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- First review commentNovember 29, 2013
- Last review commentJanuary 31, 2017
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The HTM6 S2 Anniversary Edition delivers clear dialog and power in a compact form for Home Theater. Continuum mid-bass drive units provide make it easy to hear actors and robust bass lines for action films while Decoupled Double Dome Tweeters create an enveloping sense of space and clarity. Featuring upgraded crossovers for even more transparency and a unique trim-ring to celebrate this milestone, the HTM6 S2 Anniversary Edition is the most sophisticated, affordable center channel Bowers & Wilkins has ever made. The HTM6 S2 Anniversary Edition is the matching center channel for the 600 Series Anniversary Edition range of products. Over the last 25 years, the 600 Series has been our most affordable performance range of loudspeakers, and we’re celebrating our love of sound with acoustic improvements to the crossover network for overall greater levels of clarity and smoother high frequencies so you can enjoy a compelling listening experience across the range of products.
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Clean Appearance
Solid build
Responsive
Musical reproduction
Very tunable, doesn’t color the audio by default
Allow you to feel certain sounds
Magnetic mesh covers leave front clean when off
Support for bi-amp or bi-wire
Good bass for the size
Foam port plugs for tuning
MDF enclosure snubs any hint of vibration or distortion
Clean Appearance
Solid build
Responsive
Musical reproduction
Very tunable, doesn’t color the audio by default
Allow you to feel certain sounds
Magnetic mesh covers leave front clean when off
Support for bi-amp or bi-wire
Good bass for the size
Foam port plugs for tuning
MDF enclosure snubs any hint of vibration or distortion
Cons
Magnetic covers fall off easily
Need tuning to fully appreciate
Long break in period
Magnetic covers fall off easily
Need tuning to fully appreciate
Long break in period
This review is written from the perspective of a novice audiophile with experience of some high-end audio brands, but not quite the ear of a seasoned audiophile and a preference towards speakers that are slightly bright. During usage, the speaker was driven by a Yahama RX-V685 and used in combination with the B&W 600 Series Anniversary Edition bookshelf speakers speaker. This review is very similar to the matching bookshelf speakers as this center channel was testing in combination with them.
Design
The cabinet has a very understated appearance with a flat black finish. The grill cover can be left off without leaving unsightly holes as they are held on by magnets. That said, the magnets are very weak, and a gentle touch or bump can easily knock them off. Binding posts are solid metal and heavy, possibly stainless steel, and support bi-amping or bi-wiring by removing the bus bar connecting them. Stick on rubber feet are included, but not installed. Bass can be tuned using the included bass port plugs.
The cabinet has a very understated appearance with a flat black finish. The grill cover can be left off without leaving unsightly holes as they are held on by magnets. That said, the magnets are very weak, and a gentle touch or bump can easily knock them off. Binding posts are solid metal and heavy, possibly stainless steel, and support bi-amping or bi-wiring by removing the bus bar connecting them. Stick on rubber feet are included, but not installed. Bass can be tuned using the included bass port plugs.
Setup
Hopefully if you are looking at speakers in this class, you know that placement and room acoustics can affect overall performance. Besides choosing single pair of wiring, bi-amping, or bi-wiring, a quick scan of the manual could save you from poor setup and losing performance. Besides tips on placement, a big tip missed at the beginning is that the break in period is a week at the temperature you will use them as well as 15 hours of break-in usage. If you miss this, you might too easily give up and return them. Also, much like other Bowers & Wilkens speakers it takes time to tune them to your preference. They not only respond well to tuning, they require it to fully appreciate them. Amp selection seems to have a large impact as some claim B&W can be slightly bright but combined with this Yamaha they seem to be closer to neutral.
Hopefully if you are looking at speakers in this class, you know that placement and room acoustics can affect overall performance. Besides choosing single pair of wiring, bi-amping, or bi-wiring, a quick scan of the manual could save you from poor setup and losing performance. Besides tips on placement, a big tip missed at the beginning is that the break in period is a week at the temperature you will use them as well as 15 hours of break-in usage. If you miss this, you might too easily give up and return them. Also, much like other Bowers & Wilkens speakers it takes time to tune them to your preference. They not only respond well to tuning, they require it to fully appreciate them. Amp selection seems to have a large impact as some claim B&W can be slightly bright but combined with this Yamaha they seem to be closer to neutral.
Performance
Since the surrounds are smaller speakers, they were disconnected during testing and only the B&W center channel and front left and right were connected via a single wire pairs. Testing was performed with the subwoofer both on and off for comparison. The receiver was tested in Auto Decode mode, Straight passthrough, and several presets. Since there was adequate space between the speaker and the wall, the foam port plugs were not used.
Since the surrounds are smaller speakers, they were disconnected during testing and only the B&W center channel and front left and right were connected via a single wire pairs. Testing was performed with the subwoofer both on and off for comparison. The receiver was tested in Auto Decode mode, Straight passthrough, and several presets. Since there was adequate space between the speaker and the wall, the foam port plugs were not used.
Starting off with music, Silent Lucidity by Queensrÿche, is a good test of sibilance and overall range in male voice. These speakers were able to faithfully reproduce Geoff Tate’s voice thankfully without overemphasizing his habit of hissing at nearly every S sound. Another good test of excessive sibilance is A New Day by Céline Dion which, thankfully, the 600 Series kept in check and as natural as the actual performance.
The Sound of Silence, sung by David Draiman of Disturbed, is different from his normal style and showcases his range of singing ability and training. You could hear the subtle sounds of him carefully controlling his breathing to minimize the sound of his breath. The tightly controlled wavering in his voice and later the carefully controlled gritty sound he makes, that if performed improperly destroys a singer’s vocal cords, is cleanly reproduced as if you are hearing him live. With an uncompressed recording of his performance, slight accidental clicks and pops produced by the mouth can be heard, which gives more of an impression of a live performance which is often missed by lesser speakers.
Switching focus to instruments, the unplugged version of Tears of Heaven sung by Eric Clapton was up next. As much as artists try to minimize guitar string scratching, it does give a more realistic feel the performance as its almost impossible to hide in a live performance. The 600 series was able to reproduce the subtle sounds of Eric Clapton moving his hands across the guitar and the strings giving a stronger sense of a live performance.
Trying out Every Day I have the Blues by BB King really showcases the soundstage. Particularly when paired with the center channel, placement is precise. If feels neither forward nor laid-back. Close your eyes and you could be forgiven for thinking you are at a live performance.
Overall, the B&Ws are very musical and has even made me reconsider my preference towards slightly bright. If there is any deficiency in the music reproduction, it would be in songs that require punchy bass, but you wouldn’t expect bookshelf speakers to handle this job. If you need this kind of bass, it is easily filled by a separate subwoofer.
If you have good speakers, why not put them to use to make your movies more immersive and not just music? The first thing that must be mentioned is how fast the speaker can respond and provide a feeling of impact. It gives a realness to the sound of a kick drum but even more surprisingly is the sense of tension in a movie. During the break-in process the family was watching a Lord of the Rings and everyone jumped when a door was slammed. Even the ones who don’t normally jump, jumped with surprise. If you think back to the sound of a door slamming and how a hard slam almost seems to register that you felt it as much as heard it. Well, these speakers, when playing at sufficient volume, can reproduce that feeling. It will be interesting to see in the future what other movies this capability can enrich. The same as with music, droning or rumbling bass sounds can easily be reproduced and fill the room but for punchy bass, you are still going to want a dedicated subwoofer. A pleasant surprise is that, while you can turn them up for greater impact and immersion, there is no need to turn them up simply to hear parts of the movie. Dialog and action are both well represented regardless of volume. No muddy dialog requiring you to turn it up to hear.
Conclusion
There is really too much to share in such a short space. Even if there was room, the speaker continues to get better the longer it is used. The center channel, while made the similar to the bookshelf speakers, is really more of a compliment to them and completes the package. It highlights the voices much better even if only used for music. If you are looking to explore deeper into the audiophile world B&W is a good start. Just make sure to do some research to make sure get the right wiring and amp, spend some time learning setup and tuning, and then be patient and give the break in time. If you are willing to do this, you will be rewarded with a pleasant and immersive listening experience.
There is really too much to share in such a short space. Even if there was room, the speaker continues to get better the longer it is used. The center channel, while made the similar to the bookshelf speakers, is really more of a compliment to them and completes the package. It highlights the voices much better even if only used for music. If you are looking to explore deeper into the audiophile world B&W is a good start. Just make sure to do some research to make sure get the right wiring and amp, spend some time learning setup and tuning, and then be patient and give the break in time. If you are willing to do this, you will be rewarded with a pleasant and immersive listening experience.
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The 606 S2 Anniversary Edition combines outstanding power and clarity in a compact form for when space is at a premium, but you need big sound. Continuum mid-bass drive units provide clarity for singers and driving bass lines while Decoupled Double Dome Tweeters create an enveloping sense of space. Featuring upgraded crossovers for even more transparency and a unique trim-ring to celebrate this milestone, the 606 S2 Anniversary Edition is the most sophisticated, affordable bookshelf speaker Bowers & Wilkins has ever made. The 606 S2 Anniversary Edition is the largest bookshelf speaker in the 600 Series Anniversary Edition range of products. Over the last 25 years, the 600 Series has been our most affordable performance range of loudspeakers, and we’re celebrating our love of sound with acoustic improvements to the crossover network for overall greater levels of clarity and smoother high frequencies so you can enjoy a compelling listening experience across the range of products.
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Clean Appearance
Solid build
Responsive
Musical reproduction
Very tunable, doesn’t color the audio by default
Allow you to feel certain sounds
Magnetic mesh covers leave front clean when off
Support for bi-amp or bi-wire
Good bass for the size
Foam port plugs for tuning
MDF enclosure snubs any hint of vibration or distortion
Clean Appearance
Solid build
Responsive
Musical reproduction
Very tunable, doesn’t color the audio by default
Allow you to feel certain sounds
Magnetic mesh covers leave front clean when off
Support for bi-amp or bi-wire
Good bass for the size
Foam port plugs for tuning
MDF enclosure snubs any hint of vibration or distortion
Cons
Magnetic covers fall off easily
Need tuning to fully appreciate
Long break in period
Magnetic covers fall off easily
Need tuning to fully appreciate
Long break in period
This review is written from the perspective of a novice audiophile with experience of some high-end audio brands, but not quite the ear of a seasoned audiophile and a preference towards speakers that are slightly bright. During usage, the speakers were driven by a Yahama RX-V685 and used in combination with the B&W 600 Series Anniversary Edition center channel speaker.
Design
The cabinets have a very understated appearance with a flat black finish. The grill covers can be left off without leaving unsightly holes as they are held on by magnets. That said, the magnets are very weak, and a gentle touch or bump can easily knock them off. Binding posts are solid metal and heavy, possibly stainless steel, and support bi-amping or bi-wiring by removing the bus bar connecting them. Stick on rubber feet are included, but not installed. Bass can be tuned using the included bass port plugs.
The cabinets have a very understated appearance with a flat black finish. The grill covers can be left off without leaving unsightly holes as they are held on by magnets. That said, the magnets are very weak, and a gentle touch or bump can easily knock them off. Binding posts are solid metal and heavy, possibly stainless steel, and support bi-amping or bi-wiring by removing the bus bar connecting them. Stick on rubber feet are included, but not installed. Bass can be tuned using the included bass port plugs.
Setup
Hopefully if you are looking at speakers in this class, you know that placement and room acoustics can affect overall performance. Besides choosing single pair of wiring, bi-amping, or bi-wiring, a quick scan of the manual could save you from poor setup and losing performance. Besides tips on placement, a big tip missed at the beginning is that the break in period is a week at the temperature you will use them as well as 15 hours of break-in usage. If you miss this, you might too easily give up and return them. Also, much like other Bowers & Wilkens speakers it takes time to tune them to your preference. They not only respond well to tuning, they require it to fully appreciate them. Amp selection seems to have a large impact as some claim B&W can be slightly bright but combined with this Yamaha they seem to be closer to neutral.
Hopefully if you are looking at speakers in this class, you know that placement and room acoustics can affect overall performance. Besides choosing single pair of wiring, bi-amping, or bi-wiring, a quick scan of the manual could save you from poor setup and losing performance. Besides tips on placement, a big tip missed at the beginning is that the break in period is a week at the temperature you will use them as well as 15 hours of break-in usage. If you miss this, you might too easily give up and return them. Also, much like other Bowers & Wilkens speakers it takes time to tune them to your preference. They not only respond well to tuning, they require it to fully appreciate them. Amp selection seems to have a large impact as some claim B&W can be slightly bright but combined with this Yamaha they seem to be closer to neutral.
Performance
Since the surrounds are smaller speakers, they were disconnected during testing and the B&W speakers were connected via a single wire pair. Testing was performed with the subwoofer both on and off for comparison. The receiver was tested in Auto Decode mode, Straight passthrough, and several presets. Since there was adequate space between the speakers and the wall, the foam port plugs were not used.
Since the surrounds are smaller speakers, they were disconnected during testing and the B&W speakers were connected via a single wire pair. Testing was performed with the subwoofer both on and off for comparison. The receiver was tested in Auto Decode mode, Straight passthrough, and several presets. Since there was adequate space between the speakers and the wall, the foam port plugs were not used.
Starting off with music, Silent Lucidity by Queensrÿche, is a good test of sibilance and overall range in male voice. These speakers were able to faithfully reproduce Geoff Tate’s voice thankfully without overemphasizing his habit of hissing at nearly every S sound. Another good test of excessive sibilance is A New Day by Céline Dion which, thankfully, the 600 Series kept in check and as natural as the actual performance.
The Sound of Silence, sung by David Draiman of Disturbed, is different from his normal style and showcases his range of singing ability and training. You could hear the subtle sounds of him carefully controlling his breathing to minimize the sound of his breath. The tightly controlled wavering in his voice and later the carefully controlled gritty sound he makes, that if performed improperly destroys a singer’s vocal cords, is cleanly reproduced as if you are hearing him live. With an uncompressed recording of his performance, slight accidental clicks and pops produced by the mouth can be heard, which gives more of an impression of a live performance which is often missed by lesser speakers.
Switching focus to instruments, the unplugged version of Tears of Heaven sung by Eric Clapton was up next. As much as artists try to minimize guitar string scratching, it does give a more realistic feel the performance as its almost impossible to hide in a live performance. The 600 series was able to reproduce the subtle sounds of Eric Clapton moving his hands across the guitar and the strings giving a stronger sense of a live performance.
Trying out Every Day I have the Blues by BB King really showcases the soundstage. Particularly when paired with the center channel, placement is precise. If feels neither forward nor laid-back. Close your eyes and you could be forgiven for thinking you are at a live performance.
Overall, the B&Ws are very musical and has even made me reconsider my preference towards slightly bright. If there is any deficiency in the music reproduction, it would be in songs that require punchy bass, but you wouldn’t expect bookshelf speakers to handle this job. If you need this kind of bass, it is easily filled by a separate subwoofer.
Most people don’t use their speakers for just songs and if you have good speakers, so why not put them to use to make your movies more immersive. The first thing that must be mentioned is how fast these speakers can respond and provide a feeling of impact. They give a realness to the sound of a kick drum but even more surprisingly is the sense of tension in a movie. During the break-in process the family was watching a Lord of the Rings and everyone jumped when a door was slammed. Even the ones who don’t normally jump, jumped with surprise. If you think back to the sound of a door slamming and how a hard slam almost seems to register that you felt it as much as heard it. Well, these speakers, when playing at sufficient volume, can reproduce that feeling. It will be interesting to see in the future what other movies this capability can enrich. The same as with music, droning or rumbling bass sounds can easily be reproduced and fill the room but for punchy bass, you are still going to want a dedicated subwoofer. A pleasant surprise is that, while you can turn them up for greater impact and immersion, there is no need to turn them up simply to hear parts of the movie. Dialog and action are both well represented regardless of volume. No muddy dialog requiring you to turn it up to hear.
Conclusion
There is really too much to share in such a short space. Even if there was room, the speakers continue to get better the longer they are used. What can be said is if you are looking to explore deeper into the audiophile world B&W is a good start. Just make sure to do some research to make sure get the right wiring and amp, spend some time learning setup and tuning, and then be patient and give the break in time. If you are willing to do this, you will be rewarded with a pleasant and immersive listening experience.
There is really too much to share in such a short space. Even if there was room, the speakers continue to get better the longer they are used. What can be said is if you are looking to explore deeper into the audiophile world B&W is a good start. Just make sure to do some research to make sure get the right wiring and amp, spend some time learning setup and tuning, and then be patient and give the break in time. If you are willing to do this, you will be rewarded with a pleasant and immersive listening experience.
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Upgrade your barbecue setup with this two burner 47-inch Everdure FORCE propane gas grill. The fast ignition speeds up cooking, while the contemporary taps let you control the temperature easily and the cast aluminum construction offers durability. This Everdure FORCE propane gas grill features a high hood that ensures plenty of airflow for consistent results.
Customer Rating
4
Easy, consistent grilling
on December 30, 2020
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Heats up fast
Sears without the need for a separate burner
Less flareups and shorter ones with hidden burners
Food doesn’t stick much to enameled cast iron
Sloped interior guides grease to drip tray
Disposable drip tray makes cleanup easier
Nonstick interior makes cleanup easier
Sloped exterior guides drippings off grill
Igniters don’t require batteries
Still usable even in high winds
Separates to operate as portable grill
Compact size for grilling space
Handle for lid isolates heat well
Flat cooking plate available
Heats up fast
Sears without the need for a separate burner
Less flareups and shorter ones with hidden burners
Food doesn’t stick much to enameled cast iron
Sloped interior guides grease to drip tray
Disposable drip tray makes cleanup easier
Nonstick interior makes cleanup easier
Sloped exterior guides drippings off grill
Igniters don’t require batteries
Still usable even in high winds
Separates to operate as portable grill
Compact size for grilling space
Handle for lid isolates heat well
Flat cooking plate available
Cons
Overly complicated instructions that still miss vital information
Plastic base and feet likely will not last
Plastic shelves likely will not last
More plastic and fabric used to secure tank does not give a sense of longevity
Wheels only on 2 feet makes movement more awkward
Burner controls change quickly making fine adjustments finicky
Side shelf does not feel like it locks in place firmly
Slot for holding propane tank finicky to put tank in
Heavy top doesn’t have any sort of bumpers
Recommends against metal utensils
Recommends cleaning hot but not with metal tools
No teppanyaki plate option
Hard to recommend over the larger Furnace grill
Overly complicated instructions that still miss vital information
Plastic base and feet likely will not last
Plastic shelves likely will not last
More plastic and fabric used to secure tank does not give a sense of longevity
Wheels only on 2 feet makes movement more awkward
Burner controls change quickly making fine adjustments finicky
Side shelf does not feel like it locks in place firmly
Slot for holding propane tank finicky to put tank in
Heavy top doesn’t have any sort of bumpers
Recommends against metal utensils
Recommends cleaning hot but not with metal tools
No teppanyaki plate option
Hard to recommend over the larger Furnace grill
The Everdure Force is likely an unfamiliar brand design by a chef you may not know. A quick Google search of Hesten Blumenthal will help provide some context of who exactly decided the regular grills we know are not good enough. The main complaint the Force and its larger counterpart aim to solve is not getting hot enough. Making a steak like the steakhouses requires high heat to sear in moisture. Some brands attempt to solve this by offering a separate infrared burner that requires you to use it separately, then turn it off and use the main part of the grill. These grills claim to do the searing and grilling using the same burners. They achieve this by moving the burners closer to the grill surface while pointing the flame directly up on a covered section of the grating to help control flareups.
Design
The best way to describe the overall appearance is, unconventional. Instead of heavy stamped stainless steel everywhere with a closed in cabinet, the Force is a blend of mainly aluminum and plastic. The lid is a heavy aluminum and comes in multiple colors and bottom is sloped metal with a nonstick coating to facilitate easier cleanup. The main part of the grill sits on a plastic base held up by aluminum legs. Storage is provided by open plastic shelves. Once assembled, it feels relatively sturdy but does not give the feel of heft of traditional grills available in the US. The liberal use of plastic and fabric makes one wonder how long the stand will last. The good thing is the main body is all metal and is completely capable of being used without the stand as a portable grill for tailgating or at a campsite. It could potentially also be adapted as a countertop grill for a back-yard kitchen.
The best way to describe the overall appearance is, unconventional. Instead of heavy stamped stainless steel everywhere with a closed in cabinet, the Force is a blend of mainly aluminum and plastic. The lid is a heavy aluminum and comes in multiple colors and bottom is sloped metal with a nonstick coating to facilitate easier cleanup. The main part of the grill sits on a plastic base held up by aluminum legs. Storage is provided by open plastic shelves. Once assembled, it feels relatively sturdy but does not give the feel of heft of traditional grills available in the US. The liberal use of plastic and fabric makes one wonder how long the stand will last. The good thing is the main body is all metal and is completely capable of being used without the stand as a portable grill for tailgating or at a campsite. It could potentially also be adapted as a countertop grill for a back-yard kitchen.
Assembly and Operation
The main body requires very little assembly, only requiring installing the handle and the hose. The stand is a bit more involved but not overly hard except the instructions are overly complicated while at the same time being vague in important ways. An example is a list of fasteners at the beginning of the manual which does not match what is in the box, partly because it attempts to provide a list for more than one grill. Then, when providing assembly instructions, it depends on text descriptions instead of simple diagrams of what bolts and washers go where. As an example, washers are provided for the base, but the instructions only say to use them in two locations. One of the two locations only applies to half of the screws as well making things more confusing. There are two rods provided for you to install, but you must bend into place. It does not tell you if the rods should bend making you wonder if the rods were made too long. There is only one location where that length works so it is not a matter of improper installation.
The main body requires very little assembly, only requiring installing the handle and the hose. The stand is a bit more involved but not overly hard except the instructions are overly complicated while at the same time being vague in important ways. An example is a list of fasteners at the beginning of the manual which does not match what is in the box, partly because it attempts to provide a list for more than one grill. Then, when providing assembly instructions, it depends on text descriptions instead of simple diagrams of what bolts and washers go where. As an example, washers are provided for the base, but the instructions only say to use them in two locations. One of the two locations only applies to half of the screws as well making things more confusing. There are two rods provided for you to install, but you must bend into place. It does not tell you if the rods should bend making you wonder if the rods were made too long. There is only one location where that length works so it is not a matter of improper installation.
While assembly instructions could use refinement, operation is vague. Admittedly, if you have used a gas grill the operation is straightforward, but it still seems strange, so little time is spent on instructing you on proper use. Overall, the instructions seem more as if they were written with a focus on health and safety versus proper assembly and operation. Perhaps this is the difference in regulations in Britain? The good thing is Everdure has several videos on YouTube that can help fill in the gaps for those that might be grilling for the first time. Hopefully Everdure will refine the manual and offer a downloadable version on their website. It would also be great if they even offered some of Hesten Blumenthal’s recipes that are achievable by the average person.
Performance
The worst enemy of grilling is wind with extreme cold being a second. Too much of either or some of both and all grilling is canceled. On the day the grill arrived, a cold front hit with winds gusting to over 25mph and temps dropping into the mid-40s. Granted, 40F is nothing for most grills but 25mph winds even on a warm day can kill the heat of quite a few grills. As a test, the standard 5-minute warmup was done and even with the winds the grill was able to reach 475 degrees F. Of course, this is not ideal for searing, but on testing the steaks still sizzled and smoked as if they were getting a proper sear. Although the top had to be closed for the remainder of the cooking, it surprisingly was able to hold high enough temps to cook two strip steaks better than a standard grill. Normally, during these winds the gusts can cause a current in standard grills which either causes the flame to go out or the safety in the tank to activate reducing flow. Surprisingly, the Force did neither of these. The flame was a cooler yellow, but it stayed steady and allow for reasonably confident grilling in what would seem impossible conditions. In fact, after searing the burners had to be turned down. This turned out to be less than precise as the adjustment from full heat to low occurs in just one quarter turn of the nob. Operation is smooth but ideally a larger range should have been provided to more precisely adjust the burners to your desired setting.
The worst enemy of grilling is wind with extreme cold being a second. Too much of either or some of both and all grilling is canceled. On the day the grill arrived, a cold front hit with winds gusting to over 25mph and temps dropping into the mid-40s. Granted, 40F is nothing for most grills but 25mph winds even on a warm day can kill the heat of quite a few grills. As a test, the standard 5-minute warmup was done and even with the winds the grill was able to reach 475 degrees F. Of course, this is not ideal for searing, but on testing the steaks still sizzled and smoked as if they were getting a proper sear. Although the top had to be closed for the remainder of the cooking, it surprisingly was able to hold high enough temps to cook two strip steaks better than a standard grill. Normally, during these winds the gusts can cause a current in standard grills which either causes the flame to go out or the safety in the tank to activate reducing flow. Surprisingly, the Force did neither of these. The flame was a cooler yellow, but it stayed steady and allow for reasonably confident grilling in what would seem impossible conditions. In fact, after searing the burners had to be turned down. This turned out to be less than precise as the adjustment from full heat to low occurs in just one quarter turn of the nob. Operation is smooth but ideally a larger range should have been provided to more precisely adjust the burners to your desired setting.
Cooking strip steak usually also means a fair bit of flareups and the Force was no exception. However, what was different was the flareups were much less intense and shorter. As the grease dripped by the flames it could still ignite, but since it continued to fall it burned out quickly. Through several grilling sessions with different greasy, fatty foods the same thing happened. Grilling those more tricky foods have become less stressful. What is nice is both the inside and outside of the base are sloped metal with a non-stick surface. Spills on the outside are easy to clean up and drippings on the inside are guided into a disposable drip tray.
Besides the liberal use of plastic, the grilling surface is probably the best and worst of the grill at the same time. It is heavy cast iron, which is great for strength and withstanding the heat. The downside is it is vitreous cast iron, meaning you should not use metal utensils or brushes. The instructions recommend silicone utensils, which is fine for the grilling. Foods usually stick very little so silicone works well for the task. The problem is when it comes to cleaning the grates. Even though very little sticks, food still gets on the grates. The instructions recommend cleaning them hot while the food is still loose, but where can you find a non- metal brush that works on a hot grill? This leaves you no options except to let it cool off and wash it with a nylon brush and plastic scraper. Their manual even suggests using their tools and utensils, which ironically are all metal. This makes cleaning the grates tedious as the food has solidified in what is nearly concrete on the grating once it is cold. There is always the old trick of turn the heat on high and close the lid to burn it all off. Unfortunately, not only does this not work, Everdure recommends against keeping it on high for extended periods with the lid closed as it would damage the grill. Unless Everdure provides a new procedure or tool, the current method is just cooking the remains until they are char. If buildup becomes excessive then they will be washed in soapy water.
Grilling Results
With the easy searing, low flareups, and easy release from the grating consistent grilling was easy to achieve. A good crust could be produced on a steak without overcooking the inside. Chicken could be heated quickly locking the juices inside so can easily full cook chicken without it drying out or ripping off when removing it from the grates. Salmon burgers seared very well producing a nice, thing crispy crust with a moist fully cooked inside and easily release from the grating as well. Of course, you will not get the flavor or charcoal or wood but its far more convenient. Hopefully, as weather permits the grill to achieve high temps the possibility of chargrilled foods can become a reality which can make up for the lack of charcoal flavor.
With the easy searing, low flareups, and easy release from the grating consistent grilling was easy to achieve. A good crust could be produced on a steak without overcooking the inside. Chicken could be heated quickly locking the juices inside so can easily full cook chicken without it drying out or ripping off when removing it from the grates. Salmon burgers seared very well producing a nice, thing crispy crust with a moist fully cooked inside and easily release from the grating as well. Of course, you will not get the flavor or charcoal or wood but its far more convenient. Hopefully, as weather permits the grill to achieve high temps the possibility of chargrilled foods can become a reality which can make up for the lack of charcoal flavor.
Final Thoughts
The Everdure Force is a unique take on grilling and solves some old problems of most grills and possibly introduces some new ones of its own. Hopefully, future versions will cut down on the usage of plastic for something that is designed to stay outdoors and be around high heat frequently. That said, the Force combines the convenience of cooking inside with more of the taste of steakhouse cooking. If the design interests you, you might look at its big brother, the Furnace, before making your final decision as it also has an option for a teppanyaki plate as well as the flat plate offered for the Force. If you like the idea of being able to produce the grill marks, thin crust, and moist interior of a steakhouse steak with little fuss, the Everdure Force might be a good fit.
The Everdure Force is a unique take on grilling and solves some old problems of most grills and possibly introduces some new ones of its own. Hopefully, future versions will cut down on the usage of plastic for something that is designed to stay outdoors and be around high heat frequently. That said, the Force combines the convenience of cooking inside with more of the taste of steakhouse cooking. If the design interests you, you might look at its big brother, the Furnace, before making your final decision as it also has an option for a teppanyaki plate as well as the flat plate offered for the Force. If you like the idea of being able to produce the grill marks, thin crust, and moist interior of a steakhouse steak with little fuss, the Everdure Force might be a good fit.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Sit back, relax and let the Samsung Jet Mop automatically clean your floors. Samsung’s Jet Mop automatically cleans all type of floors, like tile, vinyl, laminate or hardwood. This robotic mop features dual spinning fiber pads that easily and quickly remove dust and dirt. Now, you can simply take it easy as the intelligent Jet Mop does the hard work for you.
Customer Rating
2
Manual mopping is faster
on November 9, 2020
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Spinning action removes more than static pad
Extremely quiet
Doesn’t require setting up an account
Easy to set up
Spinning action removes more than static pad
Extremely quiet
Doesn’t require setting up an account
Easy to set up
Cons
Requires lots of manual attention
Only allows water
Needs barriers to set up in larger rooms
Tends to clean small, long areas repeatedly
Often misses areas
Easily gets lost or stuck
Rams into cabinets with foot kick recesses
Tries to mop low shag carpet
Status beeps sound too familiar
No water sensor
Requires lots of manual attention
Only allows water
Needs barriers to set up in larger rooms
Tends to clean small, long areas repeatedly
Often misses areas
Easily gets lost or stuck
Rams into cabinets with foot kick recesses
Tries to mop low shag carpet
Status beeps sound too familiar
No water sensor
Design and Features
The Jetbot Mop utilizes a very simple design. It has two rotating pads that have water reservoirs to allow wet mopping. It comes with both scrubbing and polishing pads. Included is a remote. It isn’t smart integrated or require any sort of an account to set up. It has a carrying handle with a power button integrated and it looks like two sensors on the side. The overall design is very simple and easy to understand.
The Jetbot Mop utilizes a very simple design. It has two rotating pads that have water reservoirs to allow wet mopping. It comes with both scrubbing and polishing pads. Included is a remote. It isn’t smart integrated or require any sort of an account to set up. It has a carrying handle with a power button integrated and it looks like two sensors on the side. The overall design is very simple and easy to understand.
Performance and Operation
The first thing the instructions recommend is washing the cleaning pads even though they are new. This is a good idea since they tend to leave more cleaning marks on the floor when new. Once you choose if you want the scrubbing or polishing pad all you have to do is fill up the water reservoir on each cleaning disk. The instructions specify to only use water, which severely limits the cleaning abilities. You can start cleaning directly by using the power button but it is really designed to be controlled via the remote so you can easily choose cleaning modes. The instructions give you very little detail as to all the differences in clean modes. For example, it has an Auto mode and a 50-minute mode. During usage, both the Auto mode and 50-minute mode ran the maximum runtime of 50 minutes. While in operation, it gives status updates for things like low battery, but the beeps used sound nearly the same which makes it hard to determine what beeps mean and the instructions offer no information. The status light only changes color for some things but the colors it changes don’t always match the instructions.
The first thing the instructions recommend is washing the cleaning pads even though they are new. This is a good idea since they tend to leave more cleaning marks on the floor when new. Once you choose if you want the scrubbing or polishing pad all you have to do is fill up the water reservoir on each cleaning disk. The instructions specify to only use water, which severely limits the cleaning abilities. You can start cleaning directly by using the power button but it is really designed to be controlled via the remote so you can easily choose cleaning modes. The instructions give you very little detail as to all the differences in clean modes. For example, it has an Auto mode and a 50-minute mode. During usage, both the Auto mode and 50-minute mode ran the maximum runtime of 50 minutes. While in operation, it gives status updates for things like low battery, but the beeps used sound nearly the same which makes it hard to determine what beeps mean and the instructions offer no information. The status light only changes color for some things but the colors it changes don’t always match the instructions.
During mopping, the Jetbot seems to wander around in random directions. Sometimes you can turn it on, and it will clean one small area and then go straight across the room and clean one small area over and over. In fact, the logic to the cleaning pattern seems to prefer long, small strips of flooring. In a large room with U shaped floor to clean, it would repeatedly start in the large area and quickly move to the small 1-foot wide strip of flooring and repeated clean that section of the remainder of the 50 minutes. It would barely clean the rest. No matter where it was placed it would find it way to that 1-foot wide strip and clean it until out of battery. Anything larger than a medium sized room will also require you to block off areas to clean. It can’t properly clean larger rooms in one pass requiring you to stage each area before cleaning. It also has a tendency to want to clean over low shag carpets which requires further blocking and preparation. It also has a flaw in that it cannot properly detect cabinets with floor kicks. The sensors are so low that it seems the space under the cabinet for your feet as where the wall is. This leads to the Jetbot slamming repeatedly into cabinets. More than likely this will cause marring to the cabinets over time, so you also have to protect your cabinets. If you have any furniture, such as a couch with just enough of a gap below, the Jetbot will repeatedly try to clean under that portion until it gets stuck under the couch. It seems to have no ability to detect the obstacle or that fact that it is getting stuck. The only place it seems to detect properly are standard baseboards where it works as intended and gently touches them and moves on.
If you have basic rooms, it might still be a good choice but then the question is how well does it clean. The manual says to only use plain water which seems problematic. It means even cleaning something like light dirt takes several passes to pick up. Any dirt more stuck to the floor likely won’t get cleaned up as the water cannot release the stain from the floor. The other issue is that anything that has an odor, including most dirt, just gets spread around the room. Other people who would enter the room said it would just end up making the room smell unclean as it spread the smell around. There doesn’t seem to be any technical reason why the cleaning pads couldn’t use cleaning chemicals as this would solve half of the issues. Because of this, mopping also tends to leave streaks and cleaning marks on the floor making it look as though you cleaned with dirty water.
Final Thoughts
At first glance, the idea of robot floor cleaner that actually scrubs the hard floors seems great. Unfortunately, the effort to keep things simple Samsung seems to have gone too far. Except for very simply rooms, it would be quicker to just manually mop the floor yourself. It would be less of a fuss, come out cleaner in the end, and you wouldn’t have to prep the device and room beforehand. Manually you also wouldn’t need to stop every 50 minutes clean up again. Manually you could also use chemicals and clean the entire floor quickly and effectively while also avoiding mopping marks. Unless you have very basic rooms and just want keep basic dust and dirt off the floors, you are better off with cleaning the floors manually until Samsung revises the design and cleaning logic of the Jetbot.
At first glance, the idea of robot floor cleaner that actually scrubs the hard floors seems great. Unfortunately, the effort to keep things simple Samsung seems to have gone too far. Except for very simply rooms, it would be quicker to just manually mop the floor yourself. It would be less of a fuss, come out cleaner in the end, and you wouldn’t have to prep the device and room beforehand. Manually you also wouldn’t need to stop every 50 minutes clean up again. Manually you could also use chemicals and clean the entire floor quickly and effectively while also avoiding mopping marks. Unless you have very basic rooms and just want keep basic dust and dirt off the floors, you are better off with cleaning the floors manually until Samsung revises the design and cleaning logic of the Jetbot.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Touch, Talk and View - a smart all-in-one solution for your home monitoring needs. Have complete coverage of your home with the two wi-fi cameras and easily access footage with the intuitive touch screen or by the sound of your voice. "Lorex, show me the front door camera." - it's that easy. This system is compatible with Alexa and Hey Google, and it truly has everything you need with no monthly fees.
Customer Rating
3
Unique idea but unfinished
on October 22, 2020
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
No subscription fees
Outlet power means no charging batteries
Active deterrence light is very bright
High frame rate catches even faster motion
Two-way talk allows you to interact with people
Wireless connection makes pulling cable unnecessary
Recordings include 5 seconds of video before trigger
Direct power means faster response and alerts
Direct wireless and connection through existing Wi-Fi options
Motion alerts show thumbnail even on Apple Watch
AI for people and vehicles greatly reduce false positives
Option to add SSD internally
Video comes up fast for remote viewing
App automatically adjusts resolution based on internet speed
No subscription fees
Outlet power means no charging batteries
Active deterrence light is very bright
High frame rate catches even faster motion
Two-way talk allows you to interact with people
Wireless connection makes pulling cable unnecessary
Recordings include 5 seconds of video before trigger
Direct power means faster response and alerts
Direct wireless and connection through existing Wi-Fi options
Motion alerts show thumbnail even on Apple Watch
AI for people and vehicles greatly reduce false positives
Option to add SSD internally
Video comes up fast for remote viewing
App automatically adjusts resolution based on internet speed
Cons
Lorex has a weak track record of support after the sale
Storage of videos is directly in base station and easy to steal
Lorex name on front makes it easy for thieves to know to take it
Voice assistant is slow and rigid in commands
Voice assistant wake word often heard randomly
Facial recognition is slow and only works in good lighting
Touchscreen is low quality and inconsistently responds to touch
Instructions are very vague, and setup is not well thought out
App and configuration options feel unfinished
No information if continuous recording is an option with an SSD
Base station periodically freezes or lags
Recordings are periodically corrupted
No privacy zones to block off recording those areas
Power adapter is very deep making it hard to keep in weather enclosure
Mounting system is extremely finicky and feels prone to breaking
Screen saver option rarely shown as base usually shows pin code pad
No zooming option on base station
No instructions for adding cameras to Wi-Fi directly
Deterrence light triggers color night vision right as the light shuts off
Speech is extremely hard to hear on microphones
Wind causes an electronic popping sound on recordings
Lorex has a weak track record of support after the sale
Storage of videos is directly in base station and easy to steal
Lorex name on front makes it easy for thieves to know to take it
Voice assistant is slow and rigid in commands
Voice assistant wake word often heard randomly
Facial recognition is slow and only works in good lighting
Touchscreen is low quality and inconsistently responds to touch
Instructions are very vague, and setup is not well thought out
App and configuration options feel unfinished
No information if continuous recording is an option with an SSD
Base station periodically freezes or lags
Recordings are periodically corrupted
No privacy zones to block off recording those areas
Power adapter is very deep making it hard to keep in weather enclosure
Mounting system is extremely finicky and feels prone to breaking
Screen saver option rarely shown as base usually shows pin code pad
No zooming option on base station
No instructions for adding cameras to Wi-Fi directly
Deterrence light triggers color night vision right as the light shuts off
Speech is extremely hard to hear on microphones
Wind causes an electronic popping sound on recordings
Design
The Lorex Home Center is a departure from the normal security system where the recorder is hidden away with no screen. It looks more like a home assistant giving you the impression it is part of a smart home setup. On the side is a microSD card slot where you can install the included WD Purple 64GB Surveillance MicroSD card. Listed in the specs but not in the instructions is a slot to accommodate up to a 1TB M.2 SSD. The slot is located on behind plastic panel on the back of the unit. Recordings are stored directly on the base station with a very conspicuous Lorex logo. Any thief can easily recognize what it does and make sure to take your recordings as they take your belongings.
The Lorex Home Center is a departure from the normal security system where the recorder is hidden away with no screen. It looks more like a home assistant giving you the impression it is part of a smart home setup. On the side is a microSD card slot where you can install the included WD Purple 64GB Surveillance MicroSD card. Listed in the specs but not in the instructions is a slot to accommodate up to a 1TB M.2 SSD. The slot is located on behind plastic panel on the back of the unit. Recordings are stored directly on the base station with a very conspicuous Lorex logo. Any thief can easily recognize what it does and make sure to take your recordings as they take your belongings.
Setup
The wizard on the screen makes setup fairly basic as long as you just do exactly what it tells you. Advanced configuration isn’t quite as clear cut since the instructions don’t tell you how to do it. For example, if your cameras aren’t close enough to the base station to directly connect wirelessly, there is an option to connect the cameras directly to Wi-Fi and then from there to the base station. While the instructions say it is possible, they don’t tell you how to do this. On the hardware side, the plastic bases on the camera are made of what feels to be a flimsy plastic that creaks as you install it. Adjustment is very finicky and once you have it adjusted at what you think is the right angle you take it back off and tighten a plastic screw inside hoping the camera didn’t move while you took it off. There is also a thin plastic locknut that if you twist the camera even slightly the locknut comes loose. The power adapter also causes issues. It is so long that it prevents the weather cover from closing on your outdoor plug.
The wizard on the screen makes setup fairly basic as long as you just do exactly what it tells you. Advanced configuration isn’t quite as clear cut since the instructions don’t tell you how to do it. For example, if your cameras aren’t close enough to the base station to directly connect wirelessly, there is an option to connect the cameras directly to Wi-Fi and then from there to the base station. While the instructions say it is possible, they don’t tell you how to do this. On the hardware side, the plastic bases on the camera are made of what feels to be a flimsy plastic that creaks as you install it. Adjustment is very finicky and once you have it adjusted at what you think is the right angle you take it back off and tighten a plastic screw inside hoping the camera didn’t move while you took it off. There is also a thin plastic locknut that if you twist the camera even slightly the locknut comes loose. The power adapter also causes issues. It is so long that it prevents the weather cover from closing on your outdoor plug.
Performance and Usage
The first noticeable difference is in the speed of AI and alerts. With the cameras using plug in power and local processing it can determine if an object is a person or a car very quickly compared to a battery powered, Cloud AI, camera. So far, false positives have been very low when using person and vehicle detection. It’s nice to have a security camera system that you can depend on alerts. If you get a person or vehicle alert, it isn’t just for a branch moving or a bird flying by. Furthermore, when you are alerted on your mobile device it sends a thumbnail and the video is ready to watch almost instantly. A nice touch is it also shows the thumbnail on the Apple Watch. While there is an app for Android, iOS, and AppleTV none of them feels finished. Navigation feels like a work in process and on Apple TV you are often met with a screen with no cameras. Using in on an iPad means you get a blown up phone interface and worse yet it will log you off your phone if you log into an iPad. Similarly, you cannot be logged into more than one Apple TV. Unfortunately, if you want to look at the feed on a PC, Roku, or Fire Stick you are out of luck. If Lorex could just work on the functionality and polish of the existing apps this might be foregiven. Overall, the best description for the apps is passable and nothing more.
The first noticeable difference is in the speed of AI and alerts. With the cameras using plug in power and local processing it can determine if an object is a person or a car very quickly compared to a battery powered, Cloud AI, camera. So far, false positives have been very low when using person and vehicle detection. It’s nice to have a security camera system that you can depend on alerts. If you get a person or vehicle alert, it isn’t just for a branch moving or a bird flying by. Furthermore, when you are alerted on your mobile device it sends a thumbnail and the video is ready to watch almost instantly. A nice touch is it also shows the thumbnail on the Apple Watch. While there is an app for Android, iOS, and AppleTV none of them feels finished. Navigation feels like a work in process and on Apple TV you are often met with a screen with no cameras. Using in on an iPad means you get a blown up phone interface and worse yet it will log you off your phone if you log into an iPad. Similarly, you cannot be logged into more than one Apple TV. Unfortunately, if you want to look at the feed on a PC, Roku, or Fire Stick you are out of luck. If Lorex could just work on the functionality and polish of the existing apps this might be foregiven. Overall, the best description for the apps is passable and nothing more.
With H.265 compression and the automatic resolution on the mobile app streaming video is very quick, when it works. Sometimes there can be a 20 second delay in the video feed even on a good connection. On a poor connection it will drop down to SD quality, but the issue is that at random times the base station seems to lag or timeout. There doesn’t seem to a discernible pattern to it as sometimes it can go a day or two and work near flawlessly but other days it gets so bad it warrants restarting the base station. It’s possible it could be related to the SD card as occasionally a video is partially corrupted. It might also be possible it is a result of an early firmware. Over time, the issues haven’t gone completely gone away but they have lessened. If you want to expand to more than the included 2 cameras, you are most likely going to want to upgrade to an actual SSD as reliability with a MicroSD is questionable at best. It would be nice if adding an SSD would allow a continuous recording option but there is not mention of such a feature.
If there was one word to describe the base station, it would be unfinished. The base station screen seems mainly intended to monitor and view recordings. It almost seems the perfect place would be your bedside so you can conveniently check on alerts in the middle of the night. The promotional videos show you conveniently walking up to it and having your face recognized and just using the wake word to display any video or live video you wish. In reality, the pin code to login is faster. It also only works with one person. The screen also seems to be of low resolution and often seems to miss touches. It has a light sensor to adjust screen brightness, but the way it is set it is often to dark or bright. It also has an option to have a screensaver of your images, but you rarely see it because if the screen is on then it is usually on the login screen. It would be nice if there was a way to have it display the screensaver, clock, and calendar and then either just display the alert counter or a brief thumbnail or video for the active event without requiring you to login every time.
Although having the option to be completely offline is nice, you can feel it in the slowness and rigidity of the assistant. You have to be very precise in your wording but also the assistant seems to think nearly everything is the work “Lorex” as it would constantly hear people talking or the TV and say it can’t help with that. Ironically it often didn’t hear the actual wake word and would take repeated attempts to wake. This could still be corrected via future updates, but unless Lorex deviates from the normal history or abandonment after the sale it is unlikely to improve.
Unfortunately, odd interface choices and sacrifices seem to be common in the security camera market. It almost seems as if companies are still trying to evolve from what business customers want to what consumers want. If you can deal with the odd interface choices, the biggest question is how good is the video it records? Well to start, you are going to see the light areas well or the shaded areas well, but not both. It just can’t handle the difference very well. On the positive side, the 30fps is a welcomed departure from the norm and translates to be better capturing of fast motion. It still isn’t going to catch the license plate number of a car driving by. Realistically that feature currently isn’t available in any camera at this level. Night vision is decent with a hot spot in the middle of the IR lights which send light out about 35 feet giving you the ability to recognize things out to maximum of 40-50 feet and identification of people working to about 20 feet. Night vision has an issue with the deterrence light. When enabled, the light turns on first and then triggers color night vision. The moment color night vision turns on, the light turns off. What you end up with is a few seconds dark color video where even the slightest vision causes a person to completely disappear. The microphone is poor in most cases with speech barely recognizable beyond 10 feet and wind noises cause buffeting sounds and an odd electronic popping sound. Speaking off the camera is extremely good with decent volume.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Lorex Home Center has some interesting concepts but really needs refinement in functionality. Many can be addressed with software updates and others are, unfortunately, just normal for this class of security camera system. If your primary concern is maximum security or the most polish app, this isn’t the system for you. If your main desire is for a camera system with that doesn’t require pulling wires through the attic, paying subscription fees, changing batteries, or getting tons of false alerts and you can deal with the hardware and software quirks this could potentially work for you.
Overall, the Lorex Home Center has some interesting concepts but really needs refinement in functionality. Many can be addressed with software updates and others are, unfortunately, just normal for this class of security camera system. If your primary concern is maximum security or the most polish app, this isn’t the system for you. If your main desire is for a camera system with that doesn’t require pulling wires through the attic, paying subscription fees, changing batteries, or getting tons of false alerts and you can deal with the hardware and software quirks this could potentially work for you.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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5of 8voted this as helpful.
Record captivating vlogs and take brilliant photos with this black GoPro HERO9 camera. The high-quality CMOS sensor captures 5K video and up to 20.0MP images for stunning clarity, and support for a microSD card offers customizable storage space. This water-resistant GoPro HERO9 camera allows for use at the beach or pool.
Customer Rating
4
Smooth video needing small tweaks
on October 8, 2020
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Hypersmooth is like using a gimbal
In camera horizon leveling
Hindsight makes it much easier to catch the shot
Lens removable again
Mods will be offered to enhance capabilities
New 5K video allows either sharper pictures or more smoothness
USB-C plug
Waterproof unless media mod used
Scheduling option
Larger batter for longer battery life
Excellent auto
Audio can remove some wind noise
Can be used as a webcam
Option to slow to real speed during hyperlapse
Hypersmooth is like using a gimbal
In camera horizon leveling
Hindsight makes it much easier to catch the shot
Lens removable again
Mods will be offered to enhance capabilities
New 5K video allows either sharper pictures or more smoothness
USB-C plug
Waterproof unless media mod used
Scheduling option
Larger batter for longer battery life
Excellent auto
Audio can remove some wind noise
Can be used as a webcam
Option to slow to real speed during hyperlapse
Cons
Webcam software still in beta
More megapixels but not larger sensor
No pixel binning for low light
5K videos requires much more powerful system
Mobile editing is limited with small screen size
Highlights can’t be deleted once created on mobile
Mobile Wi-Fi transfers slow sometimes causing timeouts
Camera gets hot and lags
Poor touchscreen sensitivity
Screen hard to read in sunlight
Shadows are crushed in sunlight
Slow framerate on front screen
Webcam software still in beta
More megapixels but not larger sensor
No pixel binning for low light
5K videos requires much more powerful system
Mobile editing is limited with small screen size
Highlights can’t be deleted once created on mobile
Mobile Wi-Fi transfers slow sometimes causing timeouts
Camera gets hot and lags
Poor touchscreen sensitivity
Screen hard to read in sunlight
Shadows are crushed in sunlight
Slow framerate on front screen
Design
The GoPro Hero 9 Black has the standard GoPro design that has been around for years, except slightly larger. With the addition of a front facing screen a larger battery was needed. This larger battery meant the entire device became just slightly larger. Tucked into the battery compartment is a USB-C plug and MicroSD card slot. The larger size means a small number of old GoPro accessories no longer work. The back screen is slightly larger than previous models but doesn’t seem any brighter. Thankfully, with the 9 removable lenses are back with a design very similar to the 7. The microphone has been upgraded and now has better drainage for water. Included is the box is a carrying case with plenty of room for other accessories, a short USB-C cable, and a curved base mount.
The GoPro Hero 9 Black has the standard GoPro design that has been around for years, except slightly larger. With the addition of a front facing screen a larger battery was needed. This larger battery meant the entire device became just slightly larger. Tucked into the battery compartment is a USB-C plug and MicroSD card slot. The larger size means a small number of old GoPro accessories no longer work. The back screen is slightly larger than previous models but doesn’t seem any brighter. Thankfully, with the 9 removable lenses are back with a design very similar to the 7. The microphone has been upgraded and now has better drainage for water. Included is the box is a carrying case with plenty of room for other accessories, a short USB-C cable, and a curved base mount.
Performance and Usage
In many ways, the Hero 9 Black is an evolution of an existing design. It brings back some things that should have never been removed and added a few new things. Now with the 5K sensor, daylight shots are crisper than before. You can grab a still from a video and as long as the lighting is good, and action isn’t too fast you have a pretty nice shot. A nice addition is called Hindsight. When activated, the camera will record in a 30 second loop until you start manually recording. This means if you are trying to catch a fast shot you just turn this on and wait. As long as you activate manual recording withing 30 seconds of what you are trying to catch, it will be saved. Although you can grab stills from this, the quality seems a bit lower. If you are looking for a good action photo, you can use an option called Liveburst where it will take a series of photos in a burst. You can then share it as a short clip or choose one of the photos to pull out of it as a higher quality still. The still quality is much better on these although the option isn’t the easiest to find the first time you use it as it is under export, even when you are putting the still straight back into the app
.
Slow motion is available and the faster the speed you want, the lower the resolution. What is new is being able to transition to real speed or half speed in the middle of a hyperlapse. Just tap the back of the screen while recording a hyperlapse and switch to your preconfigured option. When done, just tap again and it will continue on with the hyperlapse. This can come in handy if, for instance, you are hiking and want to add commentary for certain portions of the hike. No need to have separate videos and splice them together.
In many ways, the Hero 9 Black is an evolution of an existing design. It brings back some things that should have never been removed and added a few new things. Now with the 5K sensor, daylight shots are crisper than before. You can grab a still from a video and as long as the lighting is good, and action isn’t too fast you have a pretty nice shot. A nice addition is called Hindsight. When activated, the camera will record in a 30 second loop until you start manually recording. This means if you are trying to catch a fast shot you just turn this on and wait. As long as you activate manual recording withing 30 seconds of what you are trying to catch, it will be saved. Although you can grab stills from this, the quality seems a bit lower. If you are looking for a good action photo, you can use an option called Liveburst where it will take a series of photos in a burst. You can then share it as a short clip or choose one of the photos to pull out of it as a higher quality still. The still quality is much better on these although the option isn’t the easiest to find the first time you use it as it is under export, even when you are putting the still straight back into the app
.
Slow motion is available and the faster the speed you want, the lower the resolution. What is new is being able to transition to real speed or half speed in the middle of a hyperlapse. Just tap the back of the screen while recording a hyperlapse and switch to your preconfigured option. When done, just tap again and it will continue on with the hyperlapse. This can come in handy if, for instance, you are hiking and want to add commentary for certain portions of the hike. No need to have separate videos and splice them together.
For casual recording, the default auto settings produce overly vibrant video with crushed shadows and very blue skies with vivid green foliage. Sharpness by default is pretty strong but can be adjusted down. Overall, auto mode seems tuned for social media. If you are all about more correct colors and exposure you are likely going to want to choose the flat color profile. Also, the removable lens is great for safety, but it also does create some pretty significant lens flare in certain circumstances where the entire video temporarily becomes completely washed out and overexposed.
Although some may want to record in 5K, the benefits are small. Where the extra megapixels really shine is adding additional crop for electronic stabilization when recording in 4K. With more megapixels, Hypersmooth 3.0 can make even more extreme motion smooth. Paired with the new in-body horizon leveling, it can make your videos look as smooth as if they were filmed on a professional gimbal. GoPro is claiming this will be further enhanced once the Max Lens Mod is available. Currently horizon leveling works to somewhere around 35-45 degrees but the Max Lens Mod should mean it can keep the horizon level no matter the rotation. Of course, depending on the camera, you could do this in post. But being able to just turn it on and shoot is so much simpler. The big question is how well can the de-warping work with the Max Mod Lens. Although minor now, with the standard lens sometimes you can see line when the software is de-warping the image. A nice, but also occasional, odd feature is how it seems the camera senses a turn and crops the video into the turn as if you are panning the camera. This part is nice but then sometimes it acts weird and jerks back abruptly and looks a little unnatural. It doesn’t happen that often and hasn’t been too bad, but it is still a bit odd.
It’s nice that the Hero 9 now has a front facing screen, but there is still room to grow. Maybe this can be fixed with further firmware updates, but the front screen frame rate is a bit choppy. It improved slightly during the first update, but you will notice the rate doesn’t match your settings. It is still decent enough to work with. The bigger challenge is seeing the screens in brighter light. After seeing other electronics in recent years getting much brighter screens, it showcases where the GoPro, being an outdoor camera could really use some improvement. Although workable, a higher brightness screen and a light sensor could go a long way to improving use in sunlight. Of course, some of this can be remedied with buttons and voice commands but not all.
Speaking of outdoors, during longer recording sessions the main body can get pretty warm. During the longest sessions outdoors at around 85 degrees, the main body became noticeably warm and the touchscreen began to lag. At one point it almost seemed like it froze but finally the recording finished, and everything was fine. This occurred using the latest firmware as well.
The microphone for such a small camera is actually pretty good. It mainly focuses on close sounds and voices. Wind noise is still noticeable, but the software does a decent job reducing it. Things like walking on leaves, on the other hand, are picked up very well. If you are vlogging with someone a few feet away outdoors you might need to consider the media mod upgrade.
Finally, when it comes to transferring the video, the process is a bit odd the first time as it prompts you to get new media only to say no media found because you are not yet connected. The way it connects is with Wi-Fi which means long videos can take a while and even cause your phone to complain there is no internet and sometimes timeout. It would be nice to have a way to import to your phone faster, maybe via USB. There are a lot of editing options and abilities to create stories that even have the option to add included music, but your results will vary based on the power of your phone. It’s nice to be able to edit out in the field if your workflow requires quick results but the small screen and occasionally finicky app will sometimes slow you down. The media browser shows you thumbnails of your videos and photos but no other information. You have to go into each, select the hamburger, and then select info. If you are trying to find your one raw shot in the group than can really slow you down. Also, editing always forces you to portrait mode with a tiny preview. The app should allow the option to edit landscape pictures and videos while in landscape. You also have no option to zoom to check your settings or a way to compare before and after adjustments. In the support forums for July of 2020, GoPro says they are working on a replacement for the old GoPro Studio for desktop but editing on the desktop currently requires a third-party solution.
On the less interesting side, GoPro claims you can use the Hero 9 as a webcam which sounds great in today’s time. Unfortunately, the app is in beta and initial testing shows anything but good lighting ends up in a very dark video.
Final Thoughts
The Hero 9 Black shows GoPro is listening to its customers and bringing back features they missed while working to add some truly useful new ones. Although there is still plenty of room for improvement, the Hero 9 is still a solid upgrade. Hopefully GoPro will continue to evolve and improve the software and firmware in the coming months to make it an even more compelling product. In an ever evolving field of action cameras, the Hero 9 is a nice option with the durability and flexibility synonymous with GoPro.
The Hero 9 Black shows GoPro is listening to its customers and bringing back features they missed while working to add some truly useful new ones. Although there is still plenty of room for improvement, the Hero 9 is still a solid upgrade. Hopefully GoPro will continue to evolve and improve the software and firmware in the coming months to make it an even more compelling product. In an ever evolving field of action cameras, the Hero 9 is a nice option with the durability and flexibility synonymous with GoPro.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Calphalon Temp iQ Espresso Machine with Steam Wand features thermoblock heating technology and PID temperature control to evenly heat during the espresso extraction, and pre-infusion to bloom the espresso grounds for optimally extracted espresso. With conveniences like steam wand, auto-shot volumetric control, and cup warming tray, you can experience consistently delicious espresso at home.
Customer Rating
5
Consistent machine, consistent results
on September 20, 2020
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Quiet
15 Bar Pressure
Precision 1 and 2 shot settings
Shot volume can be calibrated
Simple cleanup
Easy to fill water reservoir
Fast warmup
Consistent thermoblock heater
Quiet
15 Bar Pressure
Precision 1 and 2 shot settings
Shot volume can be calibrated
Simple cleanup
Easy to fill water reservoir
Fast warmup
Consistent thermoblock heater
Cons
Requires practice to master the perfect cup
Water reservoir is hard to see level
Machine has no water sensor
Group head tabs are plastic and easily damaged
Requires practice to master the perfect cup
Water reservoir is hard to see level
Machine has no water sensor
Group head tabs are plastic and easily damaged
Design
The overall size is fairly compact and is primarily made of plastic with stainless steel accents for the drip tray and one other section. The water reservoir is removable. The top is a section to store the tamper, milk frothing cup, and the portafilter. The drip tray has a water level indicator that lets you know when it is time to empty. The tray is removable and below the tray is storage for the cleaning needle and the unused portafilter. The portafilter appears to be made of cast metal with a plastic or ceramic handle. The manual is only in English and is very detailed on the types of shots, different types of drinks, how to make them, and how to determine if you have extracted the flavor properly. Oddly, it suggests trying a ristretto shot but then makes no mention of how exactly you can make one as there is no half-shot option.
The overall size is fairly compact and is primarily made of plastic with stainless steel accents for the drip tray and one other section. The water reservoir is removable. The top is a section to store the tamper, milk frothing cup, and the portafilter. The drip tray has a water level indicator that lets you know when it is time to empty. The tray is removable and below the tray is storage for the cleaning needle and the unused portafilter. The portafilter appears to be made of cast metal with a plastic or ceramic handle. The manual is only in English and is very detailed on the types of shots, different types of drinks, how to make them, and how to determine if you have extracted the flavor properly. Oddly, it suggests trying a ristretto shot but then makes no mention of how exactly you can make one as there is no half-shot option.
Usage and performance
Hopefully, if you have decided to purchase an expresso machine of this type you expect it will require some education, practice, and maintenance. This is not a pushbutton expresso machine, but with practice making a good cup of your favorite expresso or other variation should be easy and can become second nature. With the thermoblock heater, heating up the water takes very little time. The water pump does make noise, but not significantly more than a regular coffee machine once primed. Even the steamer wand, which makes the most noise, somehow makes less noise than the expresso machine at your favorite coffee shop while still frothing milk easily. If you get your technique down and use good grounds, it’s very easy to get a nice caramel crema. Without higher end machines side by side to compare it’s difficult to get a complete picture. It’s hard to say it is better than a 9-bar machinef, but everyone so far that has tried their favorite drink from this machine has said the flavor was excellent. Some said it was better than what they were able to get from their local coffee shop. It must be said this machine has only every seen fresh ground coffee made in a high-quality burr grinder. This does help the overall quality of the brew but if you are looking for an expresso machine in this range it almost seems a requirement to have your own grinder.
Hopefully, if you have decided to purchase an expresso machine of this type you expect it will require some education, practice, and maintenance. This is not a pushbutton expresso machine, but with practice making a good cup of your favorite expresso or other variation should be easy and can become second nature. With the thermoblock heater, heating up the water takes very little time. The water pump does make noise, but not significantly more than a regular coffee machine once primed. Even the steamer wand, which makes the most noise, somehow makes less noise than the expresso machine at your favorite coffee shop while still frothing milk easily. If you get your technique down and use good grounds, it’s very easy to get a nice caramel crema. Without higher end machines side by side to compare it’s difficult to get a complete picture. It’s hard to say it is better than a 9-bar machinef, but everyone so far that has tried their favorite drink from this machine has said the flavor was excellent. Some said it was better than what they were able to get from their local coffee shop. It must be said this machine has only every seen fresh ground coffee made in a high-quality burr grinder. This does help the overall quality of the brew but if you are looking for an expresso machine in this range it almost seems a requirement to have your own grinder.
The instructions tell you how many grams of coffee to use based on if you are using pre ground or fresh ground and how much force you should use to tamp them down. It takes a little practice but once you get the hang if it you can use the edge of the tamper and how deep it goes into the portafilter as a guide. It would have been nice to provide a place to stabilize the portafilter as you tamp it just to make things a little easier. A cleaning tool with a brush would also have been nice as a way to scoop out the used grounds and then brush out the remainder before final cleaning.
Included is a 1 shot and 2 shot portafilter. From the factory, a single shot dispenses 1-ounce of water and a 2-ounce shot dispenses 2 ounces. This can be changed to your preference, but it only allows you to have either your 1 and 2 shot preference or the factory default. There is no option to quickly change between different shot settings, but it is nice to have a way to adjust the two to your preference. Once you have it the way you like, the options are straightforward with 1-shot, 2-shot, steam, and water. The temperature, time, and volume are very consistent and reliable.
You may notice a trend. The Temp IQ Expresso Machine is a very consistent machine. It doesn’t have a lot of fancy controls, but what it does offer is consistency and simplicity once you have it adjusted to your liking. If there was any criticism to levy against this expresso machine it would be that the tabs that retain the portafilter on the group head are plastic. While learning how to use it, a slight misalightment allowed the portalfilter to get caught on the wrong side of these plastic tabs. There was no noticeable difference in force, but you can imagine what happened when the metal tabs of the portafilter scraped on the wrong side of the plastic ones on the group head. Thankfully the error was caught early and only some material was shaved off. Just be careful to practice alignment as you are first learning the machine. The other issue is the water reservoir. It is easy to install and remove but choosing white on medium gray makes it hard to tell the water level of the tank. This creates a further problem in that there is no water sensor. Since you go through water quickly between steaming, cleaning the group head before, cleaning the group head after, and of course brewing you can easily end up running out of water right in the middle of brewing a shot. One could argue that if you are accepting this very manual machine that it is on the operator to pay attention, but they are still worth mentioning.
Final Thoughts
The Calphalon Temp IQ Expresso Machine has a good balance of features found in much higher end expresso machines while targeting more budget minded consumers. So, then the question would be who this would be best suited for? If you want an expresso machine that is higher quality than the ones found at the big box stores but don’t quite want to venture into the lower end commercial grade, this could be a good fit. With good aesthetics, small size, very consistent operation, and simple controls it could be a good first starter machine or even replacement once you master the technique.
The Calphalon Temp IQ Expresso Machine has a good balance of features found in much higher end expresso machines while targeting more budget minded consumers. So, then the question would be who this would be best suited for? If you want an expresso machine that is higher quality than the ones found at the big box stores but don’t quite want to venture into the lower end commercial grade, this could be a good fit. With good aesthetics, small size, very consistent operation, and simple controls it could be a good first starter machine or even replacement once you master the technique.
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Now the Roomba i3 EVO robot vacuum is smarter than ever, learning and mapping your home room-by-room so it can clean the room you want, when you want—with 10x the Power-Lifting Suction* and Premium 3-Stage Cleaning System. Powered by iRobot OS, it stays one step ahead of everyday messes, by learning your life and suggesting cleaning schedules—to clean when you’re out enjoying life. On-demand cleaning is only a command away, with Google Assistant and Alexa compatibility** that let you direct your robot to messes right when they happen. With Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal, Roomba will return itself to the base when the bin is full, automatically empty and resume cleaning, so you don’t have to think about emptying the bin for months at a time. (*Compared to the Roomba 600 series cleaning system)
Customer Rating
3
Finally a vacuum that doesn't tangle
on September 18, 2020
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Decent navigation AI for not having a camera
Lack of camera is nice for those more privacy conscious
Floor navigation sensor works in the dark
Handles furniture much better than previous models
Cleans hard floors better than previous models
Anti-tangle brush operation very good
Voice prompts very clear and easy to understand
Upgradable to CleanBase
Dirt sensor allows it to find extra dirty spots
Full bin sensors prevent wasted vacuuming
New design is much quieter
Google and Alexa integration
Smart integration can allow it to vacuum when you leave
Charge and resume mean less manual intervention
HEPA filter cuts down on dust being put back in air
Shows map of where it vacuumed when completed
Decent navigation AI for not having a camera
Lack of camera is nice for those more privacy conscious
Floor navigation sensor works in the dark
Handles furniture much better than previous models
Cleans hard floors better than previous models
Anti-tangle brush operation very good
Voice prompts very clear and easy to understand
Upgradable to CleanBase
Dirt sensor allows it to find extra dirty spots
Full bin sensors prevent wasted vacuuming
New design is much quieter
Google and Alexa integration
Smart integration can allow it to vacuum when you leave
Charge and resume mean less manual intervention
HEPA filter cuts down on dust being put back in air
Shows map of where it vacuumed when completed
Cons
Poor vacuuming performance on low pile decorative carpets
Randomly misses parts of rooms
Vacuums in parallel but often diagonal lines
Wanders between rooms instead of finishing one at a time
Low profile means it often gets hung up on even low carpet edges
Side brush often just throws debris further away
Side brush rubs bottom of unit creating plastic burns on it
Side brush easily gets tangled with hair and bogged down
When it gets stuck it just keeps repeating the same operation
Still bumps into furniture and appliances constantly
Requires lighthouses to avoid areas
Dust bin is cumbersome to empty
Often drags larger objects around lifting it up where it doesn’t vacuum
Small brushes mean much longer vacuuming time
Shape doesn’t clean edges and corners well
Rollers loud on hard floors
Poor vacuuming performance on low pile decorative carpets
Randomly misses parts of rooms
Vacuums in parallel but often diagonal lines
Wanders between rooms instead of finishing one at a time
Low profile means it often gets hung up on even low carpet edges
Side brush often just throws debris further away
Side brush rubs bottom of unit creating plastic burns on it
Side brush easily gets tangled with hair and bogged down
When it gets stuck it just keeps repeating the same operation
Still bumps into furniture and appliances constantly
Requires lighthouses to avoid areas
Dust bin is cumbersome to empty
Often drags larger objects around lifting it up where it doesn’t vacuum
Small brushes mean much longer vacuuming time
Shape doesn’t clean edges and corners well
Rollers loud on hard floors
Design
Its easy to recognize this as a Roomba. It has the same shape and design they have had since nearly the very beginning. Of course, some sensors are different, rollers are different, and finishes are different but from the outside you could be forgiven for thinking this is an older model. That’s not necessary a bad thing if the design is right. In this case, the dual rollers are the same width but a bit smaller than the old combo style brushes used in the past. Gone are the bristles in favor of rubber rollers said to resist hair tangling. A design that used to be available on their top end model. The rollers also sit lower to the ground now. The side brush looks very similar only much larger than the older designs. This model comes with a fabric accent ring on top and three buttons. There is no camera on top and a floor navigation sensor, likely a camera of some sort, on bottom. The charging station also looks mostly unchanged. What is different in this generation is the option to add a CleanBase automated bin emptying system. The i3+ version includes the CleanBase in the package, but this version can save you some money up front while still allowing you to add the option later if you wish.
Its easy to recognize this as a Roomba. It has the same shape and design they have had since nearly the very beginning. Of course, some sensors are different, rollers are different, and finishes are different but from the outside you could be forgiven for thinking this is an older model. That’s not necessary a bad thing if the design is right. In this case, the dual rollers are the same width but a bit smaller than the old combo style brushes used in the past. Gone are the bristles in favor of rubber rollers said to resist hair tangling. A design that used to be available on their top end model. The rollers also sit lower to the ground now. The side brush looks very similar only much larger than the older designs. This model comes with a fabric accent ring on top and three buttons. There is no camera on top and a floor navigation sensor, likely a camera of some sort, on bottom. The charging station also looks mostly unchanged. What is different in this generation is the option to add a CleanBase automated bin emptying system. The i3+ version includes the CleanBase in the package, but this version can save you some money up front while still allowing you to add the option later if you wish.
Usage and Performance
Essentially, the i3 is a more affordable version of the i7. It the exact same design, with the same parts, and the same AI. The big difference is the lack of a camera on top means no Imprint Smart Mapping System. What that boils down to is the i7 can map out rooms and be sent to clean specific rooms and avoid areas just by drawing them on the floor map. The i3 has a more basic floor map which only uses a floor navigation sensor. There is a new feature in the app saying coming soon for favorite routines, but it describes how you will be able to vacuum based on time. It makes no mention of room smarts.
Essentially, the i3 is a more affordable version of the i7. It the exact same design, with the same parts, and the same AI. The big difference is the lack of a camera on top means no Imprint Smart Mapping System. What that boils down to is the i7 can map out rooms and be sent to clean specific rooms and avoid areas just by drawing them on the floor map. The i3 has a more basic floor map which only uses a floor navigation sensor. There is a new feature in the app saying coming soon for favorite routines, but it describes how you will be able to vacuum based on time. It makes no mention of room smarts.
Without room mapping, vacuuming is an all or nothing affair. There is a spot clean feature where you can manually bring it to a spot, and it will vacuum in an outward spiral away from where you set it but that’s it. It also means that while it can vacuum in parallel lines it does not have the smarts to make sure those parallel lines match up with walls. From time to time you will find the i3 decides to vacuum a room diagonally, in zigzag shapes, or even U-shaped parallel lines. Sometimes it will also vacuum half a room one way, and the other half another way. It seems the more often it vacuums, the more erratic the patterns become. It also means that it might vacuum part of a room, leave the room to continue the line for a while, and then come back to the room and continue. If your primary goal is saving some extra money, then these oddities are not a big deal as they in no way affect performance. Although the manual makes no mention of this, the i3 can recover its basic location even if you have to pick it up to rescue it or fix it. How far away you can move it from its previous location without causing a problem is less clear. Since older generations without full room mapping would require you to start the entire vacuuming routine over if you even picked up the Roomba so this is a nice addition.
The biggest change day to day is having the dual rubber rollers that resist tangling in hair. You do have to watch out for hidden hair buildup on the edges of the rollers underneath the retainer brackets. Overall, if you have dogs or family members with long hair this will come in handy. In nearly a week of usage with two dogs who shed heavily and two family members with long hair, not once did the roller on the i3 get tangled with hair. At one point a small bundle of hair was temporarily built up and cleared itself, but it has been otherwise maintenance free. If you fight with lots of hair around the house and grow tired of pulling it out of rollers, this feature alone is worth it. Unfortunately, the side brush isn’t so great in this department. It’s hard to imagine iRobot making this brush any larger as it is comically large now, but it is a hair magnet. It often ends up flinging debris away from the Roomba and sometimes under furniture. Over the years iRobot also hasn’t addressed how the side brush tends to rub the underside of the main body and rub plastic all over the place requiring periodic scrubbing to get it off. Thankfully it’s less important so you can ignore it but overall, the side brush is less useful.
Vacuuming performance is good on hard floors except when the side brush catches a hold of objects. If it runs up onto an object, like a large nut, it will just ride up on it and carry it around while the rollers won’t vacuum anything. Carpets are less consistent. The body sits so low to the ground that often the i3 gets stuck trying to get onto low shag decorative throw rugs requiring several attempts. When it does get stuck, it doesn’t try different methods. It just tries the same back and forth motion and over until you rescue it. Hopefully iRobot will upgrade these smarts in a future update. Strangely, this low profile doesn’t translate to good performance on low shag carpets. Medium shag carpets it performs much better. Traversing built in carpets is much better and the low rollers gives you more distinct vacuum marks, even if those marks are often at odd angles. It still visibly pulls the carpet up. Although listed as 10X stronger than previous models using the same suction system as the higher end i7, it’s cleaning ability is still far less thorough than a manually operated vacuum. The round shape means corners are largely missed and edges depend heavily on the side brush. The main rollers are a good 2 inches inboard, so the wall edge of carpets never get more than a light brush. We still are not to the point that a Robotic vacuum can be as thorough as a manual vacuum, but the big advantage is you can run it every day. It might not pick everything up the first day but over time it can extract more and more, and you don’t have to lift a finger. With a built-in dust sensor, it can find the more heavily soiled spots and spend more time cleaning those as well.
The weakest area of the i3 is the dust bin. If you don’t vacuum every day and don’t want to have to stop to empty the bin mid vacuum, you will need to invest in the CleanBase upgrade or get the + model. It does have bin full sensors that let you know when it is time to empty to the bin, but by default it is set to continue vacuuming even with a full bin. This can be adjusted on the app to pause an alert to empty it. Ideally you would let it run often enough to where the bin would not fill up before vacuuming is done. The design of the bin seems a bit awkward to the point where you feel iRobot really wanted you to buy the + model with the CleanBase. Debris often doesn’t like to fall out of the opening requiring some work sometimes to get things out and sometimes manual intervention. A nice feature though is the waste bin and pre filter can be cleaned in water. The built in HEPA filter, which is great for allergy sufferers, is the only part not washable. The i3 seems to have become even quieter than previous generations to the point where you can comfortably watch TV while it is running. You just might to turn it up slightly.
The i3 can be paired with Google Assistant and Alexa to allow voice controls. It can also be controlled by some smart home products to allow automated cleaning. It would be nice if those assistants could be used to broadcast Roomba errors as well. The product information lists smart scheduling where it can suggest extra cleanings during high allergy times or based on your routines. Strangely, it is turned off by default and there is no initial question asking if you want it on. Most people would probably be left wondering why the allergy alerts never came up. Allergies have been low, so no suggestions have come up.
Final thoughts
The Roomba i3 is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, it only makes small iterative changes from previous models without fully addressing old quirks. On the other, it brings advance features that previously were relegated to higher end models down to the more affordable models. If you are ok with the quirks and can’t spring the money for the higher end version, the i3 is still a good vacuum. If you can upgrade later to the CleanBase, it’s an even better vacuum. If you are in the market for a mid-range robot vacuum, the i3 is an imperfect but good option.
The Roomba i3 is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, it only makes small iterative changes from previous models without fully addressing old quirks. On the other, it brings advance features that previously were relegated to higher end models down to the more affordable models. If you are ok with the quirks and can’t spring the money for the higher end version, the i3 is still a good vacuum. If you can upgrade later to the CleanBase, it’s an even better vacuum. If you are in the market for a mid-range robot vacuum, the i3 is an imperfect but good option.
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I would recommend this to a friend!
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Surface Duo adapts to you. Two ultra-thin, high-resolution touchscreens unfold to open new possibilities on a mobile device. Designed to help you be productive, Surface Duo features multiple modes, the best of Microsoft 365 mobile experiences, every Android™ app in the Google Play store, and new dual-screen enhanced apps.* Now you can view two apps at once or span one across both screens, drag and drop between screens, and make phone calls. Say goodbye to constant app switching. ¹Requires the Your Phone app, a Windows 10 PC with the latest Windows updates, and download of the Windows 10 app from the Windows store. ²Excluding Surface Duo Bumper. ³Local Video Playback: Testing conducted by Microsoft in July 2020 using preproduction Surface Duo units and software. Testing consisted of full battery discharge during local video playback on a single screen. Video playback consisted of a repeated 30-minute .mp4 file in 1080p at 24 fps. All settings were default except: LTE and Wi-Fi were both associated with a network with ‘ask to join’ disabled and Adaptive Brightness was disabled, screen was set to 100 nits. Battery life varies significantly with network and feature configuration, signal strength, settings, usage, and other factors. Battery has limited recharge cycles and cannot be replaced. ⁴Standby Time: Testing conducted by Microsoft in July 2020 in an AT&T Validated Lab using preproduction Surface Duo units and software. Testing conducted in accordance with AT&T requirements and test specifications. All settings were default, and network settings were: connected to LTE, and Wi-Fi was enabled but not connected. Battery life varies significantly with network and feature configuration, signal strength, settings, usage and other factors. ⁵Talk Time: Testing conducted by Microsoft in July 2020 in an AT&T Validated Lab using preproduction Surface Duo units and software. All settings were default, and network settings were: connected to LTE, and Wi-Fi was enabled but not connected. ⁶Specified minimum dual battery capacity is 3462mAh. ⁷Network availability and coverage vary by carrier. See your carrier for details. ⁸Use of eSIM requires a wireless service plan (which may include restrictions on switching service providers and roaming, even after contract expiration). Not all carriers support eSIM. AT&T locked devices will not support eSIM. Use of eSIM in Surface Duo may be disabled when purchased from some carriers. See your carrier for details. ⁹System software uses significant storage space. Available storage is subject to change based on system software updates and apps usage. 1 GB = 1 billion bytes. Some apps and features may require a wireless plan, additional subscriptions, or fees. ¹¹Video playback formats will require 3rd party apps from the Google Play Store; fees may apply. ¹²Microsoft’s Limited Warranty is in addition to your consumer law rights.
Customer Rating
4
Good first-generation needing software update
on September 17, 2020
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Thin and elegant look
Seems impossibly thin
Hinge is excellent
Hinge stays where you put it
360 hinge rotation means it can still work like a regular phone
Aspect ratio is good for web browsing
More screen real estate
Color calibration looks very good
Screen gets very bright
Battery life is good considering thinness
Excellent fingerprint sensor
Split screen allows new workflows
Makes a great standing light
Adds new functionality for apps that support it
Doesn’t require app support to work
The sound it makes when closing gives a sense of quality
Microsoft has committed to 3 years of monthly updates
Works with Surface Pen
Thin and elegant look
Seems impossibly thin
Hinge is excellent
Hinge stays where you put it
360 hinge rotation means it can still work like a regular phone
Aspect ratio is good for web browsing
More screen real estate
Color calibration looks very good
Screen gets very bright
Battery life is good considering thinness
Excellent fingerprint sensor
Split screen allows new workflows
Makes a great standing light
Adds new functionality for apps that support it
Doesn’t require app support to work
The sound it makes when closing gives a sense of quality
Microsoft has committed to 3 years of monthly updates
Works with Surface Pen
Cons
Software still buggy
Antennas seem weak
Buttons are too sensitive
Camera performance is lackluster
Top and bottom bezels are massive
Only one basic speaker
Protective cases will be limited with the 360 degree hinge
Hard to hold for smaller hands
Oleophobic screen coating doesn’t work well
Quick launching camera via power button requires logging in
Switching between selfie and regular photo is cumbersome
Screen seems to have more than usual glare
No NFC
No wireless charging
Software still buggy
Antennas seem weak
Buttons are too sensitive
Camera performance is lackluster
Top and bottom bezels are massive
Only one basic speaker
Protective cases will be limited with the 360 degree hinge
Hard to hold for smaller hands
Oleophobic screen coating doesn’t work well
Quick launching camera via power button requires logging in
Switching between selfie and regular photo is cumbersome
Screen seems to have more than usual glare
No NFC
No wireless charging
It’s nice to see the smartphone industry having new and interesting options again. In this case, the Surface Duo chooses an arguably safer route of two separate screens versus a folding screen with the belief that multitasking is more useful than just a larger screen. When reading this review, please keep in mind that it is being rated based on a new category of devices, not directly to other smartphones. Comparing it standard phones is not a completely fair comparison because it is doing new things completely unlike traditional smartphones. In fact, Microsoft never even calls it a phone. It’s a new category of device that can function as a phone.
Design
The first thing that strikes you when opening the box is how thin this device is. Videos on the internet already show you this but seeing it in person helps you realize this even more. When opened, one side is barely thicker than just the metal portion of a USB-C plug. The design is an aluminum frame with gorilla glass 5 on the screen sides and back sides. This not only helps make the device reasonably rigid for its thinness, but also makes it look more premium with the chrome windows logo beneath the glass. It has a volume up and down rocker, power button, and a fingerprint sensor all on the same side. The hinge side is curved polished metal. Its operation has a slight resistance that allows it to maintain whatever position it is placed while still moving smoothly. The other sides are all squared off edges. The smooth side feels so nice in the hand it makes you wish Microsoft would allow more curves in their design language. Curves on all sides would mean no matter the way it was held it would never dig into your hand. For an experiment, you can hold the spine of the Duo in your palm and feel how the slight radius feels comfortable. Switch to the other side and you will feel it dig into your hand.
The first thing that strikes you when opening the box is how thin this device is. Videos on the internet already show you this but seeing it in person helps you realize this even more. When opened, one side is barely thicker than just the metal portion of a USB-C plug. The design is an aluminum frame with gorilla glass 5 on the screen sides and back sides. This not only helps make the device reasonably rigid for its thinness, but also makes it look more premium with the chrome windows logo beneath the glass. It has a volume up and down rocker, power button, and a fingerprint sensor all on the same side. The hinge side is curved polished metal. Its operation has a slight resistance that allows it to maintain whatever position it is placed while still moving smoothly. The other sides are all squared off edges. The smooth side feels so nice in the hand it makes you wish Microsoft would allow more curves in their design language. Curves on all sides would mean no matter the way it was held it would never dig into your hand. For an experiment, you can hold the spine of the Duo in your palm and feel how the slight radius feels comfortable. Switch to the other side and you will feel it dig into your hand.
New use cases
It would be hard to describe every way you can use the Surface Duo as this new form factor adds quite a bit of functionality, but there a few standout cases with some not already shown in promotional videos.
It would be hard to describe every way you can use the Surface Duo as this new form factor adds quite a bit of functionality, but there a few standout cases with some not already shown in promotional videos.
First, as a phone you have two options. You can leave it closed and flip the hinge 360 degrees when answering. This might be slightly safer but doesn’t allow one handed operation. The other is just leaving it unfolded in your pocket. All the glass is the same so leaving the screens on the outside is not any more dangerous than on any other slab phone. In the end, cellphone usage is probably its weakest usage but it is still very much usable.
Texting on the other hand is good but could be great if they could work out the software kinks. If you use the messaging app full screen then the keyboard becomes a full size keyboard on the bottom and your message thread show up on the top, much like the slider phones in the early days that were made for heavy texting use.
Browsing the web is another surprisingly pleasing thing to do. It might be hard to imagine how browsing the web on a regular smartphone isn’t good until you use a screen in the Duo’s form factor. You get more text on the screen while keeping it larger. Images don’t have to be stacked in a column and can be side to side more like on desktop without looking tiny.
Browsing the web is another surprisingly pleasing thing to do. It might be hard to imagine how browsing the web on a regular smartphone isn’t good until you use a screen in the Duo’s form factor. You get more text on the screen while keeping it larger. Images don’t have to be stacked in a column and can be side to side more like on desktop without looking tiny.
Dual screen mode is a no brainer. Just choose your two apps and put one on each screen. This doesn’t require special apps support and works just fine. The question is how often is spanning both screens usable. Some apps don’t really benefit from the full screen experience, such as YouTube. It just distracts as it often puts a vertical line right in the middle of the person’s face. Apps like Google News work well full screen if you rotate the phone 180 degrees. The app doesn’t understand the second screen, but you can scroll through far more articles and when reading an article, you can see more of it. The hinge doesn’t detract from the experience much either since it just blends in as a horizontal line between text. What is surprising is the gap is so close, that if Microsoft was able to shave maybe 2-3mm off the width of the spine, this format might even be usable in full, dual screen in most cases.
One interesting way of using the Duo hasn’t seemed to be mentioned by anyone so far is my favorite and the most unique. It makes a great flashlight stand. Any smartphone today has a flashlight option but since the Duo has two screens, you can prop up that light however you wish to help you out. No need to awkwardly prop it up against something and have it fall down. Just position the hinge in the best position and either stand it up or lay it down and you have the perfect work light. This sounds like a joke but this has already proven itself on several occasions to be very handy.
Of course, there could be many more use cases if apps add support and that’s a big “if”. It would be amazing to see games become aware of the dual screen and use the bottom screen for controls or inventory selection. One accidental case that was already uncovered was battleship. Some versions accidentally span the gap perfectly, so your ships are on the bottom screen and the enemies are on top. It would be great to see if this happens, but the Duo and other split screen phones would have to get some real traction for this to happen.
Performance
If you know of the Surface Duo, you already know it uses and older processor. In practice, this doesn’t seem to equate to any noticeable performance impact. On the other hand, the requirement of adding a separate 5G chip and the larger battery which is required for anyone using newer SOCs would have had a negative impact on the size. At this point, 5G won’t be significant for a few years and hopefully by that time the 5G modem could be included in the SOC and battery life wouldn’t be affected so heavily. As it stands now, sticking with a slightly older process has actually been good because even though the battery is very small by modern standards, the battery life is actually comparatively good. The only real question is the performance impact of having only 6gb of RAM. Other manufacturers have shown careful optimization can make it unnoticeable but only time will tell.
If you know of the Surface Duo, you already know it uses and older processor. In practice, this doesn’t seem to equate to any noticeable performance impact. On the other hand, the requirement of adding a separate 5G chip and the larger battery which is required for anyone using newer SOCs would have had a negative impact on the size. At this point, 5G won’t be significant for a few years and hopefully by that time the 5G modem could be included in the SOC and battery life wouldn’t be affected so heavily. As it stands now, sticking with a slightly older process has actually been good because even though the battery is very small by modern standards, the battery life is actually comparatively good. The only real question is the performance impact of having only 6gb of RAM. Other manufacturers have shown careful optimization can make it unnoticeable but only time will tell.
Stability and concerns
The following observations are after the latest update. First of all, the Duo currently experiences random temporary freezes. You just have to wait for a few seconds before things work again. Next would be the gesture bar and navigation. Some of the issues are related to understanding the new way gestures work but other times it is an actual problem. For example, the gesture bar randomly disappears leaving you with no way to do anything. Other times it stays on the side even when you rotate. Other times when you open an app in full screen and click on the link the entire app will rotate 180 degrees from where you were for no reason and won’t rotate back. Often the notification shade will retract back up immediately after you pull it down causing a tug of war. Another would be quick launching the camera via a double tap on the power button. If you click on the camera icon on the screen you can jump straight to the camera but the “quick” method of double clicking the power button requires you to log in. Until this is fixed quick shots will be harder than they already are with this format. Most gripes are software related and could be fixed via a future update. Microsoft has committed to 3 years of monthly updates so hopefully these glitches are just the result of a premature launch.
The following observations are after the latest update. First of all, the Duo currently experiences random temporary freezes. You just have to wait for a few seconds before things work again. Next would be the gesture bar and navigation. Some of the issues are related to understanding the new way gestures work but other times it is an actual problem. For example, the gesture bar randomly disappears leaving you with no way to do anything. Other times it stays on the side even when you rotate. Other times when you open an app in full screen and click on the link the entire app will rotate 180 degrees from where you were for no reason and won’t rotate back. Often the notification shade will retract back up immediately after you pull it down causing a tug of war. Another would be quick launching the camera via a double tap on the power button. If you click on the camera icon on the screen you can jump straight to the camera but the “quick” method of double clicking the power button requires you to log in. Until this is fixed quick shots will be harder than they already are with this format. Most gripes are software related and could be fixed via a future update. Microsoft has committed to 3 years of monthly updates so hopefully these glitches are just the result of a premature launch.
This leaves us with the hardware issues. First, the power and volume buttons are just too sensitive allowing accidental activation. Next is the vibration motor. It’s not the worst but sometimes you can hear it vibrate inside the case. The single speaker is inadequate. Finally, there is the camera. Taking photos in lower light take several seconds only to come up with a grainy or blown out photo. Daytime shots lack detail and skin tones look pale. Others have shown with good AI, great pictures can come from a basic camera. Hopefully Microsoft could work some magic and improve the AI on this camera.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Surface Duo is a solid reentry into the mobile space. Considering it is a first-generation device for a new category, overall quality is very good. If you are an early adopter who likes to work with new and innovative technology, the Surface Duo could suite you. For others, unless you are just itching for something completely new and, you likely be best served waiting for the next generation Duo. Microsoft has a track record of making impactful improvements in the second and third generation hardware after hearing from their customers.
Overall, the Surface Duo is a solid reentry into the mobile space. Considering it is a first-generation device for a new category, overall quality is very good. If you are an early adopter who likes to work with new and innovative technology, the Surface Duo could suite you. For others, unless you are just itching for something completely new and, you likely be best served waiting for the next generation Duo. Microsoft has a track record of making impactful improvements in the second and third generation hardware after hearing from their customers.
This product was received free of charge from the invitation-only Best Buy insider program in exchange for my honest review.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Samsung 870 QVO 2TB Internal 2.5” SATA III Solid State Drive for Laptops and Desktops Single Unit version
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Fast
Cheap
Includes cloning tools
RAPID Mode increases performance substantially
Magician software includes a lot of features
Fast
Cheap
Includes cloning tools
RAPID Mode increases performance substantially
Magician software includes a lot of features
Cons
Doesn’t include any adapter for cloning
Doesn’t include screws if adding a new drive
Not user friendly for first time installers
Doesn’t include any adapter for cloning
Doesn’t include screws if adding a new drive
Not user friendly for first time installers
It is becoming harder every day to justify buying a traditional hard drive. With drives such as the 870 EVO topping out at 8GB the argument of low capacity is no longer a barrier for most. SSDs also take up less space, are lighter, are faster, use less power, aren’t bothered by bumps, don’t make noise, and generate far less heat.
Initial Impressions and Installation
If you have already used Samsung SSD’s before things won’t look much different. It’s just a deceivingly light metal 2.5” drive and a pamphlet in the box. No cables, adapters, screws, or software included in the box. The instructions do point you to Samsung’s website for their Data Migration Wizard and Samsung Magician. If this is your first time installing a hard drive, be sure to do some research first on how to install. This is even more important if this is to be your OS drive. The reason is, even though it’s a retail kit, there is no adapter included for cloning or any screws for that matter. It does include Samsung’s own cloning software that you must download from their website. None of this is a big deal for an experienced system builder but might a little confusing for first timers. If you have a spare bay to install it, the process is overall pretty straightforward. Just install the drive and the Data Migration Assistant will, in most cases, recognize which drive is the old. You select the new drive and click one button.
If you have already used Samsung SSD’s before things won’t look much different. It’s just a deceivingly light metal 2.5” drive and a pamphlet in the box. No cables, adapters, screws, or software included in the box. The instructions do point you to Samsung’s website for their Data Migration Wizard and Samsung Magician. If this is your first time installing a hard drive, be sure to do some research first on how to install. This is even more important if this is to be your OS drive. The reason is, even though it’s a retail kit, there is no adapter included for cloning or any screws for that matter. It does include Samsung’s own cloning software that you must download from their website. None of this is a big deal for an experienced system builder but might a little confusing for first timers. If you have a spare bay to install it, the process is overall pretty straightforward. Just install the drive and the Data Migration Assistant will, in most cases, recognize which drive is the old. You select the new drive and click one button.
Usage and Performance
For Samsung fans, the drive performs just as you would expect. In testing and usage the speed was very consistent. Without RAPID Mode disabled, sequential reads consistently stayed above 500MB/s with 4KB speeds being a more modest 33 to 35MB/s. Writes clocked in at 480MB/s or greater with 4KB write speeds hovering around 75MB/s. CrystalDiskMark turned in a 550MB/s read and 520MB/s write coming much closer to the stated 560 Mb/s read and 530 MB/s write.
For Samsung fans, the drive performs just as you would expect. In testing and usage the speed was very consistent. Without RAPID Mode disabled, sequential reads consistently stayed above 500MB/s with 4KB speeds being a more modest 33 to 35MB/s. Writes clocked in at 480MB/s or greater with 4KB write speeds hovering around 75MB/s. CrystalDiskMark turned in a 550MB/s read and 520MB/s write coming much closer to the stated 560 Mb/s read and 530 MB/s write.
Samsung Magician offers a lot of extra features compared to other SSD makers, including integrated performance testing, diagnostics, encryption, and secure erase but the most useful utility for daily use is RAPID Mode. When turned on, Magician uses a portion of your RAM as a cache which in testing consistently returned speed results over 2000MB/s. Of course you can do the same thing with any third party caching system to boost performance and Windows already does this to some extend but what is nice is how Samsung includes it right within their software and doesn’t require any more than turning it on. Keep it on makes a noticeable difference during times, such as starting the computer, or repetitive tasks and overall makes the drive feel a lot faster than competitors that don’t offer such a feature out of the box.
Samsung claims the TBW rating has been doubled compared to the 860 QVO series. Looking back at old articles, the 1TB 860 QVO was rated at 360TBW. According to Samsung’s website, the 870 QVO maintains the exact same 360TBW how they can claim it has been doubled is unclear. Similarly, both the old and the new drive have the same 3-year warranty. That said, overall SSD reliability seems to be better than that of a traditional hard drive and Samsung has a reputation of making reliable SSDs. There is no reason to believe the 870 QVO would be any different.
Final thoughts
It’s really hard to squeeze any more performance out of the SATA III interface, which is why the 870 QVO performance is nearly indistinguishable from the previous generation. What is nice to see is Samsung increasing storage capacity over the previous generation offering up to double the maximum storage of the 860 series. It seems thedays of traditional hard drives is rapidly coming to an end. If you are need of a SATA hard drive or a high capacity affordable SSD, the 870 QVO could server you well and likely for a very long time.
It’s really hard to squeeze any more performance out of the SATA III interface, which is why the 870 QVO performance is nearly indistinguishable from the previous generation. What is nice to see is Samsung increasing storage capacity over the previous generation offering up to double the maximum storage of the 860 series. It seems thedays of traditional hard drives is rapidly coming to an end. If you are need of a SATA hard drive or a high capacity affordable SSD, the 870 QVO could server you well and likely for a very long time.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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CraigB's Review Comments
Watch your favorite movies, TV shows and sporting events in crisp 1080p resolution with this Samsung UN65FH6001FXZA HDTV, which features Clear Motion Rate 240 to preserve picture detail during fast-action sequences.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5This is an awesome TV for the cost
By Korom
from Raleigh, NC
First, this is a fantastic monitor. If you have a receiver for your HDMI switching and watch TV with the sound through that receiver then this is the PERFECT TV for you. I use it with my Denon e300 receiver, all my HDMI inputs go into the receiver with one HDMI cable going to the TV. Minimal fuss and muss. The picture quality is truly incredible for a LCD TV, the blacks are very very good, almost as good as my Panasonic Plasma but its understandable that its not that good as LCD cannot show true black like a plasma can. I checked 3 bars for the sound quality but honestly I never used the internal speakers. I gave this 5 stars and would have given it 6 stars if I could have (on a 5 star scale) because the picture quality is just that good.
Bottom line: Fantastic TV for the price.
CraigB
Texas
An LED TV is a type of LCD TV
November 29, 2013
Folks. For those of you telling this reviewer that he is talking about the wrong TV because he calls it an LCD, it is an LCD. LED TV's are still LCD TV's. The difference is the backlight behind the LCD is LED's instead of CCFL(fluorescent). Both still have and LCD screen that you actually look at up front.
+2points
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Microsoft Band 2 (Large): Keep track of your health and fitness goals throughout the day by monitoring your heart rate, steps taken, calories burned, sleep quality, hours slept and other helpful metrics. Just pair with your Windows Phone, Apple® iOS or Android device via Bluetooth to receive alerts at a glance.Discover how the technology of Microsoft Band 2 can assist you in a healthy, productive lifestyle. Learn more ›
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Best fitness tracker for the money
By CraigB
from Texas
When choosing high end fitness bands, my choices went back and forth between the Microsoft Band 2 and the Fitbit Surge. Fitbit has been in the business for fitness wearables for longer but I chose the Band 2 for what I felt was better value for my money. I purchased during a $50 off sale making it even more attractive and $50 less than the Surge. My main phone for this review is a Lumia 1520 with Windows 10 Mobile. I assume others will write reviews of the phone for other platforms and that is where this review starts. This fitness wearable is by far the most compatible. It supports iOS, Android, and Windows Phone/Mobile. Fitbit does as well but support for Windows Mobile is more limited. Comparing it to the Surge, it has more customizability, color screen, and a partially metal build. It feels more premium than the Surge. The metal does have 2 downsides. The first is that the finish used shows scratches extremely easily. See included picture. The second is that sweat and soap cause a foul smell very quickly requiring regular cleaning.
The Band 2 can be worn in two positions. The first is with the screen facing outwards like a watch. I tried this but it felt uncomfortable and viewing the screen was awkward particularly considering the screen doesn’t have a vertical view. This leads me to my preferred position which is with the screen facing inwards. It is much more natural to view and operate. It also feels more comfortable and is in fact the recommended way to wear the device. If there was any concern it is that wearing it inward the screen is always contacting surfaces when you lay your arms down. It uses gorilla glass but it still concerns me that I might scratch the screen. Every fitness wearable wasn’t completely comfortable to wear for one reason or another but this one starts to feel about like a watch after an adjustment period. Before you get the size right you might put it a place that binds you wrist or hits a nerve. I also learned it can get the heart rate just fine without tightening it down so far you hit nerves. Just like a watch it will take some fiddling to find your perfect tightness. Fortunately, the latching mechanism feels strong and has more adjustments than a tradition watch as well giving you more flexibility. Just make sure you use the sizing guide on the size of the box to choose the correct size. It shows wrists sizes with the wrist sideways.
Now the big question is how it works for tracking vitals. I haven’t worked with VO2 Max so I can’t comment on that but after getting the fit correct, the heart rate seems pretty close. Checking manual it was usually within about 10BPM or less from actual. Tracking steps seems a little different. It is difficult to verify but it seems to be a little high on the number of steps sometimes compared to my old hip worn pedometer. It just seems like I can reach 5,000 steps fairly easily. I am not a runner so I have not tested the GPS but I have read that some units have come from the factory with a bad GPS. What’s really nice is with all the vitals it gathers, more than just heart rate, it should be a fairly accurate color estimate. It has guided workouts you can add but I used the generic color tracking and added my own workout types to track. You can add things like HIT and weight training for your own purposes but it uses all the sensors to estimate the color burn instead of estimating based on the workout type. I feel this is more accurate but cannot verify. When you start workout mode, by default the screen stays on showing your workout time and heart rate. I suspect it is not as accurate as a chest band but it seems pretty good. After your workout is done you can see the entire workout on your phone or the website with your heart rate the entire time and your max marked. If there was any gripe it would be that you can’t have it vibrate when you hit your target or max heart rate. That would have been a great feature but, who knows. Maybe they will add it in the future. You can even use the website to compare your vitals to others in your height, weight, and age category. It’s all anonymous and very informative.
When not working out it still tracks your heart rate all the time but the other useful time to check is when you are sleeping. It can detect your sleep but if it gets it wrong you can only delete the time, not edit. You are better off starting your sleep tracking yourself. While sleeping, it will monitor you and in when you wake up you can see what your resting heart rate was overnight to get an even better picture of your health. It also has a smart alarm you can activate. If you want to wake up at a set time, just set the alarm and it will vibrate to wake you up. What I really like is if you activate the smart alarm and set it for 7:30am it will wake you up somewhere between 7:00am and 8:00am when you are most awake. That means you don’t wake up to an alarm feeling like you haven’t rested. You can even set the strength of the vibration.
Since this is a little bit of a smart watch you can add some apps. Since the phone doesn’t have any memory though, expect to only have them work when around your phone. It can control music on your phone and even use voice recognition with Cortana. I am running a prerelease build of the phone software so on occasion the connection dropped but it wasn’t hard to get back. I have found the notifications actually quite nice. I can leave the phone in one place in the house and still get notifications and respond to basic texts. I can also connect my phone to the stereo and change tracks and turn the volume up or down. It’s a standard feature for a smart watch but this is a fitness wearable and much cheaper than a smart watch. There are even some extra apps you can add and some third part utilizes to customize it further but if you want a smart watch more you might want to go that route. If you want a smart fitness tracker, this thing is hard to beat.
Pros
Solid (premium) build quality. It often gets looks and people asking what it is
Tracks more vitals than any other fitness wearable
Comfortable after figuring out your preferred fitment
Bright, sharp screen with auto brightness
Smart Alarm
Customizable workouts
Workout coaches
Customizable with smart watch type features
Solid latching mechanism
Good battery life for its functionality (2 days with no GPS and auto on screen)
Fast charge time (30 minutes to 80%)
Gorilla glass screen
Works on iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, and Web. The web is the most feature rich
Integrates with Health Vault
Constant heart rate
Portal to compare health
Rich sleep stats including restful sleep, times awake, resting heartrate, and recovery
Solid (premium) build quality. It often gets looks and people asking what it is
Tracks more vitals than any other fitness wearable
Comfortable after figuring out your preferred fitment
Bright, sharp screen with auto brightness
Smart Alarm
Customizable workouts
Workout coaches
Customizable with smart watch type features
Solid latching mechanism
Good battery life for its functionality (2 days with no GPS and auto on screen)
Fast charge time (30 minutes to 80%)
Gorilla glass screen
Works on iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, and Web. The web is the most feature rich
Integrates with Health Vault
Constant heart rate
Portal to compare health
Rich sleep stats including restful sleep, times awake, resting heartrate, and recovery
Cons
Cannot change band because electronics are built in
Metal area is a trap for sweat and soap requiring regular cleaning to prevent odor
Cannot change screen orientation
Awkward wearing screen outward
Metal finish is easy to scratch
No build in memory to bring music and store GPS while leaving phone behind for a time
Water resistant instead of waterproof
Possible to scratch screen with it facing downward
Sync is a bit slow
Cannot change band because electronics are built in
Metal area is a trap for sweat and soap requiring regular cleaning to prevent odor
Cannot change screen orientation
Awkward wearing screen outward
Metal finish is easy to scratch
No build in memory to bring music and store GPS while leaving phone behind for a time
Water resistant instead of waterproof
Possible to scratch screen with it facing downward
Sync is a bit slow
CraigB
Texas
Additional Findings
January 9, 2016
I just wanted to add an extra observations to my original review.
For those of you who want to view the display outside in sunlight, it doesn't seem to get that bright. For me that is not a big deal because outside exercises are typically the type where I don't use real time tracking but if you are the type who needs to read the display in direct sunlight, you might find it difficult. I will be checking further and report back if I find anything because indoors it is so bright that I wonder if I have done something wrong in the setup. Even with this finding I still feel it is the best for the money.
Also, if you happen to swap between phones or get a new phone you will have to factor reset the band. I periodically switch phones and discovered this. The system is designed to easily replace your band while using the same phone but if you move the band to any phone, even one that was restored from a backup of your original you will have to factory reset the band and set it back up. Not a huge deal because little is actually stored on the phone.
One other huge bonus for Windows Phone/Mobile users. If for some reason you either forget or choose not to wear your band and have a Lumia that is capable you can use it to augment your Band. Sometimes for different reasons I don't want to wear my band and only need to track steps. If I just keep my Lumia 950 in my pocket, it will track my steps and add them to what the band couldn't track. That particular feature is one I really love. The only caveat to that is while it updates the steps on the app and portal, the extra steps from your phone don't get transferred back to your band. This means if you took 2,000 steps with your band and phone and an additional 5,000 with only your Lumia the app will report 7,000 steps total which is correct but your band will continue to report 2,000 steps. Minor quibble though for a great additional feature for Windows Phone fans.
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ecobee ecobee3 Programmable Touch-Screen Wi-Fi Thermostat: Maintain a comfortable home with this programmable thermostat, which is Apple® HomeKit-enabled, so you can control the temperature remotely using your compatible device. Home IQ helps you conserve energy.
Overall
1 out of 5
1 out of 5cant set custom temps..sensors are glitchy
By annaj
i was trying to get this thermostat to set 4 or 5 different temps automaticly per day. an ecobee tech couldnt help me get this done on my web portal account . the sensors dont read the occupancy after being in the room for hours like being in a bedroom all night when u wake up the sensor will read unoccupied or sitting in the living room all day the same thing will happen after a few hours. a regular programable thermostat would have been a better choice.
CraigB
Texas
Did you try IFTTT
February 7, 2016
I was just wondering if you have looked into IFTTT to set those custom automatic temps. I haven't tried your exact scenario but the Ecobee3 can be connected to an IFTTT account to extend it's functionality.
0points
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Your household wants to play, stream and work online all at once. With this Linksys router, you can do it all without buffering or other interruptions. Use the Smart Wi-Fi app to get started, control, and monitor your home network from anywhere.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Solid router with good range and speed
By CraigB
from Texas
I am posting this review after about a week of use. If I find anything more significant after posting I will add it as a reply to my original post. Be sure to check there for additions.
I needed to upgrade my WiFi because the internet service in my area was about to be upgraded to exceed the capacity of my current wireless N solution. This router seems as if it was marketed towards moderate power users as well as people with less technical skills who need an upgrade. Packaging is minimal the same as most routers today. It comes with a CD for documentation but it is not used for setup. This is a good thing because as an AC router most people upgrading to this would have newer devices, few of which have an optical drive.
I needed to upgrade my WiFi because the internet service in my area was about to be upgraded to exceed the capacity of my current wireless N solution. This router seems as if it was marketed towards moderate power users as well as people with less technical skills who need an upgrade. Packaging is minimal the same as most routers today. It comes with a CD for documentation but it is not used for setup. This is a good thing because as an AC router most people upgrading to this would have newer devices, few of which have an optical drive.
For the non-technical
This is not very hard to set up. You plug power into the only spot it fits. There are three antennas that screw into very noticeable spots on the back. And the internet plug is clearly labeled. The instructions tell you what to do in a few steps to get the device to take care of the rest. It also has the wireless already set up if you are afraid to do it and even comes with a sticker with the information so you will know what the password is to get on the WiFi. It already has a guest WiFi too but there is a separate login so someone can’t just borrow your internet without you giving them the password. If you feel more comfortable there are apps for iPhones and Android phones to control the device. Speed and range are very good but if you can it is always recommended to install it as close to the center of your house and avoid metal. The router can pretty much take care of itself after that and it shouldn’t require any further work.
This is not very hard to set up. You plug power into the only spot it fits. There are three antennas that screw into very noticeable spots on the back. And the internet plug is clearly labeled. The instructions tell you what to do in a few steps to get the device to take care of the rest. It also has the wireless already set up if you are afraid to do it and even comes with a sticker with the information so you will know what the password is to get on the WiFi. It already has a guest WiFi too but there is a separate login so someone can’t just borrow your internet without you giving them the password. If you feel more comfortable there are apps for iPhones and Android phones to control the device. Speed and range are very good but if you can it is always recommended to install it as close to the center of your house and avoid metal. The router can pretty much take care of itself after that and it shouldn’t require any further work.
For the technical people
If you are looking for a device with tons of granular settings, this might not be the device. Of course the power users I am referring to would probably be better suited sticking with the WRT series. I doubt this device will ever see an aftermarket firmware. It attempts to have a clean interface but that means it will feel slower than a power user router for some settings changes as transitions and animations run their course. Setting changes that require a reboot happen nearly as fast as the fastest routers out there. Although the stock firmware attempts to look fancy and simple it still has a decent amount of settings for all but the most extreme power users. The antennas use a standard connection so if you wanted to upgrade to larger ones later that is possible. Hardwired speed has been very good. I’m just a casual gamer but this hasn’t slowed me down at all and I cannot tell the different hardwired from my old gaming router. Wireless speed is actually very good as well although I was never able to achieve the 1300Mbps link speed advertised even right next to the unit. I maxed out at 900Mbps and it is possible that is related to my AC devices. My old router would drop down to the 39Mpbs on the opposite side of my house whereas this one can maintain at least 177Mpbs and often more.
If you are looking for a device with tons of granular settings, this might not be the device. Of course the power users I am referring to would probably be better suited sticking with the WRT series. I doubt this device will ever see an aftermarket firmware. It attempts to have a clean interface but that means it will feel slower than a power user router for some settings changes as transitions and animations run their course. Setting changes that require a reboot happen nearly as fast as the fastest routers out there. Although the stock firmware attempts to look fancy and simple it still has a decent amount of settings for all but the most extreme power users. The antennas use a standard connection so if you wanted to upgrade to larger ones later that is possible. Hardwired speed has been very good. I’m just a casual gamer but this hasn’t slowed me down at all and I cannot tell the different hardwired from my old gaming router. Wireless speed is actually very good as well although I was never able to achieve the 1300Mbps link speed advertised even right next to the unit. I maxed out at 900Mbps and it is possible that is related to my AC devices. My old router would drop down to the 39Mpbs on the opposite side of my house whereas this one can maintain at least 177Mpbs and often more.
So far during my ownership the stability of this device has reminded me of the old Linksys routers how even the cheap ones never locked up. I’m hoping it stays this way. If you want to change settings, you can do so the standard way most technical people do via the IP address or it has a built in URL. Thankfully it doesn’t require some odd application for initial setup. Unlike standard routers, this one is cloud connected when you choose so meaning remote access is passed via the cloud. It does support some dynamic DNS options but they seem more to push you towards connection via their cloud. Fortunately, this is optional except if you want to take advantage of the built in USB ports and access files remotely. I don’t have a spare drive to test right now so unfortunately I could not test the NAS performance. It does have a very basic QoS which allows you to set up to 3 services or devices as high priority but that’s pretty much it. It has some newer options but then oddly has more old services, such as Real Player and Rhapsody.
Pros
Large, replaceable antennas
Great Range
Reliable
Gigabit Ports
Fast Processor
Status lights can be turned off
Decent amount of features for all but the heavy power users
Doesn’t require a special application for setup or CD
Has USB ports for attaching a hard drive
Offers automatic firmware upgrades to keep security up. Good for keeping non power users safe (Can be turned off)
Documentation is thorough if you need help. You just click help on the top bar
Major changes that require a restart are almost unnoticeable to users as it restarts fast
Has WiFi secured by default and requires a password to be configured during setup. This is good if you are buying one for family and just want it secure without needing to help them. It even has a handy sticker with device specific WiFi passwords so someone can’t just look up a default WiFi password for the unit and borrow internet.
Large, replaceable antennas
Great Range
Reliable
Gigabit Ports
Fast Processor
Status lights can be turned off
Decent amount of features for all but the heavy power users
Doesn’t require a special application for setup or CD
Has USB ports for attaching a hard drive
Offers automatic firmware upgrades to keep security up. Good for keeping non power users safe (Can be turned off)
Documentation is thorough if you need help. You just click help on the top bar
Major changes that require a restart are almost unnoticeable to users as it restarts fast
Has WiFi secured by default and requires a password to be configured during setup. This is good if you are buying one for family and just want it secure without needing to help them. It even has a handy sticker with device specific WiFi passwords so someone can’t just look up a default WiFi password for the unit and borrow internet.
Cons
Interface tries too hard to be attractive slowing it down with animations
Only supports 2 Dynamic DNS providers.
QoS settings seem to cater to power users but offer little customization
QoS rule changes require moving service or devices boxes around and the interface jumps quickly between sections. This often causes you to accidentally move something you didn’t intend to.
Included “Apps” are of limited usefulness and only work on iOS and Android which leaves out anything Windows (No Windows 10 Universal Apps) and no Mac. No configuring your router with touch, like via a Surface, using a Windows App.
Interface tries too hard to be attractive slowing it down with animations
Only supports 2 Dynamic DNS providers.
QoS settings seem to cater to power users but offer little customization
QoS rule changes require moving service or devices boxes around and the interface jumps quickly between sections. This often causes you to accidentally move something you didn’t intend to.
Included “Apps” are of limited usefulness and only work on iOS and Android which leaves out anything Windows (No Windows 10 Universal Apps) and no Mac. No configuring your router with touch, like via a Surface, using a Windows App.
Final Notes
Higher end units near this price point I have owned have had large aluminum heatsinks to dissipate heat. This one has one very small heatsink. I suspect heat stress will be higher on this unit and might be why this case has such a large open cavity you can easily see straight through the vent holes. I suspect longevity will be lower but only time will tell. So the unit has not felt very warm so fingers crossed.
Higher end units near this price point I have owned have had large aluminum heatsinks to dissipate heat. This one has one very small heatsink. I suspect heat stress will be higher on this unit and might be why this case has such a large open cavity you can easily see straight through the vent holes. I suspect longevity will be lower but only time will tell. So the unit has not felt very warm so fingers crossed.
CraigB
Texas
Longer term observations
February 22, 2016
Adding to my original review I have found some new observations to add to this router. I switched to using it as an access point, which takes a little digging, and found out that once you do so you lose a lot of features that should still work but are removed. For example, as an access point you get no guest networks. You can only have 1 2.5GHz WiFi and 1 5GHz. All features such as WMM and QoS are completely gone. Remote administration is turned off. I have also experienced an odd condition where my Xbox One cannot connect using the exact same key as my old router that my Xbox was connected to. I have also experienced 1 lockup where the unit just completely stopped responding and had to be power cycled. Over all it's still a good router but it feels like it could use a little more firmware refinement.
0points
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Microsoft Band 2 (Large): Keep track of your health and fitness goals throughout the day by monitoring your heart rate, steps taken, calories burned, sleep quality, hours slept and other helpful metrics. Just pair with your Windows Phone, Apple® iOS or Android device via Bluetooth to receive alerts at a glance.Discover how the technology of Microsoft Band 2 can assist you in a healthy, productive lifestyle. Learn more ›
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Best fitness tracker for the money
By CraigB
from Texas
When choosing high end fitness bands, my choices went back and forth between the Microsoft Band 2 and the Fitbit Surge. Fitbit has been in the business for fitness wearables for longer but I chose the Band 2 for what I felt was better value for my money. I purchased during a $50 off sale making it even more attractive and $50 less than the Surge. My main phone for this review is a Lumia 1520 with Windows 10 Mobile. I assume others will write reviews of the phone for other platforms and that is where this review starts. This fitness wearable is by far the most compatible. It supports iOS, Android, and Windows Phone/Mobile. Fitbit does as well but support for Windows Mobile is more limited. Comparing it to the Surge, it has more customizability, color screen, and a partially metal build. It feels more premium than the Surge. The metal does have 2 downsides. The first is that the finish used shows scratches extremely easily. See included picture. The second is that sweat and soap cause a foul smell very quickly requiring regular cleaning.
The Band 2 can be worn in two positions. The first is with the screen facing outwards like a watch. I tried this but it felt uncomfortable and viewing the screen was awkward particularly considering the screen doesn’t have a vertical view. This leads me to my preferred position which is with the screen facing inwards. It is much more natural to view and operate. It also feels more comfortable and is in fact the recommended way to wear the device. If there was any concern it is that wearing it inward the screen is always contacting surfaces when you lay your arms down. It uses gorilla glass but it still concerns me that I might scratch the screen. Every fitness wearable wasn’t completely comfortable to wear for one reason or another but this one starts to feel about like a watch after an adjustment period. Before you get the size right you might put it a place that binds you wrist or hits a nerve. I also learned it can get the heart rate just fine without tightening it down so far you hit nerves. Just like a watch it will take some fiddling to find your perfect tightness. Fortunately, the latching mechanism feels strong and has more adjustments than a tradition watch as well giving you more flexibility. Just make sure you use the sizing guide on the size of the box to choose the correct size. It shows wrists sizes with the wrist sideways.
Now the big question is how it works for tracking vitals. I haven’t worked with VO2 Max so I can’t comment on that but after getting the fit correct, the heart rate seems pretty close. Checking manual it was usually within about 10BPM or less from actual. Tracking steps seems a little different. It is difficult to verify but it seems to be a little high on the number of steps sometimes compared to my old hip worn pedometer. It just seems like I can reach 5,000 steps fairly easily. I am not a runner so I have not tested the GPS but I have read that some units have come from the factory with a bad GPS. What’s really nice is with all the vitals it gathers, more than just heart rate, it should be a fairly accurate color estimate. It has guided workouts you can add but I used the generic color tracking and added my own workout types to track. You can add things like HIT and weight training for your own purposes but it uses all the sensors to estimate the color burn instead of estimating based on the workout type. I feel this is more accurate but cannot verify. When you start workout mode, by default the screen stays on showing your workout time and heart rate. I suspect it is not as accurate as a chest band but it seems pretty good. After your workout is done you can see the entire workout on your phone or the website with your heart rate the entire time and your max marked. If there was any gripe it would be that you can’t have it vibrate when you hit your target or max heart rate. That would have been a great feature but, who knows. Maybe they will add it in the future. You can even use the website to compare your vitals to others in your height, weight, and age category. It’s all anonymous and very informative.
When not working out it still tracks your heart rate all the time but the other useful time to check is when you are sleeping. It can detect your sleep but if it gets it wrong you can only delete the time, not edit. You are better off starting your sleep tracking yourself. While sleeping, it will monitor you and in when you wake up you can see what your resting heart rate was overnight to get an even better picture of your health. It also has a smart alarm you can activate. If you want to wake up at a set time, just set the alarm and it will vibrate to wake you up. What I really like is if you activate the smart alarm and set it for 7:30am it will wake you up somewhere between 7:00am and 8:00am when you are most awake. That means you don’t wake up to an alarm feeling like you haven’t rested. You can even set the strength of the vibration.
Since this is a little bit of a smart watch you can add some apps. Since the phone doesn’t have any memory though, expect to only have them work when around your phone. It can control music on your phone and even use voice recognition with Cortana. I am running a prerelease build of the phone software so on occasion the connection dropped but it wasn’t hard to get back. I have found the notifications actually quite nice. I can leave the phone in one place in the house and still get notifications and respond to basic texts. I can also connect my phone to the stereo and change tracks and turn the volume up or down. It’s a standard feature for a smart watch but this is a fitness wearable and much cheaper than a smart watch. There are even some extra apps you can add and some third part utilizes to customize it further but if you want a smart watch more you might want to go that route. If you want a smart fitness tracker, this thing is hard to beat.
Pros
Solid (premium) build quality. It often gets looks and people asking what it is
Tracks more vitals than any other fitness wearable
Comfortable after figuring out your preferred fitment
Bright, sharp screen with auto brightness
Smart Alarm
Customizable workouts
Workout coaches
Customizable with smart watch type features
Solid latching mechanism
Good battery life for its functionality (2 days with no GPS and auto on screen)
Fast charge time (30 minutes to 80%)
Gorilla glass screen
Works on iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, and Web. The web is the most feature rich
Integrates with Health Vault
Constant heart rate
Portal to compare health
Rich sleep stats including restful sleep, times awake, resting heartrate, and recovery
Solid (premium) build quality. It often gets looks and people asking what it is
Tracks more vitals than any other fitness wearable
Comfortable after figuring out your preferred fitment
Bright, sharp screen with auto brightness
Smart Alarm
Customizable workouts
Workout coaches
Customizable with smart watch type features
Solid latching mechanism
Good battery life for its functionality (2 days with no GPS and auto on screen)
Fast charge time (30 minutes to 80%)
Gorilla glass screen
Works on iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, and Web. The web is the most feature rich
Integrates with Health Vault
Constant heart rate
Portal to compare health
Rich sleep stats including restful sleep, times awake, resting heartrate, and recovery
Cons
Cannot change band because electronics are built in
Metal area is a trap for sweat and soap requiring regular cleaning to prevent odor
Cannot change screen orientation
Awkward wearing screen outward
Metal finish is easy to scratch
No build in memory to bring music and store GPS while leaving phone behind for a time
Water resistant instead of waterproof
Possible to scratch screen with it facing downward
Sync is a bit slow
Cannot change band because electronics are built in
Metal area is a trap for sweat and soap requiring regular cleaning to prevent odor
Cannot change screen orientation
Awkward wearing screen outward
Metal finish is easy to scratch
No build in memory to bring music and store GPS while leaving phone behind for a time
Water resistant instead of waterproof
Possible to scratch screen with it facing downward
Sync is a bit slow
CraigB
Texas
Band split after serveral months
May 23, 2016
As others who have discovered after owning the Band 2 for a while, the band itself tends to split. Even if you are gentle the rubberized material just doesn't seem to hold up. The good news in my case is I leave reasonably close to a Microsoft Store. I brought it to them and as always they took great care of me. The assistant store manager was the one who assisted me and he said that Microsoft is aware of the problem and is already working to fix the issue. I had the same problem with the first generation Type Cover for the Surface. Back then they took care of me and ultimately Microsoft corrected the issue. It's unfortunate this kind of thing gets through but at least it doesn't seem to be a hassle to get it resolved.
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Enjoy powerful performance with this compact HP Pavilion Wave computer. The Intel i3 processor provides fast data handling, while the 1TB hard drive lets you store plenty of files. This HP Pavilion Wave computer has 8GB of RAM to run the latest applications and four USB ports for connecting multiple accessories.
Overall3 out of 5
3 out of 5Still can't get the speaker/microphone to work.
By Murphdad013
from New York , ny
The HP help line is terrible and Best Buy was no help at all. In fact I spoke directly ....finally...with someone at HP who said that my Paviliion Wave needed an external microphone headset for montonaccess Cortona. WRONG!!!!
CraigB
Texas
It has a built in microphone
January 16, 2017
I own this unit and it has a built in microphone. I use it for Cortana regularly. Sounds like the support person got it wrong.
0points
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Arlo Pro takes the worrying out of life with the 100% Wire-Free indoor/outdoor home monitoring system. Arlo Pro includes rechargeable batteries, motion and sound-activated alerts, 2-way audio, a 100+ decibel siren, and 7 days of free cloud HD video recordings. Arlo covers every angle to help keep you safe and protected.
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5Good system with lots of potential
By CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Extremely Quick setup (A 2 camera system takes roughly 30 minutes)
Very easy set up. It comes with basic instructions but the app nicely walks you through each step
No need to run wires
Compact
Discreet cameras easily blend in with lighter color homes
Good daytime video quality for the price
Includes microphone and speaker
Flexible mounting options. Included option is easy but other fixed mounts can be used
Large rechargeable batteries
Motion trigger is supposed to get an update to determine if the motion is by a person
All devices get regular security updates. Even the cameras get updated wirelessly. Nice considering cameras are a new target for hackers.
Inanimate objects don’t seem to cause false motion triggers
Standard external hard drive can be used for local storage
Basic plan included for free
Easily expandable
Extremely Quick setup (A 2 camera system takes roughly 30 minutes)
Very easy set up. It comes with basic instructions but the app nicely walks you through each step
No need to run wires
Compact
Discreet cameras easily blend in with lighter color homes
Good daytime video quality for the price
Includes microphone and speaker
Flexible mounting options. Included option is easy but other fixed mounts can be used
Large rechargeable batteries
Motion trigger is supposed to get an update to determine if the motion is by a person
All devices get regular security updates. Even the cameras get updated wirelessly. Nice considering cameras are a new target for hackers.
Inanimate objects don’t seem to cause false motion triggers
Standard external hard drive can be used for local storage
Basic plan included for free
Easily expandable
Cons
Support for Windows is poor for the new touchscreen devices.
No Windows app for Windows 8 and 10 devices of any size.
Video quality, mainly night time, is probably not good enough for legal purposes.
Night video quality makes recognition near impossible past approximately 10 feet
Easy to steal or move regardless of mounting
Camera speaker is not very loud
Provided screws use too fine of a thread and the metal head strips out easy
All videos are public if someone can intercept your emails on the way to your inbox. (Email delivery by design is not encrypted so if someone intercepts your emails on the way they can see any of your videos with audio)
Recording time is fixed so even if motion or sound is still occurring you can miss recording
Web interface has some bugs such as freezing on zoom, Live play button disappears, and touch doesn’t work.
Sound recording doesn’t occur until a few seconds after video recording
At least one camera exhibited a noticeable “ticking clock” sound when recording audio
Connecting them hardwired defeats the weatherproofing
Instructions do not give tutorial about advanced features but rather let you discover them
No organizer for hard drive recordings
Dependent on good upload internet speeds. The more cameras you have, the faster the upload speed you need. This can be a limiting factor for some.
Long lag time to start live viewing even with very fast connection
Support for Windows is poor for the new touchscreen devices.
No Windows app for Windows 8 and 10 devices of any size.
Video quality, mainly night time, is probably not good enough for legal purposes.
Night video quality makes recognition near impossible past approximately 10 feet
Easy to steal or move regardless of mounting
Camera speaker is not very loud
Provided screws use too fine of a thread and the metal head strips out easy
All videos are public if someone can intercept your emails on the way to your inbox. (Email delivery by design is not encrypted so if someone intercepts your emails on the way they can see any of your videos with audio)
Recording time is fixed so even if motion or sound is still occurring you can miss recording
Web interface has some bugs such as freezing on zoom, Live play button disappears, and touch doesn’t work.
Sound recording doesn’t occur until a few seconds after video recording
At least one camera exhibited a noticeable “ticking clock” sound when recording audio
Connecting them hardwired defeats the weatherproofing
Instructions do not give tutorial about advanced features but rather let you discover them
No organizer for hard drive recordings
Dependent on good upload internet speeds. The more cameras you have, the faster the upload speed you need. This can be a limiting factor for some.
Long lag time to start live viewing even with very fast connection
Setup was very easy, particularly for a security camera system. The entire process is achieved by following the steps one by one as the app tells you. Install the app, set up your Arlo account, plug in the base unit to power and internet, sync the cameras, hang the cameras, and you’re done. A two camera system only took approximately 30 minutes. The kit includes metal bases, screws, and wall anchors but the screws are small and easy to strip. The metal bases work with a strong magnet included inside the camera. Although convenient, the metal bases allow someone to easily steal or move these expensive cameras so placement is important. Netgear offers screw in mounts for a more rigid and secure mounting. The entire hardware and software process has had a lot of thought put into making it easy. There are no complicated router changes needed to be made at all or complicated programming. Oddly some features, like changing the recording quality, must be done on a regular computer for which there is no app.
There is one strange feature omission from Netgear. This system has a Pro designation and yet support for regular, more modern computers, is limited. Businesses by and large use Windows computers and the most popular type of Windows computers selling today are Windows 2-in-1 convertibles with touchscreens this trend is forecasted to increase and yet this system is barely even useable by any touchscreen Windows device. This is also odd because what better way to check out a security video than on a large screen. You are forced to use a browser to view videos which the experience varies based on browser. Simple things like moving a slider don’t work because the website doesn’t work with touch. Browser administration has other bugs, such as the Live Video button disappearing. If this was an app you wouldn’t have to worry about how the end user’s choice of browser affects the experience. Not having a Universal Windows app is a missed opportunity. I have seen a large increase in clients that are buying Windows 2-in-1 systems instead of desktops or Android/iOS tablets for their primary system. A Windows Universal app they could support such systems, or any other form factor of Windows for that matter. Imagine if the app was on Xbox One in your living room and you want to check on things outside. Just say “Hey Cortana, open Arlo” and you could see your video feed or videos quickly and easily from the convenience of your couch on a big screen. That would be great. If you have smaller Windows devices, the website is unusable. It tries to get you to use an app that doesn’t exist. Oddly enough if you have a link to a shared video the same website will serve you the video in a mobile optimized format. Smaller Windows devices and Windows Mobile devices are left unsupported. Future updates and app releases could easily alleviate this but for now Windows support is poor.
The base unit comes with a Sync/Siren button, network port, and two USB ports for storage. The siren is loud and sounds like newer smoke alarms. It can be trigger locally, by the app, or via configurable rules such as motion or audio sensing. You can switch the base unit to modes for recording for motion and/or audio, no recording, or armed or disarmed based using Geofencing. You can also define your own custom modes allowing specific cameras and audio for each to be on or off. Due to battery restrictions, there is no continuous recording. Recording time from motion is a default of 5 seconds regardless of if the motion continues. Cameras include built in IR for night vision, motion sensor, microphone, and speaker and are weatherproof assuming the charging plug cover is on. One large difference with the Pro version is the inclusion of large rechargeable batteries which should last quite a long time between charging. When video is recorded, it is uploaded via your internet connection to your account meaning a good upload internet speed is important. Videos are stored in a calendar format and can be viewed, shared, or deleted from the interface.
Overall performance when factoring in the price for features was good. Shuddering and lag was minimal with surprisingly good wireless range. Remote viewing of live video is reasonably quick although it still took several seconds and is highly dependent on your internet upload speed. Audio took about 2 seconds to start every time after a motion trigger recording or manual live viewing and had a slightly audible tick-tock sound. The built-in speaker is barely audible at max volume. As with all security systems, there is a loss of some detail to do recording compression. Daytime recordings show signs of video compression but subjects are still reasonably recognizable at approximately 25 feet. Nighttime viewing brings recognition down to approximately 10-15 feet before subjects hard to recognize. Although not official, friends in law enforcement said it is not good for legal purposes as they must have a definitive, recognizable face to use the video. Motion detection was generally good but people moving fast could often elude the recording. Due to the fixed recording time, the system could also miss recording an event if it ran past the configured time.
A big concern is the video sharing feature. Arlo by default emails you anytime it records. It conveniently sends you a screenshot of what it recorded. However; the email sends a direct link to the video that can be viewed without logging in. This would be even more concerning if you had cameras in your house. By definition, is sent unsecured between providers. Although the industry is trying to improve that, you should always assume your emails have no encryption when sent to you. This means that it is possible and relatively easy for criminals to eavesdrop and see your videos with audio without ever knowing your account info. The good thing is that is easy to remedy turning off the feature that emails you when it records a video. That way the link to the video won’t be sent out on the web unsecured and your videos are still stored in the cloud without being shared openly. Hopefully, Netgear will remedy this in the future.
Overall, it is a nice system for the price point when compared to the competition. Compared to legacy DVR and NVR security camera systems this makes the whole process a lot more accessible for the average consumer. As long as you keep your expectations in line it is a nice system. All security camera systems, particularly ones costing less than $2,500 have limitations.
Overall, it is a nice system for the price point when compared to the competition. Compared to legacy DVR and NVR security camera systems this makes the whole process a lot more accessible for the average consumer. As long as you keep your expectations in line it is a nice system. All security camera systems, particularly ones costing less than $2,500 have limitations.
A standout feature, even comparing to high end systems, is this system will automatically get updates for security. Anyone who watched the news in late 2016 saw that the biggest hack was perpetrated using devices, such as camera systems, that weren’t updated. That is something still lacking in the “professional” security camera world. You also won’t have to hire someone to come pull wiring through your house or small business. Cameras can be placed wherever you can mount a base. If for some reason, such as poor signal, the place doesn’t work they are easy to move. It not be a real high definition security camera system but it also costs nowhere near as much. Just be sure you can accept the Cons before buying. The overall system is well thought out and with continued improvement of the listed cons this could be the best system for nearly any price.
CraigB
Texas
New developments after extended use
January 31, 2017
I have discovered some new elements to the system with more use.
The first is that I did find a way to adjust video quality via the app and not just the website. It turns out the way it is displayed is as one of 3 choices instead of a slider.
Next is that the cameras only work with Netgear's proprietary charger. Even though it uses USB both the manual an other say it only works with the Netgear one.
Finally I discovered that the motion detection does sometimes act strange. I purchase one additional camera and for some reason no matter the sensitivity of the motion it records a motion even every 30 seconds at night. I have observed that it seems to happen more if my neighbor has a light on but even that is not consistent.
+4points
4of 4voted this comment as helpful.
CraigB's Questions
CraigB has not submitted any questions.
Bring out your creativity to share your life stories. Adobe Sensei AI technology* and automated options do the heavy lifting so you can instantly turn photos into art, warp photos to fit any shape, and more. Add moving overlays or 3D camera motion to take your photos to a whole new level, and save them as MP4s for easy sharing on social. Grow your skills with 60 Guided Edits that step you through how to create perfect pet pics; extend, remove, or replace photo backgrounds; and more. Effortlessly organize your photos, and craft personalized creations like dynamic photo and video slideshows with all-new styles and inspirational quote graphics. Transform your favorite photos into gallery-quality wall art, beautiful prints, and unique keepsakes with the built-in prints and gifts service. †And enjoy an updated look that makes the software even easier to use and navigate. *Adobe Sensei is the technology that powers intelligent features across all Adobe products to dramatically improve the design and delivery of digital experiences, using artificial intelligence and machine learning in a common framework.†FUJIFILM Prints & Gifts service is available in the U.S. only.
Can photoshop Elements 2022 edit both video and photos? Thanks,
Photoshop Elements does photos. Premier Elements does videos.
2 years, 6 months ago
by
CraigB
Sit back, relax and let the Samsung Jet Mop automatically clean your floors. Samsung’s Jet Mop automatically cleans all type of floors, like tile, vinyl, laminate or hardwood. This robotic mop features dual spinning fiber pads that easily and quickly remove dust and dirt. Now, you can simply take it easy as the intelligent Jet Mop does the hard work for you.
Does this unit require water(specific) or cleaner(special brand)? Example: deionized, distilled, tap, boiled, spring. Example: fabuloso, pledge, mop and glow, bleach/water, brand compatible.
Unfortunately, the instructions say to use only water and nothing else.
3 years, 6 months ago
by
CraigB
Monitor your property and capture 1080p footage with this eufy smart floodlight camera. The super-bright 2500-lumen motion-activated lights provide excellent illumination for nighttime recording. This eufy smart floodlight camera offers the option to livestream HD video from your smartphone, and two-way audio communication lets you interact with visitors from afar.
will it work with homekit
Not at this time but Eufy did add Homekit to their other cameras. Maybe this one will be added later.
4 years, 1 month ago
by
CraigB
eufy eufyCam 2, 2-Camera Surveillance System: See everything that happens around your home in 1080p HD with this eufy eufyCam 2 kit. Quick and easy to set up, two wireless cameras and a home base provide all that you need to get started, while smart integration ensures you can easily connect to other smart devices. This eufy eufyCam 2 kit provides 365 days of use from a single charge for continuous observation.
How are people posting reviews of these cameras, with photos and everything, when it's not available for pre order? Where are people buying them?
Probably the same way Amazon does. They let some regular people have a chance to try the product a little early and review it. They do that for movies and restaurants all the time to see if any tweaks need to be made before opening things up wide scale.
4 years, 6 months ago
by
CraigB
eufy eufyCam 2, 2-Camera Surveillance System: See everything that happens around your home in 1080p HD with this eufy eufyCam 2 kit. Quick and easy to set up, two wireless cameras and a home base provide all that you need to get started, while smart integration ensures you can easily connect to other smart devices. This eufy eufyCam 2 kit provides 365 days of use from a single charge for continuous observation.
How many cameras can connect to the home base?
I read in one place where it said 20 but the biggest question would be storage until they offer the USB expansion dongle. There is a place in the app help that talks about formatting up to 128GB flash drive so many that is already supported.
4 years, 6 months ago
by
CraigB
Why can't i sort the the home theater projectors by "Native Resolution"
One of the most important features of a home theater projector is its Native Resolution. Please allow us to filter our selection by this very important parameter. Every other retailer's site allows this. It does not give me a warm and fuzzy feeling when you hide important information about a product.
Because in the consumer space, most projector manufacturers no longer release their native resolution. Projector Central is a good site for info but if you are looking for true, native 4K resolution you are looking at likely over $10,000.
4 years, 7 months ago
by
CraigB
Work or play on the go with this Dell G5 15 notebook. The 15.6-inch FHD display delivers a clear crisp picture, while the NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti graphics card supports most modern games. This Dell G5 15 notebook has a 256GB SSD and 1TB hard drive for ample storage and quick file access, and the Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM offer quick multitasking.
On the 1660 Ti model, does it ship with a DisplayPort input?
Work or play on the go with this Dell G5 15 notebook. The 15.6-inch FHD display delivers a clear crisp picture, while the NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti graphics card supports most modern games. This Dell G5 15 notebook has a 256GB SSD and 1TB hard drive for ample storage and quick file access, and the Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM offer quick multitasking.
Hi, I bought this laptop. I don't know how to activate windows 10 included. Thanks
Make sure all updates are installed first and then run the Windows Activation Troubleshooter under Settings->About. You will see text offering to troubleshoot. Took a slew of updates and three times troubleshooting before it stopped.
4 years, 10 months ago
by
CraigB
Work or play on the go with this Dell G5 15 notebook. The 15.6-inch FHD display delivers a clear crisp picture, while the NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti graphics card supports most modern games. This Dell G5 15 notebook has a 256GB SSD and 1TB hard drive for ample storage and quick file access, and the Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM offer quick multitasking.
What is the display refresh rate?
It's 60Hz. It's probably the only negative of this rig. Dell does offer it with a 144Hz screen.
4 years, 10 months ago
by
CraigB
Remove hair without wax or razors using the Lumilisse by Conair hair removal device. Rapid pulses of intense light help prevent hair regrowth, delivering permanent results with consistent use. The FDA-cleared device uses sensors to safely activate. Choose between continuous mode for large areas or manual mode to target specific trouble spots. The Lumilisse by Conair hair removal device includes two attachments to ensure perfectly smooth results all over.
Can this be used on Facial and Neck hair?
There is a special tip for facial hair but you can't use it very well around the chin and jaw line or close to the eyes. It is best to make sure to follow the initial test as for some it can cause a rash or heat burn. My wife has PCOS and tried to use it to treat the facial hairs and it caused a heat burn and very dry scaly skin and she could not continue to use it there.
5 years, 2 months ago
by
CraigB