swemoney's stats
- Review count213
- Helpfulness votes157
- First reviewMay 14, 2016
- Last reviewJune 25, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.9
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- Answer count12
- Helpfulness votes10
- First answerJune 10, 2016
- Last answerApril 18, 2021
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The Core Innovations ANT800BAR Indoor TV Antenna Bar allows you to access HDTV channels up to 80 miles away, free of charge. The signal indicator displays reception strength for peak viewing potential, and the omni-directional bar design provides connectivity in all directions. Enjoy content in up to 4K full HD where supported.
Customer Rating
4
Works well. Easy to hide.
on October 25, 2021
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
I haven't tried a ton of antenna for my TV and this one performs at least as well as the other one I used.
Setup is easy. There's a power cord that connects directly to the unit which I'm a little less happy about than putting the power inside the cable (so you only have a single cable instead of needing to run both) but it's not a huge deal. Testing and scanning for channels in various positions and locations drastically changed the result. Just depending on where it was placed, I scanned 25 channels on the low end up to 65 on the top end. So play around with positions until you have the results you desire. I ended up putting it in the groove of my window which it fit pretty nicely and keeps it hidden. That was the position it also gave me the largest scanned result.
I thought it was weird that both my older antenna and this one failed to scan for CBS (channel 2) in my area. Turns out, after a quick Google search, CBS is the only VHF channel in the Chicago land area where as everything else is a UHF channel. Smaller, indoor antenna apparently just don't work well to pick up VHF channels so I can't fault this antenna when I would need to install a much larger, outdoor antenna is I really wanted to get CBS. Just something to keep in mind if you're finding a single channel that isn't coming in on multiple channels while the rest of them seem to work fine. Chances are, that channel is just broadcasting VHF and you won't have much luck with any of these smaller, indoor antenna.
Picture quality is as you'd expect. Everything is digital now. It's either on or off. I didn't notice a lot of stuttering unless I was moving the antenna around. So it works pretty well.
If you're looking for an easy to hide antenna, this one might be for you. I'll be continuing to use this one on my main TV and moving my old antenna onto a TV that I don't use as often.
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Introducing MX Keys Mini, a smaller, smarter, and mightier minimalist wireless keyboard made for creators. The minimalist form factor provides improved ergonomics by aligning your shoulders and allowing you to place your mouse closer to your keyboard for less arm reaching, more comfort, and better body posture. Perfect Stroke keys are shaped for your fingertips with optimal key stability and tactile responsiveness to keep you oriented and in your flow. The backlit keys light up the moment your hands approach, and automatically adjust to suit changing lighting conditions. Smart Dictation, Mic Mute/Unmute and Emoji keys streamline your workflow even further.
Customer Rating
4
Nice little mobile keyboard
on October 3, 2021
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
This keyboard came at just about the perfect time. I already have the original MX Keys keyboard and like it fine but don't use it a ton lately. I was going to start using it again as a keyboard for my AppleTV while I stream games to it via SteamLink. It works great but since it's going to be stashed near the TV in the living room I'm really happy this is basically the same keyboard in a smaller package (minus the numpad).
Setup is simple. It connects via bluetooth and you have three different connection options making it also great for using the same keyboard for multiple computers. So I can use this keyboard on all 3 of my AppleTVs and switch between them with a keypress.
The keys feel pretty good. They're scissor style keys. I didn't have any problems adjusting to typing on it while my main computer has a very sensitive mechanical keyboard with MX Cherry Silver Speed keys. I don't know if I'll want to type on it for huge things but for some gaming so I can play some games that really need a keyboard and mouse on the couch, it feels pretty good.
The construction of the whole keyboard also feels really good. It's not super light for the size. It's got some weight to it which I like. It's not a lot but it's more than I thought when I first looked at the keyboard.
Overall, it's a keyboard. It connects to 3 separate devices and it works well. If you need a small keyboard you can take with you to various devices then this one might be the one for you.
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Designed in Sweden for expert removal of airborne allergens. Unlike a standard fan, Pure Fan Auto cleans the air of pollutants as it cools. Customizable to fit your needs, the fan features a colorful fabric pre-filter and Auto mode setting to auto-adjust to your real-time room conditions. Pure Fan Auto delivers more clean air than Dyson purifying fans¹ and removes over 99%² of airborne allergens like dust and pollen with Blueair's signature HEPASilent™ filtration technology. The unique combination of electrostatic and mechanical filtration effectively removes airborne allergens like dust, pollen, and pet dander with low noise and energy consumption. The fan works by pulling in dirty room air from the back through a pre-filter and particle filter using patented fan technology to deliver a gentle stream of clean, cooling air back into your room. Provides cool comfort by distributing air into the room at a 90-degree angle, so there's no need for oscillation. Upgraded features from the original Pure Fan offer simple air quality management. Set to Auto mode, the fan will automatically increase speed when particle pollution levels rise in your indoor environment and return to a lower rate once the air is clean. The air quality indicator (AQI) located on the top left of the fan keeps you up to date on the current status of your air. The LED displays one of three colors to indicate that room conditions are good, moderate, or polluted based on real-time measurements of fine particle (PM2.5) concentrations. Customize to your space with unique machine-washable fabric pre-filters available in five colors. Designed to catch larger particles to extend the primary filter's life, pre-filters in Arctic Trail and Night Waves come standard with the Pure Fan Auto. ENERGY STAR® certified for energy efficiency, Pure Fan Auto uses less energy than a light bulb.³ The fan utilizes HEPASilent™ filtration technology to clean the air as it cools with noise levels quieter than a whisper on low (25 dB) and less noise than a normal conversation on high (54 dB).⁴ Minimalist features are a breath of fresh air. Use the fan's two buttons to turn on/off, cycle through three-speed settings, set Auto and Night mode. Plus, the filter indicator light alerts you when it's time to replace the filter. Filter replacement is recommended about every six months. The Pure Fan Auto fits in well on a tabletop or directly on the floor in any area of your home. The balanced design is light enough to move easily, yet the low center of gravity makes it difficult to knock over. As an added benefit, unlike standard fans that use blades that get covered with dust and require disassembly to clean, Pure Fan Auto captures airborne dust before it has a chance to stick to the fan blades, using pre-filters that can be cleaned with a quick vacuum. At Blueair, our Swedish heritage inspires sustainability and quality at the heart of everything we do. Like our air purifiers, Pure Fan Auto is AHAM Verifide for Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR), certified by ENERGY STAR for energy efficiency, and certified by the California EPA Air Resources Board (CARB) for safe ozone emissions. ¹ Comparing dust and pollen CADR (AHAM AC-1) on high to Dyson purifying fans (TP01, TP02, TP04, HP01, HP04, DP04) ² Based on third-party testing of removal rate of particles, pollen particles (5-11µm) in less than 20 minutes and dust particles (0.5-3µm) in 30 minutes according to AHAM AC-1-2019 standard. ³ On lowest speed, according to GB/T18801-2015 standard. "Light bulb" is defined as an LED light bulb with 40 W energy consumption. ⁴ Sound pressure according to GB/T18801. A whisper is about 30 dB; normal conversation is about 60 dB.
Customer Rating
4
Pretty neat and "cute" fan that works well
on September 22, 2021
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
The first thing my wife said when I took this fan out of the box was "That's cuuuute". So there's that. I have air purifiers in a couple rooms in my house but this one looked cool to me because it's also a lot more of a traditional fan than other ones I've seen. I think it works pretty well too.
Setup is pretty easy. It's basically just a fan. The filters were already installed. The only thing I didn't fully understand right away was the "pre-filter" which is just a flexible cloth that stretches around the filter that catches a lot of the big stuff right away. I accidentally opened the package that had a spare pre-filter inside it because I didn't know what it was. Other than that, just take it out of the box, plug it in, turn it on.
The fan has 3 speed settings and then an "auto" setting and a night mode setting. Night mode, I'm pretty sure, is just the first setting but it turns the LEDs off. Not sure why they need a whole separate mode for that instead of just an LED button that turns off the LEDs no matter what mode you're on.
The first speed mode, as well as night mode, and auto mode when the air is clear are all pretty much as quiet as possible. You can still feel a little bit of air coming out of the fan too. But it basically sounds like the fan is not on.
Mode 2 ramps up the fan pretty heavy and is very audible. Not annoyingly. I actually have been using mode 2 as my sleep mode lately. It doesn't sound like normal compact fan. It sounds more like a white noise generator. Mode 3 is a little louder. Not crazy but it's a bit too loud for my bedroom.
I have used the auto-mode a few times but I think my air stays pretty clear when I just leave the fan on mode 2 so I haven't gone back since I started using mode 2 as my sleep mode. But when using auto, you will notice the speed fluctuating depending on the air quality which is a nice way to know things are working.
Overall, I'm a "fan" of this fan. If you're looking for a decent air purifier that isn't a big box for the corner of the room, this might be up your alley too. The fact that it doesn't look terrible and doubles as an extra fan is great. If it's in your budget, I can recommend it.
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Portable and palm-sized with a built-in extension rod, DJI OM 5 is a versatile companion that unlocks the full potential of your smartphone. Enjoy flawless selfies, super-smooth video, automatic tracking, and much more. A new ShotGuides feature even provides creative tips, empowering you to get stunning shots wherever you go. With DJI OM 5, get ready to master every shot.
Customer Rating
4
Such a cool little gadget
on September 21, 2021
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
I'm looking forward to filming more content with this thing as it's just really cool. I don't have any super profession reasons for using it but I do content creation on Twitch and YouTube as well has having a small child and I like just having a really easy to set up and use way of having some nice smooth and stable videos.
Setup of the hardware was pretty easy but it's not incredibly apparent right away how to get started. There's a quick start guide and it tells you what to do with some pictures but the first step is to pull the hinge open. You're supposed to do it with your hands and just unfold the main hinge but it's such a tight hinge that it felt like it was supposed to be motorized to me. After I put a little extra force behind unfolding it, it felt a lot easier later on.
Aside from this little hiccup, everything is pretty simple to install. The attachment to your phone just spreads open and clamps around the side of your phone. I'm using an iPhone XS Pro Max and didn't have any issues getting the bracket around my phone with a case on it. It's also pretty easy to take off. One small issue I had was knowing how the phone and gimbal should be oriented when you snap the phone to the magnet on the gimbal. It only snaps on one way. If you put it on differently than you're supposed to it'll still stick to it but it won't be lined up with the magnet so you just have to rotate the phone a bit and try again. I'm sure with practice I'll get more used to how everything should be positioned when snapping it together but it was a small issue I had initially I felt should be mentioned.
Everything feels really well constructed. There's a carry bag and a small tripod included as well and if you have a smaller phone there's an extra pad that gives your phone a little extra thickness. USB-C for charging which is always nice to see these days.
Operating the gimbal might take a little bit of experience. It didn't take me long since this was the first gimbal I've used but there was a bit of testing that involved the camera spinning around because I rotated it the wrong way or too far. But the stability you get is great. it's still so weird when you lock the gimbal and it sits in the same exact spot even when you move and rotate your hand a bit. The view finder looks like you took a picture but it's actually live video.
There's an app that you can download pretty quickly by scanning a QR code in the quick start guide that gives you a bunch of convenience features and extra photo modes. Luckily, since the gimbal connects to your phone via bluetooth and acts as a standard remote you can still use the buttons on the gimbal in the main camera app too. But I actually didn't hate their app either.
Overall, I don't have a lot of experience with other gimbals but this one works well, feels well built, doesn't have a super annoying app, works with the normal camera app via bluetooth, and has a lot of accessories. I'm a fan. If you're in the market for one of these and this is in your budget, I can recommend it.
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Capture professional-grade pictures and videos with this Digipower RGB multimode LED light. A rechargeable battery offers up to 14 hours of use, while 24 brightness settings let you adjust the light to capture perfect shots. This Digipower RGB multimode LED light supports vertical and horizontal mounting for a customized setup.
Customer Rating
4
Great little portable light
on August 11, 2021
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
If you film things and need some small, portable lighting, this light does a pretty good job. With a ton of settings, pretty good battery life and a small form factor, I don't think I'll film anything away from my desk without it. I may just get a longer USB cable and use it to light my desk as well.
Setup.. It's a light. Not much here. Take it out of the box and turn it on.
There's a ton of settings controlled on the side pretty easy and there's a small screen on the back that show you the mode and settings you're on. Also has battery life remaining which is nice.
There are 3 main modes. HSI for solid colored lighting, CCT for white warmth which goes from 3200K to 5600K, and effects which has a bunch of effects you probably won't use. The nicest thing is that it saves your brightness and selected settings for each mode so as you switch between them you don't have to fiddle with anything if you're just looking for the same effect you used last time. Brightness is pretty great. Like... too great. It's bright. Maybe useful in a huge area or outdoors but I have to turn it down to like 5% in my not necessarily small room.
As stated, the effects probably won't be used very much. Most of them aren't very good. Things like fireworks that I could never see passing as actual lighting from fireworks. The candle might be passable with a low enough brightness. Both fire presets are pretty bad. The flashing ones might be useful sometimes? Basically, they're very niche and I doubt I'll ever need them but who knows.
I don't have much more to say about this. It's a light panel and it does it's job. It's super bright. Can be customized to the exact color you're looking for and you can use some effects on rare occasions when they might look good. Pick it up if you're looking for something easy to bring with you.
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The WD_Black™ P10 Game Drive for Xbox™ gives your Xbox the tools it needs to keep your competitive edge. With up to 5TB* of storage capacity, the WD_Black™ P10 Game Drive for Xbox™ is a top-tier external HDD built specifically for gamers looking to expand the potential of their Xbox so they can drive their game the way they choose. Included with your purchase is a 1-month membership of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, with access to 100+ games on consoles and PC, plus online console multiplayer.
Customer Rating
4
Storage for DAYS!
on July 29, 2021
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
I feel like this review is going to be pretty short because this thing just works. With Game Pass, 1TB of space just isn't enough anymore. But 4?! I can load this guy up with everything I want to play without even thinking about it.
I understand the design of this drive to an extent because it's supposed to look rugged. But I don't know if it would stand the real test. The top plate is metal but most of the case is still plastic. I think it would survive most transportation if you take your console with you often.
Setup is simple. Just format it through your Xbox as external storage and you're all set. This isn't going to be as fast as the built in storage of your Series X or anything because it's not an SSD. It's about as fast of a USB connection as you can get but being a platter based hard drive you won't get the same speeds as the internal drive. You could use it to store games and move them back to your internal drive when you're playing them a lot. I would recommend this strategy. The benefit being you don't need to redownload things over and over after deleting them.
Overall, This is a good hard drive. It's massive. Has a high speed connection (even if the actual drive isn't an SSD so it won't be as fast as your internal drive) and is super easy to setup. If you're looking for a huge amount of storage and are OK with moving things back and forth for some extra speed, this is the drive for you.
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The RØDE Universal Vlogger Kit contains everything you need to get professional results when filming using your mobile phone with a 3.5mm input. The VideoMicro will vastly improve your audio, delivering crystal-clear, directional sounds for any application. The SmartGrip secures your device firmly in place for stable recording and connects seamlessly to the Tripod 2 for either handheld or tabletop use, while the MicroLED ensures all your shots are perfectly lit. The Universal Vlogger Kit comes with the DCS-1 dual cold shoe mount for quick and easy mounting of both the VideoMicro and MicroLED, a Rycote Lyre shock mount and WS9 furry windshield for filming outdoors and in adverse weather conditions.
Customer Rating
4
All in one kit. Very nice and convenient.
on June 28, 2021
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
Most of the things I record are recorded through my computer with a good quality microphone attached. I record game play and other things on the computer but I quickly found out if I wanted better picture quality of segments that included video of my face that recording on my phone was the way to go. But my phone has a pretty terrible microphone so I always had to do this hybrid setup of recording the audio on my computer while recording the video on my phone and splicing it together later and trying to get it as in sync as I could.
Enter this setup! With a nice little tripod and all the attachments you might need record a great looking face cam AND get good audio with the included microphone. It's so much nicer than my makeshift setup.
Setup took a minute to figure out what everything did and how it all connected but it become obvious pretty quickly. There's a nice set of instructions that sort of guides you through putting everything together and once you understand what everything is and how it connects it's easy enough to just slide your phone out of the mount without really disconnecting anything else so it's always ready to go.
Video and audio quality were quite nice. The audio was a lot better than just relying on my phone's built in microphone and the video is made even better with the wireless LED light. It's very bright and has a handful of filters so you can change the color of the light if you want or just soften it with the frosted white filter. Charges via USB-C as well so easy to do whenever it needs it.
I don't think there's much else to say about this. If you want to take your face cam filming to a higher level than just recording on your phone, this kit has everything you need to make things look and sound better with very little extra effort.
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Pump up the party with the dynamic sound of the SRS-XP700 Portable Wireless Speaker. Sony’s unique X-Balanced Speaker units power MEGA BASS and multi-directional sound that sounds incredible from anywhere, even from behind the speaker. Keep the good times going all day and night with up to 25 hours of battery life plus USB-C quick charging.
Customer Rating
4
Good sound. Wireless. Great for parties.
on June 28, 2021
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
It actually took me a minute to understand what "wireless" really meant with this speaker. I am just not accustomed to seeing a speaker of this size that doesn't need to be plugged in. But this thing is essentially one of those portable bluetooth speakers everyone has seen a ton of, but in a huge party speaker size. I don't know why I haven't seen more of these.
Setup is easy as any portable speaker. It has a normal power cord you'd find with most major electronic equipment so you can charge it. You can pretty easily connect to your phone via bluetooth and then you're ready to play some music. You can also download the Sony Music app and/or the Fiestable app (both of them recommended by my phone after I connected to the speaker) to fine tune some of the settings like EQ and lighting.
Sound quality is quite good. Bass might even be a little too heavy. I don't ever hear our neighbors who share a wall with us in our home but I was afraid they were going to knock on our door because of the bass on this thing. Turning off Bass Boost seemed to be a little better. Both options sounded really good though. I'm not a super audiophile or anything but I tried some lossless music through Apple Music and it all sounded pretty great to me.
There's a lot of connection options as well if you don't want to go the bluetooth route. There's 2 USB connections. One of them lets you just charge a device straight from there and the other one lets you play and charge at the same time. If you have a device with a 3.5mm jack, there's an input for that. There's also inputs for a microphone and/or guitar with a 1/4" jack. So you have a lot options for what you need to connect.
Overall, I like this speaker. I'm surprised more of these large form battery powered speakers don't exist since they are so large and don't need to be constrained by battery size. I'm sure this isn't the first but it's the first one I really noticed and, like I stated earlier, didn't even fully realize just HOW wireless it was until reading through some of the instructions. I think the sound is good and you can basically connect any device you have so if you're in the market for a good, portable, large speaker and this one is in your budget, go for it.
There
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The Shark Air Purifier 6 with Anti-Allergen Multi-Filter uses Clean Sense IQ technology to constantly track air quality and auto-adjust power. It delivers clean air with 6 powerful, quiet fans and anti-allergen HEPA filtration with advanced odor & fumes protection.
Customer Rating
4
Works well. Looks nice. Thumbs Up.
on June 28, 2021
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
This air purifier isn't a small unit at all but it also doesn't come across as very large when you put it in a decent sized room. I think it's the slimness that makes it feel smaller than it is.
Setup was a piece of cake. Open up the box and even if you don't read the instructions, there are a lot of indicators that make it almost impossible to start up the purifier without removing the air filter from the packaging. I thought it was pretty well thought out.
Turning it on, I had to turn off auto mode and crank it up just to make sure it was on. The default settings were very quiet since it detected my air was 100% clean already. You can hear it if you try. We have this one in the dining room and you need to get pretty close to be able to really hear it. I imagine if you put it in a bedroom, you could probably faintly hear it through the night when it's very quiet. But overall, I felt like this air purifier stayed very quiet until cooking or blowing out a birthday candle when the air quality dropped below 100%.
The display on top and the side works pretty well to give you a quick overview of your air quality and what's happening with the purifier. There are a few settings for the display but I found the % air quality one to be the easiest to keep up so you could see what was happening at a glance.
I don't know what else to say about an air purifier. The thing works out of the box and doesn't stand out too badly in our dining room. Cooking or otherwise contaminating the air kicks the purifier into gear and it pretty quickly cleans things up. It just feels like it works.
If you're in the market for a decent sized air purifier and this one is in your budget, I'd say it's a good buy.
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Cordless Professional Grade Hair and Beard Trimmer
Customer Rating
4
Wife is still using them in her salon
on May 12, 2021
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
This review is done from my wife's perspective. She's a hair stylist and has been using them for about a month now at her salon and she's, overall, pretty happy with them.
Some key points that from my wife about these trimmers...
- The blade detaches for easy cleanup. None of my previous trimmers had the ability to pop off the blade quite so easily. Usually there's at least a screwdriver involved when you want to really get the blade off. Dropping the blade while detached isn't catastrophic but you will need a screwdriver to get it back together again.
- Replacement blades are available. This isn't something you find all the time with other trimmers.
- You can adjust the blade to help achieve different fade lengths. Even the closest setting didn't make me feel like I was going to cut skin.
- Creates straight lines very easily.
- A bit heavier and wider than other cordless trimmers but not uncomfortable to hold. The built in grip section if helpful since the rest of the design has a very smooth texture.
- There's a built in loop you can use to hang the trimmer hidden by the battery. It's nice that it's hidden, but you do have to twist the open the bottom of the trimmer to expose the loop and then close the bottom again.
- The only real negative I've found is the power button. It's located awkwardly on the bottom side and is pretty hard to quickly turn on and off, and almost impossible to do with one hand. I've also accidentally turned them on while in the bag while traveling with them. You are able to twist the bottom section to detach the battery but then it doesn't fit as nicely in the bag.
Overall, they're nice trimmers and I do feel like I'll continue to use them at my salon. If you really need the ability to turn off and on the trimmer really quickly, I'd maybe steer clear of this one but other than that I'm pretty happy with them.
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With no wires in the way, Bose SoundSport Wireless Sports Earbuds keep you moving with powerful audio. Perfect for exercise and running with a sweat and weather resistant design and StayHear+ tips designed for comfort and stability. The Tile app makes your headphones easy to find if they ever go missing.
Is it possible to remove that clip on the wire?
Clip is formed plastic around the wire, so not unless you break the clip. You can move it up and down the wire. I barely noticed it, myself.
8 years ago
by
swemoney
With no wires in the way, Bose SoundSport Wireless Sports Earbuds keep you moving with powerful audio. Perfect for exercise and running with a sweat and weather resistant design and StayHear+ tips designed for comfort and stability. The Tile app makes your headphones easy to find if they ever go missing.
Is this earphone compatible with Andriod phone?
I didn't test them out on an Android device, but they're bluetooth headphones. So if your Android device supports Bluetooth audio, they should work fine.
8 years ago
by
swemoney