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- Review count78
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- First reviewNovember 2, 2012
- Last reviewApril 20, 2024
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- Average rating3.9
- Review comment count2
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- First review commentJuly 1, 2017
- Last review commentJuly 2, 2017
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- Answer count20
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- First answerOctober 10, 2014
- Last answerOctober 12, 2020
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Jabra Enhance™ Plus wireless earbuds have been engineered for advanced medical-grade hearing enhancement for your conversations, music, and calls. (iPhone only, not Android compatible) As part of GN – the only company in the world with consumer, professional, and medical-grade sound all under one roof – we have a team of expert engineers crafting the world’s leading hearing aids. Now, we’re leveraging that wealth of knowledge to launch our first ever medical-grade hearing enhancement and earbud hybrid. At 40% smaller than our current smallest earbuds*, with four built-in microphones and powerful speakers, these buds are for mild to moderate hearing loss, and specifically engineered to enhance the way you hear everything – from in-person conversations to calls, music, and media. They’re a ground-breaking achievement in miniaturization, 150 years in the making. Now you can focus on what you want to listen to, without just turning up the volume.
Posted by: SonyCameraGuy
In the box:
• Ear buds;
• Charging case;
• USB (A to C) charging cable;
• Ear buds;
• Charging case;
• USB (A to C) charging cable;
Setup is easy with the Jabra Enhance app. After pairing, the app uses a “hearing test” to customize the frequencies that it will accentuate. For me, these were the high frequencies.
There are three listening modes (focus, adaptive, and surround) and eleven mode volumes (0 through 10). Focus mode seems to reduce ambient background noise the most while surround mode is rather indiscriminate in what it amplifies. Adaptive mode switching between focus and surround modes based on the devices perception of whether it thinks a conversation is in progress.
My first attempt at customization resulted in a background hum that was distracting and unpleasant. My second attempt was more successful. Reducing the volume helped get rid of unnecessary amplification.
Notwithstanding the customization, the ear buds were far too sensitive to personal microphonics (i.e., my voice, breathing, and cranial acoustics).
Notwithstanding the customization, the ear buds were far too sensitive to personal microphonics (i.e., my voice, breathing, and cranial acoustics).
The ear buds were comfortable with extended use (i.e., 6 hours).
Phone calls were successful with the smartphone on which the app was installed, but, due to enhancements of my own voice and ambient surrounding, I had more, rather than less, trouble understanding the person on the other end of the call.
Pros: Easy setup, long battery life, comfort.
Cons: Excessive microphonics, variable attenuation of background noise in “adaptive” mode;
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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The Dell XPS 15 laptop features a stunning, new 4-sided InfinityEdge FHD+ display that shows off a 5% larger 16:10 screen and 92.9% screen to body ratio. All the power and features to maximize prodcutivity - Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB solid state drive, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 3050 Ti graphics. A premium 15" touch laptop with a thin and light design.
Posted by: SonyCameraGuy
from Cary, NC
Pros:
Power button (above the backspace key) is unmarked and doubles as a fingerprint reader. The fingerprint reader is easy to setup and makes signing in fast, easy, and secure.
Camera is at the top of the screen. Previous models had the camera at the bottom and made for some rather unflattering video calls.
Quiet fan. Fan noise is much less than other Dell models that I have owned.
Disk write speed is stellar, creating 1:1 previews of 150 62MP photos in Lightroom Classic took 10 minutes (7 minutes faster than 9570). The 512 GB Micron NVMe 2300 disk drive had a sequential write speed of 2.9 GBs and a random write speed of 457 MBs (peak profile with CrystalBenchMark).
The screen resolution is 1920 x 1200 (FHD+). The extra vertical pixels (compared with the full HD resolution [1920 x 1080]) mean that you can watch full HD content without covering the task bar. The Intel UHD graphics chip should be capable of delivering 4K resolution to an external monitor (not tested). The additional NVidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU enhances 3D graphics performance (an advantage for gaming).
Full-size SD card reader. Sequential read/write speeds approach 90 MB/s and 63 MB/s (1 MB files), respectively. Random read/write speeds of 4 KB files are considerably slower (11/3 MB/s).
Power button (above the backspace key) is unmarked and doubles as a fingerprint reader. The fingerprint reader is easy to setup and makes signing in fast, easy, and secure.
Camera is at the top of the screen. Previous models had the camera at the bottom and made for some rather unflattering video calls.
Quiet fan. Fan noise is much less than other Dell models that I have owned.
Disk write speed is stellar, creating 1:1 previews of 150 62MP photos in Lightroom Classic took 10 minutes (7 minutes faster than 9570). The 512 GB Micron NVMe 2300 disk drive had a sequential write speed of 2.9 GBs and a random write speed of 457 MBs (peak profile with CrystalBenchMark).
The screen resolution is 1920 x 1200 (FHD+). The extra vertical pixels (compared with the full HD resolution [1920 x 1080]) mean that you can watch full HD content without covering the task bar. The Intel UHD graphics chip should be capable of delivering 4K resolution to an external monitor (not tested). The additional NVidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU enhances 3D graphics performance (an advantage for gaming).
Full-size SD card reader. Sequential read/write speeds approach 90 MB/s and 63 MB/s (1 MB files), respectively. Random read/write speeds of 4 KB files are considerably slower (11/3 MB/s).
Cons:
No touch-screen
Requires docking station or external adapter for USB A and HDMI ports. A USB C-type adapter comes with the laptop and includes a single USB A port and a single HDMI port. If, like me, you still need to connect multiple USB A devices, I suggest getting a powered USB C docking device.
Initial setup required login with Microsoft ID. There was no option to use a local login during setup. The user account must be changed after setup is enable local login. This is a “feature” of the version of Windows 10 Home that came with the system (build 19042).
The display has a matte finish and is relatively non-reflective. This may be a “pro” under certain usage conditions, but even at full brightness, the display seems muted.
The display had a distinct green hue with the default 06B3 ICC color profile and required color calibration to optimize color rendering. After calibration the display was capable of rendering 100% of the RGB color gamut, but only 76% and 82% of the NTSC and AdobeRGB gamuts, respectively. It’s limitations in the NTSC and AdobeRGB color spaces suggest that this would not be the best choice for photo editing without an external display.
No touch-screen
Requires docking station or external adapter for USB A and HDMI ports. A USB C-type adapter comes with the laptop and includes a single USB A port and a single HDMI port. If, like me, you still need to connect multiple USB A devices, I suggest getting a powered USB C docking device.
Initial setup required login with Microsoft ID. There was no option to use a local login during setup. The user account must be changed after setup is enable local login. This is a “feature” of the version of Windows 10 Home that came with the system (build 19042).
The display has a matte finish and is relatively non-reflective. This may be a “pro” under certain usage conditions, but even at full brightness, the display seems muted.
The display had a distinct green hue with the default 06B3 ICC color profile and required color calibration to optimize color rendering. After calibration the display was capable of rendering 100% of the RGB color gamut, but only 76% and 82% of the NTSC and AdobeRGB gamuts, respectively. It’s limitations in the NTSC and AdobeRGB color spaces suggest that this would not be the best choice for photo editing without an external display.
Overall:
The CPU and graphics processing speed are quite good. The full-size SD card reader is good for photo and video transfers. The NVMe SSD is very fast, but some users may find the 512 GB size a limitation. The display had a notable green cast and required color calibration to render 100% of the RGB color gamut. The limitations in the NTSC and AdobeRGB color gamuts make it a poor choice for photo editing without an external (4K) monitor. The NVidia GPU is a nice addition for gamers. A powered USB C-type docking station is recommended to add USB A, HDMI, and display ports.
The CPU and graphics processing speed are quite good. The full-size SD card reader is good for photo and video transfers. The NVMe SSD is very fast, but some users may find the 512 GB size a limitation. The display had a notable green cast and required color calibration to render 100% of the RGB color gamut. The limitations in the NTSC and AdobeRGB color gamuts make it a poor choice for photo editing without an external (4K) monitor. The NVidia GPU is a nice addition for gamers. A powered USB C-type docking station is recommended to add USB A, HDMI, and display ports.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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How much content can you hold with your fingertips? With the Crucial X6 Portable SSD, the answer is: A lot! Whether you’re downloading videos for off-line travel, organizing family photos, collaborating with classmates, or heading off on a great adventure, the Crucial X6 features up to 2TB of portable storage capacity and is ready to go wherever you do.
Posted by: SonyCameraGuy
from Cary, NC
The Crucial X6 SE 2TB Portable Solid State Drive comes with a surprisingly small drive enclosure (approximately 2.5 x 2.5 x 0.25 inches). My Windows 10 laptop initially balked when I connected the drive, claiming that it needed to be scanned and repaired. After completing the scan and finding no errors, the disk functioned as expected. The X6 came formatted as exFAT, perhaps for iOS compatibility. I reformatted to NTFS prior to testing transfer rates.
Transfer rates:
Transfer rates were evaluated using Crystal Disk Mark (v8.0.1, ©2007-2021 hiyohiyo) running on a Dell XPS 15 (9570) with 1 TB internal PC401 NVMe SK hydix system disk and USB C connection (v3.1). Default, Peak Performance, and Real World profiles were used to read and write files of 64 MB and 1 GB in read-only, write-only, and mixed read-write modes.
Sequential read speeds were faster than random read speeds for all scenarios tested (about 550 MB/s vs 80 MB/s, respectively). Sequential write speeds were fasted for large files (1 GB at 420 MB/s) than for small files (64 MB at 325 MB/s).
In addition, I evaluated my typical use scenario, copying photos between my external and internal disks using Windows 10 File Explorer. I tested the speed using a single folder with 52 subfolders and 6,010 files totaling 176 GB. Files were mostly 61 MB raw image files and 11 KB sidecar files. Using the Real World profile in Crystal Disk Mark with 64 MB file size, sequential read and write speeds for the internal NVMe disk (R: 1445.49 MB/s; W: 1262.4 MB/s) were 3-fold faster than for the X6 (R: 447.99 MB/s; W: 398.46 MB/s) making the X6 was the rate-limiting step in the transfer. Writing to the X6 took 31 minutes (average 94.6 MB/s). Reading from the X6 took 18.25 minutes (160 MB/s).
Transfer rates were evaluated using Crystal Disk Mark (v8.0.1, ©2007-2021 hiyohiyo) running on a Dell XPS 15 (9570) with 1 TB internal PC401 NVMe SK hydix system disk and USB C connection (v3.1). Default, Peak Performance, and Real World profiles were used to read and write files of 64 MB and 1 GB in read-only, write-only, and mixed read-write modes.
Sequential read speeds were faster than random read speeds for all scenarios tested (about 550 MB/s vs 80 MB/s, respectively). Sequential write speeds were fasted for large files (1 GB at 420 MB/s) than for small files (64 MB at 325 MB/s).
In addition, I evaluated my typical use scenario, copying photos between my external and internal disks using Windows 10 File Explorer. I tested the speed using a single folder with 52 subfolders and 6,010 files totaling 176 GB. Files were mostly 61 MB raw image files and 11 KB sidecar files. Using the Real World profile in Crystal Disk Mark with 64 MB file size, sequential read and write speeds for the internal NVMe disk (R: 1445.49 MB/s; W: 1262.4 MB/s) were 3-fold faster than for the X6 (R: 447.99 MB/s; W: 398.46 MB/s) making the X6 was the rate-limiting step in the transfer. Writing to the X6 took 31 minutes (average 94.6 MB/s). Reading from the X6 took 18.25 minutes (160 MB/s).
Overall:
The small form factor is very convenient for travel and the 2 TB capacity makes the X6 great for temporary backup and storage.
The small form factor is very convenient for travel and the 2 TB capacity makes the X6 great for temporary backup and storage.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Dyson Purifier Cool purifying fan combines intelligent sensing with an advanced, fully sealed filtration system. It’s engineered with two phases of purification so what goes inside stays inside. The HEPA filter captures 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns⁵ in size, and powerful Air Multiplier technology purifies the whole room¹ and cools you.²
Posted by: SonyCameraGuy
from Cary, NC
Quick Pros & Cons:
Pros:
• Automatically adjusts to air quality measurements
• Variable-speed upright oscillating fan with remote control
• Replicable HEPA+carbon filters
• Wi-Fi enabled with exceptionally well-designed smartphone app
Cons:
• A bit bulkier than prior (fan-only) models without filters
In the box:
• Fan and two HEPA+carbon filters
Setup:
• Setup and installation of filters was straightforward.
• Installation of Dyson Link app on iPhone was easy.
Usage:
This is a sleek, intuitive, functional, and well-designed fan. It has 10 fan speed settings and can be set to oscillate 45, 90, 180, or 350 degrees.
It is also an intelligent air quality monitor and measures particulate matter (PM) at the 2.5 and 10 micron sizes, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), temperature, and humidity. The default view on the fan’s LCD display is the fan speed and air quality graph. The “i” button on the remote will cycle through the individual air quality metrics and then display information on the remaining filter life and, finally a display to indicate whether Wi-Fi is enabled before returning to the default display.
In “auto” mode, the fan speed will increase when poorer air quality is detected to facilitate removal of airborne pollutants. It also effectively turns the fan off when air quality is good and only draws in as much air as needed to perform air quality monitoring.
In “night” mode, the fan will use quieter fan settings (when in auto mode) and dim the light on the fan’s front LCD display. There is also a sleep timer to turn off the fan automatically after 1, 2, 4, or 8 hours.
Filter life will depend on the air quality in your home. Mine has been running continuously for over a week with only occasional excursions into the yellow air quality range and the unit reports only 5% of the filter life has been used. Under these conditions, I expect to replace the filters about every 6 months.
The iPhone app is intuitive, well designed, and has considerably more features than the remote and can be used to monitor and control multiple Dyson devices remotely. You can set up a weekly schedule for your fan and enable voice commands using Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Siri.
Overall:
This is the most useful and versatile Dyson fan that I have owned. The replaceable filters and air quality monitoring are a great comfort. I delete most product-specific smartphone apps shortly after installation as I find them only marginally useful. The Dyson Link app is a notable exception and will stay on my phone.
Pros:
• Automatically adjusts to air quality measurements
• Variable-speed upright oscillating fan with remote control
• Replicable HEPA+carbon filters
• Wi-Fi enabled with exceptionally well-designed smartphone app
Cons:
• A bit bulkier than prior (fan-only) models without filters
In the box:
• Fan and two HEPA+carbon filters
Setup:
• Setup and installation of filters was straightforward.
• Installation of Dyson Link app on iPhone was easy.
Usage:
This is a sleek, intuitive, functional, and well-designed fan. It has 10 fan speed settings and can be set to oscillate 45, 90, 180, or 350 degrees.
It is also an intelligent air quality monitor and measures particulate matter (PM) at the 2.5 and 10 micron sizes, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), temperature, and humidity. The default view on the fan’s LCD display is the fan speed and air quality graph. The “i” button on the remote will cycle through the individual air quality metrics and then display information on the remaining filter life and, finally a display to indicate whether Wi-Fi is enabled before returning to the default display.
In “auto” mode, the fan speed will increase when poorer air quality is detected to facilitate removal of airborne pollutants. It also effectively turns the fan off when air quality is good and only draws in as much air as needed to perform air quality monitoring.
In “night” mode, the fan will use quieter fan settings (when in auto mode) and dim the light on the fan’s front LCD display. There is also a sleep timer to turn off the fan automatically after 1, 2, 4, or 8 hours.
Filter life will depend on the air quality in your home. Mine has been running continuously for over a week with only occasional excursions into the yellow air quality range and the unit reports only 5% of the filter life has been used. Under these conditions, I expect to replace the filters about every 6 months.
The iPhone app is intuitive, well designed, and has considerably more features than the remote and can be used to monitor and control multiple Dyson devices remotely. You can set up a weekly schedule for your fan and enable voice commands using Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Siri.
Overall:
This is the most useful and versatile Dyson fan that I have owned. The replaceable filters and air quality monitoring are a great comfort. I delete most product-specific smartphone apps shortly after installation as I find them only marginally useful. The Dyson Link app is a notable exception and will stay on my phone.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Record captivating vlogs and take brilliant photos with this black GoPro HERO9 camera. The high-quality CMOS sensor captures 5K video and up to 20.0MP images for stunning clarity, and support for a microSD card offers customizable storage space. This water-resistant GoPro HERO9 camera allows for use at the beach or pool.
Posted by: SonyCameraGuy
from Cary, NC
Quick Pros & Cons:
Pros:
• Retractable mounting arms (no mounting case required to attach to standard mounts).
• Color LED front display (no more LCD).
• Larger battery (1,720 mAh).
• More secure battery door.
• 5K video
Pros:
• Retractable mounting arms (no mounting case required to attach to standard mounts).
• Color LED front display (no more LCD).
• Larger battery (1,720 mAh).
• More secure battery door.
• 5K video
Cons:
• No Bluetooth support (e.g., for external microphone or remote). This the only reason for the 4* rating.
• USB-C microphone adapter requires open battery door.
• No fault of GoPro, but there is no Hero 9 lens profile in Adobe Camara Raw (ACR) or Lightroom
• Wi-Fi range (about 30 feet @2.4GHz and 15 feet with 5.0GHz).
• Unable to connect with external Wi-Fi.
• No Bluetooth support (e.g., for external microphone or remote). This the only reason for the 4* rating.
• USB-C microphone adapter requires open battery door.
• No fault of GoPro, but there is no Hero 9 lens profile in Adobe Camara Raw (ACR) or Lightroom
• Wi-Fi range (about 30 feet @2.4GHz and 15 feet with 5.0GHz).
• Unable to connect with external Wi-Fi.
In the box:
• GoPro Hero 9 Black camera
• 1 rugged carrying case with recyclable fiberboard insert
• 1 curved adhesive mounting bracket (suitable for bike helmet)
• 1 battery
• 1 USB cable (A to C)
• 1 pictorial set of quick setup instructions
• 1 booklet containing product and safety instructions.
• 1 promotional card with QC code to subscribe to a “free trial” at GoPro.com.
Not in the box:
• User’s Guide or other instructions explaining the features of the camera, camera settings, menu navigation, pairing with GoPro App, routine care/maintenance, and troubleshooting. (available at https://gopro.com/content/dam/help/hero9-black/manuals/HERO9Black_UM_ENG_REVA.pdf).
• USB wall charger.
• Memory card.
• GoPro Hero 9 Black camera
• 1 rugged carrying case with recyclable fiberboard insert
• 1 curved adhesive mounting bracket (suitable for bike helmet)
• 1 battery
• 1 USB cable (A to C)
• 1 pictorial set of quick setup instructions
• 1 booklet containing product and safety instructions.
• 1 promotional card with QC code to subscribe to a “free trial” at GoPro.com.
Not in the box:
• User’s Guide or other instructions explaining the features of the camera, camera settings, menu navigation, pairing with GoPro App, routine care/maintenance, and troubleshooting. (available at https://gopro.com/content/dam/help/hero9-black/manuals/HERO9Black_UM_ENG_REVA.pdf).
• USB wall charger.
• Memory card.
Note: The user’s guide (see link above) has a warning regarding the use of non-GoPro chargers that exceed 5V 1A. The USB battery charging standard has been 5V 1.5A since about 2010. I charged mine with a 15 watt (9v/1.67A; 5v/2A) wall charger. You should be fine with any 5V 1.5A wall charger or USB-A port on your computer.
Setup:
• The battery required charge before first use.
• Connecting to the camera to the smartphone app, the Hero 9 Black will appear as a wireless router. To connect your Hero 9 Black to the GoPro app, you must 1) turn the Hero on, 2) disconnect the USB cable, 3) use the WiFi settings on your phone to link with the Hero, and 4) select “add a camera” in the GoPro app. Once connected, the app will show the Hero 9 as an available device. I recommend 2.4GHz over the 5.0GHz connection options if you need more range or if your phone does not support 5.0GHz Wi-Fi. The 2.4GHz band width will provide a range similar to a Bluetooth device (about 30 feet). The 5.0GHz band width will be faster, but the range is limited to about 15 feet. Range will vary depending on obstacles (e.g. walls).
• The GoPro “Quik | Desktop” app installed on Windows 10 is capable of recognizing the Hero 9 when the USB connection type on the camera is set to “MTP”. This app is relatively useless.
• The battery required charge before first use.
• Connecting to the camera to the smartphone app, the Hero 9 Black will appear as a wireless router. To connect your Hero 9 Black to the GoPro app, you must 1) turn the Hero on, 2) disconnect the USB cable, 3) use the WiFi settings on your phone to link with the Hero, and 4) select “add a camera” in the GoPro app. Once connected, the app will show the Hero 9 as an available device. I recommend 2.4GHz over the 5.0GHz connection options if you need more range or if your phone does not support 5.0GHz Wi-Fi. The 2.4GHz band width will provide a range similar to a Bluetooth device (about 30 feet). The 5.0GHz band width will be faster, but the range is limited to about 15 feet. Range will vary depending on obstacles (e.g. walls).
• The GoPro “Quik | Desktop” app installed on Windows 10 is capable of recognizing the Hero 9 when the USB connection type on the camera is set to “MTP”. This app is relatively useless.
Design:
• The most useful new feature is the addition of fold-down mounting legs. These allow you to attach the camera directly to a mounting bracket without a mounting case.
• The front LCD has been replaced by a LED display!
• The battery/microSD card door has a new latching mechanism that seems much more secure than in older models.
• A microphone drain has been added to allow the microphone compartment to be drained after use underwater. [Note: It does not open.]
• The larger body size allows the use of a 1,720 mAh battery (500 more mAh than the Hero 7 and 8 batteries with 1,220 mAh).
• The most useful new feature is the addition of fold-down mounting legs. These allow you to attach the camera directly to a mounting bracket without a mounting case.
• The front LCD has been replaced by a LED display!
• The battery/microSD card door has a new latching mechanism that seems much more secure than in older models.
• A microphone drain has been added to allow the microphone compartment to be drained after use underwater. [Note: It does not open.]
• The larger body size allows the use of a 1,720 mAh battery (500 more mAh than the Hero 7 and 8 batteries with 1,220 mAh).
Features:
Resolution (RES) can be set to 5K, 4K, 2.7K, 1440p, and 1080p.
NTSC frame rates (FR) can be set to 240, 120, 60, 30, and 24 FPS (depending on the RES selected).
Digital Lens can be set to SuperView, Wide, Linear (with and without horizontal leveling) and Narrow.
Aspect Ratio (AR) can be set to 16:9 or 4:3. [Note: The native AR for the sensor is 4:3 with 23.6 megapixels. Images and video captured in the 16:9 AR are cropped.]
While there are lots of RES/FR/FOV/AR combinations, not all combinations work together. Please see the User’s Guide for specifics (https://gopro.com/content/dam/help/hero9-black/manuals/HERO9Black_UM_ENG_REVA.pdf). In fact, I recommend that anyone interested in purchasing the camera download and read the User’s Guide prior to purchase. It is very informative and will let you know whether the camera, GoPro’s best do date IMHO, will do what you want it to do.
Resolution (RES) can be set to 5K, 4K, 2.7K, 1440p, and 1080p.
NTSC frame rates (FR) can be set to 240, 120, 60, 30, and 24 FPS (depending on the RES selected).
Digital Lens can be set to SuperView, Wide, Linear (with and without horizontal leveling) and Narrow.
Aspect Ratio (AR) can be set to 16:9 or 4:3. [Note: The native AR for the sensor is 4:3 with 23.6 megapixels. Images and video captured in the 16:9 AR are cropped.]
While there are lots of RES/FR/FOV/AR combinations, not all combinations work together. Please see the User’s Guide for specifics (https://gopro.com/content/dam/help/hero9-black/manuals/HERO9Black_UM_ENG_REVA.pdf). In fact, I recommend that anyone interested in purchasing the camera download and read the User’s Guide prior to purchase. It is very informative and will let you know whether the camera, GoPro’s best do date IMHO, will do what you want it to do.
Best advice:
Shoot photos in RAW mode.
SuperPhoto:
When enabled, SuperPhoto mode will evaluate the photographic conditions and automatically enable HDR, local tone mapping, noise reduction. HDR and noise reduction use multiple images (i.e. a burst of photos of the same scene) and combines them into a single JPG file on the microSD card. Camera motion can reduce the area of overlap when multiple images are combined and render the final JPG file with fewer pixels than expected.
Protune:
Protune allows you considerable control over the bit rate, color profile (GoPro Color or Flat), white balance (2300K to 6500K), ISO range (100 to 6400), shutter speed (depends on video settings), EV compensation, sharpness, raw audio, and wind-noise reduction. These can be applied when capturing videos or photos. See the User’s Manual pages 137 to 144 for details.
File Format:
Video is stored as MP4 files. Photo files are saved as JPG. However, the Hero 9 will also generate a GPR (GoPro Raw) file when the RAW format is specified. The GPR file format is based on the Adobe digital negative (DNG) specifications and can be imported using Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) or Lightroom (CC and classic). The GPR file is approximately twice the size of the associated JPG file, but allows full creative control over the image. There is a “GoPro HERO9 Black” profile in the latest version of ACR and Lightroom. I created my own profile using a calibrated color target, and the blues turned out to be a little darker in my profile than in the one provided by Adobe. While there is a reasonably accurate color profile in ACR and Lightroom, there is currently no lens profile for the Hero 9 (or Hero 8). The Hero 7 lens profile does a good job of straightening images from the Hero 9 and reducing the pin-cushion effect due to the short focal lengths, but does a bit of cropping in the process. See page 131 of the User’s Guide for details on version compatibility and for restrictions on the use of other Hero 9 settings when RAW format is requested.
Shoot photos in RAW mode.
SuperPhoto:
When enabled, SuperPhoto mode will evaluate the photographic conditions and automatically enable HDR, local tone mapping, noise reduction. HDR and noise reduction use multiple images (i.e. a burst of photos of the same scene) and combines them into a single JPG file on the microSD card. Camera motion can reduce the area of overlap when multiple images are combined and render the final JPG file with fewer pixels than expected.
Protune:
Protune allows you considerable control over the bit rate, color profile (GoPro Color or Flat), white balance (2300K to 6500K), ISO range (100 to 6400), shutter speed (depends on video settings), EV compensation, sharpness, raw audio, and wind-noise reduction. These can be applied when capturing videos or photos. See the User’s Manual pages 137 to 144 for details.
File Format:
Video is stored as MP4 files. Photo files are saved as JPG. However, the Hero 9 will also generate a GPR (GoPro Raw) file when the RAW format is specified. The GPR file format is based on the Adobe digital negative (DNG) specifications and can be imported using Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) or Lightroom (CC and classic). The GPR file is approximately twice the size of the associated JPG file, but allows full creative control over the image. There is a “GoPro HERO9 Black” profile in the latest version of ACR and Lightroom. I created my own profile using a calibrated color target, and the blues turned out to be a little darker in my profile than in the one provided by Adobe. While there is a reasonably accurate color profile in ACR and Lightroom, there is currently no lens profile for the Hero 9 (or Hero 8). The Hero 7 lens profile does a good job of straightening images from the Hero 9 and reducing the pin-cushion effect due to the short focal lengths, but does a bit of cropping in the process. See page 131 of the User’s Guide for details on version compatibility and for restrictions on the use of other Hero 9 settings when RAW format is requested.
Voice Commands:
You can control your Hero 9 Black with voice commands. The list of available commands can be found on pages 77 to 80 in the User’s Guide. When you enable “Wake on Voice” in the settings menu, the Hero 9 will go into a “sleep” mode with the command “GoPro, turn off” and can be awakened with the “GoPro, turn on” command or by reconnecting with the GoPro app. Note, however, that using the voice command “GoPro, shoot burst” puts the camera in Photo Burst mode and it will remain in burst mode until the photo mode is reset either manually or with the app. Voice control can be used while connected using the app. When using voice commands to stop a recording, your voice will be recorded at the end of the video.
You can control your Hero 9 Black with voice commands. The list of available commands can be found on pages 77 to 80 in the User’s Guide. When you enable “Wake on Voice” in the settings menu, the Hero 9 will go into a “sleep” mode with the command “GoPro, turn off” and can be awakened with the “GoPro, turn on” command or by reconnecting with the GoPro app. Note, however, that using the voice command “GoPro, shoot burst” puts the camera in Photo Burst mode and it will remain in burst mode until the photo mode is reset either manually or with the app. Voice control can be used while connected using the app. When using voice commands to stop a recording, your voice will be recorded at the end of the video.
General usage:
Battery life is better than prior models, but you should consider getting a few extra batteries and the dual battery charger if you intend to record for extended periods without access to a power source.
The front LCD is nice for some applications, but turning it off will extend battery life.
There are 4 on-screen shortcuts pre-installed on the Hero 9. You create your own to easily access your most frequent settings. The camera has lots of unused shortcut names to pick from. You cannot create a shortcut in the app, but you can edit any shortcut created in the camera.
For photos, I strongly recommend shooting GPR and making adjustments in ACR or Lightroom or enabling Protune and taking control of the camera settings, particularly white balance and color.
For video, your typical usage will dictate the settings. Record time lapse or up to 240 fps (1080p in Wide, Linear, Linear + Horizon Leveling, or Narrow mode).
Frankly there are too many features to describe in a review. Anyone considering the Hero 9 Black should download the User’s Guide and check out the features of most interest to them.
Battery life is better than prior models, but you should consider getting a few extra batteries and the dual battery charger if you intend to record for extended periods without access to a power source.
The front LCD is nice for some applications, but turning it off will extend battery life.
There are 4 on-screen shortcuts pre-installed on the Hero 9. You create your own to easily access your most frequent settings. The camera has lots of unused shortcut names to pick from. You cannot create a shortcut in the app, but you can edit any shortcut created in the camera.
For photos, I strongly recommend shooting GPR and making adjustments in ACR or Lightroom or enabling Protune and taking control of the camera settings, particularly white balance and color.
For video, your typical usage will dictate the settings. Record time lapse or up to 240 fps (1080p in Wide, Linear, Linear + Horizon Leveling, or Narrow mode).
Frankly there are too many features to describe in a review. Anyone considering the Hero 9 Black should download the User’s Guide and check out the features of most interest to them.
GoPro app usage:
Live image on the app during recording may not be available at all resolution settings.
A full suite of camera settings is available from the phone app. I have not found a feature that couldn’t be invoked using the app. However, the video capability of your smart phone will determine whether you can pre-view or view videos that the Hero 9 is capable of generating.
The app uses a Wi-Fi connection between the phone and camera. This requires disconnecting you phone from other Wi-Fi networks while connected with the Hero 9.
Live image on the app during recording may not be available at all resolution settings.
A full suite of camera settings is available from the phone app. I have not found a feature that couldn’t be invoked using the app. However, the video capability of your smart phone will determine whether you can pre-view or view videos that the Hero 9 is capable of generating.
The app uses a Wi-Fi connection between the phone and camera. This requires disconnecting you phone from other Wi-Fi networks while connected with the Hero 9.
Quik | Desktop software:
The camaras USB port must be set to MTP. Firmware updates are easy with Quik desktop app.
The Quik help menu notes some online tutorials. The link does not work and most of GoPro’s video tutorials are now on YouTube. Most of the Hero 9 content from GoPro is advertising and Hero 9 tutorials are mostly by third-party enthusiasts.
Unlike the phone app, Quik does not a full suite of camera settings. iOS and Android software may be more functional.
Playback in Quik is clunky (the same MP4 files will playback smoothly in Windows).
The camaras USB port must be set to MTP. Firmware updates are easy with Quik desktop app.
The Quik help menu notes some online tutorials. The link does not work and most of GoPro’s video tutorials are now on YouTube. Most of the Hero 9 content from GoPro is advertising and Hero 9 tutorials are mostly by third-party enthusiasts.
Unlike the phone app, Quik does not a full suite of camera settings. iOS and Android software may be more functional.
Playback in Quik is clunky (the same MP4 files will playback smoothly in Windows).
Overall:
This is the best GoPro I have used and a substantial improvement over my previous GoPro (Hero 7 Black). The fold-down legs allow direct attachment to a mount. The color front panel is great for setting up selfie videos. The longer battery life is a plus. The versatility of the camera with the mobile app are a great combination. The 5K video will please my iOS friends with 5K monitors. The new closure for the battery door feels more secure. A Bluetooth connection for an external microphone would be a nice addition.
This is the best GoPro I have used and a substantial improvement over my previous GoPro (Hero 7 Black). The fold-down legs allow direct attachment to a mount. The color front panel is great for setting up selfie videos. The longer battery life is a plus. The versatility of the camera with the mobile app are a great combination. The 5K video will please my iOS friends with 5K monitors. The new closure for the battery door feels more secure. A Bluetooth connection for an external microphone would be a nice addition.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Say goodbye to clutter and hello to this multi-functional toaster oven! Enjoy a variety of delicious dishes with ease and convenience using the Chefman Toast-Air Dual Function Air Fryer + Oven. No more heating up your kitchen with a full-size oven – get the same results as a traditional convection oven with the convenience of countertop cooking for faster and more evenly cooked food. This countertop convection oven is a useful tool in any busy kitchen with variable temperature controls and cooking functions to air fry, bake, broil, convection bake, toast, and more, as well as a temperature range from 200-450° F to set at the desired temperature. 9 preset options make any kitchen task easy, while the interior cooking light allows you to easily monitor cooking process. The extra-large 20-liter interior can fit up to 4 slices of toast, a 10-inch pizza, or most baking pans. With the highly efficient rapid-air technology and high-speed convection system, you can achieve an even, crispy fried texture using little to no oil. The rack positioning is designed for maximum space and even air flow – if using multiple racks, rotate them halfway through for best results. The air fryer function is perfect for cooking once-frozen leftover foods and making them taste fresh again. This counter oven features an option to select the desired level of toast, from light to dark. With a 60-minute countdown timer and ready signal bell, you always know when your food is ready. The air fry basket, flat wire rack, broil pan, and crumb tray are easily removable and dishwasher safe for convenience and quick clean up; plus, the non-stick interior and stainless-steel exterior wipe down easily. It’s easier than ever to conquer any cooking need with this toaster-oven air fryer!
Posted by: SonyCameraGuy
from Cary, NC
Included:
The unit came with a broiler tray, two drying racks, a toasting rack, air-fry basket, and crumb tray. The one-year warranty can be extended by registering the product at the manufacturer’s web site.
The unit came with a broiler tray, two drying racks, a toasting rack, air-fry basket, and crumb tray. The one-year warranty can be extended by registering the product at the manufacturer’s web site.
Design:
Manufacturer suggests that the unit be unplugged except while in use. There is no clock and the touch-screen display only goes off when unplugged.
Nine operating modes: bake, convection bake, broil, air fry, slow cook, warm, toast, bagel, and dehydrate.
Sequential dual cook settings. The oven will switch to a second cooking mode after the set time for the first mode has elapsed (allowed only for bake, convection bake, broil, air fry, slow cook, and warm).
Four elements on the top are good for broiling and bagel toasting (cut side up), but cook unevenly during convection bake.
Temperature range from 95 to 450°F (depending on operating mode).
Rear fan housing gets hotter than other exterior metal surfaces while in use. Even with the rubber spacers at the back of the unit it is possible for the plug and cord to come in contact with the hot metal surface. Pull the unit well away from the wall if you use an electrical plug behind it.
The drying racks, toast rack, and air fry basket are dishwasher safe (top dishwasher rack only). The broiler pan must be hand washed.
Manufacturer suggests that the unit be unplugged except while in use. There is no clock and the touch-screen display only goes off when unplugged.
Nine operating modes: bake, convection bake, broil, air fry, slow cook, warm, toast, bagel, and dehydrate.
Sequential dual cook settings. The oven will switch to a second cooking mode after the set time for the first mode has elapsed (allowed only for bake, convection bake, broil, air fry, slow cook, and warm).
Four elements on the top are good for broiling and bagel toasting (cut side up), but cook unevenly during convection bake.
Temperature range from 95 to 450°F (depending on operating mode).
Rear fan housing gets hotter than other exterior metal surfaces while in use. Even with the rubber spacers at the back of the unit it is possible for the plug and cord to come in contact with the hot metal surface. Pull the unit well away from the wall if you use an electrical plug behind it.
The drying racks, toast rack, and air fry basket are dishwasher safe (top dishwasher rack only). The broiler pan must be hand washed.
Operation:
Toast works well and darkness control suites my wife (dark) and me (lighter).
Air fry worked well for reheating empanadas and cooking frozen fish fillets. Tired of soggy fries? The Air fry setting gives us the extra crispy fries we asked for but never got.
All four top elements are on when in convection bake mode. Even on the lowest rack setting and convection fan operating, food tends to cook unevenly and too quickly on the top. You may need to consider using lower temperatures and a loose foil cover to get food to cook evenly.
Toast works well and darkness control suites my wife (dark) and me (lighter).
Air fry worked well for reheating empanadas and cooking frozen fish fillets. Tired of soggy fries? The Air fry setting gives us the extra crispy fries we asked for but never got.
All four top elements are on when in convection bake mode. Even on the lowest rack setting and convection fan operating, food tends to cook unevenly and too quickly on the top. You may need to consider using lower temperatures and a loose foil cover to get food to cook evenly.
Overall:
Air fry is great! Toasting is as expected. Convection baking is uneven (likely due to all four top elements active during backing). The unit must be unplugged between uses.
Air fry is great! Toasting is as expected. Convection baking is uneven (likely due to all four top elements active during backing). The unit must be unplugged between uses.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Play games, work and browse with this Logitech wireless mouse. A 1000 dpi sensor resolution offers you precise control, and Logitech Smooth Optical Tracking delivers strong performance over a variety of surfaces. This Logitech wireless mouse offers a wireless ranger over 30 feet to let you browse and scroll from a distance.
Posted by: SonyCameraGuy
from Cary, NC
Included:
The mouse came with one AA battery and a small Logitech USB Unifying Receiver.
The mouse came with one AA battery and a small Logitech USB Unifying Receiver.
Design:
There is a convenient slot inside the battery compartment for the USB receiver.
Advertised with a range of 10 meters, I confirmed it to work at a range of about 20 feet.
I have not had this mouse long enough to verify the advertised one-year of battery life of the AA battery that was included.
The mouse has a left and right button and a scroll wheel with scroll button. However, there is no back/forward button for easy navigation when using a web browser or other capable software (e.g. Windows File Browser) and the scroll wheel cannot be toggled between smooth and click scrolling.
The scroll wheel on my mouse seems to be rubbing against some surface on the inside.
There is a convenient slot inside the battery compartment for the USB receiver.
Advertised with a range of 10 meters, I confirmed it to work at a range of about 20 feet.
I have not had this mouse long enough to verify the advertised one-year of battery life of the AA battery that was included.
The mouse has a left and right button and a scroll wheel with scroll button. However, there is no back/forward button for easy navigation when using a web browser or other capable software (e.g. Windows File Browser) and the scroll wheel cannot be toggled between smooth and click scrolling.
The scroll wheel on my mouse seems to be rubbing against some surface on the inside.
Overall:
The mouse is colorful and well-suited to small hands. It has good range and good advertised battery lifetime. It lacks back/forward buttons cannot be toggled between smooth and click scrolling.
The mouse is colorful and well-suited to small hands. It has good range and good advertised battery lifetime. It lacks back/forward buttons cannot be toggled between smooth and click scrolling.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Listen to music on the go with this black Sony EXTRA BASS portable Bluetooth speaker. The shockproof, dustproof, and waterproof design allows use on rugged terrain and near pools, while the rechargeable battery offers up to 12 hours of playback on a single charge. This Sony EXTRA BASS portable Bluetooth speaker has an X-balanced speaker unit for well-balanced sound.
Customer Rating
3
Lots of bass, poor stereo separation and treble
on June 15, 2020
Posted by: SonyCameraGuy
from Cary, NC
Setup:
The speaker came with very little charged. With the short USB A to USB C cable it took about 3 hours to charge at 5V 2.5A. The Sony Music Center app recognized the speaker and allowed a minimal set of equalization options. The “ClearAudio+” setting was anything but clear sounding. I recommend turning off the “STAMINA” sound effect to allow the speaker to operate with a more balanced sound signature. The app cannot be installed on Android-based digital audio players (DAP) unless they are capable of supporting a fully functional “Google Play Store”. As a consequence, the app is limited to functioning on Apple or Android mobile phones. The speaker does seem to remember settings when switching from an app-enabled device to another Bluetooth source. The speaker can actually be connected to two devices at once. I was using my Bluetooth DAP as a music source, connected with my iPhone at the same time, and was able control the equalization from my phone while listening to music from my DAP. This allowed me to control the speaker function from an iPhone running AAC codec (250kbps) while listening music over LDAC in quality priority (990kbps). I do not know if the same is true for an Android phone and DAP both running the LDAC codec.
The speaker came with very little charged. With the short USB A to USB C cable it took about 3 hours to charge at 5V 2.5A. The Sony Music Center app recognized the speaker and allowed a minimal set of equalization options. The “ClearAudio+” setting was anything but clear sounding. I recommend turning off the “STAMINA” sound effect to allow the speaker to operate with a more balanced sound signature. The app cannot be installed on Android-based digital audio players (DAP) unless they are capable of supporting a fully functional “Google Play Store”. As a consequence, the app is limited to functioning on Apple or Android mobile phones. The speaker does seem to remember settings when switching from an app-enabled device to another Bluetooth source. The speaker can actually be connected to two devices at once. I was using my Bluetooth DAP as a music source, connected with my iPhone at the same time, and was able control the equalization from my phone while listening to music from my DAP. This allowed me to control the speaker function from an iPhone running AAC codec (250kbps) while listening music over LDAC in quality priority (990kbps). I do not know if the same is true for an Android phone and DAP both running the LDAC codec.
Design:
The speaker is intended to be used upright. This severely limits stereo presentation unless you have another compatible speaker (SRS-XB43, SRS-XB33, or second SRS-XB23). I do not have another compatible speaker and could not check synchronicity in this setup. In “stereo” mode on a single unit, the left channel appears to be at the end closest to the “Sony” logo. Placing the unit on its side provides only modest improvement in the stereo perception.
The SRS-XB23 can operate over Bluetooth 5.0 using the SBC (Subband), AAC (Advanced Audio Coding), or LDAC codec. iPhones operate using AAC while most Android phones (and DAPs) are capable of using the LDAC codec. The speaker does not, according to the product literature, support the aptX or aptX HD codec. The unit is compatible with the A2DP (advanced audio distribution), AVRCP (audio video remote control), HSP (headset), and HFP (hands-free) Bluetooth profiles.
The SRS-XB23 has a unique non-circular (“X-Balanced”) speaker design allowing for a larger low-frequency diaphragm relative to the high-frequency (circular) diaphragm. The result is the capacity for more bass (if you like that sort of thing). In order to support “rear ported” bass (and to preserve its “Waterproof, Rustproof, Dustproof” characteristics), each end of the unit has a passive, flexible diaphragm. The unit features three cutouts that allow the right/bottom passive diaphragm to function while in the upright position. The speaker is designed to fit easily into a cup-holder. The impact of the cup-holder on passive bass performance will, of course, depend on the design of your cup-holder.
Controls on the “rear” of the speaker are simple to understand and use. There is a power button, a Bluetooth button, a play/pause button, volume +/- buttons, a battery button, a “party” button, and a stereo pair button. The battery button will announce the batter level. The party button will, according to the promotional literature, enable synchronization of up to 100 additional (compatible) speakers. The stereo pair button will synchronize with one additional compatible speaker for left/right stereo separation.
The speaker is intended to be used upright. This severely limits stereo presentation unless you have another compatible speaker (SRS-XB43, SRS-XB33, or second SRS-XB23). I do not have another compatible speaker and could not check synchronicity in this setup. In “stereo” mode on a single unit, the left channel appears to be at the end closest to the “Sony” logo. Placing the unit on its side provides only modest improvement in the stereo perception.
The SRS-XB23 can operate over Bluetooth 5.0 using the SBC (Subband), AAC (Advanced Audio Coding), or LDAC codec. iPhones operate using AAC while most Android phones (and DAPs) are capable of using the LDAC codec. The speaker does not, according to the product literature, support the aptX or aptX HD codec. The unit is compatible with the A2DP (advanced audio distribution), AVRCP (audio video remote control), HSP (headset), and HFP (hands-free) Bluetooth profiles.
The SRS-XB23 has a unique non-circular (“X-Balanced”) speaker design allowing for a larger low-frequency diaphragm relative to the high-frequency (circular) diaphragm. The result is the capacity for more bass (if you like that sort of thing). In order to support “rear ported” bass (and to preserve its “Waterproof, Rustproof, Dustproof” characteristics), each end of the unit has a passive, flexible diaphragm. The unit features three cutouts that allow the right/bottom passive diaphragm to function while in the upright position. The speaker is designed to fit easily into a cup-holder. The impact of the cup-holder on passive bass performance will, of course, depend on the design of your cup-holder.
Controls on the “rear” of the speaker are simple to understand and use. There is a power button, a Bluetooth button, a play/pause button, volume +/- buttons, a battery button, a “party” button, and a stereo pair button. The battery button will announce the batter level. The party button will, according to the promotional literature, enable synchronization of up to 100 additional (compatible) speakers. The stereo pair button will synchronize with one additional compatible speaker for left/right stereo separation.
Sound:
The SRS-XB23 can generate a lot of volume. The volume control on the speaker works in tandem with a phone when connected using the app. In my tests streaming music from my DAP, the speaker volume and DAP volume are not synched and worked independently and did not alter the phone volume (through the app) when the speaker was connected to both.
Bass is very forward with “STAMINA” bass boost or “ClearAudio+” in the app. Treble suffers significantly in the process. If you like jazz or orchestral music, you will want to turn these features off. Mids suffer to some extent as well.
The 3-band equalizer on the app allows you to adjust bass, mids, and treble independently +/- 10 dB. This can overcome a lot of problems (at least IMHO) with the default sound profile in the app.
While the unit is round, the output is directional and in line with the Sony logo.
The SRS-XB23 can generate a lot of volume. The volume control on the speaker works in tandem with a phone when connected using the app. In my tests streaming music from my DAP, the speaker volume and DAP volume are not synched and worked independently and did not alter the phone volume (through the app) when the speaker was connected to both.
Bass is very forward with “STAMINA” bass boost or “ClearAudio+” in the app. Treble suffers significantly in the process. If you like jazz or orchestral music, you will want to turn these features off. Mids suffer to some extent as well.
The 3-band equalizer on the app allows you to adjust bass, mids, and treble independently +/- 10 dB. This can overcome a lot of problems (at least IMHO) with the default sound profile in the app.
While the unit is round, the output is directional and in line with the Sony logo.
Phone:
This SRS-XB23 has a built-in microphone and doubles as a speaker phone. Voices are clear and but the microphone works well (according to son on the other end of the phone). There was no apparent issue with feedback during our brief call.
This SRS-XB23 has a built-in microphone and doubles as a speaker phone. Voices are clear and but the microphone works well (according to son on the other end of the phone). There was no apparent issue with feedback during our brief call.
Battery:
The SRS-XB23 has a very capable battery. The advertised battery life is 12h without the extra bass feature enabled and 10h with extra bass. The battery is charged via a USB A to USB C cable. Charging time will depend on the amperage of the device. Sony recommends using a 1.5 A power source when charging the battery or when powering the unit during use. I use a 2.5 A source for short periods of time (e.g. 3 hours) with no problems. Battery life is fine for my needs, but I have not taken it on a weekend camp-out.
The SRS-XB23 has a very capable battery. The advertised battery life is 12h without the extra bass feature enabled and 10h with extra bass. The battery is charged via a USB A to USB C cable. Charging time will depend on the amperage of the device. Sony recommends using a 1.5 A power source when charging the battery or when powering the unit during use. I use a 2.5 A source for short periods of time (e.g. 3 hours) with no problems. Battery life is fine for my needs, but I have not taken it on a weekend camp-out.
Overall:
This is a rugged and capable speaker. The default sound signature is heavily weighted toward the bass, but equalization with the app helps if needed to suit your taste. When on its side, stereo separation is poor. When used upright (as designed), a second unit is required to get true 2.0 portable stereo. I would only recommend the SRS-XB23 in pairs (each sold separately).
This is a rugged and capable speaker. The default sound signature is heavily weighted toward the bass, but equalization with the app helps if needed to suit your taste. When on its side, stereo separation is poor. When used upright (as designed), a second unit is required to get true 2.0 portable stereo. I would only recommend the SRS-XB23 in pairs (each sold separately).
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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The weBoost Installed Home Complete cell signal booster is the 1st residential booster to include professional installation and provides a best-in-class solution for weak or nonexistent indoor cellular coverage. With the weBoost Installed, your home will never be out of range again. The weBoost Installed takes an existing cell signal from outside, amplifies it, then broadcasts it throughout your home. Here’s how it works: 1. After receiving your box, you’ll call to schedule your installation. This can be scheduled as soon as the following day. 2. Your professional installer will use their expertise to ensure your home receives the best cell signal coverage possible. 3. Once installed, that’s it. No subscription fees or additional payments, your home is now a place where you and your family will experience faster data speeds, fewer dropped calls, better voice quality, superior streaming capability, and more. Simultaneously, anyone using a phone or cell device inside your home will start to enjoy reliable cellular connectivity. The weBoost Installed | Home Complete works on every network and on all major U.S.carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and Straight Talk. When you purchase the weBoost Installed | Home Complete, you’ll benefit from knowing: 1. We are committed to solving your connectivity issues. Our installers won’t leave until you are completely satisfied with your home’s cell signal coverage 2. We have a U.S.-based customer support team in Utah dedicated to help and always a toll-free call or email away. 3. We were the first to design, build, and install cell signal boosters for home use. We are also the first to offer professional installation as part of a complete solution. 4. Our products are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 2-year warranty. 5. Our products are 5G ready and will continue to improve cell signal for the next decade and beyond in a 5G world. The weBoost Installed is your complete solution for fixing bad cell signal coverage for good. Leave dropped calls and slow internet speeds behind and look forward to always being connected.
Posted by: SonyCameraGuy
from Cary, NC
The water tower up the street from our home needed routine maintenance and painting and the cellular antennas were removed. As a result, the cellular reception in our home dropped to 1 bar. We often had trouble hearing callers, calls were dropped, and text messaged would sometimes be delayed for hours. The antennas could not be replaced because there was a change in the building codes that required reinforcement of the footers under the water tower.
The weBoost antenna increased the 4G signal strength in our home from 1 bar to 3 bars (sufficient to enable good audio connections and drop-free calls). The technician performing the installation (included in the cost of the system) was excellent and was able to locate the best remaining cell tower near our home and amplify the signal to permit reliable cell service inside.
The system does require a small horizontal roof-top antenna, coaxial cable to the indoor booster (close to an existing power outlet), and coaxial cable to the indoor antenna. The installer can make cable runs hidden in attic, crawl space, or in-wall. The indoor antenna can be wall-mounted or placed on a table using the built-in “kick stand”.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Experience powerful sound with these black Plantronics BackBeat PRO 5100 true wireless earbuds. The four noise-canceling mics and WindSmart technology let you answer calls in noisy environments by filtering background and wind noise, and the three eartip sizes offer a comfortable fit. These Plantronics BackBeat PRO 5100 true wireless earbuds feature 5.8mm drivers for high-quality sound.
Posted by: SonyCameraGuy
from Cary, NC
Setup:
On first receiving the BackBeat PRO 5100, I removed the earphones from the case and the audio prompt said that the battery level was high. But after replacing them in the case and removing them again, the audio prompt said that the battery level was low. I suggest fully charging the case and earphones before first use.
It took several attempts to manually pair the earphones to my phone. I later learned that pairing and use are more effective if the right earpiece is removed from the charging case first before the left earpiece. If you are only getting audio from one earpiece, replace them both in the charging case and remove the right earpiece from the case before removing the left.
Note: There may be four Bluetooth devices that will appear in the list of available devices, two audio devices (“PLT BBPRO5100” and “PLT BBPRO5100_L”) and two low-energy devices (“PLTBBPRO5100BLE” and “PLTBBPRO5100BLE_L”). The audio and LE connections for the left earpiece have “_L” at the end of the device name. The LE devices require less battery and are used for data communications (e.g. volume control and firmware updates).
Once paired with your smartphone, install and open the Plantronics BackBeat app. If the app cannot connect with the earphones, try replacing both in the charging case, remove the right earpiece before removing the left earpiece and try again. Once connected to the app, there will likely be an update to the earphone firmware that needs to be installed. Firmware is updated in the right earpiece and then the left earpiece over the LE connection and may take up to 20 minutes to complete. You do not have to keep them in your ears, but the earpieces must remain in close proximity to the smartphone (I recommend no more than one foot) and cannot be placed in the charging case. Only attempt a firmware update when the earpieces are fully charged.
The earphones come with their volume level set to about 25% of their maximum. I increased them to 100% and thereafter used my source device to change the volume.
On first receiving the BackBeat PRO 5100, I removed the earphones from the case and the audio prompt said that the battery level was high. But after replacing them in the case and removing them again, the audio prompt said that the battery level was low. I suggest fully charging the case and earphones before first use.
It took several attempts to manually pair the earphones to my phone. I later learned that pairing and use are more effective if the right earpiece is removed from the charging case first before the left earpiece. If you are only getting audio from one earpiece, replace them both in the charging case and remove the right earpiece from the case before removing the left.
Note: There may be four Bluetooth devices that will appear in the list of available devices, two audio devices (“PLT BBPRO5100” and “PLT BBPRO5100_L”) and two low-energy devices (“PLTBBPRO5100BLE” and “PLTBBPRO5100BLE_L”). The audio and LE connections for the left earpiece have “_L” at the end of the device name. The LE devices require less battery and are used for data communications (e.g. volume control and firmware updates).
Once paired with your smartphone, install and open the Plantronics BackBeat app. If the app cannot connect with the earphones, try replacing both in the charging case, remove the right earpiece before removing the left earpiece and try again. Once connected to the app, there will likely be an update to the earphone firmware that needs to be installed. Firmware is updated in the right earpiece and then the left earpiece over the LE connection and may take up to 20 minutes to complete. You do not have to keep them in your ears, but the earpieces must remain in close proximity to the smartphone (I recommend no more than one foot) and cannot be placed in the charging case. Only attempt a firmware update when the earpieces are fully charged.
The earphones come with their volume level set to about 25% of their maximum. I increased them to 100% and thereafter used my source device to change the volume.
Design:
I like the completely wireless design with no cord to manage and no microphonics. The magnetic seating mechanism ensures that the contacts between the earpieces and charging case are aligned and in good contact.
I would have preferred that the earphones not be sensitive to the order in which they were removed from the case. Taking the left earpiece out first turned out to be the reason for many of my setup problems.
The separate Bluetooth connections for audio and LE communication with the left and right earpieces might prolong battery life, but the LE implementation limits the range over which control signals will work.
The status light in the case goes off when the charge is complete. I would have preferred a pattern or color change (e.g. blinking to solid or red to green) when connected to a USB power cable.
I like the completely wireless design with no cord to manage and no microphonics. The magnetic seating mechanism ensures that the contacts between the earpieces and charging case are aligned and in good contact.
I would have preferred that the earphones not be sensitive to the order in which they were removed from the case. Taking the left earpiece out first turned out to be the reason for many of my setup problems.
The separate Bluetooth connections for audio and LE communication with the left and right earpieces might prolong battery life, but the LE implementation limits the range over which control signals will work.
The status light in the case goes off when the charge is complete. I would have preferred a pattern or color change (e.g. blinking to solid or red to green) when connected to a USB power cable.
Operation:
Earphone track controls, play/pause, volume, call answer/hang-up work fine but are limited in range since they use the LE Bluetooth connection.
Earphone track controls, play/pause, volume, call answer/hang-up work fine but are limited in range since they use the LE Bluetooth connection.
Microphone:
The microphone worked well for calls and I could be clearly heard, but voices on the other end sounded tinny.
The microphone worked well for calls and I could be clearly heard, but voices on the other end sounded tinny.
Sound Quality:
The sound quality on the BackBeat PRO 5100 is anemic. The frequency response was biased toward the mid-range and bass and treble were weak by comparison. This is unusual as most consumer-oriented earphones/headphones tend to have a “V” shaped sound signature. Equalization can help.
The sound quality on the BackBeat PRO 5100 is anemic. The frequency response was biased toward the mid-range and bass and treble were weak by comparison. This is unusual as most consumer-oriented earphones/headphones tend to have a “V” shaped sound signature. Equalization can help.
Battery:
Charging is fast for both the charging case and earphones if you use a USB port with at least 2.0 amps. Battery life is very good and can be checked with the BackBeat app.
Charging is fast for both the charging case and earphones if you use a USB port with at least 2.0 amps. Battery life is very good and can be checked with the BackBeat app.
Overall:
Setup was challenging because the order in which earpieces should be removed from the case (right first) is not documented. The use of LE Bluetooth channel for control signals limits the range for these features. The frequency response is biased toward the mid-range with weak bass and treble.
Setup was challenging because the order in which earpieces should be removed from the case (right first) is not documented. The use of LE Bluetooth channel for control signals limits the range for these features. The frequency response is biased toward the mid-range with weak bass and treble.
The following albums were sampled during my review:
• 2L Test Suite
• Adam Harasiewicz: Chopin Nocturnes & Preludes
• Antoine Dufour: Back & Forth (Sides A & B)
• Bonnie Raitt: Road Tested
• Calum Graham: Phoenix Rising
• Don Ross: PS15
• Hoff Ensemble: Quiet Winter Night
• Ian Ethan Case: Running Toward The Mountains
• Joe Satriani, Flying in a Blue Dream, Unstoppable Momentum
• Laurence Juber: Guitar Noir
• Mike Dawes: What Just Happened
• Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
• Nora Jones: Come Away with Me
• Sarah Mclachlan: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
• Yo-Yo Ma: Mendelssohn Piano Trios, Op. 49 & Op. 6
• 2L Test Suite
• Adam Harasiewicz: Chopin Nocturnes & Preludes
• Antoine Dufour: Back & Forth (Sides A & B)
• Bonnie Raitt: Road Tested
• Calum Graham: Phoenix Rising
• Don Ross: PS15
• Hoff Ensemble: Quiet Winter Night
• Ian Ethan Case: Running Toward The Mountains
• Joe Satriani, Flying in a Blue Dream, Unstoppable Momentum
• Laurence Juber: Guitar Noir
• Mike Dawes: What Just Happened
• Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
• Nora Jones: Come Away with Me
• Sarah Mclachlan: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
• Yo-Yo Ma: Mendelssohn Piano Trios, Op. 49 & Op. 6
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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SonyCameraGuy's Review Comments
With 700W of power and 10 power levels, this LG LCS0712ST 0.7 cu. ft. compact microwave lets you prepare a wide variety of delicious meals. The EasyClean feature simplifies the cleaning process, and the clock keeps you notified of the time.
Overall
5 out of 5
5 out of 5Great Compact Microwave
By PawX4
from Cary, NC
I had to return an older model that was damaged in shipment. This one is perfect as a shelf-top microwave. It has plenty of power. The interface is not conventional, but it is easy to use and has almost all of the features of its larger cousins. There is no temperature probe and no numeric key pad to enter time. Unless you need a larger size, there is no reason to look for anything else.
The only down side is the "tune" that it plays when starting and stopping. A simple tone would have sufficed.
SonyCameraGuy
Cary, NC
Review for the wrong microwave
July 1, 2017
The review above was for the 0.9 cubic foot LG microwave. It replaced the 0.7 cubic foot microwave that was damaged in shipment.
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We know pets makes messes. Whether it's tracked-in mud or bathroom accidents, BISSELL® ProHeat 2X® Revolution® Pet Pro Plus carpet cleaner handles those though pet messes with its exclusive Pet Pro Cleanup System. This system includes a CleanShot® pretreater to remove spots and stains; the 2-in-1 Pet Upholstery Tool to remove pet hair, stains and odors from upholstery, a trial-size of BISSELL® PET PRO OXY Urine Eliminator formula, and an EZ Clean Brush Roll Cover to make maintaining the machine easy. When used in MAX Clean Mode, you get powerful cleaning that outcleans the leading rental*** and leaves carpet dry in about 30 minutes with Express Clean Mode.** All of this cleaning power comes in a lightweight and maneuverable machine with a low-profile foot that gets under furniture. But this machine doesn't just pick up after pets, it helps save them, too. BISSELL® proudly supports BISSELL Pet Foundation® and its mission to help save homeless pets. When you buy a BISSELL product, you help save pets, too. We’re proud to design products that help make pet messes, odors and pet homelessness disappear.***Cleaning results based on ASTM F2828 using BISSELL PET PRO OXY Urine Eliminator formula in MAX clean mode against the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 carpet cleaner using their top selling formula.**Express Clean Mode (reference instruction in user guide). Tested on new carpet with protectant. Results may vary.
Overall
4 out of 5
4 out of 5Cleans well, but it's very noisy
By SonyCameraGuy
from Cary, NC
Disclaimer: My home is in the middle of a remodel and I have not had the opportunity to test the unit on indoor carpet.
The unit was easy to assembly. There is a handy mesh bag for storing the tools and hose. This model does not come with a hard floor attachment. And, despite the fact that one is pictured in the User’s Manual, Bissell does not yet offer a hard floor attachment for this model. There are several hard floor attachments advertised on the Bissell web site, but none are compatible with this model (1986). This was a real disappointment for me since the first task I had planned for this unit was to clean “mud” and drywall dust from the hardwood floor in our partially remodeled den.
I have had a chance to test the unit on the floor mats and cargo area of my car. The ”deep stain tool” did a great job on both areas and the cleaning solution removed some stains that I thought were permanent. Moving slowly over the wet areas will pick up more dirty water and leave the mats almost dry enough to use.
I hope to give this product a more thorough test and update this review once the protective plastic comes off my carpet.
As a caution, don’t fill the clean water reservoir while it is sitting on a counter. This will depress the release valve on the bottom of the reservoir and your counter will get wet. Also be aware that not all links to the User’s Guide on Bissell’s web site work. If you have trouble, try this one: https://bissellmedia.azureedge.net/-/media/site-us/documents/user-guides/1986/bissell_user_guide_proheat_2x_revolution_1964_1986_2007_series.pdf?la=en&modified=20170202170006&cdnv=1
If you are expecting quiet, this Bissell unit is anything but. I would seriously consider hearing protection if you intend to use it in an small enclosed area. It’s Noisy!
SonyCameraGuy
Cary, NC
5-star all the way!
July 2, 2017
After our renovation the Bissell got a real workout. The gunk that it got out of a freshly vacuumed carpet was amazing! Better than that, this Bissell was designed to be cleaned easily and completely. No more funky mess to fester in the machine between uses. They also now offer a bare floor attachment (not available at the time of my initial). Sorry for the initial 4-star rating. This machine is 5+ all the way!
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SonyCameraGuy's Questions
SonyCameraGuy has not submitted any questions.
Record captivating vlogs and take brilliant photos with this black GoPro HERO9 camera. The high-quality CMOS sensor captures 5K video and up to 20.0MP images for stunning clarity, and support for a microSD card offers customizable storage space. This water-resistant GoPro HERO9 camera allows for use at the beach or pool.
Is there a waterproof case for the hero9 to increase the level of waterproof protection so it can be used for diving:
Yes. The ADDIV-001 waterproof cased is rated to 196ft (60m).
3 years, 6 months ago
by
SonyCameraGuy
Record captivating vlogs and take brilliant photos with this black GoPro HERO9 camera. The high-quality CMOS sensor captures 5K video and up to 20.0MP images for stunning clarity, and support for a microSD card offers customizable storage space. This water-resistant GoPro HERO9 camera allows for use at the beach or pool.
New model and no HDR?
HDR is enabled under the "SuperPhoto" option. It is not supported (or necessary) when shooting in RAW format.
3 years, 6 months ago
by
SonyCameraGuy
Record captivating vlogs and take brilliant photos with this black GoPro HERO9 camera. The high-quality CMOS sensor captures 5K video and up to 20.0MP images for stunning clarity, and support for a microSD card offers customizable storage space. This water-resistant GoPro HERO9 camera allows for use at the beach or pool.
What is the largest size memory card that is compatible, and is it SD or MicroSD?
GoPro Hero 9 Black uses microSD, microSDHC, or microSDXC (Class 10 or UHS-I rating) up to 256GB.
Recommended microSD cards are at gopro.com/microsdcards.
Recommended microSD cards are at gopro.com/microsdcards.
3 years, 6 months ago
by
SonyCameraGuy
The weBoost Installed Home Complete cell signal booster is the 1st residential booster to include professional installation and provides a best-in-class solution for weak or nonexistent indoor cellular coverage. With the weBoost Installed, your home will never be out of range again. The weBoost Installed takes an existing cell signal from outside, amplifies it, then broadcasts it throughout your home. Here’s how it works: 1. After receiving your box, you’ll call to schedule your installation. This can be scheduled as soon as the following day. 2. Your professional installer will use their expertise to ensure your home receives the best cell signal coverage possible. 3. Once installed, that’s it. No subscription fees or additional payments, your home is now a place where you and your family will experience faster data speeds, fewer dropped calls, better voice quality, superior streaming capability, and more. Simultaneously, anyone using a phone or cell device inside your home will start to enjoy reliable cellular connectivity. The weBoost Installed | Home Complete works on every network and on all major U.S.carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and Straight Talk. When you purchase the weBoost Installed | Home Complete, you’ll benefit from knowing: 1. We are committed to solving your connectivity issues. Our installers won’t leave until you are completely satisfied with your home’s cell signal coverage 2. We have a U.S.-based customer support team in Utah dedicated to help and always a toll-free call or email away. 3. We were the first to design, build, and install cell signal boosters for home use. We are also the first to offer professional installation as part of a complete solution. 4. Our products are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 2-year warranty. 5. Our products are 5G ready and will continue to improve cell signal for the next decade and beyond in a 5G world. The weBoost Installed is your complete solution for fixing bad cell signal coverage for good. Leave dropped calls and slow internet speeds behind and look forward to always being connected.
Does this boost WiFi and cell phone service?
The weBoost is only designed to improve the cellular reception in your home. It does not interfere with or boost in-home WiFi signals. It uses a small outdoor directional antenna (normally mounted on the roof or under the eaves) to pick up the cellular signal from the best available cellular tower. Coaxial cable takes the cellular signal from the outdoor antenna to an indoor booster that amplifies the cellular signal and passes it to a small indoor antenna. Images of the components can be seen at https://www.weboost.com/.
3 years, 10 months ago
by
SonyCameraGuy
The reliable Brother MFC-L3710CW digital color all-in-one printer is an ideal choice for home and small offices looking for laser printer performance and need full functionality, print, copy, scan and fax, in a compact footprint. The up to 50-sheet automatic document feeder enables multipage copying, scanning and faxing, plus quick print speeds of up to 19 pages per minute. The manual feed slot accommodates varied printing needs and can handle a variety of paper types and sizes, including card stock, envelopes and more. The 250-sheet capacity adjustable paper tray helps improve efficiency with fewer refills and handles letter- or legal-size paper. Connect with versatile options, including built-in wireless or USB interfaces, and print wirelessly from mobile devices³. Save time by creating custom shortcuts on the 3.7" color touch screen, which also enables you to directly print from and scan to popular cloud apps, including Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, OneNote and more¹. Brother Genuine high-yield replacement toner cartridges help lower printing costs. Comes with a 1-year limited warranty and free online, call or live chat support for the life of your product.Prints up to 19 ISO ppm*, up to 19 ppm* in color.
Can you copy on photo paper. From a camera?
I would not recommend this printer for printing photos. Color calibration must be done manually and only laser printer stock is recommended. There is glossy brochure paper that you could use, but most photo paper is intended for use in ink-jet printer and is not intended to withstand the heat of laser printing.
4 years, 6 months ago
by
SonyCameraGuy
The reliable Brother MFC-L3710CW digital color all-in-one printer is an ideal choice for home and small offices looking for laser printer performance and need full functionality, print, copy, scan and fax, in a compact footprint. The up to 50-sheet automatic document feeder enables multipage copying, scanning and faxing, plus quick print speeds of up to 19 pages per minute. The manual feed slot accommodates varied printing needs and can handle a variety of paper types and sizes, including card stock, envelopes and more. The 250-sheet capacity adjustable paper tray helps improve efficiency with fewer refills and handles letter- or legal-size paper. Connect with versatile options, including built-in wireless or USB interfaces, and print wirelessly from mobile devices³. Save time by creating custom shortcuts on the 3.7" color touch screen, which also enables you to directly print from and scan to popular cloud apps, including Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, OneNote and more¹. Brother Genuine high-yield replacement toner cartridges help lower printing costs. Comes with a 1-year limited warranty and free online, call or live chat support for the life of your product.Prints up to 19 ISO ppm*, up to 19 ppm* in color.
will it scan two sided to two sided through the scanner?
No. This printer will not perform duplex printing or scanning.
4 years, 6 months ago
by
SonyCameraGuy
Complete tasks with ease while on the go by using this Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 tablet. The included intuitive S Pen lets you take and edit notes for a smooth work experience, while the magnetic technology makes storage and charging easy. Attach a keyboard with built-in trackpad to this Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 tablet for a seamless PC desktop experience.
Does it have HDR?
There is an option to engage HDR for photos (and perhaps video). The Tab S6 will decode video up to 8K, but so far as I can tell, the 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA) display is not HDR capable with regard to video streaming/playback.
4 years, 7 months ago
by
SonyCameraGuy
Complete tasks with ease while on the go by using this Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 tablet. The included intuitive S Pen lets you take and edit notes for a smooth work experience, while the magnetic technology makes storage and charging easy. Attach a keyboard with built-in trackpad to this Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 tablet for a seamless PC desktop experience.
Does it have a headphone jack ? I must have a headphone jack. Wireless sound is not as good quality.
There is no headphone jack on the Tab S6. I suggest a USB(C) headphone adapter or DAC/AMP if you are not satisfied with the sound quality using Bluetooth 5.0.
4 years, 7 months ago
by
SonyCameraGuy
Complete tasks with ease while on the go by using this Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 tablet. The included intuitive S Pen lets you take and edit notes for a smooth work experience, while the magnetic technology makes storage and charging easy. Attach a keyboard with built-in trackpad to this Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 tablet for a seamless PC desktop experience.
The charger it comes with is 25W or 15W?
The charger is dual voltage (9.0v @ 1.67A and 5.0v @ 2.0A). The 9.0v x 1.67A = 15.03 watts.
4 years, 7 months ago
by
SonyCameraGuy
Complete tasks with ease while on the go by using this Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 tablet. The included intuitive S Pen lets you take and edit notes for a smooth work experience, while the magnetic technology makes storage and charging easy. Attach a keyboard with built-in trackpad to this Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 tablet for a seamless PC desktop experience.
Is this device GPS enabled like the S4?
Yes. Location services use a combination of GPS, wireless network, and Wi-Fi data. Photos can be tagged with GPS EXIF data.
4 years, 7 months ago
by
SonyCameraGuy