ASUS Announces ROG Strix, ASUS Dual and Phoenix GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti Gaming Graphics Cards

ASUS Announces ROG Strix, ASUS Dual and Phoenix GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti Gaming Graphics Cards

-- GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti series graphics cards from ASUS enable high refresh rates in high definition - a competitive advantage for serious gamers --

KEY POINTS ROG Strix GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti doesn’t compromise on customization or performance ASUS Dual GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti rocks two fans with IP5X dust resistance ASUS Phoenix GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti packs performance into a small package

Fremont, California (February 22, 2019) — ASUS today announced four new flavors of the GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti graphics card, spanning the ROG Strix, ASUS Dual and Phoenix product lines. This new chipset leverages the unbridled essence of the Turing architecture, making it ideal for gamers seeking an uptick in performance on a budget. The proposition pairs perfectly with the slew of recent monitor offerings that are pushing high refresh rates and low response times at 1080p and 1440p. It’s a great time to be a competitive gamer.

Peak Performance Designed for competitive gamers that want peak performance for a given chipset, the ROG Strix GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti 6GB GDDR6 has a powerful cooling setup that keeps temperatures under tight control no matter how hard you play. The Strix heat spreader is manufactured with MaxContact technology, creating a super-smooth contact surface that efficiently transfers thermal energy from the GPU die. Heat is then wicked into a large sink topped by new fans that feature the new Axial-tech design, which delivers improved static pressure and lower noise. The card also benefits from Auto-Extreme Technology and a reinforced frame that both enhance durability, one via an automated manufacturing process and the other through physical strength. With the speed and reliability of the Strix 1660 Ti on your side, you’re sure to grace the top of leaderboards in no time.

Never Stop Gaming The Dual and Phoenix GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti graphics cards are both designed for nonstop gaming performance, each with different features to bring more choice to customers. The Dual 1660 Ti rocks two fans with IP5X dust resistance for powerful cooling and consistent performance. The Phoenix 1660 Ti is smaller, with a single fan, perfect for chassis with limited space. It leverages our patented Wing-blade fan design to produce ample performance despite its diminutive size. Both cards are manufactured using Auto-Extreme technology, which ensures industry-leading reliability for those epic gaming sessions.

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AVAILABILITY AND PRICING The ROG Strix GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti is immediately available starting at $319.99 USD from Amazon, Newegg and other leading retailers. The ASUS Dual GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti is immediately available starting at $304.99 USD from Amazon, Newegg and other leading retailers. The ASUS Phoenix GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti is immediately available starting at $279.99 USD from Amazon, Newegg and other leading retailers.

Gourmia GPC965 Digital ExpressPot 13 in 1 Pressure Cooker Review

Usually, the old wisdom goes that if you get your wife something that plugs in for Valentine’s Day, than you deserve what you get. And that is usually a very unhappy wife. There are exceptions to this, however, and one of those is for something that will make her life easier. And whether it is Valentine's Day, anniversary, or birthday, it would be a welcome gift.  My wife loves her crock-pot. In fact, we own two so we can cook multiple parts of dinner at once. The only issue is that you have to plan so far in advance. My wife works early in the morning, so to be up at 4 am to fill the crock-pot up for dinner is not something she feels up to all that often. Enter in the new sensation in the culinary world, the ExpressPot!

 Features and specs:

AUTO RELEASE: Safely releases steam upon cooking completion, or at the touch of a button.

ADJUSTABLE PSI: From 1.5-12 psi.

MULTI-FUNCTION: Packs a kitchen full of specialty appliances into one powerful pot. This versatile Pressure Cooker can also Slow Cook, Saute/Brown and Steam.

SPEEDSENSE TECHNOLOGY: 1000 watts slashes away cooking time by 70%, while retaining maximum flavor and nutrients in meals.

13 in 1: Boasts a huge variety of 13 easy cooking modes, including Rice, Soup, Stew, Yogurt, Keep Warm and more!

SECURE LOCK TECHNOLOGY: Air-tight lid features a 12 level safety system, remaining firmly locked into place until internal pressure reaches safe levels to open.

6 Qt CAPACITY: Dishwasher safe, nonstick cooking pot removes for breezy cleanup.

The Gourmia GPC965 Digital ExpressPot Pressure Cooker arrived in a sturdy cardboard box printed with pictures of the product. Opening the box, the product was well secured with molded Styrofoam and was enclosed in plastic bags. Materials used in the construction were metal and plastic. Quality of materials used as well as fit and finish was excellent. This was a very well made product. Also included was a meat rack, a measuring cup, a wide plastic spoon, a quick start guide and an owner’s manual.

The Gourmia ExpressPot was a hefty package. This is wonderful, as it makes it almost impossible to tip over while cooking. The quick start guide was easy to follow and the owner’s manual clear and straight forward. We tried a variety of meals in this quick cooking wonder. First, we made a recipe exactly like we would in our slow cooker. If you do this, it works, but some adjustments will need to be made to the amounts of liquids used in the cooking, as the ExpressPot seals and losses literally no liquid in the cooking. It is considerably faster. A meal that would have taken 4-8 hours in the crock-pot took only 1 hour in the ExpressPot. We also tried a number of recipes from the internet. It was wonderful to have everything cooked together. The pot roast and vegetables were tender and well cooked and the orange chicken was quick and had plenty of sauce to accompany it. But our personal favorite was chicken taco bowls. It is destined to become a repeat meal in our house.

This pot does everything you might need. It has a sautee option, so you can brown your meat. It has a slow cooker option, so it can replace your crock-pot. It has a rice option, so it can replace your rice cooker as well! It even has a yogurt option which I am excited to try out! This one appliance can replace two or three other appliances easily, to more room in the cabinet! The internet is abounding in recipes to try for this appliance. We tested a few of them out and found the wonder of being able to have fabulous meals with only an hour or so of notice. All told, it has 12 quick start settings. Just chose the one closest to your main ingredient, like poultry, and then spin the knob to increase or decrease the cook time desired.

What’s also nice is it is extra safe to use.  The steam has an automatic release.  There is no need to have to manually release the steam when it is done cooking.  The ExpressPot does it automatically.  Hearing it release steam for the 1^st time was a little startling, but you get used to it.  

So, any wife who loves to cook would be thrilled to receive a Gourmia ExpressPot for Valentine’s Day, or as an anniversary or birthday present for that matter.  It does so many things that we will be evaluating our cabinets soon for things we can now get rid of. And with an MSRP of $199 that is a steal! Based on its design, features, quality and performance, the Gourmia GPC965 Digital ExpressPot 13-in-1 Pressure Cooker has earned our Editor’s Choice award. Congratulations!  For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.gourmia.com. And here is a simple link to Best Buy, where you can purchase the Gourmia ExpressPot:  https://www.bestbuy.com/site/gourmia-6-quart-pressure-cooker-with-auto-release-stainless-steel/6280306.p?skuId=6280306
*Sample product provided did not have an influence on the resulting review

EcoVacs Deebot OZMO 930 Vacuum and Mop Robot Review

It’s that time of the year, when love is in the air for Valentine’s Day. And we thought we would review a couple of products that would make for a great gift for your significant other. Candy is sweet, but not always a favorite for obvious reasons. Flowers are also nice, but have a short life span. Diamonds are supposedly a girls best friend, but not in everyone’s budget. What most of us tend to be short on in addition to money is time. Give your significant other a time saver and you will also be loved for it. The first of two reviews we will do this Valentine’s Day segment is a big time saver. It is the EcoVacs Deebot OZMO 930.  And even though it is Valentine's Day season, it would even work great as an anniversary or birthday gift!

I don’t know anyone who likes to sweep floors, or vacuum. It takes time. But it’s a necessity if you don’t want a messy looking house. Thanks to modern day technology, there are robots available to do the sweeping and vacuuming for you. They have been out for several years. But now they can mop as well. So a single robot can do all of your sweeping, mopping and vacuuming. Enter the EcoVacs Deebot OZMO 930.

Features and specs:

Carpet Indentify:          Yes

Anti-Drop:                    Yes

Anti-Collision:              Infrared Anti-Collision Sensor

Anti-Block:                   Yes

Auto Charging:             Yes

Machine Weight:           3.49 kg

Noise Level:                  69.5db

The EcoVac Deebot OZMO 930 came shipped in a nice looking color printed box with photos and specs of the robot. Opening the box revealed a well protected product, held in place in custom sized cardboard. Materials used in the construction were mostly plastic, with some metal and rubber. Quality of materials used was excellent, as was the fit and finish. The EcoVacs Deebot OZMO 930 is a premium product, and it showed. Also included was the charging station, extra set of rotating brushes and mop pad, as well as owner’s manual.

Setting up the Deebot OZMO 930 was simple, thanks to the owner’s manual. The manuals were well written and easy to follow. If you have no experience with robot vacuums, this is good news for you. There were just a few pieces that needed to be attached to the robot before it could be used, but it was easy and didn’t take long. Once it was all put together and the location for the docking station was decided, it was time to set it on the base for it to charge.

 The charging station was also pretty cool. There are two metal contact points that are used to charge the robot. So the charging dock and the robot needed to be lined up. When the robot is charging, the power button lights up blue, and glows on and off while it charges. Once it is fully charged, the blue glowing LED completely turns off.

Now the fun begins. Being fully charged, it was time to put it to the test. Before it could get to work, the Deebot OZMO 930 had to map out the area. So away it went, and got to work mapping out the entire area. It took awhile, but it worked. Once the mapping was done, it went back and docked with the charging station.

Pressing the power button again activated the Deebot again. It woke up, backed off the docking station, and got to work, vacuuming and sweeping. AS it approached a wall, it slowed down when it got about 4 inches away, and slowly inched up to the wall. It was really cool to see how well the sensors worked. Working around our table, chairs, and even the baby grand piano was no issue. It hit a leg, rotated, and went around it.

The built-in mapping also worked extremely well! Not only did it know where it was, but it also knew where it had been. So the entire floor area got cleaned. Once the floor was all cleaned, it returned automatically to the charging station. And it did so good enough so that the charge contacting points always lined up and got it charging so it’s ready for the next cleaning.

Given that it is a robot, I did not have high expectations. I was expecting spots to get missed. And I was also not expecting a very good job of vacuuming. After all, I was not expecting a very powerful suction on a robot. Having said that, I was pleasantly surprised by it’s performance. Thanks to the quality of the mapping, it actually cleaned the entire floor and did not miss any corners. The sweeping performance did well on hard surfaces. The vacuum performance was not as good as an upright vacuum, as expected. But it did a better vacuuming job than expected. Definitely better than the average teenager’s job! And for dirtier areas, it was easy to just have it go over that area more with the spot cleaning option.

As for the mopping option…There is no pressure placed on the floor. It basically just squirts the water and runs over it with the pad. This is fine, but any more difficult spots will need to be done by hand. Mopping is a great option for people without kids or for a daily quick wash, but in a household like ours, with 5 teenagers, it won’t replace our mop any time soon. Going over areas a second time also helped. I love the vacuum option for daily cleaning of both the hard floors and carpeted ones.

One of the more up to date features of the Deebot is its wi-fi options. Once the mapping is done, you can access that map through wi-fi and direct which parts of the map you want to clean, parts that are off limits and you can even pinpoint a spot that might need to be covered more than once. This is especially helpful in getting higher traffic areas cleaned without wasting battery life on areas that might not need daily cleaning. And you can change the boundaries easily so you can cover different areas on different days.  Thru the app you can even set cleaning schedules.

Overall, I was very impressed with the performance of the EcoVacs Deebot OZMO 930.  The excellent mapping allowed it to do a thorough cleaning without missing an area, knowing where it was, where it had been, and where it still needed to clean.  So grab a drink, get your feet up, and relax while the Deebot does the work for you! The vacuum function cleaned better than expected, and the mopping also cleaned sufficiently well for light duty.  The build quality was also excellent, and looked to provide a long life.  And not once did it have a problem finding it’s way back to the docking station to recharge.  With an MSRP of $699, it is fairly priced to save you a lot of time cleaning.  Based on it’s design, features, quality, and performance, the EcoVacs Deebot OZMO 930 has earned our Highly Recommended Award.  For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.ecovacs.com.
*Sample product provided did not have an influence on the resulting review.

AudioControl Teams with IMAX and DTS to offer IMAX Enhanced AV Receivers and Preamp/processors

AudioControl Joins the IMAX^® Enhanced Program to Deliver a Heart-Pounding Immersive Entertainment Experience

 

AudioControl teams with IMAX and DTS to offer IMAX Enhanced AV receivers and preamp/processors

 

Seattle, WA, February 4^th, 2019 – AudioControl (audiocontrol.com), makers of innovative high-performance audio solutions for the residential, commercial and automotive markets is pleased to announce its partnership in the IMAX^® Enhanced program, a new certification and licensing program combining the highest-end consumer electronics products with IMAX digitally re-mastered 4K HDR content and DTS audio technologies to offer consumers a new level of quality in immersive sight and sound experiences for the home. The IMAX Enhanced firmware update for AudioControl cinema products, including the Concert AVR-7 and AVR-9 receivers and the Maestro M5 and M9 preamp/processors will become available Tuesday, February 5^th.

 

Feel the Sound

As one of the program’s initial licensees, AudioControl will offer a line of IMAX Enhanced AV receivers and preamp/processors, enabling consumers to experience the IMAX signature sound mix, delivered by DTS, and all with the power and grace of AudioControl’s remarkable line of AV engines. To become IMAX Enhanced-certified, consumer electronics manufacturers must meet stringent performance standards, set by a certification committee comprised of IMAX and DTS engineers as well as Hollywood’s leading technical specialists. Those settling down to a home movie with audio powered by an IMAX Enhanced AudioControl AV receiver or preamp/processor can expect a heart-pounding immersive sonic experience – sound that you can feel.

 

AudioControl’s IMAX Enhanced AV receivers and preamp/processors feature DTS:X immersive audio decoding that is optimized to properly reproduce the full dynamic range of IMAX theatrical sound mixes available in IMAX Enhanced content. With meticulous adjustments modelled on the IMAX theatrical sound system, this proprietary IMAX audio mix is translated for home theater environments and exclusively delivered using a special variant of the DTS:X codec technology to deliver the IMAX signature sound experience in the home. Additionally, IMAX is working with its global studio and content partners to make available a steady stream of IMAX Enhanced versions of blockbuster movies and additional programming.

 

“AudioControl receivers and preamp processors have been recognized for exceptional quality and performance, and adding IMAX Enhanced further elevates the cinematic experience to the highest level,” said AudioControl CEO Alex Camara. “Now enthusiasts can immerse themselves in the visceral dimensionality of content from DTS and IMAX combined with the unrivaled power and detail available from AudioControl.”

 

Current owners of the AudioControl Concert AVR-7 and AVR-9 receivers and the Maestro M5 and M9 preamp/processors may download the required firmware from the AudioControl website at audiocontrol.com to update their units.

 

Unparalleled Cinematic Excitement

AudioControl also offers a superb lineup of 7, 5 and 4/3/2-channel Savoy G3, Pantages G3 and Avalon G4 theater amplifiers to create the ultimate home cinema experience. AudioControl’s receiver and preamp/processors all offer an unmatched feature array including Dolby Atmos and DTS-X immersive audio surround formats and Dirac Live room correction along with dual balanced XLR inputs and balanced XLR outputs for all channels. There are inputs for seven HDMI sources plus dual HDMI outputs (ARC compatible) as well as an ultra HD 4K video pass-through and upscaling capability.