Razer announced the Opus X, a new set of over-ear wireless headphones that offer active noise cancellation for just $100. Based on the small amount of differences and seemingly no major compromises compared to the pricier Opus headphones it launched last year, these could be a solid option if you have a little less money to spend on wireless headphones. It’s available to purchase now on Razer’s site.
Overall, the design appears to be similar to the Opus. It’s tough to tell from images how build quality or materials might have changed given the price reduction. This model comes in one of three new colors — green, pink, and white — which are a bit louder and more divisive than the black or midnight blue colors of the standard Opus. The button layout has been crammed onto the rim of the right ear cup instead of splitting functions across both the left and right sides. The Opus X’s power button now handles cycling through active noise cancellation and the “Quick Attention” mode that lets you hear more of your surroundings.
The polar opposite of going stealth.Image: Razer
The Opus X have rotating ear cups so you can rest them comfortably around your neck if you need to take them off. Though, this more affordable model lacks the feature that automatically pauses or plays your content upon removing or putting them back on. That’s one of the biggest omissions. As for what else hit the cutting room floor, there’s no 3.5mm jack — just a USB-C port — so you’ll need to connect these solely over Bluetooth.
There’s actually one feature that’s exclusive to the Opus X: Razer’s low-latency “Gaming Mode” that reduces the latency over Bluetooth to 60 milliseconds. We’ve seen this feature in other wireless headphones from Razer, like its Hammerhead True Wireless Pro.
I reviewed the Opus last year and they exceeded my expectations considering their original $200 price. They had surprisingly good sound quality, and the active noise cancellation is a perk you don’t often find at this price point (even better, they’ve fallen in price considerably since launch). They also impressed me in terms of battery life, and I was able to use them for an entire work week without recharging. The new Razer Opus X claim to have even better longevity with up to 40 hours of battery with noise cancellation off, or up to 30 hours with it on. If the Opus X sound nearly as good as the Opus, they could be a real winner.
All in all, Asus’s Chromebook Detachable CM3 is a nice package. It’s a 10.5-inch tablet with magnetically-attached fabric cover and kickstand. It’s $389.99 as tested, which means it’s priced far below all kinds of convertible Chromebooks. I’m not the first to make this comparison, but it’s a slightly more expensive, and slightly fancier version of the $269 Lenovo Chromebook Duet (currently listed at $269) that impressed me so much last year.
I think the CM3 is a slightly worse purchase than the Duet for most people who are looking for a secondary device, or a small Chromebook for a student. The CM3 does offer a few noticeable benefits over the Duet, but I’m not sure they’re worth $100. While features like a dual-folding kickstand, a garaged stylus, and a headphone jack are nice to have, none of them are as central to a device’s user experience as its processor. And while $269 is an acceptable price to pay for a tablet with a MediaTek chip, $389.99 is pushing it.
With all that said, I don’t have many problems with this Chromebook. It’s just in a bit of an odd spot.
My test unit includes 128GB of storage, 4GB of RAM, a 10.5-inch 1920 x 1200 display, and a MediaTek 8183 processor. There’s a 64GB version listed at $369.99 as well. 64GB isn’t a lot of storage (and there’s no microSD card slot for expansion on the CM3), so my config is the one I’d recommend most people go for.
The most important thing to understand about the CM3 before you buy it is the size. It’s small, with just a 10.5-inch screen. This brings benefits and drawbacks. On the one hand, it’s quite slim and portable, at just 0.31 inches thick and 1.1 pounds (2.02 pounds with the keyboard and stand attached). It’s the kind of thing I could easily carry in my purse.
On the other hand, a 10.5-inch screen is cramped for a desktop OS like Chrome OS (though it is bright enough to use outdoors, and I appreciate that it has a 16:10 aspect ratio — 16:9 would be unbearable for me at this size). But it was too small for me to comfortably use as a work driver. I had to zoom out far to be able to see everything I needed to in my Chrome windows.
It also means there’s only so much space for the keyboard deck, which is also cramped. The touchpad, in particular, is small. The keyboard itself is roomier than the Duet’s, though — it has a surprising amount of travel and a satisfying click. While the small keys are a bit of an adjustment, none are small enough as to be unusable.
Small doesn’t mean cheap, and the CM3’s build is fairly sturdy overall. The palm rests and detachable keyboard deck feel quite plasticky, but the tablet itself is aluminum (with “diamond-cut edges”, per Asus). The magnetic cover is made of a woven fabric, and looks quite similar to the cover of the Chromebook Duet. The cover is included with the price of the CM3, which isn’t the case with some detachables (such as Microsoft’s Surface Go line).
A USI stylus lives in the top right corner of the chassis — it’s firmly in there, so you’ll need a nail to tug it out. It’s small, and not my favorite stylus I’ve ever used, but it is there and does work. The Duet supports USI styluses, but it doesn’t come with one, so that’s one advantage the CM3 brings.
The main way the CM3 is unique to other detachables is that its kickstand folds multiple ways. That is, you can fold it the long way when you’re using the tablet like a laptop, or you can flip the tablet vertically and fold the kickstand horizontally. This is a cool feature I haven’t seen before, and it does work — I was never worried about the CM3 falling over in either direction.
On the other hand, the only real use case I can think of for the horizontal position is video calls where you don’t need to have the keyboard attached and are okay with the camera being on the side of the screen. You can take your own view, but I’d rather use an iPad or dedicated tablet for these purposes and have the camera in the right place.
My unit did have a bit of fraying on the edges of the keyboard deck, which was disappointing to see on a brand-new device, even at this price. The kickstand cover also slipped off the tablet a few times while I was adjusting the height, which isn’t something that ever happened with the Duet.
Speaking of convertibility, the CM3 has a two-megapixel front-facing camera as well as an eight-megapixel rear-facing camera. Both cameras deliver a surprisingly reasonable picture. I wasn’t too washed out when I did a video call outside, nor was I too grainy in dim light. That said, the dual-camera setup is another cool-sounding feature that probably isn’t the most pragmatic: The rear camera isn’t good enough for actual photography of any kind, and the best use case is probably for snapping pictures of a whiteboard in class. It also takes a few seconds for the CM3 to swap between cameras (it’s not nearly as quick of a swap as it is on an iPhone, for example) so it wouldn’t have saved me a ton of time over just whipping out a phone.
The CM3’s MediaTek MTK 8183 is a hybrid chip that’s mainly used in Android tablets. (It’s a different MediaTek chip from the one that was in the Duet last year, but very similar to the one in uh, Amazon’s new Echo Show 8 smart display.) It’s far from the most powerful processor you can find in a Chromebook, but that’s by design — battery life is going to be a higher priority for many folks who are considering a device as portable as the CM3.
The battery life is, in fact, excellent. I averaged 12 hours and 49 minutes of continuous use running the CM3 through my regular workload of Chrome tabs and Android apps including Slack, Messenger, Twitter, Gmail, Spotify, and an occasional Zoom call with the screen at medium brightness — over an hour longer than I saw from the Duet with the same workload. This is already a heavier load than many people may want to put the CM3 through, so you may get even more time between charges. The 45W USB-C adapter juiced the CM3 up to 40 percent in an hour, making it much faster than the Duet’s wimpy 10W charger.
That battery life doesn’t come free, though, and the CM3’s performance was a mixed bag. It works fine in Chrome, for example, albeit with a teensy bit of sluggishness when swapping tabs and resizing windows, as well as other Google services like Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar, and Meet (and it comes with a free 12-month 100GB membership to Google One for the rest of this year). Gaming is also fine — Flipping Legends and Monsters were both smooth and stutter-free, regardless of whether the CM3 was plugged in or running on battery.
I also think Chrome OS’s tablet mode, which the CM3 supports, has gotten pretty good. It uses Android-esque gesture controls that can help flatten the learning curve for new Chromebook users. Swiping up brings you to the home screen, for example, and swiping right swaps between web pages. You can access a version of Chrome specifically for tablets, which allows you to easily open, close, and reorder tabs with drags, swipes, and large buttons. It’s not quite like using an iPad, but I do think it’s a smoother experience than Windows’s tablet mode (especially in Chrome).
All you have to do to switch in and out of tablet mode is snap the keyboard on and off — it takes a second, and my windows didn’t always quite go back to the way I’d arranged them when I put the keyboard back on, but it’s a reasonably smooth affair overall.
But the CM3 didn’t perform well on every task I needed. Sometimes when I was trying to use Slack or Messenger over a pile of Chrome tabs, something would freeze. Zoom calls were possible — which is more than can be said for some budget Chromebooks — but I did run into lag between audio and video inputs. Slack froze and crashed quite often, and Spotify crashed a few times as well.
Access all kinds of Android apps through the Google Play store.
Photo editing was where I really ran into trouble. Lightroom was basically unusable on the CM3 with just a few things running in the background — I tried to edit a batch of around 100 photos, and could consistently only get through a few before the program crashed. I tried to move over to Google Photos, which also eventually crashed, and ended up having to do everything in Gallery. Of course, not everyone will be editing photos on their Chromebook, or pushing it as hard as I was pushing this one, so it’s a matter of knowing your own needs.
Speaking of Zoom meetings, the dual speakers are okay for Zoom calls but not too much more. The songs I played had stronger percussion than I sometimes hear from laptop speakers, but it was thin and tinny overall. The microphone did seem to work well, and didn’t have trouble picking up my voice on calls.
This was a difficult product to score. I do think the CM3 is a great device. And it does offer a few benefits over the Chromebook Duet that justify it costing a bit more. I’d probably purchase it over the Duet myself for the keyboard alone if I were looking for this type of device — the versatile kickstand, built-in stylus, and decent build quality are nice perks as well.
But “if I were looking for this type of device” is doing some heavy lifting in that sentence. I’m not looking for a MediaTek device, and there’s a reason I’m not. The battery life is impressive, sure, but it’s just not enough horsepower for the workload I need. And if you are someone whose needs are suited to this low-powered processor (and there are plenty of these people in the world), I really think $389 is at the very high end of what you should be spending.
Sure, the CM3 has a (just okay) stylus, a kickstand with a funky fold, slightly better battery life, and one extra port. But it’s also on par with or slower than the Duet in most tasks I tried, the audio is worse, and it’s thicker and heavier. Given all that, I’m not convinced the CM3’s advantages are worth $100 to most people who are shopping in this category.
(Pocket-lint) – Whether you agree with the polarising design or not, Apple’s AirPods became an overnight phenomenon back in 2017. Since then those in-ear wireless buds have gone on to become the number one sellers in the world – and you only have to head to any city street to see how many people are wearing a pair.
Following the launch of a tweaked second-gen AirPods earlier in 2019, Apple has deemed the headphone popular enough to expand the range with the AirPods Pro. But this isn’t just about offering tweaks; no, it’s a completely redesigned experience, adding active noise-cancellation (ANC) and more.
But with so many in-ear headphone choices on the market, do the AirPods Pro offer a decent package or are you better off going with Bose, Sony, or a myriad of other options? We’ve be wearing them since launch.
A pro design
Each bud: Measures 30.9 x 21.8 x 24mm maximum / Weighs 5.4g
Wireless charging case included (45.2 x 60.6 21.7mm / 45.6g)
There are two elements to the AirPods Pro that you need to worry about: in the ear and in the pocket.
The carry case, which doubles as the charging case, is shorter in height but wider in design than the one you’ll find with the original AirPods. It’s still very much just as pocketable, in fact one of the most pocketable in-ear headphones cases on the market, and comes in a gloss white finish. It’s also included as standard.
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The AirPods Pro headphones slot into the case and instantly drawn in by magnets and start charging immediately. Charging can be done via a Lightning cable or by putting the case on a wireless charging pad, even the newer MagSafe charging pucks.
The Pro design is considerably different to the AirPods. The most noticeable difference is the inclusion of silicone tips to improve the fit or ‘seal’, while the thin rod that hangs out of your ear isn’t especially long. This short length will certainly appeal to those who thought the originals’ design just looked odd.
Finding your fit
Three silicone tip sizes; small, medium, large
Vent system for pressure equalization
Ear Tip Fit test via iOS 13.2
Uses Apple H1 chip
Connecting the AirPods Pro for the first time is incredibly simple. You simply open the case near your iPhone (running iOS 13.2) and press ‘connect’ on the screen. It’s as simple as that thanks to the use of Apple H1 chip – as also found in the AirPods and Beats Powerbeats Pro.
Unlike AirPods, the Pro requires a secondary step, which involves running an Ear Tip Fit Test. Using both the internal and external microphones within the headphones, iOS 13.2 analyses the sound and tweaks its profile to sound better for you.
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The process, which involves playing some music, takes about five seconds. It’s during this time that it will determine whether you’ve got a good fit, and if not recommend you change the silicone tip to another size – there is a small, medium, and large options included. For us the medium worked perfectly and we were up and running with a minute.
The silicone tips feel a little tight in the ear – more so than the standard AirPods, but not that they’re uncomfortable – so Apple has included air vents to try and reduce potential pressure and isolation build up. It calls this a “vent system for pressure equalization”, and in all the time we’ve been wearing them they’ve been fine. It doesn’t hurt wearing them for a long period of time, and if you have concerns over whether or not they would be as easy to put in and out as the standard AirPods, they aren’t.
Active Noise Cancelling (ANC)
Internal and external microphones actively listen for noise changes
Adaptive EQ and Transparency Mode
One of the main features of the AirPod Pro is ANC, or active noise-cancelling technology. This uses the in-built microphones to check the ambient noise around you over 200 times a second and react accordingly, dumbing down external sound. This is the same process as other noise-cancelling headphones, designed to negate wind tear and other real-time sounds around you as best as possible.
You can also dial-down the feature if you want to hear more around you – a feature called Transparency – which allows you to hear people talking, given the frequency cut-off. This is all controlled via a squeeze of the AirPods Pro, via your iPhone volume control settings, or using the Apple Watch.
We’ve used them on the London Underground, the train, by the sea side, cutting the grass, and on a plane, and in all cases the Pro earbuds cut out the majority of the noise. Classical music fans will no doubt love the Pros, as will those that want to really immerse themselves in the music.
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Switching between the two modes with that squeeze will take a little getting used to, as there’s a specific indented area where you need to squeeze. Precision is key; as is speed: do it too quickly and you’ll stop the track. It’s yet another new control mechanism that you’ve got to learn. Overtime it has become second nature.
Another interesting side effect is wearing the AirPods Pro while talking. Because of the microphones both internally and externally that are trying to cancel the noise, your own voice is amplified when in Transparency mode. The best way to describe it is akin to speaking into a microphone while wearing headphones to hear yourself. You don’t get that experience when you’re on a call with ANC on, although the silence is somewhat alien if you’re used to hearing lots of noise around you all the time when on a call, and if the environment you are in is loud, we’ve found your voice is cancelled out, according to the person at the other end. Our advice is not to use ANC when talking to people on the phone.
Music sounds better with you
5 hours battery life / 4.5 hours with ANC enabled
Custom high dynamic range amplifier
Custom high-excursion Apple driver
We’ve tested the new AirPods Pro with a range of music, from dance tracks from Ministry of Sound, to the Interstellar soundtrack by Hans Zimmer, and everything inbetween from Pink Floyd to Billie Eilish.
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What is clear is that the AirPods Pro are considerably better than the standard AirPods and certainly hold their own compared to the competition.
The originals focus of the AirPods was on ease of use rather than amazing sound quality, whereas the AirPods Pro address that latter point espeically when you factor in support for Apple’s Spatial Audio technology that’s now rolled out on Apple Music and is available on both the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max and will be coming to more apps and services later this year with iOS 15.
Following the launch we’ve been listening to a number of tracks in Spatial Audio. Some tracks are clearly enhanced by the new experience, while others are barely noticeable. When you do notice it though, the results are amazing. The best way we can describe it, is that It’s a bit like 4K on your TV. Some can see the changes instantly and refuse to watch anything else, while others will be more than happy with the HD footage and wonder what the fuss is about. Apple has big plans for Spatial Audio bringing it to everything from FaceTime calls to games. All that’s left is to see whether the industry embraces it and then runs with it. That’s where things will really start to get interesting.
The Spatial Audio feature also works with movies and that really sings when connected to an iPad or iPhone, especially when it’s been recorded in Dolby Atmos.
But you don’t need Spatial Audio to enjoy the AirPods Pros. They work perfect well in standard stereo whether that’s listening to music, watching a movie or TV show, or taking a voice call. Sure, the Pro doesn’t come as bass-focused as the PowerBeats Pro, for example, but still certainly delivers a decent sound for what they are. For many they will be more than good enough for commuting, especially once you factor in the ANC performance and when available Spatial Audio.
Best USB-C headphones for Android phones 2021
By Dan Grabham
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Verdict
We are incredibly impressed with the ease of setup and quality of sound that the AirPods Pro deliver. Active noise-cancellation makes a huge difference to ambient noise, making these in-ears far more capable than the originals, and Spatial Audio enhances the music experience to the “next level”.
The Pro is more comfortable to wear and better sounding than we were expecting from Apple, too, given the previous AirPods experience.
But with Beats offering the Powerbeats Pro for a smidgen less cash, the AirPods Pro isn’t the only H1 chip-touting in-ear wireless headphones in town. They will be better if you want to be more “active” or are worried that the AirPods Pro will fall out – they shouldn’t but we also know that some people’s ears just aren’t suited to this type of headphone.
And falling out, or should we say taking out, is one of the big advantages here. Popping them in and out of our ears for the last two years has been easy, and if you make a lot of calls, that’s almost worth it on its own.
The ease of use and great sound, make this a great buy.
This article was originally published on 29 October 2019 and has been updated to reflect its full review status
Also consider
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Beats Powerbeats Pro
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Like the sound of active noise-cancellation but want more bass and bigger sound? That’s where Beats comes into play, if you’re willing to pay the extra for the improved quality.
Two-factor authentication is a good way to add an extra layer of security to online accounts. It requires the use of your smartphone, however, which is not only inconvenient, but can be a problem if your phone is lost or breached. Hardware security keys can offer an additional layer of security to password-protected online accounts and, in turn, your identity. They’re also not hard to install. Here’s how to set them up for your Google account, Facebook, and Twitter.
Security keys can connect to your system using USB-A, USB-C, Lightning, or NFC, and they’re small enough to be carried on a keychain (with the exception of Yubico’s 5C Nano key, which is so small that it’s safest when kept in your computer’s USB port). They use a variety of authentication standards: FIDO2, U2F, smart card, OTP, and OpenPGP 3.
When you insert a security key into your computer or connect one wirelessly, your browser issues a challenge to the key, which includes the domain name of the specific site you are trying to access. The key then cryptographically signs and allows the challenge, logging you in to the service.
Many sites support U2F security keys, including Twitter, Facebook, Google, Instagram, GitHub, Dropbox, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Microsoft account services, Nintendo, Okta, and Reddit. The best thing to do is to check the website of your security key of choice and see which services are supported — for example, here’s a link to the apps supported by YubiKeys.
A setup process is necessary before you can use a security key. After that, securely accessing your online profile on a site is a simple matter of entering your password, inserting the key, and tapping the button.
Keep in mind that you can’t copy, migrate, or save security-key data between keys (even if the keys are the same model). That is by design, so keys can’t be easily duplicated and used elsewhere. If you lose your security key, you can use two-factor authentication on your cellphone or an authenticator app. Then, if you want to use a new key, you will have to go through the process of reauthorizing your accounts all over again.
Which security key should I use?
Several brand choices are available. Yubico, one of the developers of the FIDO U2F authentication standard, sells several different versions. Google sells its own U2F key, called the Titan, which comes in three versions: USB-C, USB-A / NFC, or Bluetooth / NFC / USB. Other U2F keys include Kensington’s USB-A fingerprint-supporting key, and the Thetis USB-A key.
For this how-to, we used the YubiKey 5C NFC security key, which fits into a USB-C port but also works with phones via NFC. The process is pretty similar for all hardware security keys, though.
Pairing a key with your Google account
In order to use a security key with your Google account (or any account), you need to have already set up two-factor authentication.
Log in to your Google account, and select your profile icon in the upper-right corner. Then choose “Manage your Google Account.”
In the left-hand menu, click on “Security.” Scroll down until you see “Signing in to Google.” Click on the “2-step Verification” link. At this point, you may need to sign in to your account again.
“Signing in to Google” > “2-step Verification.”” data-upload-width=”1422″ src=”https://rondea.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/echo/Google_setup_for_security_key.png60c0c868c6c9e.jpg” >
Go to “Security” > “Signing in to Google” > “2-step Verification.”
Scroll down until you see the “Add more second steps to verify it’s you” heading. Look for the “Security Key” option and click on “Add Security Key.”
A pop-up box will list your options, which include devices that have built-in security keys and the option to use an external security key. Select “USB or Bluetooth / External security key.”
You’ll see a box telling you to make sure the key is nearby but not plugged in. You’ll also see an option to use only the security key as part of Google’s Advanced Protection Program (which is for users with “high visibility and sensitive information”). Assuming you don’t fall into that category, click “Next.”
The next box lets you register your security key. Insert your key into your computer port. Press the button on the key, then click “Allow” once you see the Chrome pop-up asking to read the make and model of your key.
Give your key a name.
Now you’re set! You can come back to your Google account’s 2FA page to rename or remove your key.
Pairing a key with your Twitter account
Log in to your Twitter account and click on “More” in the left-hand column. Select “Settings and privacy” from the menu.
Under the “Settings” heading, select “Security and account access” > “Security” > “Two-factor authentication.”
You’ll see three choices: “Text message,” “Authentication app,” and “Security key.” Click on “Security key.” You’ll probably be asked for your password at this point.
Select “Start.”
Once your security key is registered, you receive a just-in-case backup code (deleted here).
Insert your security key into your computer’s port, then press the key’s button.
The window should refresh to say, “Security key found.” Type in a name for your key and click “Next.”
The window will now read “You’re all set.” It will also give you a single-use backup code to use if you don’t have access to any of your other log-in methods. Copy that code and put it somewhere safe.
If you’ve changed your mind and want to remove the security key, go back to the “Two-factor authentication” page and select “Manage security keys.”
Click on the name of the key, and then choose “Delete key.” You’ll need to enter your password and verify that you want to delete the key.
Pairing a key with your Facebook account
Log in to your Facebook account. Click on the triangle icon on the upper-right corner and select “Settings & Privacy” > “Settings.”
Now you’re at “General Account Settings.” Select the “Security and Login” link from the left sidebar.
Scroll down until you see the section labeled “Two-Factor Authentication.” Click “Edit” on the “Use two-factor authentication” option. You may be asked for your password.
If you don’t have 2FA set up, you’ll be given three choices: “Authentication App,” “Text Message (SMS),” and “Security Key.” It’s recommended that you use an authenticator app as your primary security, but if you prefer, you can just click on “Security Key.”
You can use a security key as your main authentication method.
If you do have 2FA set up, then you’ll find the “Security Key” option under “Add a Backup Method.”
Either way, you’ll get a pop-up box; click on “Register Security Key.” You’ll be instructed to insert your security key and press its button.
And that’s it. If you don’t use 2FA, you’ll now be asked for the security key if you log in from an unrecognized device or browser. If you do, you can use your key if you don’t have access to your authentication app.
If you no longer want to use the key, go back to “Two-Factor Authentication,” find “Security Key” under “Your Security Method,” and click on “Manage my keys.”
Smart luggage maker Kabuto is now selling a 95L Trunk with magnetically attachable Backpack that itself can double in capacity from 9L to 18L. The hard shell trunk includes a TSA-approved fingerprint lock, removable battery to charge your gadgets, and magnetic Fidlock fasteners, just like those found on the Kabuto Smart Carry-On bags launched on Kickstarter in 2019. Both bags should begin shipping by the end of summer as vaccine-fueled travel begins again.
The $629 (early bird pricing) Kabuto Trunk measures 72 x 36 x 37cm (28 x 14 x 14.5 inches) and weighs 4.7kg / 10.4lb. It can be configured with a $29 30W 10,000mAh battery for smartphones or a beefier $79, 60W, 20,000mAh battery that can also charge most USB-C laptops. The batteries can be stored in an optional $69 Pocket that magnetically attaches to the front of the Trunk and charges devices stored inside or out thanks to an external charging hub. That means you can sit down, wheel the trunk in front of you, plug in your laptop, and place it on the boxy Trunk for a mobile workspace on the go. When you check the Trunk, just pop off the Pocket to keep all your valuables (and battery) with you on the plane. The Trunk is available in black / copper or blue / silver color combinations.
The fingerprint sensor can store up to 10 fingerprints, making it suitable for sharing with family or friends. Like the Carry-On, the Trunk’s fingerprint sensor has its own dedicated replaceable battery that will warn you when the charge is getting low. Nevertheless, you’ll also get a set of slim back-up keys that can be carried in a wallet or purse. Kabuto claims the sensor is fast. I tested the sensor on the 2019 Kabuto Carry-On and that’s already very fast — equivalent to what you’d expect unlocking a modern smartphone. Assigning fingerprints is also quick, although you’ll likely need to relearn the steps should you ever share the bag as it’s not entirely intuitive.
The $299 (early bird pricing) Kabuto Backpack includes a USB-C hub on the side. It doubles in capacity using hidden magnets that incrementally expand the sides of the bag as pressure builds. And like the Pocket, it snaps onto the Kabuto Trunk using a magnetic Fidlock mechanism that Kabuto says can securely hold up to 10kg / 22lb. The Trunk remains upright with the help of four “tires” that Kabuto claims are “the most silent wheels ever.” The Backpack is available in silver, blue, grey, and a nude beige.
The Trunk / Backpack combo is available for $929 via early bird pricing. Kabuto bags are covered by a lifetime warranty and are expected to begin shipping in September at the tail end of Hot Vax Summer, just as the world hopefully emerges from our collective traveling funk.
You won’t find many true wireless earbuds that come close to matching the all-round brilliance of the Sony WF-1000XM4
For
Clear, detailed bass performance
Wonderful sense of musicality
Comfortable
Class-leading battery life
Against
Missing Sony’s Multipoint feature
Lacking ear tip choices
No aptX HD
How do you improve on arguably the best all-round true wireless earbuds on the market? Sony has gone back to the drawing board and designed a brand new pair that look nothing like their predecessors – and the result is the WF-1000XM4. Is it a brave move? Definitely. Crazy? Quite possibly.
Sony’s WF-1000X range of wireless earbuds has been a dominant force in this category over the last few years, and the last pair to emerge from its stable, the WF-1000XM3, are two-time What Hi-Fi? Award-winners.
But instead of making the odd refinement here and there, Sony’s engineers have gone to town on the WF-1000XM4 with an all-new design, a new charging case and a new audio processor. They have even found time to develop a new eartip material, which here is appearing on a pair of Sony earbuds for the first time. What could possibly go wrong?
Luckily for Sony, very little does. In fact, the WF-1000XM4 are one of the most feature-packed, user-friendly and sonically gifted pair of wireless earbuds we’ve tested.
Pricing
Unsurprisingly, the Sonys sit at the premium end of the market, coming in at £250 ($280, AU$500). That places them right in the firing line of other five-star rivals such as the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 (£279, $299, AU$499), Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (£249, $280, AU$399) and, of course, the Apple AirPods Pro, which at the time of writing range in price between £199 ($199, AU$300) and £249 ($249, AU$329).
Build
(Image credit: Sony)
Your initial contact with the WF-1000XM4 is a surprising one. Sony has ditched the usual glossy box for recycled packaging made from a special blend of paper. This makes for a more compact box (34 per cent smaller than the WF-1000XM3’s), and one that’s plastic-free. That’s great news for the environment, though it doesn’t really give off the vibe that you’ve just bought a pair of premium noise-cancelling headphones.
Sony WF-1000XM4 tech specs
(Image credit: Sony)
Bluetooth version 5.2
Noise-cancelling Yes
Battery life 8 hours (BT + ANC), 24 hours (total)
Voice control Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa
Finishes x2
Weight 7.3g (x2)
Once you’ve liberated the WF-1000XM4 from their packaging, you’re greeted by a small, black charging case. It’s smaller than the case that comes with the Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds, and positively tiny (40 per cent smaller) compared with the charging case that comes with their predecessors.
The case charges via USB-C and also introduces wireless charging to the WF-1000X range for the first time – all you need is a compatible Qi charging pad. You can even battery share with compatible smartphones and piggyback off their power supply, too.
You shouldn’t have to worry too much about the battery life. Sony’s new buds might come with a smaller case, but the XM4’s battery life is actually up compared with the XM3. You now get eight hours of play from the earbuds with noise-cancelling and Bluetooth turned on, and Sony claims the case can supply a further 16 hours of charge. That places their battery life from a single charge above all major rivals. The AirPods Pro can only manage five hours, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless seven hours and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds six hours. Turn off noise-cancelling and the Sony’s life is extended to 12 hours from a single charge and 24 hours with the case. A five-minute quick charge is good for one hour of playtime, too.
You can see the life remaining in both the buds and the case through Sony’s Headphones Connect app, which will also give you a reminder when the case drops below 30 per cent charge.
As with all wireless earbuds, battery life can vary due to a number of different factors, such as the quality of files you’re listening to, how hard the internal processor is working, and the volume you’re listening at. During our testing, we found the battery life consistently good enough to get us through a day of mixed use.
Comfort
(Image credit: Sony)
Flip open the magnetic case and you’ll see the all-new earbud design of the WF-1000XM4. Based on a combination of customer feedback about the XM3 and research about the human ear, Sony has settled on a rounder body that sits more inside the ear opening.
The matte finish on each earbud gives the headphones a premium feel, while the small accents around the microphone and sensor holes add a tiny splash of colour. Speaking of colour, the XM4 come in a choice of black or silver.
If you want your XM4 to double as sports or running headphones you’ll be pleased to know they boast an IPX4 rating, making them resistant to “splashing from any angle” – a big improvement on the old model.
Besides the new-look earpieces, the XM4 also have brand new eartips. Made from polyurethane, which feels like a cross between silicone and foam, Sony claims they help secure a tighter, more stable fit. The thousands of tiny bubbles in the tips are also supposed to help reduce and dissipate noise.
The only downside here is that you only get a single set of small, medium and large-sized tips to choose from. Sony says you will get years of use out of one pair, and naturally extra tips should be available to purchase if you need them.
We don’t have any major problems sliding the earbuds in and twisting them into place. If you are struggling for a seal, you can pinch the tips and slide them into your ear canal, until they expand. We find they sit snugly in your ear opening, but they are comfortable over longer listening sessions.
To make sure you have the perfect fit, Sony has introduced a new air-tightness test, accessible through its Headphones Connect app. The app fires out a test tone and reports back on whether or not you need to make any adjustments. It’s worth trying out, especially if you feel the sound is lacking bass or there is outside noise leaking in.
In fact, we’d recommend installing the Headphones Connect app when you first connect the XM4. It gives you direct access to all the key features and functions of the earbuds so you can choose which ones to enable and disable. It also helps you get set up for listening to music in Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format from compatible streaming services such as Tidal and Deezer.
Features
(Image credit: Sony)
The circular outer surface of each earpiece is a touchpad and, by using the Headphones Connect app, you can customise the functionality of each one. They can control volume and playback or switch between noise-cancelling and ambient sound modes through the usual combination of taps, presses and long holds – and the headphones are quick to respond to these actions. Switching between sound modes, changing volume and activating and deactivating features such as Quick Attention (which drops the volume of what you’re listening to, so you can have a quick conversation without having to remove the earbuds from your ears) happen with minimal fuss.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 borrow the Speak-to-Chat function that debuted in the WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones. This feature allows you to talk to someone while the earbuds are still in place and is triggered when you start talking. It works well, although as is the case with the over-ears, it’s only triggered a second or so after you start talking.
This slight delay can be frustrating, as can the tendency for the feature to be triggered by a cough or an impromptu karaoke session while sat at your desk. You can reduce the sensitivity of the feature, or you can turn it off completely and either use Quick Attention or remove an earbud completely (which pauses playback automatically).
On the inside of the XM4 is plenty of new technology. The earbuds feature an improved DAC and analogue amplifier and are powered by a new Integrated Processor V1. Sony claims it provides a clearer sound and even better noise-cancelling than their predecessor. The new model also gets Sony’s DSEE Extreme audio processor with Edge-AI, which we have already experienced in the WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones, and is designed to upscale low-bitrate music files to near hi-res quality.
The 6mm driver used inside the XM4 is similar in size to the one used in the previous model, but it’s made from a new material and features a bigger magnet, which Sony claims helps improve sound quality and noise-cancelling, especially with certain low frequencies.
There’s no aptX HD support onboard, but the XM4 support Sony’s LDAC file format, which, streamed over Bluetooth from a compatible source, allows hi-res audio files up to 24-bit/96kHz to be transmitted at data rates of up to 990kbps.
(Image credit: Sony)
Sony has also aimed to deliver clearer call quality with new features, including beam-forming and the use of a bone conduction sensor that stops the mics from picking up distracting ambient sounds while you’re talking. There’s even an automatic wind noise reduction mode which attempts to cut out swirls of noise passing through the headset and into your ears.
All of this works with Sony’s Precise Voice Pickup technology, originally introduced in the WH-1000XM4. The net effect is an impressive call quality for a pair of wireless earbuds. The technologies all combine to do a solid job of dampening down outside noise and interference, especially for the person on the other end of the line.
The general level of noise-cancelling is excellent, especially for a pair of wireless earbuds. Not everyone likes that ‘vacuum’ feeling you get when it’s turned on, but it’s extremely effective through the Sonys and you’ll struggle to find better noise cancellation at this level.
Android users will be pleased to hear the Sonys are compatible with Fast Pair so you can get up and running with minimal fuss. You receive a battery notification pop-up on your smartphone when they power up and you can even track their location down using the Google Find My Device app.
Unfortunately, iOS users don’t get any such pairing perks, but all you need to do to start pairing is open the case and take the headphones out. It’s a shame Sony hasn’t carried across the ‘Multipoint’ feature enabled on the WH-1000XM4 over-ears. This allows you to connect the headphones to two different Bluetooth devices simultaneously, which can come in handy if you’re working on a laptop but still want to be connected to your phone. Here’s hoping it can be added at a later date.
In terms of stability, we use an Apple iPhone 12 and Macbook for the bulk of our testing and find the connection to be rock solid with no dropouts, even in more built-up areas.
Sound
(Image credit: Sony)
Before we get to the WF-1000XM4’s immense musicality and expressive dynamics, we should note the way the headphones handle bass. The quality of bass and the clarity of low frequencies is stunning. There’s such a fantastic level of detail on display that it makes rival headphones, such as the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, sound congested in comparison.
We’re keen to hear how the earbuds handle one of our favourite bass-heavy test tracks, Massive Attack’s Angel – and we’re blown away by the confidence with which the song is dispatched. Every element of that pulsing bassline is precisely deployed and dripping in texture. It’s the clarity around the notes that really grabs you – it allows the WF-1000XM4 to communicate intricacies in the bass notes that other headphones struggle to uncover.
But it’s not a sound that purely favours low frequencies. There’s clarity across the board and a sense of rhythmic precision that allows the Sony’s to switch pace effortlessly. They sound as at home keeping up with, and succeeding in not being tripped up by, Radiohead’s 15 Step as they are dispatching the slow, deliberate swagger of Nina Simone’s Feeling Good.
Simone’s effortless vocal oozes class and sophistication, with every nuance in her delivery laid bare for the listener. Combine the emotion in her voice with the impact of the piano, percussion and wind section and the Sony’s create a captivating sound you can’t help but be swept away by.
If you were wondering whether the WF-1000XM4 would be a step up from the WF-1000XM3, we can confirm that they are. The newer model sounds more informative and uncovers more subtle detail. Bass notes are better defined and the overall sound is better balanced. Even the much-admired Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 struggle to match the Sonys for tonality and refinement.
You can hear that refinement and natural tone shine through as we listen to Ludovico Einaudi’s Experience. From the delicate, deliberate piano strokes at the start to the soaring strings at the song’s climax, the Sonys bring the individual personalities to life and mix them together like the ingredients of a fine cocktail.
Verdict
We’re quite taken by the Sony WF-1000XM4. Given all the design changes and new features in these wireless earbuds, it must have been a real challenge to get them right. But Sony has absolutely nailed it. The headphones deliver a satisfying user experience, class-leading battery life, some of the best noise-cancelling we’ve heard in this category, and absolutely stunning sound quality. Put simply, this is a new benchmark for premium true wireless earbuds.
After a few weeks of leaks, Sony has today formally announced its latest flagship true wireless earbuds. The new WF-1000XM4 earbuds cost $279.99, and the previous WF-1000XM3s, released in 2019, will remain in the company’s lineup at $229.99. The new headphones will be available in either black or light gray — both with gold accenting. They’re available starting today from retailers including Amazon and Best Buy.
Featuring a completely revamped design that’s 10 percent smaller than their predecessors, the 1000XM4 buds also have a new processing chip that results in improved noise cancellation “at all frequencies,” according to Sony.
Image: Sony
Battery life has been upped to eight hours of continuous playback when NC is enabled, which soundly beats competitors like the Apple AirPods Pro, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, and Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. The charging case has been significantly downsized and is 40 percent smaller than before. Aside from plugging in over USB-C, it also supports Qi wireless charging.
Sony has also addressed a disappointing omission from the 1000XM3s: these new earbuds are rated IPX4 for water and sweat resistance. The 1000XM4s also have an updated voice call system that uses both beamforming mics and bone conduction sensors to improve performance. But here’s the one standout disappointment: there’s still no support for multipoint Bluetooth connections.
If you’re wondering how all of this shakes out, I’ve been using Sony’s new premium buds for several days. You can read my full review of them right now.
Great hardware with lots of power in a tiny package. The price may put some off but if you need Wi-Fi and the RP2040 then this is the board for you, but for how long?
For
+ Small form factor
+ Lots of analog inputs
+ Built-in Wi-Fi and BLE
+ Built-in microphone, IMU
Against
– Pin numbers hidden away
– High Cost
– No USB-C
– Software is buggy
When you think of an Arduino, the first board in your head has to be the classic Arduino Uno, with its Atmel microcontroller. You wouldn’t think of an Arduino powered by ‘Pi Silicon’ but the last of the initial wave of RP2040 partner boards is the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect and this is the board we have been waiting for. You see the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect is the only partner board to come with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Neatly integrated into the familiar Nano layout is a Nina W102 uBlox Wi-Fi module which provides 2.4 GHz WI-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, an IMU capable of detecting movement and gestures and a microphone which can be used to measure audio levels and more importantly used in machine learning projects.
Should the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect be the heart of your next project? Well that depends on your needs and budget. If you are happy to blink LEDs and make things move, then a $4 Raspberry Pi Pico is more for you. But if you want to build Internet of Things (IoT) devices with a web interface then Arduino’s latest board may just be what you are looking for. But we don’t truly understand how a board works, and more importantly how it is supported until we use it, and use it we shall!
8× Programmable I/O (PIO) state machines for custom peripheral support.
1x User LED (GPIO 13)
RGB LED, accessible only via the Nina W102 module.
Castellated module allows soldering directly to carrier boards.
Extra Features
Nina W102 uBlox Wi-Fi module
ST LSM6DSOXTR 6-axis IMU
ST MP34DT06JTR MEMS Microphone
ATECC608A-MAHDA-T Cryptographic Coprocessor
Dimensions
1.77 x 0.7 inches (45 x 18mm)
Design and Use of the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The design of the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect is quite clearly based on Arduino’s Nano range of boards such as the Nano 33 IoT and Nano Every. The Nano range of boards share the same pin out, enabling the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect to be a drop-in replacement for other Nano boards. The bare board has the castellated edges that have become the norm for an RP2040 board and the underside of the board is unpopulated, enabling it to be surface soldered into a project. Of the 22 GPIO pins we have 20 pins which can be used for PWM and of those we have 8 analog inputs, the most of any RP2040 board as the Pico comes with three and most third-party RP2040 boards have four. If you are looking for the I2C pins they are hidden away on pins A4 and A5 and the onboard IMU is accessible on the I2C bus.
The eagle eyed amongst you will have spotted a micro USB connector, something common on many newer Arduino boards. We would’ve liked to have seen a USB-C connector, because it offers a foolproof connection and the mechanical connector is stronger than micro USB. As this is the most expensive RP2040 board, we think that Arduino could’ve included this without impacting the overall cost.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The big feature of the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect is Wi-Fi and the Nina W102 chip provides us with 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2. The antenna is located opposite the micro USB port. The Nina W102 chip is itself a powerful microcontroller with 520KB SRAM and a 240MHz 32bit Dual Core Xtensa LX6 CPU, but in this board it is relegated to handling communications.
As this is an Arduino, our natural inclination is to use the Arduino IDE, and with a recent update bringing official support for the RP2040 to the IDE, we can easily create projects. We tested the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect with the Arduino 1.8.15 and 2.0 beta 7 IDE and after installing the board via the board manager we were able to flash the example blink sketch to prove that we had connectivity. To access Wi-Fi we needed to install the WiFiNINA library and then create a secrets file to contain our Wi-Fi login details. We ran the Simple Web Server WiFi example and it flashed with no issue, but we later learned that we needed to change the default GPIO pin used in the example from 9 to “LED_BUILTIN” in order to control via a web interface.
The connection details should appear in the serial monitor, but no matter what we did, we could not connect to the serial monitor and all we saw was an error informing us that the port was busy. This is not unique to the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect; we have seen this behavior with other RP2040 boards and the Arduino IDE. Our only solution was to close the Arduino IDE and use another application to open a serial terminal. The same issue affected our test of the IMU, so we opened the serial terminal, reset the board and saw raw accelerometer data scroll across the screen. We later discovered that the issue lay with our operating system, Ubuntu 18.04, we had to uninstall modemmanager in order to see the serial data on the port. This issue has not impacted any of our other official and clone boards.
We also tested the onboard microphone, the same model as used in the Nano 33 IoT. We followed the official documentation to flash the test sketch to the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect, then opened the Serial Plotter hoping to see a visualization of sound. Alas all we saw was a constant flatline value of -128. We were unable to locate any guidance on how to fix this issue.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
We had other issues when using the Arduino’s IoT Cloud, a service that we have used before with MKR WIFI 1010 and Nano 33 IoT boards. our Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect was detected, but could not be configured. We followed the official documentation, which at the time of writing looks to be incomplete, and still drew a blank. This is a real shame, as the IoT Cloud is Arduino’s new service to enable IoT “Things” (projects) to be created and monitored via a web interface. It is most likely teething troubles for now, and something that will be fixed in the future. For now the smart maker will stick with the desktop IDEs.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
You are probably thinking that this is an RP2040, so I can run other programming languages? Correct! We can use CircuitPython and MicroPython with the Arduino Nano RP2040, the caveat is that you will need to source your own libraries for the onboard microphone, IMU and WiFi. A quirk exists between the pin numbering and the actual GPIO number. The Arduino pin number, used in the Arduino IDE for a pin is say D2, but the RP2040 pin is GPIO25. Another example is the built in LED is D13, but in our MicroPython tests it was GPIO 6.
We tested the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect with CircuitPython and it was a much more pleasant experience and thanks to the plethora of libraries, especially the ESP32SPI library we quickly had the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect online and receiving data from a remote API. We also tested with MicroPython and it behaved in much the same manner as a Raspberry Pi Pico, but we had no drivers to use the onboard Wi-Fi.
This is where we noticed a quirk that prevented us from setting the board ready to accept new firmware. Typically we would reset the board and press BOOTSEL. For the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect we would double press the reset button, but this did not work. After reaching out for help on Twitter we were told that we could connect the REC and GND pins together to force the board into the mode.
Use Cases for the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect
The most obvious use case is an IoT appliance and this is made quite straightforward via the Arduino IoT Cloud. With the IoT Cloud we can quickly create GUI applications to read data from a remote device. For example we can create a weather station using the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect and have live data streamed to the cloud which can be accessed from any web connected device.
The same Arduino IoT Cloud user interface can be used to remotely control the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect, for example a web controlled robot wouldn’t be much more difficult to build than a non web enabled robot.
If you are not an Arduino IoT Cloud user, you can still make the most of this board using the traditional IDE. There are libraries available for HTTP, MQTT and Bluetooth which have existed for some time and can be ported to run on the RP2040. With these libraries we can build web controlled robots, wireless weather stations etc.
Bottom Line
It comes down to the price. If you need Wi-Fi and the RP2040 then the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect is a solid piece of hardware but it is more expensive than any other RP2040 solution we’ve tested, including buying a Raspberry Pi Pico and a Pimoroni Pico Wireless. The extra cost gives us access to GPIO pins, which are sadly blocked with the Pico Wireless. If you need the smallest package possible for an embedded IoT project, then this could be the board, but right now the documentation is not up to Arduino’s usual standards despite this being the last board in the first wave of RP2040 powered devices.
The additional analog inputs mean that the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect has the most of any RP2040 device, useful for connecting many different components. The smart money for those wanting to connect their RP2040 project to the world is with this board, but for how long? Seeed’s own RP2040 board comes with Wi-Fi and it is expected to retail for half the price of the Arduino.
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed hits the sweet spot between functionality and size, clearing up desk space while offering a premium design and functionality. But it’s pricey compared to some fantastic 65% keyboards, and its keycaps can get uncomfortable during heated gaming.
For
+ Efficient form factor
+ Dongle, Bluetooth or cable connection
+ Highly customizable
Against
– ABS keycaps can feel clammy
– Larger keys are a little loud
– Expensive
For some, a clear space makes for a clear mind. And if you’re gaming, more space also means extra room for your mouse and focusing solely on the inputs needed to level up. The best wireless keyboards already decrease clutter by cutting the cord, but a wireless gaming keyboard in a smaller form factor can be a true game-changer for players seeking an efficient, yet productive, form factor.
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed fits the bill well. It’s Razer’s first 65% keyboard, which is a good sweet spot for those who want a small keyboard but can’t let go of navigation keys. With arrow keys, the BlackWidow V3 Mini is a more likely mate for both productivity and work than 60% keyboards. a more likely match for those who want a keyboard for both gaming and work. And Razer makes connectivity, even across several PCs, simple by offering the option to use a dongle, Bluetooth with up to 3 devices or a USB-C to USB-A cable. A $180 MSRP means you’re paying a Razer tax though, and the keyboard, especially its keycaps, aren’t perfect compared to the best gaming keyboards it’s up against.
Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed Specs
Switches
Razer Yellow (tested) or Razer Green
Lighting
Per-key RGB and logo
Onboard Storage
4 profiles
Media Keys
With Fn
Connectivity
USb Type-A dongle, Bluetooth or USB Type-A cable
Cables
USB-C to USB-A
Additional Ports
None
Keycaps
Doubleshot ABS plastic
Software
Razer Synapse
Dimensions (LxWxH)
12.6 x 5.1 x 1.6 inches
Weight
1.8 pounds
Design of the Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed
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If you haven’t tried a 65% layout before, it’s worth a shot because you may just find your sweet spot. 65% keyboards chop off a lot of keys but keep the precious arrow keys and even some that typically live above them. Razer told me it wants the BlackWidow V3 Mini to be a “more inclusive option” than the 60% Razer Huntsman Mini, one that saves space but still is efficient in applications like Excel and PowerPoint. No more keyboard switching is the idea, but if you do heavy number input into Excel, you’ll probably still miss the numpad.
The BlackWidow V3 Mini has Delete, Page Up, Page Down and Insert keys, which all also double as macro keys when you’re holding Fn. That’s a little more than some other 65% keyboards, such as the wired Ducky Mecha SF Radiant, which leaves out Insert in favor of a Ducky logo and doesn’t double up those keys as macros. Already we see the more gaming-friendly side of Razer’s 65% option.
However, I rarely use those four keys and would personally prefer a Print Screen option if anything. Of course, I could reprogram this via software and even switch out a keycap if I was that serious. But since I don’t care for that quartet of additional buttons over a 60% keyboard, something like the Cooler Master SK622, which doesn’t have dedicated keys for any of those functions except for Delete, would be even more efficient for me. That keyboard also saves a little bit of space, measuring 11.5 x 4.1 x 1.6 inches, while weighing only 1 pound. The Razer (12.6 x 5.1 x 1.6 inches, 1.8 pounds) is still on par with Ducky’s Mecha SF Radiant (12.8 x 4.1 x 1.6 inches, 1.9 pounds) though.
The V3 Mini doesn’t have a function row but gets a lot done with its Fn key. Just as with the Huntsman Mini, out of the box pressing Fn will disable any lighting you have on and provide white lighting to the keys with a secondary function. In addition to the number row handling F1-F12, there are also side-printed functions for macro recording, adjusting RGB brightness, media controls and the missing navigation keys.
Still, some tasks were more tedious on the 65% board. For example, to take a screenshot of a specific window, instead of pressing Windows + Alt + Print Screen, I had to hit Windows + Alt + Fn + Print Screen, while locating the key that has Print Screen as a secondary function. The side-printing is easy to read from typical seated positions. But unlike the main legends on the keys, these aren’t doubleshot, so could fade with time.
The BlackWidow V3 Mini has flip-out feet for 6 or 9-degree elevation, but I preferred keeping it flat, as my wrists already sloped down, due to the lack of included palm rest. If I were to use this as my forever keyboard, I’d need to find some sort of compact wrist rest, which is a mild annoyance, considering the keyboard’s price.
Besides that, the BlackWidow V3 Mini takes many characteristics from the BlackWidow line, which includes the full-sized BlackWidow V3, wireless BlackWidow V3 Pro and BlackWidow V3 Tenkeyless.That includes a plastic base that’s shiny around the lip, allowing the snake trio that is the Razer logo to peek through with customizable RGB.
The plastic base is subtly textured and surprisingly durable in that it doesn’t seem like it’ll scratch or nick easily. “For Gamers by Gamers” written in a designer bag like pattern on the underside makes you feel special. An aluminum top plate sits atop that for more heft and more fingerprints. But because there’s such little wasted space on the BlackWidow V3 Mini, that issue is mostly limited to the keyboard’s bottom slope.
Razer went with doubleshot ABS plastic keycaps that are a good and cheaper substitute for doubleshot PBT. The ABS plastic here is still visibly textured, especially in bright lighting, is good at fighting smudges and allows RGB to shine through perfectly. Although they’re still slippier than doubleshot PBT, it could fool the less-aware gamer.
The BlackWidow V3 Mini uses the same font as other BlackWidow keyboards with a lower-case font that can feel slightly kiddish, especially if you opt for rainbow RGB, and in the truncated right Shift key. Speaking of, the right Shift’s size will be a problem for some, but I’m a righty and touch typist who never uses the right shift key, so besides it looking a little funky, I’m okay with the sacrifice.
Typing Experience on Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Razer offers the BlackWidow V3 Mini with either clicky Razer Green switches, (which we tested in our BlackWidow V3 Pro review), or linear Razer Yellow switches with added sound dampeners, which we’re testing here. Razer specs its Yellow switches with 3.5mm total travel, actuating at 1.2mm with 45g of force versus Cherry MX Red’s 4mm/2mm/45g.
I don’t have another keyboard with Razer Yellows on hand to directly compare the dampeners’ effectiveness, but compared to the sound displayed in our Razer Yellow hands-on a few years ago, my test keyboard sounded quieter and less high-pitched and annoying. For the most part, I enjoyed the soft clacking of the BlackWidow V3 Mini during testing. Most of the keys’ noises are an inoffensive volume, and even if your mic picks it up, your teammates won’t be nearly as distracted then if you were using a clicky mechanical switch.
But while the spacebar still manages to sound soft despite an extra plastic-y note, the Backspace, Enter and right Shift, which also show some wobble, make too much of a plastic racket that stands out compared to the other keys. I also noticed a small amount of unwanted pinging, but this was only occasional.
I don’t typically like using linear switches for typing, but getting work done on the BlackWidow V3 Mini was easier than expected. I still missed my tactile bumps and clicks, but the keyboard’s layout is logical and the keys properly spaced, so there were no other distractions. The keycaps are also more comfortable than many other ABS ones, and the keys never felt mushy.
On the 10FastFingers.com typing test, I averaged 122.7 words per minute (wpm) and 95.2% accuracy. That’s faster than my typical 118 average, but my accuracy dropped 2.8 percentage points. The speed may be due to the faster travel and lack of a tactile bump to get through, but I believe that bump would’ve helped my accuracy.
Wireless Experience on Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Razer recommends using the BlackWidow V3 Mini’s 2.4 GHz USB-A dongle for gaming and even remembered to provide a spot for dongle storage on the keyboard’s underside; (although, the plastic covering could be more durable). Even better, I never lost my connection during testing, even when gaming with my best wireless mouse and a pair of Bluetooth headphones. The only time I noticed obvious lag was when the battery was under 2%. At this point, RGB started changing effects unprovoked and the keyboard would occasionally repeat inputs for some reason, so I wouldn’t use it much at that battery level anyway.
If you prefer to save a USB port, you can connect via Bluetooth by sliding the toggle on the front edge over to the “BT” side. The keyboard can connect to up to three devices via Bluetooth and toggle through them by hitting Fn + 1-3.
Gaming Experience on Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Many prefer the smooth travel of linear switches like Razer Yellows. Packed inside of the BlackWidow V3 Mini, these switches felt fast and responsive, not only keeping up with my inputs but feeling potentially faster than gaming with heavier switches like Razer Greens (4mm total travel, 1.9mm actuation, 50g of force).
Movements felt easy. With just a light touch I could walk my character long distances without growing weary or feeling like the key was too unstable if I didn’t bottom out. I often find keyboards with Cherry MX Reds exhausting in that regard because I can feel like I’m floating when depressing halfway for an extended period. That wasn’t the case with this keyboard, making my adjustment to linear switches over my preferred tactile and clicky switches easier than expected. Well-spaced keys also made strategic inputs easy, so I didn’t end up murked because I was hitting the wrong button.
But after even just 15 minutes of gaming, the keyboard would get noticeably clammy. Now, this was before things even got heated on the battlefield. When I grazed my finger down the W key, for example, while exploring my virtual world, I’d encounter an unpleasant feeling. You may mistake the BlackWidow V3 Mini’s doubleshot ABS keycaps as PBT at quick examination, but once you get gaming, the truth will be apparent. After serious gaming for an hour, the clacker got seriously clammy and, dare I say, sticky-like.
But there are some gaming advantages here. The obvious one is the keyboard’s small form factor, which afforded me more space to not only move my mouse but to get comfortable by positioning my keyboard in different angles.
If you’re concerned about sound, Razer used sound dampeners with this keyboard to make its linear switches even quieter. I don’t have other Razer Yellows on hand, but I do enjoy the sound.
Battery Life of Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
When I used Razer’s keyboard with its dongle connection and rainbow Wave RGB effect at max brightness for about 26 hours and 17 minutes, and Synapse’s battery meter read 3%. This was with the keyboard set to dim lighting after 1 minute of activity and to turn off after 15 minutes of activity (the shortest amount of times available). Once the battery level dropped to about under 2%, the lighting would automatically turn off unless I was actively typing, and would change effects without me asking. There was also input delay and repeated inputs, key bindings stopped working and Synapse wouldn’t recognize the keyboard, so I wouldn’t want to use the keyboard at under 3% battery.
Razer claims the BlackWidow V3 Mini can last for up to 200 hours without any RGB whether using the dongle or Bluetooth connection. With the keyboard’s Spectrum Cycling RGB effect at max brightness, Razer’s battery life estimate drops to 17 hours. If you keep brightness at 30% max, the expectation is 48 hours.
Razer told me the keyboard can charge to 100% after 4 hours and 50% after 30 minutes. However, your experience may vary, as I let my test unit’s battery run out, charged it for 30 minutes with the included cable and a 5V/2A power brick and only had 11% battery after. After 4 hours of charging though, the battery meter on the mouse’s software read 100%.
Features and Software of Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed
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Synapse continues to be the tool of choice for Razer’s RGB and feature-clad lineup, offering control over everything from per-key and logo RGB to almost every key’s function. My favorite part, however, is the battery life reading, stated in a clear, specific percentage.
The Customize section lets you set almost every key’s (not Windows or Fn) function, including different keyboard and mouse actions, RGB control and the ability to switch another Razer product’s profile. With Razer’s HyperShift feature, Fn doesn’t only activate certain key’s side-printed secondary functions, it can also activate secondary functions, assigned via Synapse, among most other keys. Indeed, one of Razer’s advantages is the volume of customization options — so long as you don’t mind running Synapse in the background.
If you do, the BlackWidow V3 Mini makes a decent effort of offering some features app-free. For one, you can toggle through some RGB presets by pressing Fn + Ctrl + 1-7. And in addition to being able to store an infinite number of profiles in the software, (thanks to the cloud), there are 4 onboard memory profiles. But how to toggle through those profiles isn’t obvious. In my few weeks with the keyboard, I couldn’t figure it out on my own. I had to ask Razer, which taught me to fold Fn + C. And, indeed, when you hold down Fn, the C key lights up to let you know it has a secondary function. But there’s no side-printing on the C key to remind you that it can perform profile toggling. Additionally, RGB settings don’t carry over. And some advanced functions, like inter-device control and launching apps or websites, still require Synapse to be open.
You can also do macro recording on the fly, but it requires Synapse to be running in the background. But remember, four keys are ready to serve as macro keys alongside Fn, so it’s worth considering. If you plan on using dedicated macros often though, a full-size keyboard may be a better fit, especially something with macro keys like the Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT.
Synapse’s Lighting section offers access to RGB controls, like brightness from 0-100% and the ability to toggle 11 preset effects, including your typical rainbow wave and Fire, which plays around with the red and orange color scheme flickering across keys. For customized effects, you’ll need the Chroma plug-in, which offers expansive layers of customization options, including over the snake logo.
Power is a simple, but important, menu. There’s a battery meter here, plus the option to make RGB dim automatically or have the keyboard turn off after a certain amount of inactivity (to conserve battery).
Bottom Line
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed is Razer’s first 65% keyboard, but adopts the brand’s tradition of high-priced, high-functionality peripherals gamers would be proud to carry. This keyboard is an exciting addition, particularly because of its efficient layout. If you don’t need a numpad, this is about as good as it gets without making basic navigation burdensome.
You can go slightly trimmer, though. The Cooler Master SK622 offers an interesting counter offer in what is essentially a 60% keyboard with arrows. Wireless connectivity is Bluetooth only though, and many will prefer the reliability of the BlackWidow V3 Mini’s dongle and the option to toggle through up to 3 more PC connections via Bluetooth.
We rank the 75% Keychron K2 as the best wireless keyboard for productivity, and the 65% version, the Keychron K6, is much cheaper than the BlackWidow V3 Mini at under $105 with RGB or without.
And if you can stomach a cable, the Ducky Mecha SF Radiant offers a striking design, a broad range of Cherry switches and doubleshot PBT keycaps, an upgrade over what the BlackWidow V3 Mini offers, for $159.
But with this level of customization, from key bindings to RGB to multi-PC connectivity, there’s very few if any in the 65% category that can compete with the BlackWidow V3 Mini’s gaming-ready featureset.
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The new Alienware M15 R5 Ryzen Edition is a slight undoing of progress, depending on how you look at it. As many gaming laptops are going thinner, this one is heavier and thicker than previous generations. Its design has been tweaked slightly in ways both good and bad, and it has fewer ports than before, too.
Despite all of that, it’s a cause for a small celebration because of the Ryzen processor it uses, marking AMD’s return to Alienware products after a 14-year gap when the brand exclusively used Intel CPUs. And it’s a welcome return, even if this laptop won’t appeal to everyone. AMD’s high-end mobile processors have been a boon to gaming laptops for the last couple of years, bringing long battery life and fast performance that sometimes outpaces and undercuts laptops that have competing Intel processors.
The Ryzen 7 5800H processor brings that magic to the M15 R5 Ryzen Edition, and gaming performance with its RTX 3060 doesn’t struggle to get above 60 FPS in graphically-demanding games — all thanks to being a high-wattage component. This R5 that I tested has 16GB of RAM and a 512GB NVMe SSD for a total cost of about $1,616 currently, which isn’t cheap despite being close to the most affordable version that Alienware makes. If money isn’t an issue, it can be upgraded to the more powerful Ryzen 9 5900HX with Nvidia’s RTX 3070 and more storage and RAM for $2,379.
The high price is something that I couldn’t ignore while reviewing this laptop, especially since Dell (Alienware’s parent company) makes a $1,225 G15 Ryzen Edition that has similar GPU specs that should come close to what this pricier M15 R5 can do. And, if you can settle for a slightly lesser processor, there’s a $900 model in the works that has the RTX 3060, but it isn’t available yet.
The value doesn’t fare well outside of Dell’s world either. Asus is currently the go-to brand for excellent AMD-based gaming laptops that are easier to recommend for people who want something more portable and feature-packed, without sacrificing battery life. Compared to a similar M15 R5 configuration, the ROG Zephyrus G15 offers a QHD display, more storage, a better processor and a powerful RTX 3070 (albeit a lower-powered GPU than you’ll find in the M15 R5) for a few hundred dollars less. The new Strix G15 Advantage Edition looks more garish next to Alienware’s laptop, but it also has fast gaming performance and high-end features for a lower price. Neither of these models feature a webcam, but that might be something you can live without.
The M15 R5 is 19.25mm (0.75 inches) thick for most of the machine (thinner at the front, but slightly thicker in the back) and it weighs 5.34 pounds. Some configurations weigh more, going up to 5.93 pounds. Its heft is jarring if you’ve picked up an ultrabook recently, but it’s an asset in helping its high-wattage RTX 3060 graphics chip (125W maximum graphics power, 1,702MHz boost clock) to perform similarly to a low-wattage RTX 3070. Compared to thinner laptops that have a low-powered 3070, like Asus’ TUF Dash 15, Alienware’s laptop makes up for the difference in CUDA cores with sheer power. It will likely be a solid performer well into the future — perhaps longer than some lower-powered 3070s — despite having a technically lesser component. It’ll just be more of a chore to lug around.
The M15 R5 Ryzen Edition fared well while running some demanding games at their highest settings. Red Dead Redemption 2 managed to reach 63 frames per second. Shadow of the Tomb Raider ran at about 80 frames per second with its ray tracing shadows feature and DLSS switched on. Horizon Zero Dawn ran at an average of 68 frames per second. None of them came close to fully taking advantage of the default 1080p display’s 165Hz refresh rate, but most people likely have older games in their library that should be able to display at very fast frame rates on this laptop.
It didn’t take long for this laptop to make a good impression with gaming performance. It took even less time to learn that it gets warm to the touch even while idling with no apps, and that when games (especially graphically-demanding ones) are running, it can get very loud. A fast and quiet gaming laptop is an oxymoron, and the M15 R5 is really just one of many offenders. But I didn’t notice signs of thermal throttling after long periods of gaming, nor did I encounter unexplainable slow-down. You just might want to wear some headphones while gaming. The speakers shoot sound out of the sides of the laptop. It’s serviceable for YouTube videos or video calls, but it doesn’t deliver enough depth or bass for entertainment purposes.
This Ryzen-based gaming laptop can handle any sort of casual browser-based workflow with ease. It shouldn’t have surprised me that the M15 R5 has great battery life, since AMD’s processors have proven to bring efficiency to other gaming laptops, but it still did. This one’s 86Wh battery lasted for about seven hours of mixed use, through sustained use of Microsoft Edge with 10 or so tabs, Spotify, Slack, and some video calls. That’s great for an Alienware laptop. The M15 R3 that I reviewed last year clocked in at just one hour. Though, other AMD-based gaming laptops have the M15 R5 beat. The Strix G15 Advantage Edition lasted over nine hours for my colleague Monica Chin.
One area where the Ryzen Edition got a little hung up is with a video export test in Adobe Premiere Pro. Our video team’s five-minute, thirty-three second 4K file took just over seven minutes to finish exporting. That’s not a bad result, but it’s not going to be fast enough for creators to quickly turn around projects and not nearly as fast as laptops with Intel processors can manage.
The M15 R5’s design is different from earlier models in minor ways. Sometimes, it’s for the better. For instance, this newer model is matte-textured all around, including on its screen bezels, which looks better than the glossy bezels used in previous generations. Some people might like the M15 R3 and R4’s two-toned color design, but the R5 comes in a gunmetal silver color that is striking, and the black plastic covering the keyboard is relatively free of distractions, aside from the backlit keyboard and illuminated Alienware logo. One of my favorite changes is inside of the laptop: Alienware lets you easily upgrade the RAM and storage if you want. Some previous models had RAM soldered onto the motherboard, but this one’s more futureproof.
Alienware shuffled around the keyboard layout, though, and it’s worse off than before. The M15 R5’s keys are still enjoyable to type on, but I make more typing mistakes because the volume keys have been delegated to the right side of the keyboard instead of the top. Also, the arrow keys were previously positioned a little lower than the rest of the keyboard to make them easy to find, but those have been shoved up in this model, resulting in a smaller right shift key. This might not be a problem once you get accustomed to typing on the M15, but it still feels like a step backwards.
The port selection isn’t as generous, either. The Ryzen Edition features three USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, an HDMI 2.1 port (capable of 4K output at up to 120Hz), a headphone jack, and a 2.5Gbps ethernet port. It’s not a bad lineup, but it could be better.
Missing from this model, and all other new models that Alienware recently unveiled, is the proprietary amplifier connector for its external GPU enclosure, which has been officially discontinued. Intel-based versions of Alienware’s newest laptops, like the M15 R6, X15, and X17, will support Thunderbolt eGPUs, but the M15 R5 won’t because it lacks a Thunderbolt port. So, you’re just stuck with the GPU that’s inside. Thankfully, the graphics performance is great by default, but there’s a lot of unused space on the R5’s rear where that amplifier port used to be. It would have been nice if Alienware had filled it with an SD card reader and an extra USB-C port.
The M15 R5’s performance didn’t come into question during my testing. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of seeing the great battery life AMD’s processors bring, and it’s great that this GPU can hold its own next to pricier components like the RTX 3070.
But as a whole, Alienware missed the landing when it comes to value. If you want more features for your money, even if it involves swapping some of the M15 R5’s power for a QHD screen and better portability, you should look elsewhere. The M15 R5 isn’t the jaw-dropping value that it needed to be (and that I’d hoped it would be) to steer everyone away from the 2021 gaming laptop frontrunner (so far), the Asus ROG Zephyrus G15.
Taito is the latest Japanese video game publisher to resurrect old hardware in mini form. The company behind Space Invaders, Bubble Bobble, and many more arcade classics has just announced the Egret II Mini, which like Sega’s excellent Astro City Mini is a shrunken-down version of a popular arcade cabinet.
The original Egret II was released in the ‘90s, and its key feature was the ability to rotate its screen 90 degrees so that games with tall aspect ratios — like Space Invaders and other shooters — could be played in tate (vertical) mode. Appropriately enough, that feature is present on the Egret II Mini, which has a 5-inch 4:3 LCD that can be played in either orientation.
The Egret II Mini’s primary controls include six primary buttons and an arcade-style microswitched stick that can be adjusted from four to eight directions depending on the game. There’s also an optional expansion controller that includes a paddle input for games like Arkanoid, as well as a trackball for the likes of Cameltry.
Here’s what the controller looks like. It’s 240 x 100 x 48mm, so it looks pretty substantial — somewhere between a traditional gamepad and fighting stick in size.
Taito is also selling a gamepad and an additional arcade stick as optional extras:
There’ll be 40 games preloaded on the cabinet itself, and the expansion controller also includes an SD card with ten games that use the paddle or trackball. Here’s the list of titles that have been confirmed so far:
Space Invaders
Lunar Rescue
Qix
Elevator Action
Chack’n Pop
Bubble Bobble
Rastan Saga
Rainbow Islands Extra
New Zealand Story
Don Doko Don
Violence Fight
Cadash
Liquid Kids
Metal Black
Kaiser Knuckle
The paddle/trackball games so far confirmed for the bundled SD card include:
Strike Bowling
Arkanoid
Plump Pop
Syvalion
Cameltry
Arkanoid Returns
Beyond the SD card slot, the Egret II Mini also has a USB-C port for power, two USB-A ports for controllers, an HDMI port for TV output, and a headphone jack.
The Egret II Mini could get pretty expensive depending how big of a Taito fan you are. The cabinet itself costs 18,678 yen (~$170), the expansion controller is 12,078 yen ($110), the extra arcade stick is 8,778 yen ($80), and the gamepad is $3,278 yen ($30). There’s also a 49,478-yen ($450) limited bundle that includes everything plus some extras like soundtrack CDs, and a 32,978-yen ($300) bundle that excludes the arcade stick and the gamepad.
At least there’s time to save up your yen — the Egret II Mini won’t ship until March 2nd 2022.
(Pocket-lint) – Google has announced a new version of the Pixel Buds, its true wireless headphones that originally launched in 2017 – the first-gen weren’t all that, though, while the second-gen Buds 2 stepped things up a little in 2019.
The third model belongs to the A-Series, picking up on the A series that we’ve seen in Google’s phones, presenting an affordable choice of true wireless headset.
What’s different to the previous Pixel Buds?
To look that, there isn’t a huge difference between the A-Series and Buds 2: both have the same overall styling and come in a case that’s smooth, much like a pebble.
Both have the same earbud design with a little promontory at the top to help keep them secure, and a round touch-control area on the outside.
Pocket-lint
The Pixel Buds 2 have wireless charging, however, and inside the case and on the inner part of the ‘buds have a matte finish to the plastics, while the A-Series is glossy. That means the older version looks slightly higher quality.
The A-Series also lacks the option to change the volume via gestures – instead you have to use voice for that – and there are a few minor feature differences. Otherwise, the experience is much the same – but the A-Series is much cheaper.
Design & Build
Earbud: 20.7 x 29.3 x 17.5mm; 5.06g
Colours: Dark Olive / Clearly White
Case: 63 x 47 x 25mm; 52.9g
IPX4 water-resistant
Three ear tip sizes
The Buds A-Series’ case, for all intents and purposes, is the same as that of the Buds 2: it’s the same size, has the same feel, and that same satisfying action when you open and close the lid. Both have a USB-C charging port, a manual connection button on the rear, but the A-Series is slightly lighter.
There’s a satisfying magnetic action when you drop the ‘buds into the case to charge and don’t worry about mixing these up if you happen to have the older version too – the A-Series has two charging contacts inside, the Pixel Buds 2 has three.
Pocket-lint
There are two colours to the A-Series – Clearly White or Dark Olive – and opening the lid reveals the colour you’re looking at, as it’s the touchy smooth round end of these Buds, carrying the ‘G’ logo, which makes them really distinctive.
The A-Series ‘buds have the same design as the previous model, with the body of the earbud designed to sit in the concha of the ear, while sealing into the canal with a choice of three different ear tips. These are round – Google seemingly hasn’t been tempted to move to oval as seen on some rivals.
There’s an additional rubber arm that sticks out the top of the buds that is designed to slot into one of the folds at the top of your ear to help keep things secure. We weren’t a fan of it on the previous version and we have the same reservations here: you can’t remove it from the ‘buds and we’re not convinced it’s necessary. As for us, the Buds A-Series sit securely in the ear anyway – even when exercising.
Indeed, if we rotate the earbuds to get that blobby rubber ant to engage with our ears, the sound from the headphones gets worse because they then don’t sit in the best position for our ears. That’s one thing to consider: all ears are different, so this might work for some people and not for others.
Pocket-lint
The great thing about these earbuds’ design is that they don’t hang out of your ear, so you don’t need to worry about pulling a hat over the top or anything else – we think they look a lot better than the ear-dribble style of Apple’s AirPods and all those who copy them. We find the Google design more comfortable for wearing over long periods, too.
Connection, setup and control
Native Pixel support
Pixel Buds app
Touch controls
Google Fast Pair means you just have to lift the lid of the case and your nearby Android phone will detect the Pixel Buds A-Series and allow you to connect with one tap. It’s essentially the same as Apple’s system with the AirPods and iPhone, linking the Buds to the Google account you register them with so they are then available on other devices too.
If you’re using a Pixel phone then you’ll have native support for the Buds; if using another brand Android device you’ll be prompted to download the Pixel Buds app, which will provide access to firmware updates and details on how to use all the features, as well as some options.
Pocket-lint
As far as setup is concerned, that’s all there is to it: you’ll be asked to walk through things like Google Assistant, and you’ll be prompted to allow notifications access, so you can unlock the potential of the Pixel Buds.
The touch-controls are fairly easy to master, too, with both left and right sides offering the same function: single-tap to play/pause; double-tap to skip forward; triple-tap to skip backwards; press-and-hold to get a notifications update.
The last of those is interesting, because you’ll get a report of the time and then you’ll be told about your notifications – with the option to reply, needing a press-and-hold to speak your reply, before it’s confirmed and then sent.
Pocket-lint
Missing from this selection of touch-controls is volume: unlike the Pixel Buds 2, you can’t swipe to change the volume, you have to ask Google Assistant to do it or you have to thumb the volume controller on your device instead.
This, we feel, is the biggest flaw of these headphones: volume control is pretty important when you’re listening to something, so having to ask Google using voice just isn’t appropriate in all situations.
Google Assistant and smart features
Google Assistant integration
Adaptive Sound
With a lack of volume control, Google pushes its Adaptive Sound option as a solution. This is designed to adapt the volume to the ambient sound levels. As the external noise goes up, so does the volume of the headphones. That’s fine in principal and works when you move from and area of consistent background noise to another – from a quiet library to a server room with whirring fans, for example – but it’s hopeless when you have varying noise levels.
Just walk along a busy street with Adaptive Sound on and you’ll find the volume of the headphones yo-yoing, because it’s not constant noise, it depends on what’s driving past at that moment. This could be corrected by a software update with Google reducing the frequency of volume changes. If you manually adjust the volume then it suspends the system for a bit and leaves the control to you, but in reality, it’s just too irritating to use in many situations and you might as well turn your phone volume up instead.
Pocket-lint
As we’ve said, Google Assistant is fully integrated into the headphones, so you can ask Google anything that you might on your phone or Nest Hub at home. For fans of the system, that’s a great addition, because you don’t need to fish your phone out of your pocket first. Sure, there are lots of headphones out there that offer Google Assistant, but naturally, Google puts Google first and the experience is nice and smooth.
It’s also a two-way experience, with Google Assistant notifying you of incoming messages and it’s able to read them out to you too – with the option to speak a reply. You can disable messages from any apps you don’t want in the Pixel Buds app, to maintain privacy (or, indeed, a barrage of non-stop voiced messaging). You can also trigger message sending through voice – and you’ll get to confirm the message that’s being sent.
Thanks to Voice Match, it will only respond to your voice – and that also means you can access things like your calendar and so on. It’s plain sailing all round.
Sound quality and performance
Buds: 5 hours battery life
Case: 19 hours extra
Spatial Vents
Bass Boost
When it comes to the performance, Google is taking a bit of a gamble. Rather then pursuing isolation from the outside world, it wants to provide an experience that lets some of the ambient sound in, so you don’t feel cut off.
Pocket-lint
Google uses what it calls Spatial Vents, while claiming that the headphones provide a gentle seal rather than trying to block everything out. We’re not huge fans of this approach and with the rise in headphones offering active noise cancellation (ANC), it suggests that generally speaking that’s what people are buying.
Needless to say, there’s no ANC here and you’ll be able to hear what’s happening around you a lot of the time. At home that’s perhaps useful – you can hear the doorbell or the dog bark – but out on public transport, you’ll hear every announcement, door crash, clatter of the wheels on the tracks, and that’s not something we want. This is exactly the same experience as the previous Pixel Buds and whether that suits you will depends very much on where you wear your headphones. If that’s a busy place, the A-Series might not be the best for you.
Aside from that, in quiet conditions, the sound quality is actually very good. The Pixel Buds A-Series benefits from the Bass Boost option that Google added as a software update to the previous Buds in late 2020, so they offer better performance for tracks which want a driving bassline. In quiet conditions at home we have no complaints: the Pixel Buds A-Series is a great pair of headphones, especially at the asking price and given the smart options they offer.
Pocket-lint
When it comes to calling there are two beam-forming mics on each ‘bud, but they still let noise through to the caller. This is reduced, but they’ll hear every car that drives past as a hiss. If you’re after a better calling experience, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro offers a far better experience, providing a better veil of silence when making calls.
The Pixel Buds A-Series provides battery life of 5 hours, which we’ve found to be accurate – although we found the left ‘bud to drain slightly faster than the right one. The case supplies 24 hours of life, recharging the buds when they are back in it, and charged itself via USB-C. This isn’t the longest battery life on the market, but it matches the Apple AirPods.
Best Bluetooth headphones 2021 rated: Top on-ear or over-ear wireless headphones
By Mike Lowe
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Verdict
The Pixel Buds A-Series have a lot to offer considering the price: Google Assistant integration, comfortable design, a lovely case, plus great audio performance when in quieter conditions.
The biggest downsides are the lack of on-bud volume controls and the design decision to not strive for isolation from external noise. The Adaptive Sound – which auto-adjusts volume – is a good idea in principle to compensate for this, but it sees the headphones’ volume yo-yo unnaturally.
Compared to the older Pixel Buds 2, we’d pick the Pixel Buds A-Series every time: they do the important things just as well but the price is much more approachable, meaning you can forgive the omissions given the context of price.
Also consider
Pocket-lint
Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro offer great noise-cancelling – which is especially effective when making calls – while also offering a great set of features.
Read the full review
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Jabra Elite Active 75t
These headphones are a little more bulky, but they offer noise-cancellation that will almost entirely eliminate external noise. If you want silence, Jabra delivers it.
The latest gadget from Satechi is both a stand and a USB-C hub made for the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models that have a USB-C charging port, as well as the 2020 iPad Air. It’s $100, and with your tablet wedged into the stand, it should look more like a traditional monitor, so you can keep on pretending it’s an actual desktop replacement.
Like any hub, it gives you a handful of extra ports for expanding the functionality of your iPad. This one includes an HDMI port capable of outputting 4K at up to 60Hz refresh rate, a USB-A data port, a USB-C PD port with up to 60W of charging power, a headphone jack, and separate slots for an SD and microSD card.
You technically don’t need an iPad to use this hub, as this foldable stand is compatible with other computers, tablets, and phones that have a USB-C port. Satechi does mention, however, that your device needs a USB-C PD port for “full compatibility” with the hub. It lists the last five years of MacBook Pros, the 2018 and 2020 MacBook Air, Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7 and Surface Go, as well as the Samsung Galaxy S20 and Google Pixelbook as viable companions to its hub. Extra compatibility is nice, but if you don’t have an iPad (and thus, no need for the stand component), you can probably find a different USB-C hub that’s no less capable for cheaper.
If this product seems appealing to you, Satechi is knocking $20 off the cost through June 6th at midnight PT when you enter the offer code IPADPRO at checkout.
Makers have been eager to integrate the Raspberry Pi RP2040 chip into boards of their own since the Pico was first revealed. The recent release of the RP2040 for general sale is going to fuel further maker projects, and we cannot wait to see what is on the horizon. One of the first examples from the maker community that we covered was the RP2040 Stamp, created by Solder Party’s Arturo182. Today we’re excited to share a few new accessories developed just for the RP2040 Stamp module.
The new accessories include a carrier board which follows the Arduino aesthetic and breaks out a selection of the RP2040 GPIO. The carrier board has multiple power connections. We have a DC barrel jack, USB-C (which also works to flash firmware to the RP2040) and a LiPo / Li-Ion battery connector. Also present is a Stemma QT / Qwiic connector for use with compatible devices.
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The best Raspberry Pi projects bridge gaps and this new carrier board provides the power of the RP2040 with the layout of an Arduino Uno / Leonardo. The RP2040 Stamp is installed by surface mount soldering it to the carrier board.
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Arturo182 has also developed a test jig just for flashing firmware to the RP2040 and for general testing of boards. According to Arturo182, it can check everything from GPIO support to the 3.3V power. While this isn’t a strictly necessary step, it aids Arturo182 workflow to QA each of their boards ready for sale.
If you want to see these new boards up close, check out the original post shared to Twitter and be sure to follow Arturo182 for more updates.
Seeed today announced the first member of its reServer System today. The reServer x86 series is designed for edge computing and IoT applications. The systems come powered by an 11th-Gen Intel processor, and higher-spec models feature Intel Iris Xe graphics.
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(Image credit: Seeed)
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Seeed’s reServer is a compact piece of kit measuring 4.8 x 5.2 x 9 inches (124 x 132 x 230 mm), giving it enough height to house two 3.5 inch SATA drives and plenty of space for cooling using heat pipes and vapor chambers. The lowest spec reServer is the 11th-Gen Core i3 model with Intel UHD Graphics. If you want Intel Iris Xe graphics, then you should look at the i5 and i7 models.
No matter which version you opt for, each has a TDP of 28W. The mainboard has M.2 expandability for SSD and 4G/5G connectivity, and you can upgrade the RAM to a maximum of 64GB of DDR4-3200. The onboard HDMI 2.0b port supports up to 4k60, and the Displayport connector provides up to 7680×4320 at 60Hz. An additional LCD eDP 40 pin connector provides another means to output video. In total, there are four simultaneous display outputs if we count the USB-C Thunderbolt 4 connection on the i5 and i7 models. An Intel I225-V Ethernet controller powers two 2.5Gb Ethernet ports. If wireless communications is more your thing, reSpeaker offers Wi-Fi 6, LoRaWAN and 4G / 5G via an optional module.
The i3 model has a single USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 port, whereas the i5 and i7 models have two USB 3.2 Gen 2 and two USB 2.0 ports. Also present are RS-232 / 422 and 485 COM ports along with a 28-pin breakout for an ATSAMD21G18 32-Bit Arm Cortex M0+ microcontroller which is programmable via the Arduino IDE.
To power the unit, we rely on an external power brick that supplies the needed 12V DC. For i5 and i7 models, we have the option of USB PD via the USB-C port.
Edge computing is computing performed near the source of the data rather than in the cloud. This means that a project or organization does not rely on the cloud infrastructure provided by an external company.
Seeed is aiming the reServer at many different applications, including the traditional small office/home office server, but more interestingly, they see applications in the industrial automation, smart vision/city and healthcare industries.
Prices start from $669 for the i3 model with 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD and Wi-Fi 6 and a 16GB 512GB SSD model is available from $769.
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