Login
If you consider yourself a mobile creator and you’re not using some sort of dedicated microphone, you might be holding yourself back. We’re not judging, but your audience likely is. Audio, especially dialog, is often overlooked, but if you want true, high-quality content, you need good sound. There are many, many options for the home or office/studio, but there are a surprising amount of mobile-specific (or at least, mobile-friendly) solutions out there to elevate your on-the-go recordings be that for social, a jam session, live streaming, making movies, podcasting and beyond.
What “the best mic for your iPhone or Android” is will vary depending on the task you need it for. If you want to record a TikTok or a podcast or even a jam session, all have slightly different needs but the selection below covers most bases (and maybe even a few you didn’t think of yet) for recording high-quality sound with little more than a mobile phone.
This guide is all about recording on the go, free from the constraints of a studio or office, but also far away from luxuries like power outlets, acoustically friendly rooms and a full-size PC. As such there are two styles of microphone that really shine here: Lavalier (lapel) and shotgun. We’ll be covering a few other types, too, but between those, most tasks are covered.
We’ll also show you how you can use the USB mics you may already have with your phone and even ways to connect heavy-duty studio classics (XLR) to your humble handset, but all that will be through accessories. For now, let’s start with the classic clip mics.
The obvious benefit of a lapel mic is size. Their small profile makes them perfect for presenting to the camera with the flexibility to move around while maintaining consistent audio quality. If you’re a budding TikTok or YouTube creator it’s definitely worth having one of these in your bag.
The main trade-off, however, is that they’re only good for recording the person they’re attached to. If you have two people talking and only one is wearing the mic, you’ll only get good audio for one half of the conversation, so for multi-person recordings you’ll need a mic for each guest and a way to record them at the same time, so costs can go up quickly.
Fortunately, lapel mics have become a very competitive market with good, viable options costing as little as $14.95. For an absolute bargain with a long cord and some connectivity accessories, the Boya BY M1 is hard to argue with. But, while these budget choices are great value, if you want something that should either last longer, is more versatile or just sounds better it’s worth paying a little bit more.
Rode’s Lavalier II is a slick-looking low-profile lavalier that sounds great. At $99, it’s somewhere in the sweet spot between budget and higher-end clip-on options. It’s easy to recommend the Lavalier II just on its sound alone, but it comes with a rugged case and a good selection of accessories. For even more flexibility you can pair this with Rode’s AI Micro interface ($79) which provides easy connection to an iPhone or Android (or even PCs) and adds support for a second mic – perfect for recording podcasts or interviews.
At $60, Sennheiser’s XS (USB-C) lav mic is fairly affordable, sounds great and plugs right into your phone (or laptop) without needing an adapter. This not only makes it convenient but reduces the overall cost as you don’t need a headphone adapter for your phone. What’s more, the XS has a 2-meter long cable which gives you plenty of scope for movement or framing.
Recently there has been an explosion in mobile-friendly wireless systems but there are two we really like. The first is Rode’s Wireless GO II. Arguably the original defined this category, but the second generation improves on it with two wireless transmitters making this podcast and interview friendly. This wireless microphone is also incredibly versatile as it doubles as a standalone recorder, can be mounted in a camera cold shoe and even has its own “reporter” mic adapter. Oh, and you can make any 3.5mm mic (including the lavaliers above) wireless by plugging it into one of the receivers.
The second is the Mikme Pocket. This Austrian-designed pack is a high-end wireless lavalier microphone system designed to be particularly mobile-friendly. There’s a comprehensive app for both video and audio recording and internal storage so you won’t ever experience dropouts. It also means you can enjoy a practically infinite range. At $399 it’s a higher spend, but if high-quality audio and near-infinite range are what you need then this is the one.
So we’ve already touched on this with the AI Micro, which is an adapter of sorts. One of the first things you might bump up against when dealing with mobile audio accessories is TRRS vs TRS connectors. Simply put, 3.5mm TRS is what you might know as the age-old classic headphone connector while TRRS became common for its support for headsets and inline mics. You can easily tell them apart as TRS connectors have two black bands on them while a TRRS has three.
For you, the budding creator, it can be a bit of an annoyance as many 3.5mm lavaliers are going to be TRS and won’t work when plugged into your phone’s headphone adapter. Sometimes your lavalier might include what you need in the box, but otherwise, you’ll want to pick up a TRS to TRRS adapter like this. Of course, some smartphone-specific mics have TRRS connectors already – for those, you’ll want a cable that goes the other way should you want to use it with other devices like a DSLR.
You may be more familiar with shotgun mics when it comes to video recording. It’s the style of microphone most often found atop a DSLR or mirrorless camera, but they make great companions for other portable devices too, your cell phone included.
The benefit of a shotgun is that they tend to be highly directional, which makes them perfect for podcasts, recording instruments, foley sounds and much, much more.
For us mobile recordists, another benefit is that they tend to be light and portable, perfect for slipping into a backpack or even a laptop bag. Even better, there are some great mobile-specific options.
You shouldn’t buy a mic just because of how it looks, but the MKE 400 from Sennheiser ($200) definitely makes its rivals look wimpy. More important than aesthetics, though, is how it sounds and the MKE 400 records very cleanly without obvious coloration to the audio. What’s more, the battery-powered mic won’t steal power from your phone or camera, and with three gain levels to choose from you can boost things when needed, or avoid clipping on louder subjects. The MKE 400 also comes with both TRS and TRRS cables for compatibility with a variety of devices.
The MKE 400’s physical gain controls and high pass filter (unlike the other two below that are updated via an app) take the stress out of worrying if your audio source moves or changes volume as you can adjust that on the fly. If you’re a musician looking to record loud drums and then softer vocals on the move, for example, these tactile gain settings are a massive plus.
When we tested the VideoMic GO II we were surprised at just how good it sounded right out of the box. At $100 it rivals many desktop microphones that cost three times the price. You’ll need a companion app to change settings, otherwise this performs well across the board.
Not to be confused with the older MV88 that plugged directly into a Lightning port, the MV88+ is a mini shotgun mic made with the smartphone in mind. Often sold as a vlogging kit ($249) with a tripod and phone grip, the MV88+ has modular cables for connecting directly to Androids and iPhones.
Mobile-specific mics are great, but there’s nothing stopping you from using your phone mic or another you might already have (if it’s somewhat portable). You’ll definitely need to do a little dance with some adapters, but that’s half the fun. Below are a couple of recommendations for “regular” microphones that pair well with a phone and then the cables and adapters that you’ll need to get setup.
Arguably, there are few microphones that are could be described as "mobile-friendly" than the HypeMic from Apogee. While it looks like a regular handheld mic, it's actually deceivingly small, making it very light and portable. It also comes with cables to directly connect it to iPhones and Android handsets — no adapters needed. Don't let the small size deceive you though, the HypeMic has a big trick up its sleeve: a built-in analog compressor for professional-sounding vocals. Whether you record podcasts, vocals or instruments there's a setting on the HypeMic just for you. At $349 it's a little on the spendy side, but you get a very versatile device that's just as useful for the desktop too.
This dynamic mic is a favorite with podcasters, with many production companies using it as their standard mic to send out to remote guests thanks to its excellent quality to value performance. The Q2U features both USB and XLR connectivity making it versatile for both desktop and mobile applications, but it’s the former we’re interested in here as that’s what allows you to connect it to your phone with nothing more than a USB cable and an adapter (see below).
What’s more, the Q2U is solid enough to endure a little bit of rough and tumble, so will happily live in the bottom of your backpack ready for when you need it. Meanwhile, the handheld design is versatile enough it can turn its hand to singing/instruments, podcasts, interviews and more.
You may not be familiar with the name, but Tula snuck into our hearts with its versatile, vintage inspired debut microphone. From a mobile perspective, the Tula connects to Androids directly over USB-C or iPhones with the right USB-C to Lightning cable (more on this below) or a USB “camera kit” adapter. What makes the Tula special is that it’s also a desktop mic and portable recorder with lavalier input and 8GB of storage and even features noise cancellation – perfect for cutting down on outside background sounds. With the Tula you could theoretically have one mic for home, mobile and standalone recording.
If you already have a stash of XLR mics or really do need a studio condenser mic with phantom power then the iRig Pre 2 is a portable interface that will feed any XLR mic into your phone. It runs off two AA batteries which it uses to supply phantom power when needed and won’t drain your phone. There’s also a headphone port for monitoring, gain controls and LEDs to help prevent clipping.
Connecting USB microphones directly to phones is rarely as simple as just one cable, although that’s starting to become more common. In general, Android makes this simpler, but also, thanks to the wide range of manufacturers and software versions you can’t always guarantee things will work smoothly.
The iPhone is a whole other situation. USB microphones have a good chance of working via the USB camera kit we mentioned earlier, but that’s still inelegant sometimes. Frustratingly, some USB-C to Lightning cables will play nice with microphones, but sadly most will not – including Apple’s own. One confirmed option is this cable from Fiio or this generic alternative. These are inexpensive enough that it’s worth having a couple around if you work with audio a lot (they of course can also be used to charge your phone as a bonus).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-mobile-microphones-for-recording-with-a-phone-154536629.html?src=rss
The best microphones for iPhones and Android
A phone surrounded by microphones that are particularly suited to recording on the go.
Global climate institutions have embraced the primacy of capital, private firms, and markets—and in so doing have fatally undermined their own efficacy.
A work of absurdist art that entertains, but also carries a surprisingly grown-up message about taking responsibility for the state of our politics.
The post Derry Girls and the Absurdity of Adulthood appeared first on Public Books.
The last time math performance was this low for 13-year-olds was in 1990.
Reading up on Derek Parfit’s theory of personal identity as part of my research on non-essential accounts of self in literature, philosophy and neuroscience, I was astounded to come across a New Yorker feature on the philosopher which describes his inability to visualise imagery as an anomaly:
“He has few memories of his past, and he almost never thinks about it, although his memory for other things is very good. He attributes this to his inability to form mental images. Although he recognizes familiar things when he sees them, he cannot call up images of them afterward in his head: he cannot visualize even so simple an image as a flag; he cannot, when he is away, recall his wife’s face. (This condition is rare but not unheard of; it has been proposed that it is more common in people who think in abstractions.) He has always believed that this is why he never thinks about his childhood. He imagines other people, in quiet moments, playing their memories in their heads like wonderful old movies, whereas his few memories are stored as propositions, as sentences, with none of the vividness of a picture.”
Surely, Parfit’s experience would be representative of the norm, I thought – i.e. to only be able to see things that are actually there, physically present and immediately visible in the external surroundings? I certainly never had this seeming super-power of creating images myself and had always assumed that my subjective experience corresponded to the average.
As I was soon to find out, however, the absence of a visual component to Parfit’s imagination is part of a neurological condition which affects an estimated 2-5% of the population, including myself, namely aphantasia.
Recent studies into aphantasia (e.g. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34296179/) connect it to a number of characteristics and personality traits, including introversion and autistic spectrum features, difficulty with recognition, including face-recognition, impoverished autobiographical memory and less event detail in general memory, difficulty with atemporal and future-directed imagination, including difficulties with projecting oneself into mentally constructed scenes and the future, reduced mind-wandering tendency, elevated levels of IQ and mathematical and scientific occupations.
In addition to these, I think aphantasia is likely connected to a certain philosophical belief or position, namely the non-essentialist view of the self that is found in both the reductionist account of personal identity in Western philosophy and the no-self doctrine in Eastern contemplative traditions. I offer a more extensive argument for this connection here: https://psyche.co/ideas/aphantasia-can-be-a-gift-to-philosophers-and-critics-like-me.
In Reasons and Persons Derek Parfit formulates the view that personal identity is reducible to physical and psychological continuity of mental states, and that there is no ‘further fact’, diachronic entity, or essence that determines identity. The belief that persons are separate entities with continuously existing selves, he argues, is to a great degree an illusion. The New Yorker profile only fleetingly connects Parfit’s philosophy to his aphantasia, but to me it seems an obviously relevant piece of explanation. Our philosophical views are based on our intuitions; our perceptual experience of the world guides our ideas about it.
As modern neuroscience is giving us deeper insight into the wide neuro- and perceptual diversity of people, it is also giving us new explanations of differences in people’s experience of reality and, accordingly, their philosophical intuitions and beliefs. According to the predictive processing theory of brain function, the reality we experience as objective and independently existing, is to a large degree created by our brain, a projection based on our brain’s best guesses about the external reality and as such a form of controlled hallucination. And as Anil Seth has recently pointed out, since we all have different brains, we will naturally make different guesses about the external reality we encounter and thus have different perceptual experiences of reality. “Just as it serves us well to occasionally question our social and political beliefs, it’s useful to know that others can literally see things differently to us, and that these differences may evolve into different beliefs and behaviours.”
The growing insight into perceptual diversity, then, gives way to an increased possibility of biographically understanding and explaining philosophers’ theories and as such allows for a new form of ‘neuro-biographical’ reading of philosophy.
It seems plausible that the flipside of a reduced sense of the past and future is an increased connection to and absorption in the present and a weaker identification with a continuous personal narrative and a coherent and substantial self. Parfit’s diminished sense of continuity of identity and substantiality of his own self – which he himself explicitly links to his aphantasia – may well have led him towards or at least strengthened his anti-essential views of personhood.
Likewise, my own aphantasia could at least in part explain my intellectual preference for and easy identification with non-essential conceptions of self in both Western philosophy and Buddhism. The question is, then, whether the condition of aphantasia gives people like Parfit and me a shortcut to enlightenment and clearer philosophical insight into and intuitive understanding of the human condition and nature of reality. Or, does it obscure the truth by barring us from dimensions that are integral to the most common human experience and installing intuitions that do not correspond to the norm?
As neuroscience and neurotechnology continue to develop and give us better understanding of the variations and differences in the neurological constitution of brains, it will be interesting to see to how far the awareness of perceptual differences and specificity can reach in the explanation of differences in philosophical intuitions and beliefs – and to what extent it can disqualify philosophical positions and theories. The notion of perceptual diversity offers a valuable route for philosophers to exercise self-criticism, scrutinise their theories and intuitions and investigate the underlying perceptions and experiences. At the same time, it troubles some of the fundamental concepts on which the discipline of philosophy relies, paving the way for further relativisation and destabilisation of the already undermined notion of objective truth and rationality and potentially removing us further from consensus.
Over the last two decades, thousands of New York City children have struggled to pick up reading skills. Now, schools will be forced to change how they teach reading.
It's Friday, which means it's time for another roundup of good tech deals. Today's highlights include Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite back down to $100, which is within $5 of the popular e-reader's all-time low. Apple's AirPods Pro are $50 off their list price at $200, while the Apple Watch SE is a good value at $219. Beyond that, we're still seeing a handful of deals on Super Mario games for the Nintendo Switch, as well as discounts on Samsung storage gear and Logitech's MX Keys Mini keyboard, among others. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite is on sale for $100, which is $5 more than the e-reader's all-time low but still $30 or so less than its usual street price. We gave the "Signature Edition" of the Paperwhite a review score of 97 in late 2021; by comparison, this model has less storage (8GB instead of 32GB), no Qi wireless charging and a slightly less advanced front light. Those shouldn't be dealbreakers, though, as the standard Paperwhite still provides a sharp 6.8-inch display that's easy on the eyes, a lightweight and waterproof design with a USB-C port and access to the same mammoth e-book library.
There are excellent alternatives here: Kobo's Clara 2E, the top pick in our guide to the best e-readers, is a similarly capable device for those who'd rather not shop in Amazon's closed-off ecosystem, while Amazon's base Kindle offers a more affordable entry point into the Kindle library. Both of those models have six-inch displays, though. if you'd prefer a larger screen and don't mind buying your e-books from Amazon, the Paperwhite is still highly comfortable — and a good value at this price.
Samsung's Evo Select is a dependable way to add more storage space to a Nintendo Switch, Raspberry Pi, GoPro or any other gadget that supports microSD cards. The 256GB model is currently available for $19, which is a new low. This V30- and U3-rated card isn't the absolute fastest you can buy, but it's quick enough to run games and record 4K video with minimal issues, and it's backed by a 10-year warranty. Most importantly, it's affordable. For reference, this variant typically retails around $25.
A handful of deals from Nintendo's Mario Day sale last month are scheduled to end on Saturday, but recommended games like Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Maker 2, and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe are still down to $40 for now. While these are not massive discounts, they bring each game about $10-15 lower than usual. Nintendo is still fairly stingy when it comes to discounting first-party Switch games, so if this week's release of the The Super Mario Bros. Movie has you itching for more Mario at home, this is a decent chance to save.
Nintendo has a few other Switch game deals of note going on this week. The acclaimed FPS games Doom and Doom Eternal are down to all-time lows of $10 and $13, respectively, while a bundle that pairs the beloved RPGs Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden is $10 off at $30. The latter is the first discount we've seen for those Switch ports. Portal Companion Collection, which includes the classic first-person puzzler Portal and its co-op-friendly sequel Portal 2, is down to a low of $12 as well.
Logitech's MX Keys Mini is a compact wireless keyboard we recommend in our guide to the best iPad accessories. It has a slim profile, but its backlit and well-spaced keys are more comfortable to type on than most portable keyboards we've tested. Typically priced around $100, the MX Keys Mini is currently available for $66 at Lenovo when you use the code EXTRA5 in your cart prior to checkout. This deal technically applies to the Business version of the device, which means it comes with a different USB receiver that isn't compatible with many older Logitech devices. However, the keyboard can still pair with and quickly swap between three separate devices over Bluetooth.
We've seen Apple's AirPods Pro fall to $200 multiple times in recent months, but this discount still comes within a dollar of the lowest price we've seen. Normally, the noise-cancelling earbuds go for around $225. We gave the second-gen AirPods Pro a score of 88 in our review last year, and they're currently the "best for iOS" pick in our guide to the best wireless earbuds. There are more well-rounded pairs out there with better battery life and mic performance, but Apple's in-ears still deliver impressive ANC and sound quality, and they're particularly easy to use with other Apple devices.
The unlocked, 128GB version of Samsung's Galaxy S23 is down to $700, which is a $100 discount for a phone that launched in February. The S23 isn't a top pick in our guide to the best smartphones, and it's not as strong of a value as Google's Pixel 7, but it's worth considering if you specifically want a smaller handset with flagship-level features. It's fast and well-built, and its 6.1-inch, 120Hz OLED display should be smooth and vibrant. The camera isn't top-tier in low-light settings but still far from poor overall, and Samsung is promising four years of OS upgrades, with an extra year of security updates.
The S23 isn't the phone to buy for battery life, though, as its smaller size means there's less space for a battery that can last longer than a day. We gave the 6.6-inch Galaxy S23+ a review score of 86 earlier this year: Apart from the larger frame, that phone comes with twice as much storage by default, faster charging support and a bigger battery, but the two devices are otherwise similar.
The Fully Cora is a simple standing desk converter that we've previously recommended. It's meant more for a laptop and a handful of accessories than a full keyboard and monitor setup, but if you just want a way to sit less while working, it's a relatively unobtrusive, lightweight and easy-to-adjust tool for doing that. The device is currently available for $90 as part of a wider sale at Fully's online store. It's technically been at this price for a few weeks, but it's still half off Fully's MSRP. Just note that you may have to invest in a separate stand to keep your laptop at a more comfortable eye level.
The Apple Watch SE has dropped to $219, which is within $10 of the lowest price we've seen. This isn't the first time we've seen the smartwatch hit this price, but it's still $30 below Apple's MSRP. We gave the latest SE a review score of 89 last September, and we currently recommend it for first-time and budget-conscious wearable buyers in our guide to the best smartwatches.
Compared to the pricier Apple Watch Series 8, the top pick in our guide, the SE lacks an always-on display mode, fast charging and premium features like a skin temperature sensor, ECG monitor and blood oxygen sensor. Its display is a smidge smaller, too. That said, it still provides most of the core Apple Watch feature set for way less money, with support for notifications, heart-rate monitoring and crash detection. It also uses the same processor as the Series 8, so it doesn't feel slow in everyday use.
The 1TB model of Samsung's 980 Pro SSD with an integrated heatsink is on sale for $87, which is a new all-time low. On average, the device has run closer to $120 in recent months, though its price has steadily dipped over time. We recommend this speedy PCI Express 4.0 drive in our guide to the best SSDs for the PS5, as it meets Sony's strict requirements for upgrading that console's storage.
It's best if you buy the 980 Pro for that specific purpose, though. If you simply want a new SSD for an aging PC and don't care about gaming, a less expensive PCIe 3.0 drive should be a better value. For that market, SK Hynix's Gold P31 is a well-regarded option that's currently down to $72 for a 1TB model.
Here's a simple one: If you buy a $100 Apple gift card at Target, the retailer will throw in a $10 Target gift card for no extra cost. As a reminder, an Apple gift card can be used on purchases at the company's physical retail shops, the App Store and Apple services like iCloud and Apple Music. Target has run this promotion several times before, but if you plan on shopping at Apple and Target in the near future anyway, it's effectively a bit of free money. Target says the offer will end on April 8.
The grey model of the Blue Yeti Nano is on sale for $53 at Amazon. Outside of a very brief drop to $50 last year, that's the lowest price we've tracked. The Yeti Nano is a compact USB microphone we've recommended in the past. There are certainly clearer-sounding options for those looking to get into more professional recordings, but if you just want a mic upgrade for your work calls that's easy to set up and won't take up a ton of room on your desk, the Yeti Nano is a decent value when it's discounted to this extent. If space is less of a concern, note that the standard Yeti is down to $80; that mic is bigger but sounds better and offers more pickup patters to accommodate different types of recordings.
Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K Max is back down to $35, matching the lowest price we've tracked. The 4K media player has regularly bounced between this deal price and its MSRP of $55 in recent months, but for less than $40 it's a good value for those who want to add more streaming services to their TV. The device itself is reasonably fast and supports most of the major apps and HDR formats. (Compared to the standard Fire TV Stick 4K, the speed upgrade is enough to make the 4K Max a better buy.) It has voice search functionality built into its remote, which is convenient. For tinkerers, it's also easier to sideload unsupported apps here than it is with similarly priced streamers.
The caveat is that the Fire TV UI tends to advertise Amazon's own content over shows and search results from other apps. That means the 4K Max will work best if you regularly use Amazon services like Alexa and Prime Video. If you aren't as beholden to Amazon, Roku's Streaming Stick 4K and Google's Chromecast are close alternatives that we recommend in our guide to the best streaming devices. The former has a simpler and more neutral interface, while the latter is generally more accurate at searching and better about personalizing its UI to your viewing habits.
Ninja's DZ401 Foodi is the "best dual-zone" pick in our guide to the best air fryers, offering two baskets that allow you to cook two foods in two different ways at the same time. Not everyone needs something this hefty, but if you often have to cook for a large family, it can be useful. The 10-quart model is down to $180, which is roughly $20 below its usual going rate. The device dropped as low as $130 during the holidays last year, but this discount matches the lowest price we've seen in 2023.
A recommendation from our guide to the best wireless headphones, Master & Dynamic's MW75 is on sale for $419 with the checkout code GIVEGET30. Normally, this noise-cancelling pair goes for $599. Even at 30 percent off, it's hard to call the MW75 a great value, as its ANC can't really match less expensive alternatives like the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Bose QuietComfort 45. But the pair stands out for its decidedly upscale design, which uses a premium-feeling blend of leather, aluminum and tempered glass. It sounds nice as well, though some may prefer a bit less treble presence by default.
Either way, we don't see the MW75 drop this low very often, so if you've got cash to burn and are particular about aesthetics, it's worth considering. The code above is applicable to various other Master & Dynamic headphones as well; the company says the sale will run through April 10.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-falls-back-to-100-best-tech-deals-this-week-150031378.html?src=rss
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
How does a parent answer a child’s questions about school shootings? For instance: Why does this keep happening? Will it happen to me? If it does, will I be OK? Writer Meg Conley, a mother of three, describes the agony of not having all the answers:
After the second shooting at East High School, we started talking about homeschooling. It’s not the first time we’ve had the conversation. But my kids love lunchtime, talking in the halls, learning new things from new teachers, school plays and after-school clubs. Being separated from those things during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic affected them in ways I still find frightening to contemplate. Forming community with people who are not part of their household is a vital part of their lives. There are just some things that can’t be replicated in the home.
One night in New York City, I sat in between my two oldest daughters as they watched their first Broadway play, Funny Girl. The play opened with Fanny Brice, played by Julie Benko, sitting in front of a mirror, looking at herself before she says, “Hello, gorgeous.” When she said those words, most of the audience knew what was coming, so they cheered. But my girls didn’t, so they politely clapped. I watched them watch the play, with wide eyes. By the end of the show, they loved Brice. They loved Benko. When she started to sing the reprise of “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” the girls understood what had been and what was coming. They cheered with everyone else. They became part of the community in that room.
We were wandering through the Met museum when my daughter got a text from another friend. It was just a link to a news story. Her middle school principal had gone to the media. There is a child at her school that was recently charged with attempted first-degree murder and illegal discharge of a firearm. That child doesn’t need incarceration; the child needs help. But teachers are not trained to give that help. The district rejected the school’s request that the student be moved to online schooling. Instead, the child goes to school every day and receives a daily pat down from untrained school staff before going to class. This student is on the same safety plan as the student who shot two deans before spring break. My daughter showed me the text and asked again, “What are we going to do?”
My two oldest girls went to see a preview of the new musical New York, New York with their dad that night. I stayed behind with their youngest sister. She’s too young for Broadway, but nearly old enough to be killed at school.
Just a few years ago, the case for buying a smartwatch was unclear. The market wasn't as saturated as it is today, and features were more limited. Today, the wearable world is filled with various high-quality options, and a few key players, like the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch and Fitbit Versa, have muscled their way to the front of the pack with their smart features. Chances are, if you’re reading this guide, you’ve probably already decided that it’s time to upgrade whatever's on your wrist - be it a standard timepiece or an aging smartwatch. Regardless of which category you fall into, the list of factors you’ll want to consider before deciding which is the best smartwatch for you to buy is a long one, and we'll help you make sense of it.
Apple Watches only work with iPhones, while Wear OS devices play nice with both iOS and Android phones. Smartwatches made by Samsung, Garmin, Fitbit and others are also compatible with Android and iOS, but you’ll need to install a companion app.
The smartwatch OS will also dictate the type and number of third-party apps you’ll have access to. Many of these aren’t useful, though, making this factor a fairly minor one in the grand scheme of things.
The best smartwatches generally cost between $300 and $400. Compared to budget smartwatches, which cost between $100 and $250, these pricier devices have advanced communications, music and fitness features. They also often include perks like onboard GPS tracking, music storage and NFC, which budget devices generally don’t.
Some companies make specialized fitness watches: Those can easily run north of $500, and we’d only recommend them to serious athletes. Luxury smartwatches from brands like TAG Heuer and Hublot can also reach sky-high prices, but we wouldn’t endorse any of them. These devices can cost more than $1,000, and you’re usually paying for little more than a brand name and some needlessly exotic selection of build materials.
Battery life remains one of our biggest complaints about smartwatches, but there’s hope as of late. You can expect two full days from Apple Watches and most Wear OS devices. Watches using the Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor support extended battery modes that promise up to five days of battery life on a charge — if you’re willing to shut off most features aside from, you know, displaying the time. Snapdragon’s next-gen Wear 4100 and 4100+ processors were announced in 2020, but only a handful of devices – some of which aren’t even available yet – are using them so far. Other models can last five to seven days, but they usually have fewer features and lower-quality displays. Meanwhile, some fitness watches can last weeks on a single charge.
A few smartwatches now support faster charging, too. For example, Apple promises the Series 7 can go from zero to 80 percent power in only 45 minutes, and get to full charge in 75 minutes. The OnePlus Watch is even speedier, powering up from zero to 43 percent in just 10 minutes. (Mind you that turned out to be one of the only good things about that device.)
Any smartwatch worth considering delivers call, text and app notifications to your wrist. Call and text alerts are self explanatory, but if those mean a lot to you, consider a watch with LTE. They’re more expensive than their WiFi-only counterparts, but data connectivity allows the smartwatch to take and receive phone calls, and do the same with text messages, without your device nearby. As far as app alerts go, getting them delivered to your wrist will let you glance down to the watch face and see if you absolutely need to check your phone right now.
Activity tracking is a big reason why people turn to smartwatches. An all-purpose timepiece should function as a fitness tracker, logging your steps, calories and workouts, and most of today’s wearables have a heart rate monitor as well.
Many smartwatches' fitness features include a built-in GPS, which is useful for tracking distance for runs and bike rides. Swimmers will want something water resistant, and thankfully most all-purpose devices now can withstand at least a dunk in the pool. Some smartwatches from companies like Garmin are more fitness focused than others and tend to offer more advanced features like heart-rate-variance tracking, recovery time estimation, onboard maps and more.
Health tracking on smartwatches has also seen advances over the years. Both Apple and Fitbit devices can estimate blood oxygen levels and measure ECGs. But the more affordable the smartwatch, the less likely it is that it has these kinds of in-depth health tracking features; if collecting that type of data is important to you, you’ll have to pay for the privilege.
Your watch can not only track your morning runs but also play music while you’re exercising. Many smartwatches let you save your music locally, so you can connect wireless earbuds and listen to tunes without bringing your phone. Those that don’t have onboard storage for music usually have on-watch music controls, so you can control playback without whipping out your phone. And if your watch has LTE, local saving isn’t required — you’ll be able to stream music directly from the watch to your paired earbuds.
Most flagship smartwatches today have some an always-on display - some have it on by default while others let you enable it via tweaked settings. This smart feature allows you to glance down at your watch to check the time and any other information you’ve set it to show on its watchface without lifting your wrist. This will no doubt affect your device’s battery life, but thankfully most always-on modes dim the display’s brightness so it’s not running at its peak unnecessarily. Cheaper devices won’t have this feature; instead, their screens will automatically turn off to conserve battery life and you’ll have to intentionally check your watch to turn on the display again.
Many smartwatches have NFC, letting you pay for things without your wallet. After saving your credit or debit card information, you can hold your smartwatch up to an NFC reader to pay for a cup of coffee on your way home from a run. Keep in mind that different watches use different payment systems: Apple Watches use Apple Pay, Wear OS devices use Google Pay, Samsung devices use Samsung Pay and so forth.
Apple Pay is one of the most popular NFC payment systems, with support for multiple banks and credit cards in 72 different countries, while Samsung and Google Pay work in fewer regions. It’s also important to note that both NFC payment support varies by device as well for both Samsung and Google’s systems.
The Apple Watch has evolved into one of the best wearables on the market since its debut in 2015. It’s the best smartwatch for iPhone users, and we wouldn’t judge you for switching to an iPhone just to be able to use an Apple Watch. The latest model, Apple Watch Series 8, has solid fitness-tracking features that will satisfy the needs of beginners and serious athletes alike. It also detects if you’ve been in a car crash, can carry out electrocardiogram (ECG) tests and measures blood oxygen levels. Plus, this Apple smartwatch offers NFC, onboard music storage and many useful apps as well as a variety of ways to respond to messages.
There aren't a ton of differences between the Series 8 and the Series 7 that came before it. The design is largely unchanged, and while the Apple Watch Series 8 runs on a newer S8 SiP, it didn't feel dramatically faster in our testing. It lasted a little bit longer, and we were impressed by the new low-power mode, which kept the watch going for an additional two hours after already being down to 20 percent battery life.
There are two other options now at the opposite ends of the spectrum. The new Apple Watch Ultra is probably overkill for most people, but it has a ton of extra features like extra waterproofing to track diving, an even more accurate GPS and the biggest battery of any Apple Watch to date. Apple designed it for the most outdoorsy among us, but for your average person, it likely has more features than they'd ever need.
The $250 Apple Watch SE, on the other hand, is less feature-rich than the Series 8, but it will probably suffice for most people. We actually regard the Watch SE as the best smartwatch option for first-time buyers, or people on stricter budgets. You’ll get all the core Apple Watch features as well as things like fall and crash detection, noise monitoring and emergency SOS, but you’ll have to do without more advanced hardware perks like an always-on display, a blood oxygen sensor, an ECG monitor and a skin temperature sensor.
Buy Apple Watch Ultra at Amazon - $799Buy Apple Watch SE at Amazon - $249Dropping $400 on a smartwatch isn’t feasible for everyone, which is why we recommend the Fitbit Versa 2 as the best sub-$200 option. It’s our favorite budget watch because it offers a bunch of features at a great price. You get all of these essentials: Fitbit’s solid exercise-tracking abilities (including auto-workout detection), sleep tracking, water resistance, connected GPS, blood oxygen (SpO2) tracking and a six-day battery life. It also supports Fitbit Pay using NFC and it has built-in Amazon Alexa for voice commands. While the Versa 2 typically costs $150, we’ve seen it for as low as $100.
Samsung may not have brought many upgrades to the latest version of its popular Galaxy Watch, but that doesn't mean the Watch 5 isn't still the best smartwatch for Android users. Improvements like a more durable screen and refined curvature don't sound exciting, but they make the Watch 5 more resilient and reliable. Plus, the Galaxy Watch offers the most comprehensive fitness and health tracking, including body composition analysis, on Wear OS, and the company added a sleep coaching feature this year that is meant to help guide you towards better rest.
If you don't mind oversized watches, consider the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. It's more expensive at $450, but comes with a larger 45mm titanium case, a more durable screen and a larger battery. Though Samsung markets this Android smartwatch as an outdoor-oriented device, you're better off thinking of it as a big timepiece that lasts longer than the standard model. It has all the same smartwatch features as the 40mm and 44mm versions, except it supports the GPX route format for workouts so you can get turn-by-turn directions while you hike and bike.
All three watches are also water-resistant so they can track swims or survive a sudden storm, and last more than a day (without the Always On Display enabled). They also run Wear OS 3.5, which is so similar to Samsung's previous Tizen OS that longtime wearers won't need to worry about adjusting to a new system. Ultimately, the Galaxy Watch 5 series is a capable, well-rounded set of smartwatches that will serve most Android users well.
Yes, there are still companies out there trying to make “fashionable” smartwatches. Back when wearables were novel and generally ugly, brands like Fossil, Michael Kors and Skagen found their niche in stylish smartwatches that took cues from analog timepieces. You also have the option to pick up a “hybrid” smartwatch from companies like Withings and Garmin – these devices look like standard wrist watches but incorporate some limited functionality like activity tracking and heart rate monitoring. They remain good options if you prefer that look, but thankfully, wearables made by Apple, Samsung, Fitbit and others have gotten much more attractive over the past few years.
Ultimately, the only thing you can’t change after you buy a smartwatch is its case design. If you’re not into the Apple Watch’s squared-off corners, all of Samsung’s smartwatches have round cases that look a little more like a traditional watch. Most wearables are offered in a choice of colors and you can pay extra for premium materials like stainless steel. Once you decide on a case, your band options are endless – there are dozens of first- and third-party watch straps available for most major smartwatches, allowing you to change up your look whenever you please.
Cherlynn Low contributed to this guide.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-smartwatches-153013118.html?src=rss
Apple Watch Series 8
The Apple Watch Series 8 on a person's wrist, showing a paused workout tracking screen.
Article tags
Naomi Peralta, at left, prepares for a practice run at Highland High School in Albuquerque, N.M., in February.
It's Friday, which means it's time for another roundup of notable discounts on good tech. Among the highlights, Apple's AirPods Pro are back down to $200, tying the best price we've seen for the iPhone-friendly noise-cancelling earphones. Amazon has dropped the Kindle Paperwhite down to $100, which is $5 above that e-reader's all-time low, while Samsung is running another sale on various storage devices. We're also seeing discounts on Anker USB-C chargers, Asus' ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop and Apple's AirTags, among others. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
Apple's AirPods Pro are once again down to $200, which is a deal we've seen a few times before but still matches the lowest price we've tracked. We gave these noise-canceling earphones a review score of 88 last year and they're currently the "best for iOS" pick in our guide to the best wireless earbuds. While their battery life and call quality could be better, the AirPods Pro still deliver a good, mostly neutral sound profile, impressive noise cancellation and a host of features that make them easy to use with other Apple devices.
Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite is back down to $100, which is $5 more than the e-reader's all-time low but still $40 off its typical going rate. The Paperwhite itself remains a strong value, with a sharp and relatively spacious 6.8-inch e-ink display, a light and waterproof design with a USB-C port, a smooth front lighting system that keeps the screen easy on the eyes and access to Amazon's massive e-book library.
We gave the "Signature Edition" of the Paperwhite a review score of 97 in late 2021. That model includes more storage space (32GB instead of 8GB), Qi wireless charging support and a slightly improved front light, but it's otherwise identical to the Paperwhite, and its upgrades probably aren't worth the extra cost for most.
It might be worth paying a little bit extra for the Kindle Paperwhite Kids, however, which is currently on sale for $110. That variant is marketed towards children, but it comes with the same hardware, plus a case and a longer two-year warranty. If you are buying for a kid, it also includes a year of Amazon's Kids+ content service. This model is about $45 off its typical street price as of this writing.
While not an all-time low, this deal brings Anker's highly compact 715 Charger about $10 below its usual street price. This is a travel-friendly USB-C charger capable of delivering 65W of power, which is enough to charge many phones, tablets and even smaller laptops at full speed. Just note that it only has one port; if you often need to charge multiple devices at once, consider Anker's 736 Charger, a three-port, 100W charger that's currently down to a new low of $52.49.
A range of Samsung storage gear is on sale this week. For one, Samsung's Evo Select is a U3- and V30-rated microSD card that's plenty quick for most casual needs, be it handling 4K video or expanding a Nintendo Switch's storage. It's backed by a 10-year limited warranty as well. The 128GB and 512GB models are down to $12.49 and $40, respectively, both of which represent all-time lows.
Next up, the 980 Pro is a speedy PCIe 4.0 SSD that's suitable for a modern gaming PC or expanding the storage of a PlayStation 5. Its 1TB model is on sale for $80, which is an all-time low. If you need a higher capacity, the 2TB model is a couple dollars above its lowest price at $160.
If you're buying for a PS5 specifically, note that you'll have to pair the drive with a heatsink. For those willing to pay a bit extra for a simpler setup, Samsung sells a version of the 980 Pro with an integrated heatsink, the 1TB model of which is currently down to $100. Either way, it's worth making sure the drive's firmware is up-to-date, as some users previously reported issues with certain Samsung drives that have since been fixed.
Although the 980 Pro is technically an older model in Samsung's lineup, not everyone needs the speed increase of a PCIe 4.0 drive for everyday PC use. For those people, SK Hynix's Gold P31 is a well-reviewed, power-efficient option among PCIe 3.0 drives, and its 1TB model is about $35 off its usual going rate at $72. For those upgrading an older PC from a slow HDD, meanwhile, Crucial's MX500 is a 2.5-inch SATA drive we recommend; that one's 4TB model is currently down to an all-time low of $215.
Finally, Samsung's T7 Shield is a more ruggedized version of the top portable drive pick in our guide to the best SSDs. It's not the absolute fastest portable drive you can buy, with read/write speeds rated up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s, but it should be fast enough for most needs, and its rubberized, IP65-rated exterior should help it survive frequent travel. Both the 1TB and 2TB models are down to all-time lows at $80 and $140, respectively.
If you don't specifically need a ruggedized portable SSD, WD's My Passport drive will get you slightly faster read and write speeds, plus a longer five-year warranty. (The T7 Shield comes with a three-year warranty.) This drive's 1TB and 2TB variants are both down to all-time lows, at $85 and $138, respectively. If those happen to run out of stock, SanDisk's Extreme Portable SSD is a very similar performer; it's down to a low of $90 for a 1TB model and $140 for a 2TB model.
Apple's 10.2-inch iPad is back down to $250 at Target, which matches the tablet's all-time low and represents a roughly $25 discount from its usual street price. This is the budget pick in our guide to the best iPads, and we gave it a review score of 86 back in 2021. Its thick bezels, non-laminated display and lack of a USB-C port give a much more dated look than other iPads, but for casual use, it's still quick and comfortable enough. As a bonus, it's also the last iPad to have a headphone jack.
If you want a more modern design, the 10.9-inch iPad is also back to an all-time low of $400. That one still lacks a laminated display and support for Apple's best keyboard and Pencil stylus, but it feels much more like an iPad Air, and its landscape-oriented webcam is far more convenient for video calls. We gave this model a review score of 85 last October.
Amazon's Echo Show 8 is on sale for $75, which is $5 more than the all-time low we saw during the holiday season but still about $20 less than the 8-inch smart display's usual street price. We gave the Echo Show 8 a review score of 87 when in launched in 2021, and we currently recommend it as the best smart display for Alexa users in our guide to the best smart home gadgets. If you have a bunch of smart home devices that make use of Amazon's voice assistant, this is still the best blend of size, price and performance in the Echo Show lineup. If you aren't beholden to Alexa, though, note that Google's Nest Hub will naturally play better with Google services like Gmail, Google Calendar and YouTube.
The Apple Watch SE is a stripped-down but less expensive variant of the Apple Watch Series 8, the top pick in our guide to the best smartwatches. We gave the latest model a review score of 89 last September, calling it "the best smartwatch $250 can buy," but right now the 40mm variant is on sale for $220, which is within a dollar of the device's all-time low.
Compared to the Series 8, the SE has a slightly smaller display that isn't always-on, and it lacks premium features like an ECG monitor, skin temperature sensor and blood oxygen sensor. It runs on the same processor, however, and it can still do all the core functions expected of an Apple Watch, including heart-rate monitoring, notifications and fall detection. If you're buying a smartwatch for the first time, or if you're upgrading from an older Apple Watch and want to save some cash, the SE is a superb value. Just remember that this is an iPhone-only affair.
A configuration of Apple's recently refreshed Mac Mini with an M2 chip, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD is on sale for $700, which is $100 off Apple's list price and an all-time low. We gave the variant with a beefier M2 Pro chip a review score of 86 in January; this model won't be as powerful as that, but it's still a good buy for those who only need a macOS desktop for everyday web browsing and lighter work. The Mac Mini itself is still compact and quiet, while this model gets you two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, an Ethernet jack and a headphone jack. As always, you can't upgrade the Mac Mini's internals after you buy it, so it's likely worth buying a model with more RAM, storage or that M2 Pro chip if you plan on doing development work or heavy media editing and must have this smaller form factor.
Asus' ROG Zephyrus G14 is the top pick in our guide to the best gaming laptops, and a configuration with a Ryzen 9 6900HS CPU, Radeon RX 6700S GPU, 14-inch 120Hz display, 1TB SSD and 16GB of RAM and is currently down to $1,100 at Best Buy. That matches the lowest price we've seen.
This 2022 iteration of the G14 will be on the way out in the coming months, but at this price, last year's model is still a good value for playing modern games in a QHD resolution at a solid frame rate. Like prior G14s, this is a gaming laptop that stands out for not sacrificing the "laptop" part of the equation: Its keyboard and trackpad are comfortable, it has ample ports, its battery can last around 10 hours when you aren't gaming, and at 3.6 pounds, it won't feel like a total anchor in a backpack. We gave the notebook a review score of 85 last year.
Google's Pixel 7 remains one of the better values on the Android phone market, and right now an unlocked 128GB model is on sale for $449, which is the lowest price we've seen. We gave this 6.3-inch handset a review score of 90 last October. While there are faster flagships out there, the Pixel 7 still offers a top-tier camera, pleasing build quality, a crisp OLED display and a clean version of Android that's still due two more years of OS updates and four more years of security updates.
Google is expected to launch a Pixel 7a phone in the next couple of months that may be very similar to this, but at this price, the Pixel 7 remains a strong value. The excellent Pixel 7 Pro, which has a larger screen and even better camera system, is also on sale for $749, though that's a price we've seen several times in recent months.
If you're looking for a Google smartwatch, meanwhile, the company's Pixel Watch is down to $299, a $40 discount that matches the lowest price we've tracked. That one has a particularly stylish design and useful health tracking features, but be warned that its battery life is lacking compared to other top wearables.
A four-pack of Apple's AirTag trackers is on sale for $90, which isn't an all-time low but still comes out to a $10 discount and marks the best price we've seen since the holidays. The AirTag is the "best for iPhones" pick in our guide to the best Bluetooth trackers, as it leverages Apple's extensive Find My crowd-sourcing network and ultra-wideband wireless tech to locate lost items accurately.
Unlike similar devices from Tile or Chipolo, an AirTag annoyingly lacks a built-in adhesive or key ring hole, but there are various accessories you can buy to address that gap. It's also worth noting that bad actors have used AirTags to track people without their content, though Apple has made at least some strides toward addressing those concerns. If you use the device for its intended purpose, it should be effective.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-airpods-pro-drop-back-to-200-best-tech-deals-this-week-154133672.html?src=rss
AirPods Pro (2022) review
Despite the unchanged design, Apple has packed an assortment of updates into the new AirPods Pro. All of the conveniences from the 2019 model are here as well, alongside additions like Adaptive Transparency, Personalized Spatial Audio and a new touch gesture in tow. There’s room to further refine the familiar formula, but Apple has given iPhone owners several reasons to upgrade.
If you're on the market for a new e-reader, Amazon's latest discounts on Kindles may have exactly what you've been looking for at a lower-than-expected price. Key among the sale items is the Kindle Paperwhite, which is down to $100. That's only $5 more than its record-low price, and it's the same price as the standard Kindle, which doesn't have as many extra features as the Paperwhite.
While we did not review the Paperwhite, we did test the Paperwhite Signature Edition, which is only different thanks to its auto-adjusting front light, higher storage capacity and its wireless charging capabilities. You should get a very similar experience going with the regular Paperwhite, and it should be a great one. The latest version of Amazon's ubiquitous e-reader has a 6.8-inch, 300 ppi glare-free screen with 17 front LEDs, including a new adjustable warm light that will make it easier to read in dark environments (and after a full day of staring at a computer screen).
The design of the Paperwhite hasn't changed drastically over the years, but Amazon has refined it. This model's screen is flush with its bezels, giving it a cleaner look, and it's also IPX8-rated, so it won't be in danger if it takes an accidental dunk in the pool or bathtub. This Paperwhite also has Audible support, so if you have audiobooks through the Amazon-owned outlet, you can listen to them directly from your Kindle as long as you have a pair of Bluetooth headphones to do so.
It's worth mentioning that the Kids version of the Paperwhite is also on sale for $110, and we sometimes recommend this model even for adults. You're getting the same hardware as the non-kids model, along with a longer warranty and a protective case. The Kids version is also touted to have no ads, but that's only if you stick to the kid-friendly UI that's preinstalled on the e-reader.
Also included in this sale is the new Kindle Scribe, which is down to a new all-time-low price of $290. The Scribe is Amazon's first jump into the e-ink tablet space, and the model on sale includes 16GB of storage and a basic pen. As a tablet, the Scribe is a basic but fairly well-executed device: there's little to no latency when writing on the display, there are a decent number of brush options to choose from and you can organize multiple notebooks pretty easily. As an e-reader, it's a little on the large size with its 10.3-inch display, but the screen is crisp and responsive and we like the wider side bezel that makes the device easier to grip.
You can't actually take notes in the margins of Kindle books on the Scribe, but you can add sticky notes to your books and jot down ideas that way. And if you like the idea of keeping your notes on the same device that holds most of your reading material, the Scribe will be a good option for you. That goes for those who have big Kindle e-book libraries, but also those who have PDFs and ePUBs they want to mark up, too, as the Scribe supports a number of different file types.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-sale-knocks-the-kindle-paperwhite-down-to-100-150513073.html?src=rss
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
No modern smartphone is completely carbon neutral. Even the most eco-conscious phones are only partially made out of recyclable materials. But you can help cut back on plastic usage by at least purchasing an eco-friendly case to protect your phone from dings and scratches. There are plenty of them, from those that are completely compostable to ones made from ocean-based plastic. Best of all, eco-friendly cases are often just stylish and durable as their mainstream counterparts. Here are our favorites.
Without a doubt, our favorite eco-friendly phone cases are those made by Pela. We absolutely love their colors and designs, plus the fact that the entire line is 100 percent plant-based and compostable. The case material is called “Flaxstic,” which the company says is made from flax straw and compostable bioplastic elastomer. Importantly, it's also free of BPA, phthalates, cadmium and lead. If you ever decide to get rid of it, you can indeed just chuck in a compost bin and it’ll be completely biodegradable.
What’s more, Pela cases are available for a wide array of handsets. They can accommodate iPhones (from iPhone 5 onwards), Samsung Galaxies (Galaxy S8 and newer), Google Pixels (from the Pixel 3a on) and even some OnePlus and Huawei models.
For iPhone users, we should note that Pela cases are not MagSafe-compatible by default. Strangely, too, you can only purchase an additional $13 MagSafe module for the iPhone 13 and 14, and not the iPhone 12. Applying it to my phone was pretty straightforward, so that’s not a big concern, but it’s something to keep in mind. And, obviously, the MagSafe module with all its magnets is not compostable; you’ll have to take it off and dispose of it separately.
LifeProof is a phone case brand that specializes in recycled materials, with each of its products being at least partially made from them. But the most eco-friendly option is the LifeProof Wake, which is made from 85 percent ocean-based recycled plastic. According to the company, a lot of that comes from discarded fishing gear, which would otherwise be a fatal hazard for marine life like sharks and turtles.
In addition, we’re big fans of the Wake’s design. It comes in four different colors, and features an attractive sculpted wave pattern. It feels sturdy and durable, and LifeProof says it’s drop proof from two meters (roughly six and half feet). Plus, it’s MagSafe-compatible by default. The LifeProof Wake is available for iPhones (iPhone 11 onward), Samsung Galaxies (Galaxy S20 and newer) and Google Pixels (Pixel 4a and up).
Casetify is mostly known for making durable yet stylish phone cases, but it has several eco-friendly options, too. The latest is its Compostable line, which is made with a 100 percent compostable and plant-based material called “Ecotify.” Basically, it’s a blend of bamboo, biopolymers and starch.
The regular Compostable line has a drop-protection of around four feet, while the Ultra Compostable line, with its extra corner bumpers, has a drop-protection of about 6.6 feet. My recommendation would be to go with the more durable Ultra Compostable option, even if it does cost a bit more.
Unfortunately, Casetify’s Compostable line is only available for iPhones the (iPhone 7 and up). Casetify does make other kinds of sustainable cases for both the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy handsets (Galaxy S20 and newer), but they’re not compostable. Instead, they’re made from 65 percent recycled materials. Plus, Casetify offers the option to return your old case, which they’ll then reuse or up-cycle to create a new one, thus reducing waste.
The biggest perk of Casetify’s cases is that they’re very customizable. Not only can you pick out your favorite bumper colors and designs (Casetify regularly partners with brands and illustrators to come up with unique styles), but you can actually add engravings to them too. You can also choose to add even more protection with thicker bumpers (Casetify says the “Bounce Case” offers a 13-foot drop protection).
Incipio’s Organicore line of cases is one of the most attractive we’ve seen, plus they are 100 percent compostable. You’ll find them in clear and opaque designs, the latter of which has a buttery texture that makes the case feel more luxurious than you’d think. Most Organicore cases will protect your handset from drops from up to eight feet, and we like the way their raised edges defend against accidental bumps and dings. There are also MagSafe options available, so you can still use your iPhone with magnetic accessories without taking your case off.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-eco-friendly-phone-cases-150016494.html?src=rss
Pela
Pela
In a provocative essay, scholar and author Sophie Lewis, best known for her 2022 book in support of “family abolition,” makes the case for how society can not only protect trans children, but also learn from them. This is a call for a more expansive, generous, utopian way of thinking about the potential of youth:
The fear I inspired on the parent’s face riding the subway was what distressed me most about the incident in New York. Later that day, when I recounted the anecdote on Facebook, an acquaintance commented – unfunnily, I felt – that I was a “social menace”. A threat to our children, et cetera. Ha, ha. But what was the truth of the joke? What had I threatened exactly? A decade after the event, “The Traffic in Children,” an essay published in Parapraxis magazine in November 2022, provides an answer. According to its author, Max Fox, the “primal scene” of the current political panic about transness is:
a hypothetical question from a hypothetical child, brought about by the image of gender nonconformity: a child asks about a person’s gender, rather than reading it as a natural or obvious fact.
In other words, by asking “are you a girl or a boy?” (in my case non-hypothetically), the child reveals their ability to read, question and interpret — rather than simply register factually — the symbolisation of sexual difference in this world. This denaturalises the “automatic” gender matrix that transphobes ultimately need to believe children inhabit. It introduces the discomfiting reality that young people don’t just learn gender but help make it, along with the rest of us; that they possess gender identities of their own, and sexualities to boot. It invites people who struggle to digest these realities to cast about and blame deviant adults: talkative non-binary people on trains, for instance, or drag queens taking over “story hour” in municipal libraries.
The museum has made its splash, but if it wants to be more than a work of starchitecture, it requires deeper collections and bolder curatorial vision.
The post Cracks in the Louvre Abu Dhabi appeared first on Public Books.
“You are born alone. You die alone. The value of the space in between is trust and love,” the artist Louise Bourgeois wrote in her diary. How much trust and love we wrest from life and lavish upon life is largely a matter of how well we have befriended our existential loneliness — a fundamental fact of every human existence that coexists with our delicate interconnectedness, each a parallel dimension of our lived reality, each pulsating beneath our days.
In When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (public library) — her timeless field guide to transformation through difficult times — the Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön explores what it takes to cultivate “a nonthreatening relationship with loneliness,” to transmute it into a different kind of “relaxing and cooling loneliness” that subverts our ordinary terror of the existential void.
She writes:
When we draw a line down the center of a page, we know who we are if we’re on the right side and who we are if we’re on the left side. But we don’t know who we are when we don’t put ourselves on either side. Then we just don’t know what to do. We just don’t know. We have no reference point, no hand to hold. At that point we can either freak out or settle in. Contentment is a synonym for loneliness, cool loneliness, settling down with cool loneliness. We give up believing that being able to escape our loneliness is going to bring any lasting happiness or joy or sense of well-being or courage or strength. Usually we have to give up this belief about a billion times, again and again making friends with our jumpiness and dread, doing the same old thing a billion times with awareness. Then without our even noticing, something begins to shift. We can just be lonely with no alternatives, content to be right here with the mood and texture of what’s happening.
In Buddhism, all suffering is a form of resistance to reality, a form of attachment to desires and ideas about how the world should be. By befriending our loneliness, we begin to meet reality on its own terms and to find contentment with the as-is nature of life, complete with all of its uncertainty. Chödrön writes:
We are fundamentally alone, and there is nothing anywhere to hold on to. Moreover, this is not a problem. In fact, it allows us to finally discover a completely unfabricated state of being. Our habitual assumptions — all our ideas about how things are — keep us from seeing anything in a fresh, open way… We don’t ultimately know anything. There’s no certainty about anything. This basic truth hurts, and we want to run away from it. But coming back and relaxing with something as familiar as loneliness is good discipline for realizing the profundity of the unresolved moments of our lives. We are cheating ourselves when we run away from the ambiguity of loneliness.
So faced, loneliness becomes a kind of mirror — one into which we must look with maximum compassion, one that beams back to us our greatest strength:
Cool loneliness allows us to look honestly and without aggression at our own minds. We can gradually drop our ideals of who we think we ought to be, or who we think we want to be, or who we think other people think we want to be or ought to be. We give it up and just look directly with compassion and humor at who we are. Then loneliness is no threat and heartache, no punishment. Cool loneliness doesn’t provide any resolution or give us ground under our feet. It challenges us to step into a world of no reference point without polarizing or solidifying. This is called the middle way, or the sacred path of the warrior.
Complement with Rachel Carson on the relationship between loneliness and creativity and Barry Lopez on the cure for our existential loneliness, then revisit poet May Sarton’s splendid century-old ode to the art of being contentedly alone.
For a decade and half, I have been spending hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars each month composing The Marginalian (which bore the unbearable name Brain Pickings for its first fifteen years). It has remained free and ad-free and alive thanks to patronage from readers. I have no staff, no interns, no assistant — a thoroughly one-woman labor of love that is also my life and my livelihood. If this labor makes your own life more livable in any way, please consider lending a helping hand with a donation. Your support makes all the difference.
The Marginalian has a free weekly newsletter. It comes out on Sundays and offers the week’s most inspiring reading. Here’s what to expect. Like? Sign up.
FreshRSS