Home Blog Page 395

BLUETTI shares gift ideas to celebrate Mother’s Day

AndroidGuys
-
0

A mother gives everything at home and in the office as she endeavors to secure her family’s future. If you want something special to show your love and appreciation on Mother’s Day (officially on Sunday, May 8) , then you’re in luck. BLUETTI has rounded up some gift ideas and will soon announce a new unit. 

AC300+B300 Combo- Expandable Power Center 

This combo is newly released that will hit the shelf on EDT 10:00PM, May 18th. Though no battery built-in, the AC300 can accept up to 4 B300 battery to reach a 12,288Wh capacity. The Fusion Box Pro can combine 2 such units in series and boost to a massive 24,576Wh/ 6000W/ 240V.  

Key Features: 

  • Up to 12288Wh Capacity with 4*B300
  • 2400W Unrivaled Solar Input
  • 3000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter
  • 5400W Blazing Input Rate
  • 24/7 UPS Home Backup

AC200MAX-Versatile Power Monster

(original price C$2,499, sale price $2,299)

Mother’s Day is a nice chance to have a family gathering in the backyard. Place an AC200MAX by the table to make the happy hour last for long. The AC200MAX is a classic yet popular model in BLUETTI Store. The 1400W input rate allows an efficient charging within 2 hours!    

AC200P-Reliable Power Backup

(original price C$2,099, sale price $1,899)

Mom provides the core support for most housework at home. However, unexpected outage can drive her into crazy. Consider AC200P as an emergency power supply, with 2000Wh capacity and 2000W output power, it can power almost all appliances including coffee maker, refrigerator, hairdryer, etc. 

EB70S-Pack Lighter, Travel Further   

(Original price C$799, sale price C$699)  

The EB70S’s portability will surprise her at the first glance. The ergonomic handle can save her hassle while moving. Hooking up with BLUETTI solar panels PV120 or PV200 makes it a remarkable power source with endless energy when the sun shines. 

Another exciting news, BLUETTI will launch a #BLUETTIwithMom campaign on Mother’s Day, invite members on Instagram to share the sweetest moment/story with their mom to win a free BLUETTI power station. Follow BLUETTI Canada on Instagram to learn more. 

About BLUETTI

With over ten years of experience in the energy storage industry, BLUETTI is committed to building the world’s best power stations for van dwellers, explorers, and off-grid life. For more information, please visit https://www.bluettipower.ca/

ODDICT Twig Pro Wireless Earbuds review

Connor Fricke
-
0

The Oddict Twig Pro are a premium pair of ‘true wireless’ Bluetooth earbuds which feature a charging case, Snapdragon high quality sound, hybrid active noise-canceling, ambient noise, and IPX4 water resistance. And all of it packed into a slick in-ear design.

Included in the box, the Twig Pros come with extra eartips, a short USB-C charging cable, the charging case, and a quick startup manual. You can find them on Amazon, Oddict or Phiaton’s website for $139 USD.

While not super important for most people, the packaging design of the box is extremely efficient and really shows off the aesthetics of the Twig Pros, which is something that I can really appreciate a company putting effort into.

With a unique charging case design that is dramatically different from the industry standard, I was worried at first that I wouldn’t like it. Honestly though, right out of the box I was very pleased with them.

It has a very premium appearance with a metallic finish and button on the outer rim that you can press to find out how much battery life you’ve got left based on an estimate from the color of a light that pops on.

It looks super minimal and clean on your desk while charging, almost like a miniature Alexa or Google Home. The earbuds themselves have a similar metallic finish and have a good looking shape overall in my opinion. They have a button on each earbud so that you can have remote playback control over calls and music or control the Ambient Noise mode.

Sound Quality

These earbuds undoubtedly look good, but do they actually sound good, too? This is where many of these true wireless earbuds can be a huge hit or miss in my opinion. The Twig Pros do deliver in this area.

The sound is smooth and powerful, just as good as any other earbud. Once you get paired and register the device in the app for the first time you will be able to use Oddict’s Equalizer in the app to customize your listening experience with a “warm/cold” and “soft/hard” scale, but I find the default setting has been my preferred mode to offer quality sound throughout the ranges of most songs. I have no complaints about the bass, as the Snapdragon sound has plenty of strength in the low range.

Battery Life / Charging

Oddict advertises that the earbuds can get a total of six hours of playtime per charge with Active Noise Cancellation turned off. Moreover, you’ll get about 40 minutes playback with a 10-minute quick charge.

I have found the earbuds seemed to easily last through about four hours; with the case charging I’m sure you could get roughly 20 hours per charge.

I put pretty consistent use into them, and one full case charge ended up lasting me about a week, so if you just want to use them while on a commute, while working, studying, or in the gym, the Oddict Twig Pros should offer you plenty of battery life. With such a fast recharging time, you should never have to worry too much about running out of juice when you really need it.

One unique feature of the charging case is a wireless charging ability with magnets in the case to hold it in place on the charging source.

The case recharges to full battery very quickly with a wired or wireless connection, and the USB-C port is much better than the outdated micro-USB connection that I still see in a lot of tech.

A small light on the side of the case allows you to ensure that the case is charging or double check your battery life. If you want more accurate battery life estimates, the application will give you a percentage for each earbud.

The Oddict App

Oddict has created a convenient companion app for each of their products. Unfortunately, it seems that you must register the device on the app to use it. I’d like to have the option to avoid the application if possible; however, the application ended up actually having some useful features that I didn’t expect at all.

You can control the ANC and ambient sound mode from the app. The ambient sound mode is definitely on par with most other earbuds that feature it. When turned on, I was able to hear my surroundings just as well as I might without the earbuds in.

The ANC however, did not meet my expectations. When music was off, the ANC didn’t seem to work much at all, whether it was on the maximum or minimum level of noise reduction.

As mentioned before, the EQ of the app works great, but it has unconventional settings. You simply move a slider between warm/cold and hard/soft, rather than adjusting your bass or treble levels, but it does seem to work, for what it’s worth.

The app also allows you to track the location of your earbuds or make them play a loud sound in case you lose them, which is something that most other true wireless earbuds unfortunately lack. I find it to be a very important feature for someone known to be as forgetful as myself when the earbuds are so small.

It may just be me, but I’ve found myself looking frantically through bedsheets or under furniture for one earbud more times than I’d like to admit, so when a company includes this feature it has always come to good use.

Summary

Overall, the Twig Pros are a pretty high quality pair of true wireless headphones with premium aesthetics. The sound quality is as smooth and powerful as you can hope for from, especially from such a tiny earbud.

I find that the earbuds are super comfortable and will stay in your ear with no problem throughout the entire duration of their battery life.

With at least four continuous hours of play time in my experience with them, you can’t ask for much more from true wireless earbuds. The charging case should easily get you through at least a couple days of consistent moderate use.

The application has some super convenient features which feels like the bare minimum considering that it seems you can’t connect to the earbuds without it.

One issue with these that I haven’t yet mentioned is their connectivity. It doesn’t seem that the earbuds have a good range, and I even found that holding my head in a certain position would make the connection go in and out and become very choppy. While walking with the phone in my pocket I find that sometimes the audio just starts cutting out and almost anything can cause interference with the Bluetooth connection (such as a hand over the ear).

While this might just be a problem with my phone specifically, or the fact that I live on a somewhat high-tech college campus with likely lots of other Bluetooth devices creating interference, it doesn’t seem to be something I should have to deal with for the price of these when much lower-end earbuds have not had this problem.

Mint Mobile debuts its take on family plans

Scott Webster
-
0

Mint Mobile, the wireless provider owned by Ryan Reynolds, has added a new option to its service: family plans. Available across the carrier’s range of plans, the new “modern family” option lets subscribers get the 12-month annual rate in three-month increments.

According to Mint anywhere from two to five lines qualifies for the family plan. Each line is able to have its own rate plan so one user can go with the lowest data allotment while another opts for the highest.

“I didn’t want Mint Mobile to have just a standard wireless family plan. I wanted it to be good enough for my family. We succeeded. In fact, it may be too good for my family, but that’s more my issue than the wireless industry’s.”

Ryan Reynolds

Mint Mobile, which operates on T-Mobile’s 4G LTE and 5G network, offers a 4GB data plan for as low as $15 per month. An unlimited data plan on the 12-month pricing is just $30 per month.

The prepaid service provider lets consumers on single-line plans purchase service in three, six, or 12-month increments with varying prices based on how long they commit.

MediFancy Smart Watch review

Scott Webster
-
0

What do you think of when someone says the word “smartwatch” to you? Is it an Apple Watch or Fitbit? Maybe, if you’re a runner, you think of a Garmin.

For a lot of people, a smart watch can be anything tracks activities and/or shows notifications from their phone. Need to keep an eye on your steps, sleep, fitness, or heart rate? You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on something fancy.

The MediFancy Smart Watch, which pairs via Bluetooth to Android and iOS handsets, is a $50 affair that offers up quite a respectable suite of features.

Waterproof up to 50 meters depth for 10 minutes, this wearable is designed to go pretty much anywhere you do, keeping track of your swimming, running, cycling, yoga and other activities.

There are 14 different sport modes to track with six of them tying to GPS tracking. You’ll need to keep your phone nearby for these as it’s assisted by the handset. In other words, you’ll rely on your phone’s GPS location if you want to use the map aspect.

  • 5ATM waterproof
  • Heart rate monitor
  • 1.69-inch touch screen
  • Blood oxygen tracker
  • Customizable interface
  • 14 sport modes
  • Multiple brightness settings
  • Lightweight
  • 10-15 days usage per charge
  • Removable straps

Install the free app and you’ll find there are various options for customizing the experience, including watch faces and notifications.

Other features include a stopwatch, phone finder, movement reminders, and weather. Leaning into the health and wellness a bit, you’ll also get heart rate, sleep, blood oxygen and stress monitoring.

While we’re not overly familiar with the MediFancy brand, we appreciate the low entry point for price and the fact that it’s all backed by a three-year warranty.

We’ve found the MediFancy Smart Watch to be comfortable, easy to use, and really quite useful. It looks and feels, and definitely operates well above what we expected in the device.

Battery life is also excellent, getting well more than a week on a full charge before we think about plugging it in. And in doing so we were able to fully juice it up in under two hours.

Availability

We’re more than happy to recommend this one at just $50 and think the brand is worth taking the chance on.

For a limited time, you can pick up the MediFancy Smart Watch for just $30 at Amazon. Simply enter HD9JHGAT at checkout and that will knock $20 off the price. And, depending on when you pick yours up, there’s also a 10% coupon that you can clip. Do that and you’ll end up at just $25, or half price.

Introducing iOS Interruptions

Andrew Allen
-
0

As I’ve previously covered, I recently made the iPhone my daily driver smartphone. It was a long internal struggle, but one that I’m happy with for the moment. After some internal discussions, Android Guys has decided this marks a unique opportunity for us to cover iPhone and iOS periodically.

We understand that this site is founded around the Android platform, but have always been open to experimenting with expanded coverage. So, allow us to introduce our new article series titled iOS Interruptions.

In this space, we will cover a few iOS or iPhone items per month. This could be an app review or the latest accessories we’ve been able to test out. It could even mean we drop some of the bigger news surrounding Apple’s products as well.

We ask our readers to keep an open mind with these new posts. The Android Guys team understands that this is an enthusiast site around Google’s OS. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t nerd out on its lone competitor. Thank you for taking a moment to read this announcement, and as always, thanks for reading Android Guys.

Your Android will only be secure under these conditions

AndroidGuys
-
0

Mobile devices are highly susceptible to cyberattacks. As the most popular mobile OS, Android is a prime target for hackers. Securing your Android device is a multi-step process that includes several security measures.

Here are the main conditions your Android needs to meet before you can consider it “secure”:

You consistently update software

Hackers and developers are in a constant cat-and-mouse chase to detect and exploit vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, developers are usually one step behind and are forced to release updates to address the latest security flaws targeted by hackers.

Whether it’s your operating system or the apps you use, ensure that everything is up-to-date. Using outdated apps will allow hackers to exploit old vulnerabilities to breach your device.  

The easiest way to never forget to update your software is to enable automatic updates. Doing so will allow you to install updates as soon as they’re available.

Your data is encrypted

Encrypting your data can be helpful if your device is stolen, lost, or breached by a hacker. Most modern phones have encryption enabled or have features to enable data encryption.

If your phone is stolen, no one will be able to see sensitive data you may have, like photos or personal information. Unfortunately, they may still be able to reset the phone and use it, but your data will be deleted.

To prevent data loss, you can back it up on an encrypted cloud service. This way, you can access your data securely from any device, as it will be available on the cloud. 

You use strong passwords

Setting strong passwords for all apps and services you use will make it much more difficult for attackers to do damage. 

Thankfully, most apps have strict guidelines for users when they’re setting up passwords, such as:

  • Using a certain number of characters (usually at least 8 or 12).
  • Having a combination of lower-case and upper-case letters.
  • Adding numbers and special characters.

To unlock your phone:

  1. Set up Touch or Face ID so nobody but you can enter.
  2. If you have an older phone, set up an unlock code.
  3. Avoid using personal information like your birthday for the unlock code.

You never save passwords

Another condition that applies to passwords is to never save account passwords through built-in browser or system features. 

Sure, saving your passwords is convenient as it allows for quick account access. Still, the risks far outweigh the benefits. Advanced viruses can steal entire lists of saved passwords, putting all of your accounts at the mercy of attackers.

One way to save your passwords securely is by using a password manager.

You avoid using public networks

When necessary, connecting to public networks every once in a while shouldn’t be a problem. However, if you’re constantly connected to public, unprotected networks, threat actors have a significantly higher chance to breach your phone and steal your data.

An attacker can easily position themselves between your device and an unprotected network. If this happens, you’ll essentially be sending information directly to the attacker. 

If you must use a public network, connect to a VPN beforehand. A VPN will encrypt your communication with the server and hide your IP address.

You never root your phone

Rooting is a popular practice among Android users. It allows for more customization and installing apps outside the Google Play Store. However, these capabilities are what make rooting dangerous.

Once your device is rooted, the security components within Android become compromised, leading to many vulnerabilities in the system. Without Android’s control, root apps have way more access to your device’s system. Not to mention, your warranty instantly becomes void.

Additionally, malware is more likely to penetrate if your device is rooted. Malware can take over your phone and extract all sorts of valuable data. More advanced malware can even execute commands on your behalf.

Most notifications and permissions are blocked

Tapping “allow” on every prompt that asks for permission to access your data has become a habit. Yet, very few people know what they agree to. Review all permissions you’re giving to each app and determine whether they’re necessary for what the app does. Chances are, you’re giving most apps way more access than they need to function correctly.

Notifications can also be problematic. You may accidentally tap them, leading you to an unprotected website or prompting a suspicious download. Only allow notifications from apps with verified publishers. 

Conclusion

Android is the most popular phone OS worldwide. As such, it’s a major target for threat actors who want to exploit users for their data. It’s critical to employ best practices to secure your Android device.

By meeting the conditions mentioned in this article, you will protect your device and all its data in case of a data breach, theft, or loss.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

SpinOne for cloud ransomware protection | Enterprise ransomware prevention solution

AndroidGuys
-
0

Ransomware attacks are what great companies are mostly afraid of. As more and more businesses shift their data to the cloud, it attracts cybercriminals who make attempts to steal this information stored in the cloud. Below you will find out about a SpinOne cloud ransomware protection platform which can help you to secure your business. 

What Is SpinOne Data Protection Platform?

SpinOne is a platform that helps companies to improve their security and protect invaluable data. You may secure your software and all your information in Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace thanks to an efficient cloud ransomware protection package that will assure the integrity of data and near-zero downtime. It will also build a detailed plan that will help your business to keep functioning smoothly in case any disruptions happen.

Key Features

Ransomware viruses attack without warning. They may infiltrate your business through the Internet email or any media devices. Such cyberattacks can be devastating and may paralyze your business for quite a long period of time.

SpinOne protects companies from the most advanced ransomware attacks and securely recovers encrypted data to ensure business continuity and productivity. The platform provides enterprise ransomware prevention solutions at the highest possible level which is really essential to prevent data leakage or any security breaches. 

Enterprise Ransomware Prevention: Risks To Be Aware Of

Cloud ransomware is a kind of advanced virus that prevents people from accessing their data stored on computers. Hackers require enterprises to pay considerable sums of money in order to restore all the information. That is why it often results in data leakage or even loss as well as extended downtime. So, the consequences of cloud ransomware may be really disastrous for the company as it may lose money, trust of clients and reputation in general. 

When it comes to securing data in SaaS environments, here are some of the most common ransomware risks that you should definitely be acquainted with:

  • such attacks become more sophisticated;
  • abuse of Open Authorization; 
  • visibility into SaaS apps is limited;
  • the use of software and SaaS applications without permission;
  • unproductive access management;
  • security measures are not integrated;
  • no awareness about cybersecurity;
  • no cloud security strategy. 

How SpinOne Prevents Cloud Ransomware

SpinOne proposes high-quality ransomware protection services. The whole procedure is fully integrated and mechanized. The platform uses special Spin Technology to address all the threats. SpinOne offers protection of businesses and large enterprises against ransomware and other advanced cyberthreats. All operations are performed by the computer automatically without any intervention needed. 

SpinOne provides resilient security measures that are operated by Artificial Intelligence. The platform brings a revolutionary change to how enterprises protect their data in the cloud against ransomware threats. SpinOne is a tool that was constructed from scratch. It combines detection of ransomware, backup from cloud to cloud, monitoring of domain and restoration of data. SpinOne offers ransomware solutions that enable Security Operations teams to detect and eliminate threats to their data.  They also allow you to restore the damaged data at the shortest possible time. 

SpinOne aids in the prevention of cloud ransomware in the following ways:

  • supervises SaaS environments all the time in order to be able to detect the indicators of ransomware in time;
  • eliminates ransomware source once it is detected;
  • restores damaged data to the most recent backup version;
  • informs admins about problems in real time;
  • offers customizable orchestration of SaaS security policy. 

Conclusion

Using reliable business ransomware protection solutions is the first step to improve the security of your data. SpinOne will help you with that as it will take all the preventive and protective measures that will help you to fight against such type of sophisticated malware. So, keep all data of your enterprise safe together with SpinOne. 

Mobvoi Home Treadmill review

Scott Webster
-
2

One of the best side-effects of the pandemic is the seemingly new spotlight on physical and mental wellbeing. Now more than ever, people are taking things more seriously when it comes to dealing with stress.

As many folks were forced to work from home over the last few years, or found themselves unable to get to the gym regularly, home fitness equipment saw a rise in popularity. One product that seems to have done quite well for itself is the treadmill. Having a treadmill in the home is a great way to get in a little cardio, work off some stress, or burn a few calories.

Shopping for a treadmill can be a little daunting. Which brands are worth a look? What is a good value proposition? These are but two of the questions that consumers find themselves asking when picking one out.

If you’re considering picking up a treadmill for yourself, we’ll help you out. The Mobvoi Home Treadmill is one you may want to put on your list of options.

While you might only know the Mobvoi name for its wearable or earbuds, you should also know it dabbles in a few other areas, one being home fitness. Its treadmill, priced about $380, is a solid model that I’ve come to appreciate for a number of reasons.

First let’s talk about that price. It’s a fraction of what other brands command. Does that mean it’s cheaply made or poorly designed? Nope. It’s solidly built, easy to setup, but it doesn’t pretend to be anything else. It’s a “no-frills” product in that it works well as a walking treadmill and one that lets you get up to 12km per hour (~7.5mph).

Outside of the box it’s pretty much ready to go.

Setting the Mobvoi Home Treadmill up takes very little time. It took me all of around 10 minutes to remove it from the box, check the pieces and screw them in with the included tool. It’s mostly a case of lifting the front, foldable section and adding the handrails and phone holder.

There are two displays on the treadmill, one on the right corner of the base to glance at for speed and the other being the main bar across the front. You can control speeds using the included remote or increase/decrease via the button. The bar lights up to show the closest speed, per-kilometer. It’s on the right hand side of the panel where you actually dial the speed up and down. There’s no quick way to jump from, say 3km to 5km.It’s a matter of pressing buttons up and down.

There’s a spot for holding your phone in place, which adjusts to fit pretty much any handset size. Pair your device via Bluetooth to the Mobvoi Home Treadmill and you’ll be able to play music through the built-in speaker. It sounds okay, and better than what you’d get from the phone itself, but I tend to prefer earbuds.

This is all the hardware you need to install

Converting to and from the walking pad is as simple as raising the handrails. If you’re like me, you’ll use it under a desk most of the time and then pull it out when ready to get in some serious miles. To that end, you’ll want to clip on the included safety key so that it automatically stops if you fall or slide off the back of the pad.

The Mobvoi Home Treadmill is a quiet one with a nice belt that doesn’t ever feel slack. I’ve used it for a few weeks now and see no early signs of weakness or spots where I need to be cautious. It moves rather easily considering its weight of about 75lbs.

With support for up to 265lbs, it’s a great product to have for pretty much any adult looking to move more without leaving the home.

If there was one quibble I had with the Mobvoi Home Treadmill it’s that the power cable is rather short. Depending on whether I am using for walking mode under a desk, or out in the middle of the room I may have to attach an extension cord to it. Other than that, I’ve been quite impressed with the overall value put forth here.

Learn more about the Mobvoi Home Treadmill at the manufacturer’s website where it’s currently available to purchase for about $380. Choose from black and silver color options.

Why I left my Pixel for the iPhone

Andrew Allen
-
9

I did something that I never thought I do recently. After years, and I mean years, of using Android, I purchased an iPhone for the first time in my life. There were multiple reasons, but it boiled down to I wanted a more stable and robust ecosystem of devices, accessories, and support for my daily driver.

Let’s start with the least messy reason. I get bored. One of the things that drew me into blogging was the ability to build relationships with OEMs to constantly try new devices. I’ve used everything from BlackBerry OS, Palm webOS, BlackBerry 10, and then Android since smartphones really came to age in the early 2000s. Apple was the only one that I just never really dipped my toes into.

Part of this was driven early on by networks. The original iPhone being exclusive to AT&T was a huge blow for me being an early adopter. In my region of the country, and especially then, AT&T lags behind the competition. The first rule of smartphones should always be to choose your network first, then devices. If that shiny new toy has no connection it’s not worth much.

This led me down the path of alternatives mainly on Verizon. I landed on Palm for the first few years of the connected revolution. I was even an official ambassador in the webOS Nation forums during the short-lived HP takeover of my beloved webOS. I loved Palm webOS and still have a soft spot for all the features it created that are still used today in the modern Android and iOS operating systems.

When it died I had flirted with Android once before and seemed the natural fit. With the exception of a few years running BlackBerry 10, the past decade has been exclusively Android for me. I’ve seen all the iterations. From the QWERTY landscape keyboard days, to HTC fueled “phablets” that seem tiny now, I’ve loved most of my time with Google’s mobile project.

I was drawn to the non-Samsung devices early on. I felt Sammy made too much of an attempt to copy iOS in those infant years and was more drawn to the likes of HTC and Motorola. Motorola eventually became my gateway drug into “stock” Android with their toned down version of the OS.

The natural progression of this legacy has been the Pixels by way of the Moto X and then the Nexus line. The clean OS has, and still is, my favorite version of Android. Google deciding to finally champion this in house seemed great so I’ve owned nothing but Pixels since the initial launch back in 2016.

Anyways, enough of the history lesson, let’s get back to the present day. Over the last year, I’ve just seen more and more instability with my Pixels. From the meh performance of the Pixel 4 to the buggy mess of the Pixel 5 and 6, my confidence in Google has become less and less. From just overall sluggishness with each update to buggy things like 911 calls being somehow blocked, it’s just been way too inconsistent for me.

My last straw was two things this month. One, At a Glance is a great feature of the Pixel launcher. However, for at least six months it’s been a hot mess. It should have the ability to launch both the Google Calendar and Weather app respectively based on the two widget elements. Instead, during that time frame, it’s only been able to launch the Calendar even when you tap the Weather portion.

This went on month after month of updates from Google with no fix. Finally, with the March update, this was resolved. However, as soon as the April update hit, it was again broken for me. And to top that off, the dedicated Search bar on the home screen now randomly launches the song discovery option instead of standard Search.

These issues are indicative of the rollercoaster the Pixels have been for the entirety of its history. Google seems to take two steps forward and then three steps back all the time. Even the latest Pixels, which were supposed to be Google’s most focused effort yet, have been marred with bugs, delayed updates, and overall suspect performance.

I’ve been considering leaving my Pixel 5 behind for months now, but simply didn’t know where else to go. My investment in the Android ecosystem made me feel a little boxed in and honestly, the options to stay are pretty limited.

Samsung is the Goliath in the market but can seem pretty foreign with One UI. Even though it’s drastically closer to that of Google’s offerings it’s still full of convoluted menus and duplicate apps. And does anyone really want Bixby? However, the new Galaxy lineup is impressive and was a strong consideration.

That left OnePlus and Moto as the most viable options inside Android. I honestly don’t know what is going on with the more recent changes between OnePlus and partner company OPPO. The two were merging OS repositories, and then that got canceled, and now it seems to be back on with a delayed schedule. Either way, it was a pass for me.

I’d love to got back to Moto, but if anyone still truly struggles to properly support their customers with timely OS updates it’s Motorola. Even the new Moto G Stylus I recently reviewed is running a stupidly old June 2021 security version. I can’t honestly consider anything in the company’s lineup as long as this stands.

After weeks, if not months, of nerd soul-searching, the iPhone kept surfacing. I’m the final holdout in my family not in the ecosystem, and iMessage has this appeal. Apple prides itself on the ease of use and stability of iOS and I felt maybe it was time to make the switch.

The software wasn’t the only allure. The accessories and 3rd part OEM support are top-notch behind the iPhones. Even the first-party MagSafe options have me highly interested. This magnetic back strikes my eye as the natural progression of a combination of Palm’s Touchstone charger and the Moto Mods.

I’m not saying that Apple is the best going. There’s still a lot about the company ethos and practices I don’t care for overall. However, I do feel it’s time to see what the other side of the fence is all about. So far I see many parallels and amalgamations of some of my favorites from the past from BB10 and webOS.

It also doesn’t mean I’m done with Android. I still have tablets and a Pixel 3 laying around I’ll be using intermittently. It was just time for a break as my daily driver. Who knows, in six months I may be back with why I returned to the Pixel family. I still love Android, but I think we need a break.

Webrick, the best way to buy alternative building blocks compatible with Lego bricks

Jason England
-
0

Previously, I wrote about my new affinity for Lego that came about during the pandemic, and how I had begun to branch out to customized sets not offered by Danish brick maker.  These are most commonly referred to as MOC sets, which is an acronym for My Own Creation. 

Where to find MOC sets

There are several ways to discover MOC sets, one of the most popular is by browsing a site called Rebrickable. Here, you can browse sets created by users, many times based on popular movies and video games, such as this diorama of the legendary fight between Anakin and Obi-Wan from Star Wars Revenge of the Sith. Sometimes the creator charges a fee for the instructions, like with the diorama, while other times, the instructions are free to download. For example, this festive Christmas wreath. 

Of course, you can also design your own MOC sets by stacking whatever blocks you have on hand, or by using the Bricklink Studio program to build them virtually before ordering the pieces. 

One of my favorite places to get MOC sets is from Bricker Builds, which I featured in my last article. They offer beautiful Lego sculptures, oftentimes, consisting of thousands of bricks. Buying the bundle which includes the bricks can be pretty expensive.

Fortunately, Bricker Builds provides an option to purchase the instructions with a parts list and source the pieces yourself. Much like I did with this mushroom from Super Mario Brothers. 

Where do you get the Lego bricks

The question is, where do you buy the parts once you have the list? One of the most popular ways is to use a site called Bricklink, where you can use part lists to order new and used Lego pieces from a collection of sellers.  

Unfortunately, you’ll soon realize how expensive this can be with some MOC sets using hundreds or even thousands of Lego pieces. 

Webrick

That’s where Webrick comes in, a site dedicated to helping you buy alternative building blocks. What are alternative building blocks? They are essentially unbranded Lego bricks that can be bought at a fraction of the cost in some cases. 

Comparing bricks from Webrick next to Lego, you’d hardly be able to spot a difference. The plastic feels the same, and blocks from Webrick even work with Lego pieces. That makes it perfect for using with your previous Lego collection, or for mixing and matching when Webrick might not have all the parts you need in stock. 

About the only differences you’ll notice, is the lack of the Lego branding, a slightly different shade of color, and the clutch power. Alternative bricks often offer a stronger clutch, which means you need to press down a little harder, but it also means they stay together much better as well.

Bricks from Webrick compared to Lego pieces

Oh, and your wallet will most certainly notice all the money you’re saving. When ordering from Webrick, you can often save up to 20% or more when compared to buying Lego branded blocks. 

Now, Webrick isn’t the only place out there selling alternative bricks, but they are my favorite store to purchase from for several reasons. For starters, the Webrick website features an easy-to-use parts list uploader supporting many popular formats for MOC sets. The tool even provides several options like prioritizing which stock to pull from or the lowest price. 

Next, it carries bricks from several well-known Chinese brands, including being a distributor for Gobricks, one of the highest-rated building blocks when compared to Lego. That means you can also find some bricks in colors Lego doesn’t offer. 

Webrick also offers plenty of options when purchasing, like ordering piece by piece, 100 pieces at a time, or even bulk orders with 1KG packs for certain pieces. Finally, if there are any pieces missing from your order, Webrick gives you one replacement request per order. 

The only real downsides I’ve come across when using Webrick, is sometimes they don’t stock every part I need, some pieces have the occasional scuff or scratch, shipping can be a little slow, and also quite expensive. However, as long as they have 80-90% of my parts list, then it’s easy to fill in with Lego from other sources like Bricklink. And if you’re placing a large order, I’ve found their support team is even willing to help with creating a custom order. 

When it comes to shipping, that just can’t be helped. Webrick charges by weight, and it’s coming all the way from China. In the end, despite the surprisingly high shipping charges, it was still cheaper than ordering Lego bricks. 

For example, the mushroom I built in this article cost $93.88, including shipping, when using the price priority mode with the parts uploader tool. However, that was also after using the 5% off coupon 5WEBRICK at checkout. Using Bricklink, the same order would have cost $119 after shipping and tax, that’s a savings of $25.12, or a little over 20% by using Webrick. 

Speaking of, Webrick’s current coupons are as follows. 

  • 5% sitewide: 5WEBRICK (Valid until April 30th, 2022)
  • 8% off over $100: 8WEBRICK (Valid until April 30th, 2022)
  • 10% off over $200: 10WEBRICK (Valid until April 30th, 2022)

For all of these reasons, Webrick has become my favorite way to order building blocks, and in my opinion, is the best way to get the pieces you need for your next MOC project. 

1...394395396...1,316Page 395 of 1,316