Now that most areas are blanketed in 5G, companies like MediaTek are looking to the next big thing in connectivity-satellite. Satphones have existed for some time, but satellite to mobile has become a much bigger focus as of late. MediaTek has teamed up with British mobile phone manufacturer Bullitt to power several new rugged satellite-capable devices!
Did you get a Google Pixel 7 Pro over the holidays? Lucky you; it’s safe to say that you’re in for a treat! Not only does the 7 Pro offer a pure, uncluttered, and frequently-updated Android experience with all of the Pixel-exclusive features and apps that users have come to expect and appreciate, but it also offers one of the (if not the) best cameras available on any smartphone. If you just got a Pixel 7 Pro or already have one and are interested in new gear, here’s a great selection to keep it stylish, protected, connected, and conveniently charged!
If you often find yourself searching for a free outlet or port, the compact Ugreen 100W USB C DigiNest Pro Charging Station will be right up your alley. With three AC outlets, three USB-C ports, and a legacy USB-A port, the DigiNest Pro has proven to be a very convenient and powerful desktop power strip.
If you travel internationally, you know the #1 rookie mistake is arriving at your destination and finding that you either forgot that country’s correct adapter or you didn’t bring enough adapters for all of your gear. I recently traveled to Berlin for IFA, followed by a week in Spain. I only brought two adapters with me, the OneAdaptr OneWorld 65 for charging all of my gear and a basic US to EU adapter that was kept attached to my curling iron’s US plug. Thankfully, this proved to be the perfect setup.
Without a case, the Google Pixel 6a is a very stylish and slick little smartphone. If you’re rockin’ a nekkid 6a — all the better to admire its distinctive style, I get it — then you should know that all it will take to tragically end this love affair is the wrong drop on a hard surface. With the longevity of your pocket communicator in mind, we’ve rounded up a few Pixel 6a accessories for your consideration that will protect your phone and its screen.
Yamaha continues to impress with their Bluetooth headset lineup with the YH-E700A Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones. Yamaha fits a ton of tech in these large headphones, including Yamaha True Sound, Advanced Active Noise-Cancelling, Listening Optimizer, Ambient Sound, Listening Care, Bluetooth 5 with aptX Adaptive, and more. Retailing at $349.95, the Yamaha YH-E700A are over-the-ear wireless headphones for serious audiophiles.
Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology is the most significant improvement to hit mobile device chargers in recent years; it offers more efficient, faster-charging speeds in a smaller-sized charger than traditional silicone chargers. Anker was one of the first companies to incorporate GaN technology into their chargers; now, they’re the first to introduce a charger line that uses GaNPrime. Coupled with PowerIQ 4.0, Anker GaNPrime chargers will do something that, until now, no other GaN charger’s been able to do — dynamically adjust power distribution to release any extra power output from one USB port to the other devices being charged.
Playing the equivalent of musical chairs with your wall chargers and cables can become the norm, especially when your everyday carry includes multiple power-hungry devices like laptops and tablets. The UGREEN Nexode 200W GaN Charger puts four USB-C ports and two USB ports at your disposal; with its GaN technology, you can fast-charge up to three 65W laptops at the same time or you can charge up to six smartphones and tablets simultaneously.
True Wireless Earbuds are becoming so common that it’s no longer a question of whether you can find a great pair of TWE that will work for you; it’s what one particular pair does to set itself apart from all other brands and how much they cost that matters now. AXS Audio Professional Earbuds won’t win any awards for original style, but at $149, they offer quite a few features that punch well above their price.
Infinix makes impressive phones that offer significant bang for your buck, but they’re not settling for that. They’re rolling out a new 180W Thunder Charger with select Infinix flagship phones later this year. These phones’ charging times won’t just be a few minutes faster; they’ll be shockingly faster —as in getting a 50% charge on a 4500mAh battery in just four minutes!
Yamaha has always been known for quality audio-visual equipment, and these new wireless earbuds don’t break from that mold. The Yamaha TW-E5B True Wireless Earbuds offer great sound detail, crystal-clear calls, IPX5 water (and sweat) resistance, and 30 hours of total battery life. Retailing at $149.95, they’re a great option if you’re in the market.
Have you looked at true wireless headphones and thought they’d hit the limit on what can be crammed into such tiny devices? Well, Sony doesn’t believe in limitations, but they do believe in maximizing the earbud experience. Today they’re rolling out the Sony LinkBuds S, which they say are the smallest and lightest true wireless noise-canceling headphones on the market!
Headphones are a broad category; there are the kind you buy at the airport because you forgot to bring your good ones, and then there are the ones that bring every feature you could ever want (along with a slew you didn’t know you needed). That’s where the new Sony WH-1000XM5 falls; they’re wireless noise-canceling headphones that are practically butlers for your ears!
In my Nomad Base One Max review, I commented that potential buyers need to be aware that it requires a 30W AC wall adapter to work wirelessly and that one isn’t included. I also wrote that I’d love an additional charging port on the back. The new Nomad 65W AC Wall Adapter (largely) addresses both of those concerns.
One of the greatest things about true wireless earbuds is that they’ve become incredibly diverse, and they are available at just about any price point with multiple feature sets. And now you don’t need to wince at spending a few hundred on earbuds when you can get a solid listening and call experience for less money without giving up extra features like noise cancellation, as we’ve seen with the Phiaton BonoBuds!
Here at Gear Diary, we’re big advocates of being aware of your surroundings when you’re out running, walking, or biking. It’s tough to listen to music and work out unless you opt for the “one in/one out” earbud strategy or use bone conduction headphones that leave your ears open. Leave it to Sony to come up with an answer that lets you keep your earbuds in without losing contact with the outside world with the new Sony LinkBuds!
One of the first upgrades my 2017 Jeep Wrangler got was a replacement for the stock radio. Since this is my vehicle and a personal build, I installed a Pioneer touchscreen stereo with Android Auto connectivity. Still, the wired connection was buggy at best and a real pain to operate. I found AAWireless on Indigogo, and I now have a real upgrade.
Our phones are our lifeline to everything that connects us to each other, which means that a broken phone is far more than just an inconvenience. Adding carrier or manufacturer insurance can be expensive, and that’s why ZAGG Protect might be worth considering as an alternative. At just $99 per phone per year with a $49 deductible, ZAGG Protect won’t replace your lost or stolen phone, but it does include coverage for drops, liquid damage, cracked screens, and more.
Have you got a Google Pixel 6 series? If so, I’ll bet you love its flagship build, the pure Android experience, the Pixel exclusive features, and the excellent cameras. It may seem like a shame to cover up such a beautiful device, but a naked Pixel 6’s glass body is slick, slippery, and just waiting to be dropped. With that in mind, we’ve got five protective Pixel 6 case options for your consideration, including the Incipio Dual, the Vena vCommute, the Kate Spade New York Defensive Hardshell Case, the Gear4 Havana, and the Incipio Grip.
Not long ago, Apple stopped including AC adapters with their phone and tablets. As annoying as it was, that move prompted numerous companies to jump in and fill the vacuum; Kovol is one such company. The Kovol Sprint 120W 4-Port PD GaN Desktop Charger and the smaller Kovol Sprint 65W 4-Port GaN Desktop Charger share a similar compact design; they also put Apple’s old chargers to shame.
CES 2022 may not have been the CES we were all hoping for, but it still brought much news. Often lost in the “big” announcements is the work of accessory companies who make our devices even better. Scosche had lots of new products to share, including two new Scosche MagicMount solutions for car use and power solutions for every situation.