Category: Reviews

The Martin D-35 Seth Avett “Signature Guitar” is a Thing of Beauty.
The Great
- Beautiful bright sound only the Martin Guitar Co. can produce
- Intricate inlays on the fret board specifically designed by Seth Avett, make this a visually stunning guitar
- Perfect blend of Spruce, Cherry, Indian Rose, and solid Ebony wood creates a lightweight, but sturdy guitar
- Professional grade audio and tech equipment pre-installed in guitar.
The Downside if any…
- Paying $4,300.00 for an acoustic guitar is pretty hard to justify
- Playing action is a bit high for intermediate players
- Dreadnought guitars can be cumbersome at times
The Conclusion

If you’re a somewhat advanced guitar player and have the means, this should be the next acoustic guitar you purchase. There is so much ornate detail and beauty to this guitar, you’ll be afraid to play it. Martin Guitar Co. and Seth Avett of rock group the Avett Brothers have partnered up and made a one of kind guitar that you can pass down for generations…

The Creation

In 2014, Seth Avett of North Carolina’s fame rock group The Avett Brothers, was approached by the Martin Guitar Co. and asked to partner up on a Special Edition Guitar. Seth immediately began to design and create a very personal and gorgeous guitar that has the sound at the forefront. With a Spruce Wood top and a blend of Indian Rose, and flamed Koa Wedge on the back, this guitar spares no expense. Adding Copper snowflake inlays over a solid Ebony fret board ensures that the sound and play-ability are second to none. For a taste of decadence, Seth added Herringbone Rosette and Bone tuning nuts. Another important feature for a professional player, was the partnership with Fishman Audio for this guitar. Fishman is the forefront of audio technology in the music world, and adding their Fishman Gold Plus natural electronics lets the guitars true sounds shine through any PA system.

As far as sturdiness and quality goes, anyone familiar with the Avett Brothers knows that Seth does not hold anything back on stage and with his guitars. I’ve seen The Avett Brothers live in concert many times, and Seth truly puts his guitars through the ringer. Playing with such passion and veracity, he usually breaks a string or two on about every song. That’s not an exaggeration…

Final thoughts

With a price tag of $4,300.00, the cost of this guitar is not for the faint of heart. To justify the price, Martin Guitar Co. and Seth Avett have truly chosen only the absolute best quality wood and materials for this guitar. Not to mention, all the intricacies and detailing to the guitar. But for someone who does not play often or well, I would probably go in a different and more affordable direction. This guitar is truly for the acoustic guitar connoisseur and or Avett Brothers admirer. But if you do “treat yo self” this is a guitar that could be a treasured family item and passed down to children and grandchildren. Martin Guitars only sound better with age.
January 27, 2018
The Wall, Samsung’s TV Vision

All In All

MicroLED is a technology that shrinks traditional LEDs to a smaller size, and gives them the ability to produce their own light. Think OLED, but take out the organic part. MicroLED doesn’t require a discrete backlight, and there’s no need for LCD shutters. In turn, this creates a brighter, more contrast-rich television that can turn pixels off individually. This has brought us the next level of cool from Samsung… The Wall.

The Wall is an all encompassing 146-inch modular MicroLED TV that, thanks to its sheer size and gorgeous self-emitting pixels, commands attention. It can transform into any size, and deliver an incredible brightness, color gamut, color volume and black levels. Get excited about this it is the next step along roadmap to the future of screen technology.

Whats a MicroLED Again?

The MicroLED technology featured in The Wall eliminates the need for color filters or backlight, yet allows the screen to offer consumers the ultimate viewing experience. Also, the MicroLED screen excels in durability and effectiveness, including luminous efficiency, the light source lifetime and power consumption, setting the standard for future screen technology.MicroLED uses an array of millions of individual, tiny LEDs to create the image. It’s very similar to the technology used in scoreboards and jumbo screens, but scaled for home use. A big, expensive home. Samsung says the 146-inch size was chosen to comply with the standard ceiling height. While 146 is the talked about size, this MicroLED tech let’s you adjust the screen size to any size with no quality loss, distortion or color change.

The name says it all and there is no other way to describe this, the future of TV… all in all it’s just another tv on …The Wall.

When Can we expect this?

Samsung says we are still years away, their next step is a 2-5 year plan for a 75 inch MicroLED set. They say this can be manufactured in a size and quantity to actually compete against OLED in the mainstream market. I guess I’ll just keep waiting and saving..I’m guessing a 10k price tag for the Wall.

January 25, 2018
Echo Spot? Tell Me More!
An Amazon Alexa enable smart alarm clock. Echo Spot is small designed to fit anywhere in your home 2nd generation far-field voice recognition to watch video flash briefings, see music lyrics, weather forecasts, to-do and shopping lists, browse and listen to Audible audio books. All hands-free it connects to Alexa, a cloud-based voice service to play music, read the news, answer questions, set music alarms, control smart home.

The Good
- Connects to Alexa
- Video playback capabile
- Can Connect with multi room speaker
- Its kinda adorable
- Can show you the song lyrics as you listen
The Bad
- 2.5 inch screen
- poor sound quality
- Alarm can only be set by voice command
- $130 alarm clock
- No celebrity voice customization
The Bottom Line

a smart alarm clock is fare to unnecessary to even be considered niche, spend the few extra dollars and buy the Eco Show.

The Eco Spot is another in the ever expanding market place of Alexa enabled devices. It looks really cool so for a brief moment I got pretty excited to see what this little guy was all about. So it turns out the Echo Spot is a glorified alarm clock. Lame. The Spot does have Alexa so that’s good, but it’s a $130 alarm clock, that’s bad. Don’t get me wrong, it is definitely more than just a smart alarm clock, but that is its main point – a Sleek Alexa enabled voice-assisted bedside peripheral… with a camera

Whats to like?

Echo Spot’s screen is a useful addition to Alexa. Aesthetic design is great, the sound is decent to nice for such a tiny speaker. I love that I can play video from Amazon Video and youtube. Great Music functions with compatibilities from Amazon Music, Spotify, and Pandora. Add it that you get free audio calls to US, Mexico, and Canada. Plus it’s got all the benefits of Alexa, like buying more shampoo and controlling my thermostat.

Why Bother?

It’s another Alexa device, with a camera pointed at my bed. Do I need or want a camera in my bedroom, another camera in my bedroom? The screen is 2.5 inches, I’m not really going to bother watching anything on that. I just keep thinking, I know, I know but the price is high and the video ecosystem is almost useless.

Final Thoughts

For me this is a pass, but to all the Uncle Daves’ out there that will ask me about picking one up, ask yourself 3 questions. Do you have $130 for an alarm clock but not $180 for the Eco Show? Do you have amazon prime, music and video subscriptions? Do you like the idea of a device always looking at your bed? If all three are a yes, happy purchasing! For me this is a hard pass. Would it be to much to ask to have custom voices enabled with celebrity voices, then have it wake me up with a preset of updated information I require daily. I would buy this right this instance if it could have Anthony Hopkins voice wake me up with the weather, traffic updates, followed by last nights Yankees score and what ever President Trump has tweeted through out the night. Just imagine Jude Law saying COVEFE, there is no snooze button on that, and that I need.
January 24, 2018
A Little Lighter HP Spectre x360 13

The HP Spectre x360 13-w023dx is a high-end convertible- hybrid 2 in 1 touch screen laptop with all-day battery life, more than enough speed for day-to-day and multimedia tasks, and a premium chassis. It features a Windows 10 64 OS, 8th gen Inlet processor, with up to 16gb SDRAM and 13.3inch 4k IPS WLED touch screen. Starting at $999.99 and an all out specs price of $1320.99.

The Great

Really Light And looks fabulous, the HP Spectre x360 13 has a great feel and responsive peripherals, a fantastic display and adequate sound. Add in a the new HP Active Pen, fingerprint reader and better battery life with an upgraded display and it is… great. Its great.

The Not

Nothing revolutionary, the devices itself gets a little warm.

The Conclusion

The HP Spectre x360 13 was a great 2-1 laptop and it just got a little better. It’s not a cheap computer, but you get what you pay for and this is worth every penny.

First impressions

I’ve been using the HP Spectre x360 13t for a little while now. I fell in love with the 2-1 convertible laptop with a touch screen. When I adopted this little guy it has condensed many devices for me. There is a ton of computing power built in to a ergo dynamic, sleek and useable design. Like a 2-1 should be it’s the best of both a powerful laptop and a user friendly tablet. Then it got a late 2017 upgrade. Lets look at the pumped up new guy.

What’s changed?

With the update HP has packed with solid features, latest 8th gen processor and powerful RAM. Face recognition and finger print sensors. We got a processor upgrade to the Intel® Core™ i8. The Display has been enhanced to a 4K IPS micro-edge WLED-backlit touch screen with a micro edge. All of this is going to need a better battery, got that too.

Look, Feel, and Function

Functionally flawless, although I’ve noticed and read others experiencing the temperature of the device getting a little high. This is probably due to the postponed fan activation curvature. Thankfully, the improved cooling for the 8th gen chips is working. I like that the new HP rechargeable pen is included, it adds a nice touch and experience. I’m getting a full heavy use day on the battery, no issues other than the slight heat. Display is brilliant, can brightness can be a little low, and I’ve had to turn it to 100. The fingerprint reader is a very nice feature, though I can get it to work only about half of the time. It is also positioned in a weird place.

Final Thought

Overall, the Spectre x360-13t is a very good computer. It’s quick, reliable, light with great peripherals. When looking for the ultimate 2 in 1 its between this and its main rival the surface Pro. I would strongly recommend that prospective buyers give The Spectre serious consideration. Its worth the price tag if you want quality.

January 23, 2018
The light switch of the future…
The “start up” smart tech company, Brilliant, has emerged out of nowhere and is revolutionizing the home light switch as we know it.

The game changer

In 2017, Brilliant brought their prototype “smart control panel” into production and into our homes. This new revolutionary control panel was quickly recognized as an innovative way to fully integrate all of your home tech. In a sense giving your home a brain. By using the digital touch screen or simple verbal commands, this switch can control your homes lights, air conditioning, intercom system, video surveillance, music and much more.

Brilliant’s Bright Future

Brilliant’s new smart switch made a lot of buzz at the 2018 tech convention CES in Las Vegas. Right from the get go, you see Brilliant has an eye for what the consumer and home owner wants. By adding the ability to access Alexa, Sonos speaker, Nest thermostat, and even take photos, this control panel immediately stands out amongst it’s competitors. Wink and Belkin did beat Brilliant to the home control panels market, but Brilliant has quickly jumped ahead of the with its many features such as a built in camera and even the ability to make video calls. But these additional features do come at a cost. The Wink Relay control panel can be purchased off amazon for $90 per panel, while Brilliant is selling their basic for $200. Their four switch panel is priced at $399.99. Brilliant has offered a $50 discount for pre-ordering their panels directly from their website, by they are expected to be the full $200 once it hits store shelves later in February 2018.

The good
- Fully integrates all of your home’s smart technology into one sleek panel.
- Its many features gives you the ability personalize each room with separate lighting, entertainment, and ambiance.
- With full control of all utilities so handy, you can expect monthly electric bills to be lower when used properly.
The not so good
- With all new technology, there is an expected period of trial and error. It will take some time for Brilliant to work all the kinks out.
- For your entire home to be connected you will need a panel in every room. At up to $400.00 per panel, this can get costly. Granted, once everything in connected, it’s pretty amazing.
My thoughts

Brilliant is clearly onto something big here. It may have initial hiccups like any new production, but once they oil this machine they created, I see it in every single home.
January 22, 2018
HP Sprocket 2-in-1 Review
Immediate Thoughts:
- Lightweight and sleek
- Sub-par camera resolution
- Fun, but costly
What I learned from my life and experiences is that time is precious. Capturing moments of days soon past is what keeps our existence real and tangible. What better way to say “I was here”, but by holding a paper image in your hands as proof. This is what the HP Sprocket 2-in-1 camera/printer offers.

The gist

Released in 2016 by HP, the Sprocket 2-in-1 camera/printer appears to be in response to Fujifilms Instaxx Polaroid camera, which immediately gained attention in 2012 for reviving the once obsolete Polaroid technology. HP decided to take from Fujifilms inspiration and see what they can contribute to the idea. HP was able to create a sharp and attractive camera/printer combo (appx. 4 inches x 3 inches) with a few bright color options which I will admit catch the eye. HP also “upped the ante” and added Bluetooth technology to the Sprocket 2-in-1 which allows users to take photos from there smartphone and instantly print pictures from the Sprocket. This was actually a very smart idea from HP since the Sprockets camera resolution and pixel quality is unfortunately…abysmal. At a starting price point of $159.00 u.s., you would expect the Sprocket would have more than a 5 pixel lens (especially this day and age). But because Hewlett-Packard decided to try and save on some costs, the photos appear as if they were taken from my old Motorola Razor…

But should we buy it?

Despite the setbacks, the Sprocket has kind of a fun and wacky “carnival photo-booth” feel to it. A number people had seen me using in action over New Year’s Eve festivities and wanted jump in the photos. It was definitely a conversation starter and sending a stranger off with a memento is very endearing. But I digress back to some stats…The Sprocket is able to quickly print out the 3-inch x 2-inch photos in less than a minute, and the refillable ZINK paper has an adhesive backside which allows you to stick the photos just about anywhere, which is kinda great! The printer can fit 10 ZINK pieces of paper in the Sprocket at a time, and the paper can be purchased in bundles for either a 20-sheet package ($9.99) or a 50-pack ($24.99). So the simple math breaks down to just about 50 cents per photo. Seems kinda costly. Especially since the seafood joint around the corner from my house has “25 cent Oysters and Pints” on Thursday nights (#Ballinonabudget).

The good, the bad, the bottom line

The positives I take from the Sprocket 2-in-1 is that it’s a sharp looking, pocket-sized Polaroid camera that has the ability to both create a lot of temporary fun and permanent reflections. The drawbacks are the lacking camera lens quality, and the costs of the camera itself and the paper refills. I just didn’t feel it was worth it. Bottom line is this revisiting of the Polaroid camera still needs some tinkering after all this time. Once we can get a high quality camera lens along with larger photos, I would probably be back on board…Until then I’ll probably just rely on watching Rescue Rangers to get my nostalgia fix.
January 20, 2018
HTC Vive? Sure, if You’ve Got The PC for it…
The Good
- Stunning visuals
- very responsive and interactive gaming world
- lasting fun and very immersive experience
The Bad
- A powerful gaming is needed to enjoy the full experience
- Using the Vive can take some getting used to, mind your surroundings
- Costly gaming product
The conclusion

I found the HTC Vive to be solidly built and well made. HTC has created a very immersive and responsive world that keeps you entertained and surprised for hours. You will need a powerful computer and a fair amount of space to fully enjoy the Vive. In terms of cost, considering a price drop from $599.00, it is certainly worth purchasing.

The Gist.

As long as you have a powerful PC to push the Vive, it’s pretty incredible. The system pushes a lot of pixels to the small monitors, and you need a pretty fancy graphics card and processor to match up. The required PC components is partly due to the HTC Vive, providing just about a 180 degree field of virtual vision, and it’s stunning features that come with it. The price is a little steep relative to most gaming gear at $599.00, but it’s pretty cutting edge. As time passes the price will come down. It’s an early adopter product at this point but I have to say that as far as early adopter gear goes, it’s been surprisingly robust. For how new the product is it’s surprisingly smooth and a polished. The responsiveness of turning your head and immediately having the environment respond is impressive. I didn’t notice any real lag when playing with it. The unit is reasonably light, but does get little warm after extended use. SteamVR makes using and purchasing VR games a quick and easy process. Steam also offers a large variety of VR games for how new this system is.

Final thoughts

HTC Vive is a truly great system and HTC obviously put a lot of work into this product. The wiring, controls, and overall setup is a bit cumbersome, but that is expected with any new technology at this level. I’m sure as time passes, the controls will be simpler, sleeker, and everything will be wireless. But for now, if you’re into gaming, the Vive is definitely worth a try!
January 19, 2018
Seneo QI Wireless Charger is Top in Class

Seneo delivers Fast QI wireless charging pad Stand. Looking at it fresh from the box This wireless charger features fast charge with 10W coils, a sleep friendly LED, and will even provide quick charge for Samsung Galaxy phones. … I found that I can even lift my phone a could millimeters off the charging stand and it will still charge.

The Great

Nice Design
Inexpensive
Vertical and horizontal charging
Fast Charge capability

The Not

Cord for the stand could be longer

The Conclusion

Seneo wireless charger is the most suitable charger for phone lovers. This charger has the holder stand design that help customers charge their phone vertically or horizontally. Most importantly, they can enjoy movie and music without interrupting while charging. At only $19.99 Don’t miss out this great opportunity for a top of the line wireless charger.

Testing 123

I’m laying my iPhone X on the Seneo wireless charger.. 3:43 pm with 16% battery life.. 4:15 check 31%, 5:00 an impressive 73%, 5:30- 100% charged in less then 2 hours. Times that against traditional plug in charging with the Apple OEM lightning, yielded almost the same results. I had expected the wireless charging to be twice the charge time.

The Final Thought

Im always concerned with after market charging products. China seems to spit them out at zero cost with quality being highly disregarded. To my surprise, for a very small cost the wireless charging stand, works great with no issues after 6 months. I’ll but a buy recommendation on this over any high priced QI charger available.

January 18, 2018
Phillips Hue is Lighting up Our Homes.
The Good
- Smart bulb with LED color changing technology
- 16 Million different color variations
- Easy set-up and user friendly app
The Bad
- $199.99 for a pack of four light bulbs can be costly
- The bulbs are known to make a somewhat loud humming noise
- the larger bulbs may not fit in some enclosed light fixtures
The Conclusion

These are excellent quality bulbs aside from being significantly less bright than their incandescent counterparts, but are still bright enough to light up a room. Of course, being as expensive as they are, it’s hard to stomach using more than one in a room. There’s no voice or motion control, no built-in automated control other than alarms, and no physical remotes or switches available. Without any of this, these are extremely limited in their capabilities. and therefore hard to recommend at this price. If all you need is basic colored lighting, that’s the way to go. But Phillips has the ability to do something great here and it’s off to a good start so far. If you’re into the mood lighting and need the color varieties, then this is the option for you.

Smart Bulbs.

Originally launched in 2012, the Phillips Hue lighting system has made progress and suffered setbacks. with a very impressive lighting system many are hooked. The basic light kit that comes with four light bulbs and a control bridge. It is incredibly simple to set up. Connect the bridge to your Wi-fi and swap out the new bulbs and you’re up and running. The range of colors you can get is amazing, and the ability to set timers from your iPhone is a nice touch. Set them to gradually turn on in the morning with an alarm clock, turn off when you leave for work, and on again in the evenings. With a set up like this, you don’t really have to worry about turning the lights on and off, except at bed time. By adding these lights into your lifestyle, you might be able to sleep better, relax more, and even save on the electricity bill. But a big downside to the system is the price. at $199.00 for the starter pack, it seems pricey for four light bulbs. Maybe once Phillips get down the road a bit, the prices will drop. I hope…

Final Thoughts

The highly controllable lighting system works well and is easy to set up. Being able to easily program your lights to come on, go off, or brighten and fade is just wonderful. Having control of the color of light can so drastically affect the mood in a room or an entire home. A highlight is the fade function. It really seems to slowly lull you into a peaceful state, ready to go to sleep. The cons for now are it’s still pricey and the Hue application for your phone or tablet is basic. Additionally when you are away from home, the app is even more limited. If Phillips plans to address these issues in the near future, you can see a lot more of these popping up in homes.
January 17, 2018
Top 5 Galaxy Cases Under $25

Now you’ve got a Galaxy S8and are looking for a good case to protect it. You’ve come to the right place. These 5 cases are the best protection for your new phone under $25.

1.Unicorn Beetle Pro

It is the ultimate protective solution for your Samsung Galaxy S8
Shock-resistant, dual layer case with PC hard shell and flexible TPU and built in screen protection. This will keep you safe stylish and not to bulky.

2.Spigen Neo Hybrid

The new Neo Hybrid for Samsung Galaxy S8 is the future of all cases – possessing maximum protection with an extraordinary look

3.JAITY Galaxy S8 Waterproof Case

Waterproof film posted steel mesh, not easy to damage. Invisible seal ring type sealing waterproof, sealed from snow, ice, dirt & dust particles.

4.Temdan Samsung Galaxy S8 Waterproof Case

Transparent back panel make this case support S8 wireless charging. Full body protection designed to exceed Military Standard 810G-516, guard your phone even after 1000 times drop

5.The Ares Samsung Galaxy S8 case from i-Blason

The Ares for the Samsung Galaxy S8 embodies the best of both worlds when it comes to a stylish clear case with full body protection. Equipped with a built-in screen protector, responsive buttons and multiple layers of TPU in the bumper, you can be sure that your Galaxy S8 will survive the occasional drop without sustaining any serious damage.

January 16, 2018