How to know which is the Best Free Antivirus

Malware, Adware, and Spyware can easily be the order of the day for you if you do not protect your system. Every time you go online, there is always a big probability that you might click or download a malicious link that can compromise your system and even result in data loss. The statistics on hacking have always been a huge concern because even the newest system with new malware defenders are still not secure enough. This is one of the reasons that we always recommend to our readers that even though the Windows 10 defender is much stronger than all the previous versions, it still has a few loopholes that can result in detrimental loss.

How does the Best Free Antivirus compare to Paid Antivirus?

I really wish I could tell you that with a free antivirus you’ll never have to worry about malware, but that would be a lie. The free Antivirus available today are much better than the ones we had a couple of years ago, but they still leave a lot to be desired. Most of the companies offering free antivirus software also have paid packages. Therefore, these guys will offer you some of the most basic features in their free versions and retain several key features for their premium packages. In essence, free antivirus software offers partial protection. Most of them will not give you keyword managers, kids protection, and a host of other useful features that are paramount for any system. Some reports even suggest that certain antivirus software is designed to slow down systems deliberately just so the user can upgrade to their more secure and less resource-intensive commercial packages.

Since we understand that paying for Antivirus is not everyone’s highest priorities and that security and privacy is still key, we went out in search for an antivirus that could offer the best malware protection for free. Take note that in this review, we are going to discuss the best free antivirus software overall. This basically refers to the antivirus software that performs well across the board. Therefore, if you are just coming from splashing some of your cash on the best laptop out there, then these are the best options for you. However, if your needs are more specific, your best picks might be slightly different. For instance, if your system is already infected and you are looking for the best free Antivirus to clean up your system, then a malware removal software such as Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free may be a slightly better option than some of the software we will discuss below. In the same way, if you are more concerned about identity theft, then the best software for you might be the ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus. Here is the drawback though; while these particular antiviruses may be excellent in one particular aspect, they are usually average or below average on all other fronts. It’s for that reason that our description for the best free Antivirus is a software that offers the best of everything.

So, what’s the best free Antivirus available today?

The best Antivirus at the moment is the Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition. Bitdefender has arguably the best Antivirus overall, and their expertise is fully felt with this free version. Yes, it is not as feature-packed as the paid packages, but it effectively offers everything you would expect in free antivirus software. Here is a more detailed review on this and other free antivirus software:

Bitdefender Free Antivirus

Bitdefender Free Antivirus offers best-in-class protection against malware. What makes this Antivirus so special is not just its ability to block Antivirus or remove them from your system but also on how it makes your day-to-day life a breeze. How so? Well, Bitdefender Free Antivirus is super lightweight. The software does not pull so many resources taking just a tiny fraction of your RAM. As a result, you can fully rely on this software to keep you protected from the background without interfering with your other tasks.

Installing this Antivirus is also super easy, and it shouldn’t take anything more than a few seconds. The entire process is very well organized, making sure that even the non-tech savvy consumer can get it done. Once it is fully installed, you can run a system check to detect any pre-existing malware. Bitdefender Free Antivirus can run on full speed in the background either on a specific incoming file or on the entire system, and you still won’t feel like it is slowing down your PC.

The test results from independent labs show that Bitdefender Free Antivirus offers excellent protection against different types of malware. This software performs very well with both the old and new malware. It’s also really great in monitoring all incoming files, browsing and phishing websites. This doesn’t come as a surprise at all because this free AV version features the same technology as the commercial one. The only difference is that the Bitdefender Free Antivirus offers core protection but none of the extras that are found in their paid packages.

Bitdefender Free Antivirus is available in Windows 7, 8 and 10. You can also get the software for Mac and Android.

Other Features

• Automatic protection
• Advanced threat defense
• Web attack prevention
• Anti-Phishing and Anti-Fraud
• Automatic Updates

System Requirements

• 1.5Gb Ram
• Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10
• At least 800MB space but Bitdefender recommend 2Gb
• At least 2GHz Intel Core Duo or equivalent

Verdict: Even though Bitdefender Free Antivirus is not feature-packed, it offers reliable core protection that is vital for any system. Therefore, if what you are after is the basic protection and nothing else, then you will love this Antivirus.

Kaspersky Free Antivirus

Coming at a close second is the Kaspersky Free Antivirus. This AV offers excellent malware protection capable of detecting and removing malware from different points of entry. Whether the malware is in an email, incoming or existing file, webpage or even network attacks, the Kaspersky Free Antivirus will be more than ready to shield you.

Installing the software is reasonably easy, and the interface is also user-friendly enough for anyone to use with ease. After installing the software, you can choose the recommended settings, which will make sure malicious tools, auto-dialers, adware, and other suspicious packages are deleted automatically. You can change these settings at any time should they affect the performance of a useful application. While testing the Antivirus, we found the scans to be pretty fast. Also, we noticed that it slightly affects system performance but not too much to slow your device significantly.

Kaspersky Free Antivirus also comes with a system watcher. This is a very useful feature, especially to guys with minimal tech skills. Through the Watcher, Kaspersky can reverse your system and remove all the changes that may have been made by a malicious application.

Other Features

• Instant messaging
• Mail scanners
• Browser plugin
• On-screen keyboard
• Network attack blocker
• File antivirus

System Requirements

• 1GB RAM
• Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
• 1150 MB of hard disk space
• At least Internet Explorer 10
• Processor compatible with SSE2

Verdict: The Kaspersky Free Antivirus is a brilliant piece of software worthy of your consideration. It will wipe your system clean of existing malware and protect you from suspicious links and other malware, ensuring that nothing compromises your security and privacy.

Avast Free Antivirus

Avast Free Antivirus is not as secured as the other two options above but the one place that it beats them all is in the department of features. With so many AV protection features at your disposal, you will get more from this Antivirus than you would from both Kaspersky and Bitdefender’s free versions.

The installation and use of the Avast Free Antivirus are as simple as it can get. The interface is user-friendly with everything arranged logically enough for an effortless experience.

Even though it is not as secure as the other two, it still does a remarkable job in detecting and blocking suspicious files, links, and malware. It also features anti-phishing tools that will constantly protect you from malware coming for your data. This should offer you the extra protection necessary in today’s vibrant e-commerce and online banking environment.

Avast has also outdone a big majority of other antiviruses with dozens of features. One of the best ones here is the famous game mode which was renamed to Do Not Disturb Mode. This will block all the unnecessary notifications allowing you to concentrate on your games with minimal distractions. The change in name also extended the mode to other functions allowing users to do other stuff such as watching movies and making presentations while barring you from notifications.

Other Features

• Behavior Shield that monitors the behavior of your system for any inconsistencies
• Lightweight
• Easy to install
• Real-time protection
• CyberCapture
• Wi-Fi Inspector
• Smart Scan
• Multi-layer security

System Requirements

• 1GB RAM
• Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10
• 2GB hard disk space

Verdict: The Avast Free Antivirus is a great choice for anyone who’s looking for more than just the basic protection. All the extra features found here will definitely enhance your experience in a way that other antiviruses can’t match.

Introduction to the Best Android Tablets

There are so many Android tablets out there. These come in different sizes with a myriad of features. If you want a super slim Android tablet, then you’ll have various options at your disposal. If your priorities are more aligned towards the display, then you’ll also have quite a good variety of choices. However, to us, the best tablet is more than just a crisp 4K display. Yes, we all want crystal clear pixels in all our devices, but there is more to a tablet than just the display. Of what use will a neat display be if it is barely powerful enough to multitask? What’ll be the point of a slightly powerful tablet which then comes with a terrible battery life that cannot even see you through half the day? For us, the best android tablet has to be an all-around device. One that has achieved the perfect balance between all the necessary departments. A tablet that you can fully rely on to get the best experience in browsing, entertainment, and even the simplest of stuff like the user-friendliness of the interface. All of that matters to us because a single misstep in any of those aspects is more than enough to ruin the entire experience.

With that in mind, the next big question is what’s the best android tablet right now? The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 has to be the best tablet in the market at the moment, and here is why:

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is engineered to cop up with the continually increasing needs of the tech world. It is packed with all the relevant features to enhance your life at home, office, and in the go. The performance of this tablet is so superb, and that’s why we don’t just rate it highly as an android tablet but also in the best tablets overall. This explains why it remains at the top of various lists almost a year since its release.

On unboxing the Tab S4, it’s very easy to fall in love with it before you even get down to using it and that’s because the external designing is breathtaking. It is slim, light and feels very premium and this shouldn’t come as a big surprise given the somewhat insane $700+ price tag. The bezels could have been a bit slimmer, but the tablet still looks great.

Samsung has never disappointed us with displays, and they weren’t about to start now because the tab S4 features a 10.5-inch 2560 x 1600 sAMOLED display giving you around 287 pixels per inch. Catching up with the third season of Stranger Things and playing games on this display should be fun. But, does the Tab have enough tech beneath the looks to support this?

Well, the Galaxy Tab S4 runs on a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and 4 GB of RAM. This improves significantly on its predecessor Tab S3, and you can really feel the impact it’s had once you fire up the tablet. In our time with the Tab, we enjoyed how fast the tablet starts, the smoothness with which it performs numerous tasks and how brilliantly it handles multitasking. You can get the tablet with either 64Gb or 256 GB of Internal storage.

Samsung has shown its prowess in innovation and technology in this tablet. This evidently seen in the vast capabilities and features offered here. For one, you can easily transform this tablet into a laptop by connecting it to a keyboard cover (which is sold separately). This tries to deliver the 2-in-1 laptops vibe, and we appreciate Samsung for adding this option even though it still doesn’t compare well with the best hybrid laptops. Carrying out your official duties in this mode should be much easier nonetheless. The S4 Tab also comes with an S Pen. You can make handwritten notes and translate phrases and words with the pen. If you’ve ever thought of exploring your artistic side, then you can install some drawing apps, and the S Pen will help you get started.

Other Features

• The 8MP front camera and 13MP rear camera
• 16-hours of video playback after a full charge
• Fast charging
• Android 8.1
• 16:10 aspect ratio
• Dolby Atmos surround sound
• Voice commands
• Defense-grade security
• Iris scanner
• Bixby Vision
• 1Gbps LTE speeds
• Supports Samsung DeX mode

Huawei MediaPad M3

The Huawei MediaPad M3 is a decent alternative to the Galaxy Tab S4. Not only does it offer excellent performance and an array of features in a stylish design, but it does all that while remaining so affordable.

Straight out of the box, you can see and feel how great this tablet is. The forehead and chin are reasonably sized, and the side bezels are really thin, and this increases the screen to body ratio significantly. It is also very slim and should comfortably sit in your palm, allowing you to reach all the corners with ease. The gorgeous screen is an 8.4-inch 2560 x 1600 IPS display producing vibrant colors thanks to ClariVu 3.0. This dynamic display will breathe life to your everyday entertainment and official needs.

The Huawei MediaPad M3 runs on Huawei’s 2.3 GHz Krin 950. The processor is powerful enough for the tablet to do all the reasonably intensive work with ease. It can also handle some light gaming. However, in our tests, the Galaxy Tab S4 processor recorded better results as compared to the Krin 950. You can get the MediaPad M3 with 32 Gb or 64 GB of internal storage.

The Huawei MediaPad M3 wireless technology is also pretty powerful. The LTE Cat4 connections clock at 150Mbps while the Wi-Fi 11 ac can get you speeds of up to 433Mbps. Again, these figures are not as high as Galaxy Tab S4’s, but neither is the tablet as expensive.

Other Features

• 8MP front and rear camera
• 5100mAh battery delivers up to 9-hours battery life
• Android 6.0
• Weight: 11.2-ounces
• SWS 3.0 technology delivers mind-blowing sound quality
• Front fingerprint sensor
• Advanced brightness control

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

At number three, we have yet another tablet from Samsung, and this is the Galaxy Tab S3. This is the initial model that was replaced by the Galaxy Tab S4, which means that it is not as powerful as its bigger brother and that it’s also a bit cheaper. Despite being a slightly older tablet, the Tab S3 is still relevant to date coming with vast features that can put to shame some of the newer tablets from other manufacturers.

With the somewhat thick bezels, the Galaxy Tab S3 is not the most modern looking tablet in the market. That’s not to mean that it is ugly in any way. It is still slimmer and even better looking than some other Android tablets we came across in our research. It features a glossy glass back, slim and highly-ergonomic body.

The display is nothing short of brilliance. With the Tab S3 comes an HDR-ready Super AMOLED display. I can’t stress enough on just how remarkable this display is. It delivers vibrant colors with highly-detailed images. The combination of this amazing display and the powerful Quad speakers from AKG delivers a very vivid entertainment experience. If you ever wanted to stay up to date with your sports, TV shows, news or other events then while on the road then this is the device you need. Oh and the Vulkan graphics in this Tab have significantly improved the gaming experience.

The Galaxy Tab S3 runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 and 4 Gigs of RAM. This processor was very powerful back in 2017-when the phone was released-but after interacting with the recent Snapdragon 835 and 845, moving back to the 820 will definitely make you feel some difference. However, Snapdragon 820 still performs pretty well with most regular tasks. The Galaxy Tab S3 comes with an expandable memory of up to 400 GB.

Just like its big brother, the Tab S3 comes with a highly-responsive S Pen. This should really improve your everyday interactions with the tablet. You can navigate, draw, and even write texts with this pen and its improved precision should really help you get details of your drawings right.

Other Features

• 5MP and 13MP front and rear camera respectively
• 9.7-inch 2048 x 1536 display
• 12-hours battery life
• Compatible with a detachable keyboard for enhanced user experience
• Android 7.0
• Power saver mode
• Mute ongoing calls and games mode
•  S Pen doesn’t require recharging
• Fast charging
• Samsung Flow enhances your galaxy ecosystem

Introduction to the Best Android Smartwatches

We have discussed Best Smartwatches before where we saw incredible watches capable of doing so much stuff ranging from tracking your fitness and health aspects to bringing your smartphone’s notifications right to your wrist. These were the best overall smartwatches, and in today’s review, we will take a closer look at the best android smartwatches. These smartwatches are specifically meant for all the consumers that are using Android smartphones.

So, how well do the best android smartwatches compare to our overall top pick smartwatches and the best Wear OS smartwatches? And more importantly, what’s the best android smartwatch you can get today?

The best Android Smartwatch at the moment is the Fitbit Versa. Fitbit has not been making smartwatches until recently, and the Fitbit Versa is just their second watch, but they have completely nailed it here. The Fitbit Versa Smartwatch is a collection of the best fitness features blended in a stylish watch that also doubles up as a one-stop destination for all your incoming smartphone notifications. This smartwatch is excellent in so many ways as we are going to see. This explains why it is also one of the best-selling Android smartwatches in the market today.

Here is a more detailed review of the Fitbit Versa and some of the other alternatives that you should also check out before making up your mind.

Fitbit Versa Smartwatch

The Fitbit Versa Smartwatch has so much going for it. From the exterior, the smartwatch looks stunning and elegant enough not to attract odd attention to itself. It feels good and comfortable, and the wristbands are made of a friendly material making sure that the users don’t just feel comfortable wearing it, but they are also protected against irritations and other such issues.

It is available in three designs; Rose Gold, Silver Pebble, and Black. You can also get a special edition of the watch which is either in Rose Gold with lavender woven band or Graphite with Charcoal woven band.

The Fitbit Versa runs on Fitbit OS. We have to admit that the Fitbit OS doesn’t have as many apps as Wear OS, but the good news is that all the essentials you expect in a smartwatch are well represented here. The operating system is very, and it shouldn’t take you anything more than a few interactions to fully get used to it.

Fitbit may not be very dominant in the smartwatch industry, but they arguably have the best line of products when it comes to fitness trackers. The Fitbit Versa is enough to exhibit for that. The smartwatch is fitted with numerous sensors that will stay on top of your fitness and health levels 24/7. It can monitor your heart rate, how long you sleep, and the quality of your sleep. It also comes with several exercise modes that can help you set and keep track of your fitness goals in real time. Through SmartTrack, you can also set the watch to automatically detect and monitor all the exercises you are engaging in.

When it comes to pulling your smartphone functions, the Fitbit Versa also performs very well. The watch will alert you when there is an incoming call or text. It will also give you notifications for other apps like the calendar, finance, sports, fitness, and others. 

The Fitbit Versa smartwatch is compatible with all smartphones running on Android 5.0 or later. Should you decide to change from Android to other devices, the watch will remain useful since it can also work with Mac OS 10.6 and later and Windows 10 devices.

Other than seamlessly doing all the basics expected of a smartwatch, the Fitbit Versa is also packed with a couple of extras that we really liked. First, all female users can log data on their symptoms and periods, and the watch will always keep track of their periods issuing alerts whenever it’s necessary. Also, you can store over 300 songs in this watch. This should be enough for you to create an insane playlist that will keep you motivated and entertained during your workouts.

Other Features

• Swim-proof up to 50m
• 4+ day battery life
• 34 x 24 x 24 mm display
• Built-in GPS
• Reminders to move
• SpO2 sensor
• Fitbit coach

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active

It’s no surprise at all that a Samsung smartwatch features in this review. Samsung has been making incredible pieces of tech from all departments, and the smartwatch arena is one they are definitely looking to dominate. The Samsung Galaxy Watch line already has some really successful watches such as the original Samsung Galaxy Watch. The Galaxy Watch Active is fine-tuned to blend with all the fitness enthusiasts who need a watch that can do more than just telling time and delivering notifications. 

Before we even get into the fine details of what this watch has to offer, we’d like to take a moment and appreciate the elegance of this watch. The design of the Galaxy Watch Active is simply breathtaking, and I wouldn’t have expected anything less from a smartwatch retailing at over $200. The only thing more impressive than its looks is the display. Most people argue that Samsung has the best displays in smartphones, and the same level of expertise is felt in this particular watch.

The Galaxy Watch Active is available in different sizes and four colors i.e., Silver, Rose Gold, Black, and my personal favorite Green. You can, therefore, get the perfect fit for your specific wrist and preferences. Also, the bands are interchangeable, and hence you can stock up two or three different galaxy active bands to make sure that your smartwatch is in perfect tune with your outfit.

Moving on from the looks, the Galaxy Active is fitted with various health and fitness sensors that can track over 39 exercises. It can also automatically detect and monitor seven different exercises. One amazing thing we need to point out is the ability of the smartwatch to detect and send real-time alerts when your heart rate gets too low or high. This should help you get the help you need as soon as possible.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active will be an excellent addition to anyone creating a galaxy ecosystem. This watch will sync with your galaxy devices seamlessly expanding its functionality significantly. That doesn’t mean that it can’t sync with other smartphones, though. The Galaxy Active can be linked with both Android and iOS smartphones. It should then comfortably pick different notifications.

Other features

• Lightweight
• Durable
• Sleep Trackers
• Military grade protection and Gorilla glass coating
• Swim ready (up to 50m)
• Water resistant (10m)
• Customizable watch face
• 45-hours battery life
• Wireless power share
• Plenty of supported apps
• GPS built-in
• Intuitive Keyboard and speech-to-text emoticons
• Breathing techniques

Amazfit Bip Smartwatch

If you are looking for the best smartwatch experience and you still want to keep money in your pocket, then the Amazfit Bip is your best pick. This watch is retailing for less than $80, yet it comes with all the essentials you’ll need in a smartwatch plus a few extras for optimal performance.

The external designing is cool enough to please different user preferences. It is after all, available in different colors and hence you should be in a position to get one that isn’t just pleasing to the eye but also to complement with your overall taste in fashion. The smartwatch also feels really good to the touch and its compact, lightweight nature should allow you to have it on throughout the day and even at night without feeling uncomfortable.

And why would you want to wear the smartwatch at night? Well, who would have guessed that such an affordable smartwatch also comes with all day sensors that can monitor the hours and quality of sleep you are getting? On top of all that, you will get a wide variety of other sensors that will track your heart rate, calories burned, distance traveled, steps taken, and many more. This basically means that the Amazfit Bip is the accessory you need to track your everyday activities without failing or weighing you down. In addition to that, the smartwatch features a variety of sports modes ranging from running, walking, cycling to the treadmill. From all the sensors and modes, you will get accurate and comprehensive data on both your fitness and health levels. This should help you set and monitor your goals.

The Amazfit Bip will also save you the hassle of fetching your phone every time you hear a beep or vibration. That’s because the smartwatch will give you notifications on all your emails, incoming calls, texts, WhatsApp, weather forecasts, etc. You can also sync the smartwatch with your social media accounts to deliver notifications from Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Snap, etc. 

Other Features

• 1.28-inch color touch always-on display
• 2.5D Corning gorilla glass
• 20mm changeable watch band
• 45-day battery life with low notifications or 30 days with more notifications
• 1.1-ounces weight
• Automatic activity tracking
• Daily goal achievement
• Mi-Fit App
• The IP68 water and dust resistant
• Built-in GPS

The Best Smartphone you should definitely buy

Selecting the best smartphone for 2018 is very difficult. That’s not just because we had lots of flagships and other highly competitive smartphones released in the year but because most of these phones were great in their own unique ways. What do I mean? Well, depending on your priorities in a phone, the best smartphone for you may be completely different to someone else’s. For instance, if you are part of the massive group whose priority is photographs, then the best camera smartphone choice has to be the Google Pixel 3. This amazing smartphone has perhaps the best camera software capturing stunning images during the day and at night. At the end of 2018, we couldn’t find any smartphone with a camera as neat as Google Pixel 3’s. However, when it comes to video and audio capturing the Pixel 3 is slightly edged by the iPhone XS. From this remark, we can easily tell you that for any guy whose priority is photos and video then the best choice will be between the two. We can also mention the Huawei Matte 20 Pro, which comes with three different cameras of varying focal lengths and an incredibly wide angle camera. The Matte 20 Pro can also double up as the best battery smartphone whose 4200 mAh battery can easily last you through the whole day even with intensive usage. Unfortunately, with all the woes facing Huawei at the moment, it is difficult to recommend any of their smartphones because the future is very unclear.

That’s it for the best smartphone as far as camera goes, but that alone is not enough. What is the best smartphone 2018 overall? To get the best smartphone of 2018, we looked at the smartphone that achieved the perfect balance on all the essentials, i.e., camera, battery, display, design and we also considered price to some extent.

With that said, here is the best smartphone of 2018:

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is arguably the best Android smartphone of 2018. This highly innovative smartphone didn’t bother too much to do what the rest of the smartphones were doing in 2018, but instead, it tried to make its own mark by delivering the best android experience in a stylish design with an exceptional display.

That said, this smartphone doesn’t feature any notch as is the case with a big percentage of all the flagships we saw in 2018. Therefore, the smartphone does have a slim forehead and chin, but even with that, Note 9 still looks stunning than some of the miserable notches out there.

When you put the Note 9 side by side with the Note 8, it will be near impossible to tell the difference. That’s because they both easily imperceptible with very slight differences. For instance, while the Note 8 display is 6.3 –inch, the Note 9 comes at 6.4-inch making it the biggest display in the Note series, but the difference is very slight. Not that we are complaining, but the Galaxy Note 9 has very few changes as compared to the Note 8 as far as external designs go. You can get the Note 9 in Ocean Blue, Lavender Purple, Midnight Black, Alpine White, and Metallic Copper.

You’ll start feeling some differences when you look beyond the design. First, Samsung’s excellence in making displays is fully felt here with the Super AMOLED panel featuring quad-HD resolution. This is the same panel you find from their previous flagship the Galaxy S9 and the Note 8. The display looks and feels amazing. In terms of brightness, the Note 9 recorded 605 nits in our tests beating some popular smartphones like the iPhone X, but it was nowhere close to the insane 900 nits of the LG G7 ThinQ.

The Galaxy Note 9 comes with a Snapdragon 845 processor, 6 gigs of RAM and 128GB of storage. You can also get the phone with 8GB RAM and 512 GB storage. The 6GB RAM Note 9 is definitely better in performance than its predecessor – the Note 8 – and also slightly better than other flagships including the Galaxy S9+. However, the Geekbench reading showed that it is not the fastest Android phone as even the OnePlus 6 recorded a better score and of course, the Snapdragon 845 was no match to the insane A12 Bionic CPU of the iPhone X.

In the department of camera, Samsung has revolutionized the Note 9 experience by including artificial intelligence to the camera software. This has improved the image quality significantly. The AI can recognize up to 20 different scenes which it uses to reconfigure the camera settings such as saturation, brightness, contrast, and white balance to give you the best image fitting of the surroundings. Some of the scenes that can be detected here include sunsets, beaches, snow, backlit subjects, etc. You can also switch off the Scene Optimizer to capture photos as they are. The rear 12MP dual lens shooter allows you to capture images with blurred backgrounds. The camera automatically switches between f/2.4 and f/1.5 to deliver crisp to low-light images.

Drawbacks

One of the biggest limitations of Note 9 is that Bixby voice assistant which is not as impressive as the other VAs in the market.

Other Features

• Android 8.1 Oreo OS
• 2960 x 1440 display
• 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD) video recording res at 60fps
• 400mAh battery (approximately 11 hours of battery life)
• Supports Bixby voice assistant
• S Pen stylus which also doubles up as a remote controller
• microSD slot (Up to 512GB)
• 8MP (f/1.70) front camera 12MP dual lens (f/1.5 & f/2.4) rear camera
• Weight: 7.1 ounces
• Bluetooth 5, NFC
• 3.5mm ear jack

Google Pixel 3

Google Pixel 3 has made a name for itself as having the best camera in a smartphone, but this device is more than just that. At an age where smartphones are getting bigger and bigger, Google has managed to make their flagship pixels in a very compact design at just 5.5-inches without compromising on the overall user experience. In case you are into bigger displays, you can go for the bigger 6.3-inch Pixel 3 XL. Other than being bigger and costlier than the other, most of the other features are almost the same. Personally, I prefer the standard Pixel 3, which perfectly fits on my palm, allowing me to reach all the corners with ease. Also, I love it for the simple fact that it doesn’t have a notch unlike the Pixel 3 XL and most of the other flagships released in 2018. The overall designing of the two pixels has a conservative vibe to it. If you are looking for a smartphone that draws less attention without compromising on performance, then the Google Pixels are your best bet (especially the Pixel 3). The Pixel 3 features an all-glass construction, which is a major difference from the Pixel 2 that was made with aluminum and glass. The Pixel 3 backside glass has a matte finishing, and this has done a brilliant job in eliminating fingerprint. The smartphone is available in Clear White, Not Pink, and Just Black.

The Google Pixel 3 also made a major stride from its predecessor by introducing a 5.5-inch OLED display. This HDR-spec screen is astonishing not just on how it pops colors but also on how fluid the motion is on this panel. Unfortunately, the display doesn’t perform too well when it comes to brightness. Using the phone in direct sunlight may, therefore, be a struggle.

In terms of performance, the Google Pixel 3 does pretty well, but things get a bit thick when you start comparing it to other flagships smartphones in the market. Yes, the Pixel 3 runs on Snapdragon 845 chip, but with just 4GB of RAM, it leaves much to be desired. In our Geekbench tests, the Pixel 3 edged out its predecessor, but it was slower than the Galaxy Note 9, OnePlus 6, iPhone XS and other phones. However, when we move from the labs and test the phone on real-life stuff such as video-encoding, map navigation, streaming, and others, the Pixel 3 does appear to perform much faster as compared to the OnePlus 6 and a majority of the other smartphones in the market. We are not sure how exactly Google has achieved this, but we love the impact it has had.

Google Pixel 3 had the best camera we saw in a smartphone in 2018. Google optimizes the Pixel Visual Core Chip and HDR+ processing to deliver excellent images through both the rear and front cameras. Oh, and the Pixel 3 has two 8-MP front cameras, a wide-angle and standard camera while the rear is braced with a 12.2MP shooter. The image processing and overall quality are further refined by the included Artificial Intelligence. It’ll be very interesting to see how the newer 2019 Smartphones, such as the Huawei P30 can rival the Pixel 3 in this department.

Drawbacks

I can’t help but feel that Google Pixel 3 could have looked better if they trimmed the forehead and chin a bit.

Other Features

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
• 5.5-inch OLED display
• 2915 mAh battery (3430 mAh on the Pixel 3XL)
• Wireless charging
• IP68 water resistant
• Front-firing speakers
• Android 9 pie
• Weight: 5.2 ounces

OnePlus 6T

The OnePlus 6T was the first smartphone in the US to incorporate an in-display fingerprint sensor, a trend that is now in full force. Other than setting the benchmark on the fingerprint sensor, the OnePlus 6T also prides itself as being one of the most affordable smartphones that are competing with devices well above their price point. How exactly OnePlus has achieved this is still a mystery, but we are more than pleased to enjoy flagship features on such an affordable phone.

The overall designing of the smartphone is simple yet so brilliant. The screen to body ratio here is 86%, which is decent for a smartphone at this price point. At the back, the phone is finished with a resilient glass. You can get the smartphone in Midnight black or Mirror black colors. Both of them look stunning, but the Midnight Black is a favorite to most of us.

The OnePlus 6T has really tried to achieve the edge-to-edge display by coming up with a dewdrop notch and super slim bezels. Although they haven’t nailed it 100%, they do come close, and the phone actually looks better than most notched flagships.

The OnePlus 6T is packed with a 6.4-inch AMOLED display (2340 x 1080). It is not as brilliant as your Note 9 and the iPhone XS, but neither is it as expensive. For this minor tradeoff, you get to save $400+ while still enjoying impressive video quality. The display is also much bigger than Apple’s “affordable” flagship the iPhone XR, yet the 6T is much cheaper. The color and brightness of this panel can be compared to the Google Pixel 3, which is at least $200 costlier. In any way you look at it, the OnePlus display and its overall performance are really putting up a very good fight against the big boys.

When it comes to performance, the OnePlus 6T will surprise you by recording even better results than most of the other $1000+ smartphones. First of all, the smartphone runs on the Snapdragon 845 processor, and with 8G gigs of RAM, the smartphone beats both Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and the Google Pixel 3 XL. On the Geekbench 4 tests, the OnePlus 6T edged both the Note 9 and Pixel 3 XL and a vast majority of other Android smartphones in the market. It’s insane to think that you can achieve this level of performance on a smartphone retailing for half the price of most flagships.

The one area where the OnePlus 6T fell short is on the camera department. The smartphone packs a dual lens (20MP and 16MP) rear camera and a 20MP front camera. These may sound good, but the execution of the camera software leaves a lot to be desired, and this is evident in the images captured. Although it is better than its predecessor the 6, it is easily knocked out by both the Pixel 3 and Note 9.

Drawbacks

The OnePlus 6T does not have a headphone jack, and neither does it support wireless charging.

Other Features

• Android 9.0 with Oxygen OS
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
• Available with 6GB and 8GB Ram
• 128GB and 256GB storage
• 3700mAh battery
• Weight: 6.52 ounces
• Bluetooth 5.0, NFC

Introduction to tthe Best Photo Printer

Smartphones cameras have improved tremendously, and some of them are even rivaling with digital cameras out there. Thanks to insane camera software and AI, smartphones such as the Google Pixel 3 and the Huawei P30 are more than capable of capturing dynamic pictures at wide angles, under bright sunlight, during the night and in a dozen other conditions. While we appreciate the major strides made by these smartphones, there is still something about physical photos that we are still attached to fondly, and since you are reading this review, I take it that you also want a physical album filled with your photos. The good news for us is that technology has also improved photo printing significantly. Not only can you now print dozens of photos almost instantly, the overall quality and detailing of the photos has also improved significantly. However, not all photo printers out there can deliver this. It’s for that reason that we invested the time and tested dozens of printers in search of the ultimate photo printer. But before all that:

What factors should you consider when looking for the best photo printer?

The following are some of the key aspects that you need to look into in your quest for the best printer:

Type of Printer

In general, we have two distinct types of printers:

Ink Jet – Ink Jet photo printers are good in that they can also double up as a reliable printer for your school assignments and other formal documents. This printer is a good choice if you are into photography, but you also have a lot of school or office stuff to do, and you don’t want to invest in two separate units.

Dye Sublimation – Dye Sublimation printer is the perfect choice for all the professionals. These printers make high-res photos with lots of details. Sadly, most of these printers are usually very expensive, and they are also exclusively meant for photo printing.

Ink Quality

Color printers have two key sources of inks, and the choice you make will directly determine how stunning your photos will look:

• Coloring Agent-Based Inks – These produce standard photos, but they are typically very affordable.
• Pigment Based Inks – These light-resistant inks produce vivid photos, but they can be quite expensive.

Resolution

It doesn’t matter whether you are doing photography as a side thing or if it is a serious hustle to you, but resolution is the one place you don’t want to compromise. There is really no point in engaging in photo printing in the first place if you are not even going to get quality prints. At the bare minimum, we’d recommend that you go for a 4800 x 1200 dpi printer. We understand that other low-res printers may be very luring with low prices but they are just not worth it. Here is an idea for you, save the cash and get yourself a high-res printer that will make phots that you can actually be proud of. A printer that you can use for the foreseeable future before you are forced to make an upgrade.

Other factors you need to take into consideration include:

• Speed
• Number of prints
• Compatibility with digital storage devices
• Size of the printer

Our Top Picks

Canon iP8720 Inkjet Wireless Printer

The Canon iP8720 Wireless Printers has so many brilliant things going for it. This item boasts of 9600 x 2400 dpi and 6-color ink system that works together to deliver astonishing photos. Whether you are looking for highly-detailed black and white prints or detailed color photos, the iP8720 will definitely do some worthy justice to your photographs and documents.

The printer’s performance is further enhanced by a myriad of other features including Google cloud print, Airprint, and PIXMA Printing Solutions or PPS. In simple terms, Canon has harnessed all this tech not just to increase the quality of your photos but also to enhance your experience. For instance, the PIXMA Printing Solutions allows you to print photos from all compatible mobile devices. The inbuilt Wireless support also makes it easy to print photos from anywhere in the room through Wi-Fi. On the other hand, AirPrint allows you to print through compatible iPads, iPhones, and iPods, and the best part is that you don’t have to install any additional drivers to get started. 

The printers also support printing on DVDs and CDs and through the Full HD Movie Print software, the iP8720 makes it possible to make amazing prints.

Other Features

• Massive 13” by 19” prints
• Supports borderless prints at 4 by 6 inches
• ChromaLife 100+
• My Image Garden for a fun and organized printing experience
• Creative Park Premium
• Quiet Mode
• Google Cloud Print
• Hi-Speed USB
• 1, 2 and 5 ink droplet sizes

HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 All-in-One Wireless Printer

The HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 is in this list due to its versatility. Not only can this printer serve as a reliable and high-quality photo printer, but you can also use it to copy, scan, and even fax documents. What I find really crazy is not the inclusion of all these functions but rather how brilliantly they’ve all been achieved. Other than getting your high-res photos, you can also do two-sided color prints, and make copies and scans at lightning speeds to save yourself just enough personal time to do some exceptional borderless prints; all in a single unit; just how brilliant is that?

The printer features a color touchscreen which should make it very easy for you to navigate through the various configurations. It is also instant ink ready, and the automatic document feeder makes printing an effortless endeavor.

The HP Pro 8720 is configured to support wireless printing. This has been achieved in two key ways to make sure that mobile devices running on different operating systems are compatible with the printer i.e. through the HP ePrint App, Android smartphones and tablets can do wireless prints on the OfficeJet Pro 8720 while iOS gadgets are catered for through AirPrint. If there is no network connection, you can still print wirelessly through Wi-Fi Direct and NFC.

Other Features

• HP Instant Ink saves you up to 50%
• HP Print Forward Design boosts savings on space
• Scan to email
• Color touchscreen
• Two-sided auto document feeder
• NFC touch to print
• Legal-size scan bed
• Ethernet networking
• High-yield cartridges (optional)

HP Envy 4500 Wireless All-in-One Color Photo Printer

The HP Envy 4500 is a best-selling photo printer popular for excellent print quality and fast speeds. The print achieves ISO speeds of up to 5.2 ppm (Color) and 8.8 ppm (black). It also supports borderless printing of photos (4″ by 6″) and documents (8.5″ by 11″). With automatic 2-sided printing, you will also save yourself a lot of time and paper.

The HP Envy 4500 Wireless Color Photo Printer gives the option of choosing an ink replenishment service that is convenient and efficient for you. Here, you can decide to go for the HP Instant Ink which can save you up to 50% or the Amazon Dash Replenishment. By using these services, the printer will constantly keep track of ink usage and give you alerts before the ink runs out.

The Envy 4500 comes with one of the most efficient wireless printing technology in the industry. You can print here using virtually all types of devices thanks to the HP Auto Wireless Connect and Wireless Direct. Printing from your smartphone and tablets has is even easier now.

Other Features

• HP All-in-one printer remote
• Scan to email
• Auto 2-sided printing
• HP Printables
• Black & Color ink cartridges
• Hi-Speed USB 2.0
• Wi-Fi 802.11n
• Borderless printing of both photos and documents
• Energy efficient

How we rate the best gaming mouses

I believe everyone understands that PC gaming is quite an expensive affair, but in the end, it usually delivers unparalleled performance. Here is a good example, when you are buying a console, it usually comes with its own controller and other accessories and the only thing you’re left to invest in is a monitor. When it comes to PC gaming, you have to assemble your entire system one piece at a time. After getting yourself the best gaming keyboard and the best gaming monitor, the next step is on making sure that you also have the best gaming mouse. The thing about PC gaming is that ignoring a single unit can make all the difference and ruin the entire experience. Therefore, to dominate Fortnite, you need to keenly invest in every single piece so that you can end up with the ultimate system that will give you all the advantage you need.

Gaming Mouse Buying Guide

So, with hundreds of options available, how do you pick the best gaming mouse? To identify the best gaming mouse, you’ll need to switch on your techie side, if you have one and don’t worry if you don’t because we’ve got you covered. In this review, we will try and explain the factors that you need to consider in the simplest words possible for everyone to understand what they need to look for in a gaming mouse.

Grip

If you’re the kind that spends the entire night on a Homall Gaming Chair doing heists and playing poker on The Red Dead Redemption as I do, then grip has to be a priority. This is because the grip you’re getting from your mouse will directly determine just how comfortable your hand is, and this will determine how long you can spend gaming.

When it comes to grip, things can get really subjective because while I may be very comfortable with a certain type of grip, it may be unbearable to someone else. Here are the three choices you’ll have:

Palm – this grip makes sure that your entire hand rests on the mouse. Most people find it really comfortable and easy to maneuver as compared to the alternatives.

Claw – this is almost similar to the palm grip, but it is normally sculpted to arch the index and middle finger at a perpendicular angle. The guys who are used to this type of position will find it really easy to click the mouse, but it can get uncomfortable at times.

Fingertip – Your thumb, index, and middle finger will touch the mouse while the rest of your hand remains in the air or brushing your mousepad.

As I said, the ultimate choice here will depend on what you are used to.

DPI

Dots per inch or counts per inch refers to how many times a mouse reads the surface it is tracking. From this definition, you can tell that you need your mouse to have as many counts per inch as possible. This way, you won’t have to move your mouse too far to achieve the movement you are hoping for on the screen. Remember that a single second can make all the difference, especially in first shooter games.

Angle Snapping

Angle snapping is an excellent feature in a mouse if you are using it for your regular work stuff. However, when it comes to gaming, angle snapping can distort the type of movement that you are hoping to achieve since your hand and cursor movement will never be 1:1. This variation can make a very big difference when you are gaming. It is therefore advisable to avoid this feature or at least get a mouse that gives you the option of disabling it.

Lift-off distance (LOD)

This refers to the height the mouse has to be raised before it stops tracking the surface beneath. This feature is important if you tend to lift the mouse a lot maybe to try and reset it in your ideal location or if it’s just an intuitive habit you develop when things get intense in your games. In such instances, a low LOD is crucial as it will prevent erratic movements in your game when the mouse is lifted.

Wired vs. Wireless

Both wired and wireless gaming mice perform really well if you choose them properly. Initially, wired mice used to pose problems as the cables used to interfere with the movement of the mouse. The latest gaming mouse, fortunately, gotten rid of this issue by keeping the cable super light and improving the connection between the cable and mouse. Wireless mice have also come a long way, making them even more reliable and accurate. As I said, it shouldn’t matter a lot which of the two you choose if you pay close attention to the Bluetooth version or cables utilized.

Our Top Picks

1. CORSAIR M65 Pro RGB-FPS Gaming Mouse

The CORSAIR M65 PRO is designed to deliver the ultimate PC gaming experience. This mouse comes with up to 12000 DPI which is insane by any imaginable measure. With this level of sensitivity, you don’t just get super accurate movements, but you will gain a lot of speed in your gaming since even the slightest of movement is enough to get you the results you are looking for. With that level of pixel-precision and speed, what could possibly stop you from dominating the battlefield?

Moving away from the optical sensor, we have to mention the external designing of this mouse and boy; it is stunning! Every curve and edge is highly calculated to make sure that you get all the advantage you need both in terms of comfort and performance. Accessing all the eight buttons available is also super easy.

Through iCUE, you can customize all of these buttons to fit your style of play. They are all strategically placed, and hence, all the functions you need are within your reach. We must also recognize the sniper button included here. Customizing the mouse speeds to match with your specific game demands has never felt any easier. The high-mass scroll wheel is rubberized and wrapped with a metallic core boosting its tactile precision significantly while also keeping it durable.

The M65 Pro RGB also comes with three tuning zones that you can use to customize the weight of the mouse and its center of gravity. This should help you personalize the mouse to match your preference.

Other Features

• Customize the mouse with double macros
• Custom RGB lighting
• Large PTFE glide padding
• A surface calibration tuning utility
• A smart weight tuning system

2. Logitech G900 Chaos Spectrum Gaming Mouse

Coming at a close second is the Logitech G900 Chaos Spectrum Gaming Mouse. This amazing mouse is perfectly designed to work with both the left and right hand making it comfortable with every gamer out there.

The Logitech G900 comes with an adjustable count per inch of between 200-12000, and this is great in many ways. In as much as a high CPI is usually attractive, not everyone can operate with the highest CPI because the sensitivity can become too much for most people. The fact that the G900 allows you to adjust this all the way to just 200 means that everyone should be able to find their perfect sweet spot. To improve your performance even further, the mouse uses PMW3366 optical sensors that deliver unmatched tracking accuracy.

The Logitech G900 will also give you the option of using the mouse in either wired or wireless mode. When it is fully charged, you can use the mouse for up to 30 hours thanks to the Clock Tuning battery saving tech. This basically means that if you were to charge the mouse on Friday, then you can do some serious wireless gaming throughout the weekend. In its wired connection, the mouse will also perform brilliantly without any lag issues. Also, when the battery starts to run out, the mouse will issue alerts for you to get into the wired mode and continue gaming.

The mouse has various customizable buttons found on both sides. All the buttons can be programmed to DPI shifting, game macros, media controls, and many more. The metal spring tensioning system and pivot hinge will also improve both the speed and accuracy of your clicks.

Other Features

• RGB customizable lighting (up to 16.8 million colors, light patterns, and brightness to choose from)
• 200-12000 DPI with zero filterings and smoothing
• Pivot button design
• Compatible with Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 or later
• Lightweight

3. Logitech G203 Prodigy RGB Wired Gaming Mouse

Logitech G203 Prodigy is yet another incredible gaming mouse engineered towards achieving almost instantaneous movement from your hand to the screen. The mouse offers between 200 to 8000 CPI which is nowhere as high as 12,000 as is the case with the other two gaming mice discussed above, but it still performs pretty well. Also, if we are honest, not everyone can game at 12000 CPI, and hence 6000 offers a good middle ground that most gamers will be comfortable with.

The manufacturer also boasts of integrated Advanced Button Tensioning in this mouse. In simple terms, this is some tech that is supposed to make it easier for you to interact with the buttons found here. Thanks to this tech, registering clicks is a lot faster and consistent, and you will also feel the clicks, and this should avoid repetitive clicks that can ruin your gaming. The technology also reduces the amount of pressure you need to put into registering a click. In the end, Advanced Button Technology will not just make it easier for you to use the mouse accurately, but it will also improve your gaming speeds significantly.

You can also spice up your gaming experience by using hundreds of game-driven lighting effects. You can also take advantage of the 16.8 million colors and different brightness levels to breathe some life to your gaming station.

Other Features

• On-the-fly CPI shifting
• Six programmable buttons
• Onboard memory
• Compatible with macOS 10.11 or later or Windows 7 or later
• Compatible with Chrome OSTM

How to pick the best fitbit for your needs

Fitbit has rightfully become a household name as far fitness trackers are concerned. Some people will even refer to all fitness trackers as Fitbits not knowing that Fitbit is actually a single company with its own line of successful products.

The best part about Fitbit is that the company has invested so much in making sure that everyone gets something that is in tune with their unique needs. If you are looking for a fitness tracker that’s perfect for outdoor exercises, then Fitbit definitely has a myriad of options for you. If you need one that is perfect for the gym or general indoor workouts, then you’ll also get something for you. Also, if fitness is a continuous process to you and you need a comfortable tracker that you can wear during the day and at night, then Fitbit will also you hook you up with various options that are more than capable of matching up to that lifestyle.

Something else really brilliant about Fitbit is that they’ve managed to create fitness trackers at all price points. What’s even better is the fact that all the fitness trackers perform really well regardless of the price tag. Of course, if you are going for the most affordable trackers, you’ll have to compromise on a few features, but even after that, you’ll still get the mandatory functions with a few extras thrown in to deliver maximum value.

Which is the Best Fitbit?

The best Fitbit at the moment has to be the Fitbit Charge 2. This incredible piece of tech is designed to keep track of your everyday activities. It is more than capable of detecting active times and monitoring your heart rate, calories burned, and various other vitals. Other than its remarkable performance, we also love the Fitbit Charge 2 for how well it is designed. It looks gorgeous, it feels premium, and it is also very comfortable – as it should – since it is meant to be used throughout the day. Here is a breakdown of what else you can expect from this fitness tracker:

1.Fitbit Charge 2

The Fitbit Charge 2 is a must-have for all fitness enthusiasts that want to track their fitness levels continuously. The tracker uses Purepulse Continuous to monitor your heart rate automatically. It’s worth noting that this tracker uses a wrist-based heart rate tracker, which is much more comfortable as compared to chest straps. The fact that it is also automated means that for as long as you are wearing the tracker, you should never worry about switching the tracker’s heart rate on as is the case with other fitness trackers.

The Fitbit Charge 2 is engineered with smart tech that detects and tracks different fitness exercises. This is further supported by GPS-capability which allows you to link the tracker to your smartphone where you’ll receive real-time stats on the crisp OLED display. Some of the workouts that can be monitored here include biking, running, weights, etc. The tracker will also give you stats on the distance covered, calories burned, steps, floors climbed, and overall active minutes. With all this data, it should become much easier for you to determine how fit you are and what you can do to improve your fitness. To make it even easier for you to monitor your fitness, Fitbit Charge 2 comes with a Cardio Fitness Score that you can personalize to get accurate data on your cardio fitness levels.

Once the day comes to an end, and it’s time to rest, the Fitbit Charge 2 will remain useful by monitoring your sleep. This device will track how well you are sleeping and for how long. It is also designed with a smooth vibrating alarm that you’ll find much friendlier than your traditional alarms.

You’ll also appreciate the various features added here to make your fitness life fun and relaxing. The tracker offers guided breathing sessions which use your heart rate to give you moments of unparalleled calmness. You can also use the Fitbit Health and Fitness App to increase the functionality of the tracker and its synchronization to your Windows, iOS, and Android devices. The Fitbit App also allows you to set your fitness goals and load data like food and weight. This helps in preparing a comprehensive and accurate data on your fitness. You can also get Guided Coaching that helps you to do various workouts through videos.

Other Features

• Comes with a big OLED display
• Brings texts, calls, and calendar to your wrist
• Multi-sport modes
• SmartTrack
• Connect to your friends and family
• Personalized Insights
• Personalized Cardio Fitness Score
• Compatible with Android, iOS and Windows devices
• Reminders to Move

2.Fitbit Versa Smart Watch

The Fitbit Versa SmartWatch has achieved the perfect balance between a smartwatch that brings your phone functions to your wrist and smart sensors that will keep your fitness journey on track. Therefore, if you are in the market looking for a Fitbit Charge 2 alternative that offers better compatibility with your smartphone without compromising on fitness sensors, then the Fitbit Versa Smartwatch is a great option.

In terms of fitness, the smartwatch has sufficient tech to monitor your heart rate 24/7 thanks to PurePulse and sleep trackers. It also comes with more than 15 exercises modes for both indoor and outdoor workouts. With all this, it should comfortably keep track of activities such as running, swimming, floors climbed and much more. Speaking of swimming, you’ll also love the fact that Fitbit Versa is swim-proof up to 50m.

To improve tracking of different aspects of your fitness, the Fitbit Versa Smartwatch can also be connected to your smartphone’s GPS. This will provide real-time stats on distance and pace.

When it comes to pulling the functions of your smartphone, the Fitbit versa is more than satisfactory. First, the watch will give you access to various apps and not just the basic call, text, and calendar alerts as is common with most other trackers. With this particular gadget, you can also gain access to your weather, sports, social, finance, fitness, and many other apps.

The watch can also store more than 300 songs which you can access and play directly from it. The watch can also connect to Pandora stations, but you will need to subscribe before you can access the stations. This should keep you entertained as you continue to work out. The watch also provides on-screen workouts that will coach you through different types of workouts. The smartwatch is compatible with some of the best Bluetooth headphones allowing you to listen to your on-screen coach and songs in rich sounds.

Fitbit has also thrown something extra here for all the female users. Through the Fitbit app, you can log data on your periods and symptoms, and this will enable you to monitor your cycles conveniently through the smartwatch.

Other Features

• 15+ exercise modes
• Over 4-days of battery life
• Ergonomic design
• Lightweight
• SmartTrack automatically tracks selected workouts and sports
• Water-resistant (up to 50 meters)

3. Fitbit Flex 2

The two Fitbits discussed above are all going for more than $140. If you are looking for a fantastic Fitbit that checks all the relevant boxes but without breaking your bank, then the Fitbit Flex 2 is a good option. For less than $100, you will get this amazing piece of tech from Fitbit that comes with all the right sensors to improve your everyday fitness.

The Fitbit Flex 2 features a compact and highly ergonomic design. It is very lightweight, and we love it for that, but part of the compromises that had to be done to keep it compact and affordable is excluding a big display. In its place, you will have get color-coded LED display lights. Working with these lights may seem a bit complex at first, but after reading the guide and interacting with the tracker for a while, we’re confident that you will get the hang of it.

The Fitbit Flex 2 comes with SmartTrack tech, which detects different exercises automatically and starts tracking all the relevant stats. Some of the workouts that are recognizable by the SmartTrack include aerobics, running, swimming, and other sports. The tech will then relay the data to your Fitbit app from which you can see a summary of everything you’ve achieved from the workouts. 

Flex 2 is also designed for all-day tracking. It’s first made to be super comfortable in your wrist, enabling you to work throughout the day and sleep wearing it without feeling any discomforts. It also has an effective sensor to track different aspects, such as active minutes, distance, steps, and calories burned. At night, the tracker will automatically monitor how well you sleep and for how long. You can also set personalized sleeping goals with bedtime reminders and smooth alarms.

The Fitbit Flex 2 may not have a display, but it still does a decent job of relaying your smartphone notifications. You can customize the tracker to receive call and text notifications which will come to your wrist in the form of flashing color-codes. This should make sure that you are constantly aware of the vital incoming notifications throughout the day.

Other Features

• Reminders to move
• Supports the Fitbit Health and Fitness App
• Guided coaching
• Personalized insights
• Connect to your friends and family
• Swim-proof
• 5-days battery life
• Wireless syncing

How we rate the Best 2 in 1 Laptop

Laptop designs have changed tremendously in the past decade or so. Initially, the most impressive part about laptops was watching them get slimmer and slimmer with each passing year. This resulted in some of the best lightweight laptops that we found very convenient for all of us who are always on the road. After some time, lightweight laptops became like a norm and this sent the manufacturers back to the drawing board in an attempt of coming up with new interesting designs. This gave birth to a new type of laptops known as 2-in-1 laptops. These are also referred to as convertibles or hybrids.

So, what is a 2-in-1 laptop? This is a type of laptop that allows the keyboard to slide 360-degrees, thus converting the laptop into a tablet. In simple terms, a hybrid laptop is a gadget that you can use as both a laptop and a tablet. Take note that these laptops are completely different Chromebooks because they offer a full windows experience, unlike your typical Chromebooks.

To make them convertible, different technology has been employed. This determines how the laptop converts from one mode to the other. While hybrid laptops are made with hinges that allow for a full 360-degree turn, some are more advanced with detachable keyboards meaning that you can completely remove the keyboard and remain with just the screen which you can now use as a tablet.

It would have been great if we could just say that one of the two types of hybrid laptops is outright the best, but we can’t. Both of these types have their own strengths and drawbacks. Take the detachable hybrid laptop, for instance, on paper, it should be superior because it delivers an almost excellent experience on both modes, but that’s not the case. These laptops usually have very clumsy keyboards, and the likelihood of them generating hardware issues is usually very high. On the other hand, convertible laptops with a 360-degree hinge offer a more solid laptop experience, but then this usually affects the tablet mode. How so? Well, when the keyboard is rolled back, it lays behind the screen, and this makes the tablet thick and also heavier as compared to the detachable laptop.

Do you really need to buy a 2 in 1 laptop?

This is a very important question you need to find an answer to failure to which you can end up with an expensive piece of tech that’s rather useless to you. You need to understand that a lot of work has gone into making the tech behind 2 in 1 laptop and hence the manufacturers will make sure that they get full value for their gadgets. This is one of the reasons that the best hybrid laptops can be even more expensive than the overall best laptops. Therefore, you need to be absolutely sure that you need this laptop; otherwise, you may compromise your experience on a dedicated laptop or tablet for a hybrid that may not be that useful. Ask yourself, do you really need or use a tablet in your life? If the answer is a no, then you are better off avoiding hybrid laptops and instead look for the best notebook.

With that answered, it’s time for yet another difficult, tough one; which is the best 2 in 1 laptop?

The best 2 in 1 laptop is the Microsoft Surface Book 2. This exceptional device packs all the relevant stuff to make sure that you are getting perhaps the best of everything. In doing so, you can rest easy knowing that the laptop will be more than capable of punching both your laptop and tablet tasks with ease.

Here is a more detailed review of the Microsoft Surface Book 2 and other remarkable convertible laptops:

1.Microsoft Surface Book 2

The Microsoft Surface Book 2 sports an Intel Dual Core i5 (7^th gen) processor, 8GB of RAM, an Intel HD Graphics 620 integrated GPU, NVIDIA GeForce GPU, and a full sized SDXC card reader. The internal storage is a reasonable 256GB, and you will get as much as 17 hours of video playback from the laptop. From this brief overview of the specs, you can already tell that the Surface Book 2 is definitely going to impress you in both laptop and tablet mode. And it gets even better because this laptop is also available in 16GB RAM, i7 and as much as 1TB in internal storage! You could also get the i7 version with 256GB or 512GB of internal storage. It’s insane that we are in the age where you can get all that in a super lightweight convertible laptop.

Now get this; the whole concept of a 2-in-1 laptop is to get a laptop, and a tablet in a single unit but Microsoft have completely changed the game here delivering not one, not two but four different modes. This includes the standard laptop where the laptop is definitely going to beat a big percentage of outright laptops in the market; a tablet mode where you can completely detach the keyboard to get a powerful Intel Core i5 or i7 tablet; a studio mode where you can fold the laptop and get creative with your sketches and drawings and finally; a view mode where you can detach the keyboard, invert and reattach it on the back of the screen and you will get yourself an amazing screen to catch up with the latest season of Black Mirror. With the rich PixelSense Display and the fact that you can use voice commands makes sure that your everyday experience with this laptop is effortless.

Other Features

• Available with a 13.5” or 15” PixelSense Display (3240 x 2160)
• 10-point multi-touch G5 Display
• Aspect ratio 3:2
• Contrast ratio: 1600:1
• 1Tb, 512GB, 256GB Internal storage
• SSD Slot
• Connections: 1 USB C, 2 USB 3.1 Gen13.5mm headphone jack, SDXC card reader, 2 Surface Connect ports for both laptop and tablet mode
• Ambient light sensor
• Accelerometer
• Proximity sensor
• Magnetometer
• Gyroscope

2. Microsoft Surface Pro 6

The Microsoft Surface Pro 6 is yet another excellent convertible laptop that could have very easily been at the top of our list. This hybrid laptop packs an Intel Core i5-8250U (8^th Gen) processor, 8GB RAM and Intel UHD Graphics 620. You can also get the laptop with Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB of RAM and the Intel UHD Graphics 620 (i7). The 8GB RAM surface Pro 6 is available with either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage while the 16GB RAM version can be bought with a 512Gb or 1TB internal storage.

The Microsoft Surface book 2 can be used in three different modes: as a laptop which comes with the Microsoft signature type cover and an inbuilt kickstand that gives you the full laptop experience capable of handling all your office tasks; a tablet mode which is easily achievable by folding or removing the Type Cover and closing the kickstand to get a stand-alone tablet; finally, you can use the Surface Pro 6 as a Studio where the screen will rest back at a convenient 15-degree angle allowing you to paint, draw and write using the surface pen.

Other Features

• 12.3” PixelSense Display (2736 x 1824)
• 10-point multi-touch
• Solid State Drive (SSD) slot
• Micro SDXC card reader
• Connections: 1 USB 3.0, 3.5mm headphone jack, Mini Display Port, Surface Connect Port
• Weight: 1.7 lbs. For the i5 version and 1.73 lbs. for the i7
• 13.5-hours battery life

3. HP Pavilion X360

The HP Pavilion X360 runs on the 8^th Generation of the Intel Dual Core i3-8130U processors delivering speeds of up to 2.13GHz. As you can tell, the HP Pavilion X360 is not as powerful as the other two convertible laptops discussed above. It is, however, a very affordable 2-in-1 laptop that will give you the feel and experience of the hybrid class without leaving a massive patch on your bank and that’s precisely why it earned its place in this list.

The Pavilion X360 features a full-size backlit keyboard and a numeric keypad. You will also get an HP Digital Pen that comes very handy, particularly when you are using the laptop in tablet mode.

The HP Pavilion comes with a total of 20Gb memory, 16GB Intel Octane Memory and 4GB of DDR4-2400 SDRAM. Meanwhile, the screen is a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS WLED backlit display (1920 x 1080). The image quality on this Display is amazing, and the screen to body ratio is also improved significantly thanks to the slim bezels.

The HP Pavilion X360 is designed with a durable 360 hinge which helps to role the keyboard out of the way allowing you to get into tablet mode. With the 1080p IPS panel, you can easily take a break from your typing and stream your favorite TV shows before switching back to your formal tasks with the same laptop.

Other Features

• Intel Celeron CPU
• HP audio boost
• Dual HP speakers
• 320GB internal storage
• Connections: 2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0, HDMI, Ethernet, headphone jack
• Weight: 3.3 lbs
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Up to 7-hours of battery life

How do we rate the Best Web Browsers

You never realize just how important it is to make the right decision when choosing a web browser until you start opening numerous tabs or you start downloading files and realize that your PC’s responsiveness has gone down. Some web browsers can be very frustrating, making it almost impossible for you to do anything else with your computer. There is also the issue of security. While some web browsers are really sensitive at detecting malicious websites and downloads, others will barely do anything to prevent you from downloading an infected file. It’s therefore crucial that you get the very best web browser if not for the sake of your day-to-day experience then for the security of your files.

The good news is that there are several incredible web browsers to choose from. The best news is that these web browsers are pretty light, very small in size, and easy to use so you won’t have to compromise so much in terms of space or anything else. Another good thing with web browsers is that you can easily download several of them, use them for a certain period of time, and choose one that serves you best. That’s because unlike an operating system or other system investments, a web browser does not trap you and neither does it cost you too much to switch. With these browsers, you can switch between them for as long as you want.

How do you identify the best web browser? The best web browsers can easily be identified by looking at the following factors:

1. Page load time – how long does it take for a normal page to load? How fast do images and videos load? These are some of the things that we tested when coming up with this review.
2. Security – how efficient is the browser in detecting malicious websites or links and stopping them? Bear in mind that an insecure browser can easily leak your passwords, compromise your entire system, and even result in data loss. This should be a concern for everyone, especially individuals who do a lot of online banking and shopping.
3. Toolsets – how well does the browser integrate with numerous add-ons such as antiviruses and VPN? Remember that these are some of the extensions that should sync with your browser; otherwise, it will compromise your security, affect your load times, and ruin your entire experience.
4. User Interface – how friendly and intuitive is the UI? How well can you navigate and find the various functions of the browser?

Our Top Picks

1. Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox is a very popular web browser that experienced a bit of a shaky reputation some time back. The refined Firefox Quantum upgrade has completely changed that.

This amazing browser ticks all the boxes as far as security, speeds, and extensions go.

The fresh Mozilla Firefox is engineered with numerous features for secured browsing. They’ve even included the option of password-free logins through WebAuthn. To enjoy this feature, you will need to sign up for a web-based account that generates a one-time registration pin. Once you’re logged in, you will never require a password as long as the authenticator is still in place. Therefore, through WebAuthn, there will never be any passwords on your browser that may end up getting leaked in case of a breach. In our security tests, Mozilla Firefox performed brilliantly in detecting malicious downloads and websites. The browser also blocks ad trackers automatically.

The Firefox Quantum is also pretty fast when it comes to loading and navigating pages. The best part? This browser manages to load pages super-fast without taking too much of your RAM. This means that you can open various tabs without it taking a toll on your system’s performance.

The developers have also done an incredible job in improving the performance of the Firefox Quantum not just in the present tech environment but also for the foreseeable future. My favorite addition here has to be the Firefox reality, which allows you to browse in virtual reality. The engineering of this browser is also believed to have a significant impact on how seamless you’ll be browsing with the faster processors coming in the near future. 

Needless to say that all these improvements have been achieved while still keeping the browser as user-friendly as it’s always been and with vast options in extensions.

2. Google Chrome

Coming at a close second is Google Chrome. Some people may even argue that Chrome is better than Mozilla Firefox and they’ll have every right to say so because this web browser is just as brilliant.

First of all, Google Chrome is compatible with different operating systems, including Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. You won’t really appreciate this compatibility until you learn of the impact that comes with the Google Account Integration. Through this integration, your data is synced meaning that you can switch from one of your gadgets to another and your preferences, bookmarks, saved data, and even active extensions will still be intact. No other web browser out there has achieved this remarkable level of integration.

Google Chrome is also performing very well in terms of security. It is believed that the browser could very soon support HTTPS encryption only a move should improve security drastically. As it is, the browser does a good job in keeping you safe from malware. They also support password-free logins through WebAuthn. This can either replace your passwords, or you can use it as a secondary authenticator.

Google Chrome is also a popular choice due to the numerous extensions that it supports. Installing these extensions and using the browser is very easy. The latest Chrome version also offers a fresh and exciting look that you will definitely enjoy interacting with. Chrome has seen numerous tiny improvements which come together to enhance your overall experience. For instance, sporting event scores, calculator results, locations, and many other answers can be delivered while you’re still typing. It’s also easier to access your favs by simply loading the New Tab page. Favicons are also easier to identify in the latest version, and this makes it easier for you to navigate through dozens of tabs.

One limitation with Google Chrome is that it tends to pull resource a bit too much. This may affect the performance of your devices, especially if you have limited RAM. Some people also find the data consumption of Google Chrome too much.

• Opera

Opera may not be as popular as the two web browsers discussed above, but it does perform relatively well. In fact, Opera is developed on Google’s Chromium engine, and this can be seen on the various similarities it shares with Google Chrome. For instance, you can install various chrome extensions in this browser directly from the Chrome web store. This means that Opera has extensions almost as many as Google Chrome.

The browser is light and pretty fast. You can open various tabs on this browser, and you won’t feel like you are overloading it and neither will it affect your system’s performance too much. To enhance your browsing speeds, the Opera Turbo compresses traffic directing it to Opera’s servers, thus enhancing your browsing speed even when your internet connection is unstable.

When it comes to extra features, Opera packs quite a lot of them. First, the browser introduced a smart Instant Search feature which isolates your search result into a separate window as the current page fades slowly. This makes using the browser for research a lot easier. The browser also features a predictive website preload ability, inbuilt Stash which helps in saving pages that you can read later on, a manageable speed-dial menu which shows you the pages that you visit most frequently, a battery saving mode and an in-built unlimited VPN for secured browsing.