Grouticus's stats
- Review count192
- Helpfulness votes437
- First reviewApril 22, 2016
- Last reviewOctober 28, 2025
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.7
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- Answer count12
- Helpfulness votes31
- First answerJanuary 25, 2017
- Last answerNovember 14, 2021
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Are you ready for next-gen performance? The Crucial P5 Plus SSD delivers remarkable speed and data protection with sequential reads up to 6600MB/s1 for transformative computing. Engineered by Micron with the latest Gen4 NVMe technology, the Crucial P5 Plus includes advanced features like full hardware-based encryption, dynamic write acceleration, and adaptive thermal protection to keep your data safe while enhancing system reliability. Designed specifically for intensive workloads, high-quality creative content, and hardcore gaming, the P5 Plus is also backward compatible with most Gen3 systems for ultimate flexibility. The Crucial P5 Plus meets the performance and form factor requirements for Sony PS5 when used with a heat sink; heat sink sold separately.
Customer Rating
5
Easy high-performance upgrade to storage
on September 2, 2021
Posted by: Grouticus
from Roseville, CA, USA
The new Crucial P5 Plus 1TB M.2 Internal Solid State Drive was a welcome addition to my gaming rig. After considering other well-known brands, I decided on this drive for several reasons including its fast speed, up to 6600MB/s, and latest Gen4 NVMe technology. Assuming you know how to initialize a new hard drive for your computer or laptop to recognize you have a new drive installed, it was a simple standard set up. During set up, Crucial provides you a link to download software to clone a pre-existing drive or you can set it up yourself as an additional drive for storage which is what I used it for having run out of the 500GB of storage included with my laptop. My laptop had an extra M.2 SSD slot for this upgrade. If you do not have an extra slot, you will need an external adapter to put the new SSD in and plug into a USB port to clone your existing drive using the included, or similar, software. I ran several benchmarks on the drive after installation and this SSD is much faster than the average SSD others have ran benchmarks on and twice as fast as the included SSD that was installed in my laptop which is less than six months old as you will see in my pictures. Perhaps this high performance is due to Crucial’s design made specifically for high end gaming and massive workloads. It is also backwards compatible with most Gen 3 systems. Some of the advanced features on this generation of M.2 SSD include dynamic write acceleration and adaptive thermal protection to keep your data protected. Overall, this SSD has exceeded my expectations and would recommend it to anyone in the market for a storage upgrade. Just ensure you purchase the correct SSD format as this one is PCIe Gen 4 x4 NVMe.
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The Levoit PlasmaPro~ 400S-P Smart Air Purifier purifies the air in an area up to 1,755 sq ft (1 ACH) with noise levels as low as 22dB. Filter at least 99.97% of airborne particles down to 0.3 microns and remove VOCs, odors, fumes, and smoke with 3-stage filtration. The laser dust sensor scans surrounding air for airborne particles and displays the amount detected on the PM2.5 display. With smart control, you can control air purifier settings no matter where you are, connect to third-party voice assistants, and receive real-time notifications about air quality and filter life.
Customer Rating
5
Prepare for cleaner, safer and odorless air
on August 23, 2021
Posted by: Grouticus
from Roseville, CA, USA
As one of the leaders and innovators in the air purification industry, Levoit continues to improve on their line of air purification products and gain more traction with their brand name by introducing the 400S smart HEPA air filter. This HEPA air filter is perfect for most rooms around 400 square feet and is discrete enough to not be a distraction to your existing ambiance. Upon unpacking the 400S, the air filter is sleek and modern looking with a touch panel lit interface on top with a LED screen that displays the air quality. It is very simple to set up with just the power cord and optionally downloading the VeSync smart phone app. Using the app, you can log in or create a VeSync account, connect the air filter to your wifi and link it to voice control assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Keep in mind, all these options are not necessary to run the fan alone but is a welcome feature in this technological age. The air filter has 5 speeds, all of which are relatively quiet. I typically don’t notice the fan is on while on speeds 1-3 with the other background noise in the kitchen where we have the filter placed. There is a sleep mode that is convenient if you are placing it your bedroom that will turn off the display lights and uses the quietest fan setting. The auto mode is what I keep the fan on as it will adjust to the appropriate fan speed depending on what the sensors are telling it. There is a timer setting if you prefer not to have the fan stay on all the time. The fan uses a 3-stage H13 True HEPA filtration system consisting of a high-efficiency carbon filter, pre-filter and H13 True HEPA filter. All of this combines to capture nearly 100% of airborne particles including bacteria and viruses, filter out smoke, odors, etc. The filters are easy to remove/replace and the app tells you the filter life along with monitoring history, local area environmental concerns such as fires as well as some other useful information. Levoit’s AirSight Plus Technology uses a laser dust sensor to sense the air it’s filtering and provide real-time air quality updates using their smart phone application. One of the more advanced features of this HEPA filter is what Levoit calls their PlasmaPro Technology which claims to actually break down the molecular structure of air pollutants such as odor, gases, aerosols, etc.. Overall, this is a well made HEPA air filter for home or office use using some of the latest technology to filter and destroy air pollutants in an attempt to keep everyone more safe.
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The Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 gaming laptop is our first laptop powered with AMD Ryzen~ processors and NVIDIA~ GeForce RTX~ 30-series graphics.To keep performance prioritized and temperatures under control our Alienware Cryo-tech~ cooling technology helps and is designed to keep gameplay and confidence high. Each gaming experience on the m15 is intended to wow players visually, built around a 15~ screen, with refresh rates spanning 165Hz, 240Hz, and 360Hz this new generation of m15s are focused on delivering an uncompromised visual experience. Even the visual ID ha staken a step forward and introduces newly evolved Legend industrial design.
Customer Rating
5
A gamer's dream specs bundled into a laptop
on July 8, 2021
Posted by: Grouticus
from Roseville, CA, USA
The Alienware M15 Ryzen Edition R5 5800 series laptop has all the high-end specs any gamer would drool over all bundled up into a beautiful laptop. Alienware has always tried to set the bar with their rigs and this Ryzen Edition R5 is no exception and everything you would expect them to produce. I will make quick mention of some of the basics you would expect from most of today’s laptops and then get into the fun stuff. It comes with Windows 10 Home installed and the Alienware software for customization. It has Bluetooth 5.2 built in and Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 802.11ax 2x2 for super-fast internet speed. The laptop weighs a little over 5 pounds making it reasonably light considering what is shoved into it. The outside chassis is, what Dell calls, Dark Side of the Moon color (basically a matte black) with High Endurance Clear Coat and Silky Smooth Finish and shows the M15 logo on the top. Be prepared, there are going to be plenty of Windows and driver updates during the initial set-up which may take some time and several restarts.
The AMD Ryzen 7 5800H 8-core processor can run up to 4.40 GHz, combined with 16GB of DD4 3200 MHz RAM makes multitasking feel like child’s play. This package includes a 512 GB PCIe SSD however you can upgrade the SSD or even add an additional SSD since there are two M.2 2230/2280 slots for solid-state drives. There are also two SoDIMM slots that you potentially upgrade the DDR4 RAM if you choose to do so. Access to the motherboard and the SSD and RAM is fairly easy with only six screws however the trick to getting the cover open after removing the screws is to gently pull the cover up and out at the same time for those of you who wish to tinker with the laptop. With the use of the copper alloy thermal components, you can see the amount of cooling they put in the rig, which they call their Cryo-Tech technology, to ward off and pump out all the heat it produces with the high-end processor and graphics card. The fans can get quite loud when gaming at high specs, as expected, but it is not an obnoxious loud like some other rigs I have used.
Dell added the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GDDR6 8GB dedicated graphics card to this package and it is a noticeable upgrade from their previous versions making gaming smooth and incredible looking. I have run several AAA high-end online and local games using high graphics settings and this machine handles them well. The laptop has both a HDMI output and a DisplayPort for monitors and even VR headsets that require a DisplayPort that you can dedicate to the graphics card. This laptop’s 15.6” QHD 240Hz refresh rate display is crystal clear and I have it running 2560 x 1440 pixels. There is a webcam on the front of the display but not facing outwards. With the help of NVIDIA’s G-Sync technology, the laptop can detect the appropriate refresh rate and switch automatically between the dedicated 3070 graphics card to the onboard AMD graphics card.
The outside of the laptop has several ports including an ethernet port, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 port with PowerShare, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port with DisplayPort, one HDMI out, a headphone jack. I would have liked to have seen at least one more Type-C port however you can always hook up an adapter for more. The laptop does not have an optical drive which cuts down on the weight and size therefore you would need to use an external drive.
Dell allows you to customize many features during set-up using the Alienware software including the four zone RGB lighting of the built-in mechanical keyboard, the lighting around the back surrounding the fan exhaust and the Alienware logo, whether the laptop is being used for gaming, work, home, pleasure, etc., and more. To make the decisions easier, you can use the recommended laptop settings that can adjust automatically to your needs to ensure you get the most out of their machine without sacrificing whatever you set as the priority such as the graphics, speed, battery life, etc.
I am normally not impressed at the sound of most laptops, but this rig’s sound is very loud and crisp. With the built-in stereo speakers combined with Alienware’s Sound Center, you can hear the right to left motion when playing games since they put speaker grills on each side allowing sound to flow outwards and not just up towards the screen.
The RGB backlit Cherry mechanical keyboard is a welcome addition and the first built-in mechanical keyboard I have used on any laptop. Because of the laptop width, the keys are shorter press than what you might be accustomed to in a full-size mechanical keyboard but still feels really good in comparison to normal laptop keys. Key presses feel smooth to the touch however I have noticed some slight squeaking sound out of certain keys because of the mechanics. I would have liked to have a number pad on the size but I know some people prefer the larger keyboard format without having to sacrifice for the extra space to add a number pad. I’m starting to get used to the key spacing already after switching from a laptop keyboard with the number pad and noticed I’m not dragging my palms across the mouse pad at all which used to be very frustrating.
Overall, this Alienware M15 AMD R5 laptop is incredibly loaded for anything you might be in the market for as it can handle most anything you throw at it. Considering the high-end specs, the price point is definitely worth the investment and would recommend it to anyone in the market for a gaming rig.
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From pour-over to French press and every method in between, Ode Brew Grinder brings the caf~ experience to your kitchen. With single dosing, a small countertop size, a magnetically aligned catch and grinds knocker for added cleanliness, Ode turns a morning chore into an elevated experience.
Customer Rating
5
This grinder's gonna grind
on June 20, 2021
Posted by: Grouticus
from Roseville, CA, USA
The Fellow Ode electric brew grinder is the perfect coffee grinder for everything from the individual cup brewer to a full pot of coffee. The craftsmanship, design and material used to create this is second to none with everything from its slimline, simple and aesthetically pleasing look to its finely tuned grinding capabilities. It is quite easy to set up as you simply plug it in, pour the amount of beans you want grinded into the top feeder, adjust the dial on the top to how fine you want the beans ground to and press the small button on the bottom. Voila, that’s it! You have perfectly ground coffee beans right in the included small metal container for whatever tickles your fancy. I prefer a French press with espresso beans for my coffee and the grinder not only made it easy and perfect to select the right grind but helped to create one of the best cups of coffee I have made in my own house. The grinder is discreet not only in size but also in sound as it is fairly quiet compared to other grinders I have used in the past. The magnetically aligned capturing cup makes it easy to avoid any spills from the ground beans. There is also a small grinds knocker on the side to use prior to pulling the cup away to make sure you capture every bit. I would recommend this to any coffee connoisseur like myself.
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Beoplay Portal are Bang & Olufsen's newest headphones engineered for gaming, built with Active Noise Cancellation and designed for long-term wear. Beoplay Portal comes with Dolby Atmos for Headphones, offering virtualized surround sound for an immersive and precise gaming experience on Xbox and computer platforms. The virtual boom-arm makes way for crystal clear conversations .
Customer Rating
5
Incredible sound from a leader in the business
on June 7, 2021
Posted by: Grouticus
from Roseville, CA, USA
I was so incredibly excited to hear that one of the best and well-known brands in the speaker and sound business, Bang & Olufsen, created wireless headphones for gaming especially after recently acquiring the new Xbox Series X. The Beoplay Portal Wireless Noise Cancelling over-the-ear headphones was a welcome addition to my gaming set up even though I already had good headphones to prior to getting the new Beoplay Portals as I have been an audiophile for over 20 years and love to see what the high-end competition is creating.
The packaging is what you would expect from B&O, simple yet classy, and briefly covers the features and options you can expect from the headphones. They come with a simple set of directions, a USB-C charging cable and an auxiliary headphone cord which is needed to plug into the controller and set up the Dolby Atmos registration on the Xbox through the app. The headphones themselves are made using high grade materials with a combination of metal, breathable fabric, leather, and hard plastic. This combination creates a comfortable and durable masterpiece of sound. You are able to adjust and control settings, including sound and the ANC transparency, through the smartphone app even while connected to the Xbox. You can adjust the equalizer on the app for different genres of music, movies and games.
The Beoplay Portal headphones are a Limited Series specifically designed for Microsoft Xbox and PC gamers in mind. They connect to the Xbox via a 2.4 ghz wireless instead of Bluetooth to create a more solid connection and not take away from the Bluetooth signal the Xbox controller uses. The gaming experience with these headphones is next level offering not only a Bluetooth 5.1 surround experience but also Dolby Atmos sound which can be activated through the Dolby Access application on the console. The headphones are perfect for when my wife prefers the sound off and not blasting out ears with the full stereo on during gaming or movies. They sound amazing regardless of what gaming you are into and especially for first-person shooters as you can hear everything going on around you. The microphone is built into the headphones and acts as a virtual boom arm so there is no need to attach a mic for chat or talking smack. The active noise cancelling works great although not the best I have heard from the high-end headphone market.
To add to the impressiveness, I want to add how incredible they sound for music or movies on your Bluetooth smart device. Every time I put them on, I am seriously blown away how much better they sound compared to the other high-end wireless over-the-ear headphones I have used in the past. The balance of low-end bass, mid-range and high, crisp highs creates a symphony of incredible sound no matter what genre you are listening to; honestly, better than any other sounding headphones I have ever used. To ensure it was not just me being bias about the B&O brand and knowing they always raise the bar in sound, I decided to showcase them to several other friends who own other makers of high-end, expensive headphones. Needless to say, they were all taken back by the sound as well; I even had a neighbor tell me to put them away before he walked off with them.
Personally, I am thrilled I have headphones that sound amazing for gaming, movies, and music. I can easily see these replacing and consolidating every set of headphones I own; or, perhaps, this is just me justifying the high price tag since they cost about the same as buying two separate sets of other maker’s headphones... feel free to use that excuse as well to negotiate with your spouse the purchase of these as, in my opinion, it’s well worth the investment in sound. You’re welcome. Now I just need to make sure I lock these down before someone does take off with them… I hope the next version adds GPS tracking because I would hate to lose these masterpieces.
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Breathe in fresher air with the PureZone~ 3-in-1 Air Purifier from Pure Enrichment~. Enjoy improved air quality as the premium 3-stage filter and UV-C light safely clean the air in any home or office. With its modern design, PureZone adds a touch of elegance to any space while its true HEPA filter removes 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns caused by spring or fire season and pets. It's the perfect solution to help make the air more comfortable for people with common breathing issues like allergies and asthma. ~Staphylococcus albus (95.8%), Escherichia coli (96.6%), Aspergillus niger (88.2%), H1N1 (99.9%) independent testing
Customer Rating
5
Small, quiet and great for allergies
on May 25, 2021
Posted by: Grouticus
from Roseville, CA, USA
The Pure Enrichment PureZone 3-in-1 true HEPA filter air purifier is great for people like me who suffer from allergies and have an appreciation and need for air clean of allergens. It is small enough to fit in a tight space and for small rooms or offices up to 200 square feet. I live in a valley area filled with trees I am allergic to year-round. We have air purifiers all throughout our house and wanted one for my office at work as well to help alleviate allergens while I am there five days a week. This model happened to be the perfect size for my office and fits nicely either on my desk or on the floor. On the top of the purifier you have push button options for three speeds, an option to turn the UV light on/off and a timer which also comes in handy when I am not in the office. The highest fan speed is quiet enough in a small office to not be too much of a distraction. The 3-in-1 filter consists of a pre-filter, a carbon filter to filter any smells, and a true HEPA filter to rid the air of dust and allergens. I have been happy with the investment so far and would recommend it to anyone in the market for a small air purifier for their home or office.
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Bring the captivating experience of cinema and pro sound into your home. The Miroir M1200S Ultra Pro Smart Streaming 1080p projector works with your favorite streaming apps: Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and more. The Miroir M1200S Ultra Pro has advanced image, sound and network controls to create the perfect Home Theater experience. Bright enough for challenging room environments where controlling light is difficult. The M1200S uses Texas Instruments Digital Light Process (DLP) Technology to create a theatre like experience. Enjoy the M1200S~ near silent operation during your movie night or Netflix binge.
Customer Rating
4
Great compact smart projector
on May 5, 2021
Posted by: Grouticus
from Roseville, CA, USA
The Miroir Ultra Pro Smart wireless projector stands up against the growing projector market with its modest entry level price and performs great for those on a budget. I upgraded my portable projector in our bedroom with this one hoping for a brighter and clearer picture along with some added smart features. Out of the box, the projector is a bit larger than I would have preferred however this comes with the added features compared to our last projector such as the built-in apps, Digital Light Projection (DLP) and impressive sounding speakers which I will talk about later. The projector measures a little under 8” tall X 6” wide X 8” deep and weighs approximately five pounds so it does take up a little more space than I would have preferred however the features outweigh the size specs in my opinion. It supports up to a 4K resolution maximum input allowing for a 1920 X 1080 native resolution with a 16:9 aspect ratio and 3D technology support. The hardware can downscale a 4K input to full HD and the picture is still crystal clear. Those specs coupled with 1000 lumens brightness and a 400:1 contrast ratio creates a clear, bright, and colorful picture in most dimly lit, dark and outside areas at night. I took pictures in our theatre room, which already has a larger 4K projector installed against a 120” screen in both daytime and nighttime, to show the difference in the image brightness and clarity. The projector can produce a decent image up to 150” and down to 24” and you can also adjust the image size in the software settings so you don’t have to keep moving the projector itself.
One of the most impressive features is the auto focus feature which works very well and adjusts automatically in real time while you may be moving the projector around. You can also adjust the keystone at each corner in case the projector is off center. I typically will have this projector in our bedroom displaying an image on the textured ceiling, which I would recommend to anyone who has not tried that yet as it is the most comfortable way to enjoy shows. Mind you, the textured ceiling may be a distraction at first, but the projector is bright enough to help with this and you get used to it after a while.
You can connect the projector to the internet during set up or in the settings via Wi-Fi or the wired ethernet port. You will want to ensure you update the software as soon as you set up the projector as many of the application options did not show up in the app store until it was updated. The built-in software has dozens of apps you can install including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube. You also have the option to plug in an external source into the one HDMI input (which supports HDMI DHCP 2.2) and even stream from your mobile device. If you are using a smart stick style device, you can also use one of the two USB ports to power that device instead of using a separate power source.
The remote is simple and easy to navigate except for figuring out when you need switch from using the navigation buttons to using the point style mouse to select screen options, type usernames/passwords, etc. It took me a few minutes to figure out why the video apps were not allowing me to select the sign in option because I needed to switch to the point mouse holding one of the buttons on the remote for a few seconds. Everything else on the remote is basically self-explanatory without having to reference the basic instruction sheet that comes in the box.
One feature I wanted to highlight is how loud the built-in speakers are. I had a sound bar with a wireless subwoofer hooked up to our last portable projector and was able to bypass and get rid of that set up all together as the speaker was loud enough for the space we have it in. According to the specs listed, it produces sound up to 29 decibels which was much louder than I thought. There is also a fiber optic SPDIF output to transmit sound to an external source.
Overall, this projector performs great, has a bright, clear and colorful picture, surprisingly loud sound and plenty of mainstream video and audio applications to choose from. At this price point, I would recommend it to anyone in the market for a smart projector from a newer American company trying to make a name for themselves in the projector market.
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Enjoy a smooth gaming experience with this 27-inch ASUS Full HD monitor. The Shadow Boost feature increases clarity in dark scenes, and the ultrafast response times minimize blurring and streaking for seamless gameplay. This ASUS Full HD monitor has an ergonomic design that allows tilting, swiveling and pivoting as needed.
Customer Rating
5
Remarkable gaming monitor
on April 29, 2021
Posted by: Grouticus
from Roseville, CA, USA
ASUS is way ahead of the game industry with this beast of a gaming monitor. The ASUS TUF 27” IPS WLED FHD VG279 gaming monitor is the most impressive gaming computer monitor I have had the pleasure to game with. Overclocking with a savvy 280 Hz rapid refresh rate, 1 millisecond grey-to-grey response time, 1920 x 1080 FHD, NVIDIA G-Sync and shadow boost technology, which makes a huge difference in low-light situations, gaming in my house has never looked so crystal clear, colorful, and bright.
The monitor was simple to plug-and-play into my computer’s HDMI port and comes with the power cable, HDMI cable and DisplayPort cable. The monitor has two HDMI inputs, a DisplayPort input, headphone jack and standard USB. You can adjust the height of the monitor by sliding it up and down on the stand and rotate the monitor 90 degrees for a vertical view. The monitor with stand weighs a little over 12 pounds. I like the detail ASUS put on the back of the monitor; it gives it some gaming personality you do not see in other manufacturers. The bezel on the front of the monitor is slim and barely noticeable when you’re entrenched in gaming on the large 27” diagonal horizontal screen.
I have played several games on the monitor, as well as doing standard internet browsing, and the display looks incredible. It is very bright and has very dark blacks which is great for gaming. The refresh rate is so fast I could not see any drag or lag in the screen. I took a picture with it next to my newer gaming laptop and you can see the difference between the two monitors, especially when looking at it from the side.
Overall, I do not know what else you can ask for in a gaming monitor and would recommend this monitor to anyone with this budget set aside for a high-performance monitor. Now we just have to wait for more availability of games, processors and graphics cards to be as far advanced as this monitor to catch up to this fast of refresh rate.
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Tech for real life. This 45mm Gen 5 LTE touchscreen smartwatch features a black silicone strap, phone-free calling functionality, 8GB storage capacity and three smart battery modes to extend battery life for multiple days. Fossil Gen 5 LTE smartwatches work exclusively with Verizon branded Android phones (not unlocked phones) on the Verizon Network with qualified Numbershare data plan. NumberShare is required to activate service on LTE smartwatches. Numbershare is available with an eligible Verizon monthly plan. Adding a smartwatch to your Verizon data plan will incur additional monthly charges. Customers must have a compatible Android Smartphone (4G or 5G) active on their Verizon account. Compatible Android smartphone must have OS 6.0 or later, excluding Go edition, with an updated version of the MVS app "My Verizon Services" (v.1.0.104.2 or later) and must be HD voice capable, have HD voice turned On and be on an eligible plan. LTE smartwatches do not support a standalone activation, only activation via NumberShare is eligible. For more detailed information, please refer to your Verizon Connected Devices plan. Fossil Gen 5 LTE Smartwatches powered with Wear OS by Google are only compatible with Verizon Android~ phones on the Verizon network. Wear OS by Google and other related marks are trademarks of Google LLC. Supported features may vary between platforms. To avoid damage to your watch, only use with included charger. Do not use a USB hub, USB splitter, USB y-cable, battery pack or other peripheral device to charge. Product should be kept more than 20cm away from implanted medical devices to minimize potential for RF interference. See product insert for full details.
Customer Rating
5
Major upgrade to the Fossil smartwatch line
on April 27, 2021
Posted by: Grouticus
from Roseville, CA, USA
Finally, after the Google acquisition of Fossil to have a competitor against other well-established manufacturers in the smartwatch market, they have produced a beautifully designed smart watch in the new Fossil Gen 5 LTE watch. I have been waiting years for an update to the Google Wear OS line of watches that sets itself apart from other manufacturers because, in my opinion, the competition has really been lacking in that department which, in turn, the consumer ultimately suffers. With the new Fossil Gen 5 LTE smartwatch, I think they are finally on the right track to take on the competition.
After charging and during the initial set up of the watch, you will be prompted to download the Google Wear OS application through the Google Play Store on your smart device (phone or tablet) and sync your Google account to the watch via a Bluetooth connection. Once the watch is set up, which only took a few minutes, it goes through a short tutorial on how to use the main functions of the watch by swiping in all direction and using the three side buttons; you can also see this tutorial through their website which was useful to see how the watch functions prior to actual use. You are prompted to set up the LTE connection through the Wear OS application which will sync to the Verizon network using number share if you have a compatible Android phone with the My Verizon Services application on the Verizon network. If you do not, you are still able to use the watch on a Bluetooth connection but not a standalone device on an LTE network.
I have always preferred the look of a round watch face over the square face, however, I think many people, including myself, would argue the functionality of a square face smartwatch tends to function better and have more usable screen space for certain purposes including a larger viewable area and easier to type. The viewable, round and bright 1.28” AMOLED watch face is large enough to read and type, even for someone like me who has terrible up-close vision. You can adjust the brightness automatically or manually and even set it up to detect daylight to make it easier to view when the sun is out. The scrolling between screens is very responsive and fluid. You can adjust the font size to a certain point, and, for some, that might still not be large enough when trying to read text messages, emails, etc. The smartwatch screen options, mostly accessible through the watch itself and through the Wear OS app, are customizable including the faces, what is displayed on the screen, the order certain shortcuts may appear while scrolling, quick buttons for workouts, and much more.
The notifications on the watch, including texts, emails, news, etc. is almost simultaneous to them showing up on your phone. You can customize notifications including sounds, vibration and what notifications appear on your watch. You can also password protect the watch if you prefer.
The battery lasts more than a day with moderate to heavy use. You can adjust the battery usage using the Smart Battery Modes in settings including a multi-day extended mode and toggling the always-on display. I have always made it a habit to charge my smartwatch overnight so that has never been an issue. The battery charges using the included magnetic cable and will charge almost fully in about an hour. There is 8GB of built-in memory that you can use to store media or additional apps.
In my opinion, one of the most impressive functions of the watch is the fitness tracking, specifically during a workout. During setup, you have the option to set fitness goals which would equate to heart points in the Google Fit app on your smartphone profile. I have done everything from running, bike riding, stationary bike and strength training using the watch. I was surprised during the strength training when the watch somehow knew, or made an inclined guess, as to which type of exercise I was performing. The watch learned from my input if the first guess was incorrect and adjust for the next time I made a certain motion. I was able to keep track of the number, weight and time of my reps during the workout and at the end it uploaded those results to my profile in the Google Fit application. You can also opt for coaching and a voice assistant through the Fit app. On top of all that, you can have the watch and app track your steps, heart rate, weight, sleep, etc.
With the Fossil Gen 5 LTE, the first stand alone LTE watch in the Google OS market, I believe they set a strong foundation to build on and believe what they currently have going for them is a huge step in the right direction to compete with others in the smartwatch market. It takes some time to figure out everything the Fossil Gen 5 LTE smartwatch is capable of but, in my opinion, more customizable options is typically better when it comes to technology; you can customize this watch to be as simple or as complex as you wish depending on your needs. It is also nice to know with the LTE option you have another way to communicate and get notifications if you leave your phone behind.
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ECOVACS DEEBOT N8+ provides you the value of an all-in-one cleaning robot that mops and vacuums simultaneously. Strong 2300Pa suction power extracts hard-to-reach dirt and dust from any floor, and the OZMO~ Mopping System leaves hard floors sparkling. N8+ uses advanced laser navigation and mapping to accurately map your home, creating efficient cleaning paths for thorough coverage with fewer missed spots. Your N8+ comes with an Auto-Empty Station to enjoy hands-free cleaning for a month at a time. DEEBOT N8+ is a dependable workhorse designed for busy households that need vigorous floor cleaning on a regular basis.
Customer Rating
5
Great all-in-one robot vacuum and mop
on April 14, 2021
Posted by: Grouticus
from Roseville, CA, USA
The new ECOVAC DEEBOT OZMO N8+ is everything a typical homeowner should need in an automated vacuum and mop built into one machine. After removing everything from the box, registering and logging into an ECOVACS account via their smartphone application, completing the simple set up and charging the vacuum on the base, the DEEBOT was ready to start mapping the area in preparation of its first clean job. I found the mapping and navigation to be one of the most impressive features of the DEEBOT N8+ in comparison to the previous robot vacuums I have used. While using the ECOVACS app, I could see the DEEBOT was mapping out our kitchen and living room space over 30 feet away. We have a fairly large area to cover on our downstairs where the DEEBOT is located, about 1500 square feet, which includes multiple turns, table and chair legs and high-density rugs to map and navigate while cleaning. After the initial mapping, which took about an hour, the DEEBOT had to dock to charge again before starting its first cleaning job. While it was charging, I linked the ECOVACS account with my Amazon Alexa account to use voice control on the vacuum which is much more convenient than accessing the app on my phone.
During its initial clean, I immediately noticed many of the upgrades and differences compared to my previous robot vacuum. For starters, the DEEBOT is much quieter than my last vacuum, even on a higher suction setting, and still had as good, or better, suction power. Also, because of the enhanced navigation and mapping technology, the DEEBOT hugged corners around my walls and furniture like a sports car on the inside corner of a road race… perhaps not as fast. Speaking of speed, the DEEBOT cleaned at a reasonable pace, not too fast and not too slow in my opinion, to ensure a thorough cleaning. Our entire downstairs is waterproof laminate, except for a couple large dense area rugs, therefore I have opted to keep the reusable mopping pad installed most of the time before use and ensuring it is rinsed off after use. The only issue I found with having longer thread rugs is the DEEBOT thinks they are an obstacle instead of a rug therefore will not traverse from the laminate to the rug for cleaning and sometimes gets stuck during the attempting transition when the mopping pad is not installed. The two fan sweeping brushes sweep on each side push debris on the sides towards the middle of the vacuum. The microfiber mop attachment does a great job cleaning using just water in the tank and no solution to worry about and is easy to remove and fill. There is also an option to use disposable mop pads instead of the included reusable microfiber pad; the package I have came with 10 disposable microfiber pads.
Using the smartphone app, I could view an overview of the area the DEEBOT mapped, where it has already cleaned, the square footage of the area cleaning while in progress, the time the DEEBOT has been cleaning, battery life, cleaning preferences and much more customization option including the ability to add a virtual boundary. The app also allowed me to automatically clean on a schedule which was convenient to set and forget. The mopping function built into the vacuum is one of my other favorite features and allowed me to consolidate both a robot vacuum and robot mop into one device.
After cleaning, the DEEBOT automatically returns to the base and empties the debris it collected into a disposable bag located in the base; the package I have included two disposable bags. The debris emptying process is much louder than the actual cleaning, but only take a few seconds to complete. I have used the DEEBOT about ten times and the disposable bag is not even a quarter full. The battery lasted well over an hour on one charge and using a higher vacuum speed setting. I have kept the DEEBOT on a regular cleaning schedule and my floors have remained clean without putting thought into it.
In my opinion and comparing my experiences with some well-known previous model robot vacuums, the ECOVACS DEEBOT N8+ is easily the best robot vacuum I have had. It has everything you would need built into one machine and would recommend it to anyone in the market for a robot vacuum that does it all. Now I just need to convince the wifey to get one more for our upstairs.
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