Category: review

Lenovo review Reviews Ultrabook Windows 10

Lenovo Yoga C930 review: Small changes make a big impact

sudshr47 December 15, 2018

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Lenovo Yoga C930
$1,399.99 (starting)
The Good

Stylus lives in an always-accessible slot • Latest Intel processors • Sleek design • Robust sound

The Bad

A little on the heavy side • Limited ports • No dedicated graphics card

The Bottom Line

The Lenovo Yoga C930 is a 2-in-1 laptop with better-than-expected sound and the power to perform basic tasks, streaming, and web browsing.

Mashable Score3.5
Cool Factor3.0
Learning Curve4.0
Performance4.0
Bang for the Buck3.0

Back in 2012, Lenovo’s IdeaPad Yoga 13 turned laptops upside-down. It introduced what the company called a “multi-mode” design that used a 360-degree hinge to connect the two pieces of a clamshell design. Read more…

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Amazon Android review Reviews Tablet

Amazon Fire HD 8 2018 review: Basic to the extreme, but hands-free Alexa is a nice bonus

sudshr47 December 12, 2018

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Amazon Fire HD 8
$79.99 (Starting)
The Good

Very affordable at $79.99 with special offers • Display is good enough for ‘consumption • ‘ with great color accuracy • Sound is surprisingly balanced • Front facing camera is good for video calls • Hands-free Alexa

The Bad

Processor is average but slow for heavy tasks and games • No access to the Google Play Store for apps • YouTube is not supported

The Bottom Line

At $80, the Fire HD 8 can be a cheap Echo Show replacement, or a basic Android tablet that works well for consuming media.

Mashable Score3.5
Cool Factor3.0
Learning Curve4.0
Performance3.0
Bang for the Buck4.0

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Dog Camera Dogs Furbo review Reviews

Furbo Dog Camera review: The best way to keep an eye on your dog from work

sudshr47 December 8, 2018

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Furbo Dog Camera
$249.99
The Good

Easy to use • Made of durable plastic • Bamboo lid tightly secures treats • Launching treats is fun!

The Bad

Can’t pan or move the camera • Expensive for a dog accessory

The Bottom Line

Although $249 is a lot to spend on a dog toy, we think it’s fun and useful enough to justify. Everyone enjoys launching treats from this device.

Mashable Score4.5
Cool Factor5.0
Learning Curve5.0
Performance4.0
Bang for the Buck4.0

We’ve all been there before: You’re about to leave for work, and the family dog follows you to the door, watching through the window as you enter your car and leave. But what if you could keep a watchful eye on your dog the entire day — even from your office? Read more…

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Bethesda Studios Entertainment Fallout 76 review

‘Fallout 76’ is good for one thing and one thing only

sudshr47 November 29, 2018

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Fallout 76 isn’t good for much, but it is giving gamers one more chance to learn a valuable lesson. Don’t pay for a product you do not want—particularly when you know you are paying for a product you do not want.

Let me be up front: I think this game is bad. The critical consensus, that 76 is a failed experiment with a mountain of unfixable problems, is one that I agree with in broad strokes. 

However, for the sake of productive discussion, I am not going to pile onto the bounty of criticism already out there. (If that’s what you’re looking for, I suggest the search terms “Fallout 76” and “sucks” and possibly “ass.”)  Read more…

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4k Amazon Mashable Choice review Reviews

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K review: The best streaming dongle, period

sudshr47 November 28, 2018

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Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
$49.99
The Good

Alexa remote supports Bluetooth and infrared (IR) control • Remote control has volume buttons for TV audio • Full 4K support including Dolby Vision • HDR • and HDR 10+

The Bad

A bit bulky for a streaming stick • No native YouTube application

The Bottom Line

Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K checks off almost every box that you’d want in a streaming dongle, plus you get its much-improved Alexa remote.

Mashable Score4.5
Cool Factor4.0
Learning Curve4.0
Performance5.0
Bang for the Buck5.0

Amazon’s Fire TV streaming devices have always had the same mission: Turn any TV into a smart one for cheap — and with Amazon services front and center. Read more…

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Gaming review Reviews Tamagotchi Tech

Original Tamagotchi review: The reboot of the ’90s classic is still addictive

sudshr47 November 17, 2018

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Original Tamagotchi
$19.99
The Good

Choose from either classic colors (Gen 1) or new colors (Gen 2) • Includes original addictive gameplay • Small size makes it super-portable

The Bad

Non-backlit display is antiquated • Battery isn’t rechargable

The Bottom Line

Other than some color updates, there isn’t much new to be had in the Gen 1 and Gen 2 Tamagotchis. But simplicity is the point: This is a fun, affordable pet-simulation toy that owners of the original will find irresistible.

Mashable Score4.0
Cool Factor4.0
Learning Curve4.0
Performance3.0
Bang for the Buck5.0

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Docuseries Dogs Entertainment Netflix review

Netflix’s ‘Dogs’ is so much more than another funny pet video

sudshr47 November 16, 2018

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Don’t get me wrong: I love a good funny pet compilation. (That’s practically the only thing YouTube’s “play next” algorithm suggests for me anymore.) But, in the best ways imaginable, Netflix’s Dogs is so much more than just another cute clip.

Executive produced by Amy Berg and Glen Zipper, this six-part anthology series documents the lives of numerous furry subjects, as well as those of the people who surround and care for them. 

“What really intrigued us was the opportunity to tell the story of the bond between human beings and dogs,” Zipper said of the project. “When you’re telling the story through that lens, it offers an opportunity to introduce us to so many different types of journeys, so many different types of characters and challenges, all with stakes that ultimately need to be paid off in one way or the other.”  Read more…

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cam Feminism Horror Netflix review

‘CAM’ is the feminist nightmare fuel your next girls’ night requires

sudshr47 November 16, 2018

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This is a spoiler-free review of Netflix’s CAM. 

Time to crack open the sparkling wine, pull on some comfy sweats, and fear for your safety in a male-dominated world. It’s ladies night—and we need to talk about Netflix’s CAM. 

Set in the cyber space of virtual sex work, CAM chronicles the nightmarish ordeal of Alice, an internet model or “cam girl,” who one day logs on to discover she has been replaced by a mysterious doppelgänger. As her many fans obsess over the menacing substitute, Alice fights to regain control of her image, freedom, and physical safety. 

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Horror J.J. Abrams Nazis review Zombies

‘Overlord’ is the revolting, breakneck Nazi zombie movie you just gotta see

sudshr47 November 9, 2018

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This is a spoiler-free review of Overlord.

Assuming The Grinch doesn’t go very differently than I thought, Overlord is the only movie in theaters this weekend that will have you crying over the death of a character and then rooting for that character to die a second time in 60 seconds flat.

The J.J. Abrams produced WWII horror/action flick, originally rumored to be an addition to the Cloverfield series, doesn’t exactly bring a new concept to the table. Nazi zombies (or zombie Nazis, depending on your regional dialect) have been around for a while.

Overlord takes that tried-and-true concept and turns it up to eleven—raising the undead Third Reich to once again terrorize victims, but this time with a unique flair all its own.  Read more…

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review Reviews Samsung smartthings Wifi

Samsung SmartThings Wifi review: A fast, all-in-one networking solution

sudshr47 November 1, 2018

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Samsung SmartThings Wifi
$279.99 (three pack)
The Good

Sleek and clean node design • Plume’s adaptive technology is included • Easy to set up

The Bad

Maxes out at 866Mbps for download and upload • No advanced network controls

The Bottom Line

Samsung’s SmartThings Wifi is an easy way to put a mesh WiFi network in your home, and its built-in smart home connectivity gives you more value for the $279.99 price.

Mashable Score4.0
Cool Factor3.0
Learning Curve5.0
Performance4.0
Bang for the Buck4.0

Mesh Wi-Fi routers aim to improve on traditional routers by creating a network of nodes that covers your whole home. Samsung, with its SmartThings Wifi system (that’s the way they spell it), takes the idea a step further by also having the router serve as a smart home hub. Read more…

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Amazon Amazon Alexa Amazon Echo review Reviews

Amazon’s second-gen Echo Show is a huge step up from the original

sudshr47 October 8, 2018

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Amazon Echo Show (2nd Gen)
$229.99
The Good

Sleeker design • Larger • vibrant display • Clear room-filling audio • Skills that take advantage of screen work great • Really nice entertainment options • Easy setup

The Bad

Video quality isn’t the best • Many skills underutilize the screen • Lousy camera

The Bottom Line

Amazon’s second-generation Echo Show has a larger screen, booming audio, and fast performance, making the $229 price worthwhile.

Mashable Score4.0
Cool Factor4.0
Learning Curve5.0
Performance4.0
Bang for the Buck3.0

The larger display and sleeker design on the second-generation Amazon Echo Show make a world of a difference over the previous version. That’s good news since, as Echo devices go, the Show isn’t cheap. Not only that, but it essentially serves as Amazon’s reference design of how screens should work with on Alexa-enabled products. Read more…

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