Allyn and Josh

Allyn

Elgato Cam Link – Amazon.com – $99

Those who have looked for HDMI capture devices in the past will know that they typically run in the $300+ range. No longer! The Elgato Cam Link converts an HDMI feed (up to 1080P 60) into a USB 3.0 stream that can be used for either recording or to turn your SLR/GoPro into a webcam!

 

Sony RX10 IV – Amazon.com – $1698

Yes I know, it's a $1700 camera, and that seems like a lot, but consider the features for a moment. This beast of a camera can shoot 24 full resolution RAW photos per second, phase-detect auto-focusing between each shot, all without blanking the screen! The on-sensor buffer holds ~200 shots at that speed and can also be used for 4-second video bursts at 960 FPS (1000 FPS in PAL mode). Sure the lens is not interchangeable, but Carl Zeiss glass with a range of 24-600mm covers most shooting situations. If you like the idea of an SLR but just want a single camera to do your bidding, this one might be worth considering. If it's too spendy, its predecessor is slower and without phase detect autofocus, but that will save you $500.

 

Josh-Tekk

There seem to be quite a few nice deals and interesting products available this Holiday Season. We have had some nice improvements in the CPU and motherboard side of the equation due to AMD being far more competitive with Ryzen and their chipset offers. Intel has responded with some nice products as well and we are seeing CPU prices adjust accordingly. The graphics market is showing much more competition than we have seen in a while. NVIDIA has continued their dominance with the latest GTX 1000 series of parts and recently introduced the GTX 1070 Ti. AMD finally has the products to compete in the $300 plus market with the latest Vega parts, though they consume a bit more power than what NVIDIA has to offer at those price/performance spots. As those parts are all covered elsewhere in this guide, I thought I would throw in a few of my current favorites.

 

Thrustmaster TS-PC on Amazon for $349

This is one of the best racing wheel that I have used to date. While I have enjoyed my years of Thrustmaster TX and T300 RS wheels, as well as testing out the Fanatec ClubSport V2 and CSL Elite products, this has turned out to be my favorite wheel to date. It has the same overall power as the CSL Elite products, but is a little more subtle and sensitive with the force feedback that gives it an edge. MSRP for this base and open wheel is around $500, but if you hurry it can be had for $350. It does not include pedals, so those will need to be purchased separately.

 

Instant Pot DUO Plus 6QT on Amazon for $75

The Instant Pot Cult is real. This handy appliance is pre-programmed for a large amount of functionality that includes pressure cooking, yoghurt making, sterilizing, rice cooking, slow cooker, and the list goes on. This is the mid-sized unit and nicely priced. I had never considered buying a pressure cooker until now. This is easy and seemingly safe for regular use (look up "pressure cooker accidents" if you are brave). They advertise 10 safety mechanism so users can avoid destroying their kitchen as well as avoiding extensive burns. Also, it can make cakes.  CAKES!

 

Samsung 960 EVO 500 GB on Amazon for $249

The sales on this particular part are few and far between, mainly because not only is it fast, but a lot of people want it. For good reason. It is fast. Using a NVME drive when booting up or loading up large applications is a revelation as to how storage I/O has been bottlenecking the user experience up until now. Hopefully with a little more competition in the marketplace we will see prices going down, but right now manufacturers are having a hard time fulfilling demand for high end flash and memory products.

 

Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 for $43

This is an odd pick in the world of high end mechanical switch keyboards.  I have been using this particular keyboard for the past decade for work and gaming. It has been a champ. I find it incredibly comfortable for extended periods of typing as well as the many hours of gaming I end up doing in a week. The build quality is very good and the durability and feel are excellent (for my tastes). Mileage will very with users, but I have found its functionality and features to be very good. What I wouldn't give for Microsoft to release one with mechanical switches…

« PreviousNext »