Soundcore’s latest version of their flagship wireless earbuds, the Liberty 4 Pro have arrived. Do they have what it takes to take top place of the true Wireless headphones category? Read on to find out.
The Liberty 4 Pro come with a full range of features that are sure to satisfy the most demanding customer, with three listening modes that can be adjusted between various levels of Transparency and ANC – with Normal listening right between the two. There’s also Spatial Audio, which can be accessed from the charging case
Look and Feel
The earbuds feel comfortable and snug, but they also come with ear tips sized from Small to XL for those with dumbo lobes. The ones pre-installed fit my ears just fine.
Sound Quality
When it comes to audio, the Liberty 4 Pro’s don’t disappoint.
Features
The Liberty 4’s come with more features than you would expect at its price point, and the quality of the sound modes are industry leading. The three main modes, Normal, ANC, and Transparency mode all work as expected.
Conclusion
the Liberty 4 Pro in-ear headphones are a cut above the Liberty 3 in every way. Great sound quality and a long list of features for the price of the entry-level Airpods should put these earbuds at the top of your list.
Withings, a global leader in connected health devices, unveils the ScanWatch Nova Brilliant Edition, its latest offering merging timeless design with the precision of medical-grade technology. Available for purchase in November 2024, in time for the holiday season, ScanWatch Nova Brilliant is the most spectacularly designed smartwatch Withings has ever made. The expanded line comes in titanium silver and stunning bicolor silver and gold, adding to the color choices of the current ScanWatch Nova lineup, and is available in a smaller size for daintier wrists thanks to a 39mm case.
At first glance, ScanWatch Nova Brilliant Edition is a testament to elegance. Its sleek, minimalistic design is highlighted by a fluted bezel that exudes sophistication, paired with an ultra-durable box-shaped sapphire glass face. This smartwatch combines durability with elegance. Water-resistant up to 50 meters (5ATM) and featuring a 5-link bracelet, it’s designed to keep up with your active lifestyle.
Scanwatch Nova Brilliant Edition in titanium silver
This hybrid smartwatch has an analog-style design and provides essential heart tracking features, notifications, messages, and information through its high-resolution OLED screen. It is available in luxurious gold and refined silver finishes, making it a versatile accessory for any occasion. The silver model features a bezel made of titanium for durability, while the gold model comes with a unique bicolor wristband. Beyond its attractive appearance, the ScanWatch Nova Brilliant Edition also houses advanced health sensors capable of performing powerful health scans, including a medical-grade electrocardiogram (ECG) for detecting atrial fibrillation. With a phenomenal 30-day battery life and leveraging the advanced health sensors and tracking capabilities of the acclaimed Withings ScanWatch 2, its medical insights and measurements include:
On-Demand Medical-Grade ECG: ScanWatch Nova Brilliant Edition performs an on-demand medical-grade electrocardiogram to detect a potential heart anomaly at any time such as atrial fibrillation which is one of the most prevalent forms of arrhythmias, characterized by irregular heart rhythms. In just 30 seconds, users can initiate an ECG reading by touching the bezel, with results available instantly on the Withings app. Since 2020, more than 2 million episodes of AFib have been detected using Withings devices.
May indicate the onset of an illness: ScanWatch Nova Brilliant tracks body temperature fluctuations day and night, potentially indicating the onset of an illness and boosting your ability to manage performance and workout recovery. This technology combines heat flux sensors with high-accuracy temperature sensors to provide top-tier temperature variation assessments.
Assess part of the respiratory system: Users can track their blood oxygen levels (SpO2) and monitor overnight breathing disturbances. Good blood oxygenation is necessary to supply the energy the muscles need to function, and it increases during sports activities.
Help achieve more restful sleep: Wake up to a Sleep Quality Score and detailed insights into sleep metrics, including phases, depth, duration, and interruptions, along with personalized improvement advice.
Boost your activity with advanced tracking: ScanWatch Nova Brilliant Edition can track parameters such as steps, calories, elevation, workout routes (via in-app connected GPS) and can automatically recognize more than 40 daily activities such as walking, running, swimming, and cycling. In addition, it offers Fitness Level assessments through estimation of VO2 Max, which measures the heart and muscle’s ability to convert oxygen into energy during physical exercise.
Scanwatch Nova Brilliant Edition in silver and gold
Availability
ScanWatch Nova Brilliant will be available to purchase on Withings.com from early November 2024, in the U.S., EU, and the UK, priced at $588.95, €599,95 and £ 549.95 and from mid-November at our selected retailers.
The S1 Active is a lighter smartwatch than the vanilla Xiaomi Watch, with a slightly more durable and sporty build. Although it’s not sold in any major retail stores, and Xiaomi Pay is still not available in the U.S. – it’s just as assessable as more readily available smartwatches on the market.
Can Google revive the Android Wear platform with the first iteration of the Pixel Watch? Does it have what it takes to stand toe-to-toe with the Apple/Galaxy Watches, Garmin’s and Fitbits of the world? Let’s take the water drop smartwatch with the pebble design for a flick of the wrist to find out.
Specs and Features
While the Pixel Watch doesn’t revolutionize the wearable market with any unique features that aren’t already available, it does excel in the design department.
While I think Google does a good job making sure the Pixel Watch isn’t short of any features that are expected from a high-end wearable, it does seems a bit disjointed in the fitness area. The Fitbit app is now integrated into Google’s ecosystem, but it remains separate from their own fitness/health app – Google Fit.
The Pixel Watch has around the same thickness as the Apple Watch 7.
Conclusion
While I personally think Google did a great job with the Pixel Watch for a first try, the battery life could be better, and the one size fits all mantra could have be sidestepped for a bigger size 40mm+ size option. Google Fit and Fitbit could use tighter integration, although to be fair – Apple does use three apps also (Watch, Health and Fitness). For the second iteration, I would like to see better battery life, a bigger size option (or just release a Pro/Ultra version). But I do think the Pixel Watch is a wearable to keep a look out for, and consider when you shopping for a wearable that works with Android. Then should be your first choice
For only $79 Lenovo True Smart Wireless Earbuds are an absolute essential purchase. The earbuds feel great and seem to be better than most other buds on the market. They automatically connect whenever you open the case. These earbuds have multipoint pairing for multiple devices. At this budget friendly price Lenovo offers solid noise cancellation, comfortable ear rest and grip, along with exceptional bass quality. If your budget is limited and you are looking for a good pair of earbuds to purchase. Lenovo’s True Smart Wireless earbuds is the perfect choice.
To truly put the wireless earbuds to the test, I used it for multiple 20-30 minute workout sessions throughout the week. I noticed during my workouts that the earbuds stay in my ears the whole time without falling out compared to other wireless earbuds. Overall, I found the Lenovo Smart Wireless earbuds to be surprisingly comfortable. They included four pairs of silicone tips, and the fitting process was easy.
I got a solid 3 days of usage before the battery ran out. That’s only wearing it for 20-30 minutes at a time. Charging the earbuds is super simple and fast. Once it’s fully charged the earbuds can last you days before having to charge it again. Which is convenient for those who don’t like to charge their devices everyday just to use them. Lenovo’s earbuds are Apple products user friendly. Setup was easy-breezy. Using the same method, switching back and forth between your iPhone and other devices is seamless.
So to answer the question, Yes it’s certainly worth the $79. Compared to other wireless earbuds under the $100 price range. The Lenovo Smart Wireless Earbud delivers a variety of convenient features not found on many other wireless earbuds. These earbuds feature a nice structured ear pieces, easy open and close case, along with it being comfortable to wear for long period of time.
Withings have finally received FDA clearance to release their hybrid fitness wearable – the Scanwatch, in the U.S. While this wearable isn’t exactly new, features like EKG, 24hr heart rate tracking, and 30-day battery life, make it one of the most advanced watches on the market. Here we take a deep dive to see if the Scanwatch is worth your time and money.
If the photos don’t show the premium finish of this hybrid watch, rest assured the quality is upper echelon. Withings Scanwatch is made of Stainless Steel including the back where the sensors are housed – with Sapphire glass covering the watch face, which comes with a black or white dial. Our review unit, which was provided by Withings – had the white dial.
Specifications
● Clinically validated detection of atrial fibrillation by ECG
● Heart Rate scan every 10 minutes using a PPG sensor
The Scanwatch has a circular OLED screen right below the 12, that shows the time, BPM, steps, distance walked by the mile, floors, EKG, sp02, Workout and Breathe for wellness, providing details which you can view with a press and twist of the watches’ crown. While those quick views contain a ton of info, it’s the Withings Health Mate app that gives you detailed stats on your fitness.
The Health Mate app goes a long way in adding smart health tracking and wellness features to the Scanwatch, complementing its hybrid nature by handling the heavy lifting most other watches handle on the device – at the expense of battery life. Not to mention its awesome UI and deep integration with other platforms like Apple Health, Google Fit, and Samsung Health.
Conclusion
Touting all the fitness tracking features the latest smartwatches on the market have to offer – without the intrusive, geek-Esque appeal – the Scanwatch is easily one of the best fitness wearables on the market. It has impressive 30-day battery life (I got two weeks before the watch drained the battery to 60%), the high-end build of a Swiss timepiece, and enough sensors to stay in the cutting-edge for the next few years. The Scanwatch is the watch for those who like the classic look, but want all the latest health perks a fitness tracker has to offer.
The ThinkReality A3 glasses represent Lenovo’s foray into the Augmented Reality space, bringing enterprise-level abilities and next-gen features to the desktop and mobile. Does the A3 headset have what it takes to compete with the Oculus and Hololens’ of the world?
The ThinkReality A3s are a pair of Augmented Reality smart glasses that come equipped with a Qualcomm XR-1 SmartViewer, a specialized processor for AR/VR devices, 1080p resolution per eye, and an 8MP RGB Camera. 3 noise-suppressing mics and stereo speakers cover the audio, with voice, object, and image recognition. It’s also equipped with head/gaze tracking, a barcode reader, and High-bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP) for digital rights management (DRM).
The A3 smart frames connect to certain Lenovo and Motorola devices, particularly higher-ended Thinkpads and Snapdragon 800 powered Motorola smartphones like the Moto G100. When connected to a desktop or laptop it works as a virtual monitor hub, turning your primary monitor into a wide-view curved virtual display – or extending it by adding two separate monitors of discreet, private viewing or work sessions.
When tethered to the Thinkpad p52 we had available, the ThinkReality A3 ran without a glitch and looked as vivid and clear as an actual physical display monitor despite the slight transparency in the image (think Star Trek or 2Pac Hologram quality).
Rocking the ThinkReality A3s like a boss.
ThinkReality A3 Platform for Android
We may have not had an easy way to stream the desktop monitor view with our readers, but that’s a different story when you connect the A3’s to the Android platform – particularly the Moto G100. Lenovo has built a favorable mobile platform for the ThinkReality A3, and if they decided to go full throttle they may have something mainstream on their hands.
The A3 has three built-in apps for the platform: the A3 Companion app, A3 Model Viewer, and AR Cast- the latter makes screen-recording the A3 in use with the Moto G100 possible.
Working in AR from my living room couch
Granted, Android apps have to be cleared from the Enterprise end using ThinkReality Portal in order to run on the A3 – but basically, any app installed on your device will run in AR as long as you can deal with a head-tracking pointer as the main means of navigating the interface. While there are image-tearing and graphic glitches issues in the screen recording, those artifacts aren’t present in real-time.
I had minimal issues with the ThinkReality A3 frames, they ran flawlessly when connected to supported devices. The only time I ran into any issues was when I attempted to connect them to other devices either not made by Lenovo, or unofficial Lenovo devices. Nevertheless, the VR frames ran fine on the ThinkPad X2 detachable and the ThinkBook P15 Gen 2 – so long as Lenovo’s Virtual Monitor Manager software is installed. At the time of writing this article, the only Android device that the A3 detected was the Moto G100.
Conclusion
The ThinkReality A3 Glasses are an interesting product that would be a must-have if money was no object. Priced at $1,499, these glasses are aimed squarely at the enterprise market. With a light build, slick design, and an ambidextrous ecosystem that’s compatible with both Android and Windows it could be a home-run product – if Lenovo can get the price down to consumer-tier.
One or two more iterations from now, I see the ThinkReality platform competing as a standalone ecosystem for work, Media consumption, and should Lenovo dare develop the platform further – Gaming. The ThinkReality A3 smart frames are definitely one to keep an eye on.
The Ticwatch Pro 3 isn’t the watch that I’d imagine would end up at the top of my favorite smartwatch list, but it has. The unassuming, seemingly average FTSN-screened wristwatch brings a twist – not only to WearOS devices – but the smartwatch landscape as a whole.
Out the Box
The Ticwatch Pro box and packaging is rather standard, packed with the essentials and nothing more: the watch, a proprietary magnetic charging clip, a power brick, the user guide, and a few marketing materials upselling Mobvoi’s products. The box itself does a great job selling you on the specs of the device.
On the Wrist
The 454×454 AMOLED display is immersed in a watch case that measures out to 47 x 48 x 12.2 mm, which gives the Ticwatch Pro 3 a masculine build and one more suitable for big wrists. The AMOLED display is covered by a low-powered, secondary FSTN screen that’s always on. The Dual display, assisted by the Snapdragon Wear 4100, gets around three days consistently, while putting the device in Essential Mode gives you up to 45 days with the FSTN screen only.
The watch itself has a stainless steel chassis, with the back side (that’s pressed up against your skin when wearing) made of polycarbonate (plastic). In daily usage, the back makes it more comfortable, complemented by the Silicon band. Orange stitching outlines the watchband, giving the device a more premium look without sacrificing comfort.
WearOS Shines on the Ticwatch
After using the Ticwatch Pro for a few weeks , it becomes obvious that under-powered devices with outdated processors were the culprit behind the rad rep the WearOS has. The once clunky, slow UI is now snappy, responsive and glitch-free. Granted, the Mobvoi Launcher has navigation sensibilities that the ‘curved tab’ style grid of the stock UI – which you would turn back in in settings if that’s yours thing.
Mobvoi has a fitness suite of apps that are as extensive as any. Granted, they’re one-task ponies, features are broken down by app opposed to the suite like approach of Apple and Samsung Health. TicHealth is the central hub for checking on your profile stats, and brings all the data from TicPulse (heart rate), TicSleep, TicOxygen (blood oxygen,TicBreathe, TicHearing and TicExcercise all into one central location. Google Fit is present, rounding out the fitness and workout abilites.
1000+ Watch Faces
The beauty of the AMOLED display is really brought to life by the variety of Watch Faces Mobvoi has on offer, and the it really adds personality to the Ticwatch Pro 3.
Conclusion
What Mobovi has engineered is nothing short of commendable, to say the least. The Ticwatch Pro 3 has single-handedly broken the cycle of WearOS devices being bested by the Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch due to ecosystem cohesiveness and smooth response time. Mobvoi has also given is flagship wearable unique features and a quality build that competes with the big dogs, at a price that manages to undercut them.
For anyone looking for a full-featured smartwatch that improves the expectations set by prior WearOS devices, the TicWatch Pro 3 is currently the undisputed king.
Commendable gesture by the one of the most popular tech brands, or ingenious marketing move?
Apple started off February by throwing a curveball out of left field no-one saw coming – a tribute to Black History Month with the Black UnityApple Watch series 6. If you didn’t know by now – I’m a Black person of West African descent – Nigerian-Ghanian/ American to be specific. Nevertheless, I’m what you would call an FBA – Foundational Black American – my mom and dad, along with their parents’ parents, were born in the USA. Needless to say, I thought this was great initially. “Finally, a product I can wear that l allows me to embrace my culture, that’s forward-thinking and modern. A smartwatch at that”, I thought.
Then it hit me – “Man, this is really good marketing. So good – it almost feels opportunistic.” Eventually, I checked my pessimism. As an Af-Am man, who’s used to seeing our culture being exploited and misappropriated – I have a tendency to be guarded and apprehensive. So I bit the bullet and bought the Black Unity AW series 6.
What’s in the box?
The Black Unity Apple Watch 6 (Right) and the Milanese Band (left) which doesn’t come included – because – well, variety is the spice of life .
The Black Unity Apple Watch 6 comes with the Black Unity Sport Band, the Black Unity watch face pre-installed, with ‘Black Unity’ laser-etched into the back crystal of the watch casing – in custom Red, Black, and Green Apple Watch packaging. Everything else included, is as expected of the latest smartwatch by Apple – so essentially, it’s the Apple Watch Series 6 through and through.
Red/Black/Green Watch Face
Black Watch Face
Red/Black/Gold Watch Face
Variations of the Black Unity Watch Face
It has the same specifications and build quality as the original Apple Watch Series 6 – a smooth, unibody build with a digital crown on the right side and a single button below it, the same aluminum case made of “100 percent recycled aerospace-grade alloy’, same Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display that over 30% larger than the series 5, same S6 processor with 32GB of internal storage. For the full rundown, check the spec table below:
W3 wireless chip, LTE and UTMS, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5
NFC
U1 Chip (Ultra Wideband)
Sensors
Blood oxygen sensor, Electrical Heart Sensor and 3rd Gen Optical heart sensor, ECG, emergency SOS and fall detection
Audio
Loud Speaker, built-in mic
Navigation
GPS/GNSS, compass, always-on altimeter
Waterproof
Water-resistant 50 meters
Storage
32GB
For a more inconspicuous look, switch the bands up and no-one would even know it’s a BU AW 6.
How does it work? – Daily Usage
Aside from being a smartwatch that tells the time and allows you to make and receive calls/texts, the Apple Watch has the most complete ecosystem of any wearable available on the market today. the App Store literally has more apps from notable brands than the Amazon Appstore has for Kindle Fire tablets. That’s insane. Fox News, CNN, ESPN, YouTube Music, The Weather Channel – all have official apps. So does Pandora, iHeart Radio, Starbucks, and Audible. Granted, some are companion apps to their iPhone counterparts. But, most are standalone apps that can be used on the watch alone – if you’re into that sort of thing.
App Store on Watch
Apps Installed on Watch
Fitness
The fitness features are what I was most looking forward to – making the most of my workouts while obtaining my Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach certification. Testing the Apple Watch as a virtual health and fitness assistant is what I was most excited for.
The Fitness App contains three rings to help you achieve your fitness goals – one red ring for movement, a green ring for exercise, and a cyan/blue ring for standing. Once you set your fitness goals, you can complete to rings by achieving your tasks: mines was set to 810 calories for Move, 30 minutes of Exercise, and 12 Hours of Standing. As you can see, today hasn’t been what I would call an active day for me:
The health sensors more or less work as you would expect from other wearables, with the EKG and Blood Blood Oxygen being the latest and greatest additions to the AW 6s capabilities. Fall detection remains a defining feature – and one that has been touted to have saved many lives once activated.
Fitness+: Apple’s latest lunge at Subscription services
Apple’s Fitness app expands into video workout and personal training territory with Fitness+. It’s a subscription-based wellness service that offers classes on Dance, Rowing, Cycling, Treadmill, Core, Yoga, and more. Your heart rate, calories burned, and more vital signs show in real-time next to your workout on the iPhone,iPad, or even the Apple Watch. It could prove to be useful during this pandemic were in – where safe access to gym spaces is scarce.
Conclusion
The Apple Watch Series 6 is simply the most advanced smartwatch on the market. It could do better in the battery life department, where other wearables like the Fitbit Sense offer up to 6 days. But it’s one of the best smartwatches available, only rivaled by the Galaxy Watch 3 as far as smartwatch features are concerned. Still, its plethora of exclusive features and vast app ecosystem makes the Apple Watch Series 6 the wearable to beat. And if you get the GPS+Cellular version, you don’t even have to own an iPhone – as long as someone in your household does (to set it up for the first time) – you can even rock the Apple Watch Series 6 with an Android! And for someone like me who loves supporting causes that are beneficial to my well-being – the Black Unity Apple Watch is a win-win.
