I don’t get jealous often, but it’s time to come clean! ?? For the last year or so, I’ve watched two of my colleagues at 1188 Films use and rave about, their Surface Pro devices. They use it as a tablet on set, a computer in the office, and a notepad in meetings. While here I am lugging around multiples devices… It does seem that the interactive screen is becoming increasingly utilized and well-regarded in a business context thanks to it being compact, mobile, easy to use, fast, and highly accessible.

I wanted to take one for a test drive, so when I got an email from the Microsoftstore.ca team to do just that, I was totally game!

As you know, I spend a lot of time on my computer.  I shift from being a blogger to working as a director with 1188 Films Inc. and doing a variety of other client-related tasks throughout the day (aka. emails galore). I’ve only had the device for a couple of days, but it’s seriously impacted my productivity. The  Surface Pro 4 is both computer and tablet, so it saves me lugging around 2 devices. It’s also small and light, so it’s easy to carry in a purse or backpack. Lately, I‘ve been lugging around both my iPad Pro and MacBook Pro which makes my purse kinda (super) heavy.

As a girl on-the-go, I found the Surface Pro to be super portable, and versatile.
It’s like powerful little studio all in one device.

The fact that the device converts from computer to tablet is a solid feature for creatives like myself.  I’m able to work on a document in computer mode, present something in a meeting in studio mode, and give directions on set in tablet mode. All in one device. You can also work on a bunch of things at the same time, great for multitasking.

The computer is fast (Intel® Core™ processor) and you can run heavy programs like Premiere or Photoshop with absolutely no issues. You can even edit a video and spit it out in 4k which is super handy for any editor. The battery lasts a full workday (50% more battery life than Surface Pro 3.), meaning you don’t need to drag a charger around.  (You know the struggle of finding an outlet is real. Very real).

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I’ve been making a lot more art lately, so I was super keen to check out The Surface Pen. It’s got a wide sensor and pressure range great for detailed drawings. One of the things I noticed before I even got started is that the pen and Surface device are magnetic, aka the chances of you losing the pen are lower than with the iPad Pro. (If you have one of these devices you know what I mean!)

Using the brushes in Fresh Paint is hyper-realistic, I was painting with oil and the way the paint moves, blends and smudges is incredibly close to the real thing. I’m familiar with Autodesk Sketchbook so was glad to see it was available for Surface Pro. I use that to sign my name for the blog and the pen is very detailed, exactly like what you have it set to ex. paint brush, chalk, pencil, ballpoint pen etc.

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If there was one thing I’d change, it would be to add another USB port as there is only one on the device. You can purchase a Surface Dock on microsoftstore.ca to transform your device into a desktop PC! There is a firewire cable, and you can pop in an SD or Micro SD card directly to the unit.

Overall, great device especially for students or freelancers that work on-the-go. Highly recommend for anyone with a mix of creativity and business in their life. For more info on the Surface Pro 4 or to make a purchase, visit microsoftstore.ca.

If you have any questions for me about using the device, leave a comment!

When this was delivered Sean said ‘look, it’s your biggest fan!‘ ?  I don’t do product reviews often but when a piece of really cool tech comes along I’m happy to test it out and share my thoughts. A few people asked about the fan when it arrived early spring so scroll down for my fav features.

tl;dr: This fancy fan is the best one I’ve ever owned. It’s quiet and you can monitor your home air quality from the iPhone app. Also, at high speed, you can be just like Beyonce!

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Since I was a kid I’ve been prone to seasonal allergies. They usually kick in around the worst times like March Break or Back to School.

A member of the PR team from Dyson saw my tweets about allergies and offered I try the Dyson Pure Cool Link Tower. This fan has no blades and is easy to clean, plus it removes 99.97% of allergens and pollutants as small as 0.3 microns. Allergies can actually be made worse by indoor dust and pollens.

I received the fan in the spring and used it in the living room for the last couple months. It’s great for cleaning the air of smells (when cooking), making the house feel fresh, and cleaning toxins out of the air. You don’t even want to know how much dirt is in the air or carpets.

I can’t 100% say it was just the fan but I hardly had any reactions this spring. I found the fan really helped with the air quality in our house. It’ll be nice to see how the app tracks and monitors our air quality.

COOL THINGS ABOUT THIS FAN:

• It has wifi! I downloaded the app and have been monitoring the air quality in my workspace. I also have smart lights up in here, helloooo future!
• Set it, forget it – The fan will monitor air quality in your home and adjust settings to clean the air.
• Multipurpose – It’ll purify your air all year and act as a fan in the summer (multi-purpose).
• Design – It’s nice looking, for all the features packed in, it hardly looks like an appliance
• Night mode – It will work through the night but is super quiet. I’m not one of those people that like the sounds of a fan at night.
• Oscillation – trust me it has real soft moves
• Removes odour – we initially had it in the living room and it’s great for clearing the air especially when cooking

If you or someone in your family is prone to allergies or you just want really clean air, this is the fan for you. It’s on the pricey side but if you’re looking for similar function on a lower budget, try the smaller Dyson Pure Cool™ Link Desk.   Read up on the fan features at dysoncanada.ca website.

If you’re looking at other Dyson products we also have the Dyson V7 and I love that little thing!