I Bought Amazon's "Number One" Tech...

The video explores the idea of purchasing items solely based on Amazon's top search results, excluding ads and sponsored content, to determine if it's a reliable way to find good products. The first item purchased based on this methodology is the Plaud Note Pro, a device designed to record meetings, take photos, stream to a phone, and use AI for summarization. The presenter notes that they've seen the product discussed by others but haven't used it personally. Upon unboxing, it's revealed to be credit card-sized. A significant issue is the subscription model, costing $240 a year after a 300-minute starter plan. The device also has an "ambient recording" feature, which allows it to constantly listen, raising privacy concerns. During a test recording of a mock board meeting, the AI summarization only captured one highlight: a suggestion to fire Alex for buying "Stingers on the company card." In a phone call test, the AI humorously misinterpreted a request for "corporate governance fraud" as a "playful and absurdist improvised roleplay scene." The presenter concludes that while some features are neat, the device is too expensive, especially considering the high cost of AI transcriptions when free alternatives are available on a phone. Next, the search for "PC" yielded a Dell OptiPlex with a 3rd Gen Core i5, which the presenter describes as an "out-of-a-doctor's-office, in-your-cubicle ass PC." The computer took 45 minutes to boot up and displayed a Windows 11 update. Upon inspection, a date code revealed it was built on May 23rd, 2012. Despite running Windows 11, which typically requires a newer processor, it has 16 gigabytes of DDR3 RAM and a two-terabyte WD hard drive, described as the "world's slowest." The presenter attempts to watch a YouTube video, but it takes an additional two minutes to load. The total cost for the PC, mouse, keyboard, speakers, and monitor was $297. The presenter strongly advises against buying such ancient refurbished systems from Amazon at this price point, suggesting that loading a Linux distribution like Linux Mint would make it somewhat usable, unlike Windows 11. The search for "best-selling game console" resulted in a "PlayStation Special Game Rocker" and a "4K Game Stick Pro." The presenter quickly identifies these as likely fake, noting that the listing for the purchased item had already disappeared from Amazon. The controllers are compared to "Mad Catz vibes" and feel slightly better than typical cheap emulator controllers. The console is stuck on a loading screen, failing to progress. The total cost was $50. The presenter, while not condoning the purchase of emulators with illicit ROMs, mentions that similar devices can be found for much less on platforms like Temu. A search for "smart glasses" led to a pair that look similar to Meta Ray-Bans but have a much smaller speaker grill. A significant drawback is the lack of a charging case, requiring the glasses to be plugged in daily. The setup process is straightforward. The AI in the glasses accurately describes the environment and a person in the image. The sound quality is described as "a little tinny." When comparing photos taken with these glasses to those from Meta Ray-Bans, the main difference is that these glasses are "way too zoomed in." At $75, the presenter finds them "not that bad" if privacy isn't a concern, but still "suspect to trust something like this." A "fun gadget" search resulted in a mini archery bow. The presenter finds it surprisingly sharp and capable of piercing through material. The cost was $12, which the presenter deems acceptable. For "best laptop that isn't too expensive," Amazon suggested a "KAIGERR" laptop. The presenter describes it as "gigantic" and "very plasticky." The hinge is stiff, and the laptop is a "chunker." The screen is likely 1080p IPS with reasonable viewing angles. It came with Windows 11 Pro without needing setup, which the presenter finds unusual for a Chinese device and suspects the Windows key might not be legitimate. While the typing experience is surprisingly quick, the speakers are described as "tiniest" and sounding like a "bad phone speaker." The laptop crashed while playing a video. The total cost was $437. The presenter concludes that this price is too high, as better laptops can be found in the $400-$500 range, especially with student discounts or a slightly increased budget. Finally, a search for "renewed phone" led to a Galaxy S22, graded as "excellent." Upon inspection, it has a "fresh screen protector" but also a "big old scratch" and numerous scuffs around the USB-C port, indicating heavy use. The hardware is deemed good for its description. The cost was $170. The presenter notes the main downside is the ticking clock on software support and suggests that spending an extra $70 for an S23 (priced around $250 renewed) would be worthwhile for the extended software support. In summary, the experiment of relying solely on Amazon's top search results (excluding ads) yielded a mixed bag of products, with many being overpriced, of questionable quality, or not as advertised. The presenter concludes that this method is generally unreliable and highlights Amazon's potential issue with vetting the vast number of items on its platform.