StephenS's stats
- Review count101
- Helpfulness votes532
- First reviewNovember 22, 2010
- Last reviewMarch 14, 2024
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- Average rating4.3
- Review comment count5
- Helpfulness votes16
- First review commentJune 6, 2016
- Last review commentMay 17, 2017
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- First answerApril 5, 2016
- Last answerOctober 27, 2016
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The TUF Gaming VG279Q1A 27" IPS Gaming Monitor with IPS panel and 1 ms MPRT response time combined with AMD FreeSync Premium support, NVIDIA G-SYNC compatibility, Full HD resolution monitor is designed to deliver sharp graphics during high-action sequences.
Customer Rating
4
Flexible and friendly for both PCs and consoles.
on May 2, 2022
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City, MO
A large and versatile display that’s optimized for and excels at gaming, and between gaming sessions it serves well for general purpose work.
My main gaming hooks are Sports, Adventure, and FPS. To put this display to the test I hooked it up to both a gaming PC and a pair of XBox Consoles – an XBox One S and an XBox Series S – though the display settings and options are equally applicable to both.
Most of the features on the VG279Q1A are nice but fairly standard to ASUS gaming monitors – Low motion blur and response times, high frame rate capability up to 165Hz for this model, and visual enhancements like Shadow Boost, FPS counters, and a selection of OSD crosshair overlays. Standout features to me on this particular model are the Timers and FPS Histogram mode for gaining a short but helpful visual history of recent FPS peaks and lows.
Gaming on this didn’t blow me away, but it was a definite upgrade from the 21” non-gaming display I had been using recently. The display is 165Hz capable but you’ll only get that if your video card is capable of it AND if you’re using DisplayPort. Via HDMI you’ll find yourself capped to 144Hz which is still respectable, just keep in mind that if you’re a performance junkie (and what gamer isn’t) you’ll want to use DisplayPort if at all possible.Also, know that for modern gaming consoles it appears to be capped at 120Hz, the specs mentions PS5 and XBoix though though I was only able to test it with the pair of previously mentioned XBox systems and they both were recognized for and worked great at 120Hz
The display supports 2xHDMI 1.4 and 1xDisplayPort 1.2 connection, and is both AMD and NVIDIA sync friendly, Freesync and Adaptive-Sync respectively. The VG279Q1A doesn’t have speakers of its own but it does have a 3.5mm audio port which proved handy for consolidating the various inputs to headphones or for passing the audio for the active input on to a soundbar/speaker system.
When not gaming the VG279Q1A looks quite nice for regular app and browser usage, like previous ASUS gaming monitors I personally found the FPS mode gave a balanced “not too warm not too cold” colorscape for to my liking that, frankly, I found myself using in almost all cases if only because I think it honestly just looked the best.
I’m happy if not blown away by this display. It’s a good-sized, solid performer, for a reasonable price. I have previous ASUS gaming computers and displays that are well built and continue to last so I expect the VG279Q1A to serve our main gaming-den needs for quite some time.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Ease of Use
5
Quality
5
Value
5
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Never compromise the viewing experience from your computer or smartphone with IOGEAR’s Mini Wireless Screen Sharing receiver. Stream audio and video in Full HD 1080p resolution ensuring your content playback looks as sharp on your HDTV or projector as it does on your device's display. The Mini Wireless Screen Sharing receiver is the perfect solution for wirelessly streaming video and audio from your Windows 10+ PC, Android device, Apple MacOS X, iPhone or iPad to your HDTV, projector or monitor. Use the built-in dedicated Wi-Fi to stream audio and video from up to 30 feet to any connected screen. Enjoy all your favorite content such as movies, videos, photos and online streaming sites including YouTube®, Hulu® and Netflix®* in HD from a single low-profile receiver without any additional cables or dongles. Installation is fast and straightforward. Simply connect the receiver to your TV and follow the simple onscreen instruction. Mini Wireless Screen Sharing receiver creates its own dedicated wireless network and is not reliant on an existing in-building Wi-Fi network. Just plug in and play! *Streaming videos from your iOS device to a TV screen may not be supported by some online video providers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, etc. However, Android users may be able to use Miracast, Smart View or similar technologies to effect screen sharing. Please check the specifications of your devices and providers before purchasing.
Customer Rating
4
Good for web and document, decent for movies.
on January 25, 2022
Posted by: StephenS
from KCMO
I use this to add a second display mostly for work from home purposes and home security, and for that it does a very nice job. My main intended use for this is to mount a display to a wall in my home office and use this to feed my home security cameras to so I can keep an eye on the driveway, yard and house while I'm working, good for knowing when a delivery is made etc. I also use it at times to throw up web pages for work to keep track of networks, users, bandwidth utilization, etc. For these roles it works almost flawlessly. A few times I've tried using it for TV, movies, and at that point the results are still decent and usable but it drops a few beats in the form of skipped / stuttered frames. It's mostly usable for video, as a background video display you aren't constantly looking at -- like background TV, news, sports, etc. -- it's fine. If however you intend to use for heavy active video display just know you'll see the periodic missed frame, and in a few rare cases it outright randomly disconnected from my computer and went back to its internal info / wallpaper mode. The few times it did this I was able to connect back to it easily enough, just once though I had to reboot it before my computer would see it as an available wireless display again.
All said though I'm very happy with it. I usually keep it running 8-12 hours a day streaming my home security cameras, though when I first got it I had it display my cameras for almost 24 hours straight without issue before I needed it for another purpose.
In my experience then I'd recommend this is as a second display for photos, web pages, documents, presentations, slides, and light video streaming. For heavy video streaming I'd not recommend.this, though it'll get the job done in a pinch.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Capture stunning imagery with the legendary Hasselblad camera and enjoy a smooth flight with omnidirectional obstacle sensing. Every improvement on Mavic 3 sets a higher standard for aerial photography. Fly with Mavic 3 and discover imaging above everything.
Customer Rating
5
Fantastic imaging
on November 15, 2021
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City
I’ve had quite a few drones over the years, not all DJI, but DJI drones have been at the top of my list since I first laid my eyes and hands on the Mavic Pro Alpine White late 2017 which is still in the family, passed down to my nephew -- and it still flies like new by the way. I’ve been out of serious drone handling personally for a couple of years but the timing was right when the Mavic 3 was released to get my hands back on the controls, get outdoors, and back into the air -- and even to pursue my Part 107 license so I can legally pilot it and produce footage for more than personal use.
Mavic 3’s marketing motto is “Imaging Above Everything” which factored heavily into my own consideration to take the plunge so many of my thoughts will orbit on that point of interest, pun intended -- If you know you know. :-) What follows are my observations pretty much in the order I noticed them as I learned to use the drone.
Stability -- From the time I first took off and went through the tutorials I was immediately and unreservedly impressed with the stability of the Mavic 3 in the air, and with the stability of the gimbal and the camera views. From the moment you take off the visuals are as stable as being on a mount, tripod, etc. I never flew it in anything more than a normal breeze but it never budged.
Controls -- Having used their previous version Smart Controller I’ll confess that, although the included RC-N1 is capable and impressive in its own right, I definitely miss the all-in-one convenience of Smart Controller and will consider picking one up in the future. That said, the RC-N1 is smartly designed and works very well so long as you don’t mind giving up your phone while you use it, though nothing says you can’t use and dedicate a secondary phone to the task which is probably what I’ll end up doing. For that matter, I realized about 2 days into owning it that you can fly the Mavic 3 with just the RC-N1 controller and no attached phone at all, though your range and height will be limited in this mode. Though this minimalist mode could come in handy in a pinch I only flew it this way once, but I of course missed all the “smart” feedback of using my phone, but it’s good to know this is an option if absolutely necessary.
Controller Interface, basics -- Most of the time you’ll want a phone attached to the controller to unlock the advanced features, flight modes, flight metrics, camera controls, etc. I live about 8 miles from a major airport and airplanes frequently fly over our house on landing approach. The DJI Fly app was clearly aware of exactly where I was and I was concerned at first that the app wouldn’t even let me take off, but instead it intelligently notified me that I was in a height limited zone -- 150 meters if I recall correctly -- and that was that. Not soon after taking off on my first flight post-tutorial the app notified me a manned aircraft was coming into the area, vibrated, sounded an alarm, and verbally notified me to be aware. Sure enough, just seconds later I saw an airliner coming into the area so I quickly landed the Mavic 3 and just waited for it to pass before I took off again.
Image quality -- With the skies clear I took off again intent to take some initial video and photos to start to put “Imaging Above Everything” to the test. Suffice to say, when I reviewed those photos and videos post-flight, the impressive 4/3 sensor did not disappoint. I’ve attached several sample photos to this review trying to show just how well it captures colors. I wish I had this drone just a couple weeks earlier when the fall trees were more colorful but there were still a few bright red and orange standouts. In the samples I also demo the default zoom levels -- 1x 2x 4x 7x 14x and 28x. It’s important to keep in mind that only 1x and 7x are true optical images. 1x uses the default camera and then uses digital zoom for anything less than 7x. At 7x the camera makes a definite and not-so-subtle shift to the telephoto lens and then continues to digital zoom the telephoto camera up to 28x. For me this just means to keep in mind that any zoom other than 1x and 7x don’t do anything that can’t be done just as well and more flexibly in post-production editing, though doing so via the Mavic 3 may certainly be more convenient at times. Note though that although the default zoom levels are fixed at 1,2,4,7,14, and 28 you can do smooth-ish zooming with fn+gimbal control. Also note that to use zoom at all you have to be in Explore mode, selectable from the on-screen interface. Explore mode also provides access to high-frame-rate/slo-mo modes.
With more advanced imaging in mind, the Mavic 3 comes with a removable filter system. By default, right out of the box, the Mavic 3 has a “clear” filter attached. Included in the FlyMore combo is a pack of 4 additional ND filters of various strength to open your photographic options. For example, the default clear filter is great for crisp photos, but sometimes you want to intentionally capture some motion blur in your image by reducing the light intake and leaving the shutter open longer without risk of over-exposure, and for that the FlyMore kit includes 4 additional filters -- ND4, ND8, ND16, and ND32 -- each respectively a stronger filter than the other. Note, these aren’t “color” filters, they are light-reducing filters which give you more headroom to capture light streaks, smooth-out the foam of crashing waves, or simply to generally soften images and videos that might otherwise be unnaturally crisp or overexposed in the intended conditions.
Modes, modes, and more modes -- Speaking of modes, DJI seems to love separating features by mode, and though on one hand I can kind of understand why they do that it’s also frankly kind of annoying. The 3 basic modes to be aware of, selectable via switch right on the controller, are Cine, Normal, and Sport. Cine mode puts emphasis on smooth movement. Normal mode is -- by design I’m sure -- a solid balance of performance and features and leaves all sensors and functions in service -- obstacle avoidance being a key feature in this mode. Finally, Sport mode disables features like obstacle avoidance and is intended for when you need the drone to get from one place to another as quickly as possible, or for when you want to fly the drone in a space that’s limited or tricky. I’m a fairly conservative pilot, I like to keep all the safety and flight assistance features enabled, but of course I tried the Sport for a bit (in a wide open field) and though I didn’t clock it, the Mavic 3 was impressively fast in Sport mode. Again, just be cautious because in Sport mode you can smack it into an object or a person and do genuinely serious harm to the drone, the object, or the person. In my own experience, while in Sport mode I allowed the Mavic 3 to get too close to a fence which interrupted one of the props, which caused the Mavic 3 to drop about 4 feet to the ground, and I incurred my first scuff. Fortunately in my case nothing was harmed, but the incident was enough for me to experientially appreciate the value of the sensors.
Sensors -- That said, the sensors aren’t perfect even when enabled and the documentation warns that some surfaces can’t reliably be sensed -- tree limbs, transparent, highly reflective, smooth water, patterned surfaces (think tile floors), etc. So be careful and mindful that the sensors are there to help you, and they are pretty good at what they do, but they can’t handle all situations so always be aware of your environment. Otherwise, in normal use, the sensors did a great job warning me when I was low to the ground, close to a tree or wall, or when it was nearing a person or other object near its plane of flight.
Final thoughts and a unique practical application -- As I’m not Part 107 certified yet, I’m not a producer of content for others, but I do use drones for personal flights and one of the things I look forward to using the Mavic 3 for is for aerial recon of a large family property which has some terrain and areas that are just difficult or even dangerous to reach by foot -- and which is also known for snakes at certain times of the year. To that end, my primary intended application of this Mavic 3 is to use it to aerial recon and inspect our own property -- to check road conditions; spot illegal hunting, dumping, or other unauthorized presence; inspect our gates and fences; and to do visual inspections of our Internet link which, for this property, is an LTE router on a pole secured to a tree. With the 40+ minute standard flight time and optical zoom, I’ve already put the Mavic 3 to some test flights on our property for these tasks and it has exceeded my every expectation.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+3points
4of 5voted this as helpful.
Coffeehouse Versatility meets Pod Convenience with the Ninja DualBrew Pro Specialty Coffee System. Included 12-cup, double-walled thermal carafe is perfect for both hot and over-ice beverages, with an ergonomic handle and spout allow for easy control of pouring. Tackle grounds and pods with 9 grounds brew sizes from small cup to full carafe, and 4 pod brew sizes from 6 to 12 ounces. Brews a coffee pod faster than a leading Keurig coffee maker upon startup. With Thermal Flavor Extraction DUO technology, perfect flavor for grounds and pods is delivered with even saturation and precise temperature control for ultra-flavorful coffee. Separate from the coffee system is a dedicated hot water line. Using a separate line eliminates flavor contamination and delivers clean water. 2 temperature settings, hot and boil, allow you to make tea, hot cocoa, instant soups, and oatmeal. Brew a super-rich coffee concentrate that you can use to create delicious lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos, and other coffeehouse-style drinks. Use the built-in, fold-away frother to transform hot or cold milk/milk-alternatives into silky-smooth froth in seconds. Top your Specialty brew with frothed milk for a coffeehouse-style drink. The frother is also removable for easy cleaning. Choose from one of four different brew styles; classic or rich for a traditional hot cup of coffee, over ice for an iced coffee that's never diluted, or specialty to make a cappuccino or latte. Clean function, dishwasher-safe parts, removable Ninja pod adaptor and frother allow you to easily deep clean your unit.
Customer Rating
5
A Ninja for the whole family
on October 26, 2021
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City
I’ll admit right up front that I’ve become a bit of a Ninja junkie in recent years -- from coffee makers, to blenders, to cookware, and miscellaneous kitchen tools -- I’ve been consistently impressed with their practical and smart design. This time around I went for an “upgrade” to an older Ninja coffee system I’ve had for a few years. To be fair, the older Ninja coffee maker is still working perfectly, it just wasn’t K-Cup capable and I wanted that flexibility and convenience and this is a little more compact than my older system. Being able to make tidy single-servings means my wife and kids, who are more casual coffee/cocoa/cider drinkers than I am, can pick exactly what they want and are more likely to make themselves a hot drink.
I haven’t been disappointed -- I ran multiple brands and varieties of K-Cups through the Ninja DualBrew Pro, and it consistently kicked out a nice hot cup of coffee at about 160* in the cup.
Features that stood out to me are the easy to read display, intuitive and simple touch system -- to cycle through options of how much water, type of brew, and delay brew -- and a “water only” mode where you can pick to dispense hot or boil, which works fantastic for brewing tea bags or if you need hot water for non-K-Cup hot chocolate or other instant hot beverage. The Ninja DualBrew Pro isn’t “small” by any stretch but it’s got a smart design on the water reservoir that lets you choose to place it on the the side for a configuration that’s a little wider but not as deep, OR swing it around to the back for a deeper but sleeker configuration.
To top it off -- quite literally -- the Ninja DualBrew Pro has a frother for adding a coffee-shop touch of elegance on your beverage of choice, and then conveniently twists off for easy cleaning and then folds back to stay out of the way when you don’t need it.
Although my family will use it almost exclusively for K-Cups, the Ninja DualBrew Pro comes with a high quality carafe and can quickly be switched to brew a full batch of coffee, handy for the upcoming Holidays (for example) when family and friends are over and other situations where it might make more sense to make a whole pot than individual servings.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+4points
9of 14voted this as helpful.
Next-level versatility comes in the perfect pair — Surface Slim Pen 2 stores securely and recharges in the premium keyboard, featuring a large glass touchpad and luxurious, Alcantara material covering. Ready to pair with Surface Pro 9, Surface Pro 8 and Surface Pro X.*
Customer Rating
5
2 Z or not 2 Z?
on October 22, 2021
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City
The Surface Pro 8 is mostly usable even without a physical keyboard, but this is a great complement that enables it to shine as a dual purpose device; a full on work-capable PC when you need it, or fold the the keyboard back and away for a more tidy tablet experience -- movies, music, media, reading, etc.
The keyboard is fantastic for as thin as it is, I loved the feel and response of the keys. They were satisfactorily tactile for accurate typing but also quiet enough for use in a classroom without broadcasting “Hey everybody, I’m typing over here!” The backlight levels on the keyboard were great for dim-room scenarios.
The Pen was impressive too, especially so in Microsoft’s Whiteboard app which you can pull up in seconds simply by clicking the button on the tail end of the Pen. It’s also handy for handwriting-recognition input modes where block or cursive was interpreted very reliably.. except the number 2. Indeed, nearly every time I wrote a 2 it was interpreted as a Z. Even after several days of use I still couldn’t “write” and “get” a 2 reliably. That’s more a function I think of Windows handwriting recognition software than the pen, the pen itself wrote and felt about as natural as could be. In drawing modes the pen provided satisfactory pressure sensitivity for at least basic artistic purposes -- I’m not even especially artistic but I loved the pen and drawing experience so much that I think I drew more pictures and wrote more by hand in the first 24 hours, practicing with the pen, than I have otherwise in the last several years combined. To a real artist I think it’d be a real “love-it or leave-it” scenario. Personally, I loved it and found writing and drawing refreshingly rewarding -- that from someone who otherwise spends 12+ hours a day on a keyboard coding -- BASH, PuTTY, Visual Studio Code, Terraform, etc.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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4of 4voted this as helpful.
Unlock more possibilities than ever with the Pro designed for a Pro like you. The first consumer laptop-to-tablet PC designed on the Intel Evo platform⁹ and designed to light up the best of Windows 11, Surface Pro 8 combines the power of a laptop with the flexibility of a tablet, and every angle in between. Do great things with a larger 13” touchscreen, faster connections with Thunderbolt 4 ports, and extra speed when you need it.
Customer Rating
5
Wonder Twin powers, activate!
on October 22, 2021
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City
I’ve had quite a few 2-in-1 Windows computers over the years (none of which were an MS Surface) and they’ve always left me wanting. They worked fine as laptops but “tablet mode” in Windows 10 never impressed me as it felt disjointed, like I was using a completely different computer. With the advent of Windows 11 I decided to try a Surface Pro 8 and experience Microsoft’s direct take on what the Windows “tablet” experience should be. It’s not perfect, there are plenty of “Windows” apps and experiences that don’t intuitively translate to a touch/pen interface IMHO. However, with the combo of Windows 11 and this Surface Pro 8 I can confidently say that this is the first time I’ve felt a Windows computer could be productive without a physical keyboard, though add the keyboard/pen case and you get the best of all worlds. An obvious comparison, as I was asked repeatedly while using this out and about, is how does it compare to an iPad Pro. To me, the main difference is that an iPad Pro is a tablet trying very hard to convince you it can be a computer, while the Surface Pro 8 is a full computer doing its best to convince you it can be a tablet. Tastes will vary, having used both side-by-side I much prefer the Surface Pro 8.
The Surface Pro 8:
Right to the point, where the Surface Pro 8 excels is in portability. It’s so thin and light I can slip it into a secondary backpack compartment without hardly any thought at all about space or weight. Battery life is respectable enough to get me through a day of on-again/off-again campus computing -- I’d take this to a day of college classes and it got me through everything fine so long as I stuck to note taking, web, documents, and some light personal use between classes. I’d be down to 30-40% when the school day was done -- it packed enough juice that I never felt like I needed to carry the power adapter and stay near an outlet to get through my day.
Right to the point, where the Surface Pro 8 excels is in portability. It’s so thin and light I can slip it into a secondary backpack compartment without hardly any thought at all about space or weight. Battery life is respectable enough to get me through a day of on-again/off-again campus computing -- I’d take this to a day of college classes and it got me through everything fine so long as I stuck to note taking, web, documents, and some light personal use between classes. I’d be down to 30-40% when the school day was done -- it packed enough juice that I never felt like I needed to carry the power adapter and stay near an outlet to get through my day.
This is my first MS Surface computer so I came into it with no specific expectations save that I expected Microsoft to “get it right” when it came to hardware and design for their own OS. The Surface Pro 8 didn’t disappoint, right out of the box it came across as a clean and clever device and I repeatedly found myself liking each aspect of it “more than I expected”. The display is suitably high-res @ 2880x1920 and up to 120Hz, though it’ll be 60Hz out of the box so if you want that extra bit of smoothness (at the cost of some battery life) you’ll want to go into the display settings and bump it up. The internal display also supports HDR / Dolby Vision video, though this is the one aspect that actually fell short of my expectations in practice.
I also got and recommend the Surface Pro Keyboard + Slim Pen. Though I found the Surface Pro 8 was pretty usable without a keyboard, for most activities, these round out the experience for full on document writing. When not using the keyboard, Windows 11 provides a decent onscreen keyboard and/or handwriting recognition mode -- both slower than a physical keyboard but they’ll get the job done for light writing.
As a tablet, this is probably as big as I’d want to go. I’ve had 15” and even 17” 2-in-1 PCs before and that’s just too big to use as a “tablet”, but at 13” and a 3:2 ratio the Surface Pro toes that line quite nicely. Or, kick out the backstand and flip the keyboard to the front to go into “laptop” mode which worked much better on my actual lap than I expected, and on a desk or table it’s downright comfy, the Surface Pro 8 physical keyboard is frankly pretty outstanding.
For video the Iris Xe graphics are remarkably adequate for light gaming. I’d not recommend anyone get a Surface Pro 8 FOR gaming, but at low to medium settings the Surface Pro 8 can pull it off in a pinch if it’s what you have on hand.
Audio -- I’ll just say that the internal mic and speakers blew me away for this form factor. The built-in speakers are surprisingly rich and full, possibly better than even on any full-size laptop I’ve ever owned. Though you’re not going to “shake the walls”, sitting right in front of it in a normal viewing position for movies or music it sounds… remarkably good. And for when you can’t use speakers the Surface Pro 8 still pays respect to the tried-and-true 3.5mm jack, or plug in a pair of USB-C headphones or go Bluetooth if you’d rather. For recording audio, the internal mics pick up lectures and ambient sound quite well. Technically the mics are stereo, at least that’s how they show up in Audacity, but in practice I think they are recording mono as there was no hint of actual stereo recording when I walked circles around it while recording myself practicing a lesson presentation. But the audio the mics picked up sounded great, capturing clear and accurate audio of me and the people and spaces around me.
Windows 11:
On a related note, I found Windows 11 itself to be intuitive and quick to pick up on coming from Windows 10. I never liked “tablet mode” in Windows 10 anyway and Windows 11 doesn’t even have it as an option, which I consider a good thing. Otherwise Windows 11 seems very much to me like Windows 10 tidied up and better organized. Well played Microsoft, well played.
On a related note, I found Windows 11 itself to be intuitive and quick to pick up on coming from Windows 10. I never liked “tablet mode” in Windows 10 anyway and Windows 11 doesn’t even have it as an option, which I consider a good thing. Otherwise Windows 11 seems very much to me like Windows 10 tidied up and better organized. Well played Microsoft, well played.
Summary:
It’s a bit expensive, at almost $2000 for the full package with the keyboiard/pen combo, but if you want/need an outstanding full-PC ultraportable this is hands down the best device in that category I’ve seen or used.
It’s a bit expensive, at almost $2000 for the full package with the keyboiard/pen combo, but if you want/need an outstanding full-PC ultraportable this is hands down the best device in that category I’ve seen or used.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+10points
10of 10voted this as helpful.
Who’s in the garden? Are the kids doing their homework yet? Nest Cam is wire-free, so it goes almost anywhere, outside or in. It knows the difference between people, animals, and vehicles, so you can get the alerts that are important to you. Listen and speak through the camera right from the Google Home app. Check in anytime with 24/7 live view.* If you miss a notification, you can always go back and see what happened with 3 hours of free event video history.* And it’s easy to install yourself – no outlet or wires required. Nest Camera Battery requires the Google Home app and a Google Account – it’s not compatible with the Nest app or the home.nest.com site. *** Stand and cable sold separately
Customer Rating
3
So much potential but ultimately disappointing.
on August 30, 2021
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City
This is my first Google/Nest camera; I’ve been eager to try them for quite some time and just hadn’t taken the plunge until now. I’ve used cameras from several other vendors over the years -- Logitech, Reolink, Ubiquiti, Ring, etc -- so I’m not new to security cameras, just to Google's take on them. I’m pretty deep into the Google Home ecosystem and was really hoping this would play well with the rest of my Home. I’ve had this camera setup for a few days now and here are my observations. I’ll start with the summary and then flesh out the specifics.
Overall: Video quality is good, and the Nest Aware free trial adds some truly advanced features (30 days of video event retention, “familiar faces”, auto calling emergency services) that you’ll want if you intend to use this for actual security monitoring -- most notable is that without a subscription you are allowed a paltry 3 hours of video event history. 3 hours of video event history is just too short to be of much use for security purposes, a limit which seems remarkably short for no other reason than to drive buyers to at least the basic Nest Aware subscription. My prior experience with Logitech Circle cameras, which I consider fairly direct competition to this, leads me to expect no less than a 24h video review window without an add’l subscription, so Google allowing just 3h by default is very disappointing. Although there’s a lot I like about this camera I have to say that “disappointing” sums up a lot of it. It does a lot of things right, and it clearly has potential, but until/unless Google updates the cameras and/or the software there’s just too much “basic” info and options missing for me to recommend these to anyone at this time.
Security events: As a consultant for several schools and businesses I’ve had to export security events for Police several times and one thing that stood out to me very quickly about this system is that there is no option to overlay a date/time stamp on the video. The camera does overlay its own logo in the upper right of the video, so clearly it can do overlays, but Google has oddly decided not to even give the user the option to overlay such basic video information. You can export events with the Home app and I was hoping the exported filenames would at least contain useful data -- but it appears the filenames are based on a Unix Epoch timestamp but one which doesn’t obviously correlate to the actual time of the incident so I’m not sure what Google’s up to, perhaps the resemblance to a Unix Epoch time is strangely coincidental? Regardless, The filenames for exported events are consistent but not particularly useful, so if you find yourself needing to export events you’ll want to make your own careful notes about the times involved. In the old Nest app you could export and embed timestamps into the “closed caption” data but the Home app currently provides no such option which is another little disappointment.
Notifications: The app has a lot of notification options -- it can distinguish people, animal, and vehicle events for example -- and all of which can be turned on/off by their type, or which can be configured to only trigger when it detects you’re “away”. Unfortunately, text and email notifications aren’t even an option -- you either get them on the app or you don’t get them at all. Not necessarily bad but pretty limited compared to other camera notification systems I’ve used.
Video: Daytime video quality is excellent. It’s HD HDR which looks good and zooms in quite nicely though you won’t be reading license plates unless the vehicle comes very close to the camera. I’ve attached some sample screen-captured samples to this review. Nighttime video quality is respectably normal-ish for this range of camera.
Battery: I’ve had mine less than a week but after a few days of activity to adjust the app estimates I’ll get 3-4 weeks of monitoring from a single charge.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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+31points
39of 47voted this as helpful.
Yes, it's that powerful: Play with performance with a powerful AMD processor and mighty graphics. All that power stays cool with our frosty OMEN Tempest Cooling. We can't stop others from feeling a little envy. Gaming shouldn't feel this good: Feast your eyes on this 16.1 diagonal inch machine, boasting a high resolution and fast refresh rate. The floating hinge design and Audio by Bang & Olufsen show it off while you go off. And the long battery life lets you play even longer. One place. All play. OMEN Gaming Hub is your one-stop shop to elevating your play. From getting rewards just by gaming, to controlling every little performance and lighting option of your machine, the list goes on. Every game, every play, every moment is now in your control.
Customer Rating
4
Great performance, mixed results on the display.
on July 24, 2021
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City
I’ve owned a lot of laptops from a lot of vendors, everything from basic business laptops to full-on gaming rigs and this one easily tops the stack in terms of raw performance.
Highlights:
Display: In normal desktop use, right out of the box, the display shows as operating at 144Hz which makes for solid and smooth desktop visuals. For gaming the panel is excellent, smooth, and visually responsive. In terms of contrast and deep-blacks however, if you expect to watch a lot of movies and media, it was actually a little disappointing as when the display goes “all black”, it’s more deep-gray than actually black, and the same also reveals that it’s slightly unevenly lit. Further, the panel obviously flexes and stresses a bit more than usual during routine repositioning.
Display: In normal desktop use, right out of the box, the display shows as operating at 144Hz which makes for solid and smooth desktop visuals. For gaming the panel is excellent, smooth, and visually responsive. In terms of contrast and deep-blacks however, if you expect to watch a lot of movies and media, it was actually a little disappointing as when the display goes “all black”, it’s more deep-gray than actually black, and the same also reveals that it’s slightly unevenly lit. Further, the panel obviously flexes and stresses a bit more than usual during routine repositioning.
Graphics. In Fortnite for example, at full-on “Epic” settings with vsync-off and allowed unlimited frame rates I’d pull 90-120 FPS. During actual gameplay I’m one to keep vsync enabled, in which case my FPS stayed rock solid at 60 and never flinched which is more than adequate to me and nice to know I had power to spare if needed. However, given the 144Hz display panel I honestly expected the FPS even with vsync-on to be more than just a constant 60.
Processor: I didn’t formally benchmark it but it is easily the fastest of our 3 family gaming systems.
Cooling system: Impressive and aggressive. If you actually play games with this on your lap it will get uncomfortably hot. The fans are on the left and right on the underside so try not to block those with your legs or anything else. The system never overheated on me but, under full gaming load, the fans were definitely hungry for cool air.
4-zone RGB keyboard: Having only 4-zones is something I had to adapt to. The zones are basically left, middle, right, and WASD, and you can edit them as “layers” in the HP Omen Light Studio app. I’m not exactly fond of where HP decided those zone boundaries would be but after some experimenting I found I liked either setting the whole keyboard to “color cycle” at speed 5-10, or to set left-middle-right to a single static color, and WASD to a nicely contrasting color.
Summary:
Despite some minor issues with the display panel, mentioned above, I really do like this laptop overall and the minor issues are easy to forget when you’re gaming. Whether I’d recommend this to you depends on your intended use: If gaming performance is a high priority then this is an admirable laptop and you won’t be disappointed -- the issues I observed will probably be of no concern to you at all. However, if you’re more into movies and videos, with gaming as something you’re more likely to do on the side, there are laptops with better displays for that for the same or even less money.
Despite some minor issues with the display panel, mentioned above, I really do like this laptop overall and the minor issues are easy to forget when you’re gaming. Whether I’d recommend this to you depends on your intended use: If gaming performance is a high priority then this is an admirable laptop and you won’t be disappointed -- the issues I observed will probably be of no concern to you at all. However, if you’re more into movies and videos, with gaming as something you’re more likely to do on the side, there are laptops with better displays for that for the same or even less money.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+11points
11of 11voted this as helpful.
The Turtle Beach Recon Controller officially licensed for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One X, Xbox One S & Windows 10 PC’s is the first controller to pair game-changing audio innovations with game-winning controls. Plug in a 3.5mm headset and take advantage of proven Turtle Beach audio features like Superhuman Hearing, Mic Monitoring, Signature Audio Presets and more. Win more with Pro-Aim Focus Mode, which tunes thumbstick sensitivity for enhanced long-range accuracy, and save up to four selectable profiles on each of the two, rear quick-action buttons. Play for hours in comfort thanks to ergonomic cooling grips and feel every vital gaming detail with next-gen vibration feedback in the handles and triggers.
Customer Rating
5
Affordable and Powerful for Cross-platform
on July 24, 2021
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City
To get right to it, this is a great controller and a truly remarkable value at this price point. I’ve used Turtle Beach audio devices for decades and I’ve never been disappointed.
I’m mostly a PC gamer but I have an Xbox One S as well and I love having a single controller that works easily and with almost exactly the same functionality on both platforms. The only thing that doesn’t work on both platforms is the “chat mix” which controls chat volume separately from game volume. Not a big deal to me personally but worth noting if chat is a big part of your gaming.
Highlights:
- Cross-platform compatibility.
- The integrated audio controls were the standout feature to me. Having the volume controls, EQ settings, and mic-mute all handy was fantastic.
- The 4 EQ presets were basic but adequate (Signature, Bass boost, Treble-boost, Bass+Treble boost), especially for quick on-the-fly adjustments. I found myself continually using the “Signature” EQ preset, it was easily the most balanced sound profile to my ears.
- Superhuman audio -- So far as I can tell this is more of a 5th EQ setting that highlights frequencies in the typical footstep/reloading/creaking/door range to draw your attention to them over other ambient sounds, its effectiveness will vary game to game and I personally didn’t think it helped much. But it doesn’t hurt to have the option.
- The programmable buttons were useful to map to specific controller actions.
- On a PC, the Recon doesn’t show as an audio device until you plug in a headset. Plug in a headset though and it’ll show up as “Headphones (Xbox Controller)” in a few seconds, and will become a separate audio-out selectable device. Not surprisingly, all of the Recon audio controls (EQ, Volume, Mic-mute) work even on PC. As noted above, only “chat mix” doesn’t work in Windows 10, and that’s documented in the guide so it’s to be expected.
- Cross-platform compatibility.
- The integrated audio controls were the standout feature to me. Having the volume controls, EQ settings, and mic-mute all handy was fantastic.
- The 4 EQ presets were basic but adequate (Signature, Bass boost, Treble-boost, Bass+Treble boost), especially for quick on-the-fly adjustments. I found myself continually using the “Signature” EQ preset, it was easily the most balanced sound profile to my ears.
- Superhuman audio -- So far as I can tell this is more of a 5th EQ setting that highlights frequencies in the typical footstep/reloading/creaking/door range to draw your attention to them over other ambient sounds, its effectiveness will vary game to game and I personally didn’t think it helped much. But it doesn’t hurt to have the option.
- The programmable buttons were useful to map to specific controller actions.
- On a PC, the Recon doesn’t show as an audio device until you plug in a headset. Plug in a headset though and it’ll show up as “Headphones (Xbox Controller)” in a few seconds, and will become a separate audio-out selectable device. Not surprisingly, all of the Recon audio controls (EQ, Volume, Mic-mute) work even on PC. As noted above, only “chat mix” doesn’t work in Windows 10, and that’s documented in the guide so it’s to be expected.
The one thing: I loved almost everything about this controller except one thing, and this one thing is going to be pretty subjective so I consider it more an observation than a criticism. Although the controller is very similar physically to an original Xbox controller, there’s just enough of a difference that I found my hands starting to cramp during gaming sessions. I’ve compared it side-by-side with an original Xbox controller and the main difference to me seems to be that the original Xbox controller palm holds are slightly more meaty and simply fit into my palms better. It may well be something I’ll just get used to, and I hope that’s the case, because this is a powerful and affordable controller that packs a lot of additional convenient capabilities into the standard form factor and I would absolutely recommend this to anyone, especially cross-platform gamers.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+2points
7of 12voted this as helpful.
Soundcore Life Tune XR are active noise cancelling headphones with Hi-Res Certified sound. The Multi-Mode noise cancellation technology detects and cancels out exterior noise. Use for calls with the dual microphones and have long, 60 hour listening sessions due to the long battery life and comfortable earcups.
Customer Rating
5
Excellent
on April 8, 2021
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City
I picked these up simply to replace an aging non-ANC wired headset. At this pricepoint I wasn’t expecting much more than a functional replacement + wireless, but what I got exceeded my expectations in nearly every way!
Whether Bluetooth or with the aux cable, the sound of these is quite rich with a great blend of subtlety and presence. They can be paired to a phone but my own day-to-day use case for these is actually my PC where I wanted good sound and the freedom to move without a cord.
For me, these nailed every note -- they are very comfortable, battery life has easily been “all day” even with ANC enabled, and the option to go wired when needed is a nice backup for when the battery dies or for use with non-Bluetooth devices.
The ANC worked well enough in real-world terms to almost entirely block out a TV in the room while I did audio on my PC. One thing that stood out to me is that the ANC modes can be triggered at any time, that it works with both BT and the aux cable. This stood out to me because I have another ANC wired+BT headset which only allowed ANC when in BT mode, so discovering that these allowed it in either mode was just icing on the cake.
Very happy with these -- I love that this headset still nods some respect to the aux cable, but wish they’d have gone all-in by designing it so that the built-in mic worked with both aux and Bluetooth. It’s a minor obstacle though and I overcame it by getting a 3rd party aux cord that includes its own mic.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+3points
3of 3voted this as helpful.
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.
Overall
1 out of 5
1 out of 5Buyer 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.
StephenS
Kansas City
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.
Overall
2 out of 5
2 out of 5After 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.
StephenS
Kansas City
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 5
5 out of 5Am 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.
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.
StephenS
Kansas City
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 5
2 out of 5Speaker 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
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.
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.
StephenS
Kansas City
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 5
3 out of 5Good 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.
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.
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.
StephenS
Kansas City
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
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
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, 6 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, 10 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.
8 years 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.
8 years 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.
8 years ago
by
StephenS