At $69.99, the IdeaUSA W205 is a versatile smart speaker that connects and streams music in a variety of ways, from Bluetooth to wi-fi. It’s portable, lightweight, with good sound quality. And it’s a nice starter piece for building a home wireless speaker system at an affordable price.
Many Options for Streaming Music
Like most wireless speakers in the under $100 price range, the W205 streams music using Bluetooth, micro SD card (TF), Airplay, or connects physically with an audio cable. It also connects to wi-fi with the help of the free IdeaHome app. The app has the ability to connect and control other IdeaUSA speakers, creating a multi-room audio system. The speakers can play independent of one another, playing different music in separate rooms, or in tandem. (Sometimes IdeaUSA offers a discount when two or more speakers are purchased at the same time.)
I had no problems connecting the speaker using all of the previously mentioned methods with the exception of wi-fi. Even though my router meets the minimum required 2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n, I was not able to connect after several attempts. I was too lazy to contact customer support, which seems responsive based on a few customer reviews that cited similar issues. Most people didn’t seem to have a problem connecting to wi-fi, though.
Solid Performance
I performed the usual music tests, listening to classical, country, rock, pop, R&B, jazz, and podcasts, playing the speaker for about eight hours without needing to recharge. I even blasted “Game of Thrones” when I was testing out the ability to connect to my tablet.
The W205 performed solidly considering its size; the two subwoofers do a good job helping to project the sound. No surprise that it doesn’t handle deep bass very well, either sounding muddled or non-existent. As noted in many of my reviews, speakers in this price range usually perform well in the mid-range.
Unobtrusive Design
Simply designed with a wraparound grill, the W205 is unobtrusive with a 5-inch squareish sized ovoid, dent resistant, hard plastic/metal body. Available in either red or dark silver, its rounded edges make it easy to hold and carry from room-to-room or to the outdoors.
Controls are located on top: power, wi-fi/Bluetooth, six programmable playlist buttons, volume, play, back/forward. There’s no mic, which is not a surprise since IdeaUSA markets this as a home speaker. There are indicator lights for wi-fi, Bluetooth, TF card (micro SD), aux, charging mode, and battery level.
I’m not sure why IdeaUSA chose to use a combination of synthesized chimes and an affected British-Asian (?) accent male voice to alert users when a function has been turned on. I am not a fan of the booming voice announcing “Bluetooth mode has been on” (sic) every time I touch the button. It actually startled my dog a few times when I booted up the Bluetooth.
Summary
The W205 is a good affordable wireless speaker and especially worthy of consideration if you’re in the market for a reasonably priced multi-room system.
Today, as Google rolls out the Stagefright patches, it also announced the new policy for security updates and Android updates. From here on out, all Nexus devices will receive security patches and updates for the longer of three years from initial availability or 18 months from last sale of the device from the Google Store. Major updates, however, will be continued for only two years.
Google has done well with supporting its devices, this new policy brings it in line with Samsung, except Google, is faster with releasing updates. Starting this week it will release OTA updates that are focused on security as well as normal updates. These updates will be going to the Nexus 4,5,6,7,9,10, and the Nexus Player.
Both the Nexus 5x and 6P released with Marshmallow and with this new policy it could carry them both as far as Android O.
Below are the devices and dates listed that Google promises to update with the latest Android. (Left out all past dates.)
Thousands of apps and games get added to/updated on the Google Play Store every day and it is easy to miss these updates. It’s hard to stay on top of everything that happens in the mobile space. Aside from the big name players and their popular titles, indie devs and other game makers are pushing out stuff that’s worth covering.
For those, and other reasons, we here at AndroidGuys have collected some news for you guys:
Minecraft
Minecraft has sold over 100 million copies to date, averaging about 53,000 copies every day. In celebration of this, Minecraft has addedpistons to Minecraft: Pocket Edition and Minecraft: Windows 10 edition. Pistons allow players make contraptions such as drawbridges and trap doors.
“The Friendly Update”, as it’s being called is available for free to both Pocket Edition and Windows 10 Edition users. Also in the update, you are able to download the Rube Goldberg machine featured in the video below for free.
Minecraft: Pocket Edition can be downloaded on the Google Play Store
Evolution: Heroes of Utopia
My.com has announced an update for their game, Evolution: Heroes of Utopia, which has been installed across Apple and Android Devices over 2 million times. The new update introduces terraforming, which gives players a unique experience every time they have to start anew.
Every conquered location in Utopia can be terraformed, which will completely change the way the location is played with one of three unique perks. Once a player chooses a perk, they can move on to another location. This allows every game play experience to be completely unique to every player.
You can download Evolution: Heroes of Utopia here.
Weather Channel
The Weather Channel has introduced a new way to plan your run based on the weather. Within the Weather Channel App, you can get your GoRun forecast, which will tell you all the science to help you decide the best time to work out outdoors using the Weather Company’s powerful analytics. The GoRun forecast helps find the optimal times to go for a run based on your unique preferences and athletic profile. The forecast will continue to adapt to you the more you use it. These forecasts can be viewed in either 48-hour or 10 day formats, helping you plan your runs for your whole week.
Plants vs Zombies: Heroes, the crazy card game that includes all your favorite superpowered PvZ characters, has introduced an update prior to its worldwide release. There is now a Ranked Multiplayer mode, an improved deck builder and some other minor gameplay improvements. The PvZ team also released a “Behind the seeds” trailer, which you can watch below. The game is currently only available in Brazil, New Zealand, and Canada, but a worldwide release will be coming soon.
Dragon Blaze
GAMEVIL has announced the last round of updates for Dragon Blaze, their massive mobile RPG. This final update introduces two more Dragon Busters, Gaia and Iota, which require ultimate editions of certain characters to acquire
This update also brings a new Gameplay mode, called the Tower of Validation, where you must clear level after dangerous level.
Download Dragon Blaze here
Zombie Castaways
Zombie Castaways, the massive game from Vizor Interactive, has made its way from Facebook to Android and iOS. In the game, you are a lovestruck Zombie trying to win over a girl. In order to do this, you must find other Zombies across the beautiful and vivid islands to help you cook Zombium, which will turn you human if you drink it. You can download Zombie Castaways on The Google Play Store.
Player.me
Player.me, the social discovery platform for games has finally made its way to mobile. Once you download the app, all you have to do is add your account to the app and allow like-minded gamers to keep up with your activities on all platforms. Download Player.me
HIT
Nexon announced HIT (Heroes of Incredible Tales), a HD hack-and-slash RPG. The game made its debut at E3 last week, and you can watch the trailer below
You can pre-register for the game here.
Evie
Evie, in a pursuit to break the disconnect between your mobile experiences, has launched an app with over 100 million deep links. With one search, you can get to your apps, make reservations, and buy movie tickets. Evie is a custom launcher with one-click access to everything. You can watch the video below and download Evie here.
Angry Birds: Epic
Last Sunday, Angry Birds Epic turned two years old. In celebration of this, Chimera Entertainment released some astonishing statistics:
Angry Birds Epic has been downloaded more than 82 million times worldwide
The game has a combined playtime of over 27, 000 years
Searching for the right pair of headphones can prove to be quite the chore. There are a number of things to factor in when making this purchase. Comfort, design, sound, and price are all things that must be considered. The price is the biggest consideration when making this decision. It would be nice if money was no object, but for many of us, this is simply not an option. Today, I bring you a mid-range headphone at a mid-range price, Monodeal’s Noise Canceling Headphones for $50.
Monodeal’s Noise Canceling Headphones are a lightweight set of headphones with adjustable headbands, earpads made of a spongy material, and an outer shell made of glossy plastic. It has a long cord with an inline microphone and noise canceling feature.
Let’s start with the outer shell of the earmuffs. The shiny plastic looked cheap in the pictures and I hoped it was just the pictures. But if I’m being honest, it throws off the look for me as it does look cheaply made. The headband is made of plastic as well, but its matte finish looks better and the housing would have been better if it had followed that design.
On the other hand, the headphones themselves are a comfortable fit. The spongy padding feels good on the ears and prolonged use will not cause any pain. The adjustable headband combined with the soft earpads provide a nice tight fit. There is never a sensation that they are going to fall off.
Sound
The sound from Monodeal’s headphones is run of the mill and provides more of a hollow sound. I never really detected any mids when listening to music. Hip hop was heavy on bass while rock was trebly. I will admit watching Star Wars with these headphones wasn’t bad at all. So maybe watching TV and movies is the way to go with these headphones.
The inline microphone, to be honest, is nothing special from any other mid-ranged headphone. You could understand callers, and callers could understand you. I wouldn’t use these as a primary talking device, but they will work in a pinch.
The noise canceling feature is what these headphones are really about. There was a considerable difference when in use. Even when around loud machinery, you could tell a difference in the lower level of background noise.
Summary
Monodeal’s Noise Canceling Headphones has quite a few pros and cons about it. It’s hard to justify $50 even with the noise canceling feature. I would price them in the area of $30. With that being said, I will say they are a decent pair of headphones that will do the job.
*If you use the code VTYSTGB8 at checkout between June 23-July 23 you can get these headphones for $29.99*
The OnePlus 3 is out to rave reviews. The third flagship from the up-and-coming Chinese startup finally dropped the “Flagship Killer” tagline this time around, but that might be exactly what it has on its hands. Starting at $399, the cost-efficient flagship phone has the same specs you’d expect to find in phones twice its price. So, what’s the catch? Where does the phone suffer from that amazing price tag? Where does it shine in spite of it? Here are our first impressions, we’ll have our full review out soon so keep your eyes peeled for that.
Build
This phone is simply one of the most pleasing devices I’ve ever picked up. It wouldn’t surprise me if OnePlus got the inspiration for its third flagship from the HTC One lineup of phones. The metal body feels strong, but light. The phone weighs only 5.57 oz, which is .19 oz heavier than the Samsung Galaxy S7, but due to the size difference (the OnePlus 3 is half an inch taller) it feels lighter. The OP3 is also thinner than the Galaxy S7 and within 0.01″ of the Apple iPhone 6S. To get a phone that feels so light in spite of being bigger than its competitors is seriously impressive.
The bezels on the sides of the screen are sublime. The 2.5D glass also lends to how small they feel, but based on sight alone, this has one of the thinnest bezels around. It’s not quite bezeless like the Sharp Aquos Crystal, but it’s close. You do pay for it a bit in top and bottom bezels, but it’s a good trade-off.
Speaker placement isn’t ideal since it’s bottom firing, but the speaker does get extremely loud. I haven’t had to cup the bottom of the phone to get good sound, but you may have to in very loud environments like a bar.
The metal build does feel great and what surprised me the most is that it isn’t slippery. I don’t know exactly what OnePlus did to the metal to accomplish this, but it wins over phones like the Samsung Galaxy S7 who have wonderful build materials but are difficult to hold due to how slippery they can be. Where the build may fall a bit short is the accumulation of dirt and grease from your fingers. I keep my hands pretty clean due to working in a shared environment, but I still find the phone getting a bit grimy on the rear of the body. This can easily be remedied by picking up one of OnePlus’ protective slim cases when you order your phone. I ordered the Sandstone case and love it.
Software
Oxygen OS finally feels like a complete operating system. I think OnePlus, and its customers, felt some growing pains when Cyanogen was dumped for OnePlus’ own Oxygen OS, but it’s made leaps and bounds since then. Where the custom AOSP-based build of Android used to feel rather spartan, the current version feels feature rich and generally free of bugs.
You aren’t going to find the feature packed skins that HTC, Samsung and LG put on its phones, but rather common sense features and quality of life improvements. Adjustable quick-toggles makes a return, as well as the “Shelf” feature. The Shelf is a left swipe from your home screen and gives you a place to take a quick note, quickly access a few apps or add your favorite widgets.
Also making a return is the popular option to use either hardware or software buttons. I personally use hardware buttons which opens up options for actions on double tapping and long tapping the capacitive buttons. Being taken back to my previous app on a double tap of the recents button or holding the back button for the camera are little things that you don’t truly miss until you don’t have them anymore. Only then can you really appreciate how convenient these options are.
OnePlus has incorporated an Active Display into its ROM much like the way that companies like Motorola have. While not as robust as Motorola’s features, it does compare favorably to the active display on the Nexus 6P. You get a notification and it shows up in black and white on the AMOLED display to save power. You also have the option to turn on Proximity Wake which turns the display on when you wave your hand over it. Very handy when it actually works. I’ve had some issues with it getting to trigger consistently.
Since OnePlus used an AMOLED display for the OP3, the system-wide dark mode, first introduced with the OnePlus 2, is a real battery saver. I tend to enjoy the aesthetics of dark themes anyway and the Oxygen OS version is no different. It looks great and helps out with battery life. A really smart inclusion by OnePlus.
Conclusion
I have to say, I’m very impressed with the OnePlus 3. I think it’s one of, if not the, best phones on the market so far this year regardless of price. I didn’t touch on a lot of features you’ll see in the full review like the blazing fast fingerprint reader, dash charging, display or battery life. We’ll have our full review out soon with a deeper dive into those topics and more.
If you’re a Google Apps user, you can celebrate the fact that Google created a shorter sign-in process.
Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication, also known as two-step verification, is a secure method of confirming a user’s identity before logging in to a certain service. Not all online apps and services enable 2FA, but it is a highly recommended practice for all users, as it greatly enhances online security.
For Google Apps administrators, it’s easy to set up 2FA for your users’ accounts. Google has information on how to set it up here.
Notes
Currently, you can’t have Security Keys and Google prompt enabled at the same time.
A data connection is required to use Google prompt.
Android users will need updated Google Play Services to use Google prompt.
iOS users will need the Google Search app installed on their phone to use Google prompt.
The new process will roll out gradually, and Google specifically notes it could be at least three days for feature visibility.
A lot of us, while being otherwise normal, functioning humans, harbor some deep and rather irrational fears against generally ‘normal’ items in daily life. Be it clowns, spiders, or even a trip to the dentist, sometimes a certain thing or event can create life-stopping fear or paranoia. Wouldn’t it be great to have a gaming outlet to virtually crush, maim, and destroy these haunting bug-a-boos? Now you can with I Hate You, a mobile game (available in Google Play or the App Store) from the developer Sunrise Games that allows you to get in your car and literally run down your fears.
Gameplay
Pretty simple stuff here. You start in the main menu, where you have two main sets of options to choose from:
Your phobia you’d like to run over.
Your vehicle in which to do the running over.
Additionally, there is a daily point/cash bonus mini-game and achievements list, but we’re here to avenge our nightmares, so let’s get to it.
As with most games of this type, you start with just a basic car, and you can ‘purchase’ bigger/faster ones with money gained during previous gameplay/mini-games. Also, you start with just one phobia avatar, the dreaded clown.
Once your game starts, your controls are also pretty basic. Your vehicle automatically
accelerates up to its max speed; you can control steering by tapping on the left and right sides of the screen. Tapping low-left and low-right brakes your vehicle in that respective direction.
Using these controls, your goal is to run over as many phobia avatars as possible before your health meter (essentially a timer) runs out. Once this meter is empty, your game is over. You have a short amount of time to buy back into your current game, or you can go back to the main menu to change vehicle, phobia, or just start over with your current settings.
Vehicle options range across numerous rather generic-looking car types (though there is a police cruiser and tank available!). More importantly, the phobias you can choose to pursue include the aforementioned clown, cockroach, boss, dentist, spider, vampire, snake, dog, rat, and ZOMBIE (of course).
During gameplay, you may also run across several ‘power-up’ items including added time, saws, guns, and magnets. There are also three maps available: city, castle, and winter themes.
What We Liked
Original game theme based on everyday issues.
Simple but repeatable gameplay.
What Could Use Improvement
Controls can be too simple at times, making fine maneuvering difficult.
I love technology. I love that technology solves problems and makes them obsolete. There are many people who will argue that technology only makes our lives much more complicated, and it makes us less intelligent. I would counter those arguments by saying we are evolving and are becoming more intelligent because we waste less time doing the mundane things like driving to the library to research a science project. We save time with technology, and sometimes it is so ahead of its time that we don’t realize we need it until we have it.
Many people thought the first iPhone was a luxury item that was a waste of money for early adopters. Sure smartphones existed with Windows mobile phones, but Steve Ballmer made the biggest mistake of his career by turning his nose up to mass adoption smartphones. Over the last decade Apple proved that smartphones are essential to our lives and the proof exists in its market value as the richest company in the world.
Where am I going with this?
Imagine your life without WiFi or cellular service. It would be a radical change – some might even say it sucks real bad. Some of us experience life without WiFi or cellular data, but we make adjustments to correct that problem. There are many of us, without thinking, who search for WiFi or data when we are out of range or indoors in buildings with so much mass that they drown out our data signals. In those situations we suck it up, and the second we get a connection back, we check our smartphones instantaneously.
We are so dependent on our data signals that it is second nature that it must exist. Yet so many of us deal with bad WiFi at home and sit close to our routers to maintain a solid connection. Walls, furniture, wiring, electronics, and insulation all degrade our signals. 10 years ago this wouldn’t have been an issue as our dependance on wireless signals was much less.
Basic needs
Stop for a second and try to count all of the devices in your home that depend on a WiFi signal.
Smartphone
Laptop/Desktop
Tablet
Smart TV
Chromecast/Roku/Apple TV/Fire TV
Nest Thermostat
Smart doorbell
Security system/cameras
Smart refridgerator
WiFi speakers such as Sonos/Naim/Raumfeld
Amazon Echo
Your answers will vary of course. And the more people you have in your family, the more people that rely on the WiFi signal to get their information, texts, calls, etc.
The average American home built in 2015 averaged 2600 square feet. According to About Tech, the typical wireless router can reach 150 feet indoors. For an average 2600 square foot house, there shouldn’t be much of an issue getting and maintaining a signal, but walls can degrade range as much as 25% or more on a 2.4GHz frequency. 5GHz suffers even more through walls even though it is faster. Typically lower bandwidth frequencies penetrate walls better than the higher frequencies, which is why AT&T and Verizon perform better than T-Mobile indoors(they own the lower frequency bandwidth).
Let’s assume your ultra fast WiFi network at 5GHz degrades as much as 50% with all of the walls in your home. Older homes will experience even more degradation as they are built with more dense materials like lath and plaster. That means your effective range indoors with a single wireless router is 75 feet. The further you are from your router, the slower your connection is. Move beyond 75 feet and you will most likely drop your connection.
I can almost guarantee that all of you with homes 2600 square feet or more experience issues with your network. I live in a condominium which is 1500 square feet, and even I deal with bad wireless signals on a regular basis.
At least I used to, until I got eero
As a tech writer, you would guess that I would have all of my tech problems solved. That’s far from reality. I work a normal 8-5pm, M-F job as a Medicinal Chemist and don’t have the luxury of staying on top of all gadgets and technology.
In my 1500 square foot condo, I deal with a whole litany of WiFi networks that interfere with mine. I also have really thick walls that prevent me from hearing my neighbors and vice versa. Part of my problem is my main cable internet connection into my house is near the front door. That means my wireless router must reside on one side of my house. My bedroom is the furthest from the router, with my office in-between.
While I could take the time to find the right wireless extenders, repeaters, or amplifiers, I simply do not have the expertise to sit and figure them out. I’ve tried wholeheartedly to set them up before to improve my signal. I even tried at my parents house which was built in 1890 and has the worst WiFi I’ve ever experienced because of those damn lath and plaster walls. The WiFi literally only works in one room in that house, and I had to set up five extenders just to have WiFi around the main floor in the house.
Maybe I am dumb, but setting up flawless networks is no small feat. Or according to Gizmodo, maybe I am just super lazy. I beg to differ though. Of all of my college educated, and PHd colleagues, I would bet that one out of 100 could set up a flawless wireless network with extenders, repeaters or amplifiers.
That’s where eero solved my WiFi issues within nine minutes.
eero is a whole home solution for flawless WiFi. It uses access points to create a “mesh network” that blankets your whole home in strong and fast WiFi.
Instead of one wireless router in your home, you need to change your mindset from the last decade, and understand that as dependent as we are on WiFi, the proper solution for home wireless is multiple access points.
eero is the solution we have all been waiting for, whether we realize it or not. While I could test my home network by running my tablet, computer, phones and stream HD videos off Netflix or YouTube, I won’t because those video service use buffering to manage poor signals. It downloads a portion of video, and will not play it until it can play without stutters. Buffering is an indication of poor WiFi signal, or speed, or a combination of both.
Instead I have been testing my wireless signal strength and speed by using high fidelity wireless speakers from Naim audio. I have been using the Naim Muso and Naim QB which costs $2500 for the pair. Without question, they are the best WiFi speakers I have ever listened to, when the connection is strong. Once I move them into my office or bedroom, and they both stutter and skip parts of songs that ruin the entire experience. I could stream using Bluetooth, but that degrades the sound quality and has even shorter range than WiFi.
So I setup the three kit eero. One in my living room, one in my office, and one in my bedroom.
Setup started like this:
I opened the extremely well packaged eero kit and started with the one that said “start”.
I then installed the app from the Google Play Store. Then I plugged in my first eero into the main wireless router and let the app detect it. (check the screenshot time stamp at the top right)
The eero app then asked me to create my own network. Since eero spoke so highly of its product, I had to name my network “The Best Network” just so my neighbors would know that someone had the best and it wasn’t them.
Once I set up my network, with my own password, it then asked if I wanted to set up another eero. I hate the passwords that come with wireless routers. They’re impossible to memorize which meant I left the password taped to the router and had it written on a post-it note on my refrigerator. Not quite the safest way to keep my network secure.
eero even tells you where to place the next unit.
By 9:43PM my entire eero mesh network was functional (check the screenshot time stamp at the top right).
How does it perform?
Flawlessly. Netflix no longer buffers in my bedroom. My $2500 Naim speakers no longer stutter and sound like a concert hall in my office. eero even resets my network when it detects errors. If you have Time Warner high speed internet like I do, you would know that it drops at least five times a week. It’s aggravating to lose WiFi signal when watching a movie, but it’s downright angering when I am in the middle of a 2000 word post like this one and WiFi drops before I save my work. Many of you who work from home know exactly what I am talking about.
eero solves all of those problems. I get a sense of pride when I come home from work and know I can write without issue, watch Game of Thrones in full HD streaming from my iPad to my Chromecast, to be followed by high fidelity music on my Naim WiFi speakers before bed. eero is a dream come true.
The funny part is, I never thought about how bad my internet connection was until I learned what a good connection is. eero is now apart of my life and I can’t live without it. Sure there isn’t much glory to a great WiFi network, but I can tell you that there are those who maintain their home networks and get all of the blame for issues. Like my dad who has to answer to my brother and sister whine when we are all visiting him and my mom during the holidays. My dad is 67, and he just ordered his eero three pack so he never has to listen to them whine about WiFi again. I am 100% confident my dad will be able to set up eero on his own.
eero is so smart you can even create a guest network and invite users via text, tweet, or email. You no longer have to give out your crazy long and confusing password that most people will type in wrong on the first and second attempts. It’s one of my favorite features.
In a recent update, eero added family controls which does not apply to me. However, I know plenty of people with children who would care about the new family features. Best of all, eero updated itself with the latest software upgrade.
Family Profiles allows eero users to:
Create Profiles: Create a unique profile for each family member in the eero app and assign devices to an individual’s profile.
Set Schedules: Set automatic times when family members cannot access the Internet at home. Rest assured your children aren’t on their devices during certain times without having to constantly monitor them.
Pause the Internet: Instantly pause and unpause all devices associated with a specific profile, granting and revoking internet access at the click of a button.
Nickname Devices: Now you can nickname each device connected to the home network. No more confusion over which devices belong to which member of the family.
How much does it cost?
$500 for a three pack. Read other reviews about eero and many of them scoff at the price. Sure $500 is a lot of money by any measure, but put into context at how important your WiFi actually is, and it isn’t as expensive as you think it is.
I pay $74.99 a month for 50mbps internet from Time Warner. That is $900 a year. What’s the point in paying for such expensive internet when you can’t get the most from it? Typically routers aren’t replaced more than every three years in my experience. $500 over 36 months is $13.88 per month for three eero hubs.
Other reviewers like to compare the price to a single router in which case it will always be cheaper. Or they compare eero to WiFi extenders which are complicated to setup, sometimes create separate networks, and they slow your internet speed. They’re also a lot of work to maintain with firmware updates as well as manual restarts.
If you’ve ever tried to give your router a boost with an “extender,” then you’ve experienced true disappointment. That’s because “extenders” can only stretch your signal a single hop — you can’t connect multiple in a row. They often create an entirely separate network (SSID), so you find yourself having to continually switch from one network to the other as you move through your house.
Worse, many range “extenders” cut your bandwidth in half because they rely on a single wireless radio to both send and receive data. In contrast, each eero has two radios — both of which communicate with your devices and sync with other eeros — so your connection is always fast. Not only does an eero system operate on a single network name (SSID), but you can also walk throughout your home and devices like your iPhone will connect to the nearest eero. – eero
Conclusion
eero is my favorite tech upgrade that I have used in 2016. That is saying a lot considering how much access I have to gadgets. I suspect eero will continue to develop features making its mesh network even better than it is now which is hard to believe, because it is awesome. eero is also paving a path for copycats with whole home network solutions, because as people experience eero for themselves, they will want their own creating a massive market for mesh networks. Like the first iPhone, which wasn’t the first smartphone, eero is the first to make entire home WiFi accessible and easy for all. And just like Apple, the eero is not the first solution for WiFi. There are millions of routers and extenders in existence, but none of them are nearly as good as eero.
eero just works.
eero just hit a home run while Linksys, ASUS, Motorola and the likes sit in the parking lot just trying to get into the game.
While $500 is a large chunk of change, eero is a great investment that will allow you to take full advantage of your WiFi signal. Your videos, music, and work will all improve because of it. The engineers at eero recommend one hub for every 1000 square feet, and suggest no more than 10 eero hubs on one network. Although there are customers with triple that amount that don’t experience any issues.
If you suffer from poor WiFi, I wholeheartedly recommend eero to you.
As the years have passed the demand for wireless headphones have increased. People are sick of having a cord attached to their headphones. Either they are too long or too short. They also get tangled up, not only when you put them away, but also when you’re doing different activities. Whether you’re working out or just sitting around, not having the wire is what people really want.
To that end, the headphone industry has responded by making more wireless headphones. As they have sold more, the industry has invested more money and created headphones that continually get better with sound, battery life, microphones, and build quality. There’s no sign of this trend slowing down.
With that in mind, we have put together a list of 10 wireless headphones that you are sure to enjoy.
Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones-$349 at Bose and Amazon
World-class noise cancellation makes quiet sound quieter and music sound better
Volume-optimized EQ for balanced audio performance at any volume
Wireless convenience, with easy Bluetooth and NFC pairing aided by voice prompts
20-hour battery life per charge; up to 40 hours in wired mode
Noise-rejecting dual-microphone system for clear calls even in windy environments
Powerbeats2 Earphones Red- $149 at Apple $132 at Amazon
Pair and play with your Bluetooth device with 30 foot range
6 hour rechargeable battery
Sweat and water resistant
Take hands-free calls and adjust music with no-slip-grip RemoteTalk control
What’s in the box: Powerbeats² Wireless earphones with RemoteTalk wrap around cable, carrying case, universal micro USB cable, cable management clip, four (4) pairs of multi-sized/shaped eartips, Quick Start Guide
Sony MDRRF985RK Wireless RF Black Headphone-$109 at Best Buy and $89 at Amazon
Wireless 900Mhz FM headphones for cord-free listening
40mm driver units for expressive sound
Easy-adjust headband for long term comfort
Noise reduction system for minimal transmission noise
Automatic tuning for optimum signal reception
Jabra Move Bluetooth Wireless On‑Ear Headphone-$75 at Walmart and $70 at Amazon
Listen to your tunes and never miss a call
Ultra-lightweight and adjustable headband fits all head-types
Durable stainless steel headband and dirt resistant fabric for life on the move
Connects to all Bluetooth ready devices – phones, computers, tablets and more; includes optional cord so you can use your headphones on flights
Up to 8 hours talk time/music time and up to 12 days standby time
Touch Interface – Control your listening experience with the tap or swipe of your finger. The latest industry innovation lets you play, pause, fast-forward, rewind, adjust volume, and accept calls using an interactive surface on the right side of your headphones.
Smart Play / Pause – You’ll never miss a beat with this innovative feature. Remove your headphones, and your audio automatically pauses. Slip your headphones back on your ears, and the music continues. No more rewinding or restarting to find your place again.
PHIATON ShareMeTM CONNECTION – The Phiaton BT 460 allows you to share your entertainment with another person wearing another set of Phiaton BT 460 headphones featuring Creative ShareMeTM connectivity.
EVERPLAY-X – Everplay-X technology allows you to continue calling or listening to your music even if the battery runs out or your audio device is not Bluetooth compatible (via the optional audio cable).
Multipoint Connection – The BT 460’s multipoint connection can accommodate two Bluetooth devices at the same time. Connect your smartphone and your music player, or your smartphone and your tablet.
Plantronics BackBeat PRO Wireless Headphones with Mic-$140 at B&H and Amazon
Noise-Canceling Headphones: Block out background noise while working, relaxing, and traveling with on-demand active noise canceling technology.
Multiple Device Sync Technology: Listen to a movie on your tablet and quickly answer the call on your smartphone; these headphones are compatible with all smart devices including iPhone, iPad, and Droid devices.
High Quality Audio: Rich and lifelike audio delivering rich bass, crisp high, and natural midtones through extremely comfortable headphones.
Long lasting battery life: The Plantronics technology offers up to 24 hours of listening while providing 330 feet of Bluetooth range.
Comfort: Perfect travel and in-flight headphones include pillow soft earcups to provide lasting comfort while canceling and isolating background noise.
Sennheiser RS 135-9 Wireless Headphone System-$129 at SweetWater and Amazon
328 foot range gives you wireless freedom and stereo sound with reception through walls and ceilings
Simple, built-in recharging, no need to worry about constantly changing batteries in your headphones
Detailed, warm sound reproduction with strong bass response provides you with warm, rich audio
Open-Aire design provides you with hi-fidelity audio reproduction
Volume on/off and tuning control located on the headphone for convenient user access
Sasha Morse Flashlight is a flashlight app with a built-in Morse Code generator and guide, to help you learn to read and write, as well as send messages automatically, in Morse Code.
Sasha Morse FLashlight is a pretty standard flashlight app. It has the same switch and sounds, and triggers your camera flash as you’d expect. However, if you press the little purple button above the lightswitch, a new menu appears, and grants you access to the morse code generator.
The morse code generator allows you to input text, then press the send button and it will transcribe whatever you have written into morse code that flashes from your flashlight. The app also offers a handy guide to the letters and symbols of morse code, in case you wanted to try to write it for yourself. The feature works as expected and is harmless, but I really can’t see a practical application for it outside of a bit of fun. Very few people I know can read morse code, so sending them a message in it seems rather pointless, and I imagine many are in the same boat.
Otherwise, Sasha Morse FLashlight isn’t a terribly unique app. The flashlight app has been around in some form or another since the earliest smartphones, and some have more practical and useful features than Sasha Morse does. The morse code is a nice novelty, and works well but just isn’t something that makes it a must have over other flashlight apps, if you still use them.
Conclusion:
I can see this app as appealing to someone who wants to learn morse code, or uses it regularly for whatever reason, or maybe someone who is interested in morse code for historical reasons. Other apps do flashlights better, and even now they are becoming obsolete as phone manufacturers include flashlight functionality baked into the phone at launch, making this an even harder sell.
Wouldn’t it be great to have a gaming outlet to virtually crush, maim, and destroy these haunting bug-a-boos? Now you can with I Hate You, a mobile game (available in 
Pretty simple stuff here. You start in the main menu, where you have two main sets of options to choose from:
