RedScorpion
Top 100 Contributor
RedScorpion's Stats
- Review Count177
- Helpfulness Votes1,524
- First ReviewJune 21, 2012
- Last ReviewJune 29, 2024
- Featured Reviews0
- Average Rating4.5
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- Answer Count14
- Helpfulness Votes42
- First AnswerMay 13, 2016
- Last AnswerSeptember 30, 2020
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The HT-S2000 soundbar delivers high-quality audio and an upscaled cinematic surround sound experience for all your content. Built for the Sony ecosystem, this compact soundbar solution is compatible with Sony SA-SW3, SA-SW5 subwoofers and, SA-RS3S rear speakers and integrates fully with BRAVIA XR TVs.
Sony Delivers Rich Spatial Audio
Customer Rating
5.0
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The Sony HT-S2000 is a soundbar that takes aim at similar offerings from Sonos and Boss, and more than stood its ground. The soundbar impressed me with its sound range and ease of use. Whether connected to the eARC on my TV or connected via Bluetooth, the sound quality was always top notch. Audio was clear and rich enough to fool my dog into thinking he needed to spring into action and defend me. Spatial audio surprised me. Dolby Atmos effects worked well. Add to this speaker the ability to pair a wireless subwoofer and rear channel speakers, and Sony has a winner.
Setup: Inside the box, Sony includes the AC adapter, the speaker, a remote, mounting documentation, and a high-speed HDMI cable. I really appreciate having the HDMI cable included. The AC adapter will not take up more than one space on your power strip.
I plugged my speaker into the eARC port on my TV and set up was truly plug-in play. The television remote controls the volume on the soundbar.
TIP: When given the option, I do not recommend having the TV decode the audio. On my TV, having the TV decode the audio created stutters and lag in video playback. Instead, put the audio in passthrough and let the soundbar do the heavy lifting. That’s what you got it for.
Experience: As previously noted, audio sounds great. The bass has a surprising amount of punch to it. There’s depth to the audio. Spatial audio works well and did an excellent job tricking my ears. The speaker can simulate Atmos and DTS-X effects. However, you will need to make sure “Sound Field” is enabled for that feature to fully work.
I recommend that you download the Sony Home Entertainment app from the Google Play or Apple App Store to get the most out of your speaker. Most features are also included on the bundled remote control. But I liked the app because it did give me an indicator of the source audio quality. The speaker itself will only show a small amount of text, but the app will show for instance if your source audio is Dolby Atmos, Dolby 5.1, or DTS-X.
I recommend that you download the Sony Home Entertainment app from the Google Play or Apple App Store to get the most out of your speaker. Most features are also included on the bundled remote control. But I liked the app because it did give me an indicator of the source audio quality. The speaker itself will only show a small amount of text, but the app will show for instance if your source audio is Dolby Atmos, Dolby 5.1, or DTS-X.
I only have a few nitpicks. I like that the speaker has a “nighttime” mode, but I must enable that setting each time I turn the speaker on. I wish the speaker remembered my setting after powering back on from standby. The other settings are saved such as sound field and voice enhancer, but not nighttime mode. But, again, that really is just a nitpick.
Conclusion: I really like this speaker. It sounds great. Most flat screen TVs have awful audio. While I will always love having a receiver and individual speakers, soundbars like the Sony HT-S2000 are slowly converting me. This speaker is simple to use, and it sounds great. I know that audio quality is subjective, but my wife and I are extremely impressed with this speaker. Hopefully, I can add the rear channel speakers and the wireless subwoofer at some point.
5/5 Easily Recommend.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Intro-level price. Pro-level results. For food nerds, by food nerds. Our most compact cooker is still huge on results. This latest iteration of our entry-level sous vide circulator adds key improvements as requested by food nerds, for an even sweeter deal on perfect meals.
Small Cooker, Great Results
Customer Rating
5.0
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The Anova Precision Cooker Nano 3.0 has been my gateway to the cooking world of sous vide, and I am really enjoying my time here. Wi-Fi built-in means I can keep an eye on temps and timers all while stopping or starting the cooking process from anywhere in my house. So far, I have made a few dishes, and they have all come out perfectly. The Nano 3.0 is easy to use, easy to setup, and very easy to recommend.
Setup: The Precision Cooker Nano 3.0 looks to me like a glorified hair curling iron. There’s not a lot in the box, but you will need to download the Anova app and download a firmware update if you wish to use the Nano 3.0 with your phone. The screen controls also work, but I must admit that I enjoyed using my phone. The app makes it easy to find a recipe and then start that recipe with the Nano 3.0. That means the app sends the temps and timers to the cooker.
Experience: I used a 12 quart pot with my Nano 3.0. Now, you can use zip-lock bags, but I chose to use vacuum sealed bags. After making a few recipes and talking with friends, you don’t need vacuum sealed bags. But, it does help to get all the air out and keep things sealed.
TIP: I know clips aren’t technically required, but I would recommend them. In my early goings, I had a few errors where the bags would float too close to the Nano thus interfering with the Nano. Clipping the bags to the side of the pot helped to make sure that didn’t happen.
The first recipe I tried was a maple glazed salmon that I got from the Anova app. That might have been the best salmon I have ever had. The meat was cooked perfectly. I have since experimented with some chicken recipes, and I am dying to try making some steaks. So far, everything has worked really well.
Cons: My only nitpick is that it can take quite a while for the Nano 3.0 to preheat the water. Be prepared, it might take anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour to get the water to temp. The app only starts its timer when the water is at temp. If you put the food in before the water is preheated, it will cook longer. But I never noticed any problems with that as meat was never overdone.
I wish it were easier to take the unit apart for cleaning purposes. I can take an end cap off and drain water, but I can’t really clean anything else out. I guess since I’m only putting this in water and I’m not getting food on the Nano, it should be fine. Time will tell.
Conclusion: I’m looking into a plastic container and am scouring the net for recipes. I’m hooked. Sous vide is a lot of fun and the Nano 3.0 works great. The wi-fi features are intuitive and easy to use. The app does everything I want to do. If you give yourself plenty of time, I think you will really enjoy the Anova Precision Cooker Nano 3.0. I highly recommend it.
5/5
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The 15.6-inch ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 has a new look and features up to the latest 11th Generation Intel Core i5 processor plus WiFi 6E for powerful performance and connectivity. Get 3 months of NVIDIA GeForce NOW’s highest membership at no cost and play games at up to 120fps and 1080p. Terms apply. To deliver expansive visuals in any scenario, its three-sided NanoEdge display with a 16∶10 aspect ratio fits more screen into the chassis, while a Harmon Kardon-certified audio system offers a quad-speaker design to deliver impeccable sound.
I'm Gaming! ...... Kinda
Customer Rating
3.0
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The Asus CX5501FE is my first Chromebook. A few years ago, I made the switch from Apple to Android for my tablet and phone. I've enjoyed my Android devices. I was curious what I could do with a good Chromebook. So, for the last week, I have been putting this Chromebook through the paces. I tested this Chromebook with an eye for whether or not I could replace my existing PC, tablet, or laptop with the Chromebook experience. While I discovered there is a good deal you can do with a Chromebook and in particular this Chromebook, the experience still felt rather limited to me. This Asus Chromebook is "functional". It's not bad, it's just very, very limited. If you're in the market for a Chromebook, this is a solidly built device. But you should know that there are some limitations over a traditional Android tablet or a Windows or MAC PC.
Gaming? Well, I was excited to try a "gaming" Chromebook. A gaming computer is usually designated as such based on the video card and processor. But, this Chromebook is a gaming device in that it streams games from Geforce Now or XBOX. But, Geforce Now and XBOX Game Pass will require a subscription. So what gaming hardware sets this Chromebook apart? It has a Wifi 6 Intel 201 card. It isn't 6G, but it does get pretty good speeds assuming you have a WiFi 6 router. It also has an illuminated keyboard with a highlighted WASD keys. But outside of some mobile games from Google Play (more on that later), this is a gaming through streaming experience.
Geforce Now could access my Epic Games, Steam, and Ubisoft games, but not all of my purchased games were accessible. For instance games from EA, Square Enix, and CD Projekt Red were available, but games from Rockstar and Sony were not.
Streaming games is interesting. I'm sure the experience will get better. This Chromebook came with a three month subscription to Geforce Now. Basically, with a paid subscription, another computer is processing your gaming experience and you are then streaming that game to your computer over the internet connection. I believe the data is advertised at around 9 gigs per hour. Anyone on a restricted data plan should be careful.
I played a few games. FPS games and twitch heavy games worked, but the fast movement felt compressed. Occasionally, I would get a hiccup in the stream and that would interfere with the experience. Playing Cyberpunk 2077 worked, but colors looked slightly washed out. Movements felt less crisp and clear than if you were playing the game on your PC.
Stream gaming is never going to be my preferred option. If I'm at home with my WiFi 6 router and fiber internet, I'm going to be playing on a PC or console. Streaming would only make sense on the go, and at that point, I couldn't guarantee a fast internet connection or that my data cap wouldn't be an issue.
Plus, Geforce Now and XBOX apps are available on tablets, phones, Windows PCs, and TVs. I'm not sure it's a selling point for this device when I could just as easily stream games to my iPad or a cheaper Windows based laptop. You can't download games directly to your Chromebook. You can't access every game in your Steam library. And, the amount of "free" games is pretty limited. So, you can play games, but I couldn't help but feel like the experience is far from optimal.
Software Limitations: Google and Asus expect you will do pretty much everything through Chrome. There are apps, but many of them I tried weren't optimized for the Chromebook experience. For instance, Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime streaming apps were stuck on SD and had a horrible screen flicker. But, I could stream through the websites just fine. Having said that, Google TV, Youtube, and Pluto TV worked as expected. Some of my my previously purchased games like Ticket to Ride worked well.
There is no Microsoft Office app for Chromebooks. If you want to type in Word or work on a spreadsheet in Excel, you will need to use the Office 365 web interface. It works for the most part, but is severely limited. For instance, if you want to open a document, it has to exist on one drive. It feels weird to me that I can get a Word app for my Samsung Android tablet, but not for a Google Chromebook.
Hardware:
This Chromebook can be set up as a traditional laptop, a tablet, or fold it like a tent as a mobile display. The keyboard is responsive. There are two USB-C ports and one USB-A port. The MicroSD slot makes expanding storage rather simple. The battery life on this Chromebook is amazing. I got seven to nine hours depending on usage. The built in speakers are loud and clear.
Unfortunately, the entire thing is a bit of a fingerprint magnet. It's also surprisingly heavy. As a tablet, it always feels a bit large and awkward. But, tablet mode does work well. I love how easily this integrates with my Samsung Galaxy S22 phone. The interface is very clean. Setup is quick. The device boots up and shuts down in just a couple of seconds.
So, do I like it? Yes. But, I feel like the experience is incredibly limited. Better app support and a better experience with game streaming would probably make this a much easier recommendation. As is, I recommend it, but only for people who know full well what they are getting into.
3/5
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
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Elvie - Stride Plus Hands-Free, Hospital-Grade Electric Breast Pump - White
Elvie Stride Plus is a hands-free, hospital-grade electric breast pump with 3-in-1 carry bag that is made for mamas on the move. Finally, hospital-grade performance (a whopping -300 mmHg*) that’s portable, liberating you from sockets and wires. That way, you’re free to express efficiently wherever you pumping please— and all with peace of mind knowing your breast milk is being kept cool. Our breast pump offers powerful—yet comfortable—pumping, putting you in control. Go ahead, mama, milk it for all its worth. *in a single cup set
Hands-Free Breast Pump Works Great!
Customer Rating
5.0
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My family has had a lot of firsts lately. My wife just gave birth to our first child a few weeks ago. Since she has decided to breast feed and pump, we had been researching various pumping devices. The Elvie Stride Plus has been her absolute favorite. You get so much in the box: the breast pumps, carrying cases, and charger. There’s an easy-to-use phone app that works well to help set up and manage pumping sessions. You can control the pump from the app. My wife loves the Elvie Stride Plus and we both highly recommend it.
Setup: First thing you will need to charge the hub. It charges via USB-C. Once charged, the battery lasts many sessions before you will need to charge again. As previously mentioned, there is an app. We used the Android App. The app has guides for sizing and alignment. It walks you through picking the right breast shield.
My wife has stressed that it is very easy to use. Opening the package, there are a lot of parts, but the application walks you through it. Compared to other pumps she has tried; she thinks this is the easiest and most straightforward.
Comfort: My wife has said it’s very comfortable. She’s able to fit it easily inside her nursing bra. We were concerned that the unit would be loud, but I can sit next to her on the couch and not hear anything. Occasionally, I might pick up a vibration noise, but it’s very faint.
Cleanup: The app walks you through how to properly sterilize and clean the pump. She’s never had a problem with spills or mess. It’s easy to put things back into place. Storage has been great. It’s easy to fit everything back in the bag that it comes with.
Tips: If you lower the intensity level during stimulation phase, you will need to lower the intensity again when it switches over to expressing. It will reset intensity level when it changes phases.
Conclusion: My wife is happy. Ergo, I’m happy. She’s really liked it and we can easily recommend the Elvie Stride Plus. It’s simple, effective, and does a great job. 5/5
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Arlo Safe is here to bring you peace of mind with safety on the go. With one tap emergency activation on your phone, it’s like having a security guard by your side. If you feel in danger, you can alert professional security experts to send first responders to your location. You can also check in with family members to see their location and ensure their well-being. If you’re ever in a car accident, automatic auto crash detection will alert security experts to send emergency services to your location. Triple redundant, five diamond, and UL certified monitoring centers ensure you get an immediate response from medically trained, live security experts. Use the included Arlo Safe Button accessory to discreetly alert 24/7 Live Security Experts during an emergency with one tap.¹ Clip it onto a backpack, keychain, or a purse for easy access. ¹Requires cellphone connection.
It's Not Quite Ready....
Customer Rating
1.0
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I'm not a fan of the Arlo Safe experience as it currently stands. App bugs, battery draw, features that don't yet feel polished. It's hard for me to recommend the Arlo Safe Family Bundle.
With the box, you are purchasing a year subscription to Arlo Safe. Arlo Safe allows you to keep an eye on the location of friends and family members. In addition, you can access an emergency alert button. If you are in an emergency situation, you can tap the button within the app for emergency services that are keyed in to your position. My wife and I are expecting our first child. I thought this would be a great pickup for us. I figured she could track my location and contact emergency services if need be.
For $120, you get a year subscription and two Arlo Safe emergency alert buttons. The buttons are an accessory that comes with the subscription. By itself, the subscription from Arlo would run over $100. Adding the button to your Arlo Safe Account is supposed to trigger the yearly subscription. Except, the subscription didn't work for me. I had to spend a lot of time with tech support to get the subscription activated. And, even still, my Arlo Safe Application just shows a trial membership. I had to close the app and open the Arlo Safe website to see that I now had a trial membership that expires in 2024, but still the website lists it as a trial membership. I'm still confused on how this is supposed to work. A prompt on screen when you connect the button to the phone saying your year subscription has now been activated for you and your family members, would have been great. I don't think that would have been too much to ask. As it is, I'm just lost. Adding the button to your account is supposed to trigger the year subscription, but there are two buttons in the box. Who gets the subscription? How does this group subscription work for family member accounts? I can't figure this out. It shouldn't be this complicated.
As said before, the application isn't the most polished. In my last few weeks, it has continually been the highest draw on my phones' batteries. With active tracking and driving features turned on, the app was easily using between ten to fifteen percent of my battery between charging.
You will need to grant the application all sorts of location permissions to work. For some reason, it didn't always work with my Google Pixel 6. Sometimes it would work fine, other times it would say the device was not accessible and that the user needed to recheck permissions.
I wish I could do more to customize the primary emergency alert button, but you can add emergency contacts.
The automatic crash response is glitchy. My phone and my wife's phone seemed to think we were driving even when the phones were just sitting still on a counter. In theory, it's a nice feature, but if it thinks I am driving even when I am not, could that feature come back to haunt me if I were ever involved in an automobile accident? For instance, could the app later indicate to authorities that I was driving while on my phone even though I was sitting completely still?
Then there is the button. Setting up the buttons and adding them to the application was easy. You can install a clip to the button or attach it to a keychain. The button itself is about the size of a shotgun shell. Occasionally, the Arlo Safe app will tell me the battery life for the button is over half used even though I have only had it a month, but after restarting the app, the battery will indicate that it is fully charged. To date, I have never "accidentally" pressed the button. It's only activated when I intended to activate it.
Bigger annoyance is that the buttons keep disconnecting and reconnecting from our phones. And, every time it does this, we get audible notifications on our phone that we can't turn off. We can snooze the alert for 24 hours, but that's an annoyance that neither my wife or I have liked.
I've been using this now for close to a month. My wife has stopped carrying the button around. I've gotten tired of the notifications and application glitches. The subscription not activating was a huge pain.
I like Arlo. I love my Arlo cameras. But, the Safe Family Bundle isn't quite ready. I could see this product being great. But, it's not there yet. There are a lot of alternatives to the Arlo Safe Family Bundle out there, and I can't see any reason to recommend this one. Sorry.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Adobe - Premiere Elements 2023 - Mac OS, Windows
Whether you want to resize and trim or add creative effects and overlays, making awe-inspiring movies is easier than ever. With Adobe Sensei*, click once to transform your videos with effects inspired by famous works of art. Showcase your memories with new photo and video slideshow templates, and create the mood you want with new audio tracks. Plus, go beyond your desktop with new web and mobile companion apps (English-onlybeta), and enjoy faster installation and performance plus Apple M1 chip support. Have fun with the easy moviemaker for Mac and Windows.
Minor Updates to a Solid Video Editor
Customer Rating
4.0
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For the last few weeks, I have been using Adobe Premiere Elements 2023 on a Windows PC to edit and create videos for YouTube. Anyone familiar with Premiere Elements will feel right at home with the latest version of Adobe’s software. For new users, the application does a pretty good job at walking them through the editing process. New artistic filters and masks make it easier than ever to stylize videos.
Beyond that, a lot of the updates for this year’s version seem to be under the hood with improved loading times and a smaller installation footprint. It seems like MAC users got the lions share of performance improvements as I found rendering and export times to be much lengthier than I expected. In addition, I experienced a few system crashes while editing and mixing audio. The moral of the story is that you should save your work and save often.
I’m sure there are many people wondering if they should upgrade from a prior year’s version of Elements. I upgraded from Adobe Premiere Elements 2018. At this point, my old copy of Premiere Elements was five years old. Still, I can’t say I noticed too many new features. The artistic effects and new audio effects are nice, but what I really wanted were more title templates. I wanted more tools to create and assemble my own style of titles and credits. I wanted improved tools within Elements and those feel few and far between. The core experience of Premiere Elements hasn’t changed much five years on from my prior version.
I feel that is the biggest problem with this year’s release. A yearly update to the core software should feel like more than a patch. Additional content is nice. The new artistic filters add a new element to videos. But at some point, it would be nice to see more tools and features. Perhaps we could get a customizable experience shaped around the user and their goals?
But I digress. The 2023 version of Premiere Elements is still a perfectly suitable video editor. It’s perfect for the new video editor. I just wish there was more here to justify an upgrade for existing users.
Recommended: 4/5
I would 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.
It Comes in Blue!
Customer Rating
5.0
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The Sonicare 9000 Diamond Clean toothbrush is slick little device. It looks cool out of the box. I love the blue finish. This is a toothbrush that “stands out.” The lighting effects are a neat touch. Philips isn’t skimping on the extras, either. Inside the box, you get a brush head, a travel case, a charging stand, and a charging base. That separate stand is a nice touch as it is clear and easy to clean without gumming up the base.
The Sonicare 9000 is my very first “smart toothbrush.” Using a toothbrush with a smartphone app has taken me a bit to get used to, but it’s a nice feature to have. The app times your brushing sessions and helps coach you on appropriate toothbrush pressure.
On the brush itself, you will see the power button, the mode button, and towards the bottom is a pressure sensitivity indicator. You wake up the brush just by picking it up. Before you turn on the brush, set your mode. Then hit power. If you wish to change the brushing intensity, you can then press the mode again to cycle between three preset intensities.
Setting up the brush with the Sonicare app on my Android phone was super easy. You download the Sonicare app from the app store and then follow the onscreen instructions.
Setting up the brush with the Sonicare app on my Android phone was super easy. You download the Sonicare app from the app store and then follow the onscreen instructions.
One complaint, it’s that a lot of the brushing modes feel useless without the app. My brush doesn’t pause or light up indicating it’s time to shift zones. Without the app, the mode button feels almost useless. I couldn’t tell a difference between clean, clean+, whitening, or gum health beyond the timer in the Sonicare app.
My second complaint is that the pressure sensitivity indicator is facing the wrong way. I don’t see it while brushing. If the indicator life was built into the base of the brush or on the back of the handle, I would be more apt to see it. As is, it kind of gets lost there on the front of the handle out of my view. Why have the indicator if it isn’t visible to the user?
Based on the estimated life, Philips expects you will replace the brush heads roughly every three months. Currently, the price for the replacement heads is around $30 for a two pack. They also come in packs of four. At $15 a brush head, that seems reasonable. Plus, if you want to switch to a different brush head such as one that focuses on whitening or gum health, you could easily do so.
Again, this toothbrush looks great. The travel case is a nice touch. App integration works, it just feels a bit empty, to me. Pressure sensitivity indicator is a great idea, but on this brush, it just isn’t useful. Still, my mouth has never felt cleaner.
4.5/5 Easily Recommend
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Revolutionary Twinkly Squares smart LED wall panels completely redefine decorative lighting. Whether you want pixel-perfect artwork and GIFs, cool ambience and mood lighting, reactive gaming lights, or a unique night light for kids, Squares is a must-have display screen and lighting decoration. This kit contains a master panel and 5 extension panels that each feature 64 premium, app-controlled, addressable LEDs designed for extraordinary brightness and color quality featuring over 16 million colors. Physically combine the master panel with up to a total of 15 extension panels (others sold separately) and use the Twinkly App to sync groups of Squares. Create huge displays of virtually endless preset and customizable effects, animations, GIFs, and pixel art on your walls and ceilings. Getting started with Twinkly lights is easy, a quick and intuitive setup process configures your device in a matter of seconds. The Twinkly ecosystem uses a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi controller with a state-of-the-art smartphone application, bringing new levels of lighting design and creativity to customize your connected home.
Pricey Square LED Panels Work Better on Apple
Customer Rating
3.0
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Summary:
I just want to say upfront that I love Twinkly. I have a few Twinkly products. I wanted to love these panels. The Twinkly Squares LED Panels are bright, assemble easily, and have a premium feel to them. They are customizable. You can place them on the wall in many different configurations. Managing cables and locking panels in place is fun and works well. Because the connection cables have a bit of reach to them, you can leave space between panels. I had no dead panels or LEDs.
But, the advertised living art and animated gif features for the software are lacking. The Android experience isn't near as complete as the Apple iOS version. While iOS users can import their own photographs, importing images on Android phones and tablets didn't work in my experience. On top of that, at $100 for 3 extra panels, they're extremely pricey. Because of their price and the weak app support, I can't fully recommend these lights at this time. I hope the Android software is improved, but for the time being, I can only recommend the Twinkly - Squares LED Panels 5 + 1 Combo Pack to people with Apple phones and tablets. Even then, if you want to have detailed digital artwork on your wall, you will need to invest in many more panels to have an image with any detail at all. But, for the iOS user looking for solid light panels to add abstract lighting to their space, the panels are well made and work well.
But, the advertised living art and animated gif features for the software are lacking. The Android experience isn't near as complete as the Apple iOS version. While iOS users can import their own photographs, importing images on Android phones and tablets didn't work in my experience. On top of that, at $100 for 3 extra panels, they're extremely pricey. Because of their price and the weak app support, I can't fully recommend these lights at this time. I hope the Android software is improved, but for the time being, I can only recommend the Twinkly - Squares LED Panels 5 + 1 Combo Pack to people with Apple phones and tablets. Even then, if you want to have detailed digital artwork on your wall, you will need to invest in many more panels to have an image with any detail at all. But, for the iOS user looking for solid light panels to add abstract lighting to their space, the panels are well made and work well.
Installation:
Setup is easy. These need to be hung on the wall. There is no included 3M strip and I don't think 3M tape would work well with these. I hung them on the wall with nail tack hangers. Hardest part is measuring out where you need to place the nails.
The control panel has a USB-C connection and power button. Once you have everything turned on, the app walks you through the software setup process. I highly recommend setting up with the iOS app as my Samsung Galaxy struggled to map all the lights.
Experience:
You can only have 16 panels on one array. More than that and you will need another control panel. Each panel is 8 X 8. On the box, Twinkly shows off a picture of Marilyn Monroe. To recreate that picture on your wall, you would need 16 panels. To create the Starry Night living art, you would need over 30 panels. It all feels like a bit of a tease. For most people, that look is cost prohibitive.
Each panel has 64 LEDS. While that seems like a lot, most images have many more pixels per square inch. Adjusting images so that they are recognizable at all, takes some tinkering in the app. 8-bit art and gifs from old Nintendo games worked well.
Out of the box, the panels required a firmware update.
Conclusion:
I wanted to like these better, but they are super pricey. Limitations of the panels are to be expected, but the features missing from the Android version of the Twinkly app are inexcusable. As is, I can only recommend these Panels to folks with Apple devices.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Inferno blue light-blocking gaming glasses in matte-black Obsidian is the hottest frame in our range. Its square/rectangle style is a true classic that suits almost any face and outfit. The thin, flexible Morph-Flex temples are designed to fit comfortably under your headset without compromising style. The Inferno also includes a strong, magnetic, polarized sun clip made from the same Morph-Flex material that you can keep in the included microfiber pouch when not in use. The included Rezme Sleeper lens is fueled by a proprietary light absorption technology proven to absorb harmful artificial light emitted by your screen to protect your eyes to the maximum level. The lens is near clear and does not distort color. Using this lens regularly can increase melatonin levels by 96%, cognition by 47%, and reduce headaches and migraines, which may improve sleep, performance, and overall health. The lenses are finished with a premium hard coating for increased durability, an anti-reflective coating to reduce glare, and a water & dirt repellent coating for easy maintenance. PLAY HARD. SLEEP HARD.
Hey, These Things Work!
Customer Rating
5.0
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I always believed that to have effective blue-light glasses, you needed glasses with a yellow tint. But, to my surprise, the Gamer Advantage Inferno Glasses Sleeper Lens actually help. They don’t make me look like John Lennon. They actually look good. They fit my fat head well. Experiences may vary, but for me, these glasses have worked flawlessly. If you are on the fence, I suggest you give these Gamer Advantage glasses a try.
I switched out my monitor this past summer and I have been struggling with eye strain. These glasses have been a godsend. My eyes feel more relaxed after wearing them. Over the last week of use, I have found myself going to sleep quicker.
These are some of the most comfortable frames I have ever worn, and I have had prescription glasses. They work well with my headphones. I forget I’m wearing them after a bit.
I was concerned about discoloration. There hasn’t been any. Objects do appear a bit darker than they would without the glasses. But colors still look good. I haven’t noticed any discoloration problems.
I was concerned about discoloration. There hasn’t been any. Objects do appear a bit darker than they would without the glasses. But colors still look good. I haven’t noticed any discoloration problems.
Inside the package, you get a hard case, a cloth bag, and magnetic clip-on sunglasses. Everything has felt polished. I haven’t had any scratches. I clean the lenses with glasses cleaner and glasses cleaner wipes same as I would with any glasses.
If I had to nitpick, I’m not crazy about having the Gamer Advantage logo on the corner of the lens. Occasionally, I notice the logo and I keep thinking I have something on my lens that I need to clean off. I also wish that these glasses had some type of nosepiece to keep the frames from sliding down my nose. But that is really it.
From what I have read, the jury is still out on whether or not blue light filtering will help with eye strain. It helped me, but that may not be true for everyone. But, blue light filtering does help with melatonin production. So, if you find yourself struggling with sleep after a night working on the computer or staring at your phone, I suggest you give these glasses a try. They work well. They fit great. I am very impressed.
Highly recommend. 5/5
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Always be ready to drop into new worlds with maximum convenience and freedom. Explore and exercise with soundscapes simply flowing into your ears. CHORUS is designed just for Meta Quest 2 to be the ultimate audio integration. Enhance your time in the metaverse with clear, natural sound, plus awareness of the real world around you.
I don't think I will be joining the chorus....
Customer Rating
2.0
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So, I’m just going to say this upfront, I can’t recommend this headset. First the positives, it feels like an official Quest 2 accessory. Build quality feels nice. I like the ability to mute the audio by pushing the speaker up. Installation is straight forward. The USB-C connection allows for better audio than a 3.5mm option without the latency of a Bluetooth option. My head stays cool while using the Chorus.
Unfortunately, that seems to be where the good news stopped.
I didn’t have the best of luck with audio quality. While some audio sounded much better, I got what sounded like a blown speaker from both ears when dealing with audio that had more bass. Tetris Effect and the meditation app, Tripp, had deep sound effects where it sounded like my speakers were blown. The buzzing sound took me out of the experience.
Then there is the battery hit. The Chorus pulled battery from the headset and not the battery pack. And it caused my battery to drain faster than it would have without the headset.
I should point out that there is no passthrough for Oculus Link. If you play PC games on your Quest 2 via Link cable, you will be out of luck.
I should point out that there is no passthrough for Oculus Link. If you play PC games on your Quest 2 via Link cable, you will be out of luck.
If you are using the official Quest 2 case, you will have to take the headset off before you can store the Quest 2. If you aren’t using the official oculus strap or the oculus battery pack and strap, the chorus will probably not work.
In conclusion, I am more than a little disappointed. I was looking forward to the Chorus. My speakers buzzed under too much bass. It's possible I just got bad speakers. However, beyond that, there is no passthrough for Link. There is a significant battery hit while using the speakers.
Solid idea, but the execution needs a bit of work. 2/5
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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JVC - HA-ET90BT Sport True Wireless In-Ear Headphones - Black
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Hi, how is the sound quality for talking? Do the buttons hurt your ears when you push them in?
I didn't think they sounded that good and the person I called said I sounded very static-y.
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Do you have to purchase a monthly or annual subscription in addition to the software?
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can it be connected to a ipod nano
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If your iPod Nano has blue-tooth (which the newer models do), then you can connect this to your Nano that way. If your Nano does not have blue-tooth, you can always connect the Flip 3 with an auxiliary 3.5mm audio cable.
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