swemoney's stats
- Review count275
- Helpfulness votes185
- First reviewMay 14, 2016
- Last reviewDecember 30, 2025
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.9
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- Answer count12
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- First answerJune 10, 2016
- Last answerApril 18, 2021
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Meet the Anker SOLIX C300X: your ultimate companion for outdoor adventures and home backup. This compact powerhouse features 288Wh and 300W output, allowing you to charge up to 7 devices at once. It's 30% smaller than similar models, making it perfect for road trips, and recharges quickly~90 minutes via USB-C or 3 hours with solar. With robust LiFePO4 batteries for up to 10 years of use and smart control via the Anker app, the Anker SOLIX C300X ensures reliable power wherever your journey takes you and provides dependable backup for home emergencies.
Customer Rating
5
Small but mighty power wherever you need it
on October 1, 2024
Posted by: swemoney
Whether you're looking for some power while you travel or when you're roughing it or you just want a to power some things where you don't want to run a huge extension cord, this is a great power bank.
Setup is as easy as taking it out of the box. It's ready to go. You might need to charge it up a little bit but mine came about half charged right out of the box. There's also an app you can use to look at some more detailed stats like how much power each outlet is pulling and how much total is being used.
With a handle on top and an optional strap, the size of this battery is pretty perfect for what it offers. It's really easy to take literally anywhere you need it. It's also not crazy heavy or anything so I mean it when I say it's super easy to take with you virtually anywhere.
Your options for power include a 12v car adapter plug, three 120v standard 3 prong plugs, two 140w USB-C outlets, one 15w USB-C outlet and a 12w USB-A outlet. There's also an input for both a standard power cord you can plug in at home as well as a solar panel plug if you have solar panels for when you are away from home. Each section of outputs has it's own switch to turn them on or off so you can control what's getting power. There's also a screen that gives you some basic information about how much charge is left in and a couple other tidbits. I would have liked to see a button I could press to toggle what main information was displayed but it's not a huge deal that you can't do that.
The main reason it's not a huge deal is because of the app. I really like the app. It's nicely designed. It does ask you to log in, but it also allows you to skip the login and just connect to your battery via bluetooth. I'm all for any company that offers the ability to NOT log in just to access their battery. You do get some extra functionality if you log in, like the ability to connect to your battery via wifi or saving your battery so you don't have to reconnect to it if you get a new device. Not a huge dealbreaker so I opted to just use bluetooth.
The app displays a lot of really nice information about each port and how much power they are consuming or drawing as well as the overall charge level of the battery. It's not super complicated and there isn't really much else but I really like seeing the breakdown and the app is designed nicely so it all looks really nice.
There's a light as well. Most things have a light. I guess it's nice that the light is included so if you're camping or something, you don't need to plug in an extra item. Just turn on the light to illuminate the area.
Overall, I was really impressed with this battery. It's really compact. It packs a ton of outlets so you can charge or power so many things. I was able to run a pretty powerful laptop while also charging my phone and another device all at once and I was able to monitor how much each thing was drawing on the app. I'll definitely be taking this anywhere I may need some power for short-ish periods of time. Even if it's just a room in the house where reaching a wired outlet is a little difficult. It's just that nice to move around. I think a lot of people could use one of these so if you're in the market for one, add this to your short list of ones to check out.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Unlock your digital world with this powerhouse Next Gen AI PC. Hustle hard, ignite inspiration, and game on with this sleek and powerful laptop that will see you through it all, and still be future-ready for more tomorrow.
Customer Rating
4
Small but mighty. Still a no on the AI stuff.
on September 25, 2024
Posted by: swemoney
This is one powerhouse of a small laptop. The new AMD chip and the inclusion of 32GB of memory as well as the 1TB of storage make it a pretty good workstation machine for most people's daily needs. This is probably going to become my new daily development machine.
Setup is easy as always. Bloatware includes McAfee and Dropbox but not much else. Easily uninstalled. I was also happy that only the English translations of Microsoft 365 and OneNote were present. For some reason, a lot of other machines I've tried include so many translations and they easy take so long to uninstall. Overall, easy as any other Windows 11 machine to set up these days.
The screen looks pretty good. It's got a decent resoltuion for a 14" screen. It's not an OLED or anything but it's still pleasant to look at. It's glossy, so if you're adverse to that or plan on using this machine outdoors or near brightly lit windows, you might want to reconsider. Otherwise, it looks good if you aren't worried about a bit of reflection in your screen. It's also variable refresh rate so you don't have to worry about screen tearing if you plan on doing some gaming. It's also touch-screen if you care about that. I'm not one of those people, though.
The new AMD CPU is nice and quick. I didn't find any issues with anything slowing down no matter how much I tried to (reasonably) throw at it. It also clears the Copilot+ benchmark so it can do a lot of AI stuff on machine instead of needing to throw it to the cloud. Sadly, it just hasn't been long enough for the copilot+ models and abilities to really be very groundbreaking or even close to any of the online models. I'm hopeful for the future. Small things and just playing around, you can get by.
The integrated GPU is actually pretty capable. It's not going to break records but this isn't a machine you're buying for gaming. This is a machine you'll buy for work or school and be able to do a little gaming on the side when you get bored. Most modern games run just fine and you might not even need to do a lot of adjusting of the settings. I was a little impressed considering it's an integrated graphics chip. With the AMD super resolution stuff, you can really squeeze out a lot of virtual performance out of a machine like this.
While 1TB of storage is starting to become a little more common (still not nearly common enough, though), 32GB of memory on a laptop this size is pretty unheard of unless you're customizing and going all out for the top of the line. This will let you look up anything you need to (obviously opening an obscene amount of tabs in the process) while also running things like Visual Studio and Unity Editor or whatever Office applications you might need while also doing some moderate photo editing in Photoshop. Maybe swap one of those things out for some video editing too. Point is, you can get a lot done here.
The overall build of this laptop feels very nice. The hinge for the screen feels firm but not too crazy. You don't need to hold the bottom of the laptop down to dislodge the magnets that hold the screen down tight, but once you get past that, lifting the screen also lifts the laptop. This could be good or bad depending on what you like. I don't like my screen hinge to feel flimsy and loose so I'm a fan here. The keyboard looks nice and clean with really big letters. It almost makes the keys look bigger but I was able to type just fine so I think it's a standard size. The trackpad is nice and big and works fine. There's also BOTH a fingerprint scanner AND a facial recognition camera so you can pick your poison when it comes to how you want to do your bio-scanning.
Audio quality is.. laptop audio. It's fine for the most part. I rarely use a laptop without headphones so I didn't do a ton of testing here. Just wear some headphones.
I don't have exact numbers on the battery life (I'm a mostly plugged in user), I did notice I could un-tether pretty regularly and not worry too much. I would estimate I could probably do a decent 7 to 10 hours of pretty normal development work without too much of an issue. Depending on what you're using this for, your mileage may vary but I found the battery to be pretty good.
So my conclusion on this laptop is that it's pretty great. With great specs for a really nice workstation and even a decent enough GPU to do some light to moderate gaming, there's not a ton more to want. If you're buying into the AI gimmick and branding and only buying this for that reason, I'd just not do that. This is a good machine without the AI stuff. I'm hoping all of the AI stuff improves over time but if it doesn't, you still have a pretty good workstation machine here. If it's in your price range, add it to your short list.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Rank up to Premier Cross-Platform Performance. The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 wireless multiplatform gaming headset for PC, PlayStation, Steam Deck and mobile is redesigned for a 3rd generation of premium gaming prowess. The all-new CrossPlay wireless system with dual USB transmitters and simultaneous Bluetooth connectivity deliver quick and easy connection to PC, gaming consoles & mobile devices. Huge, 60mm Eclipse Dual Drivers deliver 24-bit audio quality for unparalleled PC audio performance, and the Gen 3, flip-to-mute mic with high-bandwidth mic performance allows for exceptionally clear voice accuracy. Plus, using the Swarm II companion app, you can adjust your microphone & audio settings to your exact, customized preference. Dominate for hours in complete comfort with an 80-hour battery life, and memory foam ear cushions.
Customer Rating
4
Good sound. Nice look. Loud.
on September 25, 2024
Posted by: swemoney
I feel like I've tried so many headphones. I'll preface my review by saying I'm not an audiophile or anything. I like things to "sound good" to me but that isn't necessarily going to be the same thing that "sounds good" to you. I think these headphones sound really good. One of the better pair, especially at this price point.
Setup is dead simple. Plug in the USB dongle and you're off to the races. Best news is this set comes with TWO dongles that you can swap between with a button on the headset. I've had one other pair of headphones that was designed to connect to multiple systems at once and I thought that was such a cool and useful feature. That was all wired. This is so easy to just plug into whatever you'd like and go nuts. A single button press switches between them. Mind truly blown.
Usage was fairly easy. I'm not used to the main function buttons of a headset being on the left ear, but it wasn't a huge adjustment. There's a volume dial as well as a mic/side tone dial. I feel like the side tone volume is usually a set it and forget it setting for me so I'm not sure a full dial on the ear was necessary but it's there if you want it. There's also a "mode" button that toggles between different EQ settings. On the right ear, you have most of your bluetooth settings (which it can connect to simultaneously). You can dial in the bluetooth volume to your liking or switch the USB receiver you're currently connects to.
Sound quality, I feel, is really good. It's loud. Like really loud. I could just be getting old, but when I was using these to just listen to music on my PC, I had the volume set to around 10-15% to listen comfortably. They aren't deafening if you crank them up but they sound really loud. Depending on the EQ you're using, the bass actually sounds really nice. Sound-wise, in general, I just thought these sounded like one of the better sets of headphones that I've used and at the pricepoint these are at, they're hard to beat. This is all my subjective opinion but I have tried out a lot of headphones over the last decade or so.
There's no active noise canceling in these but the ear pads feel like they get a good seal on your ears and I didn't hear a lot of excess noise leaking in. This could also come back around to how loud the headphones sound. It's very possible the volume compensates for the lack of noise canceling.
The microphone sounds fine. I'm not going to write home about it but it's fine. It's not bad. It's not going to replace my XLR microphone. It's just a decent headphone mic.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with these headphones. If there was an optional 3.5mm input jack, I'd consider replacing my streaming headphones with these. But since I can't go wireless during streams, these will probably step in as my new off-stream set and get used with my PS5 with the second dongle. I'm a fan and if these are in your pricerange, you should consider them.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Elevate your vehicle~s safety and functionality with the REXING M2 Max Pro Mirror Dash Cam. This advanced system integrates seamlessly with your rearview mirror, featuring a 12" IPS touchscreen that displays high-quality video from the rear camera. Capture detailed footage with dual cameras, offering 4K resolution at the front and 1080p at the rear, ensuring comprehensive coverage from multiple angles. The M2 Max Pro is equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), including Blind Spot Detection, Rear Collision Warning, and Parking Assistance, enhancing your driving safety. It also boasts a built-in GPS Logger to record precise time, location, and speed data, alongside Blind Spot Detection and Lane Change Assist to facilitate safe driving maneuvers. Additional features include enhanced night vision for clear recordings in low light conditions, Wi-Fi connectivity for easy video management, and a G-sensor that locks videos upon detecting impacts. Loop recording ensures continuous coverage by overwriting old footage, while the included smart hardwire kit activates the Parking Monitor, providing round-the-clock surveillance by recording when vibrations are detected. This mirror dash cam not only improves your driving visibility but also offers crucial safety features, making it an essential upgrade for any vehicle.
Customer Rating
4
Nice dashcam with extras
on September 14, 2024
Posted by: swemoney
Most dashcams are just a camera on your windshield that records the road and you only ever really need to interact with it when you need to check on the footage. This does all of that, but adds a rear camera and other fun tools as well. I had an older version and this one improves on that one in most ways. Pretty happy with it.
Installation could be complex, depending on how you want to install it. It comes with everything you need to hardwire everything to your fuse box which takes a little bit of doing. It's not crazy hard, just time consuming to run the wires through seams and make it basically invisible. The hardwire kit plugs into two separate fuses. You'll need to find a fuse that controls something that always has power (like the door locks) and then also something that is only powered when the car is on. The "smart" hardwire kit will draw power normally only when the car is on but if you have enabled the parking monitor and a "shock" is detected, it will use the other power source to record a clip and shut down. Pretty neat stuff.
Installing the rear camera can be a bit more involved depending on your vehicle and where you want to install it. Installing it outside your car near the license plate needs you to run the wire through your trunk. And then you also need to splice it onto your backup lights wire. So it's a lot of steps that aren't necessarily difficult, but aren't extremely easy either. They are very time consuming if you're installing it all yourself and you want everything hidden and looking nice.
And THEN, you have a GPS module you need to also run a wire through your car to the front of your dashboard. This was the easiest part of the complete installation but still another step where you have to stuff wire under your cars panels.
In lieu of hardwiring to your fusebox, you can also just use a cigarette lighter to plug in. I wouldn't recommend it but if you go this route, you have a pretty simple installation for just the front dash cam. They include two sets of rubber band straps to go around your mirror if it's a bit thicker or thinner.
Setup is fairly easy after it's installed. You can go through the settings as you like to set things up. My favorite thing was the ability to turn off the screen after a time. I usually like to actually drive without the screen on (so it's basically just like a normal rearview mirror). I can always turn on the screen with a touch if I want to monitor something. This wasn't a feature in the old design. I had to manually turn off the screen every time I got in the car.
The driver assist options are hit or miss to me. I found the first option that monitored the front camera to be a little weird. It takes some time to get used to what it's doing. The front camera assist tells you you're about to hit something very regularly. I didn't find it very useful. If you monitor the rear camera (which turns off the other option), you can monitor rear collisions and the side lanes. These options give you tones when things happen and it's a bit easier to tell what's going on. You get a tone when you have a car passing on the right, another tone when a car is passing on the left and another tone when someone comes to a stop behind you (maybe when it thinks they stopped too close to you). I found this option to be a bit more useful and accurate. When I heard a tone, a moment later I'd see a car passing on one of my sides. It also doesn't speak so it felt less annoying than the front camera option. It would be cool to be able to use all of the options together but if I have to choose, I'm keeping the lane monitoring over anything.
Captured footage looks good. You can set the capture to 4K, 1440p (2K) or 1080p. I found the default setting of 1440p to be pretty good and I had a smaller 32GB memory card so I feel like it's a better option for me to hold more recordings. Recordings loop around and start deleting old footage when it fills up. You can press a button to lock the current/last clip so it won't get deleted.
There's also an app you can use to connect to the dashcam via wifi. It's a bit cumbersome of a connection process but you can then view the footage from there if you want. There's also an app that lets you play back the GPS recordings of your trips. I prefer to just watch a clip back on the mirror itself. You can pop the SD Card out to view/save everything on your computer as well if you want to go that route.
Overall, I'm a big fan of these dashcams. I have an older car that doesn't come with a backup camera and a big screen already, so this kind of fills in for that for me. Installation might take some time to get it to look nice with all of the wires hidden, but when it's done and you never have to think about it again, it's so much nicer than needing to plug in to a lighter outlet every time you get in the car or have cables dangling all over the place. If you need a dashcam and don't already have a backup camera in your car and would like something that can just blend in and look like it's part of your car, this is a good option. I'm a fan.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Velox Mini Qi2 is a versatile dash & windshield phone holder that utilizes Qi2 technology for a powerful magnetic hold and fast wireless charge. Designed exclusively for Qi2-enabled devices including MagSafe compatible iPhones and cases, the Velox Mini Qi2 delivers up to 15W of power. Just tap your phone against the mount face and powerful magnets will hold it in place in perfect alignment. Securely install the Velox Mini Qi2 on your vehicle~s dashboard or windshield via a super strong, reusable suction cup base with sticky gel formula. A dashboard pad is included to protect you dash from any potential damage. The telescopic arm easily extends from 4~ to 6.75~ and pivots on a 260* arc to give you ultimate flexibility when installing the mount. A ball joint rotates and tilts so you can adjust the cradle for an ideal and safe viewing position in either portrait or landscape mode. A series of ventilation holes constructed around the mount help to dissipate heat and maintain airflow, while the anti-slip silicone finish offers added support and a gentle, scratch-free connection to your phone. Now it~s easier than ever to keep your phone powered up on the go!
Customer Rating
3
Good charger, mount could use work
on August 24, 2024
Posted by: swemoney
I've used various mounts like this in the past but this one just had a few extra issues that makes me not super keen on it. I think I'll keep it for a while where I ended up installing it but I'm not sure I'd recommend it over some other options.
I've used chargers with the same sticky suction cup before and was able to get it to stick to my dashboard without an issue. It's been in place for a really long time now. The first place I tried to install this one was my dashboard and it did not work at all. It comes with another plate you can stick to your dashboard that offers a flatter surface to install on but I didn't want to add the extra plate.
I opted for using the windshield instead. After getting the cup a little dirty in my first few attempts at getting it to stick, I washed it off with warm water and gave it a go on the windshield. I actually found a nicer spot for the phone to the left side of the steering wheel anyways so not a huge deal that I couldn't get it to stick to the dashboard. The windshield stuck well and held the phone nicely.
The next issue I ran into was the arm stiffness. The arm has a locking screw but it doesn't seem to matter at all. The arm is crazy stiff. It has a lot of tiny teeth that it grabs onto and I think the screw is supposed to loosen it just enough to let the arm move between the teeth and then you can tighten it to lock it into place but it's just always too tight. You need to force it exactly where you want it even when the locking screw is completely out. I suggest getting it into the position you want before mounting it because moving it will be difficult while mounted and will probably loosen the mounting job you did as well.
The last downside is the lack of detachable cable. This isn't the only one of these chargers I've used without a detachable charger but those other chargers don't get a pass for it either. Being able to replace the cable if it wears out or being able to use a different, shorter (or longer) cable for your needs feels like something every charging device should have right now.
For positives, the Mag-Safe hold is good. I have an iPhone 13 Pro Max with a Mag-Safe leather case and it finds and sticks to the charger without an issue. The magnet is strong enough I'm not worried about it falling at all (given my initial problems with the suction cup, I'm much more weary of the whole mount falling down than I am of my phone falling off the magnet). The charger is also nice. I usually don't have a great need for "fast" charging when on the mount, but it's nice to have. After a bit of time in the car, I'm left with a mostly topped off iPhone.
Final thoughts. Is this the worst charger mount in the world? Definitely not. Is it good enough? Probably. Is it great? I don't think so. The charging part is pretty good, but could use a detachable USB-C cable. The mount sticks well to windshields but your mileage may vary on your dashboard. You might have to use the included dashboard plate which I find inconvenient. The adjustable arm is barely adjustable but once it's in place, you probably don't have to worry about it slipping and since the magnet head swivels around, you shouldn't really need to do much adjusting once you get it in place. It's not my favorite. But it's functional and it's not the worst.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Introducing TORRAS Ostand power bank that combines convenience with functionality. This compact and lightweight 5000mAh power bank is designed to cater to the needs of individuals who value both portability and practicality. Equipped with a 5000mAh high-density battery, this power bank offers ample power to keep your devices charged throughout the day. Whether you're on a business trip or an outdoor adventure, it provides a reliable and efficient charging solution. What sets this power bank apart is its built-in stand that can be adjusted to different angles, allowing you to enjoy hands-free viewing of your favorite shows, video calls, or presentations. Its seamless integration provides a smooth slide into your pocket, wallet, or handbag, etc. Additionally, this power bank features fast charging technology with wireless maximum output power of 7.5W and maximum wired is 15W, enabling you to swiftly recharge your devices. Its intelligent graphene heat-dissipating technology ensures optimal charging efficiency while protecting your devices from overheating during the charging process. The Ostand power bank is not only practical but also stylish. Its sleek design and high-quality materials make it a visually appealing accessory that complements your modern lifestyle. Overall, this power bank helps you stay connected and powered up on the go. An essential companion for individuals who prioritize convenience, functionality, and style.
Customer Rating
4
Compact extra power with a nice little stand
on August 24, 2024
Posted by: swemoney
I've got a lot of battery banks but this is my first compact mag-safe battery pack and it's really nice. I've got an aging iPhone 13 Pro Max so battery life can be a little sub-optimal when using the phone a lot and being away from chargers. This takes care of those issues by being small enough to just stick to your phone as you travel with it and offering enough capacity for a bit more than a full charge of my phone.
There's no setup. Just take it out of the box, charge it up a little if you want (mine came fully charged), and slap it on the back of your phone. Attaching your phone automatically starts charging.
It's not so dainty you don't notice it at all. It adds some extra weight and bulk to the back of the phone but it's small enough that I didn't find it to be a problem. It's not going to be attached to your phone all the time and in the times you need some extra juice while still using your phone, this is perfect. It's small enough to not get in the way of normal usage. I also have a wallet that sticks to the back of my phone and this charger, while a bit heavier, doesn't add a whole lot more bulk to the phone than that.
There's an array of four lights on the back of the battery pack that show you how charged the battery is. You can press the only button on the device to show the lights so you can see how much charge you have left. There's also one extra light that turns on while your phone is being charged. The lights are very small and not super bright so they don't get obnoxious or anything.
There's also a fold out, rotating ring that acts as a stand. The hinge the stand flips out on is pretty tight and feels sturdy. The actual ring, although made of metal, is really thin and FEELS like it's easy to break. I haven't broken it yet, though, so I'm thinking it's just magic. You can rotate the hinge around 360 degrees so you can get the perfect stand whether you're viewing your phone in portrait or landscape mode.
All in all, this is a nice charger. It's small and doesn't get in the way of normal phone usage. It can charge most iPhones at least 1 full time and probably much more than that depending on your phone. The stand, while feeling flimsy, has help up just fine and is quite useful. If you're looking for some mobile power that you barely notice, this might be worth a look.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Roomba Combo 10 Max robot + AutoWash dock is our most powerful cleaning robot yet. It vacuums with 100% more suction power*, mops back-and-forth with downward pressure~and learns which rooms get dirty fastest and gives them the deep cleaning they deserve. With advanced smart navigation, it knows how to get around any home and clean each area in the optimal way. Even the dock is smart, automatic bin emptying, liquid refills, washing the mop pad, and pumping clean water through the dock to ensure it stays clean. When your cleaning robot is designed smarter, it makes your life easier.
Customer Rating
4
Fantastic vacuum and mop with one big downside
on August 16, 2024
Posted by: swemoney
I'll summarize with this. I've used a lot robot vacuums and robot vacuum/mops over the years and this one is definitely the best one I've used. It has a pretty substantial downfall, though. The convenience of not really needing to interact with the vacuum and base at all is somewhat deteriorated with the amount of noise the base makes when actively drying the mop pad and how long it takes to dry the mop pad. I'll touch on that more later. Otherwise, it's a fantastic combo.
Setup was fairly easy. Everything is assembled aside from the ramp leading into the base. Plug in the base and place the vacuum on it to charge for a bit. Setup in the iRobot app was painless and the robot was ready to map the house. I picked up or moved everything that I didn't assume would always be on the floor and let it do it's thing. After an hour or so of aimlessly roaming the house and you're presented with a map to clean up. You can place or move boundaries if they're in the wrong spot (for the most part, it was spot on). You can split rooms. The map editing is easy and intuitive and I was surprised that the map that was presented to me already had all of the rooms labeled correctly.
After putting some plain clean water in the tank (sadly, the vacuum doesn't include a sample of "Roomba approved cleaning solution" that's recommended to add to the clean water tank), I was ready to let it do it's thing. I told it to do a full clean of the entire floor and it got to work. I immediately turned on the "Smart Scrub" feature because a issue we have is a lot of caked on mess around the dining table from our kids. I was really excited to see the mop pad swing down into place because we have multiple rooms on this floor with carpet and I was never able to set up a single job to mop the whole floor before. For clarification, the mopping arm swings down when doing hard floors and is able to swing back up and out of the way when doing carpet.
The thing I noticed about the mopping arm was that it didn't have any sort of motion to it. It doesn't wiggle side to side or in a circle or anything. It just lays on the ground and the vacuum provides the pressure. The "Smart Scrub" feature makes the vacuum go over the same spot multiple times if it still detects a mess so it just reverses and goes forward a bunch of times until it thinks it's clean enough. And I wouldn't have guessed it, but it actually works really well. A day or two before I let this robot loose, my wife had just told me that we needed to do a really good mopping of the floors because they were filthy. No manual intervention was required and I think the floors are about as clean as I remember them being before we had kids.
Now one of the best parts of this combo kit is the dock that fills up and empties the water in the vacuum and also does a full cleaning of the mop pad when it's done doing a mopping job. Since all of this is automatic, you shouldn't need to do anything special to start a vacuum job aside from picking up loose stuff off the floor. This is what I've always wanted in a robot vacuum/mop. Not needing to change an attachment to switch the vacuum to mop mode. Not needing to manually empty debris. Just press a button on my phone and an hour later, my floors are clean and I didn't have to get it. This IS the reality that this combo system gives you... But there's a pretty big but...
The mop pad cleaning system is really nice and is the main reason they can offer this as a fully automated solution without sanitary issues. But when it's done washing the mop pad, it needs to dry.
There are two options for this. One option (and the default option) is to use the docks active drying. This isn't particularly quiet. It sounds like a mini air-compressor (and probably is). If your vacuum is set up in or near an area that's lived in, you will hear it. On top of that, it takes about 4 hours for the mop pad to finish drying. I could honestly deal with the noise if it was a quick little 10 minute job but boy do you notice when you hear that buzz droning on for 4 hours after a mop job is done.
The solution to this drawback is to turn off the automatic active drying of the mop pad after cleaning. This is an option in the app but when turning this off, you're required to remove the vacuum from the dock and then remove the soaking wet pad from the robot to let it air dry. The system comes with two pads so you can just swap the other one in after removing the wet one, but it does take away the "no intervention" automatic convenience that I've wanted for so long. I'd love to hold out hope that some firmware update will help in some way but I really doubt it will.
The vacuum also does a decent job on carpets. We have cats and they both usually pick a spot on the floor and that's just their spot for a while. So the cat hair builds up there. It takes a handful of passes to really get these parts of the carpet clean, but otherwise it does a good job of cleaning them.
One other thing I noticed the vacuum was pretty bad at was the tiny Kix cereal on hard wood floors. The spinner arm just tosses that stuff everywhere and it never really makes it into the vacuum. If your house is big on the micro Kix cereal, you might still need to sweep sometimes.
Overall, the annoying 4 hour buzzing aside, I'm really liking this vacuum. Is it worth the price? I can't tell you your value of a dollar. I can only say that this is the best robot vacuum/mop combo system I've used and I'm really happy I have it. If it fits your budget, give it a look.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The first XPS CoPilot+ PC has powerful on-device AI that delivers cutting-edge responsiveness and unmatched speed for navigating demanding creative and multitasking workloads with efficiency.
Customer Rating
4
Nice but not for the AI features
on August 11, 2024
Posted by: swemoney
I think Microsoft and Qualcomm could have sold these as ARM based Windows laptops and just touted the increased battery life and efficiency without throwing in the Copilot+ stuff. Because the laptop is pretty nice for a small, well performing laptop that can last a long time without being on a charger, but the AI stuff is pretty underwhelming.
Setup is your standard Windows setup. Run through the prompts. There's a point where it asks for some registration information for McAfee which I was thankfully able to skip since I promptly uninstalled that after setup was done. Otherwise, not too much added from a stock Windows install. I was a little sad to see that some of the Dell processes were running in x86 mode instead of having native ARM versions but I'm sure wrinkles like that will get ironed out over time. McAfee was the only thing I found installed by Dell that needed to be uninstalled. The rest were all of the Office and OneNote translation files that for whatever reason always take an eternity to "uninstall", but those come with most Windows setups now a days.
Using the system was quite nice. Mostly just because it didn't really feel like an ARM based system. I know Adobe is planning on updating their suite to be optimized for ARM and the Snapdragon in time. It's also not a gaming machine so your results will definitely vary there. This is a transitional time. I think Windows is working well enough on an ARM based processor this time around (after many failed attempts in the past) that it will actually stick around due to it's increased efficiency and battery life. This means all the rough edges of software that doesn't work well under the x86 emulation layer should eventually come out with native ARM binaries (so long as the application in question is still actively developed). For things that are supported, I found that I couldn't tell I wasn't running one of my many other x86 based Windows systems.
The hardware here is also quite nice. The machine has a good weight to it. It's not crazy light but it's not going to put any extra strain on your bag when you take it with you. The graphite color looks good. The screen looks really good. Deep blacks. Nice contrast and colors. Probably one of the highlights.
The trackpad (I still find it cumbersome to reach out to touch my monitor so I found myself using the trackpad more than anything) is completely hidden in the wrist rest. It's where you would assume it is, so I didn't have any problems with missing it even though I couldn't see it at all. I actually thought it was a nice touch.
The keyboard is... I still haven't made a full decision yet. The keys are all completely square and right next to each other. It doesn't feel awful to type on but coming from a mechanical keyboard it takes a bit to get used to. I think it looks really nice. I just don't know if I'm sold on the design yet. I would have probably preferred some bevels and standard looking keys. The function row is also capacitive which I'm really not a fan of. It's cute that the backlights switch from F-keys to Fn keys when you press the Fn button, but I just hate the contrast in how they feel when I'm typing on a tactile keyboard and then press ESC with no feedback. As a developer, I don't press ESC infrequently. Keyboard is probably my least favorite part of this laptop even if I say I'm still on the fence about it.
Now the "big" thing that Microsoft is pushing here is the Copilot+ features. I'm just not on bored with any of them except for the live captions. The generative AI features in their present state just aren't that compelling.
The standard Copilot button (and key, now) is alright but definitely doesn't feel revolutionary by any stretch. I wouldn't say it outperforms the most current AI chat models out there right now. It works. The dedicated key on the keyboard actually does make me pull it up a little more often. But it's just nothing very special or revolutionary.
The Windows Studio Effects aren't very new or crazy. Keeping you in frame feels a little slow and since it's digitally zooming into you, you're losing some image quality. The blurred background just don't feel super useful, especially when you consider the quality of the camera that comes equipped on this laptop (it's not good). The eye contact faker is probably the most useful thing but it still felt subpar.
If you load up Paint, you can try out their co-creator features that lets your draw some stuff (this is where the touch screen comes in handy but I'm going to need a stylus or something) and then you tell co-creator what your vision is and it'll transform it into something. You have a creativity slider that 70+ (which is where it starts out) just seems to almost disregard your drawing completely and then anything under 70 just looks like your drawing but with the lines smoothed out or moved slightly. I assume if you feed it good prompts it will probably do a better job but I wasn't able to get anything very useful out of it. You can also use just the standard image generator as well. I'm pretty sure it's using DALL-E 3. You get 50 tokens to spend. I'm not sure how often they regenerate but the fact that you're using tokens tells me this feature is not being done on device.
I'm not sure how much of the AI chip is being used for live captions. It's an accessibility feature in my non-copilot+ Windows PCs as well. Maybe the NPU just processes it a bit more efficiently and quicker. But this is probably the most useful of the AI features at the current time. Being able to turn on a YouTube video that doesn't have captions or a Twitch (or other live stream) and just turn on system-wide captions is really awesome.
The biggest plus side to the AI chip is the fact that most of the AI stuff is done on your device so you don't have to upload anything to the cloud and all your information stays on your system. While I appreciate that and all, using models that aren't up to par with most sophisticated online models just doesn't make the feature all that useful to me. Would I love to see Microsoft improve these models over time and add more AI features that are actually useful (which still running on your device), of course! I hope they do. For right now, I don't see the AI features getting a ton of use from me.
Overall, I like the laptop. Something portable and powerful with a long lasting battery is great for me to take with me to a coffee shop or just my couch without needing to worry about needing the cord an hour or 2 later. I feel like the current offerings are adding a bit of a premium price for being new and bundling the not so useful AI stuff right now so it will be up to you to decide if it's currently worth the price or it fits your budget. But I think it's a good laptop if you're looking for productivity without the wires.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Enjoy a seamless blend of multiple colors of light at the same time in a single LED strip. The colors flow naturally together while casting a diffused rainbow of light to enhance your ambiance and room decor.
Customer Rating
4
Simple lighting for the kids room
on August 7, 2024
Posted by: swemoney
My very young kids were enamored when I finished putting this lightstrip around the top of their room. It's pretty easy to connect and use with the Hue app and can even be controlled with Alexa with a little more setup. Overall, the length was almost perfect for their room and the light goes from really dim for bedtime to something equivalent to the sun beaming straight down on us.
Installation IS simple, but it's not quick. It was a time consuming process to say the least. I wiped down the upper wall where I was installing it and got ready to stick the strip up there. The strip has a peal-able backing that exposes the sticky side, but it comes in about 6 inch segments. At first I figured it was in case you felt like cutting the strip at a certain point, but if you're doing that you're just going to cut the backing too. So I have no idea why it's segmented in such small strips. It makes getting a finger nail under the backing and pealing off each segment an incredibly time consuming process when I could have just pealed off a few feet at a time to make sure the sticky part wasn't fully exposed the whole time I was hanging it. Again, it's not a difficult task, but boy was it annoying to peal off what felt like 150 of these things by time I was done. Final downside of installation was the power cord. For sticking these just under your ceiling, the power cord was just too short. I needed to use an extension cord to plug them in. Not the end of the world in either case, just two minor inconveniences you may have to deal with when installing this yourself.
Setup was initially very easy. Downloaded the Hue app. Had to make an account, which is always annoying. Selected the option to setup a new device and told it I didn't have a hub. It took a second to search and then it was all set for use with the app. I also wanted to connect it to Alexa which was mostly easy but some ill timed words from my daughter and an Alexa that was just too quiet at the time caused me to not hear what she said after I tried to scan for devices. After much more fiddling, I finally found I needed to use my wife's Alexa app (since this Alexa device was registered under her account) and I was finally able to see a new lightstrip device. This made it really easy to add to our Alexa bedtime routines and control the brightness and color without breaking out my phone.
Usage is pretty good. It's not a fully addressable strip or anything so you don't get all the bells and whistles of being able to have the lights chase or run in specific patterns. The Hue app includes a handful of preset effects to try out and then a bunch of "scenes" you can try. The effects are things like candle flickers and rainbow cycles and stuff. Nothing too crazy, we've been mostly sticking to single colors and changing the brightness which works great via the Hue app or Alexa.
So all in all, I'm really happy with how they turned out. The lights circling the room look really nice. The kids like them. They integrated really well with the Alexa routines we already had by just changing the light device to the light strip. They didn't need the extra hub to work. They might feel a little pricey compared to alternative light strips, but I can attest that I like the quality I got here and if this one fits your budget, give it a look.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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0points
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Upgrade your door with the Assure Lever, a smart keypad lever lock for key-free entry. The lever has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so it allows you to lock/unlock, share access and see who comes and goes all using your app, from anywhere! For ultimate convenience, your Assure Lever will unlock automatically as you approach the door and it will relock once the door is closed! Plus, you can lock, unlock or check current status with voice assistants including Amazon Alexa, Hey Google or Siri. The lock features a backlit keypad so even when you don't have your phone, you can unlock your door without the hassle of keys. It's super easy to use and installs in minutes with just a screwdriver on standard doors (1-3/8" to 1-3/4" thick). Compatible with doors with no deadbolt (i.e. side entry, garage entry, basement, home office, etc.)
Customer Rating
4
Easy to use interior door lock
on July 26, 2024
Posted by: swemoney
If you're looking for a nice looking and functional interior door lock, you could do worse than this. With somewhat easy installation and setup and dead simple functionality, this is just a nice door lock for something like a garage or closet you might want to keep the kids out of.
Installation wasn't too terrible. We ran into a couple snags that stemmed from the lack of included instructions. The Yale app shows you a video during the setup process for the installation but I had to find a quick little installation instruction sheet online to help because I'm just better with printed instructions. Installation probably took an hour after needing to carve out a little bit of the door frame for the door stop and had to take everything apart when we didn't feed the wire through the right hole. Without those hiccups, I assume it would have taken closer to 20 minutes. The biggest problem with not having included instructions was not fully understanding what to do with the optional WiFi module that was included. I felt a little silly when I finally figured out what to do with it but it definitely had me thinking about it through the entire installation procedure.
Setup was pretty easy. The app asks you during every step if you need some instructions to help you install that step or if it's already installed so you can skip over it. The app did a good job just walking you through the whole process, even if some of the steps felt a little strange (like the "registration" of the WiFi module?). Either way, once the lock is set up, there aren't a ton of settings (this is just a door lock) but it has all the ones you'll likely want.
Auto-unlock can unlock the door for you when you're nearby. Auto-lock if you want the door to lock itself. You can assign different users with different keypad codes. The codes can be 4-8 digits so it's not just a simple 4 digit code. Also, with the WiFi module, you get a sensor for detecting when the door is open or closed so the app can tell you if the door is closed as well as locked. There's also a log that shows you every instance of the door locking or unlocking as well as whenever the door is opened or closed. All the information you could want. On top of all that, it automatically linked to HomeKit during the setup process so it's accessible in iOS Home.
So if you're looking for a lock that you don't need to carry a key around for inside your house, this could be a good fit for you. It's easy enough to install. Easy to setup. Functions without any hassle. I like it.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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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.
9 years, 6 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, 6 months ago
by
swemoney