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Most early impressions of the Apple Watch Series 10 are quite positive. Not only does it have the biggest display yet on any Apple Watch (despite a smaller overall case size than the 49mm Ultra 2), but it weighs less and is somehow thinner than before. The display isnt just bigger, either it has improved brightness when viewed at an angle, and the always-on screen can refresh once a second when at rest, rather than once a minute as it did before. Beyond the updated display and some lovely new case options (the new polished titanium and jet black aluminum look pretty fabulous), the Apple Watch is also getting a new health feature: sleep apnea detection. Its not exclusive to the Apple Watch Series 10, as last years Series 9 will also get it as well, but it was still a main highlight of Apples presentation and another example of how they want you to wear the Watch all day and all night. The only problem with that? Battery life is still rated for 18 hours, or 36 in battery-saver mode (half of what Apple claims for the Watch Ultra 2). That means if I get up and strap my watch on at 7AM, itll be dead overnight. Of course, the reality of this isnt as extreme as Im making it sound. While Apple has quoted an 18-hour battery since the Apple Watch was first released in 2015, recent models have easily exceeded that, despite changes like an always-on display. Its not unreasonable to wear it all day and overnight to track your sleep, and then give it a charge in the morning to get set for the next day. Apple has focused on quick charging in the last few models to make that more feasible the Series 10 can be charged to 80 percent in just 30 minutes. The problem, at least in my experience, comes a year or so into an Apple Watchs life. I had a Series 7, and its battery health had dropped to below 90 percent capacity after less than a year, and under 85 percent capacity after about 14 months. That made a noticeable difference; if I wanted to wear my watch overnight for sleep-tracking purposes, it would have needed a mid-day charge. Things were even worse if I used LTE on a run and left my phone at home, as streaming music and tracking a workout could easily use more than 25 percent of my battery. My Series 9 that I got last December, however, appears to be doing much better, with battery health still at 100 percent. Maybe my Series 7 was a lemon, but I think Apple has done some solid charging optimization to keep things fresher here. Getting a day and change from the Apple Watch is in line with the Pixel Watch 3 that we just reviewed, though it lags behind Samsungs Galaxy smartwatches. But the comparison gets worse when you look at Garmins line of fitness-focused watches, basically all of which can be used for well over a week without needing a charge. Granted, theyre different from Apple and Google wearables that are tightly integrated with all aspects of your phones OS, but thats not the point. If you want to use your watch to the fullest, wear it overnight to track sleep and not have to think about it the next day, the Apple Watch is far from your best option. That brings me back around to the Series 10. How psyched would we all be if Apple said this thing got three days of battery life? Even matching the 36-hour rating of the Apple Watch Ultra would be a win, as chances are good youd get closer to two days in real-world use. Instead, though, Apple did what it often does and made the Series 10 thinner. Sure, comfort is crucial when youre talking about a wearable, but I personally would have traded a 1mm reduction in thickness (about a nine percent change) for a bigger, longer-lasting battery. Instead, well just have to make do with faster charging, which, dont get me wrong, does make a difference. Its pretty easy to imagine a world in which you wake up, drop your Apple Watch on the charger for 45 minutes while you get ready for the day and then dont think about it again until the next morning. But thats just another time you have to think about this thing thats supposed to live on your wrist. Charging overnight isnt necessarily the best option anymore, but having to charge every day without fail is still a bummer. I just wish I had an Apple Watch that I could forget about and just drop on a charger every couple days to top it up. Maybe next year. Catch up on all the news from Apples iPhone 16 event!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/the-apple-watch-series-10-deserves-more-than-18-hour-battery-life-170410297.html?src=rss
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Earlier this year, Google said goodbye to its cached web page feature, saying its no longer needed. While many were sad to see it go, we can now rejoice as Google is partnering with the Internet Archive to bring something substantially similar back. Thanks to the Internet Archives Wayback Machine, you can now look at archived web pages easily. Clicking on the three dots beside any search result will let you begin to access cached pages. Next, look for the About this Result panel and click More About This Page. Doing so will lead you to the Wayback Machine, allowing anyone to see snapshots of webpages from various times. Director of the Wayback Machine Mark Graham said some archived web pages wont be available because their rights holders have opted out of having their sites archived by the Internet Archive.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/google-searches-now-link-to-the-internet-archive-164814487.html?src=rss
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Ultimate Ears has a history of building loud and rugged portable Bluetooth speakers with features to simplify the listening experience. Whether it's a party mode that supports over 100 speakers at once, or the ability to remotely power off the unit with your phone, the companys devices have consistently been among the best. Enter the Everboom ($250), a new option from UE that sits in the middle of its lineup in terms of size and power. Those handy Ultimate Ears features return, but so does the companys lack of clarity and fidelity. Design The Everboom is slightly smaller than the midpoint of Ultimate Ears Bluetooth speaker lineup. The compact Wonderboom and cylindrical Boom 4 and Megaboom 4 are the smaller options, while the Epicboom and Hyperboom are larger. The Megaboom 4 is actually taller than the Everboom, but the latter is wider, making it bigger overall. Aesthetically, the Everboom is most like the Epicboom: an oval-shaped, cylindrical device with a rubber base. Where the two differ, other than size, is that the Epicboom has an attached strap around back while the Everboom has a loop. You use the included carabiner or opt for a clip or hook. And, like all recent UE speakers, large + and - buttons are part of the look, putting the volume controls right on the face of the speaker. Up top, there are buttons for power, Bluetooth, Outdoor Boost and play/pause. That last control also skips tracks with a double (forward) or triple press (back). Like most recent UE speakers, the Everboom is plenty rugged. The IP67-rated unit can survive being fully submerged, but you probably wont have to worry about that because it also floats. While UE highlighted this aspect in the announcement, I should point out that the Wonderboom also floats. The company says it drop-tested the Everboom at heights up to one meter (about three feet), so the occasional stumble shouldnt be an issue beyond scuffs or scratches. The UE Boom app and features Billy Steele for Engadget In order to use the Everboom's advanced features, youll need to access them in the UE Boom app. Once the speaker is connected, the main interface displays battery status above controls for power, Outdoor Boost and a megaphone tool. Theres a volume slider too, as well as a media player and tabs for PartyUp and EQ. The megaphone allows you to make announcements via your phones mic and Partyup is Ultimate Ears nomenclature for pairing multiple speakers together. You can actually sync up to 150 units in the same setup, so long as theyre either Boom, Megaboom, Epicboom or Hyperboom models. A dive into the detailed settings menu reveals even more handy tools. Theres the option to add playlists from either Amazon Music or Apple Music so you can start them directly from the Everbooms play/pause button (long press). You can add as many playlists as you want and cycle through them without picking up your phone. When one collection is playing, youll also have access to playlists from the media player inside the app. There are a few more items in the settings that Ill point out. You can enable so-called Sticky PartyUp to keep speakers grouped if you change locations and you can also disable the ability for other people to add your device to their PartyUp arrangement. Bluetooth Standby is on by default, and its how the app can remotely turn the speaker on or off. But it impacts battery life, so the company gives you the option to extend play time by disabling it. Sound quality Billy Steele for Engadget One of the best things about the Everboom is that the driver arrangement beams sound 360 degrees. You can clearly hear music when youre sitting on the side of the device, although the tuning there favors treble over bass. My main gripe with Ultimate Ears speakers is that it always seems like the company favors volume over fidelity. The speakers typically sound fine, and the Everboom is more of the same, but theres a lack of overall depth and detail that other Bluetooth speakers muster. Songs consistently sound compressed, noticeably lacking in the mid range, despite punchy highs and rumbling bass. Theres just a lack of overall clarity on bluegrass tunes from Nickel Creek and the open, atmospheric instrumentation on Phantograms Come Alive. Vocals always cut through clean, but the sound stage is confined to the two high and low extremes. Saosins Live From The Garden Amphitheater is one of the better-sounding live albums I can remember, but the Everboom subdues the energy of the show with a lack of dynamics in its tuning. Of the EQ presets, Bass Boost is the only one that improves things, but not dramatically. Unlike most bass-heavy profiles, this one doesnt further muddy the audio quality. However, for some genres, like the brooding alt-rock of Balance and Composure, the added low-end makes the constant, rhythmic bass lines overbearing. In wide open spaces, Outdoor Boost can help improve the listening experience. According to the company, this increases the volume by one decibel (from 90dB to 91dB), and thats it. However, if you happen to activate it indoors, youll be able to hear that the tuning also changes slightly. Outside though, all youll notice is slightly louder, better-projected sound. The feature makes an obvious difference when yure no longer in a confined space, addressing a problem that typically plagues Bluetooth speakers when used outdoors. Battery life Billy Steele for Engadget The Everboom has enough juice to keep the tunes going for a good long while. Ultimate Ears promises up to 20 hours on a charge, more than enough for a full days worth of music. After my tests, I can confidently say that the speaker will outperform that, unless youre running it at full volume for hours on end (you wont, trust me). After 12 hours, the UE app was still showing 70 percent battery remaining. These trials were mostly conducted indoors where a volume around 40 percent is plenty loud. Also, I didnt notice that the Bluetooth standby mode for turning the speaker on with the app had any impact on battery life like the company warns. The competition As I already mentioned, there are plenty of alternatives in the Ultimate Ears lineup if youre looking for similar features in a slightly different package. However, my recommendation is the Marshall Middleton ($250), a selection from our best portable Bluetooth speakers list for a speaker at this price and size. Right now you can get it for the same cost as the Everboom and it has several handy features the UE speaker doesnt offer. First, theres a joystick control knob up top, with a visual indicator for battery and volume levels. You can also make bass and treble adjustments on the device and theres a 3.5mm jack for wired input. Of course, you get all of the stylings of the iconic Marshall guitar amps and a Stack Mode allows you to use multiple units as a more robust setup. The Middleton is rated IP67 for water-resistance and offers 20 hours of battery life. Both of those specs are the same as the Everboom. Also, dont sleep on the new Beats Pill ($150). Sure, it's a smaller speaker, but it still delivers a big sound. The bass performance can vary depending on the album or genre, but overall theres nice low-end tone from the compact unit. Whats more, angled drivers project sound better than previous versions and you have the option of lossless tunes via wired USB-C connection. And perhaps best of all: youll save $100. Wrap-up Ultimate Ears are typically a solid bet for the price, even though the best value lies with the companys smaller speakers. The mid-sized Everboom brings the UEs best features to yet another new design, maintaining its robust dust, moisture and drop protections. All of the conveniences are offset by a sound profile thats deafeningly loud, but lacks the polish for detailed, immersive listening. For all of the punchy highs and deep bass, the overall sonic effect is murky and subdued in the absence of mids. Still, the fact that the speaker floats and the dedicated outdoor sound boost makes this a decent option for adventures. And one that will certainly annoy the people in the next campsite. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/ultimate-ears-everboom-review-a-floatable-outdoor-speaker-that-packs-a-punch-161532961.html?src=rss
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