aLLreLi Qi Fast wireless charger (review)
Charging your smartphone is a daily/nightly activity for almost all of you. While plugging in your device is not such a big deal and is a habit you’re used to, there are many Android devices that can charge wirelessly.
Phones such as the Nexus 6, Moto Z, Galaxy S6, S6+, Note 5, S7 and S7 edge are all examples of devices that can charge wirelessly with many others that aren’t listed. Some of the more recent Galaxy devices can even charge faster (1.4x) than over wireless since they are now compatible with QC 2.0 chargers.
If you have a phone that is compatible with wireless charging, and you haven’t grabbed a wireless charging pad, you’re doing it all wrong. Luckily in this review, I’ve got one that is compatible with all Qi enabled devices and looks pretty good at the same time, the aLLreLi Fast wireless charger.
Design and Usage
The Fast wireless charger from AllreLi is a looker. Its got a circular design, with a small disk surrounded by clear plastic that gives it a unique look over typical chargers. Inside of the disk are LED lights that illuminate as soon as you place a compatible device on it.
It first turns green followed by white when it starts charging your device. After a few seconds it turns off the light so it doesn’t disturb you if you keep it on your nightstand and prefer a dark room at night.
Wireless charging is one of the cooler features available on many Androids. It’s so much easier to use this method of charging over manual methods and is particularly nice when using your phone before bed. Typically with your room lights off, and tired eyes, it’s nice to be able to simply lean over and place your phone on the charging pad instead of looking for the little charging cable to plug in.
Having the LED lights illuminate to let you know the phone is charging is rather nice too. I’ve been using my aLLreLi charger with my Samsung Galaxy Note 7 over the past couple of weeks and love that it chargers it at faster speeds.
There’s a soft rubber ring in the center which offers extra grip so your devices don’t slide off. It’s a little detail that makes a big difference in preventing your phone from sliding off.
aLLreLi suggests removing your case before connecting it to the charger, as some cases slow down charging. However I never experienced any issues with leaving my case on, and still picked up the fast wireless charing speed.
Summary
Priced at just $18.99 at Amazon, the aLLreLi Qi Fast wireless charger offers incredible value when compared to OEM competitors like those from Samsung. With a clear design, it offers something that isn’t boring like other chargers. All around this is a great charger that looks good too. If you’re not charging wirelessly, you’re missing out.
Check out the aLLreLi Qi Fast wireless charger at Amazon today.
Chrooma Keyboard – Emoji: Enjoy using your mobile keyboard
Your phone’s keyboard, one of the most used pieces of software on your device, and the one you have thought the least about. Like many, I use my phone for my job, to communicate with friends and family, to plan social events, and to keep my schedule for both my work and social life in order. To do all of these things, I use my keyboard, yet I never thought about how the default keyboard could be improved.
As I began to use my phone more in my professional life, I began to notice a few areas the Google Keyboard was letting me down. A lot of my job requires researching variances and resolving system issues. To conduct much of this research, I walk around a building, pulling model numbers off of products and inserting them into my company’s website, which I pull up on my phone. To correctly input a model number, I often switch back and forth between the number pad and keyboard 5+ times, which is horribly time-consuming and tedious. The Chrooma Keyboard drastically changed this. Chrooma adds a lot of functionality, flexibility, and customization to the keyboard, an often overlooked but important part of your device.
Installing Chrooma Keyboard
Chrooma has made the installation process as pain and hassle free as possible. Once you have downloaded the app from the Google Play Store, open the app to begin the setup process. The app then walks you through the setup process step by step. First, you will select the keyboard you want to use as your default (Psst…its the Chrooma Keyboard), next, you will select your language, followed by enabling permissions, signing into Google, and finally, you will update Chroma’s text prediction with your previous SMS messages. That’s all there is to it!
Chrooma Keyboard’s set up process
My Experience
While there are two versions of the app, the free version and a “Pro” version, the functionality that the Chrooma keyboard provides in both is a breath of fresh air. The paid version of the app allows the user access to a couple more customizations and features but is by no means a necessity to have a good experience. The additions in both versions are all targeted at making your time with the keyboard more efficient and enjoyable. It starts with the little things like “Dynamic Preview” which gives you a better look at what you are typing while using swipe.
Chrooma Keyboard’s dynamic preview
In addition to dynamic preview changing the way you see what you are typing, Chrooma can predict what you type and then correct small mistakes you make. The auto correction is able to learn, and after spending two weeks with Chrooma’s auto correction, it has gotten even better at correcting my typing. In the few instances where the auto correct did not catch on to a word I want it to remember, I was able to add the word to the keyboard’s dictionary manually.
While the auto correct and Dynamic Preview are nice, the “Action Row” is one of the most useful features found on the Chrooma Keyboard. The Action Row is an additional row added to your keyboard that you can customize to your liking. Unlike the rest of the keyboard, this row is not static. The Action Row can slide back and forth between different custom rows you have set up allowing you to add even more functionality to your keyboard. The Action Row has had the largest impact on my daily use, especially at work since it has eliminated my need to constantly change back and forth between the number pad and my keyboard.
Chrooma Keyboard Action Row
While some will be sold on the functionality alone, the developers who made Chrooma know people want customization. The customization starts with the action row but goes well beyond that. You can adjust the size and alignment of the keys, allowing for better one handed typing. You can also change the theme to a color adaptive theme that will change color every time you send a message or an AMOLED theme that should save you battery since many of the pixels covered by the keyboard will be off. Maybe the pure black of AMOLED keyboard is not your thing, well pick the color you want, apply a gradient and font, and you have another custom keyboard built for you. By tweaking the functionality and the look of your keyboard, you can make the Chrooma Keyboard what you want and what you need it to be.
Conclusion
The Chrooma keyboard is a great addition that anyone can use. After the first week of using the keyboard, I decided to invest in the app because of how much of an impact it had in my everyday life. For $2.49, you can unlock all the little of nuances of the app that add the little extra touch of customization and functionality, but again I reiterate, it is not necessary to have a good experience.
I started this review hesitant about trying a new keyboard, but I can honestly say I would recommend this app to everyone. The Chrooma Keyboard took the standard keyboard that many people use daily without much consideration and made it highly functional and reliable. I personally have experienced how this keyboard can be customized to do a job, and now, I use it daily at work. The Chrooma keyboard is definitely worth your time and effort to download.
Grab this 5 port USB charging station for $16 right now!
Right now you can pick up a 5 port USB charging station for just $16 with coupon code 5AUPOWER. It features a single Quick Charge 2.0 port and four 2.4A ports, and you can use them all at the same time to safely charge your various devices. If you have a bunch of different devices that you like to charge at the same time and don’t want to be lugging around a bulky power strip, this is a great choice. The block has built-in safeguards to protect against excessive current, overheating and overcharging so you don’t have to worry once you plug your cable into it.
Don’t lug around all those wall plugs and power strips anymore, and instead, grab one of these. Remember, you’ll need coupon code 5AUPOWER for the full savings here.
See at Amazon
Sharing your Gear VR with friends
Sharing a Gear VR with friends is fantastic and fun!
Playing in VR is a great way to experience things in a completely new way. You enjoy games and experiences you might never have gotten to otherwise. Of course, when you have an awesome new toy, you’re going to want to share it with your friends. If you’re wondering how you can best share your Gear VR, or how to play with friends, we’ve got you covered.
Read more at VR Heads!
Chromecast vs. Chromecast Ultra: Which should you buy?
If you’re looking to buy a Chromecast, here’s what you need to know.
Google unveiled the new Chromecast Ultra at its October 2016 event in San Francisco, and while it doubles the price of the original Chromecast at $69, it packs quite a punch when it comes to its capabilities. It’s still the small, easy to use, and affordable media streamer that people love, only designed for folks who want all the high-end features when they stream their media.
That means it might be one of those products that offer things you won’t need or can’t use, and the “regular” Chromecast may be a better fit. Here’s everything you need to know to pick the right Chromecast for you.
What exactly is a Chromecast?
A Chromecast is a small device that plugs into an open HDMI port on your TV, A/V receiver, or any other display that can playback video and audio. There is a Chromecast that’s built for audio only, too, if that’s what you’re looking for and it makes building a great whole-house audio system easy.
Once in place you use an app for your phone (Android and iOS only) or through Google Chrome to set it up, give it a name, and get it ready to receive a movie or TV show or anything else you want to see on a bigger screen. To send the media there, you first open it on your phone or in Google Chrome and “cast” it to the Chromecast receiver. Your stream will start playing on your TV and you’re free to do other things on your phone or in Chrome while it plays.
The features and price make a Chromecast the best way to stream your media.
A Chromecast can stream local content like pictures or video you took yourself, but when you’re streaming from an online source like Netflix, it doesn’t go through your phone. Instead, it makes a connection with the source and streams directly, saving battery and not using your phone’s network bandwidth. You can still use your phone or Chrome to control the stream and do things like pause playback or change volume, but the actual transmission from Netflix (in our example) goes to the Chromecast. Think of your phone as the remote.
There are hundreds of apps in Google Play or the App Store that are Chromecast-enabled, and we see more and more every day. The Chromecast is simple to set up and use, is very inexpensive, and does a great job, This is why it’s one of Google’s best selling products, and why we think it’s the best way to stream the media you enjoy watching.
The “regular” Chromecast
This $35 HDMI puck (it’s often on sale, too) is the basic media streamer many of us want. It handles 1080p video streams really well, is very small and can be powered by your TV if you have a suitably powered USB port on the back. It supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi at both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and is powered with a Micro-USB cable connected to a 5V/1A power source. If your TV can’t provide the power, there is an adapter included along with a 1.75-meter cable.
If you like, you can buy an ethernet adapter built for the Chromecast instead of using Wi-Fi. It replaces the power cord and has a standard RJ-45 socket (the one that looks like a great big telephone plug) where you plug in a 10/100 ethernet cable. The power cord on the ethernet adapter is 2-meters long to make sure you can position it where you need it. Everything else works the same — you cast from your phone or the Chrome browser and watch the streaming media on your TV — but you’re using a faster and more stable network connection.
- If you don’t have a 4K television or won’t be streaming any 4K content, the Chromecast is for you.
See the Chromecast at Google
See the Chromecast Ethernet Adapter at Google
The Chromecast Ultra
The Chromecast Ultra offers a step up from the regular version. When provided with a suitable broadband connection, it can stream 4K Ultra HD streams and HDR content. The hardware inside the Chromecast Ultra is fast and powerful enough to do things on the fly without a lot of buffering or skipping. It’s more expensive at $69 but can stream the highest quality content with ease.
Of course, to stream UHD HDR content you need a fast network. The Chromecast Ultra connects to 802.11ac 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi with a 1×2 SIMO (Single Input Multi Output) antenna for fast network speeds and low latency. It also comes standard with an ethernet port built into the power supply if you want to plug it into a wired network switch instead of using Wi-Fi.
- If you have a TV that has a 4K display or can playback HDR content and want to stream media at UHD, the Chromecast Ultra is for you.
See the Chromecast Ultra at Google
Of course either Chromecast will work to stream 1080p media or with a 4K display. To stream UHD HDR media you need the Ultra, but if what you’re streaming isn’t in 4K or you just don’t have the network speed to stream at that quality, the “regular” Chromecast will still work. Also, if you plan on upgrading to a newer TV or monitor that will display UHD HDR content you can buy a Chromecast Ultra and use it for HD streaming on your current display.
No matter which Chromecast you choose you’ll enjoy great movies and shows from hundreds of apps, and you won’t have to figure out any cryptic software or network settings to get started.
Chromecast and Chromecast Audio
- New Chromecast and Chromecast Audio review
- All the latest Chomecast news
- Join the discussion in our forums
Chromecast:
Google
Walmart
Best Buy
Currys UK
Chromecast Audio:
Google
Walmart
Best Buy
Currys UK
Google Project Fi launches ‘group plan’ for up to six people on a single account
One of the biggest barriers to switching over to Project Fi is now gone.
Though it didn’t land precisely with the Pixel phone launch, Google has announced a much-anticipated “group plan” option for Project Fi. Much like the base Project Fi service, the group plan is pretty darn simple — you can add up to five additional people to your existing Project Fi account, and manage their data and billing in one central place.
Any current Project Fi account can quickly add more people to form a group, whether they’re altogether new or are already Project Fi customers, so there isn’t any additional configuration or change to the plan. There are no additional commitments or contracts for the group plan, so people can come and go on a monthly basis if you’d like.
This may be the time to join Project Fi.
Additional group members join your plan at $15 per month (versus $20 for the main line) for the “Fi Basics” of unlimited calls and texts, and then data usage is of course handled on a per-device basis at $10 per gigabyte, with the usual refund for unused data and no additional overages for over-consuming. Each line gets the same great Project Fi benefits like international data usage, cheaper international calls and Wi-Fi calling, of course. The billing is rolled up into a single monthly payment for the account “manager” (primary account holder) to pay.
The manager can see data usage on a per-person basis, as well as together for the group, and can set monthly data limits ahead of time or pause data usage quickly if one person is going overboard. Individual members can view their own data usage and set alerts for themselves as well.
Of course you’re still limited to Pixels and Nexuses.
The addition of a group plan may be enough to get a lot of people to try out Project Fi with their new Pixel or Pixel XL, as this was one of the most requested features. Of course Project Fi is still limited to Google’s own phones, though — you can buy a new Pixel through Fi, but Google is also continuing Nexus 6P and 5X sales at discounted prices for those who want a cheaper option or perhaps a phone for their children.
Having used Project Fi myself for an individual plan before, I’ve been wanting to recommend Fi to other friends and family members — at this point it’s going to get a lot easier knowing that they will be able to group up and use it in a family just as they do their current carrier.
Google Project Fi
- What is Project Fi?
- Get the latest Project Fi news
- How to move back to Google Voice
- Discuss Project Fi in our forums
- Compatible phones: Nexus 6P | Nexus 5X | Nexus 6
- Sign up for Project Fi
Essential Accessories For Google Pixel + Pixel XL
Perfect partners for your Pixel.
So you’ve just dropped a sizeable chunk of cash on a shiny new Pixel or Pixel XL, and it’ll soon be heading your way. But what about accessories for your shiny new Google phone?
Google has a wide range of first-party accessories for its first own-branded handset, and we’ve also rounded up some top essentials from elsewhere. Take a look!
- Daydream View
- Google Live Cases
- Anker PowerLine USB-C cable
- Google 18W Pixel Charger
- Chromecast
- Anker USB-C to Micro-USB adapters
Daydream View
OK, OK. This is a good deal larger (and a bit more expensive) than your traditional smartphone accessory. Nevertheless, Google’s Daydream View headset is something you should definitely consider buying alongside your new Pixel. Google’s new phones are the first to be fully Daydream-certified, and ready for use with Google’s new VR platform. Here’s what Russell Holly had to say when he tried Daydream for the first time:
There’s a lot of promise in a platform like Daydream. Google’s first efforts with the Pixel XL created an experience with little of the “screen door effect” that plagues other VR headsets, and head tracking is a dream. Even the setup process is convenient — you place the phone down on the pad in the casing and an NFC tag launches Daydream and pairs you with the controller. When you close your phone against the lenses, alignment happens immediately with no QR codes to scan to make sure you have the best lens form on the display.
Right now Daydream View comes in one color: slate, with crimson and snow coming later. It’ll become available to pre-order on October 20, but you can join Google’s waiting list right now. If you’re enough of an early adopter to have gotten in on the Pixel hype already, chances are you might be interested in what Daydream View has to offer.
See at Google Store
Google Live Cases
Google sells a range of traditional silicone cases for the Pixel and Pixel XL, but for just a little extra you can grab a Live Case. These are made of the same materials, but are customizable with your favorite photos, places (through stylized maps) or artworks. A tool on the Google Store website allows you to customize your Live Case to your liking.
The concept has been around for a while through Google’s Nexus program. And Live Cases are a great way to make your Pixel or Pixel XL unique to you.
See at Google Store
Anker PowerLine USB-C to USB-C cable
Most USB-C phones charge over a USB-A to USB-C cable. Google’s phones are a bit different — like the Nexus 5X and 6P, the Pixel’s boxed charger is a USB-C brick, so you need a USB-C to USB-C cable like the one boxed with the phone.
These are still relatively hard to come by, so you might want to pick up a couple of spares. Anker’s PowerLine C-to-C cable is a good cheap option for a reasonable long (3 foot) backup. And it also comes in black or white, so you can match the color of your cable to your phone.
See at Amazon
Google 18W USB-C charger with USB-PD
Your Pixel will charge fastest with the bundled charger and cable, and this is exactly what you’re getting here. Google’s standard 18W wall plug uses USB Power Delivery for faster charging, and comes bundled with a long 1.8 meter USB-C to USB-C cable, so you’ve got a reasonable amount of range while your Pixel is plugged in.
The standalone Pixel charger isn’t available to order on its own just yet — it’s listed as “Coming Soon” at the time of writing — but should be available around the time the phone starts to ship.
See at Google
Chromecast
Even if you’re not tempted by the flashy new 4K-capable Chromecast Ultra, the older second-generation Chromecast is well worth investing in. Google’s year-old streaming dongle plugs into your TV over HDMI, and is small enough to be tucked behind your set. It’s powered by a microUSB connector on its base.
Content up to 1080p is supported, with many popular streaming apps having built-in Google Cast support. For those that don’t, Chromecast also lets you mirror the screen of any Chrome browser tab, or Android-based smartphones.
See at Google
Anker USB-C to Micro-USB adapter (2 pack)
If you’re moving from an older Android phone to a Pixel or Pixel XL, chances are you’ve got a mess of old Micro-USB connectors lying around. Anker’s Micro-USB to USB-C adapters are small enough to fit in a wallet, and will let you use older cables with your Pixel.
See at Amazon
Your favorite?
Do you have a favorite accessory not listed here? Let us know, and we’ll consider adding it!
Google Pixel + Pixel XL
- Google Pixel and Pixel XL hands-on preview
- In pictures: Google Pixel and Pixel XL
- Pixel + Pixel XL specs
- Understanding Android 7.1 Nougat
- Verizon is the exclusive U.S. carrier for the Google Pixels
- Join the discussion in the forums!
Google Store
Verizon
Amazon reportedly plans to open convenience stores
Amazon’s plan to be a one-stop food shop may extend well beyond those rumored drive-up grocery stores. Wall Street Journal sources claim that Amazon hopes to open convenience stores where you’d buy meat, veggies and “other perishable items” that you take home like you would from any brick-and-mortar store. Tech would only come into play when you want something delivered. Mobile apps, and possibly in-store touchscreens, would let you order longer-lived food for same-day delivery. You wouldn’t have to worry if you couldn’t carry everything home.
The apparent scoop also sheds light on the previously rumored drive-up stores. Amazon is believed to be working on license plate scanning that would reduce wait times — presumably, that would help Amazon spot your vehicle as you drive in and tell staff to head out that much sooner. You’d have to be an AmazonFresh subscriber to take advantage of these locations, though.
Amazon isn’t commenting on the store initiative, which is codenamed Project Como. However, it wouldn’t be a shocking move. The internet giant has been candid with its plans to open more physical stores, and grocery stores are a logical extension for a company that increasingly treats food as a staple of its online ordering business. If anyone is going to be surprised, it could be established convenience and grocery store chains that often treat internet-based delivery as a secondary service at best.
Source: Wall Street Journal
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