Akaso V50 Elite... Reviewed featuring Akaso Brave 7 LE!

Before I jump into this review... shout out to the ladies from the Akaso team for providing us these products for review. My opinions are my own.

This review of the Akaso V50 Elite aims to provide you with an understanding of this action camera's capabilities, and to provide you with visual comparisons alongside the Akaso Brave 7 LE. These products often stand as budget-friendly alternatives to the renowned GoPro series, but are they any good? Our key objective is to evaluate whether the Akaso V50 Elite delivers value for its price... especially for the average person (because everyone isn't strapping cameras onto dirt bikes, skateboards, snowboards, etc). So... without further ado, let's dive into the details.

 Build Quality: The Akaso V50 Elite doesn't skimp on build quality at this price, with a sturdy feel courtesy of rubberized body, thicker plastics, but when compared to the feel of the Akaso Brave 7 LE... it feels like the lower tier option. The V50 Elite has a quality build, but the premium quality feel goes to the Brave 7 LE... in my opinion. Opinions may vary on that, but i'm talking about things like the button quality and the compartment covers.

I will say this though, you will greatly appreciate how easy it is to turn on the V50 Elite and operate it with the lighter clicky buttons, especially those of you who don't really have the finger strength to add a tad bit of oomph to your presses to turn on the Brave 7 LE.

V50 Elite is a lighter camera, which doesn't mean it provides lower quality results in terms of video. There are benefits to having a lighter option, which includes the ease of holding it (which is increased by the grip). Also, it's easier to mount and theres a decreased chance of it tilting or tipping when you make a jerking movement or anything of the sort. It's always good to have a solid mount regardless, but... you know what happens when something is top heavy.

A minus could be the lack of a protective cover for the ports + SD card slot on the V50 Elite, which could otherwise increase the overall aesthetics and offer protection from dust and debris. This would have been a suitable inclusion, but I don't mind when I can simply swap out SD cards... so this camera would be the one I would see being used by a family for a day out at one of the amusement parks in the area. 

A door still wouldn't hurt, but quickly swapping out the SD cards would keep the captures flowing. You have to open the battery slot to get the SD card out of the Brave 7 LE.

 Camera + Extras: As you see in the image above, the camera's package comes packed with plenty of accessories on deck without the need to run out and buy some of the same types (this applies to both cameras). Included with the Akaso V50 Elite package are the following items:

- AKASO V50 Elite Action Camera

- Remote Control

- Two 1050mAh Batteries

- Waterproof Housing

- Battery Charger

- Bicycle Stand

- Six Mount Adapters

- Two Double-Sided Adhesive Tapes

- Two Helmet Mounts

- Set of Bandages

- Five Tether Cords

- Protective Backdoor

- (Micro) USB Cable

- Lens Cleaning Cloth

- Quick Start Guide

A great addition is the camera mount - attached to the packaging. Though it may require some effort to detach, this little mount can serve well on any flat surface, such as your desk, and doubling as a webcam stand. This is not only convenient but also a clever way to reuse packaging materials if removing the base from the box wasn't the intent (beyond removing the waterproof case).

Technically these didn't come in the Akaso V50 Elite's package, but... the Akaso tripods and selfie sticks were sent by the team along with a SanDisk microSD card. I don't need to do a full review on these, but what I will say is that the tripods are a nice quality build + the SD card is meant for use with 4K UHD.

Camera Specs:

No external mic capabilities are currently available for this camera, it's only internal... allegedly (i'm going to figure this out for you before this review is up, because I have an Akaso external mic). The camera does have bluetooth, so it should totally be incapable of having bluetooth mic capability. I believe a firmware update could change this. Another downside (if an external mic test doesn't check out) is that there is no 60FPS image stabilization, but which action cameras provide this option? Use a gimbal and call it a day or turn on the EIC in 4K 30FPS. You also don't have a waterproof housing on this one (unlike the Brave 7 LE), so you have to rely on the case for water protection.

I don't advise recording video in low light conditions because the results are grainy. Get a light attachment and learn how to light up your scenes properly.

You can capture 20MP images, in addition to video in 4K 60FPS, 4K 30FPS, 2.7K 60FPS, 2.7K 30FPS, 1080P 120FPS, 720P 240FPS

Your photos and video will be stored on Micro SD. I use the SanDisk 128GB Extreme microSDXC UHS-I Memory Card that works well with 4K cameras... in the Akaso Brave 7 LE.

I didn't get a chance to test how deep this waterproof camera can go in the case, but it did well in a bowl of water. The camera was nice and dry on the inside with no leaks or dew to report. As far as how deep you can go when diving with this camera, Akaso says the limit is 131 feet with the waterproof case.

Other stats include an 8X zoom, Slow motion, Time lapse, Touchscreen, CMOS photo sensor technology, and Wi-Fi, USB, HDMI + Bluetooth connectivity. While I don't like the fact that the SD card slot and other ports are open... it's really convenient to quickly access the SD card. No need to remove this camera from the tripod unless you need to... change the 1050 mAh battery.

V50 Elite voice control feature: This is useful because at times you don't want to use the cameras control and possibly shift the camera from a desired shot. And if you're positioned a certain way, you may not want to move from that pose or hold/show the remote in your shot, so you can use your voice to call out commands to either start the video ("Akaso Start Video") or take a photo ("Akaso Take Photo").

• To stop video, just say, "Akaso Stop Video".
• To order pizza, just say... nothing, i'm just kidding.

The presence of more expensive action cameras like the GoPro in the market... is also great for Akaso camera owners because it guarantees high-quality accessories. Akaso doesn't create a lot of first party accessories beyond the mic, tripod, and selfie stick. Yes, you do get the hard plastic accessories included, but... i'm talking about the accessories like a gimbal. I love the Akaso selfie stick and tripod, these are great quality, and the mic is no slouch either, but the other options have opened the door to sweet compatible options... and all in one action camera kits, etc.

By the way, one of the noticeable differences between the V50 Elite and the Brave 7 LE is the V50 has one screen. You can't see yourself on a front facing camera to ensure that a selfie is on point (unless you use the app), but... speaking of visual quality, let's move on to video + photo quality.

 Video + Photo Quality: Talking about this would be pointless, so... press play! 

So after seeing the video, you hear that the external mic works on the Akaso V50 Elite! By the way, content creators will enjoy the Akaso app that gives you access to control the camera (via it's wifi feature), as well as the ability to edit your photos and video. You can add covers, waters, and all that good stuff... plus the ability to share content with fellow Akaso camera owners in the app (and beyond).

You don't just get access to the cameras photos/video for editing, you also get access to the settings!

 Price: The Akaso V50 Elite is priced at $139.99 with a promotional discount of $25 available (add $10 to get a 64GB SD card included). The Akaso Brave 7 LE is normally $169.99 but it's $139.99 (at 18%) + a promotional discount of $25 is also available for this camera. We have unpacked the essentials; now you have a clearer picture to determine if the Akaso V50 Elite aligns with your action camera needs and budget. If you provide them with the proper lighting... the results get the job done. 

Quality 5

Camera + Extras 5

Video + Photo Quality 4

Price 5

4.75 out of 5 Cool Points

 + Sophima 

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Craig Before The Creek... Reviewed!

Shout out to Warner Bros for supplying a copy of this movie for review, my opinions are my own.

I've seen Craig of the Creek in passing, so when I got the opportunity to check out an animated film that acts as a prelude to the show... I couldn't resist. Is it any good? Let's jump in and find out how Craig became one with... the creek!

Story: Craig Before The Creek starts off with a girl running away from someone who looked like they could potentially be bullies as she made off with a composition book with "Hannah" written on it. This was after the reveal of a baddie on a ship.

It then fast forwards to Craig moving to Maryland to their new home... leaving behind his old friends at the start of summer. By the way, perfect time to release this animated film on DVD. Craig isn't thrilled about it, but they start connecting the reasons for the move... which is something a number of parents and children can relate to. A number of children don't see or understand that their parents are trying to make the best move for their long term benefit... but some parents don't understand that their child's social life revolved around their friends and familiar surroundings. I'll come back to this.

Anyway, things start off on this slightly sad note... until Craig's mom suggests that he takes his sister to the park. All is well until... something happens that forces Craig to go into the woods and basically unlocks a new world where everything revolves around... the creek.

That's where he encounters various kids with their individual quirks, including the baddies. The composition book turned out to be a diary, but I won't get into the specifics. Just know that the main adventure begins from this point.

Parents, something you may want to beware of is when Craig finds Hanna's Diary and he begins to suit up to head back to the creek. If you get the DVD, you may want to fast forward once he gets the banister stick (in scene 3) if you don't agree with his next choice when deciding between carrying bags. Instead of Craig selecting his bookbag to pack his items, he went with a purse. It looks like it could be a duffle bag (based on the way he carries it), but... once he mentions it's a purse it might be hard to un-see it as a purse.

Another scenario occurs when Craig was hiding from the baddies after their leader wants him found. He acts like he was going to sleep over at a friends house, which I don't know how many parents would allow boys and girls to have sleep overs... but his mom said yes. This was followed up by another boy asking what was for dinner, and Craig referred to himself as momma and said let him check his purse.

Outside of this, it was a really pretty cool adventure that held my interest as Craig and his newfound crew went on their quest to find a treasure that grants... wishes. The final battle didn't disappoint either. A lot of things seemed more so based on the imaginations of the kids and were played up in visual form, but you get into with the understanding that it's real... to them (based on previous examples of kids using their imagination in awesome ways). This film essentially wraps things up with Craig coming into his own as the dots finally connect his past to his present as... Craig of the Creek. I also liked how this film connected Craig as the hero to the antagonist by way of him trying to cope with the move. I won't spoil it for you, so I'll leave it at that. There is plenty to enjoy in this film, I think it's well rounded, packed with quirky characters, and shows enough diversity to be appreciated by a variety of children + parents.

Visuals: The visuals in this film were solid, and they give depth in regards to the landscape and shading. It easy to get the feeling of being immersed in woods that the creek runs through because the artist did a great job of making the atmosphere feel the way it should. It's not flat as if the environment is always tucked in the background, the characters interact with it in multiple ways. The image below gives you an idea of what I mean. The animations were nice too, especially when it comes to the creek kids... simply based on things they were pretending to be. The kids battling with the bugs and the frog is a prime example, but the final battle was probably the best in terms of animation (second would be the fight on the ship in my opinion). This isn't to say there aren't any other good animated sequences, because there are... but these stood out to me the most.

Audio: In terms of audio, I watched Craig Before The Creek with the 1More Open Earbuds S50. When I saw the 5.1 surround, I was like... hmmmm. I highly recommend watching with surround sound speakers or a nice pair of headphones. The sound engineer ensured that listeners were able to get a nice experience by delivering a decent spatial audio experience. Everything wasn't served up this way, but there is enough to appreciate what was delivered for the surround sound experience. You could hear the various kids in the environment coming from different angles, the sound effects were solid, and the final battle didn't disappoint. Craig Before The Creek is available in Dolby Digital: English 5.1.

Price: Pricewise, you can get Craig Before The Creek on DVD for... $19.98 as listed online, but you can pre-order for $16.98... here. A poster was included in my copy, which may come in your copy, but... since it's not listed I can't say that it's guaranteed. Craig Before The Creek is available on DVD... March 26, 2024! (Pre-orders available now, don't miss out on the discount.)

Story 5

Visuals 5

Audio 5

Price 5

5 out of 5 Cool Points

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Rick and Morty: The Complete Seventh Season... Reviewed!

Shout out to Warner Bros for providing a copy of this show for review. My opinions are my own!

Rick and Morty: The Complete Seventh Season is here... serving up all types of adventure that's out of this world, but is it worth the money? Let's jump in and find out.

Story: Season 7 revolves around Rick for the most part. You will see it unfold with various episodes, and he even goes to therapy (we're getting deeper). Episode 1 kicks off with the family sitting at the dinner table complaining about Mr. Poopy overstaying his welcome.

How Poopy Got His Poop Back... is a nice start to the season. Rick and... the boys are challenged with doing an intervention for Mr. Poopy, but as you'd safely assume with this show... it doesn't exactly go as planned (but it's packed with fun). This episode is a trip, it features Hugh Jackman, and it wraps up with vibes that remind me of the end of... Boyz In The Hood. The references don't stop there (you already know).

Let the credits roll though... let the credits roll, there's a nice addition at the end of this episode. If you pay attention to the episode, you will get the connection.

Episode 2 is a twist on the relationship between Rick & Jerry... literally. I didn't see this coming. Rick & Jerry get closer than ever (not exactly Captain Planet close, but... almost). Not sure which episode I like more...  between episodes 1 or 2, but the season is off to a great start.

Episode 3 is action-packed and is almost similar to Invasion of the Body Snatcher (vs... invasion of President body snatcher). You'll see what I mean. I would've dialed up the final battle between both sides a bit more, but I'm not mad at it because it unfolded in a comedic way.

Episode 4 is the theme you see on the cover art, just make sure you don't watch it on spaghetti night. My daughter saw the box and asked me what it was... and it's indeed spaghetti, but she isn't old enough to know how it's made in this episode. Now that's... Amorte! The way this episode was rounded out... it ended in a strategic way. It was cool to see how a certain simulation played out, and then they brought you back into the realm of Rick & Morty to wrap things up. Let the credits roll.

Episode 5 gets you back in the game with Rick taking on Rick Prime, but... I'll leave this one alone. It's a kickass episode, but I'd rather you watch it yourself to get the scope. By the way, Rise of the Numericons: The Movie is... sweet, and features Ice-T (as the father of Ice-T) who is better known as... Water-T. It's basically letters vs numbers, and if it wasn't heavy on the ridiculousness I'd be tempted to let my daughter see this episode (you gotta see it). Let the credits roll! Episodes 5 & 8 are my faves.

Episode 6 is quite comical, it's full of clips presented by an Observer and objections on top of objections... challenged by solid points that... also get objections. I thought this episode was clever. There were other episodes in this category, but I thought this was more clever than action-packed. If you think I'm wrong, I'll object to that!

Overall, you get the idea, lots of action, explosions, movie references, comedy, more explosions, a Pokeball, commendable trash talk, plenty of booze + a dash of uncertainty. You can't go wrong with season 7, the episodes keep the good times rolling for the most part (and the story progresses forward in a meaningful way). There is a twist that you won't see coming, but you'll appreciate it for the most part. You might find yourself binge-watching with ease.

Visuals: Visually speaking, the art style remains tried and true to what we're accustomed. Certain episodes give you not-so-familiar art styles, like Rise of the Numericons: The Movie (although this is technically a return from season 2, "Get Schwifty") & Fear No Mort (the ghoulish spirits), but they fit right in.

Audio: Audio in season 7 is what you'd expect, nice and clean, and enjoyable explosions. For the most part I found myself trying to follow what was going on and what was being said... but I appreciate the sound effects. Rick and Morty: Season 7 features DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 & Dolby Audio.

Price + Extras: You can get Rick and Morty: The Complete Seventh Season in a Steelbook for $34.99, Blu-ray for $24.99, and on DVD for $19.99.

Extras:

• 10 Inside the Episode featurettes
• Directing Unmortricken
• The Characters of Season 7
• Inside Season 7

Story 5

Visuals 5

Audio 5

Price + Extras 5

5 out of 5 Cool Points

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Brinks Commercial Restroom Door Hook... Reviewed!

Shout out to Brinks for providing this product for review, my opinions are my own.

Quality: The quality of this 1.85-inch aluminum bathroom door hook is noticeable right out of the package. The door hook is durable... leaving no worries about it bending like a lawn chair if you hang a suit, dress, robe, travel bag, etc. This is more so a commercial product so it's shaped in a way that allows you to easily place clothing with hangers on it.

Design: When it comes to the design, I like the compact squared design of this door hook. When looking at it head-on... it looks like a little square and can blend in with a design without simply looking like a hook. The satin stainless steel finish is nice and ready for your shop's dressing room, bathroom, or wall. This isn't advertised as a hook for the wall, but... as an artist, I would use two to four of these hooks and place them side by side or even running vertically for a functional design in a shop or in a modern posh closet. A vertical design can either showcase the various colors a particular outfit has or... it could represent your selected wears for the week. Do I have a passion for fashion? It's possible. 

So don't look at this product as if it's solely something for the restroom or for commercial purposes. Creativity goes a long way. In terms of using this in the home setting, you're good to go if your metal accents have a similar finish and you seek for it to be cohesive. If you don't plan to alter the finish to something you currently have or plan to have, just know that this product only has one color option.

Installation: The Brinks Commercial Restroom Door Hook took me less than 10 minutes to install. The longest part was screwing out and screwing in the front plate of the hook... which wasn't long at all, just don't screw it out too far to avoid it falling out:

Price: Price-wise, you can get the Brinks Commercial Restroom Door Hook for... $10 which falls in line with door hooks. Of course, door hooks vary in design, but if you like this particular design... grab it here.

Quality 5

Design 5

Installation 5

Price 5

5 out of 5 Cool Points

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