3Tcubed's stats
- Review count168
- Helpfulness votes1,527
- First reviewJanuary 3, 2014
- Last reviewMay 14, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.3
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- Answer count72
- Helpfulness votes45
- First answerJanuary 10, 2015
- Last answerJanuary 12, 2022
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Whether your mess is wet or dry, the Roomba Combo i5+ robot vacuum and mop can double up on cleaning tasks with one machine. From spilled crackers to every day shoe prints—this robot can handle it. Set it to vacuum only or vacuum & mop your hard floors by swapping in the Roomba Combo Bin.
Customer Rating
4
More features and improvements
on November 2, 2023
Posted by: 3Tcubed
I live in a split level home 2 levels downstairs, and 2 levels upstairs. In the last 6 years I've tried 6 or 7 different robot vacuums in my 4 levels. Originally my first robot "ate" most of the fringe off of one of my oriental carpets. Lesson learned, create exclusion zones, or find another vacuum. All of my floors are hardwood or tile, but most have various rugs. My "good" orientals are no longer on my floors. I still have 3 (that have fringe, in my dining room, family room and in my master bedroom (all on different levels). So I continue to look for "new and improved robots' ". The "new" feature I most vigorously support are the self emptying stations/towers. I love that the robot can run, return to its station to empty or recharge and then continue its work until finished. I recall that my first robot seemed like it needed to have its dustbin emptied every 40 minutes. This new iRobot i5+ should only need to have its cleaning bag changed every 2 months.
First my experience with the i5+. Installation was a breeze, mostly because I already had the iRobot app installed. Adding it to my others was simple (one will go away, as this will replace an older unit). I, probably foolishly, had it map and clean at the same time (can't recommend this). So from the "Map" icon, have it create a new map. It does this faster (and IMHO more accurately) when not vacuuming. I actually had to do this 3 different times before I got an accurate map. The first time it found a wire attached to the power supply, under a bed (that I didn't recall was there) that caused me to restart mapping. The second it got caught in a tight area where it could not get out of, by moving a couch a few inches this was corrected. But if you pick it up while it's mapping you don't get accurate results (or so I found). The third time took 50 minutes, and it included a family room (30x15), bedroom (12x15), laundry area (8x12) and a bathroom (6x5). This seemed reasonable. Vacuuming the same area took about 2h 30m; it returned home once after 2h to empty, and departed fairly quickly after it got there. It did a very good job of getting into corners, but it left a few dust bunnies against a rug that it had to crawl up on (on an oriental w/some fringe). It struggled with the fringe going "up" through it, but had no problems moving over it when coming off. This robot moves much slower on my thick wool pile oriental than it does on a hard floor. On a 1 to 10 score I'd give it an 8 for its cleaning. After its map was complete it no longer got stuck. I connected my Robot to Google home, and was able to use my voice to tell the robot to start cleaning.
The map is pretty accurate, furniture in its way prevented it from being more accurate. In trying the mop function, I was concerned it would go on to the carpet, so I watched it for quite some time, it would bump into the rug but not go upon it. If the robot knows where the rug is, it should show the difference on the map (it would have let me think it knew what it was doing). But it does not, boo! How well does it mop, on a 1 to 10 score maybe a 6. I suspect if I used it over and over it would get better and better, but after the first pass there were some greatly improved areas, and others.... that still needed work. The mopping function uses a minimum amount of water, I would not hesitate to use them on wood floors. Getting the mop on/off the unit is a very manual operation, but the mopping tray swings in/out pretty easily, but you need to raise the robot or bend down to the floor. I understand the more expensive i9 unit can automatically put the mop up/down. But that's not what I have.
So I'm definitely going to retire a 5yr old robot (I know someone that will love to have it). It still works well, but is MUCH louder than this new i5+, in fact that is another big difference. The room mapping is greatly improved, and it's much quieter. And I'd still rather it runs when I'm away. In fact, with its new interface to my phone, it knows when I leave the house, and I can program it to clean when I'm not there (I love this idea). So, other features, well my old unit had three vacuum power settings, this unit is supposed to be able to determine what power level to use automatically, except on carpet I never detected any other power suction changes. This I am still not sure about. The battery capacity on the i5+ is more than double my old unit, which never worked more than 1 hour. I know the i5+ can run well over 2, another big advantage. But the dust bin is my favorite feature. It comes with an extra dust bag, and a place to store the extra (see image). But if I only need to change the bag every 3 months, that will be fine by me. When I use the last one, I'll order 2 more new ones, no rush. Technology moves forward, and brings us better products (again).
I would recommend this to a friend!
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It’s just a phone case – until your phone ends up scratched, scuffed or chipped. Fortunately, the Best Buy essentials BE-15PSCC Soft-Shell Case for iPhone 15 Pro has drop protection that protects your phone from falls of up to 4 ft. Backed by Best Buy, this phone case has a soft-shell construction that offers a lightweight and flexible feel. It is also magnetic charging compatible, letting you charge your phone wirelessly without having to remove the case. A clear design with discoloration defense lets the original color and style of your device show through so you can enjoy its natural look. Let us help you keep your phone protected with a phone case designed to fit your needs.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
My wife and I just got a new iPhone 15. We always order new cases when we order or get the phones. She ordered a soft case similar to what both of us previously had. I ordered a harder, more expensive mirrored case to try something different. Well I've had it for a month or so, and its weight (of 46g) has annoyed me since day 1 (not that I said anything). It's much heavier than my previous iPhone 12 pro case that weighed 21g. My new case had a magsafe connection, which really worked well. Other than that it was a fingerprint magnet. Given what I spent on my new, "too heavy" case, I wanted to keep the price down. This Best Buy, Soft Shell case seems like a good compromise. I couldn't find out what it weighed until I acquired it. It turns out it weighs 20g, almost exactly the same as my old case. And it is less than half of my "too heavy" case. The case is clear but it has some "dots" on the case. The dot's are raised a tiny bit, I suspect this keeps the silicone or TPU from sticking to the phone. They claim this case will protect them from a 4' drop (my "too heavy" case claimed 5'). What I was most interested in protecting was the protruding cameras, and the front of the screen, both are surrounded by raised edges to offer protection. Just enough to do the job. The cutouts are the perfect size. The one for the power charger (now USB C) is much larger than needed, but this is a good thing, as you never know where you might need to charge from. As are the button covers. It is really a minimalist case which shows off the beauty of the iPhone. It slides in and out of my pocket cleanly, and I don't notice the excess weight that I had before.
I'm not at all concerned about this offering good protection to my phone, and it makes my "Blue Titanium" color choice more apparent. I'm very happy with my new case.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Keep your screen ultra-protected from the hardest falls with the Insignia NS-15PLGLS2 Anti-Reflective Glass Screen Protector for iPhone 15 Plus (2-Pack). Made of thin, .33 mm tempered glass, this screen protector will fit most cases and will fully protect your screen with edge-to-edge coverage. It has anti-reflective technology that provides extreme clarity in strong outdoor light and eliminates other lighting impacts. Its 9H hardness rating protects your screen from everyday accidental falls and won’t affect the sensitivity of your touchscreen, granting you total control so you can continue playing games, scrolling online and more. It also includes everything you need for easy application, ensuring a bubble-free appearance. Improve the way you protect and view your screen with this Insignia glass screen protector.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
My wife and I just got a new iPhone 15. She got the Pro and I got the Max. She previously had a soft screen protector on her old 12 pro. This Insignia seemed to offer better, longer lasting protection, and a similar anti glare protection she had on her prior protector, that lasted almost 3 years (in a case). She said if she could use it with the case she just ordered that would be fine.
Well I just got around to doing the installation for her (her vision is not so great). The install process looked very easy, clean the screen, add the alignment tool, clean the screen again, peel the back off the screen protector, drop it in place and smooth out any air bubbles. I've done this several times with soft protectors, but this was my first with a hard protector. The screen looked clean, I put the protector in place and began to remove the air bubbles. As I did so I could see a tiny white dot in the middle of a 1/8" bubble on the left edge. I start over by pulling up the glass protector. The dot was now stuck to the screen protector, I could see it, I could move it, with tweezers and a magnifying glass I got it off. I re-aligned and started over, two new bubbles, and the first one was much smaller, but I still could not get rid of it. Maybe I removed some sealant on the back. Well I had 2 protectors, only needed one, I started over with the second. This time I double checked (oh, BTW turn off the phone to do this, to get it right, you must have a black screen). I then noticed something else with the cleaning wipes, a dust removal adhesive. Anywhere I saw anything I used this to try to pick up dust; If you happen to have a clean room, this would be a good time to use it (ha, ha). I was convinced the screen was pristeen, I Aligned the glass and started pressing it down across the portrait direction of the screen (shortest). Everything was going perfectly until the last 1/8". 4 more tiny bubbles adjacent to one another. I pressed down on the screen with a plastic spreader, and I got 2 bubbles to join the others, now 2 left. No matter what, I did not change. I turned the phone on, and I could not see them. But I know they are there when the phone is off. I removed the alignment tool, and put the phone back in its case, the screen protector fit perfectly, and at an angle I could see the difference the anti glare protection provided.
I gave the phone back to my wife (remember I said she does not see very well). She's now had it for a few days, likes the screen protection and anti glare, says the glass protector feels and works better than the previous soft protector. No notice of the bubbles, I think I'm off the hook.
Judgement, it works well, but it's not necessarily easy to install. But I'd do it again!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Experience the perfect cup of espresso with this Bella Pro Series Slim Espresso Machine with 20 Bars of Pressure. This sleek and powerful machine combines innovative features with elegant design to deliver a truly exceptional coffee experience. Its 20-bar high-pressure pump ensures optimal extraction, resulting in rich and intense flavors in every shot. The commercial-style steam wand with 360° swivel creates perfectly texturized microfoam for delicious lattes and cappuccinos, while also conveniently serving as an instant hot water dispenser for brewing Americanos and other hot beverages. With a heated top plate to keep your cups warm and a removable 1L water tank, you can enjoy convenience and consistently hot espresso. Complete with a powerful 1300 watt brewing system, single & double cup stainless steel filters, and a removable drip tray with full indicator for easy cleaning.
Customer Rating
4
Great for a small space
on October 28, 2023
Posted by: 3Tcubed
I have a fully automated Espresso maker in my kitchen, it easily takes up 3 times the space of this Bella ProSlim Espresso Maker. I'm planning to put this in my office at work, where I have very little extra space. There are a couple of features that I really like, First is the removable water tank, it holds 1 liter (34oz) of water. Several other small espresso makers have non-removable tanks, I like the idea of pulling it off the back, going to fill it, and bringing it back. This maker can either make a single or a double espresso, with a seperate portofino for each size. I suspect I'll only use the double portofino. The portofino is fairly light weight aluminum. It comes with a plastic measuring cup with a tamper at the other end (I wish this was metal). The portofino has 2 spouts so you could dispense 2 espressos at once. Now the gotcha, the maximum height cup you can put under the portofino is 3 1/2"; this precludes me using most of my coffee mugs that are 4 1/2" tall.
When you first turn the machine on (switch on left side), it takes about 45s for the machine to heat the water and build up sufficient pressure. You can press the dispense button, but it will just blink at you until it's ready. To dispense the first double espresso it takes about 40s. You can press the button a second time and it will dispense another cup (throught the same grounds) in another 30s, this is how I generally make cafe Americano or a latte (1/2 to 1/4 strength of espresso). Proof is in the drinking, and the quality of the crema, here it meets or surpasses my expectations. It's excellent. I'm convinced this machine makes the espresso at the right temperature and pressure. Except for the cup height issue (mine) this is an excellent machine for the miniscule space that it occupies.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Discover smooth skin up to 4 weeks without the use of chemicals or wax, even sensitive areas. Epilation provides longer lasting results than shaving. When comparing with the cost of salon waxing sessions over a year, you’ll save thousands of dollars by epilating. Philips Epilator Series 8000 (BRE700) is designed to use on the legs and body. It now has more hair removal power, with faster and more stable disc rotation than ever.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
My wife has had 2 Epilators in the past, the one she liked the best was Philips she had when we lived overseas (years ago). Now that she has older tougher skin she thought she'd try it again, thinking it was newer technology. The newer technology is the exceptional battery life from the lithium ion batteries. I've captured an image of the instructions (if you consider this I suggest you read them first), you can zoom in and read all the details, most of which tell you what not to do. This specific unit comes with three accessories, the instructions cover the 12 that are available. If you're not aware this epilator is only intended for use below your neck.
The product has 2 speed settings, high and low. You can use it either wet or dry; although wet after showering is recommended for "less painful epilation". When you first turn it on it's on high, press the button again and it changes to low. The epilator doesn't really pick up much of anything. It takes several passes over the same spot. Second, it really hurts, she first tried it on her legs, and found several areas (raised moles etc) that had to be avoided (for fear of ripping them apart). She said it still felt like you were getting stabbed and scratched by tiny blades. She's previously tried waxing and said that it hurts less. She only did her shins on both legs. Both ended up with red rash. After the hairs started growing back, almost every hair follicle was ingrown. So the rash is now gone but the spots she epilated are covered in painful ingrown hairs.
So, the battery life is great, you can torture youself for a longer period of time, or NOT!
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Designed for protection with raised bezels for your screen and camera lens, 4.9 ft. of drop protection, and 1x military-grade standard protection, no need to blink if you drop it, because your Apple iPhone 15 Pro is safe with the Mirror Case with MagSafe for Apple iPhone 15 Pro. With an electroplate-coated polycarbonate structure, your Apple iPhone 15 Pro now functions as a mirror, minus the glass! Perfect for checking your reflection on-the-go, so you and your phone look flawless. CASETiFY's upgraded Mirror Case CTF-12692439-16006000 features new side sockets that seamlessly attach phone charms.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
I think I'm on my 7th or 8th iPhone. Call me hooked, I like the smaller phone version with the better camera (the pro version). I've always kept my phone in a case especially since the camera lens started protruding out from the case. I'm pretty careful with my phone, but now that they cost over $1000, I think having some extra protection is important. I've tended to look for the lightest case that still offered corner bumpers, an offset from the screen and a bumper around the lens. For example my last case for my iPhone 12 Pro weighed 25g (0.88oz), this CASETiFY mirror case weighs 46g (1.62oz), so it's almost double the weight. The case is about 33% thicker than my previous case, yet the iPhone 12 and iPhone 15 are nearly the same thickness (within 1mm). This mirror case is much stiffer than my previous TPU case. I have no doubt this case will protect my phone. But the mirror really attracts fingerprints, grease, and dirt. This case should ship with a microfiber cloth to help you keep it cleaned off. But you know this when you buy a case like this, if you're okay with maintaining the case's appearance you might be fine with this case. Having a real magsafe case does help. I have a mag safe charger in my car and this phone in case does attach and stay put with the case on while driving. I can't say the same for my previous case, which supported wireless charging throught the case, but it would fall off of a magsafe charger while driving. I also have 2 magsafe power banks that affix themselves quite strongly through this mirrored case. So for the magsafe part the case works great. But note some of the larger magsafe power banks (probably larger than 6000mAh) will hit the raised camara protector and have a hard time staying put (I have a 20000mAh power bank that made me aware of this issue, if I put the pack on perpendicular to the phone/case it charges fine, but it won't stay connected if the pack has the same orientation as the phone, the pack is almost the same size as the iPhone 15 in this case).
All told this case offers good protection with a compromise of weight and constant cleaning. Since I got it I carry an eyeglass cleaning cloth in my pocket, mostly to clean smudges from the mirrored surface (and keep the iPhones glass clean). It's a good magsafe compatible case, it also works with a standard wireless charger. Due to the extra weight, I'm not sure I'd get it again, the difference is noticeable. The iPhone 15 Pro weighs 188g, so the case adds ~25% to the weight of the phone itself.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Linksys Velop Pro 7, powered by groundbreaking Wi-Fi 7 technology, delivers more than double the speed of Wi-Fi 6. That's not just an upgrade, it's a revolution.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
Ok, I've been dissatisfied with the performance/reliability of my home/office router (and mesh networks) for the last 6+ years. My house is about 3000sq ft, and I frequently use WiFi in my backyard. I had the Nighthawk with tri-band support. With Cox Gigabyte support, I can get over 950mb/s (ethernet), and via adjacent 802.11.ac (WiFi5), I could get over 350mb/s. But as I got further away from the main router/AP performance dropped. Then the "industry" introduced mesh networks. I added another mesh AP to my Nighthawk and it did improve my whole house performance. But it was not reliable, their answer was to run ethernet to the meshing node, temporarily this worked but as I added more and more Home Automation products to my home, it became more and more unreliable. About then Linksys introduced their first "Mesh" network products. It looked like a great concept, but somewhat pricey. I added three nodes and spent 6 months working with their Tech Support, I still had dead spots, where they recommended extenders and more nodes. Never quite got the distance/performance that I had previously. They then introduced a more powerful, bigger mesh network that worked with the previous nodes. I acquired two of these bigger mesh nodes to add to the 3 smaller nodes I had. And it was very nice when it worked, but it had reliability issues. With over 100 networked devices (~20 computers, tablets, phones, streaming devices, the rest HA products), the quantity of devices caused instability. Linksys support recommended breaking my network up, limiting the number of devices on each network. Part of this made sense to me, the number of networked Christmas lights I had continued to increase, moving all of my Holiday lights to a separate SSID was easily done, but it didn't really solve my problem. After pressure from my wife to improve reliability I tried another Mesh network. They claimed to be able to cover 4500 sq ft. However after using their hardware and working with their support for more than a year, it was clear that reliability had to do with the number of devices and the memory available to the router/AP. From the above I've learned there is no substitute for more memory in a router with a lot of connected devices. If you have close to 100 devices you need a router that has at least 1Gb of memory. The common problem with everything I tried over the past 6 yrs was except for my original Nighthawk, none of the new routers had 1Gb of memory, most had 512mb and lots of "cool" networking features that use additional memory.
Well change arrived again, the Linksys Velop Pro 7 (3xMBE7000). A bit of research found that my memory concern had been answered, each router/AP has 1GB DDR4 SDRAM and 4GB eMMC flash, a real step up from the limited RAM in earlier generations. The processor is a 1.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm® processor, again a step up from the dual cores in previous generations. Now here's a new term 802.11be, it's the next step up from 802.11ax (WiFi6) and 802.11ac (WiFi5); to be known as WiFi7. It will be showing up in new devices next year, but it's out now in new meshing routers. So what good is it now? Meshing routers can use WiFi7 for their backhaul communication channels, and there is no "wireless competition". For comparison WiFi7 (802.11be) data rate is: 1,376-46,120Mbit/s, WiFi6 & 6E (802.11ax) is 574-9,608Mbit/s, and WiFi5 (802.11ac) is: 433-6,933Mbit/s. The high end numbers (mb/s) are under ideal conditions, very close communications. The first number is what you can expect in mb/s. So WiFi7 can be said to be 2.4x WiFi6 and 3.2x WiFi5. Where WiFi6 was only 1.3x faster than WiFi5 (your performance will vary), but my point is WiFi7 should offer wireless performance that is FASTER than 1gb Ethernet. So even if you don't have any WiFi7 devices, having Mesh routers that are using WiFi7 to communicate between themselves should be better than having them connected via 1GB Ethernet. The Linksys Velop7 offers a 2.5Gb Ethernet internet input (from your Cable Modem or fiber). Only the very newest Cable Modems offer more than a 1Gb connection via DOCSIS 3.1. But DOCSIS 4.0 is also coming next year, and most 4.0 Cable modems will offer 2.5Gb Ethernet connections. Some Fiber providers currently offer 2.5Gb and 10Gb Ethernet outputs. 10Gb is pretty rare, but it's coming. What I find interesting is that WiFi7 could be (much) faster than 1Gb Ethernet. So why did Linksys not provide 2.5Gb uplink Ethernet support or 10Gb? This I'm uncertain of, but every other spec of the MBE7000 is a significant step up from their previous products.
So once again I replaced my home WiFi network, which I have broken into 3 independant 2.4G, 5G & 6G networks, I used the same names as I had previously so I did not need to re-program over 100 devices. I initially installed 3 Velop7 Pro nodes, but after consulting with their technical support staff, we decided that only 2 nodes might offer better service (they don't have any tools to discover this on your own). But given this is very new, I can see additional tools being added in the future. Initially my second node was -60db from the primary and the third was -59db. After providing their T/S this info we moved the secondary node further away (-63db, about 45') and turned off the third node. After more testing, we moved the second node even further away (-72db, about 62' from the primary). This seemed stable. So sitting about 8' from the child node I brought out my new iPhone 15 pro, connected to my 2.4 WiFi network I ran a speedtest... 126mb/s down and 89mb/s up (excellent for 2.4). I then connected to my WiFi5 network and 374mb/s down and 114mb/s up (better than I'd ever seen from this location). Then I connected to my WiFi6 network and the speedtest said: 535mb/s down and 114mb/s up. Wow I'd never seen numbers like this unless I was within feet of my primary AP, which was about 62' away. Now to my office, to test Ethernet speeds, and I found 916mb/s down and 115mb/s up, going through a switch (not connected directly to the Router/AP); Most excellent. Based on previous testing, when I connect my cable modem directly to my computer, the best I've seen is 988mb/s. The router does not currently provide a means to run a speed test from the routers troubleshooting page (a feature I hope they add). My last test is to find out how fast my phone is via WiFi6 about 6' from the primary node, I got an astonishing 888Mb/s down (I ran several tests all about the same). Wow, color me impressed, and when we get WiFi7 devices next year and DOCSIS 4.0. It's only going to get better. It's clear to me that meshing with WiFi7 makes a huge difference over the previous generations, and I think that that is why the router manufacturers have released WiFi7 routers ahead of the release of WiFi7 notebooks/phones. These Linksys MBE7000's are nothing like their previous Velop products. I've been testing for about 10 days and the primary node has not been restarted.
Linksys tools, there are 3 ways to connect to your router/network. You can connect directly to the router via its internal IP address, just as almost all routers. They also have an internet interface, which requires you to set up a Linksys account for your router, but this allows you to remotely inspect and change most of your router settings. In my testing I found the local router data and the internet data didn't always match 1 to 1, but I'll assume this will get corrected with router/software updates. You can use the Linksys AP (iPhone or Android), which has a completely different user interface than the direct connection, highly tailored to the smaller cell phone screen. It's pretty well thought out, but if you have a lot of devices like I do, there is a lot of scrolling to do. The Device list is only presented in alphabetical order. I wish it could be sorted based on how/where it's connected and by IP or MAC address. I also wish you could output this list and email it to yourself. There is also information about how much data a device is using, or how long it's been connected. From a trouble shooting standpoint on a busy network this type of information is terribly useful and it should be in all of their router interfaces. They do have some trouble shooting reports, but they are not really intended for end users. The other thing I really find missing is a log which contains information about devices connecting/reconnecting/disconnecting to and from the parent/child router. In using other mesh networks, this has helped in trouble shooting. So I do have some issues which they can fix with future firmware and software updates.
I remain convinced WiFi7 will deliver what it promises. Linksys has produced a very worthy product. I've been looking to get WiFi performance like this since it was first "promised" with WiFi5. I've been trying to get home WiFi coverage like I see here... FOREVER. It's now not only possible, but with this hardware and what's coming from internet providers next year it can continue to get better. I see this as a great upgrade, it is why I kept investing.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Whether you’re calling loved ones, texting friends or ordering takeout food online, your phone is vital to your lifestyle. It’s important to keep it charged and ready to go at a moment’s notice. The Insignia NS-MC5CC4W24 4' USB-C to USB-C Charge-and-Sync Cable with Braided Jacket is more than up to the task. It’ll not only help charge your smartphone or tablet, but also let you transfer files and sync your device with a quick data transfer speed of up to 480 Mbps. Its 4 ft. length gives you flexible placement options so you can place your phone wherever you need to. A white color keeps the cable looking stylish while a braided jacket adds protection and durability. Trust this USB-C cable to help keep you ready for the challenges of everyday life.
Posted by: 3Tcubed
I've long prefered USB cables that have metal housing and a thicker cable strain relief. Recently I've determined that cables made with braided jackets also last longer and provide greater cable protection. This Insignia cable ticks all the right boxes. I'll call it a medium length cable, I generally keep a short (1 foot) in my USB-A & C charging stations (probably have 6 in my house and 2 that I travel with). I've recently replaced all of my charging stations with GaN3 chargers. They are smaller and more energy efficient than the older styles (and they support all of the new charging technologies). This 4' cable gets used on my desk, I really like the thickness of the cable and the texture of its braiding, is seems to be very high quality. And now my iPad Air and iPhone 15 Pro can share a cable.
My iPad air when charging was pulling between 24 and 30 watts via Power Delivery (in the last photo my USB charger displays the power being delivered. This cable claims to be able to deliver up to 60 watts. So it's not large enough to use with a big notebook (MacBook, MS Surface...) So for a larger notebook you need to get a cable that supports 100w power delivery. But for my purposes this 60w cable is fine. It also supports 480Mbps which equates to the max USB 3.2 data delivery speed.
This is a very nice cable (it comes in charcoal and white), the length is pretty convenient, although I wish they made one about 1' long too.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Velox Mini is our most compact wireless air vent mount yet! Designed exclusively for MagSafe compatible iPhones and cases, the Velox Mini delivers up to 7.5W of power. Just tap your phone against the mount face and powerful magnets will hold it in place in perfect alignment. Easily install the Velox Mini by sliding the prongs onto your vehicle’s air vent blade, where silicone grips prevent it from slipping. A versatile ball joint allows you to adjust the cradle for an ideal and safe viewing position while you drive. A series of ventilation holes constructed around the mount help to dissipate heat and maintain airflow. Now it’s easier than ever to keep your phone powered up on the go.
Customer Rating
4
A reasonable Magsafe Charger
on October 2, 2023
Posted by: 3Tcubed
The case I had on my phone was listed as: "Support Wireless Charging & MagSafe''. I removed my old charger and mounted the iOttie Wireless mini. My old garger came off very easily, the iOttie immediately has tighter grip, and feels much more stable. As soon as I put my phone with the case on it on the charger, I discovered that a horizontal line appears on the screen that indicates where to center the phone on the charger (I guess this is a MagSafe feature as I've not seen this on Qi charger). And like that my phone was magnetically attracted to the charger and stayed in place.... I backed out of my garage and got to the curb in the street, and the phone fell off the charger. I popped the lightweight off the rubbery TPU case. And I put the "naked" phone back on the charger, it held much more firmly. I drove about, up and down hills and turns, the phone stayed attached. So I'm not sure who to blame for the case that the mfg that claimed it was magsafe compatible, yet magsafe didn't exist when the phone was released. Or iOttie for not having strong enough magnets to hold my phone throught the thin TPU case. Either way, with my case, it's easy on/off. The charger works very well with my phone, it has a 7.5w, which is kind of mediocre. I have wireless chargers with more than 10w (but not for the car).
So now there exists a reasonably priced magsafe charger for your car, with a magnetic support. From my simple testing it charges faster than the phone uses power, which makes this most reasonable for your car. And the vent clip works very well, and is easy to attach. Not bad at all, I can't guarantee you can use it with your existing case. And I suspect newer "magsafe" cases really do work better.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The G5 gaming laptop powered by NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU combines gaming, entertainment, work and more! Its powerful 12th Gen Intel Processor allows you to effortlessly handle multiple tasks at the same time. It features a 3 screen display output, built-in SD card slot, and next-gen Wi-Fi 6 technology; with a tool for every task, this laptop provides great balance between gaming, entertainment, and work capabilities. Welcome to your new go-to laptop.
Customer Rating
4
A very good machine, a few changes and it's great
on September 20, 2023
Posted by: 3Tcubed
This Gigabyte G5 KF5 is an entry level gaming machine which comes with a pretty kicked up Graphics Processor, the GeForce RTX 4060 (w/8GB DDR6 dedicated RAM). This processor can support 4K and 8K displays via HDMI or Displayport (both on the back of notebook). The G5's 15.6" Display is FHD (1980x1080 anti glare) @144Mhz (with an average brightness of 275 cd/m² (nits)). The RTX 4060 supports DLSS3 and ray tracing, so it should work with most modern games. It ships with a 512Gb Gen4 m.2 SSD and 16Gb DDR5 (2x8Gb dual channel). The machine comes packaged inside a nice dust cloth with plenty of screen protection (see image). It comes with a pretty light but beefy 150W power supply, it's not possible to power this notebook via a USB C input. The notebook itself weighs in at 4.59 lbs (pretty reasonable for a gaming machine).
Upon installation, I made sure that Windows 11 (Home) was up to date (this took about 90 minutes and multiple reboots (not surprising)). I also made sure that the G5's firmware was up to date, which only required one update. Nothing unexpected, but you should be aware that Windows 11 requires that you have a Microsoft Account to logon. One of the first things I did, was to fully charge the battery, and then unplug the notebook, and use it for light office work (screen at 55% brightness and performance set to "entertainment" (Balanced)), mostly internet browsing. After 4 hour I got the 20% low battery warning, then I ran for another 45 minutes, which was at 3% and it auto dimmed my screen at every pause. The G5's Control Center is an app called "Fn hotkeys and OSD". It offers most of the machine power/performance/status options. So call battery life about: 4h 50m; no gaming, not using the RTX 4060, pretty typical for a gaming notebook, nothing special. I recharged, and ran Diablo IV (set to 1080p Ultra), upon loading you could hear the notebooks fans beginning to run, the frame rate varied from 105 to about 175 FPS (w/DLSS3 enabled). Pretty darn respectable for a notebook, but this is a FHD display. I only ran for 70 minutes and the low battery warning came on and some of the power saving features that were set by default kicked in, and slowed things down. The heat coming out from the sides and back was pretty warm as expected, but not as bad as I'd thought it might be. So system cooling seems to work quite well. The back of the keyboard was noticeably warmer than the front. So don't expect to do any extended gaming off the battery (da). Diablo ran very smoothly, no screen tearing, absolutely a fantastic gaming experience. The RTX 4060 is quite a nice graphics card. I hooked up an external 4K HDMI monitor and the Diablo frame rate dropped to 66/104, still good and the display had noticeable improvements in the details. I'm impressed.
Upon installation, I made sure that Windows 11 (Home) was up to date (this took about 90 minutes and multiple reboots (not surprising)). I also made sure that the G5's firmware was up to date, which only required one update. Nothing unexpected, but you should be aware that Windows 11 requires that you have a Microsoft Account to logon. One of the first things I did, was to fully charge the battery, and then unplug the notebook, and use it for light office work (screen at 55% brightness and performance set to "entertainment" (Balanced)), mostly internet browsing. After 4 hour I got the 20% low battery warning, then I ran for another 45 minutes, which was at 3% and it auto dimmed my screen at every pause. The G5's Control Center is an app called "Fn hotkeys and OSD". It offers most of the machine power/performance/status options. So call battery life about: 4h 50m; no gaming, not using the RTX 4060, pretty typical for a gaming notebook, nothing special. I recharged, and ran Diablo IV (set to 1080p Ultra), upon loading you could hear the notebooks fans beginning to run, the frame rate varied from 105 to about 175 FPS (w/DLSS3 enabled). Pretty darn respectable for a notebook, but this is a FHD display. I only ran for 70 minutes and the low battery warning came on and some of the power saving features that were set by default kicked in, and slowed things down. The heat coming out from the sides and back was pretty warm as expected, but not as bad as I'd thought it might be. So system cooling seems to work quite well. The back of the keyboard was noticeably warmer than the front. So don't expect to do any extended gaming off the battery (da). Diablo ran very smoothly, no screen tearing, absolutely a fantastic gaming experience. The RTX 4060 is quite a nice graphics card. I hooked up an external 4K HDMI monitor and the Diablo frame rate dropped to 66/104, still good and the display had noticeable improvements in the details. I'm impressed.
Keyboard color backlighting customization is pretty limited, you can set one of 16 backlight colors and 4 levels of brightness. The touch pad is pretty good but not superb, I attached a logitech BT mouse, as I'm accustomed to it for several games. The keyboard has a bit of give to it. More than I'd like, not quite a completely solid feel. The keyboard's bottom row of keys is a bit different from what I'm accustomed to; the cursor keys are shifted underneath the number pad and the keys are completely flat with no indenetation, but I'll adjust.
Now I'm going to go in a different direction. The 512Gb drive is not big enough for my needs, and as a boot drive I'd like it to be as fast as possible (it's not). Two bits of good news, Gigabyte does not enable Bitlocker by default on the SSD. Second there are two m.2 drive slots, so expansion is quite easy (I'm not positive both support Gen4 drives, but I'm certain the primary (right) slot supports Gen4). But I want a faster boot drive, so I'll clone the 512Gb to a Teamgroup MP44 2TB SLC SSD (via a USB adapter). Which will offer better performance. I've attached an image showing CrystalDiskMark's benchmarks comparing the installed Gigabyte to a Teamgroup SSD. There is also some video editing and image editing software that I use that really performs much better with more RAM. So when I open the notebook up I'll replace the 2x8Gb sticks with 2 Crucial DDR5 4800 SODIMM 32Gb sticks. I removed the 13 phillips head screws from the back and pry off the back cover. Easily done, images attached. The cloned SSD, replaces existing SSD, and Crucial memory replaces the installed 16Gb of Samsung memory. I reboot, it takes nearly 2 minutes to reconfigure the changes, but the system boots and I now have 64Gb main memory and a 2Tb boot drive.
The screen on the Gigabyte G5 is really nice, the longer I used it the better it seemed, plenty bright with even backlighting. There are 2 USB-A (one 2.0 the other 3.2) ports, 2 USB-C (rear and side), 1 full size HDMI 2.1 port (rear) and 1 full size Displayport, 1 Micro SD card slot, 1 GB Ethernet port and a headphone/mic jack. Very well outfitted. As for sound quality, it's... disappointing, it can get fairly loud enough but the overall sound quality is not that good. And the camera is also so, so @1080P, it's just ok with low light, colors not particularly bright. When the camera is on there is a white led to the left of the camera, but no physical shutter lock. There are 2 microphones that are pretty good. This G5 notebook does not support Thunderbolt and it does NOT support a remote monitor hooked up to the USB-C ports (Display port over USB-C; this is disappointing). And as I said earlier, this notebook cannot be powered via the USB-C. So if you're going to travel with this 4.5lbs notebook you're going to also have to bring its power supply.
I do some astrophotography and use an app that aligns stars, this i7 notebook is nearly 10% faster than my current state of the art notebook (i7 w/Nvidia 3060). The good news is it's a post processing process, where I process a "stack" of images. I'm sure the 4060 GPU has something to do with the improvement. The same for video processing, this is noticeably faster than what I've been using (once loaded with sufficient memory).
In summary, this is a well made computer, I wish it had come with a bigger faster SSD, as it could easily be 20% faster than the stock drive they include. I wish I could power the machine (maybe without the 4060, with a 100W USB-C PD device). The included memory is very good and fast. I'd also like the option of a touch screen. And the speakers could certainly be improved (there seems to be plenty of space). But in terms of performance, properly configured, this is a bargain of a machine that can easily be upgraded.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Enjoy your favorite podcasts and music on the go with these Skullcandy Indy Evo true wireless earbuds. The sweat-resistant and water-resistant design is ideal for workouts, while the Tile technology lets you track and find them when lost. These Skullcandy Indy Evo true wireless earbuds offer up to 30 hours of battery life for continuous entertainment.
Does this have USB C charging?
The case has a USB C charging interface, the provided cable is USB-A to USB-C; but it should provide FAST changing if a USB-C charger is used.
3 years, 11 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Enjoy your favorite podcasts and music on the go with these Skullcandy Indy Evo true wireless earbuds. The sweat-resistant and water-resistant design is ideal for workouts, while the Tile technology lets you track and find them when lost. These Skullcandy Indy Evo true wireless earbuds offer up to 30 hours of battery life for continuous entertainment.
Will these pair with two cell phones at the same time? I have to carry two cell phones, one for work (Android) and one is my personal phone (iPhone). I want these to pair with both so I can receive calls on either phone.
No, they will only pair to one device at a time
3 years, 11 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Nighthawk AC2600 Smart Wi-Fi Router accelerates your Wi-Fi for Ultra HD 4K streaming to multiple devices. It offers extreme Wi-Fi speed for gaming - up to 2600 Mbps and uninterrupted video streaming with advanced QoS for applications such as YouTube, Netflix and others. High-power amplifiers and external antennas deliver range throughout very large homes. Implicit beamforming improves Wi-Fi speed and range on all mobile devices such as iPhone, iPad, and Android. The Nighthawk app lets you get the most out of your router performance with customized settings.
Is it true there is an annoying blue light that flashes constantly on this unit? Can you turn it off?
If your network is working correctly it should stay a solid light blue. If it bothers you you could put some white tape over the LED, attached you can see the led.
4 years, 5 months ago
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3Tcubed
Drive safely with this Cobra super HD dash cam. Its 1296p recording resolution captures high-quality video footage in any lighting condition, while the extreme temperature protection is tested to withstand sudden fluctuations. This Cobra super HD dash cam provides iRadar route tracking and live police alerts when connected to the iRadar app, so you never miss a thing.
How long does the cobra dash cam hold the footage does it erase it over how can you look back a week to see the footage
It holds 3,5 or 10 min segments; the number of segments depends on the resolution (1296P or 1080p) and the SD card size (mine came with a 32gb card) which will hold about 90m of 1080P video. I believe you can use cards up to 256Gb.
4 years, 8 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Voice clarity
The main reason for purchasing this sound bar is to hear the dialogue above the background music. Just turning the sound up doesn't do it. Is there a specific button to turn up the voice and not just the whole sound?
No, but I find the DTS Virtual does good job of bringing the voices to the center and balancing the rest of the content on it's own. The standard mode works best with Sports/news and the DTS works much better with movies.
4 years, 11 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Realize immersive room-filling sound from your TV with this LG 3.1-channel high-resolution audio soundbar. DTS technology creates a thrilling surround sound experience, while high-resolution audio support ensures a stunning reproduction of sound and music. This LG 3.1-channel high-resolution audio soundbar features optical, USB, HDMI and Bluetooth for convenient connections to all compatible equipment and TVs.
Page 23 of the manual says you must use a high speed HDMI cable WITH ETHERNET in order for ARC functions to work. Is this true? I don't understand why the Ethernet would be needed.
The "ethernet" part is really a speed qualification (18Gb I think), it is the same speed that necessary to pass DTS/Dolby 7.1 or Atmos surround signals
4 years, 11 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Start using this unlocked Apple iPhone 8 with your choice of carrier right away. Its 64GB of internal memory stores your favorite games, apps, photos and videos, and a fingerprint scanner prevents unauthorized entry. The 4.7-inch retina HD display on this pre-owned Apple iPhone 8 is ideal for video and FaceTime chats.
will this phone work with verizon
It will work with any carrier.
Only of you phone has heavy case/folding case of belt clip will it not work easily
Only of you phone has heavy case/folding case of belt clip will it not work easily
4 years, 11 months ago
by
3Tcubed
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.
Does this one map a grid to use each time like the robot one? Thanks
No it seems to move around randomly, the softwre doe not currently show you the pattern it has traveled.
5 years, 5 months ago
by
3Tcubed
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.
How cumbersome is to service this laptop at home..e.g. if needs to be opened, would it be easy to detach from the leather cover? where I am trying to reach is to know the complexity of having this leather cover over benefits.
You can find the HP service manual online. I did and it VERY cumbersome, to get to the internal memory or M.2 SSD you have to use a heat gun to remove the screen (carefully) and again unglue the leather (60-90C heat gun). This is beyond the normal DIY upgrade. I was interested in upgrading the SSD; way to much effort, decided to get a SanDisk extreme 1TB, tested with system and it's still 1/2 the speed of the internal M.2 NVMe drive. Samsung X5 would be faster, but I could not justify the 3x+ cost.
5 years, 6 months ago
by
3Tcubed
Google Home Mini is a smart speaker powered by the Google Assistant, so you can ask it questions and tell it to do things. Just start with "Ok Google" to enjoy your entertainment, get answers from Google, tackle your day, and control your smart home. Google Home Mini works on its own or you can have a few around the house, giving you the power of Google anywhere."
can you connect it to speakers with Bluetooth or with a cord?
Yes,you can use it as a BT speaker, or cast audio to it via casting. You can't wire directly to it.
5 years, 6 months ago
by
3Tcubed