* **TikTok Finally Sold (I guess...)** * **iRobot Bankruptcy** * **The New Legitimacy of Online Gambling** **TikTok Finally Sold (I guess...)** This is arguably the biggest tech story of the week and is an almost perfect cap to the year - although much could still happen in the world between now and 12/31/2025. Nevertheless, I'm probably the worst person in the world to write about this story as I have actively and intentionally stayed off TikTok. I don't have the app installed anywhere and have only seen a few videos on the internet or those that were cross posted to YouTube as Shorts. I more or less live on YouTube for video, with short jaunts occasionally taken to Nebula.tv and video players on the various news sites I frequent, like BBC and NPR. In general, I prefer long-form video over short-form. However, I acknowledge that some things are best kept short. The Shorts that tend to get me to click are videos of animals doing cute or silly things, radical transformations and/or makeovers, and quick looks at hot new tech products. But I mainly try to scroll past Shorts and not get sidetracked by them in my search for more "meaningful" content. Yet I also know that you can convey a lot of information in 2 minutes or less, so I'm earnestly not trying to put down the entire category. I know there are famous TikTok personalities that cover the news and educate their viewers on a wide range of topics. I've listened to many interviews on podcasts of some of those personalities and I respect what they're trying to do for their audiences. After all, mainstream media - whatever that is depends on who you are, I think - constantly tells us that our attention spans are shorter than ever. We see stories all the time about how college kids can't be bothered to read books, so professors are now assigning book snippets. And knowing that at least initially TikTok viewership skewed young, one can imagine the potential importance of the platform. 'Potential' is key here because we also know for the most part, people aren't going to TikTok to be informed or educated as much as they are to be entertained. If one can also be informed or educated while being entertained, then we are all theoretically better for it. But in terms of the threat of all this real entertainment and potential education has to the United States, I can't say. I'm not sure it's honest to suggest that anyone can say. Supposedly, Congress was provided data to which the rest of us aren't privy and the horrors of those realities are supposedly what led to the TikTok ban in the first place. It was such a dire situation that they passed a law to ban it or sell it to American owners to keep unwitting Americans safe from undue Chinese influence and propaganda. So dire indeed that they then let the law remain unenforced for nearly an entire year. Well, the danger to American Democracy must be staggering, unmeasurable even. There are arguments raging even now as to whether the deal that has been made can accomplish the original point of a sale as the law intended. After a year of wheeling and dealing, Chinese investors will still have a stake in the final venture. Even if we will be safer under the new ownership and the revamped technical arrangements, who can quantify that impact? What are the appropriate metrics for determining that this approach is successful? I'm more interested in this facet than I am even in whether the platform will continue to be successful from a user and consumer perspective because that angle is so much easier to measure and probably much easier to predict. If the recommendations on the platform are perceived to be worse and that perception persists over time, then the platform will ultimately fail, and all the money spent to acquire it will have been yet another tech money pit. But there is a possibility that the platform will remain viable and appealing to people even after the algorithm is retrained and deemed safe for public consumption. TikTok has no real competitor despite companies like Meta and Google claiming they are in a fight for their lives against it. I suspect you'll have to mess it up pretty badly in order for everyone to just walk away from it. And it's also possible that even if the algorithm is decimated after being retrained, it may still get better with time if enough people stick with it. Meta and Google manage to serve people content they want to see at least some of the time. I would bet that even the new TikTok could manage that as well as they do. But I'm not seeing enough people in power asking how we'll know this was all worth the effort. I guess that tells me that the point was never really being safer. The point was appearing to be safer to allow for another power grab for the already powerful American technocracy and dispelling the idea of Chinese superiority in any form. More tech war served cold. **iRobot Bankruptcy** For once, I found myself a tiny bit sad that Amazon hadn't been allowed to buy iRobot. At the time the decision came down, it seemed reasonable to me. Knowing what I know about Amazon, it seemed perfectly logical that they would buy iRobot and then shove its products into all of our faces at the expense of any competitors that would dare to sell similar products on Amazon. Many articles have been written and videos created about Amazon's tendencies to front-load its store with as much of its own stuff as humanly and inhumanly possible. And of course, Amazon has an existing relationship with Best Buy, so we'd expect to see their products pushed there as well, likely taking up valuable specialized floor space in their stores alongside their Echo and Ring products. While there were and continue to be countless Chinese competitors, few of them had the brand recognition of Roomba and even fewer had the marketing chops and ruthless ambition of Amazon. But the period of uncertainty around the approval seems to have left iRobot in a lurch where those competitors were able to start lapping it soundly in terms of price and features. If you take any amount of time to research and cross-shop intelligent vacuums and mops, you'll find iRobot's products aren't at the top of the list anymore. I bought my parents a Roomba vacuum and mop several years ago, but if I were in the market today, there are other brands I'd consider first because of their positive reviews on sites like PCMag.com, Tom's Guide, and The Verge. Even Dyson is in the game now. And as a person who watches a lot of YouTube, I've certainly seen plenty of ad spots done by creators for vacuums from other top brands sold on Amazon. What would the industry look like now if Amazon had bought iRobot? Would they have toppled those other brands through sheer media marketing muscle, or would things look oddly similar to how they look today, just with iRobot products perhaps being on the list more often than not? How long would it have taken for iRobot to scale back up their R&D and product design efforts since they admit now that they had to slow things down while they waited for the deal to be approved? I think that if it's true they lost time while waiting for approval, that would have put them behind no matter what. I think it's possible that Amazon having bought them wouldn't have been as detrimental to the market as perhaps many of us assumed it would be at the time. But hindsight is always clearer than foresight and even now, this is just my speculation. The end result is that we have a fairly robust selection of products to choose from, many of them available exclusively on Amazon. And even if iRobot were to fade quietly into the vacuum of dead product space, maybe we're still better off overall. Is this what winning that tech war against China looks like? **The New Legitimacy of Online Gambling** I have a tiny portfolio of weird stocks I've bought through Robinhood. I started using the app right before the pandemic on the recommendation of a co-worker. I remember the last conversation I had with him about stocks right before we were all sent home to work remotely was about the best medical and pharmaceutical stocks to buy - J&J, Medtronic, etc. It was the first time I'd ever bought stocks outside of my 401K. And because I was putting tiny amounts in - I'd buy only a few shares of stocks at most and usually only stocks whose prices were well under $100 per share - I didn't feel like I was throwing away money. The stock market had always felt a little bit like legitimate legal gambling to me. And I say legitimate because if you told someone at your church that you'd bought stocks, they'd just nod, smile, and maybe even ask for a stock tip. But if you told them you went to a casino or bought a bunch of lottery tickets, they'd be much more likely to look down their nose at you. I've lost some money on some bad choices (Nikola, sigh...) but I've also made money on some good guesses. And when Robinhood introduced the ability to get in on some IPOs, I jumped at that, including their own IPO back in 2021. So as someone with an account as well as a being a shareholder, I get plenty of email from them. And when I saw the email this week about their latest YES/NO event, for some reason I registered and watched it. Well, I watched it for a little while. As soon as it was clear to me that they were just going to talk about examples of things you could bet on with their new betting platform... sorry, prediction market offering... I bailed. It's just another step too close to plain old gambling to me and I don't like to feel like I'm intentionally wasting money. I think the idea of having even a tiny stake in something that could succeed or fail feels less like wasting money than buying an opportunity to make or lose money based on whether something happens. This is a small distinction, perhaps one without a real difference, but it's real in my mind. Nevertheless, this is a market that is exploding. And now that Polymarket is open to the USA competition is probably going to continue to heat up. Coinbase has made announcements. DraftKings has a new app. I'm not sure how we deal with the gambling equivalent of insider trading issues on these platforms. Maybe it doesn't matter since these aren't securities and no one is buying into anything other than an idea. But I sense that there is going to continue to be drama around people making bets on ideas that are sure bets for them because of what they know, and I don't see any clear way to prevent this across the board. Is it a tempest in a teapot? Will there even be a tempest? Hey, maybe these emerging prediction market platforms will be how Congress deals with not being able to trade stocks if that law moves forward...

* Apple losing its appeal * Executive order on AI legislation * Disney's deal with OpenAI * Paramount's hostile takeover attempt **Apple Losing its Appeal** [note: Yeah, I see the ironic pun there. I am resisting.] Last week, I pondered the departure of Apple's Alan Dye and this week, Apple's troubles seem to continue to mount with the conclusion(?) of its saga with Epic Games. Apple lost its appeal on the contempt charge relating to its 2021 loss on alternative payment systems for iOS/iPadOS apps. The appeals court upheld the sanctions but is allowing for Apple to charge a "reasonable" fee for platform expenses. That portion will go back to the district judge where the fee structure will be finalized. I generally try not to do many in-app purchases as a matter of course. When possible, I prefer to buy my subscriptions or software online direct from the company that makes it. This is not always possible, especially with mobile-first apps. I completely understand from a developer's perspective that it's often just less stress and mess to let someone else who has already developed the means to accept payments to go ahead and accept the payments. I have an Etsy store and haven't been at all motivated to sell items directly on my website even though tools like Shopify make it much easier to do than it was in the past. For a small seller or developer, not having to set up anything other than hooking into the already existing Apple store system is probably pretty enticing. You generally trust that Apple is going to pay you the money you're owed, and everything is going to work. You don't have as much troubleshooting and therefore you have less drama. Eventually, as you grow, the dynamics and economics can shift, and larger players will find it more profitable to collect all the money themselves and put their own systems into place to do so. And if going that route can save some money for the consumer, even better, right? Well, not if you're Apple and you rather enjoy taking a cut of revenue from every developer that sells items on your platform. I'm reminded of the old argument from the early days of the App Store that the splits were even more unfair in the old days. I'm certainly old enough to remember those particular old days; the days of buying apps for your Palm or Windows Mobile PDA on various software stores. Buying software for your PDA wasn't nearly as common then as buying software for your laptop, but stores existed to buy applications of all kinds. We bought navigation software, planners, spreadsheet and document editors, book readers, and even games. I remember those days fondly because I was a consumer and not a developer. We're often reminded that the splits on those stores weren't as favorable as the generous split Apple and eventually Google were offering. Things were much less transparent back then. If I paid $50 for the privilege of running something like TomTom Maps on my HP iPaq or Sony Clie, I had no idea how much was going to TomTom vs. the store I used to procure the software. It probably never even crossed my mind. But in today's world, with companies constantly communicating cacophonies of [potentially] conflicting messaging, we have so much more information to sort and arrange into neat mental piles. I vaguely remember Steve Jobs talking about how they'd take only 15% and how much better that was than the old stores. That wasn't lost on me. It wasn't intended to be lost on me. Apple wanted everyone to know that they were doing everyone a favor here: developers get a great platform on which to sell their fabulous apps, and consumers get a great platform on which to buy... fart apps, it seemed. The early days were rough. What stays with me here is that I don't think any of this has meant anything to Apple at all. That original ethos of we're offering everyone a fair deal here and we have the best thing going is really the heart of Apple in a tiny nugget. It is inconceivable that anyone should want to circumvent the beautiful thing they are offering you. It is perhaps even theft. In a way, it reminds me of Trump's recent claim that democrats decrying illegal military orders were traitors worthy of execution. _I am offering you everything. There is nothing but darkness beside me._ I do not think there was a single lesson learned here by Apple except perhaps to try - and I mean try with the least enthusiasm possible - to keep the hubris to itself as much as possible when it comes to court cases. Acting classes, maybe, to learn to fake humility. **Executive Order on AI Legislation** I am not equipped to wax even unpoetically on the idea of federalism from a US constitutional perspective. I think even whatever I learned about this in civics class didn't prepare me for how fraught a topic this would become. Nevertheless, what does seem clear to me is that ultimately this is about money and power and that the money has gone out from the big tech companies who gain the most from AI so that they can have more power to ensure they can continue to therefore rake in the money to reap the rewards that are surely inherent in selling AI services to the masses... The money and power parts are boring, though. It's the story of humanity. What is more interesting to me is what would be the result of completely unfettered AI development? We have already seen positive and negative impacts. And because the seemingly positive impacts are so significant, many prefer to try to push aside concerns about the negative pieces. We could cure cancer! How could you not want to cure cancer! No one will have to work anymore! Don't you want to spend your whole days doing whatever it is you love to do! Why do you hate fun? If there were truly no guardrails and the companies did whatever they believed would make them the most money, one has to wonder if doing anything good would even pay off. Curing cancer is something probably most normal people would consider an exceptionally positive outcome that might justify letting AI run rampant a bit. But curing cancer would eliminate revenue streams for a lot of companies with deep pockets. Only sick people need medicine. Only bodies with damage need surgery. I'm not naive enough to believe that anything AI could do to help humanity wouldn't be met by a swift reverberation from the company profiting off whatever misery AI could help resolve. It is so much more profitable for the powerful if humanity is kept more or less where it is now and profits continue to go more or less exactly where they are going now. Do not expect AI to save humanity. But at the same time, do not expect that the government, whose pockets are stuffed with money from those powerful profiteers, to save humanity either. **Disney's Deal with OpenAI** I admit I wasn't paying enough attention to this aspect of the AI drama. As a musician, I see a clear path to where art of all kinds is threatened in some way by AI. My husband, who is also a musician, recently sent me a number of AI-generated renditions of songs that impressed him. And most of us have heard of the countless AI-generated country songs that have both delighted and horrified people. I do think that in some spaces, AI-generated music could take over. I have had it in my heart for many months to sit down and write some decent music to use in my own YouTube videos. I have a couple of snippets I've used but I've never really taken the time to really compose stuff I feel good about. It's a multi-step process. I have to pull out my MIDI controller keyboard (because I'm a pianist and that's where I'll always start), connect it to some kind of computer, fire up some kind of digital audio workstation (DAW) software, and lay down some tracks. Along the way there are likely to be some bumps. I'll have to update the software. I'll have to download a plugin. Oh, I was on a free trial and that's ended so I have to pay for the software. I'll have to update the computer. I'll have to find the right patches. I'll have to do some editing. And yes, there are AI tools to make some of this less of a hassle, but for the most part, I want my music to be all me even if that means it isn't mathematically perfect. But how many people can't even execute those steps? The same people who use license music or get music from companies that specialize in offering music for content creators are a superset that contains a subset of people that will prefer to skip all that and just have an AI tool spit out a banger in the style of whatever they want. And why not pay for a subscription and have the AI create as much stuff as you like. That's where my mind has been when it comes to AI in the recent months. I haven't been thinking about copyright at all other than getting my own stuff filed as/when appropriate. So, of course Disney, the master of all things copyright, should be the first to step out in this space and try to define the terms under which its IP can be used. I am greatly interested in seeing what curated videos Disney will deem acceptable for its streaming platforms. What will it really mean to be able to use Disney characters in Sora videos? I am sure that there are some thick guardrails currently in development to ensure this does not become an embarrassment for Disney. I don't know that this will result in any new iconic representations of those characters. And there are details that I'm not sure we know. Will there be limits on the volume/output using Disney characters? Does the extra cost to OpenAI insinuate extra cost to Sora users that may want to use these characters in their videos? I have a hard time believing this will be a willy-nilly approach. Disney does not like chaos. I should have strong feelings about this, but it's Disney and they have been such a force for copyright domination that I don't. Over time, more and more of their portfolio will fall into the public domain and while I understand that is concerning from a revenue perspective, I do nevertheless wish they would spend more time creating rather than litigating. They have had so many characters and franchises over the years and if they'd put a little more effort into finding and pushing the successor to Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and all that stuff, they'd be in a better place. And I'm not saying that they should throw away Mickey Mouse and all that. What I am saying is that for the most part, artists create and keep creating. You may initially or eventually create that masterpiece, that #1 hit, that best-selling book, that award-winning photo, that whatever. But you're likely to keep creating stuff because in your heart you want to create something better than that thing that defined you. Walt Disney died in 1966 and while Disney has continued to create characters ever since then, I'm not sure they've ever really felt they needed a plan for what their halo character or emblem should be once the image of Mickey Mouse goes into the public domain. Of course, it's true that they have trademark protection and versions of the mouse that were created after the Steamboat Willie days are still protected, yet there is this sense that Disney doesn't want to create the thing that is better than what currently defines them. Maybe that's because when Walt died, the artist died and the company we're left with views itself as a steward (landlord?) of past art rather than an innovator for new art. I guess that's why it's a small world for acquisitions and deals after all. **Paramount's Hostile Takeover Bid** Last week, it had not occurred to me that Paramount would strike back (yeah, I'm on theme this week). I think because I am a person who tends to learn the rules and more or less follows them, this seemed like a done deal assuming it could get approved by the FTC and DOJ. Of course, I knew that hostile takeovers happen. Some of them have been market-redefining case studies and reminders for why the word "hostile" is baked in. All the same, I was somewhat surprised to read the news on Monday and see that here was another company saying _I am offering you everything and there is nothing but darkness besides me_. OK, OK, that's not really all that's going on here. What Paramount is really saying is that I kinda need you so I can be everything and I'm not letting you get away without a fight. Look, I'm not the best person to speak on whether Paramount would truly be better if they win this war. I do understand that on paper they have a lot to gain. But if my thoughts on previous stories haven't made it plain, I do think that companies should try to compete and do better and acquisitions and deals aren't always the best path forward. There is still room in the industry for new ideas. Doesn't anyone have any ideas anymore? Do they just want to continue to throw money at old characters and old stories? Sure, it's true that Warner, like Disney, does create new stuff from time to time. But so much of the industry seems more motivated to squeeze as much money out of past hits than to invest time and money into making new hits. Maybe I'm seeing this all from the wrong angle. I know that ultimately these are businesses and businesses are in it for the money and for them it doesn't really matter from which angle that money comes as long as it pours in. I saw a headline saying Paramount says money is no object when it comes to buying WBD. So, they're saying they can make it rain. But making it rain could also mean watering the soil and allowing fresh new plants to sprout. Maybe try making it rain that way, Ellison.

* Chief design officer Alan Dye leaves Apple for Meta * Samsung unveils its dual-fold 10” foldable * Micron stops selling memory to consumers; RAM is for AI now * Netflix agrees to buy Warner Bros Studios and HBO Max **Alan Dye - Apple and Meta** I am not intimately familiar with Alan Dye; I barely remember him speaking at the last WWDC event although it seems he covered the new Liquid Glass design approach in the keynote, which I definitely watched. This may be because he didn’t make much of an impression on me or it may be because Liquid Glass didn’t make much of an impression on me, or it may be that I’m just not tightly tuned into design decisions. If I notice that design is bad, it’s undoubtedly terrible. I grew up using MS DOS and haven’t hated any particular version of Windows except maybe Windows XP, which was a little too bubbly and happy for me. I tend to like design that is understated and not overly fluffy or flamboyant. I think most design across modern operating systems is now more similar than dissimilar and most apps are now like more alike than unalike. So for me to take note of a design approach and actively hate it means it’s either really bad or it has hampered me in some way from using the product in the manner in which I would like to use it. So also, I don’t have anything to say in particular about Dye’s departure from its effect on future Apple design. I don’t hate Liquid Glass but I’m not using it on my daily driver phone. It exists for me only on my iPad Pro, which is a backup machine at best that I pull out more because I really like the Magic Keyboard than I like the tablet itself. Most of my icons are dark and the change in design hasn’t really gotten in my way. There hasn’t been a point in time where I’ve thought I couldn’t see or read something I needed to see or read. I have seen plenty of videos where people show very clearly and mainly very calmly how Liquid Glass is actively working against usability and I empathize (contrary to what some might tell you, empathy is NOT a sin nor is it weakness) with them but realistically, do not care all that much. No, what I find more interesting is that Dye left to go to Meta. Now, most people will say that money talks and I have to assume that it was probably literally yelling at him the way Zuckerburg likes to throw money at things and people he wants to use in his quest to win the internet. I just took time to ask Gemini how old Alan Dye is and it was not able to tell me. But I suspect he belongs to Gen X and while he has several more years he could work, he doesn’t necessarily need to work. And if he were driven just by money he probably could have left before now to do a variety of things tied to making more money. It may be that if he was as despised internally by other designers as John Gruber says he is/was, then this could be the right time to leave, and money may have been the icing on the cake. But Gruber also said that Dye was safe in his spot and his departure was unexpected, so unless he was truly unhappy living with that resentment (and I have observed over the years that most powerful men do not care who resents them if they are at or below them on the paygrade ladder), it also seems like an odd time to leave a place that has so much more prestige and gravitas in the tech world. It is rather beloved, at least in comparison to Meta. But people with power like power and often want more of it. If Zuckerburg pitched not only the right amount of money, but also the right amount of more apparent power, that could outweigh the prestige of being chief interface officer (or whatever his title was) at Apple vs. being chief design officer at a company most people actively hate even if they continue using its products. The bigger question to me is Zuckerburg’s angle on this move. Does he actually appreciate Dye’s design aesthetic and want him to replicate it at Meta, or does he believe the halo of having been chief design guy at Apple will lend some extra light to design at Meta just by gracing them with his presence? If you are a regular person, most of whom don’t have strong feelings about Liquid Glass one way or another, then if you learn that the new design stuff that comes out of Meta is the result of Meta having hired an Apple guy, you might have warmer feelings toward that design due to your warmer feelings for most things Apple. But, at the same time, most people aren’t clued into these power moves. Unless Zuckerburg goes way out of his way to make this known to people, no one will know or care. And for those same regular people, design changes are typically more annoying than beneficial, especially at first, because that button or menu isn’t in the same place anymore and now you have to learn to which unfamiliar places all the familiar things went. It would seem to me that Meta will now need to overhaul its interfaces to justify the expense of hiring a new interface guy. That might not actually work out in their favor, most especially since it does not seem that Dye is even a good interface guy. My guess is that this is an expense Zuckerburg will end up writing off as a loss, even if not in a balance sheet sense. **Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold** I first bought into the Samsung foldable world with the Z Fold 3, which I still have and is semi-permanently attached to a 24” 4K monitor due to the usefulness of Samsung DeX. It is my Ring monitor and Mastodon dashboard. My last foldable was the Z Fold 5, which I traded in for the S25 Ultra after I learned that the Z Fold 7 (see, I was buying on the odd years) would not have stylus support. The Z Fold 3 still lives in its case with the pen holder and the Z Fold 5 also lived in its case with the pen slot on the rear before I removed it for the last time. I hadn’t had a Samsung phone without pen support since the S3. I started out with the original Note and just kept going. So for me, the Z TriFold is a non-starter as it does not seem to have any kind of pen support. This is really a tragedy as far as I’m concerned. To have a nice large screen on which you can’t draw or take notes is a bit of a waste. I have had the Note and S Tabs with pen support for as long as Samsung has been making them. Apple reinforced the benefits of pen support when they came out with the Apple pencil. I have no idea why Samsung seems so determined to slowly walk away from this feature. Perhaps it’s not as popular in South Korea as it used to be? For me, the benefits of having my phone also be my tablet aren’t quite as appealing if I can’t use the tablet the way I tend to use my tablets. I either use them in their keyboard cases like the M1 iPad Pro I own, which almost never leaves its Magic Keyboard, or I use them with a stylus for both navigation and note-taking. I even buy Windows machines that are pen-enabled and have given up on buying regular laptops, even if this means I end up stuck with 2-in-1 tablets in the Surface or my newest fascination, my ASUS ROG Flow Z13. Even if I could use the pen only on the front screen that would be enough for me to consider it, were the price not a much larger obstacle for me to overcome. I do not want to pay more for my phone than what I paid for my Z13. I’ll just keep carrying around my S25 Ultra and a tablet, thank you very much. My biggest real complaint about the TriFold is that it doesn’t seem to be quite as versatile as the Huawei foldable, which can fold out to look like a Z Fold but then open up again to be a full-size tablet. I like that approach better even though I understand Samsung wanted to keep the soft inner screen protected. I damaged the screen on my Z Fold 3 within a few weeks of getting it, so I understand very well how fragile those screens are. Nevertheless, that extra usage posture (as those in the industry say, right?) would make the phone more useful to me. I’m one of those oddballs that used my foldables open almost all of the time. I rarely used the front screen. So for me, having the extra front screen isn’t a huge pro. If I had the Huawei, I would probably use it 2/3 open more often than not. After all, I bought the big phone because I wanted the big screen. I want to use the big screen, but at the same time it is not always cool to whip out a 10” screen. That’s just big enough to be unwieldy in many situations, especially on the go. On the go, I mainly want the 2/3 size and maybe just 1/3 if I’m simply checking a notification. I want more options, not fewer. **Micron Shuts Down Crucial Brand** I guess I bought my Z13 at just the right time, seeing as I opted for the 64GB version and refused to settle for 32GB after years of buying machines with 32GB as the top option. I wanted a machine that was reasonably thin and light with pen support that would also be able to edit 4K video in DaVinci Resolve. I knew the extra RAM would be beneficial for that task, even if it was overkill for pretty much everything else I’d do with the machine. I haven’t built a PC in many years, but I remember those days fondly, probably because I know I’ll never have to do it again as it was a bit of a pain just as much as it was a real learning experience. I know people still build machines for gaming and other specialized purposes and I know people who can upgrade RAM in a machine prize the ability to do so and will prioritize machines that allow them this luxury. Nevertheless, I don’t like what this will do to the market. I don’t like how it will make building machines more difficult. I don’t like how it will probably also drive up the price of RAM in pre-configured systems. RAM was already expensive. There is a part of me that wants to be hopeful that we are in an AI bubble and when it bursts, things will go back to something closer to normal, but I don’t think that will happen. I think the AI effusiveness will last just long enough that it will kill off the DIY market and the closest thing people will get to that will be custom ordering PCs like we did back in the early days of Alienware, iBuyPower, CyberPowerPC, etc. Quite often, when we lose something in the PC world, it’s gone for good. And that’s only the case if Linux gaming and/or game streaming doesn’t finally take off and people would still have any inclination to build PCs for gaming. I think the winds of change are blowing up into a nice tropical storm here. **Netflix Agrees to Buy Warner Bros Studios & Games and HBO Max** In the United States, it sometimes seems that everyone who has held down a job for any amount of time has either had a cable subscription that included HBO or has paid for (or mooched off someone else’s) Netflix. Even I, a person who rarely watches anything that isn’t YouTube, has had a Netflix account in the past. The idea of the famous/infamous streaming platform buying what is left of HBO was a little hard for me to grasp at first. It wasn’t that I couldn’t understand why Netflix would spend the money; Warner Bros and HBO Max are big gets for the company. I just wasn’t paying enough attention to understand that this was a thing that could happen. It hadn’t occurred to me that Netflix had the money to compete with Paramount and whatever other big billionaire-funded machines that were aiming to get their mitts on those properties. I do wonder what the long-term plan is that Netflix has for this acquisition. Would they leave them as they are but just load up Netflix with more of their content? Or would they wind down HBO Max and bring all those shows direct to Netflix? Or would they create a new streaming platform that brings the content of both together under a new and likely terrible name? Would they create new tiers offering different genres or types of shows, something like the bundles you can get today that combine other streaming services for one price that is, in theory, a better deal than buying them separately? Perhaps they would offer certain content only in a pay-per-play model. If this deal goes through - and smart people on the internet have already noted that due to this offer being out in the world the streaming market is unlikely to change much until the deal goes through or is ended due to antitrust concerns - this will be an interesting scenario to watch unfold, even for me, a person who generally isn’t watching much of anything.

The earphones with MEMS drivers keep coming in hot. Today we have a look at the latest from SoundPeats to perhaps topple the Capsule3 Pro+ from its perch. **Hardware** The Air5 Pro+ (henceforth Air5P+) come in a standard SoundPeats-shaped case. It is very similar to the Capsule3 Pro+ (henceforth C3P+) case in shape, but it lacks the tagline "Hear Your Imagination" that lives on the front of the C3P+ case, and the opening of the lid sits lower. With the lower lid opening, the earphones are a bit easier to pull out of the case. The case cannot stand on its own and does not support wireless charging. The earphones are also very similar in size and shape to the C3P+. Even the gold trim is very similar but the body of the Air5P+ is shinier and lacks the gold trim on the top of the earphone body. The eartips are probably also the same and because of all this similarity, the fit is also virtually identical to the C3P+. If you can find a good fit for one of them, you are likely to find a good fit for the other. There is a slight difference in the angle of the nozzle, but this largely means they sit slightly differently in your ear. They aren't large earphones, so this probably won't make a huge difference in fit, but if you have very small ears, do note that nozzle of the Air5P+ is straighter up and down whereas the nozzle on the C3P+ is angled more and tilts slightly left/right. The Capsule3 Pro+ at top and the Air5 Pro+ at bottom The Air5P+ are IPX5 rated for water resistance and should be fine to use for exercise indoors or otudoors but should not be sumerged in water. The codecs supported are SBC, AAC, aptX (including aptX lossless), LC3, and LDAC. They are rated for 6 hours of continuous use and 30 hours using the charging case. Oddly enough, even though these are new on the market, they do not support Bluetooth 6.0 but are still rocking BT 5.4. As with most wireless earphones, these are managed with touch controls. Out of the box, the touch controls activate volume, play/pause, ANC modes, voice assistant and next track. You can customize the controls in the PeatsAudio app. I'm no fan of touch controls, but I had no real issues using them on these earphones. Even the triple-tap worked more often for me than not. **Software** Both earphones use the PeatsAudio app. Hone screen of the PeatsAudio app for the Air5 Pro+ I have had some ups and downs with this app, especially when I first used it with the C3P+. It is perhaps a bit more stable now than it was in the past as it usually connects to the Air5P+ with no issues I was able to go through the hearing test to create the customized Adaptive EQ and check for updates without any crashes. In addition to the Adaptive EQ, which is theoretically tailored to your hearing, the app also comes with 12 EQ presets (Classic, Bass Boost, Bass Reduce, Treble Boost, Pop, Electronic, Classical, Rock, Folk, Book Whisper, HIFI, and ACG) and the ability to create your own using a 10-band equalizer. You can also change the control settings. By default, single taps control volume, double taps control playback, triple clicks summon the voice assistant, and long presses change noise canceling modes on the left side and advances the track on the right side. Because many of the controls are redundant, you have some room to maneuver if you want to change them. I left them in their default stage even though I tend to find single tap controls too easy to activate. I dislike touch controls so I actively seek to never use them, but for the most part, I was able to activate the single and double click controls as expected. I do think having volume controls for the single tap is potentially dangeorus since that's the one you're most likely to activate accidentally, but I didn't have any major issues with this while I used them. Triple clicks almost never work for me but I also never use my earphones or headphones to call up the voice assistant, so that also wasn't a concern for me. The long press to change noise canceling modes worked flawlessly for me in my testing. It is nice to not have to use the app to change this setting. BTW, you can completely disable the touch controls if you do find you activate them accidentally or you just don't want to be bothered with them. **Special Features** The earphones don't have many fancy features beyond those that are controlled via the app. There is no automatic pause feature when an earphone is removed. They support multipoint connection so you can connect them to two devices at a time as long as you have LDAC disabled. There is also a game mode which can be enabled/disabled in the app. Sometimes I do notice a bit of delay in streaming video when using Bluetooth audio devices, but even with game mode off, I found the delay here to be less noticeable than with that of other devices I've used recently. **Noise Canceling** The active noise canceling is probably the most significant feature these earphones have to offer. In the app, you can choose indoor, outdoor, traffic mode, or adaptive noise cancellation. Even on the outdoor setting, the noise canceling isn't the best I've used, but it also isn't the worst. If you get a good seal, it will passively lower the volume of some steady state noise but won't keep you from hearing things like typing, voices, or even loud road noise outside your window. But it does subdue the sound of air conditioners, air purifiers, heaters, etc. With audio playing, you won't really hear much of anything. So although the noise canceling is very average, it will help quiet things down around you and if you need to hear co-workers or don't want to be completely disconnected, the noise canceling here might be fine for you. As we all know, the best noise canceling performance generally comes with over-the-ear headphones. **Sound** The Air5P+ are a bit different from the C3P+. Out of the box, the C3P+ are a bit brighter with more emphasis in the upper mids and highs than the Air5P+, which have heightened volume in the bass region. The mids and highs are present and you can properly identify instruments with decent separation between them, but the lower mids are impacted by the bass in that there is some bleed. This isn't bleed in the sense that the lower mids are wiped out; the effect is a fuller sound in the lower mids and upper bass region. I tend to like the fuller sound, but a purist or a person who prefers mids over bass will prefer the default tuning of the C3P+. In terms of detail retrieval, both do very well. The Air5P+ might have a tiny bit more texture in acoustic instruments but it's very slight. The soundstage on both is similar but because the C3P+ have less bass bleed, they have a lighter and more airy sound that could give the impression of more soundstage. In reality, both feel very in your head and vocalists sound close and intimate. I don't think this is a bad thing and earphones often struggle with soundstage compared to headphones, but if you want big and wide sound, I'm not sure either of these earphones is best for you. Ultimately, I think the expectation of earphones with xMEMS drivers is that the highs will be sparkly and detailed. The C3P+ seem to deliver more on the sparkle by default. But because you have the Adaptive EQ, EQ presets, and the ability to create custom EQ, either of them can be adjusted to better suit your preferences. The Bass Reduce setting on the Air5P+ can deliver a sound that is more similar to the default tuning of the C3P+ if you find the bass a bit too much. With the bass toned down a bit, that extra bit of sparkle and airiness comes into place. I do like the bassier sound for spoken word audio such as podcasts and audio books as voices sometimes sound a bit richer, but for music with a lot going on in the middle, the Bass Reduce EQ preset was one I found myself using quite a bit - and I love my bass. I think this is because I was really used to the sound of the C3P+, which I'd grown to love and prefer over my Creative Aurvana Ace Mimi - another xMEMS earphone with more bass that is slightly muddier than the Air5P+. And the sound here is a bit richer than what you get from the QCY Melobuds N70, which also have xMEMS drivers. Ultimately, if you are interested in trying out earphones with MEMS drivers for the first time, I think this is an excellent place to start. You get earphones that are capable of bringing the bass but can also excel at the mid and high-range depending on how you tailor the sound for your preference. I think they sound very good out of the box but respond well to equalization. If you are a price sensitive, you may want to consider the QCY Melobuds N70, which have a lower price but still have very good sound across the spectrum and are also customizable. If you are interested in trying them out, you can buy them here using my Amazon affiliate link, through which your purchase will help support this site and my YouTube channel and allow me to continue buying products to review and share with you. Thanks in advance for your support! Amazon.com: SoundPEATS Air5 Pro+ Hybrid Driver Wireless Earbuds, xMEMS & Aptos Class-H Amplifier, LDAC & aptX Lossless, Hi-Res Audio Wireless Certified, 55dB Adaptive ANC, 30H Playtime, Bluetooth 5.4 : ElectronicsAmazon.com: SoundPEATS Air5 Pro+ Hybrid Driver Wireless Earbuds, xMEMS & Aptos Class-H Amplifier, LDAC & aptX Lossless, Hi-Res Audio Wireless Certified, 55dB Adaptive ANC, 30H Playtime, Bluetooth 5.4 : ElectronicsShop the Store on Amazon ›From the Author YouTube review:

About a year ago, I learned about a relatively new driver type for consumer wireless headphones, the small but mighty xMEMS driver. xMEMS had been used in microphones for many years but putting them in headphones was a relatively new affair. The theoretical advantages are that they are very small and durable with no moving parts, so earphones can be made smaller and lighter but still retain good clarity and fast response for which the drivers are known. The first pair that came on my radar were the Creative Aurvana Ace Mimi and I bought them to try out the new tech. Now, Creative had a couple other pair of earphones with xMEMS drivers, but the Ace Mimi brought Mimi personalization as a new feature and that appealed to me as someone who had used the Mimi app before and liked what it had to offer in terms of hearing personalization. I used the Ace Mimi happily for a while and did a review on them for my YouTube channel. But a couple of months later, I learned about the existence of the SoundPeats Capsule 3 Pro+, which also used xMEMS drivers and had come out around the same time as the Ace Mimi. I had to compare them, so I ordered those and proceeded to test them against the Ace Mimi. The Capsule 3 Pro + came out ahead in my analysis, bolstered by their clearer and fuller midrange and highs and a little less muddy bass. But now QCY has come on my radar with their Melobuds N70. How will these stand up against their xMEMS predecessors? **Hardware and Comfort** The QCY case is the smallest of the bunch and supports wirelesss charging. There is a USB C port and reset button on the short end of the case. There are three microphones to support active noise cancellation and voice pickup. Like the other two earphones, there is a dynamic driver (for low-end boost, here it's a 10mm driver) and an xMEMS driver in each earphone. They support Bluetooth version 6.0 and for advanced codec and wireless high-resolution support, there is only LDAC. Four sizes of ear tips are included in the box running from XS to XL. A short USB A to USB C cable and the normal paperwork are also included. I like that the case is small and relatively pocketable. It cannot stand up straight upright under most conditions but lays on its flat side. The earphones are comfortable to wear; I was able to wear them for hours at a time without any annoyance or discomfort. They fit without making you feel like you are wearing earplugs and there isn't any sense of the ANC eardrum suck that people sometimes complain about. From a wear perspective, I found them tremendously average without being a standout in any good or bad way and that's OK with me. The one thing I will note here is that they don't list any water or dust protection on the box despite the fact that the website and Amazon product page do. I think that is very strange but will assume for the moment that they do have protection against water at IPX5. The Ace Mimi are IPX5, and the Capsule 3 Pro+ are IPX4. **Battery Life/Connectivity** According to QCY, the earphones can be used with ANC and LDAC turned off for 10 hours and 7 hours with ANC and LDAC turned on. With the case in both scenarios, it can be used 50 hours and 35 hours respectively. Charging time is stated as two hours. I used the earphones with ANC turned on and LDAC enabled and found that I could use them long enough to get a battery warning on the earphones, and it hadn't been 7 hours. I don't normally use earphones during the course of a day long enough to get a low battery warning, so I'd say the battery life here is on the shorter side or perhaps my charging case is defective. Nevertheless, if you are planning on wearing them all day for a normal workday, it may be wise to charge them during your lunch break or use them with ANC and/or LDAC disabled. As for connectivity, I found them to be above average but not stellar. I could wear them to fetch my mail, and I didn't lose connection in my kitchen or bathroom. The connection almost survived a trip to the basement to collect my laundry but stumbled a bit at that. But I'd say that the connection is good enough that I could use these daily and not feel like I was compromising in this area. **App and Controls** You can use the main functions of the app without having to create an account, which I consider a major win. In the app you can modify the touch controls - by default they control playback, previous/next rack, voice assistant, and ANC mode. Volume controls are available as a choice for customization and by default, the setting for one tap is turned off, so you can use that as an option for adding a control you want available. The app has a variety of features you can toggle on and off - find headset, power-off settings, fit detection (I tried this and it said I have a good fit), wear detection, beep volume, disconnection timer, wind noise detection, sleeping mode (disables the touch controls), LDAC, dual device connection, and firmware updates. The app tells me every time that there is a firmware update available, but it crashes whenever I attempt to update the earphones. In the sound section, you can choose between personalized sound, spatial sound effects and a variety of presets including pop, bass, rock, soft, classic, default, and a custom option that lets you play with a 10-band equalizer. You can also set the ANC to be adaptive, indoor, or commuting and you can also switch to transparency or normal modes. Each mode has a volume-control styled slider to increase or decrease the effect. And finally, you can adjust the left/right balance with a slider. These are solid options, and I found that the customized sound profile based on the hearing test is generally good, but the test was annoying to take, and I had to repeat it after I understood what it was doing. I do like that it shows you the results for each ear so you know what it will do to the sound. Too many of these customization features leave you guessing as to what exactly was modified. As with many of these apps, there are also pages to allow to view the manufacturer's website and ostensibly, order more of their products. I think this is annoying but fortunately it's relatively easy to avoid. **Noise Canceling Performance** The noise canceling is about average. It will take the edge of solid repetitive noise like an air conditioner, heater, or other steady-state noise but doesn't do as well with muting the sound of typing or voices, so it might not be best if you want to use it to block out noise in your workplace - unless you do want to be able to hear a bit of noise so you know when people are trying to talk to you. I didn't find that the adaptive mode was dramatically different than the commuting mode with ANC turned on full, but to be fair, I didn't give the earphones much to adapt to since I'm at home almost all the time and it's usually very quiet unless someone is doing landscaping work outside or cars drive by with the booming system... cars drive by.... **Sound** For whatever reason, I didn't expect much from the QCY, but they have landed themselves right in the middle of the pack. I find their midrange and high end to have better clarity and a bit more sparkle/air than the Ace Mimi but aren't as clear and delightful to me as the Capsule 3 Pro+. They do pack more of a punch in the low-end than the Capsule 3 Pro+; you get nice impact from bass drops and drums feel tangible, so if you are a bass head looking for an enjoyable pair of earphones with xMEMS drivers, I'd direct you to these over the Ace Mimi or the Capsule 3 Pro+. Despite the heavier bass, male and female vocals sound realistic and detailed and instruments sound as I'd expect them without any muddiness or congestion. The microphones adequately pickup my voice and do a decent job of positioning my voice above background noise but the voice pickup isn't as loud as what you get with the other 2 earphones. And because there are presets and the opportunity to create your own, you have some flexibility in how they will sound for your ears. I am happy to say I'm pleasantly surprised by the QCY Melobuds N70. Whether you're looking at trying out earphones with xMEMS drivers or just want a good sounding pair of earphones that cost less than $100, these are worth a look. Amazon affiliate link (purchases made through this link help support this website and my YT channel at no extra cost to you - thanks for your support!): https://amzn.to/4oTzl7n

**YouTube Review:** The SoundPeats Clip 1 are new clipbuds from budget audio brand SoundPeats. They are priced to compete with the Earfun Clip (~$70), which I recently reviewed here and on my YouTube channel. Let's see how these new buds compare to the Earfun. **Hardware** The SoundPeats case is larger than the Earfun case and open from the front when it is lying flat instead of opening from the back as the Earfun case does. (note that my Earfun case no longer seems to want to stay closed when lying flat but fortunately can stand upright and stay closed that way). Both cases are gray, but the SoundPeats case is shinier and larger. There is no wireless charging for either case. The earbuds themselves are very similar. There is branding on the rear portion and the front pieces where the speakers live are unadorned. The Earfun has silver and red trim and the SoundPeats has gold trim. I think the SoundPeats looks nicer, but I'm partial to gold. If you think gold looks trashy, you'll probably prefer the look of the Earfun. The SoundPeats Clip 1 outside their case **Software** Both devices have apps which allow you to turn LDAC on/off, modify controls, select EQ presets, and take a hearing test for the adaptive/dynamic EQ function. I like the customized EQ feature on the Earfun better, but they both seem to work fine. You can create your own EQ settings as well. I've had issues with the SoundPeats app in the past in terms of connectivity, but I didn't have any issues with it while testing the Clip 1. Home screen for the SoundPeats app for the Clip 1SoundPeats EQ presetsOptions to customize the controlsYou can create your own EQ presets with the 10-band equalizer **Sound** The Clip 1 have a brighter sound signature than the Earfun, which feel warmer and fuller, especially at the low end. But to trade blows, the Clip 1 have a bit wider soundstage, so some music sounds better, especially live music recordings. I wouldn't say that the Clip 1 has an excellent soundstage, but it is noticeable compared to the Earfun, which have an intimate in-your-head sound. The Earfun have a stronger bass presence, which lends to the fuller and warmer sound. Bass isn't nearly as prominent in the Clip 1, but there is EQ so you can ameliorate the situation somewhat. Both clipbuds have clear and detailed sound and are good enough to listen to music, but excel at spoken word content like podcasts, YouTube videos, and movies. **Other Features** Because these are clipbuds, they don't offfer any noise canceling beyond any noise reduction in their microphones. The Clip 1 do offer sensors to pause the music when you remove them and start it back when you put them back in. This generally works well but there is often a lag. It hasn't been annoying enough for me to turn the feature off (yet). To my ears, the Earfun has better microphone performance; the voice pickup is stronger, and clarity is reasonably good. The Clip 1 is quieter and seems to deal with noise a little less capably. But for use in quiet situations, both will allow you to take calls or record voice memos and be understood. In louder situations you may want something with stronger and better microphones. I like the Clip 1, but because my tastes in sound run warm, I'd take the Earfun Clip over the SoundPeats Clip 1. But if you like your music on the brighter/colder side, the Clip 1 may suit you well. They will be released on Amazon on November 12, 2025. Using the affiliate link below helps support me and allows me to continue buying products to review and share with you here on the website and on my YouTube channel. Thanks for the support! To buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/47Xd8z7

Gradually, as time passes, we are seeing more keyboard case options for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. With the movement of the pogo pins, the charging slot for the pen, the reversal of the volume/power buttons, and updates to the cameras, old cases for the S8/9/10 Ultra don't fit the S11 Ultra. But Samsung and third parties were not ready at launch with compelling options, so those of us with this tablet have had to scrape and scrounge for decent product choices. There are now a few magnetic keyboard cases available on Amazon, but I am convinced they are all the same "HL Keyboard" and have the same pros and cons as the Sackei and Inkolelo magnetic keyboard cases I've previously reviewed. Now Sahara has come out with a Microsoft Surface 2-piece keyboard case that consists of a protective case with a kickstand and a detachable Bluetooth keyboard with a touchpad. How does it stack up to the "HL Keyboard"? Is it worth your attention and money? I had to buy one to find out so I could tell you. Let's look at the major differences between them: **Typing Feel and Special Keys** Generic keyboard: The travel on the generic case is generally good. They keys have decent separation and are clicky enough to not feel mushy. The finger guides are reasonably easy to feel. The backlight is bright enough in the dark but isn't terribly visible during daylight. There is a DeX key and an AI key. There is a row of function keys that are labeled with their Android actions. You can disable the touchpad and take screenshots with the push of a button. HL Keyboard, which also goes by names such as "Sackei", "Inkolelo", and "Generic" on Amazon Sahara case: The keys on the Sahara case feel like they have a little bit less travel than the generic keyboard case. The finger guides feel exactly the same. The backlight is just as difficult to see in daylight. There is no DeX or AI key, but you do get a home, back, multitasking, and Windows keys along with the same row of special keys allowing access to media controls, brightness, volume, etc. The multitasking key allows you to switch between the last 4 open apps. The Windows key brings up the app drawer. Now, why this is a Windows key and not a Command key, I cannot say. Even the Samsung keyboard has this key labeled as 'Cmd'. There is also an 'Alt Gr' key which brings up keyboard options. There is no Esc key and there is no key for bringing up the settings menu. I personally would rather have the Esc and settings keys than the AI or DeX buttons, but this is what is on offer here. The Sahara keyboard **The Touchpad** The 4.5" x 2" touchpad on the generic keyboard case works more or less exactly as you'd expect. Scrolling is smooth and most of the time you feel as if you have decent control over scrolling speed. Occasionally the screen will scroll out of control, and you'll find yourself in a place you weren't trying to go (usually the bottom of the page), but this is not unique to this touchpad. The touchpad is wide and short but is large enough for general use. The 5" x 3" touchpad on the Sahara case feels nicer to use than the one on the generic keyboard. It has a smoother feel and seems easier to control. However, just as with the generic keyboard, it can sometimes go wonky and start scrolling out of control. I blame Android for this problem and not necessarily the touchpads. It seems to me that Android still has some optimization needed when it comes to mice and touchpads. This is less of an issue with Windows laptops or the iPad's Magic Keyboard. The touchpad on the Sahara case is also significantly larger. Now, this can be a pro or a con as with any touchpad, stray touches can cause the cursor to jump somewhere you didn't expect. This is sometimes exacerbated with a larger touchpad as it becomes even easier to touch it accidentally. You can wake up the keyboard with a touch of the touchpad if it has not gone into sleep mode, which happens after 10 minutes. **General Hardware Observations** The body of the generic keyboard is covered with very vaguely leather-textured plasticky fabric (probably polyurethane) that has a little bit of drag due to the texture and feels fine to touch. It's not luxurious, but the texture means it's a little less susceptible to fingerprints. The area where the tablet rests is microfiber with just the right amount of nap. The cutout for the camera fits fine. There is nowhere to stow the pen, so beware if you travel with this case as it is easy to knock the pen from its magnetic resting place. I wish that there was a place to stow the pen beneath where the tablet sits, but no such luck here. You're probably best off putting the pen somewhere else entirely, so you don't lose it. The body of the Sahara case is made from a smooth plastic that is more like the finish of Apple's Magic Keyboard, but not quite as nice. The plastic on the key bed looks cheap because of its oddly textured finish. I worry about dust and grime clinging to that finish, but for now it seems fine. As the Sahara case is a 2-piece affair, you can use the keyboard away from the kickstand. This offers more flexibility than the typical magnetic case, but it also means that the setup takes up more space when used together on a desk. It also means it's really too much to try to use on a lap or on an airplane tray table. But having the kickstand separate from the keyboard means it's easier to use the tablet as a tablet without having to deal with the keyboard constantly attached. And while you are using the tablet in the kickstand case, it's still protected. The kickstand folds down from the top instead of up from the bottom. This makes it easier to have a flatter angle, but at some point, the weight of the tablet will just push the flap all the way down flat. If you want the flattest and most secure position for drawing or writing, it's best to turn the tablet upside down. The other advantage of the kickstand is that you get many more angles than you do with the magnetic keyboard. It's a much more flexible approach. The Sahara case also has a small display on it that lights up when the keyboard is on and in use. It shows connection and battery status along with caps lock, function key lock, and an indicator to show when the touchpad is disabled. Also, the control keys are in a completely different order than they are on the generic case or the Samsung slim keyboard. There is also an opening beneath the tablet where you can stow the pen when not in use. This means you can keep the pen with the tablet – even when detached from the keyboard - and not have to worry about potentially losing it in transit. The kickstand portion of the case fits very securely and is difficult to put on and take off. It's not really something you're going to want to do often. The screen on the Sahara keyboard case **Battery Life** The USB C ports and power switches are on the right side of both keyboards. The generic case is rated for 7 hours of use with the backlight off and 2-3 hours with the backlight on. Charging from empty to full is said to take up to 3 hours. The Sahara case's manual claims more than 90 hours of 'working time' and more than 100 days of standby time but the box indicates up to 300 hours of use on a single charge. Which words are true? Who knows. Based on my usage so far, I'd say that 300 hours is completely out of the question for active usage time since I have the battery down to about half after a few days of use with the backlight on, but it might be possible to get more than 100 hours of standby time. Turning the backlight off will also increase battery life. Charging time is the same at up to 3 hours. Is it worth it? I do like the Sahara keyboard case. I think its main drawback is that this style of case just requires a lot more desk space than the magnetic keyboards. If you are someone who uses your tablet in tablet mode most of the time and needs to type only occasionally or is OK with the extra space requirements, I think this is a good keyboard at a reasonable price. I love the screen and although the touchpad is easy to activate accidentally, I appreciate its larger size that makes scrolling more enjoyable. Currently, this keyboard case is available only at Best Buy. Please note that the purchase link below is an affiliate link and purchases made using this link will help support this site and my YouTube channel and allow me to continue to buy products to review and share with all of you. Thanks for your support! Sahara Case Best Buy Link: https://bestbuycreators.7tiv.net/Dy4445

When I was testing the Nothing Ear 3, I got the Robin at about the same time but that first pair had a defective left earphone, and I had to get a replacement set. But just from that first listen with just the right earphone, I suspected the Robin’s audio experience was going to be one I’d likely appreciate. When I did get the replacement set, I was somewhat surprised at how the Robin manages to supply me with an amount of bass that I enjoy but without clouding or muddying up the midrange. Vocals sounded present and clear and instruments sounded the way I expected them to. There was none of the extra bright treble from the Nothing Ear 3 nor was there the overwhelming bass those produce with their out-of-the-box sound. The Robin didn’t strike me as perfectly neutral, but much more balanced than many of the other earphones I’d tested in recent months. Nevertheless, the Robin strikes me as a bit polarizing. The packaging, the case, the audio prompts, and the entire aesthetic are very much classic Moondrop but dialed up quite a bit to accommodate Robin, who, I'm told, is a video game character from _Honkai: Star Rail_. This explains why that name appears on the box. If, like me, you weren't aware of this game, then the entire packaging is lost on you, and it all comes across as very strange. Strange enough that I really wondered who would even push past all this crazy purple packaging to even get to the earphones themselves, but apparently people do. Purple yarn and stuffed Shamu toy not included The Robin introduces themselves (herself?) to you when it starts up and it talks to you as you cycle through modes, saying such delightful phrases in her high-pitched happy voice as “I’ve connected you to the outside world!” or “It’s quieted down now”. There is a silkscreen style picture of Robin on the lid of the earphones case just to ensure you can’t get away from the reality of what you’ve bought. Robin is also pictured on the lid of the charging case I like that Moondrop included a case for the case, so you don’t _have_ to see Robin every time you reach for the earphones. And even better, the case is purple, and purple is my favorite color. You even get a small transparent acrylic plaque (it's the same image as on the front of the retail box) in the box to adorn your desk or nightstand. That’s what it’s for, right? Honestly, all of this is just a little oddball to me. I like my audio gear to have a little less personality. I found myself wondering many times during my testing who would buy this product. It comes across to me, a woman, as expressly girly and even a little childish, but my husband assured me there is a market for this kind of thing. I am not the target demographic, and I would surely never have even looked at these had it not been for a YouTube commenter telling me I should look into them after my brief foray with the SoundPeats H3, which do not work for my ear anatomy. Curious aesthetics and ambience aside, most things work as they should. I was able to successfully connect the Robin to the Moondrop app and change settings and update the firmware to version 1.3.0. I found that I preferred the Robin in their standard EQ preset and I did not spend a lot of time trying to customize a sound I already liked quite a bit. Nevertheless, just as with the Space Travel 2, you can download DSP settings that others have created and try out different sound curves to see what appeals to you. There did not appear to be as many available for the Robin as there were for the Space Travel 2, though. The noise cancelling on the Robin is about average. Because they are earphones with tips that are expected to seal the canal, they block a good amount of noise passively. Enabling ANC blocks out noise fairly well; they were a little bit more effective for me than the Nothing Ear 3, but I think the shape of the Robin and the ever so slightly longer nozzle work better for my ears. I wouldn’t buy the Robin for their noise canceling, but I think it’s fine for use around the house or in an office environment. I’d probably want over-the-ear headphones with stronger ANC for travel and transport. In my collection, I unexpectedly found that the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro (henceforth B3P) provided the best comparison point for the Robin. I say unexpectedly because I rarely listen to the B3P. I bought them after their last major firmware update and at a time when they were on sale and I was able to grab a deal on an open box from Best Buy. I bought them because they have planar drivers and they’re Samsung, so I knew they’d work well for my Samsung-heavy gadget stash. I think I listened to them originally to do some testing and analysis and then promptly put them away because I had other things to take my attention. So, I was legitimately surprised when I pulled them out of their hiding place and pitted them against the Robin as I remembered they also have planar drivers and therefore might make a good competitor. Immediately, I wondered why I never listen to the B3P. Everything was pretty much as I like it; bass that hits hard but doesn’t overwhelm, vocals that are clear and present, treble that isn’t overly bright or peaky. It’s also the way I would describe the Robin. The B3P push the bass just a tad bit harder but the Robin have a more prominent midrange. These differences are slight but noticeable if you are paying attention. What I realized after listening to both of these for lots of A/B testing is that I prefer both of these over many of the other earphones in my collection, including my beloved Creative Aurvana Ace Mimi and the Technics AZ80. And because both of these have some tuning capabilities, you can probably get them both close to your ideal sound curve. The Robin earphones have nice detail and a little bit more airiness to the sound than the B3P but vocals feel up-close and intimate in a way that may not feel as open and wide as the B3P. But I wouldn’t say that either is especially wide in terms of sound stage. This is arguably hard to achieve in earphones anyway, so I don’t even go looking/listening for it except as a point of reference for reviews. I popped in the Robin as I was testing the Nothing Ear 3 and I really shouldn’t have done that because these wrecked the Nothing for me. It seems that the mainstream prefers the stem-style earbud and to be fair, they are more comfortable. But when it comes to fit and seal, I find that the in-ear monitor body style the Robin has works better for my ears in terms of allowing me to get the best out of these earphones. The way stem-style earbuds hang from my ears means you might need a deeper fit for the best sound and most effective noise canceling, but many of these buds of this style don’t have that deeper fit. For casual listening, I prefer a more comfortable fit. But if I want to listen to music for the sake of listening to music, the IEM approach just works better for me. That said, they aren’t at all the most comfortable earphones I’ve ever tried. They are just about as big as they can be and still fit my ears. But I can’t wear them for a long time. After a while, they just start to feel big and unwieldy in my ears and I need to take a break from them. I’d definitely take the B3P in terms of comfort and longer listening sessions. The Moondrop Robin vs. the Moondrop Space Travel 2 The Robin earphones are what I hoped in some respects to get from my time with the SoundPeats H3. The H3 have very nicely presented midrange, but if they don’t work for your ears - as they don’t for mine - you don’t get the benefit of the low end that they can produce. I can get a taste of it if I shove them in my ears and hold them in place, but I can’t live like that. The Robin earphones give me that bit of bass without having to experience such instant discomfort but still give me that immersive midrange I crave. The Moondrop app gave me only a few hiccups. It usually takes a while to connect to the earbuds, but once connected, it generally worked fine for me. I had an issue with a firmware update, but trying again it worked fine. In the app you can modify ANC, gain, EQ presets, load up DSP presets, and update firmware. There does not seem to be any way to modify the control scheme, and you don’t get volume controls. This isn’t a deal killer for me, but I know it is for many people. In the end, I find that I am very happy with the Robin but I’m also pretty happy with the B3P. It is nice to have planar drivers in earphones that are available for the mass market and aren’t relegated to audiophile and audio nerds anymore. The Robin’s retail price is lower than the B3P, so I’d steer people that way if they’re interested in this type of driver, but the B3P are often on sale and with the Buds 4 Pro surely on the horizon, they’ll probably become even cheaper. So many options. Only two ears. Note: Links below are Amazon affiliate links. Buying products using these links helps support me by allowing me to continue buying products to review here and on my YouTube channel (YouTube review link below). To buy at Amazon: Amazon.com: Moondrop Robin Earphone Honkai Star Rail Robin’s Earphones TWS Hybrid Dynamic Driver + Planar Driver ANC TWS Earphones (English Version) : ElectronicsBuy Moondrop Robin Earphone Honkai Star Rail Robin’s Earphones TWS Hybrid Dynamic Driver + Planar Driver ANC TWS Earphones (English Version): Earbud Headphones - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases<img alt="Moondrop Robin Earphone Honkai Star Rail Robin's Earphones TWS Hybrid Dynamic Driver + Planar Dri..." src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/aplus-media-library-service-media/e3acacc6-f583-4e8b-b72f-4e3793a8289e.__AC_SR166,182___.jpg"/> YouTube review:

The more I think about the news that Google plans to replace the underpinnings of ChromeOS with Android, the more questions it raises in my mind. On one hand, this could start a new chapter in personal computing and change many aspects of hardware and software development for years to come. But on the other hand, it could all just end in colossal disappointment. It is so challenging with Google to know when they are really serious about something. When they put their hearts and minds to it, Google can produce amazing products and services. And I believe that Google could see great success with Android PC if they played all their cards well. Yet Google will need to put in some work if it is to be anything other than a "remember Android PC?" punch line in the years to come. **The Need for an Application Ecosystem** For everyday users, Android already has a good selection of productivity and entertainment apps. You can use a variety of office suites, browse the web (even with extensions in browsers like Firefox, Lemur, and Edge Canary), read and create PDFs, organize your data in digital notes apps and personal knowledge management systems, study, read, communicate, collaborate, play games, listen to music, watch movies, and stream all kinds of content. But when you get into creative niches such as music, video, and audio production, the pickings slim quite a bit. There are indeed apps on Android that can be used to create and produce music and video, but many of them are strictly mobile apps or limited ports of desktop apps that may or may not sync fully back and forth. Even the iPad has a few more offerings for creatives, including Apple's own products along with heavy hitters like Procreate for artists and a slimmed-down version of DaVinci Resolve for video production. These specific tablet-focused apps don't exist on Android [yet], and while facsimiles often exist, some are more reasonable than others. But if you're looking for anything like Adobe Premiere, Pro Tools, Ableton Live, or Blender, you're not going to find those specific titles on Android. And even when the Linux environment is fully functional on Android, there will still be a lot of apps missing for an Android PC. In order for Linux to be truly viable as a software platform for Android PCs, Google needs to ensure that it is easy for everyone to discover and install Linux apps. An Android-PC-specific Linux app store would open doors for people who aren't comfortable with the terminal. Google could have Editor's Choice picks like they have in the Play Store and allow people to leave reviews that are specific to using those apps on Android PCs. And for those who are familiar with the terminal, it needs to be easy to install Snap and Flatpak. It is possible that if Android PCs take off and begin to peel away users from Windows that some Windows (or Linux) developers will make apps for Android. And some developers that already support Android with mobile-focused apps may expand their existing apps and add offerings designed to take advantage of a larger screen laptop or desktop environment with mouse, keyboard, and pen support. Perhaps we could see better Adobe support and expanded features for other apps that are already on Android. It's also possible that some iPad exclusives could make the jump if more professionals and creative types begin using Android devices for their professional and creative work. **The Need for Better Hardware Support** One of the biggest challenges facing developers when it comes to Android is hardware. The variety of devices running Android is both a blessing and a curse. From a consumer perspective, there are devices at all price points and in several different form factors. But this makes it more difficult for developers who are then faced with an array of screen sizes and resolutions, chipsets and processors, input and output devices, and all manner of RAM, storage, and connectivity permutations. Although there are now multiple iOS and iPadOS devices, the selection is still limited, and developers know what they are going to get. No such standardization exists for Android. Now, I do think this is something that can be overcome as Windows devices also come in a wide variety of formats and configurations. Perhaps standardized drivers or "universal" plug-in systems for things like printers and audio/video devices could help. Some of this could be built into Android but others might require Google to work with other hardware and software suppliers to devise approaches that will work successfully across a spectrum of devices. Basic things like multiple monitor support and more comprehensive support for basic computing peripherals like USB/Thunderbolt hubs and printers needs to exist in Android so manufacturers can plug into a well-documented system for hardware extensions as they do today for Windows. Now to be fair, it is true that not all things are currently perfectly plug-and-play today for ChromeOS, but things like hubs, printers, and multiple monitors work better there than they do on current versions of Android. Google needs to bring Android up to at least the level of support that ChromeOS already has, but the goal should be that an Android PC can use the same peripherals and devices that the average Windows PC can handle. Android PCs should also integrate well with Android phones. I'm imagining something like "Link to Windows" that allows Windows PCs and Android phones to share data in multiple ways. If both devices are on the same platform, ideally the integration should be even tighter. In some ways, the integration with my Samsung phone and my Windows PC is better than what I have with my Pixel phone and my Chromebook. I have a bit more flexibility in how I run my phone apps on my Windows PC than I do on my Chromebook and notifications from my phone feel a bit more organically presented in Windows. In theory though, because an Android PC and an Android phone should be able to run the same apps (for the most part), mirroring apps and notifications from a phone to an Android PC might be less of an issue from the start. The real advantage of running apps from your phone on your Windows PC is that most of your Android apps aren't available on Windows, especially now that Microsoft is no longer supporting Windows Subsystem for Android. This wouldn't be an issue for Android PCs. The real benefit of moving from a phone or small tablet to a larger laptop or desktop form factor is having more real estate and potentially more power for more complex tasks. Google's current ventures in ensuring Android developers make their apps responsive and usable on larger screen sizes will be very helpful for Android PCs, but there remains a need for apps that take will take advantage of the increased capabilities of new hardware with more powerful chipsets and more robust performance. **The Need for Better Marketing** Ultimately, a lot of the success of Android PC depends on Google's goals and how well they do at articulating their vision, so consumers understand the intended value proposition. If Google's goal is for Android PC to be nothing more than a newer version of what Chromebooks are today, then the market remains education and devices that many will consider to be limited computing options at more affordable prices than Macs or high-end Windows PCs. Google doesn't do a lot of marketing for ChromeOS today. It seems to be fairly well understood by most that you probably don't buy a Chromebook by choice unless you want something cheap and simple for basic computing tasks. But if Google has any aspirations of Android PCs being more capable and powerful than the average Chromebook, they will need a competent and comprehensive marketing campaign so that people know that Android PCs are something new and perhaps something exciting that they might want to put on their shopping list when they're looking for their next computer. And Google needs to thread the needle in such a way that they do not antagonize Microsoft by going after Windows PCs too hard because ultimately, I don't believe Windows is really the true nemesis of the Android PC even though they may be going after very similar customer groups. The true nemesis of the Android PC is the iPad. If Android PCs can do the things that iPads can do but also have the ability to do the things Macs can do when it comes to hardware and software, then Google has a compelling value proposition many consumers will understand and appreciate. _Google isn't trying to sell me two $1000+ machines. I don't have to buy an iPad and a Mac because my Android PC can be both_. But all of this assume Google has a true vision for the Android PC and it mirrors what I'd want one to be. It is possible that Google's aspirations are completely at odds with my own. Hopefully, with time, Google will tell us why it's gone down this road, where they believe the road leads, and why we should undertake that journey with them.

When I gave up my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 for the S25 Ultra, I inherently sacrificed my ability to use a Wacom stylus on a larger display. While the S25 Ultra still has pen support, the smaller screen size was an adjustment for me. I had gotten very used to using a stylus on screens no smaller than about 8" and going down to even a very large phone felt like a compromise. I had larger Samsung tablets, but I didn't want to carry them around with me everywhere I went. I use the largest Tab Ultra for watching video and viewing sheet music and chord charts when I'm playing piano at home and at church. The smaller Tabs are connected to monitors at my desk and are also used when I travel. What I really wanted was a small tablet that fit somewhere between the S25 Ultra and the smallest 11" Galaxy Tab I owned. There was the Galaxy Tab Active5, but although I'd owned the Tab Active3 and greatly enjoyed owning it, it was a hard sell to me to pay more than $600 for the Active5, even with some of its upgrades. I considered buying the Lenovo Legion Tab because it did offer pen support, but I really wanted a connected tablet, especially at that smaller size. I even toyed with buying an iPad Mini because the pickings were so slim for what I wanted and at least I knew with the iPad Mini, I'd get solid pen support, and a wealth of 3rd party accessories most Android devices can only look at with envy. But I didn't buy the iPad Mini. I already had an M1 iPad Pro and I didn't really like the OS enough to expand more into the Apple ecosystem. I decided to wait it out and see if anything else might come along. My decision to wait a bit paid off for me. Right before summer Amazon Prime Day, the Tab Active5 5G went on sale for less than $400, and with some rewards credits I had saved up, I was able to get it for just over $300. This was an acceptable price to me for a 5G capable small tablet that didn't offer much in the way of powerful specs. What the Tab Active5 really offers is durability in a compact size. It's meant for people who work outside or in less-than-ideal conditions. It's designed to allow people to read and markup documents on the go, take photos on job sites, or work in the car with or without docks to keep it easily viewable. The tablet can work even without a battery installed in it for situations where it will remain plugged in at all times. But for me, the small size and stylus capability meant it could be a good notetaking tablet for me that I'd never have to tether to my phone or worry about carrying around a hotspot to keep it connected. I had once hoped I'd get that portable notetaking on the go from my 7" Onyx Boox tablet, but not being able to truly sync notes with my other Android devices was a major limitation, not to mention the slow refreshing screen and underpowered CPU for tasks much more tasking than reading and writing. The Onyx Boox Nova Air C, a color e-ink tablet pictured next to the Active5 The Tab Active5 is a chunky tablet, and it retains the 3 buttons from old-time Android devices, so it doesn't feel like a modern device, and I suspect this is probably the primary reason why it is not marketed at consumers. Nevertheless, even with the extra space the buttons take up and the extra space at the top to balance out the appearance, it's still a nice compact size. The screen is just large enough to feel more spacious and comfortable when taking notes and the older CPU/GPU haven't caused me any major issues in daily use. The biggest drawback of having a Samsung tablet with a slower an older CPU is that not all of the AI features that exist for Samsung applications like Samsung Notes are available. On my S25 Ultra, I can record audio in Samsung Notes and have it transcribe and summarize that audio right in the app. The transcription and summarization features aren't available to me in Samsung Notes on the Active5. I tend to believe that even with the device not being especially powerful, these features could be made available since I think much of the work is done off-device, or even if not, it could be done off-device. For devices all running the same Android version, I think that features that exist in other competing notes applications should be available across Samsung devices. Samsung Notes is an application that is heavily promoted by Samsung and Samsung influencers, so the experience needs to be pretty consistent, so people don't get discouraged or feel misled. I hope that the Notes app gets new and improved features with the upgrade to One UI 8. Nevertheless, there are advantages to having a Samsung phone and a Samsung tablet. Messages can sync across devices, and multi-control is available if you want to share a mouse and/or keyboard. I use these features heavily with my larger Samsung tablets, but with the Active5, I just have my phone and Active5 linked in Google Messages so I can see and respond to my text messages on either device. Because the Active5 is a tablet, it was very easy to sync up Google Messages right in the app as opposed to using the web. But other Samsung mainstays like the Gallery and SmartThings apps sync up and work just as you'd expect if you're signed in with your Samsung account. Samsung will even send you notifications when one of your signed in devices is running low on battery. From a hardware perspective, the tablet has a fingerprint sensor on the home button and an extra programmable button that to date, I've not programmed to do anything. By default, it launches the camera, but this is not a feature I'm generally likely to use on this tablet since almost every other device I have sports a better camera. Nevertheless, I like that the button is programmable and I have vague intentions to program it to do something someday. The tablet comes with a rubber case that has a slot for the stylus so that you can always have it with you. The stylus is bigger than those that come with the phones and the other tablets, so it's a little easier and nicer to hold when writing. The stylus even has a lanyard hole in case you are the type who wants to really ensure the stylus is always available. But as with all non-foldable Samsung devices, you can use the Wacom EMR stylus of your choice. I keep a Wacom One stylus or the Lamy AL-Star in my bag and on my nightstand. Third-party cases are all of the super durable and industrial look, but I was able to order a case from Armor-X (before tariffs set in and made this an impossible task) that was a simple silicone case with an attachment that has a kickstand but also allows for connecting the tablet to a variety of other pieces made for their system. I actually ripped that piece off the silicone case and attached it to a second case just like the one you get in the box so I could have a case with the stylus silo that had a kickstand and one that didn't for more flexibility. The battery is removable, which means you can have a spare. Having the ability to swap batteries can greatly reduce any battery anxiety as e-ink devices tend to do very well with battery life as long as you're refreshing the screen constantly. I had a spare battery for my Active3, but I rarely used it so I'm not planning to buy one for the Active5. I'm still glad that the ability is there. There is also a micro-SD card slot, so you can load up the tablet with music or movies and because there is a headphone jack, you can listen to that music and enjoy the audio from those movies exactly how you want. The tablet's array of side buttons, including the programmable green action button My biggest disappointment with the Tab Active5 is that Samsung removed video-out support. The Tab Active3 offered video-out so that you could attach the tablet to a USB-C capable monitor and use Samsung DeX. DeX ran at a maximum of 1080p, so it wasn't optimal for larger monitors, but I appreciated having the ability in a pinch. The Active5 supports Samsung DeX, but only wirelessly. I am highly unlikely to ever use this feature. Wireless Miracast connections are most prominent in TVs, and I'm rarely in a situation where I need or want to cast to a TV. And in those rare situations where I do cast a mobile device to a TV, I use Samsung Smart View or a uPnP app on my phone. This is the tablet that goes with me when I leave the house. My larger tablets are purpose-driven devices that I use either when I'm traveling or when I need them for music or note-taking so serious it will require typing as the keyboard cases for larger tablets are inarguably better to use. I do have a portable foldable Bluetooth keyboard (because I own more BT keyboards than any one person should, honestly) paired to the Active5 and I sometimes put it in my bag if I'm going to be out for a while, but for me the Active5 is all about being available to write down and read things when I want something bigger than my phone. And after being trapped using either the tiny S Pen that came with the Samsung cases for their foldables or the extra long S Pen Pro, it's nice to be able to use any of my other Wacom EMR pens with this tablet. It's also important to me that my notes aren't trapped in an app that doesn't work across platforms. I can use OneNote, GoodNotes, Noteshelf, Nebo, and even text based notes apps like Notion, Simplenote, Obsidian, and Capacities and not have to worry about whether they will run on the tablet or if I'll need to go find a special e-ink version somewhere on the web. My two OEM tablet cases, one with a kickstand from Armor-X attached to it If you've been looking at e-ink devices for handwritten notes, a small Android tablet might be a viable alternative. The Tab Active5 is certainly not a powerhouse, but it will out-perform any e-ink tablet currently on the market. You also gain the ability to run whatever notes apps you want, along with any other Android app that might interest you. But you could keep it very simple and have only apps installed that are important to you for your note-taking context. It's true that traditional tablets can be distracting with their notifications and wide array of apps, but this can also be true of Android e-ink tablets from Onyx and Bigme as they have full Google Play store access. Only if you know you want e-ink because other screens cause eyestrain or you want a very single or dual-purpose device like the pen-enabled e-ink devices from Remarkable, Kobo, Kindle, or SuperNote would a tablet like the Active5 be a poor substitute. After years of using Onyx Boox note-taking e-ink devices and feeling somewhat trapped in the built-in notes app (even after years of updates so apps like Microsoft OneNote work a bit better), I think the ability to have other note-taking apps available and work fluidly is a big plus, but if you're dedicated and focused enough to live with your notes being editable only one device, then those e-ink note-taking devices are very capable and can more than adequately execute the features they offer. I have tried to centralize my handwritten notes into GoodNotes and Noteshelf and my typed notes in Simplenote or Notion, so having a normal Android tablet is the best option for me. And while there are other 8-9" gaming-oriented tablets with much more power (Lenovo Legion Tab, Redmagic Astra), they don't support a Wacom EMR stylus. If drawing and note-taking are primary or very important tasks to you for your tablet scenario, take a look at the Tab Active5 and see if it can fit into your lifestyle and meet your needs - especially if you can find it priced below $500. Note: Purchasing links are affiliate links and purchases made using these links will help support me financially and allow me to continue buying products to review here on my website and YouTube channel. Thanks in advance for the support! Buy at Best Buy: https://bestbuycreators.7tiv.net/raPz75 Buy at Amazon: Amazon.com : SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab Active5 5G LTE Unlocked 8” 128GB Android Tablet for Industrial, Field Work, Advanced Security, Rugged Design, US Version, 2024, SM-X308UZGAN14, Black Green : ElectronicsAmazon.com : SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab Active5 5G LTE Unlocked 8” 128GB Android Tablet for Industrial, Field Work, Advanced Security, Rugged Design, US Version, 2024, SM-X308UZGAN14, Black Green : ElectronicsShop the Store on Amazon › The clear case with the kickstand that I bought from Armor-X still appears to be available with "worldwide" shipping but beware if you're ordering from the USA as I have no idea what tariffs have done to shipping and pricing. (Not an affiliate link) ZXS-SS-X306 | Samsung Galaxy Tab Active5 SM-X300 SM-X306B SM-X308U / Tab Active3 SM-T570 SM-T575 SM-T577 | 4 corner protection case w/ hand strap kick stand & X-mountExcellent protection with TPU shock absorption housing Unique corner bumpers design provide extra drop protection Engineering material Polycarbonate PC X-MOUNT adaptor Built-in kickstand Hand strap design to free your hands Cover all the edges and corners to offer full protection all around the device. Raised edges lifARMOR-X

Link to YouTube video review at the end of this post! I had heard of the brand SoundPeats but hadn't used any of their products until after I tried the Creative Aurvana Ace Mimi, which are Bluetooth earphones that have xMEMS drivers in them. I bought them because I wanted to try out this new type of driver and see how it performed against other items in my collection. But not long after that, I learned that SoundPeats had put out the Capsule 3 Pro+ that also had xMEMS drivers, and I did a comparison of those two earphones. The arrival of the H3 on paper wouldn't seem to be anything particularly special other than their traditional in-ear monitor (IEM) design and multi-driver approach - but this is something wired IEMs have been doing for years. Could this approach for a wireless IEM really matter for the sound and overall experience? I had to ger them and hear them for myself. **Design and Build** As previously stated, the H3 look like a pair of wired IEMs that have had the connection for the wire removed. They are quite chunky compared to many wireless IEMs, but for the wired variety, they are reasonably sized. Fitting in multiple drivers has always required a bit of space, and these also have to accommodate hardware for Bluetooth, ANC, and the touch controls. They are rather large and stand out of my ears in a very noticeable way. However, if you're a fan of gold, you may like the way they look. The faceplates are transparent with a gold layer underneath that has a portion of the geometric-stylized SoundPeats "S" logo. The rear portion of each bud has a bit that sticks out that is designed to help hold the bud in place, but I found that the buds want to inch out of my ears over time, even with eartips that fit well. I tried the tips that came pre-installed, but they were uncomfortable, so I went down in size. They are less uncomfortable in my ears now, but they still take up all of the available space and them some in my ear. I am a fan of gold, so I like how they look even as they protrude from my ears. However, I am used to this look as I own several pairs of wired IEMs that share these traits. Most of those stay in my ears better than these do, though. From the back, you can see the dynamic and dual balanced armature drivers; they are very tightly placed inside the housing. It does look as if these are as small as SoundPeats could make them without downsizing the drivers. SoundPeats say these are IPX5 rated, so if they fit your ears well and stay in place, these could be fine for exercise outside in the elements. Just don't wear them to the beach as they're not rated for protection against dust. H3 pictured along with the Moondrop Space Travel 2 and Samsung Buds 2 Pro The charging case is also a little bit larger than average to accommodate the larger earphones. The case is not IP rated, so be sure to keep it safe and dry. The case is fairly unremarkable other than the "Hear the difference" in cursive lettering on the front (SoundPeats likes to put phrases in cursive on its products for some reason) and the SoundPeats logo on the back. The lid is dark but transparent and you can see the earphones sitting inside the case when it is closed. The case does not have wireless charging. There is also a reset button on the back and the charging port is on the bottom. The case can stand up in optimal (i.e. perfectly flat) situations, but it's fairly rounded so it wil fall down very easily. Charging case from the rear and bottom **Features** The H3 aren't stellar performers when it comes to active noise canceling, but I also didn't expect them to be. I will say that because they can plug up your ears pretty well, they are going to block quite a bit of noise passively. Once you turn on music, you'll find that most sounds are drowned out even without having ANC turned on. The transparency setting does let sound in, but it also adds a bit of higher-pitched white noise that makes it sound a tad less natural than some other products. However, I think that if you're playing audio, especially music, you won't notice this extra noise but you will be able to hear your surroundings better, and that is the point, after all. I know some people take transparency settings very seriously - these are usually people who've tried Apple products, which are generally known to be the gold standard in this area - but if the goal is hearing what's going on, most products can handle it fine. If the goal is safety, then products like these that seal off your years aren't really the best option. For exercising outside, it's probably better to look at open ear earbuds or perhaps bone conduction headphones if audio fidelity isn't your number one concern. Nevertheless, I think the transparency here is better than average. **The App Experience** Nowadays, it seems as if you can't really gain full control of most Bluetooth audio products without an app. To be fair, you can absolutely take these out of the box, affix the eartips that work best for you, and use them happily without ever touching the app. But if you want to manage ANC options, adjust EQ settings, update the firmware, or do the hearing test that creates an adaptive EQ setting for you, then you will need the app. I hate that I didn't find an easy way to use the app without creating an account, but I'd already created an account from using the Capsule 3 Pro+, so I already took that hit on my privacy and the sanctity of my inbox. I used the H3 on devices where I'd not previously installed the app, so I went through the adaptive EQ hearing test again and played around with the EQ settings. This time around, I didn't find that the EQ presets had a dramatic effect on the audio I was listening to. Fortunately, I didn't have any issues with the stock tuning, and playing with EQ was more out of curiosity than wanting to correct any glaring faults in the sound. **Sound** The H3 has a 12mm dynamic driver that is largely responsible for low-end response and the two balanced armatures handle the higher frequencies. The out-of-the-box sound is fairly well-rounded. Mids don't feel excessively recessed as is common with many Bluetooth audio products aimed at the mainstream. The bass also isn't overly hyped up and doesn't overwhelm the mids. I did not find that choosing the bass boost preset really boosted the bass all that much, but there is a 9-band EQ, so further adjustments could be made to get a bassier sound if you are a fan of BIG BASS. I like the stock tuning more than I expected I would. When I played music, I found that drums and cymbals sounded as I expected them to and voices and instruments in the midrange felt more present than on many other Bluetooth audio products I've used over the past couple of years. If you like a relatively neutral presentation, these probably won't require a ton of adjustment. I do tend to like a little bit more bass, but I resisted the urge to push these and just enjoyed them as they sound with the stocking tuning and with my personalized EQ setting that the app generated for me when I did the hearing test. Since I didn't find that it changed the sound dramatically, I was fine with either setting. **Microphone Performance** SoundPeats indicates that these earphones have the now very usual AI noise reduction for the microphones. In a quiet room, the microphones perform acceptably. The sound isn't the best nor the worst I've heard. But once you introduce noise into your environment, the earphones go into overdrive to reduce that noise and in exchange degrade the reproduction of your voice as you speak. Ambient noise is reduced, but you will probably be harder to understand. So again, you could use these earphones outside due to their IP rating, but they aren't the best choice to conduct conversations outside (I like the Shokz OpenComm for this purpose). For normal indoors purposes, they are more than adequate but I wouldn't use them for work or professional purposes. SoundPeats H3 0:00 /69.225583 1× **Battery Life** I found that due to the discomfort and/or the inability to keep them safely ensconced in my ears, I couldn't wear these long enough for battery life to be an issue for me. SoundPeats declares you can get up to 7 hours of use, but this is without ANC/transparency or LDAC enabled. Being able to get 2 hours of use from a 10 minute charge is useful if you find you frequently forget to charge them. It takes 1 hour to fully charge the earphones and 2 hours to fully charge the case. These are pretty average stats and to me don't present any specific pros or cons against other competing products. **Other Consderations** I did not have a painless experience with these earphones. Sometimes when changing settings in the app, the earphones would stop producing sound and the only way to get it back was to place them back in their case, close the lid, wait for my device to detect that they were disconnected, and then put them back in my ears. I also had problems with erratic response in the app. I blame the erratic app response on my use of it on a tablet; the app is not even remotely optimized for tablet use. It is meant to be used in standard phone format and performs more reliably when used in portrait rather than in landscape. But I also experienced issues with the touch controls. I like that they control volume, but I found it too easy to turn them up when trying to do something else, so I customized the controls so that play/pause was one tap and volume controls required two taps. This addressed the volume problem I experienced, but the touch controls often didn't do what I'd set them to do and sometimes the earphones would spontaneously go into pairing mode when they should have already been connected to my tablet. I also found that the app didn't always reliably reconnect to the earphones after having been closed/minimized. I'd have to go through the discovery process (not pairing) again for it to see that they were connected. I also had the earphones randomly power off and on when trying to do the fit test. Trying again, the test did complete successfully, but these little annoyances add up to the worst experience I've had with a Bluetooth audio product and its app in a long time. Everything is usable and will eventually work, but it requires patience and multiple attempts sometimes and this just should not be. These aren't cheap $30 or $50 earphones. I expect more at this price. The retail price for these earphones is $149 and that is the price you are likely to find on the SoundPeats website. On Amazon, you will probably find them at a lower price, and with coupons you may be able to get them for less than $100. At that price, I think they offer very solid sound quality and a unique and pretty build (if you like gold, that is) with decent features that these would be worth buying IF you have larger ears and larger IEMs fit well in your ears. As these don't fit me well and don't stay in my ears, it's hard to recommend them, but I have seen other reviewers remark on their comfort, so this will really be an individual choice. If you have smaller ears. I'd stay far away from these earphones as they're very likely to disappoint you with their fit. There will surely be a new pair of earphones coming out soon to distract you from these anyway, perhaps even from SoundPeats. **YouTube review:** Purchasing links below are Amazon affiliate links and purchases made through these links will help me keep my website and YouTube channel going by allowing me to continue buying products to review. Thanks in advance! Buy on Amazon: Amazon.com

I bought a Pixel 9 Pro XL 2 weeks before the unveiling of the new line of Pixel 10 phones, not because I was unaware of the Google event, but because I had seen the leaked photos and specs and decided that now was probably a good time for me to buy the current generation and get back into the Pixel space. Like many people who start tech YouTube channels and tech-oriented blogs, I love playing with a variety of gadgets and tech toys, but there is a special place in my tech-loving heart for phones and tablets. I'm old enough to remember the journey from PDAs to smartphones and I throroughly enjoyed watching mobile technology grow from its infancy to the mature adult it is today. But acquiring gadgets is expensive and I'm not yet made of money. So rather than spend full price on a new Pixel 10 Pro XL, I decided there were enough similarities that I could get by for awhile with the 9 Pro XL. The difference in AI features and performance improvements didn't appear to be dealkillers for me. And when I watched the event last week, I felt comfortable that I had made a reasonable choice. I bought my phone used from Amazon Renewed, so technically, I still have time to change my mind or even trade in this phone for a new 10 Pro XL with an additional outlay of cash. But I don't cuurrently have any plans to do either of those things. I'm just enjoying the Pixel experience on a phone. My last Pixel phone was the Pixel 3A XL. I still have that phone buried in a drawer of dead devices. I liked that phone a lot and probably would have used it a bit longer if I had not dropped it on a concrete floor and cracked the screen (yes, it was in a case but did not have a screen protector on it). It still worked fine, but I didn't want to pay to have it fixed and I never felt completely comfortable using it as my primary phone after that and I eventually relegated it to being my experimental device and backup phone. As a person who has chosen to live the Android lifestyle, I do try to make attempts to be at least somewhat well-rounded even within that world. I have used a variety of Android phones from several brands over the years, many of which are no longer with us (HTC, LG) and I've even spent time with Apple devices. I currently have an M1 iPad Pro 12.9" that I fire up from time to time to see what's new with OS betas and new applications. I don't love the iPad, but I do appreciate it for what it is and I genuinely enjoy using it in its fabulous Magic Keyboard. But my primary tablets are my Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 (11" and 14.6") and S10+ (12.4"). The small Tab is semi-permanently connected to a 4k monitor along with my Galaxy Z Fold 3 which is attached to the 4K monitor next to it. Running in DeX mode, together they form my command center displaying live social media feeds, news, and the occasional web page or productivity app. And with Samsung's multi-control feature, I can use them with one mouse and keyboard. I have two smaller portable 4K monitors sitting directly on my desk and one of them is semi-permanently attached to my 8" Windows PC that I use for video editing and anything else I feel I can't adequately get done on Android. The other monitor remains available for me to connect whatever video-capable device I want to try out that day. I have a Pixel tablet that I originally bought to try out the Pixel experience, but I found it somewhat limiting as it didn't have video output capability. I played around with Android betas on it and tried to make a go of the desktop experience on it, but in the end it has found the most usefulness in my house by sitting on its speaker dock (something I bought separately later), replacing my Google Nest Hub Max. I also have a Chromebook Duet that I had hoped to use to play around with Linux, but because it is the version with 4GB of RAM, I found it even more frustrating to use than the Pixel Tablet and it spends most of its days powered off, sitting in a rack of unused gadgets next to my desk. I also have a 7" and 10.3" in Onyx Boox tablet/e-reader that I use for most of my "real" reading, whenever I find time to spend on such activity. So I had covered a lot of Android ground, but I felt I needed another phone that wasn't a Samsung to expand my vista a bit more. I strongly considered getting the Nothing Phone 3, but finally decided against it, primarily because I decided I wanted an additional phone to offer something different and although the Nothing phone is certainly different, I ultimately wasn't going to use it in any unique way. When I somehow stumbled upon Moment lenses and the realization that I could get a case and lenses to fit the Pixel, but not any other Android phone, I made up my mind to get a Pixel. The idea of a phone with cameras good enough to use for an additional angle for my videos but also double as a camera I could use in a variety of oddball scenarios where I might have otherwise used a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 (something I didn't decide I wanted until the price had gone up high enough to completely dissuade me from buying one) appealed to me. Here was an Android phone that was almost as versatile as an iPhone. Not only could I use it as a multi-purpose camera, but it would also give me an opportunity to see Google's take on Android on a phone and not a tablet that felt so neglected in the grand scheme of all that Google was doing. My phone carrier is Google Fi, and I'm on the plan where you get up to 4 data-only SIMs for your various connected devices. When I got the phone, I took the SIM out of my Fold 3 and put it in the Pixel. It's true that I'm not beneftting from the calling features that a Pixel offfers, but I rarely make phone calls and my primary phone almost never rings except for Suspected Spam, so I'm not the best to benefit from those features anyway. I've therefore focused my time and attention with the Pixel on its UI, which is different in many ways from Samsung's One UI 8, and its differing camera abilities. I took some time to think about the new Pixel 10 features to ensure upgrading wasn't the best option for me despite the cost since I haven't had a Pixel in such a long time. **Tensor G5** - I'm not going to be doing anything intensive on the phone beyond testing out the AI features that are available on the Pixel 9 already. I can use my Windows PC and my Android tablets (and of course my iPad Pro) for video edting if/when necessary, so this phone does not need to be that powerful. I don't play any games, so extra power isn't needed for that, either. **Camera Coach** - although this feature looks interesting, I'm mainly concerned about leearning to frame photos from experience and not necssarily what an AI assistant might suggest. Because of the extra time it takes to use this feature, I don't see myself having the patience to use it except for the first time just to see how it goes. **Pro Res 100x Zoom** - Most of my pictures are taken indoors and I rarely have a need to zoom in. When I am outside, I can imagine this being useful mainly on trips, and sadly, I don't take many trips. It may be with time I will have additional thoughts on this, but over the past several years, I have never once longed for more than 2 or 3x optical zoom. I'm more likely to care about a good macro focus, especially for product shots. Plus, I have a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and that more than enough zoom for me for now. **QI2 wireless charging** - I do think this is a great feature. I do have a few wireless chargers in my house, but they're all old and don't conform to the new standard. I don't charge wirelessly frequently enough to justify buying new wireless chargers. I almost always plug my devices in to charge them and I have cables everywhere. **Faster wired charging** - This means a lot more to me than fast wireless charging, but for the most part, I have learned how to time my charging so that I'm rarely waiting for a device to charge. I no longer charge overnight; I usually charge devices in the morning when I'm working out. That seems to work well for me. I imagine that if I traveled more often this would be a bigger deal to me than it is now. **Magic Cue** - I will admit that this feature is probably one of the most intriguing to me. However, I'm not as fully invested in the Google ecosystem as I think I would need to be for this to work at its best. I have a Gmail account, obviously, but it itsn't my primary email account. This means most of my emails that would contain information about reservations and travel plans aren't likely to be in my Gmail. I would have to be intentional about using my Gmail account for items that I think might be useful for Magic Cue to surface, but because many of my accounts are already tied to my primary email account, this isn't really likely to happen except for interaactions with new companies and services I've not used before. **Live Translation** - I do have a couple of friends I could try this with, but it would be a novelty thing to try once and never use again. If I did travel more perhaps this could be useful, but I'd be nervous to use this in situations where understanding both sides of the conversation is critical. If this becomes more socially acceptable, I would consider using it. But I think we're a few years away from that. So in the end, with my home-based lifestyle, many of the new features aren't super useful to me. The thing I really wanted to get out of a Pixel was having the Google UI and the camera capabilities. The Pixel 10 didn't offer enough different on those fronts for me to justfiy the extra expense. So I've been using the Pixel for a few weeks now on the Android 16 beta and final builds. What has the experience been like compared to my many years of using Samsung phones almost exclusively? **Samsung News vs Google Now** When you swipe right on your home screen, you get Google's news feed by default on the Pixel vs. Samsung News on the S25 Ultra (S25U). And in theory, both of these news aggregators are tuned to your preferences. But Samsung News sways much more heavily toward national news whereas the Google feed is more eclectic, blending in my love for tech news but also shows me cultural topics and sprinkles in YouTube videos, local news of note, or other items I've searched recently that it thinks might interest me. As a result, the Google feed feels more personal and enjoyable to scroll. However, I think this is primarily because national news is almost always depresing lately, and the Samsung feed doesn't always offer enough to offset that fact so it feels like more of the doomscrolling I actively try to avoid on social media. You can change the feed on Samsung though, so it's not so much of a loss for the S25U. Nevertheless, by default, Pixel wins here. **Material 3 Expressive (M3E) vs. One UI 8** I am on the betas for both Android 16 on the Pixel and the Samsung. The biggest features for Samsung in my experience are the Now Brief and the customizations for the lock screen via Good Lock. I have always liked having a calendar on my lock screen and the faint view of the background image along with the rotating images you can set offers me a lock screen that always feels fresh. It does not feel as informative as the Pixel lock screen, however. The Pixel lights up when new notifications come in and shows me what they are since I have the setting to show notifications on. There isn't an option for a calendar, but it does show me the date, time and weather without me having to do anything special to set that up. Icons for my notifications will display when new notifications are waiting for me. I have to tap the S25U screen to see any information about my notifications. But in terms of the appearance of the UI, although M3E is more colorful and fun for sure, it doesn't matter all that much to me. I do wish sometimes that I had a little more leeway in the color options offered to me when you opt to customize things based on your wallpaper. I used to be a person who was heavily into icon packs, so much so that I would pay for a custom launcher that allowed me to use icon packs without jumping through extra hoops. But somewhere between the Note 20 and today, I stopped using icon packs. My Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 still has a custom icon pack on it that it inherited from the Note 20 and I do really like the way that phone looks even today. But I haven't bothered to try to install any custom icons on my S25U nor have I tried to do icon theming on the Pixel. This used to be a really big deal to me and I can't at all explain why it isn't that important to me anymore. I do remember the frustration of scrolling through pages of custom icons, trying to find one that will be a good fit for that app I want on my home screen but doesn't have a customized icon in the pack. I always hated that because I always had plenty of apps that were never included in custom icon packs because they were niche or just not quite popular enough. Maybe subconsciously, I just got tired of that life. I'm certainly not living it anymore. **Samsung DeX vs. Android 16 Desktop** This isn't really even a competition except that Samsung changed DeX with Android 16 to be more like the Android 16 desktop. I don't consider this an improvement, and I speak this that person who already told you I have DeX on two screens at almost all times throughout the day. I greatly prefer classic DeX. However, now that Good Lock has updated the MultiStar module that allows for high-resolution monitors, it's more tolerable. It is a bit more like Windows 11 than it was before, and I can respect that many people who use an Android phone probably also have a Windows device and this will feel a little more like home to them. However, some apps just don't respond well in DeX mode and since Samsung eliminated Linux on DeX (yes, I was one of the three people that used this little-known feature), Android 16 on Pixel with its nascent Linux support is perhaps primed to step into spaces Samsung has left empty. Nevertheless, Android 16 still feels behind even the new DeX. I tend to believe that over time it will catch up. For now though, Samsung wins here. **Cameras** In the time I've spent with both my S25U and the Pixel, I've found that I used the S25U more for video. This isn't always necessarily because I find the S25U to have superior video as much as it is easier to connect the S25U to an external monitor so I can see what's happening if I have the phone in a place where it's hard to see the screen. My small portable Synco monitor that I use most connects wirelessly and I have not yet found a way to easily use it with the Pixel. I take handheld video and photos with both phones without feeling like I need to prefer one over the other. I did find that using attachments like filters and lenses make using a smart gimbal like my Insta360 Flow 2 Pro nearly impossible because of the weight imbalance. So the advantage of having special lenses and attachments available for the Pixel isn't a universal advantage. **General Ecosystems** I have a Pixel Watch 3 and a Samsung Galaxy ring. The ring fits much better into the overall Samsung ecosystem. I get sleep and readiness summaries in my morning Samsung Now Briefs and I get notifications from Samsung Health throughout the day. I don't get any notifications from Fitbit even though I'm a premium subscriber. There is no real integration with the phone other than reminders to get ready for bed. I installed the Daily Hub apk that came with the Pixel 10 to see how it compared to the Now Brief and I understand why Google pulled it. It doesn't really provide a lot of meaningful or actionable information and it certainly doesn't integrate with Fitbit. At best it will tell me the current temperature and recommend YouTube videos to me that I already watched. To be fair though, the Now Brief will also recommed videos I've already watched and will also often recommend videos that I made. I like the Pixel a lot and I could use it as my main phone if I needed to. But I prefer to stick with the S25U because of its integration with my other Samsung devices (call and text sync across devices signed into my Samsung account and Multi-Control to share mice and keyboards are killer features for me) and the fact that it still supports pen input. I prefer writing on a larger screen, but I do use the stylus on the phone and don't really want to give it up even though Samsung keeps degrading it over time. But I'm going to keep the Pixel around to see where things go because I believe Google is going to continue to find ways to keep us interested.

See link to YT review at the end of this post! These new over-the-ear headphones from Nothing have been covered well by a variety of technology and audio outlets. What else is there possibly to say about them that probably hasn't already been said in multiple languages and on manifold forums by now? I am not a person who buys over-the-ear headphones very often. As a woman with a short haircut and a short head, most of these headphones don't fit my head well. I always need to wear them on the tightest/smallest setting, and even then, the earpads may hang down well below my ears and cause discomfort on my jaws after some time. The main reason for me to buy full-sized headphones is for noise cancelling, as I'm able to get very solid audio performance from in-ear monitors (IEMs) and even some on-the-ear headphones, which are typically smaller than their over-the-ear siblings. And it turns out that I haven't bought a full-sized pair of Bluetooth over-the-ear noise cancelling headphones in many years. In fact, it was well before the pandemic. It was a time when I worked in a typical open-floor cubicle farm in a large corporate headquarters building with many opportunities for noise to disturb the peace of my day. I bought a pair of Bower & Wilkins PX from Best Buy to try to escape the madness. Bowers & Wilkins PX in dark grey This was a great extravagance for me at the time as they cost about $400. My previous pair of ANC headphones had been a much cheaper brand, but I wanted something better and nicer. Reviews of the B&W PX at the time were mainly favorable. So, I bought them and wore them from time to time. I took them to work sometimes, but because of that aforementioned open-floor plan, I didn't really feel comfortable leaving expensive headphones sitting at my workspace. I bought a cheaper pair of ANC headphones to leave at work and kept the PX at home for select listening situations, that is, those that involved noise I wanted to block out. I never really loved the sound of the PX. Even back then, they weren't the absolute best at canceling noise, but the ANC was above average, and they reviewed well from a sound quality perspective. Yet there was something about the sound that bothered me. When the pandemic hit and I started working from home full-time, all my gear came back home, and I rarely pulled out the PX after that. I moved on to true wireless earbuds and wired IEMs for more serious listening. My husband got me a pair of custom-molded IEMs that were as good as blocking out noise as most ANC headphones and earphones. I had what I needed; I was good. And for a long time, that remained the case. I continued to experiment with true wireless earbuds and earphones, including open-ear styles. I wasn't particularly interested in buying another pair of ANC headphones. But for some reason, when the Nothing Headphone 1 came out, I was interested. I read all the reviews. I watched all the videos. I almost bought them a few times, but each time caught myself. I did not need another pair of ANC headphones. I wasn't using the pairs I already had. But eventually, they went on a small sale at Amazon and open-box items became available, so I took the plunge, feeling better about returning them if I didn't like them if they were already open in the first place. My thoughts here on the Headphone 1 are from a place of evaluating what more than 7 years of technological advance have brought as I compare them against my trusty-if-not-necessarily-beloved PX. Both of these headphones are striking in their own way, and certainly fashion plays a role here, but my focus isn't so much the way they look. It's how they sound and perform and whether or not I feel that enough has improved over time that it's worth it to me to keep the Headphone 1 in my life. **Controls** One of the first things that struck me about both headphones is how similar they are when it comes to how you use them. Both devices have physical buttons for turning them on, pairing, playing/pausing, controlling ANC modes, etc. The PX has more buttons and most of them are tiny and somewhat hard to identify by feel when you're wearing the headphones. All of the controls are on the right earcup. The 3.5mm and USB C ports are also on the right earcup. You can listen via a 3.5mm audio cable or the USB C port, but the headphones must be powered on in both cases. The PX have a wear sensor, and the headphones will stop audio playback when they are removed. Buttons and ports on the B&W PX right earcup The Nothing Headphone 1 is very similar here. All of the controls are managed via the power switch, the roller button, the left/right paddle, the customizable button, and the pairing button. All buttons are also on the right earcup along with the 3.5mm audio and USB C ports. The roller and paddle buttons on the right earcup Both ports can be used for powered listening as well. They also have a wear sensor that will stop audio when the headphones are removed. Bluetooth pairing button on the inside of the right earcupAt top: power switch; in the middle, USB C port; at the bottom, 3.5mm audio port While I prefer the controls on the Headphone 1, they aren't so far off from the controls on the PX. Both models are somewhat unique in this regard as so many other BT ANC headphones sport touch controls, which can be effective or offensive, depending on their implementation. **Construction** The PX look more expensive than the Headphone 1 for sure, even after all these years. The leather earcups and headband along with the signature B&W industrial design have aged well. The arms still pull smoothly for size adjustment. There is some metal visible which also lends to a more premium appeal. The Headphone 1 come across as very plasticky in comparion, but the unique design can take your mind off that for a bit. I like the way both headphones look from the front as they have relatively low profiles, but from the side, the understated elegance of the PX is more my style. However, I don't at all hate the way the Headphone 1 look. There's nothing else like them out there right now. Having had the PX for many years, I confidently say that if you treat them well, they will last for a while. And because you can use them over USB C, you'll get use out of them even after they aren't as valuable to use over battery power. This last feature will also be true for the Headphone 1 moving forward as well, but because they are mostly plastic, they could more easily be damaged. However, the IP52 rating does provide a bit of confidence for using them outside. I don't think I would use my PX outside whether it was raining or not. Nevertheless, I give the PX preference here for its superior build quality. **Sound** This is what everyone really cares about, right? Both headphones have an app, but the Nothing app offers much more customization for the sound. The B&W app lets you change ANC settings but there is no EQ. The Nothing app has sound profiles along with an 8-band equalizer that allows you to not only to tweak the levers for the frequencies but control the sound curve with Q values. And because Nothing allows you to create QR codes to represent your EQ curves, EQ settings can easily be shared with others. Nothing offers a few on their community website and others have chimed in with their own there as well. So, there is the ability to really alter the sound of the Headphone 1 far beyond what you are able to do with the PX. Nevertheless, even without customizing, there are key differences in these two pairs of headphones. The PX have a pleasant warm sound that isn't too bassy. It's a sound profile I generally enjoy. All the instruments are nicely separated, and the sound stage is decent. In a vacuum, these headphones sound pretty good, even after all these years. But the problem I always had with them becomes obvious to me when I listen to the Headphone 1. The sound feels as if it has a veil over it with the PX. It's almost tunnel-like at times. All the sound is there but it's not quite as clear as I would like. There's also a subtle impact to timbre as some details like cymbals sounded a bit off to me. Even before I played with the EQ on the Headphone 1, I felt the sound they provided offered more clarity, a little bit more detail, and a more natural timbre. Being able to change the sound for the Headphone 1 is a major win as despite the improved clarity over the PX, the sound was still a little too recessed in the midrange for me. A quick trip to the EQ settings fixed that. With the ability to tweak EQ, I'd take the Headphone 1 over the PX every day, all day. However, if there was a way to remove that veil over the sound of the PX, I think these two would compete much more equally on their out-of-the-box sound profiles. **Other Stuff** And speaking of all day, when the PX were new, they were rated for 22 hours with ANC and 29 hours with ANC turned off. Most headphones nowadays offer at least this much battery stamina, but many pairs offer double or more usage time. The Nothing headphones offer 30 hours with LDAC and ANC and a few more hours with other codecs. But with ANC turned off, they claim 80 hours of use. I did most of my testing with ANC and LDAC turned on and I charged them once in a week's time. The PX do not have a transparency mode for hearing your surroundings. The transparency mode on the Headphone 1 is quite good. The ANC on the Headphone 1 is also quite good and neither setting suffers from the added white noise you get from the PX with ANC turned on. The ANC performance is similar, but the Headphone 1 get the win here with the absence of white noise for the ANC and the mere existence of a transparency mode, not to mention superior battery life (age of the PX notwithstanding). The microphones on both headphones are acceptable but not excellent. The PX comes across louder, but there is a fuzziness to the sound. The Headphone 1 have clearer microphone performance, but the sound is quieter. Both microphones can block out some noise in your background but won't eliminate it (check the YouTube review for microphone samples). I prefer the fit of the PX because they adjust a little bit smaller than the Headphone 1 and don't cause that jaw discomfort. The clamping force of both is about the same, with maybe the PX offering just a smidge more. Both headphones are fairly heavy with the Headphone 1 coming in a 329g and the PX at 362g. Despite the PX costing so much money, they did not come with a hard case but instead had a soft slip case. It looks like a little black purse without a strap. B&W PX soft case In hindsight, I doubt that many men who bought these headphones appreciated this case and most promptly lost or replaced it. I think whether then or now, if you pay $400 for headphones, they should come with a hard protective case. The Headphone 1 comes with an acceptable hard case. Nothing Headphone 1 hard case It's not especially elegant or fashionable but it is reasonably protective and has a space for carrying your cables so you're less likely to lose them. There is a little pouch in the PX case, but nothing about the case feels secure and with the openings at the bottoms, I feel like you could still lose the cables if you tried hard enough. The B&W PX still hold up pretty well after all these years, but now that I've heard the Headphone 1, I think I have to keep them. Maybe _something_ will come along in another 6-7 years to make me try this experiment all over again. **Buy the Nothing Headphone 1 from Amazon** (affiliate link; purchases will help financially support this website and my YouTube channel - thanks in advance!) Amazon.com: Nothing Headphone (1) Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, Wireless Over Ear Headphones with 6 MICS, Personalized Spatial Audio, Tuning by KEF, Up to 80 Hours Playtime, Bluetooth Headset Black : ElectronicsAmazon.com: Nothing Headphone (1) Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, Wireless Over Ear Headphones with 6 MICS, Personalized Spatial Audio, Tuning by KEF, Up to 80 Hours Playtime, Bluetooth Headset Black : ElectronicsShop the Store on Amazon ›Amazon.com **YouTube review:**

Hey you! Check out the YouTube review where I compare them to the CMF Buds 2 - link at the bottom of this post! There are officially too many choices in the Bluetooth earbud/headphone space. There are options at every price point, and more often than not, the options are decent even at the low range. The Moondrop Space Travel 2 are a prime example of how paying less doesn't always mean you need to give up everything you may care about. The Space Travel 2 (henceforth deemed the ST2) cost less than $30, but the offer a package that is pretty unique and compelling despite its price. The worst part by far of the ST2 is its charging case. It's open at the top and there are slits on the sides where the stems rest in the case. The buds are difficult to get out of the case, and they don't immediately pop out when you turn the case upside down and attempt to shake them out. I was able to pull them out with my fingernails, but for anyone without fingernails, getting them out might be a challenge. And because the case is open at the top, you may find that you need/want to buy an additional case to keep them safe if you take them out on the go. You can buy such a case on Amazon. In fact, you can buy both the inner and outer case in a bundle if you so desire. This will raise the price a little bit. At the time of publishing, a clear plastic case cost about $9. I won't make you read a lot more without telling you about the headline feature of this product. The ST2 sound really good out of the box; they have a fairly neutral (compared to the mass market standard) sound profile with very solid detail and separation. The soundstage isn't particularly big, but the full spectrum of sound is presented in a well-rounded and satisfying way. But you don't have to settle with the out of the box sound. There are 3 EQ profiles - Reference, Bass+, and Bass-. These are very light-touch EQ presets. The Bass+ profile won't blow you away with a Sony Mega Bass style bump. It just adds a bit more low-end for a bit more oomph. The real intrigue is in the Online DSP options. With this option, you can load EQ presets that are aimed at a specific sound, whether it be one of Moondrop's other audio products or other audio products on the market. This means that in theory, you can try out the tuning of another product to see what it might sound like. I have to couch this with "in theory" and "might sound" because it's not as simple as picking an EQ curve and suddenly your $30 Bluetooth earbuds sound like $1000 earbuds or headphones. You are limited by the hardware. These little drivers will not sound like big planar magnetic drivers, big dynamic drivers, or even tiny high-quality balanced armature or xMEMS drivers. The idea is that you get a sense of the EQ curve so you can see if you like the tuning of another product. It's a fascinating idea and I think this could be a good entry point for people who have never mucked about with EQ settings in their audio products but in the backs of their minds wondered what al the fuss was about. I think this could be even more compelling than the QR code approach Nothing uses because you don't have to hunt down QR codes as the profiles are available right there in the app and all you need to do is download and apply them to hear the differences. I did most of my testing using the Bass+ EQ profile, but I did play around with a few of the DSP profiles uploaded by Moondrop. The changes can be subtle and require mindful listening. That said, this whole concept is best for people who are willing to sit down and intentionally listen. If the audio is just serving as background noise, none of the potential value of this feature will be realized. Nevertheless, when you do take the time to listen, you can hear the differences between the different curves and this could – again, in theory — be a good tool for someone who wants to understand and learn what EQ effects matter the most to them. Moondrop is an odd brand; they lean into anime and a certain vibe that is most certainly not _my_ vibe, but at this price and with this sound quality, I can forgive it. The audio cues are tied into their overall aesthetic. When it goes into Bluetooth pairing mode, a high-pitched voice sings "doo-doo-doo". When you're connected, it joyously cries out "Connected!". When you go into noise cancelling mode, it does a strange "sssh" sound. When it goes into transparency it asks "Heh?". It's all a little disconcerting the first time and a little annoying thereafter, but again, I can forgive it for being a bit quirky. Case and weird cues aside, there isn't much I can say against the ST2. They are inexpensive enough that I think more people who have an interest in going deeper in audio should buy them and play around with them. But they are also inexpensive enough that you can buy them as a backup pair or something to keep in your bag (in that extra case, of course) or maybe at work to have an option for those times when you forget to pack or charge your primary audio product. They are good out of the box, and they are fun for experimentation. Purchase links from Amazon - these are affiliate links and buying using these links will help me continue to buy products to review for this site and my YouTube channel. Thanks so much in advance! Amazon.com: Moondrop Space Travel 2 HiFi Noise-Canceling TWS Wireless Earphone Bluetooth 6.0 ANC Low-Latency Game Mode SBC/AAC (White) : ElectronicsAmazon.com: Moondrop Space Travel 2 HiFi Noise-Canceling TWS Wireless Earphone Bluetooth 6.0 ANC Low-Latency Game Mode SBC/AAC (White) : Electronics<img alt="Moondrop Robin Earphone Honkai Star Rail Robin's Earphones TWS Hybrid Dynamic Driver + Planar Dri..." src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41CGXQ0ilrL.__AC_SR166,182___.jpg"/>Amazon.com: MOONDROP Space Travel 2 Magnetic Protective case Transparent Headphone case : ElectronicsAmazon.com: MOONDROP Space Travel 2 Magnetic Protective case Transparent Headphone case : ElectronicsShop the Store on Amazon › YouTube review:

Hey you! Check out the YouTube review where I compare them to the CMF Buds 2 - link at the bottom of this post! There are officially too many choices in the Bluetooth earbud/headphone space. There are options at every price point, and more often than not, the options are decent even at the low range. The Moondrop Space Travel 2 are a prime example of how paying less doesn't always mean you need to give up everything you may care about. The Space Travel 2 (henceforth deemed the ST2) cost less than $30, but the offer a package that is pretty unique and compelling despite its price. The worst part by far of the ST2 is its charging case. It's open at the top and there are slits on the sides where the stems rest in the case. The buds are difficult to get out of the case, and they don't immediately pop out when you turn the case upside down and attempt to shake them out. I was able to pull them out with my fingernails, but for anyone without fingernails, getting them out might be a challenge. And because the case is open at the top, you may find that you need/want to buy an additional case to keep them safe if you take them out on the go. You can buy such a case on Amazon. In fact, you can buy both the inner and outer case in a bundle if you so desire. This will raise the price a little bit. At the time of publishing, a clear plastic case cost about $9. I won't make you read a lot more without telling you about the headline feature of this product. The ST2 sound really good out of the box; they have a fairly neutral (compared to the mass market standard) sound profile with very solid detail and separation. The soundstage isn't particularly big, but the full spectrum of sound is presented in a well-rounded and satisfying way. But you don't have to settle with the out of the box sound. There are 3 EQ profiles - Reference, Bass+, and Bass-. These are very light-touch EQ presets. The Bass+ profile won't blow you away with a Sony Mega Bass style bump. It just adds a bit more low-end for a bit more oomph. The real intrigue is in the Online DSP options. With this option, you can load EQ presets that are aimed at a specific sound, whether it be one of Moondrop's other audio products or other audio products on the market. This means that in theory, you can try out the tuning of another product to see what it might sound like. I have to couch this with "in theory" and "might sound" because it's not as simple as picking an EQ curve and suddenly your $30 Bluetooth earbuds sound like $1000 earbuds or headphones. You are limited by the hardware. These little drivers will not sound like big planar magnetic drivers, big dynamic drivers, or even tiny high-quality balanced armature or xMEMS drivers. The idea is that you get a sense of the EQ curve so you can see if you like the tuning of another product. It's a fascinating idea and I think this could be a good entry point for people who have never mucked about with EQ settings in their audio products but in the backs of their minds wondered what al the fuss was about. I think this could be even more compelling than the QR code approach Nothing uses because you don't have to hunt down QR codes as the profiles are available right there in the app and all you need to do is download and apply them to hear the differences. I did most of my testing using the Bass+ EQ profile, but I did play around with a few of the DSP profiles uploaded by Moondrop. The changes can be subtle and require mindful listening. That said, this whole concept is best for people who are willing to sit down and intentionally listen. If the audio is just serving as background noise, none of the potential value of this feature will be realized. Nevertheless, when you do take the time to listen, you can hear the differences between the different curves and this could – again, in theory — be a good tool for someone who wants to understand and learn what EQ effects matter the most to them. Moondrop is an odd brand; they lean into anime and a certain vibe that is most certainly not _my_ vibe, but at this price and with this sound quality, I can forgive it. The audio cues are tied into their overall aesthetic. When it goes into Bluetooth pairing mode, a high-pitched voice sings "doo-doo-doo". When you're connected, it joyously cries out "Connected!". When you go into noise cancelling mode, it does a strange "sssh" sound. When it goes into transparency it asks "Heh?". It's all a little disconcerting the first time and a little annoying thereafter, but again, I can forgive it for being a bit quirky. Case and weird cues aside, there isn't much I can say against the ST2. They are inexpensive enough that I think more people who have an interest in going deeper in audio should buy them and play around with them. But they are also inexpensive enough that you can buy them as a backup pair or something to keep in your bag (in that extra case, of course) or maybe at work to have an option for those times when you forget to pack or charge your primary audio product. They are good out of the box, and they are fun for experimentation. Purchase links from Amazon - these are affiliate links and buying using these links will help me continue to buy products to review for this site and my YouTube channel. Thanks so much in advance! Amazon.com: Moondrop Space Travel 2 HiFi Noise-Canceling TWS Wireless Earphone Bluetooth 6.0 ANC Low-Latency Game Mode SBC/AAC (White) : ElectronicsAmazon.com: Moondrop Space Travel 2 HiFi Noise-Canceling TWS Wireless Earphone Bluetooth 6.0 ANC Low-Latency Game Mode SBC/AAC (White) : Electronics<img alt="Moondrop Robin Earphone Honkai Star Rail Robin's Earphones TWS Hybrid Dynamic Driver + Planar Dri..." src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41CGXQ0ilrL.__AC_SR166,182___.jpg"/>Amazon.com: MOONDROP Space Travel 2 Magnetic Protective case Transparent Headphone case : ElectronicsAmazon.com: MOONDROP Space Travel 2 Magnetic Protective case Transparent Headphone case : ElectronicsShop the Store on Amazon › YouTube review:

Scroll down for the link to the YouTube review! The 12.4" Galaxy Tab is a relatively new thing for me, at least in recent years. I have generally preferred the smallest 11" Tab because my primary use case was taking notes and using a few apps sporadically. The Tabs weren't really my work or entertainment devices. I had a laptop for that. But over the years, I wandered farther and farther away from using Windows as my primary computing environment. As Android tablets became more popular and more capable, I found myself using them more for a variety of tasks. And as my Windows PCs aged, I continued to spend more time with my mobile devices. With Samsung, even a smartphone can become a PC of sorts with a simple connection to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Over the past few years, I've found that I use Windows for very specific tasks and my mobile devices for most other things. In general, I start off with a mobile device and fire up my Windows machine only when I can't adequately complete a task via mobile. As a result of that shift, having a good work setup for my tablet has become of much more importance to me and I just love an Apple Magic Keyboard style case. When I learned that the Galaxy Tab S10 series would be going back to the 11" in place of the 12.4", I decided it was time to jump on the S10+ to see if it could replace my smaller S9. I knew there were keyboards available for it that looked promising, so I ordered an open-box S10+ from Best Buy and the $100 HOU MF-SX12 Mofa keyboard case from Amazon. I did not really expect it to be good. Most Android tablet keyboard cases are terrible at worst and acceptable at best. And at first, I was almost ready to throw it out the window as it seemed to keep adding duplicate words every time I wanted to type contractions. But after a bit of internet sleuthing, I learned I could fix this by turning off autocorrect for the keyboard in the settings, and then everything changed. I could type fast and as accurately as I do on even my clickiest mechanical keyboards. The box and product page on Amazon do not indicate how much travel the keys have, but I'd guess it's a bit more than the Apple Magic Keyboard, which has 1mm of travel. In comparison to the Apple Magic Keyboard, the Mofa is not as polished. There are keys that aren't seated perfectly straight, and clicking or pushing/pulling on them doesn't resolve that issue. I don't know why the F12 key is crooked, but it is. Don't buy it if this drives you crazy. There is no dedicated AI button if you're into that kind of thing. As with most keyboards on Android, holding down the backspace key tends to result in a lot more deletion than you ever intended. It feels nicer on my palms than my Doqo cantilever keyboard case for the 11" Tab S9. There is a softer feel to the plastic. It's not grippy, but it's not slippery and therefore doesn't feel cheap. At first, I didn't like the raised section at the top of the keyboard base until I realized it was shaped that way to allow a space to store the pen. It even has a magnet there to ensure the pen doesn't roll away. I like this a lot. I appreciated how the Doqo case had a rubber strap to keep the pen in place on the back of the tablet, and that is a superior solution if you are concerned about keeping the pen charged, but the interior storage slot on the Mofa is better if you like cleaner lines and don't want to risk bumping your pen off the case. The layout of the keyboard is essentially the same as all the other Android keyboard cases I own. My Samsung slim keyboard case has a language button next to the right Alt button, whereas this keyboard and my others have the Alt button and another button for controlling the backlight or the Alt button is shared with the backlight control. The keys on all of these keyboard cases tend to get greasy easily and quickly, this keyboard included. Interestingly, a cleaning cloth is included in the box, and it's pretty great at removing grease. It has earned a place on my desk expressly for this purpose. It seems to do better at this than any of my other microfiber cloths, both those purchased and included with other items. Just know that your keys and trackpad will get nasty. You'll be able to see very easily which keys you use most just after a few minutes. But the cloth does help clean them up when it gets to a point where you can't take it anymore. Logistically speaking, the case charges via USB C, and the port is on the back right of the case, next to the power button. The backlight will turn off fairly quickly but comes back on reliably when you hit a key to wake it back up. There are LEDs on top right for the BT connection, caps lock, and power indicator. I don't turn off the keyboard when I'm done using it, I simply close it up and wake it up with a keypress when I open it to use it later. This is how I use most of my keyboard cases, with the exception of the Doqo case for my Tab S9 - but that's only because I rarely use that case as the Tab S9 is semi-permanently connected to one of my 4K monitors and it's sitting in a stand that has it suspended above my desk to keep it out of the way. I use my other battery-powered keyboard cases much more often. Using the keyboard case this way, it lasts multiple days. The manual indicates it takes 2 hours to charge fully and that one can expect 60 days of standby time on a full charge. By the way, the manual is nicer than I would have expected. It's in English and Chinese throughout and is fairly well written and laid out. It is nicer than the manual I got with the cases I bought for the Tab S9 and S9 Ultra. It's a book style manual, printed on semi-gloss paper, and has a table of contents at the front. The font is a bit small and I can't imagine how anyone could read the Chinese characters, which are printed in a hard-to-see green, but everything I needed to know I was able to find without too much trouble. It's not a long manual, so looking through the whole thing is probably a good idea to familiarize yourself with the details of its operation. Some reviewers on Amazon suggested that the magnets on the case are weak and their tablets would fall off, especially when trying to close or open the case. I have not had this issue. I find the magnets to be strong enough to keep the tablet in case when in use and when I'm stowing the package away for later use. With all magnets, there are certain angles where it is easier to dislodge the magnetized pieces than others, so I wonder if people just experienced issues with hitting the tablet at just that angle. It is also possible that there are quality control issues, which might explain the crooked F12 key on my keyboard. If so, this may not be an item to buy used or open-box. Cons? There is really only one issue I've had with the keyboard and it's specific to the trackpad. At times, my hands will cause the trackpad to move the cursor, and I'll find I'm typing, or worse, replacing text in a place I did not expect. It will also sometimes scroll well beyond where I was intending to scroll. These oddities are not unique to the Mofa, though. I've had these issues with my other Android keyboard cases with trackpads. I don't recall ever having this issue with the Apple Magic Keyboard, so I tend to think it's either the inferior mouse drivers built into Android, or it is a matter of the Android keyboards being significantly cheaper than the Magic Keyboard and therefore having inferior components. As far as trackpads go on Android, I do find that this is one of the better ones I've used. Despite the occasional issue, I've yet to turn it off. I really like this keyboard case and I'm returning the Samsung slim book cover keyboard I ordered at the same time. This is the one I want. I just wish I could get this same keyboard for my Tab Ultra. Note: Purchases made through this affiliate link help support my work by allowing me to continue buying products for review on this site and my YouTube channel (@jpwhiteside) - thanks in advance! Amazon purchase link: https://amzn.to/3JePEM4 YouTube review of the HOU Mofa MF-SX12 keyboard case

I have been an Oura ring wearer since the 2nd generation. For that ring, I got in early enough that when Oura started charging a subscription fee, I was grandfathered in and did not have to pay. I kept using that ring until its battery life was so terrible that I needed to charge it daily and even then missed some nights of sleep. I did not want to wade into yet another subscription, but at the time, there weren't many serious competitors to Oura on the market. I surely wasn't going to dump even more money into buying a Whoop strap, so I upgraded to the 3rd generation ring. At the same time, I was wearing a Garmin Venu 3. I felt like with the two devices together I was getting a pretty good view of my fitness and general health. I exercise 5-6 days a week, doing HIIT and steady-state cardio along with gym-style and functional weight training. The Garmin is very helpful in tracking my fitness stats and even keeping track of exercises and poundage used during weight training and the ring does very well at sleep and HRV tracking. But with time, I started to get restless. I loved my Garmin - I had been in the Garmin ecosystem since the Fenix 4 - but I missed having a stronger smartwatch platform. I wanted to be able to control my lights and have easier access to my TOTP authenticator codes. When the Pixel Watch 3 debuted with a larger size, slightly improved battery life, and its smart safety and security features like Safety Check, Emergency SOS, and Car Crash Detection, I was intrigued. I'd used the Android Wear/Wear OS platform in the past and had loved it as a smartwatch operating system but found most watches (except the monster behemoth Suunto 7) did fairly poorly with exercise and health tracking. With Wear OS as its base, plus the power of Fitbit -another platform with which I had extensive experience since the original waistband clip step trackers - here was a watch that could potentially replace my Garmin. I bought the LTE version and fully expected to retire my Garmin. But that didn't happen. Instead, I found myself wearing two watches and a smart ring on a daily basis because each of them excelled at something that the others did not. Based on testing by YouTube's renowned The Quantified Scientist (www.youtube.com/@TheQuantifiedScientist), I trusted the Oura ring and the Pixel Watch 3 to do a good job with sleep tracking. Garmin devices aren't nearly as good at this yet, although I do believe with the mounting added pressure Garmin will work on this in the coming years. The Pixel watch had the power of Wear OS, so I had more apps and features on my wrist than I was likely to use. The Garmin watch just got access to a basic app like Google Maps this month, and it isn't quite the same as using it on a Wear OS watch. I trust Oura to be better at tracking temperature changes and therefore be better at period tracking and detecting potential oncoming illness. Watches aren't as effective at tracking skin temperature even though almost all of them track this metric. And the Fitbit system, if you pay the yearly fee, has access to exercise videos and some of them are actually pretty good. But more importantly, I don't really have to pay for a Fitbit subscription to get the tracking metrics that are important to me. I'm not seriously invested in the Apple ecosystem as I have only a single iPad Pro, so I have no experience with the fitness features they offer, but I imagine only Apple's ecosystem trumps Fitbit when it comes to access to exercise videos and training classes. I have never liked the look of the Apple Watch and I'm not the slightest bit interested in going back to the iPhone after more than 15 years on Android. I value having choices and options too much. Well, now armed (sorry, not sorry) with two watches and a ring, I wanted to reduce my reliance on subscriptions. The Oura ring gen 3 was already showing signs of serious battery degradation, so I decided despite its rock-solid reliability in tracking sleep and recovery, I would replace it. I spent a few months researching other rings and had almost settled on the Ultrahuman ring because the caffeine window and presentation of data in its app appealed most to me. But after paying more attention to its accuracy compared to some other rings, I instead opted for the RingConn Gen 2. Its accuracy didn't seem quite up to par with Oura, but it did seem better than Ultrahuman, and the great battery life plus the charging case were perks I couldn't easily ignore, especially when paired with its sale price during Amazon Prime Days. I have been using it alongside my other fitness trackers and for a week, I logged all their stats in a spreadsheet to better see and understand their differences so I can apply the proper amount of weight to each tracked metric for each device. I then uploaded the spreadsheet to Perplexity and CoPilot and asked them to analyze and summarize the results, placing priority on sleep tracking and providing the results in presentation form. Perplexity generally did a better job with its summary and arranging data and insights for the slides. I place the most importance on sleep tracking, HRV, and resting heart rate (it's my goal to lower it a few more beats but I've come a long way since having lows in the 70s). If it's true that Oura is the most accurate of these 4 devices, RingConn and Fitbit do a pretty good job in general. Most nights they are very close on overall sleep time and reasonably close with the sleep stages, although RingConn does seem to have a bit more variation than Fitbit. Nevertheless, I find them close enough, and again, if The Quantified Scientist's testing is to be trusted, Fitbit's sleep tracking is almost as good as Oura's, and for me, RingConn is close enough. Note: Slide contents were generated by Perplexity unless otherwise indicated Garmin’s sleep tracking algorithm doesn’t seem to be as competent as the one used by Oura, Fitibit, or even RingConn in most cases. It consistently misses out on deep sleep and awake times. It does seem to track the most sleep time overall, which led Perplexity to question why its sleep scores were consistenly the lowest among the four devices. But we know that if we aren’t getting enough REM and/or deep sleep on a regular basis, sleep quality and health suffers. Garmin’s scores reflect this reality. RingConn shows more variance in sleep stage tracking, but quite often it’s not far off from Oura and/or Fitbit. For HRV tracking, I noticed after the very first night that either RingConn is using a different algorithm or method to calculate HRV, or it is just very consistently higher than all the others. But its trends up/down do seem to be acceptably consistent with the others, so I still consider it a good source to evaluate daily changes in HRV. Garmin is actually very good at HRV tracking and is almost always within 1-2 ticks of the Oura ring, so I don't feel like I'm lacking here with the 3 sources to compare. Resting heart rate numbers are also fairly consistent among the four devices, and I didn't notice any variations that gave me enough pause to stop trusting any particular device when it comes to this metric. I tend to believe that the variations noted are because of different measurement points in time or the averaging methods used by each device. I don't place a lot of value in readiness scores or even the venerated Body Battery that Garmin offers. These scores vary a lot among different devices and to be honest, how I feel each morning is almost always the same (slightly tired) despite having a high or low score. The only time I really pay attention to readiness or recovery scores is when I'm getting sick or am already sick and trying to get better. But I also find HRV to be a good indicator during those times. I feel the same way about sleep scores. I can get great sleep scores and feel tired and get lousy sleep scores and not feel significantly worse. And in the case of Fitbit, the readiness scores are especially vexing. How can I get a sleep score of 91 but have a readiness score of 67? At the same time, a part of me feels like Fitbit may really be the only device not lying to me about my readiness since I do generally feel roughly the same almost every day. It's rare for Fitbit to give me scores above 70, even when other devices are giving me scores well above 80 on a regular basis (I'm looking at you, Oura ring gen 3). NOTE: This slide was not generated by Perplexity but is my own compilation of data I also don't place a lot of value in activity scores. I do like that Garmin varies its daily goal for me based on the activity of previous days, but I'm not the kind of person who is motivated to hit step goals or close rings. I have a personal goal for calories burned via workouts each day and a weekly goal for how many minutes I exercise. I do try to get up frequently during the day but do often fall into the trap of sitting at my desk for hours at a time, working or prepping for even more work. I do think tracking skin temperature can sometimes be handy, but I find that the watches are not especially good at this. All it seems to take is for one wrist to be under the covers and the other to be out in the open air for significant variances in the readings from each. And while rings are more accurate than watches and I’ve had some success using the Oura ring for period tracking, I’m still somewhat skeptical. I do think rings like Oura can be used to help potentially identify oncoming illness, but otherwise I don’t place much faith in those readings for day-to-day variations. After formally consolidating and analyzing more than a week's worth of data across the four devices and continuing to compare them for many days afterward, I feel confident that I can stop paying for the Oura subscription and use the other devices to continue tracking the things that matter to me. I do also expect that I will eventually stop wearing the Garmin and just go with Fitbit and RingConn, but for right now, I'm still enjoying the extra exercise and recovery focus that Garmin has. Maybe Fitbit or some other Wear OS watch will eventually add similar features, making consolidation even less painful someday. For now, I guess I'm Captain Two Watches (and one ring). YouTube video link: Purchase links - buying through these Amazon affiliate links helps me buy, analyze, and review more products, so please and thank you very much! https://amzn.to/4osbb3P RingConn Gen 2 https://amzn.to/3UjXpmg Garmin Venu 3 A new Pixel Watch 4 is due in late August 2025, so it's probably best to wait to purchase, but if you are still interested... https://amzn.to/4ftkDA5 Pixel Watch 3

I have always wanted an Apple Magic keyboard style case for my Ultra. Ever since I saw the Lenovo Extreme Tab, with its amazing looking keyboard case that in some ways looked even better than Apple's offering, I have wondered why no one made one for the Ultra. I assumed it was because it was just too big and heavy and no one could quite get the balance right. These magnetic cantilever suspection keyboards tend to be very heavy, and no one wants to carry around a giant tablet and case that weigh as much as the average gaming laptop. I never bought that Extreme Tab, nor did I ever even get to see one in real life (why didn't Lenovo push that thing harder? It should have been in Best Buy stores right next to the S8 Ultra), but seeing that keyboard case showed me that it was possible to have a giant tablet with a good keyboard case. The keyboard cases I'd seen for the Ultra were all just OK. Not great - certainly not as good as the Magic Keyboard. And sure, when you pay less you expect less, but there seems to be an aversion in the Android space to making truly great cases. So when I saw this case pop up when I was looking for a keyboard case for my new-to-me Tab S10+, I was surprised. After all, we're on the 3rd generation of this giant monster tablet. I had looked and no one was making this kind of keyboard case. When I clicked on it, I realized it was relatively new and there wasn't a lot of information on it on the internet that I could find. So I bought it, thinking that if nothing else, I could review it and tell other people whether it was worth the money. So the important thing to keep in mind is that as I'm writing this review, this is the only magnetic cantilever suspension keyobard case for the Tab S9/S10 Ultra. I do hope that others will appear, but for now this is it. The texture of the keyboard case in the places where you touch is very vaguely leather-like. You know it's definitely not leather, but the texture is intended to be reminiscent of it. This gives it a decent feel under your wrists. It's not slippery but neither is it particularly grippy. When you open the keyboard, there is a sticker on it that tells you how to make the initial connection with your tablet. I did not remove it for a couple of days, worried about having to remove sticky residue. But I did finally remove it and I need not have been concerned; there is no sticky residue. After a wipe, I can't even tell that the sticker was ever there. Thank you, manufacturer. The leather texture does not, unfortunately, make the case look more expensive. It still looks like plastic. But it does set it apart from the smooth texture of my other cases, much less the very smooth look of the Apple Magic Keyboard - which to be fair, also looks very much like plastic. My biggest gripe with the textured finish is that the tiny grooves can trap tiny lint and dust particles. According to the very basic manual, the battery in the keyboard takes 2-3 hours to charge fully and should allow for more than 100 days of standby time or more than 5 hours of continuous working time. Five hours is not a lot of time for using a keyboard. You could easily run it dry in a day if you were using for your regular workday. I haven't used the keyboard continually for five hours, but I did have to charge it within the first couple of days as the red light came on, indicating it needed to be recharged. I wish that the keyboard offered at least 8-10 hours of continous use so you could get a reasonable day's use out of it. The manual outlines how to connect the keyboard, what gestures are possible, how to control the backlight, and what the shortcuts keys and lights indicate. The keys feel much like any other Android keyboard case I've used. They are perfectly serviceable and I'm able to type quickly and accurately with no issues. There isn't a ton of travel, but I have been typing on mechanical keyboards a lot lately, so I notice this now much more than I ever would have before falling into that trap. To be fair, the travel here feels perhaps slightly more than the Apple Magic Keyboard. The box indiates 1.3mm of travel and the Magic Keyboard has 1mm, so my perception lines up with the measurements. The difference is really in fit and finish. On my Android keyboards, the backlight bleeds from in between the keys. This doesn't bother me, but it's not a polished as the backlight on the Apple keyboard where the light shines from the letter on each key and there is much less bleed. This is mainly because the keys themselves are surrounded by the keyboard base whereas on my Android tablets, the keys look more like they are in a connected tray that is one piece. This may not in fact be how it is constructed, but that's the impression they give off. You do get more function keys on the Android keyboard than you do on the original Magic Keyboard I have on my M1 iPad Pro 12.9. The keys present on this keyboard are essentially the same as on any other Android keyboard case, except this one has a DeX and an AI key. The AI key is where the backlight or language key would be on other Android keyboards. The DeX key is in between the F12 and Del keys. The delete key is ever so slightly smaller as a result. Because this is a large tablet, the keys are full sized, so there is no cramped feel. The trackpad works reasonably well, but like all my other Android keyboard cases, you can misplace the cursor by touching the trackpad with your hands or wrists. It's very easy to be typing along and then suddenly find you are typing in a place you absolutely did not want to type. You can turn off the trackpad for long typing sessions, but this is not a thing I want to do. But this means I do periodically have to deal with this issue. In general, if I type with proper form I don't run into any problems, but who types with perfect form nowardays. Do the kids even learn how to type in school anymore? This trackpad issue is not unique to this keyboard so I'm not sure I can hold this against the manufacturer. Because it is such a widespread issue on Android - in my experience, anyway - I tend to blame mouse controls built into Android more than the keyboards themselves. Mouse control on Android is not quite up to par with mouse control on Windows, even with cheap Windows trackpads. This is one of the reasons why many people who do use Android devices for daily work or personal use opt to use a mouse instead of a trackpad. Nevertheless, using the trackpad is fine. It's definitely not a stellar trackpad, but I haven't had any issues with scrolling or gestures. Scrolling is often terrible on Android with a trackpad, but this one is perfectly usable. Honestly, this is a very decent Android keyboard case. But it does have one major flaw. It may be a death blow for some or a mere annoyance for others. There is really only one angle you can use with this case and it's not the ideal angle, at least for me. I find myself continously pushing on it to angle it up higher, but it won't do it. It is slightly angled, but you do not have as much flexibility in positioning the screen as you do with keyboard cases for the smaller Galaxy Tabs or the Apple Magic Keyboard for the iPads. I'm not sure if this goes back to the start of this review where I wondered if the reason why these cases didn't exist was because creating one with the proper balance was too difficult. Is this limited angle a side effect of the Ultra being so big and difficult to balance? And I also note that when closing the case, it often doesn't close completely at first. After laying down closed for a while, it will fully close, but at first it may be just a bit ajar. It's not open enough to turn back on the screen, but you will be able to see the backlight reflecting off the screen. Depending on how you transport the tablet in this case, you may want to take note of this. This is the only angle you get... I can use this case even with the limited positioning, but it is still a little disappointing. I'm going to keep using this case because the typing experience is solid, especially if I keep my wrists away from the trackpad - a thing I'm somewhat trained to do from years of using Android tablets - and the case isn't so remarkably heavy that it's unwieldy. The quality of the backlight is about the same as my other Android keyboard cases and other than the angle issue, the construction is decent for the pricing. If another keyboard like this comes out for the Ultra, I'll probably give it a try, but for now, this one works for me but I will keep the book cover slim around for when I want something thinner and easier to carry. I will definitely use this keyboard case in place of my Dexnor 2-piece keyboard case. 0:00 /1:02 1× I have an Amazon affiliate account now, so your purchases will help me continue to buy and review products that you probably won't find on other sites. Thank you in advance! Purchase link at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3JpTodx

See the accompanying YouTube link at the bottom of this post! The style of earbud that looks much like ear jewelry seems to be very popular lately. I'm going to call these clipbuds to distinguish them from the hook-style and normal in-ear styles of buds that are also available from many brands. For many people, clipbuds are more comfortable than hook-style or in-ear models and they allow you to hear your surroundings, so they can be popular for exercising outside or for use inside when you need to hear your family or co-workers. **Cases** The EarFun and Baseus cases are very similar in shape, size, and weight. The Baseus case feels a bit more dense, but it is also a little bit more rounded than the EarFun. This shape means that the Baseus case has to lay on its back and cannot stand up, but you can stand the EarFun case up on its bottom edge and this can make storing it a little bit easier. They both have small LEDs in the middle of the front of the case. The Baseus has a slit in the lid where you can insert your finger or fingernail for easier opening. But neither case is terribly hard to open. Neither case has wireless charging. Both cases have the USB C port and reset button on the bottom. **Earpieces** The earpieces are also very similar. The primary difference is that the bendable clip on the EarFun rubbery matte texture vs. a smoother finish on the Baseus, and the Baseus has a rubbery finish on the portion that goes into your ear. I think, in theory, this should mean the Baseus earpiece has more grip and should move around less in your ear, but in practice, there is very little difference between them. I find both of them reasonably comfortable to wear for longer periods of time - both are substantially more comfortable than I found the 1More S20 I recently reviewed, despite having a similar shape. The EarFun has obvious branding, but it's on the rear portion of the earpiece, so it's not as ostentatious as you get with some audio products. **Controls** I was very happy to see that both products have buttons. This makes them less annoying to use on a daily basis. The button is on the portion of the earpiece that sits behind your ear, so you aren't pushing the earpiece into your ear to control it. On the Baseus, you can control play/pause, skip ahead/back, and volume with the button. On the EarFun, you can control the same features as well as voice assistant activation. **Microphones** I did a test recording with both clipbuds, and both capture voice in a quiet room well enough to conduct a successful conversation. However, with the 2 extra microphones, the Baseus comes across louder and also does a better job of canceling noise. If noise-canceling microphones are very important to you, you may want to prioritize the Baseus. **Audio - Spoken Word** This comparison reminded me a lot of the Creative Aurvana Ace Mimi against the Soundpeats Capsule 3 Pro+. One product has more "air" or "space" to the sound and the other seems to insert the sound straight into your head without mucking about trying to create the effect of a large soundstage. I really do think that this aspect is subjective. I tend to feel that with earbuds and closed-back headphones, the soundstage effect can feel a bit fake. But I also admit that this is probably just my personal problem because the rest of the internet raves about products having large soundstages and great amounts of air in the sound. I'm just not sure where the unnecessary extra white noise ends and the feeling of soundstage begins. It is hard for me to describe what I really mean when I say this; I realize I'm vocalizing a minority opinion here. I do truly appreciate instrument separation and the sense that the audio isn't congested or crowded. This is probably more specific to music than it is spoken word. At one point, I put in the Baseus clipbuds when my husband was in the room and went to play a YouTube video and immediately stopped it because I was convinced the sound was coming from the tablet and not from the clipbuds. I checked Bluetooth settings, and the sound was in fact coming from the clipbuds. So.. am I sounding hypocritical here for admitting that? Isn't it better that I thought the sound was coming from the room and not from inside my head? I think it comes down to what you value. I think I tend to value clarity and detail and with many products that have the soundstage effect, the sound feels farther away, and that can mess with my perception of clarity and detail. Now, that doesn't mean that there is less clarity and detail per se. But if the sound is in my face (or in my ears, so to speak), it's easier for me to tear apart what I'm hearing. I'm not thinking about the room the speaker is in. To be honest, most of the time, with spoken word, I don't want to think about the room the speaker is in. A lot of YouTubers spend a lot of money to ensure we don't think about the room in which they are recording, but admittedly, those are the audio nerds. Anyway, this isn't a big deal for podcasts or internet video. It might be more of a big deal for audiobooks if soundstage helps with immersion. But in general for spoken word, I'm going to prioritize clarity of voice over almost everything else. Nevertheless, both products have very good clarity for podcasts and internet video. I just prefer the EarFun here because the sound is upfront and less bathroom-y. **Audio - Music** Well, you probably can imagine what I'm going to say about space, so I'll just be brief. There is more space in the sound coming from the Baseus, but to me it translates as more white noise, and I just prefer the cleaner sound of the EarFun. But if that space is valuable to you, you already know to discount whatever I say about this aspect of sound. Outside of that, the sound is very similar. Both have enough bass (for this style of audio product) that you aren't left completely wanting. Both have some EQ features, but the EarFun has a brief audio mini-test called "My Sound Profile" where you can customize the sound based on your hearing. It's very different from other audio test features I've seen before. Here, you go through the EQ bands and turn them down until you can't hear them anymore. The end result becomes your EQ band settings. I'm not sure how I feel about this in theory, but in practice, it actually seems fine. There are also EQ presets for Bass Boost, Treble Boost, Bass Reduction, Treble Reduction, Vocal Enhancement, Vocal Attentuation, Rock, Pop, Country, R&B, Classical, Jazz, Electronic, Dance, Hip-Hop, Metal, Blues, Soul, Hits, Latin, and Natural. It feels like EarFun is gunning for Soundcore when it comes to EQ options. You can also modify the 10-band EQ yourself and save your own presets. The Baseus has presets for Hi-Fi Live, Treble Boost, Rock Classic, Deep Bass, Jazz, and Acoustic. I found the Jazz setting most to my liking. But you can also create your own EQ presets with the 8-band equalizer. Just note that the bands aren't labeled, so you may need to tinker. If I attempted to make the EQ curve similar to what the My Sound Profile setting was on the EarFun, it made them sound less similar and I ended up going back to the Jazz preset. If the My Sound Profile feature works well for you, I think this could be an advantage for the EarFun, along with the extra 2 bands you can customize for your own EQ presets. **Microphones** The EarFun have 2 noise-canceling microphones and the Baseus have 4. The 2 extra microphones do seem to have an effect; the Baseus record louder and do a better job of reducing noise in the background. If microphone quality is very important to you to the extent you'd make a purchasing decision over it, you should probably go with the Baseus. However, the EarFun voice quality is acceptable for calls in a quiet room. It just isn't the best for noisy surroundings. **Connectivity** My connectivity star of late has been the very inexpensive Boytond YYK-S19, another clip-on style of earbud. They don't sound anywhere near as good as these two products, but I can wear them outside and in my basement with no dropouts. The EarFun are almost as good, allowing me to fetch my mail with a closed front door with only a tiny hiccup at the mailbox. The Baseus lose connection in my bathroom and at the edge of my kitchen farthest away from my desk. **Conclusion** To be honest, this is a difficult comparison for me. Both clipbuds sound good and the difference in soundstage is neither an advantage nor disadvantage to me. I prefer the EQ options with the EarFun but the better microphone performance and better resistance to dust and water are definite advantages I do care about. So for you, it really does come down to what you value. If you don't care about microphones, the EarFun's better EQ options may appeal to you. If you want to use the clipbuds outside or for working out, the better IP rating on the Baseus may sway you. I was personally convinced I'd stick with the EarFun until I did the microphone test and now, I'm conflicted. You may need to try out both as well to make a final decision unless clear bugaboos have already been laid out for you. **Specs** ** _EarFun Clip_** - list price $89, but often on sale at Amazon https://a.co/d/hpTe4n7 BT 6.0 Hi-Res Certified with LDAC 10.8mm Carbon Composite dynamic drivers 2 mic AI noise canceling Multipoint connection (with LDAC turned off) IP55 40 hours - 10 hours on the buds with 30 hours in the case (10 mins yields 2 hours) Low-latency game mode EQ presets, Custom EQ ** _Bowie MC1 Pro_** - list price $89, but often on sale at Amazon https://a.co/d/fuOpqE8 BT 6.0 Hi-Res Certified with LDAC "3 magnet" dynamic driver (Polyurethane +PU + Liquid Crystal Polymer) 4-mic array with AI wind noise shield Multipoint connection (with LDAC turned off) IP67 40 hours - 9 hours per charge (10 mins yields 2 hours) Low-latency game mode EQ modes, Custom EQ YouTube Comparison:

**1More S20**https://a.co/d/6bpa0dT The S20 are a comfortable pair of clip-on style open-air earbuds. They come in black, blue, and purple. I bought them in blue for a change from the black sea of boring earbuds available from every other audio brand. The case is rounded and relatively compact; it is a little larger than my favorite earbud case, the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro and Galaxy Buds Live case. There is no wireless charging for the case, just a USB-C port on the bottom along with a reset button. There is a red/green LED on the front and some reasonable branding. Opening the case reveals the buds, which are placed in labeled left and right openings. 1More S20 earbuds The bodies themselves are pretty small for this style of earbud. The front section that goes into your ear has a large speaker grille built into a nearly perfectly round body. The stem is short but flexible, and the rear section is about 1.5x the size of the front portion, which in theory, should add stabilization and keep the earbud from weighing down the inside of your ear. In practice, from a comfort perspective, this shape works well for my ears. They are reasonably comfortable to wear for long periods of time and didn't cause any soreness or discomfort. But from a sound perspective, this shape did not seem to suit my ears at all. I could never find a position for them to sit in my ears where I felt the sound was being correctly delivered into my ear canal. I could hear them, but the sound seemed to be going mainly away from my ear canal. Only if I held them in place could I get a sense of the sound they produced. Once I let them go, I lost volume and any sense of the quality of the sound coming from them. The microphone on the 1More performs well in a quiet environment. When I recorded the audio with my phone, my voice came across clearly and with reasonable volume. And because the buds don't block your ears, you're able to hear your own voice with no issues, and you don't feel as if you need to shout to be heard. Connectivity was very spotty for me. I live in an old house with plaster walls, and many Bluetooth audio products struggle to maintain a solid connection through more than one wall or through multiple rooms. I count it a success when I can still hear my audio in my kitchen. The 1More do not successfully maintain a connection in my kitchen, so I wouldn't use them when I'm doing chores around the house. These are buds I'd use when stationary at my desk or when I know I'm going to be carrying the connected device around with them. I had a terrible time with the controls on the 1More and gave up using them after a while. I could usually get the buds to cause audio to start, but getting it to stop was an exercise in futility. I almost always resorted to using the connected device instead. Do not buy these if touch control performance is important to you. My overall verdict on the 1More is mixed. From holding them closer to my ear canals, I do think the sound they produce is clear and relatively balanced for this style of earbud where producing bass is very challenging. They did not seem to produce more or even the same bass as other more expensive open ear earbuds in my collection, but I thought the sound was good for audiobooks, podcasts, and YouTube videos. I would not use them for music, not just because they don't work well for my ears, but because I did not find the sound balanced nor dynamic enough to meet my needs for music listening for anything beyond basic background noise. If these buds work well for your ears, I do think they are worth the money. If I had purchased these from Amazon and not direct from 1More, I'd probably return them as they aren't going to be very good for me to compare against future earbuds of this type. **Boytond YYK-S19**https://a.co/d/5rMSvGT These open ear earbuds are usually available on Amazon for a very low price. I scored my pair for $21, and at my last price check, they were available with a coupon for even less than that. That makes these very inexpensive and perhaps a good backup option even if you end up going with something more expensive as your everyday audio product. The case is a basic black oval with a small screen on the front to show charging status for the buds and case. Having the screen is very handy, but I will note that on at least one occasion, the screen failed to work at all, and I had to plug it in to get it to start working again. Sometimes you do get what you pay for... Touch controls for the Boytond aren't any better in my experience than the ones on the 1More. I could sometimes get play/pause to work, but more often than not, controls would fail to register. As with the 1More, I just used my phone to control everything. Boytond YYK-S19 earbuds The bodies are much bigger than the 1More, but the speaker grilles are noticeably smaller. Perhaps because the shape is bigger and therefore takes up more space in your ears, these had a more secure fit that performed better for me in the audio department. I was able to get suitable volume at lower levels and voices were clear and clean. The highs and lows weren't as present; I'd call the bass virtually non-existent and weaker than usual even for this style of earbud, but the mids where voices live was just fine. I find that these work best for spoken word as well. Podcasts and audiobooks sounded good and YouTube videos (at least those not heavy on music) also sounded fine. But even though I was able to get much more volume out of them than the 1More, I would use almost anything else in my audio collection to listen to music as music did not have the vibrancy and body I expect from a good audio product. But because they were nice and clear for voice, I found myself reaching for them over the 1More time and time again. There is also another reason why I found myself reaching for the Boytond: connectivity. I could walk around my house with them on and never lose connection. I could go downstairs to my basement and address my laundry and not lose connection. I could go out of my front door, close the front door, walk down my porch, and go to my mailbox to collect my mail and still not lose connection. This being the case, I found myself reaching for them when I knew I'd be on the move during the day. But it's not all rosy despite the great connection strength. Again, I think because the bodies on these buds are so much larger than the 1More, they became uncomfortable after a while. I could not wear them all day. I usually had to remove them after an hour or so because of the inevitable pain they would cause. As with the 1More, the microphones produce clear audio with reasonable volume. They will work fine in a quiet environment, but neither product would necessarily be my first choice for phone calls. I maintain that if the 1More shape and size work for your ears that they are the safer and better purchase. 1More makes solid products that generally work well over time and don't fall apart in the first month. The Boytond screen does not give me hope that they will have any kind of longevity. But because they are inexpensive, I do still think they could be a good backup pair of earbuds for when you're not stationary at your desk or you just want something simple for listening to podcasts or audiobooks during your day or maybe out for a walk in the world. The specs on these devices are basic, but the 1More does offer wireless lossless with LDAC support and a newer Bluetooth version of 5.4 over the Boytond's 5.3. They Boytond product page claims water resistance, but the box they come in does not reference this. I would not get them wet. The 1More do indicate on the box that they are IPX5 rated, so you could wear them outside in some unexpected rain. Check out the video review for a closer look at these earbuds.

CMF is a sub-brand from Nothing, an upstart brand founded by Carl Pei, formerly of OnePlus. The brand's acronym reflects "color", "materials", and "finish". It is intended to be a less expensive line that focuses on design and detail. In their words: _The brand's design philosophy centers on three core elements: Color: Using bold, distinctive color combinations. Material: Focusing on quality and sustainable material choices. Finish: Emphasizing attention to detail in the final product appearance_ CMF products do indeed come in bright and interesting colors including orange-reds, pale greens, and deep blues. For people who value what their tech looks like, CMF is perhaps a breath of fresh air. Finally, you can get something other than the standard space gray or porcelain white. (However, I need this company to get onboard with purple soon. They might really take off if they add that color... 😊) I was aware of Nothing and the CMF brand but hadn't been compelled to try any of their products, as accessing them in the United States isn't as easy as the standard Samsung, Apple, or even Motorola product. But I saw a story on a tech site about how the new CMF Buds 2 were available from the company's website and they were inexpensive enough that I thought I should try out a product from this company since the Nothing audio products have been fairly well received and reviewed. I ordered the Buds 2 direct from their website and received them in a less than a week. I paid $64 for them including shipping. It was my intention to compare them against a standard budget recommendation, so after some research, I also ordered the Soundcore P40i. I ordered the Soundcore from Amazon, so I received them first and had ample time to listen to them and get a sense of their sound profile. As with other Soundcore products, they produce powerful bass and offer an app with ability to customize sound, including what I'll call a "lite" version of their excellent HearID which I liked quite a bit on the Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro. On the Liberty 2 Pro, you got a more complete hearing test that evaluates each ear. With the P40i, you get a test that combines both ears to detect which frequencies may have faded, as we know we lose the ability to hear higher frequencies as we age. Therefore, it was not able to detect my left-right hearing imbalance. Nevertheless, this wasn't a focus for me as I really just wanted to compare sound and noise cancellation on the two sets of buds. I thought the P40i offered good noise cancellation and very solid sound for their $54 total price. When I received the CMF Buds 2, I appreciated how they didn't look like normal boring earbuds. I ordered green because it was something different, and indeed, it is. The case size is comparable to the case size of the P40i, but squarer and more flattened. The major curve comes from the dial on the lid. On more expensive products, the dial has functions, but here on this budget option, it's mainly decorative although it is where the lanyard hole exists, if you opt to use a lanyard. (one does not come in the box). Specs from their websites: **CMF Buds 2** 11 mm PMI Driver with Dirac Opteo™ 48 dB Hybrid ANC with Environmental Adaptive technology 6 HD microphones with Clear Voice Technology 3.0 Up to 13.5 hours of non-stop music on a single charge Spatial Audio Effect for immersive sound IP55 Water resistance ChatGPT integration Dual connection BT 5.4 with Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair In-ear detection Buds 2 open in their case **Soundcore P40i** Playtime 12H/60H 11mm drivers with Big Bass IPX5 Water resistance Active Noise Cancellation with Adaptive ANC and 45 dB reduction Fast Charging 10M = 5H Wireless charging 6 Mics with AI for calls Customized EQ HearID 2-in-1 Phone Stand Touch Control Bluetooth 5.3 with Google Fast Pair Multipoint Connection Gaming and Movie Modes P40i open in their case Here's the short story with these two buds. They are both very good for their prices, but I prefer the CMF Buds 2. I ended up pulling out several other buds in my collection to confirm/dispel what I was hearing in terms of their quality. You can hear breaths of singers and instrumentalists when you should and clarity is decent on both, although I find that the CMF Buds 2 edge out the P40i on clarity. However, this may simply be due to their different tuning. The CMF Buds 2 prioritize mids more and bass a little bit less than the P40i. Soundcore products have typically been known for their powerful bass. Using equalizer settings can address this a bit. For example, using the Acoustic EQ setting on the P40i will open the upper mids and highs to a noticeable extent, although it still prioritizes bass. My HearID preset shows that it is prioritizing mids over everything else, but this is not necessarily what I hear. However, that's also not necessarily a drawback to me; if you've read any of my other audio product reviews or watched the associated videos, you know I want bass to be very present. But there are limits to this. I do not want the bass to crowd out the midrange because so much musical information is stored there. Ultimately, I preferred the Acoustic EQ and my own HearID preset over most of the other presets, including when I tried to create my own custom EQ profile (by the way, you can do this without logging in and creating an account, but the app will nag you about it). 0:00 /0:30 1× Quick look at EQ presets in the Soundcore app The CMF Buds 2 equalizer settings are more frustrating than the P40i. There are some presets, out of which I tend to prefer Classical depending on what music I'm listening to, but the default Dirac Opteo setting seems to be the most full and neutral, so it is the one I chose most often. There are 4 other choices - much fewer than what Soundcore offers - and a custom option, but it's not the typical X-band equalizer. It is this fidget spinner looking system with 3 levels for bass, mids, and treble. The bubble moves around as you change levels to show you the leaning of the sound that will be produced. I mean... I understand it. I just don't like it. It feels like an attempt to copy the bubble shape from Nuraphone (now owned by Denon) without the colors and finesse. I would prefer to either have more presets or a normal X-band equalizer. I wouldn't expect parametric EQ at this price point. Nevertheless, I think for most people the default is probably the best choice for most music. I also don't like how switching in and out of the Dirac Opteo setting plays an audio cue that distracts you from making a proper comparison between the settings. 0:00 /0:22 1× Quick look at EQ presets in the Nothing app There is more air in the sound from the CMF Buds 2. This is an unsatisfactory description, I know... The best way I can explain the primary difference in the two sets of buds is that the CMF sound is a little more in-your-face. It's right there. The sound from the P40i is just a bit subdued somehow, which is a statement that tends to befuddle me as I don't think of Soundcore products as subdued by any measure. But this statement is different than saying any given frequency range is recessed. The total sound presentation of the Soundcore is set back a bit. Well, maybe except bass. And so honestly, this may just be a tuning difference. If the bass is pumped up above everything else, everything else will sound recessed as a result. Everything is there, for sure. It's just a more set-back sound once you get out of the bass region. Both earbuds offer solid mid-tier noise-canceling performance at their highest settings. Voices will still cut through, but ambient sounds like HVAC, street noise, machine hums, electrical noise, etc. will easily be defeated. The microphones of both are also quite competent, but again, the CMF Buds 2 edge out the P40i in clarity. There is some digitization to voice with the P40i, probably due to the aggressive attempts to reduce noise in the background. Soundcore P40i 0:00 /21.76 1× CMF Buds 2 0:00 /29.354208 1× Both offer the ability to customze the touch controls. I admit this is something I never mess with in any app. I generally expect touch controls to be sub-par and I am always prepared to control volume with my phone or whatever device is paired. The touch controls need to be simple and reliable for me to feel comfortable using them. However, I did eventually change the left double-tap to be play/pause on the Buds 2 and the single tap for the same on the P40i. If nothing else, I feel that the play/pause control should work. It works, sometimes. This is why I hate touch controls - and that's true for both sets of these earbuds. But I also realize buttons aren't coming back on tiny earbuds, so... I keep my phone close. At least with the Buds 2, they will pause when you remove them from your ears. The Soundcore app will let you add volume control (at least in theory, this is something I couldn't get to stick for some reason), something that is missing from the Nothing app. For people who are dedicated to the I-will-use-my-earbuds-at-all-costs lifestyle, the Soundcore wins here on paper. The CMF Buds 2 are very good for their price. I recommend them for someone looking for good sound at this price point in a competitive package that sets itself apart in style and presentation. If you aren't bothered by needing to order direct from the manufacturer (for now, at least), and you aren't bothered by more restrictive EQ options, these also offer very good sound at this price point; sound that is more balanced than the P40i - although neither of these are products aimed at audiophiles or anyone striving for a balanced or even a Harman sound (https://headphonesaddict.com/harman-curve/). These are both earbuds aimed at the mass market and therefore tend toward elevation at the ends of the spectrum. But you can modify them both with EQ options and both earbuds sound fine out of the box as well, assuming you're used to other mass market earbuds. If you prefer bass, I think you should aim for the Soundcore. If the $10 difference (depending on deals, sales, coupons, promos, etc.) or availability at Amazon matters, go with the Soundcore. If you've bought Soundcore products before and like their EQ options and/or HearID, go with the Soundcore. If wireless charging is important to you, go with the Soundcore. If for some reason, you want to be able to prop your phone up in landscape mode (and only landscape, portrait will not work) using your earbuds case, then the Soundcore is definitely for you. Sony Xperia 5 V sitting in the phone stand of the P40i case If the better clarity of the microphone is important to you, go with the CMF. If in-ear detection is important to you, go with the CMF. If you like having earbuds that are different than the typical buds you see out in the world, go with the CMF. If you want a slightly more full and balanced sound (out of the box), go with the CMF. If you don't like to mess around with EQ settings, go with the CMF. Links (not affiliate): Soundcore https://www.soundcore.com/products/p40i-a3955011?variant=43579706835134 Soundcore on Amazon https://a.co/d/cv6nRoc CMF https://us.nothing.tech/products/cmf-buds-2

Video review: This tablet stand is available from Amazon.com (not an affiliate link): Amazon.com: Universal Tablet Stand, 11 x 8.2 inch, Compatible with 4.7-12.9 inch Tablets and Phones, Bamboo Wooden : ElectronicsBuy Universal Tablet Stand, 11 x 8.2 inch, Compatible with 4.7-12.9 inch Tablets and Phones, Bamboo Wooden: Stands - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases TL;DR This is a solid tablet stand made of wood and plastic. The rear portion that allows you to configure the angle of the stand is all plastic. The rest of the stand is made of wood, which gives it a classier look than your average plastic stand. It is reasonably sturdy and holds up even my large 14.6" Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra with no issues. I can recommend it at the $30 price point. I also have the Parblo PR100 stand, which is a little bit more expensive at ~$40, but it is also bulkier due to its more robust stand mechanism. If you want something a little more travel friendly, this is a good option. Otherwise... There are 13 angles of adjustment to allow use nearly flat, which is useful for writing or drawing, or near fully upright, which can be good for media consumption. The base is large enough for easy use in bed or on a lap. The bottom of the stand has 13 notches for adjusting angle The wooden finish isn't particular shiny nor is it completely matte. It's much like an eggshell finish you'd find in paint. It doesn't tend to show fingerprints unless your hands are greasy. The tablet sits on a base that is lined with a rubbery plastic to keep from scratching the bottom of your tablet and to also give it a bit of grip to keep it from falling off as it doesn't have a lip on the front. Rubbery base for the tablet to sit on A 10-12" tablet will fit without hanging off the edge. Google Pixel Tablet on the stand But a large 14.6" tablet can also be used on the stand. It just hangs off the sides. Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra on the stand There are many stands available for tablets of all sizes, but this is a nice universal option that offers many viewing angles and a nice finish at a solid price point. If you're looking for something more robust than the foldable plastic tablet stands for travel or use at home/office, this is a stand worth considering.