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What’s On My Desk Summer 2019

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Been awhile since I’ve done one of these. I normally have a MacBook Pro 13 2018 on my desk but I just recently got back into PC gaming and also sold my Xbox One X a few days ago. I’m still keeping the Sony PS4 Pro and Nintendo Switch for exclusives though. So here’s what’s on my desk!

  • MSI GS65 9SE – currently my main rig for work and gaming.  This thing is an absolute beast and can handle all the new games you throw at it. My Macbook Pro 13 inch is now assigned to being a travel laptop and Final Cut Pro machine.
  • HP Envy 32 – 32 inch display 2560×1440 resolution. I think I’ve had this for about 5 years
  • Sony SRSHG1 HearGo Bluetooth Speaker – Small but mighty. It can connect USB, bluetooth 3.5, Wifi, Google Cast… you name it. This thing is amazing and sounds great
  • SteelSeries Apex 7 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – This is the best keyboard I have ever typed on. No joke. I don’t even care about the gimmicky lights!
  • Logitech MX Master 2S Wireless Mouse – I finally upgrade from an old Logitech M510 and the difference is night and day. Love how comfortable it feels to use and the horizontal scroll wheel is a game changer for working on spreadhseets. I have this at my desk and an MX Anywhere 2s in my laptop bag
  • Xbox One Controller (White) – for gaming. I sometimes use the PS4 controller for PSP emulated games
  • Sony RX100 Mark V Digital Camera – I just recently upgraded from the Sony RX100 III earlier this year and I’ve taken that across six continents. I am planning on taking this camera to 7 in a year or two. This camera is amazing to carry around on trips especially when you want to take better quality photos than your smartphone.
  • iPhone XS Max 256GB Space Gray – Trusty iPhone that goes everywhere with me. It’s a smartphone that does it’s job and does it reliably. Running the developer version of iOS13 and it paired with my Apple Watch Series 4 smartwatch


 

Cable Management 101 – For your desktop workspace or entertainment system

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There was a post on reddit where a user /u/VergingRivals posted a thread needing help on getting the this monstrosity (posted above) on how to get his desktop cables in order. I was in a similar situation not too long ago, albeit not as bad as this but it did take some time to get everything organized. Both my desktop and especially the TV for my game consoles were a freaking fire hazard so I wrote up a response on how he should get started in cleaning up his setup. Below is my response to his dilemma.

I had a very similar situation to yours… well not as bad. As some other people mentioned, unplug everything. To take it a step further, unplug everything, clear off all your desk. Pair the cables that go with each device.

Decide which devices you use in a regular basis and which ones you hardly or never use. Place the devices you do use back in your desk first, do not add the cables yet until you have all the devices you need. I discovered like 3 things I don’t use anymore… like a WiiU I had on my desk, a usb hub, extra game pad, and an egpu that i barely use since i switched to a PC for gaming instead of using my Mac.

Now, one by one, connect the cables to each device, without plugging them in the outlet / surge protector.

Once you do that, have all the power cords routed in the same direction towards the power outlet. If the are too long, fold them to shorten the length and zip tie.

You can use zip ties or to make things easier, pick up one or a few of these https://amzn.to/2xs47Ms and it will help hide the surge protectors and lengthy cables. Just remember that when you shorten or fold the cables you do it towards the plug so you can place it in these cable management boxes.

I’ve never done this before doing it myself a few weeks ago but these steps is what made the most sense to me and I had some trial and error along the way. Hope that helps!

And here’s a look at my setup!

By the way, before anyone freaks out, those “black bars” are built in SPEAKERS on my display, not a resolution issue!

Pick up the Cable Management Box here: https://amzn.to/2xs47Ms


 

Oculus Quest VR One Month Review Impressions – The Future is Here

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I remember my fascination with VR going way back to the time of the Sega Master System when it had the 3D glasses. It was clunky but cool at the same time. Well it wasn’t really VR but to have a more interactive “realistic” experience where you are part of the game was how I pictured the future.

Then came the 90s when Sega announced that they were coming out with a VR platform and I was just super excited and waited month after month reading EGM, GamePro, and Sega Visions magazines to see if there was any news or development on the VR. Unfortunately, it faded into vaporware. Let’s ignore the Virtual Boy and the Stuntmaster because they were both garbage…

Fast forward a decade (or two) later when VR went mainstream with the Vive, Rift, and PSVR. I was on and off in the PC Master Race so I grabbed the PSVR on launch day and was just amazed out how well executed and easy to setup it was. Plus the PSVR was also more affordable than the Vive and Rift a few years ago. The games were engaging, the experience just draws you in and I was able to do it all CONNECTED to my PS4. I will admit I was scared playing Resident Evil and playing one of my favorite racing games, Wipe Out is a whole different experience in VR. Problem was that:

  1. I had limited space in my game room
  2. It had to be tethered to the PS4 which takes the realism away in terms of movement
  3. Playstation Move controllers, although effective were a bit awkward to use

Now here we are with the introduction of the Oculus Quest which is a standalone VR unit with all the hardware build in. No console, no phone, no PC or any device that it had to be tethered to. A device where I can dive into VR anywhere! It actually sounded to good to be true. Let me tell you this… after using this for a month, I can confidently say that the future is here.

I picked up the 128GB version at a local Best Buy on launch day. I’m sure it was a little overkill and I would have been fine with the 64GB but I didn’t want to think about storage running out. Anyway, I took it out of the box, downloaded the app and some games while it was charging, did the initial setup and had some fun playing around with the tutorial.

Speakers are kinda weak but not THAT bad. The headset is very responsive but it does get uncomfortable after using it for long periods of time. However, it was no more uncomfortable as the PSVR and the fact that I can play this without yanking my PS4 or being connected to another device is just amazing. Sure it doesn’t have the latest hardware being powered by a Snapdragon 835 (yeah the same CPU as the Samsung Galaxy S8) but it is just so well executed.

Finally loaded up Vader Immortal and then got a low battery warning because over an hour had gone by without me realizing it.

I also purchased and bought Beat Saber. To this day, I use it as part of my morning work outs to get the blood running when I start my day. I’ve been hooked on the game and it brought me back to the old Dance Dance Revolution days except this is so much better. I just hope that continue to come out with more songs.

Other game that I really enjoy playing is Robo Recall. It reminds of of those arcade shooters like Virtua Cop except you are actually in the game and you grab robots, rip them limb from limb and throw them around. This is definitely a must buy.

A non-game app that I tried was Virtual Desktop. Virtual Desktop wghich is sort of like LogMeIn or other remote desktop apps, but in VR. I even fired out some YouTube videos through Chrome on my desktop but it was a little laggy. You are better off using the browser on the Oculus. Opened up Microsoft Outlook and was able to read through my emails. There a handful of instances where you can play some Steam VR games on a desktop using this, but I personally haven’t tried it. I’m sure this application will be a lot better as the continue to develop this.

I wanted to make sure I just wasn’t going through a honeymoon phase because I remember being wowed and amazed right when I got the PSVR and now it’s just collecting dust, and that’s just mainly because it was sort of a hassle getting it setup.

It’s been a month and I have been using this every day. Like I mentioned, it doesn’t have the best graphics due to hardware limitations but the games are well ported where it doesn’t take away from the experience. Games do run smoothly and it’s just so easy to just pick up and start playing.

I can go on and on in this review but I can only describe the VR experience in so many words. You have to try it for yourself to fully understand how great the Oculus Quest is. The Quest is not perfect but it has taken me to a future that I dreamed of as a child.  What a wonderful time to be alive.

Overall Rating: 4.9/5

Pick up the Oculus Quest Here: https://amzn.to/2Np1oya


 

Logitech MX Master 2S Wireless Bluetooth Mouse Quick Review

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I’ve been using the Logitech 510 for over 3 years. Although it was a great mouse simple mouse, it was time to retire it. Also, my hands are not as young as they used to be so I needed a more mouse that was more ergonomic. as I was getting a lot of fatigue in working on the desktop several hours a day.

I was actually on the fence for on the MX Master 2S for the longest time but was put off by the price and was actually content with the m510. However this came on sale and I snatched it up and wow… it was night and day difference in my productivity work flow. Also, like the MX Anywhere, you can pair this up to 3 devices which is perfect as I have a PC for gaming, a Mac for video editing and travel, and I have a work laptop. Pairing and switching in between devices is so easy to do. No more unplugging receivers or dongles.

The mouse is shaped perfectly for my hands and is very responsive not only in productivity software such as Office, but it’s great for gaming as well. I’m quite happy in using this to play a few hours of Overwatch and Apex Legends daily. Also I want to note that the side scrolling wheel is a blessing especially for huge spreadsheets such as Excel.

On top of all that, there are no batteries to mess with, this thing is rechargeable and it can last up to two months.

If you are looking for looking for the perfect mouse, this is it right here!

Pick one up on Amazon – https://amzn.to/2Jc4K2k


 

Hackintosh – Installing MacOS Mojave on MSI GS65 Stealth – Who needs a MacBook Anymore?

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So after installing a 1TB SSD on to the GS65, I wanted to see what more I can accomplish with this thing. I woke up this morning and wanted to challenge myself by attempting to install Mac OS onto this gaming laptop. I know there are Hackintosh guides on that and it has been done on other laptops and the process looks like a pain in the ass. Then I thought about doing a virtual machine, which although gets a huge degradation in performance, it basically will run within Windows much like how Parallels runs in Mac. My VM of choice was VMWare because it was free.

The process was actually pretty easy, however the challenge was getting FaceTime and iMessage to work because I believe it needs a valid Mac serial number in order for it to work on a Mac computer. It CAN be done but it does involve some gray area things that you have to do but it does work.

I used this guide to install using VMWARE: https://techsviewer.com/install-macos-mojave-vmware-windows/

And this guide to get iMessage and iCloud working: https://github.com/toshmatik/VMWare-iMessage/blob/master/instructions.md

Now that I finally have iMessage on my PC… who needs a Mac anymore?

 


MSI GS65 Stealth 9SE Hard Drive Upgrade Teardown Install

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I’ve been wanting to add some additional storage since I picked up my MSI GS65 9SE 2019 model since it came with only 512GB storage space. Sure it may seem like a lot now but this is a gaming laptop games take a lot of space and that will fill up pretty quickly. Fortunately, the MSI GS65 Stealth is up upgradable and you can put 2 M.2 SSD SSD drives into the laptop.

Unfortunately MSI doesn’t make the task as easy as most laptops out there to upgrade the hard drive and install RAM since the motherboard for some reason is flipped over and to get access to those upgrades, you need to physically remove the motherboard from the chassis. Sure it sounds pretty scary and it even looks scary doing but it’s not as tough as it seems. I did it in an hour by following a Youtube video which I will link below paid close attention to what I was doing. You have to be patient with yourself in this project but in the same time be confident and not too nervous. I was able to complete the task in about 30 minutes. Seriously, it wasn’t all to bad. I say the most difficult part through the whole thing was just stop myself from over thinking the whole process and just doing it. Once you pop open the cover at the bottom, just watch along carefully and gently remove the ribbon cables, screws, and some tape. Believe me, it will all start to make sense when you start.

Here’s what I Used

 

 


 

SteelSeries Apex 7 Gaming Keyboard

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I just picked one up and it’s not even primarily going to be used for gaming. I bought it because it was the most comfortable keyboard I have ever typed on, period. I don’t care for the gimmicky blinking lights (although they are cool) and I don’t care about the little bullsh\*t OLED thing that’s on there.

The build quality of the keyboard, the responsiveness and how amazing this keyboard is to type on just crushes anything Logitech and Microsoft has ever made. I’m replacing my 5 year Logitech K750 Solar as it was about time to retire that thing. I’ve been sending emails, typing up Word documents, and working on Excel spreadsheets all day and I am not getting as much fatigue on my hands and wrists as I did on my previous keyboard. I’ve used this on both my Mac and my PC and it is absolutely fantastic.

I guess I need to play some games on this now!


 

MSI GS65 Stealth 9SE 2019 Gaming Laptop First Impressions Review

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I was trying to decide between this, the Asus Zephyrus M, and the new Razer Blade 15 Advance. After going back and forth, I decided to try out the MSI GS65 and I think this trial phase is on its way to being permanent.

I am a long time Mac user and my current laptop is a MacBook Pro 13 2018 and I game on a PS4 and an Xbox One X. Wanted to get back to the PC Master Race and I wanted the flexibility to play at home, in between offices while I’m on the road as well as have a great dedicated PC that will run my Windows applications for work. I’ve been using Parallels for years, while it does work… it’s just not the same.

Out of the box, the GS65 has decent build quality with its aluminum casing compared to most PC laptops you see at Best Buy but this is nowhere near the level of quality of a Mac and even a Razer. The GS65 doesn’t feel as solid and I would have expected a little more after shelling out $2000 for this thing. I really appreciate the engineering of the Mac and Razer on how they were able to build something so thin, yet extremely solid. The build of the MSI screen was disappointingly flimsy and I feel that I could one day break this thing if I opened the screen the wrong way, especially with one hand.

Performance however is where this laptop really shines. I have thrown every game I had at High to Ultra settings and it handles them with ease. Crysis 3 (yeah it’s a 2013 game) was at Ultra and it looked amazing. Overwatch was at Ultra and the frame rates just flew and the same with Apex Legends. The GS65 also handled Shadow of Tombraider like a champ. I played through Tombraider on the Xbox One X and I had to sacrifice frame rates for quality and that just wasn’t the experience I wanted for such a visually stunning game. On the GS65, Tombraider was absolutely beautiful and it easily maintained a 60 fps frame rate without issues. Sure the fans were blowing but that is to be expected from a thin and light gaming laptop. Oh did I mention that this thing is only a little over 4lbs?

As a productivity device it’s fantastic. The majority of my work day revolves around Google Chrome and Microsoft Office and this thing handles it like a champ. I go from home to office, to other offices, and airport to airport. The weight makes this less a burden to carry. However, if you are planning to use this as only for work, it’s going to be overkill so you might want to look elsewhere.

Other things to note:

  • The speakers were loud but bass is weak.
  • Battery life at Battery Saver or Better Battery setting will get you through 4-6 hours for work applications such as MS Office
  • The trackpad is much better than last years, but it’s no MacBook or Razer
  • This has a generous amount of ports, 3 USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, Audio, Mini Display, Thunderbolt
  • Wish it had one more thunderbolt port instead of that mini display port
  • NO USB-C Charging
  • Inverted motherboard makes upgrading a pain, seriously MSI what were you thinking?
  • keyboard is a breath of fresh air coming from the stupid butterfly switches of the Mac.
  • 240hz screen is fantastic
  • Bluetooth range is weak if you use wireless headphones. Don’t expect to walk more than 12 feet away from your laptop
  • Undervolt. You don’t have to, but it will make your life a lot better. If you don’t know how watch YouTube videos on how to do it!
  • Benchmarks
    • Geek Bench
      •  CPU
        • Single Core: 5218
        • Multi Core: 24821
      • Open GL: 208027
    • Cinebench R20: 2467
    • 3DMark
      • Time Spy: 5658
      • Fire Strike: 13318
      • Sky Diver: 32217

Overall I think this is a better buy dollar for dollar if you want to compare similar specs to the Razer, you save about $400-$500. The performance alone on this for the size and weight is a huge selling point for this. My only ask is that they step up the build quality a few more notches on this will be an easy winner.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Purchase from Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2Xo6j64


 

Powerbeats Pro First Impressions Coming from an AirPods and Beats X Owner

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I just received my PowerBeats Pro yesterday from Best Buy.

My first impressions is that they are pretty fantastic and I own AirPods as well as Beats X. They also fit very well too and I wear glasses most of the day. Having interchangeable ear tips is a total plus too. I’ve worked out with these yesterday and this morning and it’s almost impossible to get these to fall off my ears. They only way I see these falling off is if someone wears these while they are boxing lol. Other than that, I’m going to have a tough time transitioning back to my Beats X for working out.

As far as sound quality goes… they are definitely a step above the AirPods and I believe how they fit in my ears contributes to that as well. Bass is strong and if you like your eardrums taking a Beat-ing then you will definitely love these. Listen to Pop, rock, piano solos etc… they all sound great on the PBP. I sometimes watch YouTube videos or binge while I work out on the treadmill. Movie / speech dialogue, explosions, cars screeching and dragons roaring on videos are above satisfactory.

I’m having a tough time trying to see if there is a difference in sound quality between the PBP and the Beats X. Also for people who don’t want to spend the $250, the Beats X is a great value which you can find under $100, they fit well, you don’t have to worry about losing them if the buds happen to fall off your ears and they are pretty compact.

Making phone calls on the PBP is incredible. I’m walking through a sidewalk with cars zooming buy and the wind blowing, shopping center or crowded area and people can hear my as if I was indoors in a quiet office. With the AirPods, it does pick up some noise around you and oops… it falls off my ears while doing something as much as a slight jog.

I only have a few gripes with the PBP… The case takes quite a bit of space for an everyday carry bag and I wouldn’t mind the size so much if this thing at least have wireless charging. For a gym bag, obviously there would be no issue. You can forget about pocketing this thing if you are wearing anything besides cargo pants and gym shorts with big loose pockets. What does make up for the large case is that 9 hour rated battery life. If you are going out and about, you can buy a $5-$10 pouch on Amazon to carry this around in your pocket and leave the case at home or in your car.

My other issue is after about an hour an a half or longer, these are a strain on the ears. AirPods, while working on a desk, taking calls and walking around the office, I can wear these all day without any issues – except I have to pop them back in the case because battery life on AirPods are crappy.

I’m hanging on to these PowerBeats Pro for now. They are a great workout companion and I need more time to decide if this would replace my AirPods as an everyday carry. Before the PBP, I was pretty satisfied traveling with my Beats X as they were great for flights and I didn’t have to worry about losing them and they are great for the gym as well and cost less than half of the PBP price tag. If the PBP were $199 instead of $249 it would be a no-brainer for anyone. However, that $249 does give you a great true wireless experience and Apple’s H1 chip / pairing capabilities.


MonoPrice MP Soundstage 3 Bluetooth Speaker Review

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Bluetooth Speakers are the rage these days. You see them at the beach, you see people holding them in their hand and bumping a jam in the car, they’re in living rooms, in the park, holy crap you name it everyone you know has one. Walking around with a radio or cassette boom box just isn’t cool anymore. Bluetooth sound technology has grown over the past decade and we are at the point where high quality sound transmitted wirelessly is an expectation. These days you have portable speakers ranging from $10 all the way to high end gear in the thousands.
Everyone wants the best value for their money. Not everyone can spend $1000 for mind blowing sound, and we end up compromising cost for quality. Hell, before I had the Sound Stage 3, I had a Logitech UE Boom as my “home sound system” to stream music from my iPhone, which worked great. And you know what? For a lot of people that’s OK and great for people who like to bring their music around with them. However, if you were to spend just a little more you can get the Sound Stage 3 and sometimes for the same price. Let me tell you, this thing blew me away. I really didn’t know what to expect and was pretty set on my Bose 5 Sound Bar for my home music needs, but isn’t as practical as I like it to be.
The Mono Price Sound Stage 3 is compact enough to go on a book shelf, but powerful enough for a medium to large sized living room. It’s about the size of a shoe box but it comes packed with 120W of sound (1x80W and 2x20W) with RCA, 3.5 AUX, Optical S/PDIF, on top of the Bluetooth aptX connection.
You can also pair this with another SoundStage for a richer stereo experience. Setup was really easy. You can just plug into the outputs or quickly pair to your Bluetooth device. There’s also a simple remote that allows you to adjust the volume, bass, treble, and source which is always nice to have.
Most of us don’t care about all of the above… what we care about is how it sounds. In one word… fantastic. These sound way up there with the Sonos speakers that I’ve heard with great sound range, deep bass if you want it, and great clarity. I play a mix of alternative rock, reggae, latin pop, classical, R&B and hip hop and every genre sounded amazingly loud and clear. Even in the lower volume range was good too but these things get really loud even in a large size room.
I’m not saying this will replace your mega expensive sound system, but for those who want to spend less than $200 and have a classy looking system with excellent sound, the SoundStage 3 is an excellent value.