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Category: Accessories (Page 7 of 11)

Accessories

best-wireless-mouse-logitech-mx-review

Best Wireless Mouse? Logitech Performance MX Review

February 23, 2015 / / 1,605 Comments


This is my review of the Logitech Wireless Performance MX mouse. For a while I was on my quest to find the best wireless mouse, and after seeing a great review from Phil V and seeing many other tech YouTubers recommending this mouse I broke down and bought it. After using it for about a month I can say it’s one of the best wireless mice you can get. It’s rated 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon and the link to the best price will be in the description below. Now I almost didn’t get this mouse because it lacks Bluetooth. I really didn’t want a mouse that required a USB receiver like this Logitech MX does, but the unifying receiver isn’t so bad. Even though it takes up a USB port, it’s very small and it does allow you to connect up to 6 compatible wireless devices to it. So if you happen to get a Logitech wireless keyboard, this single receiver could handle both the mouse and keyboard.

The Logitech Wireless Performance MX mouse is the perfect mix of functionality and design. I love the looks of it with the sleek black and silver style. Kinda reminds me of a mouse that Batman would use. So I’m very pleased with the design and build quality. The first thing I noticed when I used this mouse is how well the mouse conformed to my hand. It has a very ergonomic build. The curved sides have a slight rubberized finish which gives a perfect place for my thumb. The mouse is big enough for my hand too. It takes up about the same real estate as my iPhone 6 just to give you a comparison. It also has a nice weight to it. It weighs more than expected, but it’s still light enough to be picked up easily with one hand. The only complaint I have about the build is how sensitive the right-click button is. When I just rest my hand on the mouse, the weight of my middle finger always seems to accidentally press down on the right mouse-click which is something I’ve had to get used to.

This mouse is packed with features. First the scroll wheel is a normal notch based scroll wheel, but with the press of a button it turns the scroll wheel into a smooth hyper-fast scroll wheel that comes in handy if you need to scroll down long documents or webpages so you can creep on people’s tweets from 5 years ago. The scroll wheel can also be moved left and right to scroll horizontally which is nice. There are forward and back buttons on the side for when you’re browsing the web and want to go back and forward through pages. It has a zoom button and a window switcher button as well. If you download the free Logitech software you can customize almost all of these buttons which is awesome. On the top there’s the DPI and battery indicator lights. On the bottom you’ll find the power switch. It’s also equipped with a Darkfield sensor which lets you use this mouse on virtually any surface even glass. So if you have a glass desk you’re in luck.

This wireless mouse comes with a rechargeable AA battery which you can charge while you’re using the mouse with the micro USB cable that comes in the box. I’ve had this mouse for about 4 weeks, and yesterday was the first time I had to charge it. So the initial charge on this mouse lasted me a long time, longer than expected. I did turn the mouse off when I wasn’t using it so that probably helped. Overall, the Logitech Wireless Performance MX mouse is the best wireless mouse I’ve ever used. Wireless, rechargeable, great design, and useful features. You can’t go wrong with it.

sound-blaster-jam-review

Sound Blaster Jam Bluetooth Headset Review

February 17, 2015 / / 1,625 Comments

Click here to buy on Amazon

If you know me or you’ve seen some of my videos you know that I’m a big fan of wireless devices. I’m also a fan of Sound Blaster products as I’ve done a couple reviews of their Bluetooth speakers in the past. That’s why I wanted to do this video review of the Sound Blaster Jam Bluetooth headset.

These are wireless headphones but not only can you connect them via Bluetooth you can also connect them via NFC if you have an NFC-enabled device. For me I’ve just been using the Bluetooth option because I have an iPhone 6. That’s all I’ve been using as I’ve been testing this headset for the past week. The Sound Blaster Jam headset comes with a red USB cable to charge it. I really wish it came with a power adapter so you could charge it anywhere, but you have to charge it through a USB port on your computer. The cool thing is you can use these headphones to listen to your computer’s audio while they’re charging.

After the first initial Bluetooth connection to your device these headphones will automatically pair with your device in the future when you turn it on. They’re very easy to use. Just use the button on the right side of the headphones. It’s an all-in-one button. Hold it down for power on and power off. It also has a play and pause button and volume control buttons so you can control your device right from the headphones.

The first best feature of the Sound Blaster Jam is the battery. The battery life is extremely long. When I first got the headphones I charged them for about 1 hour and since that initial charge I haven’t had to charge it since. I’ve been listening through the Bluetooth connection for almost 15 hours. 860 minutes to be exact. I’m loving how long the battery has been lasting.

My second favorite feature about the Sound Blaster Jam is how lightweight and comfortable it is. The first thing I noticed was it’s made entirely out of plastic, and it feels kind of cheap. It feels like I could probably break it in half if I tried, but the plastic is what makes it so lightweight. When I put these on I don’t even know that I’m wearing them, that’s how light it is. At one point I wore it for about 5 hours straight, and I had no ear strain at all when I was wearing them. It feels like wearing air. The soft padded ear cushions for your ears make these so comfortable to wear as well. I wore these around my apartment, to the gym, on a treadmill, while working out, and shooting basketball. No problem whatsoever.

The sound quality is pretty decent for how small, lightweight, and affordable the Jam is. Obviously these don’t produce the best most high-quality crisp sound like you would hear from a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-M50’s for example. But in the $50 price range you’re not going to find much better sound quality than what the Sound Blaster Jam gives. There’s also a Bass button on the right side of the headphones and when it’s enabled it gives a little bit of a bass boost within the headphones. I was not a big fan of that because when I enabled the bass boost it seemed like it boosted it a little too much for my liking. I usually listened to songs without the bass boost on. But if you’re a bass head then you’re probably going to like the bass boost feature.

There’s also a built-in microphone so when people call you can just answer right from the headset itself and talk into the microphone on the headset. When I tested the microphone out I used it on my iPhone 6 to call somebody else on an iPhone and they said they could hear a slight echo whenever I was using the Jam microphone. I don’t know if that was because of the microphone on the Jam or just my connection from my iPhone. But there is a microphone built into these headphones that you can use for calling.

Overall I’m a fan of the Sound Blaster Jam Bluetooth headset. I think this is going to be my go-to headphones whenever I go to the gym to workout or if I’m going grocery shopping and I want to listen to a quick podcast. They’re not going to replace my professional studio headphones that I use for video editing but these are perfect if you’re looking for a cheap Bluetooth headset that is extremely lightweight, that has long battery life, and is very comfortable.

RAVpower-savior-battery-review

Best Portable iPhone Charger? RavPower Savior Review

February 4, 2015 / / 1,565 Comments

RAVPower RP-PB18 Savior 9000mAh battery review
Click here to buy on Amazon

If you’re an iPhone user you probably realized by now that iPhones don’t have the best battery life. What can you do about that? For me I like to carry around an extra battery pack so I can charge my phone wherever I’m at in case the battery starts to drain down.

That’s why I wanted to do this review over the RavPower RP-PB18 Savior 9,000 mAh external battery pack with the built-in lightning connector specifically made for Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod) but you can also charge other USB devices with it as well.

I’ll quickly go over the contents of the box. Of course there’s the main battery pack itself. We also have a user guide, warranty card, USB to micro USB charging cable, micro USB to Samsung 30-pin connector, micro USB to mini-USB connector, and a cool little travel pouch.

The main battery pack has a really solid build to it. It has a nice matte suede-like finish to it, and it’s supposed to have a scratch-resistant surface. It does feel really soft. I do like the way it’s built. The size is pretty portable. It’s small and lightweight, just over 8 ounces.

You may be asking yourself “Why is this 9,000 mAh battery a little bit more expensive than say a 12,000 mAh battery sold by the same company?” That’s because the Savior has all these built-in features such as the built-in AC power plug on it so you don’t have to carry around any other cables or accessories. It just plugs right into a power outlet and charges itself.

It’s also mainly made for Apple devices: iPhone, iPad or iPod. It has an Apple lightning cable on it so again you don’t need an extra cable to take with you. All you need is the battery pack. It has everything you need and if you do have another USB device it comes with the cables that you need to charge it.

Like many other external battery packs this has built-in overcharge protection and auto shut-off. It has a USB port on the bottom so you can charge other USB devices. It has a power button on the front along with the power indicator light so if you press the power button once it will show you how much battery is left on the pack (4 lights is 100%, 3 lights is 75%, 2 lights is 50%, and 1 light is 25%).

Let’s talk about some of the results I’ve seen using this RavPower Savior battery pack with my iPhone 6. The first time I charged my iPhone 6 with the battery pack it was at 42% and it took it to 96% in 57 minutes. The second time I charged it I went from 41% to 90% in 47 minutes so that gives you an idea of how fast the battery pack charges the iPhone 6. After those 2 charges I still had 75% of the battery left on the Savior.

With that 5 volt output it’s not going to be the fastest charge, but it is pretty decently fast in my opinion for a battery pack of this size. The iPhone 6 battery is 1800 mAh so the Savior can charge it about 4 times from 0 to 100% so it does pack a pretty good amount of power.

In my opinion if you own an Apple device: an iPhone, iPad, or iPod then the RavPower Savior battery pack may be one of the best options that you can get for an external battery because it has everything built in and it is way more convenient than other battery packs. It’s portable, small, has a nice finish to it, and I see it lasting a very long time.

nodus-access-review-iphone-6

Nodus Access Case Review for iPhone 6

December 17, 2014 / / 1,614 Comments

The Nodus Access case is a sleek wallet case for the iPhone 6 and 6+, and it is super classy. As a not so manly guy this case really makes me feel more like a gentleman. I just need a cool British accent to go along with it.

The outside of the case is made of full grain Italian leather, and the inside is made up of a soft micro fiber lining. The leather does feel like a premium material. It’s smooth and shiny. The micro fiber interior also feels nice, and the case is pretty thin and flexible. On the inside it has one large slot so you can store some cash and a couple of cards, but you’re not going to fit much more than that as it is a pretty tight fit.

Not only does it look appealing, it has a very useful feature that I haven’t seen on any other case before. And this feature is the reason why I agreed to do a review of this case for Nodus. It’s the way the case stays on the iPhone.

This case is equipped with micro suction technology. Yes, little tiny suction cups. The inside of the case has a thick strip of micro suction cups that has a sticky feel to it, and when the iPhone is pressed down onto the strip it gets suctioned on and stays put. It’s pretty amazing. The iPhone does not fall out. I’ve been using this case for over a week, and it hasn’t started coming off at all.

On the inside of the flap there is a smaller suction pad that allows the flap to close onto the iPhone by suctioning onto the screen. Pretty cool, so you are able to remove and re-apply your iPhone, but it is a bit difficult to remove and it does take a little bit of force. But once it’s off it doesn’t leave any residue on the iPhone because there are no sticky materials involved, just tiny suction cups.

Now, the protection of the case is not as good as some of the other hardcore cases, but it provides decent protection as long as the flap is closed and stuck to the iPhone. In that case it actually gives the iPhone full front and back protection when dropped but the top, bottom, and side of the iPhone are still slightly exposed so keep that in mind.

The only downside about this case is it’s kind of awkward to actually talk on the iPhone with this case on it. The flap does peel back all the way, but it’s just kind of difficult to hold the iPhone up to your ear when you have to hold the flap back like that.

Other than that, this is a super good looking case that I got a lot of compliments on. People noticed the aesthetics right away, and I definitely like having it on my iPhone 6. If you want to get this case for your iPhone, the link will be in the description below. So thank you for watching my review of the Nodus case for the iPhone 6, and thanks to Nodus for the opportunity to review this case.

By Andy Slye

Zoom-H1-review

Zoom H1 Portable Digital Recorder Review

December 9, 2014 / / 1,570 Comments

The Zoom H1 is a popular device when it comes to beginners looking to improve their audio quality. It’s great for podcasters, YouTubers, musicians, vloggers, and journalists. It has good quality audio that you can use as a microphone or as its own portable digital audio recorder. At the end of the review we’ll do an audio quality test so you can hear what the Zoom H1 sounds like.

If you’re watching this review you’re probably looking for a cheap microphone or audio recorder, and the Zoom H1 is one of the best that you can get for the money. It’s versatile and can be used for many different situations. It’s affordable at just $99, and it’s perfect for beginners or amateurs.

First off, the build quality isn’t great. It feels cheap because it’s made out of plastic. I don’t think it’s as durable as the more expensive options, but I’ve never had a problem with mine. The good thing about that is that the plastic makes it lightweight. It can fit in your pocket. It’s small and compact, and that’s what I love about the Zoom H1. It’s portable. You can take it anywhere.

It’s also easy to use. It’s not too complicated. It doesn’t have very many features like the Zoom H4N for example. The H1 is very basic.

On the front you have the LCD display and the big record button. On the right side you have the USB port, hold and power button, delete button, play, pause, forward, back, input level buttons, and the line in so you can connect an external microphone.

On the other side there’s the line out for headphones and the volume up-and-down buttons for playing back your recordings. There’s also a microSD slot. On the bottom there’s the speaker because you can actually play back your recordings and listen to them on the device itself. On the back is the battery slot (powered by one AA battery) and three buttons: lo cut, auto level, and the recording format. It supports WAV and MP3. There’s also a tripod mount.

On the top there is the X/Y stereo microphone. Now I’ll show you how the Zoom H1 works and sounds. If you want record in WAV or MP3 you can adjust the format and bit rate. You can also adjust your input control (or gain). To start recording just press the record button on the front.

Watch the video above and towards the end I do a mic test so you can hear the audio quality on the Zoom H1. In the first half of the video I recorded the audio with my Rode VideoMic Pro shotgun mic on my DSLR. When I switch over to the Zoom H1 it’s about 2 feet away from me with the input level set to 60, and I’m recording in the 320 kbps MP3 format.

It sounds good. I’ve used this for a lot of my videos. It does work perfectly and produces some great quality audio for $99. I do recommend the Zoom H1 accessory pack. It’s another $25 and comes with an adjustable tripod stand, padded shell case, foam windscreen that works as a pop filter, mic clip adapter, AC adapter, and USB cable so you can use this as USB microphone and you can use it to transfer all the files to your computer so you can edit in post. So that’s my Zoom H1 review. A good budget microphone that’s highly recommend it.

By Andy Slye

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