TNT Interactive Twin Turbo Vertical Cooling Stand for Playstation 4

 

Hubby isn’t much of a “gamer”, unless you count a few hours of playing Battlefield 4 every week. But even then, from time to time, the Playstation 4 can get pretty heated up, and heat + CPU’s = No bueno. So a little extra help in the cooling department is always appreciated, and TNT Interactive’s Vertical Cooling Stand is just what the doctor ordered!

It’s a simple thing most folks appreciate, a vertical stand for their shiny new PS4. Not only is it a space-saver, but the PS4’s internal fans cool more effectively that way as well. But, with heavy gaming, HD video streaming, or graphics-intense games, it can still tax the internals and they can overheat if not properly cooled, and TNT Interactive’s Twin Turbo Cooling Stand steps up to the plate and says “No worries, I got this”. Overheating is one of the leading causes of system failures in the Playstation 4, and no one wants their nearly $400 purchase fried when a simple, affordable $17.95 base can stave off so much unhappiness. And while mine was a tight fit for Hubby’s PS4, it did eventually settle in and stand comfortably. The TNTi fan base also acts as a USB hub, charging the controllers, or powering other USB peripherals. It’s a modest investment that pays huge dividends over the long run, and one I’m glad I got to try.

It’s not all wine and roses. The fans can be slightly on the noisy side, and unlike other units I’ve seen, there’s no way to toggle the fans manually off and on. It’s plugged in and on, or it’s not. Hubby doesn’t have the sound up very loud so as not to scare the bejesus out of me and the dog, so we hear the drone of the fan the entire time. The other is the bright, blue LED light on the front of the base. While Hubby sits slightly off-center from the TV and PS4, I’m usually directly right in front of the light, and it’s terribly, terribly bright and annoying. Minor quibbles overall, but valid ones for us. Your mileage may vary. And while there’s some base units out there with a few more bells and whistles, and some might even be slightly cheaper, in the end you need to select the one that’s best for your tastes, and this one suits us just fine.

Connect with TNT Interactive:

• Online
• On Amazon
• Buy yours right here!

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from TNT Interactive. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

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Sentey B-Trek H9 Bluetooth Headphones w/Mic Ls-4560

 

So, it seems when Sentey makes a product that hits, it hits a home run. But sometimes, it’s just a foul ball over the left field fence. Not quite a homerun but a solid hit none the less. This is one of those. You’ll recall from my last Sentey Flow headset review, the sound was nothing to write home about. These B-Trek Bluetooth headphones fix that in spades. The sound is pretty good. The 40mm drivers have even tones, decent bass, and don’t sound tinny or blown out. Wired or wireless, the sound is quality. These are Bluetooth V4.0 compatible, and have been tested to work solidly with my laptop, hubby’s Nexus tablet, and our phone. It holds the connection well too. Where it falls short, again, is in the “gaming” category.

See, the last thing I want to hear is the carnage and destruction inherent to one of hubby’s Battlefield 4 multiplayer sessions. Especially while I’m painting my nails. And we thought this headset would be the solution. But, despite pairing with the Playstaion 3 with ease, try as we might we could not get sound through these headphones to save our lives from the unit. Not for the game, for Amazon Prime videos, for music…nothing. Just static and ticking. It was a huge let down. We have an email in to Sentey about this, but as of this writing we have yet to hear back*. If you want a decent set of bluetooth headphones that won’t break the bank, these fit the bill. If you want it for PS3 (or PS4, one assumes) gaming, you might want to look elsewhere.

I don’t feel the lack of PS3 support should be a dealbreaker. The sound is good, they seem well constructed and of better materials than the Sentey Flow headset I mentioned previously. They also fold up for travel, come with a spiffy hard-ish travel case that holds the headset, the charging cable and the 3.5mm wired connection. The wired connection also works without having the lithium polymer battery charged (Sentey reports battery life of over 8 hours!), so your tunes aren’t dependent on your battery either. You have play, pause, skip and volume controls on the headset as well (device support dependent, obviously), which is nice. They fit my head, and even hubby’s big ‘ol pumpkin head, so they should fit just about everyone nicely. The ear cushion cups are snug enough for workouts or light jogging, but know that prolonged listening during these activities might cause some trapped perspiration, but the upside is there’s very little sound bleed from the earpieces. They were comfortable to wear and not so heavy that you feel like your head weighs an extra 10lbs. Overall we’re fans of these Sentey B-Trek Bluetooth Headphones, but there’s definitely room for some improvement here.

*A quick note: I attempted on 2 separate occasions to get some support from Sentey about the PS3/Bluetooth issue. Both went unaswered. I’m dismayed that, knowing this product was sent as promotion and knowing that I would review it, and their after-sales support, they ignored me. Maybe they’d be better about product support with a paying customer, but I’ll leave my readers to draw their own conclusions here. Major disappointment for us, though.

Connect with Sentey:

• On the web
• On Facebook
• On Twitter
• On YouTube
• on Flickr
• On Amazon

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Sentey.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Sentey Flow Kid’s Foldable Over the Ear Headphones w/ Mic

I listen to plenty of music at night when I’m trying to unwind. In the day, too, when I need to take a break from my online duties. So when Sentey offered to put me in their “Power User” program to test some products, and offered these Flow Foldable Headphones…Oh, I was sooo game.

 

To start, they’ve now labeled these for “Kid’s”, and that makes sense, because they aren’t loud, or made with “premium” components. They might work with a handheld gaming device, or most .mp3 players, and even most tablets. But try as I might, my phone would just not recognize them. Both tablets (Asus) and laptops (Asus and Toshiba) did, though. So maybe LG is funky in how they recognize peripherals. My husbands Sansa Clip+ also picked it up with no issues. So we could not test if the mic works, because the phone wouldn’t play nice. So I can’t say it works with EVERY device, but almost all of them. It has an in-line control button for playing/pausing, but that is also dependent on your device being configured for that type of control, so it can be hit and miss as well.

The sound is passable. And they’re not labeled “L” or “R” like every other pair of headphones we’ve ever had, so that involves a bit of guesswork and possibly even switching them around mid-song or movie. They even fit over my hubby’s big ‘ol head, so they should fit over just about anyone’s. These Sentey Flow headphones come with a fully detachable 3.5mm audio, too. They make the claim that they’re gaming headphones, but our PS3 only connects with bluetooth headphones, and this has no bluetooth (I assume the PS4 is the same). So to make the claim that it’s good for either system is questionable at best. You can jerry-rig a connection with a two-into-one audio cable and the audio connections at the back of the console, but on their own, they can’t connect to the Playstation systems. I can’t speak for Xbox systems, either. It doesn’t have heavy bass, or “top rated sound”, as my husband’s $8 Skullcandy earbuds out-performed it in both categories. So Sentey is making so very dubious claims in their Amazon listing in an effort to get more search hits.

Look at it like this: These are disposable headphones. They wouldn’t stand up to the rigors of workouts, running or jogging, but they’re light enough and compact enough for travel. They’re not in-the-ear buds so you won’t have the worries of hearing damage, like you would with earbuds, but conversely you can hear them if you’re in the same room or in a vehicle as someone wearing them, so you’ll know if they’re too loud. At under $13.00, you could do worse, but I’d be very surprised if they lasted long. And if they do get lost, or broken, thankfully no one will lose much sleep over them at this price point#senteyflow. Go into this with open eyes and buy them for what they are: Economical, disposable kids headphones that might last the summer.

Connect with Sentey:

• On the web
• On Facebook
• On Twitter
• On YouTube
• on Flickr
• On Amazon

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Sentey.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

BzzAgent: Nothing like the feel of a real Board Game! Hasbro’s My Monopoly #Review

I know a while back it was thought that board games were dead and we would just play them via whatever game system replaced the actual board. I am guilty of purchasing Monopoly to play but as much as it was easy to just turn off the system and not need to clean up after playing, something was missing. Unsure if it is the setting-up process, not feeling or touching anything……but something about just staring at a TV screen is just so anti what a board game is suppose to be. I later just bought a Monopoly set that was some ultra-edition where all the pieces were gold in color. I think I was trying to make up for something!

When BzzAgent offered to send Hasbro’s new “My Monopoly” game, I glanced at the campaign and when I saw “App Store”, Google play and the words “download”, I was about to pass…..I then saw that “My Monopoly” is a way to personalize your board game experience! Yup, the board is still there as is everything else.

What comes with “My Monopoly”:

• Gameboard
• 4 Tokens
• 30 Blank Tiles
• 4 Sticker Sheets (30 stickers per sheet)
• 28 Deed cards
• 16 Chance cards
• 16 Community Chest cards
• 32 Houses and 12 Hotels
• A set of Dice
• Money Pack and the Game Guide

Making My Monopoly:

You simply just access the app or you can go on-line by visiting http://www.mymonopoly.com. Then simply upload your pictures and customize your playing experience, print and label your game. Then you are ready to play and have some family fun!

Retail Price Point: $19.99 and can be purchased on Amazon, Target, KMart, Walmart, to Toys r’ Us.

Hasbro provides you with the same quality game board, you get to engage and hone your competitive skills, get some math, and let us not forget how it feels to have a stack of Monopoly money and everyone’s properties! The best part is the customization and with the amount of stickers they provide, you can change your mind and update the board. Great family fun and no TV needed 🙂 The board also game with a bonus of a free $10 off code at Shutterfly!

You can visit Hasbro and see the “My Monopoly” game board, plus the other gaming experiences they offer at:

• On-line
• Facebook
• Monopoly on FB
• Twitter
• #MyMonopoly

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Hasbro and BzzAgent. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.