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David
 
 
 
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    December 21, 2016
  • Last review
    June 26, 2017
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    December 23, 2016
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David's Reviews
 
Play with your pet even when you're not at home with this Petcube Play device. A powerful camera delivers 1080p HD live video, so you can keep an eye on your faithful friend on your smartphone or tablet. With it's pet-safe laser, this Petcube Play device lets you interact with your pet to keep him active throughout the day.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Lonely no more!
on June 26, 2017
Posted by: David
My 12 year old son has a lonely pet parakeet. The bird’s name is Oreo who resides in his the boy’s bedroom. When my son is gone at school or and away at camp thios summer, poor Oreo sits all alone. That is, until recently. Personally, I was a little apprehensive about getting a Petcube Play for a bird as it is marketed mainly for dog and cat owners. Well, my worries subsided as soon as I saw my son talking to and playing with his bird on his cel phone even though he was away from his room! Since then, we have really enjoy our Petcube Play pet camera. Here are some details for our experience so far…
SET-UP
Set-up was simple with the downloaded App. The app is well built and works great on my son’s iPhone. The app immediately recognized the nearby Petcube and walked us through connecting the camera to our wifi. Within just a few minutes we were up and going - interacting remotely with Oreo.
VIDEO / SOUND QUALITY
The video quality is nice with a great resolution (see photo). Sometimes the refresh rate is not the fastest but we also received frequent warning that there is a slow connection. It is probably because our home wifi internet speed is not the best. The video refresh rate actually increased once my son looked-in on his bird when he was out of the house using a cellular network on his phone rather than our home wifi. As to sound, it is great with very little lag. The two way communication is so incredible. It is pretty cool that Oreo can hear his owner and visa-versa. My son will whistle into his phone and nearly immediately Oreo hears, perks up and begins singing back to him. All remotely! Pretty cool stuff.
OTHER FEATURES
This little pet cam has many options. You can record photo or video from the live camera feed. These images and videos automatically save to the iPhone photo app. There is an option to sign up for a subscription to have days of recorded video stored in the cloud for you. There is also a cool laser light which one can move and control remotely from the app. For his bird, my son does not use this feature. Neither does he use the setting where you can have your phone alert you when the camera detects motion. Yet, I imagine many canine and feline owners would have a need for this and other automatic alerts that you can program the Petcube to trigger.
CONCLUSION
If you have use for a pet cam, definitely get this one! We have owned other wifi cameras and this one is the best that we’ve tried. The app is never buggy and works as it should. The video quality is nice with a decent refresh rate, and audio sounds fantastic with very little lag. Overall, we are very happy with our Petcube Play. Though really, the happiest to have the new wifi camera is Oreo! He now gets played with much more often and is much happier as proven by his more frequent singing heard throughout our home. Thanks Petcube!
My Best Buy number: 4154484075
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
+7points
11of 15voted this as helpful.
 
Deep. Loud. And immersive, too. SoundLink Revolve+, the best-performing portable Bluetooth speaker from Bose, delivers true 360° sound for consistent, uniform coverage. Place it in the center of the room to give everyone the same experience. Or set it near a wall so sound radiates and reflects. This wireless speaker is durable, water-resistant and easy to grab and go - with a rechargeable battery that plays up to 16 hours.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Bose Revolve+ Detailed Review and Comparison
on April 30, 2017
Posted by: David
We own several Bose products and enjoy them all with eyes-wide-open. They each have their strengths and weaknesses and we recognize that there is better sound out there. That said, Bose just has a knack for having great sound at a competitive price with above average build quality and customer service. Every product does well what Bose promises it does. Because of this reputation, we were excited to get this new Bose Revolve+ for use in our kitchen and out back by the pool. After just a few weeks with the speaker, we have fallen in love! Here is why...
The sound signature is excellent. It is deep and balanced while maintaining sufficient clarity even at higher volumes. The high notes sound natural with nothing harsh. Mids such as voices are projected forward and have a smooth tonal quality. The lows are tight, rhythmic and well extended. That said, the sound is not perfect. Those who are used to a sound quality that is found on speakers such as near field music monitors, will find the sound on this Bose to be a little too warm in sacrifice of accuracy. For many, the Revolve+, though Bluetooth, will be one of the best sounding speaker they will ever own.
The 360 degree sound projection is incredibly great. Set this speaker in the center of your space (indoor or out) and it will sound consistently well anywhere in the space. The sound also holds up when the speaker is placed near a wall. Surprisingly the wall helps reflect and project the sound. The sound changes but is not degraded.
The build quality is outstanding. The rubber bottom and top make the speaker feel nearly goof proof. It is built as though Bose expects this speaker to be taken everywhere. In my opinion, no case needed! The water resistance is something we have not yet tried but we would have no qualms about the speaker being caught in the rain or splashed with pool water.
Battery life is fantastic which is promised to be sixteen hours. The aux-in works great. Also, two Revolves can play the same music simultaneously in party mode. Or, two may be synced as left and tight channels. We cannot buy a second Revolve fast enough to use this feature! The connect app is simple and allows you to switch between paired devices and update the firmware on the speaker.
We own two other Bose Bluetooth speakers and this Revolve+ is the best by far. In fact we enjoy the sound signature (deep and dynamic) more than our Bose Solo 15 tv soundbar. It also has better clarity and tighter bass than our Bose Companion 2 Series III computer speakers. The Revolve+ sound is not as good but competes fairly well when compared to our Bose Companion 20 computer speakers, our SoundTouch 10 wifi system, and maybe even my beloved QC 15 headphones. Yes, we own them all :). Our only Bose product that is unequivocally night-and-day better than this Revolve+ is our Cinemate GS Series II home theatre system. I should hope so.
All this to say, the Bose Revolve+ can stand proud as having that rich signature Bose sound that is better than expected for a battery powered portable unit. The speaker has already found its proper place in our busy household. It may not be for everyone, but we expect to enjoy ours for years to come.
My Best Buy number: 4154484075
I would recommend this to a friend!
User submitted photo
+29points
31of 33voted this as helpful.
 
With no wires in the way, Bose SoundSport Wireless Sports Earbuds keep you moving with powerful audio. Perfect for exercise and running with a sweat and weather resistant design and StayHear+ tips designed for comfort and stability. The Tile app makes your headphones easy to find if they ever go missing.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Expected Bose Quality - Detailed Review
on January 3, 2017
Posted by: David
For several years now, Bose headphones have been a staple in our household. It began with the Bose QC15 over-ear noise canceling headphones. That purchase made us spoiled by great sound and discontent with any lesser pair of speakers of any type. So, could Bose duplicate their incredibly high audio standard on a small pair of wireless and rugged in-ear headphones? The answer is, absolutely! That said, the Bose SoundSport Wireless may not be for everyone. There are trade-offs that you should know about before you buy. I have had my pair for a couple of weeks now. Here are the details of my experience with the headphones...
SOUND QUALITY
The sound quality is absolutely fantastic. To describe it with just one word, the sound is RICH! There is a quality depth and warmth to the music that is better than I have ever heard on Bluetooth in-ear headphones. The music also comes across very detailed and dynamic. The high notes on a guitar tickle my ears while a deep bass line has more than enough punch to get me jiving. If you are new to Bose, you will be thrilled with the sound quality. If you already own other Bose speakers, then you will appreciate that the company's rich sound signature has not been lost on this wireless pair of sport headphones.
FIT & COMFORT
The Stay Hear ear tips do an amazing job of, well, actually staying in your ears. I also have a pair of Bose QC20 headphones with the same type of tips. With nearly two years of use, the ear pieces have NEVER fallen out with the QC20's. Not even when the wire is caught and tugged. Thus far, my experience has been the same with the new SoundSport. They have never fallen out. Plus there is no tethered wire to worry about getting caught on something. Perfect for activity. While jogging, washing the car and other various activities the headphones just stay in with no adjustment.
The silicon tips are also very comfortable though not as soft as those on the QC20. I assume that the extra heft is to hold the additional weight that the SoundSport earpieces have. Understandable as the earpieces house a battery, Bluetooth antenna, buttons and other electronics. It is surprising that they still feel as comfortable and natural in the ear as they do.
BLUETOOTH
Pairing was straight-forward on my iPhone, iPad and iMac. I love that they are NFC enabled.
The Bluetooth range is fairly great. I can leave my phone in one place and walk anywhere in our two story 2500 sq foot home without a dropout. When listening away from home (phone in a pocket), I also have never experienced even a hiccup in the connection.
My only difficulty with the Bluetooth turned out to be something I appreciate. Let me explain.... once paired, the headphones automatically connect to the last two devices they were paired with. When you first power on the headphones, if one of those two devices is not in range, then the headphones find and reconnect to any other previously paired device. This is great, but for me it worked almost too well. One time I powered on the headphones to listen to music on my iPhone only to find music playing from the iMac that my wife was using. So, my wife wondered why her music was no longer audible on her computer and I was confounded by the mystery music on my headset. This type of scenario happened a couple of times and became very annoying until we downloaded the Bose connect App. With the App, we can now easily tell the headphones which device we want connected. Presently, I have grown to appreciate how "sticky" the Bluetooth pairing is. I have never had to re-pair anything and I can easily switch between devices using the Connect App. By the way, the App also automatically updates the firmware on the headphones when needed. Nice!
DURABILITY
I read several older reviews where people had faulty units with a malfunctioning earpiece overtime. I also read somewhere that Bose found the issue and fixed the problem in its latest production. I have had no issue with my pair. Everything feels solid and built for abuse. By the way, the included neoprene case feels incredibly seamless and protects the headphones very well.
BATTERY LIFE
Bose states that the headphones get up to six hours battery life per charge. I have found this to be fairly accurate. The battery has never died on me mid-workout. Neither have I ever been surprised when they do need charging because of the voice prompt that announces the battery with each power on. Still, consider that they are yet another thing to charge. For me, a welcome confession to be able to exercise wire free.
CONCLUSION
In the end, I am very happy with the Bose SoundSport Wireless. The bottom-line is that they sound fantastic, are comfortable, they stay in place and keep a reliable Bluetooth connection. If you are in the market for workout ready headphones - I highly recommend the SoundSport Wireless. I expect to enjoy mine for years to come.
My Best Buy number: 4154484075
I would recommend this to a friend!
User submitted photo
+13points
18of 23voted this as helpful.
 
You love your current speakers. But there’s a world of wireless music they just can’t access. Until now. Transform your stereo or home theater system by adding the SoundTouch® Wireless Link adapter and stream music from your home Wi-Fi® or favorite Bluetooth® devices. Setup is simple. Use the SoundTouch® app to control your music easily through your phone or tablet. You can even play music all throughout your home by expanding with other SoundTouch® speakers. They all work together to play the same music in every room, or different music in different rooms.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
The Future of Wireless Music
on December 23, 2016
Posted by: David
The Bose Soundtouch Wireless Link has been feeding my Bose Companion 3 Series II speakers for a couple of weeks now making them gloriously wireless! I use the 2.1 computer system as bookshelf speakers and they fill our library with fantastic sound quality. Now with the Link, the speakers are Bluetooth and wi-fi connected and are easily controlled with the SoundTouch app on our phones and tablets. If you are considering making your current speakers wireless with this Bose Soundtouch Link, here are some thoughts to consider before you buy.
First the positives...
- The adaptor is small! As soon as I opened the box I was impressed with the size. The footprint is about that of the average bar of soap, yet it does so much. This thing has Bluetooth, wifi, an optical/analog audio-out jack, an audio-in jack and all kinds of other internal circuitry no-doubt. Yet, it remains small enough to sit inconspicuously just about anywhere.
- All needed wires are included. Optical, RCA, 3.5 mm - they are all there.
- Set-up is simple. I have read a couple of reviews where people said they had to call Bose for help with configuration. Not my experience. I found that the app itself gave perfect instructions and walked me though every part of the set-up. The entire process would have taken just 5 minutes except that the Link had to download and install a firmware update.
- The Soundtouch app is feature rich. Seriously there is so much to do and control if you want to. The whole experience is much more flexible than my previous wireless set-up. If you prefer to keep it simple then you can program the system to play a selection of six presets with a touch of a button. Hopefully we can ad some actual SoundTouch speakers in the future where we can just press one of the six preset buttons on top of the speaker. No app needed!
The not so great...
- The user interface lacks. The app is nice, but just not as intuitive as a native Apple app would be. It looks and feels more like an Android or Windows app even on my iPhone. My suspicion is that the app is designed by engineers as opposed to actual app designers :). Nothing horrible here, but still room for refinement.
- The other downside is that streaming suddenly quits once every several hours. Again not horrible. Closing the App and pushing play again immediately fixes the problem. Just still a little buggy. From what I have read, Bose keeps updating and making the app better.
In the end, the Bose SoundTouch Wireless Link may not be for everyone but it really deserves a try. Personally, I hope to eventually make all my existing powered speakers wireless with Bose because for me the SoundTouch ecosystem does feel like the future of wireless music.
My Best Buy number: 4154484075
I would recommend this to a friend!
User submitted photo
+13points
16of 19voted this as helpful.
 
Brew coffee like a barista with this DeLonghi manual espresso machine. It creates shots of authentic espresso with its 15 bars of pressure and multiple filters, and its manual frother steams milk for a creamy cappuccino. This DeLonghi manual espresso machine's separate water and steam thermostats let you make your drink at the perfect temperature.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Great when you understand what it is
on December 21, 2016
Posted by: David
There is something absolutely magical about a quality cup of coffee! For the last few years, I have been fervent in my quest to always obtain that perfect cup. I roast and grind my own beans. I have tried most every single method of coffee preparation. I have done most everything short of traveling the world to source beans directly from coffee plantations! Though my daily coffee is generally brewed as a pour-over, I often enjoy a good americano or latte. Thus, this De'Longhi machine has been a welcome guest on my counter for the past couple of weeks. If you are considering this espresso maker, know that it is not everyone. Here are some thoughts to consider:
Portafilter and Basket
The unit has a self-pressurized system. A normal professional espresso machine has to have a very fine grind and a near perfectly even tamp in order to obtain a decent shot. This machine is different in that it has only one little whole in the bottom of the porta-filter basket. This causes the machine to have adequate pressure for a great shot even with a larger grind and a light tamp. So, you can still have a strong enough espresso even if if your inexpensive grinder does not grind fine enough for a more expensive machine. Or if you are using a bag of pre-ground coffee that it is not necessarily an espresso grind, you can still get a decent shot. It really is pretty amazing and works surprisingly well with good crema.
Boiler
The machine takes less than a minute to heat the water for a double shot. I really expected it take longer for such an inexpensive machine. I can turn the machine on and it will be ready to pull by the time I grind, fill and tamp. It does have a little bit of a hard time maintaining a consistent temperature during multiple pulls. This also shows when you switch the dial for steaming milk. Expect to wait another minute after pulling a shot before you can froth the milk. All of this is adequate however and better than expected actually for an inexpensive unit unit with just one boiler.
Looks
The machine has an understated yet elegant look to it. The medium size fits perfectly on our counter. The stainless steal accents give a quality look and feel. This is not a machine that you will want to hide when not in use.
Negatives
There are a few negatives to the machine. For example, no matter how hard I tweaked my method, the steam wand would not give me a tight enough foam sufficient for latte art. Another negative is that there are important parts that are plastic where steal would be preferred (see photo of the portafilter). Finally, the cup tray is uselessly lukewarm until the machine has been on for over ten minutes. I definitely recommend you preheat your utensils with hot water rather than waiting for the tray to heat.
Conclusion
In the end, I understand why this machine has received some mixed reviews. Yet, many of the features that experienced baristas have found hindering are exactly what makes the machine simple enough for use by most anyone. Personally, I love it because it is so easy to use yet the results are professional-like.
After a couple of weeks and dozens of shots with the De'Longhi, I have concluded that the illusive magical cup of perfect coffee is not only possible with this machine but it comes quite easily. Of course, with any method of preparation, just be sure you
begin with freshly roasted coffee beans and a quality grind.
Note: This product has been put at my disposal for no compensation and in order to share my honest and unbiased opinion. Once I have completed my testing it will be returned to the manufacturer.
My Best Buy number: 4154484075
I would recommend this to a friend!
User submitted photo
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+93points
121of 149voted this as helpful.
 
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David's Answers
 
You love your current speakers. But there’s a world of wireless music they just can’t access. Until now. Transform your stereo or home theater system by adding the SoundTouch® Wireless Link adapter and stream music from your home Wi-Fi® or favorite Bluetooth® devices. Setup is simple. Use the SoundTouch® app to control your music easily through your phone or tablet. You can even play music all throughout your home by expanding with other SoundTouch® speakers. They all work together to play the same music in every room, or different music in different rooms.
 

Does this adapter require me to play music only from the App provided? Can I play music directly from my PC or Phone (using any App directly) to the speakers?)

Yes via Bluetooth. The adaptor will then rebroadcast the stream to all SoundTouch connected speakers. Highly recommended.
7 years, 3 months ago
by
David