swemoney's stats
- Review count209
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- First reviewMay 14, 2016
- Last reviewJune 5, 2024
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- Average rating3.9
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- First answerJune 10, 2016
- Last answerApril 18, 2021
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Sony ZV-1F Vlog camera for Content Creators and Vloggers, large 1-inch sensor with wide angle 20mm1 lens and packed with easy-to-use features, specifically designed for vloggers and online video creators.
Customer Rating
4
Really great entry level "real" camera..
on November 26, 2022
Posted by: swemoney
If you're using your phone's front camera for your vlogging shots or still using a cheap webcam for your streams, this is probably the best upgrade for your dollar out there. It has most of the "prosumer" features you're probably going to need at one of the most affordable price points for "real" cameras. You're giving up a few higher end features here like a hot shoe and interchangeable lenses but that's what keeps this affordable and you probably don't really NEED those things as much as they're just cool.
Setup is a piece of cake. It's a camera that's basically ready to go. Put a memory card in, install the battery and hit the power and you're ready to fiddle with all the settings and start taking pictures or recording video. There's a ton of settings if you're coming from a cheap digital camera or you're used to just your phone's camera. It was a little overwhelming from a non-photographer standpoint but I didn't mind playing around to get the best settings for what I was doing.
There's a lot of versatility for this camera as well. It's clear that it's made to be a selfie vlogging camera from the flip forward screen to the microphone windscreen (I had to look up what this fuzzy little thing was in the book but it's a great little addition). From selfie range, it's easy to get your frame right and the microphone doesn't sound really bad. You aren't going to get a ton of the low end from your voice but it does a decent job picking your up and sounding clear for just a flat spot on the camera picking up the sound.
Photos come out pretty good as well. Nothing to write home about if you already use your recently released phone's rear camera to be honest but they're good photos. If you want to carry a dedicated photo camera, this will get your some good pictures with settings your can't play around with on your phone so with some effort and experience you can probably get even better pictures but for me, the convenience of taking pictures with my phone can't be trumped. Especially with all the work that phones do in post processing now a days. I'll probably use this for photos and videos when I'm going to an event that I know I'm going to just be taking pictures non-stop, though.
Video quality looks really good as well. You can only get 30fps for your 4K shots if that's what you're taking but you can go up to 120fps with 1080p shots. Again, things are very comparable to my iPhone 13 Pro Max's rear camera but blow away the front camera. If you have the skills, I'm sure there are amazing tweaks and settings you can do to get things to look perfect for every scenario. But from a non-professional standpoint, I find the picture quality to be great with most of the default settings.
One thing that I think is overlooked for a camera like this is streaming on services like Twitch and YouTube. I replaced my $180 webcam with this camera (and bought a cheap quick-release thing to let me unmount it whenever I want to take it out of my setup) and the difference is night and day. The amount of control is fantastic when you're coming from not so cheap webcam. The most disappointing aspect of using this camera for streaming is that it's capped at 720p30 for streaming over USB-C. I'm not sure why this limitation needs to exist or if maybe they can bump that up to a solid 1080p60 with a firmware update in the future but it was sad to see when I tried it out. You CAN still use it with a micro-HDMI cable and an HDMI capture device, though. You'll get the full output that way. There's a setting to eliminate any of the UI elements on the HDMI output so you get a fully clear HDMI. The best part of using this as a webcam replacement is the flip forward screen that you can use to make sure you're in frame and everything looks good while you're streaming.
My list of negatives is pretty short and they do focus around using the camera as a high quality streaming camrea for Twitch. The 720p output over USB-C is disappointing and means you'll need an additional cable as well as an HDMI capture device if you're looking to get more than 720p to your stream. Another thing that could be better is having more (all?) controls on the screen without needing to use the control wheel on the back. This downside also exists when taking vlog videos because you're probably looking at the screen flipped towards you and not the back of the camera. With my stream setup, the camera is fairly close to the wall and accessing the back of the camera is not super easy to do. So it's impossible to tweak every setting while looking at the frame I need to look at without using my phone to connect to the camera. There is a "button" on the screen that toggles the ability to touch certain controls on the screen to modify them but the controls available are limited (for instance, there's no manual/auto focus control on the screen). Having another control on the screen that basically just opens up the full menu would be amazing here.
Speaking of controlling the camera with my phone, that's a thing you can do too! The setup is a little clunky and the performance could be better. I'm not 100% certain but I have to assume it's using 2.4Ghz wifi instead of 5Ghz so interference is an issue here but it might work fine for you. The most annoying part of the whole thing is how long it takes to control the camera from your phone. You need to launch the app, hit the "control camera" button and then connect and wait for it to connect to bluetooth and then disconnect you from your own wifi and connect directly to your camrea's wifi and then probably fail once and try again. So it's almost like a solid minute between deciding I need to tweak a setting and actually getting things going on my phone. When it's running on the phone, the video performance is pretty choppy but I've never used the phone to really look at the shot, I more care about being able to control some of the things I can't control from the screen without the control wheel. I understand having the phone connect directly to the camera since you'll probably be using this a lot when you're not on your home wifi, it's just a small annoyance and it pretty consistently fails with my iPhone on the first attempt but usually doesn't have an issue the second time. Overall, though, the phone connection is a saving grace to allowing me to control the phone when the back controls are not accessible and I can deal with the clunkiness for that ability.
Overall, this camera is going to be my stream camera for a long time to come. The quality is top notch and with a quick release foot, it's easy to pop out and in and take the camera with me when I want to film something else or take some pictures of the kids. At it's price point, you can't really get much better than this. Sacrificing a couple of the bells and whistles that you get with a much more expensive professional entry (along with much more expensive lenses) is nothing because you probably won't need of those things anyways for what this camera is made to do. Make content better than using the front facing camera on your phone. The quality will rival the back facing camera on your phone as well so it's nice to have a dedicated piece of hardware that you can just use for all of your filming needs. Get this camera is you're looking for an upgrade.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Soundcore Sleep A10 Earbuds are your perfect companion for a peaceful night's sleep. They’re designed around an exclusive 4-Point Noise Masking system to keep night-time disturbances under your radar. Enhanced passive noise canceling combines with an advanced active noise masking algorithm, and soothing sleep sounds to block out up to 35dB of unwanted noise and deliver the ideal sleep environment. Sleep A10 earbuds are tiny and lightweight so they stay comfortably in your ears, all night long. Slim profile and pressure-free fit means even heavy side-sleepers can rest the entire night without discomfort or fatigue.
Customer Rating
2
Overall clunky to use and not super effective
on November 11, 2022
Posted by: swemoney
I have issues sleeping when there's a lot of noise around. My schedule is not very normal so I find myself trying to sleep at strange times when there's probably going to be other things happening in the house. My solution has just been a cheapish jar of ear plugs that lasts me quite a while. They work pretty good at blocking out most of the noise in the house and I only experience some slight discomfort at times but nothing major that removing and replacing them doesn't usually resolve. It's a low tech solution and I've been thinking of finding some way to play music or noise that won't disturb the wife when she's sleeping at the same time as me and I was excited to try these out. My experience was pretty lack-luster.
Setup was easy enough. Just pair them with your phone, download the app, firmware update and they were ready to go. The case came with about half a charge and both earbuds were fully charged.
Comfort is pretty good as well. They're easy to put in and I like how they go in. Align the little handles straight up and then twist them towards the back of your ear and they kind of "lock" in place. It's not full proof. Sometimes it takes a couple tries but for the most part they go in fine. They're also somewhat comfortable. I had a really slight discomfort like they were pushing against the side of my ear canal too much the first night I used them but that was really brief and didn't happen any of the other nights I used them. I'm a side-sleeper and I was able to sleep with these in my ears for my whole sleep and they really didn't feel bad. The only complaint is the seal and pressure they make in your ear gives you that floating in space sound whenever you breath or cough. You just hear any noise your head makes amplified in your ears. I wasn't a huge fan as the ear plugs I use don't give me this feel at all.
The app and overall usage of these are where things start to fall flat. I wouldn't even say the app is terrible. I've seen much worse for connected products before. But the overall flow is just not that great. You need to load a sound (which takes about a minute) onto the earbuds for your "sleep mode" sound. So it takes time if you feel like listening to a different sound in your ear non-stop during your sleep. I'm a fan of rain sounds and the rain and thunderstorm sounds were.. fine. They were nothing to write home about but they were ok. The issue is just listening to the same short clip over and over in my ear. And that's when they were working. More than a couple times, one bud would just disconnect and I'd either need to open the case again to reconnect it or take it out and put it back in. Sometimes even that wouldn't work and I'd have to place them back in the case to get them to work again.
There's also sleep tracking in the app which I was pretty excited about because I'm a fan of statistics and used to track my sleep all the time. I figured if I was going to wear these every night for sleep, that would be a perfect opportunity to start tracking again if they just did it for free. But, like the other functions, it just seems to work sporadically and inconsistently. I don't think it recorded a single full sleep. The first time, the right ear bud just stopped working when I got up to go to the bathroom and then sleep tracking decided that was enough. It just seemed very inconsistent and sort of tacked on. You can't even view your sleep tracking information without connecting the earbuds to the app again which proved immediately annoying and I have no idea how that got through any sort of quality control without someone mentioning it.
Just every bit of the app flow feels like no one actually used these for sleep and just made them comfortable enough to sleep with but only tested them as regular headphones. Luckily, you don't NEED to use the app. You lose some features like the "smart volume control" but I didn't really like that feature anyways. It's supposed to adjust the volume after it detects that you fell asleep to adapt to the noise level. I guess if it works while I'm asleep, there's a chance I never noticed it actually working but I feel like I can recall the sound in the headphones just completely changing at some point. If you don't use the app except to upload a new sound onto the headphones, then you can just double tap the left ear to switch between sleep and music modes and double tap the right ear to play/pause. Easy enough. Music more works just like a normal pair of bluetooth headphones which is probably what I'll use these for if I want to listen to a podcast as I fall asleep or something.
The biggest problem I have with these are just that they don't do a fantastic job of eliminating external noise for my needs. They don't have any sort of active noise canceling (which is baffling to me but I suppose there are probably challenges in fitting the ANC stuff in such a small earbud) so they only work with the seal to your ear and by producing sound to distract you from the noise around you. The seal is pretty good (floating in space feel in your head and all) but it just doesn't cut down on the noise around you. The sound the earbuds produce is a pretty nice distraction but without an effort to focus on it, I can still hear things like my wife snoring or the kids on the other side of the house during the day. They basically function as just a pair of headphones you can wear while you sleep but I don't think they should be marketed as a way to help you fall asleep faster or as "noise blocking".
Audio quality in the earbuds is fine. You're sleeping with them so I'm not trying to be blown away. Quite the opposite. So the audio quality is what I'd want out of a pair of these. Like I said, I'll probably continue to use these as a pair of headphones I can wear as I'm falling asleep sometimes when I don't have to worry about a lot of extra noise because they ARE comfortable to wear even as a side sleeper. But for any of my day time sleeps or when I have to block out snores or other noise around me, it's back to the ear plugs.
Bottom line, an inconsistent and clunky app experience with these make them hard to justify for their price. If you're just looking for a pair of headphones to wear while you sleep, these might work fine for you. I haven't done enough research on other pairs to know if these are worth the price just for that though. If you're looking for a real sleep aid, I would look elsewhere unless you're fine with just a simple short looping sound in your ear all night. Comfortable with a decent sound but that's where the features end. There's not much in the way of sleep features in my eyes here.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Get a healthier, brighter smile with the Philips Sonicare 9000 Special Edition. This toothbrush features a pressure sensor, 4 brushing modes, 3 intensities and smart brush head mode pairing technology. The Philips Sonicare 9000 Special Edition will look beautiful in your bathroom, with elegant charging glass and premium finishings. Track your brushing within the Sonicare App to ensure you're reaching your oral health care goals.
Customer Rating
5
Still a great premium toothbrush
on November 9, 2022
Posted by: swemoney
I haven't been able to go back since the day I started using an electric toothbrush. It was a Sonicare way back in the day too. My toothbrush before this one is very similar to this and is going to move into the second bathroom because it's still going strong after more than 5 years now. These are premium toothbrushes that last.
Setup is a breeze. The battery light was flashing when I first took it out of the box but it still got through a full brushing. Plug in the base and the glass holder just fits on top where you sit your toothbrush on top of to charge. The one thing I wish this toothbrush had that my older one does is the cup. The charger is still induction and I thought the cup was much more premium feeling than the small puck that you place your toothbrush in and stand it straight up. I decided to use my old cup to charge this toothbrush and use the new puck to charge my old toothbrush in the other bathroom. They both work the same so it's not a big deal but I did like the cup more than this new puck.
Usage is pretty easy. Put the toothbrush on top and press the start button. The instructions has a lot of information on each of the modes and what they're for and how long they last. They tell you which section of teeth you should stick to for each section of the session too. Highly recommended you review that part of the instruction book. We usually stick to a single mode that my wife and I both like but you'll want to try them all and maybe switch it up if you're aiming to tackle a trouble area for yourself. Lots of options.
If you're coming from a standard manual toothbrush, you'll probably be blown away by this toothbrush. I can't get my teeth to feel clean with a standard toothbrush anymore. I'll never go back. It's easy. The toothbrush guides you to keep things consistent and my teeth just feel so much more clean with these toothbrushes. Given that my old toothbrush is over 5 years old now, I wouldn't look at this as a high cost toothbrush. I'd look at it as a quality, premium toothbrush. You can get electric toothbrushes for a lot cheaper, sure, but I can't vouch for how long those last and how well they work.
Bottom line, when the only bad thing I can say about this product is it doesn't contain the same cup for charging as my old toothbrush had, it's a pretty great toothbrush. If you're coming from a manual toothbrush, take the plunge and invest in the premium product if you're able. If not, just invest in another electric toothbrush. I don't advocate manual brushing for anyone but small children at this point. This is a premium product that will last you a long time so spend the money if you're able on an item that will get used 3-5 times per day and still feel like new 5+ years later.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Shark ION Robot is designed with a Tri-Brush System, combining side brushes, channel brushes, and a multi-surface brushroll to handle debris on carpets and hardfloors Use the SharkClean app or voice control with Alexa or Google Assistant to start cleaning from anywhere
Customer Rating
3
Fairly bare-bones robot. Decent job cleaning.
on October 13, 2022
Posted by: swemoney
I've been a fan of Shark (and Ninja) products for a while now and got this extra robot for our smaller living room. I've already got a shark mop/vac and have really liked it but I didn't think I'd need all of the extra AI features. I'm not 100% convinced that I don't anymore. If this was my first robot vacuum, I'd probably think it was cool and be fine with it but after spending years with a vacuum that has so many more features (by the same brand), I think I was just shocked at how much of a step backwards this guy was.
Setup was fine depending on how you want to use it. If you don't want to connect it to your phone, just plug it in, let it charge and then press one of the buttons on top and let it do it's thing. It doesn't have any AI and doesn't make a map of your room or anything so it's all pretty basic. If you want to connect it to your phone and set up a schedule or anything, it should work fine. The setup process is simple enough. I had some issues that eventually got straightened out by their support after a bit of back and forth. After that was resolved everything worked fine.
The performance of this bot isn't terrible but since it's not a smart robot, it can miss spots and/or it takes much longer to do it's job than a robot that'll learn and create maps of your room. This bot just works by running into something, turning and driving until it runs into something else. Rinse and repeat. It's a brute force method that mostly works but I did notice a spot or two that the bot had missed. There were a few more spots up against walls that were missed as well. I'm pretty sure a smarter robot would have been able to get these spots (they weren't in corners) but since the bot doesn't do a great job of hugging edges (since it doesn't know where edges are), it just has to happen across these spots with one of it's many passes.
The time it takes to clean is also a lot more exaggerated since it doesn't have a map it can just trace over to make sure it got everything. The first room I did took over an hour to complete without being a super large or complicated room. The smaller room that the robot is living in takes a little less time but, again, I'm just used to my 2+ year old shark robot that uses a map to clean much more efficiently so it's probably more pronounced for me.
I don't think I'll be getting any more "dumb" robots that just brute force the job by bumping and turning. It does a fairly good job cleaning (my carpets were quite dirty when I did my tests) but you're relying on the bot to just happen to clean everything. I wish there was a map that could be pieced together by just tracing the path the robot took but for the time being, all that's available in the app is a timeline of when the bot was activated, paused, docked, etc. That being said, Shark has always been really good about updating their app and providing extra features to my old AI robot over time so maybe it's something they can add to this bot in the future if the hardware is there to track it's path.
If a more sophisticated robot with lasers and AI and mapping is out of your budget, this is a good starter bot. But if you're used to anything with a little more tech inside, this guy is going to get the job done.. usually.. and you'll probably be a little disappointed. This bot is a bit more affordable so it might work out perfect for you.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Explore the art of espresso made right, effortlessly, with the refined features of La Specialista Arte from De'Longhi. Created for the hands-on home barista, this compact and stylishly designed machine empowers you to craft custom espresso drinks with ease and precision. From start to finish, unlock all the aromatic flavors of the beans for results that perfectly match your palette. Full control is at your fingertips with exclusive features like a conical burr grinder boasting 8 precise settings developed to expertly grind all bean varieties in a single or double dose. Use the complete barista kit, including a tamper, dosing funnel, and more, to prepare your fresh grounds in either a single or double dose in the single wall filter basket. Next, 3 active infusion water temperature levels adapt to your beans and roasting level for optimal flavor extraction. Finally, My LatteArt wand’s powerful steam produces the perfectly silky milk microfoam ideal for latte art creations. Save time with three beverage presets—espresso, Americano and hot water—for those on-the-go mornings. With La Specialista Arte, an authentic, hand-crafted coffee experience is within your reach. Indulge in the creativity of coffee-making as you get the best out of every bean and enjoy experimenting with foam art as a home barista.
Customer Rating
5
Not much bad to say about this one.
on October 10, 2022
Posted by: swemoney
I'm still sort of new to using an espresso machine and over just making a pot of drip coffee but I've been working my way up. Starting with a nespresso pod, then moving to a low end "real" espresso machine and now I'm feeling like I'm pretty fancy with this one. This machine is nice. It feels like most everything was thought out and it makes good coffee. And best of all, it's not super hard to use.
Setup is the part that feels the most daunting if you aren't experienced with these machines. There's a lot of parts and it looks overwhelming pulling each piece out of the box. But a quick read through the quick start guide was enough for me to realize it wasn't really that much. It just looks like a lot. There's a really simple "your first time" step that just walks you through what I assume clears the pipes and gets the maker ready for the real stuff. That's about all you need for setup. Plug in and follow the fairly simple quick start guide.
My favorite part of this is the included grinder. It still tells you to only put as many beans in as you intend to use which is going to take me some time to figure out (my first time, I just filled up the bean grinder before reading that part) but after you select single or double and adjust the coarseness you just put the wand with the guide attached in and it fills up a perfect amount of coffee for you. Move everything over to the tamper (with an included mat to help) and tamp it down. Every shot I've made has looked exactly the same after tamping the coffee down. One of the big things I didn't love about my mid range espresso maker was grinding up the coffee myself and then having to guess how much I'd need to put in the strainer. I felt like every cup was just a little different. This feels not only easier because it's mostly automatic but much more consistent which I love.
Pulling the shot is just as simple. There's a guide which tells you what settings to use for each different kind of roast so it's mostly ready to go from there but you can adjust a little bit depending on taste or if things aren't coming out exactly right for you. There's even documentation about what a good and bad pour should look like and what steps you can take to improve your next one. It's a process that you'll just get better at over time if you aren't experienced but it didn't feel like it took very long to feel happy with my pulls on this maker.
The steamer seems to work well but I don't feel like I'm good enough at it yet. It doesn't come out bad but I haven't nailed down consistency yet. Each cup is better or worse. The guide does have more documentation about how to steam the milk so it's very helpful in guiding you down the right path at least. I'll get better over time.
Cleanup is pretty easy. Just make sure to wipe down the steamer as soon as you're down with it and then everything else just rinses off for the most part. Another thing I didn't love about my old espresso maker was that I always had to dig the coffee out of the portafilter. I'm sure it was something to do with how I was pulling my shots but I could never get a perfect puck to just pop out after brewing. This bad boy has been 100%. Every cup I've made, I've been able to knock the portafilter once and out pops a perfect puck with a mostly clean portafilter. Very satisfying. The only issue I had was that the portafilter had the double shot cup pre-installed and it's... in there. I wasn't sure how to get it out so I could make sure I completely clean it out. A little Googling and I discovered that you just use the other filter cup to pry the installed out one. It wasn't too hard to remove and reinstall after figuring that out but for as nice as I thought the documentation for the whole maker was, that one piece of information would have been nice to have.
Overall, I have nothing bad to say about this espresso maker. It's not cheap but it does feel like a really huge leap in quality over my more mid-range espresso maker (which I also didn't think was super cheap). Everything is pretty streamlined and works very well. Everything is easy to clean up. The coffee it makes is really good. If I had to reach for something to say, it would be about some of the terminology I don't fully understand yet but that's not a shortcoming of this machine, it's just something I'll learn over time. I definitely recommend this espresso maker if you have the budget for it and you're looking to get out of the low to mid tier of coffee/espresso makers. This machine has been a delight to use.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Velox Magnetic Wireless Dash & Windshield Mount is a powerful, convenient, and highly versatile wireless charging phone mount designed specifically for MagSafe compatible iPhones and cases. Keep your iPhone accessible in a myriad of custom mounting positions without obstructing your view thanks to the newly redesigned telescopic arm. Featuring a streamlined profile that utilizes a friction ring and snap lock, adjusting the arm is quick and hassle-free. Easily attach the Velox Dash Mount to your vehicle’s dashboard or windshield for a superior suction hold. Strong magnets provide precise alignment for efficient charging and keep your iPhone in place in portrait or landscape mode, even on the roughest terrain. The soft silicone mounting face ensures a scratch-free experience. With up to 7.5W of wireless charging power, you can hit the road with confidence!.
Customer Rating
4
Does what it's supposed to very well.
on October 10, 2022
Posted by: swemoney
With MagSafe on my phone, I've found a new love for accessories that work well with it. This one does a really good job as a stand for your phone in the car while also keeping your phone topped off.
Setup is really easy. Everything comes out together for the most part. Just put stick the suction cup where you want it on your car's dash (or windshield) and plug it in to a lighter or other USB-C plug.
The suction cup doesn't seem like it would be that great but it works really well. I was expecting it to give out after a few days but it's still holding strong just stuck to my dashboard. It's sticky as well as having the lever to increase the suction so both methods together work really well in holding it even on a porous surface like a car dashboard.
The MagSafe connector isn't super stiff but it does hold its position pretty well. It's actually really easy to move around but it stays where you leave it very well.
Charging capabilities are top notch for wireless charging as well. No complaints. It feels like it's plugged in.
Overall, my old MagSafe car charger that attached to my vent is now relegated to a backup charger and this one has taken the throne.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The king returns to raise the game. Enter the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro—the most advanced gaming mouse. Armed to the teeth with industry-leading technology, unlock your maximum potential with a weapon that pushes the known limits of performance, customization, connectivity, and control.
Customer Rating
5
Most comfortable mouse I've used in a long time.
on October 2, 2022
Posted by: swemoney
I've been testing a lot of different mice lately and I've found another one that's going to stick around as a daily driver for a while. I've more recently determined that I'm much better off with these styles of mouse as opposed to more symmetrical shaped mice just for wrist comfort and this guy fits my grip extremely well. I haven't noticed any comfort issues and some soreness that I had while using my old Logitech G Pro Wireless have pretty much gone away.
Setup is a piece of cake no matter how you plan to connect this mouse. You have options. You can use the included dongle for the "fastest" wireless connection. That's as easy as plugging it in and turning on your mouse to the 2.4 setting. Then you can go with Bluetooth if you're using a computer or laptop that supports it. You'll have to go through the standard Bluetooth setup but that's it. Or you can just plug the nice, soft cable in to run it wired (and also charge the battery). All of these options are basically plug and play. You can also install the Razer Synapse software to customize the buttons, lighting, power settings and DPI for the mouse.
As stated earlier, this is probably one of the most comfortable mice I've used. I have a drawer with at least 5 or 6 mice in it right now and this one just felt great right off the bat as soon as I started using it and I haven't felt any discomfort or strain at all. Obviously this is going to be subjective and you'll need to feel the mouse yourself to know if it's the right fit for you.
The buttons all feel pretty good and easy to use. There's 3 buttons on the right side but the third thumb tip button actually feels pretty easy and good to press. I don't find myself going out of the way to press anything. The top middle buttons under the mouse wheel are in a similar spot to other mice I've used and work well. One thing I really like is the button directly under the mouse wheel that switches the mouse wheel from a clicky wheel to a smooth wheel. In other mice I've used, this was kind of a mechanical button that locked the wheel into clicky or smooth positions but on this mouse, it's a digital button that can be reconfigured if you'd like. The best part of it being digital is there's an option (off by default) in the Synapse software that allows you to automatically switch to smooth wheel if you scroll fast enough and then automatically switch back to clicky when it detects the wheel has stopped enough. Takes a second to get used to but I really like it now.
Overall, I think this mouse is going to stick around for a while. I like testing out new mice but I don't foresee one overtaking this as my daily driver for a while. If you have a chance to hold this mouse in your hand to see if it's as comfortable for you as it is for me, then pull the trigger on this one. I'm a fan.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Wyze Cam Outdoor v2 takes everything you loved about the original wire-free, battery-powered Wyze Cam Outdoor to a whole new level. Now with our Starlight Sensor, you can see at night just as clear as day with Color Night Vision 1080p HD resolution. Get alerted when motion is detected, now up to 28% further away and set custom motion detection zones to only get alerts that matter to you. See even more than before with a wider, 130 degree field of view, so you can see more of what’s out there. Take advantage of the built-in security features like a motion-activated siren, two-way audio, and motion-detection alerts for even more peace of mind. Best of all, it’s easy to mount, has a 6-month battery life with easy recharging via microUSB, and you can even connect it to Wyze Solar Panel to eliminate the need to recharge ever again, depending upon your location.
Customer Rating
4
Simple with a lot of unofficial potential
on September 24, 2022
Posted by: swemoney
I've tried out a lot of cameras for my home looking for that perfect system that "just works" for my needs. This one still isn't it but it's closer than most and one of the cheaper options too.
Setup is fairly straight forward. Plug in the base station to ethernet and power and the app will walk you through the setup entirely. The lengthiest part of the whole process is updating the firmware but even that's fairly quick compared to others. All in, I had all 3 cameras set up and updated and ready to go in maybe 20 minutes. Two of the cameras came around 50% charged while one of them was completely dead so I let them all charge up to 100% which took the night.
I've used battery powered cameras before but usually just left them connected to power at all times. These are definitely meant to be used as completely wireless. They're pretty hefty feeling from what I assume is mostly battery. A couple days of usage has only depleted the battery a few percent even after adjusting the clip recording time and cooldown time and having them in fairly high traffic areas. You aren't able to keep these plugged in outdoors as the charging port is not sealed while charging. So you'll have to be fine with bringing the camera back inside for a while to charge when they're close to dying. If you're using them indoors, you should be fine keeping them plugged in at all times.
The mount for these cameras is pretty nice. I think it's a similar mount on all of the wyze cameras but these are my first so I'm not 100% sure. They are magnetic which lets them stick to the bottom or top of the camera (in case you want to mount on the ceiling and hang the camera down). You can then extend and angle and rotate fairly freely to get the angle you want. The mount is stiff so I'm pretty confident it'll stay where you put it but given only a couple days to test I'm not sure if they'll loosen up at all.
These are 1080p cameras so quality is pretty much what you'd expect out of some cheap but decent 1080p cameras. Quality is fine but you aren't going to get the crispness of a 4K stream or anything. Settings for the cameras are pretty basic but should cover most of your needs. You can record standard motion clips for a maximum of 12 seconds with a 5 minute cooldown right out of the box. If you want more features and customization with your recordings you'll need to subscribe to at least their Cam Plus plan. It's not incredibly expensive to cover all 3 cameras but something to consider if you're going to use the camera in an area where a lot of pixels are going to change. If you don't, you'll just be flooded with 12s motion clips and I'm guessing it won't be super easy to find what you're looking for. With Cam Plus, they let you eliminate the cooldown (or change it to a shorter time) as well as increase the recording time all the way to 5 minutes. Better yet, you can use their AI detection settings for finding humans, pets, packages or cars. The app even lets you receive notifications from the AI events separately from the standard motion events so you can see when most important things happen but you won't be notified every time a motion only event happens.
Home integration is pretty minimal. I was only able to find Amazon Alexa support in the app officially. But I was able to find a docker package that spins up a very customizable proxy for your cameras which gives you rtsp streams and a web frontend. If you're feeling more adventurous, there's instructions on the same package that should get all of your Wyze cameras running with HomeKit Secure Video. None of this is officially supported and you'll need to do a lot of work to get it to work but it's nice to know that it's even possible at least.
Overall, these cameras are easy enough and the AI seems good enough to do a good enough job inside and outside my home. Cam Plus is inexpensive enough that I may stick with this for a while but I'll also probably try and get the whole system working with HomeKit Secure Video which is what I want for my whole home's camera system. If you're looking for a camera system that "just works" out of the box but also has the potential to tweak and poke into submission to do more unofficial stuff, this might be the system for you.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Don’t let the battery of your devices die as you go throughout your day. The Insignia NS-PW3X4AC2W22B 140W 4-Port USB & USB-C Desktop Charger Kit for MacBook Pro 16” and More has a high, 140-watt output to quickly charge your MacBook Pro, smartphone, tablet and more. It has two USB and two USB-C ports so you can connect your cables (not included) and charge up to four devices simultaneously. Its desktop design easily lets you stack up to 4 chargers on top of one another, granting you more charging options. A simple white design pairs well with your other accessories. Keep your desktop devices working as hard as you do with this 4-port charger.
Customer Rating
4
More than I need, but it gets the job done.
on September 18, 2022
Posted by: swemoney
Looking for a "do it all" power brick and this definitely meets my needs. Probably a little overkill.
Setup is obviously a breeze. You plug it in and then plug whatever you're looking to charge into it. Super simple. You can plug in the unit straight into an outlet or you can use the extension cable for extra length. You then have 2 USB-A outputs and 2 USB-C outputs so you can charge your phone, computer and whatever other devices you might need. There's also an extra standard plug on the front side of the device that acts as kind of a pass through power outlet for the one you're taking up.
I can't complain about any of the charging abilities. All of my devices work great. An iPhone plugged into the USB-A slot charges about as fast as you'd expect out of a 10W charger. And I can keep my MacBook Pro going at the same time. If I need to use the actual outlet, I don't have to worry about unplugging anything since I can just use the pass through.
Only real complaint would be that this this is HUGE. And heavy. You're going to notice it if you're using it for a lot of travel stuff. Not a huge deal breaker for me but it's noticeable right away how big this is.
Overall, this thing is much more than I really need but it works for everything I need just fine and maybe my needs change in the future and this will still work great for me. If it's in your budget and you're looking for a heavy duty do it all charger, this might be for you.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Linksys Hydra 6 with Intelligent Mesh delivers the speed of Wi-Fi 6. From next-level gaming to streaming your favorite content, get the fastest connection to everything you do.
Customer Rating
3
Lack of settings really kills this one
on September 1, 2022
Posted by: swemoney
It seems like I've been testing out a lot of routers lately. I had an old Linksys that was on the higher end for a long time. Despite my distaste for the interface and how much they push their mobile app, I overall thought it was a good really router. Since then, I've tried a couple routers on the cheaper side of things and have thought they were decent routers as far as settings goes and customization but their performance was just... subpar. My home is technically 2 stories with a split level living room. It's not huge but with the router on one side of the home, it struggles to get to the upstairs on the other side of the room. I was excited to try out another Linksys and since this one was a good $50 or so more expensive than the other ones I tried, I hoped my wifi struggles would be taken care of. Sadly, only a little bit.
Overall, setup was pretty easy. As much as I'm not a big fan of their mobile-most approach, I will admit that their setup process seems like it would be really painless for someone who doesn't know the first thing about networking or setting up a router. I am not that person, but I can see how it would be very helpful. I also only have one of these routers right now so I don't have to set up anything as a mesh. The app seemed very good at these kind of setup tasks. It takes you through everything with diagrams if you need extra help. It even convinces you to unplug and replug your modem (with timers so you can leave the modem unplugged and everything). I noticed this step because I feel like it's pretty common for me to hook up a new router and then wonder what's wrong with it for a minute before remembering that the modem probably needs a reboot. Definitely something I'd forget to tell my dad if I was talking him through setting up a new router over the phone. There was one step I didn't love about the initial setup. I was only allowed to name my wifi once for both bands. I like to keep my networks separate so I can specify which network every device connects to (and the 2.4 interference in my area is terrible). Aside from that, the initial setup process was pretty OK.
Settings on this router are about as bare bones as I expected. Linksys likes to dumb down everything so the lay-person isn't exposed to settings that they might not understand (overwhelming them) or that they might misconfigure and cause performance issues. If you are a lay-person and don't know much about networking and just want something to plugs in and works, this is great news for you. I wasn't as pleased after the last two routers I used with the offerings.
For starters, they really push the mobile app for all of your configuration needs. But the mobile app doesn't expose all of the settings. The aforementioned setting for separating your 2.5 and 5 Ghz bands into separate wifi networks is just not existent on the mobile app. When I finally logged in to the router page on my computer, I was able to find the ability to do this. After this is done, the wifi settings page on your mobile app just doesn't scroll down enough to enter advanced settings anymore which is the only place you can find their Channel Finder feature which is supposed to scan the channels around you to find the best channels that won't overlap. When I tried this setting the first time, it found channels that were definitely not the best for my area and neither the app OR the web based interface has any place (that I've been able to find) to set the channels for each band manually. So I'm just stuck on whatever channels it has chosen in a heavy interference area. It's so bizarre to find a router now a days that you can't adjust the channels for your wifi since it's such a crucial step for troubleshooting interference issues.
The rest of the settings you can find are pretty much your bare basics. Nothing to right home about. It'll get the job down for 90% of just home users that need wifi but if you're looking for any advanced settings at all, this is just not the router for you. On top of that, even though the router is on your local network and the connection to the router should just be a really simple (and fast) local connection, the app and web interface area painfully slow. Changing any page. Doing anything really results in a loading indicator blocking the whole page for 5-10 seconds. I don't understand how they could engineer a webpage (or API for the mobile app) that's this slow on a local network. None of the problems I mentioned are new to this specific router. They've been around for a long time. If you aren't an advanced user, you'll probably be fine. If you are, look at similarly priced options from ASUS and TP-Link for more advanced features and settings.
Performance-wise, I think I do notice a little bit in the way of 2.4 Ghz coverage over the last couple routers I've played with. Not a lot. Not enough to endorse this router and forgive the lack of customization. But it does seem a tad better. Speeds overall for my wired connections seem to be up to the 1Gbps download speeds I get through my ISP. I'm not really set up to test out their 3Gbps claims, sadly, but I'd expect my local connections to be faster than 1Gbps if I wasn't running everything else through a 1Gbps switch right now.
In conclusion, this is just an OK router. It does what it's supposed to do with minimal fuss. It sacrifices a lot of customization features so that it can be dead simple to setup and use and not have to worry about. This is probably what a lot of people are looking for. I still can't get over how annoyingly slow their web interface is and how many features and settings are missing from routers priced almost $100 cheaper, though. The fact that they push their mobile app so hard for all your router settings and then they have even fewer settings available on there baffles me even more. For that reason, I'll probably be switching back to something like my cheaper ASUS that I can fine tune a lot more. If you're looking for something you can just plug in and go and don't need to worry about more advanced features, this one might be pretty good for you.
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.
8 years ago
by
swemoney
With no wires in the way, Bose SoundSport Wireless Sports Earbuds keep you moving with powerful audio. Perfect for exercise and running with a sweat and weather resistant design and StayHear+ tips designed for comfort and stability. The Tile app makes your headphones easy to find if they ever go missing.
Is this earphone compatible with Andriod phone?
I didn't test them out on an Android device, but they're bluetooth headphones. So if your Android device supports Bluetooth audio, they should work fine.
8 years ago
by
swemoney