Some new data reported by PCMag indicates that the iPhone 12 Pro Max, 12 Pro, and 12 are already the three top-selling 5G phones in the US. That the phones are just four months old speaks to the continued popularity of the iPhone in the US and just how big of a role it will play in driving 5G adoption in this country.
These reports come from research firm M Science’s sales data and information gathered from Ookla Speedtest users. M Science tracks cumulative sales of 5G phones in the US. This data set includes sales as of the week of January 23rd and notably does not include Galaxy S21-series phones, which hadn’t started shipping at that point. These are third-party reports, so they should be taken with a grain of salt, but M Science’s findings line up with previous reports of strong 12 Pro Max sales out of the gate and less-good 12 mini sales.
Apple, as it is wont to do, took its time adding 5G to its phones. Samsung started in 2019 with the Galaxy S10 5G and added 5G across its S20 series in 2020. Outside of those two manufacturers, 5G has trickled down from a once-premium feature into the budget phone class more recently. Despite this growing range of options, adoption has been slow. Since Apple is responsible for a bit less than half of all mobile phone shipments in the US, it makes sense that a 5G iPhone would give adoption rates a nudge. So far, that seems to be the case.
In the US, 5G’s slow start certainly hasn’t been helped by a less-than-stellar product. While each major carrier offers nationwide 5G coverage, performance is often about the same as 4G — and sometimes even worse. That’ll change when more spectrum becomes available to the carriers later this year and into next, but not before a lot of new iPhone 12 owners (unfortunately?) experience 5G for themselves.
Zillow’s 3D Home app can now generate home floor plans based on scans a user uploads, the company announced today. The new feature, powered by the company’s artificial intelligence technology, is available today in the Zillow 3D Home app and could prove useful for people looking to relocate during the pandemic — or just anyone fantasizing about living in a mansion in Nebraska.
Zillow 3D Home was originally launched in 2019 as a way to offer customers a more immersive way to view listings on its site and real estate agents and property managers an easier way to create them. Using a phone or a 360° camera and the Zillow 3D Home app, you can upload a series of photographs that the app can stitch into a 3D tour. It’s not quite the same as wandering through an open house, but it could tell you more about a space than photo or video tours can.
The new AI-generated floor plans add another layer of information to that equation. Anyone viewing a listing on Zillow’s site or app with a 3D Home tour and floor plan available can click on a specific room in the floor plan to jump to that part of the tour. Zillow says the floor plans can be uploaded for use in industry-standard sites like an MLS (multiple listing service).
Beyond just generating a map of your home, Zillow also says the AI can predict the dimensions and square footage of rooms based on the photos you upload. It’s hard to say without testing just how accurate the AI is at guessing these measurements, but with the feature available now in 25 markets, with more coming over the course of the year, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to try for yourself soon.
Expanding 3D Home’s features makes sense for people looking to relocate during the pandemic without the ability to necessarily view a home safely, but it could also speak to Zillow’s awareness of its use as a source of entertainment for millions of people stuck at home. The whole idea is captured pretty succinctly in a recent Saturday Night Live skit featuring actor and writer Dan Levy, focused on using Zillow to “spice up” people’s love lives.
Zillow knows it’s used for escapism, Zillow CEO Rich Barton admitted as much in a CNBCinterview where he acknowledge the skit. Capturing people who enjoy “Zillow Surfing,” as TheNew York Times’ Taylor Lorenz explored, could be improved by making Zillow more engaging, and piling on different ways to “experience” homes is a good way to do that.
Whether those people ever get funneled into buying or renting a home is a whole other problem, but if Zillow remains popular, there’s a good chance they’ll head there first when they’re ready to move.
Nomad has updated its lineup of rugged leather iPhone cases for the iPhone 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, and 12 mini with the much-anticipated addition of support for Apple’s MagSafe charging standard.
At $59.95 for the regular case or $79.95 for the folio-style one, the Nomad cases aren’t cheaper than, say, Apple’s official leather MagSafe cases. In fact, they’re actually $10 more than Nomad’s original line of iPhone 12 cases, which look virtually identical from the outside. (The new MagSafe cases will replace the older models once stock runs out, the company says.)
But the Nomad cases are more solidly put together than Apple’s own offerings. As the “rugged” in the name suggests, the Nomad models feature a plastic shell and rubber frame that promises to protect the phone against drops from up to 10 feet. That protection does come at a cost, though: only the back of the case is actually covered with leather (which is the same Horween leather that Nomad uses on its other products). In 2017, my colleague Dan Seifert said the iPhone X version of the case “feels more like a leather skin on top of a rubber case than a full leather experience.”
The standard Rugged Leather case is available in three colors: black, brown, and natural leather, while the Rugged Folio case comes in black and brown. Both models are available to order today from Nomad’s website.
The world’s largest phone show, Mobile World Congress, is moving forward with an in-person event in June, despite the risks that it could turn into a COVID-19 superspreader event.
Over 100,000 people usually attend MWC. John Hoffman, the CEO of the GSM Association (which organizes the show) says those numbers will be scaled back this year. He told Mobile World Live that he’s expecting around 50,000 people will travel to Barcelona, interact with each other and locals, and then fly back home.
The event’s safety and security page says organizers will be “controlling crowd density” and requiring masks. Hoffman said he wouldn’t expect everyone in attendance to be vaccinated against COVID-19. “Our view is it would be great if the world was vaccinated, but we can’t rely on that in 2021,” he told Mobile World Live.
Instead, the group is asking that everyone in attendance have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of their arrival. Testing is not a sufficient way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, particularly when tests are done that far in advance. Someone could very easily test negative, contract the virus en route to MWC, and spread the disease when they arrive. XPrize founder Peter Diamandis relied on testing to hold an in-person conference in California with under 100 people in January — but there was no quarantine requirement, and mask-wearing wasn’t enforced. Dozens of people tested positive for the virus afterward.
Big meetings and events, especially when they’re connected with international travel, can be breeding grounds for coronavirus infections. Hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 cases were tied back to a biotech conference in Boston at the start of the pandemic, for example. Holding a large event places not only the attendees at risk, but also the people who live in the region where the event takes place.
The GSM Association fought against canceling its 2020 show, which was set to take place last February just as COVID-19 was emerging as a worldwide problem. It took major brands like LG, ZTE, Sony, and Amazon pulling out for the group to shut down the event.
COVID-19 is still a major threat worldwide. Spain is currently averaging around 12,000 new cases and 400 deaths per day. While the situation may improve by June, people around the world will still be vulnerable to the disease. The vaccine rollout in Spain is slow, with only around 65,000 doses given per day. Most of the population will still be unvaccinated come summer if that pace continues.
The HP Spectre x360 14 is a beautifully constructed 2-in-1 laptop with a vibrant 3:2 OLED touch screen to showcase your work. It has an excellent keyboard and a variety of ports for all of your accessories. Those who prioritize battery life may want to consider a non-OLED configuration, however.
For
Sleek, attractive design
Vivid 3:2 display shows more of your work
Clicky, responsive keyboard
Thunderbolt 4 and USB Type-A ports
Against
OLED model doesn’t last all day
Difficult to upgrade SSD
There’s no need to beat around the bush: the HP Spectre x360 14 ($1,219.99 to start; $1,699.99 as tested) is one of the best ultrabooks we’ve tested in the last several months. It’s exquisitely designed with a 13.5-inch, 3:2 display that showcases more of your work, whether it be words, numbers, or code.
You’ll pay a premium price for it, but it sure feels premium, with a sleek chassis, clicky keyboard and both USB Type-C and Type-A ports, as well as a microSD card reader.
The model we reviewed had an impressive
OLED
screen with a 3,000 x 2,000 resolution. It looks great, but if you want all-day battery life, you may consider alternative configurations.
Design of the HP Spectre x360 14
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HP makes a handsome laptop. The Spectre x360 doesn’t make a ton of changes to what has largely become a tried and true design. It’s an aluminum notebook with solid construction. Ours came in “nightfall black” with copper accents, which I think is a bit showy for my tastes these days, but you can also get in “Poseidon blue” or my likely choice, “natural silver.”
The back two edges near the 360-degree hinge are chopped off, one of which makes room for a Thunderbolt 4 port. It’s a divisive choice, but it’s grown on me. That placement lets you flip from a laptop into a tablet while it’s charging and barely move the cable at all.
When you unfold the laptop for the first time, you’ll notice the big difference with this Spectre: a 13.5-inch, 3:2 display that feels incredibly luxurious compared to the 16:9 screen on the smaller
Spectre x360 13
that we recently reviewed. There’s minimal bezel around it, putting the focus on your work. It also creates a slightly longer profile for the whole device.
Unlike many 2-in-1s, the power button is on the keyboard, rather than the side of the device. As a person using it primarily as a laptop, I prefer this choice, though tablet-heavy users might be annoyed. There’s also a fingerprint reader next to the arrow keys, this, combined with the IR camera, allows for security options beyond a password whether in tablet or laptop mode, which I appreciate. The speaker grilles above the function keys make for a nice accent.
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There aren’t a ton of ports on the Spectre x360 14, but there’s enough for most people’s everyday use. Most of the action is on the right side, where you’ll find two Thunderbolt 4 ports (one on the right corner), a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a microSD card. On the right, there is one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port. The rest of that side of the notebook is magnetized to fit the included HP Tilt Pen.
At 2.95 pounds with an 11.75 x 8.67 x 0.67-inch footprint, the Spectre is fairly compact. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 9310 is 2.9 pounds and 11.69 x 8.15 x 0.56 inches — a bit smaller — but also has a 13.4-inch screen in a 16:10 aspect ratio. The MacBook Pro is a 3 pound clamshell and measures 11.95 x 8.36 x 0.61 inches, and the Asus ZenBook Flip S UX371 is 2.7 pounds and 12 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches.
HP Spectre x360 14 Specifications
CPU
Intel Core i7-1165G7
Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Memory
16GB LPDDR4-3733
Storage
1TB PCIe NVMe SSD with 32GB Intel Optane
Display
13.5-inch, 3000 x 2000 OLED touchscreen
Networking
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX 201 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5
Ports
2x Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, Headphone/microphone jack, microSD card reader
Camera
720p IR
Battery
66 WHr
Power Adapter
65 W
Operating System
Windows 10 Home
Other
HP Rechargeable MPP2.0 Tilt Pen
Dimensions(WxDxH)
11.75 x 8.67 x 0.67 inches / 298.45 x 220.22 x 17.02 mm
Weight
2.95 pounds / 1.34 kg
Price (as configured)
$1,699.99
Productivity Performance on the HP Spectre x360 14
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Our HP Spectre x360 14 review unit came with an Intel Core i7-1165G7, 16GB of LPDDR4 RAM and a 1TB PCIe
NVMe SSD
with 32GB of Intel Optane memory. In my use, it could handle plenty of browser tabs and streaming video without an issue.
On the Geekbench 5 overall performance benchmark, the Spectre earned a single-core score of 1,462 and a multi-core score of 4,904. The ZenBook Flip S was in a similar range. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 had a higher score in multi-core performance (5,639). The MacBook Pro, too, had a higher multi-core score when emulated through Rosetta 2 to run the same version of the test (5,925).
The Spectre transferred 25GB of files at a rate of 533.61 MBps, faster than the XPS 13 2-in-1, but slower than the ZenBook Flip S (979.37 MBps).
In our Handbrake test, which transcodes a 4K video to 1080p, the Spectre x360 14 finished the task in 18 minutes and 5 seconds. While this was four minutes faster than the ZenBook, the XPS 13 2-in-1 was speedier and the MacBook Pro led the whole pack, even while emulating x86 instructions.
To stress the Spectre, we ran it through 20 runs of Cinebench R23. It was fairly consistent in the low 4,000’s, though there were some peaks up to around 4,300. The CPU ran at an average of 2.61 GHz and an average temperature of 74.07 degrees Celsius (165.33 degrees Fahrenheit).
Display on the HP Spectre x360 14
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The 13.5-inch touchscreen on the Spectre x360 has a 3:2 aspect ratio, making it taller than it is wide. It’s an opulent amount of space, especially for doing work. You’ll see more text, code, spreadsheet cells or whatever else you’re working on because the screen is taller. It’s a big improvement over 16:9 displays, and makes for a more natural shape as a tablet, as it’s similar in shape to a piece of paper.
Our main review configuration was an OLED model with a 3,000 x 2,000 resolution. It looked incredible, with deep blacks and vibrant colors, as has been the case on most OLED monitors we’ve seen to date. Of course, most videos are still 16:9, so when I watched the trailer for Godzilla vs. Kong, it was letterboxed on the top and bottom. The beginning of the trailer features the titular ape on a barge during a sunset, and its blue and orange hues were beautiful as jets flew overhead.
The OLED screen covers 139.7% of the DCI-P3 color gamut (the non-OLED, 1920 x 1280 screen covered 74.6%). The next best was the ZenBook Flip S, also with an OLED display, at 113.1%. The MacBook Pro measured 78.3% and the XPS 13 2-in-1 covered 70%.
The Spectre’s display measured an average of 339 nits on our light meter. This never seemed like an issue in regular use, though the ZenBook, XPS 13 2-in-1 and MacBook Pro all got far brighter.
Keyboard, Touchpad and Stylus on the HP Spectre x360 14
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The keyboard on the Spectre takes up as much room as possible, moving from edge to edge of the
chassis
. This gave HP room to include a full keyboard, including an extra column for home, page up, page down and end keys. The tilde key is a little squeezed, but not enough for me to be inconvenienced.
The keys are clicky (they even have a bit of a clicky sound!), and I really enjoyed typing on them. On the 10fastfingers typing test, I reached 105 words per minute with my usual 2% error rate.
There’s a fingerprint reader built into the keyboard on the right side, next to the arrow keys. On the function row, there’s a key to kill the camera. The F1 key is sort of wasted, though, in that it is programmed exclusively to open the browser and search for “how to get help in
Windows 10
.”
HP has equipped the Spectre x360 with a 4.5 x 2.8-inch touchpad. It’s slightly smaller than the MacBook Pro (5.1 x 32 inches), but is still plenty spacious. With Windows 10 precision drivers, it responded immediately to every gesture.
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A rechargeable stylus is included with the laptop, the “HP Rechargeable MPP2.0 Tilt Pen.” (MPP is short for Microsoft Pen Protocol.) It’s round with one flat edge that connects to the left side of the laptop with magnets. That flat side also has two customizable buttons
The Spectre’s palm rejection worked pretty well, and the stylus worked well with both tilting and shading in supported applications. In Paint 3D, using the crayon tool required extra pressure for a deep hue, just like the real thing. I do wish, like some of Microsoft’s styluses, that HP would add an eraser to the end.
HP claims it lasts 30 hours on a charge. When you slide up the top of the stylus, a USB-C port is revealed, which is a neat addition. A ring light on the very top tells you its charging status.
Audio on the HP Spectre x360 14
HP’s collaboration with Bang & Olufsen has produced winning laptop audio for a while now, and the Spectre x360 14 is no exception.
These things get loud — too loud, even. As I listened to Spotify, I turned the volume down as Fall Out Boy’s “Bob Dylan” stormed through my apartment. The drums, vocals and guitars were clear. Bass was a bit quiet. I tried changing that manually in the Bang & Olufsen control center, but to a little effect. There are presets in that app, but I found most of them to be overkill.
Upgrading the HP Spectre x360 14
Unfortunately, HP has made upgrades and repairs to the Spectre x360 14 more difficult for the average person than they need to be.
There are two visible Torx screws on the underside of the laptop, but underneath the rear rubber foot, there are four more Phillips head screws. The feet are applied with adhesive and could rip when you remove them. HP makes extras available to authorized repair shops.
If you did get into the laptop, per
the maintenance manual
, you would find that while the RAM is soldered down, the SSD, WI-Fi module and battery are user replaceable.
Battery Life on the HP Spectre x360 14
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Like most laptops with OLED screens, the Spectre x360 14’s battery life isn’t exceptional. It will last you most of the day, but you’ll want to bring the braided USB Type-C charger with you.
On our test, which continuously has laptops browse the web, run OpenGL tests and stream video over Wi-Fi at 150 nits, the Spectre ran for 7 hours and 14 minutes. A non-OLED version with a 1920 x 1280 screen ran for 12:11, should you value battery life over image quality.
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 lasted 10:52, while the ZenBook Flip S (also with OLED) ran for 8:11. The MacBook Pro with Apple’s M1 processor lasted the longest at a whopping 16:32.
Heat on the HP Spectre x360 14
We took skin temperature measurements on the 14-inch Spectre x360 while running our Cinebench R23 stress test.
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The center of the keyboard measured 34.8 degrees Celsius (94.64 degrees Fahrenheit), while the touchpad was a cooler 29.4 degrees Celsius (84.92 degrees Fahrenheit).
The hottest point on the bottom was 47.1 degrees Celsius (116.78 degrees Fahrenheit).
Webcam on the HP Spectre x360 14
It’s a shame this beautiful, high-resolution screen wasn’t paired with a beautiful, high-resolution
webcam
. Like most laptop cameras, the Spectre x360’s is still stuck at
720p
.
An image I took at my well-lit desk was color accurate, catching my navy shirt, blue eyes and the mixed shades of brown in my hair and blue. But overall, the picture was grainy, and light coming in from some nearby windows was blown out.
On the bright side, it works with Windows Hello for facial login. While there’s also a fingerprint reader on the keyboard, this is better for logging in when it’s a tablet.
Software and Warranty on the HP Spectre x360 14
While the Spectre x360 is undoubtedly a premium device, it has the kind of bloat you would expect from some budget machines.
HP has a lot of its own software. I wish it would combine more of these disparate programs into the main app, HP Command Center, which lets you make performance adjustments based on temperature and sound and also lets you decide which software gets network priority.
There are separate pieces of software for choosing among different display modes, switching between headphone and speakers, changing HP telemetry settings and adjusting the buttons on the stylus. There’s also HP Quick Drop to move files between your phone and the laptop.
On top of all that, there is MyHP, which gives you your serial number and is otherwise filled in with some fairly vapid tips for using your PC. HP has also added LastPass, ExpressVPN, Netflix, trials of Adobe software and a promotion with Dropbox for new users to get 25GB of free space. There’s also a suite of McAfee software, including McAfee LiveSafe, Personal Security and File Lock.
Amazon Alexa is also preinstalled, which may be divisive. It sure is more useful than Cortana. Either way, it’s not actively listening. Instead, you have to sign in to your Amazon account.
Of course, there’s also some bloatware that’s included in most Windows 10 installs, like Hulu, Roblox and Hidden City: Hidden Object Adventure.
HP sells the Spectre x360 14 with a 1-year warranty.
HP Spectre x360 14 Configurations
We tested the Spectre x360 14 with an Intel Core i7-1165G7, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD with 32GB of Intel Optane memory, a 3000 x 2000 OLED display. It comes in black and costs $1,699.99 at Best Buy as of this writing.
HP sells other configurations on its own website, starting at $1,219.99 with an Intel Core i5-1135G7, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD with16GB of Intel Optane memory and a 1920 x 1280 touchscreen. Changing to black or blue adds $10 to the price, and for more money, you can go up to 2TB of storage (up to an extra $320).
Bottom Line
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The HP Spectre x360 14 is the best 2-in-1 laptop you can get right now. The 3:2 display highlights your work in laptop mode and is more natural than 16:9 or 16:10 screens in tablet mode. It offers solid performance, has a variety of ports, includes a stylus and has an excellent keyboard.
If battery life is your priority, the OLED screen won’t do you any favors, but the 1920 x 1280 model might be more your speed. The
MacBook Pro with M1
, a clamshell alternative, is top of the class in endurance. If you prefer a smaller footprint, the
Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 9310
is still very good, though it has fewer ports and a 16:10 screen rather than 3:2.
But the Spectre x360 14 largely has it all, making this one easy to recommend if you’re willing to pay a premium price.
For many of us, Google storage is the modern-day hard drive. It’s the place where our most important thoughts, documents, and memories reside. But just like with a traditional hard drive, the space isn’t infinite, and running out of room can be a real problem.
By default, Google gives you 15GB of space to use for everything associated with your account. (If you have a paid G Suite account, your limit’s likely higher.) That includes content connected to Gmail, Google Drive, and allGoogle Photos saved after June 1st. Needless to say, data adds up fast.
You can check your current storage status by visiting this page, and if push comes to shove, you can purchase more space there, too, for as little as $2 a month for an extra 100GB. But shelling out more money might not be necessary. A quick round of old-fashioned housekeeping could be enough to clear away your virtual cobwebs and give yourself ample room to grow. Here’s how to do it.
Delete Drive debris
Google Drive is a common place for space-sucking files to build up and wear down your quota, but tidying things up doesn’t take long.
Open this link, which will show you a list of all of your Drive files sorted by size with the largest items at the top
Look through the heftiest offenders and delete anything you no longer need
Click the gear-shaped icon in Drive’s upper-right corner, and select “Settings,” followed by “Manage Apps”
For any apps that have a note about hidden data, click the gray “Options” box to the right, and select “Delete hidden app data”
For any apps that have a note about hidden data, click the gray “Options” box to the right, and select “Delete hidden app data.”
Apps associated with your Google Drive storage can sometimes have hidden data, but all it takes is a couple of clicks to remove it.
Open your Drive Trash folder and click on the “Empty trash” link at the top of the page
Free up Photos storage
Unless you currently have a Pixel phone (in which case, you will, for now, keep the unlimited “high quality” option), as of June 1st, 2021, every photo and video backed up to Google Photos is going to count against your Google storage. If you’ve been saving photos at their original sizes, you can free up tons of space by converting them to Google’s “high-quality” option, which compresses images down to 16MP and videos to 1080p (a change that’s unlikely to be noticeable for most people and purposes).
Go to the Photos settings page, and select “High quality (free unlimited storage)”
When you make that selection, you’ll be asked whether you want to switch to the “high quality” format and compress your existing photos. If there are any photos you don’t want to compress, click on the “Learn how to keep original files” link for instructions on saving those photos to your device.
When you switch to “high quality,” you can also compress the rest of your Google Photos content.
Say goodbye to Gmail junk
Emails don’t take up a ton of space, but you know what does? Attachments. Odds are, you’ve got plenty of old attachments sitting in your Gmail account that you don’t really need.
Here’s how to address that:
Go to the Gmail website and type “has:attachment larger:10M” into the search box at the top
Identify any messages with disposable attachments and delete them. (There’s no great way to get rid of an attachment without also deleting the associated email, unfortunately, but you can always forward a message back to yourself and manually remove the attachment before axing the original.)
Open your Spam folder, and click the link to “Delete all spam messages now”
Open your Trash folder, and select “Empty Trash now” to send everything away for good
Feeling lighter is liberating, isn’t it?
Update February 17th, 2021, 10:37AM ET: This article was originally published on March 19th, 2019. The information on Google Photos has been updated.
Ecobee has updated its SmartCamera home security camera with a few new features that make it easier to use as a baby monitor. The new Baby Monitor mode, which is enabled during setup of the camera, adjusts the camera’s settings to dim the LED lights on the front, makes it harder to accidentally enable the camera’s Siren alarm, and, perhaps most importantly, adds an audio-only streaming option that lets you continue to listen for disruptions even if you switch to a different app or lock your phone.
Using a home security camera as a baby monitor is hardly a new idea, but this is the first one to my knowledge that actually makes it easier to do so. While traditional video monitors provide an always-on feed to a dedicated screen, home security cameras require the use of your phone and an app, which can be slow to load and cumbersome to use. Ecobee’s audio streaming mode effectively turns the camera and your phone into an always-on audio monitor, from which you can then tap into the app to check the video feed when you hear a disturbance.
The SmartCamera is also compatible with Apple’s HomeKit platform (including HomeKit Secure Video) and Amazon Alexa, which allows you to view the video feed from an Echo smart display or the Home app on an iOS or macOS device. Ecobee’s dedicated app is the only way to access the audio monitoring and other dedicated features such as pan and zoom on the SmartCamera, however.
The baby monitoring features for the SmartCamera include dimmed LED lights and an audio streaming mode.Image: Ecobee
One thing the new baby monitor features don’t specifically address is the security concerns inherent with aiming an internet-connected camera at your baby’s crib. There have been numerous accounts of security cameras being accessed by an unauthorized user and children’s privacy being violated through the camera, speaker, and microphone. Ecobee does have two-factor authentication for its accounts, which helps prevent these kinds of attacks, but that might not be enough comfort for some parents.
Ecobee notes that you can switch between the baby monitoring (which disables some of the home security features of the camera) and the standard security camera modes at any time, so once you no longer have the need for a baby monitor, you can repurpose the camera elsewhere in your home.
In addition to the new baby monitoring features, Ecobee is also now selling a bundle that includes a SmartCamera and a SmartThermostat for $299.99. The SmartCamera is available separately for $99.99.
Google Maps is adding a couple of new useful features: the ability to pay for parking or buy a train ticket right from the app.
Google Maps is integrating two mobile parking payment services into its app, Passport and ParkMobile. Both offer the ability to find, pay for, and replenish parking meters or parking lot fees through a smartphone app. Now, those features will also be available in Google Maps. According to the company:
Simply tap on the “Pay for Parking” button that appears as you near your destination. Then enter your meter number, the amount of time you want to park for, and tap “Pay.” Need to add more time to your meter? Easily extend your parking session with just a few taps.
The ability to pay for parking in Google Maps will be available in 400-plus cities in the US, including Boston, Cincinnati, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, DC, and more, Google said. Android phone users will get the feature first, with iPhone owners soon to follow.
Paying for public transportation will work much in the same way. If you are searching for transit directions in Google Maps, you’ll see an option to purchase tickets appear alongside your results. Similar to the pay for parking feature, customers will need to have a Google Pay account linked to a valid credit or debit card to make the transaction.
Then, customers can use their phone — either in a tap-to-pay situation or by showing a digital ticket to a conductor — to ride public transportation. And in places like the San Francisco Bay Area, customers will be able to buy a digital Clipper card directly from Google Maps. The feature will be available to use in over 80 transit systems around the world, Google says.
A number of transit agencies around the world have modernized their fare collection methods to include contactless or tap-to-pay mediums like Google Pay and Apple Pay. Some that rely on weekly or monthly passes, like London’s Oyster card or San Francisco’s Clipper card, have also started working with Apple and Google Pay to integrate those payment passes in their apps.
It’s the latest feature in Google Maps’ ongoing effort to make itself more user-friendly for commuters and transit riders. In 2019, it added new transit crowdedness predictions, allowing customers to see how crowded their bus, train, or tube is likely to be before heading out on their commute. It also added a feature that pairs transit directions with biking and ride-sharing options so customers can get directions using a variety of transportation modes.
Google isn’t the only tech giant attempting to appeal to transit riders. Uber and Lyft have both recently started integrating transit directions into their respective apps. Customers who live in Denver can even purchase train tickets using their Uber account. Both companies are building sophisticated algorithms that rely on reams of data from transit agencies pertaining to routes and schedules. Moreover, it’s a race among tech giants to become a one-stop shop for transportation.
Soundboks, a Danish company that started out by crowdfunding, says that it has built the world’s loudest portable wireless loudspeaker, which it claims can deliver 126dBSPL.
When considering this measurement, it’s worth noting that the company doesn’t state the distance from the loudspeaker at which this sound pressure level was measured, nor the frequency at which it was measured, nor a bandwidth over which it might be delivered.
Best portable outdoor loudspeakers
According to Forbes magazine, Hjalte Emilio Wieth, Jesper Theil Thomsen, Christoffer Nyvold and five of their friends built battery-powered speakers in a garage to satisfy orders ahead of the Roskilde music festival in 2015.
Afterwards they raised $870,000 on Kickstarter and $2.5 million from investors including Matthew Bellamy (Muse) and Tue Mantoni (a former CEO of Bang & Olufsen).
(Image credit: Soundboks)
The latest ‘3’ version of the Soundboks uses three Class-D amplifiers, each rated at 72-watts continuous per channel, to drive two 254mm bass/midrange drivers and a 25mm compression tweeter via a 2.5-way crossover.
The amplifiers (built by Merus Audio) are powered by a single 12.8V, 7.8Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery that Soundboks claims will enable 40 hours of playback at mid-volume or five hours at full volume.
The company says the battery can be fully recharged in 3.5 hours. Extra plug-in battery packs are available so you don’t have to waste time recharging. Bluetooth is 5.0 with Soundboks claiming “lower latency stereo performance” through the use of SKAA Audio’s Pro SKAA circuitry.
Best outdoor speakers 2021: portable, wireless, waterproof
(Image credit: Soundboks)
“We have finally created the speaker we always wanted,” says Thomsen. “Over the past four years we’ve been integrating community feedback with the vision of the speaker we have always wanted to build; the result is the new Soundboks. We were very focused on creating an unmatched sound experience, wireless connectivity and battery life were critical for that.”
(Image credit: Soundboks)
Up to five individual Soundboks 3’s can be interlinked, so there’s a free app that allows you to specify whether a specific unit will handle the left or the right channel, or operate in mono. The app also allows you to equalise the sound to your own preference, or use one of Soundboks’ own sound modes: Bass+, Power, or Indoor.
In addition to Bluetooth, there are two mic/line inputs (XLR, 6.35mm phone) and a 3.5mm stereo input. There is also a 3.5mm stereo output jack for physical linking to completely eliminate latency when operating multiple units.
Available now, the Soundboks 3 (also known as ‘The New Soundboks’) sells for £815 $999, AU$1599.
As part of iOS 14.5, Apple is updating its emoji with new variations from the Unicode Consortium’s 13.1 release, including new skin tone options for popular emoji, several new smiley faces and hearts, and some deliberate Apple redesigns.
The changes to skin tone and gender presentation are probably the most important to note. Popular emoji like “Couples Kissing” and “Couples with Heart” now have many more skin tone variations for all options.
Skin tone variations for the “Couples with Heart” emoji in iOS 14.5.Image: Emojipedia
In addition to more skin tones, the bearded emoji has also been adjusted to allow for not just the neutral “Person:Beard” but also “Man:Beard” and “Woman:Beard.”
The various beard options in iOS 14.5.Image: Emojipedia
On the more unusual side of things, Apple’s update also includes several variations on smiley faces like “Exhaling Face,” “Face with Spiral Eyes,” and the elusive “Face in Clouds.” Hearts, another emoji go-to category, also has two new members joining its ranks, “Heart on Fire” and “Mending Heart.”
Exhaling face, face with spiral eyes, and face in clouds.
Image: Emojipedia
Heart on fire and mending heart.
Image: Emojipedia
Finally, Apple is also making tweaks to some existing emoji: the rock-climbing emoji will now feature a helmet, the syringe emoji is now a more generic one rather than one filled with blood, and the headphones look like the AirPods Max.
The syringe change could be a legitimately helpful one for anyone writing about COVID-19. Not only is the new syringe way less intimidating when emptied of blood, but it’s also more applicable to vaccinations, which will hopefully become a lot more common soon. The headphone change, on the other hand, is just Apple branding, the same way that the preexisting mobile phone emoji was designed to look like an iPhone.
A comparison between the two versions of the syringe emoji.Image: Emojipedia
Apple says all of these emoji are available in the new release of the iOS 14.5 beta, which also comes with a nice little change to the Apple Music app. According to users on Reddit running the beta, you can now add and remove music from your queue with the same kind of swiping gesture used in Apple’s Mail app to archive, delete, or flag emails.
The full release of iOS 14.5 is also said to include several other helpful additions like support for the new Xbox and PlayStation controllers, the ability to set Siri’s default music streaming service to Spotify, and the ability to unlock your phone with your Apple Watch.
Motorola has announced two new budget phones coming to European markets: the Moto G30 and the Moto G10, both starting well under €200. The higher-specced G30 includes a fast 90Hz refresh rate screen and a 5,000mAh battery with 15W fast charging, two features not commonly seen at this price.
The G30’s 6.5-inch display is unfortunately just 720p. Other specs look healthier, though, like IP52 dust and splash resistance, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of built-in storage that is expandable via microSD. The phone includes a 64-megapixel main camera that produces 16-megapixel images, plus an 8-megapixel ultrawide, 2-megapixel macro camera, and 2-megapixel depth sensor, with a 13-megapixel selfie camera around front. It’s equipped with a Snapdragon 662 chipset, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and will ship with Android 11. It costs €179.
The Motorola Moto G10 is a little cheaper with a less robust processor.Image: Motorola
The Moto G10 is a little less interesting, with a less powerful Snapdragon 460 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 6.5-inch 720p screen with a standard 60Hz refresh rate. It gets a lower-res 48-megapixel main camera and 8-megapixel selfie cam. Like the G30, it contains a 5,000mAh battery, although it charges a little more slowly at 10W. A version sold in India will include a bigger 6,000mAh battery with 15W charging. The European variant is priced at €149.
Fast refresh rate screens make scrolling and animations appear smoother, and they’re quite common now on flagship phones. It’s not surprising that we’re starting to see the technology pop up in the budget class — the $300 OnePlus Nord N10 5G has a 90Hz screen and the upcoming Galaxy A52 and A72 are rumored to include one, too — but the G30 is one of the least expensive phones we’ve seen to offer one. It seems likely that we’re well on our way to seeing 90Hz screens becoming the new normal at every price point.
The Moto G30 and G10 are currently listed for sale on Motorola’s UK and German sites and will come to other European markets this spring.
A freezing winter storm passed through Texas and parts of the Midwest over the weekend, straining parts of the state’s electricity grid to the point of blackouts. But with many Texans struggling to heat their homes, disaster scammers have reportedly been taking advantage of the disaster to try to steal account info.
In a tweet on Tuesday, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, warned followers that social media scammers were posing as electricity workers and asking people to text them their private account numbers.
“Don’t do it!” the company said in a tweet. “We don’t need any of your info to get your power back on — we are working as fast as we possibly can.”
There is a scam circulating on social media asking customers to text their private account numbers. Don’t do it! We don’t need any of your info to get your power back on – we are working as fast as we possibly can.
— ERCOT (@ERCOT_ISO) February 16, 2021
Generally, it’s a bad idea to hand over private information — from account numbers to passwords — over the phone or through text message. Scammers oftentimes make big promises for pieces of information like “how much money you make, how much you owe, or your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number,” according to The Federal Trade Commission. These promises could be anything from getting your electricity turned back on to winning an Amazon gift card.
Disaster scams like these aren’t unusual. After natural disasters, FEMA has warned survivors not to offer personal or financial information over the phone if the person on the other line does not adequately identify themselves as a government employee. Scammers often pose as FEMA or other government employees during disaster situations like this week’s winter storm in Texas.
In order to protect yourself from text, phone, or email scammers, the Federal Communications Commission asks that if an insurance, electric, or government employee calls you asking for money, to hang up on them. Then, call the company on your own before handing over any personal or financial information.
The FCC also asks that survivors verify information in social media posts before making a donation to an organization or on a crowdfunding website like GoFundMe.
Microsoft has announced a new wireless gaming headset for the Xbox Series X and Series S. Called the Xbox Wireless Headset, it launches on 16th March and will cost £94.99 ($99.99, AU$129.99).
It connects wirelessly to your console without needing a separate dongle and supports spatial audio technologies such as Dolby Atmos, DTS Headphone:X and Windows Sonic.
The gaming headset has some clever controls, too. You can adjust the volume and the game/chat balance by twisting the rotating ear cup dials, while the microphone tucks out of the way when not needed. Those ear cushions promise to be comfortable enough for all-day sessions, and the 15-hour battery life should be more than enough for the average gaming session.
Speak, and voice isolation focuses the mic on your voice, reducing background noise, so you can be heard loud and clear. Stop talking, and auto-mute kicks in, helping keep the comms channels clear. There’s also a manual mute option to give you some privacy.
A light indicator tells you when the mic is on, so you always know when people can hear what you’re saying.
You can fine-tune the audio output using the Xbox Accessories app on your console, adjusting the equaliser, bass boost, auto-mute sensitivity and mic-monitoring levels. You can even adjust the brightness of the mic indicator light. And the headset can connect to your mobile device over Bluetooth to double as a pair of ordinary wireless headphones when you’re not gaming. You can also pair to your console and phone at the same time, so you can simultaneously be in a Zoom meeting while blasting aliens.
In a blog post announcing the headset, Xbox Wire’s Will Tuttle was keen to big up the spatial sound capabilities.
“You’ll have the advantage by being able to hear all the subtle, yet critical sounds (like enemy footsteps sneaking up on you) that elevate great gamers above the rest,” he wrote.
Erik Garcia, Project Architect and Lead, added:
“We spent a lot of time in the audio testing chambers trying to characterize and understand how the headset reproduces audio in different room environments. It goes in your living room, game room, and dorm room and we want it to sound the best for all types of audio.”
Given that Sony’s rival console, the PS5, launched with its own optional gaming headset (the Pulse 3D) at launch, it’s surprising Xbox has taken so long to follow suit. And we’ll tell you if it’s been worth the wait just as soon as we get our hands on a review sample.
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Free is always nice, and when a free app is no longer free (or when the free version becomes so limited it is virtually useless), then you have to decide whether to pay up or move on. This happened with the Evernote note manager almost five years ago, and now it is time for users of the popular password manager LastPass to make the same decision. LastPass is changing its free version so that it will only work on one type of device — either your computer or your mobile device. If you, like most of us, use both a phone and a computer, then you will have to either start paying $3 a month or find an alternative.
If you’d rather not pay at all, there are other password managers out there that have free versions that may work better for you. And there are, of course, other alternatives. Most browsers, such as Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox, have their own password managers. In addition, many security apps such as Norton offer their own password managers, so if you already subscribe to one, you may have a password manager on hand.
But if you’d rather use an independent password manager, here are a few that are currently available. We have not yet tried them out; this is just a brief look until we have a chance to make recommendations.
Image: Bitwarden
Bitwarden
Bitwarden is a well-known open-source password manager that offers a solid selection of features, including saving unlimited items, syncing across devices, and generating passwords. For day-to-day password usage, Bitwarden could be a good alternative.
Other pricing: For $10 a year, you can add 1GB of encrypted file storage and two-step login, among other extras.
Image: Zoho
Zoho Vault
Zoho Vault, which is one of Zoho’s wide variety of productivity apps, has a free version that includes unlimited storage of passwords and notes, access from both computers and mobile devices, two-factor authentication, and password generation, among a fairly impressive number of other features.
Other pricing:Zoho’s paid plan, which starts at $1 / month per user, offers business options such as password sharing and expiration alerts.
Image: KeePass
KeePass
KeePass is another free open-source password manager, but judging from its website, it may be a little difficult for less technically adept users to adopt. Nothing is kept in the cloud, so while that can be more secure (you can store your passwords in a master key-locked encrypted database), it is also less convenient. However, if you don’t mind manually transferring your password database from one device to another, this could be worth a try.
Other pricing: None
Image: LogMeOnce
LogMeOnce
LogMeOnce’s free version provides unlimited passwords and use on unlimited devices, along with autofill, sync, password generation, and two-factor authentication. LogMeOnce uses ads to fund its free version, so that could be a setback, depending on your tolerance for advertising.
Other pricing:Additional features start at $2.50 a month and include emergency access, additional password sharing, and priority technical support, among others.
Image: Nordpass
NordPass
NordPass has a free version that includes unlimited passwords and syncing across devices. While there is no limit on the number of devices you can use, only one can be active at a time — so, for example, if you use it on your phone, you will be logged out of your computer’s version.
Other pricing:The premium version of NordPass lets you have up to six active accounts running at a time, and it includes secure item sharing and a data breach scanner, among other features.
Image: RoboForm
RoboForm
RoboForm has been around for a while, although it’s never been as well-known as LastPass or 1Password. Its free version offers unlimited passwords, form filling, and emergency access, among other features. However, it does not sync across devices, which can be a definite inconvenience.
Other pricing: RoboForm Everywhere costs $18 for a one-year subscription, and it lets you sync across devices, perform cloud backup, and use two-factor authentication, among other features.
Microsoft is launching a new $99 Xbox Wireless Headset next month. It’s the first wireless Xbox headset since the Xbox 360 days, and it’s designed to connect with Xbox One and Xbox Series X / S consoles, PCs, and mobile devices via Bluetooth.
The Xbox Wireless Headset design improves nearly every aspect of the basic Xbox One Stereo and Wired Chat headsets that are currently available. Microsoft has leaned on its work with the Surface Headphones to add similar rotating ear cup dials that let you adjust volume and game / audio chat balance.
Microsoft’s new Xbox Wireless Headset.Image: Microsoft
This new Xbox Wireless Headset is also designed to match the new Xbox Series X / S design, with a lightweight frame that has large leather ear cups and an adjustable cushioned headband. It will also support Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos, and DTS Headphone:X spatial sound technologies.
Microsoft has also worked to improve microphone quality, with Xbox party chats in mind. This new headset has dual beamforming microphones and voice isolation to help isolate background noise. You can also pair the headset to your phone and Xbox at the same time, allowing you to listen to audio or calls from your phone while you game.
The customizations for the Xbox Wireless Headset.Image: Microsoft
The Xbox Wireless Headset will last for up to 15 hours on battery, and a 30-minute charge will let you play for around four hours. A full charge will take around three hours. Microsoft is also updating the Xbox Accessories app to include control over the equalizer, bass boost, auto-mute sensitivity, mic monitoring, and brightness of the mic’s mute light.
The new Xbox Wireless Headset will be available worldwide starting March 16th, priced at $99. You can preorder the headset today at the Microsoft Store and other retailers.
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