cjviscito's stats
- Review count193
- Helpfulness votes659
- First reviewNovember 1, 2012
- Last reviewApril 24, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.2
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- Answer count23
- Helpfulness votes23
- First answerFebruary 8, 2010
- Last answerMay 27, 2021
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- Best answers1
SimpliSafe's next generation of professional monitoring is here. 24/7 live guard protection and the Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Security Camera help stop crime in real time. When a break-in occurs, the camera springs into action. This breakthrough in advanced home security allows SimpliSafe monitoring agents to see and speak to intruders directly through the two-way audio feature, informing them they’re being recorded, and police are on the way.
Customer Rating
5
Finally, a battery powered, in-door camera!
on July 27, 2023
Posted by: cjviscito
We have had our Simplisafe system for years and we've been pretty happy with everything. The only thing that I wasn't really keen about was their indoor camera offerings. For years, the only option has been their standard black, wired camera. Admittedly, the old black camera comes with a fairly long USB power cord, but still, there's times when I want to have a camera in a place where the long black wire wouldn't work.
So I jumped on the option to get one of their new indoor cameras to try out. If you've ever set up a Simplisafe device in the past, then you'll be very familiar with how to set this up. I fired up the Simplisafe app on my phone, went to add a device, selected the camera and we were off to the races.
Out of the box, you'll need to charge the battery for a fairly long time. As I've noticed with Simplisafe's outdoor wireless cameras, it takes a while to charge them fully, but they last for a while with the proper settings.
The camera also comes with an attached swivel base in case you want to wall mount the camera. I chose not to do this because I wasn't entirely sure where I wanted the camera. So it's sitting on top of a cabinet in our kitchen that covers the backdoor, kitchen, and entire family room. If someone's coming it, we'll see them.
This camera also comes with a feature that you can enable if you pay for the monthly Simplisafe monitoring plan. In case of an alarm that's triggered while we're away, Simplisafe can remotely access the camera and verify if police need to be called, which is a nice piece of mind to have. There's also a physical privacy shutter that covers the lens when the camera is not in use, so we didn't get the feeling like we were being observed when we didn't wish to be.
Like the other Simplisafe indoor camera, you can customize your settings. I have this camera set to be active when the alarm is in the Away mode only, mostly because I didn't want it to register our dog as an intruder at night, but there's also another setting in the camera that you can set to have it ignore what it estimates pets to be.
All in all, I'm pretty happy with it. The only real gripe I have is with Simplisafe as a whole, not this device. Simplisafe marketed themselves for years as being HomeKit enabled, but they never cracked it. So rather than continue working on it, they simply stopped. So if you're an Apple HomeKit household, you'll be out of luck.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Oura Ring and the Oura Membership ($5.99/mo plus tax) work hand-in-hand to help you feel your best. Monitor your sleep, activity levels, temperature, stress, heart rate, and more with the most trusted Smart Ring. Whether you’re focusing on your fitness or want to improve your sleep, Oura helps you take control of your health — in style.
Customer Rating
3
Good smart health device, hampered by subscription
on July 11, 2023
Posted by: cjviscito
I was excited to try out the Oura Gen 3 ring. I love trying out new smart health devices that are designed to help me live a healthier lifestyle. A coworker of mine has a previous generation Oura and had nothing but positive things to say.
The process of getting the ring was very well designed. After I selected the Silver Heritage style, Oura sent me a sizing kit with multiple different options. The sizing rings were all basic, black plastic. Oura's instructions said to try a sizing ring on for at least 24 hours since your fingers and grow and shrink throughout the day. Oura also recommends placing the ring on your index finger, however you can also use your middle or ring fingers. I spent over 24 hours using the 10mm size, visited the Oura site, confirmed my order and my ring shipped out.
Setup was fairly painless, the ring uses Bluetooth to connect and sync data between the ring and your smartphone. The battery life is pretty impressive, but also expected since there's no screen or anything like that. I've gone almost a week before I need to let the ring recharge.
I installed the Oura companion app on my iPhone, and I was off and running. After you wear the ring for a few days, the app will provide you with detailed breakdowns of the following:
1) Readiness - a score measuring the balance of your sleep and activity. A higher readiness score means you are ready to take on more activities and workouts.
2) Sleep - a score measuring the quality of sleep along with breakdown between the various stages of sleep and how long you slept.
3) Activity - a score measuring your progress against daily activity goals, based on calories burnt.
There's also a host of other insights and tools you can use in the app, such as meditation exercises, heart rate monitoring and trends, and more.
One thing I love about the Oura Gen 3 ring is that it connects with Apple Health, and since I wear the ring with my Apple Watch, I'm getting a more comprehensive picture of my overall health.
What I didn't like, and why I rated the Oura Gen 3 ring a 3 out of 5 is because Oura has gated most of the information and features behind a monthly subscription model. If you're spending a lot of money on a smart health tracker, it seems that requiring extra monthly payments to access data the ring is already tracking feels punitive. Oura's previous Gen 2 ring get lifetime access to all these features, while Gen 3 on have to pay by month to access features already built into the ring.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Outdoor Tilt mount is the perfect addition to your outdoor space. With its weatherproof design using a corrosion-resistant coating and stainless steel hardware, you can enjoy your TV no matter the weather. The Virtual Axis Fingertip tilt feature makes it easy to adjust your TV to reduce glare and ProSet makes leveling and height adjustment a breeze. The slim profile means your TV will sit just 2.18" from the wall, and will blend seamlessly with your TV and decor. Upgrade your outdoor entertainment space with the perfect mount. For TVs 37"-95"
Posted by: cjviscito
When we redid our backyard patio, I told my wife that I wanted to hang at least a 55" TV in the backyard. I wanted to use only materials and cables that were designated for outdoor usage, and when it came to hanging a TV, I figured I wouldn't try to scrimp on the wall mount.
I also specifically didn't want a mount with an arm. Texas wind can be a bit rough during storm season and I could just imagine a mount with an arm dropping the TV on the concrete. I also knew I wanted a mount that could tilt / pivot since it would end up being up higher on the wall than eye level.
So I picked this up, and had the crew redoing our backyard install it. The installation was a breeze, and they hung the TV without an issue. It's been up for a little bit now and it appears to be holding the TV up just fine. The mount itself feels a bit thicker and sturdier than some of the more inexpensive mounts that are not cleared for outdoor usage.
It's nice to not have to worry about the TV falling off. A solid mount from a known TV accessory brand bought me solid piece of mind... and a wall mounted 55" TV just over my grill!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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TORRAS COOLIFY 2S is a portable and personal climate device with both air conditioning and heater built in. Featuring a 9-mode personal 3-speed bladeless fan.
Posted by: cjviscito
I picked this up because I wanted to try it out, since Texas summers can be brutal. I liked the idea of a collar that I could wear while working in the yard, or at Scout camp with my kid. I was impressed with the design of the collar, but I was also a bit disappointed with it.
From an industrial design perspective, the collar feels like it's built quite well. The center of the collar has a neoprene-feeling part that flexes to fit different sizes of necks and wasn't uncomfortable to wear while doing yard work.
Although this is billed as A/C, Fan, and Heat, I could only get the collar to toggle between Fan and A/C... heat was never an option that I could see. Also, the collar appears to be heavily dependent on a mobile app. I downloaded the app, but quickly deleted it. I'm a product manager for mobile apps by trade and the UI / UX of the app felt messy and disjointed. The appearance of the app was so bad that I didn't go through the "Create Account" flow.
That's also because I felt that the collar kept me comfortable enough with the preset temperature. Of course, Texas also had a cold snap when I got this unit to test, so I only had 1 real time to try it out, so I can't speak to the reliability of the unit.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Achieve high-quality visuals on every play with this Panasonic Ultra HD Blu-ray player DP-UB154P-K. Deep color HDMI output and 4K upscaling delivers immersive enjoyment of your favorite movie titles, showing images at their very best. Featuring Dolby Atmos and HDR10+ compatibility, this Panasonic UHD Blu-ray player immerses you both in lifelike sound and images.
Posted by: cjviscito
We picked this up because we didn't have a DVD player in our main, downstairs family room. We have a media room upstairs that has a premium 4K UHD player, but I wanted something more basic for downstairs because it's not something that I see us using all that frequently. There were just a few times when having a disc player downstairs would've been helpful.
Out of the box, this feels very light and not as hefty as the one we have upstairs in the media room. I was a bit disappointed to see that the box comes with just the player, basic remote, and power cord. No HDMI or network cable provided, but I guess that's because this is more of a "bargain" option. They sure loved to tell you what kind of specs you need in your un-supplied HDMI cable though. If you're going to be prescriptive in requirements, maybe consider tossing the cable in?
As connections go, there's a simple HDMI-out, Ethernet-in, and power port in the back, that's it. There's a USB port in the front if you're still relying on USB media... I haven't in years, so I can't speak to that ports usefulness.
I hooked it up to my TV, dropped in Zack Snyder's Justice League UHD, and sat back to see how it handled. From a playback perspective, the disc spun up pretty quickly and off we went. Picture quality and sound were fine, the TV is a 4K OLED set and the sound bar also supports Dolby Atmos, so sound was good.
All in all, I feel that this is a good 4K UHD disc player. DVDs, Blu-Ray's, and 4K UHDs all played fine, but you could obviously tell what kind of a disc you were watching, so don't expect this thing to make your DVD's look like UHD's... not a knock against the player, just setting expectations. No disc player will make a DVD at 480p look like a 4K UHD at 2160p.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000 provides stainless steel precision with 19 tools and accessories for a perfect beard, hair and body trim. The precision trimming guard provides 5x more precision settings vs the predecessor. Plus, the 3-7mm adjustable comb provides even more grooming options for a personalized look. The Multigroom 7000 also has Smart BeardSense technology to boost power exactly when you need it to tackle dense, bushy or long beards. The self-sharpening stainless steel blades remain sharp as day one for long lasting performance, no oil required. The steel frame and rubber grips deliver superior control and the Lithium-ion battery yields 5 hours of runtime. USB-A charging cable included (wall power adapter not included).
Customer Rating
3
Good Trimmer, but with Odd Compromises
on February 12, 2023
Posted by: cjviscito
My older Philips Norelco multi groomer tool was starting to fade out, so I wanted to pick up a newer version. Overall, this thing has some nice features with, frankly, some bizarre trade-offs.
The kit itself comes with:
- Multi tool razor
- Hair, precision, and nose groomer attachments
- USB A charging cable with NO BRICK
- Various Head Guards with angle guards
- Body Guards
- Beard Guards
- Eyebrow Guards
- Multi tool razor
- Hair, precision, and nose groomer attachments
- USB A charging cable with NO BRICK
- Various Head Guards with angle guards
- Body Guards
- Beard Guards
- Eyebrow Guards
On face value, this little thing appears to pack a punch. I've been using the bears, nose, and precision pieces frequently, and use the wider-toothed hair clipper attachment to clean up the hair on the back of my neck. My hairstyle is too long for the other head guards to be of any use.
Here's my main gripe with this thing, for years, I've trimmed my beard using the 8mm guard attachment that has been pretty much standard on any Norelco product I've owned... except this thing. The beard guard is adaptable, meaning you can select how much or little to leave, and it stops at 7mm. The next attachment that comes with this is a non-adjustable 9mm piece. They go from 7-to-9 with no logical reason.
Color me picky, but it seems like such an odd and arbitrary thing to leave out. My other main gripe is that Norelco didn't include a power brick with this, just a USB-A to double prong cable. Again, I've used Norelco products exclusively over the years and something I appreciated was the standard 2-prong power cable worked with all their products. Now, with this thing, the placement of the 2-prongs is different, so I can't use the 3 Norelco power cords that I have. I don't have a USB outlet in my bathroom and don't plan on dropping the $50 to add a GFCI certified one in my bathroom.
So when I need to charge this thing, I leave it on my nightstand, using the same power brick that charges my iPhone.
With those 2 issues out of the way, I've actually enjoyed using this trimmer. It's a small trimmer that is strong and versatile enough to go from trimming a beard, edging my mustache under my nose, trimming nose hairs, you name it. I'm probably not the target market for this product because I really don't need or use the hair attachments.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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SmoothSkin Pure Mini combines the best of our technology in our most compact device yet! Delivering fast treatments to a maximum of 4J/cm2, you will see visible results in just 4 weeks and up to 97% hair reduction after 12 weeks! Featuring our patented Smart Skin Sensing Technology, Pure Mini measures your skin tone with each flash and automatically tailors its entergy output accordingly for personalized, safe and longer-lasting results. Clinically proven and FDA cleared for permanent and safe hair reduction on your body and face. SmoothSkin PUre Mini features two comfort settings, a precision head attachment and 3 intensity levels for an IPL experience tailored to your personal needs: Power Mode is the highest intensity setting perfet for stubborn areas, Gentle Mode is ideal for more sensitive areas. The precision head helps treating smaller areas. What's more, a full body treatment takes only 10 minutes!
Customer Rating
4
At Home Hair Removal Device
on November 26, 2022
Posted by: cjviscito
I picked this up for my wife, because she's been vocally interested in laser hair removal for the past few years, and this seemed like a better option to try before some crazy-expensive procedure. Here's her thoughts..
First thing I did was to review the instructions and ensure my skin color and hair color were conducive to using the Smooth Skin Pure Mini. You need to use the device after shaving, like immediately after. There can't be any hair in the area you are using the laser.
I first tried it on my legs and it worked well. You need to have the laser placed evenly on your skin, so sometimes if I wasn’t paying attention the laser wouldn’t work. I also had issues with my knees, but they have an attachment, a precision head, that you can use to make those areas easier to do. I unfortunately lost that piece, so I wasn’t able to try other areas like my toes.
It says it takes 12 weeks to get full results. I’m on week 6 and I have noticed hair is still growing back. I have thicker hair on my legs, so I think it will take more time to see full results. I’m looking forward to continuing my hair removal journey. I would recommend this product.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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We spend 90% of our time indoors where the air is often 2 to 5 times worse than the air outside. Continuous monitoring of indoor air quality is key for minimizing negative health effects, preventing illness and increasing productivity, energy and good health. Airthings, air quality specialists and experts in radon, created the Airthings Wave Plus as the first smart air quality monitor with radon detection. Wave Plus has since won multiple awards for consumer electronics and innovation and was among the 2019 TIME Magazine inventions of the year. It is the perfect solution for homeowners to gain full visibility into six indoor air factors; radon, carbon dioxide (CO2), airborne chemicals (TVOCs), humidity, temperature and air pressure. Airthings Wave Plus includes a free app to connect to your smartphone (iOS/Android) via Bluetooth and an online dashboard with advanced analytics. Battery operated allowing you to install anywhere, with 16 months battery life. Please allow for a 7-Day settling period for the sensors to adjust to their new environment. By monitoring daily and continuously, you can avoid radon side effects, get the best indoor humidity level, low voc levels and low carbon dioxide levels. Made to the best indoor air quality standards, Airthings Wave Plus is essential in every home.
Customer Rating
5
Perfect Smart Home Air Monitor
on November 14, 2022
Posted by: cjviscito
This thing has to be one of the most simple, smart home items I've ever set up and used. My wife and I have discussed how we wanted to see more about the air quality in our home. Our youngest daughter has asthma, so we started taking a hard look at the air quality inside our house to help keep her breathing in check.
I wanted something that I could easily add to our current smart home set up as well, because I wanted to see more than just a current status. I wanted to see trends, get alerts, those sorts of things. The Airthings Wave delivered everything I wanted in a smart home, air quality monitoring device.
Out of the box, this thing is about the same size and circumference of a standard in-home smoke detector. The back of the device is held on with a magnetic connection, so there's no unscrewing the device when it's time to change the battery. You literally can just pop if off the wall. There's a single screw in the box that you can use to mount the magnetic plate to a wall, or you can do what we did and just place it on our mantle. The instructions that come with the device actually give you ideas about where to mount the device to get the most honest read.
You'll need to download the Airthing's app in order to set the device up. Even though I was able to get it synced with my smart home set up, I was surprised to see that the app relied on a Bluetooth connection between the phone and monitor to sync results. Out of the box, the Airthings Wave Plus works with Amazon's Alexa and Google Home. There is not an official, first-party support from Airthings for Apple's HomeKit - but if you search the web, you can find some HomeBridge alternatives if you're a HomeKit user.
Here are the different metrics this Wave Plus monitors:
- Radon levels
- VOC (Airborne chemicals)
- CO2 (Carbon dioxide)
- Humidity
- Temperature
- Air Pressure
- Radon levels
- VOC (Airborne chemicals)
- CO2 (Carbon dioxide)
- Humidity
- Temperature
- Air Pressure
Once the device is set up, the app does inform you that it takes 7 days for the device to calibrate itself to its environment. It'll still keep track of the current statuses of the items I listed above, but YMMV. The app is actually not irritating bloatware like some partner app devices require.
Inside the app, you can also see trend performance for each of the metrics above in the last 48 hours, week, month, and year. So far, it's been interesting. We noticed that the CO2 levels go up when we have our gas fire place turned on. Not enough to cause any alarm, but still good to know. The radon detection capability appears to the what Airthings believe will be a bill draw for the Wave Plus.
Another nifty feature is if you wave your hand in front of the device, there's an LED light that will let you know in a single glance the overall quality of the air. Green is good, so that's what you want to see. All in all, we've been really happy with the amount of information and insight the Wave Plus has given us about the quality of the air in our home.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Show up to every video call feeling confident, seen, and heard. Logitech Brio 500 includes features like auto light correction for low-lighting conditions, auto-framing so you can move during calls, and Show Mode for presenting objects on your desk. Brio 500 Webcam creates a more authentic Google, Teams, or Zoom meeting experience, allowing you to connect genuinely with others.
Posted by: cjviscito
I was looking to upgrade my older Logitech C920 camera, but the Logitech Brio 4k webcam seemed like it was overkill for what I was looking for, so I was happy to see Logitech made the Brio 500. Out of the box, it's your basic plug and play webcam situation.
Something to be aware of is this webcam requires a USB-C port. My monitor has a built in USB hub that I plug all my accessories into so I can swap my personal and work laptop at my desk. So I resorted to using a USB-C to USB-A adapter because the monitor doesn't have a USB-C input port. It worked without a hitch and I was up and running in a few minutes.
The Brio 500 works for both Windows and Mac devices plug-&-play out of the box, but if you want some additional customization, you can download the Logi Tune software. This is how you manage firmware updates for the camera, in fact, there was one required out of the box as soon as I set it up. The Logi Tune software also allows you to customize color temperatures, zoom, etc. It did not allow me to adjust the frame rate. The camera is supposed to support 1080p at 30 FPS and 720p at 60 FPS, but there was no way to toggle that in the Tune app.
The Brio has 2 cool new hardware features that set it apart from my older C920. First, it has a built-in privacy shutter that you can open and close, which is a nice privacy / security feature. Also, the camera attaches to the base with a magnetic connection, so you can pivot the camera down to the desk. It plays a bit like what Apple described for their new Continuity Camera feature, so you can pivot the camera down to the desk, and the camera automatically rotates the image so you can share what's on your desk without it looking upside down to anyone you're sharing / broadcasting to.
There's also a built-in microphone, but I have a dedicated USB microphone that I use, so I can't speak to that. All in all, I really like the camera, the video quality is great for a webcam and is great for work Zoom calls as well as recording / streaming. Since most internet video is compressed in order to stream, the quality of 1080p video still looks great.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Pro Structured Backpack with fully padded 17.3" laptop compartment. Internal iPad or tablet pocket. Internal organizer section. Side mesh pockets. Padded backpack straps. Carry handle. Back zipper pocket.
Customer Rating
4
Compact and Comfortable
on November 5, 2022
Posted by: cjviscito
My old backpack that I used for many years finally gave up the ghost, so I was on the look out for another option that met the following criteria:
- Room for 14 / 16" laptop
- Room for iPad
- Comfortable to carry
- Travel Friendly
- Room for 14 / 16" laptop
- Room for iPad
- Comfortable to carry
- Travel Friendly
The Solo backpack checked all of those items for me. The bag itself is a pretty standard size, it's not overly large like some laptop bags are, but it's also got enough room to hold what I need it to hold. My work is bringing people back into the office in a hybrid setting, and we can't leave any items at our desks overnight - so we have to be able to pack in and out whatever we need for the day.
I was able to comfortably carry everything I need for my visits to the office. The straps and back of the backpack have some nice padding with cushioning to avoid feeling like the bag is weighing on you. There's also another nice feature in the back - there's a loop in the back so you can keep your backpack connected with luggage when you're traveling.
In terms of build quality, the bag feels nice and sturdy. The bottom of the bag has some kind of thicker material, not sure if it's denser fabric or thin leather, but it feels soft, but durable. There's also a "hidden" pocket in the back of the backpack for more sensitive items. I typically would carry things like my wallet or AirPods in that pocket when out and about.
The camo look isn't as drastic as the images make it out to be, you can really only see it if light hits it a certain way. Camo look really isn't my thing, but it's hardly noticeable. I've had coworkers ask me where I got the bag because it looks and feels as nice as a bag that costs considerably more.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Experience immersive entertainment options with this Sony 4K Blu-ray player. Its Ultra HD resolution provides exceptionally detailed screen images with increased brightness and more realistic color, and its support of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X provides cinema-quality sound. This Sony 4K Blu-ray player supports high-resolution audio formats for more accurate music reproduction.
Can this Sony Player connect to a soundbar receiver with blue tooth?
According to the specs, yes, you should be able to pair a unit with a Bluetooth soundbar - but to be fair, I didn't try it.
7 years ago
by
cjviscito
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."
What other device is need to turn lights off in your home?
You need a smart switch. Home natively supports Philips Hue - but if you have a WeMo switch like I do, you need to rely on the IFTTT app and write some if-then guidelines.
7 years, 6 months ago
by
cjviscito
Which HDMI cable is the best? Audio Quest,Monster Cable,RocketFish
There's really no difference right now between HDMI cables. With Monster, you're paying for the brand and really nothing else when it comes to HDMI cables.
Best Buy has some cables that are online only and are a great value. No noticable difference between the value cable and a 3' Monster cable that I had.
Best Buy has some cables that are online only and are a great value. No noticable difference between the value cable and a 3' Monster cable that I had.
14 years, 3 months ago
by
cjviscito
Dallas, TX