Spare Room Tech

In this video I take a look at the Rode Videomic Go II microphone. This microphone is a great option for someone who is looking for a relatively inexpensive way to level up their audio production. It's very easy to set up and sounds decent - despite the fact that the room I'm recording in in NOT sound treated at all. I would recommend the Rode Videomic Go II mic to anyone who wants a microphone to pair with a mirrorless camera or DSLR with a 3.5mm input or with an iPhone or Android. Overall, I'm very impressed! What do you think? 0:00 Intro 0:38 What's in the box? 2:03 Audio test 3:48 Who is this mic for? 4:36 Wrap up

Setapp is a popular subscription service that gives you access to a library of Mac apps - and iOS apps too, depending on the level of subscription you choose. But is Setapp actually worth it, or is it a waste of money? This video is NOT sponsored by Setapp, so you're getting my honest thoughts and opinions. Overall, I like what Setapp offers. There are some excellent Mac apps in the subscription. In fact, some of my favorite macOS apps of all time are available in the app library. But it still might not be a good fit for some people. If you're looking for paid apps for your Mac but don't want to spend a bunch of money, Setapp is a great option. But, make sure that you're getting enough value out of it to actually justify paying a monthly subscription. Are the apps in Setapp enough to convince you to get a monthly subscription? Or not? What do you think? Music: Dominion by Blue Steel - licensed via Epidemic Sound. Fractured Paintings by Trevor Kowalski - licensed via Epidemic Sound.

Framework has been around as a company for a while. Up to this point, they've had the 13-inch Framework Laptop - a small but extremely upgradeable and customizable laptop that's meant to last for a very long time and reduce e-waste. The Framework Laptop 16, however, is a game changer. The Framework Laptop 13 is great but doesn't have dedicated graphics - which could be a bummer for gamers, content creators, or anyone who needs strong GPU performance. The Framework Laptop 16, however, does have a dedicated GPU option - making it a viable option for power users. I'm looking forward to learning more about the Framework Laptop 16 and seeing which GPU options we get. But for now, we do know that it will sport a 16-inch, 16:10 aspect ratio, 2560x1600px, 100% DCI-P3, up to 165Hz refresh rate, 1500:1 contrast ratio, 500 nit brightness display - making it a powerful contender for those who want bright, color accurate displays. I'm not sponsored by Framework, but I strongly believe in their mission, and I would love to see companies like Framework succeed. This is a company that obviously cares about our rights to repair our own products and want to ensure products last a very long time. Framework Laptop 16 announcement: https://frame.work/blog/introducing-the-framework-laptop-16 Framework Laptop 16 display deep dive: https://frame.work/blog/framework-laptop-16-deep-dive---display

Notion is a great note taking app, but I have two major concerns about it's security and privacy. So, I've switched to another tool entirely. As much as I love Notion and still do recommend it for non-confidential notes, it's not a tool that I think I'll use for myself for the time being. Don't get me wrong. I do love Notion and what the team behind it has accomplished, but unless or until they address my concerns (which seems unlikely) I feel more comfortable with a different tool. But I do definitely miss some features of Notion, and maybe soon I'll create a video talking about what I miss. 0:00 Intro 0:15 First concern 1:55 Second concern 3:30 What I’m using instead 4:43 Wrap up What do you think? Are these security concerns enough to make you consider using something else, or will you stick with Notion? As always, thanks for watching and let me know in the comments if you have any questions or feedback. Music: do Whatever you like (instrumental version) by Hallman, licensed via Epidemic Sound

For the past ten months or so, I've been using the Logitech MX Keys Mini keyboard as my main keyboard - especially while at my desk. I like it a lot. It has a lot going for it. But, would I buy it again? And more importantly, should you? Who exactly is this keyboard for? In this video, I cover a few things I really like about this keyboard from Logitech and also a couple of things I don't like and hope to see changed in a future version of the MX Keys Mini. You'll also see the MX Keys Mini alongside the full size MX Keys keyboard, and I'll discuss why I choose the Mini over the full size option. Music: Catch the Wave (Instrumental Version) by Velvet Moon. Licensed through Epidemic Sound. (Originally posted in June 2023)

Whether you're setting up a brand new Mac or just reinstalling macOS to get a fresh start, here are the Mac apps that I recommend you install to get started on the right foot. I've talked about some of these apps on this channel previously. But I think they're worth mentioning again. They're good enough that I'll always install them on any new Mac I get - and every time I install or reinstall macOS. 0:00 Intro 0:09 A different web browser 1:17 An office suite 2:51 Notion 4:02 AppCleaner 4:41 OnyX 5:33 Macs Fan Control 6:39 KeepingYouAwake 7:34 Magnet & Rectangle

It never ceases to amaze me how many awesome free Mac utilities there are. In a previous video, I covered five utilities that are so good that they could easily be paid apps. Here are five more free Mac utilities to add to that list. Every one of these free Mac apps adds very useful and powerful functionality to the Mac experience, and I highly recommend each one. 0:00 Intro 0:06 Macs Fan Control 2:17 KeepingYouAwake 3:54 Keka 5:35 Rectangle 7:07 Shottr 9:09 Wrap up Macs Fan Control: https://crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control KeepingYouAwake: https://keepingyouawake.app/ Keka: https://www.keka.io/en/ Rectangle: https://rectangleapp.com/ Shottr: https://shottr.cc/ If you like this video, please "like" it and hit that subscribe button, and I'll see you in the next one! Thanks for watching!

MacOS has SO many apps available - both from the App Store and independent sources. Here are 5 FREE Mac utilities that I love and can't believe they're actually free Mac apps. These are Mac apps that their developers seriously could charge for, but for whatever reason they've decided to make these Mac utilities available at no charge - which is awesome! 0:00 Intro 0:15 Onyx 7:02 NightOwl 8:58 The Unarchiver 10:32 ImageOptim 12:09 AppCleaner 14:40 Wrap up OnyX: https://www.titanium-software.fr/en/onyx.html NightOwl: https://nightowlapp.co/ The Unarchiver: https://theunarchiver.com/ ImageOptim: https://imageoptim.com/mac AppCleaner: https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/ If you like this video, please "like" it and hit that subscribe button, and I'll see you in the next one!