FlyingC's stats
- Review count205
- Helpfulness votes297
- First reviewNovember 28, 2015
- Last reviewMay 21, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.6
Reviews comments
- Review comment count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First review commentNone
- Last review commentNone
- Featured review comments0
Questions
- Question count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First questionNone
- Last questionNone
- Featured questions0
- Answer count15
- Helpfulness votes50
- First answerSeptember 20, 2016
- Last answerNovember 10, 2021
- Featured answers0
- Best answers4
Simplify your everyday life with the Google Home, a voice-activated speaker powered by the Google Assistant. Use voice commands to enjoy music, get answers from Google and manage everyday tasks. Google Home is compatible with Android and iOS operating systems, and can control compatible smart devices such as Chromecast or Nest."
Customer Rating
4
Has potential, but pretty limited so far
on November 7, 2016
Posted by: FlyingC
from Stillwater, OK
“Ok, Google, which is better, you or Alexa?”
“I like Alexa’s blue light, and her voice is nice, too.”
That was the first conversation I had with the very polite Google Home. I bought a couple of the Amazon Dots when they came out last month, but was still curious to see if Google Home was better. The bottom line is I’d recommend it to certain users, but I think many people would be happier with the cheaper Dot--at least until Google Home gets updated with more features.
“I like Alexa’s blue light, and her voice is nice, too.”
That was the first conversation I had with the very polite Google Home. I bought a couple of the Amazon Dots when they came out last month, but was still curious to see if Google Home was better. The bottom line is I’d recommend it to certain users, but I think many people would be happier with the cheaper Dot--at least until Google Home gets updated with more features.
Yes, Google can answer more complicated questions, and also does very well on follow up questions. But in the last month that I’ve been using a voice assistant (Alexa), I mostly use it for my morning weather and news, controlling lights via my Wink hub, playing music, and listening to college football via TuneIn. Unfortunately, Google doesn’t yet work with Wink, can’t access my Amazon Prime streaming music, and can’t seem to find the TuneIn stations I request. The news briefing is pretty much the same between them, and Google seems to handle weather better, but I couldn’t find a way to tell Google my favorite sports teams to get a brief update on all of them. So, overall, Alexa provides more functionality to me at the moment.
Things I liked: The speaker is great for it’s size. The touch surface works well to play/pause and also adjust the volume quickly. Google is much better at finding local businesses, their hours, and phone numbers. It really shines with follow-up questions by understanding that you’re asking about the same subject (even though you do have to keep waking it up with “Ok, Google” each time). This is something Alexa doesn’t do at all. I was concerned that saying “Ok, Google” would wake up my phone and it would answer at the same time as Home, but this wasn’t the case. My phone did wake up and listen to the question, but then it displayed “answering on another device” and remained quiet, so that worked well.
Areas where I was disappointed: Many features are apparently still in the works. For example, you can’t set a simple reminder using Home. This is a frequent feature I use voice for on my phone, and I was really surprised this wasn’t baked in yet. Also, with Google Now on my phone I can configure what sports teams I’m interested in. I wasn’t able to configure that on Home and get a sports update specific to my teams. That’s something you can easily do on Alexa. Finally, there wasn’t a quick/easy way to see recent requests or things like what song or program is playing in the companion app on the phone. I found this to be a very handy feature with Alexa. I could also ask Alexa what song was playing and she’d usually be able to tell me. Google Home doesn’t seem to have that capability yet.
One final concern I have with Google Home is having my account “contaminated.” Right now, you can only have one account configured. If my wife or visitors to the house ask a lot of questions, then my search history will get filled with whatever they ask. And, presumably, Google will start feeding me advertisements and possibly Google Now cards on those subjects since I’m “interested.” Hopefully, someday there might be some sort of voice identification to avoid problems like this.
Google Home has a lot of potential, and I’m excited to see what developments they come out with, but if you’re looking for a fully functional smart home assistant right now I think Alexa has the advantage. Plus, Alexa just seems to have a little more personality. I decided to ask Alexa the same question I started with on the Google Home: “Alexa, which is better, you or Google?”
“Google’s a great search engine, but I’m different.”
For now, that pretty well sums it up.
“Google’s a great search engine, but I’m different.”
For now, that pretty well sums it up.
My Best Buy number: 2793338391
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Keep your home dust-free with this Bissell AirRAM cordless vacuum. Its high-performance F.U.E.L. cell provides up to 30 minutes of run time, while the advanced compression technology lets it store as much dirt as typical bagless vacuums. This Bissell AirRAM cordless vacuum has a low profile for easy maneuvering around furniture.
Customer Rating
5
Another winner from Bissell!
on October 19, 2016
Posted by: FlyingC
from Stillwater, OK
I've been very impressed with the design and functionality of several Bissell vacuums I've owned, and this one is no exception. I'm giving it five stars and would definitely recommend it to people, but with the caveat that I don't think you should expect to replace your main vacuum with it.
I also need to confess that our home is a real stress test for any vacuum. We've got an indoor/outdoor black lab and six indoor only cats, so we get a LOT of hair scattered around. We've got a mix of carpet, tile, and wood flooring. We have light colored carpet, so it's very easy to see black lab hair on it and there were times that the vacuum left streaks of hair behind on the carpet. It seemed to just be around the edges of the roller, but it would leave some hair behind as I turned the head slightly for each pass. Eventually, after going over the area half a dozen times it'd get it all. For this reason, I still want to use the corded Bissell vacuum as the primary cleaner.
The only other slight down side was the small dust bin, but that's the price to pay for the compact size. Plus, it's extremely easy to pop the bin out and empty it. Sometimes a clump of hair would get behind the slider, but it was easy enough to pick it out. Pretty much everything else about this vacuum I love.
The 22v battery has a lot of power and it lasts a surprisingly long time. I vacuumed our upstairs bedroom, hallway, and bathroom for about 10-12 minutes and it still had 3 of 4 lights lit on the charge level. I really like how they made the battery easy to pop out and charge without being in the vacuum (charge port is on the battery). This is great so you can conveniently charge the battery for a few hours on the counter top, but store the rest of the vacuum out of the way somewhere.
I like the on/off button location and it was easy to use with my foot. I found it to be very easy and light to move around, as well as easy to maneuver under the bed and other hard to reach places. The light on the front was very handy, but I almost wish there was a way to temporarily turn it off. When vacuuming the larger open spaces, sometimes I think it's easier to see the carpet just with the overhead lighting and not a bright light so close to the ground. But that's a minor issue.
I did manage to jam the roller a couple of times on a longer pile rug. It was easy to reset it per the instructions, although I didn't have to actually remove the roller each time. The instructions did say you can run it without the roller installed to go over shag rugs and rugs with fringe (like we have). I think it might also be a good option even when doing hard floors just because the brush didn't seem to do a lot on those surfaces other than make noise.
Speaking of noise, I found it to be less noisy than expected, especially on carpeted areas. It didn't seem to cause too much anxiety in the cats, unlike the bigger, corded vacuums.
Overall, I'm happy to have this as part of our anti-pet hair arsenal in the house. I think it'll be great for quick touch ups between the thorough corded vacuum cleanings. It'll also be the primary vacuum for those places where it's the only thing that'll reach, like under the beds.
My Best Buy number: 2793338391
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
1of 2voted this as helpful.
Only at Best BuyChoose this HP Spectre notebook for a versatile and productive computing experience. It offers 8GB of DDR3 SDRAM for fast response times while you're multitasking, and its convertible touch screen monitor doubles as a tablet. This HP Spectre notebook manages the most demanding applications with the power of its 2.7GHz Intel i7 processor.
Customer Rating
5
It's like buttah!
on October 19, 2016
Posted by: FlyingC
from Stillwater, OK
The Spectre x360 is pretty much a top-of-the-line touch screen ultrabook/laptop. Yes, it folds all the way around so you can also use it as a tablet, but, honestly, given its 13" size I'll probably always use it as a laptop. Actually, I may not get to use it all that much after my wife tries it out the first time--she'll no doubt love it.
It's blazing fast on boots and reboots. Applications also snap open without delay and things respond on the screen instantly. It's all "butter and no stutter" as they say, which makes it a joy to use. I have a couple slower laptop/ultrabooks and the difference is very noticeable.
Other great features that'll make it our go-to laptop for traveling include the fact that it's very light and thin, yet still has a nice big, easy to read screen. It also has a really impressive battery life. I've not tested it, but the documentation says it also has a quick charge feature to go from 0% to 50% in 30 minutes. After that, it slows down to the regular charging rate. I could see this being very handy in an airport between flights.
It also features Bang & Olufsen audio, which I had not heard of and had to Google. I'd say it is better than your typical laptop speakers, but still not as good as many external bluetooth speakers that are available.
The keyboard is comfortable and easy to touch type, and it's also backlit. There's no numeric keypad, but that's to be expected with this size of machine. One thing to keep in mind is there are magnets to fasten the lid in the area where you rest your hands. This might only be a problem if you sometimes put your credit cards down in that spot like I've been known to do.
There is quite a bit of "bloatware" that manufacturers tend to put on their boxes. It was easy enough to uninstall most of it, but I did keep the HP Support Assistant. It hasn't been too annoying yet (and did upgrade the BIOS at one point), but at least you can turn it off if you don't want it displayed on the taskbar.
Overall, this is a beautiful ultrabook and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a high-end laptop. I think a coworker summed it up best for me when he said "hey, when did you get that Mac book?" when he saw the Spectre the first time.
My Best Buy number: 2793338391
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
Acer Switch One 10 Convertible 2-in-1 Laptop: Combine power and mobility with this Acer Aspire Switch One laptop. Easily convert this compact notebook into a tablet with its detachable 10.1-inch touch screen, and stay productive with its Intel Atom quad-core processor, 32GB internal storage and 2GB of RAM. This Acer Aspire Switch One laptop has two built-in stereo speakers for enjoying music and movies.
Customer Rating
4
Nice little notebook computer
on October 8, 2016
Posted by: FlyingC
from Stillwater, OK
For the price, this is a great little Windows 10 notebook/tablet. Just keep in mind, though, that with the lower price comes lower performance (CPU, memory, disk space, and battery life are trimmed down). But if you're looking for an inexpensive Windows device that's easy to travel with and you aren't expecting to run too much more than the usual email, web browsing, and Office applications, then this is a great choice.
This model has 2GB RAM which is the bare minimum these days. The 4GB model would be a better choice if it's available. This is the SW1-011-13XY (2GB) model vs. the SW1-011-18US (4GB) model. In addition, the flash disk drive on it is only 32GB which is also pretty much the bare minimum. After taking it out of the box, installing all the Windows updates, installing Chrome, and syncing OneDrive (about 215MB for me) that only left about 10GB free space. But, as I said, if you have the right expectations for use, then this is perfectly fine. It also has a microSD slot, so you can get some extra storage that way, if needed.
I really like the keyboard on it, and the touch pad seems to work very well with minimal spurious movements that you sometimes get on other touch pads. The keyboard isn't back lit, but that's not too surprising for this small size and relatively small battery (8200mAh). Speaking of the battery, you can charge either using the provided ac adapter and dedicated power port, or you can charge via the micro USB. That's a nice feature when traveling if you don't want to bring along yet another power adapter.
Another nice feature of this tablet is that it connects magnetically to the keyboard section rather than using mechanical/spring connectors that can break. This makes it fairly easy to detach and reattach the tablet part. To configure it in two of the four "modes" that Acer advertises, you simply detach, reverse the screen, and reattach it. This is how you fit it to the "display" and "tent" modes. I'm not sure these modes are something most people use, but the magnetic attachment makes it really easy if you do.
In summary, I'd recommend it for people wanting an inexpensive entry-level or portable traveling notebook. I've had very good luck with Acer devices over the years and I'm expecting the same from this one.
My Best Buy number: 2793338391
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
-1point
1of 3voted this as helpful.
Only at Best Buy Acer Aspire R 15 Convertible 2-in-1 Laptop: Combine performance and versatility with this Acer Aspire laptop. It has a huge 1TB hard drive to meet your storage needs, and the Intel Core i5 processor makes light work of multitasking. This Acer Aspire laptop has a 15.6-inch display for a great viewing experience, and the 360-degree hinged screen provide flexibility for work and play.
Customer Rating
5
Beautiful laptop
on October 1, 2016
Posted by: FlyingC
from Stillwater, OK
We've owned a few Acer netbooks and notebooks over the years and have consistently loved them. Their reliability and performance for the price made them about the best value of any computers that we owned. This is by far the largest screen and beefiest hardware version of Acer that we've owned, and it's looking like it could be our best yet.
I'm not sure we'll use it that much strictly as a tablet, but being able to fold the screen flat against the back of the keyboard certainly gives you that capability. I could see switching to that mode to watch a movie or streaming TV. I think it'll hold its own just as a large screen Windows 10 laptop, though.
I really haven't found too much about this machine yet that I don't like. About the only thing that caught my attention is that it's a little slow to boot up. In these days of SSDs and tablets, we've gotten used to lightning fast boot times. Since this has a standard hard drive it does seem to take a while to boot up, but I can certainly live with that. Most of the time it'll just be waking up from sleep mode and not having to boot anyway. The only other thing I didn't like, and most Windows computers have this, is the "bloatware" put on it. But, compared to Dell and Asus computers I've had, the Acer's isn't quite as annoying.
There are quite a few things I really like about this Acer, starting with the beautiful 15.6" touch screen. The full HD 1920x1080 screen is gorgeous and has a wide viewing angle. It makes the larger size and weight of the laptop totally worth it. I have a small, lightweight Dell laptop at work but many times it's a real struggle to read things on the screen. That's not a problem at all with this Acer.
I also like the lighted keyboard, and the fact that it has a numeric keypad. That's another benefit of the larger size, I guess. Rounding out the positives are the 8GB of RAM, the 1TB hard drive, and the nice, long battery life. Time will tell if it'll be reliable, but given our good experience with previous Acers I'm expecting this one to be a work horse. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good value on a large Windows laptop.
My Best Buy number: 2793338391
Mobile Submission: True
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Listen like never before with QuietControl 30 wireless headphones. Breakthrough technology lets you set your own level of noise cancellation, so you can control how much of the world you want to let in - or how quiet you want your surroundings to be. Volume-optimized EQ gives you balanced audio performance at any volume, while a noise-rejecting dual-microphone system provides clear calls, even in windy or noisy environments. Connect easily to your devices with Bluetooth and NFC pairing. QuietControl 30 wireless headphones feature a lightweight neckband design that conforms to your body for all-day comfort and wearability. A lithium-ion battery gives you up to 10 hours of wireless listening per charge. And the Bose Connect app helps you manage your paired devices and gives you enhanced control. Available in Black.
Customer Rating
5
Excellent earphones
on October 1, 2016
Posted by: FlyingC
from Stillwater, OK
Earlier this year I got the over-the-ear Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones and absolutely love them. However, they are a little bulky so my wife doesn't really like to wear them. Also, they're big enough I feel a little awkward wearing them in the office. This latest model, the QC30, solves both of those problems. They still have the great Bose sound quality and impressive noise cancellation, but with ear pieces that aren't bulky.
The neck band contains the battery, a micro USB charging port, the on/off switch, and status lights for the battery level and bluetooth. It's still very light, however, so it's perfectly comfortable to wear. I didn't see this advertised anywhere, but it appears the neck band is designed to be water/sweat resistant. The USB port has a rubber cover that seals pretty tight and the on/off switch is underneath the rubber coating. The volume, answer/pause button, and the new noise cancelling level adjustment controls are on the wire leading to the right side earpiece. They also come with a very nice, compact carrying case.
I'd highly recommend the QC30 if you want headphones you can conveniently use while exercising, working outside, etc. I'm guessing that may be why they made the noise cancellation adjustable, too, so that you can still safely hear things going on around you (if you so choose). Otherwise, most people would always want the maximum noise cancelling. If you're mostly going to wear them on a plane, bus, etc. you may want to go with the over-the-ear QC35 model for maximum sound blocking. But, given the small size and great performance of the QC30 I don't think you can go wrong with these for any application. Excellent headphones!
My Best Buy number: 2793338391
Mobile Submission: True
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Orbi Whole Home WiFi System delivers up to 3.0Gbps high-performance WiFi. Sleek, modern design with high-gain internal antennas for up to 5,000 square feet of coverage. FastLane3 Technology creates a dedicated Tri-Band WiFi for seamless 4K streaming and gaming everywhere in your home. Keep a single WiFi name for uninterrupted connections as you move from room-to-room. Circle Smart Parental Controls runs on Orbi Routers for a smart way for families to manage content and time online, on any connected device. Provide internet access to guests without sharing your personal network password. Orbi is ready right out of the box and compatible with your ISP. Just use the Orbi app to get started with better WiFi, everywhere in minutes.
Customer Rating
5
A WiFi link extender that works really well
on September 20, 2016
Posted by: FlyingC
from Stillwater, OK
I debated with myself whether to order the Orbi or not, but I decided to give it a try based on the link extending capabilities it advertised. I already have a premium wireless router and tried using a link extender with it to cover my whole house (about 2500 sq ft). It worked great if I connected the link extender via Ethernet to my router, but not when I tried to use the wireless connection option. It seemed like I couldn't move the extender very far from my router at all before it was "out of range." The problem, though, was that I didn't have an existing Ethernet cable where it made the most sense to put the extender to best cover the house. So, I decided to try the Orbi and replace my current router and WiFi setup with it.
First, I completely replaced my router with the Orbi router. It has an option to be used just as an AP instead of a router/AP, but I think the fewer things broadcasting in the WiFi channels the better off your signal will be. After creating a Netgear account, etc. I was able to get it working and get the firmware updated. Next, I placed the satellite Orbi in a convenient location near the other end of my house. This was my ideal location for coverage, but I was never able to get a wireless extender to link up there before. In this case, the Orbi connected perfectly, indicated by the blue LED ring on top after the initial startup. I was impressed! To me, this is the real strength of the Orbi--the special backhaul wireless link between the units.
Last, I updated the firmware on the satellite and started getting all of my wireless devices re-connected to the WiFi. I used the same SSID and password as my old system, so most things connected automatically (thermostats, Wink hub, cameras, Roku, etc.) I then tested WiFi access from the far reaches of my garages and was again impressed. In locations where I had a weak signal before (even with the Ethernet-connected extender), I now had "all the bars" with a strong WiFi signal.
Overall, I'm very happy with the Orbi and would recommend it. The one feature that I was surprised was not available with it was guest WiFi access. That's not a big issue for me, but if you absolutely rely on that it might be a problem for you. Otherwise, I found many other strengths with the Orbi as a router. Here are some of the features I like:
o The vase-like design is actually a big plus. I was able to set the satellite unit out in the open in our utility room and not get any questions about "that alien-looking thing on top of the fridge with all the antennas sticking out of it."
o The Traffic Meter feature is nice, showing you upload/download amounts for today, yesterday, the previous week, and previous month. If your home Internet has a data cap, this might be useful to monitor. It would be better if it showed usage by device (to find out who the data hog is), but I didn't see that kind of detail.
o The Netgear Genie app for phones is handy, but only works when connected to the local WiFi.
o Speaking of the Genie app, the My Media part of it was a very pleasant surprise. I have a Windows 7 machine I've used as a DVR/media server for years. The app found my PC and I was able to quickly browse music and movies and play them directly on my phone. This works on the local WiFi not from an Internet location, just to be clear.
o In general, the web setup under advanced settings has more detailed controls and options than other routers I've seen in the similar price range. Things like the logging detail, email notifications, and detailed web site/key word blocking are the best I've seen from consumer-grade products like this.
o The Parental Controls options were impressive, and not necessarily just for parents. You can select individual categories of sites to block like "typo squatting" and "parked domains" which could help protect everyone from malware. It's accomplished using OpenDNS and you can set up a free account through the Genie app or regular web browser.
o The vase-like design is actually a big plus. I was able to set the satellite unit out in the open in our utility room and not get any questions about "that alien-looking thing on top of the fridge with all the antennas sticking out of it."
o The Traffic Meter feature is nice, showing you upload/download amounts for today, yesterday, the previous week, and previous month. If your home Internet has a data cap, this might be useful to monitor. It would be better if it showed usage by device (to find out who the data hog is), but I didn't see that kind of detail.
o The Netgear Genie app for phones is handy, but only works when connected to the local WiFi.
o Speaking of the Genie app, the My Media part of it was a very pleasant surprise. I have a Windows 7 machine I've used as a DVR/media server for years. The app found my PC and I was able to quickly browse music and movies and play them directly on my phone. This works on the local WiFi not from an Internet location, just to be clear.
o In general, the web setup under advanced settings has more detailed controls and options than other routers I've seen in the similar price range. Things like the logging detail, email notifications, and detailed web site/key word blocking are the best I've seen from consumer-grade products like this.
o The Parental Controls options were impressive, and not necessarily just for parents. You can select individual categories of sites to block like "typo squatting" and "parked domains" which could help protect everyone from malware. It's accomplished using OpenDNS and you can set up a free account through the Genie app or regular web browser.
My Best Buy number: 2793338391
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+7points
7of 7voted this as helpful.
Make driving routines more enjoyable with this OverDryve car system. Its voice assistant capabilities let you read and send text messages by command and also play music in your car without taking your hands off the wheel. The built-in dash cam of this OverDryve car system lets you record trips and capture every moment on the road.
Customer Rating
2
Nice GPS, but falls short in other areas
on September 14, 2016
Posted by: FlyingC
from Stillwater, OK
I have a couple newer cars with the latest bluetooth input and navigation, but I also have an '05 model with just the basic FM radio. So, I was pretty excited to get my hands on the OverDryve to bring my '05 into the modern world. I really wanted to love this device. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. I'm an engineer that loves gadgets so I feel bad saying this, but I wouldn't recommend it to people.
First, I'll start with the things I did like. It's a nice GPS. The screen is big, easy to read, the 3D mode is beautiful, and the voice through the speakers is loud and clear. The voice search (when you're at home connected to WiFi) is very handy and much better than typing in a destination. The audible "speed limit reduced ahead" warning was a pleasant surprise, too. The "right curve ahead" and "left curve ahead" warnings got to be a little tiresome and I didn't see a way to disable those while keeping the other warnings, but I could live with it. The magnetic mount also worked very well and made it easy to remove and re-attach the device.
Now, the disappointing part. Reading the Rand McNally OverDryve page, it's billed as a device to "bring luxury car features to any car, maximizing the driver's capabilities and minimizing distractions." Having other cars with those "luxury" features for comparison, I can say this misses the mark. At best, it becomes a distracting "middle man" between your smart phone and the car.
The advertised features are navigation, bluetooth media streaming, making and receiving phone calls hands-free, an integrated dash camera, and then the ability to take it out of the car and use it as a regular Android tablet for whatever you want. Your three options for audio output are the speakers on the mount, an audio cable to an aux port if your car has one, or using the FM transmitter to broadcast to an empty station on your car radio.
It's important to know that the OverDryve doesn't have any way to connect to the Internet other than a WiFi connection that you provide. Without that network connection, the voice search in the Nav app does not work. Neither do any of the live data features like gas prices, weather, or traffic. So, you need a MiFi hotspot in your car or have tethering capability with your smart phone, or you lose those features while driving. Depending on your phone contract, tethering is likely to cost extra.
The Voice Assistant feature for anything outside of the Nav app (calling, texting, etc.) is simply a link to your phone's voice capability through Siri or Google. This is where the OverDryve just becomes a "middle man" talking to your phone. Depending on what voice command you issue, the result may display on your phone rather than OverDryve, too.
It was at this point where I began to think, "why don't I just use my smart phone to do all of this?" With Android at least, you can easily set your phone to respond to "Ok, Google" so that you can use voice for calling, texting, having your texts read to you, and also searching and displaying changes to navigation (like Google Maps). Google maps actually seems much smarter about choosing the best route and also reacts to real-time traffic updates to re-route. If you're worried about it using your data (or losing your cell connection at a critical point), you can store "offline areas" in Google Maps now to avoid that. If your phone's speaker isn't sufficient, you can connect the exact same audio cable to your car's aux port. Inexpensive FM transmitters, even ones that use Bluetooth to your phone, are available if FM is the only option available to your car stereo.
The dash cam feature is something you probably wouldn't want to do with your phone, but then I wasn't overly impressed with the OverDryve version. A normal dash cam, one you might get for $50 somewhere, is "set and forget." It'll start recording video when you turn on your car and stop when you turn it off. However, with OverDryve I found I had to go into the Cameras app each time, tap on Dash Cam, and then hit the Record button to start it. I couldn't find a way to do this automatically.
At this point, you might argue "but it's still an Android tablet that I can use for other things outside of the car." I realize it's a streamlined Rand McNally version of Android, but all traces of Google were missing from it. Most importantly, this means there is no access to the Google Play store. I was astonished to see three App stores recommended when I tapped on "Get Apps." These were APKPure, Amazon, and Aptoide. I've used the Amazon app store before, but not having heard of the other two I'd be very reluctant to trust any apps that might be available there. There are many mainstream apps I'm used to having on my phone that aren't available via these app stores, so use as a tablet is going to be limited.
As I mentioned, the Nav app (standard GPS function) is nice, but I also have a concern about the map updates for it. I could not find anything in the documentation or the interface that indicated it would get free updates or if updates would be an additional cost. So, it may be that buying any of the current GPS devices on the market with lifetime map updates would be a better option.
For me, as much as I like the idea of the OverDryve, I'd have trouble recommending it to a friend. Instead, I'd recommend spending a few dollars on a nice phone mount and an FM/Bluetooth transmitter (if needed) and sticking with the smart phone they're already using. In fact, with the money saved they'd likely be able to upgrade to a pretty nice model of smart phone.
My Best Buy number: 2793338391
Mobile Submission: True
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Share this review:
+2points
6of 10voted this as helpful.
Nothing puts a vacuum to the test quite like a home with pets. That's why the BISSELL® Pet Hair Eraser® was developed from the ground up by pet parents for pet parents. Whether it's shedding season for your dog or your cat tracks kitty litter all over the house, this revolutionary vacuum is designed to make cleaning up after pets and the people who love them a breeze—from beginning to end. Say goodbye to hair wrap with its Tangle-Free Brush Roll, remove embedded hair everywhere with specialized pet tools, help capture allergens and eliminate odors with the SmartSeal™ Allergen System, and when you're finished cleaning, enjoy a hands-free tank empty with our patented Cyclonic Spooling System™.BR>
Customer Rating
5
Keeps up with 6 cats and a black Lab.
on August 24, 2016
Posted by: FlyingC
from Stillwater, OK
Our household has six cats and a black lab, so I was very excited to try out this new vacuum. We have a mix of carpet and hardwood floors and our main vacuum has been a Kenmore canister vacuum. We go through a lot of bags with it because of all the hair, so I was very interested to see how well a bagless worked.
Overall, I was pretty impressed. After doing the whole house and emptying the canister 3 or 4 times, there was still zero hair tangled in the roller. The canister was easy to empty, as advertised. It did a great job cleaning up hair, litter, and every little visible speck of debris. Best of all, the hand vacuum attachment (TurboEraser) worked surprisingly well on the stairs. I think any pet owner would be pleased with this vacuum.
There are a couple of things that are just slightly disappointing, though not deal breakers by any means. One is the noise. It's about the same level of noise as our other vacuums, but I had hoped that being a design targeted at pet owners they might have somehow made it quieter. However, the first priority is that it works well (which it does), and if it still terrorizes the cats then that's the price we have to pay.
The second was the placement of the on/off switches on the body instead of the handle. I understand why they do this, but I still found myself wanting to flip the switch on the handle each time (like my other vacuums). Also, having two switches--one for the main power and one for the floor roller--was a bit of a nuisance. If you push the handle to the upright and locked position it does automatically turn off the roller, however.
Everything else about the vacuum I liked. It has a nice, long 30' power cord that's easy to wrap in its brackets on the back. The optional two-tool bracket worked well to hold the crevice tool and TurboEraser. The slightly smaller head and the swivel feature made it so I could easily reach in corners that are more challenging to the larger vacuums. It was also fun to watch the hair build up in the canister "tornado" as I ran over the hairy spots in the carpet. Anything that makes vacuuming a little more entertaining is a plus.
I was a little worried that it'd be tippy on the stairs while using the TurboEraser, but the floor roller is narrow enough that I was able to turn the unit sideways on the steps and it was very stable. I was very skeptical that the TurboErase would work since it's only powered by airflow across the little paddle wheel inside. We had another brand of vacuum with that design and it was useless. In this case, however, it worked extremely well and really scrubbed at the carpet. I guess they aren't kidding by calling it "turbo" because it really does add a high-pitched, extra noise while it's working. Good for cleaning, not so good for cat ears (but they got over it).
One final thing I noticed is that you really do need to set it to the correct carpet height setting. At first, I had it on the default setting and thought "what a dumb vacuum--it's not picking up anything on the rug." Then my wife pointed out I should try the lower setting and, sure enough, it worked perfectly after that. The only problem later was cleaning the few small rugs we have around on the hardwood floors. The suction works so well, I had to keep one foot somewhere on the rug while I was vacuuming to keep it from sliding around. This isn't a problem with our Kenmore canister, but then it also doesn't clean the rugs as thoroughly.
So, I will happily switch to using this for all of our regular vacuuming of pet areas and I think it'll be a good investment. Now if only Bissell would come out with a "Dog Drool Eraser(tm)" for the carpets.
My Best Buy number: 2793338391
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+34points
34of 34voted this as helpful.
QuietComfort® 35 wireless noise cancelling headphones are engineered with world-class noise cancellation that makes quiet sound quieter and music sound better. Free yourself from wires and connect easily to your devices with Bluetooth® and NFC pairing. And enjoy up to 20 hours of wireless listening per battery charge.
Customer Rating
5
Bose QC 35 Headphones
on June 2, 2016
Posted by: FlyingC
from Stillwater, OK
I've had a few pairs of bluetooth headphones over the years, but these latest ones from Bose are by far the best I've ever put over my ears. The sound quality is the typical top-of-the-line you'd expect from Bose, but the noise cancelling capability is simply jaw-dropping.
Out of the box, it's easy to get them paired and working. They have the NFC pairing capability, but even going through the regular bluetooth pairing is ridiculously simple. There's also a companion Bose Connect app that you can use to pair or manage the history and list of paired devices. The app also displays the battery charge level and lets you enable/disable voice prompts (and select the language).
The controls on the headphones themselves are super simple, consisting of three buttons: volume up, volume down, and a multi-function button. The multi-function does play/pause or answer/hangup with one push. Two taps goes to the next track when listening, and three taps goes to the previous one. These functions worked on all of the main apps on my phone like YouTube, Google Play Movies, Amazon music and videos, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, etc. I've only found one fairly obscure sports app so far where the buttons didn't work.
The headphones come with an audio cable for non-bluetooth devices, a short USB charging cable (but no charger), and a fairly decent carry case. The case is solid enough that I feel like I can throw it in my backpack and it'll be protected from harm. The rechargeable battery is built in and seems to have very high capacity. After three hours of use, it still indicated 98% charge.
I found the headphones fit very comfortably and were light enough I could wear them for several hours with no problem. They're also slim enough that I don't have to worry about catching or banging them on things as I move around, or having them slide off my ears. I occasional spend time working in a noisy data center environment and that brings me back to the shining feature of these headphones: the noise cancellation.
Sitting at my computer it completely silenced the fan noise as well as the keyboard when typing. I next tried them out in the noisy data center at work. The sound level there is a continuous 69-70dB which is pretty loud. When talking on the cellphone, it's enough noise I usually have to plug one ear and crank up the volume to hear the person talking. These headphones, though, magically eliminate that problem. Ok, maybe it's not magic but it's about that amazing. They don't completely eliminate the 70dB background, but it fades into a very quiet background noise so I could clearly hear the person on the line. They reported a small level of noise on the line from me, but said it was barely noticeable. That's pretty amazing considering the roar going on around me. I don't travel too often, but I'd expect them to behave just as well onboard a plane or bus.
Now that I've used these for a few days, I can't imagine using anything else for headphones. I might even have to get a pair for my wife, even though she tends to sing along out loud with the music. As long as I have my own pair on, that shouldn't be a problem. :-)
My Best Buy number: 2793338391
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+3points
3of 3voted this as helpful.
FlyingC's Review Comments
FlyingC has not submitted comments on any reviews.
FlyingC's Questions
FlyingC has not submitted any questions.
Orbi Whole Home WiFi System delivers up to 3.0Gbps high-performance WiFi. Sleek, modern design with high-gain internal antennas for up to 5,000 square feet of coverage. FastLane3 Technology creates a dedicated Tri-Band WiFi for seamless 4K streaming and gaming everywhere in your home. Keep a single WiFi name for uninterrupted connections as you move from room-to-room. Circle Smart Parental Controls runs on Orbi Routers for a smart way for families to manage content and time online, on any connected device. Provide internet access to guests without sharing your personal network password. Orbi is ready right out of the box and compatible with your ISP. Just use the Orbi app to get started with better WiFi, everywhere in minutes.
I live somewhat in the country and most internet providers do not come out here to my house. Will Orbi be able to replace DSL?
No, unfortunately you still need some sort of Internet connection. This is for the local WiFi network in your house.
7 years, 8 months ago
by
FlyingC
Orbi Whole Home WiFi System delivers up to 3.0Gbps high-performance WiFi. Sleek, modern design with high-gain internal antennas for up to 5,000 square feet of coverage. FastLane3 Technology creates a dedicated Tri-Band WiFi for seamless 4K streaming and gaming everywhere in your home. Keep a single WiFi name for uninterrupted connections as you move from room-to-room. Circle Smart Parental Controls runs on Orbi Routers for a smart way for families to manage content and time online, on any connected device. Provide internet access to guests without sharing your personal network password. Orbi is ready right out of the box and compatible with your ISP. Just use the Orbi app to get started with better WiFi, everywhere in minutes.
Will this product cover a 2000 sq. ft., one level house with only one (1) WiFi Name? The reason for this question is I'm currently using an extension to my router which has given the front of the house a different wifi name from the back of the house.
It should cover most houses that size--I'm currently using it in a 2500 sq. ft. house with great results. And, yes, one of the nice things about this product is you can broadcast one SSID (your WiFi name) everywhere. That way your phones and tablets can seamlessly connect to the unit with the strongest signal without you having to change anything on the device like selecting a different SSID.
7 years, 8 months ago
by
FlyingC
Orbi Whole Home WiFi System delivers up to 3.0Gbps high-performance WiFi. Sleek, modern design with high-gain internal antennas for up to 5,000 square feet of coverage. FastLane3 Technology creates a dedicated Tri-Band WiFi for seamless 4K streaming and gaming everywhere in your home. Keep a single WiFi name for uninterrupted connections as you move from room-to-room. Circle Smart Parental Controls runs on Orbi Routers for a smart way for families to manage content and time online, on any connected device. Provide internet access to guests without sharing your personal network password. Orbi is ready right out of the box and compatible with your ISP. Just use the Orbi app to get started with better WiFi, everywhere in minutes.
If you still have to have Internet service what do I need this thing for I already have a router
This is a combination router and link extender. They can be used in addition to your router, but I think the recommended way is to replace your existing router with the base unit. The extender "satellite" unit that's included can then be placed somewhere else in your house to extend the range of your WiFi. If your existing router covers your whole house just fine, then you probably don't need this. If you've got some areas where you can't get a signal, then this would definitely help fix that.
7 years, 8 months ago
by
FlyingC
Orbi Whole Home WiFi System delivers up to 3.0Gbps high-performance WiFi. Sleek, modern design with high-gain internal antennas for up to 5,000 square feet of coverage. FastLane3 Technology creates a dedicated Tri-Band WiFi for seamless 4K streaming and gaming everywhere in your home. Keep a single WiFi name for uninterrupted connections as you move from room-to-room. Circle Smart Parental Controls runs on Orbi Routers for a smart way for families to manage content and time online, on any connected device. Provide internet access to guests without sharing your personal network password. Orbi is ready right out of the box and compatible with your ISP. Just use the Orbi app to get started with better WiFi, everywhere in minutes.
We live in the country, and can only use satellite internet. It is not a real strong signal, and can be affected easily by weather. We also have a log home, which blocks the signal in certain areas of the house and porch. Would this help in our situation?
It won't help with your satellite Internet issues, but it could help with the signal inside your home. You can connect the main router/base unit to your Internet connection, then put the extender "satellite" unit (not to be confused with your satellite Internet) in a more distant location in your home. This would give you a strong WiFi signal around both the base unit and extender unit.
7 years, 8 months ago
by
FlyingC
Orbi Whole Home WiFi System delivers up to 3.0Gbps high-performance WiFi. Sleek, modern design with high-gain internal antennas for up to 5,000 square feet of coverage. FastLane3 Technology creates a dedicated Tri-Band WiFi for seamless 4K streaming and gaming everywhere in your home. Keep a single WiFi name for uninterrupted connections as you move from room-to-room. Circle Smart Parental Controls runs on Orbi Routers for a smart way for families to manage content and time online, on any connected device. Provide internet access to guests without sharing your personal network password. Orbi is ready right out of the box and compatible with your ISP. Just use the Orbi app to get started with better WiFi, everywhere in minutes.
Is this price for a single unit or two?
You get both the router base unit and the link extender satellite unit.
7 years, 8 months ago
by
FlyingC