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Hello popcorn lovers!

After getting tired of making popcorn in a pot the traditional way, I decided to be like a kid and get myself a popcorn maker that can make them on its own, mainly healthier and without the need to wash pots and related stuff. There aren't many options out there, so you choose a brand you trust and buy it. Since I didn't like the others aesthetically, I decided to go with the safe option, the black one.

Design and build quality:

Very nice exterior with black plastic that shows sturdy construction. On/off button at the bottom and a dispenser at the top.

Popcorn time:

It's not difficult at all in the process. It takes about 60 grams of popcorn at a time. You place the popcorn, press the button, and it starts making popcorn. Within 3 minutes, they're ready. You can put butter on top (not inside, you'll ruin it) while the popcorn is heating up so it's ready to pour at the end. But as we said at the beginning, we want it healthy, so no salt added :P.

Verdict:

If you're looking for something like this with a nice design, it should definitely be among your top choices.

Pros:
+Healthy popcorn
+Nice design
+Quick
+Easy cleaning
+2-year warranty

Cons:
-None

When talking about printers, surely the first thing that comes to mind is HP printers. (Not that Epson, Canon, Brother, etc. don't come to mind as well) but how can we help it, we all had an HP Deskjet at home at some point (and maybe still do) that we have associated with our childhood years. Now, I opened a Word document to write this little text and the printer woke up, thinking it was going to print, but little did it know that I opened Word for spell checking! :P (more on that later - no, I don't mean spell checking)

Choosing a printer is a bit chaotic out there, as there are so many options now, countless features and reviews. But what can you do, at the end of the day you have to choose one and stick with it as long as it lasts. The two main features you look for when buying a printer are connectivity and ink cost. Something that this particular HP printer checks all the boxes for.

Design and build quality;

No matter how you look at it, it has a design and perhaps one of the most beautiful printers out there. It is compact with a simple yet very beautiful design. It's no coincidence that it won the iF DESIGN AWARD 2023. Also, the plastics are of high quality and sturdy, and it doesn't give you the impression that it will fall apart if you lift it. (BONUS: I would say it can withstand a few hits from small children.)

On the top left, there is a small screen with buttons for all the functions you can perform. At the back, after lifting the sliding input tray (as HP calls it), you place the paper, while at the front, there is the lid for scanning.

At the front, that's where the paper comes out, and after opening the door, you can access the ink cartridges and print heads a bit further inside.

Installation;

And now comes the moment when you have bought it, brought it home, opened it, and you're like, "Oops, now what do I do?" No matter how much of a high-end user you are, a drop of sweat comes to mind that even you, the mighty and terrific builder, might make a mistake.

After taking it out of the box, which HP has made very easy for you because they put it in a bag with handles and you just pull it (a big bravo to HP for not making you struggle with bubble wrap and the box until you manage to take it out), the moment of connection comes.

Here you can (and should) download the HP app or open the manual that comes with the box to guide you through the next steps (but I will tell you anyway), and they do it very well, step by step. I would recommend downloading the app because it will connect the printer to your WIFI, which is very easy, and it will be useful later on.

You start by removing the cardboard and tapes (TIP: remove the cardboard from the front first and then open the lid) and once you're done, you turn it on. It shows you that it doesn't have ink, something that shouldn't scare you because HP and the smart tank, in general, have made it very easy. You open the lid of each ink and place the bottle after it is filled to the top, you can remove it without worrying if even a drop will spill outside (well, don't do it like a clumsy person because then you might have a little problem) gently and with love. Then we have the printheads, which are like all the printheads out there, you just have to be careful not to touch the film and get stuck. Then you place the paper, align it, scan what you printed, and you're ready.

Printing Speed and Quality;

Apart from what it claims to do, such as fast printing and the like (to be honest, who cares if it prints in 12 or 20 seconds when it comes to home use). I will focus on the print quality since it does not disappoint in terms of color accuracy. The color prints are vibrant and precise, without significant variations in shading or hue, even in multiple prints. The black and white prints, I would say, are close to perfection with a clean and clear image, without smudges, making it suitable for both text and images. As for durability, the prints remain untouched even after prolonged use. Especially in photos, I would say it is quite good considering that to have a very good result, you have to go for a printer that costs 600-700 euros.

Verdict;

The installation was very easy and informative thanks to HP, just don't throw away the manual and use your head. The app is well-designed and informative. It connected to any device in the house, from desktop, laptop, Android, and Apple without any problem, and I haven't noticed any issues regarding connectivity. Also, I chose it because it offers a 3-year warranty and until the end of July, it gives you a 30 euro cashback. I highly recommend it if you want to invest in a very good printer for the next few years with low cost per page.

Pros;
+Print quality
+Affordable (come on, HP, calm down with the 12,000 black and white or 6,000 color prints)
+Ready when you are (as soon as it detects that you might want to print something - see Word at the beginning, it's ready to do it without you having to do anything or open it)
+Build quality
+Connectivity
+App
+Auto On/Off (Automatically shuts off when not in use)

Cons;
-Hard to find

Update 03/08/2023:
All lights blinking fix;

I was experiencing a problem where all the lights would randomly blink, and the only solution was to turn it off and turn it back on to fix it. I discovered that HP has released a firmware update that fixes it. So, I recommend doing the firmware update after purchasing.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/swdetails/hp-smart-tank-580-all-in-one-printer/2100992726/swItemId/bi-303970-4

One step before throwing the Vodafone H300S router in the trash (okay, I didn't throw it because they would eventually ask for it back, but I was really tempted), I wondered why I decided to get a Vodafone line. I decided to explore other options out there, hoping to find something better than what Vodafone offers. I should mention that I'm not a high-end user; I just want basic things like stable internet, no lag when playing games or watching movies (okay, Wi-Fi 6 was a great bonus), and no constant disconnections.

There are many options out there, especially if you want to go for a bridge connection. But why go through that process when you can have everything in one? That's what I wondered, and that's why I bought this particular one.

I've been a user for almost a year now. I can say that I found my salvation after dealing with the terrible service and router provided by Vodafone. I constantly experienced disconnections, couldn't watch anything without restarting a hundred times, and the connection speed was far from the promised 100Mbps. After some research, I ended up with this one, mainly because of its excellent reviews and the fact that it is an ADSL/VDSL modem, which means I don't have to go through the hassle of setting it to bridge mode like I did before. I can clearly say that I won't go back to that mess.

Features & Design:

It is very small and has an elegant design with all the necessary LEDs, which are also customizable (no, it's not RGB like those who have turned their entire house into RGB). You can simply change what each blinking LED signifies. The technical specifications and the number of USB or Ethernet ports can be found everywhere, but I believe they are more than enough for a mid-range user.

Like all routers, you have to access the provided address to make all the necessary settings, from Wi-Fi frequencies (2.4GHz or 5GHz) to how often you receive usage emails. I should mention that connecting a phone, especially if you are not a Cosmote subscriber, can be a bit challenging, but you can find guides everywhere to help you. The internet connection, on the other hand, is a breeze, requiring nothing more than your input.

A small bonus is the company's apps, which allow you to receive calls even when you're not at home and manage your Wi-Fi network and connected devices.

Performance:

If you're coming from a Cosmote, Vodafone, or similar router, you'll feel like you've entered a different world. The disconnections stopped immediately, and the router is now consistently connected. Even if someone is streaming Netflix, there is no lag when I'm gaming (in your face, noobs who used to kill me because I could see you after 2 minutes :P). It locks in at 110Mbps and supports any device with Wi-Fi 6 in my house. A major bonus is the 35b Super Vectoring, which I didn't know about before but now understand its benefits, especially if your line supports it. Oh, and since I delved into the settings and learned a thing or two, I now have 0 error counters with this modem.

Verdict:

Once you manage to connect the phone part (if you're coming from Vodafone), because the internet is plug and play, I can confidently say that this is possibly the best ADSL/VDSL modem for its price.

Pros:
+Plug and play (in terms of phone, requires searching for another company outside of Cosmote)
+Mesh network (you can add other devices from the same company and they work great together)
+Value for money
+Wi-Fi 6
+5 Years Warranty
+35b Super Vectoring

Cons:
-None

I am not a professional cameraman nor do I do professional shots. I am a mid-range user who, after some attempts with other cameras, decided to return to GoPro because it had not disappointed me. I mainly use it for spearfishing and extreme situations such as in the car or on a motorcycle, water sports, and for vlogging (no, you won't find me on YouTube :P don't look for me, I'm telling you) on vacations.

The first impressions were extremely impressive. I wondered: did they manage to fit all these technologies into such a small camera? Honestly, when you realize what you can do and what kind of action camera you have in your hands, I can say that it was worth every penny (euro, okay).

Features & Design:

It is exactly the same as the 10 and 9, so most (if not all) accessories work for all three. It has 10m water resistance, although it would be good to get a housing if you do extreme sports like spearfishing, because when you're struggling with an octopus inside a hole to get it out, you don't care about the camera or the amount you've spent (true story, I have destroyed a camera like that). On the front of the camera, you will find the lens, the microphone, and a non-touch color LCD for viewing yourself when you turn it to selfie mode. On the top, you will find the power button and a second microphone. On the left side (as I see it, not you, don't get confused), you will find the mode button, and below it, a third microphone inside a special water-draining port. On the right side, there is the door for the battery and the microSD card, as well as a USB-C port for charging. And at the bottom, there are the little ears or whatever you want to call them that open and close, and you can replace them if you break them. (Now that I mentioned breaking, I have put tempered glass everywhere for safety first.)

Like every GoPro, it offers many modes, to be more specific:
- Photos: which are very good, especially outdoors.
- Video: which leave you amazed outdoors, but have their issues in low-light conditions.
- Time-lapse: such as TimeWarp, StarTrails, and many others that will make you want to capture everything in slow motion or fast forward.

Everything comes with pre-made modes that you can adjust through editing. The only downside is that you can't change their names, although I think they will add that in the new update since many users are requesting it.

It has Quik, with which you can do many things, such as adjusting settings, downloading updates, or uploading your videos to the cloud (something I wouldn't recommend because it slows down the internet, especially if you have it set to automatic and connect with mobile data, then you'll cry, and it takes a lot of time).

Performance:

They have changed the interface and made it as simple as possible, which makes it very easy to navigate, especially when you're in action. You can change modes either from the mode button or by swiping right or left. Under the sunlight, I can say that it is the best I have seen in a camera and it leaves you amazed. The videos are vibrant and rich in detail.

In terms of resolution, you can choose between 5.3K, 4K, 2.7K, and 1080p, each with different capabilities in terms of frame rates and aspect ratios. In the rest, the capabilities are really numerous and the experiments are just as many, although I wanted a plug and play camera, which this is not, since it took me many hours to find a balance between what I wanted to do. Worth mentioning is the 360-degree Horizon Lock, which is truly incredible. Once you needed a stabilizer to hold the camera, but now it does it on its own and it does it really amazingly. The 10-bit color, which the 10 didn't have, really works wonders for the image if you are into video editing. And HyperSmooth 5.0 can smooth out even the most jerky movements you make with the camera, providing a very, very smooth experience without compromising the video.

The biggest flaw, I would say, is low light situations, such as indoors or at night, where it cannot handle them and maybe it's not worth shooting videos in those conditions.

Finally, the enduro battery, compared to the 10, is slightly better overall, but you won't see a big difference. Still, when shooting in 5.7K, you will need 2 batteries on your trip, as it drains them quickly. It hasn't presented any problems with temperature or shutting down to protect itself, and I have shot videos in both summer and winter with snow.

Verdict:
Maybe not such a big leap from the 10, but definitely a milestone camera for the company that does many incredible things, and it will certainly satisfy even the most demanding user. It's worth buying and more.

Pros:
+Performance
+Features
+360-degree Horizon Lock
+HyperSmooth 5.0
+10-bit color

Cons:
-Battery
-Low light

Tips:
Since it took me a long time to find the best settings (for me, at least), I have included in the images what I use, as the default settings didn't satisfy me.

I don't know where to start. Looking back, the 8TB seems crazy and why would you need so much storage space, but time flies and now we have cameras that record in 4K, movies that reach 20-30GB, and games that require 200GB just for the intro scene, so here we are. With the speeds that SSDs are playing at nowadays, as we all understand, this one is meant for storage (late storage if you know what I mean, inside joke :P).

A year ago, I bought the 4TB from the same series and I was extremely satisfied with the purchase. Of course, you never know with hard drives, they can die from one day to the next or last you until old age. I had such hard drives and I had others that died within a month! As I said in another review (yes, I'm talking to you, who faithfully follows me because I say things nicely, my friend :P), hardware is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get! It arrives, you shake it, you beg God for mercy this time, you open the box, plug it in, and voila, DOA.

After breaking out in a cold sweat (yes, I know we've all experienced it, especially with hardware), the damn thing worked. Fun fact, Western Digital, which many consider to be the top, has the highest failure rate among hard drive manufacturers (yes, I know I've said it before and I'll say it again).

Introduction, Features & Performance:

A little history lesson, the BarraCuda series goes back 30 years (yes, you weren't even born yet and yet you question its reliability! :P). The 8TB is larger in size than the 4TB (no, I don't mean in capacity, but physically), not that it matters since nobody cares (except for you, who bought a mid tower and tried to fit the 3090 in it, well, whose fault is that?).

So, technically speaking: It has SATA 3 (6GB/s) with 256MB cache and a rotational speed of 5,400RPM. And here, everyone will start complaining that it's so old and that their first hard drive was faster and blah blah blah, hold on, do you know what Multi-Tier Caching technology is? Well, with this, Seagate helps it perform faster even with its low rotational speed. Specifically, and according to Seagate, it uses a NAND Flash that helps improve the unit's performance by optimizing the flow of data to and from the drive.

As for real-world results, if you're asking if it matches a hard drive with 7200 RPM, no, but it's very close in performance and at a much lower price.

In terms of temperatures, it hasn't raised them more than it should, and I haven't had any issues so far (but we do clean our PCs every now and then to have good airflow, right, kids?).

Lastly, it's not silent, but it's not annoying either for the few seconds when it starts spinning.

Verdict:

If you're in the market for a hard drive for larger storage space, look no further. It's a very reliable choice from a very good company (until it dies on you and you lose all your files, you might say, but been there, done that), and at a very good price compared to the competition.

Pros:
+ Large capacity
+ Fast transfer rates (for a rotational speed of 5,400RPM)
+ Affordable compared to the competition

Cons:
- None

It was purchased as a second NVMe M.2 SSD for early storage (because there is also a late one? :P).
Meaning for fresh downloads from software to movies, series, etc. (all legal ^).
One of the cheapest options for 1TB, I can say.
But is value for money; Let's find out!

To debunk an urban myth about hard drives like "it died one day after I bought it," "I don't trust the company," "only WD and nothing else," etc. Hardware is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get (no, I didn't steal that from Forrest Gump, I don't understand why you're talking about it). So even if you choose the best one available with the best reviews, it can still die (RIP) within a month.

Introduction, Specifications & Features;

It offers 1.8/1.5 GBps read/write speeds powered by the Phison 5013-E13 controller with 3D TLC NAND with 600 TBW and the best part is the 5-year warranty. (One star definitely goes there because you don't easily find an M.2 with such a long warranty.) In terms of hard drives, I think the most important factors are speed and temperature. It usually operates at around 45C and hasn't exceeded 50C even after heavy load, whatever that means. As for the speeds, I have tested them with pics and they are very close to what the company promises. As expected, there are drop-offs like any other hard drive, but I don't think that affects any of us. (Oh, and reliability, right, fun fact: Western Digital, which many consider to be the top brand, has the highest failure rate among hard drive manufacturers).

You can also download the Team Group SSD Toolbox software to monitor lifespan and usage.

Performance;

To avoid getting into too much technical information that no one will understand correctly, or maybe you're in the group that "thinks" they understand. Simply because you've read 5-10 extra things and maybe know what TLC and QLC technology is and what problems it has, like when it experiences drop-offs in performance under heavy workloads, let's just say that overall, this one is very good.

Verdict;

If you're looking for an affordable M.2 compared to the competition, this one is a very good choice. Especially when it offers a 5-year warranty.

Pros;
+Performance
+Warranty
+Value for money

Cons;
-None