marcoscu

LETOUR Solar Camping Light Review https://youtu.be/RsS5YEI0NtQ More Info and Purchase: https://tinyurl.com/yrttx3b6 Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: This new remote controlled combined solar powered camping lamp and power bank from LETOUR is simple but versatile with a good long running time coupled with an unusual design and multiple features. In the box, you get the lamp, remote control, and a USB charging cable. No user guide is included and none is needed. The build quality of the plastic bodied lamp is lightweight but it’s IP45 water and dust resistant and seems well made and built to last. The 16 x 10 cm, 264g lamp has a solar panel on the top with above it the flexible plastic hanging hook which is adjustable and can be folded into the body of the lamp when not needed. Below the panel is a small recessed grommet protected bay housing the micro-USB power in port and the USB A output port. Next to it is the 4 LED battery status light and below it the single operating button. Short press the button to scroll through the lighting modes - three brightness levels plus fast and slow SOS patterns. The 42 LED 2000 lumens lamp is rechargeable with a 6-hour charge of the 2200mAh battery giving up to 8 hours of light depending on the lighting mode used. The lamp can also be used as an emergency power bank by connecting your phone or other rechargeable device to the USB-A port. A fully charged battery should allow you to charge a mid range phone or top up a power hungry high end device. Power bank charging speeds are not fast but it will get the job done in the end. The credit card sized remote control is lightweight but is non generic and designed for this unit with buttons for On, Off, SOS, and each brightness level. It works well, gets the job done, and will save having to traverse the campsite at night to control the lamp. The light is IP45 waterproof, can be safely used outside and should be fine in normal levels of rain but in the event of a downpour bring it inside to be on the safe side. Using the hanging hook it should be good for in tent use with the remote control allowing it to be easily controlled when in your sleeping bag. Priced at just £8.39 before discounts, this would be a pretty good buy as a camping, travel or emergency light and power bank. The Good Light Weight Compact Size 5 Lighting Modes Remote Control USB-C Charging The Bad Dated Micro USB Port Music: YouTube Audio Library: Time Slips By - Go By Ocean _ Ryan McCaffrey

XREXS 16.5 Inch Digital Wall Clock Review https://youtu.be/4aa7-Bn6XeY More Info and Purchase: https://tinyurl.com/yo93x72s Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: This is a large, remote controlled, mains powered wall clock with a big bright display, 16.5 inches across it also works as a timer, a thermometer, and as an alarm clock with three alarm modes and a range of loud, annoying but very effective alert tones. The clock is available in five display colours and five sizes. Mine is the Large sized Ice Blue display model. In the attractive box, you get the clock itself, a power cable with a standard UK plug, a full sized remote control, and a well written and easy to read user guide. The clock is all plastic but the build quality and design both seem fine to me. The 41.91 x 14.47 x 2.48 cm, 0.88 kg clock is nice and simple to use with a large, bright, clear LED front panel display, 4.84 inch high digits, and a range of big clicky buttons on the back to set the time, alarm times and 4-stage brightness. The clock has two AAA backup batteries preinstalled but is powered through the port behind the rear flap and features a useful post to wrap the excess battery cable around. The batteries are to preserve data only and cannot power the display. It comes with a well printed and easy to read user guide and a good length power cable with a hard wired UK plug. The clock has three basic operating modes: clock, alarm clock and timer. The timers can be operated separately and can count up or down, as required. The maximum timer length is 29 hr 59 min 59 sec with a 90 second ending alert. The alert sound for the three mode alarm clock and timer can be selected from the range of sounds available, including music, beep alerts and nature sounds. A five minute snooze feature is available for heavy sleepers in all alarm clock modes. The clock features auto brightness dimming as well as manual brightness control and this along with other features such as 12/24 hour formats, and C/F selectable temperature mode, can be set on the rear panel or using the full sized remote control. Using the remote control you can fully control the clock even when it is mounted up on the wall. So this is a big in your face clock that’s got loads of functions and is simple and easy to use. I think it is a pretty good buy for the pre-discount Amazon price of £33.99. The Good Remote Control Bright display Auto/Manual Dimming Easy to configure 3 Alarms 25 Alarm Tones Good Audio Quality Good User Guide The Bad No Smart Control No Battery Power Option Music: YouTube Audio Library: Too Late Now - Go By Ocean _ Ryan McCaffrey

JJC TP-S1 Sony Camera Shooting Grip Review https://youtu.be/fSdl6qPIBDM More Info and Purchase: https://tinyurl.com/yudr9p7q Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: Having just bought a Sony ZV-E10 camera, I was tempted by the official Sony GP-VPT2BT but changed my mind when I saw the £144 price tag. I looked around for alternatives and there were several but this one was the cheapest but for just £44 could it be any good? This handgrip works with the following cameras: Sony ZV-1, ZV-1 II, ZV-E1, ZV-E10, ZV-1F, a6100 a6400 a6600 a6700, a1, a7 III, a7 IV, a7C, A7C II, A7C R, a7S III, a7R III, a7R IV, a7R V, a7R4A, a7R3A, a9, a9 II, a9 III, FX3, FX30, DSC-RX0 II, DSC-RX100 VII. The packaging and presentation are rather low end and in the box, you receive the Grip, CR202 battery, wrist strap, and a user guide. The box and Amazon listing says the device is the TP-S1 but for some reason, the user guide calls it the BTR-S1. The build quality is OK but lacks the premium feel of a high end device, but that is perhaps to be expected for the price. The 46 x 193 x 40 mm grip attaches to the tripod mount on the underside of the camera with a thumbwheel giving a secure tight fit. The grip opens up to form a non-extendable mini tripod with a detachable Bluetooth LE remote control built into one leg. The tripod is stable enough with the ZV-E10 kit lens fitted but less so when a longer or heavier lens is installed. Press the large button on the hinge below the thumbwheel to allow the camera to tilt 180° front or back. Press the rectangular button on the rear of the grip just above the tripod legs to rotate the head a full 360°. The head tilt and pan operation is smooth, slick and easy to use. The remote control is powered by a CR2032 watch style battery which should last a good length of time although I would have rather had a rechargeable battery. The proper clicky buttons on the remote are well laid out and easy to find by touch or eye. On the front face are buttons for focus/zoom, with below a large button to start/stop video or stills image taking (lightly press to obtain focus, fully press to take an image). Below these are buttons mirroring the camera's Autofocus and C1 buttons, the function of both buttons can be defined in the camera settings. On the top left of the front face is a handy status LED. On one side of the remote is a lock/unlock switch to prevent accidental operation and on the other side turret switches to select movie/stills mode and zoom/focus operation. The selection made will determine the way the main and top two buttons operate. I have to say it all works well enough. I have had no Bluetooth issues and all the buttons work reliably every time. I like the way that the remote control is detachable and the LED confirms the Bluetooth connection. On the negative side, I have to say I do not like the cheap feel of this unit, although this does not affect the way it works. Some users have reported that the legs do not fully close to form the handpiece of the grip, but I have to say my one seems OK. On balance, I am very happy with my purchase with the only drawbacks being the cheap feel and poor presentation of the product. Music: YouTube Audio Library: Unicorn Heads: Town_of_24_Bars

XREXS Electronic Whistle Alarm Review https://youtu.be/nKIn7ufh_UU More Info and Purchase: https://tinyurl.com/26qzqny4 Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: This is an electronic noise alarm which offers a choice of three electronic alert sounds, all very loud and impossible to ignore. The design is sports orientated with a lanyard attached to allow it to be hung around the neck when not in use. It would be perfect for a referee, teacher, or anyone needing to gain attention in an outdoor space very quickly. In the box, you receive the alarm itself with a lanyard string attached, 4 CR2032 batteries (installed), a tiny reset pin, a carry bag and a short and rather unnecessary user guide. Build quality is lightweight but acceptable for the £11.69 pre-discount price, The alarm is 5.35 inches long by 1.54 inches across and although quite lightweight at around 75g, it sits nicely in the hand and feels quite substantial. On the front is the speaker opening, on the top is the alert sound On/Off button, on the side is a small turret switch to select power on and three alert sound options. The alert tones vary from a shrill screech to an electronic burble but all are very loud and impossible to ignore and almost painful to the ear when used indoors or at close range. In fact it can get as loud as 125dB +/-5dB., which is VERY loud. This is an excellent device and useful to teachers and referees everywhere. My only criticism is the use of watch button CR2032 batteries, the device is large enough to accommodate the more powerful and easier to find AAA style, or better still, a built-in rechargeable. That said, for the price, this is an excellent buy and with it, your days of being bored are behind you. Music: YouTube Audio Library: Clover 3 - Vibe Mountain

JYJZPB NP-FW50 Battery Charger Set Review https://youtu.be/SGEFBudEcnc More Info and Purchase: https://tinyurl.com/2y48p7yq Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: https://marcoscucom.wordpress.com/2024/04/20/jyjzpb-sony-zv-e10-battery-charger-set/ Having recently bought a Sony ZV-E10 camera, although otherwise delighted with it, I have been less than impressed by the battery life, and so additional batteries needed to be obtained. original Sony NP-FW50 are fearsomely expensive but there is a wide choice of alternatives out there. This set comprising a charger and two batteries seemed a pretty good buy. I should say that the identical product is available under a range of brand names from AliExpress for £10 less than the Amazon price of £35.99 but the longer shipping time and possible problems with returning it made me select Amazon despite the higher price. As well as my Sony ZV-E10 it also supports batteries compatible for Sony Alpha A6000 A6400 A6500 A6300 A6100 ZV-E10 A7 A7II A7RII A7SII A7S A7S2 A7R A7R2 A5100. In the box I received the charger, two batteries, and a USB-C charging cable, no user guide or product specifications were included, which was a pity. The build quality seems fine, although the 35.6 x 38.1 x 9.4 cm case was lighter in weight than I was expecting at just 280g. The case seems well made and attractively designed with the two batteries clicking into custom slots to charge and for storage and once in place they will not fall out or work loose. In the lid is a metal storage bay capable of holding two full sized SD cards, there is something is something of a learning curve in mastering the art of opening the bay, but once clicked shut, the cards are not going to fall out. On the front of the case are four LEDs, to show which batteries are currently either charging or being used to charge an external device. On the side are USB-C and Micro-USB power in ports and a single USB A power out port. Looking at the two batteries, branded JYJZPB and rated at 7.4V 1300mAh, they seem functionality identical to the Sony originals and for me at least work just as well. Charging is simple and obvious, Just insert one or both batteries and they will begin charging as soon as the unit is connected to a USB power source. It takes about two hours to fully charge one or both batteries from flat. The LEDs on the case will glow red to show which batteries are being charged, but there is no indication of the current charge held. The Amazon listing shows the device working as a power bank charging an external device and I assumed that the unit had an internal battery for that purpose and to charge the camera batteries. No, the unit uses the camera batteries as the power source with blue status LEDs showing which of the two batteries are being used and with a maximum output of 10w. Take note that the device supports Android only and cannot be used to charge iPhones. So there it is. This is a neat and well designed device that will charge and store your camera batteries and house your spare SD cards. It works well and gets the job done for a price that will not break the bank. Music: YouTube Audio Library: Last Train to Mars - Dan Lebowitz

Aptkdoe BK01 Wireless Earbuds Review https://youtu.be/c7x_jHWRVh4 More Info and Purchase: https://tinyurl.com/2a34my5r Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: It is has been a while since I reviewed a bad set of earbuds and I am not going to start today. Technology has moved on and gone are the days of drop outs, thin sound and flimsy construction. This one is no exception and is a perfectly good if rather unexciting new entry into a very busy marketplace. The main difference between this an the last almost identical headset I reviewed from Aptkdoe is the increased battery size and music play time available. All the latest boxes are ticked – Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C charging, IP7 water resistant. This set in addition is robust, well made and unlike many of the rivals fairly easy to remove from the magnetic case. In the box, you receive the wireless earbuds, charging case, charging cable, spare gels and a well printed and easy to read User Guide. Despite the light weight, everything has a quality feel to it but without the flimsiness of some rivals. I am not usually a fan of the AirPod style stem design but it usually does make for superior sound quality, more secure fitting and easier handlinmg.This new headset is compact in size, both the buds and case, with a glossy black finish that is otherwise similar in design to the many rivals out there. There was a time when you had to pay plenty to get decent quality True Wireless Earbuds but the introduction of Bluetooth 5.0 seems to have changed all that. Before Bluetooth 5.0 all but the most expensive TW earbuds would continually drop out, crackle, pop and generally prove more trouble than they were worth. The earbuds use the very latest Bluetooth 5.3 technology which is supported by the latest high-end smartphones but of course, they will also work with older Bluetooth devices. Bluetooth 5 adds a longer range of up to 15m and greatly improves both the stability of the wireless connection and battery life. First time pairing could not be simpler and took just a few seconds. Simply remove the two buds from the case and pair them in the usual way to your phone looking for the name ‘BK01’. Subsequently, taking the buds from the case powers them on, and they connect to each other and to the phone automatically, returning them to the case turns them off and begins charging. You should get at least 8 hours of music time from each 90 minute bud charge and up to 48 hours in total from a fully charged case, which also takes just 90 minutes to charge. There is a small but useful LED display on the case that shows you both the case and bud charging status. These stem format buds are easy to remove from the magnetic case and holding them by the stem prevents accidental button presses, for me a major selling point. The buds are small, neat and comfortable to wear even up to the full 8 hours of music per charge. Sound quality is excellent for a TW headset with a very decent level of bass together with clean mid-tones and a sibilance free high end. Calls were clear to hear and easy to make, perhaps due to onboard ENC mic noise reduction. I found call quality to be fine at each end of the conversation with no dropouts or excessive background noise. Each bud has a single soft touch button on it which can be used to end/reject calls, play/pause music, navigate tracks, alter volume and invoke your phone’s voice assistant. The buds can be used as a stereo pair but can also operate individually. The buds are IPX7 water resistant rating and should be fine in the rain or at the beach but not for swimming. Currently available for £19.99 before discounts, they are incredibly well priced for the technology available, indeed this headset compares very well with the high-end rivals I have tried as regards sound quality and features. If you want a pair of good quality, good sounding true wireless earbuds at a budget price then I doubt you would find much better than these. The Good Lightweight Comfortable Good Audio Quality Good Build Quality Auto On/Off Bluetooth 5.3 Magnetic Case IP7 Waterproof The Bad No Dual Device Pairing Music: YouTube Audio Library: Too Late Now - Go By Ocean _ Ryan McCaffrey

ULBTER Sony ZV-E10 Screen Protector Set Review https://youtu.be/RH5wCXpRek8 More Info and Purchase: https://tinyurl.com/26v943ul Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: I have to say that this screen protection kit for the Sony ZV-E10 camera is a cut above the rest and I think a real bargain for just £7.49 In the box, you get 3 hardened glass screen protectors, 3 wet cleaning papers, 3 dry cleaning papers, 3 dust removers, 2 hotshoe spirit levels, a user guide and a useful storage box. Applying the screen protector, which is glass and not just a transparent film, is easy enough. Firstly, clean the screen using one of the tiny wet papers, then remove any moisture using one of the dry papers, next use the dust removing sticky pad to take care of anything not already removed. Finally, remove the label and protective skin from one of the glass screen protectors and carefully press it sticky side down on the monitor screen of the Sony ZV-E10 camera. Press down carefully and push any bubbles to the edge and off the screen. This works well and should any tiny bubbles remain they will not be visible when the screen is active. Also included in the kit are two spirit levels designed to fit into a camera cold show mount. The spirit levels are made of rubberised plastic and fit smoothly but firmly into the cold shoe mount and once in place will not fall out accidentally. The spirit levels have a central marked circle, centre the bubble within the circle to achieve a true level. Frankly, I would be happy to pay the purchase price for the spirit levels alone as they are of decent quality, work well, and are not the cheap and nasty items I was expecting. Finally, the whole set is presented in a useful heavy duty plastic storage case which will be needed to store the unused items. I am not sure why three screen protectors and two spirit levels were included. The screen protector is not hard to fit and once installed should last a long time, if not the full active life of the camera. Most cameras have only one hot/cold shoe mount and this is often used by lighting or other devices, so many if not most users will probably not need even one spirit level. I have to say that as my camera is installed in a protective cage, which has two cold shoe mounts in addition to that on the camera, having the two spirit levels is good. Once installed you soon forget it is there. The screen display is just as bright as before, the touch screen capabilities are not impared and the Oleophobic Layer of the protector keeps fingerprints to a minimum. The tempered glass gives a good layer of protection to the camera monitor screen and should disaster strike, then you have two spare protectors in the box. The screen can rotate fully as before and remains flush to the body of the camera when folded back. If you have a Sony ZV-E10 camera this kit would be a good buy even if it came with just a single protective screen. Three screens and two spirit levels may well be overkill, but it does make it a bargain indeed. Music: YouTube Audio Library: Lazy Laura - Quincas Moreira

Lexenic 24oz Vacuum Insulated Cocktail Shaker Review https://youtu.be/lkQDwSsuT5A More Info and Purchase: https://tinyurl.com/yrzcnvm4 Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: https://marcoscucom.wordpress.com/2024/03/12/lexenic-24oz-vacuum-insulated-cocktail-shaker/ This new Cobbler style cocktail or martini shaker set from Lexenic consists of a 24 oz tumbler with measuring cap and internal strainer, a two-sided measuring jigger (1.0 oz & 0.5 oz) and an attractive fluted long-handled stirring spoon with end tamper. The set is supplied in a well designed branded presentation box, which has a distinctly upmarket feel to it and adds to the appeal of the set as a gift. The cocktail mixer set is entirely made from high gloss food grade 304 18/8 Stainless Steel and has a robust and well made feel to it. Nothing looks likely to scratch, mark, break or bend anytime soon. Good quality food grade steel is important as the metal has a crucial role in both dissipating the heat and mixing the drink. Unlike many cheaper and lesser rivals, this one has a vacuum-insulated, double-walled construction and although it does mute the satisfying rattling of ice cubes while shaking, it keeps your drink cold without freezing your hands. Inside the cap are easy to read marks for 1 to 6 oz measures with a built-in filter on the end cap to keep solids out. Using it, of course, is up to you. It can be used with the supplied steel strainer which gives a smooth pour at 45 degrees while holding back ice solids or Boston style with a mixing glass. Either way, the results will be delicious. This is a nice product, well made and easy to use and I hope that soon a deluxe version will be made available with perhaps a recipe or cocktail preparation guide. If you are keen to have a try at mixing your own fancy cocktails, this would be a great way to start. It is not cheap at £44.98 but there are many more expensive rivals out there and in any case, some things are worth paying for. More Info and Purchase Music: YouTube Audio Library: Jane Street - TrackTribe

TOFLANTUR Football Shin Pads Review https://youtu.be/KIx3lkmTysU More Info and Purchase: https://tinyurl.com/25anvc6h Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: When I was at school the sports shin pads we had - when we bothered to use them - were heavy and bulky, never fitted very well and soon woked free from the socks during the heat of the game. That has all changed now and these new shin pads are far lighter, easier to wear and use and can be custom fitted to the leg of the owner. In the box, you receive a pair of 153 x 100 x 5mm 35g shin pads, two EVA foam pads, a storage bag and a simple but well written user guide. The build quality and presentation are both fine and have the feel of a quality product, well designed with some thought behind it. For best results, the pads have to be customised and preformed before fitting. This can be done in two ways. Firstly you can remove the pads from their plastic packing and place them in an oven preheated to 100°C for two minutes and then press the pad firmly against the shin for around three minutes until it hardens and takes the shape of the leg. The second way, which I think is easier, is to place the pad still in its plastic bag into a tray of boiling water for just five seconds and then press it against the leg in the way described above. If you don't get it right the first time then just reheat the pads and try again. You can then attach the supplied self-adhesive anti-slip EVA foam pads to the inside of the shin guards for additional protection. When this has been done you can use scissors to trim the pad to the exact size you need. Once completed the pads will be moulded precisely to your leg and this plus the non-slip surface of should ensure the shin pads will not work loose during play. The shin pad itself is tough and rigid enough to give protection against direct blows from boots, hockey sticks or hard objects and the rear pads are soft enough to reduce the force of any blows or impacts. Priced at just £8.99 before discounts per pair these pads should be a must for any sporting youngster. Music: YouTube Audio Library: Look Both Ways - Nathan Moore

Aptkdoe HD65 Wireless Earbuds Review https://youtu.be/yHCpCfPUU8U More Info and Purchase: https://tinyurl.com/25laqhfz Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: https://marcoscucom.wordpress.com/2024/03/09/aptkdoe-hd65-wireless-earbuds/ I am not usually too much of a fan of ear clip design earbuds but it usually does make for superior sound quality as well as a more secure fitting and this is the case here too. This headset is larger in size, both the buds and case, than the in-ear rivals but the larger case and buds are more difficult to lose and fitting them into the case is easier. There was a time when you had to pay plenty to get decent quality True Wireless Earbuds but the introduction of Bluetooth 5.0 seems to have changed all that. Before Bluetooth 5.0 all but the most expensive TW earbuds would continually drop out, crackle, pop and generally prove more trouble than they were worth. As technology develops each headset is better than the last and this new set which features the latest Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity and USB-C charging has some of the hardware on board. Aside from Bluetooth 5.3 this headset also boasts IPX7 water resistance, ENC microphone noise reduction, USB-C charging as well an active case design new to me. In fact, this is certainly one of the most technically advanced sporting headsets I have tried yet. But is it any good? In the box were the clip-on earbuds together with a short USB-C charging cable, three pairs of gels (one fitted), a slightly larger than normal charging case, and a well written and easy to read User Guide. The case is lighter in weight than you might expect but everything has a quality look and feel to it. The earbuds use the latest Bluetooth 5.3 technology which is supported by the latest high end smartphones but of course, they will also work with older Bluetooth devices. Bluetooth 5 adds a longer range, reduces latency and greatly improves both the stability of the wireless connection and battery life. First time pairing could not be simpler and took just a few seconds. Simply remove both buds from the case and pair in the usual way to your phone looking for the device name HD65. Subsequently, taking the buds from the case powers them on, and they connect to each other and the phone automatically, returning them to the case turns them off and begins charging. Auto-on and pairing starts when the buds are removed from the case giving a slightly faster connection time with a voice alert confirming connection. The buds can be used together as a pair or individually. If no device is connected the buds will power down after about five minutes. The 480 mAh Lithium Polymer case battery can recharge the buds around 4 times, giving a total of around 60 hours of music. A full charge will give around 15 hours of playtime from each bud, with one hour from a ten minute charge. There are LEDs on both the buds and case to show charging and connection status with the buds charging automatically when placed into the case. The case features an unusual design with the LEDs showing the charging status of the case and each bud visible through the transparent lid. The clip-on over ear format buds are easy to remove from the magnetic case and in use holding the flexible ear hook prevents accidental button presses, for me a major selling point. The buds are neat and comfortable to wear and are far more secure than in-ear rivals. Sound quality is excellent for a sports headset with a very decent level of bass together with clean mid-tones and a sibilance free high end. Calls were clear to hear and easy to make. I found call quality to be fine at each end of the conversation with no dropouts or excessive background noise. Each bud has a single multi-function soft touch button which can be used to end/reject calls, play/pause music, navigate tracks, alter volume and invoke your phone’s voice assistant. This works well and is easy to use. The buds are IPX7 water resistant rating and should be fine in the rain or at the beach but not for swimming. Currently available for £24.99 before discounts, they are well priced for the technology available, indeed this headset compares very well with the high-end rivals I have tried as regards sound quality and features. You would need to go a long way to find a better sporting wireless for anywhere near this price. The Good Lightweight Comfortable Good Audio Quality Good Build Quality Auto On/Off Bluetooth 5.3 Magnetic Case IPX 7 Waterproof The Bad No Apt-X Codec Music: YouTube Audio Library:Too Late Now - Go By Ocean _ Ryan McCaffrey

NEEWER Sony ZV-E10 Camera Cage Review https://youtu.be/qqWoru6uswM More Info and Purchase: http://tinyurl.com/28vcyx9j Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: Having just bought a Sony ZV-E10 camera, as I do with every device I get, I looked around for the best accessories for it. The most important I think is a camera cage, both to protect the camera from impact damage and also to allow easy mounting of additional accessories without putting strain on the rather lightweight camera body. There are plenty of cages available, all very similar and priced between £35 and £60 with this one from Neewer coming in at £44 before discounts. I selected it in part due to the good reviews and also because I already use camera and video equipment from Neewer and have always been very happy with it. In the box, you get the cage itself together with a small double-sided sticky pad, a magnetic fitting tool preinstalled to the cage, and a poorly printed and very short user guide. The build quality of the cage is first rate and it has the look and feel of a professional piece of camera kit. The cage attaches to the camera body using the tripod screw mount in the camera base and a small angled screw on the side, be careful not to tighten it too much to protect the camera body, and it may well be that the small pad included is to give additional protection. A double-ended mounting tool is provided for both screws and is held magnetically inside the cage when not needed. The cage surrounds the camera body and features multiple Arri compatible mounting holes of ¼ and ⅜ inches, a cold shoe mount, and an expanded hot shoe area to allow unobstructed access for Sony ECM-W2BT Microphone, HVL-F32M Flash, and other accessories. The Arca style baseplate is compatible with DJI RS 2 RSC 2 RS 3 RS 3 Pro gimbals as well as a wide variety of tripod quick release heads. The non removeable silicone hand grip adds greatly to the usability and security of the ZV-E10 camera, which is not noted for its heavy duty construction. A range of top and side handles, lighting, rails and other bits and pieces are available from Neewer, Smallrig and others and will attach directly to the cage. I have been using it now for several days and have found no issues with it so far. The build quality is good and all is as I would like it to be. I can fit my Field Monitor on top and my wireless mic receiver to the side coldshoe mount without obstructing access to the microphone, SD card or battery. The camera's monitoring screen and fold and rotate freely too when the cage is in place. I am happy with it and regard this as a good buy although not necessarily a better one than any of the many rivals. Music: YouTube Audio Library: Lazy Laura - Quincas Moreira

Milifox Garden Plant Dibber Review https://youtu.be/GgUZNiVC_L8 More Info and Purchase: http://tinyurl.com/25v3ltnw Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: https://marcoscucom.wordpress.com/2024/02/29/milifox-plant-dibber/ So what does a dibber do? A dibber is a handy tool to use when planting seeds, seedlings, and small bulbs. It is a long pointed stick that pokes holes in the soil to create space for growing these plants. There are several different types of dibbers, long ones, short ones, miniature ones, round ended ones and sharp pointed ones like this new model from Millfox. The dibber, which arrived well padded and simply presented is 27.5 cm long including a 12.6 cm metal tip with an 11 cm wooden handle and a shaft 3 cm across at its widest point. The tool is lighter in weight than I was expecting at just 140g but feels well made and robust with a stainless steel tip and a generic wood handle and shaft. Unlike with some lesser rivals, here the metal tip is screwed in place rather than glued. A garden dibber can make a big difference to the success of your plants. It helps you create evenly-spaced holes and ensures that your seeds are planted at the right depth. Pointed dibbers like this one go deep and can create an air pocket at the base of your seedling plug. In loose soils, this isn’t an issue, but be sure to add some soil (or compost) in the hole to fill any possible air pockets before adding your seedlings. Planting seedling plugs with a dibber is nice and quick – press and twist the dibber, pop the seedling in and you’re done. When transplanting seedlings, don’t worry if your holes are too deep – most young seedlings can be buried deeper than soil level. If you need a decent quality dibber for your garden for the Amazon price of just £6.99, this has to be a good buy. Music: YouTube Audio Library: Lawrence - TrackTribe

AliExpress Reusable Dolce Gusto Coffee Pod Review https://youtu.be/4_xvAQSgrD8 More Info and Purchase: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32960367041.html Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: https://marcoscucom.wordpress.com/2024/03/15/aliexpresss-reusable-dolce-gusto-coffee-capsule/ Although they may not be for coffee aficionados, Dulce Gusto and the many rival coffee capsule systems, do have an appeal, as they are quick and easy to use and can give very enjoyable drinks, often of more arcane coffee brews that would otherwise require high end coffee machines and a certain level of skill to produce. The big drawback is that the coffee pods or capsules are expensive, cannot be reused and are environmentally unfriendly. Reusable coffee capsules can be obtained but they too can be expensive. However, on AliExpress and other Chinese online stores, they can be found at a more reasonable price. On AliExpress there are many reusable capsule packages available, so hunt around to find the cheapest and most suitable for you. Take note that not all Dolce Gusto type capsules will work in every Dulce Gusto machine, so check the listing for compatibility. The one I selected was available in a range of options from just a single pod to multiple pods with metal tampers and other add-ons. I went for the cheapest option of a single pod which arrived in a branded box together with a tiny brush and plastic coffee measuring spoon and cost me just £5.38 with free shipping. Delivery from China took about two weeks. Build quality seems OK. The capsule body is made from metal and seems pretty robust, the lid is of a quite thick silicone with the brush and spoon of low-grade plastic. The capsule has a very fine mesh bottom and a rubber or silicone outlet below it. The lid has a precut hole to allow the needle jet of the Dolce Gusto machine to enter and inject hot water into the coffee grounds in the capsule. Operation is not a simple business and some time has to be spent determining how much coffee to put in the pod and what setting to use on the machine. There is no hard and fast rule about this and the only way is by trial and error. Grind your coffee to a medium level, then add it to the capsule and tamp it down well. Then fit the lid to the capsule and ensure a tight seal is made. Next - and this is the tricky bit - align the hole in the silicone lid to the needle jet of the coffee machine. Take care with this as getting it wrong may damage both the silicone lid and the coffee machine itself. It does get easier and faster with experience. The first few cups I made with it were pretty dire but after a while the coffee got better - or I got used to it - and it may well be that over time a decent cup can be had from it. But the time and effort of filling the pod, tamping it down and carefully inserting it into the machine does rather detract from the ease and speed of the pod system. The price is good and if you have the time and patience then this may well be a cheaper way of using your Dolce Gusto machine. Music: YouTube Audio Library: Woodshedder - Quincas Moreira

AliExpress JBL Tune 760NC Bluetooth Headphones Review https://youtu.be/qdhKN_LqZag More Info and Purchase: https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-760NC-.html?spm=a2g0o.best.search.0 Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: I have reviewed quite a few AliExpress items now, some have been good, others not, and some outright scams. I am not quite sure which category this one fits into. The JBL Tune 760NC headset retails for just under £70 on Amazon but it is widely available from a range of suppliers on AliExpress and can be bought for as little as £20, so it must be a scam, right? Inside the attractive and well-designed display box, which seems in every respect to me to be identical to the JBL original, was the headset itself, a very short bright orange USB-C Charging Cable, audio cable, a concertina style Quick Start Guide and large and dense book of legal disclaimers and bumf. The User Guide is easy to read although not very informative. All the specifications I list here are taken from the enclosed user guide and may or may not be accurate. The on-ear style headphones feel very lightweight and not particularly well made or robust. The headset looks good with an attractive black silk finish to the body and what looks like PU leather for the headband and earcups. The padding is good but not luxurious with the cups bearing a a large and prominent L and R inside the cups. The all plastic headband can be extended an inch or so and the cups themselves can be rotated and positioned pretty much any way you want. I found the headset to be rather a tight fit and not very comfortable, although the light weight did reduce the strain. The right cup has all the electronics and along the edge of the cup are buttons for Power On/Off, ANC On/Off, vol/track Up and Down, and Play/Pause/Call Answer/Reject/ Personal Assistant. There is also a standard 3.5mm audio cable port for the headset to be used in wired mode. The buttons are all flush, black and hard to identify by sight or by touch. Red/Blue/white LEDs are present for Bluetooth and ANC status alerts and charging confirmation, in addition to audio alerts. The Active Noise Cancellation, as with all such headsets is better described as Active Noise Reduction, does actually work and quite effectively for sustained low pitch rumbles – traffic, road roar, engines, – rather than for sudden high-pitched noises but in general it works well and makes a noticeable difference. The headset can also be used as normal earphones and an audio cable is provided for this purpose. Unlike with many other ANC headsets I have tried with this one there is little if any difference in the music quality with ANC on or off. Bluetooth Pairing, as with all Bluetooth 5 devices, was simple enough and achieved in the usual way by depressing the Multi-function/Power button for several seconds. The connection is indicated by the usual Red/Blue flashing LED. After pairing, subsequent connections to the same device are automatic and almost instantaneous. This headset can connect to two Bluetooth sources and to pair with the second headset, keep the headset turned on but switch off Bluetooth on the first device and pair manually to the second, when the first device is turned on again it will automatically pair to the headset. I have to say that I was not happy with the quality of the Bluetooth connection as it suffered from repeated dropouts when only three feet away from the source device. Battery life seems fine to me and I have no reason to doubt the claimed 35 hours of music time with Bluetooth and ANC ednabled and 50 hours with them off from a two hour charge. Time will tell how the battery fares in the long term. This headset is lacking a few features often found even on cheaper units these days. The is no FM radio, SD card slot or NFC pairing option. When I first tried the headset the bass was overwhelming and distorted but when I adjusted the EQ on my phone the sound quality became much better and tests connected to my Mac confirmed this. The bass is prominent but is clean, and smooth, mid tones are clear and detailed and very easy to listen to with high frequencies lacking in sibilance or shrillness. The sound quality of this headset is OK for the £20 price but I am glad I did not pay the £70 price of a real JBL. I have never used a genuine JBL Tune 760NC so cannot do a side-by-side test. The packaging of the headset here is excellent and seems genuine to me but the lightweight build quality, rather average sound quality and poor Bluetooth connection make me doubt the claims of it being genuine. Also, when pairing the headset name is displayed as TUNE760NC whereas I am informed the genuine article shows up as JBL TUNE760NC. As a sub £30 headset this is not a bad buy, the sound quality is OK and the ANC works quite well but to me, it lacks the quality feel and performance of a premium brand device. The Good Good Price Attractive Design Good Packaging Microphone Bluetooth 5.0 Good ANC The Bad No NFC No SD Card Slot No Radio Middling Audio Quality Poor Build Quality Music: YouTube Audio Library: Mulholland - King Canyon

Katsu 4” Mini Chainsaw D-04 Review https://youtu.be/g4sCmL5rV0I More Info and Purchase: https://tinyurl.com/yprekszn Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: https://marcoscucom.wordpress.com/2024/03/06/katsu-4-mini-chainsaw-d-04/ This little chainsaw is widely available on Amazon, AliExpress and other platforms in various packages and under a range of brand names, so hunt around to find the best for you. Since I already had several compatible batteries, I selected this body only model currently priced at £19.99 on Amazon. Similar models complete with batteries and spare chains are also out there In the box, I received the mini chainsaw itself, an adjustment wrench, a screwdriver, protective glasses and a user guide. This is a body only kit and of course, no batteries were included. It uses Makita LXT type 18/21v batteries and these are easily found online. Build quality seems fine. The body is made from robust industrial strength plastic with the chain made from stainless steel. This device looks to be built to near professional standards and capable of more than just garden use. It is reasonably heavy but too much so for sustained one-handed operation. The chain saw worked straight from the box for me but it is best to fully charge your batteries first. It is possible to adjust the fitting of the chain using the supplied wrench but I found no need for this as the prefitted chain worked perfectly. The User Guide goes into some length regarding fitting the chain and adjusting the device for best results, so take care not to lose it, but as I said the chain saw worked perfectly straight from the box for me. Operating the chainsaw is easy and straightforward. There is a locking switch just above the trigger which needs to be released before use, then just pushing on the trigger starts the device up. There is a hinged guard above the chain to reduce spillage and splatter. Above the blade is a single white LED to illuminate the cutting area when working in restricted light. The motor will immediately stop when the trigger is released so there is no danger of it running out of control. After use be sure to re-engage the lock and remove the battery. Take care when fitting the battery always to ensure the lock is selected and to keep fingers away from the trigger area, just in case. I use my saw with two batteries, and a two hour charge should allow for more or less continuous working with one charging as the other is in use. The status LED on the power adapter changes from red to green when the battery is fully charged. Although the chainsaw is best suited to small branches and tree limbs up to about two inches in diameter, it will cope with thicker and larger items when necessary. I was amazed at just how powerful it is We had been thinking of engaging a tree surgeon to take down some overgrown thick hedging but I am pretty sure the mini chainsaw can take care of it. Some reviewers have reported the motor can burn out and this may well be the case if it is used incorrectly. The motor is not large and is best used for no more than two or three minutes continuously and then allowing it to cool for a minute or so. Also, I am careful not to ask too much from it and do not attempt to saw logs clearly beyond its capabilities. That is the way I have used mine and I have seen no indications of overheating. So I have been very impressed by the chain saw which does all I want and need and more. Is it perfect? No, I would have been happy to pay a few pounds more for a robust carry case and a protective casing for the chain when not in use. Also, it would be good to have the locking button colour coded so it can be confirmed at a glance that t it is engaged. However, these are just niggling points that may well be addressed in the next version. I have the 4-inch version but for just a few pounds more a 6-inch chain version is available but I think for most small garden work the smaller version is more than adequate and for the price of less than £20 before discounts, it surely represents a rather good buy. The Good Great price Good Build Quality Powerful Saw Action Long Battery Life The Bad No Storage Chain Guard Lock Switch Not Colour Coded No Carry Case No Anti-Cut Gloves Music: YouTube Audio Library: Savior - Telecasted

AliExpress Red Light Therapy Mask Review https://youtu.be/_LIN2-q85vU More Info and Purchase: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005168963693.html Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: https://marcoscucom.wordpress.com/2024/03/03/aliexpress-red-light-therapy-mask/ I have ordered several AliExpress Red Light Therapy products over the last few months and I have to say that I have not been disappointed in them yet. There are a great many scams out there on AliExpress and similar Chinese marketing sites, so take care when ordering, but there are also many bargains to be had. Shop around the many AliExpress sellers to find the best price, often the same product is available under different names at a range of prices. Take note that delivery can often take several weeks. On the AliExpress product page, there are several options for this mask. I paid ￡95.97 for the most expensive option which included the neck panel and related fastenings, the basic model with just the face mask currently sells for just￡57.19. In the box, I received the face mask, neck panel, battery/control box, 2 eye protectors, mounting straps, USB-C charging cable, storage bag, and a user guide. I have to say the build quality seems first class, the mask and neck panel are both made from heavy duty silicone and seem built to last. The control panel/battery has a bright and easy to read LED display and is simple and intuitive to operate. The user guide is well written in good English, easy to read, and actually makes sense. The device consists of a mask and a separate neck panel each with 60 matrix LED light units on the inside surface which rest on or close to the skin when in use. The mask and neck panel are held in place with adjustable velcro straps. Both are separately plugged into the combined rechargeable battery unit and control box. This features a backlight screen with buttons for colour selection, light intensity and timer. There are 60 beam light matrix units in the mask and 60 in the neck panel each housing 4 individual LEDs, making a total of 240 LEDs in the mask and 240 in the neck panel. I do not own a spectrometer ( I wish I did) so I cannot test the output power or frequency of the LEDs, but I have no reason to doubt the claims of the supplier. We are not told the power of each LED but 0.5w is usual for devices of this type. The unit outputs the following colours and frequencies: Blue light 460nm - Anti-bacterial and skin repair Yellow light 590nm - Anti Acne and skin marking Red light 630nm - Anti-aging, collagen production, skin elasticity Near Infrared light 850nm - Skin repair, promotes skin metabolism The unit features a built-in 3000mAh rechargeable battery with a charge time of 1 - 2 hours yielding between 10- 30 minutes of use depending on the intensity and colour mode selected. Take note that the USB charging cable has a non standard plug on the battery end, so take care not to lose it. Operation is simple enough. The mask and neck panel can be operated together or separately and are plugged into the battery/control box. The box features a small display panel on the front with below it buttons for Power, Near Infrared Light, Light Intensity, Colour Selection, Timer Up, Timer Down. Long press the power button to turn on and then select the light colour (M button), 4-stage light intensity (E button), NIR light On/Off. The three visible light colours can be used individually or together with NIR. Use the timer Up/Down buttons to select the timer mode: 10, 15, 20, or 30 minutes. All the selected options are shown on the screen. The unit is comfortable enough in use, although I did find the mask rather a tight fit, designed, I suspect, for female oriental faces, and although it did fit I found it more comfortable to use a short velcro belt as an extension to that supplied with the product. How well does it work? That will take time to tell and may well be subjective, but I have no reason to think this model will work any better or worse than the many much more expensive rivals available. I have seen very similar models for sale at several times this price on Amazon and elsewhere which I suspect are functionally the same. I think this is worth taking a chance on. Music: YouTube Audio Library: Too Late Now - Go By Ocean _ Ryan McCaffrey

Suncast 1250 Mannington Plastic Shed Review https://youtu.be/a7s5GI0ezMU More Info and Purchase: http://tinyurl.com/26zkx8l7 Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: https://marcoscucom.wordpress.com/2024/02/23/suncast-1250-mannington-plastic-garden-shed/ We needed a small waterproof plastic shed for storing garden tools. We wanted something that would last reasonably well and would be fully water resistant. Our garden is small and we wanted a small upright shed to fill a particular space, but finding one was not easy. Wooden ones are widely available and can be found for less than £150 but all the ones we looked at were flimsy, poorly made and seemed unlikely to last long. After a long search, we decided on this Suncast model from Elbec Garden Buildings, but there was not much else available and at a list price of £308.12 it still seems outrageously expensive to me, although we were able to get it on sale for just £250. In the big box were the six panels of the shed plus the door handles and a rather too simple assembly guide. Everything is cleverly designed just to snap together with only a wooden mallet needed to aid the assembly. It was quicker than I thought to assemble the shed. Each component has a unique letter embossed into it which can be compared to the guide. The panels are then clipped together for assembly aided with strategic taps from the mallet - don't use a heavy metal hammer as it may damage the plastic panels. Unlike with other units I have put together, the panels seemed pretty accurately made and not too much force was needed to lock them together. I took special care that the roof was securely fitted to avoid any possibility of water entering. I completed the job on my own in under an hour although it would have been both faster and easier with another person assisting. Once in place, the shed seems sturdy enough although lighter in weight than I would like, the empty shed moving and wobbling about when the tight fitting doors were opened. It is a pity a double floor could not have been incorporated allowing a heavy flagstone to be inserted to give it stability. That said, once a few heavy garden products are inside it gets a lot more stable. No shelving is included, and there are no mounts or lugs to which third party shelves could be attached. Custom fitting shelves can be purchased, but this is not cheap. I bought a cheap plastic shelving unit that fitted in neatly to store lightweight small objects. After a few weeks of use, I am pretty happy with the shed. Only once did water enter overnight but I suspect the doors may have not been properly closed. The doors are a tight fit, no bad thing, and some care needs to be taken with them. I still find myself using one hand to steady the shed when opening the doors. Otherwise, there have been no issues with it. The contents remain dry and free from water leaks and condensation. For the price I still consider it expensive but it is well made, easy to assemble and works well, so I suppose it is worth the money. The Good Well Made Easy Assembly Weather Resistant The Bad Expensive Unstable Poorly Fitting Doors No Shelves Included Music: YouTube Audio Library: Lazy Laura - Quincas Moreira

Eleczon EC17 Computer Sound Bar Review https://youtu.be/zQR1iH3O8vI More Info and Purchase: http://tinyurl.com/2ybuw3hz Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: https://marcoscucom.wordpress.com/2024/02/14/eleczon-ec17-computer-sound-bar/ This simple and easy to operate soundbar is designed for use with a computer and will sit neatly on your desk under your monitor but in fact, it can be used with almost any USB-C equipped sound source. It connects to an external audio device either with Bluetooth - using an up to date Bluetooth 5 connection for fast, stable and automatic pairing - or with a standard USB-C cable which is also used to charge the internal battery. It also has a TF card slot and will play most types of audio files from TF or micro-SD cards. In the branded mid-range box were the soundbar itself, a USB-C cable and a well written and comprehensive user guide. Build quality seems excellent and the device feels substantial and made to last. The soundbar has a semi-matt black finish with a fine mesh speaker grill along the front face which also houses the screen display which takes up the entire front of the unit. On the back is a recessed bay containing the USB-C port and TF memory card slot. There is no standard audio 3.5mm audio port, which is a pity. On top is a semi-recessed control bay with proper clicky buttons for lights, Bluetooth Pairing, Audio Mode, Volume Down/Back, Power On/Off, and Volume Up/Next. Voice prompts and the tiny top panel LED confirm settings. It is a pity that no space for a rotary volume knob could be found, however. I was pleased to see the soundbar features the latest Bluetooth 5 wireless technology which means connections will be faster, easy to initiate, lag-free and more stable. To set up Bluetooth, press the power button on the top panel and the device will automatically enter Blue Tooth pairing mode with a voice prompt to confirm this. On your Bluetooth equipped sound source connect to 'EC17', subsequent connects will be automatic. To make a new Bluetooth connection when in USB mode, just press the Mode button to return to Bluetooth Mode and press the Bluetooth Pairing button. The sound quality is good considering the size of the speakers with a decent level of punchy bass and a higher register that is not too sharp or sibilant. The volume level from the 10w speakers is rather impressive too. The main selling point for this device has to be the spectacular multi-coloured LED display, which takes up the whole of the front of the device. The unit defaults into LED off mode at startup, long press the Light button to switch the display on and short press to scroll through the five light pattern modes, long press again to turn it off. The lighting modes are: Flowing, Audio-Sync, Gradient Flowing, Breathing and Disco. All the light patterns are excellent, bright, vibrant and eye catching. It is a pity, given the appeal of the display, that there is no Lighting Only mode as it seems the device will power down when no active sound source is connected. Also, it seems that there is no pattern cycling option, as the display stays on the same pattern until the Light button is pressed. What are my suggestions for the next version? I would hope it would have a Light Only Mode and that a rotary volume control and a 3.5mm audio port will be included. That said, if you need a cleverly designed and well-made computer soundbar with decent quality audio and a fantastic desktop lighting display, you need to go a long way to find one better than this for the pre discount price of $59.99. The Good Good Build Quality Good Audio Full Panel Lighting Microphone Auto Off The Bad No Light Only Mode No 3.5mm Audio Socket No Rotary Volume Control Music: YouTube Audio Library: Hotlanta - Track Tribe

Yine Electronics Accessories Bag Review https://youtu.be/FW0NBPtO-Kg More Info and Purchase: https://tinyurl.com/yr8hwfeg Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: https://marcoscucom.wordpress.com/2024/02/20/yine-electronics-accessories-bag/ I needed a small protective case for my red light therapy mitt and the bits and pieces that go with it. There being no dedicated bag for it, I needed to find a suitable budget priced alternative. That was a harder search than I expected but in the end, I found this one, priced at just £8.29. In the package you get the case itself, three internal partitions, and a rather unnecessary user guide. Build quality all seems fine for the low price and the case seems pretty well made. The 24.5 x 18.5 x 10 cm weighs just 210g and is made from a polyester and Oxford Cloth material. It is described as being waterproof, although no IPX rating is given but I would describe it as being splashproof - you could spill water onto it and if you mopped it off in good time the contents would be OK. It has a plastic zip all around the edge which folds back fully when opened with the twin zippers. A soft grip handle runs along the top. Inside there is some light padding to the top and bottom, enough to take the edge off any knocks it receives. Inside the bottom section is empty and holds the three velcro dividers, one short and two long, which can be repositioned to create custom sized partitions to protect the contents. The top part of the case, the lid, has an elasticated strip inside near the top with five mesh pockets along the bottom allowing small objects up to about five inches in height to be secured. The case serves the purpose I need it for and so far after several months of use is holding up well. The zip and handles are intact and working and the internal partitioning seems pretty robust too. For the budget price, I think it is a pretty decent buy. Music: YouTube Audio Library: Woodshedder - Quincas Moreira

Sage the Custom Loaf Bread Maker Review https://youtu.be/ffzvrMrl2NI More Info and Purchase: https://www.sageappliances.com/uk/en/products/bread-makers/bbm800.html?sku=BBM800BSSUK Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: https://marcoscucom.wordpress.com/2024/02/17/sage-the-custom-loaf-bread-maker/ Having tried quite a few breadmakers over the years, I have to say that this one, the ‎Sage the Custom Loaf Bread Maker. is the best yet, although also the most expensive at £249.95. The same machine is also available under the Breville and Heston Blumenthal brands. In the box you get the breadmaker itself, the nonstick lined baking pan, a plastic jam making blade, a hinged metal bread making blade, and a user guide. Build quality is all first class as to be expected at this price point with everything exuding a quality feel to it. The user guide is large, nicely printed, comprehensive and easy to read. An equally well written bread making recipe book can be downloaded from the Sage website, but no printed version is included in the box, a real pity. The 41.7 x 24.4 x 33.8 cm,7.8 Kilograms machine will make three sizes of loaf up to 1.25 kg in weight with three crust browning settings which is the same as with every other bread machine I have used. It offers fewer automatic cooking programs - less than on many rivals - but is the only machine I have tried which offers a custom setting allowing the user to set and save their kneading, baking and resting parameters. The preset programs can be modified as well as additional fine tuning made to allow for crust browning and loaf seizes. The machine's automatic programs include some I have not encountered before: Custom, Basic, Basic Rapid, Wholewheat, Wholewheat Rapid, Gluten Free, Crusty Loaf, Sweet, Yeast Free, Bake Only and Jam. This machine is better designed and better constructed than any other I have yet tried, with a stainless steel body that certainly looks better and distinctly posher than the rivals. The metal casing does get hot, so take care and the body does sound a bit tinny sometimes, so it is not all good. The viewing window is larger than average and big enough to actually see what is going on inside and, another first for me, there is an internal light so the baking process can be easily observed. All the controls are on the right hand side and consist of a large backlit LCD panel with metal buttons around it for metric/imperial units, beeper on/off, internal light (press and hold to view), Delay Start, Modify, Cancel, Start/Pause and a large rotary dial for options (rotate to scroll, press to select. They are all non-touch, proper click buttons. This is by far the easiest bread making machine to operate I have yet tried. There is a large backlit LCD screen showing a list of the available programs, rotate the main dial to select the desired program and press to confirm, any options to it are then available such as Rapid or dough type and again press to confirm, if appropriate you can then select the crust type (3 levels of browning) and loaf size (4 sizes) up to 1.25Kg/2.5ibs. Press the Start/Pause button to start the program or to pause it before baking starts. There are additional buttons to modify, delay or cancel a program before operation. The main selling point for me is the informative and useful backlit LCD and the ease of use that it gives. Cheaper machines have a small non-backlit display that is hard to read and harder still to use. The display here is bright and clear with all the functions clearly named and as the baking process progresses you can see on the screen which stage you are at. Also, I was pleased to see that when I accidentally started the machine by mistake I was able to stop it and begin again, not a feature often found on the cheaper rivals. Likewise, it has a 60-minute power interruption recovery feature which could be handy if the device is unplugged by mistake. At 13 hours the delay start timer is longer than with most rivals which makes it easier to set the machine up in advance to make a loaf automatically. Like most bread machines it has a one hour keep warm facility, to keep the bread warm after baking finishes. Other unique features are the kneading blade which folds flat at the end of the kneading process to prevent the hole made in the loaf when the blade is withdrawn and the baking pan viewing light. The machine comes with a two-year warranty from SAGE with spares available for purchase - not cheap at £59 for the bread pan and £18 for the folding blade. I should say that I am not yet fully convinced that the bread made by this machine is any better than that made by the cheaper ones. The bread making process with this machine is much more enjoyable and worry free than with previous devices. Yet the result I feel is not necessarily nicer than that made with a machine costing a quarter of the price This is a high end bread making machine, well made and cleverly designed that makes excellent bread easily and with a minimum of fuss and bother. Music: YouTube Audio Library: Woodshedder - Quincas Moreira

ZVM Motion Detector Night Light Set Review https://youtu.be/pGAF2AnHWOE More Info and Purchase: UK: http://tinyurl.com/ytk833g2 Germany: http://tinyurl.com/yv7yoblz Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: Although listed as Night Lights in fact these compact sized motion sensor stick-on lights from ZVM could be used anywhere you need a small but powerful immediate light source with no trailing wires in the way. In the box were the two lights together with a pair of USB-C charging cables, two sticky backed metal mounting plates and a user guide. Build quality throughout is light in weight but decent quality with nothing looking likely to fail any time soon. The lights have magnetic plates on the rear which allows them to be mounted directly to any suitable magnetic surface. To mount in other locations a pair of sticky backed metal plates are included, simply stick them to the wall, door, or other desired area and the lamp will magnetically attach there. Once in place the lights can be slid around to reposition and will remain in place although the magnets are not very strong. Annoyingly, there are no rear slots, so screw mounting is not an option. Using the lights could not be simpler. Set the side panel turret switch to select warm or cool white, with the central position turning the light off. As you approach the lights they will illuminate for around 20 seconds before turning off. The lights have a built-in light sensor and will only turn on when the ambient light level is low. The lights have an internal 500mAh Lithium Polymer battery which can be recharged from any available USB port and two rather short cables are provided for this. One charge should give you several weeks of normal use. The Amazon pre discount price of £23.75 will get you a pair of lightweight, well-made lights, versatile in use and simple to operate. Not the cheapest out there, but they are well made, look good, and get the job done. Music: YouTube Audio Library: Too Late Now - Go By Ocean _ Ryan McCaffrey

EUKI D900 5K GPS Dash Cam Review https://youtu.be/08LQNLE47Ls More Info and Purchase: http://tinyurl.com/ywr7yb4v Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: https://marcoscucom.wordpress.com/2024/01/26/euki-d900-5k-gps-dash-cam/ This is a dual mode, twin camera dashcam that can give 5K - yes, 5K - 30fps resolution in front camera mode and 4K30fps+2.5K25fps rear camera when in dual camera mode. That's not all it does, you can connect to the camera over 5G wifi to configure and control it as well as to to download video and photos. Oh yes, it has onboard GPS too. It also has a high quality screen and 24 HOUR PARKING MODE. There is not much it won't do. In the box you get the front camera with a 64GB micro-SD card already installed, a front camera car adapter with a 10ft power cable, a rear camera with a 20ft cable, 2 double-sided sticky mounts, 2 electrostatic mounting sheets, 5 cable clips, a mounting tool, a user guide, and a quick start guide. It's all there, everything you need is included. Most dashcams are single camera units but this system is supplied with a second small camera that is attached by cable to the front camera and can be positioned in the back window to continuously record activity behind the car in addition to the video recorded by the main camera. The rear camera is connected by a lengthy cable to a socket on the main camera. The f1.8 front camera has a 170-degree angle of view according to the User Guide, the f1.8 rear camera has a 140-degree AOV. Both cameras give a clear, detailed and sharp image at any available frame rate but a range of recording options are available: Front Camera Only 5K@30fps 4K@60fps (Rear camera unplugged) Dual Camera 2.5K@60fps + 1080P@25fps 4K@30fps + 2.5K@25fps The SONY IMX335 sensor built into both cameras also gives the option for HDR video, although not at 60 fps. I have to say that the video quality at any selected frame rate is first class, the best yet for me on any dashcam, but I keep mine set to 4K@30fps + 2.5K@25fps. The only downside is that video can be very large and the 64GB card will soon fill up. When it receives power both cameras are designed to record automatically and continuously in short segments overwriting the oldest when the card is full, the tiny internal battery will keep recording for a few seconds after the power goes off. When bumps or sharp braking is detected the camera G-Sensor will flag the current segment and not overwrite it in case an incident has taken place. This can mean that the card will fill up over time. I would advise buying the largest capacity Class 10 or better card - maximum size is 512Gb - and formatting it regularly to delete all the current segments, marked and unmarked. Fixing the camera to the mirror on my Toyota Aygo was easy enough and the cables were easily long enough for both cameras. Fitting the second camera was more of a chore as the cable has to be wound through the car from front to back but once it is done there should be no need to adjust it again. The rear camera is optional as the main camera will work perfectly well without it including in full 5K. The dashcam is controlled and configured using the JarvisCam app connected to a Wifi hotspot generated by the camera. You can select to operate in the various recording modes listed above. Various other options can be set including the microphone, loop recording time, etc. Recordings can also be selected, viewed on the app or downloaded. The front camera has a built-in 1.47@ screen but I find it easy to configure the camera through the phone app after which the dashcam will work entirely independently. I found the image quality to be excellent even in low light conditions, although for best night results. Image quality is crucial for dashcams as it is important to be able to identify number plates and other details in a recorded incident. I found that 4K@30fps + 2.5K@25fps HDR on, worked best for me at night. Another selling point for this dashcam is the inclusion of GPS tracking. Although it can be fun at first to trace your route on the screen map simultaneously with the recorded linked video, remember that in the event of an incident, the police may review all the files on the card and use previous driving speeding errors detected by the GPS against you. The camera does have a microphone which can be useful in the event of an incident if you are quick-witted enough to read aloud the numbers of the cars involved. It has 24R Parking Mode but I have never found parking mode to be much use in any camera due to the delay in awakening the camera following triggering. Also, to allow parking mode to function when the ignition is off additional hard wiring will be needed. Not quite every feature is included and it is a pity that no dual write SD card is included - it is handy to have a second backup card available if one needs to be submitted to the police or your insurance company. That said, that is an option very seldom offered. Priced at £129.99 before discounts - but there are always discounts - this is one of the most expensive but easily the best dash cam I have ever tested. If you can afford it, then buy it. Music: YouTube Audio Library: Silent Partner_ Succotash3.27

SHEHDS 6 IN1 Wall Wash LED Stage Light Review https://youtu.be/Aq7SAgy82Vk More Info and Purchase: http://tinyurl.com/yndp9ppp Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: https://marcoscucom.wordpress.com/2024/01/24/shehds-6-in1-wall-wash-led-stage-light/ This is not the sort of item that I normally review, but this stage light from SHEHDS is something worth looking at. In the box, you receive the LED lighting panel itself, together with a wall mounting kit, mains power plug, pass-through power cable, a wall mounting bracket set, and a user guide. Build quality throughout is heavy duty and this unit is clearly designed for professional stage use. The only letdown is the included user guide, which is poorly printed, hard to read and very technical. A far better looking user guide, albeit poorly translated and just as impenetrable can be downloaded from the SHEHDS website. So what is it? This is a heavy duty, professional grade Wall Wash lighting panel. The 98 cm unit is made from metal, super robust and clearly designed for stage shows, clubs, discos or high end parties. Along the leading edge has 18 LED separate lighting units outputting the whole RGBWA+UV light range. It has the capability for four channel DMX computer control, with 29/ 119 DMX channels in total. It can be linked to other lighting units but comes with a range of programmable lighting patterns built in which can be configured using the control panel on the back. So it will work as a stand alone unit. There are eight function effects which can be programmed using the keypad and control panel on the rear of the unit. The first two digits represent the control codes for each function and the last two represent the speed or other parameters that are applied to it. I think the unit comes into its own when DMX controlled in conjunction with other lighting units for a full stage effect. What is DMX? Digital Multiplex or DMXis a protocol used to control devices such as lights or fog machines. The signal is unidirectional, meaning it only travels in one direction; from the controller or first light, all the way to the last. In its most basic form, DMX is just a protocol for lights, like how MIDI is for keyboards or DAW controllers. The lighting unit looks fantastic when working and is very powerful giving colour washes, strobing and patterns to rooms and halls of any size. When used properly, and I am still getting used to it, it can only be described as spectacular. If you need a pro grade lighting unit then this would be a great buy. for less than $180. Music: YouTube Audio Library: Too Late Now - Go By Ocean _ Ryan McCaffrey

AliExpress TOURPRO 2 Headset Review https://youtu.be/4kTb7Q6Tn0k More Info and Purchase: https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-TOURPRO-2.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.search.0 Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: https://marcoscucom.wordpress.com/2024/01/21/aliexpress-tourpro-2-headset/ What’s this - a JBL Tour Pro 2 headset for £20? No, it's a £20 fake from AliExpress, listed as a MZYJBL TOURPRO 2, but it's a pretty good fake. It looks very similar to the £200 original and even comes with an interactive storage box with an LCD screen and a faint JBL logo but when you look and listen the differences are soon clear. The headset arrived in a generic padded bag with no product packaging and inside was the charging case with the two buds inside, two pairs of different sized gels, a short charging cable, and a concertina style user guide. As regards the build quality, I have to say that the headset seems well made and looks pretty upmarket as does the charging case. The user guide was rather hit and miss, poorly printed and hard to read with some pages making no sense at all. Listening to the headset I was quite pleasantly surprised. It really does not sound too bad. Plenty of bass and good, well defined lower midtones, but higher frequencies sound compressed and abrasive, although varying the EQ using the case helped with this. I have heard much worse and the sound quality is probably OK for the low price. I noticed some drops outs and left/right synchronisation issues but these were frequent at first but quickly rectified and I have to say that now, after several weeks of use, this is no longer a significant issue. One of the main selling points is the ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) feature but this is not much use. The voice alert tells me it is switched on, but I cannot say I have noticed much difference when it is on other than a faint background hiss. The transparent mode works after a fashion with outside sound now louder than before but overlaid with a very pronounced and deeply annoying hiss. The interactive LCD screen case offers quite a few features and most of these do actually work, but I doubt if I will ever use them much. The screen always shows the current battery level for the case and the two buds but also offers: Wallpaper A small selection of non customisable wallpapers is available. Language A small choice of on screen languages Screen Brightness Brightness can be changed to a few preset levels. Playback Timer Some preset auto-off timers are available EQ Some EQ presets are available and they do work but not necessarily for the better. ANC/Transparent Modes Do not work in any useful way Audio Volume Slider Works OK Track Control Play/Pause, Back and Forward work OK Flashlight Turns the screen into a (very) mini torch Find Headset Works well for both or either bud - but is a bit faint Silent Now Turns ANC on for a timed period. Useless. After a few weeks of use, I would not describe this as an outright scam. It is certainly not a JBL Tour Pro 2 headset but it is a pretty nice budget headset, well made with acceptable audio quality plus a few interesting and unusual features. The specific version I bought is no longer available but the identical headset is available widely across AliExpress from as little as £18 and for that price, it is still a pretty decent buy. Music: YouTube Audio Library: Malandragem - Quincas Moreira

AliExpress Mini Portable Shaver Review https://youtu.be/GliV2RLuBKI More Info and Purchase: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006056440387.html Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marcoscu6 Blog: https://marcoscucom.wordpress.com/2024/02/11/aliexpress-mini-portable-shaver/ You get some bargains on AliExpress as well as some scams and some Junk. For just ￡3.38 what sort of electric razor would this prove to be? In fact, it was distinctly better than I expected. In the branded but simple box, I got the razor itself, a charging cable, a tiny cleaning brush and a user guide. Build quality was as lightweight as I expected but nothing looked likely to fail straight from the box, as other AkiExpress items have done. The razor is made from plastic with a circular metal rotating blade. The blade cover can be removed to clean the blade and dust chamber behind it. To my surprise, the razor, which is very quiet in use, works pretty well. There is no way it is going to remove a full beard but it does a decent enough job for overnight growth or to touch up previously overlooked areas. Of course, it can't be compared to a high-end electric razor costing many times the price, much less with a wet razor for the quality of the shave, but it does work and that in itself came as a surprise to me. That said, I would not want to use it as my only razor. If you need a small emergency razor to leave in your car or overnight bag, then this would not be a bad buy and it is certainly better than you have a right to expect for ￡3.38. The same razor is available widely across AliExpress at a range of prices, so hunt around for the best buy. The Good It Works Bargain Price Light Weight Easy To Clean The Bad Cheap Build Quality No Carry Case Music: YouTube Audio Library: Point Being - Go By Ocean _ Ryan McCaffrey