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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
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    February 17, 2021
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psyclopps's Reviews
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Bring your favorite varietals back to their natural state with the Üllo wine purifier. It uses Selective Sulfite Capture technology to rid any still wine of sulfites and other impurities and has a built-in adjustable aerator to release aromas and smooth out flavors. The Üllo wine purifier comes with four single-bottle filters, a display case and handy travel bag.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
It really works!
on March 25, 2017
Posted by: psyclopps
from San Diego, CO
I was rather skeptical going into using this product. I saw a few youtube videos but my first question is “how can filtering sulfates make that big of a difference?” Surprisingly, it works!
The product comes in a nice box that feels rather premium. It comes with the unit itself, some directions, a cloth carrying case and four filters. Each filter can filter out one bottle of wine so for me this would last me about four months as I don’t drink that many bottles a year.
The unit itself has a plastic base and a rubber top portion but feels high quality overall. It is easy to clean as you simply press the bottom part out with your thumbs and it pops out. I first used it with guests over a they thought it was rather cool and fancy looking. When filtering wine it comes through in a spiral through the unit which also aerates the wine.
My first bottle was a cheaper bottle of Pinot Noir which I felt would be a good test case since you can very much taste each individual flavor in that wine. I am by no means a wine expert but it is a wine that is also pretty easy to taste the quality in. We did a test sip with unfiltered wine and we all made some silly faces upon drinking it. Next, we tried it with the filter and each person agreed it tasted better overall. The fruit flavor was more apparent and the wine did not have so much of a bitter taste to it. It also felt a little smoother. Overall it improved the wine, but you could still tell it was cheap.
We also tried a more expensive bottle of the same type of wine. The before and after experiences were both much more enjoyable but the filtered version had more rich flavors and again, a smoother texture.
I did not drink enough to warrant a hangover but supposedly this product can reduce the likelihood of getting one since people can have allergies to sulfates which can be a cause of the hangover. I am not a huge wine drinker but this product seems to actually work and it can improve all types of wines. I recommend it if you are a casual or avid drinker of wines. Keep in mind that you will need to buy filter packets down the road but this is not a big deal if you only drink 1-2 bottles a month.
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Remove dirt and debris from carpet with this Shark Navigator upright vacuum. A detachable canister lets you empty the vacuum easily, and the included tools make cleaning upholstery or inside crevices easy. This Shark Navigator upright vacuum uses a HEPA filter to remove harmful allergens and micro particles for healthier air.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Good overall but not for everyone
on January 15, 2017
Posted by: psyclopps
from San Diego, CO
The Shark Rotator lift is now my new go to vacuum for my house due to its versatility and effectiveness. It has a few snags but nothing I cannot live without, it is overall a great vacuum.
The package is fairly standard for a vacuum but assembly was very simple. Having skipped the instructions, I was able to figure out all the pieces and just needed to look to see how various functions worked.
The design of the unit is nice. One of the first things I noticed is that it is very light compared to the previous few vacuums I have had. This comes in very handy if you plan on using it all around the house. Attachments included are and brush attachment, narrow nozzle attachment, and a hardwood floor attachment. You can order a caddy separately which will replace the floor vacuum unit if you plan on using the lift away feature more often.
My first gripe I noticed was the head of the floor unit is a bit smaller than more traditional vacuums. This is not a huge deal killer but it might add up to extra vacuuming in the house. My second issue I quickly ran into was the lift away feature seemed to accidentally be activated a few times when I tried to lift the entire vacuum. This made me have the habit of being a bit more careful when picking it up so the floor unit does not fall off. Some people might find it annoying as they might think it is securely attached but it is not.
For vacuuming, the unit is very effective and you can even control how much suction is going through the hose. I could get much more dust out of the carpet in comparison to my old vacuum. It is advertised to never lose suction but I am curious how this will go over time as there are a few filters that are easy to access. I am mostly wondering about future availability of the filters and how easy they will be to clean. The floor vacuum attachment was great as well. It seems very well thought out and is designed to not scratch your floor.
I made the effort to try out the lift away mode a few times for the review but I noticed that since I am not used to vacuuming this way it did not seem too useful for me for most situations. It was great when cleaning the stairs but when cleaning furniture I did not have much need to take it off the floor unit. I am certain there are many users who will find great utility in this feature but it might just be a nice perk for everyone else.
Style wise, it looks rather nice in the corner of the room I keep it in. It does not take up much space and looks smart and not yelling for the observer to pay attention to it like some brighter vacuums do. It just looks like it belongs in the space.
Again, this is a good vacuum overall. It might have some features which you might not need, especially if you live in a home with a simple layout. If you have more complex uses, this might be the perfect vacuum for you as the lift away feature can absolutely have a few great uses.
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
I would recommend this to a friend!
-1point
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Make your home an internet haven with this versatile Linksys Velop wireless Wi-Fi system. Three identical tri-band dual-stream AC2200 routers, each equipped with a quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor, deliver lightning-fast internet. Equipped with Bluetooth 4.0/LE, this Linksys Velop wireless Wi-Fi system is simple to set up and pairs easily with computers, tablets and smart devices.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
One of the best
on January 12, 2017
Posted by: psyclopps
from San Diego, CO
After spending a few days with the Linksys Velop I mostly adore it with a tiny bit of annoyance on the side. It seems like it is absolutely worth the purchase, but keep in mind the product is very new as of Jan 2016, and might have a few kinks in it still as I experienced.
I have the three pack to cover my two-story home. Coming from a single router before, I always had a few dead spots or slow connections spots in my upstairs and my Wi-Fi was set up downstairs. Range extenders did not help too much either. I jumped with joy when my Linksys Velop arrived. The packaging feels premium with high quality cardboard, units packed in nice sleeves, simple instructions and nice graphics. It felt like opening an Apple product to me. I took my first unit downstairs and plugged it in. It requires the use of the iOS app or Android app to set up (you cannot use a typical web browser on a PC oddly enough). If you have Windows Phone you might be out of luck as I do not thing Linksys has an app for that OS. My first snag was that the default password did not seem to be working. I was setting it up on an iOS device and it just would not work for the life of me. I tried in on my Android phone and I had not problems. It was strange and I cannot explain or replicate the issue but it created a headache. After getting it up and running, setting up the other two units was a breeze and only took a few minutes while they figured out the best way for them to talk to each other.
I placed two units downstairs at opposite ends of the house and one at the top of the stairs to cover the upstairs area. After a few speed tests, I had almost perfect signals and speeds in all parts of my house! It was a bit slower in my bedroom but not as dramatically as it used to be. The menus in the app are simple compared to what I was used to with my old router so that can be a pro or a con depending on the person. My only connection issue I had was with my desktop PC which I hooked up via Ethernet to the main Velop unit for gaming. It seems to hang a lot when loading videos or pages. I am thinking this is an issue with firmware and might be fixed in a future update since I have no issues when I switch it over to Wi-Fi.
Design wise, the units look awesome. The little white monoliths have an artsy feel to them as there are subtle curves along the surface. It can easily be a conversation starter in the house as I would not be afraid to put them in a common room as opposed to an older router with antennas sticking out. The indicator light which glows multiple colors is not too bright looks appealing as well on the unit. Kudos to Linksys for having a great design team on this one.
There is a lack of connectors on the Velop so if you have a dire need for USB or Ethernet, this might not be for you. Each unit has two Ethernet ports. For the closest unit to your modem, one is used for connecting to the internet (WAN). The other port is for a LAN. On the other units around the house, both ports can be used as LAN connections. So, there is several ports total but they are distributed throughout the house which can be good or bad. If you use USB on a router for hooking up a hard drive, you will need to look for another solution.
I only experienced a few issues but some were annoying such as the Ethernet hiccups and setup issue. I think for most people they will not see any problems or have the same issues. Again, as they are new I feel Linksys will have better firmware out in the coming months but that is never guaranteed. The Velop system is probably the best Wi-Fi routers I have ever owned with overall consistent performance and speed with style to boot.
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Revive your Apple Watch conveniently with this Belkin Valet Charger power pack. A single charge of its 6700 mAh battery refuels a watch up to eight times, and an embedded smart chip detects connected devices for automatic wireless charging. This Belkin Valet Charger power pack includes a USB port for simultaneously charging additional devices.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Awesome charger
on December 21, 2016
Posted by: psyclopps
from San Diego, CO
I have had many portable chargers over the years and this one is the best one yet! Normally I would normally buy a smaller one but this product turned out to be perfect.
The packaging is small and maybe twice the width of the unit itself. There is not much inside the box other that a tiny manual, the charger and a micro USB cable. The packaging cutouts are exact sizes and seem to emphasize that the product is designed to be premium, I assume since it is mostly designed for Apple devices and tries to emulate their premium nature. The unit itself is about 4”x1.5”X1” in size which is more than small enough to fit in a bag. It resembles a large iPod and is mainly made from high quality aluminum with the top portion being a matte black plastic that has a felt feel to it. The top has a micro USB input and USB A output connector so you can use any cable with it. There is also a button to show battery charge with 4 green LED lights. The large white ring on the top part is actually an Apple Watch charger. I have not seen any other chargers that charge your phone and watch at the same time but here it is!
Charging the battery charges at 2.4A input so it is fast. It feels like a long time due to the capacity (6700 mAh) of the battery I think, its like charging three phones. I think the micro USB cable is nice since I can charge multiple things with it but I am confused why Belkin did not make the device charge via Lightning instead of micro USB as it is geared toward Apple products. The result is that there is an extra cable to carry. You must have a micro USB cable to charge the battery, you would then unplug it and plug in a lightning cable in the USB-A side of the charger to charge your iPhone, it just doesn’t make sense to me when they could have designed it to charge from lightning and then rotate the cable to charge apple devices. I assume it had something to do with licensing. It is a minor annoyance but enough to anger some users I am sure.
Actually charging the devices is as expected, it puts out 2A total which comes out to 1A via USB and 1A from the watch charger. This allows for similar charging times as the default charger that comes with an iPhone. It is not going to be any faster like the 2.1A chargers that come with the iPad. Since it is roughly equal to the charger that ships with the devices I have nothing bad to say about this chargers abilities, it does a great job and can keep you running for a few days by itself. Belkin advertises you can charge the Apple Watch 8 times and the iPhone 3 times, I felt this is about on par which actual results, maybe a tiny bit less in real world use.
This is going to be my charger that I carry with in my bag to work and on trips as I can rely on it, it is built to last and it looks cool. All my smaller chargers are going back into the storage bin or will be passed on to other people. If you have an iPhone and Apple watch, this is the charger to get. I only take away 1 star due to the strange decisions on cables I mentioned earlier.
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Shark Genius Steam Pocket Mop System is our most advanced floor cleaning system ever. Featuring both a Steam Mop and a Spray Pocket mop, the Genius system is the right solution for all your cleaning needs. Harness the power of steam to sanitize 99.9% of household bacteria*. (Sanitization studies were conducted under controlled test conditions. Household conditions and results may vary.)
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Very useful product
on December 21, 2016
Posted by: psyclopps
from San Diego, CO
Having tried out the Shark Genius Steam Mop, I come out very impressed with very little bad to say about it. I find this to be a very useful mop that is handy and easy to use.
Unboxing the device is a typical experience with some assembly required. I was a bit surprised that there are two handles, one is for if you plan on using it for steam and the other is for if you plan on using the spray bottle. They are mostly the same aside from an attachment for the bottle or the steam filling jug. The handles are not easy to change out, there is a button to do so but it did not seem easy to press properly to release the handle. I found myself spending most of my time with the steam handle and will mostly talk about it in my review. While unboxing I noticed the adhesive on the stickers has some cheap glue that leaves lots of residue on the device. This is a minor annoyance but it is still something to be aware of.
After assembly, I filled the tank and plugging it in. I thought the device looked rather nice and is small enough for easy storage. Filling the tank is easy and you simply pull open a slot and pour water in. It is not messy at all and you do not need to pay too much attention to how quickly you fill it unlike an iron where you run the risk of overflowing the unit if you pour too fast. Pressing the steam button gets it pushing the water out and heating up. It takes about a minute for it to get to the right temperature to push out enough steam but does a great job once it does. The power cable is rather thick and seemed to get in the way a lot for small spaces such as bathrooms but is a bit better in larger rooms.
The steam does not come out very quickly but seems to be just right creating minimal risk of burns or accidents. It seems to pump though the mop head and leaves the floor nice and warm for a few minutes when done. I can not test how well it actually sanitizes but the floors seemed clean enough when finished.

Storage is great as the unit is light and compact. When finished the mop head can be quickly release and washed. I believe the manual states it is good for 20 uses or so but I am not sure how the availability of the mop heads are if replacements are needed. The mop head can also be flipped extremely easily so you can use it much longer with the greater surface area available.

This unit is great for cleaning a floor. I am not sure I would recommend it to clean hard wood floors routinely as there are better products that actually wash those types of floors, but if you simply want a clean floor and the ability to clean up messes without have a huge unit to store, this is the mop for you!
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Only at Best Buy HP Spectre x360 Convertible 2-in-1 Laptop: Power through your workday with this 13.3-inch HP Spectre convertible laptop. The Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM deliver speed for playing games or streaming videos, and a 512GB solid-state drive provides plenty of storage space for videos and documents. This HP Spectre convertible laptop includes a front-facing TrueVision webcam with an integrated microphone for conference calls.
 
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5 out of 5
5
Amazing value
on November 21, 2016
Posted by: psyclopps
from San Diego, CO
I recently purchases another laptop of the same price and after initially liking it, I realized it wasn’t going to cut it in day to day use like I had hoped. I returned it and saw the HP Spectre x360 was on sale for Black Friday so I had to give it a shot since every website I have seen rated it at the top of their lists for the year.
Starting with design, this thing is beautiful. The laptop not was replacing (not returning) was a Macbook 2015 model. This is better in design in most areas. The build quality is very premium. It feels like every feature and piece of the laptop was well thought out and discussed prior to implementing it.
This laptop is fast. The laptop I was returning has similar specs with a Core i7, 512gb SSD, 16gb RAM and this thing still feels like it runs circles around it. In short, the software feels optimized for the hardware. There is very little bloatware (just McAfee and a few HP apps). Scroll is consistently smooth and the device is very responsive.
The screen in limited to 1920x1080 which is fine for a 13 inch screen but it is not the sharpest you will find since there are other UHD options. Still, it will be perfect for most people’s needs. The color is advertised as 72% of RGB so about average but again, there are some better options out there. You will overall be pleased by it since you will see little to no pixels up close.
The laptop is extremely light at about 2.8 pounds. It is usable as a tablet for extended periods and is about the same weight as my iPad Pro 12 inch. This is by far more productive unless you need pen input as it does not support high quality pen input.
Audio is great for a small laptop with 2 top firing speakers and 2 bottom speakers. It gets distorted at loud volumes but it is clean up to a very loud point with adequate bass.
Battery life is on par with what I got on my MacBook Pro 13. It is advertised above 10 hours I believe but I think 8 hours of real world use is about right.
There are 2 USB C slots which double as the charging port and a USB 3.0 type A slot. Headphone jack is present as well. I do long for an SD Card slot but at a device of this size I can’t complain.
The fans run quiet even under heavy load and rarely turn on so this will do well in meetings or in class. The keyboard feels precise but is a bit “clicky” if that matters to you. The mouse is very precise and has a huge trackpad similar to Macs. The right side has pg up / pg down keys which is something many vendors forget about making this great for reading documents. I do wish there was room for a num pad but at 13 inchs, the keyboard would be to small to fit that in.
If you can find a deal on this laptop, I would say it is a no brainer, go out and buy one. It beats the Lenovo Yoga in quality if you ask me and is on par with the XPS series from Dell. Definitely HP’s greatest work.
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
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Keep unwanted hair to a minimum with this Philips grooming tool. The waterproof design lets you use it in the shower, and eight attachments make this trimmer perfect for grooming different sections of the face. This Philips grooming tool has a turbo setting to increase cutting speed, and it charges in just one hour to reduce wait time.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
A surprisingly great product
on November 15, 2016
Posted by: psyclopps
from San Diego, CO
This is one of those products which you might not realize you needed until you have it in your possession. It was fun trying this out and I tried to use each attachment for this review although I doubt most people will need each attachment.
Starting with the packaging when you receive it, the box is kind of cheap. The product is help in cheap plastic and the carrying case is almost stuffed in there. This only matters for those of you who like a great unboxing experience. Once you get the product out of the box, the unit itself feels high quality and has a solid feel to it though the product is mostly plastic. The plastic feels higher end. The blades and attachments are high quality metal and plastic depending on what you are using. The box includes multiple attachments / blades, the unit, a charger and a carrying case for all the pieces.
I first tried the basic blade which is mostly meant for sideburns and similar hairlines. It did a great job evening out my sideburns which I usually use my blade razor for but did it right the first try. My razor usually takes a few swipes to get it just right. I tossed on the head hair comb to try to shorten my hair on my sideburns a bit and it blended them perfectly the first try (I have no experience mind you). I did notice the hair attachment does not use the standard clipper sizes I am used to at the barber shop. For example, a “6” on this unit is much shorter than you might expect from the barber’s “6”. The beard trimmer did a great job with my face hair as did the body hair trimmers. The blades were great and did not snag once creating a very comfortable cut.
The nose hair trimmer was interesting since I have never found one of these that works well or comfortably. This one was painless and get every single spot I aimed it at. I was most impressed by the close body trimmer attachment, it allowed for very close cutting on the body.
The unit is rated for wet/dry use so no issues there, I did not feel it would be much easier with wet hair in most circumstances though as the comb attachments are pretty spread out and do not lift the hair much. The unit also includes a turbo mode which is great if you are trying to get through some thick hair.
This unit is great overall. My only complaints are I would prefer the combs to be closer together, a bit more metal in design of the product and maybe a charging stand instead of a cord. Otherwise, it is a great purchase and I highly recommend it.
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Lenovo Yoga 710 Convertible 2-in-1 Laptop: Take your work or play with you with this Lenovo Yoga convertible laptop. The Intel 7th Gen Core processor and Windows 10 Home operating system keep you moving through tasks quickly. An edgeless 15.6-inch UHD display lets you see intricate photo details when you view websites or downloaded media on this Lenovo Yoga convertible laptop.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Great overall laptop
on November 14, 2016
Posted by: psyclopps
from San Diego, CO
I took some time deciding between the HP Spectre x360, Dell Inspiron 15 and the Lenovo Yoga 710. I ended up deciding on the Yoga for a few reasons. First off, the screen was amazing both in resolution (UHD) and color reproduction. The other brands were washed out and I didn't like the fuzzyness of 1080p. The Yoga had great specs at 16gb of DDR4 RAM, 256 GB HD and a core i7 processor.
The fingerprint sensor with Windows hello works perfect every time and is a must have, no Windows Hello camera support here though. The keyboard is near perfect for me as it feels crisp and accurate. I only with there was a number pad as I feel this should be standard on 15 inch laptops. The trackpad isn't as good as Apple ones but pretty much nothing is. Otherwise it is overall a pretty good touch pad overall and I do not have any issues with it other than I wish it was a bit smoother.
The number or ports is small with only an HDMI mini port, two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card slot and power. I was hesitant as I really wanted USB-C but then I remembered I own absolutely nothing that has USB-C so this might or might not be a drawback.
Battery life is a bit iffy for the UHD model as the beautiful screen takes more power. I am seeing around 5-6 hours normally, 8 hours is advertised but that might also be due to what programs I am using and which video card is being used (there is internal Intel 620 and Nvidia Geforce 940mx).
The speakers are loud and clear and better than most competition. Folding the screen back is always a bit weird in a 15 inch laptop but this model is not too heavy, just a tad over 4 pounds which is much lighter than most similar models which are pushing 5 pounds. It is also very thin, I think it said .7 inches.
My only gripes are I would like slightly better battery life, more ports, a number pad and a slightly better touchpad. For the price you get an amazing computer. if you know you are going to be looking at a screen much of the day, spend the money for this amazing screen, your eyes will thank you. The amazing specs on this computer will keep you working with no slow down.
The best laptop under $1200 bucks Best Buy has to offer right now. (If you want to spend more I would look toward the Yoga 900 series maxed out or the HP Spectre models)
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
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Save time when you batch-edit photographs with Adobe Photoshop Elements 15. Sort photos automatically with the software’s enhanced smart tagging feature and find pictures via geotags or visual similarity. Specialized tools within the program let you fix frowns, remove camera shake and remove red-eye, making Adobe Photoshop Elements 15 an invaluable addition to your photography needs.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Powerful tools for all levels
on November 4, 2016
Posted by: psyclopps
from San Diego, CO
This product is a bit harder to write a review on because there are simply so many features to talk about. I am nowhere near an as experienced as an advanced photo editor but I do like to have nice looking photos from my DSLR. Usually I default to Lightroom to get my desired look but there are things that only Photoshop products can do. It has been a while since I looked at a Photoshop Elements product (Elements 12), but it has been long enough that I can see the progress between the previous version I used and the most recent release.
Photoshop 15 is simply packed full of features. It was tempting to go straight to the “Expert” level editing but I felt that doing this would not lead to a realistic review since all levels of users are going to use this product, that and I often have no clue what I am doing when using some of those expert level features other than just playing around. I started with the guided features using two photos of a house and a pumpkin to play with. The guided features make every single advertised effect EXTREMELY easy to implement. I can see myself using many of these to get the proper smiles in my photos or cleaning up patches of grass, or simply deleting portions of the photo out. In past versions, that was a slightly tedious thing to do as it took lots of time getting patterns just right and cropping exact edges. Well, Photoshop 15 does all of that work for you if you use the built in tools.

I was a bit turned off by the quick settings as they are almost too simple to the point where many are useless. I just did not see the point of a toothbrush tool to get whiter teeth. What I mean is I am sure there are times it can come in handy, but I did not see some of these tools as being used often enough to be on the quick mode which in my mind should have tools which would be commonly used. This is just an opinion and maybe some of those features are used much more than I know.
I saw the most use out of the guided menu and the expert menu. The guided menu has many actual relevant tools which produce immediate and powerful results. There is minimal interaction needed to achieve the desired effects. I attached the photo I used to when I was playing around around with the software. Keep in mind I am not at all the creative type or well versed in the world of Photoshop, I simply wanted to see what someone with little experience could do in a short period of time (less than 10 minutes). I am sure if you put some actual time and effort into getting a nice photo it would come out much better.
The expert menu feels like full fledged photoshop to me with the ability to use layers, almost all the major tools, RAW editing and more. I tested the software on a 2015 Macbook Pro (i5 & 8gb RAM). Most of the effects were very fast and only rarely did I see any hangups when using the tools. Most often I saw pauses when using the mask features and finalizing guided effects. If you have more powerful hardware I am sure there will be no lag at all. The software does use your graphics card to accelerate certain effects.
In summary, the software is a great product with tools for all levels. If you are just a beginner, it is a great tool to learn more advanced features on but can provide lots of fun photo editing tools regardless if you know what you are doing or not.
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
I would recommend this to a friend!
User submitted photo
+10points
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Simplify your everyday life with the Google Home, a voice-activated speaker powered by the Google Assistant. Use voice commands to enjoy music, get answers from Google and manage everyday tasks. Google Home is compatible with Android and iOS operating systems, and can control compatible smart devices such as Chromecast or Nest."
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Near perfect device
on November 4, 2016
Posted by: psyclopps
from San Diego, CO
Ok, I am going to start off by saying that this thing is simply cool. That should be the quick summary of this review. My gripes are minor and I have lots of praise, but I haven’t had this much fun with a product in a long time.
First off, setting this thing up was as easy as can be. If you already have a Google account, all you need to do is plug it in, download the Google Home app on your phone, find it in the list of devices, get wifi going and that’s it! The hardest part is remembering your wifi password. The box it comes in is the first introduction to the experience you can expect as the box itself it made out of high quality cardboard and flips open in a pleasing manner. There is only a few sheets of documentation with very simple diagrams as to how to set it up. The device itself is about just about six inches tall and doesn't take up much real estate. It looks great in any room as it does not look like a high end piece of technology, it almost looks like a larger air freshener or a decorative piece to me.
The lights on the device provide a pretty cool wow factor as they are not seen when not lit but are hidden behind the white plastic. They create neat patterns in Google’s colors or simply glow white when using volume controls. The back has a mute button in case you do not want it to listen to you and the only branding on it is also on the back, the G logo. The bottom part (speaker) has interchangeable covers to match your room decor but you must purchase these separately if interested.
Upon first use, I thought to myself “how could this be much better than other products that do the same thing”. Well… this thing blows everything else out of the water in two key areas, usability and information thanks to Google’s vast search abilities and its neural network that powers Google Assistant. Google Home was great in every test I threw at it as I rarely had any unknown questions, and I could talk to it like it normal person as it remembers the context of previous statements, something no other device does to my knowledge. Asking it “what is tomorrow’s weather” gives you the expected result then adding on “what about rain” provides more narrow results. Google Home has loads of personality also, my toddler tells me he loves the Google Home because it is funny and because it likes him and sings him songs.
I found music to be hit or miss on this device. The main services it supports are Google Play Music, Youtube Music, Spotify and Pandora. I tested it with Pandora and Google Play Music. I am not reviewing those services but the devices works very well with them. The music quality is loud but lacks much depth and feels a bit flat to me. I think for most people it’s quality is just fine though. For other interactions that are not music related, the speakers are great and conversing with the device is loud and clear.
One of the largest strengths to the Google Home is the fact that it integrates with Google Services so well. What I mean is that if you have a Chromecast, Google TV device, a phone with Google Apps installed, you will be very pleased. It was great telling it to play popular videos on Youtube and it starts Youtube up on my Nvidia Shield. It was great telling it to play the most recent Blink-182 album to which it plays “California” and I can skip to the next song via voice or with the Google Play Music app on my phone. I could build in real time playlists for Youtube or music on my phone and they would be thrown to whichever device it was streaming on. All the devices work together seamlessly but the Home always feels like it is the centerpiece of this interaction. Testing it with other brands of devices, I used a Nest Thermostat which was a perfect interaction. On the Google Home I could ask it many different ways to change the temperature and it would be understand. It always felt as if it knew what I wanted it to do without dumbing down my commands any. With the backing of Google neural net, these features should get better over time. It also remembers things about you (creepy for some people but useful for future interactions). I ask it what its favorite animal is, it tells me then asks me mine, to which it states it will remember that. This kind of interaction provides useful knowledge to tailor conversations with the user as the software gets better.
I have not had a chance to test the ability to pair multiple Google Home devices together but Google advertises that you can have multiple one paired together and they would hand off commands much better than competitors and even stream music throughout the house, this sounds like a great feature and hopefully they will build a greater variety of Home devices in the future that can suit different needs around the house.
Overall, I am very happy with this device and I think it can easily find a place in my house for everyday use. Google has a near perfect product with its first launch. The Google Home is cheaper, higher quality and a more polished device than any of the other brands so I do not think there would be anyone unhappy with this purchase unless they have zero integration with Google applications. If you are an avid user of Google services, this is a must have in your home. Five out of Five stars for me.
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
I would recommend this to a friend!
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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.
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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...
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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.
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psyclopps's Questions
 
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psyclopps's Answers
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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
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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.
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3 years, 6 months ago
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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, 9 months ago
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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, 10 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!
5 years, 11 months 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.
5 years, 11 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.
 

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, 2 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, 2 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, 2 months ago
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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