Fifine USB Wireless Microphone with Sound Card Review | Chamorros Reviewing Tech

Hafa Adai! Another day another tech review...hey there party peeps it's me Island Boy Manuel, bringing you the deets on the Fifine USB Wireless Microphone with Sound Card. So is it good? Bad? Maybe a little of both? Let's find out in this edition of Chamorros Reviewing Tech.

Unboxing and Setup

The Mic arrived in that pretty, white box emblazoned with that black Fifine Technology that I've mentioned in previous reviews. It looks sharp and modern and I really like the aesthetic. The product is protected by foam and bagged. All the included accessories (two double A batteries, a USB receiver, and an Auxiliary cable) are kept below a cardboard divider.

Admittedly I was underwhelmed by the look of this mic. The steel mesh looks like a flat painted chrome, the only branding is a generic text wrap at the base of the mesh that simply says UHF Professional Microphone. The switch has a textured slider that has good tactile feedback and makes a solid clicking noise so you can be sure you have it in the correct position. I also don't understand why the bottom is bright blue...if I had to venture a guess it'd be that the body style is generic so that they can use it when manufacturing standard XLR wired mics or wired USB mics and they just change out the guts and plug the hole with blue plastic.

The USB receiver is plastic with a small green LED and a 3.5mm port for the auxiliary cable, and unfortunately it seems a tad too light to elicit any sort of ooo or awww factor. The Auxiliary Cable has a good length to it and fits snug. The batteries are generic AA styles and they fit into the compartment well. I got roughly three solid hours of use before they needed replacing.

Audio Test

The Mic actually has a great sound to it. I belted out everything from Broadway to Five finger death punch, from One Direction to Chase Rice and all the Audio rang clear with very little plosives or shifting in volume. The mic does pick up a lot breath noise but little to no ambient noise. I was very happy with the result.

The Verdict

I am very happy with my purchase of the Fifine wireless mic. I'm deducting a point for the generic look but it works well and that's what matters. Check it out for yourself here: https://goo.gl/1QoO4L                   

Vansky® Gooseneck Car Phone Holder with Dual USB charging ports | Chamorros Reviewing Tech

Hafa Adai! Welcome back to Chamorro Cinema for our next installment of Chamorros Reviewing Tech. Today I your comaNERD and Chief Island Boy Manuel is reviewing a Vansky® Goose neck Car Phone Holder that we received in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. So was it good? Bad? Maybe a little of both? Find out in this episode of Chamorros Reviewing Tech!

Unboxing and Setup

I received the item in the mail in a simple manila colored box with a cardboard divider inside. The packaging was so unassuming that I was a little concerned about what might be inside...however, all of those fears were quelled when I pulled out the product and found it to be a pretty good quality device. 

Setup is simple enough, the charger and goose neck are pre-assembled and has a ball joint at the top that fits into a compression connector on the back of the holder. Simply unscrew the compression nut and insert the ball joint and tighten. Voila your ready to conquer the road!

It also comes with a micro-USB to USB charging cable, so you will need your own C-type or Lightning Cable for newer smart phones. 

Quality and Build

The  holder is made of a charcoal grey colored Poly-carbonate with lime green rubberized grips at the base and top for holding your phone tight. The holder is adjustable from 3.5 to 6.3 inches so it is able to fit a variety of phones, I tested an LG G4, a Galaxy S6 and a Galaxy Note 4 and all fit with no issues.  

The goose neck is pretty flexible and relatively long. This came in handy when connecting it to both my 2013 Subaru Impreza and my Dodge Journey as both have recessed charging ports on the console. I had to do a bit of finagling to get it to sit in the port and not block an of the dashboard controls.

The charger itself boasts dual 5v/2a ports. I found that they worked well but were significantly slower at charging when both ports were in use. My wife and I took an hour long drive to the Mall of America on Saturday and noticed that while on the drive there both our LG G4's charged 20% in roughly 32 minutes. on the drive home when only one of the phones was charging it jumped to 80% charged in the same amount of time. 

There are multiple rubber boots on the charger as well that make it look alien at first but in truth go a long way to making and maintaining good connectivity to the cars charging port. Many of the other chargers I have feature smooth plastic bodies that over time need to be twisted or pushed on in order to work. Time will tell if these boots help to eliminate the problem.

The Verdict

It's hard not score this product a solid 4 out of 5. It's a simple product that does exactly what it says it will do. The asthetics are pleasing the quality is there and save for a slower charge when both ports are used and having to make adjustments so it doesn't block my dashboard it certainly delivered.

Pick one up for yourself and read other reviews at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016HL1MCK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

   

Edge of Winter Review | Chamorros Watchin Movies

Hafa Adai! It's little ol' Island Boy Manuel again with another movie review. Tonight I watched Edge of Winter starring Spiderman and Rick Flagg (or at least the actors playing them). So was it good? Bad? Maybe a little of both? Let's bust out the winter jackets and the stocking caps and settle in for Edge of Winter, Directed by Rob Conelly and starring Joel Kinnaman and Tom Holland.

Ever watch a movie that goes from painstakingly slow to WTF just happened territory at breakneck speed? That's the feeling I had watching Edge of Winter. The film is insanely slow to start...it seems to be on the cusp of that slow burn that establishes mood and attaches us to the characters but it never quite makes it. Don't get me wrong the actors do a fine job with the material but the film does little to endear them to us.

We ought to root on some level for a father pushed beyond his limits, but Kinnaman is hardly likeable as Elliot. He spends the bulk of the movie in a strange sort of confused daze, one minute he is masterfully crying and acting like a real father then out of nowhere he flips out and is a violent psycho. The turn isn't handled in a realistic way the film simply asks us to concede that he's crazy now.

Tom Holland and Percy Hynes-White seem to be a perfect example of one actor phoning it in while the other is giving it his all. Holland is simply doing his job, say the lines and emote a little (daydream about the upcoming Marvel paycheck), while Percy is giving his all to deliver powerful emotions. Unfortunately, Tom Hollands character, Bradley, is annoyingly prudish. Throwing hissyfits and glaring. Hynes-White is a pro at crying on cue...which he does alot...alot alot, but his character caleb is fairly one dimensional and neither one has much of an arc.

There are two ancillary characters that show up at the end of the second act that speak french for some reason...and don't serve any purpose except to add two more scenes of Kinnaman freaking out because bang he's psycho now.

All in all I can't recommend Edge of Winter. I think Joel Kinnaman and Percy Hynes-White deliver tremendous performances but are left with bad material to work with...it's like getting a famous designer to make your wedding dress but they need to use construction paper.

Anyway, let me mknow what you thought of Edge of Winter...or as I like to call it before they were stars (slumming it in canada edition).

Reacting to Lightbringer Seranos Overwatch Strategy Video | Chamorros Wa...

Review of the AYL Bluetooth Headphones AX8 V4.1

 Hafa Adai! Today Island Boy Manuel Reviews the AX-8 Wireless Earbuds by AYL. Are they good? Bad? Maybe a little of both? Check it out in episode two of Chamorros Reviewing Tech.

Unboxing and Setup

The box I received from AYL was an unassuming cardboard in its natural brown color with a logo foil stamped in red. A very simple package that made me wonder if the product inside was an  electronic device or some sort of new fangled granola with sprouts from world market. I was elated to discover it was the former. There was not a lot of packaging around the headphones to mess with but they came with multiple tips and grips, a micro USB for charging and a nice faux leather bag for carrying everything.

    

    

Construction and Design

It's got a basic setup, two earbuds with ear grips and an in line controller. The AX8 is no exception to this setup bit it is a pretty version. It has a matte black finish and chrome accents, punctuated by a simple AYL logo printed on each bud. It's a very simple yet dynamic visual and as a visual person it was something I enjoyed.

The inline controller feels solid, it has good tactile feedback. It has the basic buttons (volume + and volume -, separated by a large multi-function button) and each of the buttons is given enough space to breathe so no hitting the wrong button. However the only major gripe I have with the construction is in the placement of the controller. It sits approximately 3.5 inches from the right ear bud...so it's dangling in mid air and each time I went to adjust the volume I yanked it out of my ear.

The USB is flat (so it has a lower chance of getting shorts yay!) and fits nice, but it's tiny. I'm not entirely sure how to charge these without them dangling on the wall or from a USB port on my computer.

Sound

The sound quality is what I'd expect from a bargain brand bluetooth ear bud. Its not Bose but not gas station brand quality either. They have really good bass and nothing sounds tin-ny. No real complaints here.

The Verdict

Bottom line is that you can't go wrong with these headphones. For roughly $30 you get an above average sound,`Phenomenal battery life and solidly constructed headphones. My one gripe is in the placement of the inline controller but it's not insurmountable. I highly recommend you check them out at http://amzn.to/2bcXKjt

** Editors note: Island Boy Manuel did receive this product free from AYL for Review. It is the expressed policy of Chamorro Cinema to be 100% honest in every review regardless of sponsorship. The fact that the product is free does not in any way impact out review.