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  • Top 5 Smart Fridges

    Top 5 Smart Fridges

    So last week my fridge broke, this is the fridge that came with the first home I bought 6 years ago. I’ve never purchased a large appliance before, So I was more then a little perplexed. I thought back to an article I wrote about a guy that upgrade his dated house to a smart house to increase his homes value. One of the key elements to that was the smart fridge so I decided that is the way I  want to go.

    Fridges have come a long way in recent years.  Apparently now you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home to purchase a smart fridge that will transform your regular, plain old kitchen into a souped-up one. Smart fridges now come equipped with Wi-Fi capability, remote and voice controls (we’re looking at you, Bixby and Alexa), as well as food-preserving temperature monitoring, to name a few. But with so many cool, new features and brands to consider, it can be hard to find the best fridge that will work for me. Now its off to do some research to find my new smartfridge and pass this info I found on to you all as well.

     

    1.Samsung Family Hub French Door

    Samsung’s Family Hub can connect to and control third-party devices that are part of the SmartThings smart home ecosystem such as lights, thermostats, home video cameras, and more. So from this fridge’s screen, you can adjust a SmartThings-compatible thermostat or view what’s happening outside your front door or in another room of the house with a SmartThings-compatible camera. Use Samsung’s Bixby voice-activated assistant to get personalized updates about your schedule – straight from your fridge.

    A good deal on this fridge is $2500. If I can find it for that price this is my guy. It has all the latest features and is the King of the smart-fridge hill right now.

    2.Kenmore Smart

    Stainless steel, French doors, extra-large capacity and the Kenmore Smart app . With this Energy Star-qualified appliance, you can always make sure your food stays at the correct and safe temperature thanks to the convenience of the Kenmore Smart app and GeniusCool™ technology that creates the ideal temperature and humidity levels for your cuisine. I can Control the fridge remotely with Alexa or use voice commands to activate the ice maker or air filter or to adjust and monitor your fridge’s temperature. Nice recessed LED interior lighting brightly illuminates the fridge’s contents, helping to ensure nothing goes to waste in a forgotten corner. Plus, the extra-large dispenser area on the front of the fridge is big enough to accommodate not just glasses but coffee pots, water bottles and even large pitchers, too, making it convenient to access fresh, clean water anytime.

    At $2300 prime this seems like a good option, the only hesitation is we’ve found a few little qualms, the kinda stuff you don’t know when you purchase blind on line like:

    • The plastic components are thinner material = Cheap
    • The drawers don’t pull out as far.
    • The overall feel is light / cheap.
    • Both refrigerator and freezer interior lighting is lacking.

     

    3.Whirlpool – 32 Cu. Ft. French Door Refrigerator

    Wi-Fi connectivity so that it can connect to your home automation system of choice, but the real advantage of this fridge is that it includes a smart learning process that adapts to your schedule and can readjust for parties or other events where the door is frequently opened or closed. Whirlpool decided to stick with simple, fridge-specific features that don’t ask you to rethink the role of your kitchen. Marinating some meat? The screen will show you recommended times for different cuts and ask if you want to set a timer. Cleaning the fridge? Whirlpool will suspend cooling to save energy and also shut the door alarm off so it doesn’t annoy you while you scrub. Seems more intuitive then smart.. pass

    cost on this guy – $ 4400  and I know you already know what a Whirlpool french door fridges looks like.. boring

     

    4.GE Profile Smart French Door Refrigerator

    Huge capacity, black stainless steel and a built-in Keurig K-Cup with instant hot water makes this fridge one of the coolest on our list. It comes with two evaporators to create separate, optimized climates in the fresh food compartment and in the freezer to ensure ideal humidity, making your food taste better and last longer.  Electronic Temperature Controlled Drawer with Colored LED Lights and Scheduled hot water. SO i have hot water on tap whenever I know I may need it. I can even use Amazon’s Alexa to control your fridge simply using my voice. Just ask Alexa to heat up water for your favorite hot beverage or turn on GE’s TurboCool function to restore the ideal temperature after putting away groceries

    $3300 I like this one a lot. I like the darker stainless steal look. I love the way the door float open. This one I high in the running for Beau’s new fridge. I just wish it had the big screen wow factor the Samsung does.

     

    5.LG Signature Smart Fridge French Door Refrigerator

    Again no screen but knock twice to illuminate and see inside InstaView’s glass panel, Door-in-Door feature allows you to get in and get out with ease. LG says it  stays true to the essence, delivering a new sense of life for the most discerning individual. I kinda agree, there is a is a smart sensor detector at the foot of the refrigerator that opens the door automatically. Just step on the “Door Open” light projection on the floor in front of the refrigerator and the door gently opens.

    $6600, its nice but ill have to pass

     

    The Final Thought

    And the winner of the honor of being my new fridge is… The Samsung Family Hub. It was the highest reveiwed, best priced and has the wow factor of the screen. Not to mention the tech geek I am, but this thing has loads of useless features. Im in, congrats Samsung

     

     

  • 5 SmartDevices to Improve Your Golf Game

    5 SmartDevices to Improve Your Golf Game

    The The Players Championship starts today, so what better time to take a look at all the smart toys out there to improve your golf game. SMartdevice are everywhere and in everything, golf just seems a natural fit. We are always looking to drop our score and an edge up and we need the data to do this. Well these 5 devices will have you the envy of your club house and playing like a pro.

     

    1. Cobra’s “first connected golf club.”

    The $349 King F7 Driver pairs the club with a smartphone app that allows you to track your game via GPS. Beyond that, the club features three different centers of gravity, allowing you three different potential approaches and flight paths. Say that again, yes it is Equipped with 3 Center of Gravity settings for maximum distance.It features an Arccos sensor seamlessly integrated into the grip to automatically record each drive, providing real-time stats for distance and accuracy. Not to mention it is one of the baddest drives out there even with out the connect.

     

    2. GolfBoard

    This electric-powered vehicle, which evokes a skateboard or snowboard, replaces a golf cart and promises to literally speed up your round of golf. Recently it’s gone from something vaguely futuristic to something you can find at more than 300 courses worldwide. You can even buy your own. Prices start at $6,500 for the standard model that motors up to 10 mph. Yes it looks like fun, and yes it will provide endless hours of youtube fail videos.

     

     

     

    3. FX-Sport VC Golf headphones

    FX-Sport specializes in wireless sport headphones. Its new VC Golf model is called “the first psychological coaching device for golf.” On it, you can access hours of soothing, sage words from golf gurus — they get in your head so you don’t lose yours. It’s listed at $199. The Headphones are preloaded with many hours’ worth of psychological coaching, mental preparation, practice drills and workouts, from world class golf psychologists, coaches and trainers. All practice drills have a strong emphasis on the psychological. Advice on how to focus, what to focus on and what to do when things are not progressing as you would like. I wish I could change the voice to Ty Webb. Be the ball Danny!

     

     

     

     

    4. TLink GPS Golf Watch

    Wearable golf tech that displays instant yardage ⏤ the distance to the back, middle, and front of the green ⏤ on 40,000+ courses worldwide. Simply open up the GPS app on your smartphone, connect TLink with your phone. Never worry about what club to use, you have the data right there.

     

     

     

    5. SetupEye

    Im pretty sure this was frowned upon in Caddyshack 2 but If your alignment is off, then you aren’t going to come anywhere close to firing on target. SetupEye uses lasers and “target lock technology” to help golfers take dead aim with absolute confidence. Simply lock onto the flag or your chosen target through the viewfinder, press the button, and place the device on the ground between you and your golf ball. From there, just follow the shooting green lightsaber as it points the way.

     

    The Final Thought

    You got the ultimate club to track your swing from your drives, the watch to tell you exactly how far to the pin and a golf coach in your ear. You are navigating the course quickly and stylishly on your gold board and you have the target locked on the hole to nail this last putt, see you at the tavern for a beer you golf pro.

  • Laptop Lookout: MSI GS65 Stealth

    Laptop Lookout: MSI GS65 Stealth

    Laptops are the cornerstone of our computing resources in this day and age. We need power, robust performance and ultimate portability for every aspect of our daily lives. This is a guide and insight to the best tablets on the market and today I’m here to talk about the GS65 Stealth. This is a  Thin   ultra-portable 15.6-inch laptop with a thin bezel gaming display and its brand new gold-and-black premium design. Its a complete laptop solution that can fit in any dynamic.

    The Great

    • Attractive, subtle design
    • Gorgeous, fast display
    • Excellent performance
    • Effective thermal management

    The Not

    • Bottom gets burning hot
    • Lack of biometric login
    • Poor  audio

    The Conclusion

    The MSI GS65 Stealth laptop is making a run at being my favorite gaming laptop. It is a powerhouse of a machine with cutting edge components, which includes an 8th-generation Intel Core i7-8750H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU.

     

    Taking the reigns as the best gaming laptop is a tall task that MSi Set out on, The result is a sleek, portable 15-inch laptop within a 14-inch device that’s capable of high-end gaming as well as intense productivity work for a decent price – cheaper than key competitors.

     The Design

    There are no sharp angles or red LEDs all over this laptop, on the contrast really, you are going to l find a sleek, all-black device with subtle gold accents on its lid, within its dual hinges and surrounding its touchpad. Those gorgeous gold accents are also found highlighting the laptop’s heat vents, but nowhere else on the brushed, black aluminum frame. The result is one of the most visually arousing laptops on the market. its nice

    The Display

    It is bright and it is beautiful. 144hz panel the refresh rate is just right for seizure inducing gaming and contents of dark corridors in games just fine at even 50% brightness. Plus, MSI’s True Color 2.0 produces color gamuts that meet 100% of Adobe RGB and close to 100% of sRGB standard, and also supports game-specific color modes as well as anti-blue light modes.

    The Performance

    The H-series Intel Core i7 processor, paired with that Nvidia Max-Q GTX 1070, make quick work of everything we throw at the GS65 Stealth. Its a combination matched with the screen and design that have this laptop purring.  If it can handle a full run at Battlefront II it will surely handle your morning email parade whilst listening to Golic and Wingos morning show with power to spare.  AS far as battery goes well you should know that almost none of these gaming laptops bring decent battery life to the table, but it is quite adequate considering the teeth on this guy.

     

    MSI GS65 Stealth Quick Spec Look

    • CPU: Intel Core i7
    • Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB GDDR5X VRAM, Max-Q)
    • RAM: 16GB
    • Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) anti-glare, wide-view 144Hz panel
    • Storage: 512GB M.2 SSD

    The Final Thought

    The MSI GS65 Stealth is officially the most impressive Nvidia Max-Q gaming laptop that I’ve tested.  Only the Razor blade pro can even compare. GS65 Stealth with lots of pre-loaded software, but it artfully avoids ‘bloatware’ status by providing functionality that’s actually useful. Its sleek, pretty and great as a everyday work laptop as well as a monster for gaming. Its reasonably priced and considering everything it is an incredible value.

     

  • Get Your Groove on With These Bluetooth Headphones

    Get Your Groove on With These Bluetooth Headphones

    If you love listening to music and don’t want the hassle of tons of cords and cables you’ve certainly tried out tons of Bluetooth headphones. And if your experience is like mine, tons of them are really sub-par! Let’s run down some of our favorite Bluetooth headphones and save you the hassle of picking a dud!

    Sony WH-1000XM2

    We love these noise-canceling wireless headphones from Sony. These have fantastic sound quality, with clear highs, crisp mids and deep bass, comparable to similar offerings from Bose. These headphones also come with some neat functionality: a Quick Attention mode allows for the sound canceling to stop briefly so you can hear someone trying to get your attention.

    Similarly, the headphones have an ambient noise mode to allow mid- to high-frequency sounds to pass through so that you don’t fully lose situational awareness. The only downside to these headphones is their luxury pricing: They retail for right around $300.

    Bose QuietComfort 35 Mk. 2

    It wouldn’t be a “best-of” headphones list without Bose showing up at least once! The sound juggernaut doesn’t fail to impress with the QuietComfort wireless headphones. These boast some of the best noise cancelation in Bluetooth headphones, comparable to the WH-1000XM2 from Sony, and with longer battery life.

    These also sport Google Assistant support, which is an awesome added bonus! As the name suggests, these headphones are very comfortable and great for long flights. Similar to the previous entry, however, the QuietComfort headphones are expensive. Coming in at $329, these are definitely priced for those who are serious about sound quality and audio canceling and have serious cash to shell out for it.

    Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2

    If you’re looking for a more affordable noise-canceling pair of headphones, the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 is a great choice. For about $150 you can pick up these headphones, making them desirable when compared to Sony and Bose’s offerings. These sport a handy auto-off feature when you take them off, helping maximize its already-excellent battery life, which makes these great for travel!

    While these headphones are high-quality and affordable, their style might not be for everyone: they have an almost-retro chrome style that is very distinct. This is a matter of preference, but when compared to more muted and understated designs they are very noticeable.

    Optoma NuForce BE Sports3

    NuForce’s wireless earbuds prove that you don’t have to be over-ear headphones to be a good wireless audio device! These stylish earbuds have awesome sound quality, great battery life and durability to spare! For a stellar $70 retail price, you can’t go wrong with these earbuds. Great for jogging, traveling, working and everything in between, the NuForce BE Sports3 easily slips in your pocket when not in use! If you’re looking for high-quality, no-frills headphones with no cord and good battery life, these are for you.

  • Soon the OnePlus 6 Check Out What We Know Already

    Soon the OnePlus 6 Check Out What We Know Already

    We have a launch date for The OnePlus 6  and it is May 16, which is next week, and with a huge number of leaks – and official teasers from OnePlus itself – we have a pretty good idea of what you can expect. OnePlus will reveal its next all-powerful flagship at an event on 16 May. The Oppo-owned brand has even sold 1,000 tickets to fans ahead of the launch, just as it did for the OnePlus 5T, except on a larger scale. The London-based event will kick off at 5PM BST local time (6pm CET/12pm Eastern Time/9am Pacific Time).

     

    Dubbed “The Speed You need”, OnePlus’ big launch event will be livestreamed on YouTube. The OnePlus 6 will be replacing the OnePlus 5T (which is now off sale in the UK, Europe and US). The 5T was already one of the more impressive phones of 2017, finally bringing the taller display that’s fashionable among the big brands, as well as improvements to the camera. The OnePlus 6 promises to be even better.

    What We Know

    There have been a few details released so we have a pretty good idea of what to expect.  First off it will The internals will be powerful, with the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 platform as well as up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. It’s going to feature a longer screen, complete with a notch, and that the back panel is going to be built from a custom designed glass consisting of five nano-coating layers. I’ll also be a waterproof device.

    As for the look of this thing we have gone from a thin, plastic OnePlus One to a OnePlus 5T built from a solid block of beautifully finished aluminium within four years. The Midnight Black and Sandstone White finishes are among the finest you’ll see on a solid metal device. Its a good looking device, no issues there.

    The Final Thought

    A big part of the appeal is that the phone rarely has any major compromises in a mobile that costs significantly less than the likes of the Samsung and Apple flagships. The OnePlus 6 will be a flagship killer and will defenitley be a phone to watch this year, ill have a full Smartphone spotlight on this mambojamba as soon as it is released.

     

     

  • The Best No-Contract Phone Providers

    The Best No-Contract Phone Providers

    You’ve got an awesome smartphone with a great display and slick new features? You probably don’t want to just use it as a tiny tablet, so you’re going to need a phone provider. Contracts aren’t for everyone: some people just want phone service and don’t want to be bound by contractual obligations. Which phone providers do we recommend? Read on!

    Cricket Wireless

    Using AT&T’s network coverage, Cricket Wireless offers a very affordable $35 (after autopay discount) plan that sports 5GB of data. Cricket’s data speeds cap at 8 Mbps, sadly, which makes them more of a budget consideration than a main provider, but they made the list since they offer some of the best data amounts per dollar. Cricket has the added benefit of rolling taxes and fees into this final price, helping alleviate “sticker shock” when the bill comes.

    Boost Mobile

    Boost makes the list thanks to its low price, same as Cricket. For $35 per month, you get 3GB of data on Sprint’s network. Sadly, this also means that you’ll experience some slowdown as Sprint’s network isn’t terribly speedy. On the bright side, like MetroPCS and Cricket, the monthly taxes and fees in this plan are rolled into the final bill price.

    AT&T

    AT&T offers a $40 with 8GB of data with no contract. This is a great pick for those who want to use loads of data and don’t mind the slightly lower coverage of AT&T’s network. The $40 price point is after enrolling in autopay, so consider that when shopping for plans. AT&T’s network works in Canada and Mexico, too, which allows for traveling users to stay tuned in to their internet and friends. This is our favorite plan for data, with great bang for your buck in terms of gigabytes!

    MetroPCS

    MetroPCS uses its parent company, T-Mobile, for its network, which means their prepaid plan sports better coverage than AT&T’s. For $40 you get 5GB of data, which is still a lot, and is definitely worth considering if you want better network coverage. Additionally, this plan allows for streaming from tons of music apps and websites without counting against your data allotment, which is certainly enticing for all you audiophiles out there! MetroPCS, like Boost and Cricket, includes taxes and fees in the final price. MetroPCS is our favorite plan for those who don’t need as much data, or plan on using audio services for the bulk of their data.

  • Best Photo Printers for Your Buck

    Best Photo Printers for Your Buck

    Everyone loves taking pictures with their smartphone, but sometimes you want physical copies of your pictures! Whether you’re concerned with losing your data or want to have a keepsake of good memories, we’ve rounded up our favorite digital photo printers!

    Epson SureColor SC-P800

    Our favorite printer for professional photographers! The Epson SureColor meets all the rigorous requirements of a full-time, gallery-quality printer. The SureColor can print very large photos and has exceptionally high print quality but is very expensive by comparison to other printers on this list. Sporting an LCD display and tons of bells and whistles, the SureColor is sure to meet all the needs of a professional. However, this one wouldn’t be a good pick for a casual photographer or a beginner, as its high number of settings and features can be intimidating.

    HP Sprocket Photo Printer

    The Sprocket fits in a pocket or bag and turns any smartphone into a Polaroid-style camera! The Sprocket has no need for ink, instead using unique dyed prints and applying heat to create the desired image. While the Sprocket won’t be creating any galley-quality prints, it is exceptionally cute and fun! Great for vacations and trips, this one is a good conversation starter and fun diversion. It is battery powered and boasts a sleek design but would not be a good fit for those looking for a more professional printer. For those looking to print on the go for fun with friends, the Sprocket is perfect, though!

    Epson PictureMate PM-400

    This small printer is handy to have around! Weighing only 4 pounds, it travels easily and tucks away great when not in use. Something between the pocket-sized Sprocket and the more professional SureColor, the PictureMate prints off decent quality photos. The PictureMate would make a great choice for those who wish to print out digital pictures of the family to hang in the hall, or for holiday cards and keepsakes. Those wishing for something a bit better on print speed and quality should look to the SureColor or Pixma instead, however.

    Canon Pixma Pro-100S

    The Pixma Pro is an impressive printer. With reasonably fast print speed and fantastic color quality, the Pixma does your photography justice. The prints from the Pixma could be considered gallery-quality, which is high praise. Using an 8-dye system, the Pixma creates positively stunning images in color and in grayscale. The only downsides are the relatively high ink price and somewhat low durability of the prints themselves. These complaints come with the quality, though, and so it’s hard to knock this printer too hard. This one has a much-needed wireless printing feature, allowing for prints straight from smart phones. A fantastic choice for any aspiring photographers!

  • The 5 Must Have Tech Devices for the Gym

    The Gym is the place you  squeeze in to your busy day, for no other reason than it has to be. 

    You roll in to your local YMCA to workout and get out as quickly as possible completely sweaty and gross. This is the only acceptable place to ever wear sweatpants.

    Fast forward to 2018 where the gym has become the new club scene. This is the place to look your best, show off your hottness and socialize with the gym elite. Its even become super important look the part while hanging at the gym and getting your pump on. If you don’t understand what I am saying, try to get that beef cake on the elliptical to give you a spot while you wear your old gym shorts, a torn tee and new balances. Its just not gonna happen. Its apparent, you need to boost your gym cred, and also to get the most from your time working out.  The Gym is the one place we should all spend a little more time, it is also the place where we definitely could stand to be smart and more efficient. Here are the 5 must have tech toys for the gym scene

    1. Athos Smart Clothing

    The Athos Smart Clothing line includes embedded sensors to track a variety of fitness and health data. They have that gym sheek look you are going for while keeping you on top of your work outs. All clothing includes an Athos Core module which is a processing unit of sorts that gathers all data from sensors in clothing and transmits it to a mobile app via Bluetooth. iOS support only, for now, sorry Android users. Purchase the corresponding garment to determine what parts of your body can be tracked. Ultimately, they can monitor biometric data, muscle activity, heart rate, calories burned, active time, sedentary time. Do remember that if you purchase just one article of clothing that it has the core module.

    2. Jabra Sport Coach Earbuds

    These babies let you eliminate of the  noise of the gym and keep you focus on your performance. They have superior sound quality, passive noise cancellation and enhanced bass, This will ensure your favorite playlist, you know the one that kicks off With Jimmy Eat Worlds – Take my sounds better than ever and will maximize your musical motivation. Add in a Built-in TrackFit motion sensor will automatically count your reps and track your every move and let the in-ear “coach” count your reps, guide you through the circuit and track your performance. These are the ear bud anyone who is anyone at the gym is rocking.

    3. Skulpt

    Skulpt measures your body fat and muscle. Skulpt is a remarkable tracker that lets you see a ton of detailed stats regarding your activity and fitness. It will measure body fat percentage – in 24 different areas of your body no less – and provide in-depth muscle analysis. It can even deliver some workout tips and guidance to help you build more muscle, boost your strength, or just burn some fat. Skulpts stylish pad loudly grunts that you know what you are doing at the gym. If your workouts involve less cardio and more strength training, this is definitely the tracker for you. All information is synced with a mobile app via Bluetooth. You can get it in a bundle that includes a tracker, charging cradle, spray water bottle, and of course access to the mobile app.

    4. Beast

    Beast is a fitness and health sensor that can tell you a little more about your body. The beast however isn’t meant for cardio, this is the big boys tracker, You wear this bad boy while you’re pumping iron. It will track things like strength levels, explosiveness, average power, weight volume, density, energy burn, reps and sets, tonnage, and much more. When you are getting your pump on this is the tracker you need to look cool, get the info and make sure you see the results.

    5. Digitsole Smart Shoes

    Digitsole Smartshoe is touted as the “first intelligent sneaker” and is equipped with technologies including self-lacing, temperature regulation, health tracking. If you want all the white boys at the gym to stop and say “what are those” you want the Digitsole Smart Shoes. These Kicks can automatically tighten themselves, keep your feet warm while you work out and once they reach a temperature threshold they will automatically turn off to conserve battery life. They also track your activity – like a wrist wearable – to help you monitor calories burned, distance traveled, steps taken, and more. All information is synced via Bluetooth 4.0 with your smartphone through a mobile app: Android and iOS flavors are available.

    Bonus Credit For Baller Hydration: Mark One Pryme Vessyl

    Now this is a useless tool for tracking how much water you drink. Everyone knows everyone needs 8 cups of water a day right? nope. Mark One’s Pryme Vessyl is an iPhone-connected cup that’s designed to track your daily liquid intake, making sure you’re at your optimal hydration level. According to Mark One, hitting an ideal hydration level can increase your energy level and improve your mental balance. Plus this will def make you look cool and boost your status at the gym club.

    The Final Thought

    You got your Athos body suit that looks like something Tony Stark wears under his Iron Man suit, Fresh Back to the Future Style Marty McFly self lacing kicks, The Beast wrist tracker, the Jabra Ear buds in and your skulplt sensor and you are ready to go looking fly. These five things will have you at your own special table in the VIP section of the gym sipping protein shakes with the elite. Also it will all give you a complete and comprehensive data detail of every movement of your work out, but please, how important can that be?

  • Our Favorite Smart Speakers

    Our Favorite Smart Speakers

    Smart devices are a fantastic companion to a busy lifestyle, helping you organize your event and play music with your voice. Streamlining all your digital needs with a virtual assistant is easier than ever thanks to the large number of smart speakers on the market. Which one is right for you? Read on to find out which speakers we love!

    Sonos One

    The Sonos One sports great sound quality and comes with Alexa, Amazon’s personal assistant software. Sonos One can pair with other speakers to produce stereo sound and can even be used as a home sound system. The speaker’s high sound quality is complemented by Spotify compatibility. The only thing going against this speaker is the price, coming in at around $400. That said, it’s a great buy if you want a high sound quality and tons of flexibility in a home sound system.

    Google Home

    Google’s answer to the Amazon Echo, the Google Home has its own proprietary virtual assistant. Alexa and Google Home have a lot in common, but Google’s speaker has the edge in terms of aesthetic and general audio quality. However, Alexa is a more robust software suite, sporting much more fleshed-out response cases and more general usefulness. Google Home, retailing at $129, is a spot cheaper than the Amazon Echo, and for those of you who are Google die-hard fans, or just prefer the aesthetic of the Google Home, it’s a fine speaker and well worth the cost.

    JBL Link 20

    The JBL is a great option for those who want a portable answer to the Google Home. At a reasonable price point of $150, and with a stellar battery life of 10 hours, the JBL Link 20 is great for backyard cookouts and pool parties. Speaking of pool parties, the JBL is also water resistant, able to withstand around half an hour of submersion! If you’re active and often in the backyard, the JBL is for you!

    Amazon Echo Dot Gen II

    Our favorite home speaker is the Amazon Echo Dot’s second-generation model. You can grab this speaker from Amazon for $240, and you certainly won’t be disappointed in it for that price. Alexa is a fantastic home assistant, responsive and user-friendly. The Echo Dot is a high-quality speaker, although not quite as impressive as the Sonos One, but what it lacks in raw sound output, it makes up for in solid all-around performance as a smart home device. It’s really the best overall speaker for the price.

  • Tablet Talk: Amazon Fire HD 10

    Tablet Talk: Amazon Fire HD 10

    Tablets are the mash of our technology dependence theses days. They are big phones or weak laptops or any combination of the two. They can be big, they can be powerful, They can be an all in one device or just a side gadget. In all future set movies or media the tablet is a main stream tool, they call them data pads or data cards, but no one uses a keyboard in the future. This being said there are a lot of tablets with many options to navigate through so Im going to break them down in an easy to read guide to help you find the tablet match of your dreams. Today we are going to talk about the Fire HD 10.

     

    The Great

    • Bright
    • Vivid screen
    • Sharp performance
    • Significant RAM and processor upgrade

     

    The Not

    • Expensive
    • Lack of Google Apps
    • Slow Gaming

    The Conclusion

    While its 10.1-inch Full HD display is the best of any Amazon tablet you can buy, it’s also the most expensive Fire, costing three times as much as the Fire 7 and $70 more than the Fire HD 8

     

     

    The Design

    The Fire HD 10’s matte shell — which comes in black, orange and blue — is made of a plastic that feels far more reliable than it looks.Weighing 1.1 pounds and measuring 0.4 inches thick, the Fire HD 10 is slightly thicker than the Lenovo Tab 4 10 (1.1 pounds, 0.3 inches), but heavier than the 7-inch Amazon Fire 7 (0.7 pounds, 0.4 inches) and the 8-inch Fire HD 8 (0.8 pounds, 0.4 inches). It is bigger but it has a cheap plasticy feel to it that is disappointingly low class. The rest looks uninspired and functional with no sleek tech feeling at all.

     

     

    The Display

    Bright.Vivid. Easy to read. That is there angle. The Fire HD 10’s 1920 x 1200-pixel panel produces crisp, bright and vivid images, making a case for its larger 10.1-inch screen. The HD 10’s panel is significantly more colorful than its competitors’, producing 104 percent of the sRGB spectrum. That’s similar to the 99-percent tablet average and above the 87-percent Tab 4 10, the 78-percent Fire 7 and the 79-percent Fire HD 8. This display is not the sharpest or most beautiful ive seen in a tablet, but its brighter and easier to read then any other.

     

    The Other Stuff

    The Fire HD 10 features two stereo speakers, as well as Dolby Atmos for headphones, which helps to make surround-sound audio more immersive. Amazon also included a 2-megapixel camera on the rear, which is a laughably low resolution for a front-facing camera these days. Alexa works kinda cool on this,  you can simply say “Alexa” out loud, even when the tablet is asleep. It works much like Amazon’s Echo devices, except you also get some on-screen feedback in addition to the assistant’s voice responses. I do have to note some Alexa functions are missing, but some one shouting hey Alexa buy 10 bottles of shampoo will still result in me getting $500 worth of tea tree shampoo rushed to my home.

    Fire HD 10 Quick Spec Look

    • Display10.10-inch
    • Processor1.2GHz quad-core
    • Front CameraYes
    • Resolution1280x800 pixels
    • RAM1GB
    • OSFire OS
    • Storage16GB
    • Rear Camera5-megapixel

     

    The Final Thought

    Never been a big fan of amazon tablets, they to me always seemed like old people tablets. In reality they’re not bad, especially given their low prices, but they’re much slower than I am accustomed to. However for the Price, you cant beat the screen size and it functions much better then expected.