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The steaks have never been higher. I don't know. I think the flavors are a little off here.

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It leaves a bit of a bitter taste, I have to say. On this week's episode, we find the new writer Stephen vying for more time in the spotlight,

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but it won't come easy. My name's Stephen. I've been here for about six months now, been writing some videos,

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appeared in a couple, but I really want to take things to the next level.

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I keep asking hosts, hey, when is it going to be my time? When is it going to be my turn?

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I know I can do this, and he just keeps kind of saying next time, next time,

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so I'm really hoping I can prove myself here and show that I'm just as capable at this as he is.

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So you want to host your own videos then? Yes, chef. I'm not a chef. I'm a host.

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Yes, host. But you've never hosted any video on your own before?

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No host. Well, I don't know how I can trust you. You're going to have to prove yourself to me if you want to do this,

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and so to do that, I'm going to set you with one challenge.

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Find accessories for the Apple products that I use that I like.

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See, I thought they would give me something hard. I mean, find Apple accessories? I'll just go to the Apple store.

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And they can't be made by Apple. In fact, they need to be better than what Apple makes.

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There it is. There's the curveball. More features, cheaper, whatever it is, you need to bring me products that are so good,

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I would choose them over Apple's versions. Do you think you're up to that?

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We'll go.

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The reason I chose this task for Steven is because even I will admit Apple's accessories are kind of hit and miss.

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Remember the iPhone 6 charging case ever had a Apple made charging cable that doesn't fray?

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Me neither. And so what I want to find out is if among all the piles and piles of third-rate,

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third-party accessories out there, he can find the diamonds in the rough.

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This is not going well. There are third-party accessories on Apple's website.

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I trust the quality of those, but most of what I have to get, I have to go elsewhere for.

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And that's where it starts to get questionable.

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I mean, it's just endless lists of products that all look the same

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and are from 100 different companies that I've never heard of.

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And I don't know what to choose. Okay, so what I'm going to do is try to stick with brands I know.

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Now, obviously this only works if you're familiar with the brands you're shopping for,

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but that's where top purchase lists, you know, what best to buy,

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those kind of things come in handy. Now, this may end up meaning that I get some less-than-were-reliable brands.

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It's probably going to hurt me in scoring, but we'll see what host thinks.

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One minute remaining. One minute remaining.

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Five, four, three, two, one.

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Drop your knives.

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All right, host, bring out your first dish.

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Yes, host. So what do you have here? To start, I wanted to go with something simple.

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A strong alternative to an Apple product that everyone depends on, but rarely actually uses.

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The AirTag is a great product, but perhaps not the best choice for all cases.

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So I present to you the Chipolo Spot. Now, see, this one I'm confident in.

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I think there's a really strong start. AirTags, they're just really thick.

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They take up so much space. I think the Chipolo Spot is going to be great for somebody that wants to put a track in their wallet.

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I'm confident that host will think it's the right choice.

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Chipolo. So this uses the Find My Network? It does, host.

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Okay, that's pretty good. This is definitely something that the AirTag is missing.

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Well, that does fit in the wallet quite well.

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How much is it? $35, host. And how much is an AirTag?

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$30, host. So it's more money? It is.

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Now, the AirTag has a replaceable battery. How does this work?

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It can be replaced every two years by throwing it out and getting a new one host.

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You get 50% off a new one. It leaves a bit of a bitter taste, I have to say.

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Now, one great thing about the AirTag that I use all the time is the E1 chip.

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Does this have that? It does not, host.

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I don't know. I think the flavors are a little off here. Let's see what you have in your next dish.

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All right, so that one didn't quite go as planned.

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But, you know, just can't get to me. Keep going on, keep moving forward.

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The next couple products I have, they're also from known reputable brands.

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So hopefully that gets me some points. All right, host, bring out your second dish.

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With Steven's first dish not to host's tastes, a lot is riding on what comes next.

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So what is this? This is an alternative to the popular Apple wallet accessory.

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I want to present something that had more functionality at a fraction of the price.

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Apple wallet. I mean, like, I already have a wallet I'm happy with.

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So that's interesting that you decided to select the wallet.

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Oh, wow, this is quite different from Apple's wallet. The card slots are on the inside.

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They are, host, and you have a kickstand on the back.

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Kickstand's nice. That's pretty handy. But how does that work with the cards here?

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Here, how does this... Oh, it sticks on the opposite way. Wait, is it supposed to stick on to the back of the device like this?

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Fold it the other way. There you are. And then it will stick.

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Oh, I had it backwards. It was presented to me backwards.

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I can't believe I did that. I was in such a rush to try to plate everything.

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I was wondering what he was doing. And then suddenly it hits me.

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I messed up. Now, does it have to find my functionality that you can find in Apple's offering?

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May I recommend the Chipolo spot for that? Host.

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So I have to fill a card slot and pay money on top of this to get that functionality?

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Yes, host. It's a better option for people that don't want that.

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And how much is this? It's $25. $25 plus the $35 for the Chipolo.

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And how much is Apple's? $60, host.

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It's the same price, almost.

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Well, I brought something else that I thought might address your concern.

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This is the Spigen wallet case. This way, there is no need for the find my Apple functionality

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because it's simply built into the case. Okay. I mean, there are many cases out there, so you just slide the cards into here.

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Yes, host. And how much does this case cost? $20, host.

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Not too bad. It's not a particularly pretty case, but I guess it does the job.

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Does the MagSafe work? How do I detach?

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You need to take the case off, host.

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Oh, cases are a big risk when you're presenting accessories

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because there's just so much and you don't want to recommend, you know,

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one case when it's really an expression of personality.

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Would you say this is an expression of your personality? It is an expression of the personality of someone

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that values having their cards on them all the time.

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And is that you? No, host.

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I was hoping it would be you. Okay, very unexpected flavors going on in this dish, I have to say.

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Okay, I guess that's a win, kind of.

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You know, I'll take what I can get. Steven's second dish feels better,

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but comes up short of truly impressing host, host. With the main course up next,

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expectations are high for something that can truly wow. All right, host, bring the entree.

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Oh, what do we have here? This very delicate smattering is a feast of power for you, host.

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Wow, I love chargers. So let's start with this one.

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This looks to be like a Ugreen 100 watt charger

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with a vast array of ports. Why did you select this one?

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Simply put, it does everything I could imagine you would need it to.

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It will charge any MacBook at the highest possible speed.

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It will still have plenty enough power to then charge your iPhone and any other accessories you have.

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And at current price of $48, it's cheaper than Apple's dual port charger of significantly less power.

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I love how there's lots of USB-C, which is what Apple's been using for a long time now,

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plus at least one USB-A for any old cables you have in your bag.

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This is pretty good. What is this, then? This is an ESR makesafe power bank,

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not technically makesafe, but equivalent to that.

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10,000 milliamp hour, so much greater capacity than Apple's own power bank.

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How much does this go for? That is $30, host.

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Okay, none of the most attractive design, I have to say.

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It's very black and stark, which has been a bit of a trend

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with many of the accessories you brought forward today. Yes, host.

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Apple accessories tend to come with a higher price tag, so this seems to be a trade-off of some savings.

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Interesting decision. Now, this is very peculiar.

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What is this? This is a generic power bank,

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same as the last one makesafe, but not actually.

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It also has a kickstand built-in. It has more ports for USB out.

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It has a display for battery life and is a similar 10,000 milliamp hour capacity.

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Is this of any sort of reputable brand that I should know of?

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Absolutely not, host. What is the brand? It is a company called Yagopal.

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How much is this? Also $30, host.

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The display is on a slant. Would you vouch for the quality of this?

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Frankly, for $70 less than Apple's offering,

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I would happily take the display over the fancy integrated battery life indicator.

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I'm really torn about this. If you are looking for something more premium,

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I do have something that I've left cooking for you. Oh, interesting.

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This one took a bit more time, but I am happy to finally present to you.

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This looks very good. This host is the makesafe 3-in-1 travel charger.

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This is the Apple Store exclusive version, which comes with an Apple Watch charger,

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a makesafe charger, and a standard wireless charging pad.

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It also comes with a 30 watt USB-C charger and a USB-C to C cable.

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This is an extremely complete package. How much does this cost?

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This is $150, host.

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Wow, that's a lot of money. What makes it worth that much?

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Well, compared to the makesafe duo, which is only $20 less,

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this adds an additional wireless charging pad, as well as comes with a 30 watt charging brick,

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USB-C to C cable, and the travel pouch. Of course, the significance of the C to C cable

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is that this charging pad uses USB-C input,

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as opposed to the makesafe duo, which uses lightning. For the convenience of using USB-C instead of lightning

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and having a third charging pad, I believe it's worth the extra $20. And does the makesafe duo come with a charger?

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It does not. This is quite brilliant, I have to say.

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Very pricey, but very complete.

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With only one dish remaining and hoping to finish strong, our aspiring host is finally ready to play the ace up his sleeve.

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And now finally, the dessert. For dessert, I found you something so incredible

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that I wanted to keep it for myself. It's another charger. It is indeed.

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From a meow? Yes, some people would say,

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mayo, some people would say meow, I would say it's the only power device

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that you need in your life. Wow, that's a bold claim.

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What makes it worthy of such excitement from you?

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Why did you make this? Well, as you can see, host, it does have a variety of outputs on the side.

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Below that, though, you'll notice a button. That button activates the wireless charging pad on it.

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It has makesafe, but not actually makesafe wireless charging.

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Really? On top of that, you don't need to plug it in at all.

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It's also a 10,000 milliamp hour power bank.

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I'm so torn by this. What is the max wattage we got here?

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The max output is 20 watts. Okay, so from the USB C20 watts?

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Yes, yes. Okay, not quite laptop level.

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It's a jack of all trades. But master of none.

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So how much is this? $45, host. 40, okay.

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That's not too bad. I have to say, you've brought a most varied

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and interesting meal today. I think I'm ready to make my judgment.

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Steven. Yes, host. You were tasked with bringing me

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Apple accessories not made by Apple, and you've certainly brought a potluck of accessories,

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I have to say, with very interesting up and down flavors.

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You've done a good job explaining what these accessories are

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and whose life they will fit within. The thing is they just don't necessarily fit within my life,

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but they do have merit nonetheless, even with some questionable Amazon products mixed in there.

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And so while I'm proud of what you've done, there is pangs of disappointment.

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And so I think we're going to need to take a little bit of time to let this simmer and give you an opportunity

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to peer in other videos before we let you go out on your own.

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Understood, host. And I hope that next time I can make you proud.

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This wasn't the outcome I came here for, but at least I'm still here.

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Now I have an opportunity to keep working on things, keep honing my craft,

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and hopefully the next time I come back, I'll be able to present host with a meal that he'll never forget.

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Thank you. Thank you. And thank you for cooking up this Mac Address.

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If you like this reality show format, give this video a like and maybe subscribe.

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I'm curious in the comments below if you know of any accessories not made by Apple

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that Steven may have missed and that would have helped him win the victory.

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Who are you talking to? The audience. You want a host, right?