Solove Titan 20000mAh Ultra Slim Power Bank: A battery worth marrying (Review)
The unfortunate part about reviewing products is sometimes it can be difficult to be wowed by a new product. It’s even much more difficult to be impressed by a portable power bank, which is used to charge devices like smartphones, tablets and smartwatches, simply because there are hundreds competing with each other. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike reviewing power banks, but I just came across the Solove Titan 20000mAh Ultra Slim Power Bank and it really WOWED me.
Design
When I first saw pictures of the Solove Titan on Amazon.com, I guessed it would be another typical plastic battery pack. Or at least another decently built battery that serves its main purpose and gives no more.
I figured for the price of $39.99 there was no way this battery was made out of real aluminum. Boy was I wrong. The Solove Titan is truly encased in aluminum, and feels absolutely identical to the feel I get when I pick up my Macbook air. It’s cold to the touch and feels solid to the core. We’ve reviewed other metal encased batteries before, but those sold for double or triple the price of the Solove Titan. And again, the main purpose of the Solove Titan is to charge your devices when you’re away from a wall outlet. It’s pretty obvious the looks are distracting me from its main purpose.
The external battery is rated for 20000mAh, which is more than enough power to charge your Nexus 6P(3450mAh) almost six full charges, and it can definitely charge your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Moto X Pure (both 3000mAh) six full times with a little power to spare. It can almost recharge the iPad Air 2 almost three full times, giving you over a weeks full of usage on each device without ever needing to attach your devices to a wall.
The Solove Titan comes with a micro-USB input for charging the battery, two 3.1amp output USB ports and a very useful and unique battery level indicator. It displays the remaining power down to the exact percentage.
Design wise, the Solove Titan is the best power bank I have personally ever come across.
Usage
For purposes of this review I was charging two smartphones (Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X) over the course of four days to expedite the review. The Solove Titan really lived up to its specs and powered both of my devices while I stayed away from my wall chargers. 20000mAh is a ton of power, and realistically if I only charged one smartphone, my Nexus 6P which has really good battery life, I may have needed up to two weeks to fully test this battery.
If I had my nieces with me, that may have been a different story as those two are always on their phones or tablets. Instagram, Minecraft, texting, Instagram, Minecraft, selfies, YouTube, Instagram, etc. Those two really know how to drain batteries. If you know people like this or have some of them yourselves, the Solove Titan is perfect for them as they are constantly draining their power.
The Solove Titan is a big battery, but it isn’t as big as others with the same power rating. It weighs in at 1.17 pounds so you’re most likely not going to be carrying this in a pocket, but it does fit quite nicely in a laptop bag, backpack or purse. I carried mine in my backpack and Solove kindly provided a beautifully designed felt cover to slide the battery into for protection. There’s also a pocket sewn into the back which I would occasionally drop a phone in while leaving it to charge. Even having a little pocket for your phone is something that was well thought out when it came to design and functionality. Having the case with a pocket made it easy to carry around in my hand.
Most importantly, the Solove Titan actually did get two of my smartphones through four full days of usage with 42% remaining. I don’t use two phones full-time, so it was difficult to truly drain the battery. In addition, Google has completely improved battery life management in Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It did live up to it’s rating during my testing, and I was so confident in the battery that I didn’t bring a wall charger with me when I had to travel for work for three full days. I just toted the Solove Titan around in my backpack and got power when I needed it.
There isn’t much to an external power bank other than its power reserves and the Solove Titan has more than enough to keep you running at 100%. I absolutely loved the power indicator as it does measure your remaining juice down to the exact percentage. Other batteries usually have four LED lights and when you’re out, you’re out.
Specs
- 20,000mAh Li-Polymer batteries
- Solid Aluminum alloy construction
- Dual USB 5V 3.1amp ports for fast charging
- Equipped with smart technology to prevent over-charging
- LCD battery indicator
Summary
The Solove Titan 20000mAh battery simply wowed me. Even some of the other guys here at Androidguys.com picked up on how beautiful this battery really is. It not only is a looker but it performs as designed and can easily support a businessman on a work trip, a blogger who wants to avoid a wall outlet for a week, or even a family of gadget lovers who are traveling for Thanksgiving.
I usually am the type to prefer form over function, but when you come across a rare beauty with the insides to match, you better put a ring on it.
If you want to learn more or make a purchase, head on over to Amazon.com. The Solove Titan comes in gray, silver, gold and green. I highly recommend it.
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Periscope adds rewinding and fast forwarding
We live in a fast-paced world and sometimes there are things that we miss. The folks over at Periscope understand this and so have added a rewind and fast forward function to the app. All you need to do is hold your finger down on a replay broadcast and it will minimize, allowing you to drag and drop at a timestamp you wish to start watching from. Currently the new features are available on the web version of the app and around half of Android user accounts. Not to worry, though, the company says it plans to release the updated app for iOS users and the remaining Android accounts in the coming weeks.
Via: The Verge
Source: Google Play
Marshmallow debuts in less than one percent of Android devices
Google’s latest version of Android, Marshmallow, only started rolling out last month. As such, it shouldn’t come as surprise to see that the current adoption numbers for it are extremely low. According to Android’s Platform Distribution rates for the month of November, Marshmallow is running on a mere 0.3 percent of “active” devices. The data is collected from signals sent to the Play Store, which helps identify what Android version is on handsets or tablets. Lollipop (5.0 and 5.1), on the other hand, accounts for nearly 26 percent, while Kit Kat (4.4) is the most popular version with about 38 percent of the total. The slow adoption rates for Marshmallow are by no means Google’s fault, however, since it is often carriers and manufacturers which fail to keep their phones up to date.
New Android malware virus puts millions of devices at risk
Android has yet another malware issue, this one being nearly impossible to fix.
The new malware puts nearly all Android devices at risk. The malware will attempt to bury itself within the OS, making it hard to locate and then remove. The virus software will gain root-like access to your device. As of now the only way to fully remove the virus software is to boot on a clean ROM or comletely remodel the device’s system files, which can only be done through ADB. If you were thinking full system restore, this will only temporarily resolve the issue, but will then come back. If you’re not very experienced in remodeling your phone/tablet, it may easier to just buy a new phone or send in for a replacement if need be the case. According to Lookout, over 20,000 apps have already been infected with the virus, so be cautious on what you download. To find more information on this vulnerability, check out the source link down below.
Source: Lookout
Come comment on this article: New Android malware virus puts millions of devices at risk
Google is reportedly planning to standardize Android chipsets
Google is trying to take more control of its Android ecosystem by designing its own chips, according to a report from The Information (subscription). The search giant reportedly spoke with chip manufacturers about building Android device processors with features it covets, like a bigger CPU memory cache, quicker cameras and built-in depth-sensor support. It appears that Google is sick of Android device fragmentation, and feels that current hardware is limiting its ability to bring tech like Project Tango to market. It also wants to standardize Android hardware to better compete in high-end phones with Apple, which has seen record sales with the iPhone 6s.
Source: The Information
BlackBerry can bypass carriers to deliver Android security fixes
Multiple Android phone makers are promising monthly security updates, but there’s a big gotcha: they typically have to get approval from carriers, which means you’ll wait weeks before those updates arrive. BlackBerry won’t be making that compromise with the Priv, however. It’s not only planning to deliver monthly security updates, but won’t always have to go through carriers to do it — the company claims it can “directly patch” every Priv model, even if it’s locked to a specific network. The smartphone maker will work with its partners on pushing fixes when it can, but it’ll skip the queue and deliver an out-of-cycle patch if there’s a major vulnerability.
Source: Inside BlackBerry
New strain of Android malware is ‘virtually impossible’ to remove
Do you remember the bad old days of computer viruses so invasive that it was easier to nuke your software and start over than fix the problem? They’re back… in mobile form. Lookout has noticed a trend toward Android malware that masquerades as a popular app, but quietly gets root-level access to your phone and buries itself deep in the operating system. If that happens, you’re in serious trouble. Unless you can walk through loading a fresh ROM or carefully modify system files over ADB, it may be easier to just replace the device, or have your phone company reflash it — a simple factory reset won’t get the job done. Some of the bogus apps are little more than shells for ads, but others will work properly while they compromise your device.
Via: Ars Technica
Source: Lookout
Google plans on attempting to end fragmentation in Android by controlling the hardware
Fragmentation in Android is a huge problem. As I mentioned in my things Android should steal from iOS article, fixing fragmentation was a big part of it. Google agrees and plans on fixing the situation by co-developing new chips and other sensors.
Google has reportedly talked to some microchip makers about developing chips based on Google’s own preferred designs. The main reason for this is to make Android a little bit more like iOS. They figure that if they can control the hardware and the software, Android will be a much simpler OS to update and keep control of.
In theory, it should work pretty well, Apple is doing a great job at it. However, Android has many other manufactures using it, while Apple is the only one using iOS. I’m sure any sort of effort to uniform the updating process will be beneficial to Android users, but I just don’t see it ever being as easy as how Apple makes it seem.
Source: The Information (1), (2)
Come comment on this article: Google plans on attempting to end fragmentation in Android by controlling the hardware
AAXA Technologies P700 HD LED Micro projector (Review)
Having the ability to bring presentations with you on your smartphone, USB flash drive, or other media device is useless if you don’t have the ability to share it with a group. Portable projectors are taking hold and replacing the need for paper presentations as well as presentations from a laptop display. The AAXA Technologies P700 HD Micro Projector is a tool that every business professional should consider adding to their briefcase/laptop bag. It is a portable, compact, well-built, battery-powered and easy to use.
It’s so good, it can even be used for home entertainment as well.
Design
The AAXA P700 projector is an LED(light-emitting diode) projector which is different from your traditional projectors as they use different lighting technology to display the image or video. LED lamps have better electrical efficiency and longer lifespan than their LCD and DLP projector counterparts. What this means in real world usage is you can make the size of the projector smaller and you can make it portable which is perfect for business purposes.
Measuring in at 6.9″x3.9″x1.6″ the AAXA P700 is much smaller than the hardback copy of Built to Last by Jim Collins, who also authored the famous book Good to Great. There is a high chance that if you’re a business professional, you’ve probably read or at least heard of one of those books before. If you have carried one in your laptop bag, briefcase, suitcase, etc. before, you should have no problems dropping the AAXA P700 in your bag as well. It only weighs 1.37 pounds which is lighter than some portable batteries used for charging mobile phones and tablets.
The external design of the AAXA P700 looks the part as its external body is made of glossy plastic – white on the lower half with a black top. It is tuxedo like giving it a very elegant look. On the sides are a manual focusing wheel, on/off switch, HDMI input, TF-card input, headphone out port and the power input slot. In the front is obviously the output lens projector, and around back has slots for VGA, AV and a full size USB input. On the top are built-in controls for navigating on-screen(remote control is included too). On the bottom is an input for attaching the AAXA P700 to a tripod to make it easier to display your images or videos if you need height.
Overall the design is elegant, compact, lightweight and portable.
Usage
I have access to quite a few meeting rooms inside of the building at the company I work at. We either use projectors(bulbs) or LCD televisions. LCD displays are limited in size and are difficult to mount. They typically only work for our small group meetings. Our projectors on the other hand are a couple of years old and required professional ceiling mounts. They also need their bulbs switched out on a regular basis which is not an easy task. They either burn out completely or lose brightness over time making it hard to see. The old style projectors are very loud because of the built-in fans to keep the bulbs and circuitry from overheating. Five or ten years ago, these projectors were fantastic, but after using the AAXA P700 I will be recommending we swap our projectors out.
The AAXA P700 really shines. Not only is it easy to bring into work with me to test, but it is also very bright. Brightness is one of the most important factors when presenting information – if your viewers cannot see what you are presenting they will disengage. The AAXA P700 is very clear making it super easy to see from the back of the room. The other benefit of being small is that the built-in fan is quiet and doesn’t require much on my part to speak over it.
Lighting at 50% in the meeting room. Still a very bright image.
I found the remote AAXA provided to be very responsive and simple. This is also important because you don’t want to be fiddling around with a remote control when you’re preparing a presentation. I connected a laptop to it using an HDMI cable as well as an external USB port. In my experience, these two ports are the most commonly used by sales reps and business professionals when giving presentations. Just like using a standard TV, all you need to do is select the proper input and it will display the image from your laptop or whatever device is connected via HDMI.
For my external USB drive, the AAXA P700 could read standard files such as MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, AVI, BMP, JPG, GIF and TXT. I tested out most of these files types and they all loaded and displayed with ease.
For business purposes, there are no flaws with the AAXA P700. It even has 70 minutes worth of battery power which is long enough for the typical 30-60 minute presentation.
Knowing that the projector could handle HDMI, I connected my Chromecast to it. I streamed videos in my bedroom when I took it home. The AAXA P700 has a built-in speaker which is loud enough for a quiet room, but if you want real entertainment quality sound don’t expect much. The volume is loud but lacks depth and bass. When I was watching a video, I simply connected external speakers via the headphone out port to improve sound quality. The sound output was very clear and entertaining with external speakers.
But the most important part, the display output, was absolutely incredible. I projected the video at my white colored bedroom wall, and the image was so clear I thought I could use this as a entertainment device for my bedroom if I wanted. It’s smaller than a wall-mounted TV and can be moved to any other room at anytime. I even threw up a video for cat – my cat was instantly entertained. She was trying to interact with the birds on the wall. She and I could not get enough of the AAXA P700.
The image was so clear even my cat was entertained by the bird.
Specs
PROJECTION SYSTEM
| Max Resolution: | 1920×1080 (1080P) |
| Native Resolution: | 1280×800 (WXGA) |
| Brightness (DC): | 650 LED Lumens |
| Brightness (Battery): | 350 LED Lumens |
| Contrast Ratio: | 2000:01:00 |
| Projection Lens: | Manual Focus |
| Projection Image: | Available Size 10 ~ 150 inch |
| Lamp: | Triple RGB LEDs with Vibrant Color Technology |
| Life 15,000hrs | |
| Projection Offset: | 100% |
GENERAL SPECS
| Audio Output: | 1W (x2) Stereo Speakers |
| Stereo speaker/headphone mini-jack | |
| Color: | White/Black |
| File Playback: | MicroSD& USB Host reader |
| Menu Language: | English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese |
| Aspect Ratio Control: | 16:09 |
| Battery Life: | 70 Minute Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery (Removable) |
| Dimensions: | 6.9″ X 3.9″ X 1.6″ |
| Weight: | 1.37 lbs |
| Power Consumption: | 45 Watts |
| Supported Formats: | MP3 / WMA / OGG / WAV / AVI |
| BMP / JPG / GIF / TXT |
Summary
The AAXA Technologies P700 HD Micro Projector is a rock star for business use and can easily be adapted for home use as well. All around it is a fantastic option for its affordable price, compact size, litany of features and gives a very bright and clear display output. It isn’t bigger than a typical business book and should fit nicely in your work bag. You can display up to 150″ giving a fun view for movies,pictures, games and most importantly presentations. You can learn more at AAXA Technologies or make a purchase from Amazon.com. I just showed it to the head of I.T. at my company and he ordered one for use on business trips.
Image with lights off.
Same image as above but with lights off.
The post AAXA Technologies P700 HD LED Micro projector (Review) appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Android’s latest distribution figures show that Marshmallow is now running on 0.3% of all Android devices
Google has published the latest distribution figures for the Android operating system. The numbers show a consistent growth in the amount of users running both Lollipop and Marshmallow, whilst Jelly Bean and Ice Cream Sandwich continue on their voyage towards extinction.
This data has been collected by recording which operating systems customers were running when they accessed the Play Store over a 7-day period, which ended on November 5, 2015. Its important to bear in mind, though, that it doesn’t represent every handset out there as some may not have downloaded applications in this time frame.
In comparison to last month, these statistic demonstrate that Marshmallow is now on the table weighing in at 0.3%, and Lollipop has increased by 2.1% as it’s now installed on 25.6% of active Android devices. On the other hand, KitKat is down 1.1%, now totalling at 37.8%, and Jelly Bean is at 29%, down from 30.2%.
The full report can be seen below:
Come comment on this article: Android’s latest distribution figures show that Marshmallow is now running on 0.3% of all Android devices
AIVAnet 