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    July 3, 2015
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    December 12, 2016
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    October 30, 2021
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camdenk's Reviews
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Meet the ultra-powerful Shark FlexBreeze Fan with InstaCool misting attachment. Outdoor & indoor, cordless & corded, transforms from pedestal & tabletop with 70 ft range and 24-hour runtime. The InstaCool misting attachment easily connects to your hose and rapidly reduces temperatures to feel up to 10 degrees cooler. Incredibly quiet, even at high speed. Rain and UV resistance for outdoor use.
 
  • Tech Insider Network
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Take back Summer!
on March 6, 2024
Posted by: camdenk
After the unbearable heat of the last Summer in Texas I have been looking for ways to keep cool and take back my backyard from the lack of use that it experienced. The Shark FlexBreeze is what I believe is going to be my best shot as it creeps back into the high 80s in early March.
This is a floor fan with a couple amazing tricks up its sleeve. Namely that the fan portion (separate from the stand) has a built-in battery so you can move it to where you need it without cables (tripping hazards!) and the attachment which has nozzles which spray a fine mist of water that can be carried with the breeze. I will just say that the breeze with the mist feels amazing! I positioned mine to be in the corner of my patio where I helpfully had a plug and access to a water hose. Overall, the design is muted and stylish which I find perfect as this unit is most likely going to live outdoors and you sort of want it to blend in with the surroundings. The materials are made to hold up to the sun and rain and not degrade and overall, the unit and base feel pretty durable.
The fan has a remote which attaches magnetically to the back of the fan for storage and I thought it was sufficiently strong to hold the remote in place to avoid loosing it which is important There are buttons along the top of the fan for powering it on, adjusting the speed and adjusting the oscillation up to 180 degrees. Pressing the locking button on the stand below the fan enables you to detach the fan from the charging base and from there you can flip the feet out for tabletop use or on the go.
I am looking forward to having this as an option for hot days at the dog park picnic table when there is no breeze and I’m able to bring this unit along. Similarly for around the house it’s very convenient to not have to run an extension cable to get a fan where you need one. The battery life has been great and lasts a full 24 hours as they stated on low speed which is great for just personal or shared use for 2 people. The fan has 5 levels of speed and a boost option when you really need to cool down. The other great thing that surprised me is how quiet this fan is. You only barely start to hear it in the higher speeds and when it’s in boost mode. On low speeds it is completely quiet but still very effective.
Overall, Shark has built a very versatile product that addresses nearly every pain point I have ever experienced with other fans – difficult to reposition, cable is a trip hazard, breeze isn’t strong enough, no remote, etc. If you are looking for a fan (that is more than just a fan) and would appreciate the convenience of something that is battery powered with the extra misting ability to cool even more effectively I would definitely give this one a shot!
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
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The ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI is a giant leap forward for robot vacuums. Its slimmer square-shaped design offers better edge cleaning, cornering, and maneuvering under low clearance areas and around obstacles. Add in automatic mop lifting and enhanced learning capability, and you’ll quickly discover why it’s able to go where no robot vacuum has gone before.
 
  • Tech Insider Network
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Amazing performance hampered by quirky navigation
on November 27, 2023
Posted by: camdenk
PROS
- Vacuuming and mopping performance is top tier
- App is fully featured with a ton of options (see app section below)
- Robot auto-empty work great even with clumps of dog hair
CONS
- Navigational efficiency and mop lifting scenario detection needs work
- Cable and object avoidance is average
- Rubber brush works better with dog hair, but still gets tangled
BOTTOM LINE
The Ecovacs X2 OMNI is a new take for their flagship robot vacuum/mop with a new shape, lidar system, and updated dock. Vacuuming performance and suction is among the best that I have seen and the spinning mop pads make quick work of even dried on stains. The voice assistance and app are fully featured and intuitive with all the options you could want in terms of scheduling, modifying maps, and customizing cleaning. The dock is well designed with auto emptying dust bin, warm water mop cleaning, and warm air drying. However, the software for this robot in regard to how it navigates still needs work as it sometimes struggles to navigate around objects that have not moved from the initial mapping process and it often gets stuck in areas under chairs and tight spaces for several minutes. Path planning also seems random at times with the robot moving across the room multiple times for seemingly no reason. The mop lifting function sometimes does not trigger which causes the robot to mop your carpets, which can be disastrous. Day-to-day the current state of the robot software is adequate, but I hope that with future updates these issues are addressed.
DESIGN
The X2 OMNI at first glance might look like some of the early robot vacuum cleaners due to its flat top design and lack of what is now a pretty typical spinning lidar element. Don’t be fooled though, there is a ton of tech in this robot vacuum. Ecovacs has moved the lidar to a strip on the front left corner of the robot. This makes the robot shorter (3.74”) so that it can fit into tighter spaces to keep your house extra clean. This robot also has a new shape which is more square than circular. The benefit of this is that the robot can get closer to the wall edge and get into corners that are usually missed by other robots. Additionally, the robot is narrower which helps it get into locations that might be challenging for other robots. The robot being longer than it is wide does make for some weirdness when turning and I noticed some difficulties with it getting out of some locations. Taking of the top lid which has a nice faux metal finish, you can access the dust bin incase you need to clean it manually or replace the filter. The water tank is integrated and not user accessible.
The robot has a bunch of other sensors as well. On the front bumper it has a camera and structured light sensor which it is calling it’s AIVI 3D system. The X2 OMNI also has 6 cliff sensors around the left front and right bottom edge of the robot along with an ultrasonic sensor for detecting the presence of carpet.
The X2 Omni features a rubber roller brush that almost runs the full width of the robot – it also has a single edge brush for pushing debris into the roller. On the back, there are two spinning mop pads. The mop pads have some thickness to them which helps in cleaning. There are motors which raise and lower the mopping pad when the robot is on carpet. The detection of carpet works pretty well, but I noticed some moments along the edge of my rug where the mop pads would still be down and turning so there is definitely some optimization in software that needs to be done.
The dock is full featured with clean and dirty water tanks, debris collecting bag, and cleaning/drying for your mop pads. When the robot returns to the station the mop pads spin while warm water is sprayed onto them. The channel from the onboard dust bin to the dock dust bag that the robot for the auto dirt/debris removal is large enough and I never noticed any situations where substantial debris was left in the dirt bin after the emptying process. This is my first robot with all these features in a station and so the dock does feel large, but I’m okay with the size because at this point I think making it smaller would impact the size of the water tanks and dust bag.
PERFORMANCE
Overall, the suction and mopping performance of the X2 OMNI is top notch. The side brush does a great job direction dust and debris into the roller and the rubber roller and high suction does a great job picking up anything in its path, however there are scenarios when the robot doesn’t get as close to the wall as it should leaving an un-vacuumed un-mopped sliver of floor. Overall, the navigation is good – but it does seem to get confused and trapped around some furniture and it can take awhile to find its way out. Additionally, in rooms with a large carpet in the middle that path planning is not as efficient as it could be, and a lot of cleaning time is wasted with the robot driving back and forth across the room.
For mopping the spinning pads did a good job picking up both fresh and dried on stains after 1 or 2 passes. In especially dirty rooms I enable the S-path, where the robot will snake across a room which was very effective. I have two dogs and the rubber roller is a massive improvement over older designs, but due to the slack along the sides of the roller hair still manages to get tangled triggering a “main brush” error. It is less frequent, but it still does happen.
APP AND VOICE
The app and setup experience is excellent. After setting up the robot and connecting it to Wi-Fi you start with an initial mapping phase of your home. Based on the contents of rooms and what it detects it will automatically assign room names, but you can modify these if necessary. You can only pick preset names followed by the number of that particular type of room and this is so that they can easily setup voice commands for third party voice assistants. The mapping produces a 3D map with furniture that you can modify and switch around. It “discovered” a lot of my furniture, but I did add additional items. It’s important to include these because it will be important for Yiko commands with additional context like “vacuum under the desk in the bedroom”.
With the map created and furniture placed you can start vacuuming and mopping. There are two directions you can take this: 1. The AI option that will keep track of how dirty a room is historically and adapt its cleaning preferences to fit that. 2. The manual option where you can select exactly what parameters you want. You can customize different scenarios where you specify what rooms should be clean and how so that you can quickly activate your most common ones. These are helpful to define so that you can easily reference them when scheduling jobs. When starting an ad-hoc job you can select rooms and even individual carpeted areas. Additionally, if there is a particular area that you want to target you can add a custom rectangle that you can move around and resize in addition to those aforementioned areas.
Finally, for the dock there are many options to modify the auto-emptying frequency of the dust bin and how often the mops are cleaned. If you have dogs like me you can have the mops cleaned as often as every 10 minutes. Additionally, it provides options for deep cleaning the moping pads or washing them without hot water if you want something more energy efficient.
Regarding Yiko, it works great and it’s a convenient way to initiate cleans without having to pull out my phone if I’m in the same room. It almost always gets exactly what I am saying, even if I don’t say it exactly how the command list says. It’s also great for when it’s running while you are home and you notice that maybe the floor needs another mopping pass. You can simply say: “mop the hallway again” and it will do it.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a versatile laptop for creativity and entertainment, combining cutting-edge design with incredible performance to power the most demanding apps.
 
  • Tech Insider Network
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
The nearly perfect creator laptop
on November 11, 2023
Posted by: camdenk
PROS
- Powerhouse in a unique form factor and screen hinge
- Good pen and touch support with Windows 11
- Great backlit keyboard
CONS
- Camera could be higher quality
As an owner of a Surface Book 3, there is a lot to like about the Surface Laptop Studio 2. The old hinge design with the entirely detachable screen was a cool concept, but I think with the introduction of the Surface Laptop Studio and the improvements in the latest 2nd generation, Microsoft has concocted a winning formula.
DESIGN/FORMFACTOR
The design, while a departure from the original craziness of the Surface Book still has some quirks and unique design features that help it stand out amongst the crowd. Namely, you’ll noticed the recessed edge or lip around the entire device. This inverse tiered cake design provides for this optical illusion that the device is much thinner than it is. It’s not thick by any measure at .86” total, but I did find that the extra thickness and more angular cut of the base did wear at my wrists a little more than my old Surface Book 3.
Along the right edge there is the typical Surface Connect port for the power connector which magnetically attaches, plus a headphone jack (yay!), and microSD card slot (handy for a person like me that uses a lot of action cameras). Along the left side is the 2 thunderbolt 4 ports that support power delivery and finally a traditional USB A 3.1 port which is great to still see on this kind of device. While the TB4 ports support DisplayPort, I would have liked to see a dedicated HDMI port, but you do have options. For professionals and people who need extra ports, there is a Thunderbolt dock that Microsoft sells for that exact purpose.
KEYBOARD/TRACKPAD
The keyboard is a recessed chiclet design that is backlit for late night working. They have a nice grey color which should help mask dirt. It is very nice to type on – I wrote this review on this device and I was almost immediately comfortable with the keyboard getting just over 90 wpm in a typing test. It has just the right about of key travel and the keys are well spaced while not requiring a ton of actuation force.
The trackpad is larger and has nice haptic feedback that is adjustable. I didn’t have an issues with palm rejection or my inputs not being detected. There are a bunch of multitouch gestures for showing the desktop, switching apps, and multitasking that all work very well in Windows 11.
DISPLAY/TOUCH/PEN
The display is 2400x1600 which is a 3:2 aspect ratio, great for editing/formatting documents as well as providing a large canvas for creative work. It operates at 120 Hz so web browsing and navigating is all silky smooth. It’s also a touch screen so if you are a person like me that likes to navigate websites by scrolling with your finger, you’ll be right at home. The party trick for the Studio 2 is 180-degree hinge which allows the bottom of the display to come out while it pivots in the middle. This is accomplished with a fancy durable ribbon cable that ensures you can continue to transform your Studio 2 for years to come. You can move the base of the display to sit right in front of the keyboard for things like gaming with a controller or watching a movie (when you don’t need to touch the keyboard) and then finally nearly all the way flat which provides the perfect slight angle for sketching and taking notes.
The Surface Laptop Studio 2 doesn’t come with a Slim Pen 2, but I had one handy. The writing technology Microsoft uses is fluid and realistic. The tip has a slight vibration to simulate the friction of paper and it feels pretty good. I think if you are looking to use this device in school for notes or for work in graphic design, the pen is going to be an obvious additional purchase. When the pen isn’t in use it also tucks nicely under the ledge of the laptop out of the way. The magnets really hold the pen in place, and it charges wirelessly while docked which is super handy for ensuring that your pen is always ready for your next idea or lecture, and perhaps most importantly, won’t get lost.
Pen and touch integration has gotten a lot better in Windows 11 as well – positioning the screen flat enlarges buttons on the task bar and overall menus, drop downs, and buttons are all easy to navigate with touch or pen allowing you to work the way you want. Swiping from the left of the screen opens the widgets tray that hosts the latest updates to your interests, like sports, traffic, and weather as well as an assortment of news. Swiping from the right opens your notification center and calendar, where you can catch up on things you might have missed or turn on focus mode so you can knock out the task at-hand.
CAMERA/SPEAKERS/MICROPHONE
Overall, I found the speakers to be good quality though they were making popping sounds initially. After I completed updates, it seems to have gone away. Highs are clear and crisp while the mid and low range is better than I would expect for a laptop.
The camera has some cool features like blurring your background and adjusting your eyes to appear as if you are staring into the camera which helps make calls more personal and engaging. My only wish is that the resolution/sharpness of the camera was better – the image seemed kind of blurry/noisy and even washed out in some environments. It’s more than useable though, and for casual video conferencing it does get the job done. If you’re recording for a video or social media you will probably still use a separate camera.
The microphone I thought was very high quality capturing what I thought was a very true recording of my voice with good isolation. Pairing this with noise cancelation from your favorite video conferencing app and your teammates are sure to hear you loud and clear.
PERFORMANCE
The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a capable machine – I got the i7 unit with 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and the Nvidia 4050 w/ 6GB of GDDR6. I mainly use my laptop for 3D modeling in Fusion 360, Photoshop and Illustrator as well as some on the go gaming – Call of Duty, Destiny 2, etc. In my workflow, the Studio 2 performed well in all my assemblies and improved my rendering speeds substantially over my old machine. Thanks to the design with the vents on the left and right sides there is ample cooling – I would make sure to not block these though since they do sit on the lower portion of the chassis. The machine under load does get warm on the palm rests, but I never found it to be comfortably warm. The fans even when running heavy workloads are quiet. Running the 3D Mark Time Spy benchmark the Studio 2 secured a 7980 score at native resolution which is great – kudos to the engineers getting every possible ounce of performance out of this machine.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
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Smart camera optimized for the garage. Works alone or as an upgrade to your myQ-connected garage door opener, the Smart Garage Camera easily adds streaming video, recorded events, motion detection and 2-way communication to the myQ app.
 
  • Tech Insider Network
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Eyes and ears for you garage
on October 30, 2023
Posted by: camdenk
PROs
- Easy to install and setup
- Good daytime 1080p video quality
- Motion and person alerts
CONs
- IR night vision performance could be better
- Pulling up the camera feed can sometimes take awhile
In addition to adding the outdoor myQ keypad which helps keep track of who is coming in and out of your garage I also wanted a way to keep track of what’s going on inside my garage. The myQ garage camera is great for that with versatile mounting options, a 1080p sensor and IR night vision, especially if you will be using delivery services that enter through your garage.
The myQ WiFi camera is pretty straightforward and easy to setup. It was packed well with foam and rubber around the pivoting joints in the box to make sure it shipped safely. The camera has a micro-USB port that an angled USB connector plugs into. The cable is about 6 ft long from the adapter, so you have some flexibility in how far you want to place your camera from the AC wall adapter. The camera has a stand so you can easily place it on a shelf in your garage. The base is also magnetic, so you can attach it to anything made of steel – no screws or fasteners required. There are screws and adhesive pads included if you need to get creative for your mounting location.
After powering on the unit and connecting it to my Wi-Fi I was prompted to complete a firmware update. During the setup you define where the camera is and have the opportunity to link it to a garage door opener. Doing this tells the app to tie the open/close button to that camera feed in the UI presenting them in a group together, which makes using the app all that more streamlined. Other settings in the app allow you to adjust the speaker volume. I found that the default was too quiet to understand - so I turned it up to the maximum level. The microphone and speaker quality is useable and you can understand what the person on the other side is saying, but the quality could be better on both the speaker and microphone. This isn't the primary intention of this camera, so none-the-less it's a nice feature to have. You can modify the motion sensitivity as well, but I found that the default was pretty good at generating the events I cared about without being too sensitive. In the history tab of the myQ app you can see all the events as well as filter on camera and different access events like keypad, garage opening/closing, and package delivery - if you have that enabled through the relevant provider.
Overall, the camera quality when there is natural light or a light on in the garage is pretty good with it’s 1080p sensor. In the absence of enough light where the IR led and filter turns on the video quality is okay, but I wish the range of the IR LED was better. Much of my garage was too dark to make out the shapes of some objects. Though people do show up a bit better - it might be hard to make out facial features. For best performance I would try to position the camera either on the garage motor itself or even further back several feet to try and capture the entire garage. To be fair deliveries are going to be made during the day so there should always be enough natural light in those scenarios, but in terms of this functioning as a security camera I'd really like to see better IR performance.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
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Get eyes on your real front door: The myQ Smart Garage Video Keypad lets you see and control who opens your garage door. Grant access by assigning unique PIN codes for family, guests, or service providers. Get meaningful insights with real-time alerts that will tell you when someone has accessed your garage. Easy installation with integrated Bluetooth technology makes for quick Wi-Fi pairing. A must have for any smart home. Only works with myQ, Chamberlain, LiftMaster, Raynor, and AccessMaster garage door openers made after 1993.
 
  • Tech Insider Network
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Easy garage access and peace of mind
on October 25, 2023
Posted by: camdenk
PROS
- Easy installation and setup
- Clear high-quality video
- Accurate people detection with subscription
CONS
- Audio quality is average
- Video stream sometimes didn’t load
- Based on current trend, battery life could be better
Summary: An easy way to upgrade your basic keypad to modern hardware with video smarts that are great for keeping track of visitors and home deliveries.
I didn’t have any keypad on the outside of my garage, so I was excited when I saw the myQ video keypad. Right after moving into my home I added myQ capability to my garage, but I had encountered several times where I ended up outside without my phone and no way to open the garage but to walk back around my house – no longer!
The keypad connects over Wi-Fi, so you need to make sure you have good coverage in that area. After unboxing the unit and charging the battery I proceed through the initial setup and firmware update. The unit comes with a 20 degree angle mount to provide the optimal position for capturing video of the entire garage as well as a good view out toward the street. There are other mounting options available for purchase if the included unit doesn’t suit your desired mounting location.
During the setup you can set a 4-8 digit pin that you can use to open the door. You can also program guest pins on a temporary basis with a start and end date as well as specifying reoccurring access on specific days of the week and times. This also helps you keep a log of which pins were used when – in addition to the video alerts. Pushing the button with the garage icon will close the door if it’s open and pressing the call button will send a push notification to the app that will open the video so that you can engage in a two-way conversation. The keypad is illuminated, which is convenient for when you need to use the keypad at night.
Overall, the 1080p video quality was good, though sometimes I would need to wait for a moment to get the stream to come up or it would get stuck and I would need to restart the app. This may be a product of my wifi, but the app reports that connectivity is good. The video at night with the filter and IR led was also clear and I could easily make out facial features for identifying people. The live video streaming was mostly real time though I did experience some stuttering from time to time. The audio coming through the keypad could be higher quality, but I could understand the words coming through the unit, so it’s definitely usable to communicate with somebody.
While you don’t have to have a subscription, adding it gets you some great features for security minded individuals. You can get either 7 or 30 days of storage which also includes features like intelligent detection of people which in my experience worked really well. Without a subscription you get event recordings of when the garage opens and closes, as well as the 2 way talk features. I haven’t been able to evaluate how long the battery lasts, but I’ve had it setup for about 3 days and I’m at 93%, so assuming a that trend continues I’m expecting around 43 days. I wish that it would last longer – but obviously your mileage will vary based on events and usage. You can buy replacement batteries, so I suppose you could have spare charged and ready. Since this unit is outside, it would be nice to see a future model with a wired solar panel to keep it topped off.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
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GE Profile provides modern design and the latest features in home appliances. Designed for today’s smart home, GE Profile provides features that allow you to do more, through remote monitoring, voice activation and technology that takes the guess work out of cooking and cleaning. This is Smarter Innovation you’ve been looking for. This is GE Profile.
 
  • Tech Insider Network
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
The mixer – elevated
on October 24, 2023
Posted by: camdenk
SUMMARY
The built in-scale, autosense, and guided recipe features are sure to impress beginner and advanced bakers. The mixer is high quality hardware with a capable slow start motor and the ability to utilize KitchenAid accessories is the icing on the cake.
DESIGN
The GE profile mixer has an overall modern style that will fit into just about any kitchen. I got the matte black model but it also comes in silver and white, and all of the units have tasteful chrome accents. The entire unit is made of metal so it’s very sturdy and heavy, which is what I would expect from a premium mixer. There are very grippy feet on the bottom of the unit to ensure that it stays firmly in place when mixing. The mixing attachments have a handy quick release mechanism which you simply pull down on to insert or remove an attachment. Importantly, the unit does have an accessory port on the front which is compatible with KitchenAid attachments which is a huge win for anybody who might be heavily invested in the many versatile attachments available.
CONTROLS
The physical interface consists of the speed dial and control panel on top of the unit in addition to the virtual controls from within the SmartHQ phone app. On the control panel there are options to reverse the direction of the motor, activate and zero out the scale, and set a timer in 15 second increments.
*TIP* Holding down the left or right arrows automatically increases the timer by 1 minute increments until you let go.
After you’ve programmed the time, simply turn the dial to the desired speed and the mixer will start ramping up gracefully to that speed as well as starting the timer which begins counting down on the front screen. If you want to pause for any reason, you can press the middle button and the mixer motor and timer pause which is great because you maintain your place in the mixing cycle as well as the speed that you were operating at. After you have connected the mixer to Wi-Fi and have set it up in the app, you can set timers and speed from within the application. You can’t remotely start the mixer, but you can remotely stop or change the direction of the mixer if it’s already running.
It’s worth noting that the mobile mode is only enabled when it’s selected on the mixer. When operating in manual mode the app doesn’t show the status of the mixer. I’m not quite sure why this is as it seems like with the protections in place that prevent remote control it would be okay to always allow mobile control and status checking regardless of whether the mixer is in the remote-control mode. When the timer ends the mixer will play a loud chime (the volume is controllable in the app) – a nice feature would be to send a notification to the user’s phone as well, especially if the mixer is being remotely controlled, perhaps this could be added in a software update.
FEATURES
The standout feature that a person of any skill level will be taking advantage of is the built-in scale. You save so much time and extra bowls being able to weigh the ingredients as you add them. Just be careful not to add too much of an ingredient! The scale is accurate to 5 grams so you won’t be measuring smaller ingredients, but this is good enough precision for things like flour, butter, sugar, etc.
The guided recipes are great for a beginner or intermediate cook looking for some inspiration of what to make while also enjoying the benefit of being walked through the recipe ingredient by ingredient. To utilize this feature, you will need to download the app and connect it to your Wi-Fi, but it was super easy and quick. After an update I was ready to go.
So far with the unit I’ve made some dough for Challah as well as some meringue kisses. The Challah mixed well, and the dough hook did a good job incorporating all the ingredients. The motor didn’t struggle making the dough or have any issues making a large batch for two large loafs.
For meringue kisses I tried one of the recipes from the app with the autosense capability. It was super easy to follow along with the directions in the app. When you get to a step that involves weighing an ingredient you can automatically put the mixer into scale mode from your phone. As you add the ingredients you see the number go up and it will chime when you hit the desired amount. After adding all the ingredients, the meringue profile is sent to the mixer and you simply have to tap the middle button on the control panel to start mixing. The idea with autosense is because the motor is digital, the mixer can monitor the feedback/resistance from the motor which represents how thick the mixture is. In the case of the meringue, the egg whites get thicker and eventually the mixer stops automatically after it’s detected that the result is the perfect consistency. While the mixer said it could take up to 10 minutes, it actually did stop early and the egg whites were fluffy and the perfect stiffness. Overall I was impressed with the autosense capability and I’ll be utilizing it in future recipes as well.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
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It’s always a great idea to capture your everyday moments or travels. Bring DJI Mini 2 SE for a unique perspective that makes your moments fly.
 
  • Tech Insider Network
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Great piece of drone kit for beginners
on October 15, 2023
Posted by: camdenk
PROs
- Great battery life and flight performance in wind
- Under 250g – no registration for recreational use
- Intuitive controls and video modes so any user can get good footage
CONs
- Can’t fly without a phone and app
- Drone height adjustment when flying over objects can be jarring for some users
- Lack of front facing sensors makes distance judging more difficult
SUMMARY: An easy to fly kit built for somebody interested in getting into drone piloting/photography.
DJI has a huge catalog of drones of varying types and features and sometimes if can feel a little intimidating selecting the right one. As I’ve flown and used the DJI Mini 2 SE over the past week, I’m convinced that this is the one of the best options for beginners that puts everything you need to fly in a small convenient storage bag while also not requiring some of the registration hurdles with the FAA that you might have heard about.
I got the “fly more” kit, which includes a handy storage bag that holds everything that the drone comes with. It has 3 batteries total along with a sequential charging bank so that you can continuously swap and continue to fly when you are out and about. This bank (and everything else included) charges over USB C, but there is no charging brick – so if you don’t have one at home be sure and pick one up. The power bank does have a USB out port so you can actually use the batteries to charge the controller or your phone as well – a nifty inclusion for that hardware.
The controller is standard with a compact form factor that packs away nicely. The joysticks are tucked on the bottom side of the controller and pop out and screw on. There is a nice metal knurling and rubber grip on the ends to help enable precise inputs. Overall, I found the controller comfortable to use with a subtle rubber grip on the back and a weight that wasn't too heavy to hold through multiple flights. In terms of other inputs there is a sliding toggle for changing modes as well as a large button for quickly pausing the drone if you get into a situation where you feel overwhelmed – this button will also return the drone home if you press and hold. On the top there is a springy scroll wheel for positioning the camera as well as the record button to take a picture or start/stop video depending on the mode. Before flying you extend the spring-loaded mount from the top and there is a cable tucked inside for plugging in your phone. I didn’t have any issues with my iPhone 14 Pro fitting in this mount with a case on and the mount still extended further to accommodate larger phones.
*TIP* The controller has the ability to charge your phone via a setting that you can enable.
The drone packs down to be extremely compact – the front propeller arms flip out while the back arms rotate backward to get the drone ready for flight. DJI drones at this point have undergone many design iterations, so I’m very impressed with the quality and design of this unit which is basically unchanged from the Mini SE and Mini 2. The camera has a 3 axis gimbal with a 2.7K camera (more on this later). There is a hatch on the back to open for inserting the battery, along with a readily accessible USB C and micro SD card slot. The props are easily replaced with the included Philips screw driver, though I haven’t had to do this yet.
*TIP* - The first time you fly, I suggest finding a wide-open field where you can safely launch and land the drone. Keep a safe distance, but in addition to looking at the screen when you are piloting, also physically observe how the drone moves in relation to your inputs before relying solely on the screen.
Overall, I found the Mini 2 SE very easy to pilot – it’s not as reactive as I would personally like, but in terms of ease of use it’s very beginner friendly. Registering and piloting the drone does require use of the DJI Fly app – unfortunately there isn’t a way to pilot the drone without a phone – so parent’s need to consider this if they are buying this for their children. The app launches automatically when you plug in and power on the controller. I live near an airport so I need to get an unlock authorization before I fly – something else to keep in mind depending on where you live. The app will tell you if this is required or not and it guides you through the steps so this is not a complicated process by any means.
*TIP* If you’re used to video games you made be more comfortable changing the controls to mode 3 in settings.
I flew the drone mainly around my back yard and overall it was a joy to fly – after some practice and getting used to the controls I was going around some of the trees in my backyard with ease. It might just be me, but the drone video does make things seem closer than they actually are. There is no front facing sensors like other drones which made it difficult for me to understand how close I actually was. I also noticed that flying over objects can cause the drone to change altitude to keep ample distance from the ground. This might be jarring for some users, but just keep this behavior in mind and consider your environment. During some of my flights, it was especially windy and the drone compensated really well while maintaining really smooth video. I got close to the 31 minute rating, but it was a little windy, but with the extra batteries I was able to pop one in and keep going.
Overall camera video over the transmission link was very good with little stuttering or artifacting in the feed. DJI claims this drone has a 10km transmission distance utilizing their OcuSync 2.0 technology, but since I live in the city and haven't had a chance to go out of town I haven't had a great way to verify this. It is a great deal more than the previous Mini SE at 4km, so it should be more than sufficient for beginner users. For the camera quality itself I think it’s great considering the price of the unit – but in some cases their wasn’t enough dynamic range so in environments where I had both really bright and really dark areas, my shadows were far too dark. In well lit scenes the 2.7K 30 fps stabilized video looks really good.
In addition to being easy to pilot, there are also several intelligent modes that DJI provides for easily shooting cinematic scenes. For example, you can have the drone rotate around your subject while rising up in a helical pattern or get a simple circular rotation around your subject. These were really easy to setup and use - and I got some great looking shots. Finally on the photography side of things you can use the panorama mode to capture wide and 360-degree shots automatically – something that I will find myself using a lot on my next trip.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Meet the Ninja Combi—the only all-in-one multicooker, oven, air fryer and so much more that perfectly cooks complete meals for your whole family in just 15 minutes. With 14 functions and 3 included accessories, it’s so easy to use you will never have to turn on your kitchen again. A complete pasta dinner made from scratch in an oven without having to boil water? A full taco spread, including rice and beans in one single appliance? The Ninja Combi makes it all possible with our revolutionary Ninja Combi Cooker Technology that defies limits with a simultaneous combination of HyperSteam and Air Fry. Every ingredient is perfectly cooked in minutes—juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside. It’s the most effortless way to cook—the Combi Way.
 
  • Tech Insider Network
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
The first appliance you should buy
on October 5, 2023
Posted by: camdenk
PROs
- Lots of flexibility in a relatively small formfactor
- Combi modes cook fast and produce good results
- Air fryer functionality is top notch
- Dishwasher safe pans
CONs
- Flat cooking area less than some other machines
- Some of the plastics feel a little cheap
The Combi is a versatile multicooker with a ton of features baked in. After using it over the past several weeks I think it would be especially nice to have in new households or apartments where people are looking to keep the number of countertop appliances to a minimum. As the name implies the Combi can cook a combination of things simultaneously, helpful for preparing everything that you will need for a meal all at once. There are two primary cooking modes: Combi Cooker which utilizes steam/air cycling and Air Fry/Stovetop each with their own notable capabilities.
The design of the unit is overall great and it feels well built with stainless steel accents, though I did wish that it used less plastic on the sides for a more premium feel. The front however looks great and I like how the control panel is glossy black as it helps mask oily fingers better than I think matte plastic would. The options and buttons are clear and easy to read and the device has a button for turning on the interior light to illuminate the food for viewing through the front window. The unit has grippy rubber feet which help insure that it doesn't move or shift when opening and closing the door.
The Combi Cooker functionality is the highlight of this unit. Of the different modes under this category the standout is by far the Combi Meals mode. This function allows you cook your base grain/pasta along with your vegetable and protein all in one go and do so in a way is quicker than using your conventional oven. I tried several of the recipes within the included inspiration guide. I recommend keeping this guide in a cabinet near the unit as it's a super helpful reference on how to use the machine efficiently with good results. All of the recipes breakdown which ingredients go in which tray and it's usually as simple as adding and mixing those ingredients into each of the pans. For the beef tacos with rice and beans, the rice and beans are mixed and cooked in the bottom Combi pan, while the bell pepper and onion veggies along with the ground beef are placed in the top bake tray. This resulted in fluffy rice and beans and the steam generated resulted in tender but crispy vegetables. I cooked other things like pasta in the bottom pan and chicken with broccoli in the top following the suggested instructions which also came out great and cooked really quickly.
As I previously stated, a big part of how the combi system works is the creation of steam from the water that is placed in the bottom pan. This steam with the addition of a fan moves the heat around in a way that helps speed up cooking, while not drying out the food that you’re preparing. This is especially helpful when utilizing the Combi Bake, Steam and Proof modes where having steam in your environment is important to the process, but also in other cooking modes like Combi Crisp where you desire to speed up the cooking process for things like roasts and veggies. The cake that I made utilizing my 8” cake pan on top of the combi pan with the crisper tray filled with a cup of water came out super moist with no hard or over cooked spots which I largely attribute to the steam.
Also importantly this unit gets a lot of the basics right too. I used it for quite a bit of air frying and I was really happy with the end results. All the air frying I do is with no added oil and I typically avoid flipping the food if I can when the air circulation is especially good. I can confidently say that the Combi makes an excellent air fryer for things like mozzarella sticks, mini corn dogs, and French fries coming out uniformly crispy and delicious. It also does simple things like toast really well getting both sides uniformly toasted. There are other functions too that I haven't tried yet like the slow cook and sous vide which should be fun to experiment with. I did bake a frozen pizza which turned out great with a good crispy crust and uniformly melted cheese, just keep in mind the internal dimensions will limit the max pizza size to approximately 11" diameter.
Ease of cleaning for me is super important, especially for these all-in-one style units where you might be using it every day. Ninja suggests cleaning using a damp cloth with warm water and just giving the inside of the oven a quick wash which seemed to do the job well. All the pans are dishwasher safe, so for the most part clean up is super easy with maybe some light scrubbing. Like the cooking modes the deep cleaning mode also utilizes steam to breakdown the grime that will end up on the inside of the unit after lots of usage which I thought was very clever.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Yeti GX is a premium RGB gaming mic powered by LIGHTSYNC and designed specifically for game streamers. Combining a custom dynamic capsule with advanced software, this USB microphone rejects noise and key clicks, improves your sound and ensures consistent high-quality audio while you stream. Use LIGHTSYNC to control two separate RGB light zones on the mic and sync them with other G gear in G HUB, including mice and keyboards, for a fully immersive experience. Add fun vocal effects with Blue VO!CE software, and use Smart Audio Lock or set the gain manually with easy on-mic controls.
 
  • Tech Insider Network
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
A capable & sleek USB microphone
on September 27, 2023
Posted by: camdenk
PROS
- Great directional performance and true to life capture
- Sleek design with tasteful RGB
- Plug and play with very little effort
CONS
- No good way to monitor (play your voice in your headphones as you talk)
- No XLR means it’s not great if you want to use a mixer
Physically, the Logitech Yeti GX is a sleek design that I rather like. It's minimal, yet practical with a tasteful amount of RGB LED's. The base is metal with a non-slip pad and has a nice weight to it so that you can ensure that the microphone doesn't topple over. While the stand is nice they do include an adapter in the box if you want to use a boom which is a thoughtful inclusion. There's a circular knob left of the mic with grooves cut into it that allows you to easily loose and tighten the joint to adjust the angle of the microphone. The microphone itself is also made of metal and has a scroll wheel for adjusting the gain and a single button used for toggling mute. The scroll wheel itself is also a button which allows you to lock the gain, which is handy to make sure you don't accidently change it when you're moving the microphone. There is a single USB C port on the bottom of the microphone for connectivity to your PC. Unfortunately there is no microphone jack for monitoring which can be problematic if you wear headphones and still want to be able to hear yourself talk.
While the LED lighting is cool to begin with, it does have some capability up its sleeve. For example, the light on the scroll wheel shows you when the gain is too high by turning red so that you know to adjust it down. The light on the scroll wheel will also turn red when the microphone is muted. The G on the front of the microphone as well as the ring on the bottom is controlled through the Logitech G software. I rather liked the color wave preset animation, but there are a host of dynamic options as well as reactive options that sample your screen or music.
The Logitech G Hub is going to be your portal to updating the microphone firmware as well as the LED customizations I mentioned above and finally the microphone audio settings themselves. Overall there a lot of flexibility within the application and I thought it was super cool that you could download presets that other people have made. This makes this microphone super approachable for people who are trying to get into streaming, but maybe aren’t super familiar with all the settings you can tweak when it comes to recording audio. I found the “Desk – Natural” to be my favorite Blue VO!CE preset out of the box, but it really depends on the user. There are other effects like “alien” and “witness protection” which some people may found handy, but other may never want to use.
The microphone itself has what is known as a supercardioid pattern. This particular pattern is very directional and commonly used in shotgun microphones and on movie sets making it perfect for something like streaming where you will be sitting in front of or near the microphone. That does also mean that for the best performance you should adjust the microphone the best that you can so that it is facing you. That being said this is not a microphone meant to capture audio within a room and will perform best in single subject recording scenarios. Overall, I found the performance to be great overall and paired with the settings with the G Hub app I was able to filter out some background noises like my air purifier for a very clean recording.
I would recommend this piece of kit to the casual or moderate gamers looking to upgrade their microphone from their built-in or cheaper headset microphone. Folks invested in other Logitech G accessories will appreciate being able to use the same application for all of their RGB control and other peripheral specific settings.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The HERO12 Black Creator Edition is an all-in-one content capturing powerhouse that makes vlogging, filmmaking and live streaming easier than ever. Packing pro-quality 5.3K 60 video and Emmy Award-winning HyperSmooth 6.0 video stabilization, it puts all the tools you need to tell your story in the palm of your hand. It features High Dynamic Range (HDR) video and photo, a variety of aspect ratios (including full frame 8:7) and 10-bit encoding with Log to deliver great footage and maximum post-production flexibility. The versatile battery grip delivers over 5 hours of 4K recording time per charge and features built-in buttons that let you comfortably control the camera during long shoots. This complete system also has a directional microphone that reduces ambient noise, Bluetooth audio for use with your wireless mic, an LED light and multiple options for transferring footage including wireless, wired and with your SD card.
 
  • Tech Insider Network
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Your portable video powerhouse
on September 25, 2023
Posted by: camdenk
PROS (and noteable improvements)
- Better battery life (largely by removing GPS)
- Bluetooth microphone audio capture
- Tripod Mount
- HyperSmooth 6 is arguably best in its class
- HDR video + photos, GP-log
- Handheld tripod is perfect for filming content on the go
CONS
- Battery charging is slow
- Low light performance needs improvement
- Included light doesn’t have any color temperature control
- Control latency between GoPro and Volta seems a little delayed
- All video settings aren't available in all aspect ratios
Go-Pro is a household name for its action camera and millions of people use them to capture video of their sport and outdoor activities. This kit includes the latest GoPro Hero 12 Black which has all the latest features, versatility, and accessory compatibility that you expect from the brand with extras that focus on creators.
The Hero 12 Black has some solid improvements over the Hero 11 Black. There have been some physical changes to this model like the introduction of a handy tripod mount which sits in between two mounting clips that flip up on the underside of the unit. The case also has a cool new speckled paint detail on the main body which I rather like. Other than that the rear touch screen and front screen are unchanged in this model, but they are great so I don't necessarily think there needs to be changes here.
Some hardware changes that you can’t see is the removal of GPS which results in some much improved battery life, but the biggest change in my opinion is the addition of Bluetooth audio support. This is a big deal in terms of versatility as it allows you to pair headphones and microphones to both listen to and capture audio. Also notable is that the audio from the GoPro is still captured so you end up with two audio tracks, handy if you aren’t near the camera and want to record a voice over. In my testing while recording video of me in front of the camera and wearing my AirPods for audio the lip sync was perfect with no noticeable delay. Finally, the Bluetooth audio can be used for voice commands as well giving you a versatile handsfree way to start and stop recordings.
From a software perspective the Hero 12 gets some new features like HDR as well as GP-Log support. For the more casual user simply enabling HDR is a great way to get more out of your video especially if the environment is more challenging with bright and dark areas. I was however disappointed that HDR was not available in all aspect ratios like 4:3 and especially 9:16 which is important for short form video platforms. If you are more of pro user you can enable 10-bit depth which in turn allows you to enable GP-Log. This retains more data of the shadows and highlights for when you are color grading your footage later.
The Media Pod, Volta Grip, and Light Mod are bundled together with the Hero 12 in this Creator Bundle and they add a tremendous amount of flexibility in modular formfactors you’d expect from the GoPro brand. The Media Pod adds a shotgun microphone which improves the audio of the Hero 12’s built-in microphones. There are profiles that allow you to focus on capturing audio in front of, behind or all around the camera. It also provides inputs for external audio via a 3.5 mm jack as well as HDMI output via the micro HDMI port for external screens. The cold shoe up top can be used to mount the included Light Mod for illuminating your subject. There are 3 different brightness settings, but I wish there was a little more granularity in the brightness as well as an option to modify the color temperature.
Finally, the Volta grip is essential especially on vacation or for long videos as it also provides an additional 4900 mAh external battery so that you can continue to shoot comfortably all day. It also functions as a Bluetooth remote for changing the mode and starting/stopping recording. I found that I typically bring it with me regardless of whether I’m using it as a grip or not so that I can use it to not only use to control my shoot, but also to recharge my GoPro if necessary. I found the rounded body comfortable to hold and there is a lanyard for your wrist as an extra security measure.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Next-level versatility comes in the perfect pair — Surface Slim Pen 2 stores securely and recharges in the premium keyboard, featuring a large glass touchpad and luxurious, Alcantara material covering. Ready to pair with Surface Pro 9, Surface Pro 8 and Surface Pro X.*
 

Is this compatible with the Surface Pro 7?

This keyboard is not compatible with the Surface Pro 7.
2 years, 4 months ago
by
camdenk
 
Unlock more possibilities than ever with the Pro designed for a Pro like you. The first consumer laptop-to-tablet PC designed on the Intel Evo platform⁹ and designed to light up the best of Windows 11, Surface Pro 8 combines the power of a laptop with the flexibility of a tablet, and every angle in between. Do great things with a larger 13” touchscreen, faster connections with Thunderbolt 4 ports, and extra speed when you need it.
 

What is the internal speed and Turbo boost? For the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 i7 Intel Evo.

The quad-core i7 used in the Surface Pro 8 is a i7-1185G7 which has a base clock speed of 3.00 GHz and a Turbo of 4.8 GHz.
2 years, 4 months ago
by
camdenk
 
Unlock more possibilities than ever with the Pro designed for a Pro like you. The first consumer laptop-to-tablet PC designed on the Intel Evo platform⁹ and designed to light up the best of Windows 11, Surface Pro 8 combines the power of a laptop with the flexibility of a tablet, and every angle in between. Do great things with a larger 13” touchscreen, faster connections with Thunderbolt 4 ports, and extra speed when you need it.
 

Do old surface pro keyboards work with the surface pro 8?

The keyboard covers like those used for the Surface Pro 7 use a different magnetic alignment system and electronic contacts for data so they are not compatible with the Surface Pro 8.
2 years, 4 months ago
by
camdenk
 
Unlock more possibilities than ever with the Pro designed for a Pro like you. The first consumer laptop-to-tablet PC designed on the Intel Evo platform⁹ and designed to light up the best of Windows 11, Surface Pro 8 combines the power of a laptop with the flexibility of a tablet, and every angle in between. Do great things with a larger 13” touchscreen, faster connections with Thunderbolt 4 ports, and extra speed when you need it.
 

can i still expand storage with a sd card.

There is no Micro SDXC card reader on the Surface Pro 8.
2 years, 4 months ago
by
camdenk
 
Unlock more possibilities than ever with the Pro designed for a Pro like you. The first consumer laptop-to-tablet PC designed on the Intel Evo platform⁹ and designed to light up the best of Windows 11, Surface Pro 8 combines the power of a laptop with the flexibility of a tablet, and every angle in between. Do great things with a larger 13” touchscreen, faster connections with Thunderbolt 4 ports, and extra speed when you need it.
 

Can you connect your Surface Pro 8 to a big monitor ?

Yes you can! You will either need a USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 compatible monitor or you can buy USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 adapters or docks which offer HDMI, DisplayPort, or VGA outputs along with other ports that you might need.
2 years, 4 months ago
by
camdenk
 
Record captivating vlogs and take brilliant photos with this black GoPro HERO9 camera. The high-quality CMOS sensor captures 5K video and up to 20.0MP images for stunning clarity, and support for a microSD card offers customizable storage space. This water-resistant GoPro HERO9 camera allows for use at the beach or pool.
 

Does this come with the clear outer shell that allows it to attack to the various mounts, or is this just the camera?

The mounting point is built in to the bottom and flips out so that you can attach it to all your existing mounts :)
3 years, 5 months ago
by
camdenk
 
Record captivating vlogs and take brilliant photos with this black GoPro HERO9 camera. The high-quality CMOS sensor captures 5K video and up to 20.0MP images for stunning clarity, and support for a microSD card offers customizable storage space. This water-resistant GoPro HERO9 camera allows for use at the beach or pool.
 

How much is the shipping weight

The box that I received noted a weight of 2 lbs.
3 years, 5 months ago
by
camdenk
 
Performance meets versatility. From intensive video and graphics files to high-octane gaming, the most powerful Surface laptop yet combines speed, graphics, and long battery life with the versatility of a laptop, tablet, and portable studio. Tackle your biggest demands with quadcore powered 10th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, blazing NVIDIA® graphics, and high-resolution PixelSense™ Display designed for Surface Pen* and touch.
 

Does the Surface Book 3 interact with the Surface Pros pen? I want a sturdier laptop with a bigger screen for working from home...but for the price, I don't want to lose my beloved Surface Pro 5's functionality. Is there a separate pen that will be for it

The Surface Book 3 supports both the classic and slim Surface Pen.
3 years, 8 months ago
by
camdenk
 
Performance meets versatility. From intensive video and graphics files to high-octane gaming, the most powerful Surface laptop yet combines speed, graphics, and long battery life with the versatility of a laptop, tablet, and portable studio. Tackle your biggest demands with quadcore powered 10th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, blazing NVIDIA® graphics, and high-resolution PixelSense™ Display designed for Surface Pen* and touch.
 

It says I can switch to Windows 10 Pro, where do I do that?

You can use a product key or purchase it through the Microsoft Store application.
3 years, 8 months ago
by
camdenk
 
Performance meets versatility. From intensive video and graphics files to high-octane gaming, the most powerful Surface laptop yet combines speed, graphics, and long battery life with the versatility of a laptop, tablet, and portable studio. Tackle your biggest demands with quadcore powered 10th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, blazing NVIDIA® graphics, and high-resolution PixelSense™ Display designed for Surface Pen* and touch.
 

Are there additional memory slots to increase RAM on the 15inch 16gb ram 256Gb storage, model?

The RAM is soldered onto the motherboard so this is not possible.
3 years, 8 months ago
by
camdenk