Tag Archives: portable

Technology

5 Ryobi Lighting Accessories No Night Owl DIYer Should Be Without

There are few lanterns which can be as versatile as a superb cordless worklight. They’re moveable, posable, and sometimes provide essentially the most highly effective battery-operated illumination to your workspace. This is nice whether or not you are engaged on a development challenge otherwise you’re elbow-deep beneath the hood of a automobile.

The greatest one on provide from Ryobi is the 18V One+ Hybrid LED Worklight, which was just added to the company’s catalog in 2024. It can produce as much as 3,000 lumens of LED output, making it one of many brightest choices that Ryobi gives. This energy is complemented by a versatile vary of performance. You can regulate the brightness of the sunshine to make sure eye consolation, visibility, and the longevity of the battery. Its hybrid design additionally makes it in order that it could both be powered by an extension twine for max effectivity and limitless runtime, or it may be powered by one among Ryobi’s One+ batteries for as much as 16 hours on low settings. It additionally has a surprisingly versatile design. The mild itself is connected to a swiveling mount which gives 360-degree rotation and is suitable with Ryobi’s LINK system, so you possibly can place its concentrate on the areas that almost all want illumination.

Pro Tool Reviews cherished the 18V One+ Hybrid LED Worklight. They praised its low worth, compact design, and vary of performance, stating that it, “presents a pretty solid option because of its flexible output levels, pleasing color temperature, and even spread. This is a great “grab-and-go mild which you can toss in your work truck or van. You can also’t beat the myriad of hanging choices.”

Motorsport

Turn Your SUV Into A Camper With This $2,000 Conversion Kit

Camping modules for vans have gained reputation lately. These transportable kits supply many options present in devoted camper vans with out being completely put in. In quick, you should utilize your van for regular weekday errands after which escape for a weekend journey. But individuals do not drive vans by the week. They drive SUVs.

That’s why the most recent tenting package from Van Lab caught our eye. It’s a drop-in module designed to suit a plethora of well-liked SUVs, from the compact BMW X3 to a beefy Chevrolet Suburban. The firm additionally lists some station wagons such because the Subaru Outback on its compatibility chart. Chatting with Van Lab Director Ian Fitzhenry, he defined the SUV package is a one-size-fits-all product, versus the same old vehicle-specific kits they construct for vans.


Consoles

How To Use Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons To Control Your Phone’s Camera

Person holding Joy-Con controllers Chesnot/Getty Images

It’s always convenient when the many portable devices we use on a daily basis interact with and complement each other. Fitness apps on a smartphone and a smart watch, for instance, are just one very logical and natural pairing. More outlandishly, though, the Nintendo Switch’s small but mighty Joy-Con controller can serve as a controller for something else: your smartphone’s camera.

If you’ve ever tried to use your camera’s timer feature and then rushed into a group shot, only to get questionable results, you’ll appreciate this rather obscure functionality of the Joy-Con. Here’s how it works.

In September 2021, Bluetooth audio was added to the Nintendo Switch for connecting headphones. However, months prior to that, a Reddit user named Byotan showcased the Bluetooth functionality that the system already had. It’s a niche feature but impressive nonetheless.

In Byotan’s demonstration, a single Joy-Con is used (via the “A” button) to activate the shutter of an Android phone’s camera, which is set up on a stand at a short distance. You can easily set this up for yourself too.

Android and Bluetooth Versatility Strikes Again

person taking photo smartphone Martin-dm/Getty Images

Here’s how to set up your Joy-Cons for remote photography on an Android device:

  1. Open your Android smartphone’s Bluetooth settings.

  2. Press the Sync button on your Joy-Con. It’s the small circular button between the SL and SR buttons. The indicator will quickly cycle through the player positions, indicating that the Joy-Con is searching for a Bluetooth device to pair to.

  3. On your smartphone, you should see either Joy-Con R or Joy-Con L (depending on whether you’re using the right or left Joy-Con) in the Available Devices list. Tap it, and your Android will start pairing with the Joy-Con automatically. If you’re connecting both Joy-Con, repeat this process for the second one.

  4. Open your smartphone’s camera app.

With the connection set up like this, pressing up on the D-Pad (left Joy-Con) or the A or B buttons (right Joy-Con) will take a photo on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, while pressing down on the D-Pad (left Joy-Con) or the X button (right Joy-Con) will close the camera app.

The specific functionality may vary depending on your device (for example, pressing A on the right Joy-Con will take a photo on a Pixel device), and the easiest way to utilize it is to configure the photo settings to your preferences using the app as usual first, and then experiment with the Joy-Con buttons afterwards. With their movement-tracking capabilities, the Joy-Cons are very capable little controllers.

Technology

Why Apple’s First Laptop Was A Terrible Failure

Apple’s first laptop, the Macintosh Portable, had a similar software to the Macintosh II, with a faster 16 MHz 68000 CPU. Although it received positive reviews, the Portable failed due to several reasons.

Firstly, the Portable was extremely heavy, weighing around 16 pounds. This made it inconvenient to carry around and defeated the purpose of a portable device. Additionally, the battery life suffered due to the introduction of backlit displays in later models.

Furthermore, the Portable’s exorbitant price range of $6,500 to $7,000, adjusted for inflation, made it unaffordable for most consumers. This high price tag was a major deterrent to potential buyers.

It’s no surprise that the Macintosh Portable failed to sell as well as Apple’s desktop computers at that time. Thankfully, Apple made significant progress towards their current line of successful MacBooks with the introduction of the PowerBook in 1991.

Image: Wojciech Pędzich via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 4.0

Technology

5 Products Apple Should Have Never Discontinued

The iPod, Apple’s iconic portable music player, holds a significant place in the company’s history. Unfortunately, Apple announced in 2022 that it was discontinued. The iPod lineup underwent various transformations, starting from the pocket-sized iPod Classic with a click wheel, and concluding with the iPod Touch.

The rise of smartphones — particularly the iPhone, with its enhanced functionalities and integrated music capabilities — contributed to the decline in demand for standalone portable music players like the iPod. Despite its discontinuation, there are compelling reasons why the iPod should have stuck around.

It provided a dedicated music experience that catered specifically to music enthusiasts. Its iconic design, featuring the click wheel and sleek aesthetics, made it a highly desirable and user-friendly device. The iPod allowed users to carry thousands of songs in a compact device, providing unparalleled freedom and convenience. It really did revolutionize music portability and consumption, setting the stage for the digital music era — but many would want it back just for the looks and design.

Besides allowing users to carry extensive music libraries with them, the iPod’s significant storage capacity appealed to individuals who preferred to own their music, as well as provided offline access to their favorite tracks during a time when smartphones weren’t as prevalent. Integrating music functionalities into data-powered smartphones, and the rise of music streaming services, may have rendered large storage capacities less relevant for some users. However, the iPod remained valuable for some audiophiles, especially for others in areas with limited internet access.