gtdad's stats
- Review count87
- Helpfulness votes921
- First reviewNovember 27, 2013
- Last reviewApril 22, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.3
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- Answer count11
- Helpfulness votes7
- First answerNovember 26, 2016
- Last answerApril 29, 2020
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The best bedroom Smart Clock just got even better. The Lenovo Smart Clock Gen 2 with Wireless Charging Dock keeps your nightstand clutter free. Charge up to two additional devices at once: your phone (using the wireless dock) and another accessory, like a smart watch (using the USB port). The 4“ color touchscreen showcases the time, weather and your family photos with a choice of customizable clock faces or check in on your smart cameras feeds before bed. Enhanced with a built-in nightlight when docked, the light is just bright enough to illuminate your way without waking your partner. With multiroom audio, you can add your Lenovo Smart Clock Gen 2 to a speaker group and play media across multiple devices and rooms.
Customer Rating
5
Smart, High Quality, Attractive
on August 25, 2021
Posted by: gtdad
from Miami, Fl.
For years i have had a Google Mini speaker on my night table. I use it for so many different tasks on a daily basis. I thought that was all I needed until I received the Lenovo Smart Clock 2.
The Lenovo Smart Clock 2 has a 4"color touch screen with Google assistant and Chromecast. To set up the device, you go the Google Home app and just add the device to your home. The clock will automatically install a firmware update which can take a few minutes.
Once installed you can now control all of the Google connected device in your home with the smart clock.
To customize the clock face simply swipe right on the screen.
Swipe down to set alarms, routines, play music or turn on the night light. Swiping up will adjust brightness, volume, turn on/off Do Not Disturb, and access settings. However, it is important to remember that all of these functions can be controlled by voice. In addition, there are physical volume buttons at the top of the unit.
My unit came in Heather Grey which is very attractive and matches all of my other Google devices.
The clock plugs into an electric outlet and can be used by itself or attached to an included base which has a built in wireless charger and a usb-A port. I use the wireless charger for my phone and ear buds and the usb-A to charge my watch. I found the wireless charger worked fast and without any noticeable heat. A nice feature of the wireless charger is that the nightlight will light up when the proper connection is made. so you won't incorrectly place your phone on the charger at night and wake up the next day with a dead phone.
The speaker is loud and clear for both voice and music, certainly on par with the Google Mini. You can see your photos on the smart clock however, you cannot play video. You can assign a specific tv, in your house to play video when requested through the smart clock. So if I want to watch You Tube it will play on my master tv. I also have an Arlo video doorbell. When I want to see that camera or any other connected camera it will display on my master tv.
The Lenovo Smart Clock 2 does not have a camera. So you cannot make Duo video calls, however, you can make voice calls.
In summary, I love this smart clock. It's like taking the Google Mini to the next level. It is high quality, very useful and extremely attractive.
Now my only problem is that everyone else in the house wants one.
The Lenovo Smart Clock 2 has a 4"color touch screen with Google assistant and Chromecast. To set up the device, you go the Google Home app and just add the device to your home. The clock will automatically install a firmware update which can take a few minutes.
Once installed you can now control all of the Google connected device in your home with the smart clock.
To customize the clock face simply swipe right on the screen.
Swipe down to set alarms, routines, play music or turn on the night light. Swiping up will adjust brightness, volume, turn on/off Do Not Disturb, and access settings. However, it is important to remember that all of these functions can be controlled by voice. In addition, there are physical volume buttons at the top of the unit.
My unit came in Heather Grey which is very attractive and matches all of my other Google devices.
The clock plugs into an electric outlet and can be used by itself or attached to an included base which has a built in wireless charger and a usb-A port. I use the wireless charger for my phone and ear buds and the usb-A to charge my watch. I found the wireless charger worked fast and without any noticeable heat. A nice feature of the wireless charger is that the nightlight will light up when the proper connection is made. so you won't incorrectly place your phone on the charger at night and wake up the next day with a dead phone.
The speaker is loud and clear for both voice and music, certainly on par with the Google Mini. You can see your photos on the smart clock however, you cannot play video. You can assign a specific tv, in your house to play video when requested through the smart clock. So if I want to watch You Tube it will play on my master tv. I also have an Arlo video doorbell. When I want to see that camera or any other connected camera it will display on my master tv.
The Lenovo Smart Clock 2 does not have a camera. So you cannot make Duo video calls, however, you can make voice calls.
In summary, I love this smart clock. It's like taking the Google Mini to the next level. It is high quality, very useful and extremely attractive.
Now my only problem is that everyone else in the house wants one.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+4points
4of 4voted this as helpful.
The Dell XPS 15 laptop features a stunning, new 4-sided InfinityEdge FHD+ display that shows off a 5% larger 16:10 screen and 92.9% screen to body ratio. All the power and features to maximize prodcutivity - Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB solid state drive, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 3050 Ti graphics. A premium 15" touch laptop with a thin and light design.
Customer Rating
4
Light, Fast Beautiful, Almost Perfect But....
on July 17, 2021
Posted by: gtdad
from Miami, Fl.
I have several laptops but the one that has always been my favorite is my Dell XPS 13.
So when I wanted a new 15” laptop, the new Dell XPS 15 9510 seemed like the perfect upgrade.
Out of the box the first thing you notice is how well it is packaged with each component in its own compartment so that nothing can be damaged. The laptop itself is wrapped in plastic to prevent scratching. Mine came with less than 50% power and it took over an hour to reach a full charge.
In the box, along with the laptop, you get a 130 W charger and a USB-C to USB-A and HDMI adapter.
The laptop is beautiful and quality is apparent, from the aluminum body to the carbon fiber palm rest.
The 15.6” FHD+ display has 1900 x 1200 resolution and is completely non-glare. It’s an absolute pleasure to view in any lighting situation with no eye fatigue. It has an edge to edge display with almost no bezel at any side. This allows Dell to provide a 15” laptop with the footprint of a 14”. The sacrifice is that there is no number keypad on the side as you would find on most other 15” laptops, and that’s fine with me. The keyboard is solid, with just the right amount of travel, without any bending. It’s backlight comes on when your fingers approach the keyboard and then turns off automatically when not typing to save battery power.
The mousepad is very large measuring approximately 6” (w) x 3.5” (h). It has just the right amount of sensitivity with steady quick movement and firm clicking. Possibly the best mousepad I have ever used.
So when I wanted a new 15” laptop, the new Dell XPS 15 9510 seemed like the perfect upgrade.
Out of the box the first thing you notice is how well it is packaged with each component in its own compartment so that nothing can be damaged. The laptop itself is wrapped in plastic to prevent scratching. Mine came with less than 50% power and it took over an hour to reach a full charge.
In the box, along with the laptop, you get a 130 W charger and a USB-C to USB-A and HDMI adapter.
The laptop is beautiful and quality is apparent, from the aluminum body to the carbon fiber palm rest.
The 15.6” FHD+ display has 1900 x 1200 resolution and is completely non-glare. It’s an absolute pleasure to view in any lighting situation with no eye fatigue. It has an edge to edge display with almost no bezel at any side. This allows Dell to provide a 15” laptop with the footprint of a 14”. The sacrifice is that there is no number keypad on the side as you would find on most other 15” laptops, and that’s fine with me. The keyboard is solid, with just the right amount of travel, without any bending. It’s backlight comes on when your fingers approach the keyboard and then turns off automatically when not typing to save battery power.
The mousepad is very large measuring approximately 6” (w) x 3.5” (h). It has just the right amount of sensitivity with steady quick movement and firm clicking. Possibly the best mousepad I have ever used.
This model cam with the following:
Intel i7 11800H 11th Generation 2.3 Ghz
16 gb of ram
512 gb SSD
Nvidia Gforce RTX3050 Ti graphics with dedicated 4GB GDDR6
Large speakers located on both sides of the keyboard
720 webcam with dual microphones
2 Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, 1 USB-C 3.2 USB-C port, 1 SD card reader and a headphone jack
Intel i7 11800H 11th Generation 2.3 Ghz
16 gb of ram
512 gb SSD
Nvidia Gforce RTX3050 Ti graphics with dedicated 4GB GDDR6
Large speakers located on both sides of the keyboard
720 webcam with dual microphones
2 Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, 1 USB-C 3.2 USB-C port, 1 SD card reader and a headphone jack
The webcam and microphones provide excellent picture and is a pleasure to have video meetings or to watch a movie or YouTube video.
The speakers provide a rich yet clear sound, and can handle high volume.
The camera is capable of Windows Hello identification to turn on your laptop with facial recognition. This works flawlessly and almost instantaneous. There is a fingerprint reader built-in to the power switch which can be used as an alternative to facial recognition.
Some people consider this to be more secure, but I have never had an issue with the facial recognition.
The XPS15 only weighs 4.5 lbs. and is .7” thick. This has a small enough footprint to fit in some 14” laptop sleeves and cases.
The speakers provide a rich yet clear sound, and can handle high volume.
The camera is capable of Windows Hello identification to turn on your laptop with facial recognition. This works flawlessly and almost instantaneous. There is a fingerprint reader built-in to the power switch which can be used as an alternative to facial recognition.
Some people consider this to be more secure, but I have never had an issue with the facial recognition.
The XPS15 only weighs 4.5 lbs. and is .7” thick. This has a small enough footprint to fit in some 14” laptop sleeves and cases.
After charging and setup, which was extremely fast and easy, the next thing you should do is go to Windows Update in the settings menu and do all of the necessary updates. You will find that there are more updates on the second day, as they had to wait until after you installed the initial updates. Don’t be alarmed if you are unable to add your gmail accounts to the Mail and Calendar app. This is a common issue on the first day. After you do all of your updates on the second day it will work properly.
It’s probably too early for me to properly assess the battery life. I did find that on the second and third days the battery life improved. If I had to guess at this point I would say I am getting a good 6 hours on a single charge
It’s probably too early for me to properly assess the battery life. I did find that on the second and third days the battery life improved. If I had to guess at this point I would say I am getting a good 6 hours on a single charge
So why only 4 stars if I love this laptop?
The first reason is cosmetic. Despite the top notch materials used, my laptop has a flaw in the lower left hand corner. The carbon fiber was apparently not machined to the proper size and does not completely cover the corner (see attached pictures).Lower right corner is perfect.
It’s not a huge gap by any means, but it’s enough to see and every time I pickup the laptop and my had touches the corner I feel the sharp edge of the metal. This should not happen in a premium laptop.
The second reason is the lack of touchscreen. I didn’t think I would miss it, but I can’t tell you how many times I have reached to touch the screen only to remember that it isn’t touch. Every other laptop I have, including the XPS 13, has touchscreen. All of which cost less than this model.
Also, please note that this is not a 2 in 1 laptop. This doesn’t bother me at all as I feel that 2 in 1 works better with smaller laptops.
The first reason is cosmetic. Despite the top notch materials used, my laptop has a flaw in the lower left hand corner. The carbon fiber was apparently not machined to the proper size and does not completely cover the corner (see attached pictures).Lower right corner is perfect.
It’s not a huge gap by any means, but it’s enough to see and every time I pickup the laptop and my had touches the corner I feel the sharp edge of the metal. This should not happen in a premium laptop.
The second reason is the lack of touchscreen. I didn’t think I would miss it, but I can’t tell you how many times I have reached to touch the screen only to remember that it isn’t touch. Every other laptop I have, including the XPS 13, has touchscreen. All of which cost less than this model.
Also, please note that this is not a 2 in 1 laptop. This doesn’t bother me at all as I feel that 2 in 1 works better with smaller laptops.
In summary, I love this laptop and it has quickly become my daily user. It’s overall quality and performance should please almost every user. The issues I mentioned above are minor, but are enough for me to deduct 1 star.
I highly recommend the Dell XPS 15 9510.
I highly recommend the Dell XPS 15 9510.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+34points
39of 44voted this as helpful.
Pixel Buds A-Series bring you rich, high-quality sound for a lot less than you’d expect. Their beamforming mics help make calls crystal clear.*** The flush-to-ear design is stylish, and the stabilizer arc keeps them in place so you can wear them even during the sweatiest workout.**
Customer Rating
5
A must have for Android and Google users
on June 21, 2021
Posted by: gtdad
from Miami, Fl.
The Pixel Buds A-Series takes the Google experience to the max.
In the box you get the Pixel Buds, the storage/charging case, a usb-a to usb-c cable and small, medium and large ear tips.
My Pixel Buds came with a 100% charge. They are rated by Google to last up to 5 hours per charge, and the case will recharge them multiple times giving you up to 24 hours of total charge. Talk time lasts approximately 2 ½ hours.
The case does not have built in wireless charging which is fine with me. I am not a fan of wireless charging as I have accidentally knocked too many devices off of wireless chargers and they create additional heat. The usb-c cable providers fast charging. The case is small and has a nice texture which does not show fingerprints.
I have a Pixel 4 phone and as soon as I opened the case the buds immediately paired to my phone.
The settings include the following:
Notifications and Preferences, which includes setting up voice controls and tutorials
Find Device- to locate your buds if you forget where you put them
Touch Controls-for Google Assistant, play, pause, skip, and return.
Sound- which allows you to use Bass Boost and Adaptive Sound ( automatically raising and lowering volume depending on the noise in your surroundings.
In-ear detection which turns on or pauses what you are listening to when putting the buds in or taking them out.
You can also turn on HD audio and authorize contact sharing for phone calls and texts.
After using the Pixel Buds A-Series for several days I have the following impressions:
First, these are the most comfortable ear buds that I have ever used. And I have Sony and Bose QC noise cancelling ear buds. They are small, light and flush to your ears.
Sound quality is very subjective, but in my opinion the Pixel Buds A-Series has excellent sound for both music and phone conversation, though it is not on the same level as the Bose. However, the Bose costs almost 3 times as much.
Now some people may complain that there is no touch control for volume, however there is simply no need for that. This is where the Google Assistant integration comes in.
You can tap and hold either ear bud for the Google assistant, but that isn’t even necessary.
You can just say “’Hey Google or “OK Google” and the Assistant will respond without any gestures at all.
So now you can simply speak and say “Raise volume 10%” or “Lower volume 30%” or “Mute”.
You can tell Google Assistant to call or text nay one of your contacts, and the Assistant can read all of your notifications, emails and texts to you.
In addition, I use Google Home to control all of my home devices, such as lights, thermostat,. doorbell and lock. Now that can all be controlled through the Pixel Buds.
Another great feature is the language translation. All you have to do is say “Hey Google be my Spanish interpreter”, or any other language, and when you speak in English your phone will speak in the foreign language to the other person, and their response will be translated to English in your Pixel Buds.
You can also ask how much power is remaining and it will tell you
The only shortcoming is the lack of noise cancelling. But, barring the need for that feature in certain circumstances, the Pixel Buds A-Series have knocked my much more expensive Bose and Sony ear buds into my drawer and have become an indispensable part of my daily life.
I love these and heartily recommend them to anyone, but especially to Android and Google Assistant users.
Mobile Submission: True
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+3points
9of 15voted this as helpful.
The iFLOOR BREEZE floor washer vacuums and mops hard floors at the same time. No more vacuuming and sweeping before mopping your floors. iFLOOR BREEZE does both simultaneously, in less time, and with better results. Lightweight, cordless, and powerful, the iFLOOR BREEZE removes tough, sticky messes from floors. This 2-in-1 powerful floor washer leaves less water on floors than competitors, so floors get cleaner, dry faster, and look their best.
Customer Rating
5
A Truly Excellent Product
on April 6, 2021
Posted by: gtdad
from Miami, Fl.
We have marble floors throughout our house and I am very particular about how we clean it. I have been weary about using any product that might scratch the floor or leave it too wet, which would be a problem with marble. So until now we have vacuumed our floors and then we get on our hands and knees and clean each tile with a cleaning solution and towels. This is extremely tedious and time consuming, so the vacuuming is done weekly, but the cleaning is done monthly at best.
I have been looking for a product that could vacuum and mop but couldn’t find one that specifically stated that it was safe on marble floors, until I found the Tineco iFloor Breeze.
The Tineco iFloor Breeze comes almost fully assembled. You just attach the handle. It comes partially charged and took about 3 hours to fully charge. A full charge from empty will take approximately 4 hours.
A full charge will last approximately 20 minutes.
You fill the upper tank with clean water and some of the included cleaning solution and you are ready to go. The handle is very ergonomic and the power buttons are within easy reach.
I was immediately surprised by the power from this compact unit, and yet the noise level was much less than expected.
I was able to clean the floors with very little effort. The unit is compact, lightweight and very maneuverable.
To my delight, the floor was only a little wet and dried quickly, leaving a shiny floor with no scuff marks or scratches. The roller is extremely soft.. You can vacuum only, or vacuum and mop. The water tanks are very easy to remove and attach. Only clean water ever touches the floor as all of the dirty water is deposited in the lower tank.
One of the great features of the Tineco Breeze is the self cleaning. When you place it in the base it will clean the roller.
Overall, the Tineco iFloor Breeze is an excellent product, well designed and does what it was designed to do effectively. Honestly I cannot find fault with this product. The 20 minute battery run time might be an issue for some. But the trade off for the light weight and compact design is one I would take any time.
I would highly recommend it to anyone with hard floors.
I have been looking for a product that could vacuum and mop but couldn’t find one that specifically stated that it was safe on marble floors, until I found the Tineco iFloor Breeze.
The Tineco iFloor Breeze comes almost fully assembled. You just attach the handle. It comes partially charged and took about 3 hours to fully charge. A full charge from empty will take approximately 4 hours.
A full charge will last approximately 20 minutes.
You fill the upper tank with clean water and some of the included cleaning solution and you are ready to go. The handle is very ergonomic and the power buttons are within easy reach.
I was immediately surprised by the power from this compact unit, and yet the noise level was much less than expected.
I was able to clean the floors with very little effort. The unit is compact, lightweight and very maneuverable.
To my delight, the floor was only a little wet and dried quickly, leaving a shiny floor with no scuff marks or scratches. The roller is extremely soft.. You can vacuum only, or vacuum and mop. The water tanks are very easy to remove and attach. Only clean water ever touches the floor as all of the dirty water is deposited in the lower tank.
One of the great features of the Tineco Breeze is the self cleaning. When you place it in the base it will clean the roller.
Overall, the Tineco iFloor Breeze is an excellent product, well designed and does what it was designed to do effectively. Honestly I cannot find fault with this product. The 20 minute battery run time might be an issue for some. But the trade off for the light weight and compact design is one I would take any time.
I would highly recommend it to anyone with hard floors.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
Grab a fistful of metal for man-sized grooming. Define and refine ear and nose hair with the precision of MetalCraft from ConairMan. This powerful, professional, all-in-one ear/nose trimmer has a patent-pending Advanced 360° Rotary Cutting System. It’s a metallic must-have for any guy who wants to get a grip on his grooming. Equipped with a diamond-shaped 3-bevel blade, the trimmer quickly and easily removes annoying nose and ear hairs with no pulling, nicks, or cuts. This battery-operated grooming essential (AA battery not included) gets the job done right—without a cord to hold him back. Featuring a smooth metal handle for complete comfort and control, this rugged gear is built to last, with a washable head for easy cleaning, and can be his go-to for confident, high-performance grooming, now and years from now. Preferred by professional Instagram influencer and Man Maintenance Missionary Kevin Creekman, the MetalCraft High-Performance Nose/Ear Trimmer lets a man refine his facial canvas with the skill and power of a pro. The guesswork is gone. No pulls, nicks, or cuts. The ultra-precise 3-bevel blade is just the right size and shape to remove hard-to-reach hairs, painlessly cutting as close to his skin as possible for perfect results every time. And he'll appreciate the firm, comfortable grip he gets on the metal handle as he takes control of his trimming. Professional-grade power and performance. It’s more than maintenance, it’s MetalCraft.
Posted by: gtdad
from Miami, Fl.
The search for the perfect nose/ear trimmer should not be a lifetime endeavor, but sadly it has become one. I have a draw full of many of the major brands, all falling short in one area or another. Seems like such a simple device, but apparently it's not. Either they break, they don't cut well, pull hairs or they are simply way to loud to be placed by your ear. So when I saw the Conair Metalcraft High Performance nose/ear trimmer I thought I finally had found what I was looking for. I like Conair products. I have an electric hair trimmer set that is about 10 years old and works as well today as the day I bought it. Out of the box it looks attractive, basically cylindrical with one flat side which makes it easy to grip. It's body is silver with gold cap and trim. It uses 1 AA battery. The trimmer heads twists off and you can rinse it under the faucet. The cutting head is unique, rotary and cylindrical with bevel blade. It is the perfect shape for the nose and does an excellent and efficient job cutting nose hairs with no pulling at all. So why the disappointment?
1) The first time I tried to take off the cutting head to clean it, all of the internal parts came out and came apart. (See picture). It actually took a while to put back together because the 2 main components have to be lined up perfectly.
2) It is too loud for the ears.
3) Even though the cutting edge is perfectly shaped for the nose, it is not the case for the ears. Now it's not bad, but I found it more difficult to effectively cut the ear hair. This resulted in more time spent by the ears, which in turn made the noise more bothersome. If it were quieter, I would not mind spending an extra minute or two on the ear trimming.
In summary, this is the best nose trimmer I have used. Fast, painless and very effective. However, it is not a great ear trimmer for the reasons stated above. And, the fact that the unit fell apart on the first use does not bode well for the long term.
1) The first time I tried to take off the cutting head to clean it, all of the internal parts came out and came apart. (See picture). It actually took a while to put back together because the 2 main components have to be lined up perfectly.
2) It is too loud for the ears.
3) Even though the cutting edge is perfectly shaped for the nose, it is not the case for the ears. Now it's not bad, but I found it more difficult to effectively cut the ear hair. This resulted in more time spent by the ears, which in turn made the noise more bothersome. If it were quieter, I would not mind spending an extra minute or two on the ear trimming.
In summary, this is the best nose trimmer I have used. Fast, painless and very effective. However, it is not a great ear trimmer for the reasons stated above. And, the fact that the unit fell apart on the first use does not bode well for the long term.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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By installing eufy Security Smart Lock Touch & Wi-Fi, you will never have to worry about losing your key again and always have secure access to your home. The Smart Lock is powered by a Mabuchi motor that allows you to unlock your front door in less than a second. With a sensor area that is two times larger than on a smartphone, the Smart Lock is less likely to miss your fingerprint. Every time you unlock Smart Lock, the recognition rate improves because of the self-learning AI chip. This Smart Lock is weatherproof with an IP65 rating, so you can rest assured that your home is always secure. The Smart Lock is tested to last for 250,000 unlocks and is designed to still function after 30 years of use.
Customer Rating
4
Excellent Quality & Function, But...
on February 27, 2021
Posted by: gtdad
from Miami, Fl.
From the packaging to the installation and functionality, the Eufy Wi-Fi Smart Lock is an excellent, well thought out product.
In the box you will find all of the components laid out with step numbers on them so that you can easily follow the correct sequence during installation. All necessary parts are included. The components are big and heavy, appearing to be very high quality. It is drill proof and water resistant. There is a 10,000 mah battery which must be fully charged before you begin installation. It took about 5 hours to fully charge the battery. Eufy states that the battery should last about 1 year before needing another charge. The battery compartment is easy to open.
You should download the Eufy Security App which guides you through installation and setup.
The app is full featured and the settings menu is easy to follow.
Wi-Fi set up is quick, but remember that this works on 2.4 ghz, so set your phone to that before connecting to Wi-Fi.
This door lock allows for 5 different methods of locking/unlocking.
1) Fingerprint
2) Number Code
3) Key (5 keys in the box)
4) Voice (Google Assistant/Amazon Alexa)
5) In the Eufy Security APP
All of these methods worked flawlessly. The fingerprint reader and the keypad are extremely responsive and accurate. In fact, I would say this is the best fingerprint reader I have had on any of my electronic devices. You can also have the door lock automatically after you close the door. You can set the timer anywhere from 1 second to 1 minute after closing your door.
You can store up to 100 fingerprints and all storage is local, making your personal information more secure, and there are no subscriptions.
The app will keep a record of who entered your house and what time they were there.
So overall the quality and functionality deserve 5 stars but there is one negative that really bothers me.
As I mentioned this door lock is large. The part on the outside of the door is about 6” x 3” and the part on the interior is about 8” x 3”. This in understandable considering all of the features that are packed onto this device. And the size itself does not bother me at all. However, the door lock is BLACK. Why would they make this only in black? You would like this to match either the color of the door or your existing hardware. And in this case it matches neither.
My door is white and my existing hardware is a brushed nickel. Either of those colors would have been fine. The brushed nickel would have been a nice neutral color that would match most doors and hardware. I live in South Florida where white is the most common door color. I don’t know anyone who has a black door or any color hardware that would match with black.
As much as I love this product, every time I approach my door I cringe at this big black rectangle.
I am gong to have to try to vinyl wrap it with a lighter color. I think the black is fine for commercial use, but not for residential. And, I believe that Eufy would sell many more with a different color option.
In summary, this is one of the best electronic devices I have ever used. Easy to install, setup and operate, and very high quality. If the black color doesn’t bother you, I would highly recommend it.
In the box you will find all of the components laid out with step numbers on them so that you can easily follow the correct sequence during installation. All necessary parts are included. The components are big and heavy, appearing to be very high quality. It is drill proof and water resistant. There is a 10,000 mah battery which must be fully charged before you begin installation. It took about 5 hours to fully charge the battery. Eufy states that the battery should last about 1 year before needing another charge. The battery compartment is easy to open.
You should download the Eufy Security App which guides you through installation and setup.
The app is full featured and the settings menu is easy to follow.
Wi-Fi set up is quick, but remember that this works on 2.4 ghz, so set your phone to that before connecting to Wi-Fi.
This door lock allows for 5 different methods of locking/unlocking.
1) Fingerprint
2) Number Code
3) Key (5 keys in the box)
4) Voice (Google Assistant/Amazon Alexa)
5) In the Eufy Security APP
All of these methods worked flawlessly. The fingerprint reader and the keypad are extremely responsive and accurate. In fact, I would say this is the best fingerprint reader I have had on any of my electronic devices. You can also have the door lock automatically after you close the door. You can set the timer anywhere from 1 second to 1 minute after closing your door.
You can store up to 100 fingerprints and all storage is local, making your personal information more secure, and there are no subscriptions.
The app will keep a record of who entered your house and what time they were there.
So overall the quality and functionality deserve 5 stars but there is one negative that really bothers me.
As I mentioned this door lock is large. The part on the outside of the door is about 6” x 3” and the part on the interior is about 8” x 3”. This in understandable considering all of the features that are packed onto this device. And the size itself does not bother me at all. However, the door lock is BLACK. Why would they make this only in black? You would like this to match either the color of the door or your existing hardware. And in this case it matches neither.
My door is white and my existing hardware is a brushed nickel. Either of those colors would have been fine. The brushed nickel would have been a nice neutral color that would match most doors and hardware. I live in South Florida where white is the most common door color. I don’t know anyone who has a black door or any color hardware that would match with black.
As much as I love this product, every time I approach my door I cringe at this big black rectangle.
I am gong to have to try to vinyl wrap it with a lighter color. I think the black is fine for commercial use, but not for residential. And, I believe that Eufy would sell many more with a different color option.
In summary, this is one of the best electronic devices I have ever used. Easy to install, setup and operate, and very high quality. If the black color doesn’t bother you, I would highly recommend it.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+3points
8of 13voted this as helpful.
A better way to see the complete picture at your door. Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free can be powered by a rechargeable battery or hardwired. Connect directly to Wi-Fi for easy setup. When motion is detected, receive notifications and view live video from your phone. See what's at the door, from head to toe or a package on the ground during the day or in low light with night vision, without opening your door. Speak to visitors with two-way audio or use pre-recorded quick reply messages when you're busy. With an included trial of Arlo Secure, personalize notifications when your Video Doorbell spots people, vehicles, animals or packages, and store recorded video clips.¹ Get added peace of mind knowing that Arlo will replace your doorbell if it gets stolen through the Arlo Theft Replacement program.²
Customer Rating
4
Great Video Doorbell, But...
on January 4, 2021
Posted by: gtdad
from Miami, Fl.
Out of the box, the Arlo wireless video doorbell looks and feels like a high quality device.
Included with the doorbell is the rechargeable battery with usb cable, flat and angled mounting brackets, wire extensions (should you chooses to wire the device), screws and anchors, a release pin and a quick start guide.
The rechargeable battery has a red indicator light when it needs charging and it turns green when it is fully charged. My unit came with the battery in need of a charge which took 2-3 hours using a standard usb outlet.
While the battery is charging you can download the Arlo app which will walk you through setup and installation. The app is excellent and the installation is quick and easy. The doorbell setup will only work on a 2.4ghz wifi. So make sure to turn your phone on to a 2.4ghz network for setup. After setup you can put your phone back on 5ghz.
If you go to settings in the app you can customize the doorbell by choosing resolution, activity zone, motion detection sensitivity, speaker settings and more.
When the doorbell detects motion the led light surrounding the button turns on, making it highly visible to the person approaching in any lighting condition. You will also receive a notification on your phone and you can check to see a video capture of the motion or a live picture through the camera.
When someone rings the doorbell you receive a phone call which opens up the app and allows you to see and speak to the person at the door. There is almost no delay at all between the doorbell activation and the call you receive. Also, the audio is very natural with no delay between both ends of the conversation.
The speaker quality is excellent and volume can be controlled within the app.
I have been using the doorbell for 10 days and I have found it to be 100% reliable.
One of the best features of the Arlo doorbell is the 180 degree diagonal picture with a 1:1 aspect ratio.
This allows you to see a person from head to toe and you can even see packages on the ground next to your door. In addition, the video has minimal fisheye effect, far less than other video doorbells I have used. The video is crisp and clear in all lighting conditions.
Some other features include 8x digital zoom on live and recorded video, built in siren, quick reply messages and ability to call 911.
So why only 4 stars? Well, there is one definite issue and one possible issue to be aware of.
On the Arlo website it states that this doorbell works “with seamless integration the Google Home Hub” and has “total compatibility”. Well, that is not completely true.
You can add the Arlo doorbell to Google Home. However, when the doorbell rings, the Google Home Hub will announce that someone is at your “Front Door” or whatever you named your doorbell. But it will not show any video and will not allow you to speak to the person through the Hub. You still have to answer the call through your phone. In addition, if you ask Google to show you the “Front Door” it will display a message that the video cannot be streamed. The only way around this is to lower the resolution in the doorbell to it’s lowest setting, which is 720x720. This will allow you to ask Google to show you a live stream from the doorbell, and it will, however it will still only tell when someone is at the door and not show you video until you ask for it. And it still won’t allow you to speak to them through the Hub screen. By the time you go through all of this you could have answered through your phone much quicker. Also, there is a negative trade off of lowering the resolution. You will lose the 1:1 aspect ratio with the 180 degree diagonal picture on your recorded video. The live stream will still have a full picture but any recorded video will only record the upper half of a person’s body.
Included with the doorbell is the rechargeable battery with usb cable, flat and angled mounting brackets, wire extensions (should you chooses to wire the device), screws and anchors, a release pin and a quick start guide.
The rechargeable battery has a red indicator light when it needs charging and it turns green when it is fully charged. My unit came with the battery in need of a charge which took 2-3 hours using a standard usb outlet.
While the battery is charging you can download the Arlo app which will walk you through setup and installation. The app is excellent and the installation is quick and easy. The doorbell setup will only work on a 2.4ghz wifi. So make sure to turn your phone on to a 2.4ghz network for setup. After setup you can put your phone back on 5ghz.
If you go to settings in the app you can customize the doorbell by choosing resolution, activity zone, motion detection sensitivity, speaker settings and more.
When the doorbell detects motion the led light surrounding the button turns on, making it highly visible to the person approaching in any lighting condition. You will also receive a notification on your phone and you can check to see a video capture of the motion or a live picture through the camera.
When someone rings the doorbell you receive a phone call which opens up the app and allows you to see and speak to the person at the door. There is almost no delay at all between the doorbell activation and the call you receive. Also, the audio is very natural with no delay between both ends of the conversation.
The speaker quality is excellent and volume can be controlled within the app.
I have been using the doorbell for 10 days and I have found it to be 100% reliable.
One of the best features of the Arlo doorbell is the 180 degree diagonal picture with a 1:1 aspect ratio.
This allows you to see a person from head to toe and you can even see packages on the ground next to your door. In addition, the video has minimal fisheye effect, far less than other video doorbells I have used. The video is crisp and clear in all lighting conditions.
Some other features include 8x digital zoom on live and recorded video, built in siren, quick reply messages and ability to call 911.
So why only 4 stars? Well, there is one definite issue and one possible issue to be aware of.
On the Arlo website it states that this doorbell works “with seamless integration the Google Home Hub” and has “total compatibility”. Well, that is not completely true.
You can add the Arlo doorbell to Google Home. However, when the doorbell rings, the Google Home Hub will announce that someone is at your “Front Door” or whatever you named your doorbell. But it will not show any video and will not allow you to speak to the person through the Hub. You still have to answer the call through your phone. In addition, if you ask Google to show you the “Front Door” it will display a message that the video cannot be streamed. The only way around this is to lower the resolution in the doorbell to it’s lowest setting, which is 720x720. This will allow you to ask Google to show you a live stream from the doorbell, and it will, however it will still only tell when someone is at the door and not show you video until you ask for it. And it still won’t allow you to speak to them through the Hub screen. By the time you go through all of this you could have answered through your phone much quicker. Also, there is a negative trade off of lowering the resolution. You will lose the 1:1 aspect ratio with the 180 degree diagonal picture on your recorded video. The live stream will still have a full picture but any recorded video will only record the upper half of a person’s body.
So the integration is definitely not seamless.
As I mentioned, I have been using this doorbell for 10 days and it is showing 51% battery remaining.
Arlo sates that the battery should last up to 6 months, but at this rate it would only last about 3 weeks.
If that ends up being the case, that would be completely unacceptable and I would lower my rating.
However, I have been trying out all of the features of the doorbell over these 10 days so maybe the battery life will improve as I transition to normal use.
Finally, this device does not have any local storage. You must subscribe to an Arlo subscription service which gives you 30 days of storage, as well as advanced object detection( cars, people, etc.), and up to 4k video. Packages vary in price but start at only $2.99/mo. However, some people may object to paying a subscription fee and it would be nice if Arlo offered a local storage option.
In the end, this is an excellent video doorbell that is easy to install, intuitive to use, with excellent video and audio quality, and a comprehensive Arlo app. I hope that Arlo and Google can fine tune the integration of the doorbell and I hope and expect that the battery life will improve.
Arlo sates that the battery should last up to 6 months, but at this rate it would only last about 3 weeks.
If that ends up being the case, that would be completely unacceptable and I would lower my rating.
However, I have been trying out all of the features of the doorbell over these 10 days so maybe the battery life will improve as I transition to normal use.
Finally, this device does not have any local storage. You must subscribe to an Arlo subscription service which gives you 30 days of storage, as well as advanced object detection( cars, people, etc.), and up to 4k video. Packages vary in price but start at only $2.99/mo. However, some people may object to paying a subscription fee and it would be nice if Arlo offered a local storage option.
In the end, this is an excellent video doorbell that is easy to install, intuitive to use, with excellent video and audio quality, and a comprehensive Arlo app. I hope that Arlo and Google can fine tune the integration of the doorbell and I hope and expect that the battery life will improve.
Mobile Submission: True
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+39points
45of 51voted this as helpful.
Make the most of every day with the sleek style, performance, and all-day battery life² you need in the lightest Surface Laptop, all at an exceptional value. Ultra-light and portable profile, the apps* you use every day, premium materials, and a choice of must-have colors will make this your go-to laptop. ²Up to 13 hours of battery life based on typical Surface device usage. Testing conducted by Microsoft in September 2020 using preproduction software and preproduction configurations of Surface Laptop Go Testing consisted of full battery discharge with a mixture of active use and modern standby. The active use portion consists of (1) a web browsing test accessing 8 popular websites over multiple open tabs, (2) a productivity test utilizing Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook, and (3) a portion of time with the device in use with idle applications. All settings were default except screen brightness was set to 150nits with Auto-Brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.
Customer Rating
3
Good, But Could Have Been Great
on November 6, 2020
Posted by: gtdad
from Miami, Fl.
*DISCLAIMER- I was provided with this product at no cost in exchange for my fair and honest review.
Out of the box my first impression of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go is that it is very attractive.
The look and feel is very high quality worthy of the surface name. It is very light at only 2.4 lbs.
The top cover and the keyboard area are metal. The bottom panel is a plastic material, but it also feels high quality.
The keyboard is as good or better than any keyboard I have used, even of far more expensive laptops. And, the mouse pad is large with a nice feel and very accurate. The 12.4” touchscreen is in a 3:2 aspect ratio. I didn’t know how much I preferred this until I used it. The screen resolution, though not as high as my other laptops, is good. Colors are bright and text is easy to read. Microsoft Surface products are known for the great quality of their hinges and this one doesn’t disappoint. You can open with one hand, movement is smooth and precise, There is no movement when using the touchscreen.
It comes with 1 USB-A and 1 UAB-C, as well as a proprietary charging cable. It has a 39 watt power adapter which charges fairly quickly. The Unit I received has 8gb of ram and a 256gb ssd hard drive.
The Surface Laptop Go comes with Windows Home S. This is a closed operating system that only allows you to download apps from the Windows Store. It is intended to keep the laptop safe from viruses and malware. You can install full Windows Home for free, but once you do that you cannot go back. For purposes of this review I have left it in Widows Home S.
Set up was quick and easy, You can have Cortana voice assistant walk you through it.
I have used this laptop for several hours a day, for several days. It is light and portable, does not get hot during normal use and I have not once heard any fan noise.
So, why only 3 stars?
1)The keyboard is not backlit. I do not always use my laptop in a well lit area and without backlighting it becomes difficult or impossible to use.
2)When scrolling by touch the text becomes very jittery and difficult to read. I read many articles and I like to scroll slowly by touch as I read. I find that I can’t do it with this laptop.
3)I hate proprietary cables. Since you can charge via USB-C anyway, why not just give us a second USB-C port instead of the proprietary port necessary for this cable. Why can’t I just have the same charging cable for my phone and my laptop.
Also, I know that the cable is designed to come out easily so that you don’t knock the computer off of a table or desk if you hit the cable. But, this cable comes out too easy. It constantly falls out when charging.
4)Though the screen can be made bright enough, I find that I have to have the screen at least 70% brightness.
I believe that this is affecting the battery life as I am only getting about 5 hours of battery life. That’s less than half of what Microsoft claims.
In summary, this computer had the potential to be great. The quality of the build, the keyboard and mouse, the 3:2 aspect ratio touchscreen, the size and design are all home runs. And a couple of my issues are nitpicks. But, the lack of a backlit keyboard and the jittery text when scrolling by touch make this difficult to recommend.
The look and feel is very high quality worthy of the surface name. It is very light at only 2.4 lbs.
The top cover and the keyboard area are metal. The bottom panel is a plastic material, but it also feels high quality.
The keyboard is as good or better than any keyboard I have used, even of far more expensive laptops. And, the mouse pad is large with a nice feel and very accurate. The 12.4” touchscreen is in a 3:2 aspect ratio. I didn’t know how much I preferred this until I used it. The screen resolution, though not as high as my other laptops, is good. Colors are bright and text is easy to read. Microsoft Surface products are known for the great quality of their hinges and this one doesn’t disappoint. You can open with one hand, movement is smooth and precise, There is no movement when using the touchscreen.
It comes with 1 USB-A and 1 UAB-C, as well as a proprietary charging cable. It has a 39 watt power adapter which charges fairly quickly. The Unit I received has 8gb of ram and a 256gb ssd hard drive.
The Surface Laptop Go comes with Windows Home S. This is a closed operating system that only allows you to download apps from the Windows Store. It is intended to keep the laptop safe from viruses and malware. You can install full Windows Home for free, but once you do that you cannot go back. For purposes of this review I have left it in Widows Home S.
Set up was quick and easy, You can have Cortana voice assistant walk you through it.
I have used this laptop for several hours a day, for several days. It is light and portable, does not get hot during normal use and I have not once heard any fan noise.
So, why only 3 stars?
1)The keyboard is not backlit. I do not always use my laptop in a well lit area and without backlighting it becomes difficult or impossible to use.
2)When scrolling by touch the text becomes very jittery and difficult to read. I read many articles and I like to scroll slowly by touch as I read. I find that I can’t do it with this laptop.
3)I hate proprietary cables. Since you can charge via USB-C anyway, why not just give us a second USB-C port instead of the proprietary port necessary for this cable. Why can’t I just have the same charging cable for my phone and my laptop.
Also, I know that the cable is designed to come out easily so that you don’t knock the computer off of a table or desk if you hit the cable. But, this cable comes out too easy. It constantly falls out when charging.
4)Though the screen can be made bright enough, I find that I have to have the screen at least 70% brightness.
I believe that this is affecting the battery life as I am only getting about 5 hours of battery life. That’s less than half of what Microsoft claims.
In summary, this computer had the potential to be great. The quality of the build, the keyboard and mouse, the 3:2 aspect ratio touchscreen, the size and design are all home runs. And a couple of my issues are nitpicks. But, the lack of a backlit keyboard and the jittery text when scrolling by touch make this difficult to recommend.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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+5points
8of 11voted this as helpful.
Combine the power of your Vitamix motor base with the precision of a large-capacity, full-feature food processor. Go beyond blending and discover how easy food prep can be.
Customer Rating
5
A Must Have for the Home Cook
on October 16, 2020
Posted by: gtdad
from Miami, Fl.
The 12 cup Vitamix Food Processor Attachment is the perfect add-on to our new Vitamix Ascent blender.
It expands on the already large variety of food items you can prepare with the blender alone.
For those of us with limited countertop real estate, it is great to be able to combine two appliances into one. And when not in use, it is designed to stack in a way that makes it easy to store in a cabinet.
The food processor attachment comes with all of the necessary parts and attachments to utilize it to its fullest extent. You get the self detect base which attaches to the blender motor base, the work bowl, a multi-use S shaped blade, the snap on lid, and the small and large food pushers. You also get two reversible slicing and shredding discs. These discs are labeled with numbers and descriptions so that you are always sure of using the correct cutting disc. They also come with their own storage container which attaches to the processor when disassembled for storage. They also have finger holes for easy gripping without cutting your hands.
When assembled for use, all parts fit together snugly. There is no squeaking or loose parts when gripping or lifting. All parts except the self detect base are dishwasher safe, however I prefer to clean by hand which is quick and easy.
When attaching the processor to the blender motor base, it will automatically detect the food processor.
At that point you can only use the pulse and on/off buttons. All of the pre-set program buttons will no longer work. Also, the variable speed button will not work as the food processor will only work at one speed as intended.
Vitamix also includes a small recipe book which is designed to show the variety of food that can be prepared with the food processor.
The first ting we tried was grating cheeses and potatoes. It took seconds to produce perfect results.
Finally I can get rid of my hand grater which has taken its toll on my fingers.
Then we tried home made coleslaw, slicing red and green cabbage and carrots. It was quick and easy and far better than store bought. Slicing cucumber, zucchini, squash, carrots resulted in perfectly even slices. This is important because it allows for even cooking. Almost no pressure is needed when feeding food into the chute.
Finally we tried something we never could have tried before. We made salmon burgers, using fresh salmon, with the multi-use blade.
This product had opened our eyes to the possibility of making so many types of food that we never thought we would be preparing at home. We can’t wait to try our own pizza dough and a variety of breads.
We will definitely be getting a lot of use out this product. It is well made, very thoughtfully designed and is fairly quiet to operate.
I highly recommend this product to anyone who has the Vitamix Ascent blender.
It expands on the already large variety of food items you can prepare with the blender alone.
For those of us with limited countertop real estate, it is great to be able to combine two appliances into one. And when not in use, it is designed to stack in a way that makes it easy to store in a cabinet.
The food processor attachment comes with all of the necessary parts and attachments to utilize it to its fullest extent. You get the self detect base which attaches to the blender motor base, the work bowl, a multi-use S shaped blade, the snap on lid, and the small and large food pushers. You also get two reversible slicing and shredding discs. These discs are labeled with numbers and descriptions so that you are always sure of using the correct cutting disc. They also come with their own storage container which attaches to the processor when disassembled for storage. They also have finger holes for easy gripping without cutting your hands.
When assembled for use, all parts fit together snugly. There is no squeaking or loose parts when gripping or lifting. All parts except the self detect base are dishwasher safe, however I prefer to clean by hand which is quick and easy.
When attaching the processor to the blender motor base, it will automatically detect the food processor.
At that point you can only use the pulse and on/off buttons. All of the pre-set program buttons will no longer work. Also, the variable speed button will not work as the food processor will only work at one speed as intended.
Vitamix also includes a small recipe book which is designed to show the variety of food that can be prepared with the food processor.
The first ting we tried was grating cheeses and potatoes. It took seconds to produce perfect results.
Finally I can get rid of my hand grater which has taken its toll on my fingers.
Then we tried home made coleslaw, slicing red and green cabbage and carrots. It was quick and easy and far better than store bought. Slicing cucumber, zucchini, squash, carrots resulted in perfectly even slices. This is important because it allows for even cooking. Almost no pressure is needed when feeding food into the chute.
Finally we tried something we never could have tried before. We made salmon burgers, using fresh salmon, with the multi-use blade.
This product had opened our eyes to the possibility of making so many types of food that we never thought we would be preparing at home. We can’t wait to try our own pizza dough and a variety of breads.
We will definitely be getting a lot of use out this product. It is well made, very thoughtfully designed and is fairly quiet to operate.
I highly recommend this product to anyone who has the Vitamix Ascent blender.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Five program settings (for Smoothies, Hot Soups, Dips & Spreads, Frozen Desserts, and Self-Cleaning) automatically adjust to the container size you’ve selected, process your recipes, and stop the blender when complete. Built-in wireless connectivity will allow Ascent™ Series blenders to evolve with the latest innovations for years to come.
Customer Rating
5
High Quality, Beautiful Design
on October 15, 2020
Posted by: gtdad
from Miami, Fl.
Right out of the box the Vitamix Ascent 3500 is impressive for its modern design and high quality materials used. But it’s not until you start using it that you fully appreciate the thought that went into each detail of the design, the intuitive nature of the interface, the ease of operation and the incredibly consistent results.
I have owned the classic Vitamix 5200 for the past 9 years and it has been one of the most used appliances in our home. That model operates with manual switches and has a tall 64oz container.
The Vitamix Ascent 3500 is a much more modern design which operates digitally and has a lower profile container but still manages to keep the capacity at 64oz, which is important to us. The wide container makes it easier to access the food, especially at the bottom. It also comes with a see through top which snaps on securely. The Ascent is also more powerful and quieter than the 5200.
The Ascent 3500 has self detect technology. It will not let you operate the machine until it detects that you have properly placed the container on it. And will detect exactly which container or device you have placed on the base and then adjust the times of the program settings.
There are 5 program settings, Smoothies, Frozen Deserts, Hot Soups, Dips and Spreads, and Self Cleaning.
Cleaning the container is as easy as filling the container half full with water, adding a couple of drops of dishwashing detergent, and pressing the Self-Clean button. The base is also very easy to clean as the face is completely flat with the exception of the speed dial.
The touch interface has a pulse button, a power button, a variable speed dial, the 5 program buttons and an up and down button to adjust the timer.
And that leads me to one of my favorite aspects of this device. The timer can be used 3 different ways.
When you use a pre-set program it will count down the time and then turn off. You can set a time for your own recipes and it will count down for you and turn off, or it will start from zero and count the time, keeping you aware of how long you have been blending.
These timing functions are invaluable to me. I can now leave the Vitamix while its on and perform other functions in my kitchen, knowing that it will shut off at the appropriate time. And, I can keep glancing at the screen to see how much time is left.
One thing that separates Vitamix blenders is the smooth texture of the food. The speed dial has settings 1-10, however it has a + setting in between each speed resulting in a total of 20 speeds and allowing a more precise control over the texture of the specific food being prepared.
We have prepared smoothies and soups on a daily basis. We have also made ice cream, nut butters, hummus, and batter for our chocolate chip muffins. And when you taste it you know it was made in a Vitamix as we have not been able to duplicate the texture of the food on any other device. We have also ground oatmeal and flax seeds into flour.
There is a cookbook that comes in the box and the Vitamix app provides an almost unlimited number of recipes. We tend to use these recipes as a source of ideas and as a guide, but we like to experiment and expand on those ideas. The pre set programs are great and we do use them, but the 20 speed levels and the timer functions allows us to be creative.
The Vitamix Ascent 3500 will be used daily in our house and it is comforting to know that it is backed with a 10 year warranty. When we have had to contact Vitamix customer service in the past for the 5200 model, we found them to be friendly, professional and responsive.
I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys making foods at home and wants to control the quality of food that they and their family are consuming.
I have owned the classic Vitamix 5200 for the past 9 years and it has been one of the most used appliances in our home. That model operates with manual switches and has a tall 64oz container.
The Vitamix Ascent 3500 is a much more modern design which operates digitally and has a lower profile container but still manages to keep the capacity at 64oz, which is important to us. The wide container makes it easier to access the food, especially at the bottom. It also comes with a see through top which snaps on securely. The Ascent is also more powerful and quieter than the 5200.
The Ascent 3500 has self detect technology. It will not let you operate the machine until it detects that you have properly placed the container on it. And will detect exactly which container or device you have placed on the base and then adjust the times of the program settings.
There are 5 program settings, Smoothies, Frozen Deserts, Hot Soups, Dips and Spreads, and Self Cleaning.
Cleaning the container is as easy as filling the container half full with water, adding a couple of drops of dishwashing detergent, and pressing the Self-Clean button. The base is also very easy to clean as the face is completely flat with the exception of the speed dial.
The touch interface has a pulse button, a power button, a variable speed dial, the 5 program buttons and an up and down button to adjust the timer.
And that leads me to one of my favorite aspects of this device. The timer can be used 3 different ways.
When you use a pre-set program it will count down the time and then turn off. You can set a time for your own recipes and it will count down for you and turn off, or it will start from zero and count the time, keeping you aware of how long you have been blending.
These timing functions are invaluable to me. I can now leave the Vitamix while its on and perform other functions in my kitchen, knowing that it will shut off at the appropriate time. And, I can keep glancing at the screen to see how much time is left.
One thing that separates Vitamix blenders is the smooth texture of the food. The speed dial has settings 1-10, however it has a + setting in between each speed resulting in a total of 20 speeds and allowing a more precise control over the texture of the specific food being prepared.
We have prepared smoothies and soups on a daily basis. We have also made ice cream, nut butters, hummus, and batter for our chocolate chip muffins. And when you taste it you know it was made in a Vitamix as we have not been able to duplicate the texture of the food on any other device. We have also ground oatmeal and flax seeds into flour.
There is a cookbook that comes in the box and the Vitamix app provides an almost unlimited number of recipes. We tend to use these recipes as a source of ideas and as a guide, but we like to experiment and expand on those ideas. The pre set programs are great and we do use them, but the 20 speed levels and the timer functions allows us to be creative.
The Vitamix Ascent 3500 will be used daily in our house and it is comforting to know that it is backed with a 10 year warranty. When we have had to contact Vitamix customer service in the past for the 5200 model, we found them to be friendly, professional and responsive.
I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys making foods at home and wants to control the quality of food that they and their family are consuming.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
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Access your favorite streaming service with this 75-inch Hisense H8 Quantum series Android TV. The ULED display and Dolby Atmos sound combine to give you a cinematic feel in the comfort of your home, while Chromecast built in lets you cast content from compatible devices for limitless entertainment. This Alexa-enabled Hisense H8 Quantum series Android TV features a voice-activated remote and Google Assistant, so you can quickly find and stream the latest blockbuster.
I've read that some Android TV devices will support Amazon Prime video, while others will not. Does this TV support Amazon Prime? Is there a list of Hisense TV's that support it?
Unlock new potential for your wireless headphones with this Airfly headphone accessory. It plugs into any conventional headphone jack to enhance your listening experience and can pair with in-flight entertainment systems for added convenience. This Airfly headphone accessory has an eight-hour battery life and recharges through USB, so it's easy to take anywhere.
Does this product come with a aux cord?
Unlock new potential for your wireless headphones with this Airfly headphone accessory. It plugs into any conventional headphone jack to enhance your listening experience and can pair with in-flight entertainment systems for added convenience. This Airfly headphone accessory has an eight-hour battery life and recharges through USB, so it's easy to take anywhere.
Will this work with the Bose super sport wireless ear buds?
Unlock new potential for your wireless headphones with this Airfly headphone accessory. It plugs into any conventional headphone jack to enhance your listening experience and can pair with in-flight entertainment systems for added convenience. This Airfly headphone accessory has an eight-hour battery life and recharges through USB, so it's easy to take anywhere.
IS THIS EASY TO PAIR? IS IT NECESSARY TO PAIR EACH TIME THE TV AND HEADPHONES ARE TURNED ON, OR ONCE THE PAIR HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED CAN YOU FORGET ABOUT THE TRANSMITTER HANGING ON THE BACK OF THE TV? AND WHAT KIND OF RANGE DOES IT TRANSMIT?
Once it is paired, it stays that way until you want to pair it with another device.
5 years ago
by
gtdad
Increase productivity and save desk space with this HP Pavilion all-in-one desktop computer. Its Intel Core i7 processor and 12GB of DDR4 RAM keep multiple programs running at optimal speeds, and the Intel Optane Memory is a smart system accelerator that adapts to your everyday computing activities. This HP Pavilion all-in-one desktop computer has a large 1TB hard drive for storing files securely.
While working from home, I have to hard wire (plug in) the wireless mouse & keyboard. Are there ports on these 2 accessories which allows me to plug into the desktop while I am working? I like this computer. Don’t want to not get it cause of this. Thanks!
NO, the keyboard and the mouse are completely wireless without any way to connect by wire. You would have to get a wired keyboard and mouse and attach them via usb to the back of the computer
6 years, 2 months ago
by
gtdad
Increase productivity and save desk space with this HP Pavilion all-in-one desktop computer. Its Intel Core i7 processor and 12GB of DDR4 RAM keep multiple programs running at optimal speeds, and the Intel Optane Memory is a smart system accelerator that adapts to your everyday computing activities. This HP Pavilion all-in-one desktop computer has a large 1TB hard drive for storing files securely.
Would I be able to plug in a console to it, such as an Xbox? Does it have the channel input?
I am not familiar with the Xbox, but this computer does have an HDMI IN port, so if the Xbox has an HDMI OUT, I think it might work.
6 years, 2 months ago
by
gtdad
Perfect portability is assured with this Dell XPS two-in-one laptop. All the data is stored on a 256GB solid-state drive for everyday security, and the 13.3-inch screen produces high-quality images and text for easy use. An Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM keep this Dell XPS two-in-one laptop running smoothly.
Hi. I just bought this and the screen continually adjusts the brightness/contrast automatically. I've searched everywhere and did the fixes stated online but with no improvement. Has anyone else had this issue? Thanks!
I don't have this problem. I did install all of the driver updates, and there were a lot ( maybe 20). Try using the Dell Support Assist to locte and install all of the driver updates and see if that helps.
7 years ago
by
gtdad
Perfect portability is assured with this Dell XPS two-in-one laptop. All the data is stored on a 256GB solid-state drive for everyday security, and the 13.3-inch screen produces high-quality images and text for easy use. An Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM keep this Dell XPS two-in-one laptop running smoothly.
Hello, I bought the my xps 2 days ago. I am really concern about the cooling system because it is way too warm. Compare to my friend MacBook Air, it's Much warmer. Does anybody feel the laptop too warm? Even when It is just on charge Or in light use...
I found it to be hot while installing all of the driver updates, but it has been cool since. Make sure to install all of the driver updates. There are a lot of them.
7 years ago
by
gtdad
Perfect portability is assured with this Dell XPS two-in-one laptop. All the data is stored on a 256GB solid-state drive for everyday security, and the 13.3-inch screen produces high-quality images and text for easy use. An Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM keep this Dell XPS two-in-one laptop running smoothly.
what type of anti virus software does it have?
Windows Defender Security Center is the only one provided. I have found it to be the best. It is effective, does not slow down your computer and it is free from Microsoft . It should be the only one you will need.
7 years ago
by
gtdad
Create gorgeous hairstyles quickly with this high-velocity Dyson Supersonic hair dryer. The rapid air flow and a temperature gauge that monitors the heat level 20 times per second ensure efficient drying without overheating tresses. The motor of this Dyson Supersonic hair dryer is in the handle for better balance and reduced arm fatigue during use.