Make your photos look amazing with Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020. The Adobe Sensei AI technology powers automated options to get a starting point for creative exploration, and the Guided Edits feature allows removing unwanted objects to achieve the result you want. Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020 lets you easily edit photos, make clips, and create memes to share on your favorite social websites.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
I first used Adobe Photoshop 26 years ago and have used various Adobe photo and video editing ever since. I eventually moved on to the Adobe Creative Cloud for the full suite of Adobe’s professional software. For most people, Adobe’s high end professional products are way too much for everyday use due to the steep learning curve. That is where Adobe Photoshop Elements comes in. I reviewed the Adobe Photoshop Elements 2019 last year and was very pleased with it. Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020 does not disappoint as well, bringing over a lot of the same features from 2019 and adding a few it ( hence my review will be similar.) Don’t worry about this being a stripped-down version of Photoshop that is going to leave you wanting for something more powerful. There are a lot of reviews here that are very comprehensive and long so I am not going to go into the nitty, gritty details and all the capabilities. What I am going to discuss is the basics of practical use and what I like. Interface – clean as always. One of the issues with Adobe products years ago is you had menu overload. Adobe eliminated this problem by having a graduated menu of options: quick, guided and expert. Quick is the minimalistic, basic menu for fast editing of the most commonly used tools. Not a lot of tools on the basic (intentionally,) just the basic to get you up and running fast. Guided takes you through which tools to use for what you are trying to accomplish, and expert is the full breadth of all the tools available. It really is an interesting approach that I liked in Adobe Photoshop Elements 2019. Simple tools – In Photoshop Elements, it is thought as not as powerful as Photoshop CC but that is not the case. This is a very comprehensive, powerful photo editor. You have drawing/editing tools, layers , enhancements etc– really everything you need. Take a close look at the enhance tab, you have every auto correct tool you can think of and they all work great. I speak of some of the new functions in what I like. Learning curve – Fast to moderate. For anything less than expert, it does not take much. For myself who has experience with Adobe products, I was able to use everything in expert mode relatively fast. What’s new that I like : Auto Creations : This are just cool features. There are a few options here: Black & White Selection, Pattern Brush, Painterly and Depth of Field. I loved the Black and White Selection, it lets you have an object that is black and white while the rest of the picture is color. It gives that professional, jumping out of color look. For example, It gives you the ability to have roses red while everything else is grey. Automatically colorize photos – While this feature may not be for the younger crowd for black and white pictures, I think it is fantastic. I tried this out on several old black and white photos I have and it does an amazing job. It’s not always perfect but it very impressive and most of time on point. It is not limited to black and white photos; you can change the color of objects in any picture. It really is impressive. I’ve attached before and after photos of Steve Jobs. Easy way to remove objects. Gone are the days of tracing and cutting out an object and filling in the background to make it look like it was never there. Remove unwanted objects, brush on fun patterns and more to get exactly the look you want with the help of Guided Edits
AS with last years version, you get a lot for your money and these programs is so powerful. For the most part, this program will cover most people’s needs. There is simply no true competition at this price point and feature set. In general, Adobe is the gold standard in every category. I was not thrilled when Adobe went to subscription-based services for most of their top line products so I was happy to see that Photoshop Elements 2020 is a buy it and use program, a onetime purchase—no subscription needed. There is not another competitor out there than can give you this level of power in full photo editor. I cannot really find any flaws – it’s a great value and fantastic to use. Bottom line, whether you are a casual user or a semi pro starting out, you cannot go wrong Photoshop Elements 2020. I recommend the programs completely.
Make light work of cooking with this BELLA Pro digital air fryer. A stainless steel heating element ensures faster cooking, while the 6-qt. capacity holds enough food for up to seven people. This BELLA Pro digital air fryer features an easy touch digital touchscreen control panel for simplified operation and an auto shut-off timer for convenience.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
First, this does not fry anything. The term “ air fryer” is a marketing term. The truth is air fryers are convection toaster ovens. The Bella Pro Series 6 qt Digital Air Fryer is no different. When it comes to actually cooking, this air fryer , as with all air fryers, will not give you the taste of truly fried food. You can come close in the Bella Pro Series 6qt Digital Air Fryer but it is not the same. Now I know this is starting to sound negative but there are positives so let’s review the pros and cons of the air fryer by itself rather than air fryers in general.
Pros – Digital touch screen control with presets. Easy to use and clean interface. Easy to use basket. Easy to clean. Relatively fast. Small size, perfect for single people. Performs well for smaller amounts of food.
Cons – Jet engine sound. They are all loud but this is much louder than my Breville Convection Oven in air fryer mode. Small size, not large enough for families ( yes I know I listed size as a positive but it really depends on the number of people ) . Even though this has a 6 quart capacity, you cannot use much more than half of that for food to effectively crisp up.
Performance - I tested this on the usual suspects – french fries, chicken breast and fried chicken cutlets. The fries and cutlets came out crispy and tasty with the fries being a little dry. The chicken breast came out a bit dry and uneven. It was a large piece of meat so that may have been part of the issue.
So the all important question, is it worth it? Maybe. The reality is that the convection option on your toaster oven will do the same if not a better job. I did like the ease of handling of the basket , it is far easier to use than my toaster oven for fries and the clean up is better In a totally unscientific measurement, it does seem to cook smaller amounts of food faster . I think it is because of the small size and the cylindrical design. I think you may be better off with the larger 10 qt version of this. For some reason , it is the same price at Bestbuy and has a window to see the food. If you do not have a convection option on your toaster over, pass on this. If you have limited counter space and not the best toaster over, take a look at this.
Increase precision with this Lexip ceramic glide feet mouse upgrade kit. A set of six ceramic pads let your mouse glide easily for improved accuracy and help extend the lifetime of your mouse by reducing wear and tear. This Lexip ceramic glide feet mouse upgrade kit includes stickers and alcoholic wipes for thorough pre-application cleaning.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Let me start off with some scenarios, you just bought your nice new gaming mouse. It’s fast, precise and built well. So naturally, you going to spend another $20 on “glide feet” from another manufacturer and glue them to the bottom on your nice, new mouse. Does that sound like something you would do? Maybe that is not a fair scenario nor the intended audience. So let’s look at it in a different scenario, you’ve had your tried and true mouse for years and it is starting to wear. Instead of going out and buying a new mouse for $50, you decide to spend $20 on ceramic glide feed to “reinvigorate” your 5 or 10-year-old mouse. Is that a likely scenario? The point is, there is no point to this. It’s a gimmick. To test these ceramic glide feet, I put this on an old gaming mouse and there was no noticeable difference. Did it move a little easier across a flat surface? Maybe, but not that would service any useful purpose. This is a gimmick. It’s one of those things I would expect to see with a disclaimer “Not Sold in Stores” or “As seen on TV. If you need a smoother gliding mouse than what you have; put the $20 you would have spent on the glide feet towards a new mouse. You will be much happier.
Take out your enemies with sharp accuracy by using this Lexip Pu94 wired gaming mouse. The ergonomic construction provides a comfortable grip during marathon gaming sessions, and the wired design helps ensure low latency. This Lexip Pu94 wired gaming mouse boasts a laser sensor for pin-point precision, and the programmable buttons enable customization.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
The Lexip - Pu94 Wired Gaming Mouse is a uniquely design mouse that has features that really no other mouse has. At this point, you probably have read enough about the mouse that to see that it has an internal mouse and mini thumb stick mouse on the right-hand side. Right off the bat, this is a mouse that you will love or hate. It has all the best features you would expect of a high end mouse – precise , well crafted and responsive. It is wired mouse, which I like. There are many great wireless mice on the market but I always feel the wired mouse offers the best responsiveness. Let’s look at what separates this mouse from others – the joysticks. The internal joystick whereas the whole mouse “floats “on the mouse base. This enables you to manipulate the mouse to move within a game. Think a space game like Star Conflict where you fly a spaceship. This mouse enables you to move on all axis. It works fairly well but take some getting used. The second joystick on the side worked with some functions on games but I was never able to get the hang of it with most games. In conclusion, this is a mouse with a steep learning curve that takes a lot to get used to . For me, it is not a mouse I would use on a regular basis. However, I can see the attraction for niche group of gamers. The main problem is it is just too complex and has a feel of an unfinished product. Do a lot of research before you buy, for me I will stick to traditional gaming mice.
Cook tasty meals or sterilize baby bottles and utensils with this Crock-Pot 10-quart express slow cooker. The 15 cooking presets activate with the touch of a button for flawless results, while the easy release steam dial reduces pressure buildup for added safety. This Crock-Pot 10-quart express slow cooker features a progress bar, so you know when pressurization is complete.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
This is my first try at a pressure cooker. I’ve only tried a couple of things and the results have been mixed. Before I get into the performance, let's talk about the unit.
Size : It is huge and easily capable of preparing large meals. It will take up quite a bit of counter space, so much so that I used it on my flat top stove.
Quality : It is okay, remember this is only a $80 cooking appliance so set expectations accordingly . The lid locks positively and is solid. A possible negative is the long term durability of the non stick coating. It does not feel like it will hold up . I have no way of knowing that but I would be careful not to scratch it.
Controls : Easy to use and straight forward. The one touch programs are great and make this much easier than the old manual style (or so I have read.)
Performance : As I indicated, I had mixed results but it is combination of a learning curve and the unit itself. First , I tried a steak. Yes, I know; mistake. I tried searing it and cooking it. Well, it turned it into a bad roast beef and not a great color. I tried pork chops and while they did not come out looking good, they were moist and tender. After realizing that they may not be the best test cases , I tried a basic steamed chicken with some spices. Came out perfect. I tried some pastas and they came out surprisingly good ( well after I destroyed one batch.) Bottom line, there is a learning curve here and it is best suited to softer foods or even foods that you can finish off in a pan ( I did that to try to save the steak I cooked.) In terms of cooking speed, it is noticeably faster that most other methods.
Conclusion This is a hard call between if this machine is too finicky, too much of learning curve or just me. I am single guy and this is probably too large for my needs. But I can totally see the usefulness for a family. Regardless of what the recipes show, I do not think this will every be good for those foods that need a good sear on the outside. It should be fine for chicken and pastas and great for stews. I think some of the settings are a bit off and you can easily overcook some foods . Additionally, there is a level of impreciseness in the temperature control. I would still recommend it for those who have the time to learn how to use it or those who are already experienced.
The slim profile and minimalist design transform your keyboard and mouse into a visual statement that elevates your desk setup. A slim profile and compact design make typing and mousing a pleasure. Low-profile keys give you that laptop-like typing experience you know and love. Whisper-quiet keys and a 90% noise-reduced mouse let you power through in near-silence. Long battery life and an easy plug-and-play 2.4GHz USB receiver ensure a reliable, hassle-free experience.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
When I first saw Logitech MK470 Slim Wireless Mouse and Keyboard Combo , I did not have high expectations. Not because Logitech does not make good products, they make many great products. It was because the price was only $50. How good could a wireless keyboard and mouse be for $50? Surprisingly, pretty good. First, let’s talk about the keyboard. Slim line, solid and responsive. I was expecting the keyboard to be too light with a plastic, weak feel to it. Not the case with the MK470. Even being about 3/16 of inch thick, there is no flex to the keyboard. It is full size keyboard in a relatively small package, I have it connected to my LG Gram 17 inch and the keyboard is not as wide as the laptop. Typing on it is a pleasure, the keys have decent travel and are very quiet. Honestly , I cannot find anything negative to say about the keyboard. Note there are Logitech models that look similar for only $20 or so ( the K360.) They are not the same. But that brings us to the mouse. Meh, definitely low end. It works as it should but it has a cheap plastic cover and the clicking action is not very positive. I know they were trying to go for the low profile, minimalist look like the keyboard but this is a $10 mouse. I would rather buy the keyboard without the mouse. Even though I was not happy with the mouse, the keyboard is fantastic for an under $50 keyboard. It feels much higher quality than the price tag. The mouse is usable but I would have expected something a bit better from Logitech. It would be nice if they dumped the mouse and made the keyboard from aluminum , even at twice the price it would still be a bargain if they did that. Regardless, this is a great deal and you cannot go wrong with the keyboard at that price. Recommend.
Make healthy smoothies and drinks with this SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender. A 1400W motor base ensures exceptional ice-crushing results, while the 800W heating element cuts down boiling time for faster preparation of soups and sauces. This SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender features preset Auto-iQ smart programs that take the guesswork out of operation and dishwasher-safe parts for effortless cleaning.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
I’ve always like SharkNinja products. They make both the Shark vacuums and Ninja cooking products. I think their top end vacuums are great and loved their coffee makers. They do what they are supposed to at a decent price. Their Foodi Cold & Hot Blender (Model:HB152) is a mix of good and bad but you have to set the right expectations. I will go into that more in my conclusion at the end of this review. Pros : Good power. It is rated at 1400 watts and that is towards the upper end of blenders. Higher watts mean better performance and a longer motor life. Keep in mind that manufactures do play with this number and some even list horsepower instead of watts. Compare motor watts to get a true indication of power. Good quality pitcher. Nicely sized and Ninja states it is BPA feel. To be honest, the pitcher is so solid and clear ; I thought it was made of glass. I would have not thought it was plastic until I read the specs. I just tapped on the pitcher and it even sounds like glass. Much better than the pitchers that used to be on the Ninja blenders. Built in programmed controls . Ninja calls it Auto-iQ®, it is 12 pre-set smart programs that allow you to just set it and forget ( thanks Ron Popeil) for making smoothies, extractions, frozen drinks, sauces, dips, soups, cocktails, water infusions, etc. You just press the button for what you want and away it goes. Now I did not try all of them but the 3 I did try worked flawlessly. I have to say, it’s pretty impressive. Clean function One of the negatives you will see listed in this review is this unit is not dishwasher safe and some other cleaning issues. Ninja must have realized that and built in a clean function that heats up the water and then runs in a specific sequence. It does a decent job and makes touch up cleaning afterwards later. It is not perfect but it does help.
Cons : The Ninja Foodi Cold and & Hot Blender comes with a 1 year warranty. There are competitors that offer much better warranties in the same price range. Some even have 10 year warranties. Base, blades and pitcher do not separate and you cannot put it in the dishwasher. Although this is common today on blenders, there are those where you can separate the blades for thorough cleaning. The drive assembly coupling between the motor and the blade assembly is plastic. The cog that drives the blades is metal. I am not sure why they went with this design. I know in manfufacturing that designers will use two substances with one being weaker than the other to protect one component but in this case, they should be both made of metal ( with one being a softer metal.) The much more expensive competition does it. With Ninja, I would question the long term durability of this design. Loud. This unit screams when it is running. Now I almost did not put this as negative because blenders are loud in general . The control panels is cheap feeling and will not hold up as well as some other designs. It is basically a flat piece of plastic covering the control buttons underneath. It does make it wipe clean but I can see this wearing out.
Neutral : I really do not see the point of the heating function. In my opinion, it is more than a gimmick that just adds a level of complexity that is unnecessary. Now not everyone would agree and that is why I put it as a neutral. However, I want you to think about all the other manufacturers that do not offer this and ask yourself why? Also, how many times have you used a blender and the only thing you are using it for is the basic functions of a blender. I have a stove and microwave that does a much better job at heating with greater control. Power draw. This unit draws 1400 watts for the motor and 800 watts when cooking. Although you are not going to be using the unit at full blend and cooking at the same time , you can pulse and cook at the same time. A standard 15A circuit at 120v is 1800 watts, you are probably getting close to or exceeding that during the operation of this blender when cooking and pulsing. Many kitchens will have dedicated 20A circuits that can handle this load but some may not or have other appliances on a circuit. If that is the case, you will trip a breaker at some point . This is more of a FYI.
Conclusion : The blender is good, not great. It does many things but is not the best in any category. What sets it apart is that it is a great value. You would be hard pressed to find this type of power with this many features in the same price range. As I said earlier, I find the cooking feature a gimmick . At 800 watts, that heating element produces about 2700 BTU’s. Assuming a difficult 75% thermal transfer efficiency , that is only about 2000 BTU of heat to cook 56 oz of fluid ( provided you fill the pitcher all the way.) A typical stove top burner is 9000 BTUs - how long would it take to cook at only 22% of a stove top burner. A long time. Now I know I lost some of you because this is getting long but the math is the math. Don’t buy this blender for the cooking function , buy it because you get the most bang for your buck at $130. If you want something with truly a noticeable power difference , higher quality and lower sound, you are going to pay hundred of dollars more.
The reliable Brother HL-L3210CW compact digital color printer is a great choice for the busy home or small office. Quick print speeds of up to 19 pages per minute~ plus manual feed slot accommodates varied printing needs and can handle a variety of paper types and sizes including card stock, envelopes and more. Connect with versatile options including built-in wireless or USB interfaces and print wirelessly from mobile devices. The 250-sheet capacity adjustable paper tray helps improve efficiency with fewer refills and handles letter or legal sized paper. 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 ppm~ in black and up to 19 ppm~ in color.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
The Brother HL-L3210CW is a mix of good and bad. I really wanted to like this printer but I’m not sure who the target customer is. It’s promoted as a budget unit for a small office but it misses the mark in several areas. First thing, this is not true laser printer, the HL-L3210CW is an LED-based color printer. Not that it is a bad thing, but I wonder if that has to do with the slower print speed compared to black and white laser printers. Additionally, there are some quality differences (albeit small) between LED’s and laser printers (laser printers are just crisper in their prints and the colors are more even.) In reference to print speed, it matched the advertised speed for basic text. It was crisp, clean and uniform. However, for mix of text and graphics with color, the printer is as slow as a middle level ink jet. In my unscientific testing, it seemed to be less than half the full speed of text printing. I did a direct connection via USB and the only other option is wi-fi connection. So that begs the question, why is Brother creating a printer for an office environment with no ethernet connection? I prefer an ethernet connection for all my printers. To make things even more odd, even though this is a wifi printer, you cannot use Brother's cloud based apps ( I think all of their other printers can use that.) You can still use Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print and Wi-Fi Direct. So back to my initial statement in this review of who this printer is for? Yes , it prints both color and black and white but who is printing in color in a small office environment? If someone needs color , they certainly would want something higher quality than a sub $200 printer. Most office environments need a fast reliable black and white printer . For a reference point, HP has a printer that is about the same price , same foot print, has an ethernet connector and prints literally at twice the speed. So would I recommend this printer? Unfortunately, no for most. It is a good printer - the quality is good, it is well built and prints okay. And I am still giving it 3 stars. So why the no? Because for $50 more you can get the next level printer in the Brother line up or a competitor and the upgrade will give you a faster printer with a more robust feature set. I understand that Brother is trying to keep the price down for this “budget entry” but you get so much more for a little more money or a much better black and white printer at the same cost. So in Summary, if you are on a tight budget and need low volume color printing from a good manufacturer than this might be a fit. If you can spend a little more, go for the upgrade.
The Back-UPS battery backup offers guaranteed power and surge protection for wireless networks, computers, gaming consoles and other electronics in your home or business. Models supply battery backup during outages and unsafe voltage fluctuations, as well as provide protection from damaging surges and spikes. They're available in 'tower' or 'floor' styles, and together with a variety of standard features, they are the perfect choice to protect your data and keep you connected.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Compact, slim & okay for basics. Watch the surge..
on September 23, 2019
Posted by: TechnicallyCorrect
from Farmingdale, NY
The APC 425 battery backup is a basic device that can be used for relatively low powered devices for short periods of time. The design is small enough that is can tuck neatly into the back of desk or similar. The 6 outlets are all surge protected and the 4 battery backup outlets are nicely spaced for transformer power supplies. The two remaining are surge suppression only and only have enough space for two standard plugs or 1 large power supply plug.
Testing : I run a Verizon supplied modem with a secondary Nighthawk router. Because of this set up , it does draw more power than a standard one router setup. I unplugged the APC back up from the wall and left it. It lasted almost exactly 1 hour. You do get audible warnings as it is about to run out of power. There was no drop of internet so there is no discernible latency between loss of power and battery backup engagement. Not bad and about what I expected.
What I like : What differs from some of the UPS’s from the past is the slim horizontal form factor. I own multiple versions of this and they nicely under and behind furniture. It even has two key holes on the back if you want to mount it to a desk or wall. You do have to be careful about venting, but it is very usable.
What I do not like: Joules..ugh. It is only rated 180 joules. Many do not really know what a joule rating is and why it is important. A joule rating indicates how much energy the surge protector can absorb before it fails. A joule is a watts per second. Therefore, this device is rated to handle the equivalent of three 60 watt light bulbs. APC dedicated surge suppressors handle 2880 joules or more. Sounds terrible, right? Well not completely but it is not good. Take a look at APC $40 surge suppressors, they will have $250,000 equipment guarantees and the APC 425 has “only” $75,000. Therefore, APC is readily acknowledging the difference in surge protection. However, a UPS’s primary function is to be a backup and a surge suppression is an added benefit. The competition offers far higher joule ratings on similar products ( in most cases 3 to 4 times the amount) but there may be differences in testing standards. I run battery backups off of surge suppressors and have no issues. It should be noted that APC states you use a APC surge suppressor or it could void the “Equipment Protection Policy.” Here is an excerpt from APC “Plugging any non-APC surge protector, power strip, or extension cord into the output of an APC brand UPS could void your Equipment Protection Policy (EPP). However, the standard 3 year product warranty is maintained. If, after taking into consideration this knowledge base document, you choose to use an APC brand surge protector in conjunction with your APC brand UPS, your warranty and Equipment Protection Policy will be maintained.” It's a load of bull, if you use a high quality surge suppressor; there will be no issues. APC just wants you to buy their products. It is APC prerogative so beware and I am not suggesting to do anything that would void your warranty.
Conclusion : Like all of APC products, they do what they are supposed to and well built. I own 5 APC battery backups and they are all great. I used them to back up my routers, video cams and select LED lights . But you need to know what you are buying and what is the purpose. They are not great surge suppressors and you need to have that to protect your equipment. You should never plug a surge suppressor into a battery backup, but you can do the reverse as long as you are paying attention to the load. In other words, just because you now have 18 outlets with the surge suppressor and the battery backup combined, it does not mean to load it up. The APC UPS 425VA Battery Back-Up System BE425M is a solid, affordable piece of equipment that will maintain power to your network or any other lower power device. Now you may ask why I say “lower power” device. This is the smallest of the battery backups available from APC, they go all the way up to 900VA’s in a similar form factor. If you want more run time , look to their bigger models . If you are looking to back up a network router, this should give you more than enough time to finish a project or just prepare for a shutdown because of a power outage.
Access multiple streaming apps with this Hisense 4K smart TV. The FALD display supports HDR imaging for vivid colors and excellent brightness. Connect multiple devices simultaneously using the four HDMI ports, and access the USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports to support storage device access. This Hisense 4K smart TV features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Ethernet connectivity for increased versatility.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
I’ve quite a few 4K televisions over the years, the quality has gone up and the price has gone down. At some point over the , the proliferation of low price 4K televisions has grown exponentially. I’ve avoided all the low tier 4k televisions, they tended to offer a lot but at the expense of poor smart features, sub par picture and questionable long term durability. This is not the case now , today's low priced 4K smart TV's approach or exceed the mid to the high end TV’s of a couple years ago. The Hisense H9F Series is the perfect example of this. In review :
Build - The TV is very minimalist with a thin bezel and thin profile form the side. The stand is very stable and gives the TV a nice, high quality look. The all plastic back of the TV is cheap feeling plastic with no cable management. For minimal cost, Hisense could use a stronger plastic and put some basic cable a management.
Controls – First, a minor annoyance. There is no external power button or control – everything is through the remote. The remote works well and is thoughtfully laid out with quick access to Netflix, Youtube, Google Play Store and Vudu ( not sure who really uses Vudu anymore.) Like nearly other remote, it is not backlight and I find myself fumbling in the dark. There is button for directly accessing Google Assistant and it works quite well. Press the button and speak a command and the TV does it job.
Apps, Smart Features and OS system : As I mentioned above, the Google Assistant is built in. There is a good reason for, the whole TV is based on the Android TV platform. Android TV is a pleasure; it is satisfying to have access to the easy and familiar Google play store. All the appropriate apps are there. Set up is the best I’ve ever experienced, it interfaces to your mobile devices and pulls in all the appropriate info. Also, Chrome Cast is built in for easy casting from other devices. There are some slight deficiencies here. There is some latency in navigating between the apps and I did notice some slight hangs within apps. Nothing major but you will notice a difference from the high end TV’s with better processors. Additionally, sometimes right in the middle of using an app , the system goes to back to the home screen for all the apps. At first, I thought I hit the home button, but it did happen several times as I was looking through an app. It happened on Youtube, Hulu and Netfilx.
Sound – At first, is not that good. It is relatively muddy across the spectrum. With a little tweaking in the settings, you can get noticeably better sound. I found setting it to “Theater “ for the Sound mode and turning on the “Total Sonics “ option dramatically improved the sound. You can change it further through the advanced setting. For the life of me, I do not why Hisense has everything set to “standard “ for the sound. While the sound is better with tweaking, you are limited by the relatively weak speakers so a soundbar is a must for those that want rich, deep sounds.
The picture: Overall, the picture is impressive. I ran several formal tests for the Dolby Vision and HDR, they did look stunning. In 4k from Youtube, Netflix and Amazon, it all looked quite good but did have some blooming of bright objects on black or dark backgrounds. For me, I found it more noticeable on smaller objects bt maybe this is because I have the picture settings on vivid. When compared to other TV’s in this price range or even higher, it comes out on top. When compared to high end OLED televisions, you will definitely see the difference. For standard pictures ( as in from the cable box) the Hisense H9F was about average with some colors getting muddy or washed out in brighter sections of the screen. I did see some color uniformity issues on content that had a lot of white or grey. In fact, when you first start the TV up, there is a grey screen and you can see the uniformity inconsistencies in the picture. I can say the picture is amazingly bright, brighter than anything in this class. In a normal room, you do not need anything close to max brightness. Now I do not want to give the impression the picture is bad. I was able to make some changes that improved the picture quality. The picture overall for any television is good , for a $900 television – you will not find any better. Even for a couple hundred dollars more.
Odd mentions: TV does turn off with Google Home commands but does not turn on. TV is hot and what I mean by that is it is literally a hot TV. All TV’s produce heat but it felt noticeably hotter than my 55 inch Samsung 4k and even more than my 77 inch OLED (in spots.)
Conclusion: I put this TV up against my 6 year old 9000 series 4K Samsung and a LG C9 77 inch. It held it’s own in terms of picture quality against the 6 year old Samsung, it was about the same but with a little less uniformity but a with a brighter picture. Keep in mind that the Samsung I have was about $3500 at the time. The Android TV and apps was far superior to the old Samsung . Now, compared to the LG C9, there is no comparison. And there should not be the C9 is a $7000 television and an OLED. There are a few reviews here that state the Hisense H9F is “better than OLED.” I assure you it is not. However, this is best TV value you can get with great picture and an even better feature set. Recommend for those on a budget and those who are spending under $1500.
Access multiple streaming apps with this Hisense 4K smart TV. The FALD display supports HDR imaging for vivid colors and excellent brightness. Connect multiple devices simultaneously using the four HDMI ports, and access the USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports to support storage device access. This Hisense 4K smart TV features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Ethernet connectivity for increased versatility.
The specs say the tv with stand is 11.1 in. deep. I would like to put the tv on a fireplace mantle that is only 10 in. deep. Any chance the TV would still be stable if the stand overhung the end of the mantle by 1 in.?
No, I think the stand will be unstable. I measured between the two grommets on the stand legs and they are 10 1/4 inches. I think 10 in mantle would cause the TV to have a very good chance of tipping over.
Pump up the volume with these Sony wireless on-ear headphones. Advanced drivers produce clear high-fidelity audio, while the EXTRA BASS feature helps you feel the beat by enhancing low-end frequencies. A 30-hour battery life keeps the music coming. With a lightweight construction and soft swiveling earcups, these Sony wireless on-ear headphones keep you comfortable while you listen.
Does it come with an actual headphone cord or is it just Bluetooth
Keep your files in one place with this 2.5-inch Samsung 2TB internal solid-state drive. Boasting read speeds of up to 550MB/sec., this solid-state drive improves system performance by reducing startup and file loading times. This Samsung internal solid-state drive accommodates large numbers of files and programs with its 2TB capacity.
This drive should not be used with the Yoga 910. The Yoga 910 has a 512GB PCIe SSD. While it has smaller capacity than Samsung - 860 QVO 2TB, the PCIe SSD is much faster .
Dive right in and do something amazing with your photos. Auto-generated photo and video slideshows and collages are created just for you and delivered upon launch. Get up and running quickly with the new home screen - see what's new since your last version, discover fun things to try, and get inspiring ideas, help, and tutorials. Effortlessly organize, edit, and create thanks to photo and video automation powered by Adobe Sensei AI technology. Try artistic techniques and effects with 73 step-by-step guided edits. Easily make movies in the redesigned Quick Edit mode. And share your favorite memories in everything from fun memes and animated GIFs to printed artwork and full-length movies.
Add stability to your home network with the Amped Wireless HELIOS-EX Wi-Fi Extender. With DirectLink technology, it avoids signal loss by adding another 5GHz Wi-Fi channel to the standard setup, which it then uses strictly for receiving signal from the source. This Amped Wireless HELIOS-EX Wi-Fi Extender covers an area of up to 12,000 sq. ft. and includes four Gigabit network ports.
Wake up in the morning to this Sony ICFC1TBLACK AM/FM dual-alarm clock radio that features a gradual wake alarm to gently bring you out of sleep. The large, easy-to-read LCD ensures you can view the time in a variety of lighting environments.
Wake up in the morning to this Sony ICFC1TBLACK AM/FM dual-alarm clock radio that features a gradual wake alarm to gently bring you out of sleep. The large, easy-to-read LCD ensures you can view the time in a variety of lighting environments.
My Sony clock radio is randomly going off in the middle of the night. I have it set at 5:30am. Why is it doing this?
Wake up in the morning to this Sony ICFC1TBLACK AM/FM dual-alarm clock radio that features a gradual wake alarm to gently bring you out of sleep. The large, easy-to-read LCD ensures you can view the time in a variety of lighting environments.
Just had a power failure - the screen went dark. But when the power came back - the time was accurate and alarm times were still set. Is that normal for the display to go away even with with battery backup?
Wake up in the morning to this Sony ICFC1TBLACK AM/FM dual-alarm clock radio that features a gradual wake alarm to gently bring you out of sleep. The large, easy-to-read LCD ensures you can view the time in a variety of lighting environments.
Browse the internet or play your favorite apps on this Acer tablet. It runs on an Android operating system and is powered by a quad-core 64-bit processor for full functionality. Google Mobile Services and Microsoft Office Suite are preloaded on this Acer tablet for out-of-the-box work or play capabilities, and DTS-HD Premium Sound lets you enjoy videos.
Does it have an office program like Word, Excel and Powerpoint?