RedScorpion's stats
- Review count183
- Helpfulness votes1,533
- First reviewJune 21, 2012
- Last reviewAugust 29, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.5
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- Answer count14
- Helpfulness votes42
- First answerMay 13, 2016
- Last answerSeptember 30, 2020
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Meet the Ninja Foodi XL 2-Basket Air Fryer, that lets you cook 2 foods, 2 ways and finish at the same time. This bigger and faster air fryer has XL 10-qt. capacity and includes 6 versatile cooking functions. Not only is this great for large family meals and entertaining, but this air fryer also has DualZone Technology, IQ Boost, and Ninja’s Smart Cook System.
Customer Rating
5
Impressive Dual Zone Air Fryer
on August 14, 2022
Posted by: RedScorpion
There are a few constants every fall: pumpkin spice, football, and a new batch of kitchen gadgets and gizmos from Ninja. Over the last week, I have been testing out the Ninja Foodi Smart XL 2-Basket Air Fryer (DZ550). The device is basically two air fryers in one. The Smart Cook System helps ensure food items cook the same in both trays or that each tray finishes cooking at the same time. Over the last week, I have air fried frozen fish fillets, French fries, and chicken strips. I have roasted a chicken, made pork chops, and baked mini calzones. Cleanup could be simpler, but the food I have made has come out well. If you are in the market for an air fryer, I think the Ninja Foodi is a solid pick.
Setup:
In the box, you get the Main Unit, the probe, nonstick crisper plates, and two nonstick baskets. If you are concerned with countertop space, the air fryer is about 15.5 inches wide, by 13 inches tall, with a depth of around 14 inches. There are small tabs on the back near the exhaust fans to keep the unit from resting completely against your wall or backsplash.
Experience:
I started off simple: frozen fries and chicken strips. And they worked well. It was nice to be able to cook both at the same time and with smart finish, they finished cooking at the same time. Many frozen items now come with air fryer instructions, and I found those instructions worked well. I cooked battered fish fillets, and they came out perfect. They cooked quicker than a conventional oven and they cooked better.
After the simple stuff, I decided to try my hand at some of the recipes included with the instructions. I roasted a 4lb chicken and the skin was super crispy while the meat was nice and juicy. This was also where I encountered a small glitch. I made the chicken with roasted potatoes. The dishes were supposed to finish at the same time, but the potatoes were done well before the chicken. I really enjoyed the chicken, but I was limited to a 4lb bird because anything much bigger probably wouldn’t have fit inside the basket.
Next, I made pork chops with butter squash and green bean medley. Both the chicken and the pork chops used the smart probe to get the meat to my desired doneness and both times, the probe worked well. Cooking the pork chops to medium well worked perfectly. The pork chops were juicy and tasted great. The squash and green beans were bland. But I guess not all the recipes can be winners and that was clearly more of a recipe gripe than a problem with the air fryer.
Using the bake function, I made small calzone pepperoni pockets. They baked up well.
I guess my biggest problem with the unit is cleanup. The crisper plates and the baskets are supposedly dishwasher safe, but Ninja will tell you that “to extend the life of your basket, we recommend hand washing them.” I really enjoyed the pork chops, but I could make them just as easily in the oven and my baking trays are dishwasher safe. So, there’s a balancing act, do I enjoy making a dish enough with the Foodi that I am willing to deal with the cleanup. For a few items, that’s an easy yes, but for others, I will probably stick with the oven.
Conclusion:
I have enjoyed the air fryer over this last week. I’ve eaten well. The roasted chicken was very impressive. The pizza pockets baked well. The smart probe worked well and helped my pork chops cook to the perfect temperature. I see myself using this air fryer mostly for fish fillets, chicken strips, and fries. But I look forward to trying new recipes in the weeks and months to come.
The Ninja Foodi Smart XL 2-Basket Air Fryer works well and you can makes some really good dishes with it. If you’re okay with handwashing the baskets, I think you will find a lot to love in Ninja’s latest air fryer.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Meet Google Pixel Buds Pro, the wireless earbuds with premium, immersive sound that adapts to you. Active Noise Cancellation with Silent Seal blocks outside sounds, so your music shines.
Customer Rating
5
Solid Audio with an Excellent Fit
on August 13, 2022
Posted by: RedScorpion
I think Google might have perfected the ear bud fit. These are the best fitting ear buds I have ever tried. For Android users, they are easy to set up. They sound good. In my opinion, they have the best gesture controls. Wireless charging and a great travel case are icing on the cake. They’re not the loudest ear buds I have ever owned, but audio has been good. For the moment, there is no spatial audio, EQ options are limited to a volume equalizer, and there is no hi-res audio. But, to my ears, audio was clear. Sounds were recreated well. Music and voice calls sounded clear. The built-in microphones pick up the speaker’s voice well and do a good job filtering out background noises. If you’re an Android user or locked in to the Google Ecosystem of devices, I think these are very easy to recommend.
Setup: In the box you have the buds in the case, small and large bud tips, and a small instruction pamphlet. There is no charging cable, but the case supports USB-C charging. I have a Google Pixel 6 and a Samsung Galaxy S22. On the Pixel 6, the Pixel Buds App was built-in to the interface. On the S22, you will need to download the app from the Appstore. After opening the case for the Pixel Buds Pro, I got a pairing request on my Android devices. Expect some firmware updates out of the box.
Experience: The buds fit great. I used the default ear tips. I’ve lost track of the number of earbuds that just slowly work their way out of my ears. I really love the gesture controls on these earbuds. “Hey Google” integration has worked great. The software interface is easy to use.
Audio quality has always been a sticking point with buds. I think these buds sound good. They’re not the loudest earbuds, but I found the volume to be loud enough. Audio was never uncomfortable or shrill to my ears. I wish they supported high-res audio. Spatial audio is a feature that will be coming later. So, for the time being, no Dolby Atmos support. Still, audio has been super clear. Highs and lows have generally sounded good. If you’re listening to more acoustic audio, you can make out fine audio details. They may not support high res audio, but they still sound pretty good.
Active noise cancellation works well. Transparency mode did a good job letting ambient noise into the earbuds so you can hear your surroundings. Noise cancelling was effective without being disorienting. Sometimes, noise cancellation can make me feel dizzy like I am suffering from an inner ear problem, these did not do that. You should know that noise cancellation comes with a battery life hit. With Noise cancellation turned on, you will be looking at around seven hours of battery life on a full charge.
Active noise cancellation works well. Transparency mode did a good job letting ambient noise into the earbuds so you can hear your surroundings. Noise cancelling was effective without being disorienting. Sometimes, noise cancellation can make me feel dizzy like I am suffering from an inner ear problem, these did not do that. You should know that noise cancellation comes with a battery life hit. With Noise cancellation turned on, you will be looking at around seven hours of battery life on a full charge.
One feature I was eager to try out was having Google translate in my ear. And, it worked, but it wasn’t as simple or easy as I thought it would be. It works, but It isn’t automatic. You have to hold down whichever bud you have set to your Google Assistant. You speak and the app translates what you say back. That worked. I never could figure out how to get the process to translate foreign languages I was listening to. And if you have to switch back and forth in the app from which language is being spoken and which language is being translated, it all gets a bit cumbersome and confusing. Still, cool idea and I hope it keeps getting better, simpler, and more intuitive.
In terms of durability, the buds aren’t waterproof. The IPX4 makes the buds splash resistant. But don’t go submerging them in water any time soon. The buds can be added to “find my device”.
Conclusion: I really like these buds. The overall package is impressive. I feel like audio quality is good but could be a bit louder. High-Res audio support would be nice. But, audio is rich and detailed I love how these buds fit and their simple and intuitive gestures. I’m pretty sure I will compare every future set of buds to these. They are that impressive. If you’re an Android owner, I think these are very easy to recommend. 4.5/5
I would recommend this to a friend!
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XPS products are designed to be the best, withcutting-edge technologies, exceptional build quality,unique materials and powerful features. XPS brings together the most elegant designs and premiumexperiences to enhance your work and personalsuccess. This combination ultimately results in beautifully crafted products with no compromises. Introducing the new Dell XPS 13 Plus - our most powerful 13-inch XPS yet. Designed from the ground up to be our highest performing flagship 13 ever so you can do everything you love to do faster. The simplified interiors wow and the best-inclass panels bring your content to life. Featuring the latest Intel 12th Gen Intel Core Evo platform processors and displays with high resolution, brightness and color gamut to bring content to life. Simplified, modern and edge-to?edge interiors are beautiful and provide a seamless, touch?friendly experience for users.
Customer Rating
5
Solid Laptop Held Back By Lack of I/O Ports
on July 19, 2022
Posted by: RedScorpion
The Dell XPS 13 Plus Model 9320 laptop is a tiny laptop with one heck of a pretty display. I’ve had the laptop for a week now and I have enjoyed it. For a student or a professional on the go, the 9320 I tested was great for typing, watching videos, or conferencing. The 9320 has a very polished design. I wish it had more ports beyond the two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports. But, overall, I still really liked this laptop.
Unboxing:
For reference, my laptop is the i7-1260 with 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 13.4” OLED display.
Inside the box, you will find the laptop, the power adapter, a power cord, a USB-C to USB-A adapter, and a USB-C to 3.5MM adapter. The laptop has no buttons or ports beyond the keyboard and the two USB-C ports. You should know, one of those USB-C ports will be needed to plug-in and charge the laptop. So, when plugged in, you only have one USB-C port.
Inside the box, you will find the laptop, the power adapter, a power cord, a USB-C to USB-A adapter, and a USB-C to 3.5MM adapter. The laptop has no buttons or ports beyond the keyboard and the two USB-C ports. You should know, one of those USB-C ports will be needed to plug-in and charge the laptop. So, when plugged in, you only have one USB-C port.
Experience:
Speaking of a lack of buttons, it did take me a few minutes to figure out where the power button is. It’s located on the top right side of the keyboard. It’s a blank key next to the backspace key. That key also doubles as a fingerprint reader.
I was surprised at how heavy this laptop is out of the box. I guess I expected something a bit lighter. It’s not too heavy, by any means, but this isn’t super light, either.
I was surprised at how heavy this laptop is out of the box. I guess I expected something a bit lighter. It’s not too heavy, by any means, but this isn’t super light, either.
Setup took all of 45 minutes. After initial Windows setup and account sign-ins, you have the updates. And this laptop, had many updates from both Windows Update and the Dell Experience. Be sure to look for the Dell driver updates as many of those could be critical for your experience.
So far, I have had no crashes or screen problems. Everything looks crisp. I turned on HDR in the display settings and movies on the laptop look and sound great. The built-in speakers are louder than I thought they would be.
I really like the keyboard. I like how it lights up and I like the always on function bar at the top of the keyboard. The trackpad blends into the casing and everything just looks amazing. This is one polished looking laptop.
Because there is only one USB-C port while charging, you are likely going to want to use Bluetooth mice. If you want to hook the laptop up to a wired network, you will need a USB-C to LAN adapter. You can wirelessly mirror your screen, but if you need to hook the laptop up with a cable, you will need a USB-C to HDMI cable / adapter.
There is a fan noise on the laptop during intensive operations, but it never gets too loud. Speaking of fans and noise, the bottom of the laptop can get hot during operation. It was never too hot in my use, but it was warm enough that I wanted to put the laptop back on a table.
I really like the keyboard. I like how it lights up and I like the always on function bar at the top of the keyboard. The trackpad blends into the casing and everything just looks amazing. This is one polished looking laptop.
Because there is only one USB-C port while charging, you are likely going to want to use Bluetooth mice. If you want to hook the laptop up to a wired network, you will need a USB-C to LAN adapter. You can wirelessly mirror your screen, but if you need to hook the laptop up with a cable, you will need a USB-C to HDMI cable / adapter.
There is a fan noise on the laptop during intensive operations, but it never gets too loud. Speaking of fans and noise, the bottom of the laptop can get hot during operation. It was never too hot in my use, but it was warm enough that I wanted to put the laptop back on a table.
Battery life has been a bit of a mixed bag. It took me about two and a half hours to charge the battery from around 25%. Just browsing the web and typing this review, I used ten percent of my battery in fifteen minutes. I don’t feel like typing a document in Word should drain a battery that much, but this could be a side effect of having this wonderful screen, too. But again, battery usage depends on what you have running in the background. My experience was that I got around two hours plus on a charge.
The Intel Iris Xe graphics is adequate. If you’re hoping this will be your next gaming laptop, I may have to burst your bubble. This isn’t a gaming laptop. You might be able to play some non-intensive games at 1080P, but don’t expect much. During my benchmarks, games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V scored less than 30FPS. Something like the SIMS or DOTA 2 might perform much better.
Conclusion:
But this isn’t a gaming computer. What it is, is a small, yet beautiful 13” laptop. It performs well enough. My biggest complaint against the laptop is the mediocre battery life and the lack of any kind of peripheral ports. I would kill for two USB-A ports and a dedicated power adapter port. I just feel like the USB-C to USB-A adapter is a bit ridiculous. It looks awkward. Most people still use USB-A flash drives and accessories. The USB-A adapter is just something else that can get lose or misplaced. But, if you can overlook the lack of ports or are set on getting a hub or docking station, I think this is a solid little laptop.
Recommended
4.5/5
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Dell 27” FHD monitor is beautifully designed to sit easily into any space ready for your everyday lifestyle. Built-in dual HDMI ports keep your devices always plugged in. The three-sided ultrathin bezel design lets you enjoy superb screen clarity in 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution. Smooth, tear-free experience with AMD FreeSync technology, featuring up to 75Hz refresh rate. This TÜV-certified monitor has a flicker-free screen with ComfortView, a feature that reduces harmful blue light emissions.
Posted by: RedScorpion
The Dell - S2721NX 27" IPS LED FHD is a good everyday monitor. Its no frills, minimalist design looks perfect in an office setting, but the S2721NX has just enough of a gaming skillset to be a nice option for those who game a bit on the side. I think Dell put together a solid monitor for the student, light gamer, home office worker, or someone who wants to dock their laptop at home at the end of the day. It’s simple to use and is good at it what it does. For those reasons, I recommend it to anyone looking for an everyday monitor.
Unboxing:
Inside the box you get the monitor, the stand, a VESA mount cover, and a standard power cable. I’m so glad to see that this monitor didn’t have a huge AC adapter that would take up extra space on a power strip.
In terms of connections, you have dual HDMI ports and a headphone out jack. There is no Display Port input.
Inside the box you get the monitor, the stand, a VESA mount cover, and a standard power cable. I’m so glad to see that this monitor didn’t have a huge AC adapter that would take up extra space on a power strip.
In terms of connections, you have dual HDMI ports and a headphone out jack. There is no Display Port input.
The monitor comes with an HDMI cable in the box.
Experience:
Out of the box, I was impressed. Color reproduction looks good. One of the first things I did, was download the monitor driver from Dell’s website. A simple google search for S2721NX driver should get you to the right location. Just make sure you are downloading the driver directly from Dell. Installing the driver will make sure your monitor is using the correct color profile.
I like the stand. It supports tilt adjustments forward or back. I put it back a bit to ease any potential eye strain. I wish the stand supported left / right swivel, but the tilt adjustment is a nice touch. There’s a minimalism to the design of the bezel and the stand that goes well with the rest of my setup. If you choose, you could hookup a VESA 100 mm x 100 mm compatible mount instead. But again, I liked the stand that came with the monitor. It sits just high enough off the desk and didn’t wobble as I typed.
The 27” screen fits a sweet spot for filling desk space without feeling “too big”.
It’s not what I would consider to be a “gaming” monitor. But its 75hz refresh rate looks good. The 4MS response time is good enough for gaming.
It’s not what I would consider to be a “gaming” monitor. But its 75hz refresh rate looks good. The 4MS response time is good enough for gaming.
I used the S2721NX 27” with an AMD graphics card and Freesync has been a nice addition to the monitor. Freesync is AMD’s adaptive synchronization tech designed to keep the video card playback and the monitor in sync. It’s designed to minimize screen tearing and stuttering. It has multiple uses, but I tend to think of it in terms of its gaming applications.
Video playback has been rich and colorful. The colors on the IPS display really pop. There is no HDR, but video playback still looked good.
Video playback has been rich and colorful. The colors on the IPS display really pop. There is no HDR, but video playback still looked good.
In my experience, color uniformity was good and light bleed was very minimal.
The tilt and comfort view features have helped minimize eye strain.
Conclusion:
I think this is a good everyday / mainstream monitor. I’m digging the minimalist design. The dual HDMI inputs mean I could hook a Nintendo Switch or laptop up to the display in addition to the work computer. This isn’t a full featured gaming monitor with speakers, 4K resolution, HDR, 1MS response time, or 240hz refresh rate, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s good at what it does, and it looks good while doing it. At this size, with this color reproduction, and with this refresh rate, I think this is a good monitor. I’ve been impressed with it. It’s been exactly what I needed for my home office PC and I can easily recommend it.
5/5
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Willen is the mighty portable speaker that is made to go everywhere with you. Built with one 2’’ full range driver and two passive radiators, this speaker brings you the heavy Marshall sound you can’t live without. A top-of-class IP67 dust- and water-resistance rating means it’s always ready for the road. Willen brings together the iconic Marshall design with a ruggedness that dares you to push its limits. All this, plus its hefty 15+ hours of listening on a single charge and mounting strap mean that Willen is raring to go wherever you go.
Posted by: RedScorpion
The Marshall Willen portable Bluetooth speaker is my favorite Bluetooth speaker in this size range. It’s a fun throwback that sounds good, looks cool, has a rugged design with a IP67 dust and water resistance rating, and has good battery life. The Marshall Willen has been a lot of fun to use and thanks to its design, this is the Bluetooth speaker I will be taking with me everywhere. I love this thing.
Setup:
Inside the box you will find the Willen Bluetooth speaker and a short USB-A to USB-C charging cable. In a nice touch, the charging cable has a textured vinyl look to it.
The speaker has a battery indicator, Bluetooth pairing button, and microphone on the speaker. The USB-C port is located on the side. On the front of the speaker, you see the gold omni-button. This button will turn the speaker on and off as well as play / pause music and adjust volume. Out of the box, I had about a 30% charge on the speaker.
I got a prompt on both of my phones when I turned the speaker on asking if I wanted to pair and then download the Willen App. Pairing was easy. The app makes it easy to adjust the EQ for the speaker. I wish there had been a toggle on the speaker for EQ, but the app works well enough.
The speaker has a battery indicator, Bluetooth pairing button, and microphone on the speaker. The USB-C port is located on the side. On the front of the speaker, you see the gold omni-button. This button will turn the speaker on and off as well as play / pause music and adjust volume. Out of the box, I had about a 30% charge on the speaker.
I got a prompt on both of my phones when I turned the speaker on asking if I wanted to pair and then download the Willen App. Pairing was easy. The app makes it easy to adjust the EQ for the speaker. I wish there had been a toggle on the speaker for EQ, but the app works well enough.
Experience:
The Willen makes an impression right out of the box. It is definitely a throwback to the classic Marshall amplifiers. It has a rubber feel to it. The strap makes it easy to secure the speaker to a pole or handle bar. When you turn on the speaker, the battery indicator lights in sequence from empty to full and the speaker plays a cool startup sound.
The audio for the Willen is punchy and plenty loud. The speaker vibrates my desk. I could see some folks complaining about the bass levels, but I think the speaker sounds great. Music is clear and detailed.
The speaker uses the SBC codec. It isn’t lossless, but it still sounds very good.
The speaker fully charges in three hours. But, if you don’t have three hours, twenty minutes of charge will give you three hours of playtime. Battery life will vary depending on how you are using the speaker, but in my tests, it lasted between twelve and fifteen hours on a full charge.
The speaker fully charges in three hours. But, if you don’t have three hours, twenty minutes of charge will give you three hours of playtime. Battery life will vary depending on how you are using the speaker, but in my tests, it lasted between twelve and fifteen hours on a full charge.
At some point, I will have to get a second Willen so I can pair a couple of these speakers together, but, by itself, it still sounds great.
In conclusion, I think this speaker is great. It would make a cool gift for musicians, or anyone interested in the Marshall brand. But outside of nostalgia, it’s a cool little speaker. It sounds good. It looks cool. I really like it.
5/5
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Shark Air Purifier uses Pure Air Microforce to deliver fast, powerful, and quiet purification. Clean Sense IQ senses air quality & auto-adjusts to improve air quality and report results in real time. A HEPA filter captures 99.98% of airborne particles like allergens*, dust, and dander (based on IEST-RP-CC007.3, 0.1-0.2 microns). Cleans up to 1200 square feet.
Customer Rating
5
Breathe Easier with the Air Purifier Max
on June 20, 2022
Posted by: RedScorpion
The Shark Air Purifier MAX comes equipped with a Microban treated filter and advertises that it can purify a room up to 1,200sqft. It’s easily the biggest air purifier I have ever owned, but it’s relatively quiet operation, excellent filter, and easy to use controls and display, make it an easy recommendation for those looking for a more powerful home air purifier.
Specs:
Product dimensions (in.): 10.83" L X 10.83" W X 22.47" H
Product weight (lbs.): 10.91
Product weight (lbs.): 10.91
Some things to note:
Shark advertises two replacement filters on their website. One is a Microban filter, and the other is not. The Microban filter runs about $89 and the non Microban filter is $69. The Microban filter is specifically treated to prevent the growth of bacteria on the filter’s surface. Also, both filters are currently a bit hard to get. As I’m writing this, both filters are out of stock on Shark’s website. Shark advertises a 6 to 12 month life expectancy on the filters, but your mileage will obviously vary depending on the existing air quality and how long you are running the fan.
Experience:
Set up is easy. The purifier is huge, but you must flip the unit over, untwist the bottom of the unit, and unwrap and reinsert the filter into the air purifier. The process is simple and will only take you a few minutes.
The touch controls and the display are easy to use and intuitive. On an Auto setting, the fan goes off after ten minutes of not detecting any particles. But, while running the unit for several days on a low setting, I have noticed that I have already burned through around 4% of my expected filter life in less than a week. I am curious how long this filter will run. The auto setting does work, but by leaving it on Auto, I feel like I am waiting on the sensor to pick up particles. By the time it has picked up dust and other allergens, I have already breathed them in. So, I prefer a low setting on constantly, but that may burn through my filter faster than the estimated filter life span.
On a low fan setting, the purifier is barely audible. On highest settings, the purifier is noticeable, but it’s not “wind tunnel loud”, either. For its size, this is one of the quietest air purifiers that I have tested.
The filter has a color-coded display to correspond to air quality: blue, yellow, and red. Blue is good and during red, the fan will crank up to get air quality back to up 100 percent. So far, I have only had the air quality indicator dip below blue once or twice. One time was on a particularly windy day and the other was when my wife was cooking. Not sure what that says about her cooking, but it tells me that the unit is working and is detecting particles in the air.
The filter has a color-coded display to correspond to air quality: blue, yellow, and red. Blue is good and during red, the fan will crank up to get air quality back to up 100 percent. So far, I have only had the air quality indicator dip below blue once or twice. One time was on a particularly windy day and the other was when my wife was cooking. Not sure what that says about her cooking, but it tells me that the unit is working and is detecting particles in the air.
Conclusion:
I like this air purifier. So far it has worked well. I’ve tested it in a couple of locations, and it does seem to actively detect particles and impurities in the air. My major concern is the availability and cost of replacing the filters. Hopefully, Best Buy and Shark can get more filters in stock before its time for a replacement.
Breathing Easy, 4.5/5
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The CORSAIR HS80 RGB USB Gaming Headset delivers incredibly detailed sound through custom-tuned 50mm neodymium audio drivers. Dolby Audio 7.1 surround sound puts you in the middle of the action, while a broadcast-grade omni-directional microphone captures your voice with outstanding clarity. Play in plush comfort with memory foam earpads and a stress-free floating headband design, with years of durability thanks to sturdy construction reinforced with aluminum. A USB wired connection offers high-fidelity 24bit/96kHz sound. Powerful CORSAIR iCUE software enables in-depth customization of audio settings and RGB lighting, letting you hear every shot, step, and shout like never before.
Customer Rating
5
Rich Audio in a Comfortable Package
on June 16, 2022
Posted by: RedScorpion
WHAT!?! HUH!?! Sorry, it’s just that the HS80 Wired headset from Corsair gets loud. Very, loud. Rich sound, 3D audio effects, built in RGB lighting, and an omnidirectional microphone combine to create a very solid headphone offering from Corsair. Essentially just a wired version of the Wireless HS80, these headphones look and sound great. Gamers looking for a comfortable experience with rich audio should check them out.
Setup: In the box, you get the headset and its permanently attached 5.9ft USB cable. There is no AUX input. This is strictly a USB headset. To get the most out of your headset, you will need to download and install ICUE from Corsair. I’m using ICUE version 4.24.193 as of the time of this review.
Initial Impressions: It’s a very sleek build. The speaker cushions are a cloth foam. The headset “breathes well”. After hours of listening to music, movies, and games, my ears never got terribly hot. In terms of comfort, you adjust the Velcro strap on the inside of the headband for a looser or tighter fit.
I wish the USB cable were a bit longer, but at nearly 6ft, it’s still a pretty good length. But if you are plugging headphones in to a desktop PC on the floor, you may wish the cable were a bit longer.
Experience: Audio sounds great. You get a notification for spatial audio when you plug the headset in that allows you to activate Dolby Atmos in Windows. There is also a Dolby toggle in ICUE that helps give a 3D effect to audio. Music, movies, and games have sounded nice. I can pick up a lot of details in music and gaming audio. I wish bass were a bit deeper. But this is a good sound. I’m liking it. The omnidirectional microphone does a good job picking up my voice.
Experience: Audio sounds great. You get a notification for spatial audio when you plug the headset in that allows you to activate Dolby Atmos in Windows. There is also a Dolby toggle in ICUE that helps give a 3D effect to audio. Music, movies, and games have sounded nice. I can pick up a lot of details in music and gaming audio. I wish bass were a bit deeper. But this is a good sound. I’m liking it. The omnidirectional microphone does a good job picking up my voice.
This is a refresh of the wireless version of the HS80. As such, there is one holdover in the form of a button on the back of the left earpiece. You can use it to turn the microphone on or off out of the box, but that seems pointless to me as it’s just easier to put the microphone in the up position. Now, you can assign that button from within ICUE. You could have it change your voice in Voicemod, change an EQ setting, or play or pause music.
Negatives: There aren’t many. I wish the bass were a bit richer, but I still think this headset sounds good. The hard plastic on the earpiece is a bit of a fingerprint magnet.
Conclusion: This is a solid headset from Corsair. If you are okay with a USB tether, this is a great gaming headset. I highly recommend it.
4.5/5
Conclusion: This is a solid headset from Corsair. If you are okay with a USB tether, this is a great gaming headset. I highly recommend it.
4.5/5
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The CORSAIR M65 RGB ULTRA WIRELESS Tunable Gaming Mouse boasts a durable aluminum frame and connects with sub-1ms SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS or low-latency Bluetooth®. Experience pinpoint accuracy powered by a 26,000 DPI MARKSMAN optical sensor and optical OMRON switches, while a six-axis gyro enables convenient tilt gestures for in-game actions. 2,000Hz Hyper-polling registers your actions up to 2x faster than other wireless mice. With customizable weight between 110g and 128g and CORSAIR QUICKSTRIKE buttons, all your movements and actions register with the utmost speed. Take control with iCUE software to program the M65 RGB ULTRA’s eight buttons, customize its dynamic RGB backlighting, and save your profiles to onboard storage to take on the go. With up to 120 hours of rechargeable battery life, the M65 RGB ULTRA WIRELESS makes all your clicks count.
Posted by: RedScorpion
from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
The Corsair - M65 RGB Ultra Wireless may be my new favorite mouse. Smooth tracking and glide. Excellent click response. The quickstrike buttons and omron switches are super responsive. I noticed no latency in online FPS gaming. Built-in gyro / tilt functions give me functions and options I never even knew I wanted. Adjustable weights help customize the experience. I can't say enough about how premium this mouse has felt. I wish the mouse were a bit larger, but that's a nitpick. I guess it should be obvious at this point, but I highly recommend the Corsair - M65 RGB Ultra.
I've been building computers and gaming on PC for the last 30 years. Mice have come a long ways from the rubber balls of the 90s. There have been variations on the basic mouse for a while, but I probably haven't been this jazzed for a new mouse since the Microsoft Intellimouse introduced laser tracking. The built-in gyro / accelerometer allow me to program keys or macros to various movements. Want to alt-tab quickly? Why not just tilt your mouse to the right? Want to reload in a game? Why not program that to a tilt function. You can program in signatures and macros into the iCUE software. And with the software, you can adjust how sensitive the gestures are. If you don't want the triggered response until you tilt the mouse greater than 50 degrees, so be it. If you want a hyper response, you can set the tilt lower. It's a feature I never knew I wanted until now.
I'm not sure that the mouse needed the weight customization, but I appreciate the option. A lot of hardcore gamers like a lighter mouse, but I like the heft and added weight. The weights don't change things a ton, but it is a noticeable difference. Installing them is super easy. You secure the weights with a twist on cap that can be tightened with a quarter.
I use a hard surface mouse pad and this mouse has been great. It just feels smooth as it tracks across the mouse pad. The grip and mouse texture feel good. The scroll wheel looks like it belongs on a model car, but it feels and works great. The sniper button is placed perfectly.
Users interested in RGB customization should know that there aren't that many options for customization. You can change the color of the Corsair logo and that's about it.
Battery life has been good. I've used the mouse solid for several days and have so far only charged once. The mouse has a USB-C charging port.
It should go without saying that you will need to download the latest version of iCUE from Corsair to fully utilize all the bells and whistles on this mouse. But, thankfully, iCUE has steadily improved from just a few years ago. It's been stable and worked well in my experience.
So, in conclusion, I really like this mouse. I think Corsair has been on a roll lately with their gaming mice and the M65 RGB Ultra is probably one of their best, yet. This is an easy mouse to recommend. 5/5
I would recommend this to a friend!
Ease of Use
5
Quality
5
Value
5
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The Lenovo Smart Clock Essential is the ultimate smart clock for any room. With its big and bold display, you can check out the time from across the room. Just ask Alexa for help around your home, play music, control smart home devices, and more.
Customer Rating
5
An Effective Little Alexa Alarm Clock
on February 2, 2022
Posted by: RedScorpion
from Oklahoma City, OK
I should say upfront that I received the The Lenovo - Smart Clock Essential 4" Smart Display with Alexa for the purposes of providing fair and honest feedback. And, on the whole, I like it. The screen features an auto dim feature. Alexa integration works well. The built-in speakers won't blow anyone away, but they sound good for a device this side and sound good for music or alexa alerts. Setup could be a bit simpler, but as an alarm clock with Alexa built-in, the Lenovo - Smart Clock Essential has met my expectations and I'm liking it.
Setup - I thought the set up was a bit more difficult than I expected it to be. Part of the problem is the reliance on the Alexa app which may make things a bit confusing. You will need to download the Alexa app from either the Apple or Google Play app store. The Alexa app detected my Smart Clock right away, connected the clock to my home wifi, and downloaded an update. But I was confused after that as to how to change the display. By default the Smart Clock Essential shows sound decibel levels instead of the weather. To change that to the weather, you have to open the Alexa app, click on the devices icon in the bottom right, then click on "all devices", then you're looking for the icon for your Lenovo Smart Clock. But, you are looking for the Lenovo Smart Clock device with the wifi signal in what appears to be a house. You aren't looking for the Lenovo Smart Clock with headphones / speakers next to it. Yeah, I made that mistake a few times. It all felt too confusing.
Then, some of the adjustments in the App don't seem to stick. At night, the screen automatically adjusts to nearly totally dim. A lot of people will probably like that setting. I wanted the screen to stay a bit brighter at night. So, from the Alexa app, I adjusted the screen brightness. And the screen brightness stuck, for about five minutes until it reverted to the previous setting. Why let me make that adjustment if it isn't going to stick?
Experience - Using the clock with Alexa is simple. You just say "Alexa, set an alarm for ......" Which is good, because setting an alarm with the buttons on the clock is a bit more tedious. You use the alarm clock symbol to start the process and progress through steps, but if you want to actually save your alarm, you have to press the up button to confirm at the end. That process felt a bit unintuitive.
I really like the size of the device. It fits well in small spaces. The screen looks nice and the entire device has a very modern feel to it.
There is no USB port for charging your phone. There are docks you can get that customize your experience a bit. For instance, Lenovo has an octopus dock that lights up and changes the "eyes" on the screen when you talk to Alexa. At this time, I'm not sure if the Smart Clock Essential is compatible with an other Lenovo Smart Clock dock.
There is a MIC toggle on the back of the clock. If you don't want Alexa listening in, you can manually turn the microphone off.
Conclusion - On the whole, I like it. It's an effective alarm clock and the weather indicators are a nice touch. Despite some app struggles, Alexa integration works well. I hope a software update corrects the nighttime auto dimming issues I described above. I think software setup and use could be a bit simpler, but if you use Alexa for your other devices, you're probably familiar with the Alexa app at this point.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Level up your skincare game by discovering the beauty of T-Sonic™ facial cleansing! Combining ultra-hygienic silicone and 8,000 T-Sonic™ pulsations per minute, this tiny but mighty device removes up to 99.5% of dirt, oil, sweat and makeup residue in just 1 minute! Offering a gentle facial massage and three new playful colors to enjoy, LUNA™ play plus 2 ensures an effective and fun facial cleansing routine, whether you’re at home or on-the-go!
Posted by: RedScorpion
from Oklahoma City, OK
I should say upfront that I received the FOREO - LUNA play plus 2 for the purposes of proving an honest and unbiased review. However, I can openly admit that I am not the target audience for this item. So, to help me with my review, I let my wife test out the LUNA play plus 2 for a week and the short of it is she really likes it.
I can attest that her skin has looked better over the last few days. In her words "she has had fewer skin blemishes and her skin feels much softer." She was pointing out a known problem area on her face that has really looked better over the last week. Compared to some products she was using before, she hasn't noticed her skin drying out. She looks forward to using the LUNA every evening. It fits well in her hand. She has no problem gripping it. It's small enough that she can easily include it in travel luggage.
I should point out that the LUNA isn't chargeable. It may be possible to remove and replace the internal battery, but FOREO apparently didn't design this model with battery replacement in mind as the access is covered with a label. On the original battery, LUNA estimates up to 600 uses. Still, my wife has enjoyed this enough that, when the LUNA does die sometime in the far off future, she will treat it like the family hamster and quickly purchase another one.
I should note that for my review model, FOREO also included a small sample of the FOREO Micro - Foam Cleanser. I'm not sure which my wife likes more, the cleanser or the LUNA. I'm also not entirely sure which product is delivering the best results. All I know is that my wife now wants both of them.
They say a good product is something you didn't know you needed, but once you experience it, you can't live without it. My wife is really enjoying the LUNA. She has greatly enjoyed it and for that reason we are giving it a 5/5.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Quality
5
Performance
5
Durability
5
Value
5
Ease of Use
5
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Play cool music while performing your fitness routines with these water-resistant JVC wireless sport headphones. The Pivot Motion Fit provides a secure hold during rigorous workouts, and the JVC Headphones Manager app lets you control audio settings. These JVC wireless sport headphones come with a lightweight charging case that provides three hours of battery life on a single charge.
Hi, how is the sound quality for talking? Do the buttons hurt your ears when you push them in?
I didn't think they sounded that good and the person I called said I sounded very static-y.
6 years, 3 months ago
by
RedScorpion
Automatically go from hundreds of mystery folders to a visual view in the photo and video Organizer. See your best photos thanks to auto-curation. Effortlessly extract candid photos from your raw footage. Make photos and videos look amazing with automated photo editing and video creation options. And create and share beautiful printed artwork, new dynamic slideshows, photo and video collages, animated GIFs*, and full-length movies. Being creative is even easier with the Elements bundle.
Do you have to purchase a monthly or annual subscription in addition to the software?
Keep your home networking equipment working when the electricity goes out with this APC Back-UPS Network 40 BN4001 UPS that features 4 battery-backup and surge-protection outlets to ensure electronics remain powered during outages.
Where do I get a new Battery for this?
I'm sure my battery didn't last three years and I need a new one. What size am I looking for and where can I get one?
You can find replacement battery information on APC's website at:
http://www.apc.com/tools/upgrade_selector/
http://www.apc.com/tools/upgrade_selector/
8 years, 4 months ago
by
RedScorpion
JBL Flip 3 Speaker: Stream your favorite songs and Internet radio stations from your compatible audio device using this speaker, which offers extensive playback with the rechargeable battery. Dual external bass radiators offer booming low tones, and you can enjoy clear phone calls with the integrated speakerphone.
can it be connected to a ipod nano
Yes.
If your iPod Nano has blue-tooth (which the newer models do), then you can connect this to your Nano that way. If your Nano does not have blue-tooth, you can always connect the Flip 3 with an auxiliary 3.5mm audio cable.
If your iPod Nano has blue-tooth (which the newer models do), then you can connect this to your Nano that way. If your Nano does not have blue-tooth, you can always connect the Flip 3 with an auxiliary 3.5mm audio cable.
8 years, 4 months ago
by
RedScorpion