3Tcubed's stats
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- First reviewJanuary 3, 2014
- Last reviewJuly 10, 2025
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- Answer count72
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- First answerJanuary 10, 2015
- Last answerJanuary 12, 2022
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The MR8300 Max Stream™ AC2200 is a high-performance Tri-Band router. Perfect for households that thrive on entertainment, it delivers up to 2.2 Gbps of superior speed throughout your entire home. The Tri-Band and MU-MIMO technology make it ideal for simultaneous streaming of HD movies, online gaming, video calling and supporting all of your smart home devices. MR8300 also grows as your needs do. With its built-in mesh Wi-Fi, instead of investing in a new router, you can expand coverage by simply adding Linksys Velop™ Mesh Wi-Fi nodes for seamless Wi-Fi everywhere.The MR8300 serves as the master router and must connect directly to your modem to create your network. Sets up in minutes with the Linksys app.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from PHOENIX
I will review the MR8300 Max-Stream AC2200 Tri Band Router with one Velop Wi-Fi extender and with 3 Velop Tri Band Nodes (Model WHW0303). I had previously installed the Velop Tri Band system, but had discontinued it's used (but still had it). It had improved my coverage but it's speed was not as fast as my existing router. So I'd opted to install 2 separate Routers and a separate extender to get the speed and coverage I desired. Well it's been well over a year since I'd used the Velop tri-band nodes. I was hoping that the new Linksys MR8300 with mesh networking was the answer to my desired high speed coverage.
To start with I have Cox-Gigablast, I just moved from their 600mb service to their 1gb service just after Christmas (I can't tell you that I've seen that much difference). I have a smart house (50+ blubs, 10 switches from various vendors). I have several Google voice and Amazon Alexa products, several stereo systems all with BT and Google Audio casting (7 chrome cast devices) and 6 smart 4K televisions + 2 projectors. At last check I think I has just over 100 devices on my home network about 30 hard wired, the rest using wi-fi. I consume about 1.2gb/mo, and I don't think I stream, and I don't crypto mine. Don't know where it all goes, but I want to keep it fast. With my previous configuration I could get between 120-150mb wi-fi service in all but the far corners of my approx. 3000sq ft mid-80's house.
As I'm familiar Linksys products, having used various versions for years, and having previously set up a Velop network, I didn't expect any difficulties is getting the MR8300 set up. I had not used their updated iPhone app for some time, it much better than what I recalled from last use. The app used both BT and Wi-Fi for setup and configuration. This combination makes setup much easier to accomplish. Their installation wizard is so much better now that it was last time I used it, I was very impressed. I basic installation was a breeze, when I got to registering my new router with the other equipment I had registered with Linksys, I found difficulties, I don't think they expected 4 complete systems. I found no easy way to register, turns out after completing the install from my phone everything was done automatically, that I did not need to go to their web site (as I previous registered a Velop network with them). So in under 10 min the base network installed and operational. I then installed a Velop Wi-Fi extender, in my down stairs guest bedroom, which was downstairs about 50' from the base station. The installation app asks is you want to add another Velop node to your primary network, The app explains how the multi-color LED on the top should be blinking or be on solid, which makes set up very easy. Getting this set up took about 5 minutes, most of time waiting for the status lights to change.
So I was now in an area that I previously could not get 50mb Wi-Fi speed with speed test on my iPhone. My first test: 145down 30up, the 145 number being double what I'd seen before. Can you see the smile in my face, I'm ecstatic. Well having three faster tri-band nodes it's was time to space them out for optimal coverage. Give I can easily connect at least one ot them to hard wired 1Gb Ethernet connection, but to get started thought I'd just connect them all wirelessly and then hardwire after testing.
Just using the app failed to set up the node properly, it found it but the setup failed. But it thoughtfully walked me through the "resetting" of a node, which solved the problem, this was probably because they were previously connected to a different wi-fi name. With the reset it took a little longer, but I had the other 3 nodes set up in under 30 minutes. Now my app could see each of my nodes and tell me what node it was communicating directly with. Now I have 5 bars throughout my house, no (known) dropout areas, and the coverage in my back yard is far better than it's ever been. So my next speed test, in the corner that was previously the worst (where my wife frequently sits and complains about lost network connections). Well: 201down and 40up. Awesome! But I know it can be better, I've done nothing with the 4 antennas, just point straight up and sitting on my desktop, I know if I move it toward my ceiling, away from other electronics (and other routers it will get better. Which brings me to feature of their app to scan vicinity to find the best channels to use. this took almost 10 minutes to runs, and it doesn’t not tell you what it found, but it does say it's optimized the network. I know that I can see more than a dozen networks from my phone (neighbors, and a FBIvan, always wonderd about that one). After getting all 5 nodes installed, I noticed that there were 3 different firmware upgrades available, their app made the upgrades easy, and all were up-to-date in about 5 minutes
A couple of other notes, unlike older 2.4G & 5G routers that needed to have different wi-fi names, the Max-Stream only have a single name for both networks, it automatically combines how how it uses the the separate networks and hides this complexity from you, this is a good thing. And the linksys web app is so much better than it was previously. It supports VPN connectivity, NAT and Dynamic Routing (RIP) as well as Static routing, MAC Filtering, IPv4 & IPv6, SPI firewall protection, DMZ support, DDNS supports as well as port forwarding (single & range) and Port Range triggering. The only thing I could not figure out how to do was to give the Velop nodes a fixed IP address. Other than that the app and the web interface is brilliantly easy to use. They’ve made a lot of progress. I streamed a 2hr 4K movie and saw no buffering, no break ups. That what I was hoping for. Direct connects to the modem are over 300mb down and close to 50 up. Very good, color me impressed.
If you have a fairly large area to cover or if you just have too many wi-fi black holes, it certainly appears to me that LinkSys Max-Stream AC2200 might be a great solution to explore, but keep in mind that you may need to buy additional Velop nodes to get adequate coverage.
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I would recommend this to a friend!
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Enjoy engaging simulations and immersive visuals with this Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop. The Radeon graphics card offers 4GB of dedicated video memory for efficient rendering performance, and the 2.GHz AMD Ryzen processor and 8GB of RAM provide ample computing power. This Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop has a 1TB hard drive for your collection.
Customer Rating
3
Good for the price, a couple of glitches
on November 21, 2018
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from Phoenix.AZ
The Nitro 5 case is brushed plastic, kind of looks like the matte finish on a Grand Piano, pretty classy and it comes with a Folio case to prevent the case from getting scratched. The build quite firm (non-ultrabook), the lid (screen) has hardly any give and the base is very solid, making it a firm typing platform. The screen is a IPS HD (1920x1080) panel, with what Acer calls ComfyView, which to me is a matte finish a which is not exactly crisp, but very bright. Viewing from any angle is excellent, from extreem angles a slight amount of light bleed can be seen at the edges (acceptable). It include the latest AMD Ryzen™ 5 with 4 cores and 8 logical processors. This version comes with 8GB memory and a 1TB HDD (7200 RPM). Now I have to say I'm spolied, as I've upgraded all my notebooks to have SSD drives. Once set up, the Nitro took 1 minute 10 seconds to completely boot up. Not what I'm used to, after turning off Norton, the boot time was still 1 minute. But once running the speed did not see that bad , the Ryzen CPU certanly seemed snappy. Opening multiple brower windows was a breeze (after 10 tabs it started to studder). This notebook is built for gaming, it includes the AMD Radeon RX 560X graphics processor with 4GB GDDR5 RAM, I loaded my photoshop app and did some edititng, it felt very snappy even with multiple photos open and appling effects across multiple images. Played some video clips they were very smooth, I transcoded some videos I had stored in the cloud to a more compact format, here I could tell the CPU was really working as the fans kicked in, not too loud, but quite noticable, but it took a fraction of the it takes on my notebook without a dedicated graphics procesor (like 1/10th the time). A good start. Now for some games.
The first game I tried was Fortnite, something was wrong, I was only seeing about 8 FPS. The problem, the computer was using the integrated GPU instead of the discrete RX 560X GPU. I tried several things to fix the problem but only disabling the onboard graphics adapter did the trick. The frame rate then jumped to over 60 fps, and the game play was very smooth, But the sound was somewhat muffled, this was due to the computer setting a soft surface (placemat). Once I put it on a hard surface the sound was much improved, but not great (but pretty loud). All the sound output is from downward firing speakers, the red bar at the bottom of the screen is cosmetic, it would be better if some sound came out (forward) from here. But I usually play games with headphones (jack is on right side) or external speakers so I just note this in passing. I did try to load a newer graphics driver to see it if would correct the detection problem, but I failed and went back to the original. Frustrating. I hope Acer get a new drivers posted to correct this problem.
The notebook has a nice assortment of output ports, 3 USB-A (2*USB 2.0 & 1*USB 3.0), 1*USB C 3.1 (No Thunderbolt), 1*HDMI, 1*Gigabit Ethernet, 1*Headphones/mic, 1*Kensington Lock and Wireless support for 802.11a/b/n/ac and a SD card slot. The keyboard is backlighted with a red glow (with the WASD keys highlighted). It has a really with a nice feeling to the keyboard, the trackpad is fairly large and works well, supporting all the multi-touch gestures I threw at it. The screen is not a touch screen.
I then decided that I was pretty happy with what I'd found, and thought I'd investigate increasing the memory and adding a M.2 SSD (the maching has a open M.2 slot (that requires removing 17 screws). The memory update was a breeze, a added another 8GB DDR4, single Channel (DDR4 PC4-21300) no problems. The M.2 slot is M keyed, which would lead one to believe it supports a PCIE NVMe drive, I looked at Acer Specs online and found conflicting information, one place said NVMe was supported, another said SATA (M+K key). I called their tech support and was told NVMe was supported. So I tried a EVO 970 Pro 1TB drive...it was not recognised by the Bios, talked to their tech support again and they said they had a Nitro 5 with the EVO 970 1TB in front of them working, So I exchanged the 970 Pro or the 970 and tried again, Still not recognised, more calls to their tech support, more inconsiatant information, eventually saying that I should a use SATA drive <500MB. I still doubt the size limitation, but ended up replacing the HD with a Samsung 860 1TB SATA drive (cheaper than M.2 SATA which would have performed the same). All good now, still waiting to hear back from their tech support on what exactly is supported (I did mentioned the graphics driver problem to them and was told a new version would be posted soon (like they knew about the problem)). But now system boots in about 20 seconds. Wish I could have used M.2 but only had so much time to get it running as I wanted it. BTW: adding the additional memory allowed me to open many more browser tabs without any noticabe difference.
Now it really flies, and total cost still under $1K, tought to beat if all worked properly. If Acer gets their BIOS/drivers updated to correctly recognise games and properly documents the avaliable m.2 slot this is a great buy, Having owned other Acer notebooks I have no doubt the probelms will get resolved.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Lighten household chores with this SHARK® ION™ vacuum system. The lithium-ion battery supplies a long-lasting charge, and the 0.66-quart dust cup and HEPA filter collect dirt, hair, and dander to prevent allergen buildup. This SHARK® ION™ vacuum system comes with a built-in power vacuum to help with those extra cleaning jobs.
Customer Rating
4
Cleans carpets/rugs well, App needs some work
on November 18, 2018
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from Phoenix.AZ
I have more than one Shark vacuum, they are excellent, which is one of the reasons I wanted to try the Shark Ion Robot. Unpackaging and set up was very easy, included instructions were very clear. Everything was clearly labeled with removable stickers walking you through the set up process. Having set up smart devices before I kind know what to expect. Find the app in the store, using the 2D bar code (QR-Code); this took me to the iPhone app required to set up the robot with the app (Andriod also availble). This all went well. You need to set up an account with Shark and then register seperately, this should be combined to save effort, but no big deal. You can then start the robot from your phone, pause it, change the power setting or send it back to it's dock. You also set the name to be used for your Shark (like: "SharkRobot"). To use voice commands from Alexa or Google (I use both) you still have to link the app to your Shark account. This is far more complicated than getting the Shark app set up and running. For Alexa you have to enable the Shark Skill (search for 'shark' under skills). For google you need it to find your device and then link your account. When I first tried to use Alexa it indicated the Shark suction had an error. From Google I initially got a status of stuck (both when it was still charging, in its dock, before intial use). I then got an error indicating the side brush was stuck (it was not). I decided to move on for now.
So, after failing to launch the robot by voice, I used the button on the Shark App to start cleaning, this went smoothly. I ran the robot for about an hour and asked it to return to the dock. About 5 minutes later it was still trying to find it's way back. It got confused under a table with 6 legs; I moved it manually, it then got stuck under astep ladder. It had no problems with these with these objects while cleaning, but it did returning to the dock (when returning it is more quite and the side brushes don't spin). After recharging emptying the dust bin (which is very easy to do, and it's quite large, a lot larger than some other robots) I decided to try the voice commands again. This time both Alexa and Google were able to issue commands to the robot(? maybe it takes some time to get set up ?) but from either device I could pause, it, check it's status, change it's suction etc. Here what's kind of odd, when using voice commands you refer to your device as Shark, not what you named it, What happens it you have more than one, I don't know, doubt you could tell them apart. Also the voice commands your use and counter intutitive, some places you say my robot, others you don't. And it's like you asking google, or Alexa to tell the Shark App what to do, not haveing them tell the robot what to do. This needs work, especially with the naming. And this time the robot returned to it's dock without assistance.
Now the wand on the stand is a nice touch, but it limits where you can place the dock, it really needs to be out in the open (3' to right and left, and 5' in front, according to instructions). Because of the wand you can't place the dock under some piece of furniture, as it needs to be accessible. That being said, the wand is convenient, it's fairy powerful and it comes with 2 tools (crevice and wide). They claim it will hold a charge for 2.5 hrs. It works well, and has a pretty large capacity. And it's very easy to empty. Unlke a lot of cheap hand vacs, it has a decent filter to prevent it from just blowing dist around. It is well designed.
Now onto some other comparisons, the Shark Ion Robot does a great job on carpets. It climbed up and down several oriental rugs I have and some other throw rugs. It also managed not to fight with the fringe on a couple of my orientals. I've not been able to use other robots on these orientals, and the shark was fine with them (yea). It did not do as good of job on my wood and tile floors as my other Shark uprights, it's beater bar lacks the ability to get as close to the floor, and the beater bar is only 6" wide, it must pass over the same area many more times to clean it throughty. Like I said I have had other robots, with them I thought I could detect a cleaning method or pattern by observing it. With the shark I've got no idea wher it will go next after it has cleaned a long, unobstructed strip, it's not like it goes back and forth evenly. The robot comes with some magentic tape that allows you to set up "no go" zones, I did not test the use of this, but the robot does not need ths to avoid stairs, it won't fall down stairs, it has a fall sensor that works well.
With some other robots you can look at the pattern that the robot moved; the shark software does not support this (today). It's a great feature to review what areas/pattern has been cleaned. Now some real positives, the Shark is MUCH more quite than the most popular robot, and it's dust bin is a lot larger and easier to empty than any other I've tried. The scheduling is pretty straight forward, and works well, but it will let you schedule cleanings to close together (not leaving enought recharge time), so you need to plan accordingly. It also had a neat function that forces it into quite mode during certain hours, this is missing with most other robots. But the app is still immature compared to several others, fortunatly this can easily be fixed with software updates. Shark is catching up, the current App is good start, but the rough edges show. This can be fixed/improved fairly easily. Not using the name that you assign to the robot is just hard to explain. Especially when compared to naming of other smart devices used within home automation. The integration with Google and Alexa works most of the time, I can't expalin the glitches I saw, but I'm confident it will only improve. I would still recommend the product, it is better in many ways than some of the other robots out there, and it's priced competively for the features it offers (keep in mind that every part is easily user replacable/cleanable - no one else can say this).
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I would recommend this to a friend!
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Make media more fun with this HP Spectre Folio convertible laptop. Three possible screen positions let you watch videos or edit photos in comfort, and its powerful Intel Core i7 processor is ideal for gaming. This HP Spectre Folio convertible laptop has a 256GB M.2 solid-state drive, ensuring speed and ample storage.
Customer Rating
4
Beautiful with a few compromises
on November 16, 2018
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from Phoenix.AZ
HP has made sure that the first impression of the Spectre Folio is one of exceptional quality. The packaging is first rate. The notebook is packed on top of the box with a black tissue paper wrapper, Upon pulling back the black paper, the high quality full grain leather wrapped around the notebook is revealed. It's soft and screams luxury. Upon lifting the notebook out of the box the smoothness of the leather is felt (mine was Cognac Brown); very nice. As you open the case you feel a nice balance between the top and the bottom of the notebook, both are about the same thickness and weight. On the right side are 2 USB C, thunderbolt 3 ports, on the left there is one USB C port. Any of the ports can be used to connect the USB C charger. HP claims the i7 version will get 15 hours on a charge and the i5 version will get 17 hours. During setup you are introduced to Microsoft's Hello, it's facial recognition technology that can be be used to login. It is similar to Apple's Face Id, except it also uses IR to iluminate the subject, so it can be used effectively in the dark. This was the first time I'd used Hello and it worked extermely well, you see some flashing red led's and your logged on very quickly (after you've registered your face).
Included in the box is a USB C to USB A adapter, a HP Stylus (Tilt Pen which uses 1*AAA battery) with 4096 pressure levels and a 65W power adapter. When getting the notebook set up, one of the first things I noticed was the wonderful keyboard, given the thinness of the base, the keys still have a decent amount of travel and a great feel. The keyboard is very nicely backlit, with light around the key as well as some light thought the keys. The keys are nicely spread out with the feel of a nice full size keyboard (less the numeric pad).
The next think I noticed the georgous, bright screen (400 nits), I adjusted the screen up and down and did not see any color shift, even at very wide viewing angle. Now about the screen it's quite diferent from most laptops, instead of being hinged at the bottom of the screen it's hinged in the middle, allowing the bottom to rest infront of the keyboard or to be pulled out so the bottom rests covering the keyboard with the trackpad visible (Tent mode). This would certainly be useful for watching a video or for giving a presentation. If you pull the screen further, it slides down flat over the keyboard, making the the notebook into a 13" tablet that's less than 1" thick at the spine, and less than 1/2" at the front. But it's very solid, there are magnets that guide and keep the screen in its normal, tented and flat positions. It takes a a little pull to release the screen from it's laptop position, but it's not an unreasonable tug.
After having it up and running, you notice how quite, it is, no fans. But it has either a Intel i5-8200Y or i7-8500Y processor in it, these are Intel's latest, top of the line, low power processors they support turboboost up to 3.9Ghz or 4.2Ghz, but they only ramp up when necessary. This is suspose to greatly increase battery life. I did some testing, browsing, streaming video and watching video locally (at all times connected via wi-fi). All videos were very smooth (<10% CPU utilization), I ran for just over 10 hrs and the battery life had dropped to 20%, so I doubt it would have been 15 hours, but not that far off. Getting over 10 hours I consider impressive. Now this computer is suspose to have a fast charge function, and charge to 50% in under 30m. I did not see this speed in my initial testing (on any of the ports) - keep reading.
The next thing I went to do was edit some photos, I looked long and hard for a micro SD card slot,some HP specs said it existed, others did not; my unit did not have one. I was dispointed there was no microSD card card slot. So I attached a handy multifunction USB C device with a SD and microSD card reader (and multiple USB 3 ports + HDMI & LAN) and it was promptly recognised, and I could easily move photos to the notebook (guess I could have also gotten them from one of my cloud accounts, but since the camera was handy it was the first thing to come to mind). All the editing was smooth, I used the pencil (tilt) to mark up a photo, it worked well, allowing different thickness of lines based on the pressure on the stylus, It allowed me to outline objects with great accuracy; one function I really wanted to see/use. At first I was editing like a laptop, I then "tented" the screen, I found this much more easy to do and more accurate. Pretty happy about the pen's usefullness.
Now having used the system for sometime (on a table) I reclined to my couch, and used it in my lap. I found a new use for it, a leg warmer (not a heater). The base of the unit does get warm, but not really hot; the leather feels nice warm. The leather really feels nice in you lap compared to the usual hard plastic or metal. I then streamed some music throught the onboard speakers.... kind of tinny; I then played with the audio controls and the sound was greatly improved, but still lacked any low end. I streamed to an external BT speaker and I was impressed, very impressed. So the B&O speakers did not impress me, they could get loud, but they did not sound great. The HP Audio Boost with them works pretty well, especially with better speakers. I was pleased with the enhancements for music and for video.
I also connected a HD monitor to the USB C Multi-function adapter (mine not supplied) to insure the notebook could drive a second HD monitor, No problem! I then tried attaching a 4K monitor, it was promptly recognised and I extended my diplay to have the HP Folio notebook + a 4K monitor as a second display. Yea, it worked as I'd hoped. I then connected a Ethenet cable and it was up and running on my LAN, again just I'd expected. This is one of the big advantages of USB C and Thunderbolt 3, the ability to attach multiple high speed peripherials, this notebook has 2*Thunderbolt 3 ports + one USB 3.1 C port; really a lot of expansion functionalty.
After some more testing I found there was a HP Bios update (throught the HP Update utility); after applying it I re-tested the fast charging and it now seemed to work, the BIOS update said it fixed a issues where the "system incorrectly reports the status of the battery as fully charged", that must have been it. Another note, I have the 256GB unit without WAN support; after the system is fully installed there is only 194GB available after cleaning up the system install/update files. So plan your purchase accordingly, this notebook cannot have it's memory or storage upgraded, what you purchase is is what you get. HP's web site says it will ship with SSDs of 256GB, 512GB, 1TB & 2TB. Given what the base price of this unit is, I'd suggest starting with more than the 256GB SSD. Especially since you can't just insert a microSD card to update the storage available (this disapointed me the most about this machine - loose 1 star).
But it you choose wisely it's a beautiful notebook, which will surely get a second look wherever you take it. And whereever you take it it feels good in your hands, just over 3.2 lbs with possibly 15 hrs battery life, it is still a powerful notebook. Especially if your looking for something different or just want to show off a little, it is pretty (and nice).
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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59of 70voted this as helpful.
Enjoy interactive streaming with this Google Nest Hub. With the built-in Google Assistant, you can view your calendar, receive alerts and reminders, and control devices from the single dashboard, and voice control lets you access other smart features. This Google Nest Hub lets you listen to music from Spotify and Pandora and view YouTube content. "
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from Phoenix.AZ
I've been smart home advocate/adopter for a couple of years.
The Google Home Hub is trying to hit a price point... I have several smart speakers with and without displays. Some small and others pretty large. The new Google Home hub is trying to find a place as 3 or 4 smart devices. First as a smart hub, that can talk to your other smart home devices. Well it's in it infancy, and it can't do enought yet, I'm sure it will improve, but until it can completely replace what other more established hubs can do, I don't suggest trying to change.
The Google Home Hub is trying to hit a price point... I have several smart speakers with and without displays. Some small and others pretty large. The new Google Home hub is trying to find a place as 3 or 4 smart devices. First as a smart hub, that can talk to your other smart home devices. Well it's in it infancy, and it can't do enought yet, I'm sure it will improve, but until it can completely replace what other more established hubs can do, I don't suggest trying to change.
You'll find some devices do not offer the same functionality they did else where, specifically I use motion detectors to turn on/off multiple switches/lights at the same time at different times of day. This just can be done (yet). In addition the new Google Home update, to support the home hub, needs more work to allow configuration by room as well as by device. Its user interface does not yet allow you to define your rooms and what in them, versus adding devices and defining what room they are in. In addition devices that have multiple functions (thermostat with temp/motion sensor) can't be configured as devices that work together. I spent quite a bit of time trying to get things to play nice with each other. Finally I realized their software did not yet support the level of integrataion I desired (currently used).
Second it's a speaker, but here you have to discuss the sound quality. No real spec's on what in the device, other than a full range speaker. Well it's better than the smallest smart speakers, but not better than anything else, especially compared to other smart speakers with displays. BTW, you can use the Home Hub as BT speaker (I would not), but it's another potentially useful function.
Third as a smart, cloud based, picture frame. The 7" screen is quite nice once you get it adjusted properly. The Google Home Hub has a ambient light sensor (like many phones do now) that adjusts the display's brightness based on the amount of light in the room (and time of day). This, they claim, improves the quality of photos displayed. You can "Tell" google home to turn up the brightness, after doing this a few times your've got a good looking display (or you can swipe up from the bottom of the display to manually adjust the brightness or volume). The integration of of Google Photo's with the device is it's hightlight. I had about 20K images already uploaded to Google Photos; when setting the device up as a photo frame, you are presented with a set of friends/family faces to select to determine what photos will be displayed on the frame (plus those taken most recently). This is a great feature, I've rediscovered pictures I scanned from decades ago. If you want a 7" cloud based digital picture frame this is a winning combination. Now that said I wish it offered a larger display (10+"). Another cool feature is you can ask the display to show photos from a specific event or time.
It pretty good displaying recipies that it finds on the internet, althought you'll have to be pretty close to the device to read the display. An it's great at offering timers to use with the recipies. This is clever.
And fourth as a smart display. A bright spot is it's integration with YouTube, which also includes content filtering. As for news/entertainment choices there is a good seletion, but by no means complete. I really wish it integrated as smart display so that I could display My DirecTv on the device, but it's not an option, and you can't cast to the device (yet). But the device can play to any of chromecast device you have (I have 8 in my home), including "backyard" speakers, I can simple say hey Google play Pink Floyd on the Backyard speakers, and it will find Floyd in my google play library (25k songs) or from another streaming source, and boom there is music in the back yard! I really like casting, it's sounds so much better than BT. The device automatically recognised all the devices I previoiusly had set up on Google Home.
The other thing that I must point out is that the Google Home Hub does not have a camera, so you can't use it for video calls (this also helped in hitting the lower price point), or be spied upon. But you can use it to make phone calls if you've linked your phone to your Google account (and enabled calling). It makes a really nice speaker phone (if you don't have a lot of background noise (like a TV on)).
So, another smart device, that does some things very well, and others, well, less than perfectly. In Google's favor most of what's wrong has to do with needing to improve their software, it's smart home integration is over a year behind some of it's competitors. But if your just getting started it's fully featured smart hub that provides a lot more than just hub functionalty. It's on screen display of the home devices is really nice when getting started. But if you looking to do something more sophisticated, wait for their software to mature, no telling what will be added/changed in the months to follow.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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12of 13voted this as helpful.
Clean your room quickly with this Shark DuoClean upright vacuum. Its deep-cleaning bristle brush and soft brushroll capture particles of any size, while the quick-release detachable canister lets you use the wand alone to reach hard-to-access spaces. This Shark DuoClean upright vacuum has LED headlights for visibility and an accessory storage compartment to keep everything organized.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from Phoenix.AZ
About 18 months ago I replaced my (way too heavy) Kirby G5 with a Shark (NV801) Lift Away. At the time I could not believe how much better the Shark was on my hard floors (tile and wood). The Shark DuoClean does a FANTASTIC job on both of these. The little spinning roller thing (see picture) on the front gets up dust like I can't believe. Well I'm now finished refurbisihing my master bed room and bath (no more carpet) and decided it was time to get another DuoClean Shark, one for upstairs the other for downstairs, Not that its heavy, but I have plenty of space in my renovated closet for a separate vacuum, and I know I'll use it more often if it's handy.
After using the first Shark for more than a year, my only complaint is that the dust cup is somewhat difficult to empty and somewhat small; but this is still much better than having bags to replace. And that the cord is shorter than I'd prefer. The first Shark still performs like the day I got it, And my Shark #2, which is nearly identical to first Shark now costs about $100 less.
Other thinks to enjoy, the lift off of the canister makes getting around and behind things so much easier, and the detachable wand makes curtains/blinds a breeze. It comes with 2 tools , crevice brush and a rounds brush, I use the round brush on my fans, with mixed success, I wish their was an tools for better cleaning the blades, the round brush is ok, but something that better fit around the blades would be so much better. Another nice feature is the LED headlights, its suprising to find that some bright light shined on "dust bunnies" really prevent them from hiding (or getting way).
The job this vacuum does on hard floors makes this a most impressive vacuum cleaner I've used. And as you can tell I would not hesitate to get a second.
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I would recommend this to a friend!
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Bring out your best while exercising with these JLab Flex Sport Bluetooth headphones. The fully customizable headband has washable earcups and sweat-resistant parts to ensure a comfortable fit, and its ambient noise safety feature protects your ears. These JLab Flex Sport Bluetooth headphones have a 20-hour playtime so they won't stop before you do.
Customer Rating
5
Very good for the price
on October 21, 2018
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from Phoenix.AZ
First I own a lot of head phones, both BT and wired; the instruction that come with these Jlab head phone strongly recommend buring them in before use, So I spent 2+ full days (over 48hrs) playing their burn-in "noise", this breaks in the diaphrams so they play more evenly.
Once done I listened to Bostons first album (re-mastered); the sound was better than I expected. One of the first feature that I noticed about these headphones was a function they call "Be Aware Audio", it basically enables the microphone on the headphones, and adds local audio to the music your listening to. I was listening to Boston in my backyard, and noticed birds chirping in the the music, strange, never heard this before... it was the headphone picking up birds in my yard... how to disable, eventually I found if I pushed the Jlab logo (that also selects audio mode settings) 3 times the "Be Aware Audio" would be disabled/enabled, Now no back ground noise. Just then my wife walked out the door, I pressed the buton 3 more times and I could clearly hear her telling me more packages arrived. Kind of a cool feature when you do/don't want to be shutout due to headphones blocking external sounds. Glad it can be enabled/disabled. The headphones charge with usb to usb c cable, no ac adapter is included, the usb c connection on the headphones has a rubber stopper to make them water proof.
Back to Boston, I sounded good, especially with the Jlab signiture audio mode (max bass and balanced are the other 2 settings). The sound was a very nice a balance, the highs were not as airy and open as some other (much more expensive headphones (3-5x$s), so for the price I was plesently suprised, and impressed. The weight of the headphones was very reasonable, for enclosed head phones. They come with 2 additional tension bars to change the pressure exerted on your head, I tried both and prefered them without the bar. The also have an optional head cushon, which can be mover to multiple locations, I found a nice middle ground and was very happy with the fit. Then the phone rang, I pressed the center button to answer the call, it was very clear, I answered the polling questions quickly, very happy with the BT phone quality.
Now on to some Dark Side of the Moon; the soft background voices were crystal clear, no noise, the headphones sounded much more airy with PF than with Boston, the mids were guite precise, the lows somewhat missing, but not that bad of a balance.
Keep in mind that Jlab Audio pushes these as workout headphones, the earpads are detachable, as is the head strap, they can be hand washed or machine washed in a separate bag they include, which can also be used to store the headphones folded. This is really a good idea, I then tried them on my eliptical, they stayed put without any problem, then did some yard work, pretty much forgot I had them on, very comfortable, I'm impressed.
For the cost, these headphones deliver great sound (with a 20h battery life), and have a nice set of features that many others do not. A great value I'd say; I'm looking forward to try them on my next airplane trip, to see how well they seal out engine noise.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Designed over two years with direct input from many professional esports players, PRO Wireless gaming mouse is built to the exacting standards of some of the world’s top esports professionals. PRO Wireless gaming mouse is built for extreme performance and includes the latest and most advanced technologies available. Featuring LIGHTSPEED technology, PRO Wireless overcomes the limitations of latency, connectivity and power to provides rock-solid and super fast 1 ms report rate connection. PRO Wireless gaming mouse is also equipped with the latest version of the HERO sensor, our next generation optical sensor that is the highest performing and efficient gaming sensor.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from Phoenix.AZ
To start with I had a hard time believing this mouse would be worth... it's price. So I started a skeptic. I have several high end wireless, both BT and Logitech RF; and yes each does have some "Radio" lag, but I've found that BT4 are better than ever. I know this mouse is targeted at gaming, and I tried testing it vs the latest BT wireless MX I from Logitech, and 90% of the time I could tell no difference, the other 10% the G Pro out performed. I also compared it to another (almost as expensive) wired gaming mouse, and I could tell the speed differnece between the two. But I really liked the "button blockers" offered with the Pro G, as it elimimated some false button presses I encouter now and again.
The Pro G comes with a 5' USB to micro-usb cable where you connect the Pro G receiver, the receiver can also be pluged in to the PC/notebook but they recommend the receiver be within 20cm of the mouse for the quickest response, I tried it plugged into the PC and on the cable; could not tell the difference. The freatur of this mouse is that you can use it as a wired mouse (not sure this was documented) by connecting the USB cable directly to the micro-usb on the front of the mouse. So should you mouse run out of batteries, the changing cable also allows you to use it as a USB mouse.
Now on the downside the they claim the mouse is 80 grams, I found it a little light, which I could add weights (as I can other mice to give it a little more "beef"). At this weight it felt tippy, I wanted more weight at the very bottom. The changing glow of the big G on the mouse, I wanted it steady or off, but there are no real instructions in the box. Related to this; they claim the G on the bottom of the mouse can be pressed and it exposes a place to store the wireless receiver. trick is it's magnetic, with a strong magnet, once you push down on the indentation the top rises up and can be "scooted" out exposing the storage. Just could be more clear. Also the Scroll wheel has light resistance with good bumpy scroll steps. The scroll wheel quite and good for browser scrolling, but it's a little on the "tall" side, i wish it were a few mm lower into the mouse... Picky, picky, but it's expensive. And charging it will hold a charge for about 48H of use. For gamers this is fine, for everyday use I wish it could add the additional heft I was looking for with a bigger battery.
All and all I like the mouse, the flexibity it offers, and it's speed, but I still can't get over the cost.
BTW: I did use it on a drawing app where the sensitivity was clearly outstandin
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 is a supremely powerful, portable wireless speaker. It blasts loud, clear, and powerful 360° sound with deep thundering bass. And it is insanely waterproof, dustproof, and drop proof too. Combined with one-touch music controls, and stunning, two-tone, high-performance fabric, the ultimate party starter has been redefined.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from Phoenix.AZ
I now have 4 high end BT speakers in the $200-$300 range, they all have strengths and weaknesses. The Mega Boom 3 is the lightest of the bunch at just about 3 lbs, nearly half the weight of any of the others, which weigh in between 6-11 lbs.
Then battery life, the Megaboom 3 claims 20h, this is probably true if it's running at 25% volume, as you crank it up it will decrease battery life. 20h in a 3lbs package is truly impressive, my only other speaker that has 20h weights almost 9lbs. The megaboom3 comes with a pretty good size power brick (see picture) USB to micro USB connector. The back of the speaker has a rubber door to hide and protect the micro USB connector. With the USB door closed the speaker is IP67 waterproof (submersible) not just water resistant - wow; probably the best choice for your fishing boat, or paddle board. I'm not aware of any other speaker this size that is Waterproof. The speaker can also be charged with a (sold separately) charging pad (~$40 "PowerUp"). Given the size of the included power brick this might be a nice to have, but I didn't test with it. The speaker also has a nice woven loop towards the top so you can attach it to something.
Volume; this speaker can get quite loud, easily my first or second loudest speaker, easily filling a 25'x18' room, maybe uncomfortably. But it really excels outdoors. The 360 degree sound, sounds better to me outdoors than inside. The Speaker includes an app to control it via Bluetooth, from a LONG range, I tested to over 100' no issues. The app also includes a 5 band graphic equalizer, which I found very helpful. The app can pair to with up to 150 UE Boom/Megaboom speakers, could be a lot of fun at a big beach party. Speaking of party the app also has a DJ function that allows you and 2 other friends to connect to the speaker(s) at the same time - pretty nice for a party. The app has a few pre-programed EQ curves, which I didn't find particularly useful/accurate -so they could improve these. SPeaking of improve the speaker's firmware can be updated from the app, so "things could change". The app can import play list from iTunes and Deezer, but no where else (for now). It can also show you your iTunes library/cover art - kind of nice, and it can control the volume from the app.
This speaker does not have any fancy lights, only 2 led's on the top, to let you know it's on and to let you know it's in pairing mode (no problems pairing with my iPhone or my wifes andriod phone). The speaker does not have a RCA mini jack (my only speaker without this) so your going to use it with BT.
Sound quality... not first or second of what I compared it to. The mids and vocals are not as brilliant or well pronounced as some similar BT speakers, The highs sound like other UE speakers, due to the 360 degree sound the highs are supposed to be reflected in all directions, but this, in my mind is only partially effective. The depth of the bass when cranked up, certainly over powers the mid-range. Used indoor this is particularity noticeable, moving it outdoors really improves the speakers sound. I'm not saying this speaker sounds bad, it's just not as crisp as I'd hoped to hear. When used at lower volumes, like in a dorm room the sound is pleasant but the highs won't impress you. I did some side by side listening with the first Boston album, it was punchy but not airy, I missed the preciseness of their strings throughout. Bringing the speaker outdoors, and moving away from it, it had a better balance. So like I said there are some compromises, this is not the best sounding speaker, but its not bad, and has many other features that may wow you. I missed the RCA connector but was impressed by the app, weight and battery life. It's far more portable than what I compared it to, so depending where and how you might want to use it, it may be a nice fit.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Party all night with this LG PK7 portable Bluetooth speaker. It uses Meridian Audio technology and dual tweeters for excellent sound quality, while the 22 hours of playback time keep you dancing. Get the perfect celebratory atmosphere with the LED multicolor mood lighting on this LG PK7 portable Bluetooth speaker.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
from Phoenix.AZ
I have 4 sets of (higher end ~$250) Bluetooth speakers intended for travel and outdoor use. The toughest thing for a relatively small speaker to do is produce enough bass, that's still tight enough (not getting sloppy) to pair properly with decent highs. As soon as I got this speaker, unpacked and paired with my IPhone (incredibly easy), I selected my favorite test album (yea, I still listen to Albums Digitally), one I've been using for about 40 years of speaker auditions; Boston's first album...then on to DSOTM. I've auditioned many speakers using this combination, I know what I want to hear.
First impression - Not breath taking, but darn impressive, the highs surprised me the most, nearly the openness that I get from other speakers with ribbon tweeters. I was not expecting the highs to be as precise as they were.. The midrange and voice (with clear vocal enabled) was "most excellent" and the base was pretty good (with enhanced base enabled). Still not going to punch you in the gut like my pair of 400W subwoofers, but for a 40W box with dual drives and 2 smaller passive radiators some real engineering was done by Meridian/LG.
Compared to my other favorite portable speaker, which weighs just over 10lbs (vs 6lbs), which have dual 6" drivers (+passive) this LG box has tighter bass and far superior highs (airy). The other speakers had a muddy bass compared to these (both driven w/BT).
To do a real side by test I took the output from my external USB DAC and split it to both speakers so I could compare side by side (A/B). Not surprisingly the DAC's output was much cleaner than the BT signal, it improved the muddyness of my other speaker substantially, but at the same time the it improved the mid and high end output from the LG-PK7, it dd not change the bass as much as it did with my other speaker. Both can easily fill a medium size room turned up 1/2 way. But after going back and forth I really liked the LG's openness and airy highs which made the Boston guitars sing (wish I could share Long Time closing) .
Now on to PF, I use On the Run to help judge stereo separation, as things move across the sound stage, you can clearly hear and feel the ping ponging of sound, and the depth of the thunder, breaking into the Clocks of time, and it's tight drums - can you see me smiling? Well these speakers really sound great - a nice balance - given their restricted size. Quite a nice package. And the Girls on the Great Gig in the sky were superb, then on to CRISP Money, bass guitars at beginning were outstanding!! Can you tell I'm happy, only to be more impressed by Nick's Saxiphone solo...
They claim when fully charged they will last 22 hrs. The speakers do have some neat flashing LED's (RGB) on the speaker cones and in two white bars over and under the speaker cones. I don't I'd say they really sync up to the music, but they are kind of cool. They lights can also be disabled and the mode of color operation changed) This speakers can also be used as a speaker phone, I got a call while I was listening, and the music stopped when I picked up the phone, and the speakers microphone picked up my voice loud and clear (really sounded good on the call). Another feature I did not try allows you to use 2 LG-PK# speakers together. You can also pair more than one BT device (phone) to the speakers at a time so that more than one of you can share their music (might be cool at a party).
The longer I listened to DSOTM the better it sounded, and I've heard it 100's of times, I have say between Us and Them - if you consider these speakers vs the PK3 or PK5 get the bigger PK7's - you won't be disappointed.
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I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Brydge 12.3 Pro+ wireless keyboard with touchpad matches the quality and functionality of the Surface Pro 4,5,6, and 7 seamlessly. Designed to meet the standards set by Microsoft, the Brydge 12.3 Pro+ features a precision touchpad, adjustable viewing angles and 3-level backlit keys, bringing a laptop-like experience to your Surface Pro.
Is it running on windows 10? And What’s the speed how fast is it?
This is a Keyboard/Track pad only.
It is intended to be use with a MS Surface Pro (G4-G7); the Surface typically runs Windows 10, and there are multiple versions (processor/memory for the surface).
It is intended to be use with a MS Surface Pro (G4-G7); the Surface typically runs Windows 10, and there are multiple versions (processor/memory for the surface).
4 years, 6 months ago
by
3Tcubed
The Brydge 12.3 Pro+ wireless keyboard with touchpad matches the quality and functionality of the Surface Pro 4,5,6, and 7 seamlessly. Designed to meet the standards set by Microsoft, the Brydge 12.3 Pro+ features a precision touchpad, adjustable viewing angles and 3-level backlit keys, bringing a laptop-like experience to your Surface Pro.
Is this a laptop and keyboard
Keyboard/Trackpad only intended to be used with MS Surface Pro (G4-G7)
4 years, 6 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Make healthy smoothies and drinks with this SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender. A 1400W motor base ensures exceptional ice-crushing results, while the 800W heating element cuts down boiling time for faster preparation of soups and sauces. This SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender features preset Auto-iQ smart programs that take the guesswork out of operation and dishwasher-safe parts for effortless cleaning.
Is there a compatible single serve blending cup that I can use with this blender? I’m interested in a 20 or 24 ounces blending cup option.
It comes with 2 x 16oz personal containers (actually 32oz, but for blending you should only fill to 16oz when using
4 years, 8 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Make healthy smoothies and drinks with this SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender. A 1400W motor base ensures exceptional ice-crushing results, while the 800W heating element cuts down boiling time for faster preparation of soups and sauces. This SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender features preset Auto-iQ smart programs that take the guesswork out of operation and dishwasher-safe parts for effortless cleaning.
There's no Puree' option, so does this blender not have a way to blend a smoothie until it's basically almost as smooth as milk? That's pretty much going to be my deciding factor between this and the Instant Pot blender. Thanks.
It does have a Pulse mode that moves the mixture thought-out the container, fine for a puree
4 years, 8 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Make healthy smoothies and drinks with this SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender. A 1400W motor base ensures exceptional ice-crushing results, while the 800W heating element cuts down boiling time for faster preparation of soups and sauces. This SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender features preset Auto-iQ smart programs that take the guesswork out of operation and dishwasher-safe parts for effortless cleaning.
What is the height of appliance with glass jar and lid attached ?
Make healthy smoothies and drinks with this SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender. A 1400W motor base ensures exceptional ice-crushing results, while the 800W heating element cuts down boiling time for faster preparation of soups and sauces. This SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender features preset Auto-iQ smart programs that take the guesswork out of operation and dishwasher-safe parts for effortless cleaning.
How do I purée foods? It doesn’t have a purée button.
It has 2 modes, smooth and pulse, the pulse mode move the mixture throughout the container very effectively, would easily puree.
4 years, 8 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Make healthy smoothies and drinks with this SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender. A 1400W motor base ensures exceptional ice-crushing results, while the 800W heating element cuts down boiling time for faster preparation of soups and sauces. This SharkNinja Ninja Foodi blender features preset Auto-iQ smart programs that take the guesswork out of operation and dishwasher-safe parts for effortless cleaning.
Can I use another attachment with this blender like Nutri Ninja or the coffee and spice grinder ?
They offer a separate small jar (not included) which would be great for a spice grinder, you could probably use the included large polycarbonate container for grinding coffee with the pulse mode, it should work well.
4 years, 8 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Upgrade your daily cooking with this Instant Pot Duo Nova pressure cooker. The 8-quart capacity holds enough food for up to eight people, while the 14 one-touch smart programs simplify meal preparation. This Instant Pot Duo Nova pressure cooker includes a steam rack, soup spoon and measuring cup for convenience.
Does instruction manuals come with it and recipe book
Yes, but pretty limited. There is on online app with a lot of recipes (well organized, searchable) you'll find several for just about everything.
4 years, 9 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Upgrade your daily cooking with this Instant Pot Duo Nova pressure cooker. The 8-quart capacity holds enough food for up to eight people, while the 14 one-touch smart programs simplify meal preparation. This Instant Pot Duo Nova pressure cooker includes a steam rack, soup spoon and measuring cup for convenience.
What are in internal dimensions? All I can find are external.
Upgrade your daily cooking with this Instant Pot Duo Nova pressure cooker. The 8-quart capacity holds enough food for up to eight people, while the 14 one-touch smart programs simplify meal preparation. This Instant Pot Duo Nova pressure cooker includes a steam rack, soup spoon and measuring cup for convenience.