Treblab makes some great mobile electronic accessories. While the brand may not be the most recognizable, our history with the company has proven that it makes solid products worth the money. You can currently snag three of these devices at an awesome discount on Amazon!
These great over-the-ear headphones are a great alternative to some premium brands. The Z2 offers a comfortable design with over 30-hours of total playback. Plus you get active noise cancellation for under $100. That’s a win!
The Treblab Z2 headphones are also good for active lifestyles. With Bluetooth 5.0 onboard the connection should be solid in any environment. Treblab also has a certified rating of IPX4 water and dust resistance for extra protection from the elements and sweat.
How much will these headphones set you back? The normal retail price is $119 but Treblab has them discount down to $68. That’s a giant 43% price cut.
Maybe you want audio playback while on the go but you’d like to share your taste in music with others as well. The Treblab HD77 can help you get that party going. This 25Watt stereo wireless speaker packs a huge bang for the buck.
The HD77 is ready to play the soundtrack to your next gathering. With 20-hours of playback, external charger capabilities, and IPX6 protection, it’s primed for any normal outing.
Pricing couldn’t be better this week. Marked down from $100 to $68 is a steal for the Treblab HD77. Are you gonna say no to a 32% decrease for this speaker?
Does the current state of the world have you searching for a more remote zen location? The Treblab FX100 speaker is the rugged alternative to past the time from the beach, mountains, or waterfront.
This bad boy has 7000mAh battery pack capable of 35-hours of total playback. When not listening to music it can also charge your devices from the same power bank. Treblab has also reinforced the external chassis of the FX100 with certified shock absorption and IPX4 water/dust resistance.
With the current discounts, you can take the Treblabl FX100 on your next camping trip for just $63. That’s a steep markdown from the normal $90 on Amazon.
It’s summertime and what could be better than enjoying some movies on the big screen with friends and family. While heading to the movie theater is one option, another is creating your own theater experience at home.
ViewSonic, who offers a range of projectors good for watching indoors as well as outdoors, was kind enough to send out its latest M2e Portable Projector for review.
Design
As far as portable projectors go, the ViewSonic M2e isn’t as compact as something like the Anker Nebula II. Regardless, for being a true 1080p projector with a wide selection of ports, the M2e is quite small.
On the front of the M2e is the lens with an LED lamp that features 30,000 hours of life. You’ll also find the sensors for auto-focusing and keystone correction. However, be aware that while the M2e is fantastic at vertical keystone correction, it doesn’t do much at horizontal angles. Meaning, you’re going to need to place this directly in front of where you’re projecting instead of off at an angle.
Turn it around to the back and you’ll find a wide variety of ports, including an HDMI 1.4 port, USB type A, USB-C, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a microSD card slot. Basically, everything you’ll need to extend the capabilities of this little projector.
On the bottom of the M2e, there are three adjustable feet to help you get it perfectly leveled, as well as a kickstand to change the vertical angle of the projector. In my experience, the M2e handles vertical keystone correction very well, so tilting it up or down won’t be an issue at all. Additionally, there is a screw mount on the bottom that allows you to attach the M2e to a tripod for easy placement.
Inside the box, the M2e comes with a power cable, remote control, USB-C cable, and carrying case for taking everything on the go.
User experience
In short, when it comes to using the included software on the ViewSonic M2e, my suggestion would be, don’t do it. The M2e runs a custom version of Android without Google Services and includes the Aptoide Android marketplace to install apps.
The app selection is extremely limited–out of all the streaming apps that I searched for–I could only find Netflix, Prime Video, and Plex. However, even after installing those apps, the experience wasn’t that great.
Navigating and searching in the Netflix app was frustrating because the app installed isn’t built for being used with a remote. Then, I couldn’t even get signed into my Amazon account because I use 2FA and the keyboard wouldn’t load for me to enter the code.
Plex is the app I had the most success with, but that’s only useful if you have a large library of local content. If you’re thinking about side loading additional streaming apps such as Disney+ or Hulu, think again. These apps refuse to launch due to the lack of Google Services.
Screen Mirroring
The ViewSonic M2e supports screen mirroring and shows up in the cast menu when you tap the cast icon in apps. Unfortunately, I was left with a neverending loading screen whenever I attempted to use it. If only this worked it would have made up for the disappointing app selection, but it proved to be unreliable. Most likely, this is due to the M2e not working with casting of copyrighted content which ViewSonic openly states in the description of the product.
There is also the option of mirroring your screen over USB-C. I was able to successfully connect my phone using a USB-C to USB-C cable to the M2e and stream videos. The problem with this method is you’re going to have to leave the phone’s display on the entire time you’re playing the video.
USB playback
The ViewSonic M2e supports playing back files off of a USB drive, but once again, there are some issues. While all the video formats I tested worked fine, the M2e cannot decode AC3 audio. I was able to remedy this by side loading VLC, but eventually, I came to the conclusion that you’d be better off using a different solution to playback media.
Add a streaming stick
Basically, you’re going to need to add a streaming stick to the ViewSonic M2e if you want a good user experience. After digging my old Chromecast Ultra out of the closet and connecting it to the M2e, it vastly improved the user experience. I was even able to power it off the USB port on the back of the projector.
All of a sudden, I could access every streaming app available and cast copyright-protected videos to the projector. Additionally, while the remote for the M2e works fine, it wasn’t easy to use given you’re not usually able to point it directly at the M2e from where you’re sitting. Using the Chromecast Ultra dongle made it so much easier to navigate and start videos.
Video quality
The M2e won’t rival a 4K or 1080p TV in terms of picture quality, but overall I was very impressed. Considering you’re blowing up a picture to between 80 and 100 inches from a projector this tiny, I was honestly surprised it looked as good as it did.
Indoors I was bouncing the picture off a plain white wall for an 80-inch picture and sitting about 8 feet away. The image was sharp, colors were vibrant, and contrast was spot on after a few adjustments.
When it comes to brightness, the M2e performed well. I was able to see the picture in a moderately lit room during the daytime with the blinds drawn. However, the M2e looks its best at night or in a completely dark room.
Outdoors was a different story though. I bought this 120-inch projector screen off of Amazon and found the picture was too washed out to see even in the early evening. I had to wait for it to get completely dark out before it was worth watching.
Furthermore, something to be aware of is the M2e struggled to autofocus when adjusting the distance and angle using the projector screen outdoors. I had to power it off and on to get it to focus properly, while indoors it was able to focus on the wall perfectly each time I moved it.
Audio quality
The M2e features a speaker from Harmon/Kardon that will get the job done but don’t expect big movie sound from this tiny speaker. If you want big audio to match the massive picture from the M2e, then you’re going to need to add an external speaker. Plus, the fan can get pretty noisy while watching videos, and using a louder Bluetooth speaker helps drown it out.
I used a couple of different Bluetooth speakers during my time with the M2e and paired with the Chromecast Ultra this is the ultimate experience.
The smooth user experience of the Chromecast Ultra, fantastic picture quality of the M2e, and big sound of a Bluetooth speaker all combine for the ultimate backyard or home theater experience.
I also tested out the 3.5mm jack on the M2e, and even though I tried two different cables and two different speakers, the audio would cut out. Fortunately, the Bluetooth audio worked perfectly, but I wouldn’t count on using the 3.5mm port.
Final thoughts
For $600 the ViewSonic M2e offers great picture quality with auto-focus in a compact package along with all the inputs you need to take it to the next level. While I ran into some issues with the app selection and the 3.5mm jack was wonky for me, both can easily be sidestepped if you use a streaming dongle and Bluetooth speaker.
With all of that combined, you have everything you need to replicate the big-screen experience of a movie theater in your home, backyard, or both.
Chinese phone maker realme today announced two new versions of its popular GT handset as part of a celebration event. Indeed, with 100 million of its handsets sold globally, realme has become the fastest growing smartphone brand.
The realme GT Master Edition and Explorer Master Edition straddle the original GT and act more or less like “Lite” and “Pro/Plus” models.
The realme GT Master Edition is priced as low as $399 and features a 6.43-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate and curved edge. Power comes from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. An 8GB/256GB option is available for $449.
As for cameras, the handset comes with a 64-megapixel main, 8-megapixel (ultra-wide), and 2-megapixel macro lens. Around front is a 32-megapixel selfie shooter. Rounding out the specs are a 4,300mAh battery with 65W SuperDart charger, WiFi 6, and Android 11-based realme UI 2.0.
The GT Explorer Master Edition comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor with up to 12GB RAM, and 4,500mAh battery. Around back it can be had with a vegan leather shell which gives it an added touch of class.
The GT Master Explorer Edition starts at $499 for the 8GB and 128GB storage with a 12GB/256GB option at $549.
Look for the GT Master Edition to go on sale as soon as August 26. While realme hasn’t quite cracked the US just yet, we get the sense that it’s starting to make a play for the market.
Xiaomi has a reputation for producing phones that give you a lot of bang for your buck, and one of the prime examples is the mid-range Redmi lineup which just got a new addition. With an announcement today on its blog, Xiaomi introduced the new Redmi 10 that will be available for purchase starting August 20, 2021, starting at $179.
As far as specs, the Redmi 10 features a 6.5-inch FHD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate that automatically adjusts based on what content you’re viewing to save battery life. It also includes dual speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack for watching videos or listening to music.
Under the hood, the Redmi 10 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G88 SoC and comes with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM. Storage is also flexible with options for either 64GB or 128GB models.
When it comes to photography, the Redmi 10 sports an 8MP front-facing camera housed in the center hole punch in the display. While on the back, is a 50MP main camera, one of the highest resolution cameras you can get at this price level. There’s also an 8MP ultra-wide camera, 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor to ensure you have plenty of options when taking images.
Keeping the lights on, so to speak, is a large 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging and Xiaomi even includes a 22.5W charger in the box. The Redmi 10 runs the latest version of MIUI 12.5 which is based on Android 11.
The Xiaomi Redmi 10 can be purchased beginning on August 20, 2021, in matte Carbon Gray and Pebble White, or in a textured glossy Sea Blue version. Prices start at $179 for the 4GB+64GB model, with the 4GB+128GB variant selling for $199, and the 6GB+128GB model will set you back $219.
Google on Tuesday announced that its newest smartphone, the Pixel 5a with 5G, will arrive on August 26. Priced $449, it builds on the A-series of Pixel phones and provides users with a strong mid-range experience.
Powered by stock Android 11 at launch, the Pixel 5a is the first of the A-series to feature IP67 water and dust resistance. Additionally, it boasts a 4680mAh battery, the largest in the Pixel thus far.
The Pixel 5a isn’t the most powerful of Google’s phones but the “A” family never is. Instead, it’s one of the most well-rounded mid-range phones on the market with specs that average consumers seek out. That is often to say a large screen, big battery, and good camera.
Key features include a 6.34-inch (2400 x 1080) OLED display protected by Gorilla Glass 3, a 12-megapixel and 16-megapixel wide rear camera configuration, a rear fingerprint reader, and NFC.
Internally we find a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor supported by 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Again, not the top of the line, but certainly more than what most people need.
Keeping with the tradition of its predecessors, the Pixel 5a comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack. And following on the heels of 2020’s Pixel 4a (5G), this one supports 4G bands and sub-6GHz 5G networks.
The Mostly Black Pixel 5 is available for pre-order in the US and Japan where it is priced $449. The phone starts shipping on August 26.
Are you able to differentiate between good and bad design? When you look at a product, or its packaging, are you able to quickly identify its intended purpose? Can you tell the difference between a good interface and one that needs help?
Suffice it to say, product design is of utmost value. And if you’re on a team that’s responsible for creating a product or solution, someone has to be in charge of the design.
Should you need help with better understanding the intricacies that go along with product creation, you might want to check out the five part eBook collection available in the AG Deals Store. Valued at nearly $180, readers can pick up the highly-rated eBooks for just $19.99.
Over the course of approximately 1,800 pages you come to appreciate the importance of user experience, interfaces, patterns, and other design decisions. While you’ll pick up pro tips and best practices, you’ll also have the benefit of data to help shape you. Equally important, you’ll learn what makes for harmful design and find out what drives consumers away.
Get Started
Pick up the full five-part eBook collection in the AG Deals Store and start reading on your mobile device. The books are offered in Kindle format and can also be enjoyed on the line of Amazon tablets.
Buying a phone in 2021 is an entirely different situation than it was just a few years back. Many consumers are used to buying their phones from their wireless service provider but that’s slowly changing.
Thanks to the growing presence of unlocked handsets, customers are now able to choose from a much wider selection. Instead of being stuck with what your carrier offers, consider going direct to the manufacturer.
Sony is one brand that has pretty much only ever really offered its phones in unlocked manner. Sure, there were a few models in the early days of Android which could be purchased with a carrier, but that’s a distant memory.
We’ve put together this Sony phone buyer’s guide to help you make heads or tails out of everything. This should help you get a better understanding of what’s currently available from Sony.
Sony Phone Buyer’s Guide
Sony currently offers three lines of phones, each with two versions available. Much like it does with its cameras, these are mostly designated “Mark II” and “Mark III”. The sole difference being that its Xperia 10 is offered in a standard and a Plus variant.
If there’s one thing people can say about Sony’s phones, it’s that they are easily distinguishable from their angular shoulders and premium appearance. Worth noting, too, Sony’s handsets tend to lean into camera capabilities with excellent sensors and shooting modes.
Xperia 1 III
Sitting at the top of the Sony food chain is the Xperia 1 III, a flagship phone that hangs with the best of them. For your money you get a 6.5-inch 4K HDR display at 120Hz, a triple rear camera setup, and a generous 4,500mAh battery.
Running Android 11, this one has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G processor backed by 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage capacity. Need more room? Toss in a microSD expansion card for up to 1TB of additional space.
One of the biggest draws is the suite of camera shooting modes, including the 4K HDR Movie recording with up to 60fps. The phone is a durable one, to be sure, thanks to Corning Gorilla Glass Victus and the IPX5/X8 water resistance and dust proof protection.
If you’re shopping with a slight smaller budget but still want something incredibly robust, you may wish to consider the Xperia 1 (Mark II) which is still available.
Xperia 5 III
About as powerful of a phone that a typical user might want or need, this one has 6.1-inch display with incredibly high refresh rate and touch sampling rate.
Co-developed by the engineers behind Sony’s Alpha series of cameras, the phone packs three cameras with object tracking, fast autofocus, and a suite of software features that lead to excellent shots in all levels of light.
The Xperia 5 III handset runs Android 11 and houses high-end hardware such as a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage.
Mark II Series
Moving down the ladder just a rung, to the previous generation, both the Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 are available in MK II variants. Powered by Android 10, they feature still-powerful hardware with an excellent set cameras and settings. Start here if you’re not quite ready to commit to a flagship just yet.
While flagship phones such as the recently announced Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 get a lot of attention and press, for some people that’s too much phone and way too expensive. Most people would be perfectly suited with a phone that offers decent performance for an affordable price, such as the Orbic Myra 5G UW that just launched on Verizon for $350.
This is the first mid-range phone that Orbic has released for Verizon and here’s what your hard-earned $350 could get you. The Myra 5G UW was built for Verizon’s 5G network in mind and supports Verizon’s nationwide 5G Ultra-Wideband network.
Along with its 5G support, the Myra 5G UW features a large 6.78-inch 1600 x 720 TFT 60Hz display with a hole punch front-facing camera. Additionally, the Myra 5G UW will be the first smartphone from Orbic to support Verizon Adaptive Sound, Verizon’s new mobile audio solution, but you’ll have to wait for an update to be pushed to enable it.
Powering the Myra 5G UW is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G SoC and 6GB of RAM with 64GB of storage. It’s also possible to expand the storage up to 1TB with a microSD card slot, so you’ll never have to worry about running out of space.
Around on the back of the phone is a triple camera setup with a 48MP main camera, an 8MP 118-degree ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP sensor for taking macro photos. When you’re looking to get your selfie on, that is serviced by the 16MP front-facing camera.
Finally, the Orbic Myra 5G UW comes out of the box running Android 11 and has a large 5,000mAh battery to help you get through the day. It also supports 18W charging speeds with Quick Charge 3.0.
The Orbic Myra 5G UW is not a flashy phone but it offers some decent specs for an affordable price. It can be picked up starting today for $350 from Verizon’s website or retail stores.
ZTE’s Axon 20 5G was the first to market featuring an under-display front-facing camera. Unfortunately, the camera failed to impress in quality and in being completely invisible behind the screen.
Since then, ZTE has been hard at work improving both the quality of the photos as well as making the camera blend in more seamlessly, and now, it’s finally ready to release the Axon 30 with a new and improved under-display camera.
As with the Axon 20 5G, the main focus of ZTE’s latest smartphone is the 16MP under-display camera. This time it has been improved with a special pixel matrix, larger light-sensitive camera, higher resolution display over the camera, and more.
Not only will all of these changes help hide the camera better than before, but they will also ensure your selfies look much better than the ones from the Axon 20 5G.
Beyond the under-display front-facing camera gimmick, the Axon 30 has a lot going for it. For starters, ZTE has included a large 6.92-inch 2460 x 1080 AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and touch sampling rate of 360Hz. Combine this with the DTS:X Ultra immersive 3D audio, and you’ll have a wonderful way to enjoy bingeing all your favorite shows.
Under the hood, the Axon 30 is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870G SoC and either 8GB or 12GB of RAM. It also features memory fusion technology that allows up to 5GB of free storage space to be used as additional memory. Speaking of storage, the Axon 30 comes with a choice of 128GB or 256GB along with a microSD card slot for expansion.
On the back of the Axon 30 is the AI quad-camera array which includes a 64MP main camera, 120-degree wide-angle camera, a 3cm macro lens, and a depth-of-field sensor. This will give you plenty of options when you’re out shooting.
Keeping you powered up throughout the day is the 4,200mAh battery that supports fast-charging up to 55W.
Sales for the ZTE Axon 30 begin on September 9, 2021, via the ZTE website. The 8GB+128GB model will start at $499 / €499/ £429 while the 12GB+256GB model will set you back $599/ €599/£519.
Verizon has announced that it will make the switch to the Messages by Google app and embrace the Rich Communications Standard, which replaces SMS, beginning in 2022.
This is a big announcement from the last hold out of the big three carriers. Both AT&T and T-Mobile already agreed to adopt the RCS standard earlier this year, and that means customers on all three major carriers will get to enjoy the benefit of the modern texting standard.
Google has spent years trying to push the RCS standard and includes it by default in its Messages app on Android. The new Rich Communications Standard includes a host of improvements over the old SMS many of us currently use.
For starters, it allows for sending of higher quality images and videos. Something SMS has lacked for many years now as smartphones have grown leaps and bounds in the camera department.
It will also allow for chatting over Wi-Fi or data, read receipts, and end-to-end encryption for one-on-one chats. Encryption for group chats is currently in the works as well.
Basically, the only downsides to RCS are that both the network and the texting app you use must support the protocol. That’s why getting Verizon on board with AT&T and T-Mobile was so important, as well as getting Verizon to partner with Google and bundle its Messages app. This will allow Android users to enjoy RCS in all its glory across all the major networks.
It has taken years now, but in 2022 every Android user on the big three wireless networks in the U.S. will be able to enjoy a new modernized texting experience. The biggest problem is that Apple currently doesn’t support RCS, meaning that any time you text with an iPhone user you’ll lose out on encryption and all the other goodies RCS includes.
There is some hope though, RCS is a standard from the GSMA and Apple could adopt it any time it chooses. It just depends on if the Cupertino tech giant decides whether it is worth adding to iMessage or not.
