If you’re like us, you have a heck of a time balancing your time throughout the work day. No matter how hard you try, sometimes it feels impossible to get tasks done. Why is that? Is it because of a lack of focus? Probably not.
In the course of an hour at your desk, you might split your attention and time across a range of programs, apps, and services. How many messaging apps, email clients, video calling tools and other software do you open up on a daily basis? We bet you’re spending a lot of time (read as: wasting) managing your tools, instead of being productive.
That’s exactly the dilemma that officio.work, a productivity platform, aims to solve. The makers of this popular tool udnerstand that while you may need all that stuff to hit your goals, you don’t need to open a dozen different apps to get things done. Get your team on board with officio.work and keep things in one streamlined environment.
Open up officio.work and you can message members of your team or start a video call with them in just a couple of clicks. Then, collaborate on a Kanban board, add notes to a project, update tasks, or send calendar invites to staff and other attendees.
With features for invoicing, messaging, tasks, notes, and Zooming together with team members, officio.work will save you time managing your work, business, and less hassle to manage team collaboration. Ditch the hassle of juggling multiple programs for different functions and get all your management needs in one place. For any business, team, organization, and anyone.
Managers have access to even more functions within the tool, such as adding and assigning team members, tracking hours, payroll, sending contracts and invoices, and accepting payments. This all-in-one platform lets you work smarter and more efficiently.
Get Started
Ready for offico.work to help take your team ( up to 20 members) to the next level? AndroidGuys readers can get a lifetime subscription to the starter plan for just $49.99 — 91% off the $600 MSRP. Have a larger team? There are plans for that, too!
I’m sure we’ve all done this before, you install an app for one-time use or a game you play for a week and then forget about it. However, you’ve granted this app all sorts of permissions upon installing it, and now it’s sitting there on your device this entire time keeping all of those same permissions whether you’re using it or not.
It’s a good thing that Google has decided to implement a feature for just such an occasion that will automatically revoke permissions from apps after a certain period of time. The main problem being, that it was restricted to phones running Android 11 or above, but what about all the millions of users running Android 10 and below.
Well, good news everyone, Google has decided to expand this feature to all phones running Android 6.0 and above with Google Play Services installed. This could potentially affect millions of devices worldwide and tighten up privacy on all of the devices not slated to get the Android 11 update. The rollout will begin starting in December 2021, and as a user, there isn’t anything you need to do except wait for it.
Once it begins rolling out all apps that target permissions API level 30 or above will start having those permissions revoked after the app goes unused for a few months. As a user, you may notice a notification from time to time when this happens.
Developers will have the option to add some code allowing you to opt-out of having the permissions revoked, and users will also be able to manually override the auto-reset as well. That can be handy for apps that tend to run in the background that you rarely open.
The rollout is expected to reach all devices by Q1 2022 so if you don’t get it immediately in December, you’ll just have to hang on as the feature gradually makes its way to devices.
You’ve seen the game advertised inside of other apps – sling your arrow down a path, attempting to collect as many as you can for the end of the level. Does Arrow Fest use quick math and reflexes in a fun and enjoyable way or might it become repetitive too quickly? Find out what Scott thinks of the free-to-play game for Android.
Approximately two months ago (July 2021), Bluetti – the portable solar storage pioneer, announced the release of an industry first, modular solar power station – the AC300 and its accompanying LFP battery module, the B300 (3,072Wh).
“The time has finally come to go solar and ditch your noisy gas/propane generators.”
Word spread fast, and before anyone knew it, the AC300 was trending throughout the United States, with a particular interest coming from portable solar power users based in California, Texas, Florida, and New York.
Solar Vs. Gas Generators (Why Should Everyone Go Solar?)
Solar Generator:
No added noise/extremely quiet operation – 35dB (As quiet as whisper)
Free, clean, endless renewable power source from the sun or wind.
Increases your daily solar consumption 24/7
Extremely low maintenance (due to barely any moving parts)
Seamless UPS(Uninterrupted Power Supply) when power outages occurred
Gas/Propane Generator
Noisy operation ≥70dB (As loud as a washing machine)
Emissions, deadly toxic carbon monoxide (The generators must be used outside)
Higher carbon footprint – (Uses fossil fuels for power)
Requires maintenance – (Lots of moving parts to maintain)
Monthly fuel costs – (Fuel is not free like the sun)
When using a solar generator, you are essentially using free energy from the sun instead of using costly dirty fossil fuels. You can continue getting this free energy from the sun for the lifespan of your solar panels, which is usually around 25 to 30 years. And,Unlike most conventional fuel or gas generators, solar generators have absolutely no moving parts and do not use liquid fuel. Means that the likelihood of needing to pay for any types of repairs is significantly lower.
Aside from the obvious financial gains of using a solar generator, choosing this green technology over other fossil fueled systems has various environmental and health benefits. Gas powered generators lead to air pollution alongside noise pollution, and while the latter is just simply annoying, the former contributes to climate change and respiratory diseases.
Last but not least, most heavy duty gas powered generators can weigh hefty amounts, sometimes up to 250 pounds. While Bluetti’s heavy duty solar powered AC300 weighs a mere 44 pounds and the external battery B300 weighs 74lbs in comparison. Obviously, the less powerful the generator the lighter it usually weighs but in summary, solar generators are way more easier to move around than gas powered generators for the same amount of power density.
Bluetti AC300 is 100% modular and can accept up to four B300 battery modules per unit, adding up to a total of 12,288Wh – Good luck running out of power.
Being modular means people can transport vast amounts of power with ease. All together the machine has way too much to transport, but individually, each part is highly portable.
AC300 uses top of the range LFP cells which have 3500+ life cycles leading up to 80% of the original capacity. (In other words, putting the device through one cycle a day, means 10 years of service life.)
Capable of receiving 2,400 watts of unrivalled MPPT solar charging input, it’s time to go full-time solar!
Packed with a 3000 watt pure sine wave inverter able to adjust the AC charging rate (no need for a power brick, one charging cable will do just fine)
While connected to two B300 battery modules, the AC300 can be charged with both solar and AC simultaneously, adding up to 5400 watts of power input.
After being quickly sold-out on its debut release, the AC200 MAX and B230 battery modules are now both available to be purchased again.
And in the unlikely case it was forgotten, the AC200 MAX has a standard built-in 2,048Wh LFP battery pack (with expandable battery capabilities) – an all-round upgrade of the long loved AC200/P.
Excitingly, the AC200 MAX can be connected to both the B230 and B300 battery modules, unlike the AC300 which is only compatible with the B300 battery module.
For a limited time period, BLUETTI is also offering a discount coupon on the AC200 MAX meaning it can now be bought for $1,799, that is $300 savings. Additional savings can be made by purchasing bundles.
If you are looking for raw power, then it’s quite simple. Look no further, get your power here: www.bluettipower.com
Not too long ago I reviewed the Lepow 15.6-inch portable monitor and found it to be a very capable secondary display for work and play. However, if you’re looking for something a little smaller the 14-inch model from Lepow might be what you’re needing.
Not only does it offer a 1080p display in a more compact size, but it’s also made some improvements to the stand and I/O on the monitor.
Key Features
14-inch 1080p 60Hz display
USB-C, HDMI, and 3.5mm inputs
Weighs 1.7lbs
Works with the Nintendo Switch, PS4/PS5, Xbox, and computers
Stereo speakers
Design
The Lepow 14-inch Portable Monitor features a 14-inch 1080p 60Hz IPS display with slim bezels around all sides except for the bottom. One of the biggest differences between the 15.6-inch model and this one, besides the size, is the port arrangement.
The 15.6-inch model had all of the ports and controls on the sides of the display which could look messy and make it difficult to have both monitors side by side. It also made it nearly impossible to stand it up in portrait mode.
Lepow’s 14-inch model fixes this by putting the ports and controls on the back but at the cost of making it slightly heavier and thicker than the 15.6-inch model. It also now features a permanently attached case that acts as a stand in either landscape or portrait mode.
When it comes to the I/O and controls, the Lepow 14-inch Portable Monitor includes a USB-C port dedicated to power, a USB-C port capable of power and audio/visual signals, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a mini HDMI port, and a toggle switch to adjust settings. Additionally, there is a dedicated power button to turn it on and off.
How well does it work?
The Lepow 14-inch Portable Monitor provides two different ways to connect to it, by either using HDMI or USB-C. This makes it compatible with the majority of devices out there, such as a computer, phone, or game console.
And thankfully, Lepow includes an HDMI to mini HDMI cable, USB-C to USB-C cable, and a charging brick with USB-A to USB-C cable in the box. That should be everything you need to hook it up to a variety of devices.
During my time with the Lepow 14-inch Portable Monitor, I used it with my laptop, Nintendo Switch, and Samsung Galaxy S20 FE. Each device worked fine with the monitor, just remember that you’re going to need to use a separate power source with anything other than your computer.
In my case, I tried it with the included charging brick, as well as a power bank, which makes it even more portable when on the go.
Just a heads up, when connecting to your computer the audio will default to playing out of the Lepow’s speakers. This can be changed using the audio settings on your computer to swap the source.
Picture quality
The 14-inch Portable Monitor from Lepow has a great picture. It has adequate brightness for indoor use, vibrant colors, and offers wide viewing angles. It also gives you plenty of options for changing brightness, contrast, and color. Although, I wouldn’t count on it for design work if you’re looking for something color accurate.
Instead, the Lepow 14-inch Portable Monitor excels at being a secondary monitor to place toolbars when editing, monitoring emails, writing, or watching videos.
Final thoughts
Whether you’re in the market for a secondary monitor to help with work or have some fun, the Lepow 14-inch Portable Monitor is a winner. It is fantastic for freeing up your primary monitor when doing design work, catching up on some shows while working, or gaming on the go.
My only criticism would be that the weight and thickness make this version feel slightly less portable than the 15.6-inch model I previously reviewed. However, I typically only use it in a couple of areas around the house so that’s not such a big deal to me.
If there’s one constant in the world of smartphones, it’s that there’s always something bigger and better coming around the corner. Xiaomi on Wednesday announced three new models as part of its 11 series of handsets.
Available in three versions, the 11T, 11T Pro, and 11 Lite 5G NE, join the increasingly popular brand’s portfolio and each has a little something unique about it.
The 11T series promise “industry-leading filmmaking technology” in the palm of your hands, thanks to its 108-megapixel rear camera system. Meanwhile, the 11 Lite 5G NE deliver high-end style and innovative features in a lightweight package.
Xiaomi 11T Pro
The more powerful of the two new phones, the 11T Pro throws one hell of a punch. It runs an Android 11-based version of MIUI 12.5 for the software and features a host of top-notch hardware.
The 6.67-inch display has a 2400x 1080 pixel resolution, boasts 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 480Hz touch sampling rate. Having earned a DisplayMate A+ rating, it provides up to 1000 nits brightness, over 1 billion colors, and HDR10+.
A Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor is paired with at least 8GB RAM and 128GB; additional storage and memory configurations are offered.
Things get equally interesting in the camera as the Xiaomi 11T Pro comes with a 108-megapixel f/1.75 wide-angle camera, an 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide camera, and 5-megapixel f/2.4 telemacro camera. Around front is a 16-megapixel f/2.45 camera.
That’s really only part of the story, too, because the phone is loaded with AI and other smarts to help capture the best photos and footage.
…The smartphone boasts impressive computational filmography capabilities with one-click AI Cinema modes, 8K recording and HDR10+, allowing users to capture footage with the same smart ISO technology found in digital cameras.
Other noteworthy details include a 5,000mAh battery with 120W wireless charging. Indeed, the HyperCharge tech is proprietary to Xiaomi and promises a 100% charge in just 17 minutes.
Rounding things out, the 11T Pro has support for Bluetooth 5.2, WiFi 6, NFC, and an IR blaster. The dual speakers are tuned by Harman Kardon and provide Dolby Atmos compatibility.
As per a recent Xiaomi announcement, this handset and its 11T counterpart will receive three years of Android updates and four years of security support.
Xiaomi 11T
With specifications that rival most other devices on the market, the 11T is a small step down from the 11T Pro. The screen is nearly identical save for a lack of Dolby Vision and the DisplayMate A+ rating.
A MediaTek Dimensity 1200 Ultra processor powers the show and is paired with 8GB RAM and either 128GB or 256GB storage capacities.
The camera experience is the same across the board as is the software and connectivity. The battery, while also 5,000mAh, only support 67W wired turbo charging. Still, that’s incredibly fast and beats most other phones of the day. Xiaomi claims it takes just 36 minutes to fully charge the battery.
Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
Slightly smaller than the other two, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is still quite the value proposition.
Also running Android 11-based MIUI 12.5, the phone has a 6.55-inch screen with 90Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate. Still, it packs a hole host of display tech and prowess.
A Qualcomm Snapdragon 778 chipset is paired with either 6GB RAM or8GB RAM with storage capacities of 128GB and 256GB available.
The camera experience sees the phone offering up a 64-megapixel f/1.79 main, 8-megapixel ultra-wide f/2.2, and 5-megapixel f/2.4 configuration. A 20-megapixel selfie camera is located in the front display.
The battery is rated at 4,250mAh with up to 33W fast charging capability.
Availability
The Xiaomi 11T and 11T Pro will be available in three colors with a brushed finish, including Celestial Blue, Moonlight White, and Meteorite Gray. Each will be offered through the typical Xiaomi channels.
The 11T is offered in 8GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB options with recommended retail prices of EUR 499 ($589 USD) and EUR 549 ($649), respectively.
The 11T Pro comes in three variants, including 8GB/128GB, 8GB/256GB, and 12GB/256GB; pricing is set at EUR 649 ($766USD), EUR 699 ($825 USD) and EUR 749 ($884 USD), respectively.
The 11 Lite 5G NE is sold in Truffle Black, Bubblegum Blue, Peach Pink, and Snowflake White with 6GB/128GB, 8GB/128GB, and 8GB/256GB options. Pricing is not immediately available.
After recently reviewing the Govee Smart Table Lamp and Flow Pro Light Bars, I’m quickly becoming a fan of all things Govee. The smart lighting brand recently released a new portable lamp with support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and as always, I was excited to try it out.
Design
The Govee Portable Lamp features a half bowl design that mimics the Philips Hue Go Light for less than half the price. The bottom of the lamp makes use of two little nubs that allow it to be positioned either on its side or facing upwards, and the power button is located at the base.
User experience
The Govee Portable Lamp puts out 360-degrees of soft diffused lighting using up to 16 million different colors, which makes it perfect for filling a room with some mood lighting. Plus, it can also display white light in warm or cool tones for when you want to use it more like a traditional lamp, or need a bedside lamp to read next to.
Additionally, Govee’s Portable Lamp has over 32 different “scenes” made up of colors that fade in and out or smoothly transition from one color to another. With this, the lamp can be a relaxation tool or even a party in a box thanks to its dedicated mode that reacts to music.
When powering the lamp on or off, you have a couple of different options to choose from. The first is by pressing the power button on the bottom of the lamp, but using the Alexa or Assistant voice controls are much more convenient.
Finally, the third way to control the lamp is by using the power toggle in the Govee Home app.
App
One of the best parts of owning a Govee light is the Govee Home app. It’s obvious that the brand has put a lot of time and energy into its app because it is chocked full of features and laid out in a clear concise way.
This makes the app so easy to use, which is very important because it allows you to select all the different lighting modes, choose the color, switch to different scenes, or even DIY your own scene.
In short, the app is a large part of the reason the Govee Portable Lamp is worth purchasing. Without such a well-designed and fully featured app, this light wouldn’t be half as useful. You can even set timers or have it gently wake you up in the morning or gradually turn off in the evenings.
Battery life
One of the standout features of the Govee Portable Lamp is the fact that it has a 3,350mAh battery which allows it to be used untethered to the power outlet. In my testing, I found that it is usually good for three and a half hours at 50% brightness.
Final thoughts
If you’re looking for a smart bedside lamp, a light to take with you on the go, or something to add a little mood lighting then the Govee Portable Lamp is perfect. However, when it comes to pricing, the Govee Portable Lamp is a little expensive coming in at $65.
That still makes it significantly cheaper than the Philips Hue alternative though, and right now, you can save 30% off of that price by clipping the coupon on Amazon.
If you’re looking for a more functional smart lamp and don’t need it to be portable, then I’d recommend the Govee Smart Table Lamp which boasts more features and brighter lighting for the same price.
Have you taken the pandemic situation and turned it into an opportunity? That is, did you pick up a side hustle or new passion over the last 18-20 months?
One of the more increasingly popular things for people to do now is document and share their life. Be it in the form of Facebook Live videos, Instagram, or something else, a lot of people are spending time in front of the camera.
Phones make it incredibly easy to shoot high-definition, even 4K video, but they don’t always do a great job of capturing quality audio. There’s always distance, wind, ambient noise, and other elements that can muddy your audio experience.
If you find that you’re in need of something better sound-wise, consider picking up something like the Movo EDGE-UC, a wireless lavalier microphone designed with phones in mind.
The lapel mic transmits up to 200 feet away which means you can put plenty of space between you and the camera. The pint-sized device lets users capture audio in both stereo and mono, control volume, gain, and monitor through headphones.
This is the sort of thing you can clip on your shirt and belt and work hands-free without worrying about cables. There’s no need for batteries or charging as it draws power from your phone’s USB Type-C port.
Head over to the AG Deals Store today and you’ll find the Movo EDGE-UC on sale for just $139.99.
Xiaomi on Tuesday introduced its own approach to the growing field of smart glasses, following quickly on the heels of Facebook and its new Ray-Ban offering.
Xiaomi’s smart glasses, which are currently known as just that — Smart Glasses, weigh in at just 51g and can display notifications, make calls, and more.
The Xiaomi model is powered by a quad-core ARM processor and runs Android under the hood. The Smart Glasses feature a monochrome display which lets you view images that you take; its designed to allow for better light passage than a color display.
In addition to the camera capability, Xiaomi’s Smart Glasses can show notifications for things such as smart home alarms, messages from select contacts, and maps with directions. Moreover, the built-in mic and speaker system lets wearers take phone calls directly through the glasses.
As Xiaomi puts it, these are not made to be a secondary screen but something that operates as its own independent experience, too.
We need to build an interaction logic which “does not disturb ordinary use, but displays key information in a timely manner”. After many in-depth discussions, several key scenarios including “key notification”, “phone call”, “navigation”, and “photo translation” were finally confirmed, with XiaoAi AI Assistant as the primary interaction method.
Availability
Xiaomi stops short of announcing the price and launch date for its Smart Glasses but we’ll be sure to share those details when they’re made available.
I consider myself a bit of an audiophile, and as such, I own numerous pairs of headphones. Unfortunately, in looking through all of my headphones, a few of my favorite pairs are only offered in a wired connection.
That’s why nothing makes me sadder than the almost universal removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack in smartphones. This is especially apparent across flagship devices, as they’re pretty all-in with Bluetooth-only options. Never fear, there are still some quality smartphones out there with the headphone jack.
We’ve rounded up some of the best of them and are happy to share them below.
Pixel 5a
First up, is the Pixel 5a with 5G, one of the most affordable, and arguably one of the best phones available in 2021.
Google has really found its stride with its A-series lineup by offering good performance, guaranteed updates, long battery life, a clean user experience, and a fantastic camera at a reasonable price.
Plus, we can’t forget it also includes the headphone jack making this one of the best all-round phones to buy for general users.
While nearly every flagship smartphone has dropped the headphone jack, gaming phones are some of the last holdouts when it comes to getting the best specs and retaining this elusive port.
The Asus ROG Phone 5 is currently one of the best gaming phones you can buy, and that also makes it one of the best phones with a headphone jack.
Besides offering a 3.5mm port, the ROG Phone 5 sports blazing fast specs, a high refresh rate display, a massive battery, two USB-C ports, customizable gaming buttons, and more.
Basically, this is one of the fastest phones on the market that still features a headphone jack, but it won’t come cheap.
The Nubia RedMagic 6 is another gaming phone with stellar specs and a headphone jack. Along with its large 6.8-inch 165Hz display, it packs the Snapdragon 888 and up to 12GB of RAM.
In our review, I found it to be an extremely snappy phone with great performance but a little weak in the software and camera department. Regardless, if you need a headphone jack and top-of-the-line specs, the RedMagic 6 gives them to you at a bargain price.
If you’re looking for a smartphone with top-end specs and a headphone jack without the gaming flare, then the Asus Zenfone 8 has you covered.
It comes with a compact design, for these days at least, featuring a 5.9-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, the Snapdragon 888 SoC, and up to 16GB of RAM.
The only real drawback to this fun-sized flagship is the lack of a telephoto camera on the back. At least it still gives you a wide and ultra-wide option though.
Key specs:
Display: 5.9-inch 120Hz 2400 x 1080 Super AMOLED panel
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
RAM: 6GB, 8GB, 12GB, and 16GB variants
Storage: 128GB and 256GB variants
Cameras: 64MP f/1.8 main and 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide
Samsung may have nixed the headphone jack in its big flagship devices, but at least the mid-range lineup is still holding strong.
The Samsung Galaxy A52 is one of the best mid-range phones out there offering some real bang for your buck with a large high refresh rate display, a quad camera layout on the back, a Snapdragon 720G, and up to 8GB of RAM.
Key specs:
Display: 6.5-inch 90Hz 2400 x 1080 Super AMOLED panel
Last but not least, is the Poco M3 which aims to give you more for less. Poco is a spin-off from the Xiaomi brand for budget smartphones with great specs for the price.
The Poco M3 has a price starting under $200, making it the most affordable phone on our list featuring a headphone jack. For that price, you get a smartphone with three rear cameras, a large 6.53-inch display, a massive 6,000mAh battery, and a Snapdragon 662 SoC with up to 6GB of RAM.
