One Minute Tech Reviews

Category Archives: Workspaces

What’s On My Desk Winter 2019

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Some changes since my last post in the summer as I added a monitor arm as well as a floating laptop stand!

  • 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.
  • Monoprice Zero G Curved Gaming Monitor UWQHD 100hz – I finally replaced my aging 32 inch display and went with an Ultrawide. I’ve been using 60hz for the longest time and 100hz is incredible lol
  • NB North Bayou Monitor Desk Mount Stand Swivel Arm Gas Spring – This thing is a game changer. I’m able to adjust my display however I want. I love it. Buy it!
  • EZM Notebook Arm Extension Desk Mount Stand – This is great too as t also frees up some space on my desk. Plus being able to adjust the height makes using it as a second screen a lot better too!
  • 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
  • Logitech MX Keys – Replaced my Steelseries Apex 7 keyboard and went back to a wireless setup. This keyboard, although not as clicky as a mechanical keyboard works pretty great
  • Logitech MX Master 2S Wireless Mouse – Kind of tempted into upgrading to the MX Master 3 for the USB-C but other than that, it’s not that much of a difference from what I hear. 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
  • Razer Nari Headphones – Picked these up when they were on sale. Sound quality is excellent especially when playing FPS games like Overwatch or Modern Warfare 2019. I’ve also screamed and jumped sevral times playing Resident Evil 2!
  • iPhone 11 Pro Max 256GB – Didn’t think I was going to upgrade this year but I was sold on the low light capabilities of this phone and I sold my Sony RX100 V but still keeing the Sony a6300 (camera that took this photo). iPhone 11 Pro Max is still paired with my Apple Watch Series 4 smartwatch

What’s Your Every Day Carry (EDC)?

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every day carry

I was working on my quick review of the AirPods Pro and was going to take a few photos of it. Ended up emptying my pockets and took an opportunity to take this shot using my Sony A6300 which has been collecting dust since I’ve been taking almost all my photos with the iPhone 11 Pro Max.

I don’t really carry that much stuff and this is basically everything you see here except for my driver’s license. What’s your EDC?

 

Monoprice 35in Zero-G Curved Gaming Monitor – 3440x1440p, UWQHD Review

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When I was offered a chance to do an honest review of Monoprice’s 35in Zero-G Curved Gaming Monitor I immediately said “YES!” They have been coming out with impressive displays and the timing was perfect since I recently sold off my Xbox One X and re-joined the PC Master Race after a half decade hiatus.

The Monoprice 35 inch gaming display is an ultra widescreen display at 3440×1440 resolution at 100hz with a 21:9 ratio. Right out of the box it was very easy to setup. I was quite surprised on how light this was when I was unpacking it. You can easily use the included stand or you can VESA mount on a wall or use a display arm. My one gripe that I have with the included stand is that you can’t adjust the height. In fact you can barely just tilt the screen up or down. If you are looking for more flexibility then you need to buy a third party VESA stand or arm. The monitor has 2 HDMI port and a display port and a 3.5 audio out. No USB-C or USB-A connectivity here which would have been nice. What I did notice though as that it has a set of red lights in the back as part of its aesthetic which looks really cool if you are into that kind of thing. Personally, I don’t really care.. what I do care about is performance and that’s where this monitor shines especially at this price point.

Since this is a gaming monitor, I of course connected my gaming PC which Windows 10 automatically detected the hardware, resolution and hertz. At 3440×1440 or 2K, it likes pretty amazing. Not exactly edge to edge but the bezels were thin enough to where it can be appreciated. The display was very responsive within Windows and being able to have multiple spreadsheets on an ultrawide was game changing. Websites, videos, and photos looked great and I just loved working on this thing all day. But you’re not really buying this for work aren’t you? I fired up Doom 2016 and set the game to the ultrawide ratio and it was one hell of an experience. I am upgrading from a 60hz display so I am absolutely appreciating the faster frame rate. Keep in mind that not all games natively support the 21:9 ratio so you will have black bars like Paladins but just about every modern title did take advantage of that 100hz which was just really smooth. When I had this connected to my MacBook Pro 2018, working with Final Cut Pro as well as other productivity software was really smooth. If you want take advantage of that 100hz on a Mac, make sure you have this connected through the display port or an adapter that supports HDMI 2.0.

Yes there are gaming laptops with the same resolution at 144hz but if you try finding one at 35-inches, they go for $650 and up. I say that this rivals the Alienware 1900 which goes for about $1000. Now compare that with the specs of the Monoprice display at you are looking at about a $600 price difference. The Monoprice 35in Zero G Curved Gaming Monitor is such a great value for it’s price, performance and display quality. Also keep in mind that Monoprice includes a 1 Year PixelPerfect Warranty so if you find a single dead pixel, they will take care of you.

Even though it’s not perfect with some shortcomings such as the lack of USB-C connectivity and very basic stand, I can confidently recommend this display for its performance, display quality and value.er whether you would recommend this product and what you like or dislike about it.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5


 

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


 

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!


 

The Best Quiet Allergy Smoke Pet Dander Air Purifier for Your Workspace

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I have a cat, live in Austin where it gets humid and the pollen is just horrible especially in the spring. And yes I am highly allergic to all of those things so I tried a bunch of allergy medication like Flonase, Allegra, etc. I’ve also tried different air filters and they are either really loud, ineffective, look like something out of the 70s or all of the above. Honestly, I don’t really care how it looks as long as it works.

I did my research and it came down to a few filters. One being the Honeywell HPA200 Air Purifier and the Oregon Scientific Air Purifier. Both are really good and they actually work. I however decided to go for the Oregon Scientific Air Purifier because it looked a lot sleeker, and most importantly the HEPA and Carbon Filters were cheaper to replace. Air quality in my house is a lot better, no one can really smell the cat, and my allergies have really improved. The unit also runs really quiet and doesn’t sound like a jet engine so it’s not annoying.

Pick one one here!


This is My Workspace June 2018

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Been awhile since I posted anything about my workspace. This is currently my desk now!  I’ll put together a video on my home office in the near future! I try to keep everything neat as possible but sometimes I get the unavoidable clutter. Also my cable management under the desk is sort of a mess so I left that out of the photo. Here’s the gear I’m currently rockin which you can click directly to Amazon:

I really miss having a dedicated Windows machine and I’m currently running it on my Mac using Bootcamp. Might get a Surface Book 15 Inch or the Razer Blade 15 2018 in the near future… maybe!

What’s in My Bag January 2016

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It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything and I hardly have time to update the site. You can follow my geek adventures on my Instagram @louievtran or follow me on Twitter on @thegeeksoffice where I’m most active. I’m going to be heading out to Hawaii in the next few days for my vacation and instead of doing the usual photo posts, I’ve put together a video! Might as well give it a shot because that’s what just about everyone is doing these days. Enjoy!