swemoney's stats
- Review count275
- Helpfulness votes186
- First reviewMay 14, 2016
- Last reviewDecember 30, 2025
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.9
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 count12
- Helpfulness votes10
- First answerJune 10, 2016
- Last answerApril 18, 2021
- Featured answers0
- Best answers2
Panasonic easy-to-use video baby monitor uses the same clear and secure (non-wi-fi) long-range DECT technology found in its top-selling cordless home phone systems. DECT systems offer clear, secure and interference-free signal strength up to 1500 feet* more than the length of four football fields, and twice the range of comparable monitors. Anywhere in or outside the home you can clearly and continually keep tabs on your child. The Panasonic baby monitor includes a bright 3.5-in. color monitor and easy controls that sync to an improved wide-eyed, wall-mountable monochrome night vision camera in the baby's room. The video camera can be controlled remotely to pan, tilt and zoom the camera from the baby monitor to look in on your child anytime. Improved long-life, built-in battery charging in the monitor stores power for up to 13 hours of standby time and up to 5 hours of power for continuous use. A smart motion sensor alerts you when the baby is awake or crying. A temperature sensor alerts you if the room is above or below a range you set. When activated, sensors sound a chime, illuminate a LED on the monitor and display notifications on the monitors screen. Microphones and speakers in both video camera and baby Monitor enable 2-way talk with anyone in the room. And, you can play gentle, soothing sounds that include five types of White noise and a choice of lullabies.
Customer Rating
4
Good at the basics
on December 26, 2019
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
This is my first baby monitor for my first child so I can't speak towards comparing it to anything else but I'll say that this device does what it's supposed to pretty well. And that's about it. Which is fine.
Setup was a breeze as more and more devices now a days are. Plug in the camera where you want it. You can stand it up somewhere or mount it on a wall. There's a lot of tilting and panning you can do to get the camera where you want it. Power cord is long enough for where ever you might want to place or mount it. Plug the wireless screen in to make sure it's charged and... that's it. There are a couple of simple prompts for setup but really it's ready to go out of the box.
Using it works well for the things that are important. There's a motion sensor that's sensitive enough to always pick up what you want. There's audio monitoring and then there's a temperature setting so you can make sure the baby's room isn't too cold or hot. The device offers you alerts for either "minor" events or "major" events and differentiates them with the color of the notification light bar on the screen. So you know if there was a lot of movement or sound immediately. Basically that's all there is to it. It does a great job of making you aware of any instances that might need attention quickly and to me, that's what a baby monitor should do.
So that's the good. The bad is able to be overlooked in my opinion but you may have a differing opinion. The option to soothe your baby to sleep is very limited isn't all that great. There are only a few things that can be played. Don't buy this for that feature. The camera quality is also pretty lack luster in a day and age where high quality HD cameras are available and relatively cheap. For the price of this baby monitor, I was expecting the quality on the camera to be a bit better. It's not a deal breaker. The camera is fine and passable but it's not a camera I'd expect to be put in an item that costs this much in 2019/2020.
One more negative that's actually a positive as well is the closed wireless system. The camera and screen aren't run on wifi or anything. They communicate with each other directly so you shouldn't have to worry about someone being able to tap into your wifi and start snooping on your child. I consider this a plus. But not being able to pull up an app on my phone and needing to carry around the separate screen is kind of annoying when practically everything else now a days connects to your phone. If you're the kind of person who has their network locked down tight and want to have everything integrated into your phone, you may not love the closed system. That will 100% be a personal preference.
So final thoughts are that this baby monitor is good at a few things and they all happen to be, monitoring your baby. Exactly what you'd want a baby monitor to be good at. The extra frills like the lullaby tones, I count as just that. Extras. Try it out and use it if you like it but what's important is what's done right. I would have loved to see a little better of a camera in a device that costs this much but I've been able to overlook that initial disappointment. If you want a device baby monitor and this one is in your budget, I would still recommend it despite the couple of flaws in my eyes.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Improve your confidence with the Upright GO posture trainer. The personalized program trains your body to notice when you're slouched, while the small, lightweight design makes it unnoticeable. This Upright GO posture trainer features an app on iOS and Android for real-time progress tracking and provides instant feedback once placed on your back.
Customer Rating
4
Surprisingly good job
on December 4, 2019
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
I've never thought that I have "terrible" posture or anything but I rarely think about it so I'm always sure I could do better. This little thing does a good job of making me think about it more if anything else. And that has made me more conscience of my posture throughout the day. I'm pretty sure that's what it's made to do so I think it does it's job well!
Setup is super easy. It comes with a handful of sticky pads and a carry case. The instructions included do a good job of walking you through setup but it's pretty much just as simple as downloading the app, connecting to the device and doing some starter stuff to make you understand how things will work while you're on your "routine".
I was afraid of the sticky pads being a thing you'd need to replace often but they are surprisingly reusable and since the training routines aren't supposed to last your whole life or anything, you may get away with only using one or two if you feel like your results are good enough. After my first 2 weeks, I don't feel like I need to use it very often anymore but I'll finish the routine I'm on and probably go back and do another routine later or use the "tracking mode" on occasion just to keep me going.
The routines are super easy. They start you out very slow with just 5 minutes and they recommend you don't "over train" and to do a maximum of double your required amount if you feel like doing extra. But the whole system is a way to make you think about your posture more. When I placed the sensor on my back with the sticky pad, it was almost impossible to feel anymore so I wasn't being constantly reminded of it's presence but I still found myself thinking about it more anyways and when i'm not wearing it, I'm also thinking more often about how I'm sitting. I'm surprised at how conscience it made me about my posture even if it wasn't terrible to start with.
The app works pretty well. I haven't found any glaring issues or bugs which is rare these days. I already mentioned the setup process through the app but the actual routine works nicely as well. The app will remind you whenever you want (or not at all if you don't want it to) that it's time to train. You can then just put the device on your back and hold the power button to turn it on. You need to calibrate it to a comfortable upright sitting position every time you place it on your back by either pressing the calibrate button in the app or your can double press the power button to do it straight from the device. It's another thing I thought would be a hassle and ended up being no big deal. The app then simply shows you an image with a goal marker for your posture. Just don't relax your posture past the red dot and you're all good. If you bend too far, it'll vibrate to let you know. When your training session is over you can switch to tracking mode if you want to keep the device on. This is nice if you want to see how well you're doing without feedback as the tracking mode turns off the vibrate when you bend so you can just wear it for a while and then check later to see what percentage of that time you were "upright".
All in all, if this device is in your budget and you're looking to improve your posture, I would recommend it. It's easy to setup and use and isn't as much of a bother as I thought it would be. It has also done a good job of training my body to just think about my posture more which forces me to correct it even when not wearing the device.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
The TRX ELITE Suspension Trainer is designed for your most intense strength, cardio, and HIIT workouts~all on two straps, for all levels and goals. Get the full gym experience for your level and goals with exclusive access to the TRX Training Club~ fitness app.
Customer Rating
4
In home TRX that's simple without sacrifices
on November 6, 2019
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
Anyone who's looking for a good body weight exercise that you'd normally need to hit the gym could probably benefit from this system. It's the same TRX system that you'll find at your local gym but in an easy and portable package you can use anywhere in your house.
Setup is pretty easy but there may be some caveats that you want to consider before pulling the trigger. The door hanging mechanism calls for you to just hang it over your door as close to the hinge as you can and then close the door. I can't speak for longevity, but all of the doors I can use this on swing IN to the direction that I'm working out (so, i'm technically putting a lot of strain on the door latch instead of the full frame). So far, this hasn't been an issue. You can see the door flex as I work out but it's held up so far. The other pseudo issue I ran into is that all of my door hinges are right up against other walls, so I don't have of extra space. These are issues that I ran into and your home will probably be a better fit. Just things to remember when buying. I've been able to make it work with probably the least compatible door configuration I can imagine.
Luckily, if you want a more permanent installation, this system also comes with a suspension anchor strap that allows you to hang off of another pole or hook that'll support your weight. When I get the time, I full intend on installing an anchor into the ceiling of the room that I originally wanted to use this system in so I don't have to worry about doors or stowing it away when I'm done.
Durability of the whole thing feels great. It feels like the stuff you'd find at your gym. The hooks feel heavy and strong. The handles feel great. Everything seems like they just packaged up the same straps you find at your gym so you can use them at home.
Workouts are great and the flexibility a system like this can offer you is almost limitless.With the system, you can log in (you'll need to create an account) to the trx website and use the code that's included with your system for a bunch of full workouts you can use. Obviously, you aren't restricted to just these but it's really nice to have a place to just jump in and get started without having to come up with the best routine yourself. You'll probably end up modifying these routines or getting creative in the future but that's kind of the whole point and what makes TRX systems so versatile. And then, if your body weight isn't really doing the trick anymore (because you've lost all that weight from eating right and working out on your TRX system), you have all of the resistance bands that are included to add even more possibilities.
Bottom line, this TRX system has everything you need to get going with a full TRX based workout routine right from your home quickly. While there are a couple of things to keep in mind when planning where in your home will support these straps, it's hard not to find any place where these straps will hang in your entire home. If you're looking for a really versatile strength training system and this one fits your budget, I definitely recommend you pick it up.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Record high-definition road footage with this Rexing dual-channel rearview mirror camera system. The 1296p front mirror and 720p HD rear cameras capture traffic incidents at different perspectives, and the 10" touch-screen display provides simple control. The G-sensor on this Rexing dual-channel rearview mirror camera system ensures that videos recorded during detected collisions are locked.
Customer Rating
2
It works but not the best user experience
on November 2, 2019
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
The initial installation of this unit is where my poor review mainly lies. Other than that, it does work but you may have to get your hands dirty to install this cleanly and completely.
Setup. Oh boy. For an item that can feel daunting to install since it requires routing wires around your car, the "quick start guide" is not very.. thorough. At all. I consider myself somewhat handy and not very dumb, but literally, the instructions for how to mount the rear camera tell you things like "connect the red wire to your taillight" (if you want the camera to automatically switch on when you put the car in reverse) and "mount the camera as shown" and then they just show a top-down picture of a car with a vague position where the camera should be located and where the wires should be routed. There isn't a single picture or instruction on HOW to mount the camera. Not one. Everything about it felt like I bought a DIY kit and I was just on my own here. No where does it tell you whether your situation might be best to use the double sided sticky pad to mount it. No where does it tell you when you might want to use the included screws to mount it. No where does it tell you which ORIENTATION to mount your camera in...
Which is why, when I finally took a guess as to which way to mount the camera, I apparently did it wrong. The camera was upside down. "No proplem", I thought. "It's 2019, there HAS to be a setting somewhere where I can flip the camera. They wouldn't be so vague with all of their instructions and then make it so you can't adjust anything as simple as flipping an image in software.". Boy was I wrong. There is no way to flip the image. I totally understand that I could have avoided this issue (maybe) if I plugged the camera into the mirror and tested everything out before I started installing things... but I didn't do that. I didn't think I should have to. I expect things to work. Just a small warning, if you decide to purchase this unit, do not mount the camera with the mounting "base" on the bottom or you will have the same issue. A single picture showing which way the camera should be mounted (or even just some text that says "make sure you mount the camera upside down") is literally all that was needed to completely remove any confusion. I guess they just assume everyone is going to hire someone to install these. So, I'll now need to take some actual time and effort to route the wires through my bumper so I can mount the camera upside down near my license plate (I haven't found another location that seems suitable). I'll just have to find time to figure out how I'm going to do that one day. For now, I just can't use the main selling point for me which was the backup camera.
Updates are kind of archaic but they work fine. The website has you type in your version number and it suggests the firmware to download. You put the .bin file in the root of your SD card and it updates automatically when the mirror turns on. There's no checking if it already has that version so make sure you pop out the SD card after it's done or you'll just keep updating over and over.
Settings are pretty standard stuff. You can change the resolution, or setup time lapse captures. There's an option that detects "collisions" and makes a recording automatically for you. You can also setup a Parking Mode which I assume would record everything while you're away from the car. I didn't try this, though. The only setting they really needed was some way to flip the orientation of the backup camera.
Using the dash cam is pretty basic stuff. You can hit the record button or hit the picture button. Standard dashcam stuff I assume. The mirror doesn't do a really good job at being a mirror when the screen is on at all, which I was a little sad about. Obviously, you shouldn't be driving with the dash cam on, but there's another screened mode that looks nice. It just has the time/date on the side of the mirror. It also has a weird static image of a car in the middle of the road which I wish had an option to be removed. Maybe there is and I haven't found it yet. A "just the time" mode would be nice, but even with just the time on there, having the screen active "dims" the effectiveness of the mirror. You can still see out of it but it's not super clear. I'm sure it's something I could get used to, but luckily this mirror has a "mirror mode" as well, which just turns the screen off completely. This was the closest to my stock mirror I could do. There's still a very small amount of "fog" to it but it's close enough. You're able to cycle through these 3 modes pretty easily by just pressing the power button. Each press cycles to another mode. These modes also didn't appear to interfere with recording or anything so you can start recording when you get in your car and then switch the mirror to whichever mode you like best and not worry about it anymore. One more note about the look of the mirror, you might need to stash a couple of lint-free clothes in your car. You don't think about it with a standard mirror, but literally minutes after driving I couldn't not see how many finger prints were all over the mirror. Since the device is a touch screen, you'll probably want some way to wipe the mirror clean more regularly than you would a standard mirror.
I think that's all I can do for this review. It's a dash cam that I was excited about but fell a little short on the user experience for me. Installation instructions are incredibly minimal so, if you don't know what you're doing, maybe seek help. I'm hoping I'll be happier when I figure out how to actually finish installing the rear camera but for now, the dashcam functionality alone is starting to grow on me. I'd say, if you're comfortable with a little DIY, this probably isn't a terrible buy but if you're looking for something a little more polished and ready to install and go, you might want to look at other options.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Share this review:
0points
2of 4voted this as helpful.
Experience high-fidelity audio with this CORSAIR VIRTUOSO wireless gaming headset. The broadcast-grade, omnidirectional detachable microphone with wide dynamic range lets you communicate with clear precision, while the lightweight aluminum material and premium memory foam ear pads ensure comfort and durability. This CORSAIR VIRTUOSO wireless gaming headset features up to 20 hours of wireless battery life for a long-lasting gaming experience.
Customer Rating
5
Good sound. Good look. Nice headset.
on November 1, 2019
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
Front loading the review, these have turned out to be pretty good headphones for me. I stream on Twitch so the look of the headphones is actually important and these are some sexy looking headphones. Audio quality is very good but I'm not an audiophile or anything so I can't judge it on every minutia but I thought they sounded great.
Setup is easy as is the case with almost any headset these days. You have a multitude of options here, though. You can use the dongle and flip the switch to wireless mode which almost instantly connects. You can plug the USB-C cable into your headset to run it wired (this is also how you charge it), or you can use a 3.5mm headphone cable that's included for a passive experience. You'll need to plug the USB-C cable in at least once to update the firmware but the iCUE software is some of the better peripheral software I used and it guides you through the process no matter how you're set up when you try and start an update.
I have another external microphone so I don't have a lot of use for the one that comes with this headset. Luckily it's detachable! That said, the quality of the microphone is really good for a headset microphone. I am also under the impression that using the wired USB-C mode is supposed to boost the bandwidth and improve the microphone quality a little bit. I didn't notice much of a difference though. I wouldn't forgo the dedicated microphone and preamp to use this headset but if you're in a pinch or are just looking for a comms microphone I don't think you can do much better than this. It also has a very nice flexible feel to it and has status LEDs that are just in the side of your vision so you can see when you're muted. The software gives you an option to disable the LEDs while you're unmuted if you'd rather only notice when you're muted which is a nice touch.
Sound quality, overall, is really good. I'm no audiophile so I can't tell you how every smallest subsection of every frequency sounds but I can say that listening to music, or game audio sounds really good in these headphones. I'm not too into the whole 7.1 thing when it comes to headphones so I that's going to have to just be up to you whether that's important. In stereo mode, these sound great. There also isn't any sort of active noise canceling, but the fit of the cups over my ears really knocks out a lot of external noise. This would probably be my only complaint about these headphones since I don't use the included microphone so I can't get the benefit of the sidetone so I can hear myself. I'll probably change my audio setup so I can use these as a monitor directly from my audio interface so I can't monitor my voice that way. If you're using the built in microphone, the sidetone works really well and has a volume you can adjust in the iCUE software so you can set it however you like.
These headphones feel pretty nice on my head as well. They aren't overly heavy and after 6-8 hours of use, I don't feel a huge sense of relief when I take them off or anything. The cups are pretty thick and padded well. They don't feel loose on your ears or anything but they also don't feel like they're pressing against your head super hard either. A really nice balance there. I'm usually a fan of being able to hear myself, though, and the fit on these make it really hard to gauge how loud you are without using the sidetone feature. So if this is a concern to you, I'd recommend you use it.
Battery life was... fine. Nothing to write home about but nothing super bad either. I found myself charging them again after 15 or so hours of use. Obviously good enough if you're just going to plug them in whenever you're done with this (which is what I usually do so that works for me).
The bag for storing these headphone is pretty nice too. It's made of a nice fabric and doesn't feel cheap at all. The magnetic top works great. The headphones slide in and out without much hassle at all. I was pleasantly surprised with it as I don't use the storage bags all that music when it comes to my headphones.
Overall, these are going to be my daily drivers for a bit. I'm moving from the Astro A40s to this. The only advantage the A40s have over this headset is the lightweight cups that I can hear myself through. Sound quality, look, feel, everything else is really good in these headphones so if they're in your budget, I'd definitely recommend them.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
With 15 programmable controls, LIGHTSPEED wireless technology, hyper-fast scroll wheel, and the revolutionary HERO 25K sensor, G604 offers both versatility and high-performance with endless possibilities to play with mastery. Dual connectivity lets you toggle between Bluetooth and ultra-fast 1 ms LIGHTSPEED advanced wireless technology~even on separate machines. Extremely accurate tracking and class-leading power efficiency enables up to 240 hours of high-performance gaming with one AA battery.
Customer Rating
4
Nice fancy mouse if you like the grip
on October 27, 2019
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
I'll front load this review by saying that I really liked this mouse for it's feature set but the form factor is making me go back to my Logitech Pro Wireless mouse. This is a personal preference and I don't think this opinion will apply to everyone so maybe head to your local store and see if they have one out that you can try for yourself.
Setup is super simple. It's a mouse. You need to install the G-Hub software to be able to customize the mouse and update the firmware and such but otherwise it's just plug and play. The back of the mouse pops open to reveal the single AA battery and the tiny dongle you can plug into your computer for the "lightspeed" tech.
Customize things to do exactly what you want! Buttons to control all the features are prominent on the mouse but all of the buttons on the mouse can be reconfigured to whatever you want. Things like DPI switching are really prominent. I've never been one to mess with my DPI settings after getting them to a spot where I like them so I would probably reconfigure this and just hop out to the software when I needed to do any adjustments. But if you like to switch DPI from inside a game, you'll probably love that feature. There are also 6 buttons on the side that, depending on how you hold your mouse, are pretty easy to hit them all. Just set them to whatever easy to use function you want and you're all set.
Battery life is supposed to be really good. I didn't drain the AA battery in the time I had for this review. And the fact that it takes a single AA battery means that you can easily just swap it out when it dies and be back to full strength without looking for a charging cable to plug into. This could be a plus or a minus depending on your needs. I don't mind charging my mouse occasionally when it's low but I also don't hate changing a AA battery pretty infrequently. You also have the option to turn off the "lightspeed" mode and use the mouse as a bluetooth mouse which is supposed to make the battery last for an insane time as the expense of response times/bluetooth latency.
Form is where this mouse loses me. I know this isn't the only mouse that's shaped like this so I know a lot of people are probably a big fan of these but I couldn't get it. My wrist hurt after prolonged use and I tried a lot of different positions and ways of holding it to try and get comfortable but it never came. I would strongly suggest if you aren't already comfortable with a similar style of mouse, that you give this a try in store somewhere before you buy. I think I'm just too used to the way I grip and use the Logitech Pro Wireless. I also thought this mouse was a little big heavy for me.
One more thing I didn't LOVE about this mouse but could probably get used to was the scroll wheel. It's VERY clicky and was incredibly jarring to me. That said, I wish my Pro Wireless had the ability to "push" my scroll wheel sideways like this one. So it's not a huge deal but thought it was worth noting. It's definitely something that could probably be really useful in gaming when each click of the scroll wheel could be something you need extra precision for. I've just gotten used to my old, subtle click of the scroll wheel.
Overall, I like the feature set for this mouse a lot. If they could add all those fancy buttons to the Pro Wireless design, I would be sold and in love. The mouse tracks really well. It's very customizable. The battery time is good and easily swappable. The extra buttons can change the way you play. Sadly, my hands just don't mesh with the design very well. Maybe I'll give it another shot and see if I can't force myself to get used to it.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Enjoy powerful sound and a secure fit while training with these Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100 wireless headphones. The memory foam on the adjustable sport-fit headband and ear cushions adds comfort for all-day use, while the rechargeable battery offers up to 24 hours of usage time on a single charge. These Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100 wireless headphones have a 65-foot Bluetooth connectivity range that lets you move away from your mobile device freely.
Customer Rating
3
They're OK but no 3.5mm jack
on September 30, 2019
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
I've tested a lot of headphones here. I'm not a huge audiophile but I'm a fan of headphones. These came across as just above average to me. Good sound. Good feel. Really wish there was a passive 3.5mm headphone jack, though.
Setup was easy as is the case with most headphones now a days. The power switch has a 2nd toggle mode that switches on pairing mode. Pairing with my phone and my Apple TV were quick and easy. I had some trouble when trying to use it with my Apple TV while also having it paired with my phone. You need to manually disconnect (or unpair) from your phone or it automatically tries to connect to that even when it's connected to your TV already.
Audio quality was pretty good. I must reiterate that I'm not a big audiophile so I'm not going to hear the minute differences in sound quality but I can hear the difference between bad headphones and decent ones. These have some good bass and good volume and sounded good listening to some music as well as watching some TV.
The fit and feel is probably my favorite part of these. The headphones are pretty light and easy to wear. I haven't done a lot of super exercise with them but they do feel like they're good at sticking on your head. If you're looking for over ear headphones while you're working out, these might be the ones for you. I, personally, prefer wireless earbuds when I work out but I can see the appeal of these too.
My biggest complaint of this headset is the lack of a passive 3.5mm jack. If your headphones are dead, you'll need to power them up. If you want a wired option for eliminating lag, these are definitely not for you. I stream on Twitch and have used a lot of different pairs of headphones but the lag associated with bluetooth just won't work for me. I would use these on stream because they feel really comfortable to wear for extended periods but I can't do wireless so, sadly, these aren't going to get much of a use for me there.
Overall, the headphones are pretty decent. If you are ok without the passive 3.5mm jack, you might really like these. They feel really good to wear and they sound pretty good. My only reason for not giving it 4 stars would be this missing feature but it's also just a feature that I, personally, really like and need so your results may vary.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Get smart about lighting with this two-pack of Wemo smart light switches. The Wemo app offers remote operation via smartphones and makes it easy to set lighting on schedules or timers. Compatible with popular virtual assistants, these Wemo smart light switches offer convenient hands-free operation without a smart hub.
Customer Rating
4
Easy to setup and use. Does it's job!
on September 22, 2019
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
This was my first experience with a smart light switch. I was pretty impressed with how easy everything was to install and get running. When our budget allows it, I'll probably slowly buy more to handle more rooms in our house.
Installation was pretty easy. We just bought our first house last year and I ended up replacing all of the outlets and switches in the house, including some 3-way switches, so the electronics wasn't foreign to me. I still ended up connecting this switch wrong just because the other switch I removed wasn't labeled super well so I just mixed up 2 of the wires. It was definitely my fault. It honestly took me longer to figure out which switch in the breaker box turned off the lights than it did to finish installing (if you ignore the first wiring mistake I made). The included instructions are pretty good at talking you through it. Oddly, the instruction book comes with a single sticker to label your line/load wire... but the pack contained 2 switches so I was a little baffled about that. If you aren't comfortable messing with electronics, you can probably hire someone to install these on the cheap as they won't take any time at all.
Then there's the setup. Setup was even faster than the already quick install. I installed the WeMo app on my phone and the first thing that popped up was "Add new device". No registration I had to sit through. No tutorial popups. Nothing. The app opened for the first time and it offered to setup a new device. I can't speak enough about how refreshing that was since every single app for every single device wants you to create an account immediately now a days. After I selected the option to add my new device, I was instructed to connect to my local wifi and hit continue to search for the switch. It told me at that point that the switch will use a 2.4Ghz band but I kind of ignored it, thinking I could just select a wifi network when the time came. This isn't the case. My first setup failed because my phone was connected to a 5Ghz network. I reconnected to my 2.4Ghz network and did the setup again and it worked right away. Gave the app access to HomeKit and it set that up for me as well. That was it.
Physical operation of the switch is probably the only thing I'd speak a little poorly about. It will probably be easy enough to get used to but obviously something you need to "get used to" isn't necessarily the best thing in the world. The switch can be physically activated by pressing the bottom half (where the light is) in. This hasn't proved to be 100% of the time, though. It seems if you press too quickly, you USUALLY won't activate the light. And if you press and hold for a half second you'll USUALLY activate the light. The usually's are important because it feels like it's about 90% of the time. So you need to get used to pressing and holding the button for just a really breif time. Barely consider it a hold. But if you just tap it really quick, there's a good chance it won't do anything.
That said, digital operation seems pretty good. The app turns the lights on and off pretty consistently. There's a very short delay sometimes. Less than a second. But the only thing you can't really do is a rapid fire on and off thing. This won't work on the physical switch or from the app. Not really something people need when looking for a light switch. The WeMo app offers the ability to setup "rules" so you can turn your lights on and off based on various conditions you set. For some reason, whenever I go to the rules tab of the app, it takes an incredibly long time to load, though. Like a couple of minutes. The things you can create rules for are setting up a schedule, long pressing the actual switch, auto-off timer or setting up an "away mode". I'd like to say more but this is the one part of the WeMo app that was so frustrating I stopped exploring it. Literally every time you tap into a rule and then tap the back button, you need to wait for 2 or 3 minutes for it to finish "refreshing rules". I'm probably going to stick with Apple HomeKit for my automation needs. The WeMo app even warns you about unpredictable outcomes if you create rules in both Apple Home and WeMo so keep it in one place.
So that's about it. That feels like an incredibly long review for a light switch. Overall, I'm pretty happy with it. I'm going to install the second switch when I have some time and I'll probably look into buying more of these in the future. I would recommend them to anyone who's looking for a pretty simple smart switch that will connect with their Apple Home or their Google... whatever Google's thing is called.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Ninja Foodi Grill. The grill that sears, sizzles, and air fry crisps. With Cyclonic Grilling Technology, super hot 500F air delivers Surround Searing, while the 500F high-density grill grate creates char-grilled marks and flavors virtually smoke-free.
Customer Rating
5
Awesome grill even if you CAN grill outside
on August 29, 2019
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
Normally I would start my review by saying this is a great grill but obviously grill outside if you can. I don't know how true that is with this grill, though. The ease of setup and ease of cleanup and versatility of this indoor grill would probably keep me grilling inside even if we had a grill outside. I can't speak for everyone, but for me, I feel like that's the case.
Setup was pretty easy. Plug it it. Give all the included pieces a quick wash with soap and you're ready to go. The instruction booklets give you a good starting out point so we cooked up a couple of steaks right away. The timing given by the instruction booklet was a little high for the steaks we had so I'd definitely maybe cut the time in half (they weren't huge thick steaks or anything) next time, but even if they were cooked a little more than I normally would like them, they still turned out fine.
That's kind of the whole thing with this grill. It's just trying out recipes and adjusting your times based on experience. It doesn't take long either because we've been using it for about a week and I feel like we have a pretty good grasp on it already. We've cooked chicken breast, burgers, turkey burgers and steaks on the grill and they've all turned out really well.
But another great part about this grill is that it's not just a grill! I baked some bacon wrapped, cream cheese stuffed chicken that turned out really well and was even able to skip the step where I broil it at the end because the bacon doesn't get crispy. Turned out great in less time than I normally would bake it.
I haven't tried the air fryer yet just because I haven't had anything to fry but we have the Ninja pressure-cooker that also has an air fryer so I assume it works similarly well. I also need to get the dehydrator piece to give that a test but I'm excited to try it.
Cleanup! Oh boy is cleanup so nice! It comes with a little, semi-soft brush that does an amazing job. I don't really know what else there is to say about it. Cleanup takes a minute. Even if it's left dirty overnight, the non-stick surfaces are really nice and just wipe clean with the brush really quickly. That's really all I can say about it. Cleanup is one of the reasons I think I'll use this more often just so I don't have to worry about it.
Overall, I don't give a lot of 5-star reviews. I usually give good products 4 stars because there's always room for improvement. But this thing, the ONLY thing I can find wrong with it is that the cooking surface can be a little small depending on what you're trying to cook. For a full family of 4 or 5, you might need to cook half at a time. For 2 people, it's pretty perfect. I really like it and can't wait to see what else I can think of to cook in it. If it's in your budget, I can't recommend it enough.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Protect your iPhone XS Max from up to 10-foot drops with this Speck Presidio Grip black phone case. Dual-layer protection with a tough outer polycarbonate shell helps to absorb and dissipate shock on impact, while a raised bezel offers extra screen protection if your phone falls facing down. This Qi-compatible Speck Presidio Grip black phone case features a nonslip design with raised rubber ridges for a secure grip.
Customer Rating
4
Pretty nice for a thin "protective" case
on August 21, 2019
Posted by: swemoney
from Hanover Park, IL
Understanding that the protection a lot of these cases provide is kind of based more on how things fall and just plain luck, I usually just go for Apple's official cases. I've used their silicone cases and really like how tacky they are so they don't slip out of my hand. I've also used their leather cases and love how they look. This Speck case replaced my leather case and I actually like it quite a bit. I'm not a huge fan of the "industrial" look but it's subtle enough that I'll live with it.
The case DOES feel like it'll protect my phone quite a bit. The extra lip that extends past the screen feels like, even if I drop my phone perfectly flat down, I'll still be OK. I'm usually a big fan of a case because of how little it adds to the phone. This case isn't the thinnest case I've ever owned by far, but it is pretty thin for a case that's meant to actually protect the phone from drops. It doesn't feel too much larger than the Apple branded leather case it's replacing.
The only issues I find with the case are kind of small. This being an iPhone XS Max, the swipe up from the bottom is obstructed a little bit by the fact that the case goes all the way around the bottom of the phone. Apple's cases leave the bottom bits opened but this one is much more encompassing. You feel more protected because of it but you have a slight adjustment to made as you can't just swipe up all willy nilly like before. You just need to make sure your thumb is on the inside of the case before swiping.
Another small issue is the also related to the lip on the case as it slightly impairs left and right swiping gestures. Not a huge amount though. Easy to adjust.
Lastly, the volume up and down buttons kind of blend in with the side of the phone. This is the most annoying thing I've found so far. I find myself needing to actually find the mute switch hole and then adjusting to find the volume buttons from there.
TL;DR; All in all, this is a pretty nice case. It's a change for me but I'm not disappointed with it. The case feels durable but not overly bulky. The couple of small annoyances don't really take much away from the phone. I only wish the volume buttons were a little easier to find without looking at the phone.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
swemoney's Review Comments
swemoney has not submitted comments on any reviews.
swemoney's Questions
swemoney has not submitted any questions.
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.
9 years, 7 months 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.
9 years, 7 months ago
by
swemoney