Why you should buy a Fire TV Cube over a Fire TV Stick

If you’re looking to buy a media streaming device, Amazon’s Fire TV lineup provides a lot of options. There’s the basic Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Stick Lite, Fire TV Stick 4K Max, and Fire TV Stick 4K. All these devices have a similar dongle form factor and can be hooked to any display that has an HDMI port. Amazon also has an interesting device called Fire TV Cube, which can do much more than just streaming. Here’s why the Fire TV Cube might be a better choice for you over a Fire TV Stick.

Unconventional Design

The appearance is one of the most striking differences between the Fire TV Cube and a Fire TV Stick. All Fire TV Sticks follow the same general design. They’re slim, lightweight, and have a rectangular shape, almost like an oversized USB drive.

The Fire TV Cube looks beastly in comparison. The 3.4-inch square box measures 3.38 x 3.38 x 3.02 inches and weighs 465g. Unlike the Fire TV Stick, which hides behind your TV, the Cube is designed to sit near or in front of your smart TV. It looks stylish and will nicely complement your entertainment center. It has four buttons at the top, and a blue LED running across the top edge. Since the Fire TV Cube is a hefty device, ensure you have space around your TV.

Better performance, more storage

The Fire TV Cube is Amazon’s flagship streaming device. In terms of performance, the Fire TV Cube blows other Fire TV devices out of the water. Amazon says it’s the fastest in the Fire TV lineup. It’s powered by an Amlogic S922X hexa-core processor, featuring four Cortex-A73 performance cores clocked at 2.2GHz and two Cortex-A53 efficiency cores running at 1.9GHz.

In comparison, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is powered by a quad-core MediaTek CPU clocked at 1.8GHz. While Fire Sticks are prone to sluggishness and lags in the long run, it’s unlikely to be an issue on the Fire TV Cube. The Cube will feel more responsive and zippier in day-to-day usage as it has more RAM and raw power to draw from. Also, if you’re planning to do a bit of gaming or graphics-intensive work, the Fire Cube is a better choice as it has a faster GPU.

The Fire TV Cube packs 16GB of onboard storage compared to 8GB on other Fire TV devices. More storage means more room for apps and media files.

Coming to the streaming performance, the Fire TV Cube offers 4K HDR streaming with Dolby Vision and HDR10 support. In this regard, it’s neck to neck with the Fire TV Stick 4K and Stick 4K Max, both of which offer 4K HDR streaming at 60fps. Meanwhile, the basic Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Stick Lite max out at 1080p 60fps streaming.

It’s essentially an Echo speaker that can also stream

The biggest difference between the Fire TV Cube and a Fire TV Stick is hands-free Alexa. The Fire TV Cube is essentially a full-fledged Echo speaker that can stream as well. It has a built-in 1.6-inch (40mm) speaker and eight far-field omnidirectional microphones that can pick up your voice from across the room. That means you talk to Alexa and give commands without touching the remote. And since it’s essentially an Echo speaker, you can also control your other smart home devices such as lights, security cameras, thermostats, etc. The Fire Stick can also manage your IoT devices, but you first need to connect your devices to an Echo speaker.

You can control your TV and sound system

The Fire TV Cube comes with HDMI-CEC and infrared (IR), allowing you to control your TV, soundbars, A/C receivers, and satellite boxes using Alexa.

You can control the power and input switching on your TV, turn up or down the volume of your soundbars, or switch to cable using just your voice. For example, you can say, “Alexa, turn on the TV” or “Alexa, turn up the volume.” In select markets such as the US, UK, and Germany, you can even change channels on your cable or satellite box with voice — “Alexa, tune to ESPN on cable.”

Basically, the Fire TV Cube makes it possible to control your entire entertainment system with just voice commands without having to fiddle with remotes or separate controls, making the experience seamless.

Ethernet connectivity out of the box

Connectivity options are limited with a Fire TV Stick as you only get HDMI and USB ports. The Fire TV Cube has an HDMI, infrared, and micro USB port. The Cube also comes with an ethernet adapter for wired internet connectivity. This can come in handy if your Wi-Fi isn’t strong enough and there are other devices in your household fighting for bandwidth. The Fire TV Stick and the Stick 4K also support ethernet connection, but you need to buy the adapter separately.

Bottom line

The Fire TV Cube is a unique device that’s better in many ways than a Fire TV Stick. While it’s more expensive than the top-end Fire TV Stick 4K Max, it also brings a lot of value. It’s much more than just a streaming box, combining the power of an Echo speaker with a Fire TV Stick. In addition to offering hands-free control for content playback, the Fire TV Cube lets you control your TV, sound system, and satellite box with voice commands.

Amazon Fire TV Box

The Amazon Fire TV Box is an amalgamation of an Echo speaker and a Fire TV Stick.

Buy from Amazon

Since the Fire TV Cube also happens to be a full-fledged Echo speaker, it can act as a central hub for all your smart home devices, including lights, thermostats, and security cameras. Not to mention the Fire TV Cube offers better performance and more storage than a Fire TV Stick. Instead of buying an Echo speaker and a 4K-powered Fire TV Stick, you should get the Fire TV Cube instead and shoot two birds with one stone.

If you simply need streaming capabilities and aren’t interested in adding smart speakers to your setup, then the Fire TV Sticks remain better choices.

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Asus confirms the Zenfone 9 is coming later this month

Late last week, Asus accidentally published a promo video of its upcoming flagship, the Zenfone 9, revealing key details ahead of the launch. The company has now confirmed it will officially unveil the device on July 28.

Asus has updated its official website with a new banner, which confirms that the company will launch the Zenfone 9 at an event on July 28 at 9 a.m. ET. While the banner doesn’t reveal anything else about the device, it does give us a look at its display, confirming the design we spotted in the promo video last week.

According to the leaked promo video, the Asus Zenfone 9 will be a compact flagship, featuring a new design with two circular camera modules on the back panel, a flat display, and a metal frame with square edges. The smartphone will pack Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip, a 4,300mAh battery, a 50MP Sony IMX766 primary camera, six-axis hybrid gimbal stabilization, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

We also know that the Zenfone 9 will feature a 5.9-inch 120Hz Samsung AMOLED display with a left-aligned hole-punch cutout for the selfie shooter, a 3.5mm headphone jack, dual stereo speakers, and an IP68 certification for dust and water resistance. The phone will come in four colorways — white, black, red, and blue.

The promo video has also confirmed that Asus will offer two new accessories with the device — a Smart Backpack Mount and a flexible Connex case with an optional kickstand or cardholder. On the software front, the Zenfone 9 will likely run Asus’ ZenUI based on Android 12, and it will offer a couple of unique features, like gesture input support for the side-mounted fingerprint sensor and a new Light Trail Mode for nighttime photography.

Based on these specifications, we believe the Zenfone 9 could be one of the best compact smartphones this year. But you’ll have to wait for our full review to know for sure if that’s the case or not.

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Source: Asus

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Sony’s fantastic WH-1000XM4 and WF-1000XM4 get big discounts for Prime Day

If you’ve been looking to upgrade your wireless audio experience, this Amazon Prime Day deal on Sony’s high-end audio products is for you. Sony is knocking $121 off the WH-1000XM4 headphone and $80 off the WF-1000XM4 earbuds for Prime Day. Confusing names aside, these are some of the best Bluetooth audio products you can buy right now, especially at this price.

The Sony WH-1000XM4 are premium wireless over-ear headphones, featuring fantastic audio quality and active noise cancellation thanks to the Dual Noise Sensor technology. The headphones use multiple microphones to detect and filter out background noise so you can focus on listening to music, with Sony’s in-house QN1 chip aiding in canceling out said noise.

You get 30 hours of battery life, enough to get you through long flights and trips where you don’t want to be bothered by background noise. Plus, with fast charging support, you can get 5 hours of use with a 10-minute charge. The headset also has touch controls built into the earcups so you don’t have to reach for your phone every time. Wearing detection also plays or pauses music automatically when you put the headphones on or take them off.

Right now, you can save $121 on these headphones, which brings them to a much more palatable $228 price, instead of the usual $349.99. That’s a huge reduction – even bigger than we saw for Black Friday last year – and it makes these an easier recommendation than ever. And yes, Sony has the newer WH-1000XM5 model that’s a bit better, but with this deal, you can almost buy two pairs of these for what a single pair of those would cost you. And you’re still getting fantastic audio.

Sony WH-1000XM4 ($121 off)

The Sony WH-1000XM4 are high-end Bluetooth headphones with a premium look and fantastic audio quality and ANC. At $228, they're a fantastic deal.

See at Amazon

If you’re not as big of a fan of over-ear headphones and you prefer earbuds, there are also the WF-1000XM4. These are Sony’s latest flagship earbuds, and they bring the company’s audio expertise to a much smaller package. You still get great active noise cancellation with the Sony Integrated Processor V1 – an enhanced version of the QN1 mentioned above – and multiple microphones for audio pickup. They also have great audio quality driven by 6mm drivers and LDAC codec support.

The Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds last up to 8 hours on a charge, and the charging case stores another 16 hours, plus the case also supports fast charging so you can get one hour of listening time from a 5-minute charge. Wireless charging is also supported (though it won’t be as fast). Just like the headset, touch controls are also built into the earbuds so you can easily play and pause music.

The earbuds are $80 off, and that brings them under $200 ($198, specifically), which makes them much more tempting. For reference, they were $248 for Black Friday, so this is a big reduction even compared to that.

Sony WF-1000XM4 ($80 off)

For fans of true wireless earbuds, the Sony WF-1000XM4 are one of the very best options out there, with great audio quality and ANC, plus a unique design that looks great. They're down to $198, a fantastic price for what you get.

See at Amazon

Whether you’re a fan of over-ear headphones or earbuds, the Sony WH-1000XM4 and WF-1000XM4 are fantastic, and these Prime Day deals make high-quality audio much more accessible.

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The Obsbot Tiny 4K webcam is down to $199 for Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day is in full swing, and it’s the best time to save some money on all kinds of tech products. That includes the Obsbot Tiny 4K – an AI-powered webcam we reviewed a couple of weeks ago.Usually, this webcam goes for $269, but for Prime Day, you can grab it for just $199, a significant 26% discount.

In my Obsbot Tiny 4K review, I absolutely loved it, and I still use it in all my meetings. The AI features include the ability to track you in real time, and the camera can physically rotate and tilt to follow you around, even if you move all around the room. It works really well and it moves fast, so you don’t really have to worry about being out of the frame. If you want to stand up during a meeting, walk around, or show something off on a whiteboard, it’s perfect for that.

Of course, you can turn tracking on or off easily, too. The camera uses gesture recognition, which you can use to enable or disable tracking, and there’s also a gesture for zooming in and out depending on your needs.

On top of all of this, you can use the Obsbot TinyCam software for Windows or macOS to enable even more features. This app lets you manually pan, tilt, and zoom with the camera, plus you can save the camera’s position as a preset, so if you don’t want tracking enabled but you want the perfect angle for a specific situation, you can always go back to it easily. The app also lets you set up features like HDR, color adjustments, tracking modes, and so on. There are plenty of options, and they make this already great webcam an even better one.

Obsbot Tiny 4K ($70 off)

The Obsbot Tiny 4K is a fantastic 4K webcam with AI-powered tracking features and configuration options using the TinyCam software. it usually costs $269, but it's down to just $199 now.

See at Amazon

This Amazon Prime Day deal knocks $70 off of the usual price of the Obsbot Tiny 4K, making it just $199 instead of $269. Granted, that’s still a good chunk of money, but this is a phenomenal webcam and this is the best price we’ve seen for it yet.

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Google Play System Update for July 2022 brings several Play Store updates, Google Wallet rebrand, and more

After rolling out the July 2022 Android security patches to Pixel devices last week, Google has now started rolling out the latest Google Play System update. The new release brings several Google Play Store improvements, the Google Wallet rebrand, new APIs to help developers build seamless multi-device experiences, and more.

According to the updated support page, the Google Play System update for July 2022 brings improvements for the Play-as-you-download feature for the Play Store, new features to help users discover apps and games, app download and installation optimizations, and new features for the Play Pass and Play Points programs. In addition, the update includes the Google Wallet rebrand, which Google introduced at I/O this year. Check out the full changelog below for a list of all the changes and improvements.

• Account Management
  • [Phone] The section headers in the Data & Privacy tab of the Google account settings have a new appearance.
• Device Connectivity
  • [Phone] APIs for developers to build seamless multi-device experiences.
• Google Play Store
  • Improvements to Play-as-you-download feature to let gamers start playing mobile games while the app download continues to reduce waiting times.
  • New Features to help you discover the Apps & Games you love.
  • Optimizations allowing faster and more reliable download and installation.
  • New features to the Play Pass and Play Points programs.
  • Enhancements to Google Play Billing.
  • Continuous improvements to Play Protect to keep your device safe.
  • Various performance optimizations, bug fixes and improvements to security, stability and accessibility.
• Support
  • [Phone] Provide an ability to filter the data plans available to purchase by various categories received from the Carrier.
• Wallet
  • [Phone] Updates user experience to latest Google Material design, rebrands as “Google Wallet”.
• Developer Services
  • New developer features for Google and third party app developers to support Maps related developer services in their apps.

The Data & Privacy tab design changes, Wallet rebrand, and data plan filters will roll out to users with Google Play services v22.22, while the Play Store improvements and changes will roll out with Google Play Store v31.1. Lastly, the new developer features that bring Maps-related developer services to third-party apps will roll out with Google Play services v22.26.

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Source: Google System Updates support page

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The M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are up to $200 off ahead of Prime Day

The M2 MacBook Air is right around the corner, but if you don’t feel like spending over $1,200 on a new laptop, now’s a great time to pick up the M1 model. Retailers including Amazon and Best Buy are selling the M1-powered MacBook Air with a significant $100 discount, making this fantastic laptop just under $900 for the base model. In fact, Best Buy is taking $200 off the 512GB model, which also includes a more powerful version of the M1 processor with an 8-core GPU. You can get that model for just $1,049.99 right now, instead of $1,249.99.

Aside from the processor, the MacBook Air comes with 8GB of RAM (unified memory) and a 256GB SSD in the base model, and that already offers plenty of performance. The base model also includes a 7-core GPU. As we’ve mentioned, you can also upgrade to 512GB of SSD storage, and you get a more powerful 8-core GPU alongside it. That model is significantly cheaper on Best Buy compared to Amazon, but both places are offering the same $100 discount on the base configuration.

MacBook Air (M1)

The MacBook Air is a thin and light laptop powered by Apple's M1 processor, making it a very fast machine for everyday use.

See at Best Buy

See at Amazon

If you’d rather buy the MacBook Pro, there’s good news for you too. The M1 MacBook Pro is currently discounted by $200 at Best Buy, so it starts at $1,099.99. This model comes with an 8-core GPU in every configuration, plus it has active cooling so it can maintain its top performance for longer. The display is also brighter, reaching up to 500 nits.

MacBook Pro (M1)

The MacBook Pro with the M1 processort has similar internals to the Air, but it has active cooling for better sustained performance, plus a brighter screen.

See at Best Buy

Both of these laptops have a 13.3-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and very sharp 2560 x 1600 resolution, so you’re getting a great experience for the price you’re paying. Plus, they have a solid aluminum unibody that looks and feels premium. Sure, models with M2 processors are starting to become available, but these are still powerful laptops, and with these discounts, they become much more appealing. If you buy them now, they’ll be good enough to serve you for a long time.

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Should you get a Kindle? Is buying an e-reader worth it?

If you want to start a debate in a room full of readers, then ask them whether they use a Kindle or not. Somehow, the Kindle has become an extremely divisive piece of tech, with one side proclaiming them the end of paper books and the other seeing them as a useful gadget and welcome addition to their library. If you’re currently on the fence about buying a Kindle, then hopefully, this post will help you decide if an e-reader is right for you.

To Kindle or Not to Kindle – that is the question

Before we jump into the arguments both for and against Kindle e-readers, we just want to mention that there’s nothing wrong with owning a Kindle and also reading paper books. You heard that correctly: you can be a Kindle and paper book lover, at the same time. For many people, a Kindle is a part of their reading repertoire, not a replacement for paper books. With that said and out of the way, let’s take a look at the kinds of people who can benefit from owning a Kindle.

Who should own a Kindle?

Anyone can own a Kindle, but certain groups of readers can benefit from the investment more than others. Here are some of those readers.

1. Those who travel regularly and don’t want extra baggage weight.
2. Those trying to live a more minimalist lifestyle.
3. Those who need to read a lot for college or university and don’t want to be lugging around heavy books.
4. Those who don’t have space for a physical library of books at home.
5. Those that read in the dark or when their partner is asleep.
6. Those that want to read in the bath.
7. And anyone who wants to save paper.

Who shouldn’t own a Kindle?

Vice-versa, certain groups of readers, should probably give a Kindle e-reader a miss.

1. Those who rarely read.
2. Those that prefer to collect antique books or to buy second-hand.
3. Those that collect books for the aesthetic.
4. Those who regularly read books filled with diagrams, charts, and tables.
5. Those who struggle to use technology.
6. Those who already read happily on their phone or tablet.

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Which Kindle is right for you?

Even if you fall into one of the groups under the ‘Who should own a Kindle’ category, there’s no denying that a Kindle is an investment. Depending on which Kindle e-reader you buy, you could be spending anywhere from $89.99 for a basic Kindle all the way up to $300 for the top-of-the-range Kindle Oasis. So the real question is, which Kindle do you need?

Basic 10th generation Kindle

The cheapest Kindle e-reader on the market is the 10th Generation Kindle. If you’re not going to switch entirely to digital reading and only want your Kindle for travel or occasional use, then the 10th Gen Kindle is a good purchase.

Kindle 10th Gen

The base model Kindle only comes with 8GB storage and has the smallest screen of all Kindle e-readers at just 6 inches, with the lowest resolution at 167 PPI. It’s not waterproof, and while it does have a front-lit screen, it’s only got 4 LEDs and doesn’t have an adjustable warm light option.

Buy a 10th generation Kindle if:

• You want the most affordable Kindle option on the market.
• You don’t intend to use it in the bath or pool.
• You’re not a big night-time reader.
• You don’t intend to have a huge digital library of books.

Kindle 10th Generation

Kindle - With a Built-in Front Light - Black

Buy on Amazon

The Kindle Paperwhite

When it comes to buying a basic Kindle, the Kindle Paperwhite is where we recommend you start. It’s not that much more expensive than the 10th Generation Kindle, but it has a lot more to offer.

Kindle Paperwhite 11th Gen

For starters, the Kindle Paperwhite has a slightly larger screen at 6.8 inches, but it packs almost double the PPI. It also has 17 LED lights and adjustable warm light, it is waterproof with an IPX8 rating and has a much more appealing front-flush design.

While the Kindle Paperwhite is still only available with 8GB of storage, its slightly larger screen with better resolution and warm light options make it a much more comfortable device to read from.

Buy a Kindle Paperwhite if:

• You want an affordable waterproof Kindle.
• You like to read in the dark.
• You don’t have a huge library.
• You don’t want page-turn buttons.

Kindle Paperwhite

Kindle Paperwhite (8 GB) – Now with a 6.8 display and adjustable warm light

Buy on Amazon

The Kindle Oasis

Lastly, we come to the creme-de-la-creme of Kindle e-readers, the Kindle Oasis. Starting at $249.99 and going up to $300, the Kindle Oasis is much more of an investment, but it also comes with a lot of benefits.

Firstly, the Oasis has the largest Kindle screen at 7 inches; it also has 300 PPI and boasts of 25 LEDs. For those that like to read at night or outside, the Kindle Oasis also has auto-adjusting brightness and fully adjustable warm light options.

But perhaps the most significant feature on the Kindle Oasis that isn’t available on the other models is its page turn buttons and automatic page orientation. You can read the Kindle Oasis with one hand, and if you swap hands, the device will automatically rotate your page.

The Kindle Oasis is also the only Kindle e-reader to offer free cellular connectivity as an option, and it has a 32GB option for those who plan to build an extensive digital library.

Buy a Kindle Oasis if:

• You want the top-of-the-range Kindle.
• You like to read with one hand.
• You want a waterproof Kindle device.
• You plan to build an extensive Kindle e-library.
• You want the most comfortable Kindle reading experience.

Kindle Oasis

Kindle Oasis – Now with adjustable warm light

Buy on Amazon

Closing thoughts on buying a Kindle

If you like to read, then is there any harm in buying a Kindle? The answer is no. It also remains true that you can do everything that a Kindle does on your smartphone. So while purchasing a Kindle can be an initial investment, owning a Kindle e-reader can make reading more accessible, affordable, and enjoyable in the long run.

Which Kindle e-reader would you buy?

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