In this video I’m going to show you the Kwikset Halo Select smart deadbolt lock. I’ll take you through the surprisingly easy installation with just a screwdriver, then I’ll look at all the things you can do with it, including locking your door from anywhere on the planet! I’ll wrap things up with both the pros and the cons and help you see if it’s right for your home.

A quick thank you to Kwikset for sponsoring this video. While they are paying for my time they haven’t told me what I have to say or what I can’t say about this lock, so these thoughts are all mine.

What is Kwikset Halo Select?

Kwikset Halo Select is a smart deadbolt that can be used to unlock your door in four ways: using an included key, with a numeric passcode, remotely with your smartphone, or hands-free with your preferred voice assistant.

With the ability to add hundreds of users, you can grant access to relatives, friends or tradespeople easily, including scheduling when those users are allowed to open the door.

With the Kwikset app, you can see who used the lock and when, great for checking on curfews, you can double check if the door is locked, and even get real time notifications about who’s accessing it.

All the features use Wi-Fi so the lock is visible and accessable from anywhere on earth. And with Matter support, that means you can plug the lock into a wider smart home set up too.

Unboxing/What you get

Let’s unbox the Halo Select Smart lock to see what you get inside.

The lock consists of two pieces; a keypad or outdoor touchscreen faceplate and an indoor thumb lock.

Kwikset has cleverly boxed the rest of the components into three separate kits which helps you keep everything straight during the installation process.

In box #1 you get an adjustable latch which should fit any standard door, plus AA batteries are included, as are screws.

Box #2 has a sensor magnet, screws and a strike plate, while Box #3 has a mounting plate, screws and a set of two physical keys, plus a smart key, which allows you to easily re-key the Halo Select lock to match existing locks you may already have at home.

Easy app

Not in the box but integral to the locks operation is the Kwikset app. Once you download the app and sign up for or sign into your account, the app will guide the installation, so get that started.

Installation: just a screwdriver

While it may seem like there’s a lot of intimidating and mysterious parts in the box, the Kwikset app is going to walk you through the entire process and since all you need is a screwdriver, it’s easy—it took me just 15 minutes.

One very important thing to note is that the only tool you need is a screwdriver. If you might consider using a power drill, don’t, because that can over-tighten things and potentially damage your new lock.

I’m going to cover the installation basics, but take note, this is not a detailed how to. You can also watch my video to see how easy it was.

The first step is going to be to remove your old lock, which should just come out by removing a few screws.

Next you’ll insert the deadbolt mechanism into the door and screw it in place. Then grab the faceplate and feed the Cable underneath the deadbolt, and through the dedicated opening in the bottom of the mounting plate. Next, secure the mounting plate at the back to the face plate in the front with the screws. A quick check using the physical keys should tell you if things are aligned correctly.

Then set the thumb screw or turn piece at the back, remove the cover from the interior portion of the lock and pull out the battery tray. Connect the cable into the back of the lock by sliding it into a small opening then you’ll fix the back of the lock to the door with two screws and just your screwdriver. Pop the batteries into the tray and click the battery pack into place. This should trigger the lock to power up and you’ll see a light come on.

There’s a small button inside the back of the cover below the battery pack which you’ll push and hold for three seconds to initiate Bluetooth pairing. Once that blue light is flashing, use the app to pair the lock to your phone. Once paired, the lock will initiate a calibration sequence which will check that the mechanism is opening and locking correctly.

Once that step is complete the app will prompt you to connect to your home Wi-Fi network so you can gain wider use of the lock through the app.

And that’s it – you are done and ready to use your lock… and I’m just going to pause for a second here and call out the fact that this lock, of the many I’ve tested over the years, is the absolute easiest one I’ve ever installed and connected. The instructions were super easy to follow and everything worked on the first try.

Next, the app will prompt you with a few choices for some settings.

For example you can have the lock automatically engage after a certain period of time, or if it detects your phone at a certain distance from the home.

You can also change settings where the lock will use audible alerts, or the indicator light is used.

There’s also another setting I highly recommend on smart locks called Secure Screen. With this setting enabled, the lock will add randomly generated digits you have to tap before you enter your access code. This is very helpful and smart because it prevents someone from potentially looking for fingerprints or smudges on the keypad of the lock and simply trying to input those digits to gain access.

Using Kwikset Halo smart lock

When it comes to using this lock, there’s actually not a lot to talk about because this is going to integrate incredibly easily into your life and routine.

With a bright LED backlit touchscreen it’s easy to see the keypad numbers day or night. The touchscreen is UV-, water- and humidity-resistant to keep your display clear and responsive —Great for those of us who live in extreme climates.

Even in just my first few uses of this lock, I can tell that the touchscreen is far more responsive than my old lock. Keying in the code works as quickly as I can type and the lock mechanism opens quite fast too.

I like the pin code simply for its ease of use and convenience, but of course the lock will also open with a quick tap on your smart phone. This works similarly quickly and allows you to provide remote entry anytime you need to, or to lock the door if you forgotten after you’ve already left the house. Of course you can always use the key if you’re old school like that.

For those folks who are prone to worrying about whether or not door is actually locked after they leave, a simple glance at the screen of the app will confirm your door’s status – no matter where in the city or the world you are. And if you did forget to lock it, just tap on the app to secure your home in an instant.

Smart Home Integration

Because this lock is smart, you can connect it to your preferred digital assistant for easy voice control. Using it with Amazon Alexa, Apple Home and Google Home, you can also create helpful automations or routines where you can say something like Hey G- Goodnight, and all your smart lights will turn off, the doors will lock automatically, and your alarm system will engage.

Add users easily

For people that travel a lot or anyone having cleaning or renovations done, adding users is simple and quick with the app. Just generate an access code yourself or ask the app to create a random one for you and you can issue codes to anyone you need. As I noted you can make these codes active only during certain times of day or days of the week if you want.

Matter integration

Bright even at night.

While we’re on the subject of smart homes, some folks will be glad to know that Kwisket Halo Select is Matter-enabled. Matter allows smart home devices to talk to each other even if they’re manufactured by different companies. You’ll be able to connect your Kwikset lock to other smart home devices and control them automatically through any compatible smart home platform including Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa or Samsung SmartThings.

Plus, Matter uses a technology called Thread and is more reliable because devices can directly connect to each other. That means even if your internet goes down, you’ll still have control inside the house and your automations will still run.

Not all the features in the Kwikset app are currently available with Matter and features are dependent on the ecosystem you are connecting to. If you’re already using Matter and want to know more, Kwikset’s website can help guide you.

Intrusion detection and Door Ajar notifications

This lock has some additional features which can be extremely helpful during unexpected situations.

If you accidentally leave the door ajar, you can get notifications from the app to let you know.

Similarly, if someone is attempting to access the lock or bypass it, the app will send you an alert.

Overall thoughts: Kwikset Halo Select

Overall I have to say I’ve been pretty blown away Kwikset Halo Select. I’ve been using and reviewing smart locks for years, and the technology has obviously come along way in the last decade. But even in the last few years, I’ve still seen smart locks that are incredibly difficult to install, configure, and use. So I can say it without hesitation that Kwikset Halo Select has been the easiest lock to install, the quickest to configure and set up, and the best to use.

And above all it gives me major confidence that my home is secure.

Let’s go over both the pros and cons so you can see if this smart lock might be right for you.

On the pro side, the design is simple and should fit in with many aesthetics. The installation was absolutely dead simple and took me less than15 minutes. I really appreciate the fact this lock uses easily available double A batteries so they can be inexpensively and easily replaced.

The lock itself is incredibly responsive and the touchscreen reacts instantly. I love the option for secure screen where additional numbers are generated before you input your pin so a burglar won’t simply be able to look for fingerprints on your keypad to gain access. Plus with a host of other smart features like door ajar and intrusion notifications, this lock goes along way too making you feel safe.

And the app is incredibly intuitive and user-friendly and makes it easy to add or delete temporary or permanent users in seconds.

Plus with Matter integration, this lock is future proof and ready for the next generation of smart home devices.

So what are the potential downsides? I guess the biggest potential issue could be that at the moment, this lock is only available as a deadbolt, so if you were hoping to get a handle or a knob replaced, this wouldn’t work for that application. Some folks also might not like the idea of changing the batteries instead of recharging them. One thing I will give points to however is the battery life indicator which is visible front and centre on the app, so you’ll always know when you’re running low on juice.

In short, I personally have zero complaints about this lock, and it is now going to replace my old lock permanently because it checks the top four boxes for me which are easy to use, easy to install, highly customizable, and extraordinarily secure. For those reasons I can absolutely absolutely recommend Kwikset Halo Select smart lock for you.

Visit Kwikset.com or your favorite home improvement retailer to learn more or shop Halo Select on Amazon.

The post Kwikset Halo Select Smart Lock Full Review appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

Like most new floor cleaning bots these days, you’ve gotta have a couple features that make you stand out from the crowd, and on that Shark doesn’t disappoint. In this review I’ll take a look at what makes this robot floor cleaner different from the rest, what it can do and how exactly it cleans. I’ll run it through my full battery of cleaning tests and then I’ll wrap this video up with the pros and the cons of this device so you can decide if it’s going to be right for you.

I would like to thank Shark for gifting me this robot. While the company did send one to me, it did not ask for or receive permission to have any any input whatsoever into this review. So you can consider these thoughts my own.

What’s in the box

Let’s unbox this robot so you can see what you get.

The charging and self cleaning station is the biggest item in the box. Right on top you’ll see the special reusable cloth mopping pad.

Next up is a box holding the robot itself. There’s also two small corner brushes packaged in red plastic that you want to make sure don’t get lost or accidentally discarded. These simply clip into place on the robot; just one to begin, and the second one is an extra.

You’ll also find an odour neutralizer cartridge in here which is going to be installed in the base station shortly.

The robot comes with another mopping pad already installed.

There’s a sample size bottle of Shark cleaning solution which is a nice extra touch.

Lastly you want to remove and unwrap the base station. A plastic floor protecting plate that doubles as a bit of a ramp is also in here.

Flipping the robot over to get a closer look, you’ll see the mopping plate with cloth preinstalled, and the small single roller beater brush underneath.

Getting a look at everything all laid out, the only thing you really can’t see is the water tanks which are hidden under the lid of the base station.

This robot floor cleaner set has a pretty utilitarian look. While a lot of brands are opting to try to get their substantially sized robot floor cleaners to blend in to homes a little better, there’s no hiding what Shark POWERDETECT NeverTouch Pro robot vacuum and mop is all about.

Set up & assembly

Before you can start using the POWERDETECT, it needs to get a bit of a charge and you’ll need to connect it to the Shark Clean app.

Situate the base station near a plug and then dock the robot inside. You can also twist in the special odour neutralizing cartridge now, and fill the clean water tank with clean water and a couple ounces of cleaning solution.

Once it powers up you can open up the Shark Clean app and follow the instructions to get it connected to your Wi-Fi network. I was set up and ready to go in about five minutes.

The next order of business is to get the bot to map your home. The app will prompt you to do this and the robot will roam around your house at low speed until it generates a full map of the space.

Mapping took about 10 minutes, but it created a very accurate map. The robot will go out a second time to do what it calls carpet detection and then it will draw out all of the carpeted areas in the house —and it got them bang on.

The map is going to come in handy when you want to tackle room specific cleanings, have it clean certain areas within a room, or if you want to automatically schedule cleanings each day or each week.

One thing I should point out fairly early in the game is that when you call for a clean, you need to choose whether the robot will vacuum or whether it will mop; it’s not going to do both at the same time—at least not effectively. It seems like it might use a teeny bit of suction while mopping, but I wouldn’t expect it to clean thoroughly.

If it vacuums it’s going to leave the mopping pad in the base station, and if you ask for it to mop it will put it on like a pair of hammer pants.

Special features

Pad Drop

One of the chores associated with certain robot floor cleaners is that you may have to swap a vacuuming plate for a mopping plate. This can be tedious and kind of grungy. Shark solves the problem by having the robot manage the mopping plate for you. In essence, if it is programmed to mop, it will back into the base station and lock the plate in place. If it’s only going on a vacuum run, it will leave the plate behind. The technology is rather ingenious and I’ve never seen this in action before. But I can definitely say it works and I like the idea of letting the robot figure out what it needs to do on its own. And at the same time you should never have to worry about carpets getting wet.

Odor neutralizer

Shark is one of the only brands I can think of that uses an odour neutralizing cartridge in its filtration system. This is a unique concept since as it pulls air through the system to help evacuate the robots dustbin, filters keep dust from re-entering your home, and then as it’s exhausted back into your room, the odour neutralizer freshens it so that it doesn’t smell stale or musty. It’s extremely subtle but it is a nice touch and it does add a bit of freshness each time the vacuum empties itself.

Never Stuck Technology & Lifting

Shark POWERDETECT NeverTouch Pro robot vacuum and mop has a feature which shark refers to as “Never Stuck” technology.

How you’ll see this working is that if the robot encounters taller than average flooring transitions, thresholds, or obstacles, it can actually lift itself up to cross over or avoid them. This same technology can also lift the bot up and skate over carpets to avoid dampening them with the mopping plate in use.

Self cleaning

Once your robot has completed a clean it will always return to the base station for recharging. It will empty it’s onboard dustbin first, then automatically wash and dry the mopping pad with the fresh water and cleaning solution in the tank.

Shark says the POWERDETECT NeverTouch Pro robot vacuum and mop should only need maintenance and attention from you about every 30 days or so, but of course this will depend greatly on how dirty your home is and how often you’re running the robot. My testing period only ran about two weeks so I’m not yet able to say if it is actually this effective or not.

Cleaning tests

Now that you’re familiar with all the special features of this robot vacuum and mop, let’s test its cleaning power. I run all my robot vacuum devices through the same sets of cleaning tests. I will spill dry goods like rice, flour, and oats on both carpet and hard floors, and to test the mopping I’ll spill some wet messes and let others dry to test the scrubbing power.

Starting with its performance on hard floors, I was fairly impressed with the job it was able to do.

It was able to be extremely thorough; seeming to almost see spills and zero in on them, then spend a minute or two going over and over and over the same area until it was incredibly clean—I’d say it probably got about 100% of the dirt I left for it.

I will also note that this vacuum appears to run at a much quieter volume than some other competing models.

Scrubbing mop

The mopping is quite different on this robot. That’s because the robot will determine on its own whether or not it needs it’s mopping plate, and retrieve it if it does or leave it behind if it’s going to vacuum.

With the mopping feature, preparing for mopping does take some time. The robot fills it’s on board water tank and this takes about 1 minute and 15 seconds. It happens relatively silently so it shouldn’t be a bother.

The mop has a unique way of scrubbing the floor with a small back and forth motion.

I had it tackle a particularly difficult cleaning test which is dried on coffee. I was actually quite impressed that even on regular mopping mode it was able to tackle about 95% of this spill, leaving only the thickest and most dried on portions of the edges. This is a cleaning test that even extremely expensive and advanced floor bots can struggle with, but I’d say the shark NeverTouch matched them in cleaning prowess on this.

Unfortunately that back and forth mopping motion also resulted in a repetitive tap beat. The mopping pad makes an incessant clicking sound as it’s going around the house which I found rather annoying and distracting.

When in mopping mode if the robot detects carpet, rather than avoid it altogether, it pops its back up about an inch to create clearance and then continues over the carpet.

This is a bit of a strange way of doing things… particularly for a product that has the word “detect” in the name. Many bots simply recognize and avoid carpet when in mopping mode, but this one is determined to show off its lifting abilities I guess. And circling back to the topic of the noise, there is also a pop squeak noise every time the robot lifts and lowers itself which makes this robot in my opinion one of the noisiest floor cleaning bots I’ve ever tried, not even taking into account the vacuum motor sound.

There’s also quite a bit of water used on the floor. This didn’t bother me so much, as it seemed to help it do a more thorough job, but I know some folks with more dainty floors who wouldn’t want it to stay damp for as long as this one did.

I also tried out the spot cleaning feature, but I only got it to work once which allows you to clean about a 6 ft.² area. The single time I got it to work I will say it seemed the robot does an incredibly thorough job with this; essentially spinning itself in never ending circles across the floor to really power away anything that might be there. As it is extremely effective it does take a little longer, which is probably expected.

I realized something else while doing this test. If you have anything like large boxes on your floor while your robot is doing the mapping or you move furniture or other objects around, you’ll need to re-map your house. I had a large box sitting in the corner of my kitchen when I did the initial mapping. And later when I created a test spill in that area, the robot simply would not go to that spot to do any cleaning, despite the fact the area was now free and clear. It wasn’t until I had the robot re-map the entire house that it was able to fill in the holes.

For that reason I can’t emphasize enough to make sure your floors are clear of any objects even temporary ones, or there’s a high chance the Shark robot may never get to some areas.

Back to trying that spot cleaning…I tried this again so I could really have it tackle a tough spill, however the robot simply wandered all over the room, and then the house, multiple tries.

When it’s done the robot will return to the base and wash its mopping pad. In another minor annoyance with this, the mechanism makes a buzzing and repeated whaaa-whaaa-whaaa whining sound while it’s cleaning. Then it follows that up with much sloshing and plumbing noises as it drains the excess water into the dirty water tank. Since the cleaning cycle lasts for several minutes, it definitely does get annoying after a while.

I also didn’t see an option for cancelling the self-cleaning or being able to shorten it at all. So I had no choice but to wait it out.

Battery life & runtime

A typical cleaning cycle lasts for about an hour, but this will depend on the size of your home and if you’ve asked for a room specific cleaning.

The Shark POWERDETECT can take up to four hours to fully recharge from an empty battery.

A Recharge & Resume feature lets the bot return to its base to recharge if it reaches low battery charge (under 15%) during a cleaning mission, and still has area left to clean. When docked on the base, the robot recharges until the battery is 100%, and then resumes the cleaning mission.

Recharge & Resume is automatically activated on your robot by default, but it can be turned off in the Settings section in the app. You should also turn on Do Not Disturb if you’re going to use this feature, since the robot could decide to resume its clean after you’ve already gone to bed.

Overall review

The more time I spend with this robot the more conflicted I am about it. It does a great job at cleaning, but it’s both noisy enough and has enough small quirks that it might scare you off.

Let’s go over the pros and the cons so you can see if these may be dealbreakers for you.

On the pro side it both vacuums and mops incredibly well and was able to ace all but the most challenging cleaning tests; and even then it got about 95% of the dirt.

I also like the fact the dust bin doesn’t require a bag so I never need to worry about replacements, and it holds a lot of dirt so I also don’t need to tend to it constantly. While the robot has interesting lifting capabilities that do allow it to clear very tall thresholds and obstacles, I am a bit puzzled about why it needs to lift on carpets when it’s mopping at all; the smarts and carpet recognition in this bot should really mean that it simply avoids carpet in the first place when it has the mopping plate attached. And in another puzzle, the device couldn’t seem to recognize obstacles like cords and cables and tied itself up in them pretty good…though it was able to untangle itself after a couple of minutes.

That brings me to the downsides…two of my biggest complaints were about the noise level; both the click clacking of the mop while it was cleaning, the lifting mechanism, and the ultra loud and sloshy cleaning cycle were a major annoyance.

I’m not thrilled about the fact that it doesn’t vacuum and mop at the same time like a lot of other floor bots in this price range do. While I do think the mechanism and the leave behind plate are quite clever, sometimes there are times you just need to get everything done at once.

And on a more minor note, the mapping process during set up could be a lot more efficient; covering not just the mapping but the carpet detection too in one drive around the house.

I also struggled with getting it to do a proper spot clean, and I do find the design of this device to be pretty utilitarian.

I have to say for me, this is not one of my favourite robot floor cleaners. There are just too many things that put me off about it that would mean I’d take a pass on it.

The other deciding factor for me is the very high price. Selling for $1299 CAD/$1000 USD this should be a top of the line robot floor cleaner package, and I feel like it has enough knocks against it that that price cannot be justified. I’m kind of disappointed about that because I really like Shark as a brand.

**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you choose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

The post Shark POWERDETECT NeverTouch Pro Robot Vacuum & mop appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

Upright floor washers that can both vacuum and mop are all the rage. Today I’ll be looking at the Narwal S20 Pro, a vacuum and mop with strong suction, scrubbing pressure, smarts, and self cleaning. I’ll show you how it works by running several cleaning tests and then wrap up with the pros and cons of this device so you can see if it’s going to be right for you.

I’d like to thank Narwal for sponsoring this post. While it has paid me for my time, it hasn’t told me what I have to say or can’t say about this device and I got to test it out in my own home and devise my own cleaning tests, so you can consider these thoughts my own.

What you get

Inside the box, you will find the main vacuum-mop unit, plus a handle that clicks into place. There’s also a handful of extra accessories including a roller and filter, plus a bottle of cleaning solution and a cleaning brush. You also get a docking and recharging base with plug.

The dirty water tank is easily visible since it lives on the front of the main vacuum unit.

The clean water tank is actually very cleverly hidden as part of the cleaner head. Just pull out the back part of the head to remove it, and fill it with water. If you’d like to use cleaning solution, remove the small plastic plate that covers the roller on the front of the cleaner head, and then lift up the silver door. Add cleaning solution into here and then replace the covers.

Right away I can feel how light-weight the S20 Pro is: it feels a lot lighter than competing models, and I can confirm it’s very easy to lift and would be no trouble at all to carry up or down stairs.

Narwal S20 Pro also has a small color LED info screen which will show the remaining battery power, detergent level, as well as the current cleaning mode.

Lay-flat design

The Narwal S20 Pro is not only light and manoeuvrable but it also has a convenient lay flat design with a low profile. You can extend the handle all the way to the floor to get the S20 Pro underneath almost any piece of furniture, from sofas to sideboards, to tables and beds.

Narwal added an extra trick to bump up its agility just a bit. Narwal calls this the Smart Posture Detection technology which can help detect whether the vacuum is upright, turning, or flat and it will prevent any water from leaching out.

Anti-Tangle Technology

The S20 Pro also boasts anti-tangle technology so you don’t have to worry about unwinding strands of hair from the roller brush.

AI DirtSense

Narwal just couldn’t resist joining the AI era with its own dirt detection technology called AI DirtSense. The feature works with the vacuum’s built-in display; yellow for mild dirt and red for very dirty areas. How does it work? The vacuum’s cleaner head uses a blue light and some sensors which help the vacuum adjust the suction power for even better cleaning efficiency.

Cleaning Tests

Let’s get right to the cleaning…

In my daily use it was very easy to grab the Narwal S20 Pro to mop up spills in the kitchen. With 20,000 PA of suction power, it’s made to inhale anything in its path.

Higher suction power translates to better ability of cleaning up tough spills in a single pass. This is a big improvement over the 14,000 Pa suction power of its predecessor.

Whenever I test out a device like this I give it a handful of spills to contend with; I’ll spill liquids like coffee, ketchup soy sauce and jam and let some of them dry, so I can see how well it cleans a variety of spills. I also do things like spill chunkier messes like milk and cereal or rice soup just to see how it’s able to manage.

In my cleaning tests you can see that with the wet spills it’s able to mop everything up in just a single pass.  Even sticky syrup didn’t seem to gum up the machine, nor did spilled BBQ sauce.

With its edge to edge roller brush it gets right up against baseboards and edges.

With dried-on spills it does take a couple of additional passes over the area to get them clean, but this is not uncommon. You can see it was even able to power away dried coffee.

When it comes to thicker and gummier dried on ketchup or BBQ sauce, it does take a few runs to get everything from a dried-on sticky stain off the floor, but this is expected with a device like this… and the Narwal easily matches the performance of other upright mops I’ve reviewed.

Self-propelled

One of the other features I really liked is that there is self propulsion built into this machine. Essentially it gives it push – pull assistance so that there is less effort required by you to push it across the floor and drag it back. That translates to making it even easier to maneuver with a lot less effort.

Cleaning Modes

The Narwal S20 Pro has five special cleaning modes. Smart Mode can adapt on its own to deliver the best clean based on your floors dirt level and will automatically adjust things like suction power, and water volume.

If you just want to suction up a spill or excess water from the floor you can put it into Suction Mode. Quiet Mode tackles the noise level above all, while Turbo Mode offers increased water flow and more suction. At the top of the cleaning modes is what’s called Max Enhancement Mode. This is the most powerful cleaning used for extremely stubborn or dried on stains, and this mode is accessed using a small trigger under the handle.

Self Cleaning

The worst part about a wet-dry upright is usually the emptying process, and trying to keep it clean. With the Narwal S20 Pro the filter basket design on the inside of the dirty water tank makes it much easier to separate solids and liquids, and then dump out debris, hair and particles right into the garbage, while you’ll just pour the dirty water away.

This S20 Pro also runs its own self cleaning cycles whenever it sees that’s necessary.

Using warm, fresh water and cleaning solution, it flushes its insides then deposits the dirty water in the tank. The wash runs about 2 minutes, and it spins the roller in both directions to get it thoroughly clean. Then it will dry the mop with warm air to keep the roller from developing musty smells. With a full tank, the detergent can last up to 40 days, and a small indicator light will let you know if it’s low.

Battery Life

Narwal S20 Pro is rated for a 60-minute battery life, which is almost double what some other similar devices offer. This means you can do a lot more cleaning on a single charge; and even keep the S20 Pro stored close by without having to necessarily leave it on its charging base, if a plug isn’t nearby.

Overall review

Overall the Narwal S20 Pro is a capable and convenient upright wet-dry mop-vac that makes cleaning floors easier. Let’s lay out the pros and cons.

On the pro side, it cleans well and tackled all the challenges I laid out for it. Plus it cleans and dries itself.  With the option of adding cleaning fluid, you’re getting a better-than-just water clean, and the S20 Pro will let you know if it needs topping up. With its lay-flat design it easily gets under all kinds of furniture.

It’s easy to set up and with different cleaning modes, you can always find a balance between powering away dirt, and protecting floors. The battery lasts a long time and the package came with extras like a roller filter and brush.

So what are the downsides? The full recharge time may take a while. Even so, this shouldn’t be an issue for most people because the cleaner will usually be stored on its base station. The only other consideration might be the base station does need to be placed somewhere it can be plugged in at all times, so that might limit where you are able to store it, but again with its longer than average battery life you can keep it handy without needing to keep it constantly charging.

Those really just feel like considerations to be aware of as opposed to true downsides or defects, so for that reason I can definitely recommend the Narwal S20 Pro to you.

It sells for about $499 USD/$699 CAD which is less than some of it competitors. You can get it from Amazon.

**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you choose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

The post Narwal S20 PRO upright vac-mop appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

Watch my full video review of Ninja Luxe Cafe

In this review, I’m going to try it out here in my home. I’ll make a variety of espresso drinks and try it out for making coffee too. I’ll show you what it is about this machine that sets it apart from more complex machines, and what kind of smarts it has. I’ll wrap things up with both the pros and the cons and let you know if I think I can recommend this automatic espresso machine for you.

I would like to say thank you to Ninja for supplying me with this machine. Though they have gifted it to me, they have not asked for nor received permission to have any input into this review and I got to test it out exactly as I wanted so you can consider these thoughts my own.

Unboxing

Unboxing this machine was no small task. There’s lots going on in here so let’s take a closer look.

First out of the gate is what Ninja refers to as the starter kit. These are some of your additional accessories which includes the portafilter, a larger basket, a tamper and a funnel. A special cleaning kit is also included here which you’ll need right away so don’t tuck it too far.

A cup riser is also  on top of the box.

Removing the machine there’s still more stuff in here. Inside a cardboard box under the nozzle is a special pitcher which we’ll get to.

Clever storage

Ninja has built clever storage into this machine. On the right hand side is a small swinging door where you can store the larger portafilter which is meant for making drip coffee or Americano style coffee. You can also stash the included cleaning brush in here too.

On the left-hand side of the machine are two circular openings which is where you’re going to store both the tamper and the included funnel. We’ll get to how all of this comes together in just a moment.

Set up

Before you can make your first coffee you need to run a water hardness test. Ninja includes water testing strips so that you can see what the mineral content of your water is and this will also let the machine know how often it needs to be descaled. Testing the water is simple; just swish the test strip around in a cup of ordinary tapwater and then wait about one minute for the result. Once you know your water hardness level, you’ll input it into the machine by twisting the dial.

With that reading locked in you’ll fill the very large water reservoir which sits at the back so you can flush the machine with water. Props to Ninja for creating it with an integrated handle so it’s ultra easy to move.

Configuration

The Ninja Luxe Cafe espresso machine has a big LED screen on the front which is where you can make your changes and adjustments.

The machine will instruct you here on how to flush the insides, and then you’re ready to configure the machine for your specific type of espresso beans, so now’s a good time to fill the beans.

I really love how smart this machine is and how it walks you through every step carefully and deliberately. The first two times you run the machine it will take note of the beans and help you choose the perfect grind, which is a little bit mind blowing.

To do this you’ll essentially prep your drink and brew two shots of espresso.

Start by placing the funnel on top of the portal filter with the double basket already installed. Push down on the funnel until it clicks into place, then slide the portafilter into the grinding cradle which is underneath the grinder.

When the portafilter is pushed in all the way, the machine recognizes it and will start to assess your beans.

The machine will assess your beans and display a recommended grind setting on the front of the LED display panel. These two numbers should match and if they don’t you’ll use a small dial on the left-hand side of the machine to make adjustments. Once they match press the start grind button and don’t touch the portafilter until it’s finished.

Remove the funnel and use the tamper to tamp the grounds. Tamping should be gentle but firm and then give it a little twist at the end then lock the portafilter into what’s called the group head, or the place where the coffee gets extracted by aligning the dots and then twisting to the right.

After it makes a shot, it may get you to change the grind but after two shots it should have things pretty much dialed in.

You can run this configuration every time you introduce a new type of beans for the machine.

Making espresso

To make espresso, you can choose between a couple different sizes. If you want a single shot, you place a cup under each spout on the portafilter and it will divide a double for you. If you’d like a double, just centre the cup. It will also make a quad shot if you pull out the bigger basket, and amazingly the machine is smart enough to know which size basket you have in so it will only offer you options for the drinks you can make with each size basket.

Turn the machine on and attach the funnel to the portafilter then slide it into place under the grinder. Touch the start grind button and let it do its thing.

When finished, remove the funnel and gently tamp the grounds and lock the portafilter into the group head.

Then press the start brew button.

The machine runs what’s called a pre-infusion first where it wets the grounds. After about 5 seconds, the basic double shot will start flowing and brews up in about 20 seconds.

The machine floored me with how good a shot it’s able to brew. The espresso is actually quite thick and there’s a beautiful creamy crema on top. At its factory setting the shot was quite hot but quickly drinkable. Of course most coffee lovers will already know by now you can tweak your results by the beans you choose and warming the cup too.

Milk

Latte and cappuccino lovers can take the next step which is to froth either dairy or plant-based milk. The milk jug has two lines for either of those drink settings so you’ll just fill it with as much milk as you need or want. Pull out the steam wand and then insert it into the jug and slide it into place on its metal platform. Next you’ll choose whether or not you’re going to be heating and frothing either dairy or plant-based milk like oat or almond. You can also choose how much foam you want which is kind of mind blowing.

Once your settings have been selected press the start froth button. A progress bar on the front will show you where it’s at. When the machine is finished it will beep. Slide the jug out and wipe the steam wand with a damp cloth right away, then add your milk to your drink—in my case a nice cappuccino.

To finish the cleaning process, push the steam wand back towards the machine where it will hover over a small hole in the base. Once it’s in place, the machine will automatically flush the inside of the wand.

One of the things I found cool about this machine is that the drink riser is adjustable to a couple of different heights, or you can remove it altogether for a big mug. If you want to go even larger than that, just slide out the drip tray to get full height access.

Hot water option

For those who might like to use their machine to extract hot water for tea or other hot drinks, it does not appear you can get hot water only from this machine. While there is a purge button it really only extracts an ounce or so of hot water.

Americano

If you’d like something more akin to a drip coffee or Americano, swap the double filter basket out for the large or quad basket. The machine is smart enough to know you’ve made the switch and will adjust its settings accordingly. Just follow the instructions on the panel to make your drink.

Cold press & over ice

I will admit before I talk about the cold brew and over ice options that I am not much of a cold coffee drinker. But for the purposes of this review I decided to give it a try. The cold press option is a bit of a misnomer since it’s not actually brewing espresso using cold water. It uses more of a lukewarm water setting that should cool down far quicker than a piping hot shot.

Drinks quality

Some of you who may have seen my previous reviews of coffee and espresso gadgets will know I’m a bit of a coffee snob. I am very specific about what I like, but at the same time I don’t generally have the time to fuss over and fawn over my morning espresso, so this machine is right up my alley.

I have to say the quality of the espresso in particular is just as good as almost any coffee shop espresso shot I’ve had. The temperature is bang on, the shot is thick and the crema is ultra creamy. I’ve been testing out a few different types of beans in this machine and the Ninja Luxe Café seems to be able to manage beautifully.

When paired with milk, the machine can make any number of drinks from cappuccino to lattes, flat white, Cafe Au lait, and even hot cocoa.

Removable Beans hopper

If you are going to be brewing different types of drinks you may want to have access to different types of beans and fortunately Ninja makes this a lot easier than most other espresso machines. The beans hopper can be pulled right out and removed so you can dump out any excess beans and swap them for something different at any time. Just twist the lock inside the hopper to release it.

Cleanup

The automatic steam wand cleaning on this machine is just the beginning. The drip tray will let you know when it gets full of water when the small floating indicator rises enough for the orange line to be visible. Just slide the drip tray forward and carry it carefully to the sink where you can dump it out and wash it.

The baskets can be pulled from the portafilter by lifting from the back and both these pieces should be hand washed only.

The funnel, water reservoir, beans hopper and drip tray are all dishwasher safe.

The machine will also let you know if you need to clean or descale it, in part based on the number of shots you pour and the hardness of your water.

Adjustable heat, strength and milk settings

Almost everything on this machine can be adjusted to your preference. You can choose a brewing temperature that suits you among three options which are labelled low, medium and high, and this is accessed with a button on the control panel. Low and medium temperature is made for darker roast coffees while lighter roasts can take medium or high temperature.

A brew strength adjustment can be made if you like stronger or weaker coffee. To adjust this you’ll hold the size button for three seconds then rotate the centre dial to setting H09, then choose how strong you want it and press the dial in words to confirm your selection.

You can also adjust the milk temperature button when you set the jug into place. Hold the size button for three seconds and then rotate the dial to Setting H07, then make your selection.

Overall review: Ninja Luxe Cafe automatic espresso machine

Overall I have to say I have been blown away by this machine. I gave up on a manual espresso machine several years ago after I retired my Rancillio Sylvia manual machine. I found the fussing and adjustments that were constantly required was just more work than I wanted to put into a cup of coffee first thing in the morning. It was about that time I adapted to using Nespresso pods. This machine has turned that on its head again and I’m ready to go back to real espresso from real beans. Let’s go over the pros and the cons of this machine.

On the pro side, absolutely everything here is automated and smart and the machine can adapt to any drink. I love the fact it can do an assessment of your espresso beans to dial in the perfect grind, and it helps you extract the perfect shot.

I also think the addition of the funnel for the top of the portafilter is absolutely genius and unlike another machine I recently tested where I was forced to wipe up coffee grounds every single day, this configuration barely spills a grain.

I couldn’t ask for better results; the shots are beautiful, hot, and thick with a nice crema on top and are wonderful on their own or when used with milk drinks. And speaking of the milk, again this machine is smart enough to adapt to both dairy and plant milks to get the perfect amount of foam and heat. And with different quick measurements on the milk jug it makes it easy to pour correctly.

Plus you’re getting both heat and foam here unlike a lot of other automatic and semi automatic machines which can usually only handle one or the other.

The fact that it also cleans and purges the steam wand after is a great help, and all the pieces are easy to clean or dishwasher ready.

I also really appreciate the fact that pretty much every setting from heat to brew intensity and milk foaming and temperature is adjustable to my preferences.

And of course the wide variety of different drinks you can make from pretty much any milk based espresso drink to even a dedicated café Americano and colder drinks makes it really versatile.

So what are the potential downsides? I am really struggling to find anything that was a real sore spot for me or that felt like a major problem. I think that there might be some users who will lament the lack of a dedicated hot water dispenser in here, but for me that’s just not a dealbreaker or even a real downside.

In short I have found an amazing new espresso machine that not only makes great coffee but it looks good out on the counter too; just as good as any high-end machine.

I can absolutely recommend the Ninja Luxe Café automatic espresso machine for you. It sells for about $699CAD/$499USD which is actually quite a bit less than similar machines that don’t do as much for you, so I find that pretty impressive too.

**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you choose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

The post Ninja Luxe Cafe automatic espresso machine: full in-home review appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

About the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2nd Gen

The Bose QuietComfort lineup can seem a bit confusing; many of the products get the same “quiet comfort” branding without much differentiation. First, there’s the QuietComfort earbuds which were released in about 2020, which I reviewed. Next came the QuietComfort Earbuds Ultra.

While I found the Ultra earbuds very comfortable and offering terrific sound and noise cancelling, the $379 CAD and $299 USD launch price was a bit of a turn-off and the battery life wasn’t class leading.

Watch my full video review of Bose QC Buds

These new 2024 Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, which I believe are referred to as Gen 2, formally succeed the original model, and comes with a more modest price tag of $249 CAD / $179 USD.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2nd Gen features a “Chilled Lilac” color variant (which I received) in addition to the usual Black and White Smoke colors.

Don’t confuse the QuietComfort Earbuds 2nd Gen with the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. Launched back in 2022, those earbuds featured the same oval-shaped design as their predecessor so you can consider the 2024 version of the QuietComfort Earbuds as a reboot of the series with a rounded earbud design and a smaller (but still a bit chubby), pill-shaped charging case.

I would like to thank Bose for supplying a test pair of earbuds for me to try out in my home. Well the company did send me a pair at no charge, it did not ask for, nor receive permission to have any input into this review so these thoughts are all my own.

What’s in the Box?

The box includes the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds with medium ear tips and size 1 stability bands pre-attached. You may optionally swap these ear tips with a pair of smaller and larger sizes and size 2 and 3 stability bands all included in the box, for a better fit.

Finally, you get the charging case and USB-C to USB-A charging cable.

To take advantage of some extra features and customization you will want to download the Bose QC earbuds app.

As a quick aside, Bose seems to have about half a dozen different apps for its headphone product and finding the right one is not always easy. Fortunately when you put these into pairing mode and go to connect your phone it should prompt you to download the correct version.

Design

Right out of the gate I like the design of these earbuds a little bit better. Well they are still a bit chunky, they seem a little more streamlined at the same time. They have a nice oval design that is easy to grip and remove from the case and well there are plenty of edges and ridges, everything has been nicely softened. Despite the suave look, these feel pretty durable and substantial while also feeling light in the ear.

Fit & Feel

One of the big issues ladies like me have with earbuds is that they tend to be designed for men’s ears, making them extremely bulky and often painful in a woman’s ear. I’m glad to say it appears these have been trimmed down a touch. While they do fill the ear concha, the fit is not tight. While Bose has designed these to be a little more low profile, these still do stick out enough from the ears that they are both very noticeable and would be unsuitable for side sleepers if you’re a bedtime earbud advocate.

Sound quality

I listened to a variety of different audio on these buds over about a week. I started out listening to YouTube videos and found the voice replication was excellent, and the audio was perfectly in sync with the video. I moved on to listening to music and covered a wide span of genres over my seven days.

The sound quality is, not surprisingly, really great. With lots of subtlety and an outstanding balance of clear highs with a deeply resonant bass, the audio quality was outstanding whether grooving to Chromeo, working out to Eminem or Busta Rhymes, or chilling to jazz or lo-fi hip hop during the workday.

Features

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2nd Gen comes with some nice surprises that you won’t even find in the pricier Ultra variant.

Going Beyond Ultra

I’m delighted to report that the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds addressed one of my main complaints with the Ultra model; the battery life.

Battery life & charging

Expect a fully charged pair of QuietComfort Earbuds to run for about 8 and a half hours with the charging case providing a further 21 hours. If by chance you have forgotten the charging cable, you can use any Qi wireless charger to juice up the case!

Customizable Touch Controls

Tap gestures on earbuds are often confusing or hit and miss, especially if you are migrating from a different pair of earbuds. Fortunately, you can use the Bose QC app to fully customize the actions behind single, double, or triple tapping the left and right earbuds. The default positions are a quick tap for play or pause and tapping and holding the earbuds adjust volume as well.

Noise cancellation + Aware

It’s almost unheard of for a more premium brand pair of headphones to be without two key features nowadays; that’s noise cancellation and aware mode. Noise cancellation of course is designed to block out extraneous sounds from bleeding in, while aware mode will deliberately pipe ambient sound into your buds if you need to keep an ear out for something.

How is the noise cancelling? Several things can affect the quality of noise cancellation including the fit of your headphones which is why it’s important to make sure you’re wearing the right size ear tips and you have a good seal created.

To test out noise cancellation I always run the same type of test. I engage the noise cancellation setting but don’t play any audio; that way I can really hear how much sound might be bleeding in.

With the Bose QC Buds 2nd Gen, I found the noise cancellation was extremely good at blocking out any type of sound, even when it was playing right in front of me. I’d say the noise cancellation succeeds at blocking out about 90 to 95% of all noise intrusion on its own.

With almost any kind of music or audio playing the noise cancellation succeeds admirably in creating a total cone of silence.

When it comes to the aware mode, I found it was able to pipe sound in extremely effectively while also giving it a very natural sound; not like it’s being piped through earbuds or a tunnel, but almost as though you’re not wearing earbuds at all.

In short I give both the noise cancellation and the aware mode a nine or a 10 out of 10.

The earbuds also offer a special Low Latency Audio Mode for gamers or media lovers who demand more synchronized audio.

Water resistance

While I don’t recommend using the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds for working out or running outdoors, the buds do boast an IPX4 water-resistance rating allowing them to function just fine under light rain, splashes, or some sweat. However, keep in mind that the charging case doesn’t enjoy any water protection.

Multipoint

These headphones have the option of connecting to two devices at one time, and allowing you to switch audio playback between them. This is a feature I really appreciate in headphones and it means I can keep them connected to my phone and tablet simultaneously.

The multipoint connection worked really well and I was able to swap between watching YouTube videos on my iPad and picking up a call on my iPhone with ease.

Other features

There are a few other features packed into these earbuds also, including EQ presets which allows you to use a handful of preset sound modes to change how your audio comes through. You can use voice control to control the headphones so you never need to reach for your phone and something called fast mute lets you quickly mute or unmute your microphone during phone and video calls with just a quick press on the headphones. There is even a gimmicky setting called remote selfie which allows you to use your headphones and the voice control or touch controls to have your smart phone camera take a photo.

The Not-So Ultra Stuff

Two of the QuietComfort Ultra’s marquee features that didn’t make the non-Ultra cut are the Immersive Audio and Snapdragon Sound.

Considering the midrange pricing, Bose made the right call with these feature cuts as spatial audio performance tends to vary depending on the track and streaming service while Snapdragon Sound only works with a handful of modern mobile devices.

No points deducted for these omissions but something to be aware of in case they are key features for you. If so you can certainly make the upgrade to the Ultra.

Overall review: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2nd Gen

Cheers to Bose for offering a fiercely competitive noise-cancelling product for under $200 that provides a noticeably elevated audio experience compared to other wireless earbuds in the budget tiers.

Let’s go over the pros and the cons so you can see if they might be right for you.

On the pro side the sound quality is outstanding, and the noise cancellation and aware modes are top-tier. The fit and comfort of these has been greatly improved and means they are a lot more comfortable to wear for longer stretches of time. The battery life is also pretty reasonable and well within common standards, and with Qi wireless charging, you get yet another premium level feature at a much more affordable price. I have to also shout out the new lilac colour which is subtle but cool. I’m also a huge fan of the multi point connection and I can say the Bose QC earbuds app actually provides a lot of options for customization and adjustment.

So what are the downsides? It’s been hard trying to find things to crack on. I suppose some of the biggest complaints people might have is that the charging case is still pretty chunky particularly when compared with other competitors. And the earbuds do still stick out quite substantially from the ears.

In short I think these are a great pair of premium sounding earbuds from a top notch audio brand now offered at a more affordable price and I can definitely recommend Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2nd Gen to you.

Those QuietComfort Ultra buds still have a place in premium land, but if the product isn’t on sale, I think you’ll get outstanding bang for the buck with these rebooted QuietComfort Earbuds.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2nd Gen sell for about $249 CAD/$179 USD, and you can get them from places like Bose, Best Buy or Amazon.

**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you choose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

The post Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Gen 2: full hands-on review appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

Best Robot Vacuums

The key to finding the best robot vacuum for your household is to analyze its features carefully to see if they match your needs and learn how well the vacuum performs as advertised. After we reviewed numerous vacuums, we narrowed down the list to our three top picks below. We highly recommend checking out our reviews for each pick to make sure any of the vacuums’ weaknesses aren’t deal breakers for you.

Budget Pick: Yeedi Cube

The Yeedi Cube has convinced us that the absolute minimum you should pay for a brand-new robot vacuum is $500 USD. The Yeedi brand isn’t exactly a household name, but it doesn’t carry a heavy brand tax like other products. More importantly, the Yeedi Cube is an all-in-one vacuum that does all the essentials very well from vacuuming dust and pet hair to mopping hardwood floor. The Yeedi Cube has good mapping capabilities and reliable self-cleaning and emptying features.

Check out our Yeedi Cube review to learn more about our budget champ, or find it at Walmart.

Midrange Pick: Roborock S7 Max V Ultra

Roborock is a more popular robot vacuum brand with a wee bit too many models to pick from. We reviewed quite a bit of them and decided on crowning the Roborock S7 max V Ultra as our midrange pick. Retailing at about $899 USD, this robot vac-mop boasts a maximum suction power of 5,100Pa and is more adept in avoiding obstacles thanks to its ReactiveAI 2.0 tech.

Learn more about this vacuum’s strengths in our full Roborock S7 max V Ultra review, or find it on Amazon.

Premium Pick: ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI

This oddly shaped robo vacuum makes more than just a fashion statement; it offers a full suite of premium vacuum features ranging from LIDAR to hot air drying and all the mopping and scrubbing smarts in between.

The $1,499 USD price is quite eye-watering but our in-depth ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI review could possibly wipe those tears! Find it on Amazon.

Best Over-ear Headphones

For many products, you get what you pay for. However, when it comes to cheap over-ear headphones, you might not realize that fact if you never listened to a pair of headphones costing more than $70 USD. So, if you know someone still jamming with a pair of wired earbuds that came with the device they’re using, treat them to a better audio quality experience that may involve enhanced bass, subtle instruments popping out more, getting rid of ambient noise, and other niceties. It all depends on how much you’re willing to pay.

Budget Pick: Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT

Audio-Technica didn’t introduce any budget over-ear headphones models this year leaving the ATH-M20xBT as the priciest pair of wireless headphones under $100. It may look cheap and can feel a bit uncomfortable after medium-term wearing, but it hits some high notes in both audio quality and passive noise isolation. And oh, it has USB-C charging too unlike some past greats!

Come read our Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT review to learn more, or find it on Amazon.

Midrange Pick: Sennheiser 450 BT

If active noise canceling is a must-have on the menu, the Sennheiser 450 BT is one of the cheapest options to get there as you can find it discounted for around $129 USD. Sennheiser released the 450 BT three years ago, but its specs still hold up with USB-C connectivity along with Bluetooth 5.0 and SBC, AAC, and aptX codec support.

Our detailed Sennheiser 450 BT review explains other things we liked about these cans. You can find them on Amazon.

Premium Pick: Sennheiser Momentum 4

Sennheiser scores another win in our TechGadgets book with the Sennheiser Momentum 4 capturing the $299 price bracket. That price is quite a bit for a lackluster design, but our complaints end here; the rest of the features is a step above many of its competitors. The battery life lasts several days, sound quality is astounding, and its Transparency Mode is a real gift for focusing.

Learn more about its features in our hands-on Sennheiser Momentum 4 Reviews. Find it on Amazon.

Luxury Pick: Bowers & Wilkins P.X. 7 S2e

If you have that special audiophile someone, consider the Bowers & Wilkins PX 7 S2e. Not only does it offer a premium unboxing experience, but it delivers serene audio quality and feels very comfortable.

We reviewed its predecessor, the Bowers & Wilkins PX 7 and it looks like the S2e model improved its active noise canceling which was our main complaint with the original model. The headphones sit at the $399 USD tier, but it had $150 discount not too long ago so wait for Black Friday if this is on your wish list! You can find it on Amazon.

Best Wireless Earbuds

Wireless earbuds always make for nice little stocking stuffers, and we have a few picks here that can easily multiply the value of an innocent red sock.

Fitness Pick: Skullcandy Push Active Earbuds

Fitness at Skullcandy might look odd in the same sentence but throw in a sub-$80 USD price tag and it certainly got our attention! You won’t get any noise cancellation here but the IP55 sweat-resistant rating combined with good battery life makes the Skullcandy Push Active a great gift for fitness fans.

Just give our Skullcandy Push Active review a read to discover some of its minor weaknesses. But that two-toned charger is quite the looker! You can find it on Amazon.

ANC Pick: Jabra Elite 4

If you want to go the active noise canceling route instead of the fitness route for gifting, the Jabra Elite 4 is a good candidate. Yes, the newer Jabra Elite 5 exists but the Elite 4 continues to sell often dipping below its original $99 price.

Have a look at our Jabra Elite 4 review to learn other neat features this pair of wireless earbuds offers. You can find it on Amazon.

Premium Pick: Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2

If the gift calls for top tier audio quality for around $400, consider the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 in your shortlist. It ticks nearly every box in terms of features except for its IP54 water resistance which translates to “not sweat resistant”. However, it ticks the rest of the boxes with very bold strokes. Lows, mids, and highs all sound vibrant with great noise cancellation and passthrough performance.

Like its over-ear cousin, the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 model is a refreshed version of the original Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 which we reviewed. The S2 improvements are minor but the company claims they improved the battery life and Bluetooth range. It’s almost like B&W read our Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 review because that was our only main issue with it! You can find it on Amazon.

Best Appliances

There’s no shortage of great appliances you can gift to your friends and family. So for this year’s holiday tech shopping guide, we’ll focus on some appliances in a few categories that each have a neat little trick that will surely wow him or her.

Kettle Pick: Hamilton Beach Alexa Smart Kettle

What can get really hot, has Alexa integration, and costs under $80? Why a Hamilton Alexa Smart Kettle, of course! But rest assured because asking your trusty Amazon Echo device to boil water for you isn’t as silly as you sound once you try it. Plus, it boils water rather quickly!

Read our hands-on Hamilton Beach Alexa Smart Kettle review or check out our video review to see it in action! You can find it on Amazon.

Blender Pick: Ninja Blast MAX Portable

The Ninja Blast Portable is a small, innocent-looking blender that can crush ice (with a bit of liquid) and make a nice little smoothie good enough for a single person on the go. Not so innovative, right? But here’s the trick up its sleeve; you can charge the blender via USB-C! How cool is that?! But Ninja just updated its Blast blender with a host of changes, and it’s now called the Blast Max.

Find out what else we loved about this blender by reading our original Ninja Blast Portable review, or check it out on Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart.

Or shop my new top pick, Ninja Blast Max on Amazon.

Air Fryer Pick: COSORI 6-quart TurboBlaze

You know anybody who’s not yet onboard the air fryer hype train? This is the year to be that special Santa because COSORI’s trick with its new COSORI 6-quart TurboBlaze Air Fryer is right on its name! The “TurboBlaze” technology is more than just a fancy trademark as the air fryer sports a DC motor which helps make the air fryer work more quietly while speeding up cooking times.

Get the full rundown of this air fryer and why it got a perfect five-star rating in our COSORI 6-quart TurboBlaze review. You can find it on Amazon.

Coffee Pick: Ninja 12 Cup Programmable Coffee Maker

The Ninja 12 Cup Programmable Coffee Maker might be the most boring looking product in our appliance list but don’t let that fool you. For under $70 USD, you get a coffee brewer that not only has a 12-cup water reservoir but is removable as well! This means refills are less of a hassle which is a huge plus for the daily multi-coffee cup lover.

This coffee machine has a few other neat features we liked which you can find in our full Ninja 12 Cup Programmable Coffee Maker review. You can find it on Amazon or Walmart.

Best Wearables

Ordinary wristwatches will never go out of style, but the smartwatches released this 2023 would like to have a word. We heard what they have to say, and it involves some walled gardens. This makes buying a smartwatch easy to buy as a gift because all you need to do is figure out what phone the person uses!

Android Pick: Google Pixel Watch 2

The Google Pixel Watch 2 might only be a second-generation product but it’s the indisputable option for Google Pixel and Android users (unless you use a Samsung phone). It has the health and tracking soul of a Fitbit with an improved chip and larger battery over its predecessor.

Discover what else this Google smartwatch brings to the table in our Google Pixel Watch 2 review. You can find it on Amazon.

Samsung Pick: Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

The Google Pixel Watch 2 should work with any Samsung phone running Android 9.0 or newer but the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 offers deeper integration with Samsung’s services like Samsung Health.

We dedicated a special section in our Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 review highlighting the special features its One UI interface brings. Just be aware of the stricter requirements before considering as the Galaxy Watch 6 only supports Samsung devices with Android 10.0 or newer. You can find it on Amazon.

Apple Pick: Apple Watch Series 9

We have not reviewed the latest Apple Watch but because of Apple’s strict ecosystem, it’s impossible for us to recommend anything else for Apple users! Yes, Apple does sell older models as well as a budget-friendly SE option, but if you are going to gift an Apple product, you might as well gift something that will last multiple years because older and lower-end models will be first on the chopping block for end-of-life support. Always buy the latest model as it comes with the latest internal hardware to support newer WatchOS versions later down the road. You can find it on Amazon.

Best Portable Speakers

Portable speakers are great budget options for gifting to just about anyone! When it comes to the current crop of products, looks can be deceiving and here’s a few that caught our eyes and later our ears!

Budget Pick: JBL Go 3

The JBL Go 3 is an excellent gift not just for your average folk but also for kids as it is small, rugged, and comes in various colors. It sounds great for its size and costs only $49 USD / $59 CAD which is just enough to forgive its middling 5-hour battery life.

Find out what else this weatherproof Bluetooth speaker offers in our full JBL Go 3 review. You can find it on Amazon, Canadian Tire, or Walmart.

Spatial Audio Pick: Anker SoundCore Motion X600

The average music streaming lover might be missing out on a third dimension of their favorite songs. This is your chance to be that cool friend or relative by gifting a speaker with spatial audio and the Anker SoundCore Motion X600 offers just that for just $199 USD / $269 CAD. Just prepare the wrapping paper because this speaker is a bit larger yet still portable thanks to its non-foldable handle.

You can read more about its full feature set in our Anker SoundCore Motion X600 review. You can find it on Amazon or Best Buy.

Premium Portable Pick: Marshall Willen

If the JBL Go 3 is too pedestrian for your tastes and you’re willing to spend a bit more than double its price, the Marshall Willen speaker is the one to get. $120 USD / $179 CAD gets you a tiny, but loud speaker that has that classic guitar amp look. It also boasts an IP67 weather-resistant rating and can last about 15 hours from a full charge.

Take a look at our full Marshall Willen review for a deeper dive. You can find it on Amazon or Best Buy.

Best Smart Lighting

When it comes to smart lighting, you might feel tempted to go cheap and settle for the first sponsored listing you see in a typical Amazon search. However, you might end up with a product that works well for a few days and later has issues. Avoid those pitfalls by sticking with some of our tried-and-tested picks here!

Bulb Pick: Amazon Basics Smart Light Bulbs

Have a friend or relative you are frequently in touch with via Amazon Echo? An easy and inexpensive gift idea is to get an Amazon Basics Smart Light bulb as it is easy to set up via the Alexa app. If you feel hesitant with the small packaging or the $13 USD price tag, you can always consider the 4-pack for a bigger gift impact!

To find out what else you can do with this smart light, check out our Amazon Basics Smart Light Bulb review. You can find it on Amazon.

Toilet Pick: IllumiBowl Motion-Activated Toilet Night Light

If you want to hide some hearty laughing gas in your Christmas gift for not much money, the IllumniBowl Motion-Activated Toilet Night Light is a good candidate! A light for your toilet sounds like something you would encounter in TEMU but this $15 USD / $17.50 CAD motion light really works. Just add a trio of AAA batteries, attach the arm with no tools required, and you’re good to go!

If you’re still not convinced, you can check out our photos of the light in action in our full IllumniBowl Motion-Activated Toilet Night Light review. You can find it on Amazon or Walmart.

Table Pick: Ilios Lighting Rechargeable Table Mirror

If you have some money to spare and want to gift a light that will get a lot of use, we recommend the $139 USD Ilios Lighting Rechargeable Table Mirror. With its internal rechargeable battery, you can light up the mirror’s outer bezel away from the outlet. This level of freedom is only something you must experience to appreciate it and Ilios even bundles it with a cool suction cup attachment making it travel-friendly as well.

Want to know more about the lighting specs? Check out our Ilios Lighting Rechargeable Table Mirror review! You can find it on Amazon or Best Buy.

Curtain Pick: Govee Curtain Lights

Another clever way to spend $140-ish USD on smart lighting is to get a bunch of tiny lights that can do all sorts of neat tricks. With the Govee Curtain Lights, you get 520 teardrop-shaped lights specifically! The best part? These lights do not require a smart hub and work with Alexa and Google Assistant.

To find out what you can do with these lights after setting them up, see our full Govee Curtain Lights review. You can find it on Amazon or Walmart.

Best Health Gadgets

A health-focused gadget might not be an exciting holiday tech shopping category for some folks, but you never know, a single smart gift could change some habits for the better! Here’s some health gadgets we positively reviewed.

Toothbrush Pick: usmile Y10 PRO Smart Toothbrush

The usmile Y10 PRO Smart Toothbrush is like the modern embodiment of an electric toothbrush. It has a cool digital screen, has 4 brushing modes, and charges via USB-C. Brush head replacements are a bit on the pricey side but at least it comes with two brush heads which is reasonable for the $100 USD asking price.

Our usmile Y10 PRO Smart Toothbrush review breaks down all the features and includes an Amazon US coupon code for getting a cool $15 discount!

You can find it on Amazon or Walmart.

Blood Pressure Monitor Pick: QardioArm Blood Pressure Monitor

Finding a good medical product like a blood pressure monitor requires a bit of extra care because you want something from a reputable brand and has proven to work throughout the years. The QardioArm has over 4,000 positive reviews on Amazon US and offers apps for sharing blood pressure data that continues to get updates and also received positive reviews.

We also have our own QardioArm Blood Pressure Monitor review where you can learn more about our findings after using the product. You can find it on Amazon or Walmart.

Sleep Pick: Philips SmartSleep Connected Sleep and Wake Up Light

Did you know Amazon Echo Show devices have a “Wake-up Lighting” feature that tries to synchronize the display’s brightness and other smart lights with the sunrise? If configured correctly, the feature should help you sleep or wake up, but your results will vary from setup to setup. If you want a product offering real results, you must look back to the past and give the Philips SmartSleep Connect Sleep and Wake Up Light a try. Philips wake-up lights have been around for decades, and this particular model comes with a ton of features.

You’ll have to head to our Philips SmartSleep Connected Sleep and Wake Up Light review to learn more about them. You can find it on Amazon or Best Buy.

Best Beauty Gadgets

When it comes to beauty gadgets, you won’t find any budget picks in our small list here. You do have to pay a bit of a premium for the best experience and that usually means, minimal to no fuss!

Epilator Pick: Philips Epilator 8000

Pulling hairs by the roots equates to pain but the Philips Epilator 8000 says no to that! The $110 USD package includes several swappable attachments which you can use depending on the area.

The TL;DR version is that it isn’t a pain to use but check out our Philips Epilator 8000 review for our full thoughts or our video review to see it in action. Just take note that this isn’t a product for the face; we have a recommendation for that just below!

You can find it on Amazon or Walmart.

Facial Pick: FOREO LUNA 4

The FOREO LUNA 4 is another product we gave a perfect score to despite its high price because it cleans the face so well. This all-in-one cleansing brush has been around for a bit more than a year and you can currently find it on Amazon for about $180 at the time of writing which is a historical low!

This gadget is packed with too many features to fit here so check out our FOREO LUNA 4 review for the full rundown. You can find it on Amazon or Best Buy.

Hair Styler Pick: Shark FlexStyle

The Dyson Airwrap is a wonderful product but the high price really makes this a gift you want to give to yourself. For other folks, you don’t have to feel guilty in gifting a Shark FlexStyle as it offers tremendous value for the money.

You’ll have to resort to our Shark FlexStyle Multi-styler review to learn more about the attachments and its performance. For a little summary, it’s a powerful blow dryer, feels a bit heavy but compact, and it does hot curling well after a bit of practice. You can find it on Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart.

Creative Tech Gifts for the Person Who Has Everything

Gifting a tech-savvy person who has many of our top picks or worthy competitors to these picks will be a bit more challenging. That’s where this special list comes in as we dug up some hidden gems that might not be for everyone but could serve as fun, clever gifts!

Ember Mug 2

A $150 “smart mug” might give you that visual of spitting out your recent morning sip in shock. But gift this to any coffee or tea connoisseur and you can expect a resounding gesture of gratitude. Preparing the best cup of tea or coffee involves a lot of tinkering with the liquid temperature and one of the Ember Mug 2’s key features is maintaining that temperature to the exact value you can set in the app. Yes, you can control this mug with your phone, and it comes with a few cool smart features like an LED indicator once it reaches your preferred temperature and an auto-sleep function to conserve battery life.

Still curious how this all works? Come and have some tea with our Ember Mug 2 review! You can find it on Amazon or Walmart.

Tineco Smart Toaster

Air fryers? Those are for rookies! Smart toasters are the current buzz… at least in Tineco’s world! Bagging an iF Design Award this year, the Tineco Toasty One is more than just a fancy spaceship-like appliance and certainly got us curious.

After fiddling with the appliance’s touchscreen and dabbling with various toast settings, we gave it top marks. Find out why in our Tineco Toasty One smart toaster review. You can find it on Amazon.

Thermomix TM6

Thought the Tineco Smart Toaster was outworldly? Meet the Thermomix TM6 according to the manufacturer is an “all-in-one kitchen assistant”! Automation is the name of the game with the Thermomix TM6 from food processing to cooking to cleaning itself.

Boasting 20 kitchen functions, you do have to pay $1,500 for that luxury, but our full Thermomix TM6 review explains just how such a high amount is actually great value for the money. And if by rare chance the person you want to gift has one, you can always consider gifting a Thermomix Cutter! YOu can find one on the Theromix website.

BLUETTI Power Station

A good chunk of our picks in this list are useless without a power source. The same can be said with gadgets that run out of battery and have no place to charge if you suddenly experience a power outage. Having a BLUETTI Power Station serves as a second wind for these devices making them perfect gifts for the tech lover. BLUETTI offers a wide range of power stations in different sizes and energy specs to suit various use cases.

Check out our recent BLUETTI post on products to learn more about the different power stations and its uses or read our BLUETTI AC180 review to discover what you can do with 1,800 watts of portable power. You can find it on Amazon or Walmart.

Himiway D5 Zebra

When it comes to shopping for an e-bike, a lot of the usual tech knowledge simply doesn’t apply. Many of the brands in this space are out of the common tech bubble and various models target specific bikers. However, the Himiway D5 Zebra e-bike is a good bike to start with or gift to someone because of its easy assembly, stable ride, and adjustable settings.

Getting used to the bike’s massive 79-pound frame is necessary to appreciate the experience and you can get a glimpse of that from our Himiway D5 Zebra review. You can find it on Amazon.

Have any holiday tech ideas worth sharing? Do comment below! Happy holiday tech shopping!

**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you choose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post The Best Holiday Tech Shopping Guide 2024 appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

Review: Yeedi C12 Combo: Robot, Stick vac, handheld + wet cleaner

In this clever kit you not only get a robot vacuum, which you could refer to as the Optimus Prime of the package, but you also get a 2-in-1 convertible stick-to-handheld vacuum that empties itself too AND this entirely new offering comes with a unique new mopping device that’s the first of its kind I’ve ever seen… and I review a LOT of floor cleaners… If I’m keeping up with my transformers metaphors, this light and nimble gadget is Bumblebee.

Watch my video about Yeedi C12 Combo

In this review I’m going to test out the entire kit here in my home over a couple of weeks. I’ll show you all the different things that can do, and we’ll take a look at what it’s best at, and what it shouldn’t be used for. I’ll wrap things up with the pros and the cons and let you know if I think I can recommend this device for you. I’d like to thank Yeedi for sponsoring this video. While they have paid me for my time, they have not told me what I have to say or can’t say about this kit and I got to test it out on my own so you can consider these thoughts my own.

What you get

Yeedi is referring to this set as a “COMBOT” which I think is clever . There is a lot to unpack here in the relatively small box so let’s get to it…
There is a compact handheld vacuum motor with attached dust bin that’s first out of the gate, and the C12 robot vacuum is also in here underneath you’ll find some of the other components including the main motorized vacuuming brush for the stick vacuum as well as a extension tube. The self cleaning and charging station is the largest item in the bottom of the box.

Breaking out the rest of the components, there’s also a special wet cleaning tank and two washable and reusable pads, and how these get used is going to be quite different from what we’ve typically seen in robot vacuums, so stick with me.
The other two key components are a plastic base for the robot and a base for the vacuum components.
And there’s one last hidden surprise. If you remove the door panel on the left-hand side of the base, you’ll find two additional vacuum accessories; the dust brush and crevice tool. These cleverly store inside the base so there’s no stray pieces floating around.

Set Up & assembly

You’ll have a few steps to take care of to get your Combot ready to use. Place the base station in a clear area near a plug and connect it to power.
Attach the two base plates and then you’ll need to remove a small silicone stopper from the side of the machine and twist in the plastic bracket which will hold the stick vacuum attachment.

Then you can set the motor handle for the stick vacuum in it’s dock which not only keeps it charged but also empties the dust bin anytime it’s replaced. Lastly, place the robot in it’s mini garage to charge up, and thois is where the bot will also empty itself.

Once it has some juice you can connected to the Yeedi app which is where you can automate a lot of your cleaning. All you really need to do is follow the steps in the app to connect it to your home’s Wi-Fi which I had done in about two minutes.

Then let your robot create a virtual map of your home by roaming around the house for less than 10 minutes. Once it’s had a chance to scan your space it will generate a highly accurate map which you can now use to handle room specific cleaning and create cleaning schedules.

About Yeedi C12 Combo

The Yeedi C12 Combo is a part of Yeedi’s C12 midrange robot vacuum series which consists of four variants at the time of writing. The C12 Combo is the most expensive variant of the bunch since it comes with the stick vacuum and accessories while the base model C12 gives you just the vacuum itself plus charging-only dock (though it’s a steal at about $299 USD).

Let’s dig in on each of the two main components, and tackle the different cleaning scenarios you can use them for.

Yeedi C12 Robot Vacuum: Robot floor vacuuming

Scenario:

Your in-laws are coming for dinner and you’re behind on the cooking. The solution? Ask your voice assistant to send out the C2 combo robot to clean the floor. To make it even quicker you can get your robot to just focus on the areas they’ll see.

The C12 Combo robot is incredibly capable at vacuuming… Because that’s it’s main focus. Like some other robot floor cleaners which will also mop, this version is dedicated to vacuuming only so it’s able to do a really good and thorough job. Particularly when used on its highest suction power it can easily tackle things like cracker crumbs, oats, rice and cornmeal on both carpets, rugs, and hard floors. If you like an extra clean floor, you can even have it automatically do two passes over an entire room which turns in already thorough job into a pristine clean.

Yeedi Stick Vacuum

Scenario:

Having a robot vacuum means never having to worry about the mess… Particularly if you have pets that shed. But what do you do about the pet hair that can float off into the corners, or into narrow spaces your robot vacuum just can’t access? That’s where the two in one stick vacuum comes in.

Depending on what you need to vacuum you can add the extension tube to create a full length stick vacuum along with the motorized brush head, or you can clip several of the accessories right into the motor handle and run this as a highly portable handheld vacuum.

What you can expect from the stick vac is a versatile little cleaner that can fill in some holes a robot vacuum can’t handle, like vacuuming tighter spots, or corners, but the stick vacuum unlike the robot can also unlock a whole new level of vacuuming allowing you to tackle upholstery, baseboards and walls—not to mention messes out in the car.

The 95 watts worth of power in this brush is better for lighter messes, or, like I said, to filling in the gaps the robot isn’t designed for.
With a ZeroTangle roller brush and its V-shaped spiral design and comb teeth, it’s also ideal for homes with shedding pets and long-haired humans.

Mop Add-on

The newest element to this transformational floor cleaner is that there is a wet cleaning attachment for it, but unlike other bots this is not an attachment for the robot… Here it will be connected to the stick vacuum, transforming it into a dual-purpose, twin cleaning solution.

How does it work?

The mopping cartridge consists of a boxy water tank which you can fill with fresh water and a bit of cleaning solution. Rinse the reusable cloth pad and wring it out to get going, then attach it to the bottom of the cartridge, and then click the wheels of the motorized brush into the opening.

What this then gets you is a damp floor mop which can swiffer away finer dust particles. It will be important to note that the mopping cartridge is simply a damp cloth, and there is no liquid suction, so this combination should not be used to vacuum or mop wet messes.

Mopping tank.

I was surprised to find it actually does a pretty good job at wiping up the floor while vacuuming, and definitley sets it apart from traditional vacuums, mops, or robots. The water flow is substantial yet well measured and it’s a good way to give your floors a quick wipe.

Even if you’ve got smaller dried on spills, this mopping plate is quite well equipped to help tackle it. So not only are you getting a thorough vacuum, but you’re getting a cleaning wipe also.

The vacuum is outstanding at hard floors and carpets, and quite adapt at getting into the folds of our sofa. The attachments also do a great job at baseboards and out of the way corners like the space behind a door.

Out in the car, it’s an ideal small space companion for hoovering up crumbs.
The best part is that when you return the vacuum to the docking station it will automatically empty the dustbin. That means you’re always starting with a clean vacuum.

All-in-One Charging Station

Speaking of the auto-emptying, Yeedi C12 Combo’s charging station is easily the most innovative component of the bundle because it takes very little space and is cleverly designed to keep the the Combot parts neat, tidy, and within reach without interfering with the robot vacuum’s ability to dock when needed.

The vacuum motor easily slots in the top of the station to charge the battery while the arm and floor component attaches to the side.

Both the stick and robot vacuum components unload their onboard bins automatically to the same 1.5-liter bagless dustbin. The bonus here is that you can just empty this straight into a garbage and never need to worry about paying for or finding replacements for disposable vacuum bags.

The station also uses HEPA filters to keep the vacuums’ suction power at peak performance and prevent dust from re-entering your space. The station’s dustbin filter has a nice red accent which adds some identity to the overall look.

Overall Thoughts: Yeedi C12 Combo

If you don’t have a robot vacuum or a stick vacuum and you don’t want to blow your budget figuring out the best type of vacuums for your situation—or worse— buying three devices to solve all your cleaning woes, the Yeedi C12 Combo is a convenient, affordable 3-in-one floor solution.

I do love the concept of a “COMBOT” so let’s go over the pros and cons of this device.

On the pro side there’s a lot of versatility in this kit. You’re getting a convenient robot vacuum as well as a handheld vacuum and full sized stick vacuum all in one. That you can also add a special wet cleaning cartridge to give your floors a wipe just takes things another step further.
The included stick vacuum is a great way to fill in the gaps where a robot just can’t go and it’s convenient that everything can stay stored together. It cleans well and with advanced robot vacuum features like scheduling, home mapping and room identification as well as the ability to avoid getting stalled by tangles, Yeedi C12 is smart too.

On the cons side, some may not love the way the base station holds all its components. It could come across as a bit haphazard but it’s easy to see Yeedi tried to keep things as compact and streamlined as possible.

In terms of other possible downsides, if you were looking for a robot vacuum that also handles the mopping, you could check out Yeedi Cube, which I’ve reviewed.

Some folks may also not appreciate that you can’t mop up full wet spills with this device, but since that’s not at all what it’s designed to do, there’s absolutely no points deducted here.

In short, if you’re looking for multiple floor cleaning solutions on a budget, you should definitely check out Yeedi C12 Combo.

The full kit sells regularly for about $899USD, but you should check for any promotions the company is offering as you might be able to land one at a steep discount: Special offer: Sale Price is $569.99 Use Code ‘tgcYeedi’ until December 2 to get 5% off.

You can also check out some other cleaning options from Yeedi, like the Cube I mentioned, Yeedi M12 Pro +, or the Yeedi C12 Pro +. Or see what’s new on Yeedi’s website.

The post Review: Yeedi C12 Combo: Robot, Stick vac, handheld + wet cleaner appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

With an Ethernet connection port in this version, you can plug directly into your router for stabler streams without the need for an adapter, and now billed as having Ambient Mode, is this Streamer finally a worthy adversary for the decor-focused Samsung Frame TV?

What is Google TV Streamer?

Google TV Streamer is a device that connects to any TV, and using a Wi-Fi connection, it can open up streaming access for nearly any device, whether a smart TV or an older non-connected set. Once you have it connected, it gives you access to all the streaming channels on the market. With an included remote, it’s got instant control, or you can use a phone to run it too.

Watch my full hands-on video review of Google TV Streamer

In this review I’m going to try the TV streamer out here in my home for a few days and I’ll take a look at what’s new and improved in this iteration, what it can do, what the user interface is like and I’ll assess the other special features it has. I’ll wrap things up with the pros and the cons of this device and let you know if I think it’s a good TV streaming system for you. I would like to thank Google for gifting me a pre-release version so I could do my review ahead of its public launch. Well the company did provide the streamer to me at no cost, it did not ask for nor receive permission to have any input into this review. So you can consider these thoughts my own.

Google packed the device with hardware upgrades, like the Ethernet port, AI smarts, and other neat goodies too, meaning it’s a solid competitor for something like Apple TV and Roku Ultra.

Unboxing and set up

In the package you’re getting the TV box… although you probably can’t call this a box. The design leans heavily towards Google’s preference for more natural, pebbly shapes and textures, and features mega-curves and round edges.

A power cable and plug adapter, plus two colour-coordinated batteries round out the necessities, and there’s also the new remote control. Yes while batteries are included an HDMI cable is not, so make sure you’ve got your own. (Just remember to buy an HDMI 2.1 cable if you don’t have a spare to enjoy the full 4K HDR benefits).

Bigger than a Chromecast

Those who were big fans of the palm-sized, pebble shaped Chromecast dongle will find this device more challenging to place or hide, since it’s not going to dangle behind your TV, but I think Google actually did an incredible job at making this something that you won’t mind having sitting out in the open. I placed mine on top of my Sonos Sound bar, below the Samsung Frame TV and I think it disappears nicely into the room; it’s sculptural yet unobtrusive.

The New Voice Remote

Google redesigned the remote, making it slightly larger and altering the button layout, and apparently improved the ergonomics but the improvements are subtle at best and aren’t going to rock your Chromecast world.

The YouTube and Netflix buttons remain, but the smaller button with the star icon is now customizable allowing you to bind the button to any Google TV app or function you want. The built-in microphone allows you to give the streamer Google Assistant smart home commands as expected.

To get the Google TV Streamer set up, you’ll plug in the power and connect the HDMI cable to the streamer and your TV.

While we’re back here, let’s take a look at the ports: there’s the single HDMI connection, an Ethernet port, and USB-C power. A multipurpose button on the far left will reset the device or find your lost remote.

Once it boots up, the screen will begin to walk you through.

The first thing you will do is pair the remote.

I couldn’t quite get mine to pair the first few times I tried and ended up having to pop the batteries out and replace them. Once I did that the whole set up process advanced by itself. Not sure if this is simply a pre-release bug or a bigger issue but it was resolved quickly.

The rest of the set up process will involve connecting to your home’s Wi-Fi network and then enabling a handful of settings. I was set up in about five minutes.

As a quick aside if you prefer to use your television’s remote to control your Google TV streamer, you can. I didn’t even have to do anything to get this working; instantly my Samsung TV remote was connected and functioning too.

User Interface

Let’s take a look at the main screen…

If you’re familiar with Android TV interfaces, this will look somewhat familiar. The clean and uncluttered interface looks modern and is easy to follow.

At the top you have your core tabs which are self explanatory: For You, Movies, Shows, Apps, and Library.

The ‘For You’ tab may be of most interest, since this is where YouTube will make recommendations about things it thinks you’ll like, and also give you the opportunity to resume watching things you’ve already seen.

My recommendations were not extremely robust, but I also haven’t had time to let the TV streamer understand my watching habits just yet.

Apps

When it comes to apps and streaming services, pretty much every platform is available here and you can personalize what you see, and how easy it is to access. The interface is incredibly easy to use and understand, and you’ll also find things like free streaming TV options as well as live television too.

Google Home

One of the features I liked is the integration of Google Home into the streamer. You can set up a shortcut button to access this, or simply find it through settings. Either way it gives you access to your full suite of Google Home and smart home devices. It’s incredibly easy to make adjustments to lighting, or even call up any of your cameras onto the big screen and take a look around.

The new Google TV Streamer doubles as a wider smart home hub too, complete with Thread and Matter support. These newer smart home connection protocols might not matter yet (no pun intended) to every household, but they will become standard soon enough and mean your Google TV streamer is future proof for a while.

Ambient Mode

One of the features of Google TV streamer I was looking most forward to is what Google is calling Ambient Mode, which you could also refer to as the screensaver.

Google seemed to say it’s done some work to improve this, but as I was setting it up I have to say it looked suspiciously like the screensavers already available on Google smart screens.

AI Screensaver

One of the interesting options is the ability to use Google’s AI to create your own screensaver. You can either generate art completely from scratch, or use the Google assisted prompts to help you. This is certainly fun and can lead to both some very nice images, and some interesting misfires. But if you’re willing to stick with it you can probably get something you’ll like.

Google provides you with the option of using your own photos as a screensaver or using art or photography. I wanted to use some of the professional art and photography in hopes of matching the experience I currently get on my Samsung Frame TV.

While there are definitely some cool art works and prints, the effect is definitely more screensaver than Ambient Mode. The TV stays at its current brightness so it can look a bit unnatural in dimmer rooms.

There’s also no single touch button that can get you immediately into Ambient Mode. I went looking through the settings for the programmable favourite button, but there appears to be no option for this to trigger Ambient Mode.

In short while I had high hopes that the so-called Ambient Mode would be a nice way for the TV to fit into my space a little better, at this stage it’s little better than a screensaver and could use a few tweaks in my opinion to make it easier to access.

Find my Remote

Everybody’s misplaced the remote control for the TV at one time or another. It will never be a problem with the Google TV streamer. There are three ways to locate a lost Google remote:
1. Press and hold the button on the back of Google TV Streamer for <5 seconds and release to ring the remote.*
2. If you have Google Nest Speakers in the home, you can even trigger the remote to ring using your voice. Say “Hey Google, find my remote”.
3. You can also use the Google Home app. Tap on your Google TV Streamer inside the app you’ll get the menu options.

Customize the remote

A new customizable button on the remote lets you program your favourite app or channel for instant callback, or set it up to switch inputs or launch the Google Home panel with just one click.

Well this is a nice option, right now the programming options are limited to just those three things. As noted before you can’t program this button to launch Ambient Mode, or change your default audio settings for example.

What can I watch on Google TV Streamer?

Wondering what you’ll be able to watch or stream on this device? The answer is pretty much every streaming service that’s available can be found on Google TV. It also gives you access to free TV channels as well as live television options too.

Google Gemini (kinda) and Google Assistant

It will probably come as no surprise that the Google Assistant is built into your TV, which allows you to ask for channel changes, volume adjustments and info like weather, with just your voice. Google appears to be getting away from the familiar Google Assistant emblem, since on the remote if you want access to the assistant you’ll push the microphone button.

Google has also built in access to its new Gemini artificial intelligence assistant… kinda.

While Gemini will deliver AI-powered summaries for movies or TV, related content, and even a roundup of what people are saying about a show, it does not appear the dedicated Gemini assistant also known as Gemini Live is actually available on the TV streamer yet.

Here’s hoping that feature comes along down the road with a firmware update. In the meantime, it looks like using the microphone button as a way to invoke whatever assistant will be in your future makes the most sense for now.

Spec Bumps Across the Board

Google’s TV Streamer houses a more powerful MediaTek MT8696 processor which the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K uses as well. However, the Google TV Streamer has a greater surface area than any dongle so you can expect that quad-core CPU to do extended tasks without throttling. The streamer also features 4 GB worth of memory which is twice the RAM found in the old Chromecast with Google TV 4K. But what might that mean to you?

Original remote, left, and new.

Likely the ability to allow you to run more background apps without stuttering or buffering. With 32 GB of storage space, you can install more apps and games while having extra space for other media.

Connectivity Improvements

Google also added an Ethernet port to the Google TV Streamer which is something I haven’t seen in a Google streaming device since the Nexus Q released back in mid-2012!

With Gigabit speeds, you can reliably use Google TV Streamer as a Plex server. In addition to the usual Wi-Fi 802.11ac with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz support, you also get Bluetooth 5.1 which offers better efficiency and range than the older Bluetooth 4 featured in the latest Chromecast dongles.

Connect Pixel Buds Pro 2 for private listening

That Bluetooth capability means you can link the streamer to a pair of Pixel Buds Pro and enjoy private spatial audio.

That’s very good news, but you can also pair your Google TV streamer to any Bluetooth enabled headphones you want, even Apple devices. I love this feature and was able to use the streamer with a variety of different headphones to enjoy a quiet movie night.

Casting call

Google’s Chromecast technology is still alive and well and with it, you can conveniently send Chrome tabs from your phone to the big screen along with any Android and iOS apps supporting Chromecast.

Photo and video sharing

You can also beam videos and photos to the TV via the Google Photos app or mirror your Chromebook’s screen.

One Remote capable

CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) allows for HDMI devices to be controlled with one remote control.

If you try to cast to a CEC supported TV while on a different source input (local TV channel, Cable, USB), source input will automatically switch to the HDMI port where the Chromecast is connected. Certain TVs will also power on (when powered off) when trying to cast to the Chromecast.

In order for this function to work, your Chromecast must be using a wall outlet for power and not plugged into a USB port on the TV.

Supported Media Formats

Like the Chromecast with Google TV 4K, the Google TV Streamer can handle up to 4K HDR at 60 frames per second with support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. On the audio format side, you get Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Atmos technologies.

Overall Thoughts: Google TV Streamer

Overall the Google TV Streamer appears to be an outstanding device that will be ideal for anyone who needs to add streaming functionality to an older TV, or is looking for a portable option.

Let’s go over the pros and cons.

On the pro side this TV streamer is a beautiful device, and is certainly far more attractive than Apple’s hunk of black plastic. I would go so far as to say Google TV Streamer is the best looking streaming box on the market bar none. With 4K resolution you’re getting the best quality video, and the Ethernet port lets you set up a direct connection if you prefer.

It’s incredibly easy to set up, and easy to use, and the simple clutter free home screen makes it a joy to navigate. With all the streaming services you could want already built-in, you’ve got loads of entertainment options, and with Google Home interface at your fingertips, it’s easy to navigate your smart home too.

Plus with the option to connect any pair of headphones for private listening, this is an ideal streaming box for a family home when quiet is needed.

So what are the downsides?

I was incredibly disappointed with the so-called Ambient Mode. It’s really just the same screensaver you’ll get on any Google display. To be clear, it’s nice to have if you don’t have something like a Frame TV as I already do, but calling it Ambient Mode seems like an overreach.

Some users may also be disappointed at the bigger size and need for set-top or furniture placement. I also wished for more options to program that favourites button, and I’m surprised Gemini isn’t baked in here on release, though this might come down the road.

Google priced its TV streamer at $99 USD/$129CAD which is more expensive than the old Chromecast, but still a lot less than a 4K Ethernet Apple TV. And since Chromecast is still available as of this review going up, if you need the smaller dongle and don’t need the Ethernet connection, you can still get 4K video and save.

In short, there are a few shortcomings in this device that may give you pause before you add to cart, especially since there are cheaper streaming options out there—mainly from Roku, but as long as you know what you’re getting here, and what you aren’t—at least not yet— Google TV Streamer does the job and it looks a lot better doing it.

The post Google TV Streamer 4K 2024: full hands-on review appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

OutIn Nano portable espresso press: full hands-on review

In this review I spent several weeks using the OutIn Nano, both at home, in the camper man, and on the go. I’ll show you how it works whether you choose to use pre-measured pods or your own coffee, and I’ll take a look at the pros and cons and let you know if I think I can recommend this device for you.

Watch my full hands-on video review to see it in action

 Unboxing

Taking a look at what you get with this device it’s a pretty cool and attractive package, and OutIn does a nice job of making the packaging feel luxe.

Let’s take a look at the parts…

You get the OutIn Nano which has your power and battery, along with a few parts; there is a plastic espresso cup which fits over the bottom of the machine, a 2-piece portafilter that’s used for ground coffee, and a separate 2-piece portafilter for using Nespresso pods that has little metal claws inside.

There’s also a coffee scoop which can double as a tamper, and a USB-C power cord.

I had the idea that all of the pieces would fit conveniently back into the body of the espresso machine in some way… But after experimenting with that in a couple of configurations it doesn’t quite fit back together. That was a disappointment that makes it a little less convenient to travel with. The way I found it fits best together is to put the coffee scoop inside the cup of the ground coffee port filter and to set that in the water tank up top. Put the top part of the ground coffee port filter into the bottom of the espresso cup and then attach the capsule port filter into the machine. It mostly fits together, the lid on top never fully closes, nor does the cup fit right. OutIn says it is actually not meant to fit together at all, which I think is a bit of a mist design opportunity.

Using OutIn Nano

To use the machine you want to make sure it is fully charged.

Depending whether you’re using a coffee pod or ground coffee you’ll choose the portafilter you need.

I’m going to run both for you in just a sec…

You can use this machine with cold water and the machine can heat it, or you can pour in boiling water for extraction.

Depending which type of water you use this will change how you program the machine. If you want the machine to heat your water for you you’ll turn it on with a quick press then push and hold the button for two seconds to heat and extract your shot. If you want to skip the heating process turn the machine on and quickly double tap the button. Pressing the power button at any time will stop the extraction process.

The machine is going to use exactly as much water as you place in the tank and will drain it each time.

Let’s start with using ground espresso.

You’ll fill the ground coffee porta filter with finally ground espresso beans and then tamp it lightly using the scoop. Attach the lid and then use the bottom of the porta filter to screw the assembly tightly to the bottom. Then sit the machine into the espresso cup. Push the button quickly to turn the machine on then hold for two seconds to begin the heating and extraction process. While the company says the machine should heat in 2 to 3 minutes, I found that impact this was a lot closer to five or six minutes.

It does feel agonizingly long, yes. But given the parameters of this machine and the fact it’s relying on a battery, it’s possibly not surprising. And it may go without saying that you can always boil your water separately first and then run the shot using boiled water, although of course you’ll still have to wait for that initial boil also.

When the machine is fully heated it will begin extracting your espresso shot on its own. The machine runs extremely quietly so it’s easy to miss this if you’ve turned your back and gone onto something else while waiting for the heating process. With the shot ready it’s time to drink.

Tasty? Hot? Thick?

Using Nespresso Pods

When it comes to using an espresso/Nespresso pod, this is really easy. Just push the pod, narrow side in, to the Nespresso adaptor and then attach the rest of the portafilter.

When using pods you’ll want to make sure the portafilter is screwed in tightly in order to generate enough pressure to do a proper extraction with crema. The first time I tried this I don’t think I tightened the port filter enough and my espresso came out on the watery side. The next time I was able to get a bit of a better result.

How hot is the shot?

You might be wondering how hot the espresso shots are when they are extracted. I measured the temperature immediately after brewing at ??

Of course if you are looking for a hotter shot you could simply use your own boiling water heated to your preferred temperature.

Battery Life & Charging

The company says that when the machine is required to heat the water for you you should get about 3 to 5 shots of espresso on a single charge. If you use already heated water, you can get dozens of uses. I can confirm from my own personal experience that I was only able to get about three shots on a single charge. That is definitely extremely low and may limit the devices usefulness depending on how much power you have access to. If the machine doesn’t have enough juice to complete an extraction it will beep and shut down automatically which happened to me on more than one occasion.

My recommendation for this device would be to charge it after each use so you can always keep it topped up and ready.

In case you’re wondering you cannot use the machine while it is plugged in to recharge.

Recharging takes approximately two to three hours which is actually quite reasonable.

Overall review: OutIn Nano portable espresso machine

Overall there’s a lot of plusses to this machine, but it does have some areas where I do hope the company can make improvements in a Gen 2. Let’s go over the pros and cons so you can evaluate them with me.

On the pro side, this machine is truly an all in one portable espresso maker; it can use either ground espresso beans or Nespresso pods making it very versatile. It uses either cold water and can heat the water for you, or you can add your own boiling water. And depending on how much water you measure and you can make a single shot or a double easily.

The machine is relatively compact and lightweight given all that’s going on. I like that it comes with clever accessories like a scoop/tamper and a drinking cup too. The two hour recharge time is reasonable too.

On the cons side, I found it does take quite a long time to heat up; about five or six minutes which is almost double with the company promises on its website.

The battery life is also extremely short if you want to have the machine heat your water for you. I was only ever able to get no more than three shots on a single charge. And given you cannot use the machine while it is charging that does feel a bit more limiting also.

The accessories don’t fit back into the machine to keep it slim for transport. And I do think some type of drip tray would be helpful so you have somewhere to put it after brewing.

I suppose the battery life would be the biggest dealbreaker since if you were going to take this off grid for a few days it’s usefulness would be quite limited. But if you are aware of the downsides and can work around them, I think this is a pretty clever machine that delivers on exactly what it promises; hot fresh espresso, anywhere, easily.

OutIn Nano sells for about $149US/$209CAD and you can get it from OutIn’s website or Amazon… and this is not the first gadget like this I’ve tried. Check out some other options when it comes to portable espresso….

**Contest is now closed**Win an OutIn Nano!

Congrats to Maritess S. who was the winner of the OutIn Nano.

To enter this contest, write a (preferably nice) comment on this blog in the comments section below.

The Fine Print

There is one (1) OutIn Nano device available to be won. We’ll pick one winner at random from among all website entries/comments. The contest is open to residents of Canada and USA only until 11:59pm MT November 11, 2024.

Only 1 entry per person, please; excess entries will be discarded. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. Not valid in Quebec.

The winner will receive 1 prize. Prize will be shipped direct to the winner by OutIn, so winner is required to provide a Canadian or USA mailing address (PO Boxes not accepted). TechGadgetsCanada.com bears no responsibility for prizes not delivered, delayed or misdirected, or not claimed after 30 days, or misdirected due to incorrect address being provided. This prize has no cash value.

We’ll get in touch with the winner via the email address supplied on entry or via website comment registration. Winner must respond to an email naming them as the winner within 48 hours. Non-response within 48 hours means we’ll redraw under same  48 hour timeframe until we get a winner’s response.

Winner’s name(s) will be posted to this web page after the draw.

If for any reason the internet portion of the OutIn Nano Contest is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes beyond the control of this website which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Contest, TechGadgetsCanada.com reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest. Prize may not be exactly as show in accompanying photographs.

By entering this contest you agree you have read and accept the rules and are to abide by them.

**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the commission from the click which helps me keep the blog and YouTube channel running. If you choose to use an affiliate link I thank you greatly for supporting my content. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post OutIn Nano portable espresso press: full hands-on review appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.