes, but rather both are tapered and the soundbar is chamfered on the front ends. For the sound bar, the exterior is a matte plastic with glossy plastic ends and a rubberish material over the buttons found on the left side. The speaker grill is covered in standard cloth, and is removable (see pictures in the video). The stereo speakers are acoustically suspended and seem to be made of paper with foam surrounds and shiny plastic dust covers. They measure in at 5.75” x 1.25” in size and are rectangular in shape. In the middle is a multi-function LED and IR receiver eye.
The subwoofer is also made of plastic of the matte texture variety. The back of the device has an amplifier section made of steel with no adjustments to be made, just an LED light and pair button in case it gets disconnected from the soundbar. A 120v power cord is the only protruding item. On the bottom can be found a 6.5” ported subwoofer. While 6.5” is on the small size for a subwoofer, the driver appears to be made from quality materials. A rubber surround and relatively tough cone material are used, which is good considering there is no protection for the driver. There are four feet on the bottom which provide separation from the floor and allow the subwoofer’s port to breath. The feet here are similar in texture to the soundbar only thicker, helping to isolate the subwoofer and prevent unwanted vibrations. Removing the driver reveals a decently sized magnet and room for excursion. Inside the cabinet a short board of MDF appears to be bracing the enclosure. This design touch may be to prevent plastic rattling common to plastic enclosure subwoofers. The sub unit weighs in at 8lb 2.5oz, and I’d say subjectively that more than half that weight is the driver itself.
* Sound
The soundbar itself is rated at a total power output of 15W a channel and the subwoofer at 30W. As far as estimates go, I’d say they are pretty close to reality. 60W total power @ 1%THD doesn’t sound like a lot, but it does the job and can get loud enough to start to become uncomfortable. I was easily able to hit 90dB at 8ft distance with minimal distortion. Don’t let the numbers fool you, this soundbar can get loud enough for smaller spaces.
On the remote there are 3 equalizer settings (DSP). The 'Standard' setting, while implying a flat curve, appears to be V shaped as the bass seems over exaggerated. Theater adds a bit of reverb and attempts to create a 3 dimensional soundstage which it accomplishes to a varying degree. The sound in this mode tends to sound like it’s in a tunnel, so personally I’m not a fan. News flattens out the bass and pushes the mids up. I don’t watch a lot of news, but it does emphasize dialog at the expense of other sounds so it might be the way to go for some usage scenarios.
For movies and TV the soundbar does admirably, producing clear vocals and adding quite a bit more depth to the sound than built in TV speakers. It compared favorably to my trusty old HTIB setup for dialog and normal TV/Movie viewing. The subwoofer does get a bit boomy at higher volumes, but generally does a good job considering its size. Again placement is the key. Putting it in a corner significantly increased the perceived output, and placing it near the front of the room caused it to blend naturally with the sound.
* Inputs
The soundbar supports both RCA audio and optical audio. While it supports digital audio through optical connection, it seems a token feature at best. It’s limited to uncompressed PCM 2 channel audio (making it an obvious setup issue born out by the 2 different reminder stickers on the soundbar and no less than 6 reminders in the manual). That said, you may still want to opt to use the RCA inputs for 2 reasons: there is no optical cable in the box, and many TVs can vary the volume of the RCA outputs using the TV volume (for example the Vizio M502b1) which may be more convenient. In back to back comparisons, the Optical input sounded ‘brighter’, but that might just be my TV and the soundbar’s DACs differing.
The device supports A2DP bluetooth audio, and the fidelity is of decent quality. I had one or two dropouts when the device was not line of site, but generally it kept a good connection up to the designated 10m distance. Pairing is easy, as the device shows up as ‘NS-SB515 Soundbar’ (heaven help you if you have two of these soundbars). The device ‘remembers’ 8 paired devices and connects to the last previously connected device in range. Connections must be forcibly disconnected to be able to switch devices. If your iPad was the last device connected, and you switch to bluetooth it will connect to it automatically, even though it is sitting on the shelf charging and you really wanted to use your phone. The solution is to get the iPad and disconnect or turn off bluetooth. So much for wireless convenience.
* Remote and other thoughts
The remote is a credit card style with buttons nearly as thick as the remote itself. The larger buttons aren’t stabilized very well and thus don’t pick up every press consistently. Their overall thickness makes it more awkward than most. The use of a CR2025 button cell is startling. While thinner, they are more expensive, harder to come by, and put out much less power than standard AAA batteries. This bears out in usage, as the remote is hit or miss from 9’, which is a byproduct of the poor IR transmitter and button activation.
Call me picky, but the remote has about 7 too many buttons on it and adds yet another IR remote to the living room stack. Subwoofer volume is separately adjustable, and each DSP and input is available at one button press. While this is nice, the primary functionality of the remote will be to turn on/off and change the overall volume. Since this device has only an RGB indicator LED the remote must have these extra buttons to make everything ‘directly’ accessible. Not sure if it’s on Optical Audio input? “Press the button just to make sure”. Is the sub all the way up? “Don’t know push the up button 10 times just to make sure.” The volume keys are conveniently placed on the left side and thus easily used by a right hander. However, oftentimes I would find the sound bar missing my button presses or conversely detecting one press as two and step the volume up 2 steps. If you integrate this into your entertainment center and you don’t already have a universal remote, you’ll most likely want to invest in one to simplify things.
On the positive side, ambient power usage is really quite under control. My power meter read a pretty steady 4 watts idle on the soundbar and less than a half a watt on the subwoofer while idle. This means leaving this on all the time is an option (again, I’m trying to outsource remote control to the TV).
The LED is multi-function using all three of its primary colors. Solid red indicates the device is in standby mode. Press the power button, and it turns green for exactly 10 seconds before turning off. Press any function button or source button other than bluetooth and the led will flicker red indicating it is receiving the command. Press the bluetooth button the LED will flash blue until it connects and then it turns solid. Everything here is basic, but functional. That is until my unit developed an issue with its LED. About 36 hours after initially plugging it in, with most of its time on standby, the red LED ceased to function and the green LED stuck in an on state regaradless if the unit is on or off. At this point the LED ceased to function as an indicator, and became more of an annoyance. I contacted Insignia support and was promised an answer within 48 hours. I did hear back in about 8 hours with a very polite reply. One advantage of the Insignia brand is that since they are exclusive to Best Buy their warranty service is handled through Best Buy’s geek squad, so you have real human beings to work with. Again, I don’t want to be too harsh here, because bad units exist in every level of manufacturing, and hopefully my review unit was the exception, not the rule.
* Conclusion
At this MSRP I feel as though Insignia doesn’t have much to offer. On a sale around half that MSRP, it might be worth it for a secondary TV room, dorm, or smaller living room. It will beat built-in speakers on most flat panels any day, offering quite a bit more bass and depth, and great flexibility in installation and placement. For normal TV listening this is definitely an upgrade but for the price other manufacturers offer more all around and the potential inconveniences of the design prevent this from getting my recommendation.
Customer Avatar
aarondr
Richmond, VA
Full Review Here
November 20, 2015
I had to abbreviate my review to fit into the length requirements of Best Buy's review platform. Here is the full unabridged: http://aaronromine.tumblr.com/post/133564337421/bb-tech-insider-network-and-the-ns-sb515
+1point
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Choose this Sony television with Android TV for an immersive audio and video experience. Its 4K Processor X1 brings stunning Ultra HD to your home so you can enjoy crystal-clear images in spectacular color. Every frame is automatically upgraded to 4K quality by this Sony television with Android TV, complete with automatic contrast adjustment for lifelike detail.
 
Overall5 out of 55 out of 5
AWESOME TV
By Greg
This TV is awesome, 4K 120GHZ REFRESH RATE. Have connected my XBOX ONE as well as my iMac 5K and it performs awesome. Smart TV includes netflix, youtube, and many other apps. EXTREMELY THIN!!! very worth the price! LOVE IT.
DEFINETELY RECOMMEND
Customer Avatar
aarondr
Richmond, VA
August 3, 2016
The refresh rate of this model is 60Hz not 120GHz (that's like crazy high, I think you mean 120Hz). Just like the native 120Hz TVs they market as XR960.
+2points
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Enjoy a compact tablet that fits neatly in your pocket with this Acer Iconia One 8-inch tablet. It includes a quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM that deliver powerful processing to play all your games and apps, and the 16GB of flash memory ensure this Acer Iconia One 8-inch tablet and store your files.
 
Overall4 out of 54 out of 5
Solid Tablets for the Price
By aarondr from Richmond, VA
I received a 8" for my review for TIN, so my review is reflective more of the 8" device than the 10", however I did get a chance to play with the 10" in store for a bit, so I'll keep the review kind of high level. Essentially the device is a great google tablet. You get the play store, some junk icons on the homepage, but the cruft is kept to a minimum. So if you're experience is nexus devices, you'll feel at home at this device. You can even debloat it for the most part. The screen is lower resolution than some tablets in the past, but it's acceptable and gives the tablet's CPU/GPU a bit of wiggle room. Even with only 1GB of ram on the 8" model, I did not experience any slow downs in everyday browsing. Be certain you are not buying a premium device here - that said it's build quality is excellent, and I'd put it a notch above Amazon devices when it comes to overall software experience. I really enjoyed my 8" and I'm certain the 10" with it's larger RAM and Storage would be a great edition for those entrenched in Google's ecosystem.
Customer Avatar
aarondr
Richmond, VA
October 10, 2016
Yes, since it runs lollipop - that feature is out of the box w/ Android
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
 
Enjoy immersive sound with these Bluetooth Sony EXTRA BASS over-ear headphones. The presets let you choose between arena, club, hall and outdoor stage sound, and the noise-canceling technology lets you block out the world while you listen to tunes. Listen wirelessly for up to 18 hours with these Sony EXTRA BASS over-ear headphones.
 
Overall5 out of 55 out of 5
Incredible bass, but don't forget the mids & highs
By lambda100
The Sony MDR-XB950B1 is the latest update to the company's Extra Bass headphones replacing the original MDR-XB950BT headphones. The XB950B1 looks nearly identical to the original XB950BT and both weigh the same. (I happen to also own the XB950BT). The left ear cup has the power button, micro usb power connection, audio cord input, microphone, and the bass button which on the current generation is re-labeled as “bass effect” to highlight the ability for the user to adjust the bass settings on a scale of -10 to +10 using Sony's Headphones Connect app. The right ear cup has the volume control +/- button and the skip forward/reverse, play/pause/answer phone button.
The MDR-XB950B1 is an over-the-ear headphone with very thick, soft, and comfortable earpads. I wear eyeglasses and the headphones do not press my frames unduly against my ears. I was able to wear the headphones for hours without discomfort. The metal headband is also well padded and did not feel heavy over my head. The headphones appear to have very good build quality and stretches well to accommodate various head sizes.
Now onto why you're really here... my thoughts on the highly subjective sound quality. These headphones by their very nature, were tuned by the Sony audio engineers to not only emphasize the bass at their default settings right out of the box, but to kick it up a notch to knock you senseless when it's turned up. Audiophiles will hate the sound signature for its total irreverence for how the song was meant to be heard in the studio. Those who own the original XB950BT will recall the nearly identical sound signature which is deep bass with some mids, and muffled highs which don't seem to break through. However, I noticed in my testing of the XB950B1 that the vocals/mids were a little cleaner and that some of the highs did come through ever so slightly better.
As I mentioned above, the way they are tuned from the factory, these headphones are not for the user who demands balance in the audio experience. They were clearly aimed at those who enjoy bass and a lot of it. Those who are seeking the well balanced sound spectrum with crisp highs and mids will be disappointed at first pass with these headphones, until they use an equalizer app to fine tune the higher end frequencies to bring out the highs which these headphones are very capable of and will reward you for doing so. I admit that I was initially dismayed by the lack of clear mids and clean trebles, but I started adjusting the equalizers and virtualizations that brought these headphones to life. Sony also acknowledges that some of us want more punchy bass and others want less by introducing the Sony Headphones Connect app which is available for free download from the Google or Apple app stores to allow users to adjust the level of bass to suit their musical tastes. The ability to adjust the bass from -10 to +10 is a welcome feature, and is the primary distinguishing feature between this second generation XB950B1 and the original XB950BT which only had a “bass boost” that went from extra bass to an insane amount of bass with no settings in between. Now that Sony has included the bass adjustment as an app, it should appease those on either side of the bass spectrum. The +10 bass setting will make the bass sound silly crazy out of this world, and the -10 setting will mellow the bass out a bit and bring you back down to earth. Additionally, the Headphone Connect app also allows users to select presets for outdoor stage, club, hall, or arena-style sound settings. I tried the different presets. They sounded okay, but I prefer to make my adjustments on a third party equalizer app.
Here are some other things to take note of. I really wished Sony included a case to store the headphones. The headphones are bulky and the earcups only turn so that the headphones lay flat. Sony should have also designed the earcups to be foldable (like for the MDR-XB950N1) so that they can be easier to store and transport. The battery life is very good, lasting 18 hrs, which is the same as the original XB950BT. This latest iteration (XB950B1) of the headphones does not suffer from the faint, but audible rumbling/hissing noise that can be heard at low volumes that was found in the first generation XB950BT. This is a great improvement as I found the hissing noise be to very annoying. Finally, these are neither noise canceling headphones nor noise isolating. Don't let the thick padded ear cushions fool you into believing that they will eliminate any ambient noise. With no music playing, you will still hear your surrounding, albeit a little bit muffled.
So in summary, for those looking to upgrade from the original XB950BT to the current XB950B1, the only real change is the freedom to make adjustments the bass via the Sony Headphone Connect app. The sound is very similar between the two. For those those who love bass, these headphones are for you! For those who are seeking their first purchase in the Sony Extra Bass line up, the XB950B1 is a superb choice since the bluetooth connection allows you to lose the wires and the app allows easy adjustment to the bass. And finally for those who are wary that the sound signature is too heavily tuned toward the low end frequencies will be reassured to know that the highs and mids will come through with proper tuning with an equalizer app. I highly recommend these headphones!
Customer Avatar
aarondr
Richmond, VA
March 30, 2017
I really enjoyed your review, and had many of the same points. I still can't believe that setting the app to -10 actually makes these headphones sound more 'normal'. I'll try adjusting the equalizer a bit as you suggest. Thanks!
+3points
3of 3voted this comment as helpful.
 
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This Element 27" FHD 1080P LED Frameless Monitor provides simple connectivity to get straight to work. Whether you're adding to your current work from home set-up or purchasing a new monitor to stay in touch with loved ones, this full HD monitor will do the trick. This Element monitor offers a 1080P, full high-definition screen for a clear, vivid picture. Whether you're watching videos, video chatting, or playing basic games you'll find this full HD monitor provides a crisp viewing experience. Element's frameless monitor screens enable your monitor to blend in with your decor for a clean aesthetic. The thin bezel allows for a full-screen experience. Expand your view and get more done by adding a second or third monitor to your office set-up with easy HDMI and VGA connectivity. *No built-in speakers
 

does it have a camera

Wow... I wish more monitors did, but sadly since the death of the Apple Thunderbolt display, camera's in monitors are are rarity. Definitely not in this monitor.
2 years, 4 months ago
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aarondr
 
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What kind of ports are on this monitor?

VGA and HDMI one of each. Disappointing really. Give me dual HDMI with 3.5mm headphone jack out or death!
2 years, 4 months ago
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aarondr
 
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What is the desktop resolution and refresh rate?

1920x1080@75Hz. You may need to push it to 75Hz in windows advanced display settings, but it works with no frame skipping
2 years, 4 months ago
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aarondr
 
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Does it come with a built in speakers?

Negative. No speaker or sound output (like a headphone jack)
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Hello do you halve to charge both arms or just 1. Or is the frame the battery. And so there 4 you would charge the frame.

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aarondr
 
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Are these frames polarized?

Definitely. I know this because I cannot see my work computer screen at all unless I tilt my head. Why am I trying to wear sunglasses to look at a monitor? Cause these make you that cool.
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can you make or take phone calls without having to open the giant screen? can you do ANYTHING without opening the screen all the way? it looks like you cant do a thing without it being completely open..seems crazy, especially with small hands

Yeah, you need to open it to do anything useful. You can use hands free to answer calls, etc. I'd recommend a Wear OS device (smart watch) to bridge the gap as this phone isn't super fast to check notifications or a quick photo/post. Its definitely got a focus on productivity when the screens are open, which is cool, but it makes it less than practical for most use cases. You really have to want this dual screen form factor. Past that it's immensely useful.

You can use the phone as a very very very expensive flashlight without opening it by double tapping the power button. So you can so SOMETHING without opening the screen :-). Maybe not that useful, but it's something right? haha
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aarondr
 
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Is the Mag 4.1 and 6.1 identical in every respect except the 2 extra speakers? I.e. Is the amp identical? Are the speakers identical except for quantity? Is the subwoofer identical?

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Where is it manufactured?

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3 years, 9 months ago
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aarondr