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The Best Mouse Pad

Justin Thomas — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 20:37:26 +0000

In A Nutshell

The best mouse pad is the Artisan Hien mouse pad. This Japanese-made pad has a unique woven surface that allows for very precise mouse movement.

The Details

The mouse pad enthusiasts over at Reddit say that Artisan mouse pads are the best you can buy. What gives these mouse pads their edge is their woven surface. It’s a special polyester which provides a very precise reaction to mouse movements — useful for everyday computing or during game action. The fabric also resists dirt and moisture, and there is a non-slip material on the bottom of the mouse.

Artisan mouse pads come in four different level of friction. Here’s Artisan’s humorously translated description of these levels:

HARD: It is near the taste made of the plastic. However, it is not too hard like plastic.

MID: It is not soft. However, it is not hard. Light gliding and the stopping are good balances.

SOFT: Soft more than usual cloth pad. It stops in sharp. Stopping with rigidity feeling.

XSOFT: It is considerably soft. This flexibility provide the stopping performance on the surface.

Typically, the Soft or Mid levels are good for everyday mousing.

The Artisan Hien mouse pad is available from Amazon for about $20.

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How To Set Up A Wireless DJ System

Justin Thomas — Tue, 10 May 2016 14:04:33 +0000

Being a live DJ is as much about the performance as it is the music. For a performance without the restraint of wires, a complete wireless DJ system allows you to move around with unfettered freedom. It is also a great option for the amateur who wants to impress at a house party, or take their sound out to the pool.

There are many applications for wireless DJ systems. Consider what it could add to your performance to be able to control the music while you weave through the crowd at a live venue, interacting with everyone as you go along. Maybe your performance would benefit from multiple people controlling the music from different locations at the same time. Perhaps you can reach better locations for your speakers if you don’t have to snake unruly wires to them across the room.

You need only a few things to get started with wireless DJing – a wireless DJ controller, wireless speakers and a remote control application. Here is a breakdown of how to set up a wireless DJ system, whether you are a club owner or a looking to play at the next frat party.

1 – Wireless DJ Controller

The heart of your wireless DJ system is a wireless DJ controller like the Pioneer XDJR1. Your wireless DJ controller works similarly to a standard digital DJ controller in that it allows you to play and manipulate audio from connected USB devices, line-in inputs, CDs and connected computers through MIDI.

The additional function we’re interested in is the ability of the wireless DJ controller to receive content wirelessly and/or control the audio from a wireless location. This could be from a laptop computer somewhere in the room, a smartphone or a tablet, for example.

2 – Remote Application

In the case of the Pioneer XDJR1, it essentially has a wireless router built-in to which smartphones can connect. Enable the wireless setting, set the SSID and password, and its ready to be connected to.

On the mobile device, install the application Remotebox. Having then connected to the wireless DJ controller’s WLAN network, the DJ controller’s user interface is displayed on the smartphone or tablet, allowing you to manipulate all of the features of the device from a remote location within Wi-Fi range. It is a simple matter to queue up different channel outputs, play and pause tracks from USB-connected devices or mix using the virtual faders.

Other wireless DJ controllers have similar remote applications that can be used on smartphones, tablets, PCs and Macs.

3 – Wireless Speakers

If you DJ in multiple venues and take speakers with you then the potential benefits of wireless speakers should not be lost on you. Each venue has a different setup, different acoustics and you may want to position your speakers in awkward places. Running cables from your main DJ station is a pain, and you need to tape the cables up for safety and security. Even if you’re only DJing in one venue, if your venue requires a larger number of speakers, or speakers placed in multiple rooms, then it can be a logistical nightmare to run wires from your main equipment to the speakers.

Enter wireless speakers, like Infinity Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Speakers. These can be placed anywhere they’ll get power and output 80 watts of sound each. The signal is sent from a bundled transmitter, which can be up to 600 feet away from the speakers. It will even transmit through walls and ceilings, sending CD quality wireless uncompressed sound. Up to four speakers can be used in tandem.

To pair these speakers to our wireless DJ system, all it takes is connecting the master OUT from the wireless DJ controller to the transmitter’s line-IN. They now function in the same way as any other speakers, sans the wires.

While these speakers are a little on the pricey side, speakers that connect via Bluetooth also work in the same manner – they just don’t have the impressive range. You can consider Bluetooth wireless speakers for your wireless DJ system if you don’t plan to have the speakers far from the transmitter.

4 – Optional – Other Wireless Connections

With the controller and speakers in place, there’s nothing stopping you from getting rid of more and more wires until you’re almost completely wireless. We still have to contend with power connections, but apart from that, there are many places where wires can be done away with completely. Your DJ monitoring headphones can be replaced by wireless headphones – all you need to do is charge the battery and keep a transmitter in the DJ controller’s headphone-OUT port.

Wireless microphones are easy to set up – again one simply needs to plug in the wireless microphone receiver/amp to the DJ controller’s input and the wireless microphone will work just as a wired input would. Virtually all popular instruments have wireless transmitter/receiver options, so if you have live instruments in the mix then they too can go wireless, freeing up the performance even further.

It’s time for your live DJ workstation to be less of a mess of wires. Going wireless can be a joy, for both the audience and you as the performer.

The post How To Set Up A Wireless DJ System appeared first on Reactual.

The Best Electric Kettle

Justin Thomas — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 16:39:33 +0000

In a Nutshell

The best electric kettle is the Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfectTemp Stainless Steel Cordless Electric Kett le. The Cuisinart kettle includes a durable and heavy stainless steel carafe and base, non-slip handle, and concealed heating element. It features six preset variable temperatures, a removable scale filter, and easy-to-use back-lit control buttons, as well as a host of other features, including boil-dry protection, internal memory, and sleep mode.
Another top contender is the Breville BKE820XL Variable Temperature Kettle. This also features a cordless stainless steel carafe and variable temperature controls, but didn’t quite match up to the Cuisinart in terms of value.

The Details

Already staples of European homes, electric kettles are slowly gaining popularity in the U.S. Although mostly sought after by tea and coffee aficionados concerned with the achieving the optimal water temperature when brewing their beverage of choice, electric kettles are also prized by office workers and college students for efficiently boiling water for oatmeal and other packaged food.

The Cuisinart electric kettle is one of the most well-reviewed and popular kettles on the market due to its high-quality and durable construction, myriad of features, and reasonable price. The entire unit is four pounds, including the base and 1.7-liter carafe. The stylish carafe is mostly made of durable brushed stainless steel; only a few pieces, such as the spout, water-level window, and parts of the handle, are made of BPA-free plastic. The corded base is equipped with 1,500 watts of power for quick and efficient heating, and is designed to allow the carafe to swivel 360˚. The carafe itself features a drip-less pour spout with splash guard, removable scale filter, a comfortable, easy-grip handle, and a water-level window, and LED back-lit control buttons located on the handle.

The unit has six preset temperature control buttons ranging in temperature from 160˚F for delicate green and herbal teas to 200˚F for French-press coffee. Special features include an internal “memory” that allows the user to remove the carafe from the base for up to two minutes without shutting off or stopping the brew process, a 30-minute “keep warm” option, and a sleep mode. In addition, the unit maintains boil-dry protection, with the heater automatically shutting off to prevent damage if water is not detected in the carafe. Cuisinart offers a three-year limited warranty on this unit, and will either repair or replace it if defects not consistent with normal wear and tear are discovered.

The Cuisinart CPK-17 Electric Kett le is available from Amazon for around $90.

A Close Contender

While the Cuisinart is our pick for overall durability, features, and price, the Breville BKE280XL is also a very good buy. While more expensive, the Breville is similar in design and construction to the Cuisinart with one significant exception – all control buttons are located on the base, rather than the carafe. Although the Breville holds slightly more water than the Cuisinart, it doesn’t have back-lit buttons, only offers five preset temperatures ranging from 175˚F to 212˚F, and only keeps the water warm for 20 minutes. Furthermore, Breville only offers a one-year limited warranty. However, the Breville offers two water-level windows, a heavier base, and a metal spout.

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