Gadgets Archives - Page 20 of 35

Jul 27

Check out these mini tech gadgets that make life on the go easier

Do you constantly juggle work and other tasks on the go? Lighten the load—literally—with these mini tech gadgets. Discover them in the blog.

Maybe you’re a busy student running between classes. Or perhaps you work remotely and frequently set up shop anywhere. If you spend ample time out and about each day, then this roundup is for you. We’re highlighting our favorite mini tech gadgets that make life on the go easier.

Related: Problem-solving gadgets and accessories you need in your life

If you need more than just a tablet to get tasks done when away from your typical workspace, consider the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2. It’s travel-friendly at just 2.48 pounds, but it offers a high-speed processor and Windows 11.

Then, the Garmin Venu 2 Plus keeps your command center on your wrist, letting you take calls, respond to text messages, view alerts, monitor your health, and more without opening your phone.

Stay organized, efficient, and comfortable on the go with these cool mini tech gadgets.

1. The ZMI PowerPack 10K charges iPhones, Fitbits, Bluetooth headphones, iPads, and more when you’re far from an electrical outlet.

Never run out of batteries while working from a coffee shop when you have the ZMI PowerPack 10K. It boasts a massive 10,000 mAh battery and works with many devices.

Get it for $19.99 on Amazon.

2. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 makes work on the go easier with its 12.4″ touchscreen and fast 11th-Gen Intel Core processor.

A person gaming on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

Travel light and still get serious work done with the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2. It weighs just 2.48 pounds and has the smallest touchscreen of all the Surface laptops. Plus, Windows 11, Microsoft 365, and the 11th Gen Intel Processor keep you efficient and collaborative.

Get it for $599.99 on the official website.

3. The AOHI Magcube 120W desktop charger fits in your palm, charges 2 laptops at the same time, and offers up to 100-Watt PD fast-charging.

The best portable chargers these days rely on GaN technology, just like the AOHI Magcube 120W desktop charger. This handy little gadget packs a punch: it can fast-charge a MacBook Pro 16″ from 0% to 45% in just half an hour, making it one of our favorite mini tech gadgets.

Get it for $89.99 on the official website.

4. The Tribit StormBox Micro 2 portable speaker is pocket size and charges your devices while playing music when you’re out.

Tribit StormBox Micro 2 portable speaker in use

Keep a speaker and a charger in your back pocket: the Tribit StormBox Micro 2 portable speaker. It offers a built-in USB-C charging port and plays music with a range of up to 120 feet.

Get it for $59.99 on the official website.

5. The nuka eternal stationery includes an app-powered rewritable notebook and metal pencil. It keeps your handwritten digital

Jul 27

From burgers to gadgets, stressed consumers buy cheap

NEW YORK/LONDON, July 26 (Reuters) – Some global consumers are showing signs of cracking, as shoppers stressed by record inflation stick to buying basics like food, bleach and cheap burgers, while those with bigger bank accounts are snapping up $3,000 Louis Vuitton handbags.

Investors are closely watching second quarter corporate results for signs economies are headed toward a recession. But so far consumers are sending mixed signals. There is weakness seen in those that have been hit hardest by record fuel and food prices. Meanwhile, credit card and other data shows some are still spending on travel and other high-end pursuits. read more

Walmart (WMT.N) sounded a warning shot on Monday, issuing a rare profit warning. Its US customers, who tend to come from lower-income households, are buying food and other essentials while skipping aisles filled with clothes and sporting goods. read more

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Register

“The results overnight indicate that the US consumer is now much more focused on the staples element of shopping where we’ve got double-digit food inflation coming through in some of these retailers,” said Nicola Morgan-Brownsell, fund manager at Legal & General Investment Management.

US consumer confidence fell for a third straight month in July amid persistent worries about higher inflation and rising interest rates. read more

Sales at luxury group LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (LVMH.PA) climbed 19% in the second quarter, slightly lower than earlier this year. Handbag and high-end liquor sales in Europe and the United States helped offset slowdowns stemming from COVID-19 lockdowns in China. read more

And payment processor Visa (VN) said cross-border volume jumped 40% reflecting a summer travel boom and some consumer resilience. read more

But softer consumer demand hits video gaming revenue at Xbox maker Microsoft (MSFT.O), which posted a 7% drop in Xbox-related revenue and expects a further contraction this quarter. Microchip maker Texas Instruments (TXN.O) saw weaker demand from consumers for personal electronics.

BUYING, BUT FOR HOW LONG?

Consumer giants Coca Cola Co (KO.N), McDonald’s Corp (MCD.N) and Unilever Plc (ULVR.L) all said on Tuesday that their products are still selling, even at higher prices.

Unilever, which has 400 brands including Hellmann’s mayonnaise, Knorr stock cubes and Domestos bleach, raised its full-year sales guidance after beating first-half underlying sales forecasts as it hiked prices. read more

So far consumers are buying, but there is a question around how long that can last.

“We see price increases when we go out to do a weekly shop. The question is: how much more accepting can the consumer be on those price increases?” said Ashish Sinha, portfolio manager at Unilever and Reckitt (RKT.L) shareholder Gabelli.

McDonald’s which operates nearly 40,000 restaurants, said its global same-store sales jumped almost 10%, much better than the expectation for an increase of 6.5%. read more

Even so, the Chicago-based company said it is considering whether to add more discounted menu options because soaring inflation, particularly in Europe, is leading some lower-income consumers to “trade-down” to

Jul 27

Meet Old East Dallas’ maker of musical gadgets

The first musical gadget Richard Upchurch made was a gift for his four-year-old nephew — it was a simple wooden box with a button to record a sound, a button to play it back and a knob to speed up or slow down the audio .

“I call it anti-technology technology,” said Upchurch, who toured for years as a guitarist.

The "Loopy Lou" voice recorder created by Upchurch is BrandNewNoise's best selling device. — The “Loopy Lou” voice recorder created by Upchurch is BrandNewNoise’s best selling device.(Richard Upchurch)

His nephew showed it to his teachers, who wanted to buy one, so Upchurch made five more. Over a decade later, Upchurch now makes the contracts full-time for his Dallas-based company, BrandNewNoise.

What started with an “old-school tape recorder concept in this playful box,” he said, now includes a range of handmade “experimental instruments,” including miniaturized pianos, harmonicas and xylophones, all of which have recording capabilities. The bestseller, Loopy Lou, runs $72.25, and resembles the toy he made his nephew those many years ago.

“People are like, ‘Who’s it for?’ And I was like, ‘Well, it’s for 4-year-olds and rock stars,’” says Upchurch, who opened a workshop for BrandNewNoise in Old East Dallas in 2017. “They’re kind of the same person. They’re curious, free minds.”

The list of rockstar clientele, indeed, is long. Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac and country star Brad Paisley all count themselves among Upchurch’s patrons. But why, when these A-list musicians have access to cutting-edge, industry-grade audio equipment?

“There’s a freedom and charm to the simplicity,” said Upchurch. “Yes, you can probably do this on your iPhone. But there’s something about the fact that what I make is singular in its use, and it sounds unique, and it’s tactile, and it’s immediate.”

Jul 26

90’s kids say this $15 gadget is their ‘absolute favorite purchase of the year’

We may receive commission from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. This content is created by a 3rd party partner for Yahoo.

If you're an Apple Watch owner who was also a 90s kid, we have the perfect accessory for you. (Source: Amazon) — If you’re an Apple Watch owner who was also a 90s kid, we have the perfect accessory for you. (Source: Amazon)

Keeping up with all of the adult responsibilities we’re saddled with can make us yearn for the past when everything was simpler, especially technology. Sometimes it seems like kids nowadays are covered head to toe with fancy, touchscreen gadgets. True 90s kids can remember the clunky, funky-colored technology at the turn of the century.

If you’re looking for a fun way to remember your childhood while still maintaining all of the responsibilities required of adulthood, then you need to check this nostalgic Apple Watch stand, which is shaped just like the video game console’s 90s kids fondly remember playing.

Can you believe that this total blast from the past is only $15?

This Apple Watch stand is compatible with all models, making it perfect for anyone who has one. (Source: Amazon)

$15.99 at Amazon

Start and end each day with a healthy dose of nostalgia with this unique Apple Watch stand. It’s compatible with every Apple Watch and is even compatible with the original Apple Watch charger.

It’s super simple to use, and it’ll look so cool on your bedside table. Once it’s all set up, all you have to do is place your Apple Watch on this stand and let it charge. The material of this stand is flexible and scratch-resistant silicone, which prevents damage to your Apple Watch.

Still not sure about it? Then go ahead and read what this shopper had to say about this Apple Watch stand in their five-star review:

“My absolute favorite purchase of the year. My watch fits perfectly, no matter the band that I’m using. Plus, look at it, it’s ADORABLE. The 90’s kid in me is so happy when I put my phone to charge every night. Excellent purchase.”

This nostalgic Apple Watch stand is currently priced at just under $16 on Amazon right now. Just be sure to grab one before all of the other 90s kids get to them first!

Looking for more great Amazon deals? Check these out:

Tech:

Sports & Outdoors:

Jul 26

Anker releases faster, smarter GaN chargers

Charging up your power-hungry devices is about to get faster and more convenient. Anker, manufacturer of our best portable charger pick, has announced a new, third generation of Gallium Nitride (GaN) chargers that promise a smarter and more efficient charging experience in an even smaller form factor. Until recently, silicon was the preferred charging technology used in most laptops and mobile devices.

GaN technology more efficiently converts energy into power, producing less heat so internal components can be placed closer together. This means that even those huge laptop power bricks can now be replaced by more diminutive chargers. Anker already makes a ton of popular USB-C chargers, many of which include a previous generation of GaN.

With its latest products, Anker adds PowerIQ 4.0 technology, which not only tells the charger exactly how much power is needed for each connected device, but constantly adjusts the distribution to make sure each USB port is getting what it needs. Previously, if you had two devices plugged into a multiple port charger, I said a laptop that requires 65W of power and a phone that uses 15W, and you disconnect the phone, your laptop wouldn’t get the extra charge.

With GaNPrime, the charger will recognize that the phone has been disconnected and cleverly redistribute and reallocate the available resources. It also determines which device has the lowest battery level and prioritizes that device. That way, if you need to quickly charge up your laptop before heading out and it’s only at 20%, it will get powered up before a phone that’s already reached 80%.

In addition to reducing the size of the chargers (for example, the Anker 737 GaNPrime 65W charger is 53% smaller than the Apple 61W charger), Anker says GaNPrime saves energy use since more efficient charging takes less time overall. And because the new chargers are compatible with over a thousand mobile devices, you’ll likely need to carry just one. Hallelujah!

To take advantage of this new technology you need one of the new GaNPrime multi-device chargers, which range from 65W to 150W of power output, and a USB-C cable. Here’s what to look forward to.

Anker

At 150W this charger has the highest power output of the GaNPrime series. It has three USB-C ports and a USB-A port to distribute that power to, making it capable of fully charging a 16inch MacBook Pro in 1.7 hours.

Anker

This 120W charger distributes the power output between two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, so you can simultaneously charge a laptop, smartphone and a smartwatch. It can charge an iPhone 13 up to 3 times faster than an original 5W charger can.

Anker

This is the smallest GaNPrime charger with two USB-C ports and one USB-A port outputting 65W of power.

Anker

This power bank does double duty. Use it as a wall charger and you’ll get 65W of output, enough to charge a MacBook Pro in 50 minutes. Take it on the go and the 30W output can charge your