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AnkerWork B600 Video Bar review

Andrew Allen
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Work from home is becoming more and more the norm for the post-pandemic workforce. Even those that still report to a physical office are enjoying a more hybrid approach. AnkerWork hopes to create a new lineup of devices to help home offices seem more like the real deal.

I’ve been testing the company’s new AnkerWork B600 Video Bar. This combination of a light ring and hi-res webcam make for a potent addition to any workspace.

Design

The AnkerWork B600 shares a ton of DNA with our last AnkerWork device, the C300 webcam. The key difference is the flip up shudder that does dual duty of covering the webcam when not in use and reveals the light bar when activated.

Just to the right of the main lens lives a capacity slider for controlling the LED bar’s brightness. This is a nice touch to have a physical way to adjust this without the need of digging through software or struggling to find that perfect positioning while on a video chat.

On each end of the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar is another set of capacitive buttons. The right side houses an On/Off switch to completely dim the light bar. The opposite side allows you to complete kill the mic from picking up input.

The full length of the back of the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar is a dual-speaker soundbar. This covered in a soft canvas casing to protect the internal audio works and adds an impressive look.

The Video Bar requires some inputs and has a full USB-A, and two USB-C ports. One USB-C port is dedicated for power for the included adapter, while the other two options are for data, depending on the cables you have available.

Software

Again, much of this is a slight iteration of what we found with the C300. The camera is a full 2K resolution, at 30 frames-per-second, with a 95-degree viewing angle. The software is capable of autofocusing and following the users while on video.

This is a neat trick that allows the end-user to move around or reposition while the AnkerWork B600 does the work of moving the viewing angle without you repositioning the lens manually. It seems like a gimmick at first, but really does add a value to the Video Bar you just don’t get with other webcams.

The autofocus is not the only AI-powered tweak Anker has here. Using the company’s VoiceRadar noise cancellation, the B600 Video Bar also isolates users as they move and removes much of the outside interference to give you crystal clear audio with your calls.

The AnkerWork B600 Video Bar is also Zoom certified. You should see no issues with this using to for Zoom calls as the two companies have work together to make sure it’s plug-and-play with the conferencing suite. I can say this is indeed true. I had zero issues using the Video Bar with Zoom or any other video chat program.

AnkerWork also has a dedicated update and settings manager for Windows and Mac users. This allows you to keep the software and internal firmware up to date. The settings options gives you more granular controls with the LED color temps and brightness than the manual buttons on the B600.

Conclusion

Anker has nailed this device with the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar. From the light bar to the software autofocusing, the Video Bar offers a great array of features that sets it apart from its competition.

The combination of light ring and traditional webcam makes for a compelling addition to any office scenario. The price isn’t going to run off most consumers, either. While the $219 price tag is a little steep, I feel it’s well worth it. You can order the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar now via the AnkerWork website or Amazon.

Purchase B600 Video Bar from AnkerWork

Purchase B600 Video Bar from Amazon

Lifetime access to MyDraw Advanced Diagramming Software

AG Deals Team
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Creating charts, maps, diagrams, and floor plans can be a real hassle. That doesn’t have to be the case and with a lifetime license to MyDraw Advanced Diagramming Software, it will never be again. At only $36.99 you are getting 46% off this powerful and easy-to-use software.

What you get

This diagram software includes features to help you create:

  • Flowcharts
  • Organization Charts
  • Mind Maps
  • Network Diagrams
  • Floor Plans
  • Family Tree Diagrams
  • General Business Diagrams
  • Drawings
  • Invoices
  • Scorecards
  • and more

MyDraw allows you to create vector drawings using a large set of tools for drawing lines, curves, rectangles, ellipses, polygons, and other shapes.

This software provides a friendly user interface that is the same on both Windows and Mac OS. You get automatic layouts, high-quality printed and PDF materials, and ready-to-use templates.

This software will take the worry out of diagramming. At only $36.99 you are getting lifetime access to MyDraw Advanced Diagramming Software.

Cricket Wireless is bringing free Wi-Fi options to its customers

AndroidGuys
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Cricket Wireless is bringing more Wi-Fi connectivity to its customers. Cricket teamed up with Boingo Wireless to allow its customers to connect to Boingo-powered Wi-Fi hotspots. Enjoy seamless connections at many major airports, military installations, sports stadiums, transportation hubs, and other high-traffic areas. As Boingo continues to grow, so will your ability to connect to even more hotspot locations.

If you live, work, or visit a covered area, you will now connect to Boingo’s network. You will be able to get fast internet and make Wi-Fi calls with two-way authentication. There is no extra charge for this service. Cricket is providing their customers as an extra perk for being a part of their network.

Moto G Stylus 5G review

Andrew Allen
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Motorola is a name as old as our parents and even grandparents at this point. The pioneer of the mobile radio and cellphone markets has long been synonymous with gadgets pushing boundaries. One of the latest additions to the company’s portfolio is the Moto G Stylus 5G.

While it borrows a lot of common traits from Samsung’s established Note series, the Moto G Stylus brings its own bag of elements. We’ve been testing this device thanks to AT&T for around three weeks, and let’s go over our findings in this full review.

Design

The Moto G Stylus 5G also borrows heavily from its siblings. If you’ve held a Moto G device from the last few years, then this model will look and feel familiar. It reminds me heavily of the Moto G7 Power from a few years ago.

Moto has always nailed that “hand feel” while holding its phones. This started with the X series years ago and is still evident in the Moto G Stylus 5G. I can attribute this to a slight curve in the back of the phones. It’s a staple Moto design element that just feels natural in the hand.

One thing immediately jumped out to me, and that’s how massive this thing is. This is to accommodate the 6.8-inch screen that covers the entire front of the Moto G Stylus. The screen sports 20:9 aspect ratio at 1080×2400 resolution.

Internally, the Moto G Stylus 5G is powered by a Qualcomm 480 with integrated 5G modem. This is paired with the combo of 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Storage can be expanded up to 2TB with the microSD slot.

Around the back, flanked by the plastic casing, is the camera modules and a fingerprint scanner. I love the back mounted scanner and especially fond of them integrating it with the classic Moto “bat” logo.

To the bottom of the phone, you’ll find a single speaker grill and a USB-C charging port. Smack in the middle of these two ports you have the business of this specific model: the stylus! We’ll expand on this addition more in the next few sections of this review.

Software

Moto has always been a favorite of mine by utilizing one of the most unadulterated versions of Android. You get a very similar experience to a Pixel with a few classic Moto additions like the twist to launch the camera and the karate chop to launch the flashlight on the Stylus 5G.

Otherwise, you have a few custom widgets, but still very stock UI. To the right of the home screen you get the Google Feed and even have predictive icons in the launcher much like Pixels as well.

One place that software falls flat in typical Moto fashion is OS and security updates. The Moto Stylus 5G is running Android 11 and still on the June 2021 security update. This is just beyond unacceptable in today’s market.

Back to a positive, much like the Samsung Galaxy Note, the Stylus gets some software love from the engineers. When taking the input device out of the phone, you get a pop-up widget that allows you to easily handle things like quick note, photo annotation, and typing dictation from handwriting.

Usage

Let’s dig a little deeper into these integrations for the Stylus by continuing the comparison with the main alternative Note. I have found it to be both very useful and somewhat frustrating. This is a much less advance stylus pen than the S-Pen from Sammy.

Does it interact with the screen as a touch alternative? Yes. Can you write on the screen and do basic drawing? Yes. However, I’ve found the latency to be much poorer than the S-Pen. I often get either laggy or missed inputs. Especially when using the pen to simple scroll on an app.

It also only supports one level of pressure, unlike the multiple simulations of the more modern S-Pen. The Moto G Stylus 5G pen is a pretty basic rubber tipped stylus, much like the cheap aftermarkets you can get on Amazon.

Even though it’s flawed, having it as an option stowed away in the phone has still been nice. I like being able to quickly take down work notes, or annotate screenshots for reviews like this one. It’s also great for signing documents in the upcoming tax season.

Cameras

The cameras on the Moto G Stylus 5G are solid, but not great. These lens take average to above shots in good lighting conditions with a still subject. When outside interference or poor light are introduced, the pictures take a hit.

Neither is a terrible knock on the device, though. Moto has included acceptable sensors and post results to appease those Instagram and Snap moments with no issue. It’s just, as you compare it to more premium options, you need to be aware of the shortcomings.

Battery life

Moto has always been proud of the longevity of it’s Android devices, and the Moto G Stylus 5G is no exception. I’ve been getting more than a full day of normal use with this device consistently. On super light days, I can even tweak out two days per charge.

This is not surprising with a 5000mAh battery pack and Moto optimizations. When you do need to reach for the outlet, you get Moto’s Turbo Charge, with up to 10W of quick charge capabilities.  While I’d love to see Qi wireless charging, or higher Turbo wattage, for the sub-$400 market both are acceptable.

Conclusion

I really like the Moto G Stylus 5G. It’s got great battery life and a unique interaction with the pen, but it’s hard to recommend those dreadful software updates. Moto still lags way too behind other competitors in this regard to the point that it’s now just embarrassing for the brand.

Despite the software setbacks, this could still be a great option for those willing to take on outdated updates. At just $2 a month in AT&T installments, or $249 full retail, the Moto G Stylus 5G is a steal for those on a budget.

Purchase the Moto G Stylus 5G from AT&T

Realme 9 Pro series has a flagship camera at a mid-range price

AndroidGuys
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Realme has officially released the 9 Pro series globally. As part of the hero lineup, the realme 9 Pro and 9 Pro+ feature some impressive specs at a mid-range price.

realme 9 Pro+

The 9 Pro+ brings a flagship camera to the mid-range price point. This device runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G processor and has 6GB of RAM. You get a Super AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, and realme UI 3.0 (based on Android 12).

You also get a Sony IMX766 OIS camera, 128GB of storage, Light Shift design, and 60W Super Dart Charge. Realme’s Light Shift design allows the back cover to change colors when placed in direct sunlight. The 9 Pro+ will cost $379.

realme 9 Pro series

realme 9 Pro

The realme 9 Pro runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G processor and will have 6GB of RAM. This device will ship with 128GB of storage, liquid cooling, and a 3.5mm Hi-Res Certified Headphone Jack.

The device also ships with realme UI 3.0 (Android 12), a 64MP Triple Camera with Street Mode 2.0, and Light Shift design. The realme 9 Pro will be available for $319.

Realme is also teaming up with fashion brand, HELIOT EMIL, to bring a smartphone bag to the market that will debut at Paris Fashion Week. They also teamed up with Free Fire to bring a limited edition realme 9 Pro+ edition to the market. The custom variant will become available in April.

Xiaomi Mi 11i review: Cutting the right corners

Matt Adams
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Today we’re taking a look at the Xiaomi Mi11i, the budget flagship device from the Chinese device maker. Coming in at just $499 when it first launched, the Mi 11i offers a laundry list of premium specs with some smart omissions to keep costs low.

You may not have heard of the Mi 11i unless you’re an Android enthusiast, and there’s good reason for that; it’s hard to come by here in the United States. You can’t officially purchase the device in the States so you must go through an importer, which can add fees and delays to any purchase. Those are factors that you have to take into consideration when looking for a device at this highly competitive price tag.

The Mi 11i goes up against other great devices like the Samsung Galaxy A72, Realmet GT 5G, and the ZTE Axon 30 Pro. Everything in that list could be a flagship phone replacement so where does the Xiaomi Mi 11i stand out? Let’s take a look.

Design and Feel

One thing that’s immediately clear when you unbox the Xiaomi Mi 11i is that Xiaomi’s engineers absolutely know what they’re doing. It should be no secret by now that massive companies like Xiaomi can pay out endlessly for R&D and then use the findings and breakthroughs on many different devices. That is to say, it’s a lot easier for a company like Xiaomi to design a premium smartphone for $500 than a smaller company like Apple.

Alright, all jokes aside, Xiaomi has produced a stunner with the Mi 11 lineup and the Mi 11i is a fantastic example of it. The rear glass panel is simply gorgeous, even though it does pick up fingerprints regularly. It’s not among the worst I’ve ever dealt with, but I do hope someone figures out OnePlus’ sorcery and does away with fingerprints entirely. As much as I love the rear glass, I have had some issues with it, as well. Xiaomi saw fit to make this one of the more slippery devices on the market and I’ve more than once watched it slide off of a flat surface. You really have to watch this phone when you put it down.

The rear camera module follows the 2021 trend of huge, protruding lenses, flashes, and sensors. It’s done tastefully so it doesn’t look terrible but it does raise off the back of the device quite a bit. And as it isn’t centered, using your phone while laying on a table is very difficult.

The front of the device finds us looking at a gorgeous 6.67-inch display with a selfie camera dotted in the top center of the display, rather than the top corner. The bezels are a tad bigger than some will be used to on flagship devices from Samsung or OnePlus, but I really enjoyed the flat display and bezels as it actually allowed me to grip the phone without touching the screen.

The rest of the device is rather standard with a single speaker and SIM card tray on either side of the USB C port, a volume rocker just above the power button which houses the fingerprint scanner, and a speaker grill up top.

There’s nothing here to blow you away but the Mi 11i looks and feels far more expensive than it is. A real win for Xiaomi and its customers.

Skullcandy Hesh ANC headphones review

Andrew Allen
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Skullcandy feels like it’s been around forever. As one of the original accessory makers in the modern smartphone era, the company has years of proven products. That includes great offerings with wireless headphones.

Our friends at Skullcandy sent me the latest from this lineup with the Hesh ANC wireless headphones. I’ve spent the last two weeks with these canned headphones, and let’s find out how these stack up in a full review.

Design

The overall design of the Skullcandy Hesh headphones will be familiar to anyone who has owned a set of recent wireless over-ear headphones. You get an oval-shaped padded earphones with an adjustable headband.

All the controls and ports are located on the right-sided earphone. Directly on the bottom, you have two inputs: the USB-C charging port and an auxiliary 3.5 mm audio jack.

On this same side, you’ll find the tactile buttons for controlling audio and power functions. This includes power, volume up and down, and a dedicated button for turning the ANC (active noise cancellation) mode on and off.

Holding the volume up for a full second will jump you forward a track, while the same on volume down returns you to the previous track. A single tap of the middle button will play/pause audio playback, as well as answer and end calls. Double tapping this button will launch your voice assistant.

Sound

I couldn’t be happier with the quality of sound from the Skullcandy Hesh headphones. The active noise cancellation works great to field off the outside interference. You can alter this with the previously mentioned button, and even with ANC turned off, the experience is rock solid.

Highs and mids pop through these over-the-ear headphones. Whether listening to more acoustic music or your favorite podcast, you won’t be disappointed. The same can be sound about the bass. It’s punchy without being overbearing.

Battery life

Battery life is outstanding. Skullcandy rates the Hesh ANC at 22 hours of playback, and I’ve found this to be fairly accurate. I can easily get through multiple eight-hour workdays without recharging.

When you do reach for the outlet and cable combo, you don’t need much time. With rapid charge on board, you get three hours of battery with just 10 minutes. A full charge took around 90 minutes.

Tile built-in

One last hidden feature of the Skullcandy Hesh ANC headphones is that it has the ability to be tracked by the Tile app. This means once you sync it to the mobile Tile app, you can always have an option to track them down when misplaced.

This works just like any other Tile device. Download the app. Pair the headphones as a new Tile device, and you are good to go.

Conclusion

Skullcandy has a compelling alternative to much pricier options with the Hesh ANC headphones. You get very comfortable over-ear audio, good sound, and great battery life for much less than much of the competition. Throw in little things like Tile integration, and you have a winner at $135.

You can purchase the Skullcandy Hesh ANC earphones through Amazon or the company’s website. There are four colorways to choose from: Chill Grey, Mod Grey, True Black, and Mod White. Our sample is the just in case you were wondering.

Purchase direct from Skullcandy

Purchase from Amazon

Ace your interviews with The 2022 Tech & IT Interviewing Skills Training Bundle

AG Deals Team
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If you are looking to get into the IT field, then you understand just how important it is to set yourself apart from the competition. Getting a degree and IT certifications can only get you so far. You still need to ace the interview to land the job. As our deal of the day, you can get The 2022 Tech & IT Interviewing Skills Training Bundle for only $19.99. Normally this bundle would cost you $1,000, so you are getting a 98% off deal.

What you get

This bundle will help you ace the interview and get your dream job with lifetime access to 5 courses, 194 lessons, and 13 hours of content. The content includes basic IT interviews, brain teasers, Java, and more.

The courses

  • Interviewing Skills: Ace the Job Search in 2022
  • Interview Skills for Tech Jobs: 15 Brain Teaser Questions
  • Complete IT Interview Training
  • IT Interview Training Course
  • Java Interview Questions: Data Structures & Algorithms

You put in all the hard work to stand out from the crowd and get an interview. Be as prepared for the interview as you can be. At 98% off you can get The 2022 Tech & IT Interviewing Skills Training Bundle for only $19.99.

Whether it’s your first job, a career change, or moving up the ladder, get the job you want and ace the interview.

We get our first look at Android 13 with the latest developer preview

AndroidGuys
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Google has launched the Android 13 Developer Preview 1, which is a great opportunity to take a look at what coming down the road. Android 13 comes with new privacy and security features as well as improved tools for developers.

Privacy and security

Android 13 continues Google’s focus on making Android as secure and private as possible. This continues with the new secure photo picker. You will get a photo picker that will only share what you choose to share with the app that is requesting it.

Android 13 Photo Picker

Developers will also get new nearby device permissions for Wi-Fi. The new permissions are now required for apps that call commonly used Wi-Fi APIs. Developers will be able to request nearby Wi-Fi devices, but not request user location. This keeps your privacy as secure as possible but still allows the apps to get the functionality that they need.

Developer productivity and tools

Developers will now have the option to send you a prompt asking if you would like to add a custom tile to the quick settings menu. This allows users to know what options are available to them in the quick settings menu.

Android 12 introduced Material You. It allows your Android device to pull colors from your wallpaper and set it as the color theme for your device. Google is extending the capabilities for Android 13. All your apps will now gain the ability to inherit the color theme of your device, allowing for a more uniform and visually pleasing experience.

You will also have the ability to select your language preferences for each app that you use. Developers will gain the ability to make the text on your display easier to read with improved hyphenation. They will also gain improved programmable shaders. In addition, Google will be updating Android to align with OpenJDK 11 LTS release.

App compatibility

Google will be bringing more updates to the Google Play store with project mainline. This will allow for features like the photo picker and OpenJDK 11 support to come to older Android devices. Google is calling for app optimization for larger devices like tablets, foldable, and Chromebooks.

This developer preview gives developers an easier environment for testing and debugging changes. It also will give plenty of notice about upcoming platform stability milestones. This should ensure an easier transition from Android 12 to Android 13.

The Android 13 Developer Preview is available for the Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6, Pixel 5a, Pixel 5, Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 4a, Pixel 4 XL, or the Pixel 4.

CONMIGO ULTI Travel Bag preview

Luke Gaul
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Traveling can be difficult, but it can be easier with a well-equipped travel bag. Today we are taking a look at the CONMIGO ULTI Travel Bag to see if it is worth looking at as your next travel companion.

This bag is capable of holding up to a 13-inch laptop and features a durable, water-resistant ballistic nylon design. There are 11 interior compartments, 5 exterior compartments, and a dedicated mesh pocket for water bottles. The CONMIGO ULTI Travel Bag has a built-in cushion to use while on an airplane. This travel bag can be used either as a messenger bag or a briefcase. You also get a lifetime warranty. Watch our preview to see if this bag is worth taking a look at.

Listen to the embedded podcast to learn more and hear how we ended up with our score.

Watch the embedded video to learn more and see how we scored the various components.

  • CONMIGO ULTI Travel Bag
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