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Amazon has banned over 600 Chinese brands as part of review fraud crackdown
Amazon said it has banned over 600 Chinese brands as part of an ongoing campaign against review fraud.
This week's best deals: $25 off the Apple Watch Series 6 and more
Amazon basically kicked things off early with Prime Day last week (and Best Buy, Walmart and other retailers followed suit), so we expect to see plenty more deals for early shoppers. This week brought the lowest price ever on the new Apple Watch Series 6 and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller dropping back down to an all-time-low. You can also still save hundreds on a few 2020 LG OLED smart TVs, too.
The best portable laptop charger
By Sarah Witman This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to portable laptop chargers. We spent 15 hours researching and 41 hours testing five top portable laptop chargers, and we found that the Mophie Powerstation AC is the best option if you want the ability to charge your computer and smaller devices while traveling, in an emergency, or whenever power outlets are out of reach. It can power laptops as robust as the 15-inch MacBook Pro, it's compact and lightweight, and it charges via USB-C—an increasingly ubiquitous standard. Mophie's charger is the one we'd buy ourselves. It's the smallest laptop charger we tested and one of the lightest. But it still performed well in our testing with more than 100 W of power output and enough capacity to bring a dead MacBook Air up to 81 percent charged, even during heavy use. It also has the best look and feel of any we tried—we really like how its slim, portable design and professional-looking fabric exterior is complemented by well-placed ports and a magnetic rubber flap protecting the AC output port. Plus, it's made by a company we trust, and its 24-month warranty is as good as any we found.
The best USB-C laptop and tablet chargers
By Nick Guy This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to USB-C laptop and tablet chargers. While it used to be difficult and expensive to buy a new laptop charger, computers with USB-C charging have made replacements easier and more affordable than ever. The best charger for almost any modern tablet or laptop is Nekteck's 60W Type-C Wall Charger. This adapter is just as powerful and reliable as a replacement from your laptop's manufacturer. It even comes with a USB-C charging cable, making it a better value. Whether you need to replace your original charger or just want to have an extra at home or the office, you should get the Nekteck 60W Type-C Wall Charger. It will charge almost any USB-C laptop at full speed, power 2018 iPad Pros faster than the brick that comes in the box, and even fast charge most modern smartphones. The Nekteck is also smaller than any other 60-watt charger we've found and comes with a detachable cable, which is something that'll usually costs $10 to $20 on its own. Despite all these benefits, it costs about a third the price of the equivalent charger and cable from Apple.
The best USB car charger
By Nick Guy This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to USB car chargers. For a few bucks, a good USB car charger can charge your phone and other devices faster than the port that came in your car. After testing more than 60 models, we think the best car charger is the dual-port Nekteck PD 45W Type-C Car Charger. You can fast-charge phones, tablets, and laptops from its USB-C port, and simultaneously charge a second phone on its USB-A port. No other charger offers as much power for a better price. Compared with the familiar USB-A port, the smaller USB-C port can charge most modern phones faster (if you're using the right cable) and can even charge tablets and laptops. And the Nekteck PD 45W Type-C Car Charger provides the best of both worlds. When you're using a USB-C–to–Lightning cable, the charger's USB-C port can charge an iPhone about three times faster (at 18 watts) than the USB-A wall charger that comes in the box from Apple; your phone can charge from empty to roughly 50 percent in just half an hour while you're sitting in traffic, say, or running errands around town. This Nekteck charger's 45-watt output and included USB-C–to–C cable also support the maximum charge rate on Android phones (such as the Samsung Galaxy S10), the 2018 iPad Pro, and even many laptops. And you can use the 12-watt USB-A port at the same time to charge a second phone or other device with any USB cable you already have. Port one: 45 W USB-C Port two: 12 W USB-A With two USB-C ports, the Scosche PowerVolt Power Delivery Dual 18W USB-C Car Charger (CPDC8C8) is what you should get if you want to fast-charge two modern devices at the same time. Each of the PowerVolt's USB-C ports supports full 18-watt charging, so you can charge two modern phones at top speed; that means an iPhone's battery will go from 0 to around 50 percent charged in half an hour, compared with about 35 percent on a standard 12-watt USB-A charger. A dual–USB-C setup is rare—this is the only such model we've found from a company we trust. You can still use this charger with older phones, such as an iPhone 7 or earlier—they just won't charge any faster than on a USB-A charger. Port one: 18 W USB-C Port two: 18 W USB-C We think getting a faster USB-C charger is worth spending a little more, but if you simply want a good, inexpensive power source in the car, go with ZMI's PowerCruise C2 36-Watt Dual USB Car Charger with QC 3.0. All two-port, 24-watt chargers from reputable companies in this price range work just as well as any other, but unlike similar models we tested, this ZMI charger stands out because it supports Quick Charge 3.0 on both ports, offering slightly faster speeds to devices that support that standard. It's also made of metal instead of the cheaper-feeling plastic of almost every other charger. Port one: Quick Charge 3.0 USB-A Port two: Quick Charge 3.0 USB-A The RAVPower Quick Charge 3.0 54W 4-Port Car Adapter (RP-VC003) is especially useful when you're traveling with a car full of passengers, as it can charge up to four devices simultaneously without taking up much more space than competing two-port models. Each of its ports can put out 12 watts, and one supports Quick Charge 3.0, so you're not sacrificing charging speed for more devices. Port one: Quick Charge 3.0 USB-A Port two: 12 W USB-A Port three: 12 W USB-A Port four: 12 W USB-A
Wirecutter's best deals: The Eero Pro mesh networking kit, and more!
This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read Wirecutter's continuously updated list of deals here.
The 11 best tech gifts for workaholics
We're not saying you want to enable them (OK, maybe we are), but you definitely know someone who works too much. They chip away at their to-do lists on weekends. They are probably even going to slip away at some point during the holidays to check work email. If that's the lifestyle they've chosen, embrace it by picking gifts that can either live at their desk, or come with them while they're trying to get work done on the road. Our list includes everything from a comfy desk chair to a wireless charging desk lamp to our favorite laptop and desktop keyboard. You might not be able to persuade them to change their rigid habits, but at least you can make them more comfortable while they toil away. For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don't forget to stop by our main Holiday Gift Guide hub.
The best portable solar battery charger
By Mark Smirniotis This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. After considering 70 models and testing portable solar battery chargers for over 30 hours, we think the Anker PowerPort Solar Lite is the one to get if you need to power a small device in an emergency or off the grid. It can fully charge most phones at nearly full speed with less than a day's worth of sunlight.
The best USB battery packs
By Mark Smirniotis This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. We brought in almost 50 pounds of batteries and tested them in a specialist lab in Vancouver, British Columbia, to find the best USB battery pack for any situation. If you need a pocketable pack to get through an evening out, we recommend the TravelCard Charger because our previous top pocketable pick, the AmazonBasics Portable Power Bank with Micro USB Cable 2,000 mAh, is inconsistently available. If you need a unit to leave in your bag to keep your device going for a busy day of meetings, pick up the EasyAcc 6000mAh Ultra Slim Power Bank. If you need to charge your phone repeatedly, grab the larger AmazonBasics Portable Power Bank 16,100 mAh, and if you require a pack that can power a bagful of devices for a full day, buy the RAVPower 26800 mAh Xtreme Portable Charger.
RAVPower 15W Solar Charger, Savior battery pack keep your gadgets going
We're in the midst of winter in the Northern Hemisphere right now, but that doesn't mean that you can't start making plans for summer fun in the great outdoors. Today I'm reviewing two products that will keep your gizmos going. The first is designed to let you charge up anywhere, as long as the sun's out: the RAVPower 15W Dual-Port Solar Charger (List price US$99.99, available for $56.99). The second is targeted more for day-to-day use: the RAVPower RP-PB18 Savior External Battery Pack ($99.99, available for $49.99). RAVPower 15W Dual-Port Solar Charger I'm a fan of photovoltaic solar energy, so much so that my house here in sunny Colorado has a 9 kilowatt array on the roof. The RAVPower 15W Dual-Port Solar Charger is a lot smaller, both in size and capacity, but you don't need all that much power to charge your devices. The design is wonderful. You have a 24 ounce fabric folio covered with polyester canvas on the exterior that folds out revealing three separate panels. Located at four locations around the folio are metal-line eyeholes; these are used with carabiners (four are included) to attach the array to your backpack or a tent, or hang it from tree branches. There are two USB ports available, one with a 2A output, the other with a 1A output. Both, of course, send out that current at the USB standard 5 volts. RAVPower uses what they call "iSmart Technology" to match the maximum charging current with the device so that it is charged in the least amount of time. To test the review device, I unfolded the Solar Charger and put it on an outside table next to my iPhone 6 Plus to see how much of a charge it would pick up in just ten minutes. Of course, the charging time is going to depend on a variety of factors - cloud cover, angle of the sun, time of day, and so on. The when I plugged the iPhone 6 Plus into the Solar Charger, it immediately responded with notification that it was charging. I shut the iPhone's display off, waited ten minutes, and then turned the display back on. During that time, it grabbed 4 percent more power, climbing from 89 percent charged to 93 percent charged. It's not a scientific estimate, but based on that information, that the Solar Charger could fully charge an iPhone 6 Plus from 0 to 100 percent in a little over four hours. Remember, this was with late afternoon sun in the winter... so it could be faster under other conditions. Chances are good that you will want to use the Solar Charger with some sort of external battery pack so that you can still use your device during daylight hours, which is why the next portion of this review is about the RAVPower RP-PB18 Savior External Battery Pack. Conclusion The well-built RAVPower 15W Dual-Port Solar Charger has a surprisingly low price point compared to competing portable solar arrays, and is a perfect accessory for camping, hiking, picnics and bicycling. Rating: 4 stars out of 4 stars possible RAVPower RP-PB18 Savior External Battery Pack The Savior series external battery pack is a perfect all-in-one travel companion, featuring a wall plug, a 9000 mAh battery, and a built-in Lightning Connector. It comes in black or white, and there's a USB output port as well for charging those older Apple devices or other gadgets that take power from mini or micro USB. Unlike most of these products, RAVPower throws in some nice goodies; a carrying bag to protect the exterior of the battery pack, a USB to micro-USB cable, a micro-USB to mini-USB adapter, and a micro-USB to 30-pin Dock connector adapter. RAVPower received Apple MFi (Made for iPad/iPhone/iPod) certification for the device, so you can rest assured that it will work properly with any of your Apple mobile devices. The Lightning cable provides power to your iPhone or iPad at a maximum current of 2.4A for fast charging, while the USB port has a maximum current of 1 A. The entire package weighs about 8.63 ounces (237 grams) and is compact at 1.1 inch thick x 2.76 inches wide by 4.49 inches tall (28 x 70 x 113 mm). One feature that you won't find on many of RAVPower's competitor's external battery packs is the Grade A+ cell that's inside the pack. It has no charging memory effect, and can be used through up to 1,000 charging cycles. Conclusion With a built-in AC plug, Lightning cable, USB port, a 9,000 mAh long-life battery, a variety of USB plug adapters, and a carrying bag, the RAVPower RP-PB18 Savior is a perfect traveling companion at a very reasonable price (the $50 price tag). Rating: 4 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway TUAW and RAVPower are giving away the RAVPower RP-PB18 Savior External Battery Pack. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before January 27, 2015 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive a RAVPower RP-PB18 Savior External Battery Pack valued at $99.99. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
My favorites from 2014: Mel Martin
So many apps and gadgets - where to begin? Well, let's start with some apps. Topaz Impression for Mac Expensive at U.S. $99.00, but this app beautifully transforms your images into what looks like fine art. The amount of control you have over your image is breathtaking. Canvas, charcoal, oils, just about any medium and surface imaginable. On the iOS side, Waterlogue does something similar but not as full featured for only U.S. $2.99 (!!) It was also a favorite of our own Steve Sande. Reflect+ for iOS I love this $1.99 app. Take an image and add water. It doesn't look synthesized, unless you want it to. A beautiful app that is easy to use. You can also add bird flocks, hot air balloons, stars, the milky way and other beautifully rendered objects. There is a lot of control, and it is easy to use, yet gives sophisticated results. X-Plane 10 for iOS The creators of the best Mac flight simulator have gone and done the same for iOS. It's free, although you can buy extra aircraft. The graphics are stunning, and the flight model is realistic. RavPower Wireless File Hub This is a great and innovative piece of hardware. It works with your laptop, or any iOS device. It's a battery backup, a wireless router that works as a WiFi hotspot, a NAS file server (network attached storage), and a media streamer. For $44.95 it's an amazing product. I use it to load movies on an SD card and take them on trips so I can stream them to my iPad. You hook up to the device via WiFi, and it connects to a primary WiFi connection and passes through email and any other internet traffic while you watch, and while it charges your iDevice. Perfect. Word Lens for iOS Absolutely amazing. Point your camera at a sign or menu in a foreign language and you get the translation. It's not just the translation. The sign remains looking the same. You have to see it to appreciate what has been accomplished here. Great for travel, or just getting along in a mixed language environment. So that's my list. Can't wait to see what 2015 brings.
Your music festival, upgraded
24 tallboys and 12 packs of ramen might seem like smart packing before a festival, but once you're lost in a field, sunburnt and in the dark, those noodles become nothing more than primitive bartering currency. The primary pillars of any gadget-lover's field-based rocking are light and power. We've got some solutions for that, and a few other festy-tech goodies. You won't need all of this to see you through a weekend -- even we're not this paranoid about running out of juice. But, if you want to make sure your festival is fully upgraded, technology can help. What follows is a selection of gadgets and apps we'd be reaching for if we were heading out into the wild (or at least, TomorrowWorld).
The RAVPower wireless hub is a handy jack-of-all-trades for iOS devices
For as much as I love my iPhone and iPad, they never seem to have enough free storage space for all the movies I want to watch. While looking for a good solution, I found the RAVPower RP-WD01 Wireless FileHub. It's an interesting, and useful device that's going for US$44.95 online. It's a little shorter than my iPhone and a bit wider, so it fits in a pocket or a laptop bag easily. The RAVPower is no "uni-tasker." It's a battery backup, a wireless router that works as a WiFi hotspot, a NAS file server (network attached storage), and a media streamer. What it does The RAVPower lets you transfer photos, music or files between iOS devices and an SD Card or a USB HDD. You can also move files between the SD card and an attached USB drive. The RAVPower streams music, or video. The small unit has a 3000 mAh battery for charging smartphones, and using its NAS file server, you can connect multiple devices like a laptop, iPhone, iPad or desktop machine all at the same time (up to five devices). The company provides a free iOS app, or desktop and laptops can connect through a web interface from any browser. Specifications CPU: Ralink RT 5350 MIPS24KEc 350 MHz, 4.65" x 3.11 x 0.55, weight 4.23 oz WiFi Frequency : 2.4 GHZ Speed: 72Mbps at 20Mhz / 150 Mbps at 40MHZ External Battery Pack : 3000 mah 1.5A Max Input 1A Output Power: SD Card Read/Write 2W HDD Sleep Mode 1.5W. SD Cards up to 128 GB are supported, USB HDD disks of up to 2 TB are supported, SD Card Speed : Read: 3MB/S Write: 3.5MB/S, USB Interface: Micro USB 2.0. Using RavPower I charged the small device for a few hours and downloaded the RAV FileHub app to my iPhone and iPad. Next I connected to my wireless network and used provided password I found the RAVPower SSID and connected. Then I ripped some DVDs to my computer and dragged them onto the SD card which was plugged into my Mac. Handbrake works fine for this, or you may have your own preferred software. From there, all that was left to do was put the SD card into RAVPower's slot. Within a couple of seconds my movie was playing on my iPad. Even better, both my iPhone and iPad could stream two different movies at the same time. That might be handy while on the road with the family. Although my iOS devices were connected via WiFi to the RAVPower, I still had Internet access as the RAVPower was signed into my home network and acting as a Hot Spot. Conclusion The RAVPower is now an essential piece of kit for travel and media playback. I can load an SD Card up with music, movies, files, whatever. The RAV Filehub app will playback audio and most video formats with no issues. Photos can be viewed, and any file can be emailed directly from the RAV FileHub app. There is even a search function. The RAVPower is a real Swiss Army Knife for travel or even around the house. It can charge my iPhone or iPad, play media files, lets me share media and files from a large storage device that nicely augments my full-to-the-brim iPad and iPhone. I have also liked the AirStash (our review from a few years ago), which looks like a small flash drive that uses an SD card for playing movies or file sharing, but when you connect via WiFi you lose your regular Internet connection. It's mainly a media streamer, but doesn't charge your device or act as a router. The AirStash sells for $89.99 online. I saw no issues with my unit. It can take up to a minute for the network to be up and running before you can connect. Usually it was about a 30 second delay. The RAVPower can talk to either iOS or Android, and the iOS app requires iOS 4.3 or later.
