MrPHD
 
 
MrPHD's Stats
 
  • Review Count
    113
  • Helpfulness Votes
    158
  • First Review
    March 8, 2012
  • Last Review
    June 5, 2024
  • Featured Reviews
    0
  • Average Rating
    4.3
 
Reviews Comments
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    0
  • Helpfulness Votes
    0
  • First Review Comment
    None
  • Last Review Comment
    None
  • Featured Review Comments
    0
 
Questions
  • Question Count
    0
  • Helpfulness Votes
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  • Featured Questions
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  • Answer Count
    32
  • Helpfulness Votes
    32
  • First Answer
    March 27, 2014
  • Last Answer
    October 27, 2021
  • Featured Answers
    0
  • Best Answers
    4
 
 
MrPHD's Reviews
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MGC Switchplate Wireless Controller for Switch and Windows PC. Featuring a compact design and 2 swappable magnetic faceplates in white and black, the Switchplate perfectly enhances the aesthetic and play of the Switch OLED, Switch and Switch Lite consoles. In addition to clean style, the Switchplate is packed with all the features you expect from a premium wireless controller:
 
Useful lightweight controller!
Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: MrPHD
on October 9, 2022
Images for this Review
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User submitted photo
I've been struggling to find a reason to keep playing anything on my Switch - I bought it a few months ago and used it for a week, and then stopped for a couple of months. The first problem is the joy-con buttons are terribly tiny and my thumb presses 2 at a time. Then I bought a controller with bigger buttons, but it only worked as a full controller if it was wired into the dock console - which means the Switch sat alone again. That is, until I got the MGC Switchplate! Since it is wireless, I can simply use the kickstand on the Switch and have it at an appropriate viewing level/height, I can use it as a full controller that doesn't require being attached!
As you can see in the picture, the controller is smaller than your standard Xbox controller, but with buttons bigger than the joy-cons. Having the bigger button helps me not accidentally press 2 buttons at a time. It's also lighter than an Xbox controller as well.
The only downside I had was getting it to pair with my Switch. Switch would not see it while on or off the console dock. I wound up plugging it in with the included USB-C to USB cable. Once the Switch saw it, I was able to take it off the dock and still use it wirelessly. This was not included in the instructions, which should have been.
Pros:
4 light panel shows both battery charging and controller number when connected to Switch
Turbo and back custom programmable buttons
Bigger XYBA buttons (in comparison to the Switch joy-cons
Includes long USB-C cable
Lightweight
Can be used on PC
Cons:
Trouble with initial pairing of controller wirelessly
Could've included a USB to USB-C adapter to use on PCs
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
 
The Shark Air Purifier MAX 3-in-1 uses Pure Air MicroForce to deliver fast, powerful, and quiet purification with added purified heat and purified fan modes. Clean Sense IQ senses air quality & auto-adjusts to improve and report results in real time. A HEPA filter captures 99.98% of airborne particles like allergens*, dust, and dander (based on IEST-RP-CC007.3, 0.1-0.2 microns). Cleans up to 1000 square feet. *“Allergens” refers to non-living matter.
 
1 device to replace 3!
Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: MrPHD
on October 8, 2022
I've enjoyed and need an air purifier to run so I can get a good night’s sleep, but my current one is getting a little old and didn't feel like it covered enough of the room where it was. I thought the Shark 3-in-1 would do the trick, even though I felt like maybe it was overkill. It also reminds me of Bender from Futurerama and gets mad at me with the air is purity is under 70%, because it turns red!
The large display is one of the best things, my other air purifier also had colors to tell you what the range the air quality is in, but seeing the specific percentage helps a lot and allows me to keep track if I’ve kept the window open for too long. In addition air purity, it also shows the filter life, time to purify the air, but also 3 different particle trackers. That is a lot info, I do not particularly care to go into the particle trackers, but the other info modes are useful for the room.
The Air purifier is just 1 of the 3 things! It also has a purified fan mode, which I absolutely love. Since the device is rather tall (in comparison to previous ones), the vent where the air comes out is at the correct level to aim towards my bed when I sleep. After I started using it, I would notice the air quality go down, and realized it was because i had a little swamp cooler type machine that I would turn on at night, and that was apparently blowing not clean air, as it needed a cleaning! Had it not been for the Shark, I would still be using it not realizing that is what is waking me up at night!
The 3rd thing is the heater, which is very simple to turn on with the press of the button (assuming the physical switch is on fan/air, more about that in a bit). The heater heats up the room rather quickly, it is just as good or better than my dedicated heater, which I no longer need. That's what I was aiming for, 1 device instead of the 3 individual ones I had - 1 device to cover all seasons.
Pros:
Allows you to get rid of 3 individual devices with 1
Large and very informative screen
Color-coded lights - which can be dimmed
Removable remote control
Fan portion on top, at an appropriate heigh
Cons:
Seems expensive, but 3 different devices would cost a lot more
Filter replacement seems high (in a week the filter life went from 100% to 97%).
Makes a very loud thump when you flip the switch from full air purifier to heat/fan mode, it's very awkward and feels like you've done something wrong, but it's fine
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
 
Venture past the mundane into Almighty Audio with the Arctis Nova 7 Wireless gaming headphones, a superior combination of hardware software. The Nova Acoustic System includes custom audio drivers, 360° Spatial Audio, and 10-band Parametric EQ from Sonar Software. Listen to two audio streams at once with simultaneous 2.4GHz and Bluetooth, easily swapping between PC, Mac, PlayStation, and Switch with USB-C.
 
Pretty solid gaming/phone headset
Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: MrPHD
on September 11, 2022
The charging colors are vague, when I first plugged in the cable, it was just green. Looking at the manual that means it can be anywhere from 50-100% charged. That seems very unhelpful. When connect to iPhone, it also does not show battery level, which is very annoying.

The "Power" button only covers the wireless dongle connector, not the Bluetooth, so if you want to turn off the Bluetooth, you have to press the Bluetooth button. So you have to turn it on and off twice!
The noise cancellation is not great, when the mic is out and not muted, it picks up way too much outside noise. This might be "normal" but I also have another headset which really eliminates surrounding sound as it has 8 mics built in to block it out. Of course, that headset is 3x the price, so it's understandable that it is not as good.
I've been gaming and using a lot of different headsets trying to figure out which one works best for gaming and for also listening to music/podcasts as I play. My favorite headset for the last 2 years was able to connect to my PS4/PS5 and cell at the same time, so it was perfect. Then I got a Bluetooth only headset w/really good noise cancellation and 3D sound, perfect for gaming - unfortunately - only 1 connection, so I could only hear the game itself.
This one is far better than my other dual headset though, mostly because of the power usage on Bluetooth 5.0 - my other headset's Bluetooth range is cut short if I'm connected to both dongle/Bluetooth. This is not the issue with the Nova 7 - even connected to both Bluetooth and dongle, I can walk all over the house and not have the issue my other dual headset has, which makes things so much easier. I used to have to put my phone in my pocket if I was walking out of range.
Pros:
Connects to 2 devices
Bluetooth range works better when also wirelessly connected to dongle
Retractable mic that makes the headset seem like a non-mic headset
Comfortable to wear for a couple of hours
Cons:
Noise cancellation isn't great, but I think that's normal/average
Two power buttons to turn on and off
Battery power levels are not shown and very vague
I would recommend this to a friend!
-1point
0out of 1found this review helpful.
 
Hear them first. With 360 Spatial Sound for Gaming and our proven hardware technology, you can detect where your opponents are and how far away. Even players hiding in shadows or behind walls and obstacles, can’t stay hidden for long.
 
Pretty Good PS5 Headsets
Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: MrPHD
on August 17, 2022
I didn't think I would like this as much as I do. Previously I used a great wireless headset (via usb dongle) and Bluetooth to connect to PS5 and my phone at the same time, so I could hear the PS5 game *and* listen to music at the same time, but in order to do so, I would have to physically get up and plug the dongle in and out (or go into PS5 settings if it's in and change the audio output to TV if I leave it in) - that's all just a few extra steps, physically and/or settings changes, which if you're short on time, takes away from gaming time.
The H3 wired simplifies everything - I don't have to get anywhere near the PS5 console because all I have to do is plug this into the PS5 controller (or any other device such as my Nintendo Switch), and the headsets are always closer to me.
This has 3D spatial sound which is excellent when playing Fortnite (make sure to enable 3D audio in PS5 and also adjusting the 3D audio profile-if needed) - I was able to use the default as my ears set centered to the default settings. When enabled, you can hear all the sounds coming from the appropriate directions, which are extremely useful on fighting games.
The H3 doesn't have Noise cancellation but it's actually pretty good without it. I have another Sony wireless with noise cancellation and it's superb and completely drowns out my a/c. My dual bluetooth/usb dongle that doesn't have noise cancellation makes the a/c is pretty noticeable. The H3's are in between the 2, but I quickly forget the a/c is even on w/the H3 because my ears are covered and the game sounds hide the loud a/c enough.
The headsets themselves are comfortable, which is always a worry especially if I'm gaming for a long time - and sometimes I find myself playing on ps5 for hours at a time (especially with pinball games).
There is a volume control on the left side and the boom mic goes up and down, but putting the mic up does not mute the mic (in comparison to my other headsets) and there is no mute button on the headset itself. When on the PS5, that's not a problem, but when plugged into another device (such as the Nintendo Switch/PC), mute will have to be set on the device itself - minor inconvenience.
For the price of the H3 in comparison to the higher end model, the H3 is a great deal that provides great sounds and is comfortable to wear for a few hours at a time.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
 
This smart bedside lamp is your solution to a brighter life. Like unwinding after a long day? Choose from 20 mood-boosting light effects or customize one of your own with the Finger Sketch feature and let Aura do the rest.
 
Good for reading, could be brighter
Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: MrPHD
on June 8, 2022
I've been wanting an LED light/lamp for a while, I have a remote controlled LED in my bedroom that is pretty good, but my main issue with that is I need to find the remote if I’m lying in bed and just want to power it off. The buttons can be inconsistent and hard to remember where I last left it.
That goes away with the Goove lamp, there *are* buttons on the top which allows you to put it in music mode, increase/decrease brightness, power on and off, and a "switch" button that you can cycle through colors. Which is great for basic needs, but if you want to get into customizing the colors or the scenery, you'll need to download the app.
The app is interesting, the Effects Lab section has lots and lots of options and colors, including showing the colors of specific things you can then choose from: basic colors, colors of ingredients (such as broccoli, eggplant), desserts, emotions, stars and many more. It also has a National Flags section, but it does not have all the countries. You can argue that it covers most of the flags and other flags cover the missing flag colors, but it would be nice to just pick your country flag directly.
Another great feature that you find in the app are timer, alarms, and sleep modes. You can set times when you want the lamp to turn on or off, a wake up mode (which gradually brightens the lamp), and a sleep timer which will decrease the light as time goes on.
I like all the features, my main problem is that the brightest setting is not bright enough - compared to my LED light bulb. However, it is low to medium perfect for night reading and winding down.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
 
Cube GPS Tracker can be placed discretely in your vehicle so you can track where it goes, how long it spends there, and at what speed it travels. Cube gathers data via GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cell tower triangulation then reports the data back via the LTE-M data plan. Plans start at $16.50/Month.; Ideal for theft recovery, fleet tracking or just keeping an eye on your valuables. Cube GPS can be hardwired into vehicles using optional OBD II plug or wired directly to the battery with the hardwire kit.; Thieves today know exactly where to go to disable the factory GPS on newer cars. Cube GPS can be a backup plan to help with recovery. Even if the thief removes the cables from the battery the Cube will still report using its own battery for up to two weeks.
 
Good to track, but not good to alert
Customer Rating
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Posted by: MrPHD
on June 1, 2022
I was pretty excited about the ability to be able to locate my tracker (which I've hidden in my motorcycle). I used to have a tracker that would alert me if the tracker left my address, but unfortunately that product has been discontinued and have been looking for something else ever since.
The cube tracker seemed to fit my requirements, in which you can create a "Safe Place" (which I created work/home) to alert me when it leaves. However, it does not seem to be consistent. According to the app itself, the Safe Place when connected to the wifi puts the tracker in power saving mode. I also setup a virtual fence at both my home and office (as i did w/previous tracker) to alert me anytime it leaves (and enters). In theory, this is excellent, and what I wanted to do is essentially have a GPS tracker which is an alarm, to let me know the minute it leaves my home/work while I'm not on it. In usage though, it doesn't seem to alert me enough - i had a friend take the GPS with them and walk outside of the 200M virtual fence, but it didn't seem to work unless I had the app open, which is not great, and I've set the intervals to 1 minute, so I should’ve been alerted immediately.
It does do a good job of tracking though. Since it's in my bike, I do randomly drive and take random streets as I love riding, and my weekend trip was very well tracked on the GPS, but that is my secondary want. The primary reason is to make sure I am notified as soon as my bike leaves! It is great to look back on my driving route on my longer drivers, which I have been missing as I haven't had a tracker in 2 years.
Often, throughout the day, I get a notification that the bike has entered the virtual fence, even though it's been sitting there all day. Apparently the bluetooth connection sometimes gets disconnected, and I think it has to do if I'm overtaxing the bluetooth on my phone, so that is not really a Cube Tracker problem but just a general bluetooth power issue.
The alerts are lacking, the app has 5 different RingTones, but all of them seem the same and not distinguishable enough. I stopped allowing me to even sample the the ring tones after the first day, but that doesn't matter - if you have an Apple Watch paired with the Iphone, it will just use a standard alert and it doesn't sound unique. Not sure who can fix that - apps like this should be allowed to NOT go to the watch and force a specific ring on your iphone (especially if you're using Virtual fence/Safe Place). If you can't tell that your cube is alerting you in a distinctive way, then there is no point in using it!
I will still use it until I find something better, but the alert system / sounds are lacking and if it is the middle of the night and someone stole your bike - you would not know until you wake up.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
 
The WH-1000XM5 headphones rewrite the rules for distraction-free listening. Two processors control 8 microphones for unprecedented noise canceling and exceptional call quality.
 
Noise cancellation that removes fans noise!
Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: MrPHD
on May 24, 2022
Been looking for new wireless headsets after my current one had an earpad rip, but the replacements for it were expensive and out of stock for 2 months, and reviews on the replacement were very low. So instead of waiting for something that may or may not fix my current, I just went with a new brand.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 packaging does not look like much - it looks like what you would get standing in line at a Ross or TJ Max just randomly priced in the aisle. However, the insides are a different story. The earpads are large enough to fit over your ears (and I have relatively large ears) and turning it on immediately made my Windows 11 PC immediately asked me if I wanted to connect to it, which I accepted and I was able to make and receive Teams calls immediately on it.
There is a Sony Headphones Connect app that allows you to connect to both the headsets itself, while still being connected to a 2nd device (which is not on by default). Connecting to the app also allows you to play with the settings; the most important is the adaptive settings and ambiance / noise cancelling. The headset themselves has multiple microphones to determine the surrounding noise. It can tell if you're standing still/laying down, if you're out casually walking, if you're out running, or if you're on a bus/train. That sounds crazy right? Crazy amazing! It's been warm the last few weeks so I have 2 things that are constantly on and make noise - my fan and my air purifier. They're subtle sounds that you get used to pretty quickly, but sounds. Turning on the noise cancelling (in either transport or staying mode) and the fan and purifier are no longer heard! This is both good and bad, the bad part is if I take a call while the fan is on and aimed at me, the mic is picking up the wind and even though I can't hear it, it affects my voice when speaking - this is not the fault of the headsets though - this is a normal thing to occur when having a fan pointed to your mic! I just have to be aware to shift the fan so I don't sound odd during my calls.
Another option for walking/running allows for the ambient sounds, to make sure you can hear people/cars, which is important to make sure you hear someone is trying to talk to you, because sometimes on public transit you will accidentally insult and enrage people who think you're ignoring them. Those people are called crazy.
Another feature that is off by default - "Speak-to-Chat" - which means if you do have noise cancelling on and someone is talking to you, instead of manually turning off noise cancelling, if you just start talking it detects your voice and turns off noise cancelling so you can hear the other person speaking. That is both impressive and annoying that it needs to be done - because in my view, if you seem me wearing headsets, that means I don't want to talk to you! Leave me alone! However, people are generally rude and do not care about you and will bother you. Since this is off by default, another way to quickly and temporarily turn off noise cancelling is by simply placing your entire hand over the right speaker, and you'll hear the ambient noise as long as you have it cupped. This is also useful when you think you hear something very lightly, cupping the right side you can hear all noise.
More useful features: Whatever you're listing to (be it AppleTV4k, music on iPhone/iPad, or music on PC) taking the headphones off your head is an immediate pause! Putting the headsets back on, instant play. Again, that sounds neat and silly, but being that I am constantly having to pause my music to talk to someone bothering me, the simple act of moving it off my head down to my neck stops my place in the song/podcast without having pull out phone or pause on watch.
And yet another feature - the headsets are touch sensitive! Want to quickly pause without taking off the headset? Double tap quickly for a pause/play. Want to raise or lower volume? Swipe up or down! You can also program the left side button to create actions in app, but I'm not going to play with that just yet, everything works well currently.
Finally, there is a 360 Reality Audio surround sound app that I haven't gotten into as it seems to enable full immersive audio, which sounds great (and there is a sample to try it), but then you would need audio sources that support it, and I haven't investigated that part enough as it's an extra step to look into for 360 sources.
Pros:
Excellent sound quality when using Noise Cancellation
Speak To Chat quickly turns off noise cancellation to carry out a conversation.
Touch sensitive controls
Quick pause/play by lifting headsets off ears
Able to listen to music on one device, and then be able to take a call on another by being connected to 2 devices at the same time
Cons:
A little pricey
Touch sensitive can accidentally be set off while laying down and just adjusting your handsto your head!
As you can see, not much on cons side!
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
 
 Austere - V Series Power 6 Outlet/Omniport USB 3000 Joules Surge Protector - Silver and Black
Austere - V Series Power 6 Outlet/Omniport USB 3000 Joules Surge Protector - Silver and Black
Flawlessly connected, Fiercely protected. Austere is moving beyond the primary function of providing power, to a place where performance, safety, and design come together to define what you should expect in power. Using our PureFiltration technology, Austere Power cleans noise and artifacts, that can travel through power lines and keeps them from impacting your devices. In addition, the Omniport USB provides rapid charge and protection for low-voltage devices. Austere also employs flameless MOV circuits and thermal protected outlets, keeping you safe from a home electrical fire. And if anything were to happen, our Component Guarantee promises to protect your equipment from damage, regardless of its value, whenever your devices are plugged into an Austere Power product. And because how it looks is as important as what it does, Austere’s proprietary aDesign philosophy elevates function through purposeful engineering and sleek design. Our surge protector power strips have a brushed aluminum housing, which creates an elegant way to power your home electronic devices. Always. Not all power is created equal. You may not know it, but your surge protectors can wear out over time. Joules–the protective layer of energy that defends your components–are finite. And when they are gone, it leaves your system completely unprotected from shock or surge. Traditional surge protectors only last a year or two so if you can’t remember when you last refreshed your home’s power, it’s likely time to do it now. And to take out the guesswork of when your Austere Power needs to be replaced, the blue protection shield icon on the Power unit will cease to illuminate once the Joules have been used. But that won’t happen for a long time because Austere Power is rated to last more than five times as long as most power products and guarantees to safeguard your system with our Component Guarantee.
 
Ditch some of your power bricks
Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: MrPHD
from Los Angeles, CA
on May 4, 2022
Very rarely do I get excited on surge protectors, but I was tired of moving power bricks around and unplugging a few when I need to plug in the my shredder because my previous strip could not handle it.
I don't have to worry about that now, as this is powerful enough to handle a shredder without having to unplug anything else.
The spacing on each of the 6 outlets is pretty good, will definitely handle your power bricks for phones (be it iPhone or android) and any device with that kind of a footprint, including the new larger/wider Apple Watch Series 7 power brick. However, the beautify of this is you can ditch some of those power bricks and use the USB-C ports (there are 3!) or regular USB ports (2), leaving the top standard outlets available.
It is much nicer/cleaner to have those top outlets available and ditching the power bricks. I should point out that the USB-C ports are not USB-PD(power delivery) ports, which is required if you have an AppleWatch Series 7. Not that big of a deal, just means I have to use 1 power brick for the Apple Watch, which is not a big deal now I have 5 other outlets available, since I’ve using the 2 USB ports and 1 USB-C port.
Another unintended bonus out of this is the 3 blue lights(Power, Ground, Protected LEDs) are pretty bright and work as a nightlight for me, and will always let me know everything is working correctly.
The power plug for the outlet is 5 feet, which is also great, the strip that I replaced only had 3 feet on it and kept getting in the way of furniture of where I had it placed, I no longer have to worry about that!
I have had no issues so far in charging my PS4 controllers, my phone, my air purifier, my watch, my portable speakers, wireless headsets, webcam light, and even my paper shredder - it can handle it all. My previous power strip could not handle my shredder along with another device charging, so that’s also a relief.
Pros:
Outlet spacing accomodates most modern power bricks
Clearly visible LED lights letting you know you're protected (and your wall outlet is grounded)
3 USB-C ports
2 USB ports
5 ft power cable
Mounting holes on the bottom
Nice coloring scheme
Cons:
Has some weight to it, a little like a UPS, but without having a battery inside
USB-C port will not charge AppleWatch Series 7 (but will charge previous versions)
Outlet spacing won't allow for a larger brick (like a VoiP power supply) next to another power brick.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
 
Improve indoor air quality with this Kyvol Vigoair P5 air purifier. Efficient filtration System coupled with the pre-Filter, H13 true HEPA filter, and carbon filter quickly eliminate a variety of allergens, including mold, smoke, pollen, dust and pet dander. This Vigoair P5 air purifier have an topside HD LED smart control panel,LED Night Light and filter replacement reminder feature, it's friendly to serves your home.
 
Not bad, just a little louder than I wanted
Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: MrPHD
on February 10, 2022
Having made the mistake of not taking the filter out of a previous air filter, i like that they put in the power adapter INSIDE so you have to remove the filter and the plastic around it to use it. That seems like a very simple and space saving way to package a product, but forcing someone to pull out the filter and also just look at the device to get used to it - is a great packaging design
The sticker for the power supply plug fell off upon pulling the device out, and the connection location would not be so easy to find
There are 4 fan modes, 1 and 2 are quiet enough, but 3 and 4 are a bit louder than you would expect for such a small device. I have a bigger air purifier that I use and the highest mode is quieter than this, it also did not seem to help with my allergies as my other one does. Leaving it on overnight - which has a sleep mode that turns off the top display and lowers the fans - but I still wake up stuffy with just the Kyvol vs my other one. I was looking to keep the smaller one in the bedroom vs the large one, which will have to stay where it is, and the Kyvol can go into another room.
Pros:
Small "cute" footprint
4 modes
timer
Sleep mode
Very light and easy to carry around
Con:
very loud
Doesn't seem to work as well as I wanted
Would I recommend it, yes, it's a good small one and would be best serviced in smaller rooms.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
 
 IOGEAR - Mini Wireless Screen Sharing - Black
IOGEAR - Mini Wireless Screen Sharing - Black
Never compromise the viewing experience from your computer or smartphone with IOGEAR’s Mini Wireless Screen Sharing receiver. Stream audio and video in Full HD 1080p resolution ensuring your content playback looks as sharp on your HDTV or projector as it does on your device's display. The Mini Wireless Screen Sharing receiver is the perfect solution for wirelessly streaming video and audio from your Windows 10+ PC, Android device, Apple MacOS X, iPhone or iPad to your HDTV, projector or monitor. Use the built-in dedicated Wi-Fi to stream audio and video from up to 30 feet to any connected screen. Enjoy all your favorite content such as movies, videos, photos and online streaming sites including YouTube®, Hulu® and Netflix®* in HD from a single low-profile receiver without any additional cables or dongles. Installation is fast and straightforward. Simply connect the receiver to your TV and follow the simple onscreen instruction. Mini Wireless Screen Sharing receiver creates its own dedicated wireless network and is not reliant on an existing in-building Wi-Fi network. Just plug in and play! *Streaming videos from your iOS device to a TV screen may not be supported by some online video providers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, etc. However, Android users may be able to use Miracast, Smart View or similar technologies to effect screen sharing. Please check the specifications of your devices and providers before purchasing.
 
Confusing and useless
Customer Rating
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Posted by: MrPHD
from Los Angeles, CA
on January 16, 2022
In my company's conference room we have a Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter, which works off Miracast, and works well to mirror any employee's laptop. However, there are times in which someone wants to mirror their iphone or just stream music from the iphone on the tv. Obviously without an AppleTV or AirPlay enabled TV, you can't - which is why I thought this iogear was the solution. It says it connects to both PCs AND Apple products - sounds almost too good to be true.
It is - it is unnecessarily complicated to setup, vs Microsoft's, which just plugs in and works - nor does it require to be connected to your internet, which I did not feel comfortable with. WIthout connecting it to the internet, I connected to it by direct wifi on laptop - and it would not connect to the display. I disconnected laptop and connected iphone directly to it, and was able to mirror - but having it in potrait mode and videos playing- the video kept stuttering. The audio did not stutter but it was not in sync with the videos. When I tried it in landscape mode - the screen went crazy before it caught up again. After that, it was clear this couldn't a PC and can barely handle a small iphone.
Would not recommend.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Mobile Submission: False
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
 
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 Samsung - SmartThings Item Tracker - White
Samsung - SmartThings Item Tracker - White
Secure yourself, a loved one or valuables with this smart, versatile Samsung SmartThings tracker. Its geo-fencing feature triggers smart home automations or alerts you when a pet or person who has it leaves or enters your designated zone. Double-press the button of this IP68-rated Samsung SmartThings tracker to notify authorized persons of your current location.
 

So I am in need of a gps tracker for my husband who has dementia. I want something user friendly for the technically challenged. Something I can put on his key chain that would notify me if he leaves the home,

This should work for you, the initial "setup" is the most difficult in which you have to setup the "Home" zone, and it will alert you (via the app) that the device has left the zone. You will want to charge the device every few days.
5 years, 1 month ago
by
Posted by: 
MrPHD
 
 Samsung - SmartThings Item Tracker - White
Samsung - SmartThings Item Tracker - White
Secure yourself, a loved one or valuables with this smart, versatile Samsung SmartThings tracker. Its geo-fencing feature triggers smart home automations or alerts you when a pet or person who has it leaves or enters your designated zone. Double-press the button of this IP68-rated Samsung SmartThings tracker to notify authorized persons of your current location.
 

Is there a monthly service fee?

1 year of LTE service included, after the first 12 months service price is $5 a month or $50 per year.
5 years, 1 month ago
by
Posted by: 
MrPHD
 
 Samsung - SmartThings Item Tracker - White
Samsung - SmartThings Item Tracker - White
Secure yourself, a loved one or valuables with this smart, versatile Samsung SmartThings tracker. Its geo-fencing feature triggers smart home automations or alerts you when a pet or person who has it leaves or enters your designated zone. Double-press the button of this IP68-rated Samsung SmartThings tracker to notify authorized persons of your current location.
 

What’s the range

No real "range" - it's GPS based.
5 years, 1 month ago
by
Posted by: 
MrPHD
 
 Samsung - SmartThings Item Tracker - White
Samsung - SmartThings Item Tracker - White
Secure yourself, a loved one or valuables with this smart, versatile Samsung SmartThings tracker. Its geo-fencing feature triggers smart home automations or alerts you when a pet or person who has it leaves or enters your designated zone. Double-press the button of this IP68-rated Samsung SmartThings tracker to notify authorized persons of your current location.
 

Two quick questions. Is the lanyard long enough to fit around a man's neck? He won't remember to put it on but if I could put it around his neck he won't leave without it. Is it water proof. Can he shower in it?

The included lanyard is NOT long enough to fit around a neck of any size person or animal. You would want to just buy a separate lanyard that would be big enough.
The device is listed with an IP68 rating, and this is what that means according to Samsung: "Devices backed by an international standard rating of IP68 are deemed fit enough to withstand dust, dirt and sand, and are resistant to submersion up to a maximum depth of 1.5m underwater for up to thirty minutes."

That tells me it should be okay to use it in the shower.
5 years, 1 month ago
by
Posted by: 
MrPHD
 
Listen to your favorite music or enjoy streaming video with this set of Insignia computer speakers. An integrated headphone jack lets you enjoy stereo sound without disturbing others, and the universal design works with desktops and laptops. With simple power and volume controls, these Insignia computer speakers offer effortless operation.
 

Can the Insignia speakers be used with an HP laptop computer?

Yes, this will work with any computer with an audio/stereo/headset jack.
5 years, 10 months ago
by
Posted by: 
MrPHD
 
Listen to your favorite music or enjoy streaming video with this set of Insignia computer speakers. An integrated headphone jack lets you enjoy stereo sound without disturbing others, and the universal design works with desktops and laptops. With simple power and volume controls, these Insignia computer speakers offer effortless operation.
 

Does this include a cord to connect the speakers to a monitor? Like an audio jack?

Yes, it comes with audio jack to connect to computer. If your monitor has built in speakers and an audio jack, you can connect them to it.
5 years, 10 months ago
by
Posted by: 
MrPHD
 
Listen to your favorite music or enjoy streaming video with this set of Insignia computer speakers. An integrated headphone jack lets you enjoy stereo sound without disturbing others, and the universal design works with desktops and laptops. With simple power and volume controls, these Insignia computer speakers offer effortless operation.
 

Can you connect this to your PS4 or a monitor

No on the PS4, as it requires a stereo output to connect to, which the PS4 does not have.

You can connect to a monitor, only if the monitor has the capability to play sound through (headset jack).
5 years, 10 months ago
by
Posted by: 
MrPHD
 
 Sonos - Beam Soundbar with Voice Control built-in - Black
Sonos - Beam Soundbar with Voice Control built-in - Black
Get more out of your home theater setup with this Sonos Beam compact smart soundbar. A 5-speaker with five amplifier setup delivers rich, big sound to your room, while the single-cable connection allows for fast, easy setup. Compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control, this Sonos Beam compact smart soundbar lets you control the volume and power with the just sound of your voice.
 

Will this device pair well with the vizio m50-e1? Not sure if my tv has the necessary ports for this device.

Yes, that particular TV has an HDMI ARC point - use that.
5 years, 10 months ago
by
Posted by: 
MrPHD
 
 Sonos - Beam Soundbar with Voice Control built-in - Black
Sonos - Beam Soundbar with Voice Control built-in - Black
Get more out of your home theater setup with this Sonos Beam compact smart soundbar. A 5-speaker with five amplifier setup delivers rich, big sound to your room, while the single-cable connection allows for fast, easy setup. Compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control, this Sonos Beam compact smart soundbar lets you control the volume and power with the just sound of your voice.
 

I have the Samsung ONE CONNECT box. Optical to electrical converter per say. What port of the SAMSUNG ONE Connect do i hook up to the Sonos Beam? What are the available ports of the Sonos Beam?

You can only connect to the beam with an HDMI cable. It does come with an optical to HDMI converter for older TV's/receivers.
5 years, 10 months ago
by
Posted by: 
MrPHD
 
 Sonos - Beam Soundbar with Voice Control built-in - Black
Sonos - Beam Soundbar with Voice Control built-in - Black
Get more out of your home theater setup with this Sonos Beam compact smart soundbar. A 5-speaker with five amplifier setup delivers rich, big sound to your room, while the single-cable connection allows for fast, easy setup. Compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control, this Sonos Beam compact smart soundbar lets you control the volume and power with the just sound of your voice.
 

I have a 2008 Samsung without a Arc hdmi. What is the best way to use the beam for both streaming amazon music and tv audio without any receiver/amp.

The Sonos Beam comes with an optical to HDMI converter. Assuming your TV does have optical, you can simply use that. Music streaming you connect via your phone (Android/Iphone) using the amp, and it sounds great.
5 years, 10 months ago
by
Posted by: 
MrPHD