RODE Vlogger Kit Review: Shoot Better Video!

Great film-making tools at a surprisingly decent price!

Phones are incredible pocket computers, and they often include respectable cameras. Calling something a “vlogger kit” might give someone the impression that this is a low quality accessory for low effort video streaming.

That’s not the case here.

RODE delivers a fantastic starter platform for folks looking to get more out of a phone camera, and with accessories that should work with other pro gear.

SHOOT BETTER VIDEO! Continue reading “RODE Vlogger Kit Review: Shoot Better Video!”

OnePlus 8T By The Benchmarks: Does Android 11 Degrade Performance?

OnePlus is a fascinating company to cover as a reviewer. Half year hardware refreshes and aggressive software updates keep you on your toes. Really using a OnePlus means following a conversation around refining a product after its launch.

As we close out the year, it’s worth taking a second look at a premium OnePlus, to see if these refinements improve performance over the phones launched earlier in the year. Especially looking at hardware scores from an older version of Android, as the 8T is one of the first phones to launch with Android 11 out of the box. Continue reading “OnePlus 8T By The Benchmarks: Does Android 11 Degrade Performance?”

Fiio Q3 THX DAC Review: Like “Happy Holidays” for Your Ears!

TREAT YOUR EARS!
The Fiio Q3 delivers incredible audio processing at a respectable price. Flexible for home and on-the-go use, packing a beautiful THX AAA amp, it’s a terrific audio upgrade for folks at all audio skill levels.
Discussing premium audio is difficult. Too often claims just sounds like magic voodoo, and it’s easy to understand why so many consumers seem apathetic to good audio gear. As consumer tech brands move up the pricing tier with “convenient” wireless solutions, it’s the right time to remind people that good cabled options still have a lot to offer.
The Fiio Q3 helps us define that conversation. In a BIG way.

Continue reading “Fiio Q3 THX DAC Review: Like “Happy Holidays” for Your Ears!”

OnePlus 8T Review: The Right Compromises For You?

This phone rocks.

The mission of a snappy, quick, high performance phone is alive and well at OnePlus. There are no tragic deal breakers here. There are no critical missteps.

The mid-season refresh for OnePlus this year delivers in all the areas we should expect from the brand. The only “issue” is more aggressive competition from other manufacturers.

Where does the 8T fit into this market? Is it the right fit for you? Let’s take a look! Continue reading “OnePlus 8T Review: The Right Compromises For You?”

ZTE Nubia RedMagic 5S By the Benchmarks: Does GAMER Hardware Improve Performance?

What should we expect from “GAMER” hardware?

In PC Land, we expect laptops and desktops that offer a higher tier of graphics performance, with enhanced cooling hardware for better system stability.

For phones though, we often don’t see significant differences in CPU and GPU performance, as all manufacturers are drawing from the same pool of chips. Mainstream phones now offer high refresh rate displays, and software built to enhance the gaming experience.

Gaming phones differentiate themselves more on design, accent lighting, and battery capacity.

But when a manufacturer adds an internal fan for better active cooling, that’s an interesting bit of hardware to test.

The ZTE Nubia RedMagic 5S has an internal cooling fan, so let’s see if we can drive this phone harder! Continue reading “ZTE Nubia RedMagic 5S By the Benchmarks: Does GAMER Hardware Improve Performance?”

Chromecast with Google TV: The cure for dumb smart TV’s

I have a nice Samsung QLED TV. I was really excited to buy it. After using it for a couple years, I hate the smart features on this TV.

Let me backtrack for a second.

I want control.

Camera, computer, or TV, I want to control how I operate that item. I want to know what media I can use with it. I want to know what features will interact with my other networked hardware.

There can be NO gatekeepers between me, the hardware I use, and the media I pay for. Continue reading “Chromecast with Google TV: The cure for dumb smart TV’s”

LG Wing Review: The most fun I’ve had this year!

LG Wing review!

Yup. This phone is big. This phone is a little more fragile. This phone is expensive.

And this is the most fun I’ve had with a phone review in a while.

Crazy new hardware should change our behavior and offer real new features. I’m happy to see LG play with a radical new form factor and still consider useful new features!

Let’s have a chat about the most unique phone of the year! Continue reading “LG Wing Review: The most fun I’ve had this year!”

Azulle Access4 Review: A Full PC in the Palm of Your Hand!

What if you need a PC in the SMALLEST possible  shell? Azulle might have the right fit for you! The Access4 is TINY, but  it still covers the basics running Windows 10.

Let’s take a look! Continue reading “Azulle Access4 Review: A Full PC in the Palm of Your Hand!”