Firefox 62 for Mac Makes Browser Mojave-Ready With New Automatic Dark Theme

Mozilla today launched Firefox 62 web browser for macOS, bringing variable fonts support and a new automatic dark theme to Mac desktops.

By introducing a dark theme to the browser, Mozilla is following up the one it added to its mobile counterpart last month, the only difference being that the desktop version comes with intelligent support for the new native Dark Mode featured in macOS 10.14 Mojave.

What that means is Firefox automatically switches to the twilight theme whenever the the macOS Dark Mode is active, making for a more uniform desktop application interface without requiring action on the user’s part.

Meanwhile, support for variable fonts makes it possible for web designers to create typography using a single font file, rather than generating several files for variations of the same font.

Also listed in this release’s changelog: Firefox Home (default new tabs) can now display up to four rows of top sites, Pocket stories, and highlights, while a “Reopen in Container” tab menu option appears for users with Containers that lets them choose to reopen a tab in a different container.

Lastly, disconnecting from the desktop version of Firefox Sync prompts the browser to ask if you want to wipe your Firefox profile, including passwords, history, cookies, and web data.

Firefox now has 300 million active users, according to Mozilla’s weekly user activity report. If you’re already a Firefox user, you should receive an automatic upgrade after restarting the browser. For everyone else, Firefox 62 is available for macOS as a free download directly from the Mozilla website.

Tag: Firefox
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Realme 2 review: One step forward, one step back

It’s only been about three months since the Realme 1, and yet here we are with the Realme 2 — an iterative update to an incredibly affordable device, bringing some additional features without inflating the price much. However, for every step forward, the phone takes another step back. This device removes as many feature as it adds!

Realme has now broken away to become its own brand. For its debut it kept the price the exact same as the previous model, thus necessitating more compromises for a phone already all about compromise.  Let’s take a look at the $130 handset in this Realme 2 review and see what exactly is going on here.

Realme 2 design and media

Realme 1 and 2 side by side

The phone’s design shows most of its positive progress, as well as a some suspect decisions.

Editor’s Pick

OPPO Realme 1 review: Pretty good, really cheap!

Buy now from eBay
Lately, I’ve reviewed, compared, and previewed a whole host of great smartphones at mid-range price points. My conclusion: you can get a heck of a lot these days without needing to pay …

The very plasticky build and the interesting polygonal effect adorning the rear of the phone have remained the same. I said in my Realme 1 review this looked much better in photos than in person, and this time around the effect seems even subtler. Every now and then it catches the light and brings out the pattern, but most of the time it looks like a glossy black finish. It’s certainly not a killer design feature, but on an otherwise nondescript, cheap phone, it’s still a welcome inclusion.

The branding around the back is now a little less ostentatious (a big win), and there’s a dual-lens camera and a finger print sensor (more on them in a bit).

Another interesting design choice this around is the inclusion of a notch. Many of you just clenched reading that, but I actually quite like it (interestingly, this feature seemed to have been cut last minute from the first Realme based on early renders).

Notch the upgrade we were looking for

It’s not that I like notches — I’m not really a huge fan — but a notch can make a phone look a little more 2018. Cheap phones don’t often get to have modern design aspects, so having a notch here just makes the phone look and feel a little less like a compromise. It’s interesting to see a notch on a phone this affordable, basically.

However, there is another very big compromise here in the form of a lower-res screen. The Realme 2 comes with a 720 x 1,520 screen. This isn’t hugely noticeable until you put it next to a device with a sharper screen (especially a punchy AMOLED). That’s when you really notice the difference and even the whites look murkier than last time around. If you lean in close, you can even see individual pixels.

Obviously, this isn’t really a media consumption device. It can consume media (nom nom) but the lack of sharpness combined with a very sub-par single speaker mean it’s not particularly good at it. This really doesn’t sound good when you crank it up. You certainly won’t want to listen to much Spotify without using the headphone jack (which is thankfully present and correct).

The rest of the time it’s fine — the Nintendo Switch is 720p after all and most people don’t have a problem with it. It just doesn’t make a ton of sense to increase the size of the screen to 6.2 inches and hit a 80.85 percent screen-to-body ratio with the notch, only to then make the screen actually less sharp.

The phone’s design is still very clearly cutting corners to save money. The plastic build is really noticeable, and the seam running around the side is even worse. The buttons are both oddly placed and mushy. Separate volume buttons always give me the heebie-jeebies.

I wouldn’t expect a water-resistant, unibody, glass, and metal construction at this price. For what you’re paying, this is about as good as it gets. I’m just letting you know what to expect.

Realme 2 performance and software

The design got a bit of an upgrade, but the internals have actually taken a small step backwards.

We’ve gone from a Mediatek to a Snapdragon, which you would normally expect to be a good thing. Unfortunately, it’s the rather underpowered Snapdragon 450.

Don’t miss

Honor Play review: Flagship specs on a budget (video added!)

Huawei recently became the second largest smartphone manufacturer in the world. On top of that, it just made it into the top five smartphone manufacturers in India, carried by the success of its phones and …

The original Realme 1 was not exactly a speed demon, but for day-to-day use you could generally get by. It would even be fine for a bit of light gaming. This time around expect things to chug a little. You’ll see the odd stutter as you navigate with the browser. Apps take a long time to open. 3D games will experience skipped frames and occasional slow-down. You can still play something like Asphalt 8, but you’re going to experience a fair few stutters on low settings. The Adreno 506 does okay with 2D games though, but don’t get this for gaming!

AnTuTu benchmark scores weren’t good. The Realme 2 only defeated 20 percent of users, compared with the 38 percent managed by the Realme 1.

I found performance significantly better than the Honor 7S sporting the Mediatek MT6739 processor. That phone was just… urgh.

This is a manageable phone, it’s just not great. That’s a big shame considering the Realme 1 was actually better than I anticipated. This device wreaks of missed opportunities.

What’s unfortunately not helping matters either is the software, which is everyone’s favorite Color OS. I’m sure it’s actually someone’s favorite somewhere, but it sure isn’t mine. There are worse offenders out there in the bloat department, but it felt like I was constantly fighting against this UI. Being unable to dismiss notifications before they’re ready to leave of their own accord is simply obnoxious, and finding out how to change the default launcher took longer than it should (thankfully it’s doable though).  Why are so many dialogue boxes lime green on white? Who possibly thinks that’s a good color scheme?!

Why are so many dialogue boxes lime green on white? Who possibly thinks that’s a good color scheme??

Other budget devices out there, like ones from Nokia, sport Android One and other vanilla experiences — which is certainly something to consider when weighing up the value of this phone.

I’m testing the 3GB/32GB model, but you can also get 4GB/32GB and 4GB/64GB. None of these configurations are anything to write home about, but they’re all perfectly serviceable and RAM management hasn’t been a bottleneck for me.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this phone from a hardware perspective is the battery. At 4,230mAh, that is a significant upgrade over the Realme 1’s 3,410mAh, and also a whopping great battery by any standards. Combined with the low-res screen, the battery has fantastic staying power and will easily see you through a day of even heavy use. Honestly, this is among the best longevity you will get from any phone. It’s a compelling backup for travel and the like when you factor in the cost as well.

Realme 2 camera and features

While the Realme 2 takes some surprising steps backwards in some departments, the camera is actually a bit nicer. The dual lens camera combines a 13MP f2.2 lens with a 2MP secondary depth sensor for bokeh. Around the front is an 8MP selfie lens, which is also capable of portrait effects, despite losing the NPU found in the Helio P60 from the Realme 1.

The only change here is the secondary lens, which presumably should only come into play with depth effect shots. However, it felt like the shots I managed with this camera were slightly superior. Perhaps the second lens lets in a bit more light? Maybe it allows for better post processing. Perhaps it’s a software update. Whatever the case, photos appeared a little more contrasty to me. The original camera was never that bad given the price anyway.

If you want to see these pics in all their glory, you can check them out here.

Obviously, this is no Pixel or Galaxy. Occasionally I found images to looked a little blurry due to the lack of stabilization. Colors are washed out. It falls apart in even slightly lower light (with lots of noise), and background detail gets lost in a lot of pictures too. However, it still performs perhaps better than you might expect overall. There are even a couple of fun options like AR and time-lapse in the app.

Other features here all work well too. The fingerprint sensor is really fast, and the face unlocking is really good — better than even some much more expensive implementations. The fingerprint sensor is actually worth mentioning because the Realme 1 lacked the feature. With face unlock not quite secure enough for things like PayPal, this was actually a serious omission.

We’re still charging via MicroUSB too, which is starting to feel really old hat.

Realme 2 review: Closing comments

I’m in a weird position. I still think Realme is offering a great value phone here. It’s definitely leaps and bounds better than the Honor 7S (*shudder*). I’m less sure whether this is better than the Realme 1. While the secondary lens is nice, the only tangible advantage you get from that is bokeh — something the Realme 1 already did. The bigger screen is cool too, but it’s lower resolution and notch mean it isn’t really an unqualified win.

Really the fingerprint sensor and the battery life improvements are the two really wholly positive improvements here, though the Realme 1 had no problems in the battery department anyway. It feels like two steps forward and at least two steps back, especially considering the same cheap design and use of MicroUSB. It’s so weird this self-proclaimed “successor” would force you to make so compromises to get those new features.

If it had just kept the exact same internals and screen as last time, this would have been a really compelling device for the price range. As it is, it’s bit of a curiosity.

Those of us with less spending power at least deserve upgrades to still actually upgrade our phones

I get it’s a cheap phone, but those of us with less spending power still want upgrades that actually upgrade our phones, right?

If you have $100-$150 to spend, then a Realme phone is a good choice. Which one you pick is a tougher question, and really depends on what you value.

That’s it for our Realme 2 review. Let us know your thoughts!

Meet the autonomous starfish assassin bot that’s here to protect coral reefs

We’ve covered a number of underwater drones at Digital Trends, but we can safely say that we’ve never covered one quite like RangerBot. Created as a collaboration between Australia’s Queensland University of Technology, Google, and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, it’s an underwater robot intended to look after the world’s largest coral reef system by seeking out troublesome starfish and killing them by injecting drugs. Seriously.

“RangerBot builds on the QUT’s original COTSbot prototype that won the 2016 Google Impact Challenge,” Professor Matthew Dunbabin, a lead researcher on the project, told Digital Trends. “We believe it will be a very valuable tool for reefs around the world. Having an easy-to-use, small underwater robot that can operate in coral reef environments fills a current technology gap to allow larger-scale monitoring and management of reefs globally. We believe this is a first step in the development of a range of visual-guided robotic systems for environmental monitoring.”

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The reason RangerBot targets crown-of-thorns starfish is because they prey on coral, secreting digestive enzymes that allow them to absorb their nutrients. A single starfish can consume up to 65 square feet of living coral reef every single year. To stop them, RangerBot is trained to identify these starfish — which it can do with 99.4 percent accuracy — and then initiate a fatal injection. This injection kills the starfish, but does not affect anything else on the reef.

The robot is kitted out with computer vision technology, allowing it to both recognize its target and avoid obstacles. Multiple thrusters let it easily move in any direction it needs to. In addition to acting like a Terminator for starfish, the drone can also be used to monitor coral bleaching, water quality, pollution, and more, as well as help map out large underwater areas.

“We are now in the process of starting the evaluations and assessments necessary to best integrate RangerBot into various management programs — including for crown-of-thorns starfish — with the immediate focus intended to be for the mapping tasks, and then roll in the more interactive capabilities,” Dunbabin said. “Longer term, we envisage a wide range of applications which could include pest management, coral restoration activities, and fish stock assessment.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• This underwater robot could soon autonomously hunt predatory lionfish
• SmokeBot robot can see things human firefighters can’t in smoke-filled rooms
• This diving system lets you stay submerged for 2 hours, no tank needed
• Meet the gigantic machine that eats land mines for breakfast
• Spirit animals: 9 revolutionary robots inspired by real-world creatures

Logitech’s Crayon Stylus Expands to All Users Through Apple Store Availability

Logitech today announced that its Crayon stylus, which was previously only available to schools, is coming to Apple retail stores, which means it will be available for everyone to purchase for the first time.

Introduced in March alongside the 6th-generation 9.7-inch iPad, the Crayon is designed to operate as a lower-cost alternative to the Apple Pencil.

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The Crayon features a slim aluminum body and an Apple Pencil-style tip. Functionally, it works just like the Apple Pencil, with support for palm rejection and the same latency and tilt as you get with the Apple Pencil. There is, however, no pressure sensitivity.

Logitech designed the Crayon with students in mind, so it has a flat surface to prevent rolling, a tethered rubber end cap, a comfortable grip for small hands, and the ability to withstand drops of up to four feet.

Like the Apple Pencil, the Crayon does not need Bluetooth to connect to the iPad, and it’s able to last for up to seven hours before needing to be recharged with the built-in Lightning port.

It’s worth noting that the Crayon is designed to be compatible only with the sixth-generation iPad.

We were able to get our hands on one of Logitech’s Crayons ahead of its Apple Store availability, so if you’re considering picking one of these up for your 9.7-inch iPad, make sure to check out our review video above.

The Crayon will be available in Apple retail stores, on the Apple website, and on the Logitech website starting on September 12 before expanding to additional retail outlets in October.

While schools can purchase the device for $50, customers who purchase the Crayon from Apple or Logitech will need to pay $70.

Tag: Logitech
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PSA: The POCO F1 doesn’t have NFC

POCO had to cut a few features to get the F1 down to $300, and NFC is one of them.

The POCO F1 is turning out to be the deal of the year. Retailing for the equivalent of $300, the phone is currently the most affordable device to be powered by the Snapdragon 845. POCO had to cull a few features to get to that $300 figure, and as such the F1 misses out on NFC.

The lack of NFC doesn’t hinder sales in India, where the device is primarily targeted. But with the phone set to go on sale in over 50 global markets — including 30 European markets — the omission of NFC could turn out to be a dealbreaker.

Furthermore, the POCO F1 isn’t quite as affordable in global markets, with the phone retailing for €330 ($385) in Spain. You do get a lot for the asking price, including 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, a MicroSD slot, dual 12MP + 5MP cameras at the back, 20MP front shooter, and a massive 4000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0.

On the software side of things, the POCO F1 is running a custom version of MIUI that includes a launcher and other tweaks to make it more palatable to a Western audience. The skin is based on Android 8.1 Oreo, with POCO stating that it will roll out the Pie update in the coming months.

POCO F1 review: Incredible performance at an unbeatable price

If NFC is a feature that you absolutely need to have in a phone, there’s always the Nokia 7 Plus. It’s available officially in the UK for £299 ($385), and while the Snapdragon 660 isn’t as powerful, you do get NFC and the promise of quick updates with Android One.

See at Amazon UK

Google researchers examine how to combat smartphone addiction

Tech companies like Apple and Google are working on ways to help us average consumers better manage the time we spend on our digital devices. Apple recently launched the Screen Time tool for the iPhone — and Google released Digital Wellbeing, a similar tool for Android devices and other Google products.

These products, however, seem to be largely built by tech companies who think they know what consumers want or need. A set of researchers from Google, on the other hand, have now conducted a study to see how the average person feels about their phone and technology in general — something that could ultimately help Google better help people manage the time they spend using their tech.

In a blog post detailing the study, the researchers noted that in general, through the advent of social media, email, and news, people overwhelmingly felt a sense of obligation to their devices — something that ended up causing a lot of unnecessary stress. There are a few reasons for this, according to the blog post. First of all, smartphones are built to be engaging — and it’s hard to break the habit of using one. On top of that, people felt an obligation to reply to messages quickly — as though they had to be available at a moment’s notice whenever possible.

The study also noted that while plenty of people look forward to disconnecting, they also want to choose when to disconnect. When it’s forced — like when they run out of battery or forget their phone at home — people feel anxious and worried about missing messages and notifications.

The researchers didn’t just observe this behavior — they also noted a few ways in which tech companies like Google can help users find a better balance. For starters, our phones should be better at facilitating disconnecting from the digital world by giving users information about the time they spend on their devices. Second, smartphones can help reduce the temptation to re-engage with features like app timers. Last but not least, phones can facilitate partial disconnection — by limiting some apps rather than taking an all-or-nothing approach. As mentioned, Google and Apple are already doing this with Digital Wellbeing and Screen Time.

According to the post, Google isn’t done with helping users manage their digital lives. In fact, it’s working on more tools to specifically help parents manage the access their kids have to technology. As the blog post mentions, “a sense of obligation has crept into tech. People want tools to break it. They want to be able to set aside their phone sometimes, not worry about missing anything absolutely urgent, and feel in control of their phone use. We have a responsibility to make that easier—to give people a way to reclaim their time and not feel tied to their devices.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• Here’s how Google’s Digital Wellbeing feature looks and works in Android 9.0 Pie
• YouTube is making it easier to track how much time you spend watching videos
• Google plans crackdown on tech-support scams appearing in search ads
• ‘Hey Google, tell me something good’ filters out bad news on Home devices
• Google, Microsoft, Twitter, and Facebook team up on new data transfer project

The best car chargers of 2018

Most of us buy into the promise of marathon battery life when we opt for a new phone, but within months, it often seems like they can’t hold a charge long enough to make a call. Thankfully, there’s an assortment of capable phone chargers available for your car — whether you’re an Apple or Android aficionado — to make sure power isn’t an issue when you’re on the road. The best car chargers, however, combine stylish looks and a low price tag with dependable functionality.

Further reading

Best iPhone car mounts

Phones with the best battery life

Best portable chargers

Some have enough energy to simultaneously charge your smartphone and tablet, while others distinguish themselves from the pack with a streamlined design and built-in cables. Below are a few of our personal favorites, from the likes of Moshi and Incipio. Just don’t forget to keep your eyes on the road.

The best

Moshi Car Charger Duo ($25)

Moshi has quickly and quietly become the undisputed king of all things charge related. The Moshi Car Charger Duo — previously known as the Moshi Revolt Duo — is a testament to the company’s steadfast approach to charging, offering two USB ports rated at 2.1A (12-watt) for energizing two devices at once. The anodized-aluminum cover is about as attractive as it gets for a car charger, adorned with a simple LED indicator light that delivers a faint glow. The charger’s power management circuitry provides under-current and over-current protection, but it’s the charger’s subtle design that makes Moshi’s flagship offering a favorite.

Buy one now from:

Moshi

The rest

Scosche reVOLT Dual ($10)

Scosche’s reVOLT Dual is not much of a looker, but the compact charger sports a low-profile frame that sits flush in most vehicle power sockets. Unlike some other chargers in our roundup, each USB port on the sleek device supplies 2.4A (12-watt) of power, which means it’s capable of charging two tablets at a time. The high output also allows it to charge a smartphone quicker than most standard chargers. Oh, and we can’t resist anything that has glowing USB ports.

Buy one now from:

Amazon Walmart

Anker PowerDrive 5 ($23)

Family road trips can be demanding, on both your smartphone and your patience. Fortunately, Anker’s five-port charger is designed for the rare instances when you might need more than one or two USB ports. The robust, 50-watt device outputs 10A overall — enough to simultaneously power five phones or four tablets — while housing premium circuitry that’s designed to prevent your expensive lineup from overcharging. The unique design also places the hub at the end of a cable, so you can rest the charger on the center console and charge everyone’s devices without having to buy extra-long cords. The polished finish and 18-month warranty only help justify the price.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Incipio Dual USB Car Charger ($35)

Incipio is a household name when it comes to cables, cases, and chargers. The company’s Dual USB Car Charger doesn’t vastly differ from others on our list. The USB port provides 2.4A of power, for example, but it does feature a built-in Lightning cable for added convenience. It’s also relatively sleek, with rubberized sides and a vibrant, blue indicator light on the front for checking the charging status of your device at a glance. It’s on the pricier side, but you’ll also never have to worry about forgetting your cable.

Buy one now from:

Incipio

Aukey Dual Port Car Charger with Quick Charge 3.0 ($19)

This two-port model from Aukey is one of the most popular car chargers on the market, probably because it works with a range of connection types and is 45-percent more efficient than chargers built with Quick Charge 2.0. That said, the Quick Charge capacity only works with smartphones powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon processors (check Qualcomm’s list here). To minimize the risk of circuitry damage, this model also uses the company’s EntireProtect feature, which helps prevent overcharging and overheating.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Powerbear Fast Car Charger ($15)

PowerBear’s Fast Car Charger relies on Qualcomm technology to quickly charge up to two devices simultaneously. Scratch-proof, it’s capable of restoring 75 percent of your battery’s capacity after just 45 minutes of charging. PowerBear promises its device protects your phone, tablet, or GPS against overcharging, short-circuiting, and overheating. It also comes with a 24-month warranty, which isn’t bad for a charger that won’t break the bank.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

RAVPower Dual USB Car Charger ($13)

The compact RAVPower Dual USB Car Charger is equipped to charge even the largest and most power-demanding devices. The dual 2.4 USB ports use iSmart Technology, allowing them to learn about your device and output the optimal current in terms of safety and speed. The RAVPower’s charger has also been bend tested more than 12,000 times — a testamement to its durability — and features a convenient LED light for when driving at night. The charger even includes a 3-foot Lightning cable and an 18-month warranty, just in case you encounter any manufacturer defects early on.

Buy one now from:

Amazon RAVPower

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best solar chargers for your smartphone or tablet
• The best portable chargers of 2018
• The best wireless phone chargers for your iPhone or Android
• The best iPhone X battery cases
• The 25 best Galaxy S7 cases to safeguard your Samsung smartphone

Hacked Chrome extension disguised as legitimate version steals logins

Cloud storage service Mega.nz revealed that it was hacked on Tuesday, September 4, and users who had installed the service’s Chrome browser extension may have had their passwords to other internet services compromised. The malicious version of the browser extension was uploaded to the Chrome web store by hackers in an effort to gain access to user’s logins for sites such as Amazon, Google, GitHub, and Microsoft. The passwords were sent to a Ukraine-based server.

“On 4 September 2018 at 14:30 UTC, an unknown attacker uploaded a trojaned version of MEGA’s Chrome extension, version 3.39.4, to the Google Chrome webstore,” Mega.nz said in a blog post. “You are only affected if you had the MEGA Chrome extension installed at the time of the incident, auto update enabled and you accepted the additional permission, or if you freshly installed version 3.39.4.” Users accessing the service by typing in the URL into the browser are not affected.

In order to gain access to your passwords, Mega.nz explained that the malicious extension asks for elevated permissions, such as the ability to read and change data on all websites you visited, something that the legitimate version of the extension does not require or ask for. If you’re downloading a browser extension, computer program, or app from the internet — even from what is believed to be a trusted source, as this case proves — you should always review what permissions you’re granting. Additionally, users should also try to limit what they install to stay safe.

Users who downloaded the hacked version of the Chrome extension are advised to change their passwords for any affected sites that they use, including amazon.com, live.com, github.com, google.com (for web store login), myetherwallet.com, mymonero.com, and idex.market. Additionally, if you had submitted any information through web forms as plain text, hackers may have been able to capture that information as well.

It’s not immediately clear how hackers were able to hijack Mega.nz’s account to upload the malicious version of the browser extension to the Chrome web store or how many users were affected, though Mega.nz boasts having 100 million registered users. After the breach was discovered, Mega.nz uploaded a clean version of the extension, version 3.39.5, to the Chrome web store. If you had downloaded the trojanized version of the extension, the browser extension should auto-update to the clean version. Google has also removed the malicious version of the extension.

The best bet to stay safe when it comes to browser extension is to not download any extension you won’t need. Like malicious apps, there have been reports in the past of malicious extensions. However, as the incident with Mega.nz demonstrates, even legitimate extension can be hacked, leaving your passwords exposed.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best web browsers
• The demand for hacking tools and malware is greater than the current supply
• Google Chrome now consumes more memory due to a new Spectre fix
• Use your face or finger to log into accounts using Microsoft Edge
• How to take a screenshot on a Chromebook

Optoma NuForce BE Live5 headphone review: Wireless headphones with clarity and average battery life

NuForce is the audio-focused sub-brand from Optoma specializing in high-quality audio products. Previously known for its award-winning BE6i Bluetooth headphones, NuForce has prepared a follow up in the form of the BE Live5 headphones. Similar to the BE6i the BE Live5 are Bluetooth headphones this time using smaller 8mm drivers and packed into a smaller body. We were provided with these headphones for review courtesy of Optoma for an honest and unbiased review.

Packaging

I don’t often cover the packaging of a product unless there is something exceptional about it or there is a problem. Unfortunately, in the case of the BE Live5 it is the latter. While the packaging looks as good as you could expect, one of the buds was wedged in too tightly.

I fought with it for a while pulling on the cable until I was afraid it could get damaged. Then I resorted to using a pen to try to pry it out to no avail. Finally, I broke out my knife and had to cut it free, and in the process partially from haste and partially from frustration also scratched up the finish on the buds.

I’m certain this won’t be the typical experience for most customers and it was an anomaly, but it is important to point out every aspect good and bad.

Design

When it comes to earbuds there isn’t much you can do to stand out. In order to fit the drivers, battery, and other electronics they all generally take on the same shape. Some standouts with the NuForce BE Live5 though are the aluminum build, flat cable, magnetic backs, ipx5 sweat protection, hard case, and included Comply foam tips.

Out of all of these features, the magnets are my favorite. It’s not something new or unique to the BE Live5 buds, but it is quite convenient none the less. The option to wear them around your neck as a necklace using the magnetic clasp makes it easier to carry around and I really appreciate that.

The in-line controls can be found on the right side of the tangle free cord along with the micro USB charging port. Unfortunately, it is micro USB and not USB-C, but that’s hardly unusual and similar among other Bluetooth headphones. The controls are easy to distinguish with touch alone and are snappy and responsive.

While the buttons work well NuForce uses a pairing shortcut that requires holding down the power button. In order to pair you will have to continue holding down the power button after turning the headphones on. Otherwise, there is no other way to enter pairing mode and you’ll end up turning them off.

It is always annoying when this shortcut is used on Bluetooth headphones. A better alternative would have been a shortcut requiring you to hold down both the volume up and down buttons for pairing.

Fit and Comfort

The Optoma NuForce BE Live5 headphones include three pairs of ear tips and two Comply foam tips along with three sizes of ear wings. For someone like myself with smaller ear canals, it can be challenging to find headphones with ear tips in the proper size. Some brands such as Klipsch provide a smaller option which fit perfectly.

While most tend to include ones too large and the buds are constantly falling out. That was the case with the BE Live5 buds. Fortunately, when you combine it with the included ear wings it provides a much more secure fit. With this combination, I no longer had any issues with them falling out.

I was also impressed the included ear wings were so flexible soft, making them more comfortable than others I’ve tried in the past. The more rigid ear wings can often lead to early ear fatigue and don’t stand up to long listening sessions.

Between the smallest ear tips and medium-sized ear wings, the fit was extremely comfortable, making it easy to listen to music for hours without any discomfort.

On a side note replacing the ear tips was extremely frustrating. This was by far the most difficult pair of headphones I’ve ever had to deal with when it came to inserting the ear tips. If you’re lucky, you won’t have to exchange them swap them out repeatedly to find a comfortable secure fit.

Sound Quality

The BE Live5 make use of the aptX and AAC codecs for Bluetooth streaming. These two codecs provide near CD like quality if both your headphones and phone support it.

The sound signature of the BE Live5 is light and crisp with wonderful detail and excellent separation. Thanks to this I was able to pick up on some subtle nuances in songs that can get lost on other pairs of headphones. Bass lovers should look elsewhere, however.

For all of the clarity, the BE Live5 provides the bass takes a backstage here. That doesn’t mean there is no bass, only that the bright highs and crispness takes center stage here. The BE Live5 headphones would be better suited for music lovers who prefer a more balanced and clear sound.

Battery

Battery life on the BE Live5 headphones was pretty average. They are rated for 8 hours of usage and that is pretty close to what I experienced. There are headphones that offer more, generally ones with charging cases or collar designed headphones though.

One major annoyance with the BE Live5 headphones is once you reach 20% battery it constantly announces your battery is low in a loud overpowering voice. The repetition was completely unnecessary and the volume of the voice was actually painful to my ears.

Bluetooth Range

Similar to most Bluetooth devices I’ve reviewed the BE Live5 performs well within 30ft. without any interruptions or drop outs. If you’re indoors with walls between you and your device you can expect to lose signal occasionally once outside of 30ft. When outdoors the distance is a little better only deteriorating around 40ft. or more.

Conclusion

Overall, the NuForce BE Live5 are a decent value if you aren’t a bass head and prefer a more balanced sound. The comfort fit will keep you immersed in your music for hours enjoying every bright detail. That is until it begins yelling repeatedly in your ear the battery is low. However, if you’re someone who prefers more bass in their music than I’d look elsewhere.

U.S. Army wants to use laser power to keep drones airborne indefinitely

Drones can be used for a wide variety of purposes, but one problem that hinders almost all of them is limited battery life. Consumer-focused drones have a flight time of around 10 to 20 minutes, while even the most serious, record-breaking unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can stay airborne for only hours, or maybe a few days at the most. The U.S. Army has a plan to change all that, however — by using lasers to power multicopters indefinitely through a sophisticated wireless-charging technique.

Unlike the kind of Qi wireless-charging standard employed in today’s smartphones, this wouldn’t require physical contact between a charging pad and the device. Instead, it will use laser light directed from the ground to the drone’s onboard photovoltaic cell. This laser light would then be converted into electricity to help keep the drone’s batteries fully juiced. This could reportedly be achieved from a distance of more than 1,600 feet.

The researchers involved with the project are hoping to show off a working ground-to-ground system early next year. This will be followed by a functioning ground-to-air demonstration in 2020.

Before this can be achieved, though, a few problems still need to be sorted out. The biggest challenge, according to a report by New Scientist, involves thermal management, i.e., making sure that the process doesn’t wind up damaging the drone via excess heat. The researchers hope to solve this issue by developing accurate beam control, along with allowing the excess heat the opportunity to properly dissipate.

The U.S. Army isn’t the only group researching drones that can fly for vastly extended periods of time. In the U.K., the defense company BAE Systems is working on the development of a high-altitude, long-endurance drone that’s capable of achieving flight time of up to one year. To do this, it will use a combination of long-life battery technology and ultra-lightweight solar cells. The team is aiming to test full size-prototypes in the second half of 2019.

While it seems likely that these tools will be used for military applications first, hopefully it won’t be long before similar technology is available for the drones that you and I can purchase.

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