Review

Before I get into my Kindle Paperwhite Review, I want to give you some backstory on where my life has been headed over the past few weeks. I’ve been pondering the role technology plays in our lives. It all started when my wife and I spent a weekend away for our anniversary, and I purposely didn’t keep my phone with me for an entire day. I knew she had her cell phone in case of an emergency with our children, so I just left it at the hotel. One of the main reasons I didn’t want it with me is because it was the day of the Georgia vs. LSU college football game, and I didn’t want to know the score until it was over. For the first time in many years, I went 12+ hours without picking up a cell phone to check e-mail, respond to a text message, or visit a website. 
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Last month the Marshall Wooburn II Bluetooth Speaker hit the market as a high-end model with iconic styling and a hefty price tag. The $499 speaker promised booming sound in a package that any audio enthusiast is sure to love. But with an MSRP that’s sure to turn some shoppers away, is it worth the extra cash when Sonos, HomePod and others are available for less?

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Coding, to those unfamiliar, can often seem like magic. Rather than have this mystery be a bad thing for newcomers to the world of programming, Kano’s latest release looks to use this mysticism to inspire. The Kano Harry Potter Coding Kit was showcased earlier this year, and now we’re finally getting our hands on it.

By pairing a buildable magic wand with an in-depth and intuitive companion app, Kano’s Harry Potter Coding Kit teaches first-time coders the fundamentals they need by reciting spells and more. Head below to get an in-depth look at the company’s latest, most-entertaining release yet.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is probably one of the most anticipated games of 2018. Launching two weeks ago, this game has quickly become one of my favorite CoD games ever, possibly my all-time favorite. In our full Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 review, we’ll take a look at all game modes and gameplay.

From a revamped multiplayer to a brand-new Zombies storyline and the new Blackout game mode, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be on most gamers wishlists this holiday season.

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Earlier this year, LEGO and Blizzard announced that the two companies would be joining forces to release a line of brick-built Overwatch sets. Since then, fans of both LEGO and the hit multiplayer game have been eagerly awaiting the release of these sets. Last week we got a first look at what the collaboration has in store, with the release of the Omnic Bastion 75987 set.

We’ve finally gotten our hands on the new release, so head below for an in-depth look at how the first LEGO Overwatch set stacks up.

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TiVo is a brand name that is well known when it comes to recording TV shows. It was one of the original digital video recorders (along with ReplayTV). I purchased the Series 2 TiVo in 2003, and I used it for four years before retiring it for a Comcast branded DVR when I got my first HDTV in 2007. Even after switching to a non-TiVo DVR, I missed the familiar interface. Even to this day, I’ve used countless DVR solutions from various companies, and nothing touches the simplicity of the TiVo. Will the TiVo Bolt OTA for Antenna live up to the hype?

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This year has been filled with some pretty eye-catching LEGO kits. Ideas assembled a mighty Voltron and we were able to ride in style with a souped-up Aston Martin. But now that the fall lineup of LEGO releases is here, we’re getting a look at some more must-haves. While the new Cloud City set has taken the spotlight, another new release debuted just last week. Stacking up to over 800 pieces, the new Star Wars LEGO Porg 75230 may just be the cutest kit yet. Head below for our full hands-on review. 

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After admitting that Bluetooth was an okay standard for wireless audio, I’ve been on the hunt for a set of wireless headphones that work well, sound great, and are comfortable and versatile. Enter the Sony WH-1000XM3.

I’ve tried everything from the Bose QC35 II’s, Bang and Olufsen H9i, Bowers & Wilkins PX, and many more. Each of these claim to feature noice cancellation, which is something a lot of consumers are looking for when buying headphones. Most recently, Sony announced the third iteration in its WH-1000X series, the 1000XM3s (Mark III’s), and these are really close to being the headphones I’ve been searching for.

Head below to learn why.

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Today, Jaybird has announced the new Tarah Wireless Sport Headphones. Coming in at $100, this is one of the brand’s more affordable releases in recent memory. Tarah arrives on the scene today with 6-hours of battery life and a simplified design that stays true to Jaybird style.

Over the last week I’ve been able to give Jaybird’s latest release a good run through. Head below for a few quick thoughts and additional details.

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Throw out everything you thought you knew about cardboard, Nintendo’s back with yet another of its Labo cardboard construction kits. This time putting you right in the driver’s seat of a car, plane and submarine, Nintendo has more than a few tricks up its sleeve for the new Vehicle Kit.

We got out hands on the company’s latest and after putting it to the test, it’s hard to not be thoroughly impressed. Nintendo has seriously upped its game and made its cardboard creations even more enticing. Head below to get an in-depth look at everything the Labo Vehicle Kit has to offer.

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Finding the perfect bag to take on a trip has never been an easy task for me. I want to carry my camera gear, clothes, toiletries, and my laptop too; along with all of the necessary cables and cords I’ll need for that trip. I’ve used several bags over the past few years, from the TYLT Energi to Peak Design’s Everyday Backpack 30L, Messenger Bag 15, and even the WaterField’s Air Porter.

Each serves a purpose unique to itself: the Messenger Bag 15 is great for carrying one camera body and a few lenses along with a laptop, the Everyday Backpack 30L is an awesome bag to carry tons of stuff, though it’s not super comfy. The Air Porter is an awesome laptop bag with plenty of room to carry other tech items, like my Switch. But, in the past, I’ve always had to carry multiple bags when going on a weekend vacation or convention. That all changed with the Peak Design Travel Backpack.

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sEach fall we’re blessed with annual releases from some of the most popular video game series out there. In recent memory, no other franchise has enjoyed such a cult following like NBA 2K. Each year the series gets a fine tuning, along with updated rosters and varies tweaks that take the game to a new level.

NBA 2K19 hit the scene on Friday with more hype than I can recall in the last few years. Right out of the box it’s clear that 2K is set to shine again with buttery smooth gameplay and an exceptionally deep Career Mode that takes you on a journey from no-name to star. That’s not to say this year’s release isn’t without any issue as microtransactions continue to be a bother throughout. Despite that, NBA 2K19 continues to reign supreme as the best basketball simulation on the market today.

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Today it’s all about IK Multimedia’s latest analog synth hardware. IK’s lineup of music production and live sound gear is largely considered to be for those with a budget in mind or as amazing beginner rigs for aspiring producers. The new UNO synth is designed to be just that with an extremely competitive price tag and wide platform compatibility with your existing recording environment. After having the chance to put the portable analog synthesizer to the test over the last couple weeks in some electronic-based music productions and more, it’s time to see what the new IK Multimedia UNO Synth is packing.
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When I first saw the announcement for the MX Vertical from Logitech, I was intrigued. I had seen vertical mice like this from other companies on Amazon before but was never quite sure if they “really” worked.

I came from the MX Master 2S (and MX Master before that, with a few MX Anywhere mice thrown in as well.) In my mind, nothing could be as good ergonomically as the MX Master. It felt better than other mice and had tons of features. My views were completely changed after using the MX Vertical for just over a week.

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It was just earlier this year that LEGO brought the Harry Potter line of kits back from a nearly decade-long hiatus. And just a few months after the initial announcement, LEGO returned to show off its second biggest set to date, the 71043 Hogwarts Castle.

Now with the 6,000-piece set’s release right around the corner, we’re ready to get down to the nitty gritty and take a hands-on look at this year’s largest LEGO kit. So be sure to head below and see what the Wizarding World of Hogwarts has to offer.

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This morning, Ultimate Ears announced the follow-up to two of most popular Bluetooth Speakers with the BOOM 3 and MEGABOOM 3. The latest from UE delivers the same bright colors and in your face design, but this isn’t simply a re-branded version of the previous generation. Both speakers feature a new ‘Magic Button’ on top that allows for users to control music and instantly start pre-determined playlists. UE has also completely remodeled its iOS app to include a handful of new features.

I’ve been able to go hands-on with the latest BOOM speakers from UE over the last few weeks. Head below for a quick look and a few thoughts on today’s release.

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Working at 9to5Toys, I’ve been able to get my hands-on some pretty cool technology over the years. As trends come and go, different products will catch my eye, but perhaps none more than the slew of electric bikes that we’ve reviewed over at Electrek. In recent months, Seth, Fred and Micah have detailed just about every style of two-wheel transportation you can imagine, so long as it’s powered by electricity. In that time, I’ve been watching and waiting for the perfect chance to ride on my first eBike. That day is today.

Pure Cycles first arrived on the scene six years ago, but it wasn’t until recently when we featured a deal on 9to5Toys that I became familiar with its offerings. For the past few weeks I’ve been able to take one of its latest releases, the Volta, out for a spin. I couldn’t have picked a better ride for my first eBike experience.

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Choosing the right desktop speakers can certainly be challenging. It usually boils down to something like how much you value high-quality over how much cash you’re willing to part with. I would personally rather fork over some serious loot for a hardcore set of drivers. But I thought it was time to start taking a look at some of the extremely affordable options on the market to see what saving a thousand dollars or more sounds like.

Enter Samson’s latest MediaOne M50 Power Studio Monitors. The extremely affordable desktop speakers are set for release later this month so we thought no better time than now to see how the sub $120 monitors will hold up in a typical podcast/music production workflow.
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I was recently in a wedding, and was prepared for the usual smattering of groomsmen gifts that were destined to find their way into a drawer somewhere. Turns out, the groom had something pretty cool up his sleeve…or should I say, in his wallet.

Amongst the selection of gifts was this nifty 11-function stainless steel survival tool. At under $4 via Amazon, this is a must-have for your wallet. It’s capable of doing just about any task you might come across, and is arguably less likely to be lost than those Swiss Army knives we’ve seen around for years. Head below for a quick look.

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LEGO’s Harry Potter line of kits is finally back after a near decade hiatus. Over the first half of 2018 we’ve seen a variety of releases get added to the lineup and while there’s no beating the new 6,000 piece Hogwarts castle, the most popular of the new releases are LEGO’s BrickHeadz figures for the wizards. Today we’re going hands-on with the new figures, so be sure to hit the jump for an in-depth look.

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In the past few years of LEGO releases, the company’s lineup has been defined by a two-fold focus: releasing larger, more part-intensive kits packed with eye-catching details alongside expanding its lineup of offerings by bringing in as many partnerships with existing IPs as possible. LEGO’s most recent release just so happens to fit into both categories, with the all-new Aston Martin DB5 packing many iconic features and details from the James Bond franchise, the first LEGO kit to tie in with the famous spy flicks. 

As we reported last week, LEGO debuted its most recent kit in partnership with the British luxury sports car manufacturer, Aston Martin. Stacking up to just under 1,300 pieces, the 007-themed DB5 is sure to be one of this year’s must-have sets. Luckily we got our hands on it prior to widespread release and will be diving in to see if the brick-built recreation of the iconic ride stacks up to a gadget worthy of the famous secret agent or if Q should have just left this one in the shop.

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littleBits is one of our favorite company’s in the STEAM space, and has been shaking up the industry by pairing top-notch coding and electronics kits with eye-catching and interesting themes. One of their newest releases took tinkerers to a galaxy far, far away to build and program their very own astromech droid. Today we’ll be taking a hands-on look at the littleBits Droid Inventor kit to see if it stacks up to be a prized robotic companion or a bucket of bolts.

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About a month ago, Incase formally introduced its latest MacBook sleeves and a new nylon accessory organizer. While working at home has its perks, it’s not ideal for testing out travel gear. I was luckily able to change that last week and fully go hands-on with the latest Incase releases. A few thoughts and a quick look below.

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Amazon’s Echo Show and Echo Spot have garnered mixed reviews, from people not sure if they want to put an all-knowing camera in their home to those who absolutely loved it because it gave them their beloved Echo with a built-in display. The Echo Show, however, is somewhat limited (and normally expensive).

Until now, the Echo Show or Spot have been the only way to get Alexa on a screen (besides using Fire TV). However, Amazon recently released the Show Mode Charging Dock for Fire HD 10 and Fire HD 8 and it offers one of the best ways to experience Alexa on the big screen, in my opinion.

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Trying to occupy small children during the summer can be a difficult task. In my part of the country, it’s hot and humid. The only outdoor activity I want to do from June to September is something water related. My kids feel the same way. Since we don’t have a pool, we looked for options to give them something in our backyard. We used the classic Slip N Slide – $27 for a few summers, but they quickly got bored with it.

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When it comes to car infotainment systems, stock units are rarely good. For years, you had regular knobs, buttons, and small screens to show you what radio station or CD track you were listening to. Fast forward to today and companies are building GPS into car radios, though the interface is never pretty, and they often feel difficult to navigate.

Alpine, an industry leader, has always produced solid car receivers, and recently has been stepping its game up with better interfaces, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and more with its offerings. The latest head unit from Alpine, dubbed the iLX-F309 HALO9, is one of the nicest I’ve ever had the pleasure of using, with a capacitive 9-inch touchscreen, built-in light sensor for dimming, dedicated GPS antenna, and more. This car radio has it all.

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As of late, there have been a variety of miniature projectors that have made their way to market. The latest of these is from 1byone, a company that has taken to Indiegogo to raise funds to release its new GoSho Mini Projector.

GoSho takes the form-factor of a hand-held cube with metal accents. Alongside its miniature casing, it sports four-hour battery life, the ability to project up to a 200-inch screen, and built-in speakers among a variety of smart features.

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Earlier this week Nintendo announced that it would be pairing its newly-released cardboard accessories with the fan-favorite Switch title Mario Kart 8. While we took a look at what the team-up would mean for the hit racing game in our announcement coverage, we figured only a hands-on could really show if Labo’s first shot at mainstream use is worthy of the star treatment or if cardboard should stick to being a pizza box. So head below to see us put Labo’s cardboard motorbike accessory to the test.

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A few years back when the original 12-inch MacBook came out in 2015, people were clamoring for a monitor that could not only send video, but also audio, and power to the notebook all over a single USB-C cable.

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At the beginning of the month, Amazon announced the new $119 Fire TV Cube, a hybrid Echo device and streaming media player that promises a glimpse into the future of content consumption. As set-top boxes from Apple, Roku and now Amazon have grown in popularity over the last few years, two key issues have repeatedly popped up for viewers. How to best manage an overflowing chest of content and the headache that comes with multiple remotes.

Fire TV Cube looks to cure that with an all-in-one solution centered around its Alexa voice platform. In our hands-on testing, it delivered as a means for sorting through content but fell short as an intuitive hub for home theaters. The potential is there, but don’t count on it changing the game just yet.

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For many of us, assembling the first computers we could call our own was a right of passage to the freedoms that came with owning them. The same can’t be said for those growing up today, as often times the first device many receive is a hand-me-down smartphone, tablet and laptop.

Kano, one of the better-known companies in the STEAM and educational market, has a new kit in which kids, or really anyone for that matter, can assemble their very own portable computer and experiment with coding thanks to a variety of interactive tutorials.

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This morning, Nomad unveiled its new Battery Cable designed for iPhone. Fans of Nomad’s lineup will recognize this as an upgraded version of the original model. The new Battery Cable sports that familiar rugged design that we’ve come to love with the added bonus of an integrated 2800mAh power supply inside. iPhone X and 7/8 users will be able to fully charge their devices one time with that integrated battery pack, adding an extra level of peace of mind. More details and a quick hands-on are below.

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Audioengine has been cranking high-quality speakers and audio equipment for sometime out of its Texas-based headquarters. Recently, they introduced the new A5+ Wireless, a revamped version of the previous generation that fits between its HD3 (review) and HD6 (review) offerings.

The A5+ are touted as “an exciting evolution” to Audioengine’s lineup with eyes on bridging the ever-expanding gap between wireless convenience and sound quality. At a time when every major player in tech is introducing a new speaker, Audioengine looks to go above the fray with its $499 A5+. Full hands-on and impressions below.

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Distil Union is back with its latest Wally Case, this time for iPhone X. While there are lots of wallet-style options on the market, Wally Case and Wally Stick-On stand out as two of the most slim and refined ways to protect your iPhone and discreetly carry your wallet essentials. Follow along for a hands-on look.

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I was first introduced to the world of robotic vacuums with the ECOVACS DEEBOT N79 nearly a year and a half ago. And while it was perfect for apartment life, upon moving home I figured it was time to upgrade to something more high-tech. Don’t get me wrong, the N79 is great, but its smartphone control is more basic and seemed out-of-place amongst the other Wi-Fi-enabled devices scattered around my smart home. 

Enter the DEEBOT 901, the latest in ECOVAC’s diverse lineup of robotic vacuums. Over the past week, I’ve been putting it to the test and have been incredibly impressed how much tech has managed to be packed into a relatively small form-factor.

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Nanoleaf’s Aurora lighting panels are a fan-favorite throughout the tech community. And as they’ve grown in popularity over the past year, Nanoleaf has bolstered the unique smart home product with additional accessories. Last year they announced a new 12-sided HomeKit remote, and now we’ve gotten our hands on Nanoleaf’s latest.

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Cardboard. It keeps our purchases safe during their commutes from Amazon warehouses, and lets you turn your smartphone into an affordable VR headset, among other practical uses throughout day-to-day life. And now it lets anyone build new controllers and accessories for their gaming consoles; well, at least that’s the way Nintendo sees it. Last Friday, Nintendo finally launched its Labo cardboard construction kits, and after a weekend of building and putting them to the test, we’ll be seeing if the company’s latest is a flop or a look into the future of console accessories and STEM-oriented toys.

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eBikes seem to be taking the world by storm lately. We just recently reviewed a budget-focused eBike, and now it’s time to take a look at one that’s a little higher up on the price and feature scale. We covered the launch of Rad Power Bikes’ 2018 lineup, and have since had a chance to go hands-on with the 2018 RadCity.

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A few weeks ago, we wrote about PaMu, unique wireless earphones on Indiegogo that start at $29. Well, we were able to get our hands on a pair of PaMu’s headphones to let you know if they’re worth it, even at the $29 price point. After a week of testing, it seems PaMu could give the current truly wireless headphones out there a run for their money. Read on for our full first impressions.

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Desktop speakers are generally not thought of as a “pretty” accessory. They can look good, sure, but they’re not usually the most beautiful part of a setup. However, Razer decided to change that. At CES 2018, Razer announced its Nommo line of speakers, and we have spent some time with the Chroma version to let you know what we think.

At $150, Nommo Chroma is on the higher-end of “normal” desktop speaker pricing, but with built-in RGB lighting, unique design, and fantastic sound, I cannot recommend Nommo Chroma enough. Read on for our full review.

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Based out of Toronto, Canada, Miix is a new modular shoe brand launching today with the first in its mix-and-match lineup of sneakers now available to preorder.

Think of it sort of like NIKEiD meets LEGO. At launch, Miix will have a selection of base options that users can customize with their choice of insole/midsole components​, heel​s, tongues​, heel patches​, straps​ and laces​ in a variety of colors and styles. The company’s tagline is “one shoe. 7+ million possibilities.”

I’ve had some hands and feet-on time with the shoes for the last few weeks, read on for my full review….

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LEGO has really been pushing BrickHeadz since the series’ debut back in 2017. While the company kicked off the lineup with some popular characters at first, LEGO has begun branching out into new areas like creating their figures own for holidays. Now with the Go Brick Me kit, builders will be able to create and customize their very own BrickHeadz figures. The kit will be hitting store shelves come April 1st, but be sure to hit the jump for our first impressions and hands-on review.

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This month, I decided to finally graduate from the backpack I’ve been using since starting college. As I was considering what my needs really are now that college is mostly out of the way, I decided to look for something that would accommodate a laptop as its primary purpose. But I really didn’t need much more than that. One of a few options I landed on was the Muzetto Leather from Waterfield…

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Amazon Link/ Code: AZBF7HCC at checkout $585.19+$10 <week ground shipping

I know a high-end ebike when I see one and this Ancheer 250W is absolutely not high-end. In fact, it would probably be a bit of a stretch to call this a mid-tier electric bike. Ancheer, a Chinese company that also sells USB peripherals, Fitness equipment and other knickknacks, took a bunch of base level components and put them on a Huffy-level all aluminum bike frame and out of this concoction got a good sub-$600 ebike. So how good/bad is it? Let me tell you…

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Today, Clockwork Synergy has announced a selection of five new Apple Watch bands made of carbon fiber. Each one comes with a unique design and colorful stitching to help your Watch stand apart from the usual sport and leather bands that manufacturers are flooding the market with these days.

Made from 100% carbon fiber here in the United States, Clockwork’s latest release is set to retail for $30. Of course, with our exclusive discount you can save an extra 25% off. More details and a few hands-on thoughts below.

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Today we are taking a look at KORG Gadget for Mac, and more specifically the sizable Gadget Plug-in Collection that comes with it. The folks at KORG were nice enough to give us a complete license in order to give the full suite of instruments a run for their money inside of Logic Pro X.
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I may not have the nicest car on the block, but that doesn’t mean from time to time that I don’t worry about accidents. Even so, I’ve never been sold on dash cams and it wasn’t even until last week when I picked up an iPhone-enabled one from VAVA that I considered mounting one in my car. With a list of compelling features packed into a unique and stylish design, VAVA has made me question why I didn’t think to get one sooner.

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Well I have to admit, I’m a little late to the party when it comes to robot vacuums. My extended family and friends have been adopting them into their homes for a while now, so it’s time I did the same. My personal requirements aren’t overly exhaustive and I wanted to try something that wasn’t too expensive for my first go around. ECOVACS has been making a good name for itself in the space with its affordable products, so the new DEEBOT N79S Robot Vacuum Cleaner seemed like a great candidate.
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