It's pretty ironic.
This is a tech review.
I'm a gadget guy.
The very idea there's some kind of new technology out there I haven't tried drives me crazy.
And yet, when it comes to design, I'm analogue all the way.
Give me wood. Give me curves. Make it soft to touch.
What's really ironic is one of the most advanced gaming headsets on the market looks a bit like something from 1979...
The Logitech G Pro X is not just an audio experience, it's a tactile one. Steel. Aluminium. Leatherette. Velour. Memory foam. Every element has been designed for comfort, durability and performance - whether this has accidentally resulted in a somewhat vintage appearance or it's a deliberate throwback aesthetic, I really love it.
There are some pretty cool cosmetic details - take the LP-like grooves etched into the aluminium casing on each earcup... probably no real useful purpose, but it looks and feels outstanding. The stitched seams along the edges of the leatherette headband are another classic example - and I do mean classic.
Even the short cables connecting the speakers across the headband are coiled, like a 1980's phone cord. I don't know why, but it definitely works.
Comfort-wise, the G Pro X is hard to beat. The headset is a tight fit on my massive skull, but not oppressively so. Once you've tried memory foam, you'll never go back and although the leatherette cushions feel more luxurious, there's a pair of velour ones included in the box which are far more breathable, making them my preferred option for prolonged use.
Yes folks, these cans are comfy as.
So they look good. They feel even better. But none of that matters if the sound experience doesn't match up.
Rest assured, there's a reason this is being pitched as Logitech's flagship headset.
To be honest, thanks to the G Hub app, it's hard not to squeeze a half-decent listen out of most Logitech headphones these days - there's quite a selection of preset and manual EQ options, not to mention balance controls to set each of the 7:1 channels available to your personal preference.
The result is super clear, with a fine-tuned sense of direction to prevent any of your online enemies sneaking up on you. But it's more than that. The Pro-G 50mm drivers really do deliver great power across all frequencies, with excellent (but not overpowering) bass response. There's also a discernible "roominess" to the sound, which adds a very intimate feel to more acoustic tracks. That's right, I've been using these headphones to listen to actual music - they're not just for gaming. Oh, if you're worried you'll look like a tool wandering around in public with a microphone hanging off your headphones, not an issue - it just unplugs.
But man, that microphone. Logitech recently acquired Blue Vo!ce - a company famous for its high-end mic technology. This gives Logi a significant advantage over its competitors because mic quality is usually pretty much forgotten on these devices. Well not anymore. Once again, there's a comprehensive menu of EQs and effects available via the G Hub app which has allowed me to tweak the mic's performance to such a degree I'm now recording my podcasts with it. It's not quite studio quality, but it's a giant step ahead of the muffled and often distorted sound you hear from most other gaming headset mics. It could be just the advantage you need to make your orders heard more clearly by your online team-mates.
Obviously, most of these settings are only available to you if you plug in via the provided USB dongle - although as usual, Logitech has provided a whole bundle of cable options to make sure you can plug into just about any PC, console or phone you're using. My favourite is the extremely long, braided PC cable, complete with lapel volume controller. Yes, I'm such a geek, I have a favourite cable.
There are really only two things preventing me from labeling the G Pro X as one of the best headsets available - no Active Noise Control and no wireless/bluetooth option. To be honest, I haven't really missed ANC, as the earcups provide such a tight seal (even the velour ones) I usually can't hear anything else around me anyway.
The wired-only scenario is slightly more confusing, as Logitech have other cable-free headsets in its G-Series that work very well, with virtually no detectable lag at all. Maybe a wireless version is in the works - or maybe that just wouldn't be vintage enough, because one thing's for sure, these headphones are a high-fidelity time-trip of the best kind and I wouldn't want to mess with that.
Click here for more information and pricing on the Logitech G Pro X gaming headset.
Cats are weird, eh?
They'll sleep all day, then eat. Then sleep, Then eat. Then disappear mysteriously. Then eat. Then sleep.
Sounds good to me... except maybe the disappearing part.
Trouble is, if all I did was eat and sleep all day, I'd be a morbidly obese diabetic within a week.
Of course, even cats aren't immune to the perils of overeating. What's more, one pet's diet isn't always right for another's.
But there is a way to take back control...
After bringing us the most advanced range of pet doors I've ever seen, Sure Petcare is back with the Microchip Pet Feeder Connect, a whole new way to monitor your furry friend's eating habits.
As you can probably deduce from the image above, the Pet Feeder Connect utilises the same chip-reading technology Sure Petcare used with its pet doors, effectively taking a pet door (or the frame from one) and attaching it to a food bowl.
It's not just a food bowl though - in fact, in can be two bowls, if you're feeding your pet both wet and dry food. It also incorporates a tricky little automated cover and an even more ingenious set of scales.
If this all sounds like tech overkill for a task as simple as feeding the cat, you've obviously never been woken in the night by the sound of someone else's cat helping themselves to your cat's midnight snack... and the chaos and carnage that inevitably ensues.
It goes without saying, if you're already the proud owner of a SureFlap Microchip Pet Door, there's no chance strange animals can get as far as the food bowl. If not, the clear sliding lid on the Pet Feeder Connect will keep them at bay, as it will only open for microchipped pets you've registered with the device. The lid also has the added advantage of keeping flies and other nasties off their din-dins.
While this might all sound a bit complicated, it's really very straight-forward to set up via the Sure Petcare app. Not only does this help you add or remove pets from the feeder, you can also choose one big bowl or two half bowls, zero the scales, change how fast the lid closes and most importantly, track exactly how much which pet is eating and when.
Like the connected Pet Doors, you will need the separate Hub to get the feeder to talk to your WiFi, but if you already have this to run your cat flap, the same one handles the feeder too.
The only tricky part - and it was the same with the door - is training your pet to use it. Both my cats were pretty leery about the device when they first saw it. Understandable, after all, who wants to stick their head through a hoop in order to get at their breakfast? Luckily, the Pet Feeder Connect has a set of training modes while your animals get used to it. This means you can leave the lid open at first so you don't completely freak them out. The idea is, over time, you let the lid close a little bit further. Eventually, they'll get the idea and figure out this is lunch, not a trap.
I'm assuming dogs are easier to train to use this than cats, because of course, dogs are stupid. I don't know that for sure, because I have cats. And cats are suspicious. And devious. And uncooperative. But we got there in the end. After all; a cat's gotta eat, right?
Whichever mode you use, you'll get a notification of how much each pet has eaten every time - down to the last gram. Turns out, one of my cats is a complete guts!
So... if you want to do a bit of portion control, the Pet Feeder Connect can help with that too. Simply enter the portion weight via the app and the LEDs on the feeder will let you know when you've filled the bowl (or bowls) with the right amount. This really is the dictionary definition of a smart device.
The one tiny design flaw is the gap around the food bowl(s). This is necessary to let the scale do its measuring, but it does mean pellets of pet food can fall down the sides and end up underneath. This is not a major, as you can easily access the area under the bowl by removing it - it's just a bit of a pain.
After my experience with the SureFlap Pet Door, I was a little concerned about battery life, as the constant comings and goings of my cats tended to eat up the batteries in that thing far faster than I'd like. But Sure Petcare seems to have that sorted in the feeder and the four C-sized batteries are still going strong a couple of weeks in,
This is of course, a pretty damn expensive cat bowl - about eleven bags of cat food's worth, by my rough calculations - but it does everything it promises and does it very well. If your pet's dietary habits are causing you concern, or you just want to keep a lid on things, the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect is a great option.
Click here for more information and pricing on the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect.
Chances are things have changed sincce you first set up your WiFi... either at home or at work.
IoT devices are everywhere, placing more demands on your internet connection than ever before.
This means WiFi access points can become more like choke points, with dozens of gadgets fighting to stay online.
What's more, each one of those devices, from phones, to TV's, to tablets, to speakers are a potential security risk, exposing everything to the dangers of the outside World Wide Web.
Don't worry, D-Link's onto it...
Whether you're responsible for your home or business network, it's important to keep re-evaluating the gear you have installed. And obviously, if you're starting from scratch, using devices like the DIR-2680 D-Fend AC2600 WiFi router, or the DWL-7620AP AC2200 access point keeps you about as future-proofed as you can get.
Let's start at home with the D-Fend router. This one of the new generation of routers that aim to keep your home network safe from attack, right from the first point of contact.
The D-Fend looks totally different to any other D-Link router - an imposing white cube that seems to scream security, just by its shape. Its actually a practical form factor too - easily placed beside other things on a shelf without cumbersome external antennae getting in the way.
Set-up is remarkably straightforward - provided you're connecting directly with your source modem. It's important to remember you're setting up a brand new network with this device, not extending your existing one. After all there's no point protecting some devices in the house while others are left exposed. Everything must go through the D-Fend router for it to be effective. This means if your source modem is a modem/router, you'll need to make sure it's in bridge-mode so the D-Fend unit can take over all the routing.
That's as complicated as it gets, because setting up the D-Fend is all done via the D-Link WiFi app. It automatically detects the router and asks you a few straightforward configuration questions, including your ISP details, so have those handy.
A little patience is required here, because there are a few reboots involved and for some reason these take forever. It's worth the wait though, because once you're all set up, the fun really begins.
The D-Link WiFi app is perhaps the most user-friendly network management software D-Link has come up with yet. From here you can manage each connected device - what hours it can access the internet and even what kind of content. This is a godsend for any parents who've ever discovered the kids still online three hours after you sent them to bed.
For ultimate peace-of-mind, purchase of the D-Fend router includes subscriptions to MacAfee's Secure Home and LiveSafe platforms. Because these are applied to the router itself, it saves you purchasing separate protection plans for every device in the house - something you can't do for a TV, fridge or speaker anyway. When you take this into acount, the D-Fend's $599.99 pricetag starts to look pretty reasonable.
And that's before you get to the fact it's actually a damn good router. It's easy to assume a device like this might slow your connected experience down a bit, given it's effectively filtering out any nasties before they get to you. But I've found if anything, the opposite is true. Thanks to D-Link's latest SmartConnect and MU-MIMO technology, each connected device is automaically assigned to the right band and given the priority it needs. This isn't just a WiFi router either, there are three Gigabit LAN ports to send hard-wired ethernet off to wherever it's required. I found internet speed and reliability to be generally pretty great.
So now let's take some that tech and maximise it for business use in the DWL-7620AP access point.
This is perhaps D-Link's most boring looking device; it looks kind of like a giant smoke detector and is easily ceiling or wall mounted with the included bracket. Again, no gangly external antennae so pretty subtle once installed, especially given the status LED's can be completely disabled. This is good. I hate flashing lights.
Aside from which, you won't need those lights once you've set up the DWL-7620AP, because it just keeps on working and working.
And man it works - while it may look boring and has a super boring name, when it comes to business WiFi, it's what's under the hood that counts. With its powerful combination of tri-band WiFi and 2X2 MU-MIMO, connected devices are far less likely to get in each other's way in their fight for internet bandwith.
The DWL-7620AP is not designed to work in isolation though. In fact, it's the dictionary-definition of "plays well with others." A cluster of these can be centrally controlled via the DWC-1000 or DWC-2000 switch/controllers, one configuration profile sent to several access points at once. Most cleverly of all, when a cluster of DWL-7620AP's are deployed on the same network, they can actually self-configure, intelligently adopting each other's profile while automatically choosing different channels to reduce RF interference. This means you can set up your access points close enough together to provide seamless, powerful WiFi throughout your entire office.
Powered by either it's own AC supply, or PoE ethernet connection, you have good flexibility when it comes to where you can install each access point.
That's right, no more weak spots. Plenty of bandwith for everyone.
So whether at work or at home, if the WiFi situation is starting to feel a little stale, it might be time to spruce things up with something white and wonderful from D-Link.
Click here for more information and pricing on the D-Link DIR-2680 D-Fend AC2600 WiFi router.
Click here for more information and pricing on the D-Link DWL-7620AP AC2200 unified wireless access point.
