CraigB's stats
- Review count177
- Helpfulness votes2,730
- First reviewFebruary 11, 2013
- Last reviewJuly 3, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.2
- Review comment count7
- Helpfulness votes6
- First review commentNovember 29, 2013
- Last review commentJanuary 31, 2017
- Featured review comments0
Questions
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- Answer count43
- Helpfulness votes53
- First answerMarch 24, 2015
- Last answerNovember 6, 2021
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See the whole picture with this Rylo 360 video camera. This compact device extends your perspective by capturing 360 degrees of 5.8K video, perfect for panorama shots and immersive video. This Rylo 360 video camera provides intuitive editing tools through the Rylo iOS app to help you turn your footage into a masterpiece.
Customer Rating
4
Well-built camera, amazing stabilization
on June 1, 2018
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Solid metal construction
Removable battery
Includes MicroSD card to get your started
Convenient editing on smartphone
App is very stable and reliable
Mountable to tripod or other accessories
Wireless controls for iPhone and soon for Android
Extremely good video stabilization
Replaceable batteries
Company is aggressively updating app and camera firmware
Transferring video by direct connection is fast
Frontback creates videos with two perspectives
6K panoramic shots
3D positional audio
180 degree shots now an option
Solid metal construction
Removable battery
Includes MicroSD card to get your started
Convenient editing on smartphone
App is very stable and reliable
Mountable to tripod or other accessories
Wireless controls for iPhone and soon for Android
Extremely good video stabilization
Replaceable batteries
Company is aggressively updating app and camera firmware
Transferring video by direct connection is fast
Frontback creates videos with two perspectives
6K panoramic shots
3D positional audio
180 degree shots now an option
Cons
Stitching needs work for surfaces that are not clouds
Exposure leans towards lighter elements leaving dark parts very dark
App changes perspective at random
“Follow This” option often loses track even if a face stays in view
“Look Here” doesn’t have an option to pan smoothly, just a quick frame jump
“Look Here” set points cannot be deleted
No way to just erase all set points if you want to start over
Camera gets very hot during longer recordings
No separate charger for replaceable batteries
No way to protect microphones from wind noise
No desktop app
Editing videos on smartphone is sometimes challenging due to small size
Videos and pictures are very dim before import making it hard to see and choose
No way to define panning causing it to cause odd spinning at times when changing view
Separate iPhone and Android versions instead of just including the extra cable in one box
Mount is only on case and not on device
Stitching needs work for surfaces that are not clouds
Exposure leans towards lighter elements leaving dark parts very dark
App changes perspective at random
“Follow This” option often loses track even if a face stays in view
“Look Here” doesn’t have an option to pan smoothly, just a quick frame jump
“Look Here” set points cannot be deleted
No way to just erase all set points if you want to start over
Camera gets very hot during longer recordings
No separate charger for replaceable batteries
No way to protect microphones from wind noise
No desktop app
Editing videos on smartphone is sometimes challenging due to small size
Videos and pictures are very dim before import making it hard to see and choose
No way to define panning causing it to cause odd spinning at times when changing view
Separate iPhone and Android versions instead of just including the extra cable in one box
Mount is only on case and not on device
At first glance, 360-degree cameras might seem a fad or a useless technology. How many people would want to take a video or picture of everything? Surprisingly when you look further, there are more cases than one would think. The big appeal of 360-degree cameras is for the active types but there are even other cases where their use is extremely helpful one might not think of. For one, having stabilization that is rock solid because the process of stabilization means simply shifting the view is a big one. Cinema quality stabilization is actually very easy. The other is never missing a video because you didn’t turn around fast enough.
The field of 360-degree cameras is still relatively new and not understood by everyone but is growing fast. The Rylo 360 is a product from a small company with some unique ideas on the concept. The first unique concept is editing videos or pictures straight from your mobile device. The Rylo 360 comes with options for Android and iOS. Other options typically require a heavy-duty computer and specialized software to even view, let alone edit, the video. Rylo seems to work some magic and make this process quick and relatively easy right off your smartphone. This is great for viewing videos in the field and even completing them. Transfers are done directly via cable and while this might seem bad at first the transfer rates are much better. This mobile based editing system, while great, isn’t without shortfalls. Viewing and editing videos on a small screen can be difficult at times as occasionally touch points are too small to accurately chose one over another in the timeline. Video might seem clear on the small screen and look blurry once shown on a larger screen. Hopefully in the future Rylo will offer a desktop option. Another limitation of this mobile only approach is features first come to iOS and then Android shortly afterwards. Also, some features aren’t possible at the current time with Android. In order to do anything with the video, the entire video has to be imported to your phones local storage. You would think this would give Android phones with an SD card slot an option but not so. Rylo support says that currently Android only allows them to transfer videos to the phone storage. Unfortunately, a lot of these same phones come with low main storage expecting you to use SD cards. If you have Android and want to use Rylo, you should get a phone with a lot of main storage, just like on an iPhone. You can also check the Rylo website to make sure your phone is compatible.
To get the videos to your mobile device requires the correct cable and Rylo offers two similar but slightly different products to suit. The iOS option comes with a lightning cable and Android comes with MicroUSB and USB-C. Although it seems a bit strange to separate the two as two products instead of just adding the one extra cable to the main box and having one product they at least serve both platforms. If you switch platforms in the future, the corresponding cable is also available for purchase.
Although Rylo has no direct camera mount or water resistance, the metal main body feels very sturdy. It feels like it could take a beating if needed. Lenses are not replaceable, so this could be a weak point to watch for. The camera mount comes in on the case and there is no direct mount. A slightly odd and unique design choice is the threaded portion is at the bottom of the handle and not the bottom off the body or case body. This setup might seem a bit strange, but in use it seems to work fine. There is also an option for a waterproof case for those underwater shots. So far, wind noise hasn’t been an issue but if it does there is currently no solution to correct this. The microphones are very close to the lenses, so it’s hard to imagine how they could be kept out of view. The gap between the two lenses is rather large but overall the stitching of the images is good. Stitching of clouds is excellent but certain things like faces can randomly be stitched poorly. This isn’t unique to Rylo and only happens at the stitch point so the effect on the overall finished product is minor. Future software updates could also help to improve this.
Another place where Rylo stands out is video stabilization. Stabilization is nothing new, but the quality of stabilization is nearly on par with movies. The combination of camera and software does an amazing job of making moving video look like it was shot off a stabilized crane. With the app, you can choose to have the view switch to a focal point or follow an object of your choice. When it works right, the view smoothly pans to the new focal point or follows the chosen subject beautifully. However; the process isn’t always smooth and could use some improvement. Sometimes you can tap on a point and choose to look, and the view will switch on the video in a crazy manner by bobbing or spinning around with no way to stop it and other times it just snaps to the new location as if you spliced several videos together. The follow this option is a little quirky as well. Sometimes it follows a subject perfectly even as they move away. Other times it will lose tracking while the subject is right in front of you sitting still. Both these issues are software related and can be fixed in time. When the system works, it works amazingly. When it doesn’t work, it can be a bit frustrating as there doesn’t seem to be a way to just reset a video and start over. In fact, there is a way to delete “follow this” choices but there doesn’t seem to be a way to delete look here choices. Whether a long press or short press is used on the look here point, no option comes up to remove it. Even just a remove all settings from video would be appreciated.
Video and picture output is very good, particularly if you switch from normal to high on quality of the recordings. Dynamic range isn’t the greatest with metering preferring lighter areas and leaving the darks very dark. You can adjust highlights and shadows afterwards via the phone but if you have extreme differences in lights and shadows the cameras just don’t have the range to really keep enough detail. It really feels the primary focus was outdoor daytime shots and it does very good in those scenarios. Nighttime shots are lackluster so if that is your focus you may want to look elsewhere. The camera does get very warm during extended recordings but doesn’t seem to have a problem with this. Included is a 16GB MicroSD card to get you started and a single removable battery. Currently while the battery is removable the only way to charge it is in the camera. The storage and battery should work for most use cases just fine and chance are good your phone will be the limiting factor before the camera until on phone storage increases. Thankfully with swappable batteries and SD cards you still have options for the future.
If you have read this far you will notice that most of the shortcomings are software related and can be fixed with future updates. The good thing and the real standout about Rylo is this new startup company is hungry for success and has rapidly evolving the process. In a short time, there have been two updates to the app and camera and another is right around the corner adding wireless controls to Android. Several complaints about Rylo early in 2018 have already been addressed as well. Some of it’s closest competitors have more experience in the market and come with their own list of shortcomings and they seem content to leave them or slowly fix them. It is highly likely that many of the quirks or complaints about the camera will be addressed in short order which can’t be said of all companies that produce such products. If it were possible the Rylo 360 would be rated 4.5 out of 5. If the software were more refined it would be a 5 out of 5.
The big question is who is the Rylo 360 for? The real sweet spot seems to be outdoor active and prosumers who want to really have fun getting action shots and videos and be able to see how things come out without the need to lug around a laptop. The stabilization is just crazy good and the Rylo team is rapidly pushing refinement. Any gripes will more than likely be fixed instead of like some big companies where quirks persist even between product generations. Until then, the little quirks can still be overlooked to just have the opportunity to work with something new and refreshingly easy to work with.
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+13points
16of 19voted this as helpful.
Enjoy a morning beverage with this Breville drip coffee maker. It has six modes for achieving the taste you prefer, and it includes flat bottom and cone filter baskets for making small or large batches. This Breville drip coffee maker has cold brew and iced coffee settings for preparing refreshing beverages from the brewed extract.
Customer Rating
5
Quality build you would expect from Breville
on May 9, 2018
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Automatic settings for Fast, Gold, and Strong, My Brew, Over Ice, and Cold Brew
My Brew allows custom Bloom Time, Brew Speed, and Brew Temperature
SCA Gold Certified
Stainless steel construction
Water pump allows precise control of brew speed
Water pump creates quieter brewing when on a solid surface
Therm-coil allows precise control of water temp
Full stainless-steel water path means no plastic taste or leaks with age
Large basket includes gold toned filter
Brews up to 60 ounces
Carafe is well insulated keeping coffee warm for at least 3 ½ hours
Carafe pours easily
Hardness adjustment calibrates brewing to your local water hardness
Suggested scoops listed on side of water reservoir
Coffee flavor is smooth and balanced
Pour over kit available with specialized showerhead
Easy cleanup as basket and holder are fully removable
Automatic settings for Fast, Gold, and Strong, My Brew, Over Ice, and Cold Brew
My Brew allows custom Bloom Time, Brew Speed, and Brew Temperature
SCA Gold Certified
Stainless steel construction
Water pump allows precise control of brew speed
Water pump creates quieter brewing when on a solid surface
Therm-coil allows precise control of water temp
Full stainless-steel water path means no plastic taste or leaks with age
Large basket includes gold toned filter
Brews up to 60 ounces
Carafe is well insulated keeping coffee warm for at least 3 ½ hours
Carafe pours easily
Hardness adjustment calibrates brewing to your local water hardness
Suggested scoops listed on side of water reservoir
Coffee flavor is smooth and balanced
Pour over kit available with specialized showerhead
Easy cleanup as basket and holder are fully removable
Cons
Changing water hardness requires factory reset
No instructions are provided on checking water hardness after using original strip
Carafe weight makes determining how much coffee is left difficult
Paper filters for large basket are not normally in stores
Water pump can be loud depending on surface due to vibrations
Water reservoir is fixed making cleaning harder
Water reservoir always retains about 3 tablespoons of water
No water carafe included with fixed reservoir
Strong isn’t very strong
Can be complicated if not using automatic settings
Pour over kit not included
Silver plastic base seems out of place with the rest being stainless steel
Large size limits placement
Dial presses are sometimes registered incorrectly
Start button requires more pressure to register than expected
Changing water hardness requires factory reset
No instructions are provided on checking water hardness after using original strip
Carafe weight makes determining how much coffee is left difficult
Paper filters for large basket are not normally in stores
Water pump can be loud depending on surface due to vibrations
Water reservoir is fixed making cleaning harder
Water reservoir always retains about 3 tablespoons of water
No water carafe included with fixed reservoir
Strong isn’t very strong
Can be complicated if not using automatic settings
Pour over kit not included
Silver plastic base seems out of place with the rest being stainless steel
Large size limits placement
Dial presses are sometimes registered incorrectly
Start button requires more pressure to register than expected
Coffee drinkers come in two main categories. Casual coffee drinkers usually drink nearly anything. Coffee connoisseurs understand the meaning of things like flavor profile, bloom time, brew time, brew temp, and steep time. Although the Breville Precision Brewer can accommodate casual coffee fans, its feature set and price are most certainly targeted at connoisseurs. In fact, for connoisseurs the price tag might be considered low.
The first thing you will notice with this brewer is the size and weight. With a stainless-steel body, heavy stainless-steel carafe, and 60 ounces of brewing capacity it can limit placement. Included is a large gold toned filter basket and holder, cone style paper filter holder, and coffee scoop. An optional pour over kit is sold separately. A small oddity is with all the stainless steel the plastic is used sparingly and in appropriate places, like the top of the carafe or the water reservoir. No attempt is made to hide the fact that those areas are plastic. The colors are either gray or clear except on the base of the coffee pot. It’s hard to understand the need to have the base of the coffee pot plastic but it is made of a plastic which is colored as to try to blend it in with the stainless-steel body. It is in no way a deal breaker but just feels like an oddity in the overall thoughtful design. The front is very simply designed with a single dial, two buttons, and a blue backlight screen. If you have a Breville toaster oven you will know the design well. All options are adjusted via the dial and options on the screen. The large button starts the brew and the small button is to turn on a scheduled brew.
What sets this brewer apart is the use of stainless steel water lines instead of plastic inside, themo-coil heater, and water pump. This should, in theory, mean the coffee will have a smoother flavor as you don’t have much plastic imparting flavors, you can get a consistent water temperature for improved flavor extraction, and consistent water flow with a pump controlling things. Of the three, the water pump is the most noticeable. Where regular brewers use water temperature to move the water, the Breville makes a humming sound as the pump pushes water through. On a solid surface the pump is quieter than the sound of a traditional coffee pot. If your surface is unstable or hollow, you will feel a vibration or even hear a lot more sound. On a granite countertop the sound is much quieter. In fact, it is so quiet that if don’t hear the release of steam at the end of the brew you may not know your coffee is done if it wasn’t for the loud end of cycle tone. If you don’t like the volume of the end of cycle tone you can set it on low or off.
At first glance the options can seem daunting. With two types of baskets and multiple brews you might feel inclined to look back at the manual when making your first few pots until you realize everything is printed on the water reservoir or in the menu options. Need to know how many scoops to use for 40 ounces of coffee? Just look on the side of the reservoir at the 40-ounce mark and the number of cups is also the number of recommended scoops. Need to know which filter setup to use? The water reservoir clearly says the max number of cups you can brew before you need to use the basket style filter. How do you choose between fast, gold, or strong? Well the options are in order of strength. For casual drinkers this will be about all you would care to know if you use the Precision Brewer. Just put the prescribed scoops in to match the water and press start.
For coffee connoisseurs, you have plenty of options. First, it should be said that the SCA certification applies to using the cone filter basket which can brew up to 40 ounces. On first startup, you will be asked to test the water hardness using a supplied test strip. Once you enter this setting in the brewer all future brews will be adjusted automatically based on that setting. If you prefer to use extra grounds you will find both filter baskets plenty large enough accommodate. Bloom time can be set from 0-5 minute in one second intervals. Brew temp can be set from 176 to 208 degrees and flow rate options are fast and slow. Taste is very subjective but overall the Precision Brewer produced a smooth flavor whether set on gold or strong. Strong isn’t extremely strong even with a dark roast but is still markedly stronger than gold. Even with canned, pre-ground, Arabica beans the flavor was satisfying without a bitter or sour flavor using automatic settings. The gold toned filter surprisingly does a good job of keeping that last sip of your coffee from having a powdery texture unlike most metal filters. If you prefer paper filters over metal mesh and want to fill your carafe, your options for filters are more limited. Paper filters in grocery stores are typically for the smaller 8-12 cup coffee maker styles. To find the larger paper filters, you will have to check a warehouse store or restaurant supply store. The cone filter basket uses the standard size are easy to find nearly everywhere.
If you are the type that prefers a pour over the Precision Brewer can accommodate. The only catch is it requires a kit sold separately which has a different shower head, filter basket, and cup stand. At the time of writing this, the kit was also expensive but if you really must have a pour over you aren’t left out.
Coffee makers that include an iced coffee options are becoming very commonplace. The brewer adjusts the brew cycle to compensate for the extra water provided by the ice. The instructions recommend that for maximum flavor you can also make coffee ice cubes to cool the iced coffee. What is less common are coffeemakers that include a cold brew option. The Precision Brewer has special valve control at the bottom of the filter basket that allows control of the steeping process. This allows the brewer to have a cold brew option where instead of using heat, it uses time to extract the flavor from the grounds.
The least favorite part of coffee is the cleanup. Fortunately, the Precision Brewer has a relatively simple cleanup process. The filter basket is completely removable and if you use a paper filter the process is even easier. If you use the mesh filter cleanup is still relatively easy as the filter is strong enough to keep shape while being cleaned. The carafe has a large opening that makes using a cleaning brush simple but most of the time a quick rinse under the sink is more than enough. The stainless steel can get water spots, but a quick wipe usually takes care of that. The showerhead is removeable and made of silicon. Just unscrew it and squeeze it a few times to break up any calcium and then wash it with soap and water. The only areas that might present a problem are the water reservoir and the carafe lid. The water reservoir is non-removable and always keeps about 3 tablespoons of water at the bottom, so mold could be an issue with infrequent use. It is a little strange that at this price point a carafe is not included to fill up the reservoir if the reservoir isn’t removable. The lid of the carafe is designed in such a way to keep heat in but cannot be disassembled to clean out buildup. Fortunately, the opening is large enough where buildup shouldn’t affect performance much. A descaling option is included, and the brewer will let you know when it is time. It takes 15 minutes to descale.
Overall, the Breville Precision Brewer is a well designed and built much like their other products. If you want one just to match your toaster oven you find the experience overall very similar, even down to the way the buttons, dials, and menu options look and feel. You can keep things simple or change them how you like. If you want a quality brewer, the Precision Brewer should be on your list of brewers to consider.
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+44points
46of 48voted this as helpful.
Only at Best BuyEnter the RPG arena with this Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop. It has 1TB of storage, and its NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card loads dynamic in-game visuals and Full HD movies smoothly. The quad-core Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of DDR4 RAM let this Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop perform efficiently.
Customer Rating
4
Decent gaming laptop for those on a tight budget
on May 3, 2018
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Screen has good viewing angles for the price point
Screen brightness is good for indoor use
Color reproduction is good for the price point
Keyboard response rate is accurate and fast
Backlit keyboard
Trackpad is excellent
Build feels sturdy
Fans are inaudible during normal use
Fans only make air rushing sound during max. No bearing whine
Bloatware installed in minimal
Dual video cards mean battery saving Intel card used when not gaming
Upgradable RAM and Hard drive
M.2 slot also available
Plenty of ports including USB 3 and USB C
Decent battery life of about 5 to 5 ½ hours during moderate use
Configurable fan controller
Speakers have a good sound quality and are reasonably loud on hard surfaces
Can play older games with all settings maxed out
Screen has good viewing angles for the price point
Screen brightness is good for indoor use
Color reproduction is good for the price point
Keyboard response rate is accurate and fast
Backlit keyboard
Trackpad is excellent
Build feels sturdy
Fans are inaudible during normal use
Fans only make air rushing sound during max. No bearing whine
Bloatware installed in minimal
Dual video cards mean battery saving Intel card used when not gaming
Upgradable RAM and Hard drive
M.2 slot also available
Plenty of ports including USB 3 and USB C
Decent battery life of about 5 to 5 ½ hours during moderate use
Configurable fan controller
Speakers have a good sound quality and are reasonably loud on hard surfaces
Can play older games with all settings maxed out
Cons
Screen Max brightness too low for brighter rooms
Chicklet style keyboard feels mushy
Red letters on keys make keys hard to see without backlight
Keyboard layout cramped on the right side
Fans are unable to keep processor cool enough to prevent thermal throttling
M.2 slot located under main case meaning installing could void warranty
M.2 slot doesn’t appear to support NVME according to HWInfo64
Speakers fire downward meaning they get muffled and low when not on a hard surface
Only includes a 5400rpm hard drive which bottlenecks the system. HDD usage often 100%
3D Mark reports system below minimum spec for Vive or Oculus
3D Mark benchmark could only muster 11FPS
Screen Max brightness too low for brighter rooms
Chicklet style keyboard feels mushy
Red letters on keys make keys hard to see without backlight
Keyboard layout cramped on the right side
Fans are unable to keep processor cool enough to prevent thermal throttling
M.2 slot located under main case meaning installing could void warranty
M.2 slot doesn’t appear to support NVME according to HWInfo64
Speakers fire downward meaning they get muffled and low when not on a hard surface
Only includes a 5400rpm hard drive which bottlenecks the system. HDD usage often 100%
3D Mark reports system below minimum spec for Vive or Oculus
3D Mark benchmark could only muster 11FPS
The Acer Nitro 5 is the budget-oriented series of gaming laptops from Acer. Depending on your budget, you can purchase one with an included SSD, Upgraded Memory, and a Core i7. The AN515-53-52 is the most affordable in the range. Included is a 15.6-inch IPS screen, Core i5 Coffee Lake processor, 1TB 5400rpm hard drive, 8GB of RAM, and a GeForce 1050. All include plenty of ports from USB 2, USB 3, USB C, HDMI, and a stereo jack.
If this is your first look into a gaming laptop be prepared. After seeing all these ultra-thin and light laptops you will find the focus on gaming laptops is on performance before size. You can only squeeze so much power into the ultra-thin chassis. That said, the Nitro 5 isn’t overly heavy or large. At first glance, it is roughly the size and weight of traditional laptops of just a few years ago meaning it is still plenty portable. The top case is a dark grey/light black faux brushed metal panel which looks surprisingly understated compared to other gaming laptops. The logo is a standard Acer logo and the only hint this might be a different laptop is the strip of red on the hinge. Even once open the palm rest is a satin black finish, which attracts fingerprints, with black keys with red letters. The WASD keys and trackpad have a bolder outline of red. The backlight covers all the red accents except strangely the trackpad. The only options are on and off. Without the backlight on you could bring this to work and it would be unlikely anyone would realize it’s a gaming laptop. Overall it is a nice touch for those who want a system that can pull double duty.
This double duty continues onto the design of the keys of the keyboard. They are chicklet style keyboard that makes very little sound. This is helpful when you are in a quiet meeting but it does lend to a soft feel compared to Cherry MX or other mechanical switches. It might take some adjustment but if you can get over the feeling, the responsiveness and accuracy is quite good. Spacing is also very good allowing you to quickly find the precise key you want with good separation between keys. This does not carry over to the number pad on the right. The function keys at the top and the number pad keys are both very cramped. If you are playing games that make heavy use of the function keys or arrow keys, you might find a challenge to quickly choose the one you want. If you are one of those rare people who can game with a trackpad you will find yourself both happy and a little frustrated. The trackpad has the precision and responsiveness of a precision touchpad but unfortunately if you try to use that in combination with the WASD keys you will find they are nearly stack one on top of the other. Since most people use a separate mouse for gaming and typically for other uses the touchpad is best in the center this shouldn’t affect most and for other cases it works very well. Palm rejection could use a little refinement but is still very good.
Since this is a budget gaming laptop the big question is where is the big sacrifice? If you are looking at this system you already know the performance of the Geforce 1050. Older games are playable with all settings maxed out, but newer titles will likely take some tweaking to make them playable. The other slowdown comes in the form of the 5400 traditional hard drive and only 8GB memory. The good news is that both are upgradable via access panels on the bottom of the chassis. If you really want to risk voiding your warranty, there is also an M.2 slot underneath the bottom panel but unfortunately according to HWInfo64 there are no spare PCIExpress lanes available means an NVME SSD shouldn’t be compatible, but you can still use a SATA based SSD without a problem if you are up to the surgery. The system is compatible with Intel Optane RST but unfortunately since the wrong parts were used you can’t take advantage to speed up the slow hard drive on the cheap. With this slow hard drive you will find that system startup and of course games loads are slow. You will also find that with the 8GB of ram the hard drive gets easily get maxed out causing some frustrating lags. Yes, this can be fixed with upgrades later but be prepared for the occasional lag. Once things are loaded in memory usage is quick in most cases.
During testing with 3D bench the surprise was that the gaming bottleneck wasn’t the slow hard drive or limited RAM but it was actually the GeForce 1050. Processor based tests faired decent but during stress testing of the GPU the system was only to pull off 11FPS. This doesn’t mean the processor can’t potentially slow you down. During stress testing, even with fans configure to Max speed and even with CoolBoost enabled the Core i5 was able to get up as high as 197 degrees. According to the specs on the processor, the max temp is 200 degrees, so it came extremely close to thermal throttling even with all cooling settings used. The GPU ran cooler, but oddly the GPU the temps kept dropping off the monitor. The good thing is you want to run the fans at max speed to allow max cooling the sound should not bother you. The fans are most certainly audible but only as an air rushing sound. No bearing whine or other unpleasant sounds could be heard. This is quite impressive since some other high-end systems introduce a high-pitched bearing whine at full speed.
Continuing with the fan noise, the speakers are respectably loud on hard surfaces. Since they are downward firing any use on other surfaces will muffle the sound and make them far less useful. Combine that with the fan noise and a good set of gaming headphones are in order. Regardless, gaming headphones are the better way because of the distinct advantage of immersion and sound placement. The build in speakers seem more designed for casual use rather than gaming which is understandable for any portable gaming rig and more so in a budget one.
Battery life is always a sore point for gaming systems and the Nitro 5 is somewhere in the middle of the pack on this. Integrated Intel graphics mean that during light usage the GeForce goes to sleep and the system sips power but considering all that is crammed into the system you can get at best 5 to 5 ½ hours of light to moderate use. Gaming on battery power is expectedly much shorter and variable depending on the game.
The big question is if the AN515-53-52 is right for you. Gaming laptops push the edge of what can be done, and budget gaming laptops have a harder time since they must decide what to compromise to keep the price down. Although the Nitro 5 most certainly has compromises, it seems Acer did a good job of choose what to compromise to keep the price in check and made an overall good system with some upgrade options. If the Core i5 and GeForce 1050 do not meet your initial requirements, you are best off looking towards the higher end Nitro 5 from the start as those two components are not upgradeable. If you don’t need the most powerful gaming laptop available and just would like some modest upgrades while saving money this one could be for you.
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+11points
19of 27voted this as helpful.
The only purifying fan to clean a whole room properly*. We design our purifying fans to go beyond test chamber conditions and focus on real home conditions – this is more than just having an efficient filter.*Dyson engineers and research concluded that to clean an entire room properly, you need to sense pollution events automatically; capture ultrafine pollutants; and project cleaner air around the room using Air Multiplier technology. Only the Dyson purifying fan is designed and tested to do all of this.**Dyson technology helps create a cleaner, healthier home - Our vacuums and purifiers are scientifically proven to capture particles as small as allergens and bacteria.
Customer Rating
5
Thoughtfully designed unique air purifier
on April 20, 2018
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Quiet even on high for an air purifier
Compact design is easy to accommodate in any room
Airflow can be directed to cool or only purify
Integrated smartphone controls and reporting
Night mode limits noise output and dims screen
Measures air quality to help you find out what is affecting you
Automatic mode allows it to turn on and clean air as needed
Integrates with Alexa
Attractive design
Moves a lot of air on high
Quiet even on high for an air purifier
Compact design is easy to accommodate in any room
Airflow can be directed to cool or only purify
Integrated smartphone controls and reporting
Night mode limits noise output and dims screen
Measures air quality to help you find out what is affecting you
Automatic mode allows it to turn on and clean air as needed
Integrates with Alexa
Attractive design
Moves a lot of air on high
Cons
No listing of how big of a room is supported
Slight motor whine on high
Says not to carry by loop even though that is the most logical method
Fan keeps saying it has updated firmware and yet app says it needs a firmware update
No listing of how big of a room is supported
Slight motor whine on high
Says not to carry by loop even though that is the most logical method
Fan keeps saying it has updated firmware and yet app says it needs a firmware update
If you suffer from allergies you are probably accustomed to having a big box in your room making a loud air sound as you sleep at night. You hope it makes a difference but aren’t quite sure since it doesn’t tell you anything. You don’t leave it on all the time because you don’t want to hear it running. Well the Dyson Pure Cool Tower, as with most Dyson products, does things a little different.
To start, most air purifiers are boxes that sit on the floor. The pure cool tower looks and acts just like a tower fan, except in Dyson style. If you want to use it as a purifier you can change it to direct air to the back. Direct air to the front it becomes a purifier and fan. A nice side benefit of the purifier always being part of this combined with the unique design means air is always passed through a filter first. This should mean no more figuring out a way to clean dust off the blades on a regular tower fan. On high, the purifier is louder than a traditional tower fan with a slight motor whine sound. A night mode option does limit the speed to a max of 4 instead of 10 meaning it is silent while you sleep. To be fair, it is more appropriate to compare it to a purifier and in that case, it is far quieter. Although more subjective, the design is much more attractive than a traditional purifier so leaving it in a room doesn’t create the eyesore most do.
The design also means you likely won’t feel compelled to put it up the moment allergy season is over. This is helpful because with an automatic mode the purifier measures contaminants in the room and automatically cleans the air as needed. The side effect is that the continuous on demand cleaning means dusting should be needed less since there is less in the air. It also means if you leave it out on automatic, you shouldn’t get caught when allergens change during a lazy spell and you aren’t checking allergy reports only to wake up with a stuffed nose. Another benefit of the automatic features is the filter monitor. Even if you ignore the display directly on the tower, the app will tell you when your filter life is getting low. This really helps to spoil you with less to think about. Just put it on auto and it will tell you when it needs help. Adding even more to the convenience factor is the ability to control it with Alexa. If using the remote or app are too much work, just tell Alexa to do it for you.
If you are the type who wants to get more hands on it of course has a manual mode. More importantly, you can get reports on levels of different contaminants including PM 2.5, PM 10, VOC and NO2. The display on the tower allows you to display the temperature, humidity, or the contaminant level of your choice. The app can show you them all in a single glace to allow you to examine every aspect of the air quality of your room. Strangely, if you want to dig into the specific graphs of contaminants the app warns the purifier needs a firmware upgrade. No matter how many times it says firmware upgrade complete, the graphs do not show. Hopefully this is just a sign of an upcoming feature and not a bug. Overall, this shortcoming doesn’t affect the functionality unless you just must see the contaminant levels from hours ago. It is very easy to see the sensors at work. Just mow your lawn and come in and out a few times during the process. You will not only see the numbers jump on the display, you will hear the fan speed up to clear the air. Once things have settle the purifier will slow back down and turn off as needed.
Regardless of if you are the hands off or hands on type of person, the Pure Cool Tower can help you keep your allergies in check. If you like Dyson products, you know and accept their products aren’t the cheapest. Typically, their higher price comes with a lot of added value and the same is true of the Pure Cool Tower. There are no major downsides. In fact, the only real gripe is if you want to move it you aren’t supposed to use the most logical built in carrying handle. Even though the loop looks like a perfect carrying handle, the instructions say not to do so or you may damage the unit.
If you are the market for an air purifier and want something you can just leave out all the time to take care of things for you without fuss, then the Dyson Pure Cool Tower is a good fit. It makes taking care of allergies easier and more informative while keeping your room quiet.
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+39points
41of 43voted this as helpful.
Add music to your day with these Sony wireless headphones. Their noise cancelling technology uses artificial intelligence to adapt to your environment and reduce background sounds for enjoyable listening. The Quick Charging battery on these over-ear Sony wireless headphones provides up to 35 hours of playback for convenience.
Customer Rating
5
Great value in noise cancelling headphones
on April 4, 2018
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Active sound cancelling
Over the ear design allows for longer listening
Built in EQ options with familiar descriptions such as bright, excited,etc
Options to simulate a concert hall or stadium as well as others
Unique and easy to use track control slider button
Wired and wireless connection options
Active sound cancelling
Over the ear design allows for longer listening
Built in EQ options with familiar descriptions such as bright, excited,etc
Options to simulate a concert hall or stadium as well as others
Unique and easy to use track control slider button
Wired and wireless connection options
Cons
No carrying case
Could use some metal in the design
No carrying case
Could use some metal in the design
Although you hear a lot of buzz and marketing from certain other brands for high quality noise cancelling headphones you don’t often hear anything about Sony. This doesn’t mean Sony doesn’t offer any competing product of their own. The Sony WH-CN700N headphones are a mid-level set in a series of such headphones and they offer several compelling advantages over other offerings, including a cheaper price.
The first thing you notice with the WH-CN700N headphones is the large box. These headphones aren’t designed with mobility in use. They don’t fold down or offer a carrying case. You get the feeling Sony intends for them to primary stay in one location. For most that is probably just fine since over the ear headphones aren’t in any way discrete or portable anyway. With the headphones you will find a standard stereo headphone adapter for when you need them hardwired as well as a micro usb charging cable.
The overall design is primarily plastic with metal accents and a bit of metal where the size adjustment is located. Although they don’t necessarily look expensive they do feel solid and like they would hold up to normal use just fine. The pads for the earpieces are made of a soft touch material that feels like a faux leather. They aren’t the softest you can get but do just fine even with extended use. The top portion is a single piece where the padded rest and main support integrated. Some support the padded portion that touches your head away from your head for improved comfort, but this single piece design still feels very comfortable. The right earpiece houses the power button, input jack, noise cancellation control button, and charge port while the left houses the volume rocker and play control slider. A nice touch is the right earpiece also includes an NFC pair option making Bluetooth pairing very easy for smartphones that support NFC. Just tap your phone to the spot and then choose yes on your phone when the pairing option comes up. Once paired with your phone you are prompted to install supporting apps. The main one, simply enough, is called Head-phones. In the app you can control surround mode, equalizer, noise cancelling, sound quality mode, and DSEE. The acronym DSEE stands for Digital Sound Enhancement Engine. DSEE is supposed to help improve the quality of songs that lose elements due to compression of digital music. If you often listen to low quality streams or heavily compressed music this feature will be more useful than if you have uncompressed or lossless compression. The equalizer has a nice touch in that the presets have names more familiar to audiophiles such as bright, excited, mellow, relaxed, etc. For most, the presets do a nice job of changing the overall feel of the source music to suit your tastes. If you prefer a more manual method, you can adjust the individual levels directly via manual or the 2 custom preset options.
Overall, sound quality is very good. Many people would likely find leaving EQ flat works great as the sound reproduction of the drivers is very balanced, particularly for this price point. It’s hard to pick out any range severely lacking. The bass can hit hard or be very smooth as the song intends. For those who love bass, there is a bass boost option with can produce an almost nauseating amount of bass. Thankfully, with a flat EQ the bass is appropriate to the song without overpowering. Overall, the drivers seem capable of keeping up with your EQ adjustments to give you the exact sound you want.
The big question beyond sound quality is if the noise cancelling works. The answer is it depends. If you are looking to block out all sounds it won’t do that. They will not cancel out the sound of loud machinery completely. The machinery produces mid and high-level noises that won’t be cancelled out. The instructions also recommend against use in dusty or dirty environments. Voices and other higher pitched sounds filter through about the same as any other over the ear headphones. Where the noise cancelling comes in is with lower, droning type noises. It’s not to say it won’t muffle the talking at all but what it will do is make the sounds of that fridge or vending machine humming along disappear from your workday. The effect feels very subtle. An easy way to hear it working is to turn it off and on without any music on. You will notice this feeling as if you are entering a vacuum as those low sounds just gradually fade away to silence. What is also nice is that, unlike some, the noise cancelling doesn’t seem to produce a hissing sound or degrade the overall music quality.
Normally, controls aren’t something that you talk about as a standout feature on headphones. However; the design of these is unique enough and well thought out as to deserve some recognition. The volume control is a run of the mill volume rocker and the power and mode buttons are single press. What is unique and arguably the best designed control is the track control slider. It’s not a button entirely but a slider/button combination. The button protrudes slightly from the headphones to make locating easy. A press of the button controls the play/pause function but what is just a small but very nice touch is sliding the button forward or backwards will advance to the next track or go back to the prior. This feature makes regularly track control buttons just feel awkward by comparison. It is very sensitive as well but thankfully Sony recognized this and made sure the button/slider doesn’t protrude out too much to cause accidental changes. It might sound like a trivial thing but after use you might find yourself wondering why this isn’t on more headphones.
If you are in the market for some good quality over the ear headphones and won’t want to break the bank on some of the ultra-high end ones, the Sony WH-CH700N might just be for you. If your budget and desire allows, they also come in even higher end versions in the 1000 series but the 700 series hits a sweet spot that should serve the majority of people perfectly.
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+3points
28of 53voted this as helpful.
Improve daily oral hygiene routines with this Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush. An internal sensor regulates applied pressure to prevent soreness of teeth and gums, and the BrushSync reminder lets you know when it's time to change the brush head. This Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush removes up to seven times more plaque than a regular toothbrush to maintain oral health.
Customer Rating
5
A toothbrush that teaches you how to brush
on March 27, 2018
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
14-day break in for new users
14-day break in can be disabled
Can use original, cheaper brush heads without chip
Pressure sensor tells you when you are brushing too hard
Pressure sensor works even with original brush heads
3 brush modes depending on your needs
Smart brush heads can tell you when it’s time to change
Quadpacer helps train you to split time evenly when brushing
Audible beep when inserted into charging base so you know it’s charging
Status light makes knowing battery status easier
14-day break in for new users
14-day break in can be disabled
Can use original, cheaper brush heads without chip
Pressure sensor tells you when you are brushing too hard
Pressure sensor works even with original brush heads
3 brush modes depending on your needs
Smart brush heads can tell you when it’s time to change
Quadpacer helps train you to split time evenly when brushing
Audible beep when inserted into charging base so you know it’s charging
Status light makes knowing battery status easier
Cons
Smart heads are expensive
Mode selection is manual only
Brush and mode selection button are the same making mistakes easier
Smart heads are expensive
Mode selection is manual only
Brush and mode selection button are the same making mistakes easier
Sonicare is trying to do something very difficult by improving a nearly perfect product. Fortunately, with the Sonicare ProtectiveClean 5100 Phillips was careful not to ruin a good thing. The ProtectiveClean is nearly identical in design to previous generations but offers some useful additions. You have a choice of black or white for the main unit, but the brush heads only come in white. Included in the box with the toothbrush is a G2 Optimal Gum Care brush head, charging base, and travel case.
For those who have never used a Sonicare toothbrush before the standard 14-day break in period is enabled by default where brushing strength is gradually increased. If you are upgrading from a previous generation the instructions describe a way to skip the 14-day period. What is different is that you have 3 brush modes of clean, gum care, and white. On the 5100 series the mode selection is manual, so you should change your mode to match the installed head. This should not be a problem for most as changing to different brush heads frequently is unlikely. One small issue is that the brush button and mode button look and feel identical and are spaced closely together. This means initially there is an adjustment period where you might accidentally change modes instead of pressing the brush button. Although it is a minor deal and is easily remedied by changing modes back, a difference in the button styles or shapes would be a nice touch to indicate what button you are pressing. Maybe a change in future generations where the brush button protrudes out instead of being concave could further refine the design.
Brush heads come in an almost confusing variety. What is common is that they are all offered in three styles in the form of clean, gum care, and whitening. The only difference beyond that is if you are using a standard or premium brush head. Prices can get quite high, over $15 per brush head, depending on choice. The good news is the new ProtectiveClean 5100 is completely compatible with the old brush heads. In fact, even the pressure sensor still works! This is great if you want the new design but have some old brush heads still around or can’t find the new chip style ones.
This brings up to the real advantage of the ProtectiveClean 5100 and the reason why owners of previous generations may wish to upgrade even if their current Sonicare still works fine. It’s the pressure sensor. Brushing too hard is very common, according to my dentist, and as light as I thought I was brushing this new 5100 taught me I was still too rough on my gums. If you have a problem with receding gums or your gums are having problems with brushing this one can help teach you the right pressure to brush. You would think brushing lighter would lead to tarter buildup but so far, the only thing that has changed is that my gums are no longer sore.
If you are thinking of buying a Sonicare, the ProtectiveClean 5100 is in a nice sweet spot between price and features. You get less brushsync features, but unless you switch brush heads between different styles often you can save the money. If you already own a working Sonicare and are wondering if the upgrade is worth it, it comes down to one question. Could you use some help to make sure you aren’t overbrushing your gums? If you answer yes like me, this is a great toothbrush for you.
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+33points
33of 33voted this as helpful.
Enjoy superior sound and voice quality with these Jabra Elite wireless headphones. Integrated controls let you answer calls, adjust the volume or pause music with the touch of a button, while the included carrying case doubles as a charging station. External ambient noise keeps you aware of your surroundings, while a background noise filter delivers crisp, clear voice calls. With Bluetooth connectivity, these Jabra Elite wireless headphones are easy to pair to a mobile device.
Customer Rating
3
Decent hardware needing software update for Androi
on February 24, 2018
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Sleek and does not stand out for completely wire free
Autopause pauses thesong automatically when an earbud is removed
Options for noise isolating or mixing outside sounds
Good sound quality and reasonably balanced
IP55 dust and water resistant
Quick and easy pairing process on iOS
Sleek and does not stand out for completely wire free
Autopause pauses thesong automatically when an earbud is removed
Options for noise isolating or mixing outside sounds
Good sound quality and reasonably balanced
IP55 dust and water resistant
Quick and easy pairing process on iOS
Cons
Earbuds don’t feel secure with sweat or when cold
Pressing buttons requires pressing earbud hard into your ear
While sound quality is good it sounds flat and equalizer can’t fix it
Options for mixing outside sounds miss some important low frequency sounds
Ambient sound option causes cycling of earbuds on and off following sound on Android
Call recipients report frequent microphone dropout with wind noises
Poor cross body signal quality causing sound dropout for some
Instructions are confusing of what app to use and multiple apps are required on Android
No earbud tracking or find option
Charging case finger slot is too small for opening for those with short fingernails
Charging case has no flat surfaces for laying down
Earbuds don’t feel secure with sweat or when cold
Pressing buttons requires pressing earbud hard into your ear
While sound quality is good it sounds flat and equalizer can’t fix it
Options for mixing outside sounds miss some important low frequency sounds
Ambient sound option causes cycling of earbuds on and off following sound on Android
Call recipients report frequent microphone dropout with wind noises
Poor cross body signal quality causing sound dropout for some
Instructions are confusing of what app to use and multiple apps are required on Android
No earbud tracking or find option
Charging case finger slot is too small for opening for those with short fingernails
Charging case has no flat surfaces for laying down
The Jabra Elite 65t true wireless headphones join an increasing number of wire free headphones. Included are four microphones to improve call quality while reducing unwanted noises. The earbuds are noise isolating but include an adjustable setting in the software to allow outside noises as needed for safety. Connectivity is by the latest Bluetooth 5.0 to allow high quality sound and more stable connections. Included is Alexa as a voice assistant or you can use your phones default assistant. Total listening time is rated at 15 hours with included charging carrying case. The Elite 65t also comes in an active variant, which is nearly identical to the standard 65t.
The design of the Jabra Elite 65t is very sleek, particularly for true wireless headphones. Most of the body of the earbuds stays hidden inside the ear canal with only a relatively small portion visible. The earbuds are held in place with a rubberized tip, which is said to have a special coating to improve grip. You put them in your ear with a slight twisting motion to lock them in place. It sounds nice but in practice, the earbuds loosen from moisture from sweating or if you ears become cold from being outside on a cold day. Fortunately, it is easy to tell when they become loose to correct them but considering their compact size, you might find yourself worried you would lose them. Unfortunately, unlike some other brands that keep a track of the earbuds via GPS on your phone and list where they lost connectivity these include no such feature. They also do not include a feature to ring the buds to assist in finding them as some other true wireless earbuds include. If you drop them and do not realize it, there is no GPS log to the rescue or other tools to help you find them.
Starting with setup, the instructions say to install the Jabra app on your on your phone. When using an iPhone this is not even necessary since the moment you pair the phone it tells you it needs an app and even sends you directly to the app store to install it. Very easy to use. On Android, the process is more manual. You must search for the Jabra app as indicated only to discover there are multiple Jabra apps, none of which match the name you are given. The app you need to install is actually called Jabra Sound+ in the Play Store but you aren’t done once you install this. After installed Jabra Sound+ you will receive a message stating you need to install Jabra Services. Once installed the confusion does not end. If you look later on your phone for the Jabra Sound+ you don’t find it. Instead, the app is called Sound+. Overall the setup experience on Android feels less refined and in need of updates.
Once you have the earbuds, set up you will find the app has options to choose your voice assistant. The options are to use Alexa or your phone’s default voice assistant. A section called Audio experience allows to you to adjust such settings such as how much ambient noise you want played through the earbuds, if you would like Autopause activated, and if you want headset prompts. Under Call Experience, there is a helpful feature where you can choose to hear some of your voice as you speak in calls or if you would like the Caller ID announced. An equalizer is available for some basic tuning of sound with options to adjust the 60Hz, 250Hz, 1KHz, 4KHz, and 7.5KHz ranges. Battery level is listed in the app but unfortunately the earbuds do not announce battery level on start. Overall, the app is simple to navigate and offers a good selection of settings for most people.
Continuing the split experience for Android and iOS users, sound quality and connection stability is different for each. Using an iPhone 6, music quality is good and mixing of outside sounds happens uniformly in each ear. When using a Galaxy S8+ sound quality sounds more of what can be best described as flat and the mixing of outside sounds results in an odd left to right cycling at random times. It not that music sounded bad using an Android phone. It just seemed to lack body. This seems to be related to the way the earbuds work with Android since more than one GS8+ was tried as well as other older Android phones lying around. It seems Jabra needs to optimize how they work with Android more. A problem common regardless of phone was cross body signal quality. If you kept your phone in your pocket and bent over the thickness of your leg could block enough signal to cause dropouts. The adjustment for ambient noise still needs fine tuning as well. Traditional earbuds that naturally allow ambient noise allow a small amount of all noises through. The electronic version in the 65t seems to favor allowing high pitch noises while blocking deeper noises. This means that when outside the noise of crickets will blend straight in with your music while a car passing by or a person with a deep voice will be inaudible. For safety reasons, this needs fine-tuning. If Jabra could improve this, the largest flaw would be a non-issue.
Just as the earbuds are surprisingly small for the feature set, the charging case is small as well. The earbuds are rated to work for 5 hours on the integrated batteries with the charging case allowing two additional charges for a total of 15 hours of playback. The case can be easily stored in back. The inside is lined with a soft plastic. The earbuds light up on a successful connection to the charging case. On the outside of the case is a single status light. The case is rounded on all edges, which makes placing it on a flat surface awkward. You could stand it on end but that also does not seem correct. It feels that Jabra, in order to create a sleek and smooth design, forgot you might want to actually place it on a flat surface. This is of course a small gripe but an important one to mention nonetheless.
Overall, the Jabra Elite 65t true wireless earbuds are a decent offering that, with software refinement, could make a very compelling case for anyone who wants to get rid of the cables without spending a fortune. If you are an iPhone user, they can already be a good option and would be rated 4 out of 5. For Android users the decision is less certain without some updates and would be rated 2 out of 5.
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+16points
41of 66voted this as helpful.
Video editing doesn't have to be daunting or take tons of time. Go from hundreds of mystery folders to a visual view of your videos automatically sorted by date. Use automated editing options and step-by-step guidance to create and share everything from animated GIFs and video collages to new dynamic slideshows and full-length movies.
Customer Rating
3
Lots of features, dated needing refresh and polish
on December 20, 2017
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
-Large number of transitions, filters, music, and slides included
-Large number of options for import and export
-Download option for computers which do not have an optical drive
-Integrated options to export to Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo
-Large number of transitions, filters, music, and slides included
-Large number of options for import and export
-Download option for computers which do not have an optical drive
-Integrated options to export to Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo
Cons
-No touchscreen options
-Requires an Adobe account to activate instead of just using the Windows Store
-Help is very limited and buried even though it is targeted at home users
-Unstable and periodically crashes
-Slow to process even with a powerful computer and smaller videos
-Editing flow is inconsistent. Buttons change functions at odd times
-No Blu-Ray support
-No 4K export support for YouTube, Facebook, or Vimeo
-No support for importing media from Google Photos, OneDrive, or iCloud
-Application launcher screen doesn’t open an older version of Photoshop Elements even if you have it
-Application launcher screen just adds extra startup time to an already slow program
-No touchscreen options
-Requires an Adobe account to activate instead of just using the Windows Store
-Help is very limited and buried even though it is targeted at home users
-Unstable and periodically crashes
-Slow to process even with a powerful computer and smaller videos
-Editing flow is inconsistent. Buttons change functions at odd times
-No Blu-Ray support
-No 4K export support for YouTube, Facebook, or Vimeo
-No support for importing media from Google Photos, OneDrive, or iCloud
-Application launcher screen doesn’t open an older version of Photoshop Elements even if you have it
-Application launcher screen just adds extra startup time to an already slow program
Adobe Premier Elements 2018 is the latest in gradual evolution in Adobe’s video editing software directed at home users and prosumers. Premier Elements offers the core functionality of the professional products but tries to keep complexity down by cutting out less consumer-friendly features and by keeping the price down.
Adobe has made conservative changes to the product each year so overall the product has changed little over the years. You still purchase it on CD although a download option is now available even if you purchase the disk version. Although this change comes a big late as quite a few devices have omitted an optical drive for years it is nice to see the change made. Oddly, Premier Elements is not available via the Windows Store even though it’s companion, Photoshop Elements, has been available since for some time. Having the software available via the Windows Store makes it easier to find, buy, install, and move because you would already have your Windows Store Account the moment you configured Windows and a separate Adobe account wouldn’t be required. Moving licenses and tracking them would also be easier this way.
Adobe has made conservative changes to the product each year so overall the product has changed little over the years. You still purchase it on CD although a download option is now available even if you purchase the disk version. Although this change comes a big late as quite a few devices have omitted an optical drive for years it is nice to see the change made. Oddly, Premier Elements is not available via the Windows Store even though it’s companion, Photoshop Elements, has been available since for some time. Having the software available via the Windows Store makes it easier to find, buy, install, and move because you would already have your Windows Store Account the moment you configured Windows and a separate Adobe account wouldn’t be required. Moving licenses and tracking them would also be easier this way.
Premier Elements 2018 is a capable program albeit dated in design. It starts with a splash screen and a launcher screen as was the rage back around 2007 and showing every module as it loads as if even seasoned application users be able to do anything with the information if the application failed to launch. On launch you are greeted with a launcher screen that offers options to start a photo editor, organizer, and video editor. Besides adding unnecessary steps instead of allowing one to launch directly to a program, it also serves to confuse and slow things down particularly if you have purchased Elements and Premier in separate years. The launcher only launches the same version of the application it came with. This means if you are like a lot of people and purchase Elements one year and Premier another to spread out the costs you will have one launcher that launches Elements but fails to launch Premier and another that launches Premier but not Elements. A better solution would be simply to allow the shortcuts to open the corresponding application directly. There is an option to set a default program to start when opening the launcher but if you are not careful choosing you could end up conceivably having the Premier 2018 launcher trying to open instead Photoshop Elements. Once set, there is no clear way to reset or change this option either. Another aspect of the dated feel is how long it takes to launch Premier even on a modern fast computer. Videos editors on Smartphones and Tablets somehow manage to launch offering the lions share of features of Premier but without the 6-10 launch time required on a Core i5 rig with an SSD. It is hard to say if it is lack of optimization or just usage of old concepts, but younger generations will find the multiple steps and lag unacceptable.
Design concepts aside, Premier Elements is very capable for the price point. It offers a confusing array of options and has a basic and advanced mode. Unfortunately, the interface does little in the easy mode to make things easy. Once you are in the program, you are greeted with another launcher, in this case a wizard, offering options such Add Media or Create a Template Based Project. Once you start creating a project you are greeted with what feels like a near endless supply of options. Included are options for transitions, film effects, audio tracks, title screens, menu options, and various graphics that work much like stickers. Included are some smart tools such as Smart Trim which can look through video for the options such as people or action or a mix to find the best moments in the video to save you time. The timeline allows you to add media both through the standard interface or drag and drop.
Although very capable, the interface is mainly where Premier Elements starts to fall apart. Sometimes when working with a project, even on a modest project on a powerful machine, Premier crashes without any signs of what the error was. There is an feature turned on by default. It auto saves the project ever 15 minutes. A 5-minute autosave would be more appropriate but the problem is that sometimes, particularly if you have not saved the project manually at least once, the autosave feature fails when it crashes, and all work is lost. When adding and manipulating media the interface doesn’t always work as expected. When adding slides to a project, sometimes it adds them to the primary video timeline where other times it creates another video track and adds them to that track. The process seems random as adding the same type of slide in two different parts can yield different results. Another exactly is right click is a standard way to find options for an item Windows programs but in some parts of Premier the right click works as expected whereas other areas require a double click. Some of these seems like more polish is needed but some might be due to lack of experience. Professional tools often require training by third parties to fully utilize but with consumer products you expect the product to include ample training to have a firm grasp of the product’s use. Unfortunately, while Premier Elements does include some tutorials the number and scope is limited compared to the functionality of the product. It is great to offer so many features for what is essentially targeted at consumers and prosumers, but it really is lacking in documentation in training. If there is more training somewhere, it doesn’t make it clear.
Once you have a grasp of the basics of Premier Elements it is easy to make an attractive video. Importing videos from devices is easy and if you have done it on any Windows computer the process is standard. A tool to import media from more modern sources such as Google Photos, OneDrive, or iCloud would be a nice addition as more and more people use their smartphones to take videos over traditional video cameras. Export is a different story. The standard options are available to export the video to optical disk or hard drive where you can set the options but along with this are options to export to YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo. Unfortunately, 4K options aren’t available for any and Blu-Ray support is absent. This seems an odd omission for 2017/2018. If where hoping to use your 2-in-1 Windows device which are the most popular in recent years, expect touchscreen support to be poor. Following the theme of feeling powerful but dated, don’t expect to use the touchscreen on your device to be of much help as everything is small and designed for use with a mouse and keyboard.
Overall, Premier Elements is a powerful and affordable tool if you can get past the dated design, periodic instability, lack of tutorials, and just the overall lack of polish. It quite possibly offers the widest array of features for the price point and admittedly much of the same criticism of Premier Elements could be made against any video editing tool in the same class. If Adobe took more risks and put effort into modernizing and polishing the application this could be the go to tool for any consumer, prosumer, or potentially a budget minded/new professional. If you want the features Premier Elements 2018 offers can overlook the downsides you will find it should serve you well.
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+7points
8of 9voted this as helpful.
Be amazed by stunning Ultra HD content with this 65-inch Hisense smart ULED TV. Its HDR support and 4K upscaler optimize your viewing experience, and its Motion Rate 480 performance delivers smooth, clear visuals. Connect high-definition components to this Hisense smart ULED TV via its four HDMI and three USB inputs.
Customer Rating
4
Great TV if you can accept some shortfalls
on November 30, 2017
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Near OLED quality for less
Very bright screen reduces effects of glare
Very thin profile
Includes option for professional color calibration profile
Metal frame is actual metal giving high quality feel
Ample inputs for nearly anyone
Colors accuracy is far better than nearly any TV
HDR makes challenging scenes better
Very good range can produce very dark blacks and white whites
Excellent controller has very nice feedback when pressing buttons
Large number of adjustments available
Extremely loud speakers
Smart functions are usually operate quickly
Near OLED quality for less
Very bright screen reduces effects of glare
Very thin profile
Includes option for professional color calibration profile
Metal frame is actual metal giving high quality feel
Ample inputs for nearly anyone
Colors accuracy is far better than nearly any TV
HDR makes challenging scenes better
Very good range can produce very dark blacks and white whites
Excellent controller has very nice feedback when pressing buttons
Large number of adjustments available
Extremely loud speakers
Smart functions are usually operate quickly
Cons
Metal backplate prevents devices mounted behind from passing wireless signals
Random bright flashes on screen. Frequency increases with HDMI inputs
Noticeable backlight uniformity issues in dark scenes. Black scenes appear to have faint clouds
Either remote or TV randomly stops responding for several seconds
Range of speakers is limited
HDMI Arc is unreliable often losing lip sync
HDMI Arc volume randomly pops up screen as 10 when volume hasn’t changed
HDMI CEC won’t allow other devices to turn it off or on
Very heavy for its thickness
Very fragile during moving
Opera TV OS lacks apps
Metal backplate prevents devices mounted behind from passing wireless signals
Random bright flashes on screen. Frequency increases with HDMI inputs
Noticeable backlight uniformity issues in dark scenes. Black scenes appear to have faint clouds
Either remote or TV randomly stops responding for several seconds
Range of speakers is limited
HDMI Arc is unreliable often losing lip sync
HDMI Arc volume randomly pops up screen as 10 when volume hasn’t changed
HDMI CEC won’t allow other devices to turn it off or on
Very heavy for its thickness
Very fragile during moving
Opera TV OS lacks apps
The 65H9D Plus is Hisense’s answer to OLED TV’s where you can get the quality of OLED without the premium price. It uses what Hisense dubs ULED. A combination of techniques are used to achieve very dark blacks and very white whites as well as an overall wide color gamut. Combined with HDR and a very bright screen, a viewer can make scenes punchy and vibrant or as accurate as the creator intended.
To start, the 65H9D Plus is a very thin TV. It measures in at just ¾ of an inch in all areas except the bottom where all the connectors are placed. Hisense may market this as more affordable but by appearance you would think otherwise. The frame and back are metal or convincing enough to appear metallic. Taking it out of the box the frame felt colder to the touch like metal but either way, it gives the TV a very premium appearance. The back is most certainly metal which, although giving more of a feeling of getting a great value, comes at the cost of blocking wireless signals. If you are thinking about hiding any streaming or gaming devices behind it, you want to plan otherwise now. Devices mounted behind it controlled wirelessly will work inconsistently and some not at all. Trying out three different devices behind the TV results in warnings of disconnected remotes to random fits where the remote would move long after commanded in random ways. Game controllers would randomly drop out in the middle of gameplay. Of course, this is easily solved by placing devices either on a shelf or on the wall around the TV.
Regardless of the actual materials used, one thing you will find is this TV is very heavy for its size and thickness. Although once placed it shouldn’t matter much you will find moving a tedious venture as the instructions are very specific on how you remove the TV from the box and how you move it. Ignore the instructions and you risk damaging your shiny new TV. This is a two-person job to lift. If you had any thoughts of wall mounting be sure do double check the weight rating of your mount as well. The way the TV hangs from a wall mount puts all the weight at the bottom of the bracket. This means it wants to tilt down. Without strong tilt brackets, the weight will cause the TV to simply tilt down even after you lock it in place.
Included with the 65H9D Plus is probably one of the more satisfying remotes to use. No fancy touchpads or voice controls but just plain old buttons with a satisfying click. You know distinctly when you press them. The sound produced may not be the most enjoyable but the tactile feedback of the pressing the buttons is very satisfying versus the spongy feeling of most traditional button style remotes. If anything could be improved about the design, it would the addition of a backlight for nighttime use. With this many buttons sometimes, you might find yourself turning on a light to look for more obscure ones. A slight annoyance when using the remote is something in the process will periodically pause. It might be a random lag in the TV of the remote but occasionally, the remote will stop functioning for a few seconds. Thankfully it isn’t very common and pausing a couple of seconds allows whatever is happening to recover.
Once you have the TV in place and start to use it the color accuracy will become immediately apparent. Often, color accuracy is left to very expensive TVs and more affordable ones have issues with colors such as red being so bright they appear to bleed and no adjustments can fix them. Thankfully, the 65H9D Plus doesn't have any of these problems. Color accuracy is surprisingly good, even performing as good as more expensive TVs. For those who want more true colors, the theater mode does very good while not creating an overly dark picture like some. Combine this with a newer movie with HDR support and the scenes reveal even more detail. Going even further with local dimming, blacks are nearly as inky black as an OLED where all but the most demanding people would happy saving the money.
Such an affordable TV doesn't come without sacrifices. Both the original and replacement unit exhibited the same odd bright flashes at random. There was no pattern to the frequency except it occurred more with HDMI inputs than the built-in apps. Hopefully this is something that can be corrected as a software update. Backlight uniformity is very poor. In scenes where the majority of the screen is black or dark, it will appear as though there are barely visible white clouds throughout. Thankfully it is rare in most scenes as other colors hide the effect.
If you wish to use HDMI ARC for sound you may find communication is inconsistent with devices sometimes dropping out. In trying to get HDMI ARC to work, four different HDMI cables were used including two high spec ones. All four cables worked without issues on HDMI ARC on a different setup. Ultimately, the TV would only work with one cable and only after a restart. Even when working sometimes voices would become out of sync with the actor's lips. Sometimes a restart would fix this. Another odd behavior was that while connected for audio using HDMI ARC the TV would randomly display the volume bar at 10 regardless of what the actual sound level was set. Nothing would change and no remotes were touched. The bar would pop up for a few seconds and go away. A quick workaround is to just use an optical digital connection. HDMI also has what is called CEC which allows devices to communicate and turn off and on together. Unfortunately, if you have a streaming device that has a remote with all the functions you want the 65H9D Plus does not accept commands to turn off but rather only wants to be the master. Standby commands from other devices at best trigger the TV to turn off and right back on. These are all issues that can be fixed via firmware updates. Hopefully the issues will be gone once the TV has been available for a while.
Sound is decent but nothing inspiring. The built-in speakers are extremely loud. In fact, in most cases, listening becomes uncomfortably loud above 20 and yet the volume goes to 100. While it might be the loudest built in speaker setup in a LED TV, sound quality is just good. Not quite up to par with the screen. It's definitely useable but honestly most people who want better sound immediately connect external speakers anyway.
Regarding the Smart TV functions, the information on the TV doesn't say anywhere the box or specs but it uses Opera TV. The interface is a little confusing and leads make it look like there are two app stores and the main one is harder to find. You get support for staples such as Netflix, Amazon, Vudu, and YouTube but no support for Sling, Hulu, Vue, or DirecTV Now. Overall, the app store is filled with mostly unknown apps. If you need other streaming services a separate streaming device would be the way to go.
Overall the 65H9D Plus with some minor changes and some quality control issues fixed could be the TV to beat. It is still a very nice unit if you are aware of and accept its shortcomings and quirks it offers a great value if you want to be in the range of high end OLEDs but don't want to spend so much money.
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+34points
44of 54voted this as helpful.
Use this splash-resistant Sony wireless speaker to skip a song with a wave of your hand. It comes with Google Assistant, so you can control it with voice commands, and its two-stage diffuser and bass port deliver rich, room-filling sound. This Sony wireless speaker has built-in Bluetooth for streaming audio from your smartphone.
Customer Rating
5
Nice sound from a compact package
on November 9, 2017
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Splash proof
NFC tag for quick Bluetooth pairing
Gesture controls are great for keeping it clean
Dots on front make it clear when Google Assistant is listening
Built in clock makes in useful in more places
Clock has 4 brightness setting and can even be turned off
Comes in multiple colors
Attractive design makes it acceptable to place in the open
Physical mute button
Music automatically pauses when it hears the wake word
Wake word is recognized even when the speaker is fairly loud
Includes Chromecast Audio
Splash proof
NFC tag for quick Bluetooth pairing
Gesture controls are great for keeping it clean
Dots on front make it clear when Google Assistant is listening
Built in clock makes in useful in more places
Clock has 4 brightness setting and can even be turned off
Comes in multiple colors
Attractive design makes it acceptable to place in the open
Physical mute button
Music automatically pauses when it hears the wake word
Wake word is recognized even when the speaker is fairly loud
Includes Chromecast Audio
Cons
Speech has enough bass to almost sound muffled
Gesture controls for volume are finicky
No backup physical controls for volume
Mute button is not easily accessible
Gestures can prevent you from placing it as close to walls
Speech has enough bass to almost sound muffled
Gesture controls for volume are finicky
No backup physical controls for volume
Mute button is not easily accessible
Gestures can prevent you from placing it as close to walls
The Sony S50G is one of the latest offering in an expanding line of Google Assistant powered speakers. Each one attempts to make more premium versions for those who like more than what the standard smart speakers from Google offer. The S50G, while still very affordable, offers a lot of nice features and an attractive design that would make this a welcomed addition to the home for those looking for a Google Assistant powered smart speaker.
The S50G comes in several colors, all with a fabric body and a chrome accent ring at the bottom. Sony claims the S50G is splash proof which comes in handy if you plan to place this in the kitchen or bathroom. Included is a hidden vertical clock behind the front fabric. Four levels of brightness are available as well as off. The brightest setting makes it very viewable in the brightest rooms whereas the dimmest setting could serve handy for someone who would like to make this their modern version of a bedside clock radio. It can be controlled either via a smartphone or directly via gestures. You have swipe forward to active Google Assistant, swipe back for play/pause, swipe right for next track, and swipe left for previous track. On top there are also sensors that, when you twirl your finger in either a clockwise or counterclockwise manner will turn the volume up and down hands free. On bottom is a dimmer button which controls the brightness for the clock. On the back bottom is a mute button to turn off the microphone as well as an NFC tag you can tap to quickly pair your phone for music streaming via Bluetooth. However; for maximum audio quality Chromecast Audio is recommended as the speaker streams the music directly. No audio output is included but with Chromecast you can group other Chromecast devices to expand your speakers.
To use gesture control, you will need some space between the speaker and any walls to allow you room to move you hand fully over the unit. It doesn’t require much but you cannot have it flush and use the gestures. Too close and it makes gestures feel overall awkward. Gestures work very well for most tasks except changing volume. Often you may find yourself twirling your finger waiting for the speaker to recognize you want to turn up the volume to suddenly having the volume change quickly to far higher than intended. Once this happens, there will be a pause of a few seconds before you can turn it back down as it seems the speaker has a built-in timer of 2 or 3 seconds before it allows another volume change once you stop. To prevent this, move your finger more slowly in a circle to change the volume gradually or even change it directly via your smartphone.
Overall sound quality is quite good for such a small package. In most cases, half of max volume is good. Max volume goes well beyond comfortable listening for most people but doesn’t distort. However; certain tones do become more emphasized making listening more unpleasant and extremely high volumes. In the end, the normal volume range that most people would listen to music is quite large and the sound quality is overall pleasant.
Overall sound quality is quite good for such a small package. In most cases, half of max volume is good. Max volume goes well beyond comfortable listening for most people but doesn’t distort. However; certain tones do become more emphasized making listening more unpleasant and extremely high volumes. In the end, the normal volume range that most people would listen to music is quite large and the sound quality is overall pleasant.
If you know about Google Assistant, then you already know what it is capable of. It has the same feature as on any other device. What you might not realize is the S50G is able to take advantage of specific voice recognition for users. This is particularly handy as, once activated and trained, it will realize specific voices and answer questions only to that user. For example, you could have multiple user profiles trained with their respective Google accounts configured. When a person asks a question such as, “What is on my calendar?” Google Assistant will recognize who asked the question and look in the specific calendar of the person who asked the question. This is much better than the first generation of assistants which required a single account, and anyone could access that information simply by asking. This approach is much more personal and private. Unfortunately, our family has been unable to use this feature yet due to laryngitis. Google Assistant could still understand us, but we didn’t want to train voice profiles with a compromised voice. The good thing is regardless of if voice profiles are configured there is a guest profile which applies to anyone else. You don’t get as much access, but it allows anyone to ask general questions of Google Assistant or issue commands. If you feel saying “Hey Google” feels more natural than “Ok Google” you are in luck. The S50G offers the updated version of the assistant which allows the more natural wake word. Furthermore, you can say Hey Google even when the volume is quite loud it will recognize the wake phrase, pause playback, and listen for commands or questions. This is definite improvement over previous generation of assistants which would require you to feel as though you were screaming to wake the assistant if the volume was even slightly turned up.
Overall, the Sony S50G is a quality smart speaker package with features to make nearly anyone happy. It would make a great addition to any room in the house. About the only significant issue was gesture volume control which is a rather minor gripe. If Sony could somehow improve response with a future update it would make this unit about as perfect as could be for the price point. If you are in the market for a Smart Speaker with Google Assistant device you should give the Sony S50G a look.
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+6points
8of 10voted this as helpful.
CraigB's Review Comments
Watch your favorite movies, TV shows and sporting events in crisp 1080p resolution with this Samsung UN65FH6001FXZA HDTV, which features Clear Motion Rate 240 to preserve picture detail during fast-action sequences.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5This is an awesome TV for the cost
By Korom
from Raleigh, NC
First, this is a fantastic monitor. If you have a receiver for your HDMI switching and watch TV with the sound through that receiver then this is the PERFECT TV for you. I use it with my Denon e300 receiver, all my HDMI inputs go into the receiver with one HDMI cable going to the TV. Minimal fuss and muss. The picture quality is truly incredible for a LCD TV, the blacks are very very good, almost as good as my Panasonic Plasma but its understandable that its not that good as LCD cannot show true black like a plasma can. I checked 3 bars for the sound quality but honestly I never used the internal speakers. I gave this 5 stars and would have given it 6 stars if I could have (on a 5 star scale) because the picture quality is just that good.
Bottom line: Fantastic TV for the price.
CraigB
Texas
An LED TV is a type of LCD TV
November 29, 2013
Folks. For those of you telling this reviewer that he is talking about the wrong TV because he calls it an LCD, it is an LCD. LED TV's are still LCD TV's. The difference is the backlight behind the LCD is LED's instead of CCFL(fluorescent). Both still have and LCD screen that you actually look at up front.
+2points
2of 2voted this comment as helpful.
Microsoft Band 2 (Large): Keep track of your health and fitness goals throughout the day by monitoring your heart rate, steps taken, calories burned, sleep quality, hours slept and other helpful metrics. Just pair with your Windows Phone, Apple® iOS or Android device via Bluetooth to receive alerts at a glance.Discover how the technology of Microsoft Band 2 can assist you in a healthy, productive lifestyle. Learn more ›
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Best fitness tracker for the money
By CraigB
from Texas
When choosing high end fitness bands, my choices went back and forth between the Microsoft Band 2 and the Fitbit Surge. Fitbit has been in the business for fitness wearables for longer but I chose the Band 2 for what I felt was better value for my money. I purchased during a $50 off sale making it even more attractive and $50 less than the Surge. My main phone for this review is a Lumia 1520 with Windows 10 Mobile. I assume others will write reviews of the phone for other platforms and that is where this review starts. This fitness wearable is by far the most compatible. It supports iOS, Android, and Windows Phone/Mobile. Fitbit does as well but support for Windows Mobile is more limited. Comparing it to the Surge, it has more customizability, color screen, and a partially metal build. It feels more premium than the Surge. The metal does have 2 downsides. The first is that the finish used shows scratches extremely easily. See included picture. The second is that sweat and soap cause a foul smell very quickly requiring regular cleaning.
The Band 2 can be worn in two positions. The first is with the screen facing outwards like a watch. I tried this but it felt uncomfortable and viewing the screen was awkward particularly considering the screen doesn’t have a vertical view. This leads me to my preferred position which is with the screen facing inwards. It is much more natural to view and operate. It also feels more comfortable and is in fact the recommended way to wear the device. If there was any concern it is that wearing it inward the screen is always contacting surfaces when you lay your arms down. It uses gorilla glass but it still concerns me that I might scratch the screen. Every fitness wearable wasn’t completely comfortable to wear for one reason or another but this one starts to feel about like a watch after an adjustment period. Before you get the size right you might put it a place that binds you wrist or hits a nerve. I also learned it can get the heart rate just fine without tightening it down so far you hit nerves. Just like a watch it will take some fiddling to find your perfect tightness. Fortunately, the latching mechanism feels strong and has more adjustments than a tradition watch as well giving you more flexibility. Just make sure you use the sizing guide on the size of the box to choose the correct size. It shows wrists sizes with the wrist sideways.
Now the big question is how it works for tracking vitals. I haven’t worked with VO2 Max so I can’t comment on that but after getting the fit correct, the heart rate seems pretty close. Checking manual it was usually within about 10BPM or less from actual. Tracking steps seems a little different. It is difficult to verify but it seems to be a little high on the number of steps sometimes compared to my old hip worn pedometer. It just seems like I can reach 5,000 steps fairly easily. I am not a runner so I have not tested the GPS but I have read that some units have come from the factory with a bad GPS. What’s really nice is with all the vitals it gathers, more than just heart rate, it should be a fairly accurate color estimate. It has guided workouts you can add but I used the generic color tracking and added my own workout types to track. You can add things like HIT and weight training for your own purposes but it uses all the sensors to estimate the color burn instead of estimating based on the workout type. I feel this is more accurate but cannot verify. When you start workout mode, by default the screen stays on showing your workout time and heart rate. I suspect it is not as accurate as a chest band but it seems pretty good. After your workout is done you can see the entire workout on your phone or the website with your heart rate the entire time and your max marked. If there was any gripe it would be that you can’t have it vibrate when you hit your target or max heart rate. That would have been a great feature but, who knows. Maybe they will add it in the future. You can even use the website to compare your vitals to others in your height, weight, and age category. It’s all anonymous and very informative.
When not working out it still tracks your heart rate all the time but the other useful time to check is when you are sleeping. It can detect your sleep but if it gets it wrong you can only delete the time, not edit. You are better off starting your sleep tracking yourself. While sleeping, it will monitor you and in when you wake up you can see what your resting heart rate was overnight to get an even better picture of your health. It also has a smart alarm you can activate. If you want to wake up at a set time, just set the alarm and it will vibrate to wake you up. What I really like is if you activate the smart alarm and set it for 7:30am it will wake you up somewhere between 7:00am and 8:00am when you are most awake. That means you don’t wake up to an alarm feeling like you haven’t rested. You can even set the strength of the vibration.
Since this is a little bit of a smart watch you can add some apps. Since the phone doesn’t have any memory though, expect to only have them work when around your phone. It can control music on your phone and even use voice recognition with Cortana. I am running a prerelease build of the phone software so on occasion the connection dropped but it wasn’t hard to get back. I have found the notifications actually quite nice. I can leave the phone in one place in the house and still get notifications and respond to basic texts. I can also connect my phone to the stereo and change tracks and turn the volume up or down. It’s a standard feature for a smart watch but this is a fitness wearable and much cheaper than a smart watch. There are even some extra apps you can add and some third part utilizes to customize it further but if you want a smart watch more you might want to go that route. If you want a smart fitness tracker, this thing is hard to beat.
Pros
Solid (premium) build quality. It often gets looks and people asking what it is
Tracks more vitals than any other fitness wearable
Comfortable after figuring out your preferred fitment
Bright, sharp screen with auto brightness
Smart Alarm
Customizable workouts
Workout coaches
Customizable with smart watch type features
Solid latching mechanism
Good battery life for its functionality (2 days with no GPS and auto on screen)
Fast charge time (30 minutes to 80%)
Gorilla glass screen
Works on iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, and Web. The web is the most feature rich
Integrates with Health Vault
Constant heart rate
Portal to compare health
Rich sleep stats including restful sleep, times awake, resting heartrate, and recovery
Solid (premium) build quality. It often gets looks and people asking what it is
Tracks more vitals than any other fitness wearable
Comfortable after figuring out your preferred fitment
Bright, sharp screen with auto brightness
Smart Alarm
Customizable workouts
Workout coaches
Customizable with smart watch type features
Solid latching mechanism
Good battery life for its functionality (2 days with no GPS and auto on screen)
Fast charge time (30 minutes to 80%)
Gorilla glass screen
Works on iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, and Web. The web is the most feature rich
Integrates with Health Vault
Constant heart rate
Portal to compare health
Rich sleep stats including restful sleep, times awake, resting heartrate, and recovery
Cons
Cannot change band because electronics are built in
Metal area is a trap for sweat and soap requiring regular cleaning to prevent odor
Cannot change screen orientation
Awkward wearing screen outward
Metal finish is easy to scratch
No build in memory to bring music and store GPS while leaving phone behind for a time
Water resistant instead of waterproof
Possible to scratch screen with it facing downward
Sync is a bit slow
Cannot change band because electronics are built in
Metal area is a trap for sweat and soap requiring regular cleaning to prevent odor
Cannot change screen orientation
Awkward wearing screen outward
Metal finish is easy to scratch
No build in memory to bring music and store GPS while leaving phone behind for a time
Water resistant instead of waterproof
Possible to scratch screen with it facing downward
Sync is a bit slow
CraigB
Texas
Additional Findings
January 9, 2016
I just wanted to add an extra observations to my original review.
For those of you who want to view the display outside in sunlight, it doesn't seem to get that bright. For me that is not a big deal because outside exercises are typically the type where I don't use real time tracking but if you are the type who needs to read the display in direct sunlight, you might find it difficult. I will be checking further and report back if I find anything because indoors it is so bright that I wonder if I have done something wrong in the setup. Even with this finding I still feel it is the best for the money.
Also, if you happen to swap between phones or get a new phone you will have to factor reset the band. I periodically switch phones and discovered this. The system is designed to easily replace your band while using the same phone but if you move the band to any phone, even one that was restored from a backup of your original you will have to factory reset the band and set it back up. Not a huge deal because little is actually stored on the phone.
One other huge bonus for Windows Phone/Mobile users. If for some reason you either forget or choose not to wear your band and have a Lumia that is capable you can use it to augment your Band. Sometimes for different reasons I don't want to wear my band and only need to track steps. If I just keep my Lumia 950 in my pocket, it will track my steps and add them to what the band couldn't track. That particular feature is one I really love. The only caveat to that is while it updates the steps on the app and portal, the extra steps from your phone don't get transferred back to your band. This means if you took 2,000 steps with your band and phone and an additional 5,000 with only your Lumia the app will report 7,000 steps total which is correct but your band will continue to report 2,000 steps. Minor quibble though for a great additional feature for Windows Phone fans.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
ecobee ecobee3 Programmable Touch-Screen Wi-Fi Thermostat: Maintain a comfortable home with this programmable thermostat, which is Apple® HomeKit-enabled, so you can control the temperature remotely using your compatible device. Home IQ helps you conserve energy.
Overall
1 out of 5
1 out of 5cant set custom temps..sensors are glitchy
By annaj
i was trying to get this thermostat to set 4 or 5 different temps automaticly per day. an ecobee tech couldnt help me get this done on my web portal account . the sensors dont read the occupancy after being in the room for hours like being in a bedroom all night when u wake up the sensor will read unoccupied or sitting in the living room all day the same thing will happen after a few hours. a regular programable thermostat would have been a better choice.
CraigB
Texas
Did you try IFTTT
February 7, 2016
I was just wondering if you have looked into IFTTT to set those custom automatic temps. I haven't tried your exact scenario but the Ecobee3 can be connected to an IFTTT account to extend it's functionality.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
Your household wants to play, stream and work online all at once. With this Linksys router, you can do it all without buffering or other interruptions. Use the Smart Wi-Fi app to get started, control, and monitor your home network from anywhere.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Solid router with good range and speed
By CraigB
from Texas
I am posting this review after about a week of use. If I find anything more significant after posting I will add it as a reply to my original post. Be sure to check there for additions.
I needed to upgrade my WiFi because the internet service in my area was about to be upgraded to exceed the capacity of my current wireless N solution. This router seems as if it was marketed towards moderate power users as well as people with less technical skills who need an upgrade. Packaging is minimal the same as most routers today. It comes with a CD for documentation but it is not used for setup. This is a good thing because as an AC router most people upgrading to this would have newer devices, few of which have an optical drive.
I needed to upgrade my WiFi because the internet service in my area was about to be upgraded to exceed the capacity of my current wireless N solution. This router seems as if it was marketed towards moderate power users as well as people with less technical skills who need an upgrade. Packaging is minimal the same as most routers today. It comes with a CD for documentation but it is not used for setup. This is a good thing because as an AC router most people upgrading to this would have newer devices, few of which have an optical drive.
For the non-technical
This is not very hard to set up. You plug power into the only spot it fits. There are three antennas that screw into very noticeable spots on the back. And the internet plug is clearly labeled. The instructions tell you what to do in a few steps to get the device to take care of the rest. It also has the wireless already set up if you are afraid to do it and even comes with a sticker with the information so you will know what the password is to get on the WiFi. It already has a guest WiFi too but there is a separate login so someone can’t just borrow your internet without you giving them the password. If you feel more comfortable there are apps for iPhones and Android phones to control the device. Speed and range are very good but if you can it is always recommended to install it as close to the center of your house and avoid metal. The router can pretty much take care of itself after that and it shouldn’t require any further work.
This is not very hard to set up. You plug power into the only spot it fits. There are three antennas that screw into very noticeable spots on the back. And the internet plug is clearly labeled. The instructions tell you what to do in a few steps to get the device to take care of the rest. It also has the wireless already set up if you are afraid to do it and even comes with a sticker with the information so you will know what the password is to get on the WiFi. It already has a guest WiFi too but there is a separate login so someone can’t just borrow your internet without you giving them the password. If you feel more comfortable there are apps for iPhones and Android phones to control the device. Speed and range are very good but if you can it is always recommended to install it as close to the center of your house and avoid metal. The router can pretty much take care of itself after that and it shouldn’t require any further work.
For the technical people
If you are looking for a device with tons of granular settings, this might not be the device. Of course the power users I am referring to would probably be better suited sticking with the WRT series. I doubt this device will ever see an aftermarket firmware. It attempts to have a clean interface but that means it will feel slower than a power user router for some settings changes as transitions and animations run their course. Setting changes that require a reboot happen nearly as fast as the fastest routers out there. Although the stock firmware attempts to look fancy and simple it still has a decent amount of settings for all but the most extreme power users. The antennas use a standard connection so if you wanted to upgrade to larger ones later that is possible. Hardwired speed has been very good. I’m just a casual gamer but this hasn’t slowed me down at all and I cannot tell the different hardwired from my old gaming router. Wireless speed is actually very good as well although I was never able to achieve the 1300Mbps link speed advertised even right next to the unit. I maxed out at 900Mbps and it is possible that is related to my AC devices. My old router would drop down to the 39Mpbs on the opposite side of my house whereas this one can maintain at least 177Mpbs and often more.
If you are looking for a device with tons of granular settings, this might not be the device. Of course the power users I am referring to would probably be better suited sticking with the WRT series. I doubt this device will ever see an aftermarket firmware. It attempts to have a clean interface but that means it will feel slower than a power user router for some settings changes as transitions and animations run their course. Setting changes that require a reboot happen nearly as fast as the fastest routers out there. Although the stock firmware attempts to look fancy and simple it still has a decent amount of settings for all but the most extreme power users. The antennas use a standard connection so if you wanted to upgrade to larger ones later that is possible. Hardwired speed has been very good. I’m just a casual gamer but this hasn’t slowed me down at all and I cannot tell the different hardwired from my old gaming router. Wireless speed is actually very good as well although I was never able to achieve the 1300Mbps link speed advertised even right next to the unit. I maxed out at 900Mbps and it is possible that is related to my AC devices. My old router would drop down to the 39Mpbs on the opposite side of my house whereas this one can maintain at least 177Mpbs and often more.
So far during my ownership the stability of this device has reminded me of the old Linksys routers how even the cheap ones never locked up. I’m hoping it stays this way. If you want to change settings, you can do so the standard way most technical people do via the IP address or it has a built in URL. Thankfully it doesn’t require some odd application for initial setup. Unlike standard routers, this one is cloud connected when you choose so meaning remote access is passed via the cloud. It does support some dynamic DNS options but they seem more to push you towards connection via their cloud. Fortunately, this is optional except if you want to take advantage of the built in USB ports and access files remotely. I don’t have a spare drive to test right now so unfortunately I could not test the NAS performance. It does have a very basic QoS which allows you to set up to 3 services or devices as high priority but that’s pretty much it. It has some newer options but then oddly has more old services, such as Real Player and Rhapsody.
Pros
Large, replaceable antennas
Great Range
Reliable
Gigabit Ports
Fast Processor
Status lights can be turned off
Decent amount of features for all but the heavy power users
Doesn’t require a special application for setup or CD
Has USB ports for attaching a hard drive
Offers automatic firmware upgrades to keep security up. Good for keeping non power users safe (Can be turned off)
Documentation is thorough if you need help. You just click help on the top bar
Major changes that require a restart are almost unnoticeable to users as it restarts fast
Has WiFi secured by default and requires a password to be configured during setup. This is good if you are buying one for family and just want it secure without needing to help them. It even has a handy sticker with device specific WiFi passwords so someone can’t just look up a default WiFi password for the unit and borrow internet.
Large, replaceable antennas
Great Range
Reliable
Gigabit Ports
Fast Processor
Status lights can be turned off
Decent amount of features for all but the heavy power users
Doesn’t require a special application for setup or CD
Has USB ports for attaching a hard drive
Offers automatic firmware upgrades to keep security up. Good for keeping non power users safe (Can be turned off)
Documentation is thorough if you need help. You just click help on the top bar
Major changes that require a restart are almost unnoticeable to users as it restarts fast
Has WiFi secured by default and requires a password to be configured during setup. This is good if you are buying one for family and just want it secure without needing to help them. It even has a handy sticker with device specific WiFi passwords so someone can’t just look up a default WiFi password for the unit and borrow internet.
Cons
Interface tries too hard to be attractive slowing it down with animations
Only supports 2 Dynamic DNS providers.
QoS settings seem to cater to power users but offer little customization
QoS rule changes require moving service or devices boxes around and the interface jumps quickly between sections. This often causes you to accidentally move something you didn’t intend to.
Included “Apps” are of limited usefulness and only work on iOS and Android which leaves out anything Windows (No Windows 10 Universal Apps) and no Mac. No configuring your router with touch, like via a Surface, using a Windows App.
Interface tries too hard to be attractive slowing it down with animations
Only supports 2 Dynamic DNS providers.
QoS settings seem to cater to power users but offer little customization
QoS rule changes require moving service or devices boxes around and the interface jumps quickly between sections. This often causes you to accidentally move something you didn’t intend to.
Included “Apps” are of limited usefulness and only work on iOS and Android which leaves out anything Windows (No Windows 10 Universal Apps) and no Mac. No configuring your router with touch, like via a Surface, using a Windows App.
Final Notes
Higher end units near this price point I have owned have had large aluminum heatsinks to dissipate heat. This one has one very small heatsink. I suspect heat stress will be higher on this unit and might be why this case has such a large open cavity you can easily see straight through the vent holes. I suspect longevity will be lower but only time will tell. So the unit has not felt very warm so fingers crossed.
Higher end units near this price point I have owned have had large aluminum heatsinks to dissipate heat. This one has one very small heatsink. I suspect heat stress will be higher on this unit and might be why this case has such a large open cavity you can easily see straight through the vent holes. I suspect longevity will be lower but only time will tell. So the unit has not felt very warm so fingers crossed.
CraigB
Texas
Longer term observations
February 22, 2016
Adding to my original review I have found some new observations to add to this router. I switched to using it as an access point, which takes a little digging, and found out that once you do so you lose a lot of features that should still work but are removed. For example, as an access point you get no guest networks. You can only have 1 2.5GHz WiFi and 1 5GHz. All features such as WMM and QoS are completely gone. Remote administration is turned off. I have also experienced an odd condition where my Xbox One cannot connect using the exact same key as my old router that my Xbox was connected to. I have also experienced 1 lockup where the unit just completely stopped responding and had to be power cycled. Over all it's still a good router but it feels like it could use a little more firmware refinement.
0points
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Microsoft Band 2 (Large): Keep track of your health and fitness goals throughout the day by monitoring your heart rate, steps taken, calories burned, sleep quality, hours slept and other helpful metrics. Just pair with your Windows Phone, Apple® iOS or Android device via Bluetooth to receive alerts at a glance.Discover how the technology of Microsoft Band 2 can assist you in a healthy, productive lifestyle. Learn more ›
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Best fitness tracker for the money
By CraigB
from Texas
When choosing high end fitness bands, my choices went back and forth between the Microsoft Band 2 and the Fitbit Surge. Fitbit has been in the business for fitness wearables for longer but I chose the Band 2 for what I felt was better value for my money. I purchased during a $50 off sale making it even more attractive and $50 less than the Surge. My main phone for this review is a Lumia 1520 with Windows 10 Mobile. I assume others will write reviews of the phone for other platforms and that is where this review starts. This fitness wearable is by far the most compatible. It supports iOS, Android, and Windows Phone/Mobile. Fitbit does as well but support for Windows Mobile is more limited. Comparing it to the Surge, it has more customizability, color screen, and a partially metal build. It feels more premium than the Surge. The metal does have 2 downsides. The first is that the finish used shows scratches extremely easily. See included picture. The second is that sweat and soap cause a foul smell very quickly requiring regular cleaning.
The Band 2 can be worn in two positions. The first is with the screen facing outwards like a watch. I tried this but it felt uncomfortable and viewing the screen was awkward particularly considering the screen doesn’t have a vertical view. This leads me to my preferred position which is with the screen facing inwards. It is much more natural to view and operate. It also feels more comfortable and is in fact the recommended way to wear the device. If there was any concern it is that wearing it inward the screen is always contacting surfaces when you lay your arms down. It uses gorilla glass but it still concerns me that I might scratch the screen. Every fitness wearable wasn’t completely comfortable to wear for one reason or another but this one starts to feel about like a watch after an adjustment period. Before you get the size right you might put it a place that binds you wrist or hits a nerve. I also learned it can get the heart rate just fine without tightening it down so far you hit nerves. Just like a watch it will take some fiddling to find your perfect tightness. Fortunately, the latching mechanism feels strong and has more adjustments than a tradition watch as well giving you more flexibility. Just make sure you use the sizing guide on the size of the box to choose the correct size. It shows wrists sizes with the wrist sideways.
Now the big question is how it works for tracking vitals. I haven’t worked with VO2 Max so I can’t comment on that but after getting the fit correct, the heart rate seems pretty close. Checking manual it was usually within about 10BPM or less from actual. Tracking steps seems a little different. It is difficult to verify but it seems to be a little high on the number of steps sometimes compared to my old hip worn pedometer. It just seems like I can reach 5,000 steps fairly easily. I am not a runner so I have not tested the GPS but I have read that some units have come from the factory with a bad GPS. What’s really nice is with all the vitals it gathers, more than just heart rate, it should be a fairly accurate color estimate. It has guided workouts you can add but I used the generic color tracking and added my own workout types to track. You can add things like HIT and weight training for your own purposes but it uses all the sensors to estimate the color burn instead of estimating based on the workout type. I feel this is more accurate but cannot verify. When you start workout mode, by default the screen stays on showing your workout time and heart rate. I suspect it is not as accurate as a chest band but it seems pretty good. After your workout is done you can see the entire workout on your phone or the website with your heart rate the entire time and your max marked. If there was any gripe it would be that you can’t have it vibrate when you hit your target or max heart rate. That would have been a great feature but, who knows. Maybe they will add it in the future. You can even use the website to compare your vitals to others in your height, weight, and age category. It’s all anonymous and very informative.
When not working out it still tracks your heart rate all the time but the other useful time to check is when you are sleeping. It can detect your sleep but if it gets it wrong you can only delete the time, not edit. You are better off starting your sleep tracking yourself. While sleeping, it will monitor you and in when you wake up you can see what your resting heart rate was overnight to get an even better picture of your health. It also has a smart alarm you can activate. If you want to wake up at a set time, just set the alarm and it will vibrate to wake you up. What I really like is if you activate the smart alarm and set it for 7:30am it will wake you up somewhere between 7:00am and 8:00am when you are most awake. That means you don’t wake up to an alarm feeling like you haven’t rested. You can even set the strength of the vibration.
Since this is a little bit of a smart watch you can add some apps. Since the phone doesn’t have any memory though, expect to only have them work when around your phone. It can control music on your phone and even use voice recognition with Cortana. I am running a prerelease build of the phone software so on occasion the connection dropped but it wasn’t hard to get back. I have found the notifications actually quite nice. I can leave the phone in one place in the house and still get notifications and respond to basic texts. I can also connect my phone to the stereo and change tracks and turn the volume up or down. It’s a standard feature for a smart watch but this is a fitness wearable and much cheaper than a smart watch. There are even some extra apps you can add and some third part utilizes to customize it further but if you want a smart watch more you might want to go that route. If you want a smart fitness tracker, this thing is hard to beat.
Pros
Solid (premium) build quality. It often gets looks and people asking what it is
Tracks more vitals than any other fitness wearable
Comfortable after figuring out your preferred fitment
Bright, sharp screen with auto brightness
Smart Alarm
Customizable workouts
Workout coaches
Customizable with smart watch type features
Solid latching mechanism
Good battery life for its functionality (2 days with no GPS and auto on screen)
Fast charge time (30 minutes to 80%)
Gorilla glass screen
Works on iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, and Web. The web is the most feature rich
Integrates with Health Vault
Constant heart rate
Portal to compare health
Rich sleep stats including restful sleep, times awake, resting heartrate, and recovery
Solid (premium) build quality. It often gets looks and people asking what it is
Tracks more vitals than any other fitness wearable
Comfortable after figuring out your preferred fitment
Bright, sharp screen with auto brightness
Smart Alarm
Customizable workouts
Workout coaches
Customizable with smart watch type features
Solid latching mechanism
Good battery life for its functionality (2 days with no GPS and auto on screen)
Fast charge time (30 minutes to 80%)
Gorilla glass screen
Works on iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, and Web. The web is the most feature rich
Integrates with Health Vault
Constant heart rate
Portal to compare health
Rich sleep stats including restful sleep, times awake, resting heartrate, and recovery
Cons
Cannot change band because electronics are built in
Metal area is a trap for sweat and soap requiring regular cleaning to prevent odor
Cannot change screen orientation
Awkward wearing screen outward
Metal finish is easy to scratch
No build in memory to bring music and store GPS while leaving phone behind for a time
Water resistant instead of waterproof
Possible to scratch screen with it facing downward
Sync is a bit slow
Cannot change band because electronics are built in
Metal area is a trap for sweat and soap requiring regular cleaning to prevent odor
Cannot change screen orientation
Awkward wearing screen outward
Metal finish is easy to scratch
No build in memory to bring music and store GPS while leaving phone behind for a time
Water resistant instead of waterproof
Possible to scratch screen with it facing downward
Sync is a bit slow
CraigB
Texas
Band split after serveral months
May 23, 2016
As others who have discovered after owning the Band 2 for a while, the band itself tends to split. Even if you are gentle the rubberized material just doesn't seem to hold up. The good news in my case is I leave reasonably close to a Microsoft Store. I brought it to them and as always they took great care of me. The assistant store manager was the one who assisted me and he said that Microsoft is aware of the problem and is already working to fix the issue. I had the same problem with the first generation Type Cover for the Surface. Back then they took care of me and ultimately Microsoft corrected the issue. It's unfortunate this kind of thing gets through but at least it doesn't seem to be a hassle to get it resolved.
0points
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Enjoy powerful performance with this compact HP Pavilion Wave computer. The Intel i3 processor provides fast data handling, while the 1TB hard drive lets you store plenty of files. This HP Pavilion Wave computer has 8GB of RAM to run the latest applications and four USB ports for connecting multiple accessories.
Overall3 out of 5
3 out of 5Still can't get the speaker/microphone to work.
By Murphdad013
from New York , ny
The HP help line is terrible and Best Buy was no help at all. In fact I spoke directly ....finally...with someone at HP who said that my Paviliion Wave needed an external microphone headset for montonaccess Cortona. WRONG!!!!
CraigB
Texas
It has a built in microphone
January 16, 2017
I own this unit and it has a built in microphone. I use it for Cortana regularly. Sounds like the support person got it wrong.
0points
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Arlo Pro takes the worrying out of life with the 100% Wire-Free indoor/outdoor home monitoring system. Arlo Pro includes rechargeable batteries, motion and sound-activated alerts, 2-way audio, a 100+ decibel siren, and 7 days of free cloud HD video recordings. Arlo covers every angle to help keep you safe and protected.
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5Good system with lots of potential
By CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Extremely Quick setup (A 2 camera system takes roughly 30 minutes)
Very easy set up. It comes with basic instructions but the app nicely walks you through each step
No need to run wires
Compact
Discreet cameras easily blend in with lighter color homes
Good daytime video quality for the price
Includes microphone and speaker
Flexible mounting options. Included option is easy but other fixed mounts can be used
Large rechargeable batteries
Motion trigger is supposed to get an update to determine if the motion is by a person
All devices get regular security updates. Even the cameras get updated wirelessly. Nice considering cameras are a new target for hackers.
Inanimate objects don’t seem to cause false motion triggers
Standard external hard drive can be used for local storage
Basic plan included for free
Easily expandable
Extremely Quick setup (A 2 camera system takes roughly 30 minutes)
Very easy set up. It comes with basic instructions but the app nicely walks you through each step
No need to run wires
Compact
Discreet cameras easily blend in with lighter color homes
Good daytime video quality for the price
Includes microphone and speaker
Flexible mounting options. Included option is easy but other fixed mounts can be used
Large rechargeable batteries
Motion trigger is supposed to get an update to determine if the motion is by a person
All devices get regular security updates. Even the cameras get updated wirelessly. Nice considering cameras are a new target for hackers.
Inanimate objects don’t seem to cause false motion triggers
Standard external hard drive can be used for local storage
Basic plan included for free
Easily expandable
Cons
Support for Windows is poor for the new touchscreen devices.
No Windows app for Windows 8 and 10 devices of any size.
Video quality, mainly night time, is probably not good enough for legal purposes.
Night video quality makes recognition near impossible past approximately 10 feet
Easy to steal or move regardless of mounting
Camera speaker is not very loud
Provided screws use too fine of a thread and the metal head strips out easy
All videos are public if someone can intercept your emails on the way to your inbox. (Email delivery by design is not encrypted so if someone intercepts your emails on the way they can see any of your videos with audio)
Recording time is fixed so even if motion or sound is still occurring you can miss recording
Web interface has some bugs such as freezing on zoom, Live play button disappears, and touch doesn’t work.
Sound recording doesn’t occur until a few seconds after video recording
At least one camera exhibited a noticeable “ticking clock” sound when recording audio
Connecting them hardwired defeats the weatherproofing
Instructions do not give tutorial about advanced features but rather let you discover them
No organizer for hard drive recordings
Dependent on good upload internet speeds. The more cameras you have, the faster the upload speed you need. This can be a limiting factor for some.
Long lag time to start live viewing even with very fast connection
Support for Windows is poor for the new touchscreen devices.
No Windows app for Windows 8 and 10 devices of any size.
Video quality, mainly night time, is probably not good enough for legal purposes.
Night video quality makes recognition near impossible past approximately 10 feet
Easy to steal or move regardless of mounting
Camera speaker is not very loud
Provided screws use too fine of a thread and the metal head strips out easy
All videos are public if someone can intercept your emails on the way to your inbox. (Email delivery by design is not encrypted so if someone intercepts your emails on the way they can see any of your videos with audio)
Recording time is fixed so even if motion or sound is still occurring you can miss recording
Web interface has some bugs such as freezing on zoom, Live play button disappears, and touch doesn’t work.
Sound recording doesn’t occur until a few seconds after video recording
At least one camera exhibited a noticeable “ticking clock” sound when recording audio
Connecting them hardwired defeats the weatherproofing
Instructions do not give tutorial about advanced features but rather let you discover them
No organizer for hard drive recordings
Dependent on good upload internet speeds. The more cameras you have, the faster the upload speed you need. This can be a limiting factor for some.
Long lag time to start live viewing even with very fast connection
Setup was very easy, particularly for a security camera system. The entire process is achieved by following the steps one by one as the app tells you. Install the app, set up your Arlo account, plug in the base unit to power and internet, sync the cameras, hang the cameras, and you’re done. A two camera system only took approximately 30 minutes. The kit includes metal bases, screws, and wall anchors but the screws are small and easy to strip. The metal bases work with a strong magnet included inside the camera. Although convenient, the metal bases allow someone to easily steal or move these expensive cameras so placement is important. Netgear offers screw in mounts for a more rigid and secure mounting. The entire hardware and software process has had a lot of thought put into making it easy. There are no complicated router changes needed to be made at all or complicated programming. Oddly some features, like changing the recording quality, must be done on a regular computer for which there is no app.
There is one strange feature omission from Netgear. This system has a Pro designation and yet support for regular, more modern computers, is limited. Businesses by and large use Windows computers and the most popular type of Windows computers selling today are Windows 2-in-1 convertibles with touchscreens this trend is forecasted to increase and yet this system is barely even useable by any touchscreen Windows device. This is also odd because what better way to check out a security video than on a large screen. You are forced to use a browser to view videos which the experience varies based on browser. Simple things like moving a slider don’t work because the website doesn’t work with touch. Browser administration has other bugs, such as the Live Video button disappearing. If this was an app you wouldn’t have to worry about how the end user’s choice of browser affects the experience. Not having a Universal Windows app is a missed opportunity. I have seen a large increase in clients that are buying Windows 2-in-1 systems instead of desktops or Android/iOS tablets for their primary system. A Windows Universal app they could support such systems, or any other form factor of Windows for that matter. Imagine if the app was on Xbox One in your living room and you want to check on things outside. Just say “Hey Cortana, open Arlo” and you could see your video feed or videos quickly and easily from the convenience of your couch on a big screen. That would be great. If you have smaller Windows devices, the website is unusable. It tries to get you to use an app that doesn’t exist. Oddly enough if you have a link to a shared video the same website will serve you the video in a mobile optimized format. Smaller Windows devices and Windows Mobile devices are left unsupported. Future updates and app releases could easily alleviate this but for now Windows support is poor.
The base unit comes with a Sync/Siren button, network port, and two USB ports for storage. The siren is loud and sounds like newer smoke alarms. It can be trigger locally, by the app, or via configurable rules such as motion or audio sensing. You can switch the base unit to modes for recording for motion and/or audio, no recording, or armed or disarmed based using Geofencing. You can also define your own custom modes allowing specific cameras and audio for each to be on or off. Due to battery restrictions, there is no continuous recording. Recording time from motion is a default of 5 seconds regardless of if the motion continues. Cameras include built in IR for night vision, motion sensor, microphone, and speaker and are weatherproof assuming the charging plug cover is on. One large difference with the Pro version is the inclusion of large rechargeable batteries which should last quite a long time between charging. When video is recorded, it is uploaded via your internet connection to your account meaning a good upload internet speed is important. Videos are stored in a calendar format and can be viewed, shared, or deleted from the interface.
Overall performance when factoring in the price for features was good. Shuddering and lag was minimal with surprisingly good wireless range. Remote viewing of live video is reasonably quick although it still took several seconds and is highly dependent on your internet upload speed. Audio took about 2 seconds to start every time after a motion trigger recording or manual live viewing and had a slightly audible tick-tock sound. The built-in speaker is barely audible at max volume. As with all security systems, there is a loss of some detail to do recording compression. Daytime recordings show signs of video compression but subjects are still reasonably recognizable at approximately 25 feet. Nighttime viewing brings recognition down to approximately 10-15 feet before subjects hard to recognize. Although not official, friends in law enforcement said it is not good for legal purposes as they must have a definitive, recognizable face to use the video. Motion detection was generally good but people moving fast could often elude the recording. Due to the fixed recording time, the system could also miss recording an event if it ran past the configured time.
A big concern is the video sharing feature. Arlo by default emails you anytime it records. It conveniently sends you a screenshot of what it recorded. However; the email sends a direct link to the video that can be viewed without logging in. This would be even more concerning if you had cameras in your house. By definition, is sent unsecured between providers. Although the industry is trying to improve that, you should always assume your emails have no encryption when sent to you. This means that it is possible and relatively easy for criminals to eavesdrop and see your videos with audio without ever knowing your account info. The good thing is that is easy to remedy turning off the feature that emails you when it records a video. That way the link to the video won’t be sent out on the web unsecured and your videos are still stored in the cloud without being shared openly. Hopefully, Netgear will remedy this in the future.
Overall, it is a nice system for the price point when compared to the competition. Compared to legacy DVR and NVR security camera systems this makes the whole process a lot more accessible for the average consumer. As long as you keep your expectations in line it is a nice system. All security camera systems, particularly ones costing less than $2,500 have limitations.
Overall, it is a nice system for the price point when compared to the competition. Compared to legacy DVR and NVR security camera systems this makes the whole process a lot more accessible for the average consumer. As long as you keep your expectations in line it is a nice system. All security camera systems, particularly ones costing less than $2,500 have limitations.
A standout feature, even comparing to high end systems, is this system will automatically get updates for security. Anyone who watched the news in late 2016 saw that the biggest hack was perpetrated using devices, such as camera systems, that weren’t updated. That is something still lacking in the “professional” security camera world. You also won’t have to hire someone to come pull wiring through your house or small business. Cameras can be placed wherever you can mount a base. If for some reason, such as poor signal, the place doesn’t work they are easy to move. It not be a real high definition security camera system but it also costs nowhere near as much. Just be sure you can accept the Cons before buying. The overall system is well thought out and with continued improvement of the listed cons this could be the best system for nearly any price.
CraigB
Texas
New developments after extended use
January 31, 2017
I have discovered some new elements to the system with more use.
The first is that I did find a way to adjust video quality via the app and not just the website. It turns out the way it is displayed is as one of 3 choices instead of a slider.
Next is that the cameras only work with Netgear's proprietary charger. Even though it uses USB both the manual an other say it only works with the Netgear one.
Finally I discovered that the motion detection does sometimes act strange. I purchase one additional camera and for some reason no matter the sensitivity of the motion it records a motion even every 30 seconds at night. I have observed that it seems to happen more if my neighbor has a light on but even that is not consistent.
+4points
4of 4voted this comment as helpful.
CraigB's Questions
CraigB has not submitted any questions.
Discover incredible sound and playback from this Pioneer Elite 9.2-channel network A/V receiver. The unit supports 4K video and incredible multidimensional audio so that you can enjoy movies, TV shows and everyday media with a cinema-style experience. This Pioneer Elite 9.2-channel network A/V receiver works with Google Assistant to play on vocal command.
Does the Pioneer vsxlx-303 have a Blue lighted standby power button? I see that the vsxlx-503 has a Blue lighted standby power button.
It doesn't have a Bluetooth light or button but there is a blue light showing when it is in standby for network or wireless.
5 years, 8 months ago
by
CraigB
Handle storage demands with this Western Digital SATA solid-state drive. Its 560MB/s read speed and 530MB/s write speed are suitable for intensive applications, and its 2.5-inch form factor fits most desktops and laptops. The solid-state drive has no moving parts, making the drive resistant to shock to protect your data. Includes the WD SSD Dashboard to keep track of the drive's status.
Does this fit in all macbooks?
It might fit but not all SSDs play well with Macbooks. Usually it takes someone being the first to try and see if it works and if all features, such as trim, are supported. Unless you know how to check for trim on a Mac or feel like taking a leap of faith your best bet is to check the Mac forums to see if someone with experience has already verified the drive.
5 years, 9 months ago
by
CraigB
Only at Best BuyMonitor the exterior of your home with this Lorex active deterrence DVR security system. An eight-channel 4K Ultra HD DVR records and plays back crisp, high-quality video, while the remote-triggered siren and bright LED light work to scare off intruders. With color night vision, the cameras included with this Lorex active deterrence DVR security system provide a clear look at your property even in low lighting conditions.
hmm.. NO PoE ? .. does this run on regular old school BnC connections ??? if soooooo..... i have old lorex 720p cameras on BnC right now ... wonder if i can just order cameras and swap out ??? thanks for the help for whoever answers these questions
It uses a Siamese cable with the standard bnc connections. Swapping cameras is unlikely to work. The cameras are still analog but use a newer MPX protocol which requires a support DVR and cables. Also, certain features of the camera, such as the light and siren, only work on compatible DVRs.
5 years, 10 months ago
by
CraigB
Only at Best BuyMonitor the exterior of your home with this Lorex active deterrence DVR security system. An eight-channel 4K Ultra HD DVR records and plays back crisp, high-quality video, while the remote-triggered siren and bright LED light work to scare off intruders. With color night vision, the cameras included with this Lorex active deterrence DVR security system provide a clear look at your property even in low lighting conditions.
Does this camera have tots of false positive motion alarms? Does it have thermal sensing for motion ?
It uses frame comparison for motion detection with a sensitivity setting. There is no PIR(thermal) motion detection included.
5 years, 10 months ago
by
CraigB
Step up your game with this 15.6-inch Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop. The high-performance AMD Radeon RX 560X graphics card provides powerful gaming performance and detailed graphics that look great on the Full HD display. This Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop features an AMD Ryzen 5 processor for a smooth and responsive user experience.
I just finished with a chat session with Acer support, who informed me this unit ONLY supports DDR4-2400, NOT 2666. This unit comes with 2666, but runs at 2400 according to CPUZ. Which is contrary to what TeamAcer has stated here. Acer needs to clarify.
HWInfo is reporting mine memory is running at 2666. Makes me wonder if their documentation is just wrong. Maybe a last minute revision.
5 years, 11 months ago
by
CraigB
The only purifying fan to clean a whole room properly*. We design our purifying fans to go beyond test chamber conditions and focus on real home conditions – this is more than just having an efficient filter.*Dyson engineers and research concluded that to clean an entire room properly, you need to sense pollution events automatically; capture ultrafine pollutants; and project cleaner air around the room using Air Multiplier technology. Only the Dyson purifying fan is designed and tested to do all of this.**Dyson technology helps create a cleaner, healthier home - Our vacuums and purifiers are scientifically proven to capture particles as small as allergens and bacteria.
How often do you need to replace filters
This is dependent on how often the purifier runs and how dirty your air is. It has a built in monitor that indicates the remaining filter life of both filters. The best way to maximize life is to keep in on automatic as it will only run when it is needed based on air measurements.
6 years, 2 months ago
by
CraigB
Add music to your day with these Sony wireless headphones. Their noise cancelling technology uses artificial intelligence to adapt to your environment and reduce background sounds for enjoyable listening. The Quick Charging battery on these over-ear Sony wireless headphones provides up to 35 hours of playback for convenience.
Is the Sony better than the Bose quiet ll When it come s to noised
That's more subjective but they do cancel low frequency droning noises well. Typically Bose is considered top rated on noise cancelling quality but these do a nice job. They don't cancel out sharp noises like a gunshot or higher pitched sounds like talking which is typical for active noise cancelling. An example be if you have a fan blowing on you it would cancel out the low droning sound of the motor but you would hear the sound of the airflow.
6 years, 2 months ago
by
CraigB
Enjoy superior sound and voice quality with these Jabra Elite wireless headphones. Integrated controls let you answer calls, adjust the volume or pause music with the touch of a button, while the included carrying case doubles as a charging station. External ambient noise keeps you aware of your surroundings, while a background noise filter delivers crisp, clear voice calls. With Bluetooth connectivity, these Jabra Elite wireless headphones are easy to pair to a mobile device.
Are they water and sweat resistant? Also what is the difference between these and Jabra Sport? A Thanks
The Elite are IP55 rated and the Active or IP56 rating so just a little better for water resistance. The active also have motion tracking for workouts. Both offer a 2 year warranty for dust and water if you register them via the app.
6 years, 4 months ago
by
CraigB
Enjoy superior sound and voice quality with these Jabra Elite wireless headphones. Integrated controls let you answer calls, adjust the volume or pause music with the touch of a button, while the included carrying case doubles as a charging station. External ambient noise keeps you aware of your surroundings, while a background noise filter delivers crisp, clear voice calls. With Bluetooth connectivity, these Jabra Elite wireless headphones are easy to pair to a mobile device.
hi. can you control the volume from the buds?. what does the multi function button control?
The left earbud has volume up and down and skip track and repeat track. A quick tape on one of the two buttons is for volume and a long press is for changing tracks.
6 years, 4 months ago
by
CraigB
Enjoy superior sound and voice quality with these Jabra Elite wireless headphones. Integrated controls let you answer calls, adjust the volume or pause music with the touch of a button, while the included carrying case doubles as a charging station. External ambient noise keeps you aware of your surroundings, while a background noise filter delivers crisp, clear voice calls. With Bluetooth connectivity, these Jabra Elite wireless headphones are easy to pair to a mobile device.
How long does the battery last in a single charge
The listing is 5 hours. You can get an additional 2 charges out of the case for a total of a rating of 15 hours.
6 years, 4 months ago
by
CraigB