My first impressions on the Sony bluetooth speaker was somewhat negative. I thought that it was too large and I was not impressed with the fact that it isn’t rechargeable. Once I turned it on I was not blown away by the maximum sound volume…. but the more I used the speaker my opinion started to change. I noticed that while it is not the loudest portable bluetooth speaker that I have listened to it is one of the better sounding speakers on the market. And while the speaker is a larger than some of the other speakers – it is very easy to operate.

The one thing that is a bit odd… is that it kinda looks like a purse. This is not a bad thing, but from a distance it really does look a little like a black purse!

Notes-

– Features two front facing drivers that are ported. This allows the speaker to have a very even sound performance and while the bass is not deep it is very clean.

– The sound performance, and while other speaker are louder they use a bright high end to allow for more sound volume. That is not the case with the Sony Bluetooth – it may not not overly deep bass but it also does not overcompensate on the high-end with an overly bright bass. To my ear the Sony has the cleanest overall sound.

– The Sony uses both bluetooth and NFC for pairing with your devices – however, the NFC can only be used with Android devices.

– Is not a rechargeable (uses 4AA batteries or it can be plugged into an outlet) – some people will applaud the fact that it does not rechargeable (because they feel that rechargeable speakers are disposable)….others like having the freedom that rechargeable batteries may give you.

– While it does look a little bit like a purse it does have a unique (and cool) look.

– While the Sony is portable it is too large to fit in a standard backpack… so it perfect for moving around your home or yard it is too large for air travel.

– Works as a speakerphone

Final Verdict – I like the Sony Bluetooth Speaker it has solid sound performance at a very attractive price. If you are looking for the loudest sounding bluetooth speaker this may not be your choice, but if you are searching for something that good sound performance at a decent price then give this one a look.

4 1/2 Stars

Please Note- I received this product for reviewing purposes

Check out the Adventures of The Assistant and Wiggles! It is our animated series featuring the Assistant, her Dog Wiggles, and science experiements! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoLQ9unpi4OHbJtfVcfgDIoyZw75FHF-E #Familyfun #Familyfunforeveryone #Theengineeringfamily

At times it is real handy to use a wired connection. In the case of connecting HDTVs, Sling Media Slingbox PRO-HD SB300-100, and other media devices a wireless connection can be both slow and a little unpredictable. In some cases, especially Blu Ray Players and some HDTV’s require an actual hard connection to the internet.

My first attempt to hard connection was the Sling Media SlingLink Turbo Powerline Kit ( SL200-100 ) and it worked, but the speeds were mediocre at best. AT best I ranged in the 2-4mbs range. I then upgraded to the Netgear Powerline AV 500 I am able to attain speeds over 20mbs! Please note that it is still much less than the 500mbs that is advertised, but that is due to the limitations given by my ISP provider – I am still able to watch full 1080P HD movies while using 20mbs (and even less) so it is not much of a worry.

Extra info-

– SUPER EASY installation – The installation can be done in two minutes and by anyone…. If you can’t figure out how to install the Powerline you probably will not know how to use the device you are connecting to either.

– This generation of the NetGear Powerline 500 is less than 50% the size of the previous generation. This may not sound important, but it does help improve the overall look.

– Great speeds – much faster than my Sling Media Turbo Link and slightly faster than my RCA Powerlink

– Remember the Powerline 500 needs to be plugged directly into your wall outlet and not into a power strip or extension cord

– Homes with older wiring may have issues

– It actually with the [[ASIN:B00486TLQ6 RCA HDP50 Powerlink Internet Media Kit]]meaning that you can have one of each plugged into your wall outlet and it will pass the signal between the two!

– It will work with older generations of the Netgear Powerline 500, and (surprisingly) it works with the RCA brand of adapter.

Final Verdict –

I am very happy with the Netgear Powerline 500 – it works well with Netflix and allows us to stream in full HD. In my opinion it is significantly better than the Sling Media SlingLink Turbo Powerline Kit and slightly better than the RCA HDP50 Powerlink Internet Media Kit so it is an easy 5 star recommendation

4 1/2 Stars

Please Note – I received this product for reviewing purposes

Check out the Adventures of The Assistant and Wiggles! It is our animated series featuring the Assistant, her Dog Wiggles, and science experiements! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoLQ9unpi4OHbJtfVcfgDIoyZw75FHF-E #Familyfun #Familyfunforeveryone #Theengineeringfamily

The Motorola Blink1 is part baby monitor and part nanny monitor. The camera allows you to view your child/room anywhere your smartphone/tablet has internet access. This means you can check in regardless of your location… at work… at a restaurant… or wherever you want to see how things are going back home.

Notes –

– As mentioned in the video portion of the review the camera does cause you to make a compromise between ease of set-up and overall network security. The camera uses an outside server to host and mirror the camera – in order to do this you have to give your access code and network information as part of the set-up. This may make some people feel uncomfortable, but the alternative would require you to manually set-up the port forwarding on your router (although the Motorola Blink1 does NOT give you this option). So if this level of security risk makes you uncomfortable… the Motorola Blink1 may not be for you.

– The camera resolution is very good on an iPhone, and is *ok* when viewed on an iPad. The truth is that all baby monitors have issues in low light conditions (including the Motorola Blink1), but I found that the Motorola Blink1 does have better clarity (when viewed on an iPhone) when compared to most baby monitors/cameras.

– The camera has a pan option, which unlike many other baby monitors causes the camera to actually move. The camera will rotate and pan up-and-down which give you nearly a top-to-bottom 360 view around a room. One thing I noticed is that when operated outside the network the camera has a tendency to over-rotate and can be difficult to position.

– Has the ability to play lullabies through the camera

– Gives you the option to talk through the camera to your baby – essentially it gives you the ability to have two way communication.

– Has a digital zoom – which causes you to lose a little clarity.

– Gives you the ability to take photos from the camera and have them filed directly into your photo file.

– Requires the use of the “Monitor Everywhere” app for Apple devices.

– The Wifi set-up is very easy and does not require a computer. I was able to set-up the camera and watch the camera on my iPad and iPhone within 10 minutes.

– The Wifi Range seems to be ok – although I did have some connectivity issues once I left my home network. While trying to view over the 3G network I had some issue with the camera dropping off.

– This seems odd, but I was not able to use any bluetooth device while the “Baby Everywhere” was running or operating in the background.

Final Verdict – I like the Motorola Blink1, but I am not sure if it makes a practical baby monitor for nightly use. It does work great as a remote viewing nanny camera. Some people may be concerned with the potential security compromise, but if you can get past that the Motorola Blink1 is a solid wifi video monitor

4 Stars
Please Note – I received this product for reviewing purposes

Check out the Adventures of The Assistant and Wiggles! It is our animated series featuring the Assistant, her Dog Wiggles, and science experiements! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoLQ9unpi4OHbJtfVcfgDIoyZw75FHF-E #Familyfun #Familyfunforeveryone #Theengineeringfamily