Harmon Kardon Invoke review

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Harmon Kardon Invoke

Ready for the smart speaker explosion? It’s taken a little time for specialist audio manufacturers to follow the lead of Amazon Echo and Google Home, but momentum is building with speakers flooding the market at a range of price points that pack Alexa, Siri, or the Google Assistant. What Bluetooth speakers were to 2015, smart speakers are to 2017 and beyond – and we’re just getting started.

We recently reviewed (and loved) the Sonos One, the company’s reinvention of their Play:1 speaker, combining superb sound quality and excellent Alexa integration (with Google Assistant coming next year). Not to be outdone, Ultimate Ears has just taken the wraps off two new, portable, Alexa-packing speakers, the $230 UE Blast and $300 Megablast.

Now there’s a smart speaker with a new (old) sheriff in town: Cortana. While Cortana has been around on the Microsoft platform for awhile, we haven’t heard her in a smart speaker. That’s no longer the case, thanks to Harman Kardon’s new Invoke Cortana-enabled speaker, available starting Sunday. Find out how well the speaker measured up to other smart speakers on the market in our Harman Kardon Invoke review.

While Cortana has been around for awhile, we haven’t heard her in a smart speaker.

While you can expect many more “me too” speakers to launch over the coming months, the Harman Kardon Invoke stands out for a few reasons. The $199 device is the first speaker to launch with Microsoft’s Cortana digital assistant (and possibly the only device, although HP and Intel have signed up to develop reference hardware, which may stimulate others to follow).

The partnership combines Harman Kardon’s premium audio expertise with Microsoft’s online services – notably Cortana and Skype – as well as Windows 10 PC connectivity, the Bing knowledge graph, Office 365 calendars and newly-announced smart home device integration.  A range of third-party Cortana skills extend features, but you won’t have the breadth of support you’d get from Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Restrictions on Cortana’s availability mean that the Invoke will only ship in the United States at launch.

With Harman Kardon (recently acquired by Samsung) also announcing the Alexa-enabled Allure speaker, the Invoke may represent somewhat of an experiment for all parties. The question is whether the Invoke delivers the combination of quality and intelligence that can compete against the tsunami of smart speakers flooding the market. If it doesn’t, given Microsoft’s reputation for canning hardware and services that don’t make the grade, the Invoke may end up as a collector’s item.

Refined hardware design with a beautiful finish

We were impressed by the design of the Harman Kardon Invoke, when announced back in May, with its sleek lines, gentle curves and chrome finish building on Amazon Echo’s cylindrical form.

Terry Walsh/Digital Trends

Available in a choice of pearl silver or graphite, the Invoke has all the visual design cues you’d expect from a premium audio stable.

In hand, the impact is even more impressive. From the carbon-black packaging with spot-varnished branding, to the punched metal speaker surround and slow, weighty action of the volume ring, the Harmon Kardon Invoke bleeds quality. Even the branded (and somewhat large) power supply has folding pins, making it more convenient for travel.

While there are clear visual similarities with both Amazon Echo and Sonos Play:1, Harmon Kardon has just done enough to give Invoke its own identity. It’ll look fabulous in your home.

Impressive audio engine packed into a svelte chassis

Despite its sleek 4.2 by 9.5 inch-dimensions, the Invoke packs a mighty 360-degree audio engine under the hood. Two vertical passive radiators fitted to the top half of the device are joined by a lower cluster of three direct-radiating 0.5-inch tweeters. Below them, a further three direct-radiating 1.75-inch woofers drive the low-end. Total power output is rated at 40 W, with a frequency response of 60-20kHz (-6dB).

That’s one more microphone than the Sonos One, if you’re counting

At the top of the device, seven far-field microphones (that’s one more than the Sonos One, if you’re counting) are designed to pick up your voice from anywhere in the room but can be disabled via a rear button for privacy. In terms of connectivity, the Invoke supports Bluetooth 4.1 connections and dual-band Wi-Fi, but there’s no Ethernet port or 3.5mm input jack.

It’s an impressive array, especially when you consider the single tweeter and mid-woofer equipped in the Sonos One. While there’s no wired connectivity, the Invoke supports faster wireless connections as well as direct streaming over Bluetooth, which the Sonos does not support. But does this translate into a better listening experience?

Wide range of controllers, including Voice, App and PC

The Invoke supports manual control courtesy of a volume ring and capacitive touch panel at the top of the device. A short tap (less than three seconds) stops or responds to whatever is happening on the speaker, for example, stopping playback, answering an incoming call or cancelling a timer. If the speaker is idle, a quick tap provides a “fun fact” from Cortana – a small distraction if you’re bored, or hours of fun for the kids.

A long tap is used to activate Cortana (alongside the usual, “Hey Cortana” voice command) or to ignore a call. We found the manual controls to be intuitive and responsive; however, it’s more likely that you’ll use a combination of voice and the smartphone app to play music on Invoke. The speaker supports the Cortana Android and iOS apps alongside native Windows 10 and Windows Phone controls.

Simple setup via your smartphone

Power on the device and a cloudy, swirling pattern emanates from the touch panel. It’s much subtler than Echo’s bright blue LED ring or Google Home’s circle of indicators. Located on top of a reasonably tall device, it’s also less visible. We found ourselves having to stand up and head over to the speaker to check the display, which was quite inconvenient. However, displaying Cortana’s blue and white ring adds a little personality to the design.

Setup is performed using your smartphone and the Cortana app. In typical Microsoft-style, you’ll need to agree to a host of permissions during setup, configure your location and time zone, then your phone will hunt out and connect to the speaker. Provide your Wi-Fi details, and you’re all set as far as the hardware setup goes – it’s quick and painless.

Before you get going, however, you’ll be invited to connect your preferred music services and calendars. At this time, Spotify Premium, TuneIn Radio and iHeartRadio are the default options, with Office 365 and Outlook.com calendar connections also offered during setup.

Clear, punchy sound that beats Amazon and Google, but comes up short against Sonos.

We tested the Hardman Kardon Invoke alongside a Sonos Play:1, Amazon Echo and Google Home, playing a range of music over Bluetooth (Sonos excepted) and Wi-Fi.

Invoke’s audio is balanced and refined.

Invoke’s audio is balanced and refined. It can play loud, for sure, getting a little ragged at the top of the speaker’s range, but music certainly doesn’t distort as much as with Amazon Echo at high volume. There’s more than enough volume to fill a large space and the 360-degree driver positioning means that’s it’s the perfect speaker to place at the center of the room.

Compared to the cheaper Google Home, the difference in the Invoke’s audio quality is pronounced. Google Home sounded muffled and withdrawn, with muddy beats a world away from the Invoke’s clear highs, muscular mid-range and tight, punchy bass. The soundstage is narrower than you’d think, given the multi-directional speakers, but separation between instruments and vocals was reasonably good for a speaker at this price point.

Streaming over Bluetooth worked well, with pairing guided by Cortana when we pressed the relevant button on the rear of the device. Invoke offers the best streaming experience with Spotify, with Spotify Connect app controls working out of the box for playback. Open up the Spotify app on your phone, hit Devices Available and off you go.

Given the difference in speaker configuration to the Play:1, we were expecting the Invoke to top even the excellent sound quality of Sonos’ entry-level speaker. Certainly, the Invoke’s 360-degree sound is an advantage over the Play:1, but we actually preferred the warmer tone and greater presence of the Sonos speaker compared to the cleaner, tighter output of the Invoke. While the Play:1 is equipped with a single tweeter and woofer, compared to three of each in the Invoke, the significantly larger drivers in the Play:1 offer more depth and engagement overall.

That doesn’t make the Invoke a bad speaker, and it certainly beats both Amazon Echo and Google Home (the latter, easily) on quality. But Sonos Play:1 and its close cousin, the new Sonos One, remain the speakers to beat.

Hands-free Skype calls, calendars, alarms and smart home control

While Cortana has been around for more than three years, it’s been quickly overtaken by Amazon and Google’s aggressive push to dominate and control the smart home.  While Cortana may be available on 500 million Windows 10 PCs in 13 countries, the hearts and minds of consumers – and the support of hardware manufactures – is most firmly with competitors.

The launch of Invoke is designed to tackle that challenge, in part, but there’s a long way to go. Perhaps the jewel in the crown, at launch, is Skype integration. Invoke supports Skype-to-Skype as well as calls to landlines and mobiles through the speaker. We found that hands-free calling over Skype worked well, with Cortana able to connect to Skype callers by name and landlines or mobiles via a dictated number. Better still, Cortana can find and call numbers with relatively vague commands. Say, “Cortana, call the nearest Italian restaurant” and hey, that’s what she’ll do!

Harmon Kardon Invoke Compared To

Sonos One

JBL Flip 4

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom

V-Moda Remix Bluetooth

Vizio Smartcast Crave Pro

IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitors

Paradigm PW600

Oppo Sonica

Sengled Pulse Link Starter Kit

Creative iRoar

Devialet Phantom

Amazon Echo Dot

Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless

Amazon Echo

Sony SRS-X9

Calls to US phone numbers are free (for the first six months only, which is disappointing), while you can also call abroad using Skype credits. While Invoke is able to receive incoming Skype calls, there’s sadly no support for hands-free calling via your phone’s Bluetooth connection.

Invoke can access Office 365 and Outlook.com calendars alongside handy features like timers, alarms and lists, plus location and time-based reminders. One advantage of using Cortana is that events can be created on your PC, on your phone or the speaker and you’ll receive notifications across your devices.

There’s also integrated support for smart home devices, with Wink, SmartThings and Insteon hubs available at launch, plus direct connections to Nest and Philips Hue. We found Cortana did a good job of handling basic tasks like powering our Philips Hue Lights and even controlling brightness, but color changes were out of the question. Controlling our Nest Learning Thermostat was also mostly successful, but Cortana did complain that she was unable to change the temperature on a couple of occasions.

Perhaps the jewel in the crown, at launch, is Skype integration.

Throughout our time with the Harman Karman Invoke, the speaker’s integrated far-field microphones did a good job of picking up commands from around the room, even with music playing.

Of course, with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant boasting ever-expanding libraries of third-party skills, you may find Cortana’s locker a little less well stocked. Whether that situation is likely to change, who knows, but Microsoft had trouble wooing developers with the Windows Phone, and the same may well be true with the corporation’s smart assistant.

While it fails to hit the highs of the Sonos One, a combination of good looks, great quality audio and a decent selection of well-executed features ensures the Harman Karmon Invoke is a solid smart speaker debut for Cortana.

Our Take

The Harmon Kardon Invoke isn’t the best smart speaker available today, but it’s a strong debut for Microsoft’s Cortana in a good-looking, great-sounding device. Skype, Outlook and Office 365 integration will attract Microsoft fans and smart home device control works well, but Invoke doesn’t have quite the quality or flexibility to beat Sonos One.

Is there a better alternative?

At $199, the Sonos One offers excellent sound quality, multi-room connectivity, a brilliant controller app and support for a variety of music services. With Amazon Alexa integration at launch and the promise of Google Assistant next year, it’s hard to beat.

There’s also the Siri-enabled Apple HomePod ($350), the range-topping/wallet-draining Google Home Max ($400) and enhanced Amazon Echo Plus ($150).

How long will it last?

In recent times, Microsoft has developed a poor reputation for sustaining consumer products and services that don’t turn into instant blockbusters. For every Xbox and Surface, there’s a Zune, Groove or Microsoft Band. With limited support from other hardware manufacturers and significant competition ahead, Invoke may well be the first and last Cortana-enabled smart speaker.

Should you buy it?

If you’re a Microsoft fan and you’re all in on Cortana, you’re going to love the Harman Kardon Invoke. Everyone else, check out the competition, or just pick up the Sonos One.

Editor’s Recommendations

• From Yamaha to Bragi, everyone is jumping on the Alexa bandwagon
• Need to turn on your lights? Cortana can help with that
• Sonos One review
• New Sonos One smart speaker supports Alexa and Google Assistant voice control
• Anker’s Eufy Genie gives you Alexa and more, all on the cheap

Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes Apple apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers put paid apps on sale for free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest iOS app deals available from the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

Fitnet Live Coach

This app is a personal trainer for everyone! Exercise by yourself or add a boost to your goal by connecting with a live certified personal trainer.

Available on:

iOS

Pickup Lines

Looking for a way to break the ice with that special someone? You might find some inspiration from this app.

Available on:

iOS

Mindfulness Daily

This app supports quick, effective guided practices to reduce stress and anxiety, improve performance, and enhance sleep (along with a growing list of other evidence-based benefits of mindfulness like pain management).

Available on:

iOS

White Noise

Do you have trouble sleeping at night? Do you want to relax your body and soul with peaceful background sounds? With this app, you may have better luck sleeping tonight.

Available on:

iOS

10K Runner

Go from Couch to 5K to 10K with the official and often imitated 10K Runner program. This app has over 1.2 million success stories of people who are now running 10K’s, and you can do it, too.

Available on:

iOS

Pocket Wine

Pocket Wine takes you on an exploration of wine styles and grape varieties by giving you insights into wine that have taken others years to achieve.

Available on:

iOS

Editor’s Recommendations

• Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time
• Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time
• Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time
• Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time
• Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Chrome Remote Desktop: Everything you need to know

Chrome Remote Desktop is a great, free way to remotely access a computer.

I have an unusual computer setup: I have a super powerful desktop at home and I carry a Chromebook with me when I’m out and about. The system has served me well over the past year, but there are times when I’m on the go and I need to tap into my extra power at home. This is where Chrome Remote Desktop comes into play — I can connect to my home computer from anywhere, so long as I have an Internet connection. If you’d like to do this, follow along!

Install the Chrome Remote Desktop host on the machine you want to access

Before using Chrome Remote Desktop, the machine you’d like to access needs to be running the Chrome browser and the Chrome Remote Desktop host. Chromebooks and Chromeboxes that need to be accessed can skip this section since the necessary pieces are already built into Chrome OS.

If you have not done so, download the Chrome browser.

Sign into the browser by clicking the picture icon in the upper-right corner of the browser.

Once you’re signed in, download the Chrome Remote Desktop application.
After downloading the app, you will see the Chrome app page. If not, enter chrome://apps into the search bar. Click the Chrome Remote Desktop icon.

Under the “My Computers” section, click the “Get started” button.

Click “Enable remote connections.”
A window will pop up asking you to install the Chrome Remote Desktop Host. Click accept and install.

The host tool will appear in your taskbar. Click to run the tool. If your computer requires an administrative account for installations, the administrator will need to enter their password.

Once the installer is done, you will be asked to create a PIN code to keep bad people from accessing your system without your knowledge. The PIN can only be numbers, no letters and must be at least six digits long. And with that, we’re done with setup!

Accessing the desktop from another device

So long as both devices have an Internet connection, you’ll be able to remote in and access the computer you’ve set up. Now it’s time to get connected.

Download and install the Chrome Remote Desktop application from Google Play, the Chrome Web Store or the iOS App Store.
If necessary, sign into the application with the same Google account used above.
Under “My Computers”, you should see the computer set up before. Click the computer name.
Enter the PIN you created. If you’d like, you can tell the software to not ask for a PIN when connecting from this specific device. And that’s it! You’re connected to your home machine.

Another great use of Chrome Remote Desktop is providing support to other users. With this, I don’t have to drive two hours just to get my mother’s bookmarks bar to reappear. If you want to remotely help a user, have them install the Chrome Remote Desktop Host using the steps above.

Have the user open Chrome Remote Desktop on their device ,
Click the green “Share” button.
Chrome Remote Desktop will generate a code for this session. Have that person tell you the code.
On your machine, open Chrome Remote Desktop, then click the “Access” button. Enter the code the person gave you, and they will need to allow you to access the system. That’s it!

A couple things to keep in mind here: you’ll need a fast internet connection for this, and ping times are very important, since you’ll be connecting in real time. If you’re on LTE, make sure that your signal is strong.

Do you use Chrome Remote Desktop? Let us know down below!

Chromebooks

• The best Chromebooks
• Should you buy a Chromebook?
• Google Play is coming to Chromebooks
• Acer Chromebook 14 review
• Join our Chromebook forums

Nokia 7 debuts in China with Snapdragon 630, ‘Bothie’ camera, and glass back

Nokia is bringing features from its flagship to a more affordable price point.

Nokia kicked off its Android journey back in January with the Nokia 6, which was unveiled in China. The company is once again turning to the Chinese market for its latest budget device, the Nokia 7. The Nokia 7 is also aimed at the budget segment, but it features several improvements over the Nokia 6.

The Nokia 7’s chassis is made out of 7000 series aluminum, but the back features a Gorilla Glass panel with rounded edges. The phone ticks all the right boxes when it comes to the specs: you get a 5.2-inch Full HD display, 4GB or 6GB of RAM, 64GB storage, microSD slot, a 16MP camera with f/1.8 lens and 5MP front shooter, NFC, USB-C, Wi-Fi ac, and a 3000mAh battery.

One of the main drawbacks of the Nokia 6 was the performance: the combination of a Snapdragon 430 and a Full HD display meant that the phone wasn’t as nimble as other options in this segment. Nokia has addressed that particular problem by switching to the beefier Snapdragon 630.

Nokia is also bringing its “Bothie” feature — which made its debut in the high-end Nokia 8 — to the Nokia 7. The feature lets you take photos using the front and rear cameras simultaneously, and the company is clearly turning to Bothies as a differentiator in the imaging department.

On the software front, the Nokia 7 comes with Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box, with an update to Oreo set to arrive shortly. The phone will go up for sale in China starting October 24 for ¥2,499 ($375) for the variant with 4GB of RAM, with the model featuring 6GB of RAM retailing for ¥2,699 ($405).

As of now, there’s no information on when the Nokia 7 will be making its way to global markets, but we’ll let you know once we have more details. In the meantime, let us know what you think of the Nokia 7 in the comments below.

This 6-port Lumsing desktop charger is down to just $8

Desktop chargers are insanely convenient, if you don’t have one already.

Is this deal for me?

This Lumsing 60W 6-port USB desktop charger is down to $8.49 with code DS987631 on Amazon. Without the code, it goes for $17, and this price matches a deal we shared once before.

This charger comes with five micro USB to USB cables. Nearly one for every port! If you don’t need that many cables, you can get the same charger with only two cables for $7.99 using the same coupon code. Lose three cords, save 50 cents.

Features include:

• Detects and automatically switches to the right charging mode of the connected digital device for full speed charging up to 3 amps per port or 12 amps overall.
• Via 6 ports, delivers 60 watts of high-power to simultaneously charge two iPad Airs and four iPhone 6s at high speed.
• The built-in Multi-Protection System ensures complete protection for you and your devices.
• Phones and devices can be quite expensive, so we kept that in mind when we designed this desktop charger.

Both chargers come with an 18-month warranty.

TL;DR

• What makes this deal worth considering? – The price is really low, and these chargers come with cables, which is a nice touch.
• Things to know before you buy! – The included cables are all micro USB. If you need something like a Lightning cable, you can get one from Anker for just a few bucks.

See at Amazon

Happy thrifting!

On the Pixel 2 XL, OLED displays, and Samsung

There are a lot of reasons to choose one phone over the other, and the only right choice is the one you make.

The internet is like that big platter your grandmother breaks out during the holidays. The one with little compartments for all the different things, from olives to cheese to onion dip. In our compartment, where everything mobile and all the things that connect to all the other things live, everywhere you look you see that the Pixel 2 XL has a horrible display. Like, the worst ever.

At least that’s what the internet tells me. Tossing out the noise from folks who have never seen it and just like to say things to stir the pot, you’ll find that people have some issue with the overall quality, but very few people who have it or have used it think the display is bad. It’s just not as great as what we find in Samsung’s latest phones. My reaction to this is “duh.”

Nobody makes OLED displays at the sizes used for mobile devices as good as Samsung does. Not LG, not Toshiba, not Sony. Nobody. Nobody can “tune” an OLED display as well as Samsung can. This is because Samsung was one of the pioneers of OLED display tech and it throws away as many panels that don’t meet its standards as other companies make in total. Samsung is the best there is, and anyone saying differently should be offering an explanation why.

No other company comes close to Samsung when making small OLED panels.

Samsung Electronics is a hardware company. It not only makes the best displays but makes other parts that are best-in-class or close to it: processors, memory controllers, solid-state memory, flash memory and all sorts of other electronics. This is what Samsung does, and has been doing since 1987 when Samsung split into groups like Samsung Electronics and Samsung Life Insurance. This is what Samsung Electronics is very, very good at.

Even if you buy a phone from another company that uses a Samsung OLED display, it’s not going to look as good as a phone that says Samsung on the back. This will be an unpopular opinion, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. Samsung goes the extra mile because it takes pride in its display technology. And it should — as phone enthusiasts, we all know it.

Google is not a hardware company. It is trying to become one and do a reverse Apple thing (Apple started with hardware first), but right now it has four phones that it designed and had other companies build, and one in-house SoC with the Pixel Visual Core when it comes to mobile hardware. The Google Wifi or Chromecast unit you see weren’t built by Google, either. Google is a software company. A software company that earns a very healthy income through advertising.

We need to realize we’re paying Samsung $900 for a superb display and very usable software when we buy the Galaxy Note 8, but we’re paying Google $900 for a very usable display and superb software.

Don’t buy a Pixel 2 XL because you want the best hardware. You’ll be disappointed.

There’s just no reason to buy a Pixel 2 XL that is not related to the software. Even the camera, which has wowed just about everyone, is great because of software. The regular updates — software. No carrier interference — software. Access to new features before anyone else — you guessed it. The Pixel 2 XL only exists as a vehicle for Google’s software. Conversely, the Galaxy Note 8 uses the software as a way to make its superb hardware something you want to buy. Two different companies specialize in two different things, but both use a phone to sell them to you.

If I were to pull out my credit card and buy a phone today, I would buy a Samsung phone if I wanted a great display above everything else. I would tell you to do the same thing if you asked me. But if I cared more about the software, whether that means getting the latest versions of things right away, or staying up to date, or even not having to wade through a bunch of stuff I won’t ever use, I would buy a Pixel 2.

Both are the best phones you can buy, but for very different reasons.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review: The new standard
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

Google Store
Project Fi
Verizon
Best Buy

This $300 eero Wi-Fi system is the best mesh networking deal we’ve seen yet

This is, by far, the most convenient and realistic eero bundle we’ve seen yet.

Is this deal for me?

This 2nd generation eero Home Wi-Fi system is down to $299.99 on Amazon. The street price on for this bundle fluctuates somewhere between $350 and $360 most of the time. When we wrote about a similar deal in early September, this system was at $356.

We’ve shared a few deals on eero systems, including this Pro system with 3 2nd gen eeros and this Home system with 3 1st gen eeros. This deal right here is the best one for the average consumer by far. It doesn’t require extensive Ethernet routing like the Pro system and it uses 2nd gen technology with stronger 5GHz bands. The Beacons are far more convenient, too.

This package comes with one second generation Ethernet-powered eero device and two eero Beacons. The 2nd gen eeros have tri-band Wi-Fi, which adds a third 5GHz radio to your system. That makes your Wi-Fi network stronger and faster.

The Beacons just need an outlet to plug into. They aren’t as strong as the signal produced by the base eero, but they make up for that by being more convenient to place around your home. The Beacons help distribute the signal produced by the base eero and keep it strong no matter where you’re looking for it. The three devices work together to create an all-encompassing Wi-Fi blanket.

Never set up a mesh networking system like this? Android Central breaks down how easy the eero is to use and what you’ll need to do it.

Once you’ve got your Wi-Fi setup to your satisfaction, it’s time to add a few Alexa-enabled Echo Dots to the network. Use that stronger Wi-Fi to turn your home into a Smart home.

TL;DR

• What makes this deal worth considering? – Mesh networking systems are expensive! And often oddly inconvenient. This one combines the latest eero tech with the convenience of the Beacons to create the most realistic package for enhancing your Wi-Fi signals. Plus, its at its lowest price ever.
• Things to know before you buy! – Get a $50 Netgear CM500 cable modem to really keep your signal strong. We always recommend breaking free from your ISP rental fees.

See at Amazon

Happy thrifting!

TicHome Mini review: A portable, durable Google Home Mini

Google Assistant is finally breaking free.

When the Google Home was announced, my only problem with it was that it was stuck in one room of my house. While I move about the house doing chores or getting ready for the day, the Google Home has to pick a plug and stick to it. Yes, Google Assistant is on our phones and our TVs now, but it’s an inferior version. It can’t do as much as the version on the Google Home, especially in regards to media control.

What I wanted was a Google Home that could follow me around the house, just as my Bluetooth speakers do. What I wanted, I now have in the TicHome Mini.

The TicHome Mini is an unassuming little puck, available in four colors, including an adorable teal. My review unit is white, which blends unassumingly in my kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and office. No matter the color, it features a silver ring around the top. There are four buttons, four LED lights and two pinhole microphones on the top.

The buttons are easy to spot, and easy to feel for in the dark, as each divot is easy to feel and uniquely marked. The pause/voice command and power/mic mute buttons would make a little more sense reversed, with the command button up front and easier to reach, but three inches isn’t that far to reach for it.

Micro-USB? Really?

The bottom of the unit features the speaker grill and grippy base that keeps the unit from sliding around while you tap it. There’s also a Micro-USB port under the leather carry strap where you charge the device. While Micro-USB isn’t as bad as a proprietary charging system, it’s 2017; a device of this caliber should be charged via USB-C. Having to flip over the device and make sure the cable is the right way up is a pain, and it was exacerbated by the battery issues some TicHome Mini pre-production units had. Because of these issues, which have allegedly been fixed in the final version, I can’t speak much to the battery on the TicHome other than that it was quite short. That’s right, this thing has a battery.

But better keep that charging cable nearby, because TicHome isn’t going to tell you when it’s half-full, only when it’s running empty. The low battery pulse of the light is the only battery warning you get, and since the TicHome uses the same software as the corded Google Homes, there’s currently no commands to get the battery level of your device. This will hopefully be addressed by Google as more portable Google Home type devices are made, but for now, it’s a small pain.

The battery isn’t great, and changing Wi-Fi networks is a pain, but its portability is still handy.

That said, this isn’t a device you should expect to take everywhere. Because changing Wi-Fi networks means completely setting the device back up, the TicHome Mini is a Google Assistant speaker that can follow you to the garage, but shouldn’t follow you into the car as you head off to work. The TicHome Mini can function as a Bluetooth device, just as the regular Google Home does, but you have to already have a phone paired with the speaker before you leave your home Wi-Fi network.

Within the home, though, the TicHome Mini is everything I’d been hoping for and more. Commands have been just as easily and consistently recognized as on my original Google Home (a little better even), and it’s easy to carry this light speaker from room to room as I work on articles, gut a pumpkin, then get ready for bed.

Volume is easy to adjust with the buttons, and the command button works as a pause/play when casting music. Setting up the TicHome Mini is exactly the same as setting up a Google Home, and while the volume does distort a little once you get near max volume, this thing can fill a room with music just as easily as the Google Home Mini. There’s not much bass to be found here, but in a speaker this size, that’s no big shock. The speaker sounds a tiny bit tinny, as a single omnidirectional speaker, but so long as I hadn’t put it on a blanket, sound quality was fine.

Many think that the TicHome Mini’s debut has been undercut by the appearance of the $50 Google Home Mini, but this overlooks the entire point of the TicHome Mini. It’s not enough to get the best version of Google Assistant in a smaller, sleeker packer. The TicHome Mini adds functionality the Mini cannot: portability. And seeing as the Google Home Mini is disabling the touch-to-activate feature after a defect was discovered, the TicHome Mini has another advantage: you can long-press the command button and give your command without waking everything in your house by saying “OK Google”.

Is the TicHome Mini’s portability and that button worth almost double the cost? For many, that answer is probably going to be no. For me, someone who wants the Google Assistant commands “OK Google, fast forward two minutes” and “OK Google, rewind 30 seconds” on literally every platform, I’m willing to pay to get them on a Cast-enabled speaker I can easily take anywhere in my home.

The TicHome Mini has my vote, and a teal one is going on my Christmas list. If you have any kids who like to stream music around the house and having Google help them with their homework, the TicHome Mini might make a good Christmas gift for them, too.

Pre-order TicHome Mini at Mobvoi ($80)

How to prevent lens fog with any VR headset

Clear up your sight with these quick tips to reduce lens fog in virtual reality.

While today’s virtual reality (VR) headsets are more immersive than ever before, a build-up of fog can quickly take you out of the action. With all of today’s leading devices sporting a similar design, featuring two lenses in an enclosed space, fog can be an irritating flaw when first jumping to a virtual space. Here’s what you need to know about fog in VR, as well as how to prevent it.

Read more at VRHeads

NASA study will help identify potentially habitable planets

NASA has already found tons of exoplanets around nearby stars, and will spot countless more once the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launches. The problem is that scientists aren’t exactly sure which planet-star combinations are most likely to support life. A new NASA study has found that planets orbiting small stars like Trappist-1 could retain their oceans for billions of years, even if they’re quite close — provided the star emits just the right amount of infrared radiation.

For the foreseeable future, astronomers will be scanning red dwarf stars for habitable planets, rather than other types like our sun. That’s because they’re easier to find and small enough that the wobble of small, Earth-like planets is detectable. On top of that, the amount of light dip is noticeable when a planet passes in front, and scientists can detect the composition of its atmosphere based on how much starlight it absorbs.

Because of that, scientists are obviously very concerned about which red dwarf stars and planets can support life. That’s where the new study, done by a team from NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the Earth-Life Science Institute at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, comes in.

If a planet is too cold, any water will freeze into ice, making life formation challenging. If it’s too hot, water will evaporate and rise up into the stratosphere, where it will get broken into hydrogen and oxygen by the star’s UV (ultraviolet) light. The latter state, called a “moist greenhouse,” eventually leads to the loss of all oceans, killing any chances for life.

Artist’s conception of the Trappist-1 system (NASA)

Unlike on Earth, planets on red dwarf systems are often tidally locked, with the same side always pointing toward the star. That leads to extreme heating on one side and cooling on the other, but luckily, such planets zip around their stars quick enough to create a circulating atmosphere. That atmosphere can be enough to keep the planet at the right temperature for liquid water, while blocking it from evaporating into the stratosphere.

Using a new, advanced 3D atmospheric model, the NASA and Tokyo-based researchers simulated the atmospheric circulation on a planet in a hypothetical red dwarf system. “We found an important role for the type of radiation a star emits and the effect it has on the atmospheric circulation of an exoplanet in making the moist greenhouse state,” Fujii said.

Until now, scientists figured that if a planet’s surface was too warm, around 150 degrees F, it would create an ocean-destroying moist greenhouse state. However, the team found that on red dwarf, Trappist-1 type planets, that wasn’t necessarily the case. If a star emitted enough near-infrared radiation, it could kick off a moist greenhouse effect, even at temperatures around those at the Earth’s topics.

However the model showed that, surprisingly, if an exoplanet was closer to its parent star, the infrared heating would increase moisture in the atmosphere more gradually. That means that, contrary to findings from previous models, it could remain habitable.

If the study proves valid, it will help narrow down habitable exoplanet candidates. Scientists can first measure the radiation of a star, knowing that cooler stars emit more near-infrared radiation. Then, if possible, they could measure its planet’s atmospheric composition using spectroscopic methods. Those methods mostly target a planet’s stratosphere, so the presence of water — unlike what you might think — could be negative for life.

“As long as we know the temperature of the star, we can estimate whether planets close to their stars have the potential to be in the moist greenhouse state,” said co-author Anthony Del Genio from NASA. “If there is enough water to be detected, it probably means that planet is in the moist greenhouse state.” If so, the planet is likely shedding water quickly — so the oceans, and any potential life in them, could be doomed.

Source: NASA, Arxiv