Tag Archives: devices

Technology

Ranking of Major 3D Printer Brands from Worst to Best

Formlabs is a leading brand in the commercial 3D printing industry. Although their products are more focused on businesses, they offer excellent devices. If you have the budget or want to turn your hobby into a profitable venture, Formlabs is a strong brand to consider.

The Form 3+ is Formlabs’ most affordable industrial printer, priced at $2,499. However, it is a relatively small device. You can also check out our review of the Form 3, the predecessor to the Form 3+.

Most of Formlabs’ printers use SLA technology, which utilizes lasers to solidify liquid resin and create sturdy and highly detailed prints. The Fuse 1+ 30W is their only device that utilizes Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), which involves compressing resin powders with a laser to form a solid surface. This process is complex, which is why the Fuse 1+ is priced at $25,000.

If you are new to 3D printing as a hobby or don’t require a mass-production printer, Formlabs may not be the ideal brand for you. Nevertheless, the quality of their devices cannot be denied.

Technology

The Ultimate Guide To Maximizing Battery Life Across All Your Devices

When it comes to our battery-powered devices, they often come with features that enhance performance or add fun features. However, many of these features can drain our battery quickly, especially those related to boosting speeds. For example, gaming laptops have modes that overclock the CPU and GPU for optimal gaming performance, but this will significantly reduce your battery life.

If possible, enable settings on your device that only boost performance when you’re connected to a power source and turn them off when you unplug. Some modern Windows and MacOS laptops have this option. On phones and tablets, it’s a little trickier as Android and iOS don’t have explicit settings for this. However, they do consider your charging status in certain cases. For instance, they will wait until you’re connected to power before updating your apps automatically.

For other devices, you may need to manually disable power-hungry software features to maximize battery life. Since each product is different, consult your owner’s manual or online documentation for guidance on what to disable.

Technology

How To Find And Change The Settings For Your Pixel Stand

The Pixel Stand is a wireless charging accessory designed for Qi-compatible devices. It provides convenient wireless charging capabilities. The first-generation Pixel Stand delivers 10W charging, while the second generation offers faster charging up to 23W for devices like the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro. It also supports up to 15W (EPP) for Qi-certified devices, but not all devices with Qi certification support the EPP standard.

Both generations of the Pixel Stand have useful features such as quick access to Google Assistant, Google Assistant routines, and your visual snapshot. Additionally, when you place your smartphone on the Pixel Stand, it can act as a digital photo frame. The second generation of the Pixel Stand brings some improvements, including a built-in fan for better heat dissipation to prevent overheating during charging. It also has a sleeker and more refined design.

Technology

Effective Ways to Change Your Android Device’s Name

There are a number of reasons why you may want to change the name of your Android device. Not only can it be a fun way to give your phone a unique identity, but it also offers practical benefits. For example, if multiple members of your family own the same phone model, having individual names for each device can prevent confusion when connecting to Bluetooth devices. Additionally, changing your device’s name can enhance your privacy by making it more challenging for others on your network to monitor your activity.

To change the name of your Android device, follow these steps:

Method 1: Changing the Device Name in Settings

  1. Open the “Settings” app on your Android device.
  2. Scroll down and tap on “About phone” or “About device.”
  3. Select “Device name” or “Device model.”
  4. Enter the new name you want to assign to your device.
  5. Tap “OK” to save the changes.

Method 2: Using a Third-Party App

If you prefer a more advanced method or additional customization options, you can use a third-party app to change your device’s name. Here’s how:

  1. Go to the Google Play Store and search for “Device ID.”
  2. Install and open the “Device ID” app on your device.
  3. Grant the necessary permissions for the app to access your device information.
  4. Tap on “Device name” or a similar option depending on the app.
  5. Enter the new name you want for your device.
  6. Save the changes and restart your phone to apply the new name.

Method 3: Changing the Bluetooth Name

If you specifically want to change the name that appears when connecting your device to Bluetooth devices, follow these steps:

  1. Open the “Settings” app on your Android device.
  2. Tap on “Connected devices” or a similar option.
  3. Select “Bluetooth.”
  4. Find your device in the list and tap on the settings icon next to it (usually represented by three dots or lines).
  5. Choose “Rename” or “Device name.”
  6. Enter the desired name for your device, then save the changes.

Changing your Android device’s name can be a quick and simple process. Whether you do it for fun or practical reasons, having a unique name for your device can set it apart from the crowd and enhance your overall smartphone experience.

Technology

How To Connect A Canon Printer To WiFi

Photograph from Canon printer Bloomberg/Getty Images

It’s a little disheartening to think about just how many of our once-beloved devices have become largely obsolete. Good old CD and DVD players, for instance, have been left behind by millions with the advent of streaming services leaving a sizable dent in the very concept of physical media. A trusty printer, however, is still a precious commodity.

Industry behemoth Canon is one of the biggest manufacturers of these office staples. A crucial part of its success, naturally, would be adapting the product to the market and to customers’ requirements, ensuring convenience and ease of use. In the case of a printer specifically, the ability to connect to the device via WiFi is a huge boon for avoiding cable-wrangling or USB port juggling.

Luckily, many Canon models make this process easy. Here’s how to do it on some of the manufacturer’s most popular models, and how to adapt the process depending on whether you’re using Mac or PC.

Connecting the Canon Pixma TS702 and TS6220 to WiFi

A Canon TS6330 printer Bloomberg/Getty Images

Canon’s Pixma TS702 Wireless (the PIXMA line remaining a standout in its field) is, as the title implies, wireless. A WiFi connection, as such, is crucial for use, as are mobile devices for its scanner function. It’s fortunate, then, that the manufacturer ensured the process of connecting it is rather simple. Here’s how it’s done on a TS702:

  1. Open the Setup Menu by pressing Setup on the front of the unit.

  2. Scroll to Wi-Fi setup, confirm, and opt for Manual connect.

  3. Choose the router you wish to connect to from the Select router menu and confirm again.

  4. On the next screen, input the password for the chosen router. After briefly holding the button to confirm a third time, the display will read, Apply?

  5. Opt to apply the settings you’ve selected.

  6. If the TS702’s display now features those iconic bars displaying connectivity, you have been successful.

  7. Canon adds that, per the wireless model’s needs, the software to use the device must be installed on the device used with it.

Canon’s TS6220 model also offers a function the manufacturer deems Easy Wireless Connect. Here’s how to utilize it:

  1. Press the button marked by the icon of two looped paper clips, and select Yes when prompted that “Settings will be made on a computer, smartphone etc.”

  2. As before, run the associated software, depending on whether the printer will be controlled via a PC or Mac. The associated software is available on Canon’s Support page.

Cableless setup

Canon Selphy CP1200 WiFi printer Alex Wong/Getty Images

Canon’s PIXMA E484, 494, and 495 models can be connected using a feature that Canon calls Cableless setup. To do this, the process is similar to that of the Pixma TS702:

  1. Select setup from the front of the device, then scroll to Wireless LAN setup.

  2. Confirm your choice of Other setup, followed by Cableless setup from the following screen.

  3. As before, the relevant software for the device that will control the printer will be needed. Canon’s Consumer Product Support page provides the software for these three models for users on Windows.

As tends to be the case with manufacturers, the instructions to connect a Canon printer to WiFi don’t differ very much from model to model. The process has refined somewhat over time, though (the Product Support page for these models suggests CD-ROM installation for the software, a function that many computers won’t have access to), so it’s crucial to have access to appropriate troubleshooting help should things go awry. To this end, Canon support offers a “Select your product” search box that allows users to find documentation specific to the model in question. There are tips that can be helpful for all printers (should they be working slowly, for instance), too, though.