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StephenS
 
 
 
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    101
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    November 22, 2010
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    March 14, 2024
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    June 6, 2016
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    April 5, 2016
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    October 27, 2016
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StephenS's Reviews
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Experience the height of gaming innovation with the ROG Zephyrus G16. Featuring an all-new premium aluminum chassis with customizable lighting, this laptop merges style and durability. Its ultra-slim 0.59” profile and lightweight 4.30lbs 16” chassis redefines portability without compromising performance. Powered by Windows 11, an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 laptop GPU, the Zephyrus G16 seamlessly aligns with your lifestyle, meeting all your gaming and creative demands. ROG Intelligent Cooling features liquid metal for reduced CPU temperatures and upgraded Arc Flow Fans for improved airflow to sustain peak performance on the Zephyrus G16 no matter the task. Immerse yourself in the OLED ROG Nebula Display and enjoy rapid 0.2ms response times, vivid 2.5K resolution, and a smooth 240Hz refresh rate.
 
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5 out of 5
5
Breathaking
on March 14, 2024
Posted by: StephenS
In a word… breathtaking.
This is my 2nd ASUS laptop and I continue to be impressed with them as a top not computing brand. My previous ASUS laptop is knocking on 4 years old and still mostly going strong, but it’s starting to show its age so it was time to start looking for an upgrade and this was it!
The first thing that stands out to me about this is the screen. ASUS knocks it out of the park, this AMOLED screen has some of the deepest truest blacks I’ve ever seen. That said, it’s also bright… the whites are super white. For games and HDR content, the extremes of darks-to-white make for a display that absolutely pops with color and clarity. Be mindful though, if you dim the screen below about 55% you’ll get a notice that “dc dimming is disabled” which is totally fine, it’s just letting you know that if you dim the screen too much it will lose one of its tricks for achieving maximum enhancement.
Performance in games is equally impressive, I had no problem running an array of games from FPS to sports at maximum detail, and the 240hz display contributes to a smooth, high frame rate, and tear free experience. And when it games, the laptop will (not surprisingly) get quite warm, possibly even uncomfortably warm for some if it’s actually on your lap.
Lighting. One feature that I personally found more of a gimmick than useful is the “slash lighting” which is lighting on the back of the display. Although you can choose from multiple patterns it’s all limited to just the one white color, so customization options are pretty scant. It’s not a bad feature, I was just underwhelmed and personally ended up turning it completely off.
Charging and USB-C. One other quirk (not bad, but you should be aware) is that this laptop only “kinda” charges on USB-C. Like my previous ASUS, It clearly prefers to use the proprietary charger. After some experimentation I found that you actually can run and charge it using USB-C but even a beefy USB-C charger from another gaming laptop doesn’t provide enough power and Windows will complain… but it will charge. Here’s the main quirk that stood out to me though; at the time of writing this the laptop won’t charge via USB-C if it’s completely turned off. At least it didn’t for me. I had to have the computer “on” and then it would charge albeit kind of begrudgingly. Due to the system power demands when operating at peak performance I can totally understand why it wouldn’t favor USB-C, but for that same reason I’d think it’d at least charge over USB-C in a pinch when powered off. It’s a bit counterintuitive to have to turn the laptop on in order for it to charge via a method that it constantly warns you isn’t really sufficient. It’ll get the job done in a pinch, but you’d think it would do best at USB-C charging while completely powered off. Maybe I overlooked something, but after leaving it off and plugged-in to USB-C all night it didn't charge at all; but did start charging the moment I turned it on. I'm not tracking the design logic of that at all.
The feel of the keyboard and touchpad are pretty typical. Not bad, nothing special. The keyboard backlight options are especially nice though as you can choose from a full array of static colors or pick from some default active color patterns like rainbow, breathing, etc, or design your own in Aura Creator.
The 32GB of RAM is a very nice touch and gives this laptop true chops for demanding gaming and heavy content production.
For keeping track of all your system’s vital stats and settings, the included and customizable Armory Crate dashboard gives you at-a-glance feedback and configuration control over your CPU, GPU, memory, storage, lighting, performance settings, custom macros, etc. I’ve had this laptop for a few days and I’ve barely scratched the surface of what I know I can do in Armory Crate and Aura Creator to tweak the system to my exact liking.
Some minor quirks aside, this laptop is a thing of beauty and I have no regrets about it or recommending it to those looking for portable peak performance. Work or play, you won’t be disappointed.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Conversation Clear Plus from Sennheiser lets you live life fully with effortlessly clear communication. With these stylish True Wireless earbuds, you can easily follow every conversation. Whether you are in a crowded environment like a restaurant or office, making a phone call, or want to boost speech clarity when streaming content, Conversation Clear Plus keeps your world of sound in focus. Conversation Clear Plus ensures the clearest speech in every environment thanks to powerful Speech Enhancement functions and Automatic Scene Detection. Active Noise Cancellation works dynamically to block distracting noise so you can still focus on conversations when background noise levels increase. Ambient Awareness keeps you in touch with your surroundings. With a dedicated companion app, it’s easy to set up, control and personalize the listening experience. Bluetooth connectivity seamlessly connects to phones, tablets and computers, and three sound modes (Communicate, Relax, Stream) provide enhancements tailored to these listening scenarios. The Optimized Media Streaming feature automatically applies the best enhancements and amplification for speech, music or movies. An advanced ergonomic design provides outstanding comfort for any activity. With up to 27 hours of operation from on-the-go charging with the case, the Conversation Clear Plus is ready whenever you need it.
 
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2 out of 5
2
Big expectations, overall disappointment
on December 20, 2023
Posted by: StephenS
I have moderate hearing loss and tinnitus in my right ear. It's most evident when talking to people as I tend to blatantly turn my left ear toward them so I can hear them better. I was super excited to get and try these in the hope that I'd finally be able to look people straight-on and have a normal face-to-face conversation, especially with my wife. Alas, these are not the solution for a list of reasons.
- Very unreliable results actually helping to with conversations, even after careful personal tuning. In some cases I could hear sounds and conversation quite clearly but, most notably, when talking to my wife (maybe it's just the pitch of her voice) I could almost always hear and understand her better WITHOUT these than with them. It was especially difficult to understand her when trying to talk to her with these in while we were in a car with typical road/background noise. At all times though, even in situations where it "helped", the overall audio effect was a bit like talking to someone through a tube -- it wasn't a natural sound at all.
- For some strange reason these assume both ears need the same boost. There is no way to boost one side more than the other save to put one in but not the other, which works but has its own peculiar drawbacks (see next point).
- Bluetooth audio functions appear entirely dependent on the left bud. The left bud will Bluetooth all on its own, the right bud will not. Either bud will do hearing enhancement on its own, and either bud can be CONTROLLED by the app on its own (although the app complains about the non-connected bud), but if you want Bluetooth audio you'll need the left bud or both. This is unfortunate because it's my right ear that needs enhancement the most and would be most useful for me to keep a bud in.
- Where these DID help was ambient sounds. If I had these in while working on my computer I could hear the dog pawing at the door to get in/out more clearly than ever. However, though the dog no doubt appreciates my heightened attentiveness, that's not what I got these for.
- As far as Bluetooth audio goes they're so-so, audio is clear and mostly-neutral being a little thin on presence.
On the plus side, the app itself is useful and very configurable, and the audio modes and controls on these buds is varied and complex enough that I recommend keeping the app handy so you can see and control exactly what the buds are doing. Namely, the app makes it clear that the buds have 3 modes -- relaxed, communication, and streaming.
- Relaxed mode: is basically a noise-cancelling mode where you can somewhat control how much ambient sound you let in. It's nice that it's not all or nothing, though even in full-on quiet mode the buds themselves are physically incapable of keeping out all ambient sound.
- Communication mode: is conversation enhancement mode. You can set how much boost, though this boost is delivered equally to both ears. There's also a "clarity" toggle which never made a difference that I could readily identify. There's also a fine-tune mode where you can slide from smooth-to-clear though in my experience the actual difference this makes was too subtle to be of obvious value.
- Streaming mode: is when the buds are receiving Bluetooth audio of any kind, and this mode lets you balance how much you hear of the stream vs ambient enhancement.
These have potential, possibly addressable with future firmware and/or software, but as-is I could not possibly recommend these. They aren't reliable or even especially good at their hallmark "communication" function, and are only so-so at Bluetooth functions. I love the idea of these but the performance is sub-par for this pricepoint.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Whether you’re calling loved ones, texting friends or ordering takeout food online, your phone is vital to your lifestyle. It’s important to keep it charged and ready to go at a moment’s notice. The Insignia NS-MC5CC4W24 4' USB-C to USB-C Charge-and-Sync Cable with Braided Jacket is more than up to the task. It’ll not only help charge your smartphone or tablet, but also let you transfer files and sync your device with a quick data transfer speed of up to 480 Mbps. Its 4 ft. length gives you flexible placement options so you can place your phone wherever you need to. A white color keeps the cable looking stylish while a braided jacket adds protection and durability. Trust this USB-C cable to help keep you ready for the challenges of everyday life.
 
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3 out of 5
3
Quality feel, performance wasn't up to par.
on October 16, 2023
Posted by: StephenS
On the outside this seems to be a good cable with a quality construction. Actual performance for me is a bit mixed. I do a lot of video work with drones etc, so I do a lot of moving large files around computers as I need to take them with me to work on or to collaborate with others. The box indicates 480 Mbit/s which is solid but super fast, but in my testing with a very fast computer and external drive I maxed out at only around half that with this cable, 227 Mbit/s or 28.4 MByte/s. Doing nothing more than switching to another cable I can achieve ~5000 Mbit/s or 654MByte/s which confirms my computer and drive aren’t the bottleneck. That’s not to knock the cable per se, my experience with cables is they can be pretty finicky and can really like some hardware combinations better than others, so all I can say is YMMV. Though this cable didn’t meet my performance expectations on my hardware the 4’ length is useful for general purpose on-the-go data and charging needs so I’ll keep it in my tech bag, it just won’t be my goto cable for throwing around large videos.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Accelerate your workflow with the powerful performance of the Crucial X9 Pro Portable SSD. With read and write speeds up to 1,050MB/s and 2TB of capacity, the X9 Pro has space for thousands of photos, files, and videos along with the speed you need to organize, curate, edit and retouch your portfolio quickly, supporting whatever you do in Adobe Lightroom. The Crucial X9 Pro is plug-and-play ready with a USB-C connection, and works with Windows, Mac, Android, and more. Featuring Micron TLC NAND and water and dust resistance (IP55), the Crucial X9 Pro is designed for durability and style in the studio, in the field, or wherever you roam.
 
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5 out of 5
5
Speedy portable mass storage
on August 26, 2023
Posted by: StephenS
✅ Need to store a lot of data?
✅ Need it to be portable?
✅ Need it to be fast?
Photos and footage are a hallmark of modern life, and some of us take a lot of it; in high frame rate, in high resolution, and sometimes you have to move it from one device to another for post production editing or just to share and/or collaborate with others. For me it’s primarily 4k+ drone video and actioncam video that I’m dealing with and for storing and throwing around those large files the Crucial X9 has been a game changer.
My original intent was to use the Crucial X9 as intermediary storage, to transfer large files from one system to another as needed, but after I experienced the Crucial X9 firsthand (greater than 800MB/s xfer is common for large contiguous data blobs) it’s honestly fast enough that I often end up doing a lot of my post production work directly from the X9. And, at 2TB, there’s enough room for holding multiple full projects simultaneously. I’ve long used external laptop SSDs in a similar role but they’ve never been this fast or this compact.
The physical size is perfect for keeping handy in my pocket or for throwing in a bag, and it’s sturdy enough I don’t worry about damaging it. It is plastic so I expect it’ll pick up scraps and scratches over time but nothing I’d expect to interfere with its function.
As a complement to my drones and cameras it’s a welcome and capable one-stop-storage-shop to aggregate photos and footage between events.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Enhance your audio with the CORSAIR HS80 MAX multiplatform gaming headset. Enjoy true audio immersion via high-fidelity 2.4GHz wireless, and activate Dolby Atmos on PC to place yourself in the middle of the game with detailed, three-dimensional sound cues. The HS80 MAX includes Bluetooth support to connect to a myriad of devices. A high-performing omni-directional microphone boasts exceptional dynamic range, so you can have a clear, commanding presence on the battlefield. Listen up to 65 hours on a single charge in cushioned comfort thanks to plush memory foam ear pads and a stress-free floating headband. Sonarworks SoundID Technology personalizes your headset’s sound to match your unique hearing profile, so you can forge your own legacy with the HS80 MAX.
 
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5 out of 5
5
PC/BT duality, maybe my new favorite headset.
on August 21, 2023
Posted by: StephenS
Maybe my new favorite headset? I’ve been a heavy user of another brand of headset for years, and I do still like them, but the Corsair HS80 Max has impressed me and, for now at least, has taken over as my primary headset for work, fun, and games.
The first thing that stands out is what feels like outstanding build quality. I know, this is hard to quantify but subjectively speaking the HS80’s have a great feel right out of the box that set you up to practically expect audio excellence.
The second thing to stand out then, of course, is the audio excellence. Even in stereo mode the HS80’s sound great, with a healthy but unassuming presence on the low end while maintaining excellent balance and clarity through the mids and highs – It’s very easy to become immersed in the HS80 audio for gaming and movies, especially if/when you activate the free Dolby Atmos ability. That said, like many audio products I’ve tried before, I personally hear voices more clearly with Dolby Atmos disabled. That’s a personal subjective preference, and it’s easy enough to switch between Atmos/Stereo as you prefer for your content. If you don’t like the default tuning you can tweak the EQ yourself using the iCue software.
I love that the microphone (usually) intuitively mutes when you flip it up and unmutes when you flip it down. And there’s an LED near the mic tip to see which mode it’s in out of your peripheral vision. That said, there were a few times when I’d have the mic up and yet I could see the mic LED was still on. To fix this I’d flip it down and back up, but it was just a touch unsettling to feel the need to second-guess the mute at all. Not a deal breaker, if there’s a pattern or good reason for it to ever be unmuted in the up position I didn’t come across it, so just be aware.
The RGB aspect is there but it’s pretty subdued, limited to just the small logo on the side of each ear cup. For me it’s fine because I use this same headset for work calls during the day, but if you’re looking to make more of a visual statement then this probably isn’t the headset for you.
The comfort is decent and the battery life is great. The floating headband feels good on my head even for multi-hour sessions, and I’ve never run out of battery in the middle of anything except when I deliberately ran it down just to see how long (many days) it would take my normal usage to do so. By default the headset shuts down automatically after 10 minutes of no-signal which means you can set it down and be confident it’ll take care of itself.
I found the Bluetooth aspect a bit unusual but in a good way. When you turn the HS80 on while using their audio dongle the HS80 will use the dongle for media audio but will also bind to JUST the phone aspect of your phone, so you can listen to your computer and then take a call on your phone (which mutes the PC audio), and when your call is done it will switch right back to getting media-only from the computer. Then, if desired, you can tap the left-cup button and the HS80 will transfer media functions to over Bluetooth as well. One more tap it switches back to dual mode. As someone who loves listening to music and videos on my computer all day but who needs to take calls on-the-fly this connection duality served me very and was a standout from the more typical “one or the the other” kind of dual connectivity I’ve experienced previously.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
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Cut the competition down to size and dazzle them all with the Razer Cobra Pro—a wireless gaming mouse powered by Razer Chroma RGB. Featuring Razer HyperSpeed Wireless and 11 individually programmable lighting zones, color your play with an illuminating level of freedom and immersion.
 
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5 out of 5
5
My best gaming mouse yet!
on August 14, 2023
Posted by: StephenS
Looking for a cool mouse that’s also more than cool? This is it, the perfect mouse for both gaming and getting things done!
The construction is light but sturdy, the lighting adds high-tech ambience but isn’t gaudy, the customizable buttons and profile switch give lots of options for tailoring the buttons to your needs, and the on-the-fly DPI switches are perfect for rapidly and effortlessly switching between fast movement and then slowing things down for precise sniper shots.
You can do most of the customization using the core Razer Synapse app, including a basic array of lighting options, but you can install the chroma module for more precise control over your lights if you have something very specific in mind.
The mouse movement is precision responsive, and though it works over Bluetooth it “feels” ever so slightly more responsive when using the dedicated USB dongle. My one caveat in this regard is that I wish Razer, and others, would start providing native USB-C dongles rather than USB-A dongles that need adapters for C as my most recent gaming laptop has only USB-C ports. So I can use it, but I have to use an adapter, and it feels like a small clunky step backwards.
And of course life can’t be all fun and games and this mouse pulls double duty for work easily. It’s all-day and all-night comfortable with the battery life to match. I’m an established fan of Razer audio products, I’ve used them for years, but this is my first Razer mouse and you can color me duly impressed. It’s a keeper for sure and I’d recommend this to just about anyone without reservation.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Embark on your adventure with the Inspiron 16 2-in-1 Laptop’s elevated audio in any mode, a larger-than-life screen and an upscale design.
 
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5 out of 5
5
The elephant in the room -- in a good way.
on June 30, 2023
Posted by: StephenS
If you’re looking for a big-screen laptop, with a screen large enough to be suitable for portable productivity, without an external display, then this is a great choice.
The elephant in the room is the screen so I’ll dive right into that. It’s 16” which is “only” a little bigger than a more common 15.6” display, but when you actually have it in front of you it feels so much more than just a .4” increase – partly due to the slightly taller 16:10 1920x1200 display ratio vs a more typical 16:9 1920x1080. That extra nudge of pixels along the y-axis, ~10%, does wonders at making the entire screen experience more immersive.
In terms of processing performance the Intel i7 1360p cuts through everyday tasks like so much butter, and handles even computing heavy tasks like graphic design and video encoding very well. I do a lot of 4k video work and the i7 1360p is unquestionably one of my two fastest systems, and the system ran quiet and cool enough that I was never really distracted by fan noise or heat even while under extended full load for a video export.
While the CPU rocks, the Iris Xe GPU is solidly middle of the road. There’s nothing wrong with Iris Xe graphics, just don’t expect this to be great for high-detail gaming. But for work, even serious work like heavy graphics and video editing, Iris Xe delivers reliably. Some video encoders can tap into the GPU for a boost and while the Iris Xe is on my encoder’s supported list it isn’t one of the more high-performance options. So if you’re a “video professional” then this may not be for you, but for a video enthusiast like myself who takes media production seriously but more as a now-and-then side gig, this system is fantastic and capable for mobile media production.
The battery life has been excellent. I typically keep my laptops plugged-in and topped-off during the day and then run unplugged all evening for cord-free personal use, which is usually ~4 hours of typical browsing, document editing, social media, astronomy software, and hobby video pursuits, and I’ve not once needed to plug in before I was ready to hit the sack for the night. It’s honestly a big beautiful laptop that seems very well-balanced for day-to-day use.
That said, there are a couple of design elements that I’d like to see Dell improve in future models. 1) While the system can be powered through either of the two USB-C ports, both ports are one side of the chassis which limits power cabling options. I’d love to see this same model with USB-C ports on BOTH sides to give the user some more power flexibility. 2) The contrast on the silver keyboard model makes it tough to read in some lighting conditions even with the backlight on full. While this may not be an issue once you’ve learned all the special keys there were times during initial setup and familiarization with the system that I found myself tilting the keyboard like I was sifting for gold trying to read the symbol on the key. Neither of these are deal-breakers, just details to consider on an otherwise excellent consumer laptop.
I would absolutely recommend this to friends and family.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
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The REXING 78W Car charger quickly charges up to 2 devices simultaneously together via the USB-C or QC 3.0 USB Port. Our premium, ultra fast car charger can quickly charge phones, dash cams, tablets and laptops by efficiently converting the power from your cigarette port. The compact, thumb-sized, jet-black body perfectly blends with most car cigarette lighter ports. Your devices batteries are protected from over heating via Over-Voltage/Over-Current Protection features. Our device also comes with a specially madeTypc-C charging cable specifically made for the 78W.
 
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5 out of 5
5
Powers a full size laptop!
on June 14, 2023
Posted by: StephenS
This is a simple device that does exactly what it should do; provide power, and lots of it! I used this to replace and older but less powerful quick charger in the hope that this one would provide enough power for larger devices on-the-go like my full size laptop and drone -- I was not disappointed! Day-to-day I use the charger for just my phone, but I like to get outdoors and do nature, scenic, and action videos and to keep all those devices fed I simply needed more power than my previous charger was capable of. Sure, I could run a full-on inverter, which has its own benefits and caveats, and I was looking for something smaller and less intrusive, and this fit the bill perfectly! Using the high-power USB-C port and cable I can give my phone a quick booster charge in short order, or I can switch my phone to the USB-A port for a more gradual charge when I need the USB-C port for my laptop or drone. In the short time I've had this I've been able to escape into the great outdoors for a day of filming and flying with this in my car to keep everything charged, powered, and humming along smoothly. I'm very happy with this, if you need a high power automobile charger this is much cleaner and more compact solution than opting for an inverter.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Introducing Logitech MX Anywhere 3S Mouse, a beloved compact wireless mouse with next-level precision and control – now with 8K DPI Any-Surface Tracking and Quiet Clicks so you can master your work anywhere.
 
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5 out of 5
5
Revolution of Evolution
on May 24, 2023
Posted by: StephenS
I’ve been using Logitech mice and keyboards for as long as I can remember, as far back as the Logitech C7 3 button DB9 serial mouse. They simply make great peripherals that have been helping me game, then college, then earn a living ever since my first PC XT. I’ve owned a little bit of everything Logitech has made over the years and they’ve (almost) never let me down.
The Logitech MX Anywhere 3S then is the next entry for me in what has been a long pedigree of Logitech products. There have been a few Logitech missteps along the way, few and far between, but the Logitech MX Anywhere 3S isn’t one of them. I love this mouse, it’s a very natural ergonomic and functional step in the MX Anywhere series of mice of which I have owned at least one of each step of the way.
The fit in the hand is a minor update of the classic MX Anywhere mouse, which is a good thing. The most notable changes to me are 1) that the 3S is subtly more rounded, 2) the texture on the side of the mouse is more grip-y, and 3) that the 2 main buttons meet in the middle instead of being separated by a small non-clickable strip. This adds up to a more natural, slightly less angular overall look and feel.
Another minor change is the distinct middle button (not the wheel button). In the 3S this distinct middle button serves as a toggle for the roller to be click-y or smooth, whereas on the 2 and 2S you do that by clicking the wheel itself. Alternately, the 3S also dynamically senses if you spin the wheel and will, all on its own, switch from click to smooth if you flick it. This is a small but excellent feature evolution because it’s exactly the kind of thing you’d do, and want to do, on the fly without thinking about it while scanning through a large web page or document. Also changed is that the 3S wheel doesn’t have side-to-side clicks for horizontal scrolling, though you can easily depress the wheel and lock the mouse into pan/scroll mode for panning around images and documents in all available directions.
Technologically the 3S continues to use “Darkfield” technology which means it works on glass and other shiny surfaces that used to be the bane of optical mice. Also nice is to see the charging port updated to USB-C, one step closer to having one USB port for everything. It also supports pairing to 3 different devices, and switching between them as simply as cycling through the 1-3 selector on the bottom of the mouse, clearly helpful when want to use the same mouse for personal and work laptops, or even pair to your phone or tablet. The 3S also supports Logitech’s BOLT USB receiver though this model doesn’t come with one.
All-in-all it’s an excellent next step and natural evolution of the MX Anywhere line of mice.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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CONFIDENTIAL UNTIL 6/1/23. Best in category audio performance with enhanced LF port performance, Ultra-Portable Design, Integrated Wireless Receivers on Channel 1 and 2, Bluetooth connectivity on Channel 3, Tonematch on Channel 1 and 2, OLED Displays, 11hrs of battery life, Bose Music app control, Multi-position EQ (PositionEQ), Remote mixing via Bose Music.
 
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5 out of 5
5
Power, Performance, and Portability.
on May 24, 2023
Posted by: StephenS
My entire family is musical and enjoys singing together and performing for others. The Bose S1 Pro+ PA is a fantastically flexible audio system for us that works as well for home studio sessions as it does getting out in public. For our home and small venue purposes it’s the perfect blend of performance and portability.
One feature is that it’s supposed to automatically tailor the sound to be optimal for its orientation, and I don’t doubt that it does, though my experience is that it almost always sounded best and more full when oriented in tower mode with the handle up rather than on its side. For the OCD inclined, the Bose logo can be easily turned and “locked-in” to match your chosen orientation.
The inputs are basic, common, and flexible, with two combination XLR + ¼” inputs, and then a third input that combines both Bluetooth and a 3.5mm port, so technically 4 inputs with 3 individual LED digital volume controls. It’s good to know and confirm that the combo input handles both Bluetooth and 3.5mm at the same time, it’s not limited to one or the other, just keep in mind that they share a volume knob so if you need to blend those particular sources you’ll need to do the fine-tuning on the devices themselves, with the knob on the back of the Bose S1 Pro+ serving as a common master for them. This combined channel is especially useful for background music, karaoke, etc.
Being able to run on battery is a nice feature which makes it stand out from other portable sound/PA systems I’ve personally used before which continued to need outlet power. This can be great for performance scenarios at more remote spots that lack easily accessible power, in our case it was perfect for an outdoor get-together with family and friends for music, games, and making announcements that could be easily heard by everyone.
When not mobile, the S1 Pro+ system makes for a tidy, room filling, home studio monitor for a keyboard, mic, and computer audio/video workstation setup that I’m happy enough with that it’s become more-or-less my new permanent studio speaker.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
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StephenS's Review Comments
 
Only at Best BuyChoose this HP Spectre 13 notebook for its crisp 1080p display and 13.3-inch screen. It comes with a sixth-generation Intel processor and 8GB of onboard RAM for efficient multitasking, and its solid state drive ensure that programs load quickly. The slim design on this HP Spectre 13 notebook provide enhanced versatility.
 
Overall1 out of 51 out of 5
Buyer Beware! Proprietary USB-C Ports!
By jiffer from Minnesota
I've done a lot of reviewing on this ultrabook and I do have to say its a Apple Macbook/Pro/Air contender for super thin and lite notebooks. Great battery life, larger screen, 13.3 compared to Apples 12inch Macbook. Resolution wise this HP is only 1080p compared to Macbook retina screen, and Apple also has about 300 more ppi then HP. In my opinion 1080p is just fine for these small laptops, but if your more into larger screen realestase MacBook is going to be the one for you as you can change your resolution in mac OSX. Configuration options allow you a replaceable M.2 SSH up to 500GB you can install yourself latter if you need more space. Ram is built on the board so no upgrading it. HP has a way better CPU then Apples M (mobile processor) However when you push the i5/i7 CPU it will throttle and a loss of performance will happen. Also the fans will make noise, this is the biggest difference from the MacBook and HP is MacBook uses a core M (mobile processor) so there is no cooling needed, HP uses a duel core i7 and i5 CPU which does need cooling.
One thing thats is sweet but is very poor, Macbook has 1 USB-C port, which a lot of people complain about...... HOWEVER
HP MADE THEIR 3 USB-C ports "Proprietary" That means you can't really use anything other then HP cables or adapters... HP charges like $90.00 per cable. This is absolutely ridiculous and brings this 5 star laptop to a 1 star in my opinion. Who cares if this has 100 USB-C ports if your going to lock us down on your own gear. Apple the one company that is publicly known for locking its consumers down to their products ALLOWS you to use any USB-C cable you want!!!!!!
WTF HP?
Because of this PROPRIETARY USB-C ports I have returned the unit and I don't recommend it to others.
Works on my Nexus 6P
June 6, 2016
You piqued my curiosity but I don't believe this is accurate. I just plugged my Nexus 6P directly into each one of the USB C ports using a standard USB C cable and it worked natively with all three ports, both for charging my Nexus 6P and for transferring files.
Kind regards
+11points
11of 11voted this comment as helpful.
 
Only at Best BuyChoose this HP Spectre 13 notebook for its crisp 1080p display and 13.3-inch screen. It comes with a sixth-generation Intel processor and 8GB of onboard RAM for efficient multitasking, and its solid state drive ensure that programs load quickly. The slim design on this HP Spectre 13 notebook provide enhanced versatility.
 
Overall2 out of 52 out of 5
After 20 Years of HP, This One Made me Buy the Mac
By Major7
I owned this PC for precisely three hours last weekend. I've owned HP laptops in general for over 15 years, and used one since the very first Compaq Portable 386 (which was at the time not HP). I know HP.
I really wanted to love this PC. Small, slick, PC based (my comfort zone), powerful, reasonably priced. But that's where it ended.
After I got it home, it was one aggravation after the other. Loud as as an Airbus A320 on the tarmac. Track pad made a ticking sound with all but the lightest taps. The final straw was it would not install iTunes. Really?? Google: 'Windows 10 won't install iTunes' and you'll know what I'm talking about.
I had enough. I turned it back in that day, bought a 13" Macbook Pro, and I can promise you it is worth the hype. I feel like I'm free now, and I'm not looking back.
iTunes works fine
July 1, 2016
iTunes installs just fine on this computer. I didn't jump through any hoops or do anything special -- I just downloaded the latest iTunes, installed, and it's running now playing some music while I write this. I'm not sure what problem you're having, but it's definitely not the Spectre itself that is getting in the way.
Kind regars
+2points
2of 2voted this comment as helpful.
 
Wake up to a delicious cup of java with this Ninja Coffee Bar glass carafe system. The 10-cup pitcher holds 50 oz. of coffee when entertaining or brews a single cup at a time, prepared at the infusion level of your choice. This Ninja Coffee Bar glass carafe system has a built-in frother for hot and cold drink creations.
 
Overall5 out of 55 out of 5
Am I ready to ditch my Keurig?
By Snarltoof from Minneapolis, MN
I couldn't wait to get this set up at home and run it through its paces! However, I followed the instructions and ran it through two cleaning cycles before using it. Cleaning cycles, wow! Very impressive. And it takes an hour to run through cleaning. I am kinda eager to see how effective cleaning is after I've had a chance to muck it up with hard water.
So -- one major advantage I noticed right away compared to my Keurig -- hot water!!! I can simply remove the filter and make a cup of hot water for tea or whatever.
Also -- I can make a whole pot of coffee!
This produces way less waste than the Keurig does; no more of those environmentally-irresponsible pods to deal with. Now if only someone would come up with single-serve filter packets, like what you get in hotel rooms, that would be awesome. It would be great to be able to brew a cup of coffee and just toss the pod in your compost bin.
Single-cup brewing -- it is much slower than the Keurig and then I have to deal with cleaning up the grounds, but eventually I think I'll switch to it.
I'm relieved that the machine fits on my counter below the wall cabinets. The Keurig fits there, but there's not enough clearance to load a pod. It would be awesome if the water reservoir pulled off sideways instead of up so that it wouldn't have any low clearance issues.
The real bonus with this rig is the frother! Wow, now I can make my own lattes and cappuccinos. It's easy to use, and it removes for easy cleaning.
I'm very happy with this!
When there is a really quick and easy way to do single-cups, or if I just get a bit less lazy, that Keurig will be history.
You can use Senseo pods as single serve packets
January 13, 2017
Hey, I think just like you and wanted the convenience of pods without the waste of the K-cups, so I tried using some Senseo pods (which are just coffee inside of little filters, like you describe -- you can compost the whole thing) and they work pretty good without the mess that sometimes comes from using grounds. I typically use two senseo pods to make a normal cup of coffee, you might be able to get away using one with a Rich Brew cycle. Anyway, sounds like something you may want to at least check into. Cheers!
+2points
2of 2voted this comment as helpful.
 
Take your tunes anywhere with this LifeProof AQUAPHONICS speaker. This floating waterproof device is submersible in up to 1m of water for 30 minutes, and it deflects damage from snow, ice and dirt. Pair this LifeProof AQUAPHONICS speaker with up to eight Bluetooth devices, and use the included dry box for storing keys and cards.
 
Overall2 out of 52 out of 5
Speaker sound OK-some quirks/defects
By hokie00 from MD
The speaker sounds good, and has a good volume range getting loud enough for outside noise.
It has a good range on Bluetooth 70 feet or more in an office around walls for controls and volume adjustment.
It is a good size, a little heavy but feels sturdy for outside/beach/park type use. It's approximately 3"x3"x9". There is a compartment on the bottom for storage/plugs, and the charger/additional plug are located on one end. The opposite end has the power/lock buttons.
Controls are as follows:
End-Power and lock out toggle (to lock controls from accidental touch)
Other end-USB plug/charger for device/phone, DC Power charger for speaker, .8mm headphone jack audio in for device/phone play
Top-Bluetooth sync, skip back, play/pause, volume up, volume down, skip forward, change input (from Bluetooth to either jack)
Bottom-inside 4.7"x2"x0.5" closable storage compartment 2nd USB charger, 2nd .8mm headphone jack audio in for play.
The speaker comes with the user manual and the DC plug for charging.
Bluetooth sync worked easily.
The lock/unlock function is a nice feature to avoid unwanted song/volume/etc. changes
Issues I had with the speaker below.
The first thing I noticed is the compartment is very small, not large enough for most phones to keep inside (4.7x2x0.5) and won't fit an iPhone 5s w/o case. Also if you use the plugs in the compartment you have to leave it open and either on it's side/upside down making access to the top controls difficult. It looks like this is to store a very small wallet/money clip or license/credit cards/cash and not a phone or ipod.
The USB plugs are out only and used to charge, not play the device. So if you want to plug in your phone to charge you will have to also use the .8mm jack or Bluetooth in order to play (jack would be a problem, Bluetooth is fine)
The 2nd USB plug inside the compartment did not work to charge my phone, I assume this is just a defect in the model I received. I was unable to test the .8mm jacks since I don't have one and one was not provided. I'll assume they work and the function toggle turned off the Bluetooth so that seems to confirm it.
The outside USB charger works to charge but is not fast either with the speaker on battery or plugged in. It is probably just a little better than holding a charge while playing music or using your phone. My Pixel XL went from 66% to 72% in about 10-15 minutes while plugged in.
The speaker has a front/back speaker but only one of mine worked. I thought initially it was a stereo issue based on the music I was playing but I tried multiple sources for audio and it still only played through the one speaker. Again I'll assume this is isolated to the unit I received and not the way it is supposed to work. (I will contact the manufacturer about this issue and see how it is supposed to function. I will add/comment to this review with any update.)
Last issue is with the DC plug and only a minor compatibility issue and a suggestion for future models. The DC plug to charge the speaker is the small round type with a pin in the middle and not compatible with many other devices. It would be helpful if this was a micro-USB or USB-C, or Apple Lightning or other frequently used adapter type. The plug was provided so there's no issue using it, but it would be helpful if it was a type of plug/cord I already own in case of loss of damage.
All in all an okay speaker for sound quality, the compartment should be larger to handle a smart phone. The multiple plugs for charge/play are a nice feature but the plugs inside the compartment seem awkward to use.
2 speakers
May 17, 2017
A helpful and thoughtful review, I agree it's pretty lackluster overall. One comment about the speakers though -- it does have two speakers but they aren't front/back, they are left/right on the front grill that has the "Lifeproof" on it. If you play a sound with distinct left/right channels, and don't have your playback device set to mono itself, you can hear the two channels separated left/right. Thanks!
+1point
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.
 
Take your tunes anywhere with this LifeProof AQUAPHONICS speaker. This floating waterproof device is submersible in up to 1m of water for 30 minutes, and it deflects damage from snow, ice and dirt. Pair this LifeProof AQUAPHONICS speaker with up to eight Bluetooth devices, and use the included dry box for storing keys and cards.
 
Overall3 out of 53 out of 5
Good idea, decent features, mediocre sound quality
By Chadwick
So I liked the idea of a waterproof speaker to use around the pool and my prior experiences with Lifeproof made this speaker a top contender. First the good:
1. The design aesthetic is very nice. Large, easy to use backlit buttons, built-in "handles" for ease of grabbing and moving around especially when holding other items, and rugged, all-weather look.
2. Lock-out switch for the buttons to keep prying hands (i.e. kids and annoying neighbors) from fiddling with the controls.
3. It's waterproof and it floats. I tried it by tossing in the pool and the speaker kept right on playing.
4. Long battery life means no need to be tethered to a power supply or risk running out of music before the party is over.
5. It has a power-out USB port so you can charge your phone/tablet/whatever if need be.
6. The dry box is a novelty for me as it's not large enough for a phone or wallet. Might come in handy if you're headed to a public place and want to stash a few bucks or a credit card in there.
7. Double sided speakers means you can set this thing down and not have to be concerned about getting the "front" facing a certain direction...less "dead spots" in the music.
Now the bad:
1. The sound quality is mediocre, at best. It can crank up fairly loud, but there is absolutely zero bottom end and the highs get muddy at higher volumes. Far below the sound quality from lesser-priced rivals in the portable speaker market.
Although there seem to be many more pros than cons, the lack of decent sound quality far outweighs all those potential positives. Bottom line, if you are looking for a waterproof speaker that puts out some noise, this would be perfect. If you care at all about making that noise sound like music, look elsewhere.
Not double-sided speakers
May 17, 2017
Hello. Just wanted to point out that the speaker does have two speakers but they are positioned for left/right stereo, not front/back both are behind the front speaker grill with "Lifeproof" on it. The other side, the rear, is a false-grill for consistent appearance but neither speaker driver outputs through that grill.
Good overall review though, thanks for it.
0points
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StephenS's Questions
 
StephenS has not submitted any questions.
 
StephenS's Answers
 
Play games or program tech solutions on the wide 23-inch screen of this HP LED HD monitor. The antiglare flatscreen offers views from any angle, and the 1920 x 1080 display offers super-sharp images. This HP LED HD monitor has HDMI and VGA inputs, letting you connect a variety of peripherals and devices.
 

Is this compatibil with dell desktop

Hi Bob, it's compatible with anything that uses either VGA or HDMI. It will even work with a computer that has DVI connector, but you'll need to have an adapter that converts DVI to either VGA or HDMI. Hope that helps, thanks!
7 years, 5 months ago
by
StephenS
 
Only at Best BuyChoose this HP Spectre 13 notebook for its crisp 1080p display and 13.3-inch screen. It comes with a sixth-generation Intel processor and 8GB of onboard RAM for efficient multitasking, and its solid state drive ensure that programs load quickly. The slim design on this HP Spectre 13 notebook provide enhanced versatility.
 

How much drive space is available for the 256GB SSD?

After first booting mine up out of the box it showed 201GB of available space.
7 years, 9 months ago
by
StephenS
 
This Dynex™ DX-10MC cable features charge-and-sync capability, allowing you to power and transfer media stored on your micro USB-enabled device. The 3' cable length gives flexible placement options.
 

Transferring files

Would this be able to work for my Dell Venue 8 Pro tablet to be able to transfer files to the desktop computer?
Unless you have a bad cable, yes. I use these cables all the time for both power and data.
7 years, 11 months ago
by
StephenS
 
This Dynex™ DX-10MC cable features charge-and-sync capability, allowing you to power and transfer media stored on your micro USB-enabled device. The 3' cable length gives flexible placement options.
 

Transferring Data

Will this cable allow me to transfer pictures from my cell phone, to my PC? My cable only lets me charge, and I need a better way to get my Pics from my phone to my computer, than trying to send them in Emails.
I use these cables to charge and transfer data from several Android devices and they do it just fine. You might want to make sure though that your device is not set to "charge only", which is an option for some devices. If your device is set to "charge only" then it won't transfer data no matter what cable you're using. I don't know if your device has that mode or not so I'm just mentioning it as something to consider and at least check.
7 years, 11 months ago
by
StephenS
 
This Dynex™ DX-10MC cable features charge-and-sync capability, allowing you to power and transfer media stored on your micro USB-enabled device. The 3' cable length gives flexible placement options.
 

Transferring files

Would this be able to work for my Dell Venue 8 Pro tablet to be able to transfer files to the desktop computer?
I have had no issues charging and syncing my own Venue 8 with this line of cables so unless you get a bad cable it should work just fine.
7 years, 11 months ago
by
StephenS