Review: Koogeek LB1 Wi-Fi Smart LED Bulb

One of the biggest advantages of automation technology is that it can turn an otherwise lifeless home into a piece of modern technology. Also, smart technology puts the owner in control of their electronic devices such as lighting, entertainment and temperature at the push of a button by just sitting on the couch. You too can enjoy smart life through smart connected homes.

Koogeek has introduced its new HomeKit enabled Wi-Fi Smart LED Light Bulb that can be easily connected to a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network without a hub or bridge. It works with Apple HomeKit technology and provides an easy, secure way to turn your connected light on or off, set light colors, or adjust light brightness and saturation through Siri voice control on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple Watch.

It supports dimming, shades of white, and color settings and offers 16 million colors to choose from. Every color is dimmable in the Koogeek Home app. You can match different colors to create special atmospheres for every moment and personalize your home. You can easily turn off lights with a single tap, without getting out of the comfort of your bed. It uses only 8 watts and delivers up to 500 lumens of light with a color temperature from 2700k (warm white) to 6000k (daylight white). It has an energy saving with a lifetime of up to 25,000 hours, which is 22.8 years based on 3 hours use per day. It is compatible with E26/E27 light fittings (medium screw base) and is for indoor use only.

You need to no longer worry about forgetting to turn off lights while leaving home, as you can set different timers to turn lights on or off on Koogeek smart light bulbs. You can also wake up in the morning with your favorite light turned on automatically. You can create scenes to control multiple connected bulbs simultaneously with a single Siri voice command or just a tap and customize lighting effects and create brilliant lights for parties or festivals.

You can set up your Apple TV with tvOS 10.1 or later or iPad with iOS 10.1 or later as a home hub to control your HomeKit accessories remotely, grant access, and automate your accessories.

To set up the light bulb, you need to simply configure it from the Koogeek Home app over a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network. It is available in grey color. You can purchase Koogeek Wi-Fi Smart LED Light Bulb from Amazon at a price of $39.99.

To know more about Koogeek LB1 Smart LED Bulb, go over to their official website.

The Ultimate List of SD-WAN Benefits

SD-WAN has shifted from peripheral technology to the mainstream. SD-WAN benefits are so compelling that Gartner predicts that by 2018, more than 40% of WAN edge infrastructure refresh initiatives will be based on SD-WAN appliances from SD-WAN vendors or vCPE versus traditional routers (up from less than 2% today). According to IDC’s Worldwide SD-WAN Forecast, SD-WAN vendors are expected to see a 69% compound annual growth rate in sales over the next five years, reaching $8.05 billion in 2021.

“SD-WAN is the most significant infrastructure transformation since the introduction of virtualization,” says Shlomo Kramer, co-founder, and CEO of Cato Networks, a provider of cloud-based and secure global  SD-WAN. “It transforms how we think about office-to-office communications, Internet access, the cloud, our security architecture, and mobility. When else have we seen a technology with such profound impact?”

Clearly, plenty of people are getting excited about SD-WAN benefits. There are also plenty of reasons already discussed for that excitement. Here’s my “ultimate”  list of SD-WAN benefits,  including a few you probably haven’t considered.

Align Your Business and Your WAN

For too long, our networks haven’t reflected our business priorities. Business-critical applications were starved for bandwidth while YouTube and, worse, BItTorrent, got treated like royalty. Sales calls were garbled while file transfers chugged along. SD-WAN allows us to make order of this WAN “mess” and align our backbones to our business priorities.

This means more than just allocating bandwidth by the application’s importance to the business. Even with traditional wide area networks, we’ve been able to do that with the right edge equipment.  With the SD-WAN, we can also align the uptime and network performance characteristics of available data services to the importance of a site.

Business-critical locations, such as a datacenter, can be connected by active/active, dual-homed fiber connections, managed and monitored 24×7 by an external provider. Less critical locations, such as small offices, can be connected with a single xDSL connection for significant cost savings. Temporary teams, such as those put together for disaster situations or when onboarding new clients, can be set up with 4G/LTE and mobile clients for connecting into the SD-WAN. Yet despite their different forms of connectivity, all locations remain governed by a common set of routing and security policies.

By aligning the WAN’s usage, configuration, and availability characteristics to business needs, we’re able to maximize our WAN budgets and dramatically improve our return on investment (ROI) from SD-WANs.

Get Better Application Performance

Applications vary in their network requirements. Voice is sensitive to packet loss and jitter; bulk data transfer requires throughput. Web applications have their own needs. IP routing, particularly as it’s implemented on the Internet, doesn’t respect those differences – it selects the same optimum route for each application. As a result, some applications may starve while others thrive.

SD-WAN lets you be smarter about how you pick your routes. SD-WAN appliances monitor latency and loss metrics of the paths to all other SD-WAN appliances. Then, they match application requirements and business priority onto those metrics, selecting the optimum path for a given application.  The upshot: companies can reach peak performance across any provided transport.

Reduce WAN Opex and Capex

The benefits of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) may have not been easily realized in the datacenter, but they’ve been pretty apparent in the WAN. The ROI of an SD-WAN can be dramatic and immediate. Replace MPLS bandwidth with Internet bandwidth and save 70% on bandwidth costs.

Operational expenses also become much lower. With zero-touch provisioning, bringing up a new location can be done in minutes and without specialized expertise. Just plug the SD-WAN appliance into the network. It does the rest. If security is integrated into the SD-WAN, you can eliminate your security appliances and save on the upgrading, patching, and maintenance.

Junk Your MPLS Provider — For Good

Getting MPLS-free. It’s the dream of many WAN managers. The legacy technology has forced companies to pay a premium for bandwidth, suffer long implementation times, and wait for carrier bureaucracy to respond to change requests. Is it any wonder that Gartner found, after conducting over 3,500 WAN-related client inquiries and reviewing more than 500 service provider contracts in the past year, that “Enterprises are dissatisfied with large incumbent network service providers.”

SD-WAN unburdens companies from their service provider with the promise that they’ll be able to use the Internet to replace MPLS. The reality is that while some applications can shift to the Internet, many cannot. Loss-sensitive applications, for example, will underperform over time when traversing the Internet. The inconsistencies caused by Internet routing and congestion make it impossible to move those applications onto the Internet in any kind of predictable fashion. For those applications, organizations will still have retain MPLS or replace it with another SLA-backed backbone.

Run the WAN Without Engineering

For years, WAN has meant advanced engineering, mastering CLIs, and becoming fluent in arcane protocols like BGP and PBR. For many companies, managing their WANs this way is not scalable. Some lack the internal expertise, and others have the engineers but not the patience or tools to manage the many elements of their networks.

SD-WANs do not completely eliminate experience from running the WAN, but they do maximize engineering resource by making WAN deployment easier and simplifying WAN management. Policies drive configuration, which minimizes the configuration-drift between branch offices that complicates WAN support. Deployment policies are also important for zero-touch provisioning and deployment. Adding new application services across the WAN without adversely existing services becomes much easier.

Make Holistic SD-WAN Security a Reality

For too long, companies have thought about the security of their various resources in discrete compartments. Networking teams built the WAN and had their firewalls; mobile teams had their mobile VPNs. The cloud has given rise to its own security solutions. And all three had their own tools and policies. Companies ended up paying more operationally for this fragmented security infrastructure.

With the right SD-WAN, organizations can now create a holistic security posture that protects all of its resources. Mobile users, locations, and cloud resources can now connect into one network, the SD-WAN, which is protected by one holistic security policy with one set of security tools. It’s a radical transformation that makes security simpler and, by extension, more effective.

Protect Your WAN From Itself

Everyone assumes the WAN is secure, but that’s far from the truth. MPLS services send data in the clear but do nothing to prevent users from accessing unauthorized resources or the lateral movement of malware between locations. All SD-WANs address two of those problems. They encrypt traffic, preventing wiretapping. They also segment the WAN with layer three tunnels (called “segments” or “overlays”) that prevent users from seeing and accessing unauthorized resources in other overlays.

But most SD-WANs fail to do anything about the third category: Preventing lateral movement of malware within the organization. And make no mistake, preventing lateral movement is incredibly important. Just ask Target. The Target breach that exposed 40 million customer debit and credit card accounts, led to the resignation of senior executives, and was caused by malware moving  between locations.

To stop lateral movement, the SD-WAN needs to be inherently secure, inspecting every packet between locations. This requires the delivery of next-generation firewall (NGFW), IPS, and advanced threat protection within the SD-WAN overlay. Some SD-WANs can deliver that kind of advanced security, while others cannot.

Better Uptime Makes for More Bedtime

Here’s the dirty little secret about MPLS services: the same errant backhoe operators that cut fiber cables and disconnect your Internet service are the same ones who crack your MPLS connections. What’s needed to make MPLS last miles secure are active/active, redundant, dual-homed, and diversely-routed connections.

But with MPLS, that hasn’t been possible for many reasons. Bandwidth costs have been too high for many companies to afford redundant connections. Even then, ensuring they were diversely routed has been impossible. Running two active connections can also introduce routing loops or complicate route configuration. Failover between them is also not fast enough to sustain a voice call or a session, for example.

SD-WANs solve the uptime problem. Their use of tunnelling make it simple to run active/active. The SD-WAN node load balances the connections, maximizing the available bandwidth. The traffic policies driving the SD-WAN determine the use of one path or another. Fast failover is an essential feature and one offered by many SD-WAN providers.

The WAN of All WANs

For too long, enterprise network teams have had to kludge together WANs and cloud services, routers and a security devices. The best next generation firewall, or the best security service in general, is one that’s built into the network – not bolted on top of one. Secure and optimized SD-WAN can replace the organically grown mashup of security and networking equipment with a sleeker, unified corporate network for all users, locations, and resources. Making them “intrinsically secure” renders the WAN even more agile, easier to configure, and powerful.

It’s enough to get any IT pro excited. Now, do you see why so many companies are intrigued by SD-WANs?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Author Bio:

Dave Greenfield is the secure networking evangelist at Cato Networks. He brings more than 20 years of experience in IT and telecoms having worked as an award-winning journalist, blogger, and a technology analyst advising companies on their IT and WAN strategies. Dave is the author of the “Ultimate WAN RFP” and the “Essential Guide to Optical Networks.” He has a background in philosophy and computer science.

Effectively Manage Your Android Data with Coolmuster Android Assistant

Applications and files are eating up your Android phone storage space? Transferring data from your phone to computer takes you too much time? Finding a specific file costs you 30 minutes or even one hour? If you are an Android device user, you must be familiar with these situations because they happen to all Android users and annoy them for a long time. Therefore, users are eager to get a kind of serviceable software to let them escape from all these troubles. As a result, Coolmuster Android Assistant appears.

As a professional Android data manager, Coolmuster gathers backup, transmission, and management in an integral whole. With it, you can not only solve the tiring Android phone problems via one program but also can simplify the process to save your time. So we can say that managing data on your Android phone is no longer a trouble after having it.

What Can You Do with Coolmuster Android Assistant?

The functions that Coolmuster Android Assistant can provide you are abundant and utility.I will list its main features below, which will assist you in knowing more about this tool.
1. Transfer various data from Android to computer without damaging their quality, including Contacts, SMS, Music, Photos, Videos, etc..
2. Add, delete or edit your Android data on the desktop computer directly.
3. 1-click backup&restore feature allows you to backup, or restore any types of files from/to Android device with one simple click.
4. Find particular data in several seconds by typing one or more keywords in searching box.
5. Texting or mass texting people on your computer as you like.
6. Link Android device to PC with 2 different ways: USB connection and Wifi connection.
7. Compatible with massive popular brands of Android device, including Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Sony, Huawei, etc.

The Ways to Use Coolmuster Android Assistant

Using this powerful Android File Manager to backup, copy and organize files could be effortless. You can follow the steps and make an attempt.

Part 1. How to Import, Export, Add, Delete and Edit Data on Android device?

Step 1: Open USB debugging.

Before launching the tool, you have to make sure that USB debugging is enabled on your device. Otherwise, the program will fail to detect your Android phone.

Step 2: Download and install USB driver.

Use USB cable to connect your Android phone to computer and then launch the tool. After that, click “Next” on the computer screen to make the program detect your device. Then it will notify you that the USB driver is downloading and installing on your PC.

Step 3: Recognize your phone.

After finishing the USB driver installation, you still need to wait a few seconds until all of the items are ready to use. And what you need to do next is to authorize the PC by clicking “OK” on your phone. And then the program will recognize your phone and you can see the detailed information of your phone in the main interface.

Step 4: Manage Data on Android Now.

Now various folders will be displayed in the left panel but what should we do next? Let’s take “Contacts” as an example. First of all, you need to choose “Contacts” category in the left panel, then you can see all detailed contacts info in the program.

– Import or export Android contacts from or to computer

Directly click “Import” or “Export” button on the top menu and then a window will appear to require you browse for your wanted files or choose the exported formats as you like.

– Add new contacts to Android

Click “New” to open the “Add new contact” window and you can type name and phone number in this window at a great lick.

– Delete duplicate or invalid contacts

Select the contacts that you want to discard. Then click on “Delete” to remove them.

– Edit existing information

Tick the contacts that you want to modify and then click “Edit” to alter them.

Here is also another detailed tutorial to show you how to transfer text messages from Android to the computer.

Part 2. 1-Click to Backup and Restore Android Data

For backing up and restoring Android data, you can follow the first three steps above to make your phone be recognized, then directly choose “Super Toolkit” to find the backup or restore option you need.

• Copy Android data from phone to PC.

Choose the option of “Backup” and select your wanted data and assign an output folder to store them. Next click “Back Up” and wait for the end.

• Restore data to Android device.

Select “Restore” option under the “Super Toolkit” and select the file types you wish to recover from the backup files. Then tap on “Restore” button to start retrieving the selected contents.

Conclusion

For Android device users, Coolmuster Android Assistant is the item that helps them to enjoy their phones without the burden and get more fun from the equipment. It is the tool that you cannot miss.

Is Snaappy the App That’s Ushering In A New Age of Communication?

Snaappy, the newest communication platform on the block, is using AR to let users express their emotions, and it’s much more than your typical messaging app

What exactly does it mean to communicate with another person? Is it introducing yourself with a firm handshake? Sending a polite letter in the mail? Or maybe just a casual text? Nowadays the lines of what defines true and proper communication are quite blurred. Scholars and philosophers, like Plato and Shakespeare, are rolling over in the graves thinking about Snapchat filters and emojis as ways in which we express ourselves today. But realistically, we are entering into a new age of communication, one that ditches the simple text message or ancient phone call, and focuses on augmenting the world around us, enhancing our features with filters and dancing Hot Dogs.

Augmented reality is quickly becoming a very popular form of communication for people around the world. There’s SnapChat, Instagram filters, and now even Facebook has thrown its hat into the AR space. Leaving Facebook messenger aside, which offers a different experience than other messaging apps, there isn’t really anything out there that provides both the fun of AR apps like SnapChat coupled with the practicality of your standard Whatsapp or Viber message. But that’s where Snaappy comes in. Snaappy blends together the best of both worlds, offering users one of the first truly AR communication experiences.

Snaappy, which labels itself as the most emotional app in the world, offers users a communication experience, not like anything we’ve seen before. The app comes with a variety of features, including live-typing (yes your friends can see what you are typing as you type), promiscuous yet adorable 3D stickers, and AI prediction typing. But the one that stands out the most is the AR, which has been revamped in the recently released version of the app (available both in the App Store and Google Play). Snaappy comes equipped with an AR picture and video editor, so users can enhance all their favorite pictures and videos – adding in 3D stickers, text bubbles, and even voice notes. Snaappy allows the user to brings their most basic of pictures to life – creating a new layer to the AR centered craze that exists today.

Imagine never having to actually communicate your emotions again? Ok, this sounds a little bit too Westworld-esque for me. But picture a mobile application that lets users express their feelings in ways we’ve never been able to before. Sometimes you’re just so frustrated that words can’t possibly explain it. Or maybe you just feel so pretty in the recent selfie you took that captions don’t do you justice. Snaappy lets users express these feelings not with words, but with augmented reality – something we haven’t really seen yet on the market. Users can send edited pictures, cool new movie clips, or just a 3D animated sticker to express what they are feeling. Users enhance their images and videos with the 3D stickers, enabling AR, not a text, to start a conversation. It’s the AR feature of the app that does all the talking!

Snaappy blends the old with the new, making the unfamiliar, familiar. Because Snaappy has all the features of a regular messaging app, users can still enjoy the basics of communication. But when something extra needs to said, when that “NO!” needs a little extra sass, Snaappy’s AR editor truly brings the user’s words to life.

This new world centering around AR as a primary form of communication offers users something that they’re not used to. But with all new ideas, it may take some time to catch on. The AR communication trend has not really moved past funny filters, even though the space is capable of so much more. But, Snaappy, as an app that blends together traditional messaging with modern AR features, is definitely one step in the right direction.

5 Tips to faxing from the internet

The ability to be productive from anywhere in the world is due to the growth in technology and internet capabilities. No longer do you have to go to the office to be effective as you can work from anywhere as long as you have the internet. The internet allows for people to communicate all over the world and in various formats. Whether you are hosting a conference call, sending a letter via email, or sending something through internet fax, the internet makes doing business and being productive easier than ever before. If you are new to using the internet in a way that is non-traditional, such as sending a fax online, this article will provide some tips that will be helpful to you as you learn this new way of doing business.

1# Search the internet for a free faxing service.

There are many companies out there that provide free faxing service through the internet. Before you get started, be sure to research how many faxes you can send at a time. You may find that you will need to make a small investment to fax a large set of documents. The price to do so will still be cheaper than paying for a fax machine and faxing that way. If the fax service is free, you will notice that there may be some ads on the site to help pay for the service. Ads are what makes the service free to use so try not to be annoyed.

2# Receiving a fax.

There are also services on the internet that will allow you to receive faxes without the use of a fax machine. You can choose your own local 800 number and have the fax sent directly to your email account. Your clients don’t have to know that you do not have a standard fax machine and you can save on printing costs by only printing the faxes that you must have hard copies of. The others can be stored on your computer’s hard drive.

3# Send a fax with Gmail.

Did you know that you can send a fax in a secure manner just by using your email account? The ability to send a fax through Gmail is a great way to get pertinent information to clients or receive information via the web in a matter of seconds. Faxing through the internet is fast and will save you a great deal of time. No more standing around the fax machine while you wait for the line to connect. Faxing online makes a fax machine seem so primitive nowadays.

4# Fax from your smartphone.

If you or your employees travel frequently for work but find that you are in need of a fax machine while on the road, do not fret. You can now download apps that allow for you to send a fax via your smartphone. Simply take a photo of the document that you want to fax and the app will turn it into a pdf that can be sent via fax through the app. If you plan to send multiple faxes, you will want to do your research to find the app that is the most cost effective.

5# Create fax templates.

If you fax a great deal, you will want to have a template of your cover sheet readily available at any given time. Luckily, by faxing on the internet, you can easily access your cover letter template. Be sure to include the cover sheet in the number of pages you will be faxing.

Here are some reasons why you should have a dodocool Himalayan Salt Lamp in your every room

Techworm readers get a special discount of 27%, hurry only 5 hours left

I will assume that most of you have never heard of a Himalayan Salt Lamp, let alone own it. If you have heard about it then you don’t know what you’re missing if you don’t have a Himalayan salt lamp in your home. It’s like having an open window – a softly glowing natural source of fresh, clean air – on your desk, in your living room, next to the bed, or anywhere you choose to put it.

Before we dive into dodocool’s Himalayan Salt Lamp offer, here are some interesting facts about why you should have a Himalayan salt lamp in all your rooms.

Who doesn’t like a whiff of fresh air? Especially those living in concrete jungles we call our cities probably need it the most. Himalayan Salt Lamps are probably the best-known source of anti-pollutants available in the market. They have the power to remove dust, pollen, cigarette smoke, and other contaminants from the air.

Himalayan salt lamps purify air through hygroscopy, meaning that they attract water molecules from the surrounding environment and absorb those molecules and with them all the pollutants in the air into the salt crystal. As the crystals in the lamp warm up from the heat produced by the light bulb inside, that same water then evaporates back into the air and the trapped particles of dust, pollen, smoke, etc remain locked in the salt.

Techworm readers get a special discount of 27%, hurry only 5 hours left

Himalayan Salt Lamps are a must have for everybody but especially those who suffer from Asthma, Chronic Cough or other respiratory diseases. Fresh air also energizes humans, especially after a long days work. The Himalayan salt lamps also neutralize the electromagnetic radiation that our rooms have due to different electronic gadgets thus leaving you fresh and cheerful. It also lets you sleep a blissful sleep without unwanted chemicals around.

Why should you buy dodocool Himalayan Salt Lamp?

dodocool guys have been at the forefront of bringing you best gadgets that you require for day to day needs like chargers, Bluetooth speakers, wireless speakers, USB hubs, Types-C hubs etc. Now they have launched their new product called dodocool Himalayan Salt Lamp and are giving a discount of 27% to a few lucky winners.

dodocool Himalayan Salt Lamp Features :

– Made of a 10W incandescent bulb with a lamp shade of Himalayan crystal salt.
– The heated crystal salt lampshade can absorb water and then evaporate, release the negative ions into the air, creating an effect similar to an ionizer and purifying the surrounding air.
– Plug right into the wall with no cords and messy wiring needed.
– The 3-prong plug is 270° rotatable and can be fixed at 0°/90°/180°/270° according to your comfort.

This is one device that every citizen who stays in a city, metropolis or a megapolis should have in their every room. Not only does it ionize the air, it creates a blissful environment by purifying the air around you.

If you require more information about dodocool’s new fabulous Himalayan Salt Lamp, you can visit dodocool’s product page

[Giveaway] Here is your best iTunes alternative to transfer iPhone files with 3 simple steps

We often need to transfer iPhone files to some other places such as the computer in case of data loss and send back them when required. However, import or export via iTunes is quite annoying and complicated, especially for some tech newbie with a Windows computer. Yet, iCloud always meets a limited storage space (5GB) when you backup big media files. Is there an easy and limitless way to transfer or backup iPhone media files on Windows? Certainly! In this guide, we’ll give you the best iTunes alternative to backup iPhone media files with, only 3 simple steps.

Here is Your Best iTunes Alternative to Transfer iPhone Content on Windows 10/8/7

WinX MediaTrans is just the one that manages your iPhone on Windows in your familiar way: Directly, Instantly Transfer iPhone files via USB cable; No more files erasing; without iTunes installed, backup iPhone as simple as copy-and-paste. Meanwhile, it should run steadily on Windows and transfer with good quality and fast speed. More than an iTunes alternative. Give you what iTunes lacks. It lets you to:

• Transfer what you want from/to PC: photos, videos, music, eBooks, Voice, Podcast, etc.
• Manage music files & playlist, e.g. create playlist, edit artists/album info, add/delete songs.
• Back up files flexibly, e.g. move photos to PC by selection or in batch, by day, month, year.
• Move non-iTunes media to iPhone. Auto convert video to MP4, audio to MP3.
• Unchain DRM. Make M4V/M4P/M4A files from iTunes Store playable on any devices.
• Utilize Hardware Acceleration tech. Selectively transfer iPhone (photos) to PC in a flash.
• Make iPhone ringtone with music on your computer or iPhone.
• Turn iDevice into USB to store any files, e.g. PPT, PDF, and EXCEL.

Here is also a time-limited chance for you to download a free copy of this best iTunes alternative from its official giveaway page: https://www.winxdvd.com/giveaway/iphone-transfer.htm.

How to Transfer iPhone Media Files on Windows 10/8/7 with WinX MediaTrans 

The preparations: free download this iTunes alternative for Windows, install and run it on your computer. You will find a powerful iPhone iPad transferring software with a totally clean and user-friendly UI. Here we take backing up iPhone music to Windows as an example:

Step 1: Plug in your iPhone to PC and run this iTunes alternative.

Connecting your iPhone to PC, better using an original Apple iPhone USB cable, there pops out an alert box, suggesting you to adjust iTunes settings to prevent data erasing automatically.

Step 2:  Click on “Music Manager” icon and Select the Music you want to Transfer.

Click “Music Manager” first to get a new interface with all of your iPhone music loaded on it. Just select the very music. If the music you want to transfer from iPhone to PC is purchased from iTunes, you should log in using your Apple ID first.

Step 3: Click on “Export” to backup.

Just hit “Export” option icon on the top of the interface and wait until a file window pops up. Then the backup will automatically begin.

If you are interested in this iTunes alternative, just free download a free copy now. It deserves your try. Enjoy it! 😀

dodocool products available at fabulous deep discounts on Amazon Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day is here!!! Like every year, Amazon is selling gadgets, gizmos and products at mouth watering discounts for its Amazon Prime members.  Called the Amazon Prime Day, the retail giant’s annual Black Friday-style sales jamboree, returns this evening from 6pm for a bumper 30-hour period.

Computex 2017: ASUS releases new ‘Blue Cave’ AC2600 Wi-Fi router with a blue hole in the center

ASUS, the Taiwanese tech giant, launched a new smart Wi-Fi router called the ‘Blue Cave’ at the Computex 2017 event in Taipei. The Blue Cave is an AC2600 dual-band smart Wi-Fi router includes built-in security, fast connectivity to stream 4k video, and the ability to “support more client devices simultaneously than most routers available today,” which are useful in homes that has everything with an in-built Wi-Fi radio.

The most distinguishable feature of the Blue Cave AC2600 dual-band Wi-Fi router is its unique design, which includes a blue-coloured hole in the middle, making it look more like a subwoofer than a Wi-Fi router. ASUS has also added LED lights in the hole to awash the space in blue light. Blue Cave measures 160 x 160 x 80 mm and weighs about 1.76lbs making it easily fit in most of the houses and offices.

ASUS has also done away with the ugly antennas on the router to give it a much neater look. Instead, it has four antennas built into the Blue Cave that lie on the top half of the blue-coloured hole to direct the signals. According to ASUS, this internal antenna design is capable of providing speeds up to 1240Mbps, which is 20% faster than standard AC2600 routers. Thanks to Intel’s latest Wi-Fi chipset, and Trend Micro software.

Further, Blue Cave comes with AiProtection (a security solution powered by Trend Micro), which is the commercial-grade security for all the home networks and ensures protection of all the connected smart devices on the home networks, including IoT (Internet of Things) gadgets against hackers. The AiProtection is backed by a lifetime subscription of TrendMicro’s Smart Home Network.

The Family Overview feature of Blue Cave allows you to smoothly screen and control every connected family member’s internet and app usage right from your smartphone. To control this Blue Cave router, there is a dedicated app released by the company for the smartphone users that allows you to monitor usage per user, network activity, security reports, and restrict apps. Also, when a new, unknown device connects to the router, and if AiProtection detects a hack, the app will send out a notification to the user immediately.

With smooth 4K UHD video streaming and also lag-free gaming, this router also supports IFTTT and Alexa. This enables the user to create automated tasks for any IFTTT equipped device or service, and will also help the user to talk to other IoT things via Alexa.

While there is no release date as of yet for the ASUS Blue Cave, it is however expected to cost $180 when it debuts in the market.

3 Tips for Choosing the Best Bluetooth Headphones for Your Needs

When it comes to choosing the best Bluetooth headphones for your needs, there are three things you need to consider. As with many other forms of technology, the color, brand, and style of your Bluetooth headphones lends to your personality and acts as another way for you to express your style and individuality. Choosing your next pair of Bluetooth headphones isn’t just about grabbing off the shelf: it’s an investment in your lifestyle. Here are three great tips to consider when choosing your next pair of Bluetooth headphones.

What Style is Right for You?

First, you’ll want to determine whether you would prefer to have an earbud style Bluetooth headphone set, an on-the-ear Bluetooth headphone style set, or over-the-ear Bluetooth headphone style set. It is important to consider what will be comfortable for you over the long run. Earbud style headphones are relatively inexpensive and make listening to your favorite music or podcast a breeze. On-the-ear headphones are more of the traditional style of headphones that most of us grew up with, except today’s high-quality Bluetooth style and functionality have brought them to a whole new level and they are much more exciting than they used to be. And of course, the popular favorite of most people, especially teenagers and younger adults,  is the over-the-ear Bluetooth headphone style. This style of headphone is almost like an accessory for an outfit: a very bold statement in some cases.

Portability and Functionality

Second, you’ll want to consider the portability and functionality of your headphones. While all Bluetooth headphones are, of course, portable, you should consider your day-to-day needs for your headphones. Are you going to be using your Bluetooth headphones while traveling? If you spend time on airplanes, you’ll want to consider earbud style headphones: many major airlines don’t allow you to wear over-the-ear headphones during takeoff and landing. If you are a runner, earbud type headphones are best as well. On-the-ear and over-the-ear headphones are best for riding in the car or walking down the street. If you are a gym-goer, over the ear headphones can get a bit bulky, so consider that when you are making your purchase.

Quality of Sound

Finally, the quality of sound is something a lot of people take seriously. The general rule is that the more money you spend, the better quality you will get. However, be weary of popularized brand names that are simply charging you for the brand. A middle-of-the-road price point is usually your best when it comes to cost and quality. You aren’t putting out a lot of money for a popular brand name, but you are getting a good deal nonetheless.

Think of your Bluetooth headphones as more than just a pair of headphones. You want to get the kind of Bluetooth headphones that fit into your lifestyle. It’s important that you get the style, functionality, and quality of sound you want. Consider the long term use of your Bluetooth headphones and you won’t be disappointed in your new purchase. Happy shopping!