The Blue Snowball Ice: A Budget-Friendly USB Microphone

If you're looking to upgrade your recording setup without breaking the bank, the Blue Snowball Ice is an excellent option. This compact USB microphone is designed to filter out background noise from things like keyboards or fans, making it perfect for streaming, podcasting, or content creation. The mic plugs into the back of your computer and the other end goes into your computer, with the red light on top illuminating when it's working.

One of the best things about this microphone is that it eliminates the need to download and update drivers, which can be a frustrating process. Additionally, you don't have to be super close to the mic to get good sound quality – as long as you're within a foot or two away from the source, you should be able to pick up clear audio. However, if you do want to invest in an arm to give yourself more freedom of movement, it's not a huge deal.

The Blue Snowball Ice sounds impressively rich and clear, making it a great choice for anyone looking to improve their recording setup without breaking the bank. And with free recording software like OBS or Audacity, it can be both affordable and versatile. Whether you're thinking about getting into content creation or just want to argue with your friends on Discord about which game is better – Apex Legends or Fortnite – this microphone has got you covered.

The Kintaro Super Kuma 9000: A Raspberry Pi 3-Based Portable Gaming Console

For those who are feeling nerdy, the Kintaro Super Kuma 9000 is a fascinating project that combines a Raspberry Pi 3 with a shell design. What's hiding inside this tiny computer is a powerhouse of functionality – it's got USB ports, an Ethernet port, Wi-Fi antenna, HDMI output, and even an audio jack. The Raspberry Pi was originally designed as a cheap learning tool for coding, but since its release in 2012, it has sold millions of units and been used for countless projects, including RC cars, homemade smartphones, and DIY game consoles.

The Kintaro Super Kuma 9000 is the perfect weekend project for anyone looking to build their own portable gaming console. It can emulate games from as far back as Atari all the way through to Nintendo 64 – just be patient, especially if you're new to coding. Thankfully, chances are that if you're having a problem, another user has had the same issue and found a solution online. Downloading classic games that you already own is not only convenient but also a great way to reduce clutter.

When it comes to streaming sticks, there's no denying their popularity – especially when it comes to smart TV UI being slow or unintuitive. The Roku Streaming Stick Plus, released in 2017, has been one of the best and least expensive options on the market for years. This tiny remote can control your TV's power and volume, eliminating the need for multiple remotes. With a simple on-screen setup and a visually appealing layout, this streaming stick is easy to use and refuses to waver among increasing competition.

A great deal at just $60 compared to its original price of $70, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus is an excellent choice for anyone looking to upgrade their TV-watching experience without breaking the bank. Whether you're a fan of classic games or prefer newer releases, this streaming stick has got you covered – and with features like 4K and HDR support, it's one of the best options on the market.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhello and welcome back to tech for less the show we talk about all the best tech you can get for cheap I'm your host Chris Tigre and today we're going to be taking a look at some of our favorites under $75 so let's do this thing by now you're probably familiar with the Google assistant it's the invisible secretary we've got living in many of our phones and smart gadgets the Google home Mini is the smallest of Google's smart speaker line-up and legit my personal favorite for the uninitiated with Google assistant you can set alarms you can play music check the weather no touch Google searches along with an ever-growing list of other various tasks in addition that can control your smart stuff so your speaker's your TV your thermostats and on and on the sound is surprisingly nice and loud for its size and it's great for listening to podcasts or music while you do errands around the house you can even link multiple minis together allowing you to wander from room to room without interrupting any important blue apron ad reads of course the Google home Mini comes in a variety of colors including chalk charcoal coral and aqua so just like with the Amazon echo dot you can unobtrusively accent your home decor this smart speaker will run you $49 and trust me when I tell you once you get one in the living room you'll realize you still need one for the kitchen and maybe one for the bedroom even the bathroom and pretty much everywhere else up next we're showing off the taotronics t TBH zero six zero active noise-cancelling headphones now that is a mouthful but this is a recent favorite of ours especially considering that most Wireless noise cancelling headphones will run you upwards of $300 or more the design of these headphones is simple and understated it's not trying to show off and it's not gonna turn any heads either but for the budget conscious commuter or the Open Office inhabitant that's probably not what they were going for whether you're jamming to pop jazz or hip hop you'll be delighted realize that you can differentiate each element of the sound pretty easily without that overly dramatic low end that inexpensive headphones tend to lean toward and suffer from I'm not saying that there's no difference between these headphones and say the Sony WH 1000x m3s or the surface headphones but not everyone wants to pony up a couple months worth of car insurance for great sound quality and convenience and at seventy dollars for these guys you really don't have to next up we're looking at the blue snowball ice it's been out for years now and praised by many for being the absolute best in affordable microphones for podcasting voiceovers on YouTube streaming on Twitch or even simple music recording at home on a computer this mic uses what's called a cardioid condenser capsule and while that sounds like something that Goku might need to consume in order to save the planet really it's just there to filter out background noise from things like your keyboard or a fan to use it just plug the USB into the back and plug the other end in your computer and that's it you'll know it's working when the red light up top illuminates literally no one likes downloading and updating drivers so it's really nice not to have to do that with this mic it's worth noting that you have to be pretty close to the blue snowball ice in order to get picked up clearly no more than a foot away max and even that might be stretching it but for most of the situations you'd be using a mic like this you'd want to be up close anyway so it's not a huge deal and you can always invest in an arm or something to give yourself more freedom of movement when the mic is the right distance away from the source about like this you'll notice it sounds impressively rich and clear the blue snowball ice retails for $50 and when paired with free recording software like OBS or audacity it can be both affordable and versatile especially if you're thinking about getting into content creation or if you just want to argue with your friends on discord as to whether apex Legends is better than a fortnight let's keep the game theme going and this one oh man am i excited to show you this one this is the Kintaro super kuma 9000 and it's really just a pretty shell because what's hiding inside is a Raspberry Pi 3 okay this one's gonna get a little nerdy so stick with me the Raspberry Pi if you don't know is a tiny like really tiny computer with all the same ports as your laptop or a desktop it's got USB ports an Ethernet it's got a Wi-Fi antenna an HDMI out even if 3.5 millimeter audio jack which is more than we can say for some other popular devices the Raspberry Pi was basically built as a cheap learning tool for coding and since its original release in 2012 it sold millions of units and it's used for a ton of projects like RC cars homemade smartphones and DIY game consoles in case you haven't figured it out yet we're here to talk about the last one by the very nature of Pi this is a fantastic weekend project at the end of which you'll be the proud owner of your very own portable gaming console capable of emulating games from as far back as Atari all the way through to n64 just be patient especially if you're new to coding I promise though it's a lot easier than it sounds and thankfully chances are if you're having a problem a million other people have had the same one so a solution is just a Google search away do remember that downloading games that you don't already physically own isn't strictly aboveboard legally speaking but we're not here to tell you how to live your life and if you do happen to own a bunch of classic games having them all in one easy to carry around package no bigger than a Game Boy is a lot less cumbersome than trying to connect an ogee Nintendo to a new Smart TV not to mention that there are probably thousands of user-created games and fan made spin-offs that you can enjoy at this point completely guilt-free the Super kuma 9000 and Raspberry Pi 3 together will run you just over $70 and will undoubtedly make you king or queen of the gamers among your friends circle streaming sticks are pretty popular not least because smart TV UI is often not that fast or intuitive and Roku has been in the game long enough to hang with the best the Roku streaming stick plus released in 2017 is now one of the best and least expensive streaming sticks you can get your hands on the plus sign moniker is earned by the streaming sticks ability to deliver 4k and HDR content to HD are compatible TVs it also supports dolby atmos audio offering best in class surround-sound you can leave your TV remote on the coffee table or shove it away in a drawer because this little remote can control your TV's power and volume that may seem like a pretty minor feature but once you get used to it the thought of having to juggle multiple remotes will seem barbaric by comparison with a simple onscreen setup and one of the most easy to use visually appealing layouts we've ever had the pleasure of testing the Roku streaming stick plus refuses to waver among increasing competition and because it came out over a year ago it's an even sweeter deal at just $60 compared to the 70 it released at that's gonna do it for this week's tech for less as always you can check out any of the products I mentioned in the description down below be sure to like this video and subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes and until then I'm Cris DeGraw thank you so much for watching and I'll see you next weekhello and welcome back to tech for less the show we talk about all the best tech you can get for cheap I'm your host Chris Tigre and today we're going to be taking a look at some of our favorites under $75 so let's do this thing by now you're probably familiar with the Google assistant it's the invisible secretary we've got living in many of our phones and smart gadgets the Google home Mini is the smallest of Google's smart speaker line-up and legit my personal favorite for the uninitiated with Google assistant you can set alarms you can play music check the weather no touch Google searches along with an ever-growing list of other various tasks in addition that can control your smart stuff so your speaker's your TV your thermostats and on and on the sound is surprisingly nice and loud for its size and it's great for listening to podcasts or music while you do errands around the house you can even link multiple minis together allowing you to wander from room to room without interrupting any important blue apron ad reads of course the Google home Mini comes in a variety of colors including chalk charcoal coral and aqua so just like with the Amazon echo dot you can unobtrusively accent your home decor this smart speaker will run you $49 and trust me when I tell you once you get one in the living room you'll realize you still need one for the kitchen and maybe one for the bedroom even the bathroom and pretty much everywhere else up next we're showing off the taotronics t TBH zero six zero active noise-cancelling headphones now that is a mouthful but this is a recent favorite of ours especially considering that most Wireless noise cancelling headphones will run you upwards of $300 or more the design of these headphones is simple and understated it's not trying to show off and it's not gonna turn any heads either but for the budget conscious commuter or the Open Office inhabitant that's probably not what they were going for whether you're jamming to pop jazz or hip hop you'll be delighted realize that you can differentiate each element of the sound pretty easily without that overly dramatic low end that inexpensive headphones tend to lean toward and suffer from I'm not saying that there's no difference between these headphones and say the Sony WH 1000x m3s or the surface headphones but not everyone wants to pony up a couple months worth of car insurance for great sound quality and convenience and at seventy dollars for these guys you really don't have to next up we're looking at the blue snowball ice it's been out for years now and praised by many for being the absolute best in affordable microphones for podcasting voiceovers on YouTube streaming on Twitch or even simple music recording at home on a computer this mic uses what's called a cardioid condenser capsule and while that sounds like something that Goku might need to consume in order to save the planet really it's just there to filter out background noise from things like your keyboard or a fan to use it just plug the USB into the back and plug the other end in your computer and that's it you'll know it's working when the red light up top illuminates literally no one likes downloading and updating drivers so it's really nice not to have to do that with this mic it's worth noting that you have to be pretty close to the blue snowball ice in order to get picked up clearly no more than a foot away max and even that might be stretching it but for most of the situations you'd be using a mic like this you'd want to be up close anyway so it's not a huge deal and you can always invest in an arm or something to give yourself more freedom of movement when the mic is the right distance away from the source about like this you'll notice it sounds impressively rich and clear the blue snowball ice retails for $50 and when paired with free recording software like OBS or audacity it can be both affordable and versatile especially if you're thinking about getting into content creation or if you just want to argue with your friends on discord as to whether apex Legends is better than a fortnight let's keep the game theme going and this one oh man am i excited to show you this one this is the Kintaro super kuma 9000 and it's really just a pretty shell because what's hiding inside is a Raspberry Pi 3 okay this one's gonna get a little nerdy so stick with me the Raspberry Pi if you don't know is a tiny like really tiny computer with all the same ports as your laptop or a desktop it's got USB ports an Ethernet it's got a Wi-Fi antenna an HDMI out even if 3.5 millimeter audio jack which is more than we can say for some other popular devices the Raspberry Pi was basically built as a cheap learning tool for coding and since its original release in 2012 it sold millions of units and it's used for a ton of projects like RC cars homemade smartphones and DIY game consoles in case you haven't figured it out yet we're here to talk about the last one by the very nature of Pi this is a fantastic weekend project at the end of which you'll be the proud owner of your very own portable gaming console capable of emulating games from as far back as Atari all the way through to n64 just be patient especially if you're new to coding I promise though it's a lot easier than it sounds and thankfully chances are if you're having a problem a million other people have had the same one so a solution is just a Google search away do remember that downloading games that you don't already physically own isn't strictly aboveboard legally speaking but we're not here to tell you how to live your life and if you do happen to own a bunch of classic games having them all in one easy to carry around package no bigger than a Game Boy is a lot less cumbersome than trying to connect an ogee Nintendo to a new Smart TV not to mention that there are probably thousands of user-created games and fan made spin-offs that you can enjoy at this point completely guilt-free the Super kuma 9000 and Raspberry Pi 3 together will run you just over $70 and will undoubtedly make you king or queen of the gamers among your friends circle streaming sticks are pretty popular not least because smart TV UI is often not that fast or intuitive and Roku has been in the game long enough to hang with the best the Roku streaming stick plus released in 2017 is now one of the best and least expensive streaming sticks you can get your hands on the plus sign moniker is earned by the streaming sticks ability to deliver 4k and HDR content to HD are compatible TVs it also supports dolby atmos audio offering best in class surround-sound you can leave your TV remote on the coffee table or shove it away in a drawer because this little remote can control your TV's power and volume that may seem like a pretty minor feature but once you get used to it the thought of having to juggle multiple remotes will seem barbaric by comparison with a simple onscreen setup and one of the most easy to use visually appealing layouts we've ever had the pleasure of testing the Roku streaming stick plus refuses to waver among increasing competition and because it came out over a year ago it's an even sweeter deal at just $60 compared to the 70 it released at that's gonna do it for this week's tech for less as always you can check out any of the products I mentioned in the description down below be sure to like this video and subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes and until then I'm Cris DeGraw thank you so much for watching and I'll see you next week\n"