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Posted
3 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Fuzz.....make sure you occasionally post a new gadget that Ken can use ;)

I am not posting about something from the late 18th century.

  • Haha 2
  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Could a 'Smart' Pillow Use AI to Stop Your Snoring?

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Of all the hundreds of sleeping products, bedding and accessories I've tested at CNET, I've never seen anything like what Chinese-based health company DeRucci debuted at CES 2024. The company says it's created the world's first smart, anti-snoring pillow.

DeRucci's new line of sleep health technologies was first announced Dec. 14 in a press release. Its smart sleep products -- including its smart mattress, intelligent height-adjustable pillow, AI sleep monitoring, intelligent voice control panels and curtain tracks -- were unveiled at CES 2024 last Tuesday. 

DeRucci is a sleep health company with a mission to "Let people sleep better." Founded in 2004, the company has since collaborated with international medical organizations and research institutions to bring its products to market. Within the last year, DeRucci has released 12 new AI mattresses. It also sells custom bedding to over 17 countries and regions worldwide.

The anti-snoring pillow is one of the new, coolest products at CES this year. The pillow works by monitoring for slight movement that may indicate snoring. When it recognizes that a sleeper is snoring, it intervenes by adjusting the loft and moving the position of a sleeper's head. In addition to reducing snoring, the goal is to reduce the risk of sleep apnea. 

The Anti-Snore Smart Pillow pairs with an app and remote to manually move your head to a comfortable position before you fall asleep. According to an internal clinical study, the company says its pillow can reduce snoring up to 89%. 

Smart mattress alerts you about your health

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In addition to its smart pillow, DeRucci's smart mattress made headway, earning a  CES 2024 Innovation Award . The DeRucci T11 Pro contains patented AI technology, which DeRucci says "adjusts to the individual's health for optimal sleep," in addition to alerting an individual about potential health issues arising from their sleep data. 

The T11 Pro incorporates 23 embedded sensors that monitor small changes in temperature, sleep position and heart rate throughout the night. It also has a layer of air bags that respond to changes in position to better support your spine, neck and hips. 

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DeRucci's new line of sleep technology will be available in the US sometime this year. According to a statement shared with CNET, the T11 Pro Smart mattress will be priced around $8,327, and the Anti-Snore Smart Pillow will cost about $972. 

 

If people are worried about China monitoring their mobile devices, computers, and smart watches etc, look out! They are coming for your sleep data too!! :P

Posted

Initially customer review of the GE indoor smoker is very positive. 

Only thing is that you can't fit a whole packer brisket without cutting it in half to fit in the 2 trays. 

Posted

Color me old fashioned 

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  • Haha 3
Posted

I wonder, if I buy enough “smart” stuff, will I become a genius?

  • Haha 1
Posted

I actually bought a blow-up Love Sheep as a birthday gift for one of my coworkers. I named him “Shorn.”🐑

  • Haha 2
Posted
35 minutes ago, Chas.Alpha said:

I actually bought a blow-up Love Sheep as a birthday gift for one of my coworkers. I named him “Shorn.”🐑

The original was called the "Love Ewe" haha

  • Haha 2
Posted
4 hours ago, Ford2112 said:

The original was called the "Love Ewe" haha

For a Buck's party, we strapped a Love Ewe to the Buck (waist height, of course) and he had to wear it all night long. He was also dressed as a Mexican bandito.

  • Haha 2
  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

Everything We Know About the Samsung Galaxy Ring So Far

https://gizmodo.com.au/2024/02/samsung-galaxy-ring-price-release-date/

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Samsung has finally raised the curtain on the Galaxy Ring, the company’s latest health tech product, and revealed it to the public in-person.

Samsung announced that the ring will be publicly displayed at MWC 2024, and over the past 24 hours, people have been going hands-on with the device at the Barcelona event. We only got a short glimpse of the ring at the end of Samsung Unpacked, and Samsung kept tight-lipped about the gadget in the leadup to its reveal, despite leaks

At the same time that Samsung was letting people take a gander and even try on the ring, the company put up a post detailing what it’s trying to achieve with the ring.

According to the company, the ring will be comprised of Samsung’s “accumulated [health tech] innovations in the smallest form for comfortable 24/7 wear.” 

But that’s all buzzwords – what can it actually do? Well, as pointed out by ZD Net… We still don’t know. Samsung hasn’t actually said much yet, beyond there being fertility tracking, heart health monitoring, vitality score tracking, and a claimed battery life of “more than a couple days” (per Wired). It will also supposedly only work with Android phones. 

According to Forbes (which itself sources Korean publication The Elec), the ring is still in the prototyping phase, though it’s expected that production will kick off in the second quarter of 2024, and a projected launch beside the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 in July. The Korean publication reported that the ring will be capable of blood flow measurements (for heart rate tracking) and electrocardiogram capabilities for heart-related issues. 

The device is also rumoured to support wireless payments and have SmartThings functionality, but at this point, it’s all very much up in the air. 

“The ring represents that community of people who want health tracking that is more comfortable and less obtrusive,” Samsung executive Hon Pak said in an interview with Bloomberg. “It’s meeting a need of a specific population of people who want to track and measure, but in a different way.”

We’ll update this article as we learn about the Galaxy Ring. Pricing, availability, and specific models haven’t been announced just yet, and it seems like it will be some time until these details are discussed.

 

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

Fuzz has one of these. 

......he has found uses other than that intended by the manufacturer :lookaround:

  • Haha 2
  • Sad 1
Posted
8 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Fuzz has one of these. 

......he has found uses other than that intended by the manufacturer :lookaround:

The original is called the Fleshlight Quickshot Launch.

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@El Presidente don't buy knock-offs. I'll send you some links for authentic dealers.

  • Haha 1
  • 3 months later...
Posted

Galaxy Watch 7 vs. Galaxy Watch Ultra: Which Samsung Watch Is Better?

https://au.pcmag.com/smartwatches/106111/galaxy-watch-7-vs-galaxy-watch-ultra-which-samsung-watch-is-better

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 adds new health and fitness features to a well-established design, while the Galaxy Watch Ultra ups the sturdiness ante with a titanium body. We compare specs to help you decide which one is right for you.

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Samsung Watch Ultra vs Watch 7

Ruggedness

First, let's get the most obvious differences out of the way: The Galaxy Watch 7 is a standard Galaxy Watch. It's sleek, with a smooth aluminum body. It's IP68-rated and 5ATM waterproof, which means it can survive depths in water up to 50 meters or 164 feet for up to 10 minutes. It also has MIL-STD-810H certification and has been tested to function between -4 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. It's a sturdy watch.

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Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

The Galaxy Watch Ultra goes further. It has a 10ATM waterproof rating, so you can dive up to 100 meters or 328 feet deep. It also has a titanium body that's much sturdier than aluminum or steel, so it should be able to take a significant beating. The Watch Ultra has MIL-STD-810H certification, just like the Galaxy Watch 7, but apart from sharing the same operational temperature range, Samsung has not clarified any other unique criteria from that certification. Still, Samsung makes it clear that this is the watch designed for ocean swimming, deep diving, and mountain climbing.

Winner: Galaxy Watch Ultra

Price

This is the second most obvious difference between the two Galaxy Watch models, and it's a big one. The Galaxy Watch 7 starts at USD299.99. The Galaxy Watch Ultra starts at USD649.99. That's more than double the price, but it's a typical jump between a standard smartwatch and an ultra-ruggedized smartwatch. For comparison, the Apple Watch Series 9 starts at USD399 and the Apple Watch Ultra starts at USD799.

Winner: Galaxy Watch 7

Fitness and Health

If you work out regularly—and that doesn't include diving or mountain climbing—the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra are pretty much equally well-equipped. They're both loaded with fitness features built around Samsung's BioActive sensor, which rolls together heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen level monitoring, and even body composition and body fat levels through bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). It also adds advanced glycation end products (AGEs) index tracking to give a more detailed picture of your metabolism. Additionally, Samsung claims the new watches' BioActive sensor is simply more accurate than the one found in previous models.

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Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

The Galaxy Watch Ultra has all of the same features as the Galaxy Watch 7, with three small additions. First, it has a multi-sports tile for tracking workouts that run through several courses, like training for a triathlon. Second, it can measure your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) when cycling, giving a pedal-specific fitness metric. Finally, it has an 85dB emergency siren if you get lost or into trouble.

Winner: Galaxy Watch Ultra

Connectivity

Both Galaxy Watches are as full of connection options and features as other smartwatches. They both support dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC for mobile payments, and optional LTE connectivity for data. Their GPS features have been significantly improved, with dual-frequency L1+L5 GPS that can track your position much more precisely than the L1-only GPS found on most smartwatches and phones. This puts the two Galaxy Watches on even footing with each other, but it also makes the Galaxy Watch 7 one of the cheapest smartwatches available to have dual-frequency GPS; on Apple's side of the fence, only the Ultra 2 has L5 GPS tracking.

Winner: Tie

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Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

Size and Weight

Here's no surprise: The regular smartwatch is smaller. The Galaxy Watch 7 is available in 40mm and 44mm versions that weigh 1.02 and 1.19 ounces, respectively. The Galaxy Watch Ultra only comes in a huge 47mm model and is twice as heavy at 2.13 ounces. Titanium weighs more than aluminum, and there's a lot more of it on the Ultra.

Winner: Galaxy Watch 7

Screen

Surprisingly, the Galaxy Watch Ultra's bigger size doesn't translate into a bigger screen. It has a 1.5-inch, 480-by-480 Super AMOLED screen, just like the 44mm Galaxy Watch 7. The 40mm Watch 7 has a smaller 1.3-inch, 432-by-432 screen. The Ultra can get much brighter, though, with a claimed peak brightness of 3,000 nits. Samsung didn't specify the Galaxy Watch 7's peak light output, but it's likely the same 2,000 nits as the Galaxy Watch 6.

Winner: Galaxy Watch Ultra (Barely)

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Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

Power

The two watches are identical on this front. Both the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra use a five-core Exynos W1000 processor with 2GB memory and 32GB of storage. They both run Wear OS 5 with Samsung's One UI 6 interface.

Winner: Tie

Battery

Even if you don't dive or climb, the Galaxy Watch Ultra might appeal to you because of its much bigger battery. It has a 590mAh battery, while the 44mm Galaxy Watch 7 has 425mAh, and the 40mm model has a downright puny 300mAh cell. According to Samsung, the Ultra has the longest battery life of any Galaxy Watch yet and can last between 48 and 100 hours in its different power-saving modes. Since all three have the same processor, it will come down to screen brightness and time spent tracking GPS activities that impact battery life the most.

Winner: Galaxy Watch Ultra

Which Watch Is Better?

We will have detailed reviews of both watches soon, but for now, it seems clear that these are two similar watches designed for different use cases. The Galaxy Watch 7 is a much more affordable, general-purpose smartwatch that can handle most workouts and normal day-to-day use. The Galaxy Watch Ultra is a heavy-duty wearable designed for climbers, mountaineers, and divers. It's more rugged and a lot more expensive, so it's specifically appealing if you need that extra toughness from your smartwatch, along with a brighter screen and bigger battery.

 

Posted

Samsung Galaxy Ring hands-on: Why I'd ditch my Oura for this competing wearable

I've tested five smart rings in seven months, and Samsung's approach feels like the one to beat in 2024.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/samsung-galaxy-ring-hands-on-why-id-ditch-my-oura-for-this-competing-wearable/

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I have tested five smart rings over the past seven months and realized that the form factor lacks various features that could make my day-to-day life easier. I wrote recently about how adding these features to the Galaxy Ring could make it an instant buy for me, and it seems like Samsung listened.

I haven't tested Samsung's smart ring sensors yet, but the Galaxy Ring adds two features I've missed on the other rings while also offering a lighter form factor. Here's the rundown of the best new things.

1. Find My support is very handy

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There have been several instances when I misplaced my smart ring, and it took me at least 10 minutes each time to find it -- either in my bathroom, on my lunch table, or in the trash (because I cleared one along with my pizza boxes). I've wanted a form of Find My on all the smart rings I've worn, and Samsung has added just such a service. 

The Galaxy Ring features Find My Ring on Samsung Find, which means you can connect your Samsung smart ring to your Galaxy smartphone and find it on your phone if you misplace it.

While Track My Ring is not supported, you will be able to track the Galaxy Ring based on the last connected location with your Galaxy phone. This means if your phone's Bluetooth is off, and you misplace your Ring, you won't be able to track it live. The Galaxy Ring is capable of flashing green and red lights, but there is no vibration motor or audible sound.

Moreover, Samsung Find is only available on Galaxy smartphones. While the Galaxy Ring works with all Android smartphones through the Samsung SmartThings app, it won't support location tracking on all phones. I would have preferred it to work with any Android smartphone, but I expect the presence of the Samsung Find feature on the Galaxy Ring will push other manufacturers to add Google Find My support to their next-gen smart rings, too.

2. The whole package is impressive

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The Samsung Galaxy Ring is thinner and lighter than the competition. For context, it weighs 2.3 grams for the smallest size, which is less than the Oura Ring (4 grams), the RingConn Smart Ring (3 grams), and the Ultrahuman Ring Air (2.4 grams). Additionally, Amazfit specifies 3.75 grams for its size 10 Helio Ring, which is heavier than the 2.8 grams for the same size Galaxy Ring. 

I had a brief hands-on with the Galaxy Ring and I liked the fit and comfort of the device. It was better than the Amazfit Helio Ring that I'm currently wearing.

Like RingConn, Samsung also provides a charging case instead of a puck. I've argued before that a case is more useful than a puck because it's not as easy to misplace. Plus, I can charge my smart ring while on the go, meaning I don't need to look for an outlet to plug the Galaxy Ring into. 

The Galaxy Ring Case seems well-built and has a battery indicator alongside the rails of the charging puck inside. When you place the Galaxy Ring on it, the light indicates how much battery life is left. It's a nice touch missing from the RingConn Smart Ring, whose charging solution is second only to Samsung's ring. Other smart rings -- including from Oura, Amazfit, and Ultrahuman -- have a puck that's arguably worse than a charging case.

Samsung has done an excellent job designing the Galaxy Ring and its case. It exudes premium.

3. Owning the Galaxy Ring is a one-time payment (for now)

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The Samsung Galaxy Ring costs $400, $100 more than the Oura Ring, which also has a $6/month subscription fee. If you don't pay the subscription fee, your data will be reduced to viewing the Sleep Score, Readiness, and Activity features in the app. Unlike the Oura Ring, the Galaxy Ring has no such subscription fee and all of its data is viewable in the Galaxy Health app.

That said, the new Samsung ring seems expensive when compared to non-subscription competitors like from Ultrahuman ($349), RingConn ($279), and Amazfit ($300).

The Galaxy Ring is expensive, but I'd pay the price to get a presumably better app experience. So far, smart ring apps have been an underwhelming part of my ring testing experience. I have high hopes for the Galaxy Health app pushing out timely notifications.

4. What else should you know about the Galaxy Ring? 

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The Samsung Galaxy Ring will sell in three color options: Titanium Black (matte), Titanium Silver (matte), and Gold (glossy). It comes in nine sizes ranging from 5 to 13, with a battery life that is supposed to last up to seven days. The device is made from Titanium Grade 5 material, so it should be robust enough to last awhile. 

The Galaxy Ring packs an accelerometer, a PPG sensor, and a skin temperature sensor. It can help you track your heart rate, sleep, and more. The sleep tracking includes data like time in bed, sleep latency, nighttime movement, heart rate, and respiratory rate.

The Galaxy Health app also offers an AI-powered Energy Score, and recommendations based on your physical state and well-being across four factors -- Sleep, Activity, Sleeping Heart Rate, and Sleeping Heart Rate Variability (HRV). 

The Galaxy Ring can track your menstrual cycle by taking measurements of overnight skin temperature. It also features automatic workout detection for walking and running. Samsung says that if you wear the Galaxy Ring with your Galaxy Watch, the Ring's battery will last 30% longer.

The Galaxy Ring also supports a new feature called Gestures; you can take photos or dismiss your alarm on compatible Samsung smartphones with a double pinch.

The Galaxy Ring won't work with an iPhone. It will go on sale starting July 24 alongside the Galaxy Watch 7 series.

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

I Tried Breville's New $2,000 Oracle Jet Espresso Machine

It's one of the brand's most feature-heavy models with a special mode for making cold brew. So is the Oracle Jet worth two grand?

https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/breville-oracle-jet-review/

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The Oracle Jet is $2,000 worth of espresso smarts.

If you'd told me I'd be unboxing a professional-grade espresso maker -- with a professional-level price tag, second only to the brand's Oracle Touch -- and preparing a barista-quality espresso drink in less than 30 minutes without so much as cracking the user manual, I'd never have believed it. 

My usual morning routine involves a $60 "espresso" device with only one setting that basically makes a decent cup of drip coffee with a portafilter. The name Oracle, then, Breville's new and top-of-the-line espresso-making technology, seems especially appropriate. It could see the future even when I couldn't.

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Breville first released its Oracle brand, award-winning espresso machine 10 years ago, and the just-released Oracle Jet is the first upgrade to its technology in five years. This is a serious home espresso machine for the serious coffee connoisseur. The price is not for the faint of heart, but with a rising number of Americans reporting that espresso or an espresso-based drink is their morning joe of choice, this could be a worthy investment, but it's definitely an investment. (You may want to factor in your espresso martini consumption while considering that price. The cost of cocktails may make this worth dipping into your savings for.)

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It's the most feature-heavy model from Breville, to date.

Precision, automation, and speed were the driving factors behind the Oracle Jet's upgraded technologies, which now features a fully integrated Baratza European Precision Burr that automatically grinds, doses, and tamps by simply holding the portafilter in place under the grind and tamp outlet until the display technology clearly lets you know you're good to go. The system offers 45 different grind settings, while factoring in the roast or expiration date of the beans you've selected.

For non-dairy foam fanatics, the Oracle Jet system now also offers built-in settings for soy, almond, and oat milk, which can also be customized to the temperature and foam quality of your choice. No more scalding hot Starbucks for you.

It's hard to remember a time before cold brew, but that trend in coffee consumption is only about 10 to 15 years old, with growth skyrocketing over the past decade, and with more to come. The cold brew market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 22.7% through 2031. This is more clairvoyance on behalf of the Oracle, then, which now includes settings for both cold brew and cold espresso. It's by no means the first home espresso machine to have such functions, but the quality of the output in both cases is arguably worth stacking up against other models.

The new Oracle Jet is also wi-fi enabled, allowing seamless upgrades to the technology as they become available.

Oracle Jet setup: Never fear the professional grade machine

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It didn't take barista training to figure out the Oracle Jet.

The Oracle Jet is a substantial machine, both in terms of weight and footprint, but getting it from packaging to pulling shots was a surprisingly low lift. The easy-to-read display walks you through a simple setup, including installing the water filter and checking for water quality, running an initial flush of the system with hot water for peace of mind, and establishing a baseline grind setting for your particular preferences and espresso beans. It even gives you a mini barista lesson, running you through what fast, ideal, and slow extractions look like, and how much time each should take. 

After running a test shot, the Oracle Jet let me know that the extraction was too slow and that the coffee might be bitter, and encouraged me to increase the size of my grind, which is simply done using a dial on one side of the machine. I tasted the supposed "too bitter" espresso, and honestly thought it was perfect: bright and not at all bitter, but if the Oracle Jet believed I could have better, it's a damn Oracle after all, and I was already an acolyte ready to do its bidding.

Intuitive technology at its best

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The Breville Oracle Jet has first-class digital controls.

Considering how easy the setup was, it's no surprise that the Oracle Jet continued to deliver simple-as-can-be functionality for each of the nine built-in drink settings, which included Flat White, Hot Chocolate and Tea, among other expected espresso beverages. 

Once a given drink is selected, the menu shows which steps will unfold, with an option to customize any of the built-in settings for time, grind size, temperature, milk type, foam quality and so on. It may take some time and experimentation to settle on your exact preferences, but it's easy to navigate, and I found the built-in settings to deliver drinks that would be difficult (at least for me, a non-barista who always spells my own name correctly) to improve upon. 

The system also lets you easily program your own custom settings, once you figure out your specific grind, temperature, milk and foam needs.

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My latte in progress.

The couple of times I came up against something potentially unintuitive were non-disasters, and mistakes you'll only make once. For example: The steps for making a latte and an Americano looked similar on the display, with the only difference being milk versus water. I assumed the hot water would involve a separate step, like the milk, and so I didn't initially have a big enough vessel in place to take on both the espresso and the hot water for an Americano, which was dispensed automatically. 

The drip tray is sizable, however, and I switched it all out quickly, so neither my countertop nor clothing were harmed in this experiment.

In a couple of instances when I hit the go button for something that I wasn't actually ready for, for instance, forgetting to discard the previous puck of espresso before brewing a new one, quickly hitting the same button stops the process immediately with no harm done. That my instinct was correct with a device of this level was surprising to me. Admittedly, I expected to have many more experimentation pains with this machine.

Coffee quality with the Oracle Jet

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This is not your grandmother's espresso machine.

As even my allegedly too-bitter test batch was top quality with a silky crema, which obviously also speaks to the quality of the beans, it's no surprise that it kept getting better and better as the Oracle Jet continually suggested grind adjustments based on how long the shot took to pull.

I have a long way to go with cappuccino foam art, but as it's one part of the technology that isn't automated, that's entirely user error. I found experimenting with the foam setting a worthy enterprise in order to come up with an outcome that's smoother and denser, and less like soap suds, which would be inevitable if left to my own devices and the manual foam setting. 

If you have actual barista skills, simply lifting the wand into the position away from the machine activates manual mode. The display will also prompt you to put the wand back after foaming in order to flush itself out after each use.

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Cold espresso with crema.

The cold brew and cold espresso functions turn out something that's more tepid than cold, but as these are intended to be served over ice, or in chilled cocktails, fair play. The cold brew was especially delicious, with a robust flavor perfect to be cut with a little water and ice. The cold espresso still delivered crema that was ideal for an espresso martini.

How about that non-dairy foam

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The temperature and foam settings automatically adjust when you select different, non-dairy milks. While I'm not a daily connoisseur of non-dairy lattes and the like, as a frequent cappuccino drinker, I'd be completely satisfied with the texture of the almond and oat milks, both of which I tried. The almond milk seemed especially effective and silky. These settings can also be adjusted to your precise preferences.

One missing element

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You can easily toggle between almost everything except different beans

I await the day that a home espresso machine can deliver cappuccino art, but that's just a wish at this point, not an expectation. I will say, however, that as some other systems have a bypass option that lets you select different beans than those that live in the main hopper, the Oracle Jet doesn't, so it's a more complicated process if you want to swap in decaf beans, or a different roast.

The bean hopper is easy to remove, however, so if you do want to make it a switch, it's not a major ordeal, but will inevitably include some left over beans that are already in the chute.

The price is no joke

Here's the potential downside. The Oracle Jet isn't the most expensive espresso machine designed for home use, but it's up there. As a truly professional grade device, however, with excellent capabilities, I believe the USD$1,995 price tag is merited, but again, it's an investment, and comes with a two-year limited warranty. (Again, I'd implore you to consider your espresso martini consumption and make a good choice.) As a comparatively affordable, non-commercial model for a small bar or restaurant, it might be ideal. 

  • Like 3
  • 2 months later...
Posted

 

8-Bit Whiskey Barrel Arcade

Nostalgia and new passions collide with this Whiskey Barrel Arcade.


Regular price £1,797
 

Chose Your Design

ComboGalagaFroggerDonkey Kong CartoonDonkey Kong WoodenMs. Pac-ManCustom DesignCyber Barrel
 
 

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  • Haha 1
  • 4 weeks later...
Posted
6 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Cool Headphones 

This looks like something else...

  • Haha 1
Posted
10 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Cool Headphones 

Bought it for yourself, eh?

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