It used to be that if you lived in an area that had a lot of power outages, you would need to own a gas generator to at least keep your refrigerator and freezer up and running, and if you were lucky enough, maybe keep a few amenities up and running as well. But as battery technology has improved, a new option has come along for some situations. Portable Power Stations have become capable enough to replace gas generators in some situations while being significantly cheaper than full whole-house battery backup options. They are also portable enough that they can be used not only with homes but with RVs, camping (well, maybe glamping), and at work sites as well when some power is needed. It’s become big enough that Anker created a full sub-brand with their SOLIX brand with a wide range of options and capacities which I’ve taken a look at a few of their smaller options. This month they introduced the new Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 and they sent it and one of their fold-up portable solar panels over to check out. We already have three UPSs in the house trying to keep disruptions to a minimum. I’m curious to see how adding in the larger C2000 into the mix might help us be even more prepared, especially as we get closer to winter. So let’s dive in and see what the C2000 Gen 2 has to offer and then put it to the test.

Two years ago Anker expanded their already wide range of products with their first battery-powered cooler, the EverFrost Powered Cooler, and I took a look at it. It had its issues, but it was useful and over the last two years I’ve been using it on trips and in between trips we keep it running in our basement to have a few cool drinks there and as a backup if the power goes out or if our refrigerator has any issues. Well, Anker hasn’t left things alone, this spring they introduced the EverFrost 2 lineup and I was able to take the EverFrost 2 40L along with us on our most recent drive to Florida and today I’m going to take a closer look at their new design to see what has changed and talk about what the experience has been like.

For a small trip one of Ankers's many small battery backups will be more than enough to keep your devices charged. But what if you are looking to power other devices beyond USB-powered devices or what if you need more capacity? The same goes for a power outage at your house as well, if you want to keep your internet up, power your laptop, or a medical device like a CPAP you might want a larger battery backup without going completely in on a gas-powered generator. Anker with their SOLIX line has been in the power station market for a while now. But bridging the gap between a small pocketable battery backup and the larger whole-house solutions they have introduced the SOLIX C300 as well as the similar C300 DC which doesn’t have the built-in AC outlets. They don’t advertise it as a UPS, but it has UPS capabilities, so I’m curious to see how it can handle that. Having a buffer keeping the modem and router up for short power outages would be helpful so let’s see what the Anker SOLIX C300 is all about.

Most people have heard the saying If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Well these days it is more like if someone pulls out in front of you when you are driving and you don’t have a dashcam, is it their fault or yours? In situations where two drivers are blaming each other, there is a good chance you will end up taking some of the fault. It’s even worse when it comes to people trying insurance fraud. Having footage can be important and having multiple angles is even better which is why some of today's dashcams have 2, 3, or even 4 cameras. I’ve been testing out the Nextus 5 from Vantrue which has 4 cameras and spoiler, just a day into my testing we hit a deer. In the long drawn-out process of getting things repaired, we ended up still having damage after the repair and the footage from the Nexus 5 helped prove that the deer did hit that area. So today I’m going to dive into the Nexus 5’s features, talk about the installation, and of course, show you how it performed. So let’s check it out!

Last year I took a look at the soda can-sized Capsule portable projector which had Android built in, functioned as a portable Bluetooth speaker, and being battery-powered could project just about anywhere. Sadly because of its age, it had an extremely old OS, was slow to navigate, was just 480p, and was based around an out of date app store. The idea was great and it may have been great when it came out but it was showing its age. Well even at that time there was a newer model the Capsule II and earlier this year the Capsule 3 which has a 1080p Laster DLP projector built-in came out. Given that the overall idea was great, I’m excited to take a look at the new Capsule 3 Laser to see how it performs with those issues addressed. Just in time too, we still have some time to enjoy it outside here up north before it starts to cool down!

The AOC CQ27G3Z just recently hit the market and it is a 27-inch QHD (1440p) gaming monitor which has a 1000R curvature VA panel. It has a 240Hz refresh rate, a 0.5 ms MPRT, and supports FreeSync Premium hitting most of the important gaming features. But with this being from the AOC brand, not their higher-end Agon brand we can see that this is a display that they are targeting to be more budget-friendly. The 27-inch 1440p 140Hz display market has mostly had displays in the $699 and up range so a little relief is more than welcomed. Today I’m going to check out the rest of what the AOC CQ27G3Z has to offer and determine if it is as good of a value as AOC is hoping it will be.

It's been interesting to see Anker slowly move into the off-grid market with their Anker Powerhouse lineup which goes well beyond what a small battery backup is capable of as far as power storage and even includes AC outlets and capable solar charging as well. This is perfect for people who are camping but I would also lump in people with large properties/farms where getting power everywhere isn’t possible and also people in the trades which may not have power available where they are working. Anker’s latest product falls into this same category, their EverFrost Powered Coolers integrate large battery capacity into a powered cooler to keep things cool or frozen for up to 42 hours depending on the size you go with. With summer coming up I can’t think of a better time to be able to put one to use, so today I’m going to check out the new EverFrost Powered Cooler 40 which is the 43L capacity to see what it is all about.

When it comes to mobile computing there is a wide variety of the types of devices that you can go with but one thing that is consistent with them is that adding additional desktop real estate can be complicated. Unlike with a desktop PC where you can buy whatever monitor you would like and add as many as you want as well. Doing that with your laptop is like buying an anchor. Either you will only be able to use it when docked at that location or you are transporting a large monitor which short of LANs isn’t something that I would do. Thankfully there are portable monitor options and like with desktop monitors they have been improving. Today I’m going to check out the 16B1P3300 from Philips which is a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display with HDR support to see if it fits the bill to pair up with my 13-inch Razer Blade Stealth 13.

It’s interesting how for a lot of people higher resolution and larger screen size are important, but when it comes to competitive gaming. The pros have a slightly different focus, huge monitors aren’t useful or even possible for events and the singular focus is a high refresh rate. Part of getting that high refresh rate also means that high resolutions aren’t a good idea because of the processing power needed to get your performance up in the range to match with an ultra-high refresh rate so 1080p is still the norm. This is where monitors like the Agon Pro AG254FG from AOC come into play. It is pushing the limits for LAN events with its 24.5-inch screen size that they consider 25 inches but it is running 1080p with a refresh rate of 360  Hz which even just a few years ago would have been a crazy number. Of course, AOC didn’t just touch on those main features, the AG254FG does have a lot more going on so today I’m going to check it out and see what it is all about.

In my quest to check out a few of the sub-brands of Anker it has led me to Nebula which is a brand focused on portable and home projectors. In a world now filled with LCD, LED, and OLED displays projection as a whole has been a lot rarer to see but Nebula has recognized that one area where projection does still work well is when it comes to portability and they have a variety of options available. They sent over the Nebula Capsule which is their entry-level portable projector that has been around for a long time now (launched in 2017) so I’m curious to see what it’s all about. Let’s go take a look at the features then put it to the test!

Porsche Design is a subsidiary of Porsche SE or better known as the company that makes Porsche cars. Porsche Design has been around for 48 years, designing car accessories early on but in the last four years moving also into the electronics markets including working with AOC on a few of their highest-end monitor designs. They have partnered up once again with the PD27 which incorporates a car roll cage like design for the monitor stand with a high-end gaming monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate, Freesync Premium Pro, HDR, and a 1000R curvature for a premium gaming experience. Today I’m going to check out the Agon PD27’s design and performance and see if it lists up to the high pedigree of the Porsche name and its premium price.

In the office, I use three monitors on my main PC as well as a fourth for whichever test bench I am using at that time. But when I leave the office it is almost a culture shock as I work from a single 13 inch Razer Blade Stealth. It isn’t that I don’t like the extra real estate a large laptop offers, I used to roll with a 20 inch monster of a gaming laptop at one point. But after that, I have gone small and portable, too large and I never bother to even take my laptop with me. I’ve considered adding in a portable monitor for a while but have never made the jump but recently AOC sent over their 16T2 which is a 15.6 portable touchscreen monitor that runs on USB Type-C and has a built-in battery backup as well. So I’m going to give the 16T2 a try and see if expanding my screen real estate is worth it. With COVID we haven’t had many chances to work on the road, but I imagine once things settle down my wife and I will be making up time and it might just come in handy. So let’s see what the 16TG2 is all about.

As if Corsair hasn’t already taken over case lighting with their fans, cases, RGB headset stands, Water Cooling kits, and even memory. They have recently been diving into the ambient lighting as well for your office and it makes sense. When you have things like your peripherals and all of the other components I already listed tied into one system. It makes sense to try to cover anything else that people might like and while some people HATE RGB lighting as a whole. There are also a lot of people who love the flashy colors and the ability to change things up on the fly. I personally don’t have a lot of lighting in my own build, but I was thinking of adding a touch of ambient lighting into my office. With the recently introduced iCUE LT100 and also the LS100 from Corsair, I thought I would give them a try. My initial plan was basic RGB lighting strips, but addressable LEDs can offer even more. So let's see how they perform.

Back in May, I took a look at the Viotek GFV22CB which is a 22-inch monitor with FreeSync, G-Sync, and runs at 144Hz. While it wasn’t perfect, it was at a price point that made it easy to ignore some flaws to get a cheap high refresh rate monitor. Well, Viotek sent over another monitor, this time around a 24 inch which is the sweet spot for me when it comes to monitors to take to and from LANs. The GFV24C is another 144Hz refresh rate monitor and Freesync is supported (including Nvidia) as well with a VA screen. Once again the price point is right, so I am curious to see how the GFV24C performs. It just might be a perfect monitor for budget-minded people and for those who want something to take to and from LAN events.

Corsair has done a great job integrating their iCue software into all of their hardware with the exception of their Elgato branded products which have their own software. This puts their software in a great spot giving you control over your peripherals as well as internal hardware. Not to mention all of the lighting on your peripherals, inside of your PC especially with Corsair RGB fans being some of the most popular, and recently office lighting as well. The idea of a desktop way to control and see things isn’t completely new, their Elgato brand has the Stream Deck. But the new iCue Nexus doesn’t have buttons. It is a small touchscreen that can be programmed using iCue which means it can be used to show you current stats, tie into lighting controls or any other function you might be able to think of. I see this as Corsair bringing their ecosystem all together even more but I am curious what all can be done with it. Today I’m going to check out the Nexus and put it to the test. The plan is to try integrating lighting into my office and maybe using the Nexus to control everything. Let’s see how it all work!

If everyone could afford it, they would all be running huge high refresh rate monitors running at 1440p or 4k. But the reality is that high-end monitors are expensive. But most gamers have realized the importance of a high refresh rate and adaptive sync tech like FreeSync and G-Sync. Well, there is a cheap option available, at least normally (COVID has obviously caused supply issues across the board). Viotek has a smaller 22-inch monitor that runs at 1080p with a refresh rate of 144Hz and because of its price, it is one of their most popular monitors. The GFV22CB sells for $129.99 making it a great budget option, so today I’m going to take a look and see what you get for that price.

Almost 20 years ago after I bought my first PC (at least the first one I bought myself) I did my first few upgrades which included more memory, a large hard drive (I think it was close to 20GB), and a video card so I could play all of the games that I wanted to play. I also tied my PC into what was my “entertainment center” in my bedroom which meant being able to output sound to my obnoxiously large stereo and being able to receive signal from devices like my DVD player and game consoles to watch things on my PC with a really poor quality USB capture device. Well, things have improved drastically from there as has the need for capture devices as well now with streaming and YouTube video production. I’ve gone through what is now a large collection of them myself from using them to stream our Old School tournament at LANs and needing one to capture motherboard BIOS’ for motherboard reviews. My most recent one was the Razer Ripsaw which while still functional only works on a few devices after windows updates broke it. So I was excited to see Elgato introduce their latest and greatest, the 4K60 Pro MK2 last fall. Today I’m going to check their new device out and also talk a little more about what sets this apart from the original 4K60 Pro which shares the same name.

Does anyone else remember the Maximus Keyboard? It was a full keyboard designed with small screens in every key. All the way back in 2005 it hit the internet and while it was just a concept back then it blew my mind with the possibilities. It did later come out at a crazy price point and they have even continued to make other variations. But it wasn’t until Elgato brought their first Stream Deck to market that the idea has ever really seen a proper use and a market that actually needed it, not just as something to show off or play around with. Well, today I’m going to check out the Stream Deck XL, Elgato’s third and largest model. I’ve been extremely curious how it could be integrated into regular PC use or workflow as well as the more obvious streaming application.

If you are like to keep your desk all organized there is a good chance you have a headphone stand or have considered getting one. I personally have had a few different designs. I’ve even seen people use banana stands as a cheaper alternative, especially before a lot of the “gaming” companies got into the market and started making them. Well, recently a few companies have been making them up adding other features including Cooler Master. They showed one-off at Computex and they have finally released it. They call it the GS750 and in addition to being a headphone stand it also has a wireless phone charger built-in, USB ports, a 7.1 sound card, and of course… RGB lighting. Well, today I’m going to check it out, it most certainly isn’t going to fail from lacking features. But is there too much going on? Is this something people want? I’m going to check it out today and find out.

Late October I was at FortCon for their LAN event and I won a SilverStone FG121. I know the name doesn’t really explain what it is, but basically, it is a clear fan grill with RGB lighting built into it. The grills have SilverStone's snowflake design and this brought up the discussion with how it actually looks like an ornament. Well, one thing leads to another and not long after the event I reached out to SilverStone with a weird idea turning our new Christmas tree into an RGB tree with their grills. The idea is relatively simple, but there were a few things I had to figure out. So today I’m going to show what I did, maybe if you have one or two laying around or other RGB products you can take my idea to another level.