Disqus - Latest Comments for robrogan

Re: The Best Ductless Mini Split Air Conditioner

Rob — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 09:41:36 -0000

About the smart controllers: At first I thought the $100+ price was for a system of controllers but that's an individual sensor price. If you have more than one HVAC unit (I have 4) then that's looking upwards of 400-500 bucks.

I just bought an IR blaster/hub on Amazon for about $20 so my expectations are low, but if it works half as good as the recommendations here I suppose it would be worth it. Has anyone (Wirecutter or other readers) had some success with the affordable smart controllers?

I wouldn't mind going around and setting the temperature once every few months, but the main thing that would be nice is remotely turning them on/off - or making sure they're off during vacation.

Re: The Things That Matter From Apple’s Spring 2022 Event

Rob — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 09:08:19 -0000

In the summary here, your perspective on the iPad is that it's great if you have a budget, but if you want the extra performance you should get the iPad Pro. Watching the presentation and comparing models on the Apple site I still can't find any performance difference. I see nicer cameras for example, but not performance.

Could you clarify what performance the new Air might still be missing compared to the Pro?

Re: Port forwarding: what it is and how to set it up

Rob — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 20:34:55 -0000

I had a pretty good ISP when I originally got Nord, but now that I need to use Nord all the time (like, constantly running on my main device) this inability to port forward is gonna be a deal breaker. I guess like most of the customers below, I'll need to look up a different VPN provider when my membership is up

Re: Streaming TV May Not Be the Cable Replacement You Hoped For

Rob — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 18:50:28 -0000

It would be great to see a refresh on this changing market. As a YoutubeTV customer I've been getting occasional emails on new channels being added, for example. At first this was a huge win: more stuff, same price. Today we all got the news that they're going up to $65/month. That's enough to bring me back to the drawing board. I'll probably revisit all the options here on my own, but it would be great to see a review from Wirecutter :)

Re: Proudly announcing a major upgrade to NordVPN service — NordLynx

Rob — Mon, 04 May 2020 13:06:44 -0000

MacOS client here and everything runs insanely smoothly. I'm getting full (original) ISP speeds, and sometimes a bit faster but that could just be the fluctuation of our ISP! In other words, I'm a very happy camper. I think I'm much more likely to leave Nord running 24/7 as there's zero performance bump so far :D

Re: Proudly announcing a major upgrade to NordVPN service — NordLynx

Rob — Mon, 04 May 2020 13:04:21 -0000

I revisited the DDWRT tutorial on this site, and there's the step to get configuration info from the Server Tool (https://nordvpn.com/servers.... Since there IS a Wireguard option in that server type dropdown, it appears that it's something I can configure.

My only question is about the different *brand name* haha - because I get that NordLynx is running on Wireguard, but if "Wiregaurd" is the protocol label coming from Nord is it different/similar/same as NordLynx?

I'd like to hear more about this topic from Nord :) In the mean time I'll go ahead and put it into the router and see what happens. Trial and error!

Re: I Have $24 in My Savings Account. Can Microsavings Make Me a Better Saver?

Rob — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 14:21:37 -0000

For what it's worth, I'd like to give props to the particular bank I use called Simple. Mainly because I notice the options above require monthly fees. If you wanted to, you could set up a $0 account and leave it empty and pay zero fees.

I signed up maybe 7 years ago JUST because they had the nicest app (typical designer/techy here). They seem to have a philosophy of helping people make budgeting and saving a normal part of their finances. This is reflected in their user experience design, where you see a “safe to spend” balance at the top of the app instead of your real account balance. This means you might have $1,000 but your rent is due soon, and your electric bill too… so the top of the app is gonna say you have $150 safe to spend. It’s easy to access the actual balance, but there is a bias for planning ahead and not overspending.

Anywhooo... that's one nice aspect, but to be specific about the savings, you can set up a goal within the account (as many as you want) and it will auto-contribute money to that goal on a daily basis, or just on a paycheck basis. A nice way to incrementally save. Lastly, if you're interested in the rounding up kind of saving that Digit seems to offer, the Simple app does the same thing (for free).

I promise I don't work for them, I'm just a super happy customer, and when people mention paying extra for services like this, I wanted to mention that there are some free ones too :)

Some extra reading about the Goals feature: https://www.simple.com/budg...

Re: Chase Sapphire Preferred Review: The Former Travel Rewards King Still Has Some Value

Rob — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 12:05:34 -0000

I mean if you read other stuff on Wirecutter I think you'll get the idea that these are "best" picks in terms of a more normalized context, not in absolute terms. There are insanely expensive speakers, or TVs, or whatever you think of that might be superior than anything else. Wirecutter weighs these against the cost. A "best" speaker might cost $8,000 more than the next best speaker, so in the sense of what most people want to buy, the second place is really the best.

In your example the best card and a $10,000,000 bank account is the best. I'd say the cost of obtaining that card is not practical to recommend it as your best choice. If you've got even a tiny 1 million, then you shouldn't be splitting hairs over airline points IMO ;)

Re: Thoughtful Instant Gifts You Can Email Right Now

Rob — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 22:59:48 -0000

I noticed the Airbnb link takes you to the gift card redemption page. You can only buy Airbnb gift cards from third parties (weird).

Re: Tesla is nerfing Autopilot for Model S/X in Europe to comply with regulations

Rob — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 10:28:03 -0000

Wow. My overall takeaway is that the email is littered with typos!

Summn will reuqire that you be within siix meterrs of youor car’s lcation to operate.

Whaaaat??

Re: Featured UX designer - Tina Bizaca

Rob — Wed, 20 Nov 2019 14:20:01 -0000

How did this go over with their company security policies? Typically the audio/video of a user research interview is highly confidential... Is there any local processing option for these transcripts or does it all go to the cloud? It would be nice to have some supporting info to justify using Otter in our UXR department :)

Re: 8 Wirecutter Staffers on the Online Coffee Subscriptions They Love

Rob — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 12:39:37 -0000

Onyx is great. Have you tried Dapper & Wise? I discovered them via Crema co. My preference is for light, bright coffee so I can only attest to those profiles, but I liked Onyx and love D&W :)

Re: 8 Wirecutter Staffers on the Online Coffee Subscriptions They Love

Rob — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 12:37:15 -0000

Unfortunately most don't have a free trial, and it would be a pain to sign up and cancel each one, month after month, but I did compare two of them: Moustache Coffee Club, and Crema(.co). My favorite (been using for several months) is Crema. I've noticed that each of these services have the same handful of roasters in their rotation and perhaps I just like the ones available on Crema the most. As a designer I also like their web design so that's a plus ;)

I made this google sheet in March to try and share as many options as possible with other coffee lovers. It doesn't have any links or try to promote anything. Just hope to crowd-source some opinions since I couldn't try them all, and have a convenient price comparison too.

Re: AirPods Settings: How to Turn Volume Up & Lower Volume

Rob — Sun, 26 May 2019 19:06:50 -0000

Okay so what happens if you bluetooth to a non-apple device? For example I'm using them with my TV right now and the volume is pretty loud. Maybe it's the TV manufacturer's odd choice but you can't control the volume on the TV, it has to be adjusted on your headphones. Other headphones would let me do this with a rocker-type button to lower the volume. With AirPods I'm basically trapped at one volume unless Siri can somehow talk to the TV :P

Re: How to Cut the Cord…and What to Do If You Can’t

Rob — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 23:12:06 -0000

Second. I came here looking for a good review to compare the services. For what it's worth, I did find this but it's nothing more than a comparison table of channels you can get: https://www.cnet.com/news/l...

I know Wirecutter could do much better!

Re: Your Life in Weeks

Rob — Wed, 30 May 2018 13:36:51 -0000

Love it! Super flexible.

I see a few other comments here where people built similar calendars. They all display the portion of 90 years that you have lived so far, after inputting the birth date. Have you thought about, or seen any others develop more controls that allows you to fill in your life calendar? For example, input the date range you attended school. Input the date you got married, or other big events for the calendar to display.

I'm not here to ask for more features on something you did in your free time, but would be really neat to see! :)

Re: The Best TENS Unit

Rob — Sat, 10 Feb 2018 10:12:05 -0000

I guess it’s hard to compare apples and oranges but I did not find any guide about the pulse (impact) massagers. Not sure what the term is for those. How does this compare (if at all) to those wand massagers?

I was originally looking for those when I came across this.

Re: The Best Budgeting Apps and Tools

Rob — Sat, 10 Feb 2018 10:01:12 -0000

I have found that mint is a good place to see an aggregate of your accounts and some trend analysis. In terms of actually keeping a budget however, it often miscatrgorizes transactions and too often pulls in duplicate transactions. Over the years I feel like they’ve done nothing to update the product either (apart from adding credit score viewing and what credit cards you’ll be approved for).

After reading about budget methods I think what Mint misses out on is what you get from YNAB: the awareness. You should spend a little time every few days to put your transactions into the budgeted categories. It’s not about figuring out that “Olive Garden” = “restaurant” because yes, a computer can do that for you. It’s about recognizing “man, I have like 5 of these transactions in the last week.”

Imagine you’re trying to lose weight. You have a cool smart-device that keeps track of your weight every day and logs it automatically for you. Then at the end of the month you can look back and see a trend graph. Or, you step on the scale each morning and add the weight to an app. The first option is much easier and automated, but the second will help you get to your goal or at least stay on task. I think it’s about psychology more than convenience.

Re: The Best Budgeting Apps and Tools

Rob — Sat, 10 Feb 2018 09:52:51 -0000

I just wanted to add that I use both YNAB and Simple (my primary bank). The combo is even better! I “give every dollar a job” with YNAB, and then to help keep me conscious of this as I check my account, I make the same goals in Simple.

Yes it’s redundant :) yes I need the extra heavy handed reminder :)

Ironically the bank account is absolutely free. Even if you hit $0 they never charge any fees. I got it because it was the only bank with a half decent app (6 years ago) and it’s still nice. YNAB is worth the money IMO but if you want a free option then try out Simple.

Sorry I sound like a salesman! I’m a designer and I just go crazy over a well designed product and that’s extra hard to find in a bank.

Re: Tips For Tackling 6 Big Challenges Of Remote Work

Rob — Thu, 27 Jul 2017 16:11:18 -0000

Thanks, I'll give it a read!

I have experience with "WFH" in current/past jobs, but it was always treated as a once-in-a-while kind of thing. I've never met someone who is full-time remote, or even partly remote. I think a great rhythm would be like 4 days remote and 1 day in person. Anyway, thanks for the link and I look forward to hearing more about the topic.

Re: Tips For Tackling 6 Big Challenges Of Remote Work

Rob — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 17:24:40 -0000

Echoing the other comments, I really liked this article!

Has anyone found a particularly illustrative article about first-time experiences with a remote job? I find myself thinking about remote work a lot lately, but I (1) find the job opportunities to be underrepresented, and (2) feel a lot of risk-aversion about committing to a full time work environment I've never had before.

Re: The Best Gaming Headset (for Most People)

Rob — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 16:49:59 -0000

Opinion:
Aesthetically, gaming headphones look like they're designed for a stereotype of "gamer kid."
Also, I'm sure there is a bump in mic quality from these above options, but most headphones these days have a mic already integrated in the chord for making phone calls. My Marshall Monitors have amazing sound quality, and no one has said anything about the mic quality. I suppose if you're a Twitch streamer and trying to make money off of that, then it's worth the investment, but for playing with friends, is there a reason you wouldn't buy a really solid pair of headphones that works plugged into your PS4 as well as when it's plugged into your iPhone?

Re: Encryption Won’t Stop Your Internet Provider From Spying on You

Rob — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 15:38:16 -0000

Does anyone remember back during the Snowden whistleblowing how the government kept saying "oh but it's only metadata, not actual content"?

This seems to be more of the same, except now people are more aware and the Atlantic has very clearly made the case of the kind of picture you get with ancillary information even without actual content.

Re: PS4 Pro FAQ: 4K Blu-ray, forward compatibility and more | BGR

Rob — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 13:19:22 -0000

This is written as though it's negative, but I feel like it's a net positive for consumers! As someone who owns a PS4 now, I feel pretty good that I'm not going to feel left out for not upgrading. I can spend my money on games instead. I bet that non-PS4 owners will also feel glad that they can get the base model and save some money unless they own a 4K TV.

And lastly, I don't remember the last time I watched a movie off a disk. I know that one can vary a lot, as some people like to collect movies, but for the most part I don't see it as a big con. Very odd for sure (why not include it?), but not really a drawback either IMO.

So, all-in-all, it's an option for people that want to make full use of their 4K TV, but for most people it will be pretty great that they haven't made the PS4 obsolete with the new upgrade.

Re: The Best Earbuds Under $100

Rob — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 10:53:25 -0000

I feel like I've been waiting and waiting for the On-Ear Headphone guide (basically waiting to see what Bose or Marshall comes out with). At this point though, I think I'm convinced to just go with a super solid pair of In-Ear.