IT 資訊科技(信息技术)

More features for the same price? Yes, please.

In late-2018, Fitbit completely overhauled its Charge fitness tracker with the Charge 3 — introducing a brand new design, better battery life, and full 50M waterproofing. It was a massive upgrade and the modern revamp the Charge series was desperately in need of, solidifying the Charge 3 as one of the best no-frills fitness trackers you could buy.

Fast forward to April 2020, and Fitbit is ready to usher in another new entry in the Charge family with the Fitbit Charge 4. The design and feature-set of the Charge 3 is still perfectly fine by today’s standards, so with the Charge 4, Fitbit took a much different approach. Instead of doing another overhaul, the Charge 4 is a very modest update that adds a couple of features, keeps the price the same, and that’s it.

This is very much so a “don’t fix what isn’t broken” product cycle, and while the Charge 4 may not look all that exciting at first glance, the changes that were made are quite …

Fitbit’s app and devices can help you remember to practice self-care.

It’s still early on in the pandemic here in the U.S., and folks are just getting used to the idea of working from home, keeping indoors more than ever, and the concept of self-isolation. Even those of us who are introverts and have worked at home for years are chaffing at these increased restrictions. It can be hard for all of us to remember during this trying time that it’s so important for our physical and mental well-being to continue to practice self-care — indeed, now more than ever.

I’ve been a Fitbit user for nearly four years now, and part of the reason I’ve stayed with the company and platform for so long is that in addition to its excellent fitness trackers, the company has a thoughtfully-designed app with tons of great options for tracking personal health data. There are also features (mostly free) for analyzing that data, setting reminders for health and fitness activities, and competing with friend…

Having a chat with the AC forums.

We live in a world where our smartphones are more powerful and feature-rich than ever before. They can take outstanding photographs, play graphically intense games, stream 4K video, and plenty more.

Phones today really are tiny computers that we can fit in our pocket, but no matter how technically impressive they get, they all come with a small roadblock — figuring out how to hold them.

Thanks to large display sizes and heavy, premium materials like metal and glass, finding a comfortable way to hold your phone can honestly be kind of tricky. Some of our AC forum members recently started talking about how they hold their phone, saying:

customshopkv1
04-12-2020 08:34 PM

“

Use my pinky to support the phone from the bottom. Been doing it forever but really notice it with the heavier phones.
Reply

mustang7757
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The GoPro Hero8 Black action camera has dropped to $299 at B&H. This is a manufacturer’s discount, so while the action camera is still going for its regular $399 price at some places like Best Buy, you can find it on sale from retailers like Adorama. Costco has a slightly less expensive deal that includes some bundled accessories, but you also need to be a Costco member to get it.

The Hero8 just released last fall and it offers some good improvements over the previous generations. More so than ever, the GoPro is designed to travel with you. It’s a more pocketable design and has folding fingers at the base so you can easily swap mounts. The side door makes changing out the rechargeable battery that much faster, and the lens is twice as impact resistant. It can record videos in a max resolution of 4K with 60 fps and take 12MP still photos.

If you’re using the GoPro the way it was meant to be used, you’re probably running around or biking or doing something very active. That means…

Best Buy is running a promotion on Facebook Portal devices right now that is taking $50 off the device of you choice. With more people taking part in video calls thanks to social distancing, now is the perfect time to get your family set up with Portal devices and the savings make it even more affordable.

The most affordable option in the sale is the Portal Mini at $79.99, a price that is also being matched at Amazon. The 8-inch device lets you easily video call other Portal users, or even just Messenger or WhatsApp users, with built-in apps. The Smart Camera tracks you and adjusts to follow you around, meaning you could, for instance, chat with your sister while cooking dinner, or hang out with long-distance relatives while they open up their birthday presents. It’s got Alexa Built-in so you can control your smart home, check who’s at the front door, listen to your favorite music, and more hands-free. When not in use, it can also be used as a digital photo frame showing you your be…

The latest and greatest

Fitbit Charge 4

$150 at Fitbit

Pros

Onboard GPS
Heart-rate monitoring
20+ exercise modes
5 ATM water resistance
NFC payments
Seven-day battery life

Cons

More expensive
Only five hours of battery in GPS mode

Those who want a detailed tracking experience in the form of a compact yet powerful device will be in good hands with the Fitbit Charge 4. It has features like built-in GPS, heart-rate monitoring, 5 ATM water resistance, and other new perks that make it an attractive option.

A fine wine

Garmin Vivoactive 3

$130 at Amazon

Pros

Onboard GPS
Heart-rate monitoring
5 ATM water resistance
NFC payments
7-day battery life

Cons

Music storage model costs more
Older device
Only 15+ preloaded sports apps

The Vivoactive 3 isn’t the newest device on the market, but it still has plenty to offer in terms of activity tracking and smartwatch features. You’ll enjoy onboard GPS, 15+ preloaded sports apps, heart-rate monitoring, Garmin Pay, and m…

Sony’s XBR-85X950G 85-inch 2019 model 4K smart TV has dropped to $2,998 at BuyDig, and you can find the same price at several other retailers including Best Buy. BuyDig, however, is sweetening the pot with a few extra incentives. You’ll also get a Google Nest hub, which is a smart device worth about $100 on its own, and a Task Rabbit installation voucher. The voucher is used to hire a local contractor to install your TV for free. You’ll be able to pick your own contractor based on reviews and schedule it on your own time. Not only are you saving and getting free stuff, but the convenience of having a professional install and mount your TV just adds to the value here.

The X950G is one of Sony’s best models of the 2019 lineup with all the buzzwords and features to prove it. Not only do you get 4K resolutions, but you also get a wide range of support for HDR content, including HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision. It’s also got the Android 8.0 operating system so you can fully access the Googl…

An update to “fix” the autofocus issues was rolled out in March.

What you need to know

Several owners of the Exynos 990-powered Galaxy S20 Ultra are complaining about overheating and autofocus issues.
Even though an update to fix the autofocus issue was rolled out recently, it hasn’t been completely fixed yet.
Some users have also reported disappointing battery life with the $1,400 phone.

Samsung had rolled out a software update for the Exynos-powered variants of the Galaxy S20 phones last month to fix the camera issues that several owners had been complaining about. Unfortunately, it appears that the international variant of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S20 Ultra continues to suffer from autofocus issues.

A video posted on Twitter by @pegasaie (via WCCFTech) shows the Exynos-powered Galaxy S20 Ultra struggling to achieve a focus lock on an object. In addition to the autofocus issue, the user claims the phone has “poor battery life” and also overheats.

Seriously the Exynos varian…