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Shokz OpenRun Pro Bone-Conduction Headphones review

Luke Gaul
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Headphones and earbuds come in all shapes and sizes, with budgets and features for pretty much everyone. If you have a particular need, or a price range to work with, you likely have a few models to choose from.

If running is a big part of your life, and you need an audio solution that works for the “on the go” moments in your life, you may want to check out the Shokz OpenRun Pro Bone-Conduction Headphones. They’re a great product for someone who spends a lot of time out in the world, running and conditioning.

What makes the Shokz OpenRun Pro Bone-Conduction Headphones so interesting and somewhat unique is that they do not go on or in the ear. Instead, they rely on bone-conduction technology for audio. That is to say it basically turns your temples or cheekbones into speakers, of sort. Sound is transmitted via vibrations to your aural nerve, making it feel as if the audio is coming from inside your head.

Shokz, previously operating as AfterShokz, has been in this game for some time now with a number of bone-conduction options along the way. The OpenRun Pro are more or less an upgrade to the OpenRun (formerly known as Aeropex) and feature a much stronger bass experience.

In the past, one of the best parts of bone conduction has also been its shortcoming. Because it does not fit in the ear or over the ear, it doesn’t put the sound and vibrations where it needs to be. That’s considerably different here as the OpenRun Pro are quite an impressive experience.

As I immediately found with a variety of music genres, sound comes across much richer and more heavy than with other bone-conducting headphones. Thanks, bass transducers!

Wearing a pair of headphones that operate this way can be a little bit off-putting or awkward at first. One gets the sense that they are broadcasting music to everyone in the vicinity; however, it’s just a semi-private affair for the wearer. Those who do sit or stand in the area can make out what’s being played but it’s nowhere near how it is when someone plays music on a phone.

The sound was enjoyable enough that I found myself grabbing these for working around the home and office. They’re not the kind I’d use for mowing the grass, of course, but they work extremely well when it’s just me and myself. That’s in the kitchen, downstairs in the office, on the Peloton, and backyard at the grill.

As much as I like to dig into music and enjoy the soundscape of, say, The Dark Side of the Moon, these aren’t the sort of headphones I turn to for immersion. More often than not I find myself in situations where I need to be actively aware of my environment. Be it listening for my wife or sons, cars, or announcements at the gym, I appreciate that my ears are not covered and that I can hear what’s going on.

I found the design of the OpenRun Pro to be a comfortable one, constructed of a single piece of flexible material that connects two modules. While it sticks out ever so slightly, I hardly noticed it was there after a few listens. Moreover, the headphones fit nicely under a hat, too.

The right module, or earpiece, is where you find a pair of buttons for volume. Long-pressing the top button acts as the power control. For what it’s worth, these do not power off automatically so remember to do so when not listening to anything.

The left module is where the playback controls are with one click for pausing music, two for advancing a track, and three to go back one track. Interestingly enough, the buttons are not symmetric in that they’re in the same place on each module. This took a little bit of time to get used to but is otherwise a small point.

Charging the OpenRun Pro is done via a proprietary cable that connects magnetically to the right ear module. It takes all of 5-10 minutes on the charge to get enough power for a workout (90 minutes). Rated at around 10 hours of total playback per charge, there should be enough juice to get you through a full day of work or a couple of longer workouts.

I also appreciate that the Shokz OpenRun Pro have IP55 water resistance which means I can get caught in a rain or work up a sweat without any issues. And should there actually be a manufacturer defect, Shokz backs the headphones with a two-year warranty.

Learn more about the OpenRun Pro at Shokz website where you can purchase them in blue and black color options for $180.

Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra review

Scott Webster
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The concept of a robot vacuum is no longer foreign as most people have either seen one in use or have one at home. If you own one, you know how nice it is to have an extra helper around the house.

Whether it’s a scheduled sweep of the floor or a random spot clean, a robot vacuum can be a handy assistant. But if we’re honest with ourselves, it’s truly something we can live without. In fact, up until around a decade ago, we did.

As the prices of robot vacuums drop, and the technology continues to improve, it’s becoming more difficult to say no to having one. A few hundred bucks can go a long way to providing peace of mind and a cleaner living environment.

What about one that runs about $1,400? Surely, that’s just way too much to consider, right? As it turns out, I cannot immediately rule something like that out. The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra, introduced at CES in January 2022, really makes a strong case for itself.

There are a number of features in the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra that help it stand out from the increasingly crowded space. For starters, it works as both a vacuum cleaner and a mop. And it does a fantastic job at both functions, one that bests other models I’ve had in my home.

The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra can also empty itself into a bin when it’s done running, and then refill its own water tank. Should one use the mop they’ll find it also dumps the dirty water, refills with clean water, and also cleans the mop head in the process.

The vacuum is also terrific at understanding and avoiding obstacles. Whether it’s a pair of shoes dropped on the floor in a random spot, or a pet toy that didn’t find its way back to the box, the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra can figure these out and move around them. What’s more, it is a forgiving unit that doesn’t remap the floor as if these obstacles are permanent fixtures.

If you’re like me, setting a robot vacuum to automatically run at night can sometimes present problems. Did I walk around and pick up all of the cables, toys, and pillows that might have fallen on the floor? If no, my vacuum would usually throw a minor tantrum or “teach” itself to avoid the spots in the future.

The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra, however, asks you whether you have pets when setting things up. You can actually tell the unit as to how forgiving it needs to be. That is to say you can trade off temporary obstacles for deeper cleaning.

The setup process is rather interesting in that it can get a good look at the house, piece together a map, and make suggestions on rooms or areas. You can, of course, merge spots together, split a room up, create “no go” zones, and more.

The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra is able to detect furniture and other items, placing them on a map and listing a percentage of confidence in what it sees. A row of shoes, for instance, was found on the first run in my home and the vacuum knew what it was looking at with 87% certainty.

The next time I ran it, the S7 MaxV went through this space as if they didn’t exist, yet still managed to treat the walls and other obstacles as if they were permanent. Roborock calls this tech the “ReactiveAI 2.0 Obstacle Avoidance System.”

It might detect a couch which may actually be a bed, but you can change that in the map. You’ll find after a time or two that it knows what types of things are in what types of rooms, and treat them accordingly.

Have a room that’s partially carpeted or with a rug on a hard surface? The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra knows the difference, maps it accordingly, and can switch between mopping and vacuuming on the fly.

One of the first generations of robot vacuums that I owned was an early Samsung that didn’t quite understand what steps were or how to stop at the top of a set. I learned (nearly) the hard way that it was going to tumble down a set of steps because the door to the basement was open when I ran it.

How does the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra handle such a situation? With flying colors. Not only does it know how to stop and turn at the top of stairs, it can be taught to map four floors in a home. Yes, you can take it upstairs and run it just like you would downstairs because it treats it as a totally different map. This simply wasn’t possible in earlier robot vacuum cleaners.

At one time I had pondered the notion of buying an “upstairs” vacuum and a main floor one. Sure, a basement one would have been cool and all, but would I really want to own three of those things? Suffice it to say, the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra is three of those things, with room for more.

Have you ever wanted to see what your robot vacuum sees? It’s possible here, and there’s even an option for two-way communication with it. Yes, you can run the vacuum remotely and talk with someone who happens to be in the home. I don’t use this feature very much, if at all. In fact, it’s only ever been used as part of a demonstration of what it can do.

via Roborock

I’ve had the S7 MaxV running for a few weeks now and I’ve yet to clean the bag out in the base’s dust bin. It’s a similar situation for mopping; I’ve dumped and refilled the water bins just twice but I’ve run the vacuum a little more than normal. I don’t notice any odor in the dirty water but we also tend to mop rooms manually, too.

The built-in 5200mAh battery provides around three hours of runtime, according to Roborock. I’m fairly sure this is an accurate number but I’ve never had to run it continuously. After about 25 minutes of running around the main floor, it tends to head back to the base with around 65-70% of the charge remaining. It should take around 5-6 hours to fully charge up if you’re completely empty.

With 5100pa of suction power, the vacuum seems to pick up things that other models might have otherwise missed. I am always surprised by the amount of dirt that comes from a robot unit and the S7 does a great job of picking up the tiniest of debris and dust as well as the random tiny pebbles, plastic, food scraps, etc.

When it comes to cleaning the mop head or emptying the dustbin things can get a little loud. To that end, you can set up quiet times so that it doesn’t wake people or disturb an otherwise peaceful setting. For example, after 8PM doesn’t bother with emptying the contents into the dock’s bag. On the other end of the spectrum, you can also manually empty the vacuum on demand.

At just under 4-inches, the S7 MaxV Ultra is able to slide under my couch, loveseat, and chairs. It’s a touch wider than other models at around 14 inches, but it’s nimble enough to navigate around the legs of a kitchen chair without taking much time.

While the vacuum is able to adjust itself for varying heights of carpet, I did run into one issue with a shaggy rug. I was 90% sure it was going to be a problem for the rubber brush that sweeps things under the vacuum so I was not upset. Once the S7 was back to the base I simply created a no-go box around the area and it stayed away.

As a person with a house full of Google Assistant speakers and displays, I appreciate when I can use voice to start and stop things. Indeed, not only can you run the vacuum on command, you can even tell it to clean specific rooms.

Conclusion

I’ve tested out the last three generations of Roborock vacuums and each seems to be a bit better than the predecessor. I really like what the brand puts forth and think the S7 MaxV is its best yet.

Do you need the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra? Absolutely not. Would it be nice to have one? Without question. It’s up to you to figure out where you fall in the middle of those two.

If you tend to have floors without any clutter or random mess, I would suggest the S7 Plus, especially if you don’t have a need for mopping. For $950 you get the robot vacuum and Auto Empty Dock.

The Roborock S7 MaxV is priced $860 for the robot vacuum by itself and $1,400 for the S7 MaxV Ultra package. Going the Ultra route adds the Empty Wash Fill dock, which arrives in early May. For what it’s worth, I understand the S7 MaxV also works with Roborock’s Auto Empty Dock which comes in at a combined price of $1,160. You can also buy the Empty Wash Fill Dock for $600 and the Auto-Empty Dock for $300, too.

Admittedly, these don’t come cheaply, and it’s a big ask for people to spend that sort of money. But, given Roborock’s flexibility and compatibility, I like that the docks don’t seem to be one-off models for each generation. That is to say you’ll be able to hold onto these and use them long term.

Regardless of where you jump in, and independent of any docks, I have no reservations in recommending the Roborock brand. But if you can swing it, you’ll be pleased with the S7 MaxV Ultra.

4 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About VPNs

Angel Webster
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VPNs are one of the most misunderstood technologies on the planet today. This is due in large part to VPN companies and their army of shills who tout them as a one-button solution to online privacy and security. This is a gross oversimplification.

There are several advantages to utilizing a virtual private network, but knowing “the why” may require some finesse. So let’s discuss what a virtual private network exactly does, whether or not it can protect you online, and five facts that we bet you didn’t know about VPN.

1) The Internet Is Now Encrypted And In 70% – 85% Of Cases VPN Encryption Is Obsolete

The internet used to be a different, more trusting place 20 years ago. All communication was conducted in the form of HTTP. Your passwords, as well as all of the other information you supplied, were sent over the public internet in clear text.

Anyone who intercepted your communications could see everything you sent and received. This wasn’t good enough. As the world’s technical knowledge increased, and software that might record all of a public WiFi network’s traffic became available for download, something had to change. So the internet switched to an encrypted version of HTTP, known as HTTPS.

The saying “military grade encryption” is used a lot by VPN providers. It’s mostly marketing because HTTPS encryption, in general, is likely superior than whatever the provider uses.

Here’s the catch: while recent research suggests that about 80 percent of websites use HTTPS, that isn’t every website. Nothing close to it. I was on the Turkish Embassy’s website the other day in an attempt to acquire a visa and found that it didn’t employ HTTP. The site asked for passport photographs, bank statements, and other information sufficient to construct a fake identity, but it didn’t utilize HTTPS.

Another excellent example is streaming platforms. They seldom utilize HTTPS. If you’re sharing your WiFi with housemates or if there’s a common network for your building, a VPN is useful on these websites.

2) Your ISP Can Recognize That You’re Using A VPN

With a VPN, an ISP can’t tell what sites you’re visiting or anything else you’re doing online.

The only thing they know is that they’re routing traffic to a remote server, and they can probably figure out that the server is a VPN. There are lists of known IP addresses belonging to VPN businesses, the handshake process differs depending on whether you’re using HTTPS or a VPN, the packet is most likely different in size, a lot of data goes to a single IP address, and there are other ways to tell you’re utilizing a VPN that we won’t go into.

In a nutshell, yes, your ISP may determine that you’re utilizing a VPN, but it’s unlikely they’ll care enough to investigate. And if they did, there’s nothing they could discover. In Belarus, China, Iraq, North Korea, Oman, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), VPNs are either prohibited or selectively banned; however if you live in one of these countries it’s unlikely you’d be reading this article in the first place.

3) The Main Reason People Use VPNs Is To Watch Geo Blocked Content 

Many VPN users already knew this, but the major reason people use VPNs is to access geo-blocked material. Geo-blocked material is not available in all areas. There are hundreds of titles that aren’t accessible in other countries on US Netflix. Then there are entire services like Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO, SkySports, and others that aren’t available to everyone around the world.

Why? Obsolete broadcasting rules from the days of the living room television sets are still regulating our fiber optic-powered entertainment on demand reality. You may continue to wait for outdated regulations to catch up with you, or you may simply get a VPN and upgrade your internet connection with the press of a button. These days, you can even get a VPN on your smartphone. For Android devices read about VPN apks.

4) VPNS Can Help You Prevent Your ISP From Slowing Down Your Connection

In the developed world, this isn’t much of an issue since there are legal safeguards in place; nevertheless, ISPs limit heavy users in developing regions without such protections.

This is a common practice in Asia and Africa. ISPs are known to track torrent traffic and slow it down. Their intentions for doing so are self-evident. The more people they can connect to the internet at the lowest possible price, the more money they make. Your ISP is first and foremost a business.

Your internet connection is shared. There may be a splitter connecting the cable that runs to your home to all of the other cables that serve your street outside of your home.

There’s also a second box down the road where all internet traffic for the area/suburb/city is aggregated. The majority of the internet is kept on servers abroad, so your nation’s internet traffic goes under the sea to data centers to retrieve international sites and join in steam lobbies. Every byte of data that travels over this submarine cable is paid for by IP transit agreements between ISPs. As a result, you can see how it is in the best interests of ISPs to slow down heavy users.

In Summary

VPNs aren’t the one-click panacea to online privacy and security that many people think they are. What they are is the most convenient method to access geo-blocked material while avoiding ISP throttling. It’s true that they hide your IP address from sites you visit, as well as sites you visit from your ISP, but don’t believe everything VPN companies say about themselves.

The Haymaker Headphones review

Luke Gaul
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The Haymaker is a pair of headphone designed with gamers in mind, but packed with a number of other features for audiophiles. Priced about $330, they are compatible with an array of profiles and codecs and also boast Dirac tuning.

We’ve had a pair of these headphones in the office for a few weeks now and I’ve had a chance to use them in a couple of settings. Here’s what I think of The Haymaker.

Built using a glossy finish and a unique carbon design, the headphones have the appearance of “gaming” headphones. And with the brand name spelled out in LEDs over the headband, they have a certain visual appeal.

The Haymaker comes with two sets of ear cups, one being a pair of faux leather and the other with a a diamond-pattern fabric. Aside from the exterior skin they are the same material and have pretty much the same comfort. If anything, they “leather” gets a touch warm and long term listening gets moist on the ears. The cups connect via magnets and are incredibly easy to switch out.

The headphones come with a fairly large case which carries all of the cables and components. It’s somewhat bulky and eats up a decent amount of space in a backpack so that’s something to keep in mind if you like to take your gaming on the road.

The Haymaker headphones connect via Bluetooth 5.0 and are compatible with A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP profiles; they support aptX, aptX HD, aptX LL, AAC, and SBC codecs as well. Suffice it to say, you should get the best of your audio experience.

As far as the Dirac HD goes, it’s recommended that you install software on your PC to tune the sound from your computer and activate the PC controller that comes with the headphones. You’ll need a Windows PC to do so but once installed you can choose between stereo and 7.1 sound.

The included PC controller cable has a button which lets one mute the microphone, adjust volume levels and toggle stereo and Dirac 7.1.

The headphones have a physical button on the back of the left ear cup enable and disable noise cancellation. The switch is easy to locate and provides a solid click when sliding back and forth.

Speaking of noise cancellation, while The Haymaker headphones do offer the feature, the manufacturer suggests the best audio comes with it turned off. I can confirm this as I found that when enabled, the sound is pretty heavily compressed.

As far as other controls go, it does come with a bit of learning. Using more of a gesture and swipe mechanic, I found it takes a fair amount of time to master. Swiping up and down for volume, for instance, I would appreciate if there was something tactile I could feel as a reference point. Along the same lines, swiping forward and back is how you’d skip forward and back on tracks.

Taping the center right cup three times enables and disables the ambient sound so that one can hear environmental noises. Again, were there even the tiniest little nub on the surface, I’d have been more confident in using the controls.

Similarly, there is a way to control the RGB lights of the headphone ear cups and top band, with options to turn on and off, or change the colors. With eight colors to choose from and four light cycling modes, you’ll want to do these before putting them on. For one, you’ll want to physically see that they change to the colors you like. More importantly, it helps to know that your swipes are being registered.

Music sounds great on The Haymaker headphones as does gaming on PC and when paired via Bluetooth. Whether it be pop, electronic, or classical, I found them to have a wide, even soundscape.

I’m not one to fuss much about codecs or place particular emphasis on Bluetooth profiles so I can’t speak to testing those out. What I can say, though, is that these provided a sound experience on par with my expectations.

Depending on how you listen to your music, you might expect upwards of 40+ hours of playback. According to the manufacturer, you may look for around 26 hours of Bluetooth playback on a single charge with active noise cancellation enabled, and up to 43 with it turned off.

Switching on and off the lights will also impact battery; it’s also possible to plug in using the auxiliary cable and go unlimited just so long as you don’t use noise cancellation.

As a whole, The Haymaker provide a solid value proposition with plenty of flexibility. I might like a little quicker on-ramp for navigation but once I was comfortable with it, things were more efficient. As a pair of gaming headphones with ANC disabled, they work quite well. And thanks to a strong battery experience, I appreciate not having to worry about charging.

The lights might be a bit of a gimmick and not something that everyone wants; you’ll have to decide as to whether that’s worth it.

KOVOL 65W USB C 4 Port Charger review

AndroidGuys
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The KOVOL 65W charger fulfills every charging need you will have at your house or office. It offers up four ports that are able to fast charge your phone (18W) and most computers (45W) at the same time. If all four ports are used up it has smart power allocation that will balance the amount of output to each port which has fast charge capability to each device. At just $40 this charging option provides a solid value proposition.

via KOVOL

Packaging

One of the most important parts of receiving a tech item is how it is packaged and presented to the consumer. This specific KOVOL product came in a very minimal but effective box. It comes with an AC input cable which powers the charger, a thank you card, and the user guide. All you need to do is connect the parts and charge away!

Quality and Performance

I used this charger to charge my surface laptop and my Samsung Galaxy S21 phone and it delivered exactly what it promised: fast charging on both devices — and the advanced GaN technology kept it cool and efficient.

I tested it out across multiple phones and my laptop and found it still delivered the fast charging needs that we expect with modern devices. And thanks to the smart power allocation, it balances things quite nicely. 

In terms of its build quality, I knew as soon as I picked up the packaging that this charger was legit. It doesn’t feel poorly made in the slightest and with the power to size ratio, I was impressed.

The KOVOL unit houses an LED indicator that shows you if it is getting the proper power output from the outlet it is plugged into.

If you need specifics, there is a breakdown below of all the output distribution details and how it allocates for each scenario.

  • Use 1 USB-C port: PD 65W
  • Use 1 USB-A port: QC 3.0 18W
  • Use 2 USB-C ports: USB-C – PD 45W/ USB-C – PD 20W
  • Use 2 USB-A ports: USB-A+USB-A=15W
  • Use 1 USB-C + 2 USB-A ports: USB-C – PD 45W/ USB-A+USB-A=15W
  • Use 2 USB-C + 1 USB-A ports: USB-C – PD 30W/ USB-C – PD 20W/ USB-A – QC 3.0 15W
  • When connected to all ports: USB-C – PD 30W/ USB-C – PD 20W/ USB-A+USB-A=15W

Conclusion

This charger provided all the charging needs that I required. Four ports is more than enough to supply all the needs for most appliances that a single person would have.

If you are looking for something that has more power output, the KOVOL company has another charger that produces 120W of power for a bigger price tag. In fact, the KOVOL brand has quite a portfolio and seems to be highly recommended on Amazon, too.

At $40 this is definitely a bargain for the quality. Plus, if you’re unsure with the brand, the year long warranty can be extended to two years if registered on their website.

Samsung freshens up the mid-range with Galaxy A53 5G

Scott Webster
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Samsung recently began taking preorders for the Galaxy A53 5G smartphone, an upgrade on the popular mid-range experience from 2021. As somewhat of a moderate update to the A52 5G, it actually arrives with a lower price tag than its predecessor.

For the new model Samsung has tapped its Exynos 1280 processor in place of the Qualcomm chip used in last year’s US version. It’s paired with 6GB RAM, a respectable amount for a phone that runs just $450, and it also packs a 5,000mAh battery. According to Samsung this should provide up to two full days on a single charge; this aligns with claims from other phone makers with that much battery.

As far as storage goes, the IP67-rated phone houses 128GB of space, also fairly generous given the price point.

Other key specifications in the Galaxy A53 5G include a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and a quad-camera configuration that includes a 64-megapixel main, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 5-megapixel depth, and 5-megapixel macro camera. The front boasts a 32-megapixel camera.

Also interesting, and perhaps the most important feature to some consumers, Samsung has promised four years of OS and five years of security updates to the Galaxy A53 5G. The phone launches with Samsung One UI 4.1 which is based off of Android 12.

Galaxy A33 5G

Nearly identical in design, Samsung does have a Galaxy A33 5G for 2022 however it’s likely not going to hit the US market anytime soon.

It’s slightly smaller at 6.4-inches and features a 90Hz refresh rate with specifications dialed down a bit. Here we find a 48-megapixel main camera, 8-megapixel ultrawide, 2-megapixel depth, and 5-megapixel macro camera. Around front is a 13-megapixel sensor.

Like its counterpart, the Galaxy A33 5G has 6GB memory and 128GB storage. Also available, however, are 8GB/256GB options, and this model features a microSD expansion card slot.

Also powered by Android 12 with Samsung One UI 4.1, the phone is backed by four years of OS updates and five years of security patches.

Availability

The Galaxy A53 5G will be available in select markets beginning April 1 with the Galaxy A33 5G arriving three weeks later on April 22.

T-Mobile shakes up prepaid with plans as low as $10 per month

Scott Webster
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T-Mobile this week announced new Connect by T-Mobile plans for its prepaid customers with options as low as $10 per month.

In short, these are the no-frill (read as: bare bones) plans that help people stay connected. That is to say they come with talk, text, and data, and little else.

The new Connect by T-Mobile rate plans go into effect March 25 and shake out as follows:

  • $10 per month plus tax for 1000 minutes of talk, 1000 texts and 1GB of high-speed smartphone data
  • $15 per month plus tax for unlimited talk and text, plus 3GB of high-speed smartphone data
  • $25 per month plus tax for unlimited talk and text, plus 6GB of high-speed smartphone data
  • $35 per month plus tax, for unlimited talk, text and 12 GB of high-speed smartphone data

Indeed, the $10 plan is the lowest ever offered by T-Mobile and comes at a perfect time. With rising inflation and the economy in flux, it’s the perfect way to tighten up the budget for people will little expendable income.

The Connect by T-Mobile plans do not require any credit checks and include benefits like Scam Shield protection and free Caller ID. Moreover, they included access to T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G network.

Worth noting, though, is that these new options do not come with T-Mobile Tuesdays or some of the other benefits found with more standard plans. Also, should one hit the data allowance in the month, they’ll have to wait until the next cycle or purchase a data pass.

Interested consumers can check out a T-Mobile store, swing by a retailer, or go online to T-Mobile’s website to learn more or sign up for service.

Eero debuts WiFi 6E router and upgraded WiFi 6 model

Scott Webster
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Amazon company eero on Wednesday introduced a pair of new models in its 6 series of mesh wifi systems. Available in single, double, and triple packs, the new routers offer gigabit speeds and support for at least 75 connected devices.

Eero Pro 6E

The Eero Pro 6E is billed as the company’s “most advanced Wi-Fi system ever,” and is its first Wi-Fi 6E-enabled system. This means it can leverage more parts of the wireless spectrum previously unavailable to Wi-Fi 6 systems. Thanks to this additional bandwidth, eero Pro 6E supports fast connections for activities like AR, VR, and even 8K streaming.

The tri-band connection (6GHz, 2.4GHz, and 5GHz bands) can handle more than 100 devices at once with speeds up to 2.3 gigabits per second (Gbps). More specifically, it’s 1Gbps for wired devices and 1.3Gbps for wireless devices.

As on might expect from an Amazon brand, the Pro 6E also works with Alexa as a smart home hub for Thread and Zigbee devices.

According to Amazon, A single eero Pro 6E covers up to 2,000 square feet; the 2-pack supports up to 4,000 square feet; the 3-pack blankets up to 6,000 square feet.

  • Eero Pro 6E one-pack is available for pre-order for $299
  • Eero Pro 6E two-pack is available for $499
  • Eero Pro 6E three-pack is available for $699

Eero 6+

Priced more affordably, this gigabit-capable eero system is no slouch. With dual-band connection at 2.4GHz and 5GHz, it can support 75+ devices at once. Moreover, it also works as the smart home hub and taps into the 160MHz range for faster connectivity than previous eero dual-band models.

A single unit covers 1,500 square feet; the two-pack supports up to 3,000 square feet; the three-pack comes in with 4,500 square feet of coverage.

  • Eero Pro 6+ one-pack is available for pre-order for $139
  • Eero Pro 6+ two-pack is available for $239
  • Eero Pro 6+ three-pack is available for $299

Shop Amazon for eero products.

ShiftCam ProGrip Starter Kit review

Luke Gaul
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One of the key areas in which smartphones continually evolve is in the area of cameras. Whereas not all that long ago we had one rear camera with a 12-megapixel experience, today’s handsets routinely have three and four shooters. And it’s not just about the number of cameras.

More and more we find software advances and AI to take the hardware capabilities and push it even further. There’s way more at play than just bullet points and megapixels.

Despite these advancements, we still operate our phones the same way. That is to say that we hold it in our hand portrait mode for TikTok and Snapchat and turn it on its side for YouTube and long-form videos. And even with optical image and video stabilization, we ultimately end up with less than smooth video.

Surely you know that using two hands is better than one when it comes to stabilizing our phones for recording. But did you know that there are accessories that make it so that you can hold your phone in a more comfortable and natural manner?

The ShiftCam ProGrip is the sort of mobile accessory that would-be filmmakers and vloggers should have in their arsenal. It’s a jack of multiple trades that makes it easier to record better video.

In short, the ShiftCam ProGrip is a Bluetooth accessory that pairs to your phone and then locks it into place. It features a grip for the right hand that feels very much like holding a DSLR camera. It’s got just the right angle to feel comfortable and secure, never straining the wrist.

Similarly, there is a thumb rest to make it feel natural to hold onto the unit. Located near that is a shutter button which, when paired to your phone, makes shooting feel more intuitive.

To stop here would still make it a pretty cool device worth keeping around; however, there are a few other features we like. One, it has an internal 6400mAh battery which can be used to power your phone. That’s awesome, especially if you’re capturing quite a bit of footage. In essence, it’s like having a pair of extra batteries for most mid-range phones.

Users can tap into the battery by directly plugging into the USB port or, if their phone allows for it, use Qi wireless charging. That’s zero cables to mess with and a power source that slowly pours back into your handset.

ShiftCam ProGrip Features

  • Offered in charcoal and ash colors
  • Ergonomically designed with hand strap
  • Built-in 6400mAh battery with wireless charging support for phones
  • Tripod mount and cold shoe mount
  • Compatible with devices 58-90mm wide
  • Optional lenses

Other cool features we appreciate are the shoe mount for adding a light or external microphone and the universal tripod mount. So, if you’ve already got a few accessories in your bag, chances are you can use them with the ShiftCam ProGrip.

Switching from portrait to landscape shooting is as easy as rotating the phone in the clamp. Speaking of which, the unit can handle pretty much any phone size you throw in there, even with protective cases.

The ProGrip is also compatible with ShiftCam’s family of lenses. Available separately, and as a bundle, you can pick up a telephoto, fish eye, macro, or other lens for your phone. Although we did not get a chance to test those out, we can imagine these making for very interesting video content.

Availability

You can learn more about the ProGrip at ShiftCam’s website where you can also purchase one for yourself. Sold by itself it runs about $120 but for the extra ($30) money you gain a hand strap, carrying pouch, cold shoe mount, and adapter.

EZVIZ C8PF Outdoor Smart Camera review

AndroidGuys
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I have had the opportunity recently to get my hands on the EZVIZ C8PF smart home camera. EZVIZ has a series of many different cameras for different purposes such as outdoor, inside, and pet specific. Today we will be focusing on this specific outdoor camera.

This camera is great for keeping tabs on what is happening outside of your home whether that be your front porch or driveway. I can comfortably say that this camera does just about everything you will need it to do with almost no trouble.

Design

The EZVIZ C8PF outdoor camera has a very solid feel to it and seems to get the job done just right. A downside of course is the fact that it is a wired connection. Batteries will never be a problem but managing your cords could potentially prove to be a problem as it can easily be disconnected if the wires are exposed. The camera is bulky compared to other competitors but with it being outdoors it shouldn’t be a problem.

The EZVIZ C8PF provides a nice 1080p resolution which is perfect for being able to see what you need no matter the time of day. Even at night, it has an IR(98ft.) that helps it see everything you need to.

This camera has an AI powered person detector that tries to efficiently rule out any objects or animals that may not be what you are looking for. With the app that accompanies the camera, you can easily receive alerts with person detection and help give you peace of mind when dealing with certain situations.

It comes with dual lenses so you can have a picture in picture display in the app when monitoring your home. This camera comes with 340-degree swivel and 80-degree vertical rotation with an 8x zoom. Seeing exactly what you need will never be a problem.

The camera provides two way talk if you ever need to exchange communication with a mailman, for example, and is also weatherproof since it will be outside for all the assortment of weather it will have to endure. Storage is also never a problem as it comes with 512 GB of SD storage AND comes with a one week free trial of the EZVIZ cloud storage so you can get a feel for what their award winning cloud storage is like (Personal Data Privacy Protection Management System Certification).

Installation

If you have a small window of time with a drill and an idea of where you want to put your camera and cords, then you have enough time to set this up. It isn’t a difficult process once you know where you want to put it. Then you get the app up and running and scan the QR code on the camera and you are ready to go.

Once inside, you’ll see full control on how your notifications are set up, when you want it to record, when you can have it sleep if you are home, and so on.

Apps and Notifications

In terms of the app that is paired with the camera, it has just about everything you would expect it to have. It has a hub with all of your connected cameras and you can easily click on the one you desire and access a whole list of tabs that can be used with the EZVIZ C8PF. That can range from activating sleep mode, recording, two way talk, or you can simply just watch the camera live and see what’s going on at home.

You can also customize when you receive notifications in the app. Usually people set it to send a notification when motion is detected which I personally think is the best way to go. I never had any problems with the notifications and felt it was a top-notch notification system. With all the competitors in the area, this camera definitely delivered.

Conclusion

I enjoyed using this camera and could definitely see myself using it as my own camera system. With its price tag sitting around $170, it feels right in line with other cameras in this price point. Depending on what kind of security you are looking for, EZVIZ is sure to have it and give you what you need.

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