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Top DSLR Photography Tips to be a Better Photographer

The ability to take a good photograph is a talent. There is a world of difference between the snaps we take for fun and those that have become part of the iconic photographic record of our progress as a civilization. Countless times, we have rediscovered that a picture really does speak a thousand words. But, even Michelangelo himself, a guy stuffed full of creative talent, made sure his tools and materials were the very latest technology. Thankfully, there are easier ways of keeping an image than spending hours on your back painting your living room ceiling. Before you release your inner Michelangelo and go all DSLR creative, read this useful information on modern digital single lens reflex cameras, the image capturing, and sharing the technology of the 21st century.

Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority Modes

If you are not confident about handling your DSLR camera manually with perfection, you can opt for semi-auto or semi-manual modes. Semi-manual modes are modes with Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority. Many professionals prefer Aperture Priority mode for their pro shoots.

In Aperture Priority mode, you choose to control the aperture manually and leave the control of shutter to the camera. Aperture controls the extent the lens is open restricting the amount of light entering. This mode helps capture well-exposed photographs.

In Shutter Priority mode, you choose to control the shutter speed manually and leave the control of aperture size to the camera. Shutter speed manages exposure time. It decides the time length the camera lens remains open to allow a sufficient amount of light for professional standard photographs. Usually, a longer shutter time is required for low light and a relatively shorter span in well-lit conditions.

Manipulating the Depth of Field

Aperture Priority mode allows you to manipulate the depth of field (DOF). You can achieve a shallow depth of field by setting the aperture to a larger size that is a smaller f-number on your camera.  This allows you to take shots with a subject in focus but with the background blurred in contrast. Shallow depth of field is ideal for food photography and portrait shoots.

A deep depth of field can be achieved by selecting a small aperture size that is higher f-number on your camera. This will allow the camera lens to focus equally on the object and the background. Neither the object nor the background is out of focus making settings for deep depth of field ideal for landscape photography.

Manipulating the Motion of Object

Shutter Priority mode allows you to manipulate the motion of the moving object. With fast shutter speed, you can capture a moving object as a still image, referred to as freezing of image. A slow shutter speed lets you capture the movement of the object. With a slower shutter speed moving objects appear blurred whilst with a faster shutter speed they appear clear and vivid.

Making Use of a Camera Tripod

Capturing photos at night and in dim light requires steady handling of the camera. Even the slightest movement of your hand will result in blurred images.  A good quality DSLR camera tripod will resolve this issue. With your camera stand firmly positioned, you don’t need to hold your camera and can capture vibrant, eye-catching images of fireworks or the beauty of skies at sunset.

Before investing in a specific camera tripod, be sure to pay attention to the speed of adjusting its ball head and the telescoping speed of the legs, or else you will have a hard time setting it up when you have no time to capture a moment. Similarly, it is important to consider the weight of your tripod. Sometimes, the weight is directly correlated to the durability of the tripod, but you should take your time to find what is sturdy but is still easy to carry around.

Speaking of durability, you may have to consider the material of your tripod here. You may opt for an aluminum tripod, which is quite affordable but can be on the heavier side. A carbon fiber DSLR camera tripod is usually a lighter option but be ready to cough up some good money.

Get a Shoulder Rig

If your main goal is to take DSLR video, you may definitely want to invest in one of the best DSLR shoulder rigs currently available in the market. It really has a huge impact on how people perceive you as a DSLR artist.  Besides looking more professional, you will be able to shoot things without having to worry too much about stability. It really goes a long way in simplifying shooting things such as run and gun or b-roll shooting where it is important to be quick and mobile. You should also consider buying a shoulder rig if you don’t really like the idea of locking down your camera on a monopod or tripod.

Go Get a DSLR Gimbal

Just like other tools and accessories, it really makes a difference to have DSLR camera gimbals and stabilizers handy. A gimbal is basically pivoted point that lets you rotate something along a single axis. What it means is that you give yourself a chance to take incredible photos from some interesting angles when you decide to shoot with a gimbal. You will really need it while making videos, but many professionals use it even while taking still photos, as it allows you to rotate your camera smoothly.

Along with adding shake-free motion to your DSLR camera, your gimbal will facilitate a wide variety of motions, which is going to save a lot of your time and energy as well. Interestingly, these  DSLR camera gimbals and stabilizers are quite lightweight, so it is easy to move them as you please, which in turn allows for comfortable handling and stabilization of your camera.

Setting the Focus Point

The focus point array is part of the lens system and determines the quality of your image. You can choose an off-center focus or straight focus depending on the position of your object. To set the correct focus point a pro technique is to use the lock focus option. Simply press the shutter button halfway down to lock the focus. You cannot use this lock focus technique for wider aperture size without blurred photographs.

Using the Correct AF Mode

There are normally two AF modes by default in all DSLR cameras. You can choose the desired mode according to the movement of your subject. If you are capturing a still image ‘One Shot’ mode is ideal with ‘Continuous’ mode best for capturing movement. This mode allows you to take multiple snaps of your object in series increasing the chance of capturing the desired image.

Using White Balance Settings

The white balancing feature of your camera balances the intensity of incoming light. Objects appear different in different colored lights and backgrounds. The white balance setting minimizes the effect of negative ambient lighting enabling you to take perfect shots. There are various white balancing options available including Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent and Flash. Each of these modes is designed for different light conditions and you can further adjust them according to customize the pictures to your own preferences. Playing with different lighting modes yields some amazing results.

Experimenting with Spatial Reality

Capturing distinctive and signature photographs never comes by following traditional techniques. It pays off to be experimental and explore ways of capturing perfect photos. Try being adventurous with where you position yourself for a shot in relationship to the subject. Bend down, lay on the ground, climb up high and be innovative as to where the photo is taken from to capture the shot that will amaze your audience. DSLR cameras can handle it.

Conclusion

Whether you end up with a preference for taking portraits or landscapes, still life or action shots, with a good DSLR camera helping you out with lighting, focus, and composition you’ll soon be discovering your talent for creating your own photographic masterpieces. When inspiration strikes for your next picture, you know there will be a mode for the right lighting and your focus point will be set to give every chance of creating stunning compositions complete with a wow factor that would make the likes of the great Michelangelo so very jealous.

June 29, 2021 / Comments Off on Top DSLR Photography Tips to be a Better Photographer
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Men’s Gear Awards: Best Phone Case Brands

One of the most common things we all have is dropping our phones. No matter how well we take care of them usually, something always tends to happen. A proper case to protect them can be useful for sure. The best phone case brands will know how to protect your phone well, while also adding useful features.

Some of these features may include water resistance, dust resistance, and much more. The iPhone is likely the most common phone that people buy cases for these days.

Overall, the iPhone is quite expensive and cases are heavily needed to protect that investment.

A lot of the time, the best phone case brands make their cases similar to things like wallets or holders and cases for business. Meanwhile, others make them similar to what you might see in leather portfolios. Truly, the design and use of each case can differ.

They are specifically designed for protection above all else. That means that any single case you might come across from these phone case brands will all be perfectly suited to protect your iPhone or Android device. That said, let’s go over those brands and explain why they are so good at their job.

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The Spigen company stands out among phone case brands for multiple reasons. One of the main reasons for this is that they seem to cover every phone one might have today. They even have cases for older phones out of circulation.

Of course, not every single phone from the past is covered here. They mostly have cases for those that they know people will have today.

However, every time there is a new phone, they also make a case to fit it. Whether it’s the future Galaxy 43 or the iPhone 59, they will have a case that perfectly fits.

The real struggle is how to pick among the phone cases they have. When it comes to the phone you own, it is easy to narrow down the choices for this. Yet for some phones, Spigen has a major list of cases you’ll need to decide on.

Spigen Cases

The list of Spigen cases is quite vast, as they have a lot of phones that they cover. The main list of these cases is similar for each phone. They are merely altered to fit the phone they are protecting.

Not all case lines will be involved in each phone, but they usually tend to be. These are the current types you can view with them:

  • Hybrid
  • Ultra Hybrid
  • Neo Hybrid
  • Hybrid Crystal
  • Rugged Armor
  • Thin Fit
  • Case Wallet
  • Liquid Air
  • Liquid Crystal
  • Slim Armor
  • Tough Armor
  • Slim Armor Crystal
  • Crystal Shell
  • Screen Protector Full Cover
  • Jet White™ Fit
  • Jet Black™ Fit
  • Capsule Capella

There are many others beyond those, but they are mere variations of the versions of them. They are all well made as well. The main situation between them has to do with Android and the iPhone.

Each version made for the iPhone contains the Apple logo on the back of the case. This logo is viewable too, so you know it is for the iPhone. They also have multiple cases made mostly for Android or mostly for iPhone.

However, many like the liquid crystal drift from phone to phone. They are all water resistant on the back and some involve screen protectors on top of it to make full water or dust resistance possible.

Price Range:

The price range for each case from Spigen is all reasonable and industry standard among other phone case brands. You’ll usually spend somewhere around $25. However, the price range drifts between $15 and $40, and somewhere in between.

Each case also comes with a 2-year Warranty. This usually covers most any issue the case . might have. However, it won’t cover every single thing. To learn more about what the warranty covers, click here.

The company also offers free shipping on all domestic orders. This is the United States only, of course. To learn more about how this works, special considerations, and much more, you can click here to see the shipping information.

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Incipio happens to be an award-winning phone case brand that clearly does well with their products. They actually make several different protectors beyond phone cases. They also make protective cases for the Tablet and iPad.

One of the things we love with Incipio is their absolutely terrific case appearances. They do their best to make sure everything looks good, no matter what case you choose.

They cover a ton of phones. Every newer phone is covered, of course. However, they go back all the way to the iPhone 5 versions as well as the Samsung Galaxy S8 versions too. They also have several other types of cases for the Blackberry, Motorola, and many more.

The Incipio Case Lines

The case lines for Incipio are already considered impressive. However, they do seem to offer a lot of newer case types too. While the colors are quite vast for them, they also have specific cases made for specific needs. These are the current lines:

  • Core Series
  • Esquire Series
  • Design Series
  • Oh Joy!
  • TheMintGardener
  • Essential

Meanwhile, they also have some categorized by the finish of the case too. Those are:

  • Fabric
  • Soft Touch
  • Grip
  • Scratch Resistant

Of course, the finish determines the specific features their phone cases have. Meanwhile, the type and series they are will mostly concern the design of the case. Both are relatively self-explanatory in what they can do.

Price Range:

The prices for Incipio are relatively standard among other phone case brands. With this brand, you’ll spend somewhere between $15 to $50. The average between these two is $30 and $40.

Each case has a guaranteed 1-year Warranty. If you want to find out about what the warranty covers, you can click here to do so.

They do not offer free shipping, but if you want to see what the prices are for shipping, you can click here to do so. The price differences as well as how long it takes to get a case sent to you will be determined mostly on the country you live in and how far it is from where the item is shipped from.

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Lifeproof cases are some of the most popular in the world today. The name of the company truly describes their products perfectly. They protect your phone’s life better than most. Due to their products becoming so popular, they have developed several different types of cases.

Lifeproof cases do not really have a line set only for Android or iPhone. This means the case lines cover each version, with some phones not covered by specific lines. The case lines are all useful, but like others on this list, the lines offer something different in their features.

While they offer cases for just about every newer phone on the market, they completely cover the iPhone and Samsung market the most. They cover all the way back to the iPhone 5 while they cover the Samsung Galaxy all the way back to the Galaxy S6.

What are the main case lines the company has? Let’s go over them.

Lifeproof Case Lines

The Lifeproof brand has several case lines, but not all of the lines cover every single phone one might come across. The newer iPhones and Galaxy devices seem to, but they are among the few. The lines at Lifeproof are:

  • FRĒ
  • NËXT
  • SLAM
  • ALPHA GLASS

A few offer a waterproof case for your phone. Meanwhile, others offer mostly scratch resistance. Each is quite useful and they’re perfect for any phone you might have.

Price Range:

The average prices for Lifeproof cases are a bit higher than the industry standard among phone case brands. You’ll spend anywhere between $40 and $90 for a proper case with the Lifeproof brand.

They offer a warranty for your case but it depends on where you bought it from, how long ago you bought it, and the type of issue you might have on your phone. If you’d like to look into this further, you can click here to do so.

Shipping differs depending on where you’re from. All on the mainland United States are given free shipping on the cases. Any outside of the country will be charged shipping costs that are priced depending on how far the package needs to be sent.

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Mophie is a well-known battery brand that makes various types of power banks. In fact, there is not a phone still in circulation that Mophie does not make some sort of charger for. This is quite amazing.

However, Mophie began to step out in the last year with their decision to go toward cases for both Android and iPhone devices. This is pretty important, as they very well could begin to make even more in the coming years.

For now, it’s only one type of case. However, it is such an important case that it needs to be recognized for its extreme usefulness.

Mophie Juice Pack

The Mophie Juice Pack Series is among the very best phone cases in the world right now. It has the ability to charge your phone for you while it is inside the case. You power the battery inside the case before you might use it.

Once this is done, you’ll be capable of charging your phone on the go regardless of where you are. This case not only charges the iPhone or Android devices, but it’s also durable and nearly impossible to break.

There are different variations to the Juice Pack as well. One being called the Juice Pack Air, with another being called the Juice Pack Access. This equals out to three technical Juice Pack types. They also have “base cases” that are nothing special but protect the phone a bit as well.

Price Range:

The price range for all the Juice Pack cases sits around $100. This is a bit higher than the industry standard in phone case brands. However, you’re going to get one of the best phone cases in the world right now.

They added a warranty as well, which currently sits at 2 Years for the phone cases. If you want to learn more about how the warranty works and what it covers, click here to do so.

The shipping can vary in price as well as how long it takes to get a phone case from Mophie depending on how far you are from the United States. Typically it takes a few days to get any product from them. However, it may take a week or two if you’re much further out.

Currently, shipping in the U.S. is free.

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The Otterbox brand is known as one of the very best phone case brands on the planet today. It is hard not to pick them over several others, mostly because they are an exciting brand who can nearly do no wrong.

Their cases are legendarily perfect at protecting your phone. They can be considered waterproof or water resistant, scratch resistant, as well as dust resistant. The type you might see tends to be based on the Otterbox you choose.

Certain features may not be seen in all phones, of course. The Otterbox series list is quite vast, as they have both regular and special made products. We’ll be separating those so you know which is which.

The Otterbox Collection

As mentioned, Otterbox has a vast collection of phone cases. They’re all well made, but each series offers something different. This may be different on design or what it can do. The collection breaks down like this:

  • Defender Series
  • Commuter Series
  • Symmetry Series
  • Strada Series
  • Statement Series
  • Statement Series Modern
  • Pursuit Series
  • Defender Pro Series
  • Traction Series
  • Vue Series
  • Figura Series
  • Otter+Pop Defender Series
  • Otter+Pop Symmetry Series
  • Otterbox
  • Alpha Glass
  • Amplify

While these are the main types of cases you’ll come across, they do have special cases too. These are typically based only on design, however. The brands they have collections on include:

  • Marvel
  • Disney
  • Star Wars
  • Pixar
  • Pop Sockets
  • Style Collection

The Marvel ones break down mostly to Avengers, Spider-Man & Venom, Deadpool, and Guardians of the Galaxy. The Pixar version includes the Incredibles and Toy Story. Meanwhile, the Disney portion includes Mickey’s 90th, Princess Power, Classics, and Totally Disney.

They are incredibly well made and hardened to where they will keep your phone safe and out of harm’s way.

Price Range:

The prices you’ll pay for Otterbox phone cases are pretty reasonable. They are sort of mid-range compared to other phone case brands. Here you’ll spend anywhere between $20 and $70. It appears that the special design cases are sold for more than the regular at times.

The Otterbox brand offers free shipping to all customers inside the United States. If you’re outside the country, they charge for shipping depending on how far out you might be.

Like the Lifeproof cases, Otterbox has a warranty on their cases. However, you have to search into it depending on the phone and where you buy it from. To check into that more, you can click here.

Overview Of The Best Phone Case Brands

As you noticed from this spectacular list of phone case brands, every single one make cases built to protect. The concept of any brand in this field is to do just that. However, some like to go above and beyond in this department. This leads to several cases that protect while also adding other features.

The ability to help phones become nearly waterproof and completely dust resistant is impressive for sure. However, it is even cooler to see those that act as battery packs as well. How cool is it that you can just place a phone in a case and it charges the entire time, avoiding the need to lug around a charger?

Some of today’s phone case brands have developed those. While some mainly protect against drops or random falls, this should not be considered less than. After all, the concept of a case is simply to protect with other features being nice add-ons. The best thing is that you even get to pick the appearance for most of them too.

While we’re certain you’ll love these phone case brands, we’re even more certain you’ll love their collection of cases too. That said, we recommend you check into all of them and find the best case at the best price for you today!

Buyer’s Guide For The Best iPhone XR Cases

iPhone XR Cases

The iPhone XR is one of the best phones out there, but it’s also quite expensive. Protect your investment in one of these amazing cases from our buyer’s guide. You can thank us later!

CLICK HERE

June 29, 2021 / Comments Off on Men’s Gear Awards: Best Phone Case Brands
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The black paint finish on this new Leica M 10-R gives it a sleek and stealthy vibe

Many modern smartphones ranging from mid to flagship models are now equipped with amazing imaging components. In fact, some are considerably superior to your average digital or DSLR. Still, ask any photography enthusiast and they prefer to stick with traditional gear. If so, then perhaps the new M 10-R in a black paint finish from Leica might be what they need.

The German group has been in the business since 1914 and is known for its hand-assembled lenses and other products related to optics. In fact, it continues to earn praises for the amazing camera technology the ships with Huawei’s high-end handset models.

The M 10-R is a wonderful and compact option for professionals and casual photographers alike. We love how Leica chooses to retain the classic aesthetic. Plus, the blackout colorway is another personal favorite of ours here. In fact, the familiar red dot logo of the brand is no longer visible.

Instead, you have the Leica branding in a cursive white font followed by a print below that reads Ernst Leitz Wetzlar Germany. Then there’s the ISO and shutter speed dials and their signature cross knurling with a release button in a silver chrome finish.

The sleek and premium mirrorless camera boasts an all-metal die-cast magnesium body. This provides a lightweight and durable construction. Likewise the black synthetic leather cover of the M 10-R that not only looks good but enhances your grip as well.

Underneath the glossy black coat of the top section is brass. Unless you are really careful with your M 10-R, it will eventually chip off. Still, this is part of Leica’s gimmick as the metal eventually develops a unique patina over time. Finally, a 1/4-inch DIN stainless steel tripod tread can be found on the bottom.

Buy – $9,295

Images courtesy of Leica

June 29, 2021 / Comments Off on The black paint finish on this new Leica M 10-R gives it a sleek and stealthy vibe
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The Best and Biggest Gadgets of June 2021

Summer is here, and so are the gadgets! Here are the most notable releases from June that you should know about!

Eufy SoloCam 2021 Series

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Anker’s smart home division, Eufy, announced its new series of Eufy SoloCam smart home security cameras. There are five cameras in total, all of which are battery powered (so you can place them anywhere in your house) and come with 8GB of local storage (so they do not require you to have a separate hub). There are two standard cameras (which shoot 1080p and 2K, respectively), two spotlight cameras (which shoot 1080p and 2K, respectively) and one solar-powered camera. The five SoloCam smart home cameras are all currently available for preorder.

Price: $99 — $200

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Samsung Galaxy Book Go

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Samsung announced an all-new Galaxy Book Go this week. The lightweight laptop has a 14-inch 1080p display and comes with an Arm-based processor. It has two USB-C ports, one USB-A port and a microSD card slot. It also has a 720p webcam. The kicker is that the Galaxy Book Go starts at just $349, making it a great affordable option for people looking for a lightweight laptop that runs Windows 10. It will be available for purchase on June 10.

Price: $349+

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Wyze Cordless Vacuum

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Yes, the company best known for its affordable smart home cameras (and smart bulbs, more recently) is getting into vacuums. The Wyze Cordless Vacuum is, as its name gives away, a cordless vacuum that’s designed to compete against the likes of Dyson and Shark — but it’s way more affordable. At just $119, the Wyze Cordless Vacuum is less than half as expensive as Dyson’s cheapest alternative.

The Wyze Cordless Vacuum is available for preorder right now and is expected to start shipping in July.

Price: $119

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Sennheiser HD 450SE

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Sennheiser announced a refreshed version of its HD 450BT, which were released in early 2020 and are still some of the best budget noise-canceling you can buy. The big upgrade with the new Sennheiser HD 450SE is that they come integrated with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant (rather than support for Siri and Google Assistant, like the HD 450BT). Other than that, the HD 450SE has the same features and grand 30-hour battery life as their predecessor. Same price, as well.

Price: $200

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Moment Rugged Case for iPhone 12

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Nomad launched a version of its Rugged Case for iPhone 12 that’s specifically designed to work with Moment’s M-Series line of lenses. The new case comes with the exact same configuration — consisting of a camera ring and a lens mount — as any of Moment’s existing smartphone cases. Aside from that, it has the same features as the Nomad’s other Rugged Cases, such as a Horween leather finish and 10-feet drop resistance. Each case is available in either black or brown. Moment’s lenses are sold separately.

Price: $60

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Alienware X15

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The X15 is Alienware’s newest and thinnest gaming laptop to date — it has a thickness of just 0.63-inches. Despite the trim frame, Alienware still packed the X15 with some pretty impressive specs, including Intel’s newest 11th-generation H-series processor and the super powerful RTX 3080 graphics card. The base model starts at $1,999.

Price: $1,999+

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Epos B20 Streaming Microphone

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The Epos B20 is the company’s newest USB microphone that’s designed for gamers, streamers and podcasters — or basically anybody who wants a better mic for their work-from-home computer setup. It supports 24bit audio (so you can record in high-resolution) and, conveniently, it comes with a desk stand. It’s compatible with Mac and PC.

Price: $199

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Linedock 16″

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We’ve covered Linedock pretty extensively in the past. The company makes 3-in-1 gadgets (that share the same name) that each work a docking station, a portable power bank and an external hard drive. More importantly, they’re designed to perfectly match and fit under your MacBook Pro. The company’s newest gadget, the Linedock 16″, is designed specifically to match the 16-inch MacBook Pro, which Apple first introduced in late 2019. (Note: the $479 model doesn’t come with any extra storage.)

Price: $479+

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Hardgraft Focus Camera Strap

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This is a super gorgeous camera strap by Hardgraft. It has a minimalist design, consisting of a thick leather belt with a large shoulder pad (again, made out of leather), and it just looks to be the perfect upgrade for any photographer.

Price: $192

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Pixel Buds A-Series

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The Pixel Buds A-Series are a significantly more affordable alternative to the company’s existing Pixel Buds, which cost $179. The new wireless earbuds look basically identical to the existing Pixel Buds, and they even supposedly have the same sound quality, but Google slashed some “luxury” features, like wireless charging and swipe controls, in order to drop the price to just under $100. They’re available for preorder now and will ship June 17.

Price: $99

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Jaybird Vista 2

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Jaybird announced the follow up to its Vista wireless earbuds this week, which were already one of the best wireless earbuds you could buy for running and working out. The new models, called the Vista 2, add noise-cancellation and transparency modes and they’re even more rugged; with an IP68 rating, which Jaybird calls “earthproof”, they are some of the most waterproof and dropproof wireless earbuds you can buy. They are available now for $200. (Jaybird has dropped the price of the original Vista wireless earbuds to $150, which is a better deal for those who don’t need noise-cancellation or the extra ruggedness.)

Price: $200

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Sony WF-1000XM4

sony wf 1000xm4

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Sony finally announced the WF-1000XM4, its new flagship noise-canceling wireless earbuds (and the successor to the 2019-released WF-1000XM3), and they’ve been completely redesigned from the ground up. They have a new look and fit that’s more rounded and smaller (each earbud is 10-percent smaller and the charging case is 40-percent smaller). Sony also have them improved noise-cancellation and transparency modes, and they support wireless charging for the first time. They’re available now.

To learn more, read our review of the Sony WF-1000XM4.

Price: $278

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Mophie Snap+ Accessories for iPhone 12

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Mophie, one of our favorite smartphone accessory makers, launched its “Snap” series of accessories this week, all of which is designed to magnetically clip to the back of your iPhone 12. The Snap series is made of two wireless chargers, two car mounts, two portable power banks (one that doubles as a wireless charging stand) and more.

Price: $20 — $70

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Yeti 1000X Portable Power Station

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Goal Zero announced a portable power station for people spending the weekend off the grid. The all-new Yeti 1000X is 983Wh portable battery that is perfect for charging medium-to-large appliances, such as your camper’s refrigerator or television, as well as your normal travel gear, such as laptops, camera equipment and smartphone, while on the road. It also has an integrated MPPT so, if you have one of Goal Zero’s portable solar panels, it will be able to recharge more efficiently.

Price: $1,300+

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Otterbox Power Swap Controller Batteries

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Xbox controllers don’t come with a rechargeable battery meaning that, unlike a PlayStation controller where you can plug it in during the game without missing a beat, you need to keep a spare pair of AA batteries nearby. The new Otterbox Power Swap solved this issue. It’s a system consisting of two rechargeable battery packs and a cage with a small reserve cell. The cage plugs into the back of the controller and then one battery pack gets plugged into the cage. The cage has a small reserve of power that’s enough to give you a 30-second window to swap in a newly charged battery pack — without losing your place in the game. It could be a game-charger for more serious Xbox Live gamers or streamers.

Price: $60

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Beats Studio Buds

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The Studio Buds are Beats’s first noise-canceling wireless earbuds and they’re positioned as a more affordable alternative to the AirPods Pro (Apple owns Beats, after all). They don’t have Apple’s special H1 chip, but they still have many of the AirPods Pro’s best features, such as fast iPhone pairing and support for spatial audio and Dolby Atmos; they don’t sync with your iCloud account, however, nor do they support multi-device pairing or audio sharing. The omission of the Apple’s special H1 chip allows the Studio Buds to work really well with Android smartphones, too, as they support fast pairing and you can easily adjust noise-canceling and transparency modes in Bluetooth settings.

Price: $150

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Nomad Card for AirTag

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This is a credit-card shaped AirTag holder that’s designed for iPhone users who want to keep better track of their wallet. It holds a AirTag and then slips into your wallet just like a credit card (only a little bit thicker). Note: the AirTag is sold separately.

Price: $20

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Symfonisk Picture Frame WiFi Speaker

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Sonos and Ikea are adding a new speaker to their existing Symfonisk line. The all-new Symfonisk Picture Frame WiFi Speaker is designed to hang on your wall and looks like a piece of art. (The speaker also has rubber feet so you lean it up against a wall, in case you don’t want to hang it.) As for sound, speaker will work similarly like a Sonos One SL; there’s no built-in mic or voice assistant. It can be stereo paired with another Symfonisk Picture Frame Speaker, or grouped with any other Sonos or Symfonisk multi-room system. The speaker will cost $199 and it will be available from Ikea’s stores and website on July 15.

Price: $199

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Sonus faber The Lumina II and The Lumina V

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The Italian luxury hi-fi company Sonus faber has added two speakers to its affordable line of Lumina speakers. There’s the Lumina II, a new pair of bookshelf speakers that cost $1,200, and the Lumina V (pictured), a new pair of floor-standing speakers that cost $2,800. Both are high-performing and beautifully-designed speakers that can be used as a stereo pair or integrated in a larger multi-channel home theater system with the company’s other Lumina speakers.

Price: $1,200 — $2,800

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Moft O Snap Phone Stand and Grip

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This is a neat 2-1 MagSafe accessory that magnetically sticks to the back of your iPhone 12. It can work as a Pop-Socket-like grip as well as a stand that rotates 360-degrees, which makes it easy to view your iPhone 12 in either landscape or portrait modes. It comes with a sticker so it can work with non-MagSafe iPhones, too. You can buy in four different colors: yellow, orange, black or blue.

Price: $20

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NightWatch for Apple Watch

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The NightWatch is the ideal little gadget for anybody who uses (or wants to use) their Apple Watch as a bedside clock. It’s a dock for your Apple Watch that uses your existing Apple Watch charger, but its design magnifies your Apple Watch’s display so you can actually see it. It amplifies sound, as well, so when the alarm goes off, you can really hear it.

Price: $50

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Naim Audio Solstice Special Edition

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Naim Audio, the high-end British audio company that’s best known for its beautiful wireless speaker systems, announced its first-ever turntable. It’s called the Solstice and it’s more of turntable package, consisting of a turntable, phono stage and a dedicated power supply to power it all. The Solstice is very much a turntable designed for serious audiophiles. It’s built with a high-mass aluminum platter, multiple levels of mechanical decoupling and a self-calibrating motor drive system. It’s also more expensive than most cars.

Naim is going to release 500 of these limited edition Solstice turntable systems. They’re available for preorder now, and will be released in late July.

Price: $20,000

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Xbox Gaming Monitors

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Microsoft announced three upcoming gaming monitors from its ‘Designed for Xbox’ program that, as you might’ve guessed, as optimized for the Xbox Series X console (as well as the Xbox Series S). The three monitors are from from Acer, Asus and Philips (in the photo), and they all support HDMI 2.1 technology, which enables them to play 4K games with a 120Hz refresh rate. All three of these monitors will be available to preorder later this summer. You can learn about specific pricing in the link below.

Price: $950 — $1,600

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Wyze Sense Climate Sensor + Leak Sensor

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Wyze announced new smart home sensors that are designed to work with its budget DIY security system. There’s a Climate Sensor (pictured) that Wyze sells in three-packs, each of which tracks the temperature and humidity of a certain room. And there’s a Leak Sensor that Wyze also sells in three-packs, each of which is meant to be positioned underneath a sink, dishwasher or washer machine and will notify you if there’s a leak in your home. (You must already have Wyze’s Home Monitoring System for these new sensors to work.)

Price: $30 (3-pack)

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Sumiko RS78 Stylus

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Sumiko announced three new phono cartridges and one new stylus this week, each of which are positioned as audiophile upgrades for people who already have a turntable system. There’s the Blue Point No. 3 High ($499) and Blue Point No. 3 Low ($499) phono cartridges, which are replacing the company’s previous Blue Point No. 2. There’s a limited-edition phono cartridge to celebrate Sumiko’s 40th anniversary, called the Celebration 40 ($2,799). And there’s the RS78 stylus ($129), which is the company’s first 78 RPM stylus that’s geared for vintage recording enthusiasts.

Price: $129

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Alpha Bike Mount for AirTag

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This is one of the first AirTag mounts we’ve seen that’s specifically designed for a bike. It fits under the bike’s standard water bottle cages, so it doesn’t look weird or add much extra bulk. It also has a very low profile so there’s a good chance, if your bike gets stolen, the thief won’t even notice it.

Price: $40

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June 26, 2021 / Comments Off on The Best and Biggest Gadgets of June 2021
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The Moment Invitational Film Festival Is Back and Bigger than Ever

What if we told you that you could vote for someone to win $10,000? As a part of the 2021 Moment Invitational Film Festival, you can. The festival is returning for its sixth annual premiere, and this year, it’s better than ever. The concept behind the festival is to empower mobile filmmakers, by providing them a platform to share their final films and have a chance at winning $10,000. To participate and watch the contenders, tune into the YouTube Live premiere on June 26th. There will be 27 finalists announced, nine category winners and the award of Filmmakers’ Choice. Plus, the People’s Choice Award is back, so you can be a part of the action and vote live. It’s up to you to decide who wins the final $10,000 in cash.

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June 25, 2021 / Comments Off on The Moment Invitational Film Festival Is Back and Bigger than Ever
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MIT Built a Magic Carpet That Tracks Your Movements

Motion tracking for exercise, gaming, and even safety has been around for quite a while now, but it always required cameras or body scanning for effective tracking. That changes now with, as you might have…

The post MIT Built a Magic Carpet That Tracks Your Movements first appeared on Cool Material.

June 25, 2021 / Comments Off on MIT Built a Magic Carpet That Tracks Your Movements
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6 Tricks All Sonos Owners Should Know

Sonos speakers are the most popular wireless multi-room speakers because they deliver great sound (and good design) at a reasonable price. Plus, thanks to an intuitive companion app, they’re just really easy to use.

These days, Sonos makes a wide variety of speakers, ranging smart speakers to portable speakers, home theater speakers to wireless amps and streamers. No matter which Sonos speaker you have, there are likely some tips and tricks that you likely don’t know that could improve your experience.

How to regroup your Sonos speakers without the app

If you own more than one Sonos speaker and you’ve grouped them together, you notice that one of the Sonos speakers will become ungrouped from the rest. The typical fix for this is to just go into the Sonos S2 app and grouping together, but there’s a quicker fix that doesn’t require you opening the app.

Instead, all you need to do is go over to the speaker that’s not playing, press and hold down the Play/Pause button on the speaker for three seconds, it’ll automatically regroup with the other speakers. All Sonos speakers have a Play/Pause button, so this little technique will work with all Sonos speakers.

(The only catch is that all your Sonos speakers have to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.)

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Turn your Sonos speaker into an alarm clock

Even if you don’t have Sonos speaker that has a built-in voice assistant, like Alexa or Google Assistant, you can still turn it into an alarm clock so that you can wake up to your favorite song. Or you can schedule your Sonos speakers to start playing at a certain time, as well as stop playing at a certain time. All you have to do is take advantage of the Alarm feature within the Sonos app.

  1. Open the Sonos app.
  2. Select the Settings tab.
  3. Select System.
  4. Scroll down and select Add Alarm.

      5. From here you can make a custom alarm that plays on one or more of your Sonos speakers at specific time. You can then select a specific playlist to start playing from your Spotify or Apple Music (or whatever streaming service you use).

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      How to manually adjust the EQ of your Sonos speakers

      One of the best features that Sonos has is TruePlay (and Automatic TruePlay on the Roam), a software that calibrates each Sonos speaker so that it sounds best for the room it is in. Of course, this is Sonos’s interpretation of what sounds best, and you might like something different. Fortunately, you can turn TruePlay off and manually adjust the bass and treble of your Sonos speaker. Here’s how.

      1. Open the Sonos app.
      2. Select the Settings tab.
      3. Select System.
      4. Select the Sonos speaker.
      5. Scroll down and select the EQ tab.
      6. Drag the sliders to make adjustments.

          7. You can turn off TruePlay in this same menu. Open the Sonos app > Room Settings > select the speaker > and turn Trueplay off.

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          sonos arc review gear patrol ambiance 2

          Sonos

          How to get of the audio delay when connected to a turntable

          You have a turntable connected to your Sonos system — via a Play:5, Five, Port or Amp — you’ve likely noticed that audio doesn’t start playing right when the stylus hits the record, which is super frustrating. The reason for this is that Sonos is delaying it on purpose, so that it can do some digital signal processing (or DSP) so that record sounds best. However, this audio delay kind of defeats a lot of the joy of analog audio. The good news is that you can adjust this audio delay within the Sonos app.

          1. Make sure the Line-In connection is set up properly with your Sonos product. (See here.)
          2. Open the Sonos app > select Settings > and select System.
          3. Select your speaker or wireless amp with the Line-In connection.
          4. Scroll down and select Audio Delay > select Low (75ms).

              5. In this menu, there are four different audio delays that you can choose from: Max (2,000 ms), High (150 ms), Medium (113 ms) and Low (75 ms). By default, the Line-In connection of your Sonos speaker or wireless amp is set to Max, which is 2,000 milliseconds or two second; this allows for the most time for the Sonos product to optimize its sound. The Low setting has an audio delay of 75 milliseconds. It’s still a delay, but you can’t really notice it.

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              How to use Sonos speakers as computer speakers

              Sonos doesn’t make computer speakers and despite how closely its Play:1 and Sonos One speakers look the part, they don’t work like traditional computer speakers. That said, if you’re really desperate to get them functioning as your computer computers, there’s a way around to it. It’s kind of messy and definitely expensive, but it can be done.

              First, you’re going to buy a Sonos Port ($449). The streamer is typically used to stream music to analog speakers or to sync those speakers to your existing multi-room system. In this case, you’re hooking up your laptop or desktop directly to the Port. Here’s how you do it.

              1. Connect your laptop or desktop to the Sonos Port via its line-in input. This will link your computer’s audio to the Sonos app.
              2. Open the Sonos app, go to Settings, Room Settings and then choose the Sonos speakers you want to use as your new computer speakers.
              3. Choose “Autoplay Room” so that your Sonos speakers will automatically play when the Line-In detects a signal.

                  4. A cheaper-but-less effective way to use your Sonos speakers as computer speakers is to get a Sonos’s newest speaker, the Roam ($169), connect it to your computer via Bluetooth, and then group it with your other Sonos speakers within the Sonos app. (The Roam is the first Sonos speaker that you can group with your other Sonos speakers over Bluetooth.)

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                  How to factory reset your Sonos speakers

                  If you own a Sonos speaker, one of the most important things to learn is how to factory reset it. Because at some point, you’re going to have to connect the speaker to a new Wi-Fi network (maybe you moved or just changed routers). Or maybe the speaker just stops working correctly. Or maybe you’re looking to sell it. No matter what, knowing how to factory reset it is important and it’s a little different for each Sonos speaker.

                  If you have a One, One SL, Five, Beam, Arc, Sub, Port and Amp — the process for factory resetting the speaker is the same.

                  1. Unplug the speaker.
                  2. Press and hold the Connect button located on the back of the speaker. Plug the speaker back into the wall out.
                  3. Continue holding down the Connect button until the speaker’s light starts flashing white and amber.
                  4. When the light starts flashing green, the speaker has been reset.

                      5. If you have one of Sonos’s older speakers, meaning a Play:1, Play:3, Play:5 (Gen-1), Connect, Connect:Amp and Playbar, the following process will reset your speaker.

                      1. Unplug the speaker.
                      2. Press and hold the Play/Pause button located on the top of the speaker. Plug the speaker back into the wall out.
                      3. Continue holding down the Play/Pause button until the speaker’s light starts flashing white and amber.
                      4. When the light starts flashing green, the speaker has been reset.

                          5. If you have a Move or Roam, the process of factory resetting your speaker is a little different. Read our guide by clicking the link below to learn more.

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              June 23, 2021 / Comments Off on 6 Tricks All Sonos Owners Should Know
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              The Atari VCS is a retro gaming console and upgradeable mini PC all in one

              We’re already halfway into 2021 which is also about seven months since the gaming industry officially saw the arrival of next-generation consoles. To date, both the Xbox Series X and PS5 remain difficult to find due to the production delays brought about by the global component shortage. Still, if you want a new game system, why not check out the Atari VCS.

              After the release of the NES Classic Edition, it ignited a craze for modern remakes of past platforms. So far, we’ve seen multiple releases from Nintendo, Sony, SNK, Konami, and more. Now, one of the old-school greats is ready to enter an already saturated market.

              Instead of sticking with the same formula as the competition, Atari is marketing the VCS with a unique gimmick. Running the show is an AMD Ryzen R1606G SoC with 8 GB of RAM. It packs 32 GB of internal storage. You can actually upgrade the latter two since it can double as a mini PC.

              Owners can install Linux, ChromeOS, or Windows, which is surprisingly versatile. Atari is doing a fantastic job with the design. The VCS manages to capture the vintage silhouette of the 2600. The company was teasing the retro game system in 2017 with a crowdfunding campaign following in 2018.

              The original release date was supposedly 2019, but development difficulties pushed the launch back. Nonetheless, after shipping out units to backers first, the console is now available for purchase. The $299.99 VCS ships with 18 arcade games and 82 titles from the 2600 for a total of 100 Atari games. Meanwhile, the $399.99 Black Walnut version not only looks better but also includes a wireless joystick and controller.

              Buy – $299.99

              Images courtesy of Atari

              June 19, 2021 / Comments Off on The Atari VCS is a retro gaming console and upgradeable mini PC all in one
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              Tips to Become a Google Photos Power User

              Welcome to Product Support, a column devoted to helping you get the most out of the gadgets and software you already use.

              We’re taking more photos and videos than ever thanks to smartphones. The downside is that takes a huge hit on our smartphone’s built-in storage. Photos and videos take up a lot of space, after all. Fortunately there are cloud-based storage solutions, such as Google Photos or iCloud Photos, that not only free up precious storage space but also backup your entire photo library.

              Google Photos is one of the most popular cloud-based storage solutions for photos and videos. It essentially takes the hassle out of backing up, categorizing, and even tagging your photos. Unlike iCloud Photos, it also works just as well on Android and Windows as it does on iOS and macOS, which makes it the best choice for a multi-platform home or family.

              You can access Google Photos through the web, through the desktop clients for Windows and macOS, and through the mobile apps for Android and iOS. Once you get these apps set up, you can adjust the settings so that your photos automatically upload. Or you can just drag-and-drop photos and videos into Google Photos from your web browser. It’s all very convenient.

              An other reason why Google Photos is so popular is that it gives 15GB of free storage, which is a lot more than the 2GB of free storage that other options (like iCloud and Dropbox) offer. Google had previously allowed you to back up all of your photos and videos for free, but it ended its free unlimited storage plan for new photos and videos in June 2021; if you’re a longtime user of Google Photos, all photos and videos that were uploaded before June 1 don’t count against your 15GB cap.

              Google is constantly improving and adding new features to Google Photos. So whether you’re a veteran or a first-timer that’s looking to backup and organize your smartphone photos, there’s something that you can learn.

              The 4 subscription plans for Google Photos

              google storage subscription plans

              Google

              Google is making a concerted effort to steer people towards a Google One subscription, which bundles cloud storage for Google Drive, Gmail and Google Photos all together. The free storage plan (15GB) will likely be enough for most people, but if you’re somebody who takes a lot of photos, a lot of high-resolution photos, or you just don’t have a lot of storage on your smartphone, a subscription plan is definitely worth it.

              There are four different plans you can choose from.

              • Free plan: 15GB of Google cloud storage
              • $2/month: 100GB of Google cloud storage
              • $3/month: 200GB of Google cloud storage
              • $10/month: 2TB of Google cloud storage

              LEARN MORE

              How to get manage auto backup in Google Photos:

              Google has recently adjusted the way to it backs up photos in Google Photos. Unlike before, it doesn’t automatically backup the photos you take directly through messaging apps, such as iMessage, WhatsApp and Slack. This, along with the fact that it has ended its free unlimited storage plan (as of June 2021), it’s a good idea to adjust your backup settings. Here’s how:

              1. Open the Google Photos app on your smartphone.
              2. Select your account profile (located in the top-right corner).
              3. Select Google Photo settings.
              4. Select Back up & sync.
              5. Toggle the slider on or off for Back up & sync.

                  6. This is a great way to ensure one-off screenshots and other errata doesn’t end up in your canonical photo library. You can also set whether backups happen over a cellular connection or only via Wi-Fi.

                  You can also adjust the quality of the photos and videos that back up to Google Photos so that they don’t take up as much space and thus you can get more out of your 15GB of free storage. Here’s how:

                  1. Open the Google Photos app on your smartphone.
                  2. Select your account profile (located in the top-right corner).
                  3. Select Google Photo settings.
                  4. Select Back up & sync.
                  5. Select ‘Upload Size’ and choose.

                      6. The “Storage saver” option is obviously the option that will compress your photos and videos, but they will take up less space on your smartphone. The “original quality” will back up the photos and videos in their full resolution.

                      google photos storage

                      Courtesy

                      How to free up device storage

                      Once you’ve backed up your photos and videos to your Google Photos account, you can delete them from your smartphone and free up space for other photos and videos. To do this, you need to go to the “Free up device storage” section in Google Photos settings.

                      Here’s how:

                      1. Open the Google Photos app on your smartphone.
                      2. Select your account profile (located in the top-right corner).
                      3. Select “Free Up Space.”

                          4. The basics

                          Know how to organize: Go browse through your photos on the web or your smartphone, and you’ll see they’re organized by date, with the newest ones at the top: Scroll down to see older pictures. Tap or click on an image to see more details about it, such as the time and location it was taken at (if you can’t see these details, click the small information icon on the web or open up the context menu then choose Info on mobile).

                          Editing photos is easy: Google Photos comes with some basic but effective editing tools for your pictures as well. On mobile or the web, click the sliders icon to start editing: you can apply a series of Instagram-style filters, adjust the brightness and color of your images, crop and rotate your pictures, and more besides.

                          google photos tools

                          Courtesy

                          Make an album: To make albums for specific photos and videos, on the web you’re going to click the “Create” button, then the “Album” button. If you’re using your smartphone, select the three dots in the top right-hand corner and pick “Album.” You can then pick existing photos or upload new ones to fill out your album. If you need sets of photos and videos to get at quickly, use the albums feature to do it.

                          Share an album: Group by familiar faces: Delve into the Settings option from the app or web menu to change various aspects of how Google Photos works: You can, for example, group similar faces together (more on this in a moment), choose how unrecognized file types are managed, and set up how sharing photos and videos with other people works.

                          Be advanced

                          Learn advanced search: As you would expect, Google Photos excels at search, thanks to some smart image recognition tech built right into the service. Try searching for “selfies”, “sky”, “forests”, “cars”, “dogs”, “concerts”, “birthday”, “baking”, “wedding” or just about any other word you want to try. Click through on the “Albums” link and you’ll see Google Photos makes auto albums out of some of the most popular terms.

                          This AI-enabled magic extends to people you know too. Click inside the search box on the web or tap inside the search box on mobile and you should see a row of faces Google Photos has identified—tap on any face to put a name to it and to see all of the matching photos and videos in your collection.

                          google photos face id

                          Courtesy

                          Google Photos can recognize faces and even pets in your pictures. You can search for people in your Google Photos library, and places too, if your pictures have locations tagged on them. The app also lets you search by date, whether it’s “January 2018” or “January 11 2010”. It’s this flexible and deep searching that really defines Google Photos, and means you don’t necessarily need to create any albums manually at all.

                          Click or tap the “Assistant” button in the app and you’ll get some helpful advice from Google Photos about how to improve your photo library: It might be clearing out duplicate or unimportant pictures from your collection, for example, or rotating pictures that Google Photos has detected aren’t orientated the right way. Follow the “Review suggestions” links to take action.

                          Set up a shared library: Sharing photos with other people is a breeze as well. If you’ve got one other special person in your life, you can create a shared library that you both have access to: From the “Settings” option in the Google Photos menu on the web or on mobile, select “Shared libraries” and follow the instructions to get started. This is also great for creating vacation or party albums that can include submissions from all attendees.

                          google share your library

                          Courtesy

                          You can share one or more photos or videos by clicking the “Share” buttons spread liberally through the Google Photos interface (the icons showing three dots joined by two lines). If Google Photos recognizes people in the images, it will even suggest that you share the pictures with those people.

                          Photos and videos can be shared over social media or email, and you also have the option of creating a shared album when you share something through the service. This means more files can be added at a later stage, if needed—it’s perfect for photos of the kids or a particular event, for example.

                          Turn a video into a GIF: That’s right. Google Photos has some pretty neat animation features that allows you to turn a video into a GIF. You can also turn a group of photos (and videos) into a collage. And it’s all surprisingly easy.

                          To turn a video into a GIF, open the Google Photos app on your smartphone and, at the bottom, select “Library” and then “Utilities.” From there, scroll down and choose the “Animation” option. (If you want to create a collage, choose the “Collage option.) You can then select a number of photos (from 2-50), select “Create” and it’ll turn that group of photos into a GIF.

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                    June 17, 2021 / Comments Off on Tips to Become a Google Photos Power User
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                    This Is Sonos’s Next Speaker (And Yes, It Hangs on Your Wall)

                    Sonos and Ikea are adding a new speaker to their existing Symfonisk (which means “symphony” in Swedish) line. It’s called the Symfonisk Picture Frame WiFi Speaker and yes, it hangs on your wall and looks like a piece of art. The speaker will cost $199 and it will be available from Ikea’s stores and website on July 15.

                    The idea of the Symfonisk Picture Frame WiFi Speaker is that it hangs on your wall and takes up zero floorspace, which Sonos claims makes it ideal for “small-space living.” When on the wall, the speaker can be positioned in landscape or portrait mode. And if you don’t want to place it on the wall, you don’t have to it. Each speaker has rubber feet, too, so you lean it up against a wall.

                    The “art” of the speaker is actually its grille, which you can pop off and replace with different art; Ikea will sell different grilles with different art, so you customize how you want it to look on your wall. At launch, there will be a dark and a white grille by artist Jennifer Idrizi, with more styled grilles available later on.

                    sonos

                    Ikea

                    As for sound, the Symfonisk Picture Frame WiFi Speaker has a tweeter-and-woofer combo, and will likely have a similar “room-filling sound” as Sonos’ existing One (or One SL) speaker. It can be stereo paired with another Symfonisk Picture Frame Speaker, or grouped with any other Sonos or Symfonisk multi-room group. Sonos has not mentioned whether or not two of the new speakers can be integrated into a Sonos home theater system (used as rear-channel speakers).

                    The Symfonisk Picture Frame WiFi Speaker will also work like Sonos’s existing One SL. It’s a wi-fi-only speaker that supports AirPlay 2. There’s no built-in microphones for a smart voice assistant. There’s no built-in Bluetooth, either.

                    It was rumored that Sonos and Ikea would be updated the existing Symfonisk lamp speaker and Symfonisk bookshelf speaker, which were released in 2019, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. Both speakers are still available from Ikea.

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                    June 15, 2021 / Comments Off on This Is Sonos’s Next Speaker (And Yes, It Hangs on Your Wall)
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                    What’s Actually the Difference Between Cheap and Expensive Bookshelf Speakers?

                    People like good sound, obviously, but to different ends and different extremes. There’s upgrading to a soundbar or a two-channel home theater system so you can better hear dialog on TV. Then, there’s building a bonafide home hi-fi system and spending thousands on various speakers, connections, sources and other electronics.

                    Odds are, if you clicked on this post, you might have a set of bookshelf speakers. Maybe a $150-$300 setup, connected either an A/V receiver or a home turntable setup. Maybe you’ve also considered an upgrade. But what, exactly will that expense get you? Especially if you creep up into the $1,000 range?

                    According to Scott Orth, the director of audio and acoustic systems at Sound United, and a professor of Electroacoustics at the Johns Hopkins Peabody Instutite, there are a few angles from which to answer the question. First, the ojective and scientific. “The sources that you’re listening to have a certain amount of information and the better your loudspeakers are the more they can extract that information, the less error there is and the clearer it comes through and the more you get from it.” As your speaker quality improves, the better justice they do to high quality recordings. Literally. Objectively. Full stop.

                    But there’s also what Orth calls “the emotional side.” Higher fidelity speakers are able to extract more information, so the sound is more realistic and the experience of listening is more engaging. Simply put: the more you hear, the more emotion you feel.

                    high end bookshelf speakers gear patrol inline 1
                    Polk Audio is a 50-year-old audio company based in Baltimore. They’re best known for making affordable hi-fi speakers. The Legend Series (picture) are the “best speakers Polk has ever made.”

                    Polk Audio

                    Of course this is just a detailed way to state the obvious: A pair of lesser bookshelf speakers are going to sound worse than higher-end bookshelf speakers. How do they sound better? What specifically are you getting for your money. The truth is: it’s everything, it’s a little bit of everything.

                    “When you move up in price in speakers, what happens is that you are paying for not just the level of detail that you can hear, but the level of engineering that goes into the speaker,” says Michael Greco, a senior director in Polk Audio’s loudspeaker division. Better cabinets are going to be more expensive by their physical nature. They need to be heavy, thick or have bracing — anything that makes it rigid so it’s not vibrating anywhere but the transducers. The trick is to find something that’s not too heavy but still has all the properties of high stiffness and high damping to keep the panels from vibrating. “You’re buying that level of thought and that level of detail from the engineering team to give you that immersive experience.”

                    Size is also a big factor. According to Greco, a 6-inch driver in a small box might play loud, but it’s not going to go very low in frequency. A 5.25-inch driver in the same size box might not play as loud, but it will go low in frequency. So there’s this kind of trade-off and that’s part of what you pay for in some speakers. You’re paying for a larger box so you can have more bass. This is one of the main reasons why high-end bookshelf speakers are also bigger.

                    But making a bigger speaker isn’t as simple as just scaling up a small one. The larger the speaker — specifically, the speaker cabinet — the more difficult it is to keep its panels from vibrating. “A small box has less trouble than a larger one, but it’s all about the internal bracing that we do to try to keep the larger cabinets from vibrating like that,” Orth said. “So larger [isn’t always better], but this thicker is always better if you can afford to do that.” Thicker material will always be stiffer than thinner material.

                    high end bookshelf speakers gear patrol inline 2
                    The Legend Series consists of two sets of bookshelf speakers, the L100 and the L200, the latter of which are slightly bigger and higher-end.

                    Polk Audio

                    So what does that look like practically? You can find an instructive example in Polk Audio’s lineup. Take Polk’s L100 ($1,199) a significant price bump from its $120 T15s. The extra order of magnitude in purchase price gains you improvement in materials, parts and other bits of engineering that add up to an objective improvement. “The T15 goes down to maybe 90Hz and the L100 goes down into the 50Hz ranges, so there’s a lot of difference there. On the high frequencies, I think we measured the pinnacle tweeter out to 50kHz, which is where dogs and bats hear.”

                    Of course, the speakers are just one link in the chain of an excellent audio system, and you have to have the right equipment to properly power them — you can’t just integrate hi-end speakers into your current system and expect them to sound their best. Yet, the speakers remain the foundation, if you find this audio quality worth the premium you’ll pay for it.

                    “The advice that I always give people is to buy your speakers first and spend as much as you can afford,” Greco said. “And then buy the electronics second.” Electronics will change over time, while speakers tend to last, which make them an excellent foundation that will only pay dividends as you upgrade the rest of your setup.

                    As for how much should you spend on speakers versus the other electronics in your system, Greco says it should be an even 50/50 split — maybe 60/40 in favor of the speakers. “I don’t think you’re going to be sorry if you spend a little bit more on the speakers because, after all, that’s what you hear. It’s the speakers.”

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                    June 12, 2021 / Comments Off on What’s Actually the Difference Between Cheap and Expensive Bookshelf Speakers?
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                    Samsung welcomes its first ‘Fan Edition’ tablet: The Galaxy Tab S7 FE

                    Android might be the most dominant mobile operating system right now, but Apple still manages to outpace it when it comes to tablets. Samsung remains its biggest competitor right now and its latest model is the Galaxy Tab S7 FE. The South Korean tech group revisits a strategy wherein they released a more affordable version of the S20 last year.

                    Now, it’s the Galaxy Tab S7 that getting the “Fan Edition” treatment that drops the price in exchange for the loss of some key features of the flagship slate. We can’t help but notice that Samsung somewhat drew inspiration from the iPad Air 4.

                    The Galaxy Tab S7 FE will ship in four colors: Mystic Black, Mystic Silver, Mystic Green, and Mystic Pink. Much like its premium cousins, an S-Pen is bundled with the tablet. It retains the premium metal body, but there are some cost-saving changes.

                    It packs a 12.4-inch display but it uses a TFT panel instead of OLED. Don’t expect a buttery-smooth 120 Hz refresh rate as it is listed at 60 Hz only. 5G connectivity is still intact, but the chipset is the mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G.

                    The silicon is paired with 4 GB or 6 GB RAM with an internal storage size of 64 GB and 128 GB respectively. The Galaxy Tab S7 FE should still be a capable productivity device with Samsung’s DeX on board. Moreover, the optional keyboard cover will handle typing tasks reliably as well.

                    The battery is rated at 10,090 mAh and it supports 45W fast charging technology. The Galaxy Tab S7 FE is also great for entertainment thanks to its dual AKG-tuned speakers with Dolby Atmos audio enhancement.

                    Buy – $835

                    Images courtesy of Samsung

                    June 11, 2021 / Comments Off on Samsung welcomes its first ‘Fan Edition’ tablet: The Galaxy Tab S7 FE
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                    Sony’s New Flagship Earbuds Pack an Incredible Mix of Noise-Cancellation and Hi-Fi Sound

                    The Sony WF-1000XM4 are finally here. The company’s highly anticipated noise-canceling wireless earbuds (and successor to the 2019-released WF-1000XM3) are available right now for $280 — the same price as the competing Bose QuietComfort Earbuds.

                    So, what’s different about them? A lot.

                    Sony redesigned the WF-1000XM4 from the ground up so that they look and fit drastically different from any other company’s other wireless earbuds. Sony improved the sound quality and active noise-cancellation, too, and gave them some similar features found in its newest noise-canceling over-ear headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM4.

                    Sony WF-1000XM4 vs Sony WF-1000XM3: What are the big differences?

                    Sony upgraded its WF-1000XM4 with a new V1 processor, a new microphone system and new 6mm drivers that, together, noticeably improve its active noise-cancellation and transparency modes.

                    These wireless buds also share plenty of features with their headphone-shaped cousins, the WH-1000XM4. There’s the new “Speak to Chat” feature that automatically pauses the music when you start talking. You can also cover the right earbud with your hand to pause the music. They’re integrated with Sony’s “Precise Voice Pickup Technology” for improved call clarity.

                    Sony improved the battery life of the Sony WF-1000XM4. Each wireless earbud is rated for an extra two hours of juice. The new charging case has the same battery life (24 hours total) and yet is 40-percent smaller. It also supports wireless charging, which is a first for Sony wireless earbuds. And the Sony WF-1000XM4 have an IPX4 rating, which makes them resistant to splashing water (though not anything more intense than that).

                    tech
                    The charging case of the Sony WF-1000XM4 is 40-percent smaller than the charging case of the WF-1000XM3. It also supports wireless charging.

                    Tucker Bowe

                    How’s the sound quality?

                    Like their predecessors, the Sony WF-1000XM4 are also some of the best sounding noise-canceling headphones you can buy. But the big upgrade with the Sony WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds is they they support LDAC.

                    LDAC is Sony’s codec that can stream high-resolution audio tracks (up to 32-bit/96kHz) over Bluetooth. This means that the Sony WF-1000XM4 can audio quality that’s roughly three-times the quality as most wireless earbuds — but you’ll need to be playing a lossless music track that supports LDAC to take advantage of it.

                    If you don’t subscribe to a lossless music service, don’t worry. The Sony WF-1000XM4 also support Sony’s proprietary software (DSEE Extreme) that will upscale your music files (MP3 or AAC, for example) to near high-resolution sound quality. In a nutshell, the new wireless earbuds sound great and will play high-quality audio no matter what.

                    Do they fit the same as the WF-1000XM3?

                    Not exactly.

                    The Sony WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds are smaller than the WF-1000XM3, and they have much more traditional rounded design (while the WF-1000XM3 have a more angular fit). In my opinion, they fit very similar to the Sennheiser Momentum TW 2 or the Master & Dynamic MW08. Sony has new foam eartips that do help the earbuds stay more securely in your ears (they also do a pretty awesome job of blocking out ambient noises).

                    The best noise-canceling wireless earbuds yet?

                    It’s a difficult one to call. The Sony WF-1000XM4 are definitely up there in terms of the best noise-canceling wireless earbuds you can buy — Sony’s WF-1000XM4 and Bose’s QC Earbuds are neck-and-neck in terms of noise-cancellation. And the sound quality is exceptional, too, although there are several high-end wireless earbuds (like Bowers & Wilkins PI7 or Master & Dynamic MW08) that give the Sony WF-1000XM4 and the Bose QC Earbuds a run for their money.

                    Ultimately it comes down to fit, features and the ecosystem of devices and services that you’re using. While Sony’s earbuds are terrific, it’s still to not recommend AirPods Pro to somebody with an iPhone for example, for ease of use and features like spatial audio alone. But if you want one of the best noise-canceling wireless earbuds you can buy, and you like sound and features (there are a lot) that come with Sony’s audio products, the Sony WF-1000XM4 are a pricey but perfect fit.

                    Sony

                    Sony WF-1000XM4

                    Sony amazon.com

                    $279.99

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                    June 8, 2021 / Comments Off on Sony’s New Flagship Earbuds Pack an Incredible Mix of Noise-Cancellation and Hi-Fi Sound
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                    The Biggest Announcements from Today’s Big Apple Event

                    At WWDC 2021, Apple announced a string big software upgrades that will come to all your Apple devices in the coming months. This includes updates to iOS, iPadOS macOS, watchOS and tvOS. We’ve roundup all the biggest announcements below.

                    FaceTime is getting some big upgrades

                    With iOS 15, the next big iPhone software update coming, Apple is bringing some meaning updates to FaceTime. Specifically, your iPhone’s video calls are getting support for spatial audio and Portrait Mode, so that the people in your calls will sound and look significantly better. There’s a new feature called SharePlay that allows people on the same FaceTime call to easily share their screens, so you can share things watch the same movies and listening to the same music — all on the same video call. Also, Apple is introducing FaceTime Links, which will allow Android and Windows users to join FaceTime calls.

                    Your iPhone’s notifications.

                    Apple is introducing a feature called Notification Summary with iOS 15, which basically changes the way you can receive notifications on your iPhone. It will bundle a bunch of your “less pressing” notifications, such as news updates from apps like Yelp, ESPN and other third-party apps, and then deliver them all at the same time in a group. You can then quickly check out all your notifications at once. It should more important notifications, such as iMessages, won’t be lumped into this bundle.

                    This article is currently being updated…

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                    June 7, 2021 / Comments Off on The Biggest Announcements from Today’s Big Apple Event
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                    Disable Amazon’s Creepy New Echo Feature Before It Turns On

                    Welcome to Product Support, a column devoted to helping you get the most out of the stuff you already use.

                    Amazon is gearing up to launch Sidewalk, its new Wi-Fi network that pools people’s existing Wi-Fi networks together to create a stronger Wi-Fi network for the neighborhood. In theory, it allows nearby homes to share Wi-Fi networks so that their smart devices stay better connected. The problem is that it involves homes sharing their Wi-Fi with other homes, which brings about a lot of concerns about privacy.

                    Amazon promises that your privacy and security of paramount importance and claims Sidewalk’s Wi-Fi network is encrypted to protect people from viewing other people’s data — you can read their statement on privacy and security, here. But on the other hand, you could always just turn it off before it even kicks on.

                    Amazon is going to roll out Sidewalk on June 8 and when it does, it will be able to access the Wi-Fi of any home that has an Echo smart speaker or Ring smart security system.

                    If you don’t like the idea of Amazon sharing your Wi-Fi with your neighbors, and vice versa, don’t worry. You can prevent this from happening by just adjusting a setting in your Alexa app. It takes less than a minute. Here’s how.

                    1. Open the Alexa app.
                    2. Select the More tab (bottom-right corner).
                    3. Select ‘Settings.’
                    4. Select ‘Account Settings.’
                    5. Select ‘Amazon Sidewalk.’
                    6. Turn the ‘Enabled’ slider off.

                        7. LEARN MORE

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                      June 4, 2021 / Comments Off on Disable Amazon’s Creepy New Echo Feature Before It Turns On
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                      Huawei Watch 3 Series: Premium craftsmanship running feature-packed HarmonyOS

                      Since the trade ban in 2019, Huawei’s popularity is at an all-time low. Its supply chain for critical components was affected and it also lost access to a crucial software package. The Chinese tech brand is lauded for the outstanding craftsmanship and features of its gadgets. This is clearly intact on the Huawei Watch 3 and Huawei Watch 3 Pro – its latest wearables.

                      The two are launching in select regions this June 2021. It’s still too early to call if the new operating system ecosystem is the second wind the company needs. Nonetheless, the smartwatches all look premium and tout telephony functionalities.

                      Both variants have eSIM support, which means you can choose to leave your smartphone at home. Other specifications shared by the two include a 1.43-inch 466 x 466 round AMOLED display, wireless charging, and a comprehensive health monitoring system.

                      These wearables also borrow some gimmicks from the Apple Watch series with the digital crown and side button. Similar to Samsung’s rotating bezel controls on their flagship smartwatches, you can also turn the digital crown to navigate the menu.

                      The Huawei Watch 3 comes with a 46-mm stainless steel case in black PVD or silver. Depending on the edition, it ships with a silicone rubber strap, a leather strap, or a stainless-steel bracelet. On the other hand, the Huawei Watch 3 Pro has a 48-mm titanium case with two variants that are paired with either a leather strap or a titanium bracelet

                      Those of you who are coming from the Huawei GT2 series are in for a rough surprise. It appears the Huawei Watch 3 and Huawei Watch 3 Pro cannot hope to match the 14-day battery life of their predecessors. Perhaps HarmonyOS and its expanded capabilities sap more power than before.

                      Learn more

                      [embedded content]

                      Images courtesy of Huawei

                      June 4, 2021 / Comments Off on Huawei Watch 3 Series: Premium craftsmanship running feature-packed HarmonyOS
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                      Love a Free Trial? Here’s What All the Most Popular Streaming Services Are Currently Offering

                      We’re streaming more content than ever. A recent Nielsen report said that since the quarantine started in March 2020, streaming on televisions is up 85 percent, leading to an estimated grand total of 400 billion minutes of streamed TV minutes. (Oddly, people are streaming less music now that we’re home.) This means that you’ve likely exhausted most of the movies and shows that your current service, be it Netflix or Apple TV+, is offering, and you’re wondering what else is out there.

                      We’ve rounded up the most popular streaming services (including movies, shows and music) and what free trials they are currently offering. That way you can try something out without having to hand over your hard-earned dough.


                      Movies and Shows

                      HBO Max

                      HBO-MAX-gear-patrol-lead-feature

                      The free trial: HBO no longer offers a free trial of HBO Max. That said, if you had an HBO Now subscription, there’s a good chance you’ll automatically get grandfathered into an HBO Max subscription for free. If you have an HBO subscription (or you get HBO Go) through AT&T, which owns WarnerMedia and HBO, there’s a small chance you can get either a one-month, three-month or one-year subscription for free; check your HBO subscription through the AT&T app (myAT&T). If you don’t get HBO through AT&T, there’s a strong likelihood that you’ll have to pay the full price for HBO Max.

                      Normal costs: A subscription to HBO Max costs $15/month. HBO recently launched a cheaper version of HBO Max, which costs $10/month, but it comes with ads and doesn’t support 4K or offline downloads.

                      LEARN MORE

                      Netflix

                      Samsung-Ax-Netflix-gear-patrol-feature


                      The free trial: Netflix currently offers a 1-month (30-day) free trial.

                      Normal costs: Netflix offers three different plans. The Basic Plan costs $9/month, allows one person to be signed on at a time, and it delivers up to an SD quality stream. The Standard plan costs $14/month, allows two people to be streaming at once, and delivers up to an HD quality stream. And the Premium plan costs $18/month, allows four people to be streaming at once, and delivers up to an Ultra HD quality stream.

                      LEARN MORE

                      YouTube Premium

                      YouTube-Music-gear-patrol-lead-feature

                      The free trial: YouTube Premium offers a 1-month (30-day) free trial for first time subscribers.

                      Normal costs: YouTube Premium costs $12/month after the free trial is over. Subscribers get ad-free access to all YouTube and YouTube Music content.

                      LEARN MORE

                      Discovery+

                      discovery plus

                      Courtesy

                      The free trial: First-time subscribers get a 7-day free trial when they sign up for Discovery+.

                      Normal costs: There are two different tiers for paying Discovery+ subscribers. A $5/month subscription still comes with advertisements, while $7/month subscription is completely ad-free.

                      LEARN MORE

                      Hulu

                      Hulu-logo-gear-patrol

                      The free trial: Hulu offers a 1-month (30-day) free trial of its standard service or a 7-day free trial of its Hulu and Live TV package.

                      Normal costs: Hulu offers four different plans. Hulu Basic costs $6/month and gets you access to most of Hulu’s content, but there will be ads. Hulu Premium costs $12/month and gets subscribers ad-free content to most of Hulu’s content. Then you can bundle the Basic and Premium plans with Hulu’s Live TV package for $55/month and $61/month, respectively. You can bundle a subscription with ESPN+ and Disney+ for $13/month, here.

                      LEARN MORE

                      Amazon Prime Video

                      Amazon-Prime-Video-Gear-Patrol

                      The free trial: If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, you get a free premium subscription of Amazon Prime Video.

                      Normal costs: If you’re not an Amazon Prime member, a subscription to Amazon Prime Video costs $9/month. (Amazon Prime costs $13/month or $6.50/month for students.)

                      LEARN MORE

                      Disney+

                      Disney-Plus-Deal-Gear-Patrol-Feature


                      The free trial: Disney+ offers a 7-day (30-day) free trial when you first sign up.

                      Normal costs: Disney+ costs $7/ month or $70/year. You can bundle a subscription with ESPN+ and Hulu for $13/month, here.

                      LEARN MORE

                      Apple TV+

                      Apple-TV-Plus-gear-patrol-feature

                      The free trial: You get a 1-year free trial of Apple TV+ when you buy a new Apple device. If you haven’t bought a new Apple device, you can get a 7-day free trial.

                      (Note: Apple extended its free trial period for people who first signed up for Apple TV+ until July 2021, meaning they actually get a 21-month free trial.)

                      Normal costs: Apple TV+ costs only $5/month or $50/year, and that includes Family Sharing.

                      LEARN MORE

                      Paramount Plus (Previously CBS All Access)

                      paramount

                      Courtesy

                      The free trial: Paramount Plus offers a 7-day free trial when you first sign up for a monthly plan.

                      Normal costs: Paramount Plus costs $5.99/month. It’s an “ad-supported” plan that will still show you a limited amount of commercials.

                      LEARN MORE

                      NFL Game Pass

                      nfl game pass

                      Courtesy

                      The free trial: NFL Game Pass offers a 7-day free trial.

                      Normal costs: NFL Game Pass costs $100 as a one-time payment, or $30 in four installments.

                      LEARN MORE

                      ESPN+

                      ESPN-Plus-Gear-Patrol

                      The free trial: ESPN+ used to have a free trial, but no longer offers it.

                      Normal costs: ESPN+ costs $6/month or $60/year. You can bundle a subscription with Hulu and Disney+ for $14/month, here.

                      LEARN MORE

                      Music

                      Spotify

                      Are-You-Listening-to-the-High-Res-Audio-Gear-Patrol-Spotify

                      The free trial: Spotify offers a 2-month (60-day) free trial of Spotify Premium, its ad-free service. However, if you sign up for PayPal, you can get a 3-month (90-day) free trial. If you’ve been a Spotify Premium subscriber in the past, you are ineligible for the free trial.

                      Normal costs: Spotify Premium currently costs $10/month for an individual play. A Duo plan, which is two Premium accounts that’s designed for “a couple under one roof, costs $13/month. A Family plan, which includes up to six Premium accounts for “family members living under one roof,” costs $16/month. There are $5/month plans for students, too.

                      LEARN MORE

                      Apple Music

                      Are-You-Listening-to-the-High-Res-Audio-Gear-Patrol-apple-music


                      The free trial: Apple Music offers a 3-month (90-day) free trial to first time subscribers, but you can actually get an extra month free if you buy through Best Buy.

                      Normal costs: Apple Music currently costs $10/month for individuals, $15/month for a family plan, or $5/month for college students.

                      LEARN MORE

                      Tidal

                      tidal deal gear patrol lead featured

                      Tidal


                      The free trial: Tidal offers a 30-day free trial to new subscribers of its HiFi and Premium plans.

                      Normal costs: Tidal Premium normally costs $10/month and allows you to listen tracks in standard (320 Kbps) sound quality. Tidal HiFi is the more premium subscription that normally costs $20/month and allows subscribers to listen to tracks in true lossless (1,411 Kbps) sound quality.

                      LEARN MORE

                      Pandora

                      music-streaming-gear-patrol-pandora

                      The free trial: Pandora offers a 30-day free trial of Pandora Plus and a 60-day free trial of Pandora Premium.

                      Normal costs: Pandora Plus costs $5/month and users can skip unlimited songs and download some songs for offline listening. Pandora Premium costs $10/month and allows subscribers to have everything the Plus plan offers, but they can download unlimited songs and they can also create and share playlists.

                      LEARN MORE

                      Amazon Music Unlimited

                      Amazon-Music-Gear-Patrol

                      The free trial: New subscribers to Amazon Music Unlimited get a 3-month free trial.

                      Normal costs: Amazon Music Unlimited costs $8/month for Prime members or $10/month for non-members.

                      LEARN MORE

                      Deezer

                      deezer music app

                      The free trial: Deezer offers a 3-month (90-day) free trial of both its paid subscription plays: Deezer Premium and Deezer Hi-Fi.

                      Normal costs: Deezer offers two different paid subscription plays, Deezer Premium and Deezer HiFi, with the latter the one that allows you to listen to FLAC tracks in lossless quality. Deezer Premium costs $10/month and Deezer Hi-Fi costs $15/month.

                      LEARN MORE

                      Qobuz

                      qobuz

                      Qobuz

                      The free trial: Qobuz offers a 30-day free trial for new users of its main subscription plan (called Studio Premier).

                      Normal costs: The subscription plan normally costs $15/month (or $150 annually), but Qobuz is offering a deal where if you subscribe now, the plan will cost you $12.49/month.

                      LEARN MORE

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                      June 3, 2021 / Comments Off on Love a Free Trial? Here’s What All the Most Popular Streaming Services Are Currently Offering
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                      How to Use Google Chrome As a Password Manager

                      Chrome is the most popular web browser, and odds are you spend a lot of your time in there, from shopping on Amazon to checking your email to filing your taxes. One way you can get more out of it, is making use of the built-in Google Password Manager

                      Google’s built-in password manager is more than just convenient. It enables you to create stronger passwords so that it’s less likely that your account gets hacked and your personal information stolen.

                      In order to take advantage of Chrome as a password manager, you need to have a Google account and use Chrome as your web browser. After that, Chrome will automatically remember your usernames and passwords. And as long as you’re logged into your Google account and using Chrome, your usernames and passwords will sync across your various devices, like your smartphone and desktop.

                      The catch, of course, is that in order to make use of it, you’ll have to ensure that you’re always using Google Chrome. If you don’t want your choice of password manager to lock you into a particular browser (or be part of Google’s information domain), then it’s time to look at independent alternatives. The downside there, is that you’ll probably have to pay at least a small fee for a similar suite of services.

                      How to use Chrome’s password manager

                      One of the great advantages of using a password manager is that it allows to quickly check a username and password for any of your accounts, in case you forget them or wish to share them. And you can easily change a password whenever you want.

                      1. Open Chrome.
                      2. Click your profile picture (in the top-right corner).
                      3. Click the key icon (under your email).
                      4. You can then see all your stored usernames and passwords.

                          5. If you want to see your login credentials for a specific website, simply scroll down to that website and you’ll see your username and hidden password. To reveal your password, click on the eye icon and, when prompted, type in your Google password. You can easily change your password, too, by selecting the three vertical dot icons (located next to the eye icon) and selecting “Edit password” from the dropdown menu.

                          If you don’t want Chrome to store your usernames and passwords — maybe because you’re using a different password manager, such as 1Password or LastPass — you can easily turn it off by deselecting the “Auto Sign-in” feature within Chrome’s password manager (which you get to by following the above steps).

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                        June 3, 2021 / Comments Off on How to Use Google Chrome As a Password Manager
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                        10 Most-Asked Questions About the New iMac, Answered

                        The latest MacBook Pro and MacBook Air harness the power of Apple’s M1 chipset, and now the new iMac has been completely redesigned around it. The M1’s power and efficiency has enabled Apple to drastically reduce the size of key components, such as the thermal and cooling system, so that the new iMac is thinner and lighter (and yes, still more powerful) than ever before.

                        And owing to its complete redesign, the M1 iMac is actually quite a bit different from all iMacs that have come before it. If you’re thinking about buying the new M1 iMac — available now, starting at $1,299 — you likely have a number of questions you want answered before moving forward. We answer the biggest ones below.

                        How does the M1 iMac compare to the previous iMac?

                        There are two major differences when comparing the new M1 iMac with the previous 27-inch iMac, which Apple released in the summer of 2020 (less than a year ago). The first is computing power. Apple claims that the M1 iMac has improved CPU performance up to 85 percent compared to the previous Intel-based Mac. And having used the M1 iMac myself, I believe it. Whether you’re browsing the web, touching up images in Photoshop or streaming shows on Apple TV+ — the new M1 iMac flies.

                        The other big difference is the design. The M1 iMac has a new thin and lightweight design that’s about half the volume of the previous iMacs. On the flips side, the 27-inch iMac looks basically like every other iMac for the last eight years. Also, the M1 iMac comes in color.

                        Is there any reason to buy the 2020 Intel iMac over the 2021 M1 iMac?

                        Actually yes! Last year’s 27-inch iMac has a few key advantages. It’s more customizable because you can purchase it with significantly more storage and RAM configurations. It also has more ports than just USB-C, so there’s a change you won’t have to use a hub or adapter. And while both desktops have a very nice display, the 27-inch iMac’s is slightly nicer with its 5K display while the M1 iMac has a 24-inch display that tops out at 4.5K, though it’s unlikely most people would notice the difference.

                        How does the M1 iMac compare to the M1 MacBook Pro?

                        The M1 iMac and M1 MacBook Pro are actually very similar machines as far as performance goes because they have the same exact processor. In fact, the M1 iMac is very similar to the M1 MacBook Air as well; the primary difference between the devices is, obviously, their form factor. That, and additional fans help the M1 chip in the MacBook Pro and iMac rev up to fuller potential.

                        Which M1 iMac configuration is best for most people?

                        We generally recommend that you go with the configuration next up from the entry-level model — and this is definitely true as it pertains to the M1 iMac. If you go with entry-level model of the new M1 iMac, which costs $1,299, there are some distinct trade-offs. The entry-level M1 iMac doesn’t come with a Magic Keyboard that has Touch ID. It only comes with two ports instead of four. And it’s not available in all seven colors — it’s not available in purple, orange or yellow.

                        How good is the M1 iMac’s webcam?

                        It’s not 4K, but it’s a good webcam. The new M1 iMac has a 1080p webcam, which is an improvement on the 720p webcam that’s still on all the latest MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs. It’s actually a small improvement over the 27-inch iMac’s 1080p webcam, too, because of the M1’s image signal processor, which helps adjust the color so you look like your best self.

                        How are the M1 iMac’s built-in speakers?

                        The speakers on the new M1 iMac are actually a big upgrade on previous iMacs. Instead of the stereo speakers that have traditionally been on iMacs, the new M1 iMac has a six speaker system — consisting of two pairs of force-cancelling woofers, each of which are paired with a high-performance tweeter — so there’s a good chance you won’t need a separate set of computer speakers. Also, it’s the first iMac to support Dolby Atmos. (It’s not the first Mac to support Dolby Atmos, however, as that title belongs to the 16-inch MacBook Pro that was released last year.)

                        Can I buy the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID separately?

                        No, you can’t buy the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID separately. And even if you could, Touch ID would only work with other Macs that have the M1 chip. So, if you have an older Intel-based Mac and you were hoping to coup a new wireless keyboard with Touch ID, unfortunately that can’t happen. The reason being that the M1 chip enables a secure wireless connection between the Magic Keyboard and the Mac, and that can’t be replicated between an Intel-based Mac and the new Magic Keyboard with Touch ID.

                        Can I use the M1 iMac as an external display?

                        No. The new M1 iMac doesn’t support Target Display Mode, a feature that in the past has allowed you to use an older iMac as an external display.

                        Can I use an external monitor with the M1 iMac?

                        Yes, you can technically use one external monitor with the M1 iMac to turn it into a dual monitor setup. The M1 iMac supports one external monitor (up to 6K resolution with up to a 60Hz refresh rate, just like the Apple Pro Display XDR), which is different from previous non-M1 iMacs. For example, the 2020 27-inch iMac allows you to connect to multiple external monitors.

                        Will I need to get a dongle?

                        Probably, yes. The M1 iMac only has USB-C ports. The entry-level model has two USB-C Thunderbolt ports, while the higher-end models add an additional two USB-C 4 ports. This means that if you want to connect anything other than USB-C connection to the M1 iMac, you’ll need to buy a dongle or an adapter.

                        Apple

                        Apple M1 iMac (2021)

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                        June 1, 2021 / Comments Off on 10 Most-Asked Questions About the New iMac, Answered
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