At first glance, the Altice One DVR Plus service seems like an improvement to Optimum’s previous DVR service. You can play back your recorded shows on any cable box in the home, and you can continue watching a show where you left off on a different TV. The new cable box also gives you the ability to record up to fifteen programs at the same time.

The user interface has also been improved. Recorded shows can be organized by show rather than just by date. You can record single shows or schedule to record the first run of each new episode of your favorite show. We always recommend setting the recordings to record at least 2 additional minutes of your show, since recording the exact allotted hour often results in missing the last few moments of the show. The DVR schedules recording based on a fairly static program guide that gets updated every 2-3 days. That turned out to be an issue when trying to record The Good Wife since the shows is on Sunday nights at 9pm, but with the football games running longer in the afternoon, the show often ends up starting around 9:30pm or 10pm. The DVR doesn’t intelligently adapt to the change, so we schedule the show with an extra hour of recording to avoid any problems.

Unfortunately, while these improvements seemed promising, we have been testing the service for a few months now and came across several major problems that Altice is very slow to address or is not addressing at all.

A major problem is the fast forward feature. Unlike Verizon Fios TV DVR service, Altice One DVR Plus lacks the option to skip 30 seconds at a time. And because the recording is streaming from the server, the standard fast forward feature is extremely unresponsive. By the time you see the show starting, it’s much too late to press play. We usually found ourselves fast-forwarding well into the show, then having to rewind back into the last commercial and resume from there.

A further frustration of Altice One’s DVR Plus service is that is sporadically fails to record scheduled shows. Last week I had it scheduled to record Elementary, but the recording never happened. We have been seeing this happen intermittently; either the recording is completely missing, or it’s there but crashes the system when you try to play it back. This problem is especially frustrating in the case of shows like the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which aren’t available On Demand at a later time.

If all this wasn’t enough, the DVR playback menu doesn’t always work. I had some family and friends gathered in the living room recently to watch the latest episode of WestWorld. The DVR menu page wouldn’t load, and we had to call Altice’s customer service. After keeping us on hold for over 30 minutes, they needed to reprogram and reboot the cable box to get the DVR menu working again. A real party pooper. The DVR menu acted up an average of once or twice a week during the time we tested the DVR Plus service.

Space limitations are another major issue of the DVR Plus service. With the earlier Optimum DVR service, you could record just 24 hours of HD TV, while competitors offered the ability to record up to 300 hours. With the cloud-based DVR Plus service, you would expect Optimum to offer many more hours of available space to record. Inexplicably, Altice still limits you to 75 hours of HD recording, shared throughout the house. Yes, we said shared, because if you have four TVs in the house, you can only record 75 hours all together. We were baffled when we learned this. Why give the ability to record fifteen shows at once when you have such limited space on Altice’s server? There is no reasonable explanation for this.

Let’s now assume that you were actually able to record your favorite show in HD and get it to play back. While watching your favorite action scene in Suits, or the wheel spinning on Jeopardy, you suddenly notice a high amount of pixelation. The quality of the video has suddenly jumped from an expected 1080i HD to a low quality that’s worse than playing back a video stream on your cell phone 10 years ago! We were simply shocked at this and saw it happen time and time again, on different dates, different channels, and different shows. Upon further investigation we discovered that while Altice broadcasts all its HD programming in 1080i quality, when it comes to the “HD” DVR Plus, the video streamed back to your cable box is drastically compressed. This results in subpar and grossly pixelated video that is especially noticeable during quick movements like a camera panning or a fast action scene.

Several calls made weekly to Altice’s customer service have resulted in no resolution of these major issues.

At this stage we feel that Altice’s DVR Plus needs some drastic improvements to make the service viable for its customers. We currently do not recommend this service, but we hope that Altice will promptly address the issues at hand.

Wrong! Hard drive failure is a very common problem with today’s computers. Unlike today’s popular flash-based media that uses memory chips, hard drives still rely on their mechanical components. These can fail at any time – and if you didn’t back up your data or set up a RAID array, you are in trouble.

We encountered the same problems with one of our lab’s hard drives, one full of important files and data. We first tried to restore the data using different software recovery tools. These usually work if you have lost the master boot sector or if you have corrupted sectors on the drive. None of these software packages, including Ontrack EasyRecovery Professional software package, were able to restore any of the files. The drive was suffering from media corruption and minor internal mechanical problems.

We sent the drive to Ontrack for repair using their Data Recovery services. They have four labs located in the New York, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Washington D.C. metropolitan areas. After a few days we were sent a file listing the whole file structure of the corrupted hard drive. Using the Ontrack’s free VeriFile application, which runs on their website as an ActiveX application, we were able to view which files were recoverable and which were lost. VeriFile is a great and unique application that can be very useful when trying to recover your data. It’s a web-based software application that gives you a preview of what was restorable on your hard drive. It allows you to search the hard drive file structure for specific files or filter by several options including read-only, compressed and encrypted. In our case only a couple of files were lost.

Within a few more days we received an external hard drive containing all the recovered data. As an alternative we could have received the data on a set of several DVDs, but we opted for the more convenient external drive. All the files recovered were accessible. The total cost of this service was $1,500.

Ontrack Data Recovery did an impressive job at recovering our data. This can be valuable when you don’t have backup copies of your important files. We definitely recommend Data Recovery if you have vital information on your corrupted hard drive.

As a preventative measure we always recommend to do backups of your valuable files on a regular basis. If your computer is capable of a RAID array, it’s a great alternative to have two hard drives set up as RAID in mirroring mode.

Earlier this year we were impressed with the Casper mattress, but you are about to learn more about our experience testing the Nest Bedding Alexander Signature Select mattress.

We unpacked the Nest Alexander, which inflated to its full size almost instantly. Nest Bedding makes the mattress in the US and uses non-toxic materials in the production process. We did not smell any of the unpleasant chemical odors that common foam mattresses tend to emit for weeks. Fully inflated and with no bad odors, within a few minutes the Alexander was ready to sleep on.

Unlike the 10” height of the Casper, the Alexander mattress is almost 14” high. In addition to the 2″ of gel foam, 2″ of visco foam and an 8″ density convoluted support layer, the Alexander has a 1.5″ top layer of soft foam in a quilted cover. The top layer adds a great feel to the mattress whether you sit down or lay on it.

Unlike the Casper, the Alexander can be ordered in three levels of firmness, which Nest Bedding refers to as “feel”. You can choose between soft, medium and firm. Most people will likely select the medium feel, but it is great to have the option to choose the level of firmness of your mattress. We tested the Alexander with the medium feel and we were pleased with the sleeping comfort in all positions.

The Alexander offers a better edge support than the Casper, in fact it’s easier to sit on the edge of the bed.

The only issue we have with the Alexander is the price. Their Twin size mattress at $999 is almost double the price of the Casper Twin at $500. The Full, Queen and King mattresses are a better value; for example the Alexander King is $1,399, still almost 50% more than the Casper King at $950.

We found the Alexander to be a comfortable mattress to sleep on. We did not run into any of the issues that other mattresses in the space suffer from. With the Alexander we did not sink into the mattress, we did not suffer from overheating while sleeping and we did not experience any nasty chemical odors. In our sleeping comfort tests, the Nest Alexander ranked better than the Casper mattress.

Overall the Nest Alexander is a great mattress that delivers a good night sleep. The only drawback is pricing. While for a Twin size mattress we definitely recommend the Casper, for all other sizes the Alexander might be worth the extra money.

In the last few months we have been testing several new wireless audio products. Here is our list of top pick wireless audio products that can improve your everyday sound experience.

BackBeat PRO+

Plantronics

www.plantronics.com

$299.99 direct

The BackBeat PRO+ is a great pair of wireless noise canceling Bluetooth headphones. The BackBeat PRO+ provides up to 24 hours of listening and it can sync to your PC, MAC or smartphone.

A great solution for music lovers at home or on the go.

JBL Xtreme Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

Harman

www.jbl.com

$299.95 direct

The JBL Xtreme Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker is a splashproof portable Bluetooth speaker with 10,000mAH battery that provides up to 15 hours or playtime. It’s a great audio product for outdoors use and while you travel.

treVolo

BenQ

www.benq.com

$299 direct

If you listen to Jazz, Pop or Classical music, the BenQ treVolo is the perfect wireless speaker for your home. It’s fairly compact and it has a stylish design. You will be impressed at the great sound that the treVolo produces.

Unlike most competitors, the treVolo uses electrostatic speakers technology.

JBL Boost TV

Harman

www.jbl.com

$199.95 direct

Another great solution for your living room is the JBL Boost TV. While it is a compact TV speaker, it produces great sound, better what most TVs built-in speakers. The JBL boost TV also supports Dolby Digital.

Voyager Focus UC B825

Plantronics

www.plantronics.com

$299.95 direct

The Voyager Focus UC B825 by Plantronics is the perfect headset if you spend a lot of time on Skype or on conference calls. It comes with active noise cancellation and since it’s a stereo headeset, you can also wirelessly listen to music. A great solution for your home-business start up.

JBL Everest Elite 700

Harman

www.jbl.com

$299.95 direct

A close second to our wireless headphones top choice, the Plantronics’ BackBeat PRO+, is the JBL Everest Elite 700. It is a slick wireless headphones with great sound and active noise cancellation.

During testing we did come across a minor 1-second delay in the audio. This was causing the audio/video to be slightly out of sync, but a firmware update by JBL took care of the issue.

A quick survey of our readers shows that for people on a budget, they usually purchase a king size foam mattress online for around $600, while our more affluent readers tend to spend over $3,000 for Tempur-Pedic style mattress. How about a mattress that’s nearly as comfortable as a Tempur-Pedic, yet it costs not much more than a standard foam mattress? We recently found out that such option exists, the Casper mattress.

Internet startup Casper fills that perfect mattress sweet spot. A comfortable mattress delivered to your home in a box, for less than $1,000 (for a king size.)

We had a few of our editors experience sleeping for several weeks on a popular foam mattress sold on Amazon, a Casper mattress as well as a premium mattress.

The Casper mattress arrives in a box within a few days of your order. Unlike foam mattresses that require 2-3 days to air out the chemical smells and inflate to full height, the Casper mattress was ready in less than 20 minutes and it didn’t have any of the unpleasant chemical smells.

One of the main differences of a Casper mattress is that its top layer is 1.5” of latex foam, then a 1.5” layer of memory foam, with a 7” layer of base foam. Most regular memory foam mattresses don’t have a layer of latex, and if they do, it’s usually beneath a layer of memory foam. That’s one of Casper’s main differences.

Sleeping on a Casper mattress is very comfortable, its layers of foam and latex allow for a comfortable sleep without overheating. For some of our editors sleeping on a regular foam mattress was unbearable, causing them to wake up in the morning in a pool of sweat.

The Casper mattress is not too soft nor too hard, it’s somewhere in between. Unlike the foam mattress, it’s easy to flip around on and it’s comfortable for night activities. We must admit though, that we liked better to sleep on our premium mattress, but the Casper’s comfort was not far off.

One of the main drawbacks for the Casper is the lack of edge support. If you like to sit on the edge of your bed while getting dressed, you won’t like to do it on your Casper mattress. Its slick cover design gives the impression of a sturdy edge, but the mattress lacks any real edge support.

Even the cheaper foam mattress we tested offered a better edge support.

Overall we feel that the Casper mattress is a great choice for the price. You get a slick and comfortable mattress made in the USA delivered to your home for less than a $1,000, you don’t have to worry about

sweating at night and it’s almost as comfortable as a premium mattress that runs three times the price.

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Throughout the year we see a lot of new products, some are hits and some are misses. Here are some of our picks for cool new products for the summer of 2015.

18-Piece Garden Tool Set, Pink

Apollo Precision Tools

www.apollotools.com

$99.99 direct

The Pink 18-Piece Garden Tool Kit from Apollo Precision Tools contains useful tools for your gardening needs like pruning shears, soft grip hose nozzles, quick hose connects and water splitter/controller. The knee pad is convenient and comfortable for weeding and planting.

A portion of each sale goes to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

TI-84 Plus CE

Texas Instruments

education.ti.com

$150 online

This dedicated math machine, available in 8 fun colors, like Positively Pink, Plum “Pi” and Radical Red, is 30 percent thinner and 30 percent lighter than the TI-84 Plus. It also has six times more memory and a new rechargeable battery, making it the perfect companion for your next math test.

GeckoTech Reusable Hooks

Duck Brand

www.duckbrand.com

$4.49 direct

Geckoteck Reusable Hooks utilize a revolutionary microsuction technology that allows them to be removed safely, again and again. They come in different sizes and you can buy hooks that hold up to 1lb, all the way up to 5lbs.

Juice in the Box

Precidio

www.juiceinthebox.com

$11.99 direct

Juice in the Box is the first reusable juice box – perfect for sending the kids off to school with a healthy lunch AND drink. Instead of buying unhealthy juices off the grocery store shelf that are full of added sugar, you can make your own juice or drink and pack it for your child.

D’Eco Collapsible Lunch Box

SCS Direct

www.scsdirectinc.com

$19.99 direct

D’Eco Collapsible Lunch Box is a great solution to bring your lunch to work and it’s collapsible for easy storage taking it back home at the end of the day.

QiStone+

Fonesalesman

www.fonesalesman.com

$64.99 on Amazon

The QiStone+ is a cool 4000mAh wireless charging battery. You can simply rest your Samsung Galaxy S6 on it and it will charge your phone wirelessly.

The device is a well-designed sensor that you can set on your night stand. To best use the features of the ResMed S+, the user must point it at their chest and keep the device at an arm’s length, to ensure it can properly detect your vitals. Once downloaded, the app that works on iOS and Android, the user needs to create an account and sync the S+ with a smartphone via Bluetooth. In testing, the setup was more difficult than anticipated.

Every night, before bed, the user must make sure their phone is properly synced with the S+ and they also must complete a questionnaire that inquires about their level of stress, alcohol and caffeine consumptions, and how much they exercised that day.

We had a few members of our staff take the S+ at home and test it. We found that with people who generally get a good night sleep, they got tired of using the S+ and were uninterested in the results.

The S+ seemed more useful for people who don’t always get a good night’s sleep. The S+ calculates how many hours of actual sleep you had each evening and it breaks it down into light, deep and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. It then compares this number to an average cycle of expected sleep and informs the user if they should get more REM sleep. This is helpful because your brain is more refreshed the next day or more deep sleep so your body has more energy with an increased amount of REM sleep.

The S+ app provides the user an overview of how they slept the night before as well as the history of their previous nights. The user can also log into the website to view a more detailed history of their sleep. Just recently, a new feature has been added to the website where users can select up to 28 nights of sleep and have a summary prepared to take to your doctor. While the concept of sharing your sleep results with your doctor is appealing, we didn’t like the lack of detailed information. A sleep doctor might want to see more details to properly evaluate your sleep patterns. In general, we feel that with the amount of data collected, ResMed can do a better job at presenting a more thorough analysis on the website.

While the S+ does a fairly good job in collecting sleeping patterns, we came across a few glitches during testing. For example, if you wake up and stop your sleep session through your phone, and later decide to go back to sleep, the website doesn’t comprehend that you had two sleep sessions in one night. We also found that re-syncing the phone with the S+ every night is not always so simple, as it often times requires restarting the Bluetooth connection and rediscovering the device. Testers had this issue with both iPhones and Android phones.

Our biggest complaint is that we would expect from ResMed to detect if the person is snoring or having sleep apnea episodes, and the S+ does not have that function ability. We had one of our editors who suffers from loud snoring and severe sleep apnea, to use the S+. The S+ did not detect the snoring, not even as loud noise, nor did it detect episode of sleep apnea.

The S+ has a retail value of $150, but ResMed doesn’t charge a monthly fee for the sleep monitoring or the website access, which is a big plus. In general we like the concept of the S+, but we expected a bit more from ResMed. A fully featured website and the ability to properly detect sleep problems would turn the S+ into a great product.

The Dropcam Pro is an improvement compared to the original Dropcam. It comes with a wider viewing angle, 130 vs 107 degrees, an improved night vision as well as support for 5G Wi-Fi. The Dropcam Pro offers the ability to stream 720p video and audio to any PC or smartphone connected to the web. It even offers you the ability to remotely talk back to whoever is nearby the camera.

Unless you own a newer iPhone or iPad, setup requires connecting the camera to a PC in order to properly set it up with your Wi-Fi network. We found this to be very annoying. To make things worse, once the camera is up and running, you cannot change your network settings unless you reconnect it to a PC.

The quality of the night vision is pretty good. In general we liked the quality of the image and the convenience of being able to watch the last 7 days or 30 days of recordings, in case you missed something. While watching your recorded streams, you can go to areas where motion or sound occurred. These markers are not always precise and we came across instances in which the software didn’t detect motion or audio.

We weren’t too pleased to find out that the recorded video playback lacks a basic function that even our defunct VCRs had, the ability to fast-forward. In fact, you can only playback from the cloud at regular speed; that can be very annoying, especially if you are trying to skim through hours of recording looking for a particular event.

Unfortunately, the cloud recording comes at a steep price, $10 a month or $99 a year to view the last 7 days or $30 a month or $300 a year for the last 30 days. If you add that to the cost of the camera and the fact that you might want to purchase 2-3 cameras, the cost can become prohibitive. There is no option to record your videos directly to local storage or to your own cloud storage account.

When you start looking closely at the Dropcam Pro, pricing is not the only issue, there are several issues that make us question the quality and reliability of the product. Throughout our extensive testing period, we came across some quirks that we didn’t like. Unless you have a reliable internet connection with upstream of at least 5Mbps, the Dropcam Pro might struggle in offering a reliable continuous video stream. Additionally, for several months this year, we noticed that on Friday nights the Dropcam Pro would often fail to connect to the server. After talking to their tech support, our only plausible explanation is that their server couldn’t handle the amount of new connections that customers initiate when the weekend starts. It was a real bummer.

We had issues with the ability to automatically turn the night vision on or off, the Dropcam Pro would keep the night vision on even 2-3 hours after sunset in a well lit room. We also noticed that when there is a sudden or fast movement, the Dropcam Pro handles it poorly with a lot of pixelation. While I am not too worried about seeing every pixel of my baby flipping in bed, I surely would want to clearly see the face of an intruder in my apartment. Basically, while the camera is capable of a 720p stream, the video is often extremely compressed, compromising the quality of the image produced.

It’s great to be able to monitor the camera through your smartphone, but the functionalities are limited and in our tests the app often crashed on several devices.

The Dropcam Pro is a great camera with a lot of potential. With some tweaks to its software and some additional new features, it could easily become the best internet surveillance monitoring camera on the market.