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  • Review count
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    November 5, 2010
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    October 14, 2011
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    June 28, 2012
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    April 25, 2013
  • Last answer
    February 17, 2021
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psyclopps's Reviews
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Only at Best BuyPull in HDTV signals from local stations up to 60 miles away with this Mohu Beam antenna. It's 23 inches long and looks like a sound bar to blend with your home entertainment equipment, and you can mounts it on the wall. This Mohu Beam antenna includes a signal amplifier for clear digital reception.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Near perfect antenna
on April 14, 2018
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
This thing works as advertised. The installation is easy as can be and I got a better signal than any other comparable antenna I have tried in the past. The packaging is pretty small, about the size of a sound bar. Once opened you will see some instructions, the antenna bar, coax cables, the coax amplifier and mounting hardware (mostly just screws).
The device itself looks pretty good overall. It appears modern, sturdy and is something I wouldn’t mind having on display. This is usually a problem for TV antennas as they either look cheap and flimsy or are bulky and need to be hidden. This antenna is designed to be mounted above or below your tv similar to a wall mounted sound bar. As my TV is wall mounted and the sound bar is also wall mounted I was concerned it would be too much clutter on the wall but it actually looks quite nice below the sound bar, it is partially hidden behind my entertainment stand anyways so it is pretty out of the way but I wouldn’t be ashamed of letting it be seen.
Installation is a breeze, just for testing I initially tried it out before mounting it. Plug in the coax cable to the device then hook it up to the amplifier which feeds to the tv and the USB port for power. Upon TV setup, it initially recognized 10 TV channels, that is the most for me compared to antennas I have used in the past. I usually get 4-6 channels that have a mix of good and bad quality. All 10 channels got a great signal an it wasn’t even properly mounted/oriented yet!
Installation to the wall was even easier than the sound bar, it is very light so you don’t need to worry too much about securing it too much but you will be fine with a few screws and brackets that are included.
To summarize, it is a great looking antenna that gives great performance and will likely give you a few channels over the air you might not have had previously. A great tool for cord cutters who want to reclaim some local channels. If I could make any changes it would be to make the device have a slightly smaller footprint but that is minor overall. This is probably the best OTA antenna out there currently.
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
 
The Xperia XZ2 Compact is designed to be the ultimate entertainment device. Whether you're recording breathtaking videos in 4K HDR, or watching films in HDR, the Xperia XZ2 Compact delivers big screen entertainment in the palm of your hand.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Best phone yet!
on April 13, 2018
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
I have finally found a near perfect phone. I am one of those people who upgrades to the latest phone whatever it is at the time. I am often happy with the new phone for a little while but there is always that itch that the next phone will be better. After using the XZ2 for a few days, I feel like there is nothing wrong with this phone and I can find no faults that make me look at other phones. I had to look hard for any issues and luckily any that I found I truly don’t care about.
Starting with the unboxing, the packaging is basic compared to those of other phones. The box is simple with the Xperia logo on it (shiny). Upon opening you see the device which instantly strikes you as very small. Under that there are the Quick Charge 3.0 charger, cable, documentation, headphones, USB-C to headphone dongle, and some extra ear buds to find your fit. I was surprised to see there was no SIM insertion tool. Upon inspection I saw the SIM tray can be removed without the tool and you can quickly swap SIM’s or memory cards. You might see this as a curse or a blessing but I had zero qualms with this.
Upon inspection of the device, it felt right. What I mean is phones these days are huge. My previous phone was a 6” screen device and I was a little concerned with a compact phone. Well, I can finally do anything on this phone with one hand and has amazing ergonomics. Sony put a lot of effort into making sure the device fits well in your hand as you can reach any part of the screen with your thumb and the curved back side will fit in your palm just right in a way that reduces slipping, a problem which plagues most phones these days in my opinion. The materials are high quality. Even though the back side is a polycarbonate it feels very tough and looks amazing with a translucent appearance. The fingerprint reader, lens and sensors are all laid out in a way that makes sense. The buttons on the right side contain volume at the top, power in the middle and, thanks heavens, a CAMERA BUTTON at the bottom! I don’t know why all phones don't come with a dedicated camera button as it makes life so much easier. It not only launches the camera app but it also is a two stage button so a half press will focus, a full press will take a photo just like a real camera.
I quickly booted it up and installed my apps after. The Snapdragon 845 processor is a beast! You can easily install gigabytes of apps while using the phone and see zero stutter. I have not seen a single instance of lag on this device yet. Games will run buttery smooth and everything loads with extreme speed.
The interface has a Sony skin on it but is mostly stock. It uses most of the Google apps for everyday applications such as calendar, messages and so on but there are a few duplicates such as the Sony photo app which is kind of silly since Google includes Photos app as well. It is annoying but I felt bloatware was minimal on this device. The only thing I ended up disabling was the PlayStation app (Xbox guy here) and the AVG antivirus app since I use a different brand.
The phone unlocks very quickly with the back mounted fingerprint sensor. Thank goodness Sony finally included a fingerprint sensor as this has been missing from previous models. This was important enough that I figured it deserved its own paragraph! It is easy to find and far enough away from the camera that you do not risk getting fingerprints on it. Being a smaller phone you will need to bend your finger a bit to reach it though as it is mounted in the middle below the natural resting spot of your index finger.
Audio is great, the twin speakers are very loud and clear. I noticed very minor distortion at max volume with certain podcasts, but I did not hear any issues in music. The headphones are curiously not USB-C type but traditional 3.5mm type which you can use with the included USB-C dongle. Once I found the right fit with the earbuds, they sounded great. Not the most amazing pair but pretty darn good for free headphones with punchy bass and a crisp sound.
The display is great! It is IPS so the blacks will not be as dark as a OLED but in actual use I could barely tell any difference! The resolution is more than enough for a 5” screen at 1080x2160 and HDR content looks great. One sacrifice you might make with a smaller screen like this is the keyboard can feel a little cramped. The device ships with SwiftKey but a switch to Gboard fixed that issue for me.
I would not rate the camera as the best in the market but it is extremely good, accurate and will give you detailed photos. They were a little noisy in low light but only when I zoomed in to full size. As stated earlier, the camera button makes things work so well. Video recording supports 4k WITH HDR! One of the only phones that can do this right now I believe. You can also take some very quick 1080 extreme slow mo clips if you want to be creative. I tossed a few sample shots of random household objects in low light so you can see. The 5mp front camera is a little lacking but it isn’t bad. It lacks detail but colors look good and is more than sufficient for a phone. If selfies are your thing you might be put off by this as there are better phones for selfies (Sony ones included).
I have not tested the water/dust resistance but it does have a resistance rating that should keep you safe. I am also not going to test the scratch resistance but I have confidence in the Gorilla Glass 5 it uses.
Last thing I want to touch on is battery life. Being a smaller phone you will have a smaller battery. I believe it is 2870 mAh and after a few days of use I got home with about 20% battery life. That is not bad for me as I am a heavy user who listens to podcasts and music all day, reads the news, uses GPS a few times a day and plays a few games / YouTube videos during lunch. The battery charges extremely fast with the QC 3.0 charger and I was able to get it up to 75% after getting home while cooking dinner. There is no wireless charging so I recommend you have a charger in your bag if you expect extended times of heavy use and travel.
This is probably the phone that is closest to perfect thus far. My only fixes if I could make it any better would be add wireless charging and upgrade the front camera slightly. Other than that I love this thing and Sony has earned my confidence in their phone brand once again!
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
Meet the secure, tamper-proof smart lock from Nest and Yale. It’s keyless, so you can lock and unlock the door from anywhere with the Nest app.[1] Give people you trust a passcode instead of a key, and get alerts when they come and go. And lock the door with a tap. If you forget, the Nest x Yale Lock even reminds you.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
A amazing home security device
on March 24, 2018
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
The Nest x Yale smart lock is exactly what I have been waiting and looking for. I have been in the market for one of these devices for a while now and of all the ones I have seen for sale in places like Home Depot, there was always something holding me back from making the purchase. Usually issues were quality, ease of use, appearance and so on. Well… if you have been in that situation as well, this is probably the lock for you.
The box comes with a lot of hardware inside. There is the outer lock, the inner lock and mounting plate, a good bit of screws, instructions (with drilling template if needed), strike plates and the inner lock. Having never changed a lock before it seemed like a bit much but the instructions were pretty straightforward and there are some great tutorials on Youtube and on the Nest website.
I hit a few snags upon installation but nothing that was the fault of the Nest x Yale lock. My first snag was the old lock I had had a round bolt with no strike plate so I had to chisel out a groove for the strike plate to fit into in my door. Second hiccup was that the old lock installation did not have a good fit with the new deadbolt / frame strike plate. Over the years my door has started hanging at a tiny angle as the house settled so this tiny misalignment caused the bolt to not align properly. Again, not an issue with the lock but it was a learning experience for me with the installation. My fix was to use the old strike plate instead of the included one as the size is slightly different and it worked on the old one.
I would imagine a good chunk of houses might have a few snags as well so if any of it seems too daunting don’t forget that Nest always offers Nest Pro Installation with local vendors if you want to pay a little extra.
Once I got it installed and aligned my next snag was figuring out how to get it working with the Nest app. I will save you some time. There is a Nest Connect hub you can pair with the app first. The website says you have to be connected to Nest Connect or to Nest Secure in your app before you can use the lock. Once you pair the Nest connect, scan the QR code on the lock itself (in the battery compartment). It then works flawlessly.
Here is how it works… When you leave the house, touch the “Yale” button and it locks the door with a nice tune that plays. When you get home you can open your door via the app or you can put in your personal pin on the door. Each user of the house can get a personal PIN number to make things easier to remember for everyone. If you have a guest in the house, you can give them a pin as well so they do not know yours and so you can cancel it once they leave. The lock offers a privacy mode so no one can get in unless they use the app, kind of cool.
It looks cool on the door but I will have to repaint my door as it has a different shape compared to the old round lock I used to have, a minor inconvenience but one more thing to do.
This thing has a easy to use user interface, looks great, has wonderful app support through Nest and is very reliable. I am curious how long the four AA batteries will last but if it is like other Nest devices I should get a warning when they are low. A great purchase overall.
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+51points
60of 69voted this as helpful.
 
Make your smart home digitally secure with this Bitdefender BOX 2 cybersecurity hub. It protects your connected home and your family from hackers and privacy intruders. You get complete, multilayered cybersecurity for an unlimited number of internet-connected devices. Bitdefender BOX 2 is 100 percent compatible with your home network and lets you control all your connected devices from a single app.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
A nice layer of security
on March 4, 2018
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
I received this in the mail and instantly tore open the packaging to install it. I initially did not feel this product was not too necessary for most homes so long as you use antivirus on your devices and practice safe browsing habits but I figured there are a lot of smart devices in my home that do not get protection or routine security updates… so it couldn't hurt.
Upon unboxing the device appeared much smaller than I expected! It looks nice in any room and just makes things look extra high tech wherever you put it. The box has a start up guide, the unit, a CAT6 cable and the AC adaptor.
Setup was a bit of a headache for me. I was planning on installing it with my existing router. I use FiOS so there is no modem box, just the ethernet going straight to my router. To set it up you must download the Bitdefender connect app, plug it in, connect to it on your phone via wifi directly, log in, set up your router in bridge mode, let it configure and gtg! Well, it wasn’t so painless for me.
I was able to follow up to setting up the router… this was no problem from the side of bitdefender but my router I use did not support bridge mode! I was amazed by this seeing as how it is a high end router. I switched to my backup router which did indeed support bridge mode. I set it up but had to start over. The reason is that the bitdefender box uses a IP address starting with 172 when most home routers use a IP address starting with 192. Well I did not set up a static IP address in my router so I was unable to further configure it unless I put the IP range and Subnet mask to match. A rookie mistake yes but I am sure lots of consumers that prefer to not mess with such settings might have a hard time. Anyways, I did a factory reset on the Bitdefender Box 2 and my router to start over and after the reset, the Bitdefender Box 2 did not seem to allow me to enter any kind of setup. Turns out the solution was to erase the app from my phone and reinstall since logging in and out had no effect.
Ok… so after getting it properly set up after a few hours… it worked just fine! I did not see any real noticeable performance hit. I pay for 150 mbps down and 150 mbps up. It was a tiny bit slower in my downlink but my uplink was pretty much on spot. My ping was a ms or two higher but again, nothing I would notice.
It is hard to review how effective it is since unless something happens you probably won’t know, but… I visited a few sites that are meant to test your antivirus solutions and the results seemed good. First, the device gives you unlimited access to Bitdefender on your computer so the software was first to warn me of the sites to which I continued on. The Bitdefender Box 2 then blocked the website and gave me a message. I checked the app on my phone which told me I had had 6 malware attempts blocked so that was nice!
The app also gives you an overview of how secure your network is. If there is a pc, tablet of phone that has bitdefender software available that is not installed it will offer to help you get it on your device (again, unlimited downloads for a year!). I think I will keep it as part of my networks as it adds piece of mind and does not affect performance to any noticeable effect. Plus… it looks cool! My only reason I deducted starts was for the painful setup process. Otherwise it is a great product!
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
 
Garmin Speak™ Plus with Amazon Alexa is what you love about Amazon Alexa, now in your vehicle. Use voice control for hands-free access to music, news, navigation and more. Plus, a built-in dash cam gives you forward collision and lane departure warnings.
 
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Customer Rating
3 out of 5
3
Not for everyone but a useful product
on February 18, 2018
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
This product is overall a mixed bag. There were times where I loved it and times where I hated it. Here is my experience.
Upon unboxing, I expected more. This is not bad but I just assumed the product would be larger and have more in the box. This thing is tiny! There is some manuals, the unit, the mounting base and a charger in the box. 8GB of MicroSD memory are preinstalled in the device.
Installing in the car is a mixed bag. Placing it in the upper left part of my windshield it was out of the way but then I had to worry about the cabling. The adaptor has a long cord but it plugs into the right side of the unit. This just doesn't make sense to me as it just seems as if the cord should be on the left side to better aid in cable management. The cable is meant to be routed in the trim of the car and routed to the the charging port. This just felt kind of lazy to me. A better solution would have been allow for charging and put a battery in the unit with at least a few hours of use. There is no battery in the unit and you will have to live with the cable. It mounts to the windshield we an adhesive sticker that really sticks! I honestly have no clue how to get this thing off without a heat gun so make sure you put it in a spot you are happy with. Once you place the adhesive part on the windshield you can detach that part as it connect to the unit itself via a magnet if you switch cars or need to get the SD card out. If you care about how things look in your car you might be annoyed by all of this, others might not.
Setup wasn’t too bad but there are a few issues. You must download the Garmin Speak app and if you want to view camera feed you must download another Garmin app. I was using this with a Apple iPhone X which doesn’t seem to play together too well in my experience. I tied the device to my Amazon account for Alexa integration but skills seemed rather finicky. First, in order to use the app you need to have the Speak app open. I assume that due to Apple’s multitasking management, I had to reopen the app from time to time. I did not have this issue when I tried it on my wife’s Android phone. I was excited to use Alexa to play Spotify and Sirius XM in my car easily without using my phone as I would do at home on my Alexa speaker, but it did not work as easily as I assumed. I had to re-pair Sirius XM to Alexa to get that skill working with the Garmin and it repeatedly told me that Spotify was not supported.
As for normal use and navigation. I found that if you start a navigartion sentence as “Alexa, ask Garmin what time I will reach my destination”, it works just fine. If I just say “Alexa, what time will I reach my destination” it gets confused and looks up flight info that didn’t exist. It makes sense since Garmin is a skill but it is easy to forget. The display is great on the device. It is off in a spot that it doesnt distract you and when you need it it is clear and to the point. The color ring assists in displaying what is happening. Green means I might be getting close to the turn, blue is listening, orange is an alert and so on.
Speaking of alerts, these were interesting. The device features lane departure warnings and collision detection. My car I tested it on initially has this as built in so I was able to compare accuracy. Lane departure wasn’t too bad but it gave me a lot of false alarms when I was in a long turn. I tested it on a empty road and got toward a line which triggered it ok. I think the errors were due to the placement of the device and it is using only one camera to make a decision so there is no depth information. Collision detection was hard to test since I never had any pending accidents but there were a few false alarms from cars slowing down on the highway. It did not trigger an alert in my car and there was no safety issue so maybe it wouldn’t have triggered if I lowered the sensitivity.
As a dash cam it works pretty good! My only gripe is that the app has to connect via wifi. But, if there was an issue you could always just take the device out and pull the file straight off the SD card. It is small and is always recording, including interior audio.
The Garmin is great for entertaining the kid of course too with a simple Alexa fact or joke. I got to test it driving to an island up north and it was a mixed bag. If I was in the city it was great! Navigation worked most of the time with quick redirection if needed (only issue was when I had to restart the speak app). As I got more toward nature the device was essentially useless if there was no cell signal and I had to rely on my car’s GPS.
At the end of the day I do recommend this product if you have a need for it. If your car is fairly modern and you care about the wiring in your car, I would say ignore it. If you have a car that is a little older (with bluetooth), dont have GPS (or old maps) and wants some upgraded safety features, get this! If nothing else it is an awesome dash cam as well! That is why I give it a 3 out of five. There are a lot of bugs but it has a lot of usefulness as well. It was hard to love it but hard to hate it.
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
 
Keep your computer and information safe with Malwarebytes software. It provides protection against multiple attack types, including ransomware that hijacks your computer and demands payment and traditional spyware, and offers fast scanning so your device isn't tied up. Malwarebytes software detects fake websites and prevents you from accessing them or downloading infected programs.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Great basic software
on January 16, 2018
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
This software package is pretty basic but is easy to use and effective. My first impression is that there are few bells and whistles. Competitors might have additional software features, this is essentially just an antivirus, and malware scanner. There is no firewall, no password tools, no safe web tools, it is bare bones. That is probably its greatest strength though.
What it does, it does very well and with little resources as unobtrusively as possible. My first scan found lots of crypto mining files it tried to quarantine but it was very easy to mark them as safe. I had some initial confusion as my Windows Defender was enabled alongside Malware Bytes. I found a setting in the menu to register the app in Windows Action Center so if you choose you can have Malware Bytes as the primary antivirus or work alongside your existing software. I tested it running alongside Windows Defender and also with McAfee Antivirus and I had no stability issues or conflicts. This software works very well as multi-layer security if needed. You can also run it by itself but since there is no firewall your system will default to Defender Firewall.
It is hard to say anything bad about this software if you are expecting a streamlined antivirus app. That is exactly what it is, if you are looking for lots of extra software features I would look elsewhere. This is now my default app on my laptop since it uses almost no processing power in the background and only takes up 46 MB of RAM keeping a small footprint while providing real time scans still. My old antivirus used a few hundred MB of RAM and constantly used some processor use draining my battery a little quicker. I am overall happy with Malware Bytes.
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
 
Store documents and photos digitally with this Brother wireless scanner. Its duplex setting copies both sides of the page in a single pass to save time, and its image optimizing feature improves the quality of the scan. The 2.8-inch touch screen on this Brother wireless scanner lets you configure its settings to your preferences.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Amazingly useful product
on December 28, 2017
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
So far I am loving this scanner and don’t have a whole lot of complaints. The box is pretty barebones with just the scanner, packaging, manuals, USB 2.0 cable and power adaptor. Hooking it up was pretty easy which I did using wifi. Oddly enough there are no software CD’s included so you will need to go to the website to download the software. I recommend you download the optional 3rd party software for easier management of your scans.
The unit itself is much smaller than I expected. The scanner looks great and all the larger parts fold out. When stored it looks nice in the corner and doesn’t take up much space at all. Set up was very easy via wi-fi once I downloaded the software. Options to hook it up include USB, Wi-Fi and Ethernet. My first tests were by scanning some long form receipts which it did with no issues. I was a bit confused on how to position the documents and it turns out you must place the paper face down and upside down to get a proper scan the first time. Once you know that it is not an issue though. The scanner also works with two sided one pass scans which is an amazing time saver. I tested further with important documents, larger receipts and business cards. No problems with any and all were much higher quality than I received with my old printer/scanner combo.
My only real gripe is with the Nuance software which works for what it is designed for but feels a bit dated. It is free so I can’t complain but it pushes other Nuance software at you like their PDF viewer which is very slow. I wish they put some more modern software on it or a better product.
I give the unit 5 stars overall since the pros far outweigh the cons here. If you need a small effective scanner, this is for you.
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
 
Answer Skype audio calls hands-free with this voice-activated harman/kardon Invoke speaker. It's made with premium materials to project music powerfully without sacrificing sound quality from a 360-degree metal cabinet. This harman/kardon Invoke speaker includes Microsoft virtual assistant Cortana to answer questions and smart home technology to streamline tasks.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Great product, not perfect
on December 10, 2017
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
I am so far enjoying my Harmon / Kardon Invoke with Cortana. I have tried all the major voice assistant speakers and this one has a niche if it fits your life. Overall, do not expect integration to the degree that others offer. If you are deep in the Microsoft ecosystem and use Spotify, TuneIn or iHeartRadio this should be a great product.
I’ll start with the negatives this time. First, it is not the best option for a wide variety of smart home devices. The amount of support is somewhat minimal and the number of “skills” is low. I expect this to grow over time and Microsoft has stated they plan to support Pandora in the future, but it just isn’t there yet. Setting up skills is also awkward in the Cortana phone app and feels like an afterthought. Main ones that I found are Nest, Expedia, Capital One, Dominos, Samsung Smart Things, Fitbit, Phillips Hue and a few more. I previously listed the supported music apps.
Now for the nice parts. The build quality is superb. It doesn’t feel plastic, it feels mostly metal. The volume ring has a smooth motion to it. The Cortana light is just uber cool to look at. Voice recognition is pretty good and has the power of Bing behind it. Say what you will about Bing, but it really does have good results. All the voice assistants have their quarks and Cortana is no different, but I found the accuracy to be high. Sound quality is very good to me overall. I used this with Spotify and most of the sound was pretty high end and room filling.
I enjoy this a lot. It has replaced my previous competitor as my office voice assistance since it looks cool, works well with the info from my Windows PC and has great sound quality. I do not think it is best if you want a jack of all trades, but it met all my needs!
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
 
Simplify tasks with this 15.6-inch HP ENVY convertible laptop. Its Full HD touch screen lets you navigate the intuitive Windows 10 interface, and its Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM ensure demanding programs run smoothly. This HP ENVY convertible laptop has a 1TB hard drive for storing photos, videos and documents.Learn more.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Overall great value and performance
on December 2, 2017
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
This laptop has overall shown great practicality in everyday use. There is not a lot included in the box since it just has the power adaptor, the laptop and the documentation. I ended up getting the configuration that is 15 inches, i7 8550u, 16gb DDR4 RAM (single channel), and a 1TB 7200 RPM hd with a 1080p screen. I was highly interested this laptop with its large screen, a track pad and hardware that is no slouch. Here is how it worked in everyday testing from a trip to a resort for a few days near the US / Canada border.
First, I was impressed by the keyboard. It just feels right in every way. The trackpad is plenty accurate for my needs, but it did have a flimsy feel to it. The number pad is highly useful and important if you work with Excel.
When I first set up the computer I was a bit disappointed with how long it took to do all the updates and get it working to a useable level. I attribute this to the traditional hard drive since an SSD drive might have been much quicker. I love the storage space, but I would have preferred a SSD / HD combo to at least load the OS onto for some good boot speeds and program loading speeds. Once you have it all finished the laptop is extremely quick. The 16GB of RAM highly offsets the lack of hard drive speed since when most of your applications have been put into RAM they scream. The true quad core processor is extremely quick in all my testing. My Geek bench scores were around 4518 for single core and 10684 for multicore.
On one of my lazier nights I spend an hour streaming Hulu, an hour surfing the internet (lots of YouTube) and working on documents while listening to music. After about 3 hours I still had 70% of battery left which is far greater than I am used to in the past with other laptops.
I tossed some simple games at it (Intel 620). I was able to play The Walking Dead Season 2 at 1080P with all settings on max with no problems. If you play non-demanding games like DOTA or CS this should have no problems at full res. I didn’t not try any demanding games, but I wouldn’t expect too much with the 620 chip.
The monitor was plenty bright though colors were a bit on the blue side of things. I would not say it is accurate and dimming from viewing angles was minimal until you turn it to an extreme angle. The included ports are a USB type C port, SD Card slot, two USB 3 connectors, a HDMI port. The HDMI came in extremely handy during our event at the resort as the company laptop had issues but the HP had zero issues with a simply HDMI connection it was up and running instantly.
The 360 pivot was a little pointless on a 15 inch device in my opinion for everyday use but it was useful enough that I could prop it up for a movie in the hotel. Tent mode works just as well for this purpose on a desk but I wouldn’t bother with tablet mode since it is just a bit too heavy and unwieldy to carry around. Being a 1080 screen you can notice the pixels as well once you hold it closed to you during a movie. The optimal mode for is laptop mode if you ask me.
Overall, this laptop has great value and performance. If you can find one with a SSD/HD combo I think that would be ideal but I also feel you will not be disappointed with this one for office work, programming and light entertainment.
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+5points
5of 5voted this as helpful.
 
Arlo Pro 2 keeps an eye on your home while you're away, in brilliant 1080p HD quality. Put the 100% wire-free, weather-resistant camera anywhere, indoors or out. Then, power it with the included rechargeable battery or plugged it in (when indoors) to access activity zones and 24/7 Continuous Video Recording upgrades. Use 2-way audio or remotely sound a 100+ device siren while catching every moment with night vision and advanced motion detection. You'll even get motion and sound-activated alerts and 7 days of free cloud video recordings. Arlo Pro 2 works with Amazon Alexa to make your smart home security even more simple and effective.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Perfect for most outdoor and indoor needs
on November 12, 2017
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
This is a great solution for outdoor or indoor use. I have been wanting one of these and this seemed like the perfect solution for multiple reasons.
First off, there is the ability to use them for outdoor use. In the rainy Seattle area I must have a weatherproof device for this. Second, I wanted a camera that would have simple mounting and not require any drilling for power cable setup to the garage or another outlet. Third, I didn’t want to pay much or anything for pricey access to my videos. Last, I needed some good image quality. This product met all the requirements and had very few drawbacks.
Inside the box you will find documentation, a security sticker, the two camera, to mounts, a USB cable, two rechargeable batteries and the base station. At first I was curious what the base station was for. For one, it makes setup for multiple cameras a bit easier since you do not have to program each camera with the wifi settings, just the base station. If you add cameras you can pair them to the base station with a simple button press. The base station also has an alarm you can set off remotely if something interesting is detected to scare off people. It also has two USB ports you can use either for charging the cameras or for local storage (YES!)
Using them outdoors is a little tricky. I say this because the included mounts has a screw mount that is similar to a picture frame, you would hang it on a single screw or nail. I just don't trust this method too much since it might be an issue in a windy environment or easily taken away. If you go to their website they have better outdoor mounts that use a screw that screws into the camera similar to a tripod mount. I just see this as being more secure from the environment and from people.
You can leave these plugged in if you really want to or you could, there is a solar power accessory from the website which is pretty cool as well. Most people will probably take advantage of the rechargeable battery. I was unable to fully test out battery life from the review period but from my research it should last 2-3 month which is pretty amazing. This partially depends on the video quality settings you use. With this in mind make sure you place the cameras somewhere you can reach or easily access if need be since you will need to take it down every few months. Luckily though the included mounts use a very strong magnet to attach the devices so it can be taken down easily if needed.
The video backup is free for seven days of recording, this is amazing since most competitors make you pay for any kind of backup. Seven days is more than enough if you ask me to grab an important video if needed. You can set up hot zones on the website to make detection even better and review your clips after the fact. I did get a lot of false alarms though on my phone but if you properly allocate zones you might be able to reduce this. You can also plug in your hard drive to the base station if you want much more local storage. This is less secure of a method if the burglar knows what is looking for but it might be better if you are limited by data caps and internet speed issues.
My only gripes are that the unit should have a better outdoor base out of the box and the fact that I got a lot of false alarms. With these things aside this is a great product!
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
 
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psyclopps's Review Comments
 
SynopsisThe last time the earth was ravaged, animals were saved two by two in a massive ark, peacefully sailing to a new beginning, or so the story goes. This time, we're not so lucky. With a massive asteroid hurtling toward the planet, a select few were chosen to inhabit modern-day arks — pods buried deep within the earth's core. You were chosen. You were buried alive. And you rose from the ground to face your worst nightmare. Hordes of mutants killing without a thought, bandit gangs wreaking havoc throughout the already defunct wasteland, a looming Authority seizing maniacal power and holding secrets — this is what remains of humanity. The world as you know it is gone, but if any world is to stand in its place, there's only one person left who can raise it up from the ashes — you. That is, if you can survive the Rage.Step up to the challenge and climb into the wasteland in the first-person shooter that flings you to the edge of the earth and the brink of extinction. Rage pits you against the odds in a desolate world in which you were selected for survival — just to face death at every turn. To redeem humanity, you must master a massive arsenal of exotic wingsticks, sentry bots, bomb cars and other powerful weapons and fearlessly wage war against the evil forces overtaking your planet. Fire through heart-pounding first-player shooting action, rip through the wasteland in high-octane vehicle chases and turn your car into your most deadly weapon — you have to play dirty if you want to live. Experience the mass decay with every painfully realistic detail with the id Tech 5 engine and Megatexture technology, firing at 60 frames per second to make you feel as if the world has crumbled around you. And when you take the battle online, the devastating action really does stretch around the world. You've survived the apocalypse. Now comes the real battle.
 
Overall1 out of 51 out of 5
Game was not tested properly
By skullboy88 from Los Angeles, CA
First of all the reason for such a low rating is that the game is not playable. Right out the box. Now, I have been building pc's for over 10 years and have sunk hundreds of dollars into my rig to play the most demanding games. And I do. The problem is that ID software sent out a game to the public that is not finished. Google, rage graphics problems and you will find a magnitude of arcticles about poor graphics bad drivers and other issues. AMD and Nvidia have been working for a driver patch but reports from many say they do not work to fix the tearing and poor rendering . People are paying $60.00 for a pc game. Dont you think it should work right away without having to wait for a patch?
Customer Avatar
psyclopps
San Diego, CO
Updates
October 14, 2011
To be fair, a patch has since been release which fixes many of these PC problems including better support for video cards and settings.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
 
Rock out during your workout with these Sony Balanced Armature Sports XBAS65 earbud headphones that feature water-resistant housing with a waterproof film to stand up to sweat, rain and rinsing. Balanced Armature drivers deliver clear, detailed audio.
 
Overall2 out of 52 out of 5
Horrid Sound
By DELienz from Delaware
I had pair of Sony Headphones that I bought a few years ago for approx. $50 dollars... Sounded Amazing, but I recently ran then over with my car... Anyway bought these assuming the sound would be similar and also compensate for my only complaint with my other heardphones which was falling constantly out of my ear during workouts. Turns out these are more expensive but that sound terrible. Tried changing the setting on my IPOD and there is no overcoming the lack of bass. I am a auidiophile and I do listen to music a lot of double bass and drums so bass is something I must have in a headphone. If that's what you looking for don't buy these. I'm confident cheaper headphones with the same quality sound can be obtained so I would not recommend these to anyone...
Customer Avatar
psyclopps
San Diego, CO
Balanced Armature
June 28, 2012
Balanced Armature headphones are designed to sound like the original recording. Most headphones these days are "dynamic armature" which are designed kind of like a hardware equilizer where bass is usually most important. Any of these balanced armature headphones are aimed specifically at audiophiles as they repoduce very true to original sound with detailed mid ranges and highs.
+2points
2of 2voted this comment as helpful.
 
psyclopps's Questions
 
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psyclopps's Answers
1 2 3 >>
 
ASUS TUF Gaming Laptop. Enjoy everyday gaming with this ASUS notebook PC. The Intel i7 processor and 16GB of RAM let you run graphics-heavy games smoothly, while the potent NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics produce high-quality visuals on the fast 15.6-inch 240hz FHD display. This ASUS notebook PC has 1TB SSD that shortens load times and offers ample storage.
 

How many FPS I can get in fortnite?

Well, I didn't benchmark Fortnite but in Overwatch I was getting 150-170 FPS regularly
3 years, 3 months ago
by
psyclopps
 
eero Pro 6 delivers premium Wi-Fi 6 performance. The 3-pack Wi-Fi 6 system supports speeds up to a gigabit and coverage up to 6,000 square feet. So you can say goodbye to dead spots and buffering. Work, play, video conference, and stream from anywhere in your home—even when the whole family is online. Set up eero in minutes and get automatic updates, a built-in Zigbee smart home hub, and more. Powered by TrueMesh, eero optimizes your wifi to work for your space and supports 75+ devices.
 

Will every unit come with two ethernet ports? Can they be used for wired backhaul or direct ethernet?

Yes, each unit comes with two ethernet. I haven't tried wired backhaul but you can indeed plug them all directly to the router for direct ethernet.
User submitted photo
3 years, 6 months ago
by
psyclopps
 
Get peace and quiet anywhere with these Sony truly wireless noise-cancelling earbuds. An advanced HD noise-cancelling processor blocks distracting background noise so you can focus in noisy environments, and Bluetooth connectivity ensures easy use with smartphones and other devices. These Sony truly wireless noise-cancelling earbuds include a convenient charging case that offers up to 24 hours of use per charge.
 

Can they work independently? Is there a microphone in each piece so you can just switch between the 2 to gain the most amount of battery time?

Yes they do! Each earbud gets its own independent stream so you can use them exactly as you describe.
4 years, 10 months ago
by
psyclopps
 
Capture up to 1440p video with this Nextbase 522GW dash camera. Alexa enables hands-free control through voice commands, and Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi technologies sync with compatible smartphones for quick access to important footage. This Nextbase 522GW dash camera has ports for connecting compatible camera modules for easy expansion.
 

How does Alexa give you directions to your desired destination? Do they show up on the screen, or is this Alexa feature not available on this dash cam?

Alexa is present but it does not integrate into any build in GPS as far as I can tell. There are other devices such as the Garmin speak which combines a dash cam with Garmin + Alexa navigation via a skill but there is no screen on that device.
4 years, 11 months ago
by
psyclopps
 
Enjoy your favorite music through these Sony Sports wireless noise-cancelling headphones. The in-ear design ensures a snug fit, so you can jog or walk without missing a beat, and the wireless format eliminates the need for cumbersome cords. The Ambient Sound Mode on these Sony Sports wireless noise-cancelling headphones keeps you alert to your environment.
 

Two questions: First, 6 hours battery life for listening time? Second, Can you turn off the noise canceling to increase battery life in-between charges?

Yes to all!
6 years ago
by
psyclopps
 
Count on crystal-clear voice communication with these Jabra Elite wireless neckband headphones. Three-microphone call technology and professional-grade active noise cancellation block ambient sounds, and they come with different-sized EarGels for a customizable fit. These Jabra Elite wireless neckband headphones support Amazon Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant for voice-activated control.
 

What is the distance from mobile device?

I'm getting around 30 feet on mine. Their website states 33 ft.
6 years ago
by
psyclopps
 
Garmin Speak™ Plus with Amazon Alexa is what you love about Amazon Alexa, now in your vehicle. Use voice control for hands-free access to music, news, navigation and more. Plus, a built-in dash cam gives you forward collision and lane departure warnings.
 

Can you please tell me more about the dash cam. Can it be controlled by voice or a remote button? Where does it store the videos and how can I get them? Through wifi or only sd card?

It is simply always recording. There is a separate app you must download if you want to view on your phone. It will connect to your phone via wi-fi but you can take out the Micro SD card if you want to plug the videos in to your computer. There is an overlay option which tells the drivers speed and a little more info as well. It also records in car audio.
6 years, 3 months ago
by
psyclopps
 
Garmin Speak™ Plus with Amazon Alexa is what you love about Amazon Alexa, now in your vehicle. Use voice control for hands-free access to music, news, navigation and more. Plus, a built-in dash cam gives you forward collision and lane departure warnings.
 

If maps stay up to date , is the system using my data plan ? Garmin & TomTom use satellites , what does this system use ? Does this system in any way use my data plan and if so , how ?

I did a trip to a national park using this device. It appears there are no downloaded maps as the moment I lost my data connection the device didn't know what to do. It seems it is always using your data plan as long as you are using pretty much any of its features other than dashcam.
6 years, 3 months ago
by
psyclopps
 
Garmin Speak™ Plus with Amazon Alexa is what you love about Amazon Alexa, now in your vehicle. Use voice control for hands-free access to music, news, navigation and more. Plus, a built-in dash cam gives you forward collision and lane departure warnings.
 

With all these features, Does it scan the road and next to the road for objects such as DEER ? If so will it alert you ?

From my experience, no. There is only lane detection warning and collision detection warning as added safety features.
6 years, 3 months ago
by
psyclopps
 
Simplify tasks with this 15.6-inch HP ENVY convertible laptop. Its Full HD touch screen lets you navigate the intuitive Windows 10 interface, and its Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM ensure demanding programs run smoothly. This HP ENVY convertible laptop has a 1TB hard drive for storing photos, videos and documents.Learn more.
 

Is there any way to do talk to text in tablet mode? Or make the keyboard swype at least?

There is no dictation function but there is a few keyboard settings that could help. You could configure the touch keyboard in split layout so you can use only your thumbs on each side of the screen to type. It takes a little practice but is useable when you get used to it. There is a also a "Scribble" mode where you can write on the screen and it will turn it into text.
6 years, 5 months ago
by
psyclopps