elitegangsta's stats
- Review count87
- Helpfulness votes576
- First reviewNovember 4, 2008
- Last reviewMarch 17, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.3
- Review comment count1
- Helpfulness votes1
- First review commentOctober 3, 2014
- Last review commentOctober 3, 2014
- Featured review comments0
Questions
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- Answer count30
- Helpfulness votes29
- First answerFebruary 20, 2011
- Last answerSeptember 5, 2021
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- Best answers5
Meet the Ninja Air Fryer Pro XL, a fast and easy way to get the perfect crisp with up to 450F of heat. MaxCrisp Technology surrounds your favorite foods with superheated air for hotter, crispy results. Cook up to 9 lbs (6.5 QT) of wings using little to no oil and enjoy your favorite foods guilt-free. With 6 cooking functions, you can satisfy any craving, from crispy snacks to full meals. With Max Crisp, Air Fry, Roast, Bake, Reheat, and Dehydrate, the options are endless. Plus, cleanup is a breeze with a nonstick and dishwasher-safe crisper plate and basket.
Customer Rating
5
Ninja - Air Fryer Pro XL 6-in-1 w/ 6.5QT Capacity
on March 17, 2024
Posted by: elitegangsta
As a huge fan of Ninja's Air Fryers, and using my previous model a few times a week, I was really excited to try out the new Ninja Air Fryer Pro XL 6-in-1 with 6.5 qt capacity. Setup was an absolute breeze. Cut open the box, remove top piece of foam, remove wrapping and cardboard from the 6.5qt tray, plug in, ready to go. The entire thing honestly took me less than 1 minute. It took almost as long to type that sentence as it did to physically get this going.
Upon placing on my counter, I immediately noticed how small this appliance is. This thing sits barely higher than 1 foot. Official produce dimensions: 14.921259842519685 in L x 11.299212598425198 in W x 12.007874015748031 in H. It's This is about HALF the size of my last Ninja, and, with about 4 times the capacity. The tray is 6.5 quarts! That's 5lbs of fries or 9lbs of chicken wings. That's a ton of food for such a small footprint of an appliance. The weight of this is impressive too, measuring in at just 11.44 lbs, it's very easy to move around the kitchen. Being so small, it could even sit inside a pantry or cupboard when not being used to free up counter space.
Operating is about a simple as the unpacking and minimal as the size. You pull out the tray, place food into the tray (I always make sure the crisper is inserted as well) press the power button, select the temperature and cook time, press start. It's advised with just about anything you cook, to pause and shake the tray every few minutes. This ensures nothing gets stuck to the crisper, and things tend to cook more evenly that way.
The Air Fryer Pro XL has a "Max Crisp" mode which sets the cook time to a scorching 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This ensures things are more crisp and cook faster than the standard modes. Reheating some leftover fries took less than 2 minutes and they were crunchy and hot. Honestly, they were even better than the day they were delivered to my doorstep from delivery!
It's also advised to set the Air Fryer away from under upper cabinets to give it room to vent. When cooking, hot air exhausts from the top. There is a vent in the rear that I believe is used for intake. When cooking, I did not notice any hot air coming out of the back, only the top.
Since you are getting such a large capacity tray, you may be inclined to cook larger items in this Air Fryer, such as an entire chicken. Ninja included some alternative modes with this model, such as bake, roast, reheat, and dehydrate.
I haven't had time yet to test all of the functions, though I was able to test out the dehydration feature along with my Air Frying. Slicing up slivers of potato, placing on the crisper tray and running the dehydrate function gave me fresh potato chips in a matter of about 20 minutes.
Once done cooking, it's super easy to clean. Just remove the tray, fill the tray with soapy water, let soak, rinse. The crisper tray removes from the main tray for easier scrubbing. The crisper is made of a ceramic coating non-stick material, so stuck on food comes off easily. Occasional wiping down of the main appliance is needed to keep it looking fresh and new, but otherwise, this thing is low maintenance. The crisper tray is even dishwasher safe.
If you're unsure of what to cook, or, how to cook what you want, Ninja included a recipe book along with a cooking chart to help you.
What I enjoy most about using an Air Fryer vs conventional frying is both ease of use, and cleanliness. There is no oil needed. No splattering of oil all over yourself or the kitchen, so it's safer both physically and for your health. Using the Ninja Air Fryer Pro XL is an absolute pleasure. It elevates foods that need a good crisping, makes cook times lower, and takes up very little space. There is nothing not to love about this little appliance. It will absolutely become one of, the most used appliances in the kitchen. Well done Ninja, thank you for such a well thought out appliance. I'll be looking forward to the next gadget!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Fuel your system performance with the Crucial® T500 Gen4 NVMe® SSD. Experience faster gaming and amp up your creative potential with an SSD that moves as fast as you need it to. Heavy tasks are no problem with better performance to power efficiency, and the T500 works with your laptop or desktop.
Posted by: elitegangsta
My gaming rig was quickly running out of space to hold installs of all the active games I am currently playing. I was super excited at the opportunity to upgrade to the new Crucial T500 2TB NVMe SSD. Installation was a breeze on my machine, and I chose after install to perform a brand new OS install vs cloning from my old drive. This ensured everything would be fresh and error free.
Once booted up into my new installed OS, I ran some initial disk speed test, and while my read speed was in the upper 6000 MB/s range, by write speed was around 1000 MB/s, a far cry from Crucials anticipated numbers. I found that Bitlocker had enabled itself automatically. Upon disabling, and running a new test, I was getting 7000 MB/s read and write speeds. I also got in the 99% range using disk mark on the performance test tool. These are absolutely incredible speeds.
Please note that this is a Gen 4 NVMe and to get speeds close to this, you need to have a motherboard capable of Gen 4 NVMe.
Aside from just RAW numbers, everything else about my system is super fast and snappy. Installing applications (when not downloading online) are super fast. Copy files, moving around the operating system, start up and shutdown, are all blazing fast, taking only a matter of seconds to perform any test. Windows open instantly too.
Gaming performance isn't held back either by this drive. If you have all the other appropriate components, the T500 SSD won't be a bottle neck for you. You will realize the maximum potential of your games.
This new Crucial T500 SSD is built using a brand new Micron 232-layer 3D TLC NAND and uses Micron LPDDR4 DRAM, 1GB per 1TB of NAND flash
If you're rocking Windows 11, this also takes advantage of Microsoft's DirectStorage optimization with Phison® I/O+ technology
This drive packs some serious performance with an impressive amount of storage space. I am absolutely loving this addition to my gaming PC and will be happily recommending it, and using it in my future builds to come.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Experience absolute power and precision that blows you away with the Razer Nommo V2 Pro—a fully-loaded, full-range speaker system and wireless subwoofer combo. Amplified by THX Spatial Audio and Razer Chroma RGB, set the stage for a cinematic audio-visual experience primed for your battlestation.
Customer Rating
5
Razer - Nommo V2 Pro 2.1 PC Gaming Speakers
on January 13, 2024
Posted by: elitegangsta
I'm a huge fan of Razer gear, so I was excited when I got the opportunity to test out the new Nomma V2 Pro speakers.
I am a bit of an audiophile as well, and I tend to be deeply critical of speakers. I was happy to see the Nomma V2 Pro speakers have a THX certification, which even at the bare minimum, means these speakers pack a punch and clarity above your typical run of the mill speakers.
Setup was easy. Plug the left speaker into the right speaker, then plug the right speaker into a USB port on the PC. This is nice because it does not require your PC to have a 3.5mm output. This is especially good for laptops that may not come with a 3.5mm jack anymore. This make Razers offering very compatible with a wide range of even the most modern of PC/laptop setups. My particular model came with the wireless subwoofer, so no connection from the speakers to the subwoofer was needed. This offers flexibility in subwoofer placement, much further than if the subwoofer was wired. Both the speakers and subwoofer need to be plugged into power.
I was surprised how large the speakers were. The subwoofer was very small and compact in comparison. The speakers have a 3" full-range driver with aluminum phase plugs. They measure 5.1” (w) x 7.2” (H) x 7.1” (D). The entire package appears to be of excellent build quality.
There is also an included puck which turns on and off the speakers as well as controls the volume level. This connects automatically via wireless just like the subwoofer. I found both the subwoofer and puck to be seamless and I have no issues with them connecting to the speakers by simply turning both peripherals on.
I installed the latest Synapse, which, I already had installed. It ran an update and downloaded the Nomma V2 Pro drivers. I selected "THX Spatial Audio" as my default profile and left everything else on the defaults initially.
Sound is superb. The frequency response from the speakers is between 40hz and 20hz. The speakers are capable of hitting very sharp highs as well as very clear and defined mids. The speakers are punchy, but not harsh. There is no reverb and they produce even the most moderate of sounds very clear. Despite being 2 channel, they offer a solid spatial affect and things sound immersive and distant when applicable. The subwoofer produces deep boom and I ended up setting it to a 3 out of 7.
The lighting affect is very nice and offers even more emersion to games. Synapse was easy to select the color scheme I wanted along with the brightness. I found a warm orange to be my preferred color and it mostly emulates that of a warm light bulb.
The puck confused me at first, but once I understood it, I found it to be excellent. Long pressing both turns the puck on or off. You can also pair these speakers to multiple sources via Bluetooth and switch the sources using the puck.
The puck has a rubber bottom which allows it to stick to the desk without moving. I have multiple ways to control volume (my keyboard, windows, or the puck) and I prefer the simplicity and convenience of the puck out of all the options.
Synapse also has profiles so you can select different sound settings based on the game itself. I found this necessary as not all games support the spatial audio correctly, and stereo fixed issues with no sound on some games (like Division 2).
Overall I am very happy with these speakers and they are my new favorite dedicated PC speaker model. I would absolutely recommend these to anyone already in the Razer family as the integration with a single app is awesome. Anyone looking for speakers even outside of Razer should definitely consider these. They sound amazing and are very simple to setup and use. Razer knocked it out of the park and I am grateful for the team to allow me the pleasure of reviewing these.
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Take control of your outdoor lighting or devices with the Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Outdor Plug. The independent outlets allow you to individually control up to 2 devices through your smartphoone via the Tapo app or with you voice through compatiable voice assistants; Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings. Utilize the Scheduling or Away Mode features to automatically turn lights or device on/off.
Customer Rating
5
TP-Link - Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Outdoor Plug w/ Matter
on October 29, 2023
Posted by: elitegangsta
I'm going to keep this review limited to the "smart" technology within this outdoor plug. We all know how outdoor extension cords work, if not, there are plenty of other reviews out there. I will at least say, this outdoor plug works as you'd expect an outdoor plug to work.
This is my first matter enabled device, so I was super excited to try it out. If you're not familiar with what "matter" is, essentially, it is a new "smart device" standard that makes pairing to either Apple HomeKit or Google Home so much easier. It cuts out the need for a vendor proprietary app. I can positively say, that Matter on the The TP-Link Tapo was flawless!
I have multiple devices and I often attempt to setup my entire smart home using both Apple's HomeKit and Google's Home. This ensured I can stay a bit "agnostic" with my gadgets and go between either ecosystem with ease and first party support and experiences.
I started off with HomeKit pairing. I scanned the QR code on the back using the HomeKit app and within about 2 minutes the TP-Link Tapo Smart plug was displayed in my HomeKit app. Both outlets show up as individually selectable "on/off" triggers (see screenshots) and it just worked.
If I were to have set this up in Google Home, the experience would have been nearly identical. However, since I'm setting this up in BOTH platforms, setting this up in Goolge Home works a bit differently. TP-Link is also clear on these instructions within the included documentation. Essentially, what I had to do, was from the newly added HomeKit device, go into the device settings and generate a new pairing code. When adding to Google, I pasted in this new pairing code and it worked flawlessly to add it to both places. This is a necessary security step Matter has taken so that devices, once paired to a platform, cannot be overtaken by someone else until they are unpaired.
Overall, this is a super simple setup and a flawless experience. Matter has shown it does exactly what it's intended to do, and there is no "junk" third party apps needed at all. This is a super handy outlet device that has many use cases from on/off automation, to voice control, etc.. esp handy with the upcoming holiday lighting or decorations.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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YALE ASSURE 2 TOUCH. A lock as unique as you. Make coming home more seamless with the Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch built-in Wi-Fi. Thanks to the new biometric keypad, a simple touch of your finger is all it takes. Explore multiple ways to access your home including hands-free Auto-Unlock, back-up key, or your phone or Apple Watch from anywhere
Customer Rating
3
Yale Assure Lock 2 Smart Lock Wi-Fi w/ Fingerprint
on October 22, 2023
Posted by: elitegangsta
I was excited to try out the new Yale: Assure Lock 2 with Wi-Fi and Touch Fingerprint reader. I've read a lot about these and they seem to be the premium of the crop. I was most excited that this newer version came with Wi-Fi so it could be unlocked more easily as well as brining support to Google Home integration.
Pros:
- Easy installation and initial setup. This generally installs like any deadbolt lock, with an extra bracket to support the larger size. Downloading and using the Yale app was straight forward, for the initial setup. I was able to lock/unlock, calibrate, and setup PINs very easily. Sharing the lock with other users so they can setup their own PINs was also simple. Adding to Google Home and/or HomeKit was also simple
- The build quality of the lock looks great. The Stain Nickel finish matches my door handle perfectly
- The app is able to unlock/lock the door from anywhere with the installation of the included Wi-Fi module. Using the pin mad also unlocks the door easily. Pressing the finger print "Yale button" also locks the door when leaving
- Has a physical key included incase the lock batteries die when you're out of the house
- Can setup "guest codes" for when people come over, and you can set them to expire. Also good if you plan to use this for an Air B&B or other rental properties.
Cons:
- Battery life with the Wi-Fi module installed is horrendous. This is almost a total deal breaker for the entire lock. I've had this installed for only 2 weeks, and the batteries complained of 10% life during just the second week. This is totally unacceptable.
- Finger print registration process also has not worked for me. The instruction are "use the app". So, what I "use the app" it walks you through steps. Step 1: "place a hold finger on reader until the LED light blinks green". ok, so I do this, and the lock immediately activated to lock the door (this is what it's supposed to do when not registering finger print). I can never get the lock to actually go through the fingerprint registration process. It got so frustrating, I gave up trying.
- The app will often display the incorrect status of the lock. I'll lock the door when I leave the house, verify it's locked. When I return, open the app, it still says "unlocked" which gives me a moments fright. I try the door, it's locked. I press the green "unlocked" button in the app, and the door then unlocks. I also notice this behavior when in the house.
- Using Google Home or HomeKit both have severe delays. Pressing lock or unlock from either platform results in about 20-30 seconds of waiting before something happens. Often time, I press it again thinking it didn't register. I've mostly stopped using either, which is an absolute bummer for me as I hate individual apps and want to exclusively use one or the other depending upon if I'm using an Apple or Google device to control it.
- The lock itself becomes uncalibrated far too often. When manually locking I often have to "force" the lock further to actually lock the door. I can hear the motor whining when I do this. This cannot be good for the device, but having to constantly calibrate is also unacceptable. I can see doing this when batteries are replaced (currently every 2 weeks!!!!!) but it happens every few days that I've just given up recalibrating it.
- Fingerprints show up on the touch surface, and the digits cannot be rotated. This makes it easier for people to see what numbers have been pressed, and possibly guess the PIN easier.
I think I'm being extremely generous with 3 stars on this. Some of these problems I'm chalking up to possible environmental on my part, or even user error. However, battery life, calibration, fingerprint registration all seem to be device faults and characteristics of this model. I think I'm going to simply remove the Wi-Fi module to get better battery life and simply use the app over bluetooth when home, or, just using keypad digits (unless i can find a way to register fingerprints at some point).
The entire hallmark feature of this lock, the integrated Wi-Fi is also it's largest drawback. App sluggishness, inconsistencies, and poor performance over the internet all make the core conveniences of the generation "2" more or less unappealing. It's still more convenient than a normal lock, but I'd suggest saving the extra money and get the non-wifi model, or perhaps, just get a more inexpensive smart lock, without any of these feature, that don't really work anyway. I will not be recommending this generation of Yale lock to anyone.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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The SA-C600 Network CD Receiver showcases Technics’ legacy of renowned digital audio technology and flawless construction, eliminating noise and rendering a colorful, vibrant expression of sound space. This versatile receiver unit has a twin power supply circuit system for incredibly clear performance, Spacetune technology to automatically optimize the sound field, and incredible connectivity across wireless, digital, and analog channels.
Customer Rating
3
Technics - SA-C600 Steaming Audio/CD Player
on September 21, 2023
Posted by: elitegangsta
The Technics - SA-C600 Premium Class Network CD Receiver is a bit of an interesting device. This is a very niche player with a very specific purpose. I want to make this point very clear from the beginning. There are no pre-amps and this devices should server the purpose of either streaming music from a paid service, local network, or spinning a CD. It is a stand alone device and does not connect to an external amp or receiver. If you want to use speakers with this. device that are connected to other equipment, I suggest getting banana plugs and running to pairs of cables so you can easily switch them at the speaker terminals (this is exactly what I did).
With that out of the way, my setup here consists of the SA-C600, a pair of Martin Logan Motion XT F100 speakers, a premium Tidal subscription and some physical audio CDs.
Physical setup is easy, just connect speaker wires and power. The rest is best served using the Technics smartphone app as it makes connecting to online services and other things much easier. I found this process to be fine, simple enough, and I ran into no problems. If you were to attempt to set this up using the interface on the device itself, or the remote, it would be an aggravating challenge I suggest you avoid. If all you want is to play CDs, or, connect a phono, you're up and running almost immediately.
There is a calibration option where you use your smart phone as a mic, and the device will "calibrate" the EQ to match your room. I found this next to pointless as it did not enhance any of the EQ range beyond maybe 2-3% at most. The built in EQ is equally as worthless, it barely changes the sound stage.
The CD "tray" at the top is weird. It spins to the side, which makes putting in a CD in tight quarters easier, which I suppose is the reason for it, but otherwise, I found it obnoxious. I would have much rather had a traditional lid style over this swivel style. Regardless, I made it work just fine.
Connecting Tidal was easy via the app once initial setup was done, all streaming from the Tidal app have to be done from the Technics app and not from the native Tidal app. This was annoying as the Technics app does not display track number and it was hard to tell from some titles what track order I was playing in. It also made searching for albums and music a bit weird. I would have much preferred the native app.
CD playing is easy, basic controls you'd be used to if you ever used a CD player before. Nothing changes here worth noting.
Sound quality. This is the most subjective yet important part here. I also want to mention this device claims only 30 watts of power. I was concerned when reading this, however, this had no problem driving my F100s at a volume that was plenty loud for my space at only around 50% volume. So what I am saying here is, don't worry about the 30 watts, however, I do find it odd this is such a low spec. This device would fail in very large environments as a result. My space where this is used is approx 800 sq feet and it was fine. The sound produced, by the 192khz MQA studio tracks from Tidal sound ultra clean and ultra clear, every single bit of detail can be heard as you'd expect. However. I found the overall soundstage to be extremely "flat". If you've ever put a receiver in "pure" mode, this is what this unit sound like. My F100s are capable of extremely low bass with booming that makes you feel like wind is hitting you face, this device, does not do that at all. Maybe it's the 30 watts, but I don't think so. I think it's simply this thing is evening out all tones for the sake of clarity and if offering next to no post processing of the audio, which from a quality perspective, makes sense, but practically speaking, EQ is very important and this doesn't deliver a usable EQ for super high end speakers. You must have a subwoofer connected to get even close to proper bass response from this thing.
Overall, I'm happy with the device, and use it exclusive for music as intended. I go through the trouble of connecting my main front speakers from my theatre to this device for this purpose and I enjoy the clean sound, when coupled with a subwoofer, otherwise, I hate it, despite it's clarity.
I think this is an ultra niche product for an ultra niche person, beyond even the audiophile group (which I consider myself to be in). This device has many shortcomings for a modern audio/theatre/stereo setup and the lack of a preamp is nearly a dealbreaker. It's restricted to Tidal if you want completely lossless audio in the way you'd intend. It has a weird CD tray and all function needs to be controlled via the app. I think most people should pass on this unless it fits some super specific need you have which fits within the conditions mentioned above.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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The Tablo 2-tuner, whole-home DVR ablo lets you watch, pause, and record TV for free¹. Tablo connects to your TV antenna and your Wi-Fi to send live broadcast programming from ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS³, and more as well as a selection of free streaming channels to compatible smart devices, anywhere in your home.
Posted by: elitegangsta
As an owner of the previous generations of this device, I was excited to get the opportunity to review the new 4th gen device. I am also in a unique situation where my house is located between 2 major cities and I am often blacked out of my favorite sports teams games, despite only being 30 minutes from either major city. This is infuriating when streaming with the outlandish licensing and black out restrictions, where I cannot even watch my local, 30 minute away, team plan on gameday.
This is where having a local antenna comes into play perfectly as I can pickup both local broadcast locations without blackout restrictions. Tablo TV makes this even easier as I can "steam" my antenna, which needs to be located in an upstairs guest bedroom (I'll eventually put it in the attic) to all of my TVs (which are all using Apple TV).
The 4th gen Tablo TV supports all major devices (at least depending where you look) - FireStick, Android, iOS, iPadPOS, Android TV, Google TV, webOS, and Samsung.
Physical setup is as easy as it gets. Plug into power, plug coax antenna, plug Ethernet (if using Ethernet, which I am) and my antenna happens to have a USB power, and Tablo supports USB power, so I plugged that in as well. I'm using a very inexpensive "flat" or "sting ray" style digital antenna, which I found can pickup 104 channels and all major locals (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX) in 1080i HD so this works great for me, others will likely need something far more powerful depending on where you live.
Then I went to download the app. This is where the first major disappointment comes in. I start on my iPhone and search "Tablo" in the app store. I'm presented 1 option "Tablo Legacy". without giving it anymore thought, I download it. It doesn't work. I then think to myself "isn't this a new device? why is it called "legacy"?. I then read the instructions closer and I need to search "Tablo TV". Oh, ok, so I do. Opening "Tablo TV" works like a charm. Asks for local network access and finds my Tablo immediately. It then asks if i am new or existing. Well, of course I am existing so I go to login in with my old Tablo account and it doesn't work. I have to create a new account. Once setup and logged in, I am able to "scan" for channels. It picks up all 104 I could get on the TV itself (with antenna physically connected) and from my old Tablo, so great, off to the races. Viewing channels is great, interface is super simple and clean, easy to use, everything seems great on my iPhone. I found getting here necessarily confusing and obnoxios, I'm reasonable, but taking away 1 star for this.
Now i'm off to my major need, using all my Apple TVs to stream from this antenna. I go to my Apple TV, search "Tablo TV" because I learned the annoying lesson on iOS, yet to my surprise no Tablo TV app. I double check the box, which CLEARLY states supporting Apple... I also check the website which advertises being able to watch "free TV" using a plethora of devices, one of which, is the Apple TV. Then I found a support page which states "coming soon" for WebOS, Samsung and Apple TV. How annoying and disappointing, I have a device now that isn't even completely ready. Thanks for the unexpected beta test Tablo... another start gone.
I also happen to have a Chromecast with Google TV so I setup that instead. Finding the latest app on Google TV play store was equally as annoying as on iOS, it didn't come up right away and I had to type multiple different phrases to find it. Once setup, it was easy to use and worked great, just like on iOS.
I also tested on Pixel Tablet and iPadOS. iPadOS worked as you'd expect where Pixel Tablet did not have the app properly formatted (see attached pics), but watching actual live video was full screen.
The included 128GB of DVR capability is a real bonus here. I couldn't see any mention of having to pay extra for this or pay for any subscription. This adds tremendous value for the product.
I did notice some missing features from Tablo Legacy to the Tablo TV app, such as creating folders, the ability to search, and the "Prime Time" filter. If you liked and use these features, just know they're missing at least currently. I however didn't really care about their omission.
All in all, this is a decent product, works very well on the devices it works for, I encountered 0 issues or bugs actually viewing the channels. There is unnecessary confusion with the legacy app and finding the correct new app. The app is also "coming soon" on major platforms many buyers will have and expect to use when buying the product. I wish the lack of current support was made more clear, but my situation was fortunately able to work around it, fill my needs, until the Apple TV app is released.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Pixel Tablet is engineered by Google to be more helpful at home – and in your hand. Place it on the Charging Speaker Dock for great-sounding music and video streaming.[1] Control your smart home, and say “Hey Google” for hands-free help.[2] It’s all powered by the Google Tensor G2 chip, and it’s the perfect companion to your Pixel phone.
Posted by: elitegangsta
I couldn't have been more excited to start trying out the new Google Pixel Tablet. It's been quite some time since Google has been in the tablet game and even longer since it's felt like there was a truly solid Android tablet on the market. Now that the Pixel Tablet is here, I feel that both Google now has a fairly solid Pixel ecosystem with either a device for every type of person and this is finally a tablet worthy for all of the Android users out there. Let's dig in a bit deeper.
First and foremost, this tablet is intended for folks who are either deep in the Google ecosystem, a technophile (simply loves all things tech) or folks entering an ecosystem for the first time. This tablet has deep roots and integrations with the rest of Googles product lineup. Without either having, or planning to have a wealth of additional Google devices, you will not get the most use out of this tablet. It will absolutely work for anyone and everyone, however, experiences will be missed.
Initial setup was simple and straight forward. I connected the included dock to power and turned on the tablet. Google recommends not connecting the tablet to the dock until the initial setup has been done. I walked through the wizard signing into my Google account, setting up my finger print, and chose to "copy" data from my Pixel 7 via USB C cable. The copy took about 10 minutes and I was up and running. I clipped the tablet to the dock and began setting up additional features. All in all, this experience mimics that of the Pixel phone. My tablet also had some updates available which I also ran before diving into anything else.
Once I clipped the tablet to the dock, it asks you to setup some preferences. There are a number of "modes" you can set the tablet to, I chose "photo" mode while also displaying the Home app for control of my smart home, which is 100% Google Nest and/or Google Assistant controlled devices. I love seeing pictures of my family shown on the Pixel Tablet while docked. Having a 10.9" digital photo frame on full display is a wonderfully personal touch that make this device very pleasing even when not using it. There are additional options such as a clock, artwork, and weather. The weather screen saver is also a nice touch in addition to photos. It shows animations of the current wether outside, or you can select one with an animated frog, who reacts to how the weather is outside and does tasks in accordance to the weather. For example, it will have a picnic if it is nice a sunny outside, or, wear a rain coat if it is raining. It's very cute and has a lot of personality.
The fingerprint unlock is exceptionally fast and accurate. I did not have it fail one time. It is much faster and more accurate than that of the Pixel 6 or 7. I'm sure any fellow Pixel fans out there know this truth all too well. There is a minor indent on the button making it very easy to locate and place your finger where it belongs, each and every time.
The Pixel tablet allows for multiple users to be setup. Whomever presses the fingerprint reader will have their own personal profile launched. Each profile allows for individual customizations, apps, and settings. Since this device will likely be available to a household, this is a great touch and I found it to work exceptionally well. For those looking to separate work and personal, it's great for that too. Simply register a different finger for each profile to take advantage of simple sign on.
I may be alone on this part, but I am not entirely a fan of widgets. The Pixel tablet supports widgets of many kinds. I opted to setup both Gmail and calendar to see if I'd like it. It was great having both at a quick glance, and unlike my phone, there is more room on the tablet where the widgets become more useful. I think I'll actually stick with this on the tablet where I refuse to use widgets on my phone. It's nice to finally feel like I can make use of these. They're easy to setup, simply long tap on the home screen and select "widgets" and select the one you want. Expanding their size is also easy and with the 10.9" screen, there is a lot of room to take advantage of.
Docking and undocking the tablet is simple. The magnet is strong and the tablet sort of "clicks" into place when it's close. Removing it is fairly easy as well. I recommend "twisting" the tablet off the dock as simply trying to just pull it may result in the dock coming with it. The magnet being strong is a major plus to confidence it will not fall off, yet due to this strength, twisting makes removing the tablet far easier.
The dock also doubles down as a speaker, but only when the tablet is docked. It cannot be used as a speaker for other devices when the tablet is not docked. I found the speaker to be mostly below average in terms of audio. It's mostly muddy mids with no highs or lows. It's mostly terrible for anyone who cares about, or understand what good audio sounds like. It is however passible for things like listening to Google assistant answer questions, or perhaps a quick notification from the doorbell. I won't be listening to music or watching videos from the dock. It's that bad in my opinion it's almost worthless. It is however, far better than the internal tablet speaker, which are also absolute trash. Consider either options more of a "when sounds it absolutely necessary and you have nothing better around" For movies, I'd highly recommend using a pair of Pixel bud pros, superior audio in that department.
Speaking of Pixel bud pros. This is another fantastic tablet feature. When Pixel bud pros are paired to both the tablet and another device, say a Pixel 7, when listening to music on the Pixel 7, then switching to the tablet, and starting anything that plays audio, the buds immediately switch. When I say "immediate" I mean literally, not a millisecond of Audio on the second device is missed. It's amazing. If you get something important, like a call on your phone, they switch back. With each switch, the audio on the device you're moving from pauses until you return. It's almost magical. Major benefit here of being all in the Pixel ecosystem as I mentioned above.
I was surprised to find all of the apps I use to have been tablet-optimized. Every singe app worked full screen and felt like it was intended for a tablet. There is a massive list of apps that are in this situation as of writing this. I had trouble actually finding an app that didn't support the full screen to test what that was like. When you do use an app that isn't optimized, it scales to one side of the tablet or the other. Clicking the black area where the app isn't shifts it to one side or the other. I found this to be an excellent design choice in those cases where an app has yet to optimize. Given how many I found to be optimized, this was an area of concern that I quickly have 0 concern over. This will be huge for the future success of this tablet and Android tablets as a whole. This specifically was an area lacking in other models. great to see Google found what seems to be an answer. Outstanding work Google!
Video calls are great on this tablet. Using Google meet specifically, comes with some extra features. When docks and in full screen, the tablet will attempt to keep you in the frame even as you shift. There is also a 360 degree background so if you're moving around holding the tablet, it will appear as if you're moving in the actual setting vs just a static background. It's a cool affect.
Split screen is also another great feature. With an app open, swiping up slowly brings up the new "taskbar" (which is also another awesome feature) and selecting a new app and dragging it to the side results in both apps displaying at the same time. Having Chrome and Gmail open at the same time for example, or two webpages at the same time is possible. You can also drag photos from Google photos over to an email if you like, or over to a Google doc. It feels very "desktop computer" like.
I don't play games on my tablets, so I haven't tried nor care to try it. This tablet does have a "tilt to steer" functionality though, so if you're into racing games you can use the tablet as physical steering wheel in game. It also supports controllers from various brands. You can even connect a mouse and keyboard to the tablet, though mileage will be limited as most games won't support keyboard and mouse as well as controller.
I found the overall build quality of this tablet to also be outstanding. The back of the tablet us made of a nano-ceramic coating that feels rubbery as to not have it slip out of your hands, but is easy to clean and looks incredible. There is a USB C port on the bottom as well for fast charging when the dock is not around, or, connecting a device to transfer data, or using a USB C security key.
The 2560 x 1600 display looks super sharp, colors look great and text is very readable. It's a 60hz refresh rate, and while not terrible, if you are used to scrolling on anything higher (like 90hz on the Pixel 7) you will notice text is a bit "jittery" when scrolling, however, I think this is a decent trade off given the price and overall performance of this tablet.
I found the tablet to feel very fast and snappy running on the Google Tensor G2. This is the same processor in the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro and is more than enough to perform well. I did not find any app to feel sluggish nor did I run into any performance issues of any kind using this tablet for anything I do on a daily basis.
The dock is wrapped in similar fabric to the Google home devices. Mine was porcelain color which was like a light cream color. The dock looks and feels extremely well made. My only grip is the sound, as I mentioned above, is terrible.
All in all, this is a fantastic Android tablet and a wonderful addition to the Pixel lineup. THIS is the Android tablet to beat! Great job Google!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+2points
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Zero in on a perfect aim with our first-ever glass gaming mouse mat—built to last with premium tempered glass. Optimized for optical sensors and specially treated for quieter swipes, stay in the zone with an ultra-smooth surface that makes your mouse feel like there is zero resistance.
Posted by: elitegangsta
Until now, I have only used either fabric mouse pads or simply whatever surface the desk top was at the time. I now cannot imagine using anything other than the Razer Atlas tempered glass gaming mat!
The mat comes in a very well padded box with very clear instructions that this thing is heavy and has the potential to break given it is tempered glass. It suggests laying on a completely flat surface to avoid cracking or unwanted damage.
The bottom of the mat is a rubber honeycomb like texture that allows the matt so securely remain in it's intended place. The top of the mat is black tempered glass (this varies depending on color you choose) which is completely smooth to the touch, however, the glass itself has very minor texturing to ensure the optical sensor on the mouse picks up enough to track well. The edges are polished and smooth and very comfortable when wrists pass over them. The mat is also HUGE at 17.72" x 15.75" so make sure you measure the area you intend to place this to make sure it fits.
Mouse tracking is exceptional. I had to turn down the polling speed of my mouse until I got used to it. Mouse glides are effortless and smooth. The large size ensures you will never run out of mat real estate if you position the mouse towards the center. There is no noise from the mat as the mouse glides across the surface. Just smooth tracking all the way.
The underside of the mat may pick up dust or other debris due to it's more sticky nature, however, the tempered glass on top is super easy to clean, just a quick wipe away with a cloth and it looks brand new again. This is a vast improvement over fabric mouse pads of the past (for me anyway).
All in all, this is a solid mouse pad, that enhances the use of a mouse in any condition, not only gaming. It is extremely well made, looks beautiful and simple. It does exactly what it is intended to do and it does it well. I will never go back to a fabric mat after this!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Feel like you are in the game with the CORSAIR XENEON 27QHD240 Gaming Monitor built with OLED technology engineered by LG Display. See your games in stunning detail, with up to 240Hz refresh rate and an unbelievably fast 0.03ms GtG response time. Motion-blur-canceling and 0.01ms pixel response time ensures a new level of realism during fast-moving scenes, as you enjoy silky-smooth, tear-free images thanks to NVIDIA G-SYNC compatibility and AMD FreeSync Premium certification. With dual HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and USB Type-C connections, the XENEON 27QHD240 resets your expectations of what a premier gaming monitor can be.
Customer Rating
4
CORSAIR XENEON 27QHD240 OLED
on June 8, 2023
Posted by: elitegangsta
I was very excited when I got the opportunity to use the new Corsair Xenon 27QHD240 OLED monitor. I was immediately impressed with the unboxing experience. Corsair had clear and easy to follow instructions printed right on the box exterior. It was easy to open, and mount the included stand without damaging the display itself. The display lays flat inside it's packaged foam surrounding, but lays high enough to make it possible to attach the stand. This attention to detail made me excited to get this turned on!
Once setup on my desk, I noticed just how thin the display itself was. The only real thickness comes from the I/O panel where the mount is also attached. The overall design aesthetic is extremely minimal, with the slim bezels. There is a white Corsair logo printed on the front side of the monitor stand, and a cutout of the Corsair logo on the back. I found both to be subtle and not distracting. The rear also has a triangle mesh pattern that looked modern, subtle, and unique all at the same time.
There are plenty of I/O ports on this monitor that will serve any possible need. HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C with DisplayPort alt mode, 4 USB port type A.
The menu button is also super unique. Once powered on, once your hand is placed below the panel, button indicators illuminate on the panel showing you which buttons correspond to what inputs without having to look underneath. I found this to be extraordinarily helpful and very well throughout.
Moving on to how the panel looks visually. This is obviously the main reason for this display. Upon initial viewing, I went from super excited to very disappointed almost instantly. I own many OLED TVs and am intimately familiar with the technology. This monitor met non of my initial expectations. The 1440p image was fairly blurry and the colors were far too over saturated. I played with the on screen menu color and sharpness adjustments, though I was never quite able to reach anything I could consider to be "accurate color" right off the bat. Sharpness by default is also set to 5 out of 10. Most OLED displays I've used, you'd set this to 0, and images would be super sharp. This is also my experience with most monitors. Setting this to 0 here, resulted in a super blurry image, so I reluctantly left this on 5. Setting above 5 resulted in obvious post processing of sharpness and also hurt image quality. After running Windows display calibration and setting saturation to a lower setting, I found colors to then be mostly accurate, however, this is nowhere near a reference display coloring, nor would I put it close to any of the LG TVs, despite this being an LG panel Corsair used. Black performance is perfect, which I would expect from an OLED panel. Watching OLED test/demo videos did result in a beautiful image, though these images lend themselves to being demoed on high contrast over exaggerated colors, so I expected perfection here. When using the monitor on a desktop setting, I noticed text looks odd due to the subpixel layout on OLED panels. I'm not going to go into detail in this review, but you can research "chroma subsample" to understand more about this effect. I then realized, the blurriness of the panel actually masks this effect a bit and fully believe, the initial blurriness I noticed is intentional, not a panel flaw. While most people will likely prefer this experience, and I'm sure Corsair will hear less complaints vs is the chroma subsampling was more visible, I would have much preferred sharper image. After all, the chroma subsampling issue is not present in games at all, which is really the only use case for an OLED monitor to begin with.
Performance wise, the 240hz panel is brilliant. The instant pixel transition characteristics of OLED also shine here. Movement in games were quick, not blurry (motion blur) and felt superb compared to even the best LCDs. This is what really made the OLED panel shine. The Gsync capabilities also resulted in a perfect, tear free gaming experience.
Corsair also includes a 3 year, no burn in and no dead pixel warranty. This is extraordinary as it eliminated any roadblocks, or hesitation to buy and use due to burn in worries. I cannot imagine using this monitor for typical workstation type stuff due to the fear of burn in anyway, but having this level of support takes any actual problem a non-issue.
Overall, this is a very well thought out product and Corsair clearly spent time considering user experience, and it shows. The image quality issues I mentioned are fairly minor in the overall experience. And while this is far from the most accurate OLED display I have seen and used, it still offers good quality and exceptional blacks. As one of the first consumer OLED monitors to come out, I believe Corsair has a win with this model, and it can only improve from here. Much thanks to Corsair for being one of the first to pioneer OLED tech, being thoughtful on the design, and I cannot wait to see what they do with the next generation.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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elitegangsta's Review Comments
These Apple-designed cases are made from premium leather for a luxurious feel. Because they're precision crafted for iPhone 6, the case fits snugly and your phone still feels incredibly slim even with the case on. The soft microfiber lining on the inside helps protect your iPhone. And on the outside, you see color that's more than surface deep, thanks to a dye that's infused into the leather. Choose from five complementary colors.(This case is made from natural aniline leather. Its appearance will change as you use it.)
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Soft feel
By Nickz
Good price, nice feel. Although it's not genuine leather, it feels soft and good quality
elitegangsta
Maryland
This is genuine leather
October 3, 2014
Just wanted to add a correction to this post. This case is made of genuine leather. It DOES feel like it is on the plastic side. It is made from a high quality premium leather and is stretched rather tight. Any genuine leather stretched this tight will give the feel of a plastic, "pleathery" texture, but this is in fact genuine leather product.
Faux leather will be absolutely flawless around the edges and appear very smooth. Real leather will be slightly more grainy and have more of a "folded" look as this case does. You can also just simply smell the case, unlike faux leather, you cannot mistake the smell of real leather. This case also smells of real leather.
Last but not least, it also states in the description that it is made of premium genuine leather, if not true, Apple would already have a nice lawsuit on their hands since this case has been selling extremely well.
+1point
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.
elitegangsta's Questions
elitegangsta has not submitted any questions.
Add an extra five USB ports to your 13-inch MacBook Pro with this LandingZone five-port USB docking station. This desktop solution means you can add a wide range of devices, including printers, mice, keyboards and phone charging cables, to your notebook. Integrated desktop security ensures this LandingZone five-port USB docking station stays put even if you leave it.
Will the LandingZone-Doc Secure Docking Station For 13 Mac Po work with a mid 2009 Mac Pro? Is it a charging station? Thanks for your help, Mabelle
Hey Mabelle,
No, this dock will not work with your 2009 Macbook Pro. This dock only work with 13" MacBook Pro with Retina display (Model A1425 (2013) and A1502 (2014)) .
No, this dock will not work with your 2009 Macbook Pro. This dock only work with 13" MacBook Pro with Retina display (Model A1425 (2013) and A1502 (2014)) .
2 years, 7 months ago
by
elitegangsta
The electric kettle that pours as good as it looks! Uniting stunning design with thoughtful features and a simplistic user interface, Fellow’s Stagg EKG packs a powerful punch. Since different coffees and brew methods require different water temperatures, a home brewer needs complete control in order to perfect recipes. Simply press down on Stagg EKG’s dial to turn the kettle on and twist the dial to set your goal temperature. With a 1200 watt quick-heating element and a unique PID sensor system, Stagg EKG’s to-the-degree temperature control lets you select the exact temperature from 135°F to 212°F. The base also has two switches to toggle between Celsius and Fahrenheit, as well as a toggle for HOLD mode to keep your water hot for 60 minutes. To engage the Brew Stopwatch on the high-res LCD screen to time your pour-over, press and hold on the dial. A counterbalanced handle and fluted spout tip make imprecise pouring a thing of the past.
Can you use this for making tea
absolutely. It's great for heating water to make tea. Whether loose tea or pouring into a cup for a tea bag.
2 years, 8 months ago
by
elitegangsta
ECOVACS DEEBOT N8+ provides you the value of an all-in-one cleaning robot that mops and vacuums simultaneously. Strong 2300Pa suction power extracts hard-to-reach dirt and dust from any floor, and the OZMO™ Mopping System leaves hard floors sparkling. N8+ uses advanced laser navigation and mapping to accurately map your home, creating efficient cleaning paths for thorough coverage with fewer missed spots. Your N8+ comes with an Auto-Empty Station to enjoy hands-free cleaning for a month at a time. DEEBOT N8+ is a dependable workhorse designed for busy households that need vigorous floor cleaning on a regular basis.
Is this the vacuum with the obstacle avoidance? I know that is on the N8 pro+. Is this the same vacuum?
I can tell you that it did NOT avoided ANYTHING in my house. In fact, it has bumped into furniture and caused damage which I now have to repair. Get the T8+ at all cost and avoid the N8+
2 years, 11 months ago
by
elitegangsta
eufy Security Wired 2K Video Doorbell. 2K Resolution, 5-Day Continuous Video Recording (CVR) on Secure Local Storage, No Monthly Fees, Human Detection, 2-way Audio, and Free Wireless Chime included.
Can you use an existing traditional doorbell chime with this, or do you have to use the eufy door chime?
You must use the included chime. You also need to connect a bridge adaptor to your existing chime. It's simple to setup. I initially thought this would be a bad thing, but I find the tones of the included chime so much better than my "ding-dong" chime. Just plug it into a corner somewhere and it's not a big deal.
3 years, 5 months ago
by
elitegangsta
eufy Security Wired 2K Video Doorbell. 2K Resolution, 5-Day Continuous Video Recording (CVR) on Secure Local Storage, No Monthly Fees, Human Detection, 2-way Audio, and Free Wireless Chime included.
Hello, does this have night vision? Does it have the 3 second preview before the video is recorded like the other 2k hardwired? I don't see this on Eufy's website. Is it new?
Yes it has night vision. See attached for a screenshot off my phone.
I don't believe there is a "3 second preview" it just starts recording when activity is detected. You can obviously delete anything you don't want recorded.
I don't believe there is a "3 second preview" it just starts recording when activity is detected. You can obviously delete anything you don't want recorded.
3 years, 5 months ago
by
elitegangsta
eufy Security Wired 2K Video Doorbell. 2K Resolution, 5-Day Continuous Video Recording (CVR) on Secure Local Storage, No Monthly Fees, Human Detection, 2-way Audio, and Free Wireless Chime included.
Does this use 5Ghz band Wi-Fi? Or just 2.4Ghz
Just 2.4GHz. I've found this to not be an issue in my environment though.
3 years, 5 months ago
by
elitegangsta
eufy Security Wired 2K Video Doorbell. 2K Resolution, 5-Day Continuous Video Recording (CVR) on Secure Local Storage, No Monthly Fees, Human Detection, 2-way Audio, and Free Wireless Chime included.
Does this camera support homekit?
Not at this time. I cannot say if Eufy will decide to ad this in the future.
3 years, 5 months ago
by
elitegangsta
eufy Security Wired 2K Video Doorbell. 2K Resolution, 5-Day Continuous Video Recording (CVR) on Secure Local Storage, No Monthly Fees, Human Detection, 2-way Audio, and Free Wireless Chime included.
Is this doorbell the same dimensions as the old wired doorbell? What are the exact dimensions?
The doorbell itself is 5.1in x 1.8in x 1.0in
The chime is 3.8in x 2.0in x 1.4in
The chime is 3.8in x 2.0in x 1.4in
3 years, 5 months ago
by
elitegangsta
Stream content easily with this D-Link Wi-Fi router. It has a dual-core processor, two Wi-Fi bands and MU-MIMO technology to ensure internet speeds up to 1300 Mbps while gaming or watching videos on multiple devices. This D-Link Wi-Fi router has four antennas and amplifiers to prevent dead spots in your home.
Hi, i would like to know what is the voltage for this router.
AC 100/230 V
50/60 Hz
full specs are here: https://www.cnet.com/products/d-link-dir-880l-ac1900-wireless-router/specs/
50/60 Hz
full specs are here: https://www.cnet.com/products/d-link-dir-880l-ac1900-wireless-router/specs/
5 years, 4 months ago
by
elitegangsta
Toast up to 4 slices of bread or bake an 11" pizza quickly in this Breville the Mini Smart Oven BOV450XL, which features 4 quartz elements for fast, even heating. Element IQ coordinates cooking times to preheated oven temperatures.
Can you tell when it is on when in bake mode? Is there a light or temp indicator?
Yes, there is a gauge on the top that tells you when it is at the correct temperature. This relies on grill or oven for heat and does not produce it's own heat.
5 years, 9 months ago
by
elitegangsta