stevefromtheburbs
stevefromtheburbs's Stats
- Review Count13
- Helpfulness Votes48
- First ReviewMarch 25, 2015
- Last ReviewDecember 1, 2017
- Featured Reviews0
- Average Rating4.7
Reviews Comments
- Review Comment Count0
- Helpfulness Votes0
- First Review CommentNone
- Last Review CommentNone
- Featured Review Comments0
Questions
- Question Count0
- Helpfulness Votes0
- First QuestionNone
- Last QuestionNone
- Featured Questions0
- Answer Count8
- Helpfulness Votes12
- First AnswerMarch 25, 2015
- Last AnswerDecember 1, 2017
- Featured Answers0
- Best Answers1
Insignia™ - Wi-Fi Smart Plug - White
THIS SWITCH IS A GREAT FIND, NO HUB NEEDED
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: stevefromtheburbs
from Philly suburbs
on December 1, 2017
I bought this to plug a WIFI camera into, in my house. Why? Sometimes the camera locks up and has to be reset, but if I'm not there, I cannot unplug and plug it back in. I know, the camera is the problem, but this seems to happen with many WIFI cameras. So, when this happens, I can use the app, turn the outlet off, then back on.
No HUB is needed to use this switch. You simply plug it into the outlet, follow the instructions in the app to add this switch to the network, and it works. No fussing, it just works. I've used it multiple times already for this purpose and thankfully it is more reliable than the WIFI cameras.
I use a CUJO network protection device, and have a firewall on my router, so I'm not worried about this device getting hacked. That was my initial reason to be concerned about this type of unit.
Anyway, a side benefit of this was when I was having problems with my internet service, when service would blip and return, the app notified me of network problems. Cool feature.
You can probably think of uses for this, whether it is turning lights on or off, or simply using for a purpose such as I've stated, such as resetting a device. This DOES have a schedule feature, so you can schedule things to come on and off.
The app has quite a few great ideas, like layout gives you the ability to setup rooms and devices and in the rooms.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Verified Purchaser:Yes
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
Mobile Submission: False
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
UltraLast - AA Batteries (2-Pack)
Pick up this carded 2-pack of UltraLast AA batteries to keep electronic devices running. The alkaline cells provide longer-lasting power than regular batteries in new technology.
Got these as an add on, and found they are great
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: stevefromtheburbs
from Philly suburbs
on September 22, 2017
My spouse decided to use these for a high output requirement device, and they proved to last longer than a traditional alkaline. I was impressed. This was a surprise, I got them as an add on to be able to use up my best buy rewards certificate money but would not think twice about buying these for devices that need high powered batteries.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Verified Purchaser:Yes
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
Mobile Submission: False
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Insignia™ - AA Batteries (60-Pack)
Only at Best BuyPower up plenty of remote controls or toys with this pack of 60 AA batteries. These alkaline batteries have a long shelf life, letting you stock up now without worrying about low performance later. Keep this pack of 60 AA batteries in the drawer or closet to keep favorite gadgets running or ensure flashlights are ready during emergencies.
These batteries are great, and you'll save some $$
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: stevefromtheburbs
from Philly suburbs
on September 22, 2017
I've been buying these batteries for years now. Not a single leak, not a single dead battery, nothing wrong at all. They last a long time, and are a decent value. On top of that, I look for them when they go on sale, which makes them an even better value.
I used to get rechargeable batteries, and then I started to do the math and realized how costly this got to be. It is also nice to have batteries with a long shelf life that can be there when the power is out, or whatever, without having to find the discharged rechargeables and then have to charge them.
So, you can buy these with confidence and without hesitation. I've been doing this with Best Buy branded batteries for years now.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Verified Purchaser:Yes
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
Mobile Submission: False
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
Share this review:
NETGEAR - Arlo Silicone Skin (3-Pack) - Black, Green, Camouflage
Upgrade your Arlo cameras with these Arlo replaceable silicone skins. The UV- and water-resistant construction is ideal for outdoor use, and the silicone material hugs your wireless cameras for a secure fit. With three different colors and styles in the pack, these Arlo replaceable silicone skins conceal your security cameras for enhanced security.
Not really for Arlo pro, but can be with some work
Customer Rating
4.0
I thought these were for the Arlo and Arlo pro, so I bought a 3 pack since I have an original Arlo, and a newer Arlo pro. For the Arlo pro, I got it to fit, albeit tight and doesn't cover the camera quite 100%, it is enough to conceal it from being so obvious. I have the black skin on it, and it is hanging on a plant hook in my garden. You really cannot tell it is there.
Do note that the Arlo has a black face, so even if you have a skin, or not, you will see black if you are looking right at it. So, buying a green skin it will only cover the sides and back vs. the front too. That is a frustration that they didn't consider this and allow for different color faces. If I hang it above my front door, and I get the beige color skin, from the sides I don't see it but straight on it stands out loud and clear, defeating the purpose of putting a skin on it.
Overall I like these - and I would recommend to help blend into your surroundings - but do understand the face of it will still be black, despite whichever color skin you put on it. I know come spring/summer when the garden is green, the green and the green camo one will both blend easily into the garden.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Verified Purchaser:Yes
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Arlo - Pro Indoor/Outdoor 720p Wi-Fi Wire-Free Security Camera - White
Expand the view of your security camera system with this Arlo Pro add-on HD security camera. The wire-free configuration allows for flexible placement options, and the included wall mount and hardware make it easy to set this camera up in your home. Featuring night vision, this Arlo Pro add-on HD security camera delivers a clear view even in low lighting conditions.
Very good, with a few things to consider
Customer Rating
4.0
I already had the Arlo camera, which I am using to supplement a traditional CCTV camera. So, this was a natural choice when considering an add on camera. We live in a place you aren't supposed to have installed cameras. Arlo was a good choice for a supplemental camera, Arlo PRO seems to address some of the issues with the original release.
The good part about this, is that it is wireless, completely, and can be installed anywhere within range of the base station radio signal. WIth Arlo, you must use their base station and that plugs into your router. This is not a WIFI camera, but the good news is the base has a tremendous range. I have a townhouse, and the cameras are out in my garden, and above my front door, and both communicate clearly with the base. So, this base station thing is not a bad idea, in fact I like it. It is needed because the cameras transmit slowly back, to conserve battery.
My biggest problem with the original Arlo (which I bought, returned, and after awhile, bought again) was the battery life and that the batteries are expensive. I've found that I use the original Arlo camera above my front door for alarms for motion between midnight and 5am. But with the Arlo pro, because it is rechargeable, you can have it recording all the time. And you can adjust the recording time beyond the 10 seconds that used to be the limit. WIth recording hundreds of clips in a couple of days (lots of activity in our neighborhood) I get about 5 days between charges. I'm not disappointed with this, because there is so much activity it is recording.
Some annoyances are that the motion can be slow to activate, so the thing that triggered it is out of view, like a car driving by. But for the most part, this is a non-issue. I've found that at times, I get some blocky picture on playback, and I don't know if this is because I have the original base vs. the new base. Again, mostly a non-issue. Mostly the annoyances are a non-issue, but you should know of them.
The app is one of my most favorite apps. And the features of this system seem to be endless - I'm someone who loves to fiddle with programming and I've been exhausted playing with the settings. So, you can do so many things with programming, it should fit everyone's needs.
So, back to the one above my door - I have that set to sound a notifcation on my phone and email me, with activity, midnight to 5am, 7 days a week. And the Arlo pro does the same. But with the Arlo pro, because the battery is rechargeable, I have that in the garden looking out at my cars and walkway, and it records 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, and only sounds an alert after midnight.
Again, this does alot. And it is amazing. I've been impressed enough to keep it, and the original one too, but they have different uses for me because of the battery vs. the rechargeable battery. And they both work fine for what they are.
These are wide angle lenses, so please know that you will get a wide angle view, but not very long lengths....and the IR light should be bouncing off of something or else if just shooting off into the darkness with nothing to bounce off of, will yield almost no picture.
The only thing I would like to see, is a solar charger for the Arlo Pro....which I'm sure they will come up with at some point.
Arlo gives you 7 days of free cloud storage, and thank you for that, with my thousands of video clips that I have stored on the cloud, with a rotating delete of the older ones to make room for the newer ones. They do have a cloud storage paid plan for longer storage, but I'll know in 7 days if I need something or not.
Of all the wireless cameras, Arlo is my favorite.
Without the ability to install something more like a commercial CCTV system on our house, this is as good as it gets for the average homeowner.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Verified Purchaser:Yes
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
+33points
36out of 39found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Ring - Chime - White
Ring Chime: With this indoor speaker, you can connect to your Ring Smart Video Doorbell using your home wireless network to receive audible alerts when you have a visitor.
Good, but pricey....wish it were a bit louder
Customer Rating
4.0
I like this nifty little add on, for making the doorbell sound in places that are normally hard to hear the doorbell ring. Now, if you have your phone programmed you'll hear it ring, but maybe you don't have your phone with you all the time. But you might be doing laundry or even just hanging out in the basement or 2nd floor, and the doorbell is always near the front door, so you might not hear it. It learns in easily through the app, you can pick different sounds for when the doorbell button is pressed, and it never loses signal. So, a good add on to consider when getting your Ring doorbell....note, you don't need to do this when you buy the doorbell, you can add this on at any time after the fact.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Verified Purchaser:Yes
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Ring - Video Doorbell (1st Gen) - Multi
Find out who's at your door, even when you're away from home. Just connect the doorbell via Wi-Fi and use the Ring app on your iOS or Android device to interact with visitors, receive alerts and review footage.
Good, almost great, but invaluable none-the-less
Customer Rating
4.0
Let me say that I first tried the Ring Pro version and it was a disaster, because I didn't have enough voltage out of my doorbell transformer, but only found out after the fact and encountered so many issues getting it resolved.
However, liking the concept, I read that this unit can be hardwired with any doorbell transformer, or not, you can just use the internal battery of this unit. So, I figured I'd give it a try. And I'm glad I did. The install took literally only about 10 minutes, everything needed was included, it was well thought out and went off without any issues at all.
I decided to hardwire mine, which is simply two wires from the existing doorbell, and it keeps the units battery trickle charged so it is at 100% all the time. Note, heavy doorbell activity, or alot of live views will use up the battery, making it longer for the battery to get back to 100%. But I may do a live view maybe 2-3 times a day, and rarely does anyone ring my doorbell.
I don't use the motion detection recording feature of this unit, I have cameras that do that already. But you can set it up that if someone comes close to the area it will set off an alert and record the activity. There are motion adjustments and such, but since my front door is my door to come and go, it just would not work for me - and do note, there is a time setting that it can only notify you after hours for example, midnight to 6am or something. Or maybe when you aren't home, you might have it set to notify you if motion occurs. Or maybe you just have it record and not notify you.
The one downside to this is that the wifi radio inside of it, needs to get a really strong wifi signal. In my case this meant putting a wifi repeater in my powder room, which is very near to the doorbell. It makes sense, the unit is mounted to wood and the signal has to go through solid wood and brick to pickup the wifi signal. Just be prepared for this. The only other downside is that it can take upwards of 10 seconds for the unit to "wake up" and show you the live view when you first activate it. When you want a quick peek of what is going on out front, that can seem like 10 minutes. But is only about 10 seconds, sometimes a bit less.
Anyway, the images it generates are okay for viewing, to see who might be there, and the recorded images stored in the cloud and played back look decent. It costs me $3/month to store the images in the cloud for a 6 month history of recorded video. I don't like paying monthly fees for such things, but considering how much room it may take up for videos, it seems worth it. And you can download any of those clips very easily. If you don't subscribe after the 30 day free trial, you will have live views and connectivity with whomever is at your front door, but you will not have any recordings. Oh yes, it will record your interaction with someone at the front door after someone presses the button, or if you are interacting with someone based on a live view event.
I'm glad I got this and am glad this was so easy to install. I've heard of so many times people answer the door, social engineering and all, yet they end up in a situation they didn't want to be in....don't take the risk when you can answer the door safely from inside without putting yourself in harms way by opening the door.....also, if you aren't home, you can answer the door and tell someone to go away or that you aren't interested. They won't know you are away from home.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Verified Purchaser:Yes
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Insignia™ - AA Batteries (48-Pack)
Keep your devices powered up with this pack of 48 AA batteries. Keeping stock on hand lets you quickly change batteries in remote controls, toys, digital cameras or flashlights to reduce loss of functionality. This pack of 48 AA batteries has a long shelf life, so you don't have to worry about performance when you are ready to install them.
These batteries are top notch, on sale great value
Customer Rating
5.0
I buy these on sale, and they are great batteries. Long lasting, long shelf life, and on sale they are an amazing value. They are a good value, but a great value on sale. No disappointments.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Verified Purchaser:Yes
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
JVC - Gumy Earbud Headphones - Black
Listen to your music with these JVC Gumy HAF14B earbud headphones, which feature neodymium magnets for rich, clear sound. The gold-plated stereo mini pin enables simple connection to compatible devices, including Apple® iPhone®.
Bought these on sale, great deal!
Customer Rating
5.0
Found these on sale on Best Buy. DIdn't think they'd be decent. But they are. Not microphone for calls, but good sound for music. They aren't bose or other high end, but they work great. If you lose them, you don't get upset, because they didn't cost $200. Good for music.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Verified Purchaser:Yes
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Green Mountain Coffee - Dark Magic K-Cup Pods (48-Pack)
The mountains are a special place. It's where Green Mountain Coffee Roasters was born. It's where we developed our adventurous spirit and commitment to improving the lands through sustainably sourced coffee. We're driven to bring the world a richer, better cup of coffee. Be bold. Be alive. Grab a cup and get out there. As deep and intense as the night itself. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Dark Magic is an extra bold blend with dried fruit and chocolate notes, leading to a subtly sweet finish. Made with 100 percent Arabica coffee. These single serve K-Cup pods are compatible with all Keurig K-Cup Pod Single Serve Coffee Makers. Each K-Cup pod is filled with the freshest ground coffee and brews a perfect, great tasting cup of coffee, every time. Certified Orthodox Union Kosher. Responsibly Sourced means the coffee we purchase is grown and sold in adherence to a credible sourcing program that aligns with our company Responsible Sourcing Guidelines. Our coffee is 100% responsibly sourced.
My favorite K-cup coffee, in a big box!
Customer Rating
5.0
I bought this on sale, and I really enjoy this brand and flavor. I use a travel cup and use the small cup setting, and brew twice with the same k-cup. I get a nice travel cup full of dark roast. It is awesome. I wish I could buy these on sale locally, and at the sale price. If you like dark roast, buy this you won't be disappointed.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Verified Purchaser:Yes
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
My Best Buy number: 2627366217
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Share this review:
stevefromtheburbs's Questions
stevefromtheburbs has not submitted any questions.
stevefromtheburbs's Answers
Insignia™ - Wi-Fi Smart Plug - White
Does anyone know how to actually get this to connect on iOS 11? The instructions in the app seem to get me nowhere. The app stopped showing my device recently and I can’t reconnect it.
I had the same problem setting up with IOS 11......my problem was that I wasn't following the instructions properly and instead of moving forward, I should have hit the top right button on the app. That worked. But I spent an hour trying to do this and until i did that, it didn't work.
6 years, 6 months ago
by
Posted by:
stevefromtheburbs
Ring - Chime - White
Ring Chime: With this indoor speaker, you can connect to your Ring Smart Video Doorbell using your home wireless network to receive audible alerts when you have a visitor.
I live on 2nd & 3rd floor of unit. Please advise what is the Range of feet to plug in unit-since we are not near the front door?
Ring - Chime - White
Ring Chime: With this indoor speaker, you can connect to your Ring Smart Video Doorbell using your home wireless network to receive audible alerts when you have a visitor.
What different the product for Ring between Chime And Chime Pro
Chime is just a chime. Chime pro is a chime with a built in wifi repeater, which can be handy if you need to boost your wifi signal near your ring doorbell.
7 years, 3 months ago
by
Posted by:
stevefromtheburbs
Insignia™ - 6' 3.5mm Mini-to-RCA Stereo Audio Cable - Black
Only @ Best BuyEasily connect a 3.5mm mini audio device to an RCA audio device with this Insignia™ NS-HZ503 3.5mm mini-to-RCA stereo audio cable, which features a 6' length for versatile placement options.
I have 2007 Acura MDX sports entertainment Package and it has a RCA port which is probably for AUX mode. Can I use this cable to connect it to RCA port with my iPhone?
yes, i did this and it works great.....
7 years, 7 months ago
by
Posted by:
stevefromtheburbs
Fitbit - Charge HR Heart Rate and Activity Tracker + Sleep Wristband (Small) - Black
Fitbit Charge HR Wireless Heart Rate + Activity Wristband: This heart rate and activity tracking wristband is built to capture your movements and health patterns all day long. Easily monitor your heart rate so you can maximize your workouts, learn about your sleep quality and monitor progress on your goals.
How big of a wrist will the small band fit?
Not at all....even with a smaller wrist, small would not fit.
9 years, 2 months ago
by
Posted by:
stevefromtheburbs
Bose® - SoundLink® Mini Portable Bluetooth Speaker - Black
Bose® SoundLink® Mini Speaker: Enjoy full, robust sound anywhere you go with this speaker that features an ultracompact design for easy movement from room to room. Bluetooth technology allows you to wirelessly stream music and more from your compatible cell phone, audio player and more.
Does this Bose speaker have a sleep button?
I would like to fall asleep and have it shut off at a certain time.
No, it doesn't.
9 years, 2 months ago
by
Posted by:
stevefromtheburbs
Bose® - SoundLink® Mini Portable Bluetooth Speaker - Black
Bose® SoundLink® Mini Speaker: Enjoy full, robust sound anywhere you go with this speaker that features an ultracompact design for easy movement from room to room. Bluetooth technology allows you to wirelessly stream music and more from your compatible cell phone, audio player and more.
Can this speaker skip songs?
Does the speaker have the capability of skipping songs if your Ipad/Iphone is in another room?
No, you cannot skip or pause from the speaker.
9 years, 2 months ago
by
Posted by:
stevefromtheburbs