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Nebula Capsule II projector review

Andrew Allen
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The dog days of summer are upon us and outdoor living is in full swing. For some of us this means taking our TV and movie experience to the patio or driveway for projecting media.

The original Nebula Capsule has been a great device for family viewing on my patio over the last few years. I was pumped to be able to give the new Capsule II a shot from the Anker sub-brand over the last few weeks.

How does the latest edition match up against the solid performer of the Capsule I? Overall, you’d be hard to say it hasn’t improved in almost every metric.

Design

Let’s start with the industrial engineering behind the Nebula Capsule II. The overall size is larger than the previous generation. The original model was literally the size of a soda can. The Capsule II is more the size of a pint glass.

This is not a knock on the Capsule II though. It’s still incredibly portable and can be used with any 1/4-inch tripod mount. As long as you have that, you can pretty much set up anywhere with the Capsule II.

Specification wise, you will only get 720P HD resolution at 200 Lumens that can be canvased to a max screen of 100 inches. All this is presented under the wrapper of Android TV as the Capsule II operating system.

Internally, you need a good engine if you take the Nebula Capsule II on the road. It has a combination of 2GB of RAM, 8GB of internal memory, and a 9,700mAh battery. In addition, you have an 8-watt speaker to power the audio.

Expandability is also an option with several inputs in the back of the Capsule II. You can use auxiliary audio via 3.5mm jack, full HDMI, USB 2.0, or USB-C to add additional inputs to your projection experience.

Watching Content

Speaking of experience, the addition of Android TV has made a world of difference between the first two generations of the Capsule II. The full Google Play Store and Chromecast make this a much more polished option for the end-user.

The remote contributes to this as well. Having a full D-pad style remote with Google Assistant just makes finding content easier. The remote has a good weight and hand-feel. The buttons offer good feedback on button presses that are better than the first generation as well.

All of your favorite apps are available that you’d normally see on Android TV with one glaring absence of Netflix. There are multiple rumors of the why including that Netflix has units produced minimum that the Nebula Capsule II hasn’t reached in volume, but it’s disheartening to not see it on the homepage.

Thankfully, there are several options to get the Netflix app installed, but we recommend the official avenue of Nebula Manager offered directly from Anker. This allows you to install the app and walk you through adding it to your home screen.

While many will fault the Capsule II for only having 720P resolution, I’ve had zero issues. The screen size is easily adjustable with a crisp output. The projector also has an auto-focus feature that will make getting the setup just right a hassle-free adventure.

Battery Life

The big selling point of the Nebula Capsule II is portability and you can’t have that without endurance. I’m happy to report that I’m consistently getting three hours of playback of the video. I will deduct a point or two that this is down a full hour from the smaller generation one unit. You’d think with a larger footprint, this could have at least stayed flat at four hours.

Regardless, three hours gives you some great time to take in content with the family. It may be a little short for longer movies, but you have to go to bed sometime, right?

Final Thoughts

I’ve loved my time with the Anker Nebula Capsule II. This projector should be on anyone’s shortlist for outdoor entertainment that can be easily set up and moved when done. Add the mass improvement of Android TV over the blown-up phone interface of the original, you have a new king of small projectors.

The one drawback might be the price of $580. However, the quality of this projector combined with its portable design makes it uniquely valuable. You can purchase the Nebula II via Anker’s site directly or head to Amazon if you prefer.

Cat Phones announces rugged S62 Pro with thermal imaging

Josiah Ward
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Cat Phones is a brand of smartphones bearing the Caterpillar name, which you may know as the manufacturers of construction equipment. Enter the Cat S62 Pro, a phone bearing enhanced thermal imaging and an extremely rugged build.

Cat S62 Pro Thermal

The S62 Pro’s main feature is the thermal imaging. Over the S61, it bears enhancements for further thermal detail thans to the FLIR Lepton 3.5 sensor combined with FLIR’s VividIR technology and Multi-Spectral Dynamic Imaging that overlays linear detail onto the thermal image. In addition, the S62 Pro bears a 12MP dual pixel camera.

Cat S62 Pro Rugged

In true Cat Phones fashion, the S62 is also extremely rugged with IP68 and Mil-Spec 810H, making the phone dustproof, drop-proof to 1.8m, and resistant to vibration, sand, salt mist and pressure.

As far as specs, the S62 brings the following:

Cat S62 Pro Workphone

  • A 5.7″ FHD+ display reinforced with Gorilla Glass 6
  • An aluminum body housed in a non-slip TPU case
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 backed up with 6GB of RAM
  • 128GB of storage expandable via microSD
  • Dual SIM slots
  • Fingerprint sensor
  • A 4,000mAh battery

EKSA E900 Pro Gaming Headset review

AndroidGuys
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Headphones come in a wide variety of designs and usage cases. Suffice it to say, there’s not really a “one size fits all” for very many of us. The headphones we use at the gym might not be the same ones we’d turn to for long-term playlists or online gaming.

Then there’s the topic of budget. Not everyone can afford a pair of premium cans for queuing up The Dark Side of the Moon.

Finding the right model, and doing so within a reasonable budget, can be tough. Fortunately, there are brands like EKSA who create products that are not only flexible but which also stay on cheaper side of things. Take, for instance, its new E900 Pro.

What is the EKSA E900 Pro?

The EKSA E900 Pro Gaming Headset is a well-crafted tool that every gamer needs in his or her inventory. This listening device performs extremely well, and unlike most gaming headsets you see, comes with completely detachable and customizable setup options to ensure that it can be applied to any audible experience.

The E900 Pro are versatile; it can go from being traditional headphones plugged into a phone one moment to a gaming-ready headset with a noise-canceling microphone for a PC the next.

What’s included in the box?

The headset bundle comes with the headphones, a detachable microphone, a lockable auxiliary cord, a USB-C to USB 3 adapter, and an auxiliary to audio and microphone splitter adapter. All of which can all be carried in its leather drawstring bag.

Included with this headset and its physical accessories is a code for redeemable surround sound driver software that will enhance your gaming or casual listening experience, an extendable warranty (up to 24 months), and a redeemable gift option of another EKSA item (storage pouch), and a 40% coupon to be applied to your next purchase.

Let’s talk setup

The setup is simple: all you have to do is unpack the headphones and cords, plug them into the appropriate ports, and start playing.

It took me a couple of minutes to do that, but once you’ve associated yourself with each accessory, it’ll be super easy to take out and set up.

The additional 7.1 Surround Sound software (which sadly only works with Windows users) can be downloaded on the Eksa website. The type of surround sound (Old vs Pro) depends on your unit’s serial number and seems to be randomly assigned.

How about the design?

The design of these headphones is pretty awesome if I do say so myself. The E900 Pro are extremely clean, polished-looking, compact, and easy to carry around. The red emblem on the outsides lights up if your USB cable is plugged in, giving it a bit of added flair. The memory form headband and ear cushions make these extremely comfortable to wear.

And the sound?

The sound quality of these headphones is surprisingly nice. From playing a game like Torchlight II or Fortnite to talking with friends on Discord and watching YouTube, the quality of the sound is great.

It’s nice to be able to switch from 3.5mm headphone cable to USB and we really appreciate what happens when using the 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound. It would be nice, however, if that feature translated to the Xbox One or PS4.

What about performance?

The main reservations I have with the design are more or less what I’d term inconveniences or questionable choices.

Take the mute button as an example. It is located near the back of the left headphone and is always confusing to me. It reads as a microphone with a slash through it, which I would assume as being mute. But when it is pushed in, it is, in fact, not mute.

And another thing, the volume scroller (near the mute button) scrolls down to amplify volume and up to minimize volume. I suppose this could be pretty easily understood after a moment or two, or with regular usage, but in the heat of a game it seems counter-intuitive.

Would you recommend the EKSA E900 Pro?

Overall, this is a nice headset with a price that’s in line with expectation. Of course, they’re not perfect, but they are right for a middle-of-the-ground gamer such as myself.

The sound quality is nice, the design is cool, compact, and extremely comfortable, and they’re compatible with most mainstream gaming consoles.

If you’re just dipping your toes into the gaming water, or want to step up from the headphones that came with your console, these are a good starting point.

These headphones can be bought online at Eksa’s official website for about $35 as well as through AliExpress and Amazon.

HyperGear Dual USB + USB-C Digital Power Bank: Charge three devices at once

AndroidGuys
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Have you recently found yourself the proud owner of a new smartphone? Congratulations! Make sure you protect it with a nice case! You’ll also want to get an external battery to help you out when the days get long or you don’t think you’ll be back to a charger any time soon.

We’ve got an incredible offer in the AndroidGuys Deals Store today — the HyperGear 10000mAh Dual USB + USB-C Digital Power Bank. Normally priced at $34, you can pick one up for just $29.99.

The HyperGear Power Bank offers up three ports for simultaneous charging with two USB ports and one USB Type-C port. There’s also a power indicator that displays the remaining battery percentage so you’ll never end up running out without knowing.

The small, portable unit packs a 10,000mAh battery which is strong enough to power most phones three times over. Moreover, it’s crafted from premium materials and is tested to handle drops.

Features

  • Dual USB + USB-C ports: Fast charge 3 devices at the same time
  • Digital battery level indicator: Easily check on your battery status; no more guessing
  • Stylish & compact at 5.6″ length: Slip it into a briefcase, handbag, backpack, or carry-on
  • Safety features: Protect your device from overcurrent, short circuit, & overcharge

Where to Buy

To purchase the HyperGear Dual USB + USB-C Digital Power Bank, head to the AndroidGuys Deals Store and grab it for only $29.99 today. Or, consider the $39.99 version which doubles the capacity to 20,000mAh.

Best Sellers

Save even more!

For every $25 you spend in the AG Deals Store you get $1 credit added to your account. And, if you refer the deal via social media or an email that results in a purchase, you’ll earn $10 credit in your account.

First Time Buying?

If this is your first time buying, you are also eligible for 10% discount! Just be sure to subscribe for email updates.

Free Stuff

Not looking to spend any money today? No worries. You can still visit the AndroidGuys section for freebies and pick something anyhow.

Mobvoi summer sale brings up to 33% off until July 31

Josiah Ward
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Mobvoi, producer of many android accessories from the TicWatch to the TicPods, has introduced their summer sale, bringing up to 33% off of their products.

TicWatch Discounts

The TicWatch C2, with the Snapdragon Wear 2100 and featuring a classic design and 2-day battery life, is discounted from now until June 30th. It is usually $199.99,but it is now 30% off at $139.99.

TicWatch S2 GlacierThe S2 with a more rugged build is 33% off of the Glacier color option at $119.99 and 20% off of the Midnight color option at $143.99.

 

 

 

TicWatch Pro 2020The TicWatch Pro 2020, with military-grade durability and 5-30 days of battery life, is $220.99, a 15% savings from the usual $259.99 price point.

 

 

 

The Pro 4G/LTE, with cellular connectivity, is available for 10% off of its original price of $299 at $269.

 

TicPods Discounts

The TicPods 2, with touch controls, 23-hour battery life, fast

charging, and noise cancellation, are 30% off at $69.99.

The TicPods 2 Pro, with voice commands, voice assistant, and head gesture controls are normally $139.99, are $104.99, a 25% discount.

 

These discounts run through Friday, July 31st and are available through Mobvoi’s website.

Plex introduces free Live TV with over 80 channels

Josiah Ward
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Plex is a complete media server solution to allow for easy organization and sharing of items in your media library, from movies to television shows to Music. The Plex server runs on your computer of choice and content on your server can be viewed/listened to on pretty much any device you can think of.

Plex has also ventured to make a more complete media experience, occuring over a number of years. You can add podcasts, you can integrate Tidal to further expand your music library, you can watch YouTube-style Web Shows.

However, Plex is also trying to bring in free users with ad-supported content. At the end of 2019, they introduced movies & TV for free for all users to watch through Crackle.

Now they have introduced free Live TV Streaming. Live TV is completely free to anyone with an account and comes with 80+ channels ranging from The Bob Ross Channel to a Yacht Rock music channel.

Plex will continue to add more channels, but don’t expect your big network channel to be added any time soon as most networks promise themselves to cable companies.

You can watch Plex’s video announcement below and read their blog post here.

How to migrate data to a Xiaomi/Redmi/Poco/Mi phone

Rizwan Anwer
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With smartphones becoming increasingly more affordable, buying one can be a semi-regular occurrence. However, moving data between your old phone and the new one can be cumbersome.

Many people will opt to transfer the data to a computer and then to the new phone. Historically, that was what one had to do. Or, users would back up what they could to a microSD card. Today, smartphone manufacturers have dedicated apps that make this process easy, efficient, and seamless.

This guide will teach you how to move all your personal data (SMS, calls, apps, photos, etc.) from your old phone to a Xiaomi branded phone. With this, you won’t have to worry about copying data on a computer or removable storage.

As Xiaomi evolves and expands into sub-brands, one might think that each of them will require their own set of migration apps. However, while they’re all sold under different names, they all operate using Xiaomi’s custom MIUI experience.

As long as your phone is running MIUI, this guide will work on your Redmi, Mi, Poco, or any other brand under the Xiaomi umbrella.

Pre-requisites

Install Mi Mover on the phone you’re moving the data from and on the Xiaomi phone you’re moving the data to. Have both phones at 80% charge if there is a lot of data.

In most cases, Mi Mover comes pre-installed in Xiaomi phones.

Let’s Go!

Once you have Mi Mover installed, open up the app on your Xiaomi phone and choose “I’m a recipient”.

You might get a prompt on your Xiaomi phone to install the app via a QR code, if this comes up, just tap on “Installed. Start the transfer.”

Boot up the app on your old phone and grant permissions on both phones where required. When the app is loaded, choose “I’m a sender” on the old phone.

You will either have to wait for the Xiaomi phone to show up on the old phone, or you can manually connect to the hotspot by navigating to your Wi-Fi on your old phone and selecting the hotspot manually using the SSID name mentioned on the Xiaomi phone, in this instance the hotspot name is POCOPHONE F1_pOYJ.

When you choose the hotspot from your old phone, you can now choose what you wish to send over.

Once you have selected the necessary items to send, simply press Send from your old phone. You’ll get a popup informing you to not turn on Wi-Fi or switch networks during operation.

Just like we do for OnePlus phones, we highly recommend leaving both phones alone until the transfer completes to ensure all your data carries over without incident.

Once the transfer is done, your Xiaomi phone will take some time to migrate the data and with that, you’re done!

Other Helpful Guides

How to tell if your phone has been hacked

AndroidGuys
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EDITOR NOTE: This is a promoted post and should not be viewed as an editorial endorsement.

Nowadays, there are a few things our smartphones can’t do. They’ve gotten so powerful and integrated into our lives that it’s easy to argue that they are more important than computers.

Unsurprisingly, cybercriminals now frequently target smartphones because of all the valuable data they can contain. Meanwhile, disguised malware continues to show up in app stores despite Google and Apple trying to root it out.

The McAfee 2020 Mobile Threat Report (PDF) notes that hackers harm smartphone users in various ways, including stealing information, hiding malware, serving unwanted ads, and more. Here are the warning signs that you should be on the lookout to keep your smartphone and data safe.

Your Smartphone is Acting Strange

Over time, it’s natural for smartphones to start getting a little slow. But if your new Samsung Galaxy suddenly can’t load a YouTube video, you might have a problem. Pay attention to some of these performance issues:

  • Are web pages taking a long time to load?
  • Does your battery drain quickly?
  • Are you exceeding your cellular data limits?
  • Does your phone feel hot?
  • Are you having difficulty performing basic phone functions or changing settings?

If any of this seems familiar, you may have downloaded a malicious app or file that is harming your phone’s performance.

Unexplained Apps or Activity

With so many apps on your phone, it can be easy to lose track of them. But you know yourself. If you fear flying and suddenly have thirteen travel apps, something isn’t right.

Unexplained apps, along with other irregular activities like calls, messages, and emails you didn’t send, sign a hacker that has gotten into your phone. They may be using your device to pose as you and send malware to your friends and family.

Pop-Ups, New Browsers, Redirects

One of the most common forms of malware involves serving ads that direct users to less than reputable sites. If you’re getting a flood of ads or your browser settings have been changed to land you on pages constantly, you’re not trying to navigate to, then this is another major clue that your phone has been hacked.

What You Should Do If Your Phone Has Been Hacked

You need to act quickly. The longer a threat actor has access to your smartphone, the more damage they can do.

The first thing you should do is remove the malicious app. It’s likely the malware has been packaged into one of the latest apps you’ve downloaded. So, deleting these apps is essential. However, you might want to go a step further, and factory reset your phone. This has the best ability to remove the malware more comprehensively.

Before you do so, be sure to back up your important data so you can get access to it again later.

Likewise, similar to how you use antivirus software on your desktop computer, you should also use mobile security tools to scan and remove threats from your device.

Finally, to prevent malware attacks on your smartphone in the future, you must avoid public WiFi. Public WiFi is one of the most common places that hackers hide malware to place on unsuspecting victims’ phones. Likewise, they can also use your IP address to track your online activity.

The best advice is then always to hide your IP address. You might be thinking, how do I hide my IP address? It’s quite easy. With a VPN, you both conceal your IP and encrypt your internet connection, making you much safer against digital threats.

After you get a VPN enabled on your smartphone, you create new passwords for your online accounts. Make sure they are unique and complex to make them tough for hackers to crack. This is why you should consider using a password manager to store your passwords securely in a digital vault.

Don’t wait until your smartphone becomes infected. Pay attention to these warning signs and start arming yourself with the right security tools like VPNs, password managers, and mobile security software. There’s no better way to keep your phone safe.

Image by Stefan Coders from Pixabay

EDITOR NOTE: This is a promoted post and should not be viewed as an editorial endorsement.

8 tricks in Python used by experienced programmers

AndroidGuys
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EDITOR NOTE: This is a promoted post and should not be viewed as an editorial endorsement.

Python is a fast-growing high-level programming language that has become the most preferred language in the market. Its brevity and high readability not only makes it accessible, but it is also used in the development of iOS app development services and other custom platforms.

When you compare it to C and Java, it has fewer steps, especially when it comes to building code. It is the most common language used by companies and organizations mainly because it supports numerous programming paradigms.

Below are tricks that experienced programmers make use of to make their python code performant and concise.

List comprehensions

List comprehensions come in handy to replace for loops that appear ugly. The syntax for list comprehensions is;

[expressions for items in the list if conditional }

Not only can you be able to do a little bit of math, but you will also be able to call an external function. Additionally, you can also make use of “if statements” to filter your list.

Sorting various objects by making use of multiple keys

For example, say you have a list that you don’t want to sort by using age and name. What you want to do is to sort the list by making use of both fields. If this is the case, there is no need for you to worry. Thanks to the guarantee that Python comes with when sorting functions, getting a stable order should be easy. What this means is that all items with equal comparisons will have their original orders retained.

Always check the memory usage of all objects

Even when you are offering iOS app development services and carrying out hard code, you must know exactly your memory usage. Many experienced programmers tend to play around with sys.getsizeof (). Additionally, it would be best if you took the time to learn more about Python to have a broader perspective, especially when it comes to memory usage.

‘Attrs’ Package

Another trick used by experienced python developers is making use of ‘attrs’ instead of data classes. There are two primary reasons why you should make use of this package.

  • You will have more features;
  • You are making use of a version of Python that is much older than the 3.7 version.

The beauty of ‘attrs’ is that it can support all the various mainstreams of python versions.

Data classes

Python has been offering data classes ever since its 3.7 version came out. Experienced programmers make use of this trick because it usually comes with several advantages. They include:

  • Because data classes make use of type hints, the number of chances or experiencing bugs is often reduced;
  • There is a minimal amount of code needed for a data class;
  • Printing data classes for debugging is made easy;
  • You are in a better position to compare different data classes.

Merging of directories

If you have keys that are overlapping, what happens is that the first directory keys are going to be overwritten. In the 3.9 version of Python, merging of various directories is even made more straightforward and cleaner.

Find the value that is frequently occurring

What happens in this single code line is that all the unique values will be taken all at once.  For example, if your values are 1, 2,3 max will apply this list in the list count function. Once this is done successfully, the maximum value is going to be returned.

Returning multiple values

Inexperienced programmers may not know that Python is a programming language that returns more than one of its variables. This is achieved without necessarily making use of a list, a class, or a dictionary. However, it is crucial to note that this is okay when it comes to limited return values. If you have values beyond three, then it is advisable to make use of a data class.

Conclusion

Python is easy to learn and straightforward programming language. Using the above tricks, you will get to understand precisely how experienced programmers do it. You need to have the passion and drive to learn a new skill that will help you grow and improve your programming career.

You could also read online tutorials to have a broader perspective when it comes to Python.

Image by Johnson Martin from Pixabay

EDITOR NOTE: This is a promoted post and should not be viewed as an editorial endorsement.

iLive Bluetooth Tailgate Party Speaker review

AndroidGuys
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Speakers come in all shapes, sizes, and designs. On one end of the spectrum are small, extremely portable ones that work well for picnics and backyard playlists. On the other end are large products for more demanding situations. Take for instance, a tailgate party.

While we’re not quite able to get out and gather in large parties in summer 2020, families can still get together around a campfire or in a boat for a lazy day at the lake.

There are a number of Bluetooth speaker options designed for such a festivity. The iLive Bluetooth Tailgate Party Speaker is one of those, and we’ve recently spent some time with one. Here’s our review.

Design

My very first impression of the iLive Bluetooth Tailgate Party Speaker is that it is extremely light for the size of the box. The speaker itself measures: 9.92 x 7.44 x 22.09″. I was shocked when I picked up the sizable speaker box with little effort.

The speaker is designed to resemble the enclosures you’d see at a wedding reception in front of the DJ booth. Spicing up the party speaker is a pair of color changing LED lights that reflect off of the metallic speaker cone centers, one LED per 8” speaker.

The cabinet features false horn tweeters to complete the “professional” look; but those add aesthetics and nothing more. The speaker casing is plastic while the speaker grill is made of painted metal. The rear of the speaker features a cut-out microphone holster (microphone not included), integrated carrying handle and speaker control buttons and knobs.

A small LED display provides battery and volume level, as well as connection status. Small push buttons allow for the following combined controls

  • Source selection/LED lights on-off
  • Skip track or tune radio up
  • Play/pause, stereo pairing or Bluetooth pairing mode
  • Back track or tune radio down

There are ports for microSD card, 3.5mm aux input, USB media port, and ¼” microphone input. Charging is done through a micro-USB port.  The speaker bottom has a tripod mount in the event you feel compelled t,o in fact, use this as part of a DJ set-up. Spoiler alert, Don’t!

The speaker itself is aesthetically pleasing. It resembles professional audio gear but is where any resemblance begins and ends once you pick it up and turn it on.

Unpacking

Upon opening the box, I was surprised to find my sense of smell stimulated. The speaker wreaked of mold or mildew. Perhaps it sat in a damp warehouse at one point on its journey? Aside from that, the speaker is well packaged and secured with a combination of foam and cardboard packing material.

Also included is a double-sided instruction and specification sheet, lengthy micro-USB charging cable and a small “enter to win” registration card to activate the 90-day limited warranty. Nothing about this experience is memorable beyond the smell.

Setup & Usage

Having skipped opening the baggie containing the instruction sheet, I simply rotated the Power/Volume knob clockwise and was greeted with a rather loud and hollow voice prompt that stated, “Power on. Bluetooth.”

Connecting my phone to the iLive Bluetooth Tailgate Party Speaker was a simple affair. I opened Bluetooth settings on my phone, found the available Bluetooth device (ISB310) and connected. The voice prompt announced that it was connected and we’re ready to go.

I noted earlier in my unboxing that the box prominently advertises its bass capabilities. What better to “Bring the Bass” than with Public Enemy’s “Apocalypse 91…The Enemy Strikes Black?”

Performance

As “Lost at Birth” began playing through the speaker, I was immediately underwhelmed. How could something so large have less dynamic range than the speakers on my phone? Flat, hollow and sometimes tinny is how I would describe the frequency response.  The bass hits were muffled and strained. The sound was displeasing enough that I had to pick more suitable music to continue listening to the speaker.

Queue up Ed Shareen’s “Perfect.” The sound was more acoustically pleasing but still relatively flat. Vocals came through clearly and the speaker’s hollowness added a hint of reverb which worked well during the acoustic and instrumental portions of the song.

Overall, I rate the sound and performance of the iLive Party Tailgate speaker below average. Listening outside on my deck required me to turn the speaker to almost max volume.

The volume adjustment is not very linear as 50% volume is very low while turning the dial slightly towards max, gives much larger actual volume adjustments. Given the battery life is rated at 5-6 hours at 50% volume, I’m guessing you wouldn’t get much more than 2-3 hours if in fact you were to use this speaker in an outdoor BBQ party setting.

The LED lighting does add some “party” appeal to the speaker as it randomly fades and blinks while alternating colors. I couldn’t definitively say whether the lights adjusted to the tempo of music or if they were random. Either way, they didn’t seem to be out-of-sync.

Additional features:

FM Radio – tested briefly as I found the tuning to be cumbersome. When locked in to a radio station, it sounded passable

USB/MicroSD card input – Untested. This allows the speaker to play supported media files from a USB drive or MicroSD card directly.  However, I was not able to find any documented “supported” media types. I assume MP3, WAV, etc.

Microphone/Aux Input – Untested

Conclusion

The iLive Bluetooth Tailgate Party speaker sells for $79.99 direct from the iLive Electronics website. It was listed as unavailable at the time of this review. I was unable to find it offered at any other online or local retail location. Best Buy, for its part, lists it but does not have it in new condition at this time.

WARNING! iLive.com is not an electronics retailer and is instead an adult oriented website.

I would not personally recommend this speaker based on its price versus performance value. There are better performing speakers in terms of sound quality and volume with much better pricing.

For similar pricing, the Oontz Angle 3 Ultra features better sound and volume in a much more portable package. If you really want to host a tailgate party; I would recommend either the UE Megaboom 3 or JBL Charge 4 speakers. These units feature up to 20 hours of playtime, the ability to link over 100 similar speakers and IPX7 waterproofing.

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