BOYA Miniature Condenser Smartphone Microphone Review

BOYA BY-M110 Omnidirectional 3.5mm TRRS Microphone

If you record videos on your smartphone, wind noise can be a nuisance. I was looking for a small smartphone mic that is easy to use and carry. Then I came across the BOYA BY-M110 smartphone mic.

The BOYA BY-M110 smartphone mic is a miniature omnidirectional 3.5mm TRRS for smartphone. It can also be used with a laptop, tablet and anything else with TRRS connectivity.

Weighing only 0.3 Ounces, this tiny microphone won’t add any extra weight. BOYA provided one wind muff made of foam. This is OK, but won’t prevent wind noise on a windy day. I was able to attach an additional DeadCat windshield and it reduced wind noise significantly. 

Another feature I like is that it has a 180° Rotating Head, so you can change the direction of the mic according to your needs.

I paid about $30 CAD, which is not bad. I noticed on Amazon a very similar-looking mic, the BOYA A7H, selling for $8.95. I was not sure what the differences are and didn’t want to take a chance buying the cheaper one.

My phone has a 3.5mm audio input. Newer phones are getting rid of the 3.5mm input. If your phone only has a USB C, you need to buy a different version like the BOYA BY-M100UC ($39.95) or the BOYA BY-P4U ($32). Again, I was not quite sure what are the differences are between these two.

Overall, I am happy with the purchase. This is not a paid or affiliated review. I purchased it with my own money. I have a YouTube review of the BOYA BY-M110 omnidirectional 3.5mm TRRS Microphone.

What Gifts to Give Men For This Holiday Season | Best Christmas Gifts For Men

3 Best Double Edge Safety Razor Gifts for This Holiday (Christmas) Season | Best Men’s Gifts

What are the top best 3 safety razor gifts for men this Christmas or holiday season? Today, I will talk about the three best DE Razors you can give as a gift and won’t break the bank.

My recommendations are based on my personal experiences and these are not any affiliates or paid suggestions to make any sort of commission. You can rest assured that my reviews are unbiased and honest.

Muhle R89 Double Edge Safety Razor

The Muhle R89 is a closed-comb, German-made safety razor to give the best shave experience for both newbies and pros. Quality is what you will notice right away when you hold this razor. It features chrome-plated brass with a knurling handle that provides non-slip grip.

The price range is $50 CAD to $100 CAD. I noticed the Muhle costs less on other online retailers than Amazon, so check first before buying.

Edwin Jagger R86/R89 Double Edge Safety Razor

You will see the similarities with the Muhle R89 right away. This is not an accident. Edwin Jagger is made in England and they have a joint venture with Muhle, so some of their razor heads are identical.

This is another quality product and will provide a very similar shaving experience to the Muhle R89. The difference between the Edwin Jagger R86 and the R89 is the R89 has a rubberized handle and the R89 has a chrome handle.

Price range is $50 CAD to $60 and usually Amazon sells it at competitive prices.

Merkur 34C Double Edge Safety Razor

This is one of the most popular razors of all time and another quality razor made in Germany. Unlike the 2 razors above which are 3 pieces, the Merkur 34C is a two-piece razor.

The price range is $50 CAD to $60 and usually Amazon sells it at competitive prices.

I was very brief in this article. However, I have a video where you will visualize everything I wrote for better understanding. Link is Here:

Why You Should Not Buy Any Zhiyun Gimbal

My Zhiyun Smooth 5 Gimbal Broke After 7 Months

Two gimbals from Zhiyun ended up stopped working after a few months. This doesn’t look like a coincidence and that’s prompted me to write about my experiences, so you don’t waste your money like me.

My first Zhiyun gimbal was the Zhiyun Smooth Q3. I purchased it in August 2021 and it didn’t even last a year. The problem was that it was having difficulty balancing and was unusable, as videos were too shaky.

I didn’t feel too bad wasting $100, but I also didn’t take any lesson from this and purchased a more expensive model from the same manufacturer.

I bought the Zhiyun Smooth 5 in February 2022. At $235, it was expensive, bulky and wouldn’t fit in my bag, even after folding it. But I didn’t mind these issues because it was performing well. I was happy with the product.

But then, after only 7 months, history repeats itself. My Zhiyun Smooth 5 became unusable, as it couldn’t balance my phone anymore. I have a lighter, smaller phone and it was even having difficulty making the video quality smooth.

It’s not like it stopped working totally. My Zhiyun Smooth 5 worked, but unable to do its job properly. I became so upset that I didn’t want to bother calling customer support and wasting my time.

I am a content creator, so I need a gimbal that functions right away and I decided to buy a newly-released DJI OSMO Mobile 6.

If you are planning to purchase any Zhiyun gimbal at any point in the future, think twice before spending any money; it might save you a couple of hundred dollars and lots of hassle.

Don’t Make This Cox’s Bazar Mistake - World’s Longest Sea Beach

What Foreigners Don’t Understand About Cox’s Bazar – The World’s Longest Sea Beach

On my last Bangladesh trip, I had the opportunity to visit Cox’s Bazar – The World’s Longest Sea Beach. What I realized is that most tourists make a big mistake and that’s what I will talk about today.

Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh is the world's longest natural sandy sea beach. Cox's Bazar beach has a gentle slope and an unbroken, uninterrupted length of 155 km (96 mi). It is so big that there are many beaches on its unbroken shore with different names.

Most foreigners only visit the main part of the beach known as Cox’s Bazar beach, as this is adjacent to Cox’s Bazar city and next to the hotels. In my opinion, this is the worst of the all beaches and also too crowded.

What tourists don’t realise is that the other beaches which are still part of Cox’s Bazar’s 155 km (96 mi) stretch and offer a much better experience because they are a lot better, cleaner, provide a better visual awe-inspiring experience, and are less crowded than the main beach.

Some of these beaches are Laboni Beach, Inani Beach, Patuartek Beach, Sohnkhali Beach, Bestway Long Beach, Sonadia Island Beach, and I’m not even sure how many more there are.

I have visited a few of these beaches and I was shocked to find out that most tourists have never heard of or stepped on these beaches. It’s like you are leaving after reading the first chapter of a book, but the book gets better as you go through the remaining chapters.

So next time you are visiting Cox’s Bazar, I recommend not spending all your time on the main Cox’s Bazar beach. Rather, look for the other hidden gems which will make your travel to the world’s longest sea beach more meaningful and memorable.

What You Must Check Before Taking A Rental Car

Simple Checks You Should Perform Before Driving Off A Rental Car | Best Car Rental Tips

Don’t rush to leave the rental car station once you get the keys. Spending 10 more minutes to do these simple checks will save you a lot of hassle and time.

I will go over some basic checks for you in this article. If you think I missed something, definitely add it to your list next time you rent a car and drive off the parking lot.

Vehicle Registration and Insurance Papers – These should be in the glove compartment, but don’t assume they are always there. Check and make sure your rental car has all the required documents you need.

Tire Pressure and Flat Tire Tool Kit - Check the tire pressure by kicking them and also make sure the trunk has a flat tire tool kit such as a jack, a wrench, and a fully-inflated spare tire. Also, ask the associate what their policy is in case of a flat tire. Some rental companies don’t allow customers to change a flat tire (you have to call their provided emergency # in that case) and some want you to try changing the tire first before calling for help.

Also, get the emergency # to call from the associate and save it on your phone.

Check & Record for Damages – Check the whole car inside and outside, including the trunk for any damages and scratches. Better yet, video (using your phone) the car as proof, which will be hard to dispute in the case of the rental company blaming you for something which was done by the previous renter. This simple video trick helped me a lot when I discovered scratches after exiting the parking lot and didn’t notice it before.

Gas Metre (Fuel Gauge) – Take a picture of the gas metre, as you will need to refuel it to the same point it was when you took the car.

A bonus tip is to check where the gas tank release button is located. It happened to me in the past that I couldn’t find the release button, as it was hidden.