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Author: Adam Taylor

Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Gen Vs. Echo Dot With Clock Review
The two popularly known intelligent speakers in the market are Echo Dot and the Echo Dot with Clock. Amazon launched new models of both Alexa-powered speakers recently this week: Echo (3rd generation) and Echo Dot with Clock. But, which one should you go with, the Amazon Echo Dot or Amazon Echo Dot with Clock? Which device is the best? Let’s take a look at the Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Gen Vs. Echo Dot With Clock battle.

Echo Dot 3rd Gen

Both Amazon’s devices have the same array of microphones, the same design, and dimensions and similar colours. Both the speakers are designed to detect your voice from all angles of your room. Except for ample similarities, they share a significant difference also. I will break it down for your understanding of the Amazon Echo Dot versus Amazon Echo Dot with the clock.

Before we discuss this, first, let’s talk about Alexa.

Alexa On Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Gen Vs. Echo Dot With Clock

Both the speakers are accompanied by Alexa, Amazon’s voice assistant. You can instruct Alexa to read the news, resolve the problem of arithmetic, to forecast the weather, play music, trigger the lights, and much more. You can even develop your skills with Alexa Blueprints on the Echo Dot or the clock devices. Nevertheless, Alexa still has new features. With Alexa Guard, Alexa can hear hazardous sounds. Alexa will speak to your visitors with a new feature called “doorbell concierge” if you have a smart ring doorbell.

Echo Dot 3rd Gen Features

Alexa is the wake word that defiantly controls these devices. If you want the voice assistant to bear another name, you can change the wake word. Both the devices are designed to hear you everywhere in the room with a 4-far field, 360-degree omnidirectional microphones. Are you a music lover who plays music every day? Don’t worry. Alexa will tell you about your fluttering choice regardless of whether you have the Echo Dot or the Dot with the clock.

These days, there are many intelligent technology alternatives in the market consistent with Amazon’s Echoes’. You can monitor your smart home technologies directly through your Echo speakers or the Alexa App, from Honeywell thermostat to the Philips Hue lighting systems. More than 85,000 smart home products are compatible with Alexa.

Echo Dot 3rd Gen Voice Control

Features Of Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Gen Vs. Echo Dot With Clock
- Size, Looks, And Portability
There is no difference between both the devices in terms of size, weight, and even the look. Both the speakers share the same size and the weight, i.e., 1.6″ and 10.6 oz, respectively. If you take a first glance at both the devices, you can hardly find any difference. You can carry them in your bag when going for parties or make room in your home even if you don’t have a lot of storage space for smart home devices. Hence, in terms of portability, both the Echo Dots’ are rated with five stars.

Echo Dot With Clock Feat
- Quality Of Sound
Both the devices have Echo, which has a more prominent, more powerful 360-degree speaker, although both systems have built-in microphones. Both the speakers have upgraded music streaming and can pair with multiple devices for stereo sound. You can also make free audio calls to the US, Mexico, and Canada.
- Aesthetics
Are you curious about which one is going to fit in best with the current furniture and equipment in your home? If we talk about options in colours, the 3rd-gen Echo Dot is accessible in 4 colours, charcoal, heather grey, plum, and sandstone. You would certainly have no difficulty finding one that suits your home décor with a wide variety of styles. You can also choose to have the Echo Dot with Clock, which comes in only one colour, sandstone.

Echo Dot With Clock
- LED Screen
There is no doubt that Echo Dot with Clock is a better iteration than the previous models as you would no more have to see the boring screen all the time. The Echo Dot with Clock has an LED display that is integrated behind the fabric of the device. It displays you the time, temperature, and count downs of any timers you set on the device. However, the Echo Dot 3^rd gen doesn’t own this prominent feature.

Echo Dot 3rd Gen 1
- Price
Price is one of the main factors that many customers consider when deciding which Amazon Alexa product to buy. It’s no more a hassle to choose between the two. With only paying $10 more, you can easily buy the Echo Dot, integrated with an LED screen. Hence, there is not much difference between the price of the two speakers.

Wrapping Up

Essentially, apart from the size, look, features, and cost, the LED display is the only difference between the two products. Amazon has already made the choice easy for the customers who wish to have the latest features of the Echo Dot family. The new Echo Dot with clock picked up all the features of the previous Echo Dot 3^rd generation along with the latest LED screen and is only priced $10 more than the Echo Dot.
February 9, 2020
Top PlayStation 4 Family Games Coming In 2020

The PlayStation 4 has a ton of great games, including fantastic family games that you and your children can check out together. However, since the PS4 has over 2000 games, picking out the right ones to play can be super tricky. You can find some games that you can play cooperatively or compete against each other. In this roundup, we briefly outline the games confirmed to release on the PS4 in 2020 that you can enjoy playing with your family.

#1 Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

The Lego series is a super popular video game series on the PS4, and several Lego games have released for the PS4 over the years. The Lego Star Wars: The SkyWalker Saga is the second Lego Star Wars game to come out on the after Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Now that The Skywalker Saga has officially come to an end with the release of The Rise Of Skywalker in December, the timing is perfect for developer Traveler’s Tales to deliver yet another great Lego experience with the iconic action series. It is one of the perfect PlayStation 4 Family Games you can try out.

Lego Star Wars The Skywalker Saga 1

Rather than picking and choosing a single movie or a specific trilogy, the developer, TT, is crafting an open-world game that comprises of every mainline film in the Star Wars saga. It is not the first time the team will have tried something like this, but 2007’s Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga game came out before Disney was involved, and obviously, a lot has changed for the Star Wars franchise since its acquisition in 2012.

To further differentiate the new Lego game from The Complete Saga, TT is designing the game so players can enjoy an unrestricted open-world experience, and surprisingly enough, you can tackle the storyline in any order you wish. Each movie from the franchise will have its own hub world, and players will have access to a selection of relevant planets to explore. The plan sounds ambitious and seems like the game will be a massive outing for the Lego series, but it will surely be one that will keep the Skywalker spirit alive in 2020. There is no information about the release date as of yet; however, the game will come out at some point in 2020.

Lego Star Wars The Skywalker Saga

#2 Final Fantasy VII: Remake

Ever since the PS3 tech demo was revealed showing off a potential remake of the game, many fans have wished for a return to the world of FFVII. Fans finally got their wish at E3 2015, when the reimagining of the classic PS1 JRPG was revealed. It’s now hard to imagine that the once-fabled Final Fantasy VII Remake is almost upon us. What makes the Final Fantasy VII Remake especially interesting is that it’s not a one-to-one remake of the original video game, but rather, it is a reimagining of it. As the first game of a series of instalments, the release of Final Fantasy VII: Remake will mark the beginning of a long road to revitalizing the vast story of the original game.

While many of the essential locations, story beats, and iconic battles in the first location of Midgar seem to remain the same, everything in the game will have a more modern flair to it. In addition to the real-time combat system, you’ll also be able to actively level up different attributes of your character’s weapons and create different load-outs. The new RPG-direction the game is taking opens up new avenues for character and party customization. Additionally, the remake will feature new events and characters, which were not seen in the original game.

Final Fantasy VII Remake

Subplots

New subplots will be introduced to the already well-established story. Despite the modern approach the developers are taking to an older game like FFVII, they also make an effort to retain and emulate the feel of the original game. You can switch to traditional turn-based combat and not deal with the RPG-style levelling-up at all. Fans got their first look at the remake at E3 2019 and were very impressed with how the team has managed to rebuild the game from the ground up. The game will release on April 10, 2020.

#3 Trials of Mana

If you are a fan of SNES RPGs and remember spending a lot of time playing them, you’ll likely know the pain of having never gotten a third Mana game. Square Enix released an officially translated version of the games via the Collection of Mana bundle in June 2019. While the move proved to be an exciting opportunity for players to experience the long-forgotten classic one more time, the company confirmed that a full-blown remake was also in the works. The Trials of Mana remake reconstructs the original game as a third-person action-RPG. Early footage of the game captures the series’ exciting real-time battles with a more polished and streamlined combat system.

Trials of Mana

The SNES original’s stunning pixel art has also been converted into gorgeous 3D visuals. Although new dialogue scenes were added, it seems like Trials of Mana’s story will remain mostly the same as the original. The game will allow you to alter how events play out based on the character you choose and those you allow to join your party. The game will release on April 24, 2020.

#4 Two Point Hospital

Two Point Hospital is a beautiful looking simulator game where hospitals come filled with patients with bizarre illnesses. The game is a spiritual successor to Theme Hospital, but this game is bigger and better. VIPs will take over your wards, and the Two Point Radio DJs will fill your ears with British sass, and slapstick humour.

Two Point Hospital

The game is a brilliant homage to Theme Hospital and made by key developers behind it too – making it a simulator with some serious credentials. The game will release on February 25, 2020.

Verdict: PlayStation 4 Family Games

The PS4 will have no shortage of good family games, even as the console enters its Twilight years. Finding the right games can be understandably difficult, but if you pick up any of these games when they come out, you’ll surely have a good time playing them with your family.

February 9, 2020
TicPods 2 Pro Mobvoi Review
There are many inexpensive AirPods on the market, but only a few of them have artificially smart features and practical functions. Chinese AI Mobvoi improved its position on the stemmed AirPod pair of rivals, TicPods Free, last year. The company could do it by using the new CES model: TicPods 2 Pro, a cheap pair of wireless Bluetooth earpieces. These Bluetooth earpieces come packed in a pint-sized packaging with voice, touch, and gesture controls. The TicPods Free of Mobvoi was a viable alternative and much affordable than Apple’s highly popular white stalks. The TicPods 2 and TicPods 2 Pro Mobvoi launched at CES based on a fresh piece of the famous pastry.

TicPods 2 Pro

The TicPods 2 starts at $99, while the TicPods Pro is $139. You’ll have to determine whether the extra features are worth $40. We’ll begin by unboxing the TicPods 2 Pro and checking out their updated design. TicPods 2 comes in two versions. The one we are looking at is the TicPods 2 Pro that features dual-mic noise cancellation for phone calls, TicHear hands-free voice controls, and nod-gestures from TicMotion. The TicPods 2 does not have any of these features, but in size and appearance, they are similar.

Features Of Ticpods 2 Pro
- Matte-plastic build IPX4 dust with water resistance
- Size: Its Charging case is 24 x 32 x 71 mm; earbud: 16 x 17 x 40 mm
- Touch controls TicHear hands-free voice commands
- Dual-mic noise cancellation for phone calls
- Qualcomm aptX Audio
- In-ear detection
- TicMotion nod-gestures
- Bluetooth 5.0
- 13mm moving coil
- OTA updates
- Android: APTX/AAC/SBC; iOS: AAC
- Battery: Charging case: 390 mAh; TicPods: 30 mAh each
You’ll soon realize that you have a remarkable software with a set of ear-packs once you have matched your TicPods 2 Pro over Bluetooth. AI, which allows Mobvoi to use two new technologies, TicHear and TicMotion, is the principal function here.

TicPods 2 Pro Voice Assistant

TicHear needs voice control, as you probably noticed. You can use the wake phrase “Hi Tico” to trigger the regular voice assistant on your smartphone without any hesitation. Still, Mobvoi has taken it a step further, creating algorithms that enable’ Fast Commands’ to perform simple functions such as pausing a record, skipping a track, and merely asking the TicPods 2 Pro to do it–no wake-word required.

And it’s pretty handy when it works. During the experiments, though, I found that headphones often fail to recognize my orders. And, it is not so easy to monitor the music alone with your speech when the directions on the store line are not enough to make it work. The audio buds support only correct sentences too, so remember to say “play music” instead of only “play.” Then we’ve got TicMotion, which makes you either nodding or shake your head when it comes in or to refuse calls. And again, it is beneficial and fun when it functions, especially if it goes on the moves.

TicPods 2 Pro Noise Cancel

Design

Mobvoi changed the concept for the TicPods 2 entirely for some reason. As the stem remains, the silicon tips were replaced with a universal open-fit design similar to the AirPods Pro design. The speaker enables good sound, which gives a better sound. You will feel comfortable while listening to music. The TicPods 2 Pro personally didn’t fit my ears, and I felt like they could fall out anytime. It is even more troublesome because you need to press vigorously halfway down the stem to reach the touch controls for TicPods. It will probably not be a problem for you, so try before shopping if you can.

Battery Life

The TicPods 2 Pro capped at a single charge for 4 hours of use and has a charging case for a total of 20 hours. There are a few settings that affect battery life overall. TicHear needs still listening to the

when TicMotion fires up accelerometers in the ears. Disabling both could yield a slightly better battery life, but you’re better off buying the non-Pro TicPods 2 at that point. The TicPods 2 Pro lasted precisely three hours at around 60 percent capacity, with all the apps allowed, depleting around halfway around the 1:30h point. At lower volumes, you can expect higher battery life, and with certain functions switched off.

TicPods 2 Pro Resistance

Audio Quality

Throughout my experience, the TicPods 2 sounds pretty good. For bass like the Huawei FreeBuds 3, they aren’t too overpowering and deliver a well-rounded mix of drums, mids, and trebles. Like many other tiny TWS earbuds, though, they sacrifice more than around 65 percent of the sound, and tinny mids and trebles block out the music. Stability failure is a common feature of TWS earbuds packed with tiny hardware. The earbuds are still bright enough, so you don’t have to use the above 60 percent capacity.

TicPods 2 Pro Package

The TicPods 2 Pro works exceptionally well for phone calls. The dual-mic noise reduction made my caller hearing me from a loud coffee shop a lot easier. Nodding listening to the call worked fine, and I could understand my caller well. Also, remember that there is no active noise cancellation in these earbuds, and noisy sounds may destroy your acoustic experience.

Wrapping Up

The TicPods 2 Pro offers a lot of apps, a range of flexible device choices, and well-balanced music, but they’re not flawless. I wish they had been designed a little more for the ear canal since they didn’t seem to me to be as secure (but they may be convenient for you), they seem a little too snug.

If you don’t think you’re going to use the nod motions or voice commands, I might suggest that you go for the cheaper TicPods 2 $99. These are classified for marginally better battery life and are similar in every other respect to the TicPods 2 Pro. The TicPods 2 Pro Mobvoi crosses a lot of boxes, but a few major ones are lacking, such as active noise cancellation and a more comfortable fit.
February 9, 2020
Is DualShock 4 The Best Wireless Controller?

Wireless controllers have revolutionized the whole gaming experience. Gone are the days where you would have to sit at a certain distance from the screen due to the wired controllers and worry about the cord breaking up if you moved the controller too excitedly. Wireless controllers provide a great way to play your favourite games remotely. While many wireless controllers are flooding the market right now, nothing quite beats the excellence of DualShock 4.

What Makes DualShock 4 Controller Different From Others?

Launched in 2013 besides the Sony Playstation 4, the DualShock 4 is still one of the most eyecatching and comfortable wireless controllers out there. Coming with a sleek and small build, its ergonomic design makes it sit comfortably in the hands of the user, making the gameplay more intuitive and comfortable. This controller has an excellent response time, which prevents any lags in the gameplay. You can slide over the buttons smoothly, which have a feather touch. It means that there is no need to hit those buttons hard to make your character run faster or fight harder.

DualShock 4

The built-in speakers can enhance the already great sound quality. This, along with the smooth touchpad and motion detection, can improve your overall gaming experience. Also, the front side of the controller contains a light bar that keeps on displaying different colours, giving it a very futuristic look. Attaching a gaming headset or headphones to the controller is pretty straightforward. You can connect them easily with the help of Bluetooth wireless technology.

Where Does It Lag?

Despite all the beautiful features incorporated in the package, there is still one thing where the controller doesn’t impress, that is, the battery life. On a single charge, the controller can last for up to four-eight hours, which is not exactly outstanding, considering some of its competitors who can back a bit more power.

For this simple reason, it is recommended to have at least two controllers. In this way, even if one of the controllers dies down, you always have the other one to continue playing. Alternatively, you can buy a charging dock, which allows you to charge both the controllers at once (But you won’t be able to play for that time, of course).

Time To Take Decision

The DualShock 4 can be a great controller for someone who wants a simple controller to play games with and who isn’t used to the more complicated functions which might be there. It feels lovely to hold and works wonders while playing. Though it might be too light for some, the smooth gameplay makes you forget everything else. Also, the buttons and joystick have their signature clickety-clack sound, which can get you more pumped up to just beat the hell out of that boss. Just like the central controller, the PS4, the DualShock comes with a mixed finish of matte and gloss. This gives it a very modern and attractive look, making it hard not to pick it up and start playing.

Verdict

Nothing is perfect, and neither is the DualShock 4. But what compensates for its weakness is the motion control and smooth gameplay which gamers long for. What’s more, it comes in a variety of colours for you to choose from, so that you can build your own customized set.

February 9, 2020
Slack Update: Google Is Working On Another Messaging App To Take On Slack

While Google has been the master of many things, one thing it hasn’t had much success is chat applications. Though it has never had much difficulty in building one, and the ones like Allo did hit it off with people for a while, it’s just that there have always been too many alternatives. After getting mild reviews on Allo, Google now seems to be shifting its focus from personal messaging apps to the more business-oriented ones, such as Slack.

What More The Google Is Offering?

According to a report, Google is coming up with a comprehensive mobile chat application that will incorporate current services like Hangouts Meet, Hangout Chat, Drive, Gmail, and others. It is supposed to fulfil all your business communication needs.

Currently, a person has to use two different apps, one for messaging and one for video conferencing. Yes, there is an option for sending messages in a video calling application, but it cannot be used for chatting. Also, it can get pretty cumbersome in a business environment where things have to be done quickly, efficiently, and with minimum hassle. This app will bring together all the key elements of G-Suite, which are handy for a business, all in one place. It is slated to take on the likes of Slack and Microsoft 365 package.

Slack

Challenges That Google Might Face

However, the road ahead for Google is not very smooth. Slack, being the pioneer, already has an established user base who commends the intuitive approach to design and functionality of the company. Microsoft is another big name in the field, having its Office 365 package. While it might not be as engaging or exactly better than Slack, the existing user base responded to this package pretty well.

So, to make it all work, Google will have to give a compelling reason to businesses to switch to their platform. It has a tough task ahead because switching to a new platform can sometimes be a drain on resources because there is always that risk of it not working out. So, is there a threat to the existing apps like Slack due to the entry of one of the world’s biggest companies onto the scene?

Well, probably not.

Some Unsuccessful Attempts

As we all know, Google hasn’t had any significant success with a messaging app. The company has always been a bit confused when it comes to the question of how these apps should be incorporated with the existing user base. In fact, at one point in time in 2016, Google was simultaneously running six messaging apps at once! While there were a few bright stars like Allo and Spaces in this otherwise bleak sky, they ultimately suffered from obscurity. The last major attempt by Google in the field of chat applications was in the form of Allo, which was eventually shut down in March 2019.

Though Google has all the technical expertise and resources at its disposal, it remains to be seen whether it can overcome its previous failures. It will also be interesting to see how Google uses its competitive edge, which it has over the other companies into launching a successful product. Since Google has been pretty successful at enterprise software, which is an entirely different field than personal applications, it might just be able to pull it off. Hopefully, we will be getting to hear more about it at the Google I/O scheduled to take place later this year.

February 9, 2020
Fortnite Mobile Hacks, Aimbots, Wallhacks For Android And IOS Download

There are hacks and cheats for practically every single game, including Fortnite. Though using hacks and cheat codes in any of the “Epic Games” franchise is risky since they are known to be pretty strict when it comes to banning cheaters. Still, you can use aimbots to assist you in shooting, wallhacks, scripts, and other related hacks on both Android and iOS devices. Let’s take a look at Fortnite Mobile Hacks.

Fortnite Hacks And Mods For Mobile

Just like for other games, most of the hacks and mods for Fortnite are downloaded via APK. These are only a modified version of the Fortnite client, which can help you get enhanced performance. While downloading the various types of hacks in the form of .apk files is pretty easy, what’s difficult is getting around to implementing them. Since Epic Games are always on the lookout for hacked and modded versions with the sole purpose of banning them, it becomes relatively difficult to get your hands on a current hacked version of the game. Apart from aimbots, skin hacks can also be downloaded. But these are client-specific and won’t be visible to other players.

Fortnite Mobile Hacks

Aimbots

Auto-aim is one of the most sought after features in any mobile-shooter game. Though Fortnite has a building feature in the game, which makes it difficult for the aimbots to do their job, they can still provide great power when paired with some of the advanced weapons like sniper rifles and explosives.

Besides aiming and optional shooting (Triggerbot), aimbots can keep a note of bullet drops, bullet speed, and target movement to determine the best hit rate possible. Though the auto-aim is not 100% perfect since the progress of the avatar varies from person to person, it still can be an extremely helpful tool for people with poor aiming skills. It can make up for their lack of capabilities or physical limitations.

Wallhacks

Wallhack is one of the Fortnite Mobile Hacks features specially developed for Fortnite. It can help you see the enemy’s movements when a wall hides him. It goes by many names such as ESP, VAC, and Wallhack and can highlight features such as loot crates, explosives, traps, jump pads, lamas, and supply drops besides highlighting the enemy. Using this, you will probably never get killed by an enemy who is hiding inside a bush or a wall. While they are not as good as the aimbots at getting the kills, Wallhacks are undoubtedly much more fun to use. Knowing all the relevant information about the enemy can be a much more useful thing than just aiming for the right spots because the bullet can come from any side after all.

Also, since they are much more discrete and hard to be noticed by other players, there are lesser chances of you getting reported and banned from the game. In addition to this, if you have the required skills, you can build your scripts defining what kind of hack you want and then use it to your liking.

Though there are a large number of free mods and mod menus available, they are not always safe. And since Epic Games tries every possible way to detect any hackers who might be present in the game, it’s better to remain cautious and not overuse these hacks to ensure a safer gaming experience.

February 9, 2020
Common Charger For Smartphones Ordered By EU, Paves The Way For Domination Of USB-C

Tell you what, the European Union will be enforcing a universal charger for all smartphones, owing to the reduction in electronic wastage and interoperable charging for all end-users like you and me by common vote appeal.

Technological Outburst

With the advancement of technology and smartphone devices, nobody is thinking about or even for that matter giving importance to electronic wastage. A common charger will serve useful to all the smartphone devices and users, of course!

USB Type-C’s A Saviour

A remarkable introduction of USB Type-C has proved to be beneficial for the lifestyles of proprietary charging connectors. It comes with a lot of advantages, like for instance, charging speeds, connection reversibility, and knowledge transmission charges.

Domination Of USB-

Same Boat

A similar initiative was launched in 2014, thinking it would put an end to the electronic waste of 51,000kg back then and also help in avoiding charge clutter. The European Union was yet to approve it formally. They said they would require two years to include the rules to their national laws, and also, the manufactures will need another year to agree and implement.

Apple iPhone Users

What is the one thing that an iPhone user will not find in a sea of chargers? Something that resembles his own iPhone charger! Apple users will be at a loss for words because Apple will be the single most objector to the standardization of chargers as they have their proprietary lightning connector!

Last Word

In the initial draft, most of the voters are in favour of the ‘common charger for all’ policy. Yet, there still has to be a formal approval from the European Union. Their consent will put an end to the Micro-USB series. Let us hope for a better electronic wastage rescuer in the form of a common charger!

February 9, 2020
NoiseFit Evolve Smartwatch Review
Noise recently launched the NoiseFit Evolve, which is the company’s first smartwatch that has an AMOLED screen. The watch has a lightweight body and boasts several features, including music controls, heart rate sensing, and more. In this post, we’ll highlight the features of the smartwatch and help you decide if it’s worth the price. Let us first see what is included in the box.

NoiseFit Evolve Smartwatch

Box Contents
- NoiseFit Evolve smartwatch
- Black wrist strap
- Charging dock and USB cable
- Quick start guide
Design And Build

The NoiseFit Evolve Smartwatch has a round dial with large bezels around the display. The watch weighs a mere 43 grams, and the band weighs 3 grams. It is one of the lightest smartwatches in the price range. Its dimensions are 44.5×9.8x8mm, making it similar to a regular 40mm dial watch. It comes with IP68 water resistance, which means it can withstand dust, dirt, and sand. The watch is resistant to submersion up to 1.5m underwater for up to thirty minutes. It can be used in the shower; however, the company advises against using it in the sauna, a hot water bath, or in the ocean since the moisture and salt can damage the band.

NoiseFit Evolve Smartwatch App Connect

The manual also mentions that you should not wear it when swimming. The watch has a 3-axis accelerometer and is Bluetooth 5.0 enabled, which enables you to connect it to both Android and iOS devices. It doesn’t have a 3-axis gyroscope sensor. The Bluetooth chip is programmable, meaning it can store data even when it is disconnected from the smartphone.

The band is made of skin-friendly thermoplastic polyurethane, and the strap is adjustable to your wrist length. You can also switch out the strap and use a third-party strap. A button on the right side lets you go to the home screen. On the back, you can find the heart rate sensor. The sensors’ LED lights glow green when you use it to measure your heart rate. You can also find the charging pins on the back. The watch has an anodized aluminium finish, which gives it a premium look.

NoiseFit Evolve Smartwatch AMOLED

Display And Features

The smartwatch has a 1.2-inch, 390 x 390 pixels AMOLED touch panel with a pixel density of 459 PPI. The screen is bright, and the information is visible even under the sun. The display also has decent viewing angles. The watch attracts fingerprints, and the company does not mention anything about scratch-resistant glass, so you must be careful while using it. It doesn’t have the always-on display feature; however, you can set it to turn on whenever you lift your hand. The screen will turn off automatically in a few seconds to save power. There are five different watch faces you can choose from, but you can’t add custom watch faces to the watch.

NoiseFit Evolve Smartwatch Display

You can adjust the brightness by swiping from the top. There are six brightness levels to choose from. As mentioned earlier, the display is bright, and brightness level 3 is more than enough for when you’re outdoors. Brightness level 1 gets too bright for the night. You can also control music and video playback, set alarms, and find your phone using the watch. The watch also has a ‘Photograph’ feature, which lets you use the watch as a remote shutter button for the camera on your phone.

Battery Life

The watch has a unique charging mechanism. To charge the watch, you have to place it inside a case. The contact points on the watch must connect to the contact points on the dock. The company recommends using a 5V-1A charger or charging it from a USB port on a laptop or a PC.

NoiseFit Evolve Smartwatch Connectivity

The manual warns against charging it when wet to prevent a short circuit. The company promises a three-day battery life and up to 10 days of standby time. The watch has a 180mAh battery. The battery life is excellent – it should last you for a week if used moderately

Verdict

The NoiseFit Evolve is a decent smartwatch available for a great price. The watch works with both Android phones and iPhones, and setting it up is super easy. Also, the heart rate sensor is accurate and takes between 5 and 10 seconds to measure heart rate.

You can also set it up to track your heart rate continually during workouts – however, this will drain the battery. The large circular AMOLED display, the nine sports modes, IP68 certification, and decent battery life make it a fantastic package, especially considering the price.
February 6, 2020
Nokia 400 4G Feature Phone To Come With Google’s GAFP OS

In 2017, Nokia returned to the smartphone space with Android One smartphones with solid specs. Even when the company was unable to license smartphones (until 2017), it never lost faith in its feature phones. After HMD Global took ownership of Nokia’s smartphone segment, the company has made efforts to push better feature phones. The Classic Nokia 3310 4G was one of the first feature phones to launch and was instantly a hit. Now, they have come up with the Nokia 400 4G.

Nokia 400 4G Feature Phone

The company has been in the dark for a while. However, it is now gearing up to launch a new feature phone dubbed ‘Nokia 400 4G.’ Besides the high-speed 4G connectivity, we expect to see it come with upgraded hardware and Google’s new GAFP OS – which is a software tailor-made for feature phones. The smartphone has a TA-1208 model number, and recently got an approval from the Wi-Fi Alliance, and also Bluetooth Certifications. The documents reveal some key details about the phone.

It will feature Bluetooth 4.2, and support LTE. It will also feature a Unisoc processor, and the SC234X component will facilitate fast Wi-Fi. What’s worth noting is that the 400 4G will be the first handset to come with Google’s GAFP OS out of the box. GAFP OS is a special version of Android made explicitly for feature phones. Some more details of the handset will inevitably surface in the coming days. All the certifications hint at an imminent launch, and we’re just waiting for confirmation from the company.

February 6, 2020
Huawei Boosts China US Patents

China’s Huawei Technologies was one of the top 10 recipients of U.S. patents in 2019, filings with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show. The increase in patents received by Chinese companies is a sign that Chinese companies are aggressively pursuing the U.S.’ lead in global technology. In 2019, the telecom company obtained 2,418 patents. Those patents, coupled with the 2,177 new patents issued to display maker BOE Technology, propelled China into becoming the fourth-biggest recipient of U.S. patents. China remains behind the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, but ahead of Germany for the first time, says Fairview Research’s IFI Claims Patent Services.

Larry Cady, a senior analyst with IFI, says that China is growing rapidly, but the country is still way behind the U.S. in terms of patents. IBM retains its title of the top recipient of patents for the 27th year in a row, with a record 9,262 patents. That’s far ahead of Samsung Electronics and Canon. In 2019, the patent office issued 333,530 patents – an all-time high with a 15% jump after a decline in 2018.

Huawei Patents

Cady also said the increase likely reflects efforts to release a bottleneck over what can qualify for a patent. For instance, IBM’s top areas include cloud computing, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and security. IBM’s patents reflect the work of more than 8,500 inventors from across 45 states and 54 countries.

China’s U.S. Patents: Who’s Ahead Of Huawei

Overall, American and Asian technology companies dominate the list of top recipients. Behind IBM, Samsung, and Canon are Microsoft, Intel, LG Electronics, and Apple. Ford Motor broke into the top 10 last year, and was just ahead of Amazon.com and then Huawei. While their numbers remained small, the fastest-growing patent classifications came from hybrid plants, 3-D printing, the gene-splicing technology known as CRISPR, and cancer therapies.

CRISPR

Most patents issued to Huawei relate to things like high-frequency transmission, which is needed for the next generation of wireless technology, 5G. President Donald Trump’s administration moved to restrict U.S. companies from doing business with Huawei in May. The administration asserts Huawei makes possible spy tools, which is an allegation the company denies.

Largest Holdings Belong To Samsung

While IBM may consistently be the top recipient of patents, its holdings aren’t the largest. That title belongs to South Korea’s Samsung, with Japan’s Canon holding the title of the second-largest corporate owner of patents. The discrepancy exists because IBM doesn’t keep all of its patents. Jason McGee, CTO for IBM Cloud Platform, in a statement reveals that IBM reviews and prunes its patent assets regularly. The company gets rid of the patents that it doesn’t deem strategic.

IBM also announced that it has joined the License on Transfer (LOT) Network, co-founded by Red Hat. IBM bought the Red Hat for $34 billion in 2019. Group members pledge that all network members get a license for any patent that ends up with a patent assertion entity. A patent assertion entity refers to companies that don’t make products but extract royalties from those who do instead. The group protects automakers and retailers that are entering the technology arena.

February 6, 2020