Videos by Andy Slye

Category: Reviews (Page 9 of 15)

Best Ergonomic Mouse? Logitech M570 Review

Logitech M570 Wireless Trackball Review: Best ergonomic mouse?

If you’re like me then you are constantly using a computer. These days it’s hard not to. One of the biggest consequences of this, however, is wrist pain and even carpal tunnel syndrome caused by doing the same wrist movements over and over. I was concerned about this because I edit a lot of videos and the process of video editing can take hours and even days. So I decided to do some research and I went out and got the best ergonomic mouse I could find. This is my Logitech M570 Wireless Trackball review.

The Logitech M570 is currently less than $30 and has an almost perfect 4.5/5 star rating on Amazon. It’s not just for people who are specifically looking for an ergonomic mouse, but in my opinion everyone who uses a computer on a daily basis should own this mouse. Here’s why. It’s actually not labeled as a “mouse”. Instead, Logitech calls it a wireless trackball because instead of moving your arm like with a traditional mouse, with the M570 you are rolling this ball around with your thumb to move your mouse across your screen. Having said that, I will still refer to this as a mouse and trackball throughout this video.

Right out of the box, the Logitech M570 works with Windows and Mac. Just connect the unifying receiver to a USB port, turn on the trackball, and you’re ready to start using it. The wireless capability is one of its best features. It can work upwards of 30 feet away from the computer. Also since the tracking sensor is built inside the mouse, it can literally be used on nearly any surface. Or no surface at all. I also love how lightweight it is and the long battery life. It comes with a Duracell AA battery and Logitech claims that one battery can last up to 18 months. I’ve owned this mouse for a few months and I still haven’t needed to replace the battery yet, but I usually turn the mouse off when I’m not using it anyway. The ergonomics is also one of its best features. The way its designed lets your hand rest at a more natural position which should help relieve any wrist pain when using it for long periods of time.

For me, the trackball was very smooth right out of the box. However if it’s not as smooth as you’d like you can pop the ball out and wipe it down with a cotton cloth to make it even smoother. The rubber grips on the bottom give it a sturdy placement on the surface it’s on so the mouse itself doesn’t accidentally move when your hand is resting on it at an angle. The mouse feels great in the hand. On the top it has standard left and right click buttons and a scroll wheel. It also has quick access to forward and back buttons which can be programmed as custom triggers using the free Logitech software. There’s also a battery light indicator as well. The bottom where the battery goes has a slot for the unifying receiver in case you are traveling and don’t want to lose the USB dongle. Pretty convenient.

Really, the only downside is that this trackball is only designed for right-handers, like most mouses. Having said that, for right-handers this is one of the best purchases you’ll make. The Logitech M570 is my go-to mouse when I need a break from my trackpad or my Logitech MX Performance. It is a smooth, long lasting, and comfortable wireless mouse that works great. I highly recommend it because for less than $30 you could potentially avoid long-term pain or damage to your wrists. If you have any questions leave a comment below and give this video a thumbs up if it helped you out. Thanks for watching and I’ll talk to you in the next video.

Dell XPS 13: Can It Replace My MacBook?

If you’re not new to my channel you probably know that I primarily use Macs in my personal life. I’ve been using Mac OS X since 2009 when I got my first MacBook Pro (which I still use to this day) and I haven’t owned a Windows laptop or Windows desktop in over 8 years.

So when Dell reached out to me and asked if I wanted to experience the new Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook my first immediate reaction was “No, I don’t really use Windows laptops.”

But then I started doing some research on the Dell XPS 13 which was just released at the end of 2015 with Intel’s 6th generation processors, and this thing has been topping the list on a lot of popular tech blogs as the best Windows laptop and the best Windows ultrabook out right now. That definitely sparked my interest and as I got to researching it more I noticed that it looks very similar to the new MacBook.

Then I realized that this new Dell XPS 13 is the PC equivalent of a MacBook. It’s kind of a mix between the MacBook Retina 12″ and the MacBook Pro 13”. If you are in the market for a MacBook or new Windows laptop and you don’t really know which way to go or you want to see which laptop performs better at certain tasks then I am here to answer that question for you.

I’m taking the challenge. For the next month I will be replacing my MacBook Pro with the new Dell XPS 13 9350 and using that exclusively. In about six weeks I will give you the conclusion and my full review of the Dell XPS 13. I’ll let you know how it sizes up to the Mac experience coming from a primary Mac user myself.

Definitely stick around and find out how this works out. I’m looking forward to using the Dell XPS 13. It certainly looks awesome. Also, full disclosure, Dell did send this to me at no charge but I will be completely honest and unbiased in my review. We’re going to find out if this is the best Windows ultrabook out right now and is it really a MacBook killer? Please subscribe to my YouTube channel so you will be notified when I release that video here in about six weeks. It’s going to be fun. Also  make sure you follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

Sony RX100 IV Review + Test: Worth It?

Transcript:

If you are looking for the best pocket camera in 2015 then look no further. This is the Sony RX100 Mark IV review. Last year in 2014 the RX100 mark III came out and it took the crown for the best pocket camera. Well now the mark 4 is out and it’s even better especially for video. So if you’re a YouTuber and you’re looking for a camera this may very well be your best choice. Now when something is considered the best of a category it’s usually not cheap and it’s no different with this camera. This camera is $948 at the time the making of this video so it’s not cheap. It’s pretty expensive but it can be worth it for some people and that’s what this video is all about. We’re going to find out if this camera is worth it for you and whether or not you should buy it. Let’s start off with the main features of this camera. It has a new 20.1 mega pixel 1” sensor which allows it to shoot high-quality images and 4k video. It has a built-in Zeiss lens with the focal length equivalent to 24-70mm with an aperture of 1.8 at 24 millimeters and 2.8 at 70 millimeters. It has a super convenient and ultra crispy OLED true finder pop-up EVF. This electronic viewfinder comes in handy when you’re in a bright situation and you need to look through that to see all the controls that you wouldn’t normally be able to see on the LCD. Speaking of which, this has a 3” LCD screen on the back that flips up so you can be in ultimate selfie mode for pictures or videos. It can shoot slow motion video at 960 frames per second. It has built-in WiFi connectivity with NFC so when you’re out and about and take a picture with this camera and you can quickly transfer it to your smartphone and upload it to Instagram to improve your subscriber’s feed a little bit with some awesome looking pictures. In my humble opinion this is the best point and shoot camera you can buy right now and we’re going to get into why I believe that. First of all is the size. It’s small. It’s compact. It’s lightweight. It fits in the palm of my hand. It fits into my pocket easily as long as I’m not wearing my weekend skinny jeans. It has a built-in lens already so it’s not going to get any bigger. Its small compact size is great. Now about it not getting any bigger in size is kind of a letdown. It doesn’t have a hot shoe or a microphone input so you’re not going to be able to connect external microphones or anything like that on this camera. This is mainly just a point and shoot on-the-go camera that you can take places wherever it’s an inconvenience to have something bigger or larger like a DSLR. This comes in handy and this beats out those cameras because it’s small lightweight and it does the job. The articulating screen is one of the best features about this camera. You can flip it out and flip it all the way up so if you’re a YouTuber and you’re looking for a camera to start off with this will be perfect for you because you can flip that screen up and you can see yourself and you can position yourself however you want it and see how the video will look before you start taking video. In this day and age that’s a pretty popular feature to have. The popup electronic viewfinder is awesome as well. It has a super high resolution when you’re staring into it. It doesn’t add any other bulk to the camera. It goes right back into the side of the camera and you don’t even know that it’s there. And of course the two new best features of this camera are the 4K video capabilities and high frame rate video capabilities. The 4K video on this camera looks amazing if I do say so myself. The only problem I have with this 4K video is that it does limit you to 5 minutes of shooting. Well why is that? Because overheating. So it will automatically stop at 5 minutes when you’re shooting 4K video and you have to start the video over again, start the recording over again, to continue on the video. So you’re going to have pauses. You can’t shoot 4K videos more than 5 minutes. Now there is a problem with that as well because when you’re shooting 4K video and you shoot for the full 5 minutes and you go to shoot another 4K video it’s going to overheat. This happened to me. It overheated and it actually automatically shut itself down because it got way too hot. So the overheating problem is an issue but if you’re not looking to record more than 5 minutes of 4k video or if you’re just in an indoor setting most of the time and you’re taking videos indoors where it’s cool I think you’ll be able to get by with shooting multiple 5 minute 4K videos in a row because I was actually in my car in the summer outside so I don’t think it’ll be too much of a problem if you’re in a controlled environment or if you’re just taking short quick 4K videos. Shooting 4K is so much fun with this camera. It takes great quality video in the 4k mode. It does have that limit but it doesn’t have a limit for 1080. So if you’re shooting 1080p HD you’re going to be able to record up to 29 minutes each time. The high frame rate or HFR feature is awesome as well. You can get some cool slow mo video shots with this feature. Now it does shoot up to 960 frames per second but I tell you what if you do go up that high you’re going to get less quality in the video. So the slower you go the less quality your video is. So even though it can go to 960 frames per second I probably won’t use that as much as the 240 frames per second because the 240 frames per second slow-motion looks better than the 960 frames per second. But just having that option to record slow-motion in the camera itself is a huge feature for me. Another highlight of this camera that I absolutely love is the autofocus. It autofocuses really fast and is pretty accurate. It’s probably the best auto focus camera that I’ve owned myself. The autofocus is great with pictures and video so this goes back to YouTube. If you’re taking videos of yourself autofocus has worked extremely well for me when taking videos of myself. Now in order to shoot 4K video and slow motion video you need certain types of SD cards and this is the SD card I use and I highly recommend if you’re shooting 4K video. I use this for my GH4 and for the Sony RX100 mark four so I’ll leave a link to this card in the description below. Now a downside about this camera is that the battery life is not that great. If you’re shooting 4k video especially slow-motion video ba’tery’s not going to last you very long at all. My recommendation would be to get an extra battery then get a USB charger to take on the go because this does charge through a USB cable. I love how easy to use and intuitive this camera seems to be. Right out of the box it didn’t seem very overwhelming or complicated. I got right in there and was changing settings and I was able to start shooting manual 4K video pretty quickly without being too confused and I think this will be very easy to use for beginners as well. So Sony does make very intuitive cameras. Also I love the fact that it has an ND filter built into the camera because when you’re out in the sun you need some type of ND filter if you want that Boca look in the background, if you want that blurry background you’re going to need neutral density filters. And this has one already built in which is fantastic. I love that feature because I do plan on using this as a vlogging camera when I’m out and about and I will be out in the sun so that comes in handy as well. The zoom is very smooth even though it does make a slight noise when you’re in video and actually recording and zooming while you’re recording so just be aware of that. And probably zoom in or zoom out before you start recording or in between recordings so you don’t get that sound. Alright so here’s a side by side test of my three cameras that I have right now. My GH4 is what you’re seeing right now. Now I’m going to switch over to the Sony RX100 mark 4. That’s what you’re seeing right now and then this is my iPhone 6 and that’s what you’re seeing right now. So it’s just a side by side test comparison of all 3 of my cameras. Now of course the GH4 is the most expensive and the most professional quality camera that I have. Then this is the Sony RX100 mark 4 and the Sony is actually on automatic mode so I didn’t set any manual settings unlike the GH4 but I did that on purpose because this is how most people are probably going to use this camera when they’re shooting videos of themselves. And then of course this is my iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 is probably the lowest quality of all the cameras. But this is a good test comparison of all three cameras that I wanted to do for you guys. So overall I’m in love with this camera. The compact size, the dynamic range, the high resolution photos and videos, the quick autofocus, the built-in ND filters, the pop-up LCD, the EVF, everything about this camera. The lens is great. I love this camera. It is expensive like I said before. It’s $948 but it is worth it if you’re looking for a small lightweight camera that is able to shoot 4k video that you can take anywhere and also use as a secondary camera. So if you are a videographer or you YouTuber or just a photo enthusiast or video enthusiast, this is a must-have I feel like because I’m going to keep it myself. It’s going to be my secondary camera maybe for my b-roll or one I take out and about. It will be my main vlogging camera and I will add this to my gear that I take when I film weddings so I will use this in professional work as well. So even with the small amount of downsides of this camera: the short battery life, the 4K recording limit, overheating issue, no ability to add a microphone, and the expensive price point. With all that said I still believe this is the best point and shoot camera and one of the best cameras that you can buy right now if you are going to be serious about video and you want to start your own YouTube channel. This will be the perfect camera for you and at the end of the day you want a camera that you’re going to have with you at all times. That’s going to be your most valuable camera. This camera will do that for me. I will have this at all times probably wherever I go so I hope you enjoyed this video review of the Sony RX100 mark IV camera. So leave a comment down below and let me know why you’re getting this camera or why you’re not getting this camera. Thank you so much for watching. I’ll see you in the next video.

Best Wireless Mouse? Logitech Performance MX Review


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 Bluetooth Headset Review

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.

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