28 Apr
Blog

Reolink Argus 3 Pro Review: Flexible Indoor and Outdoor Use

Reolink Argus 3 Pro on the table

"Ultrasharp 2K footage ensures that you know exactly what you are watching."

  • Crisp looking 2K video footage

  • Excellent night vision performance

  • Solar panel add-on doesn't cost much

  • Can easily be converted into an indoor camera

  • Weak dynamic range

  • Antiquated looking app

Reolink has been in the surveillance camera business for a long time, back in 2009 when it launched its first camera. Since then, countless indoor and outdoor cameras have been manufactured serving a wide range of people. Despite its commitment to offering a wide range of equipment, none of Reolink's products has gained the recognition that some of its competitors' offerings have.

If you've seen great outdoor surveillance cameras like the Arlo Pro 4, the Reolink Argus 3 Pro is sure to make the decision a little more difficult. It's packed with 2K video footage, color night vision, local storage, and even power from a solar panel. It's full of goodies that can tempt you with their cost under $ 150.

Razor-sharp 2K video recording

If you're used to getting 1080p footage from security cameras, switching to something with higher resolution is quite a shock. That's exactly how I looked at the 2K video material of the Reolink Argus 3 Pro, which delivers razor-sharp results with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels that exceeded my expectations. I'm seldom moved by the specs of the security cameras, especially when it comes to resolution, but upon checking out the footage, the difference was immediately apparent.

Fine details are well represented throughout the scene and still retain good clarity when you use a digital zoom to get a closer look. I was genuinely surprised at how good the footage looks even with a digital zoom. The only complaint is that the colors are rather muted and the highlights seem a bit blown out. Otherwise, the quality is really good despite the slower frame rate of 15 frames per second (fps) – but this doesn't affect video performance when the lighting conditions are ideal.

Reolink Argus 3 Pro on the wallJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

The night vision performance of the 4 megapixel 1/3 inch CMOS sensor is just as outstanding. The black and white footage is extremely detailed and illuminates well over 25 feet from where it is. There is an option for color night vision, which highlights colors for even better clarity. However, ambient light is required to work. There's a bright spotlight in the Argus 3 Pro that can be activated when motion is detected, but I honestly don't mind the black and white footage because it's so sharp. The only complaint I have is that it has a tighter 122 degree field of view, which is less than some of its competitors.

Antiquated app interface

Launching the Reolink app for Android is a step back in time as it looks so old-fashioned, from the design of the user interface to the general-looking screen icons. At the very least, when you access the live stream, you get a good overview of what the camera is seeing – with the appropriate buttons for manually taking a photo or video. Most of the camera's settings can be accessed by tapping the settings icon in the top right corner of the app.

In the playback section of the user interface, the camera organizes all of the footage that was recorded due to the motion detection. It's organized in a timeline view so you can see all of the clips for a given day. However, it takes a long time to load many thumbnails in this timeline view. Therefore, it will take some time before they are filled out. Fortunately, you can filter the clips based on the items detected to include people, vehicles, and a general "Others" category.

While the UI is functional, I would like a cleaner, more modern application. This is just too big a retro return to the style of 1990s Windows PCs.

Flexibility indoors and outdoors

Although positioned as an outdoor camera, I really like how the Reolink Argus 3 Pro can be instantly converted to an indoor camera – an important point I want to highlight as other outdoor cameras don't offer this flexibility. This is because it comes with a stand mount that supports it on a shelf, table, or other flat surface for indoor use.

I was genuinely surprised at how good the footage looks even with a digital zoom.

At first glance it looks like an Arlo camera, but the Argus Pro 3 is a bit shorter. The IP65 weatherproof construction can withstand whatever the items have in store, while a hidden microSD slot on the bottom gives users the beauty of local storage. I'm really happy that footage is stored locally, but just know that there is a basic free plan you can subscribe to that covers seven days of cloud video history for one camera – with a cap of 1GB of cloud storage. For even more storage, upgrade to the standard $ 3.49 plan, which includes 30 days of video history and support for up to five cameras.

Reolink Argus 3 Pro on the tableJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

The last thing to mention is the battery life. After a full day, the battery level was 85%, which means it would be completely depleted before the seventh day. (In my experience, it was almost empty by the fifth day.) You can purchase the solar panel as an add-on for $ 25, which will extend the battery life for a longer period of time.

Our opinion

The Reolink Argus Pro 3, while not perfect in every way, offers a tempting package that rivals top-notch cameras like the one Arlo Pro 4. It offers excellent clarity and detail while delivering the convenience of any modern camera in a package that doesn't exceed $ 150. For that amount, it is very difficult to find a camera with 2K video resolution, color night vision and a solar panel that will make you charge less often.

How long it will take?

As I mentioned earlier, its IP65 rating makes it perfect for outdoor weather. Unlike its competitors, Reolink offers a generous two-year limited warranty that covers it against defects.

Is there a better alternative?

For the cost, it is difficult to find an outdoor camera with these specifications and the flexibility to be used both inside and outside the home. Despite the higher cost, the Arlo Pro 4 still has an advantage due to its superior dynamic range. It is better suited for high contrast scenes that are problematic with the Reolink camera.

Should you buy it?

You should definitely buy it as it will give you great video quality and save you money in the process.

Editor's recommendations




28 Apr
Blog

How To Do Burpee : Benefits & Variations

Burpee is a full body training exercise, but you should make sure you're doing burpee properly before looking for results. The total should be less relevant than the perfection of each step, as every step counts. We're going to focus on the little things like the muscle's focus area and some precautions to make each burpee more effective and safer.

Here is a guide on how to make a perfect burpee.

H.ow Making Burpee – T.The right way

Position: Stand with your legs open to shoulder width.

THE MOVEMENT:

  1. Bend your knees to the level of a squat and place your hands on the floor with your elbows between your knees. We better call it a frog pose.

2. Push your legs back with your feet parallel to your ankles and take a plank position with your ankles straight.

Tip: Squeeze the core and contract the glutes, which remains the most important point in getting the burpee right.

Attention: Avoid arching your back while doing planks to avoid lower back injuries.

3. Bring your legs forward by jumping and swinging your feet until your knees are back between your elbows and you are back in the frog position.

4. Now swing your whole body in the air by stretching your hands straight up.

Tip: Jump with full body intervention to make each burpee you do much more effective.

With this we complete a burpee.

Go ahead and decide how many reps and sets you think you can do as a beginner.

Benefits of burpees

  • You must have wondered how each part of your body hurts when you start doing burpees.
  • Burpees burn your arms, shoulders, chest, core, buttocks, and any part you name. In fact, it's a full body exercise.
  • Burpees are a well-known muscle building exercise, but they also prove to be very effective for burning fat.
  • It affects your strength and mobility in the routine. Any part that is busy will be strengthened over time; All you need is consistency.
  • It also tests body balance while maintaining stability and regularly improves stability over time.

In short, the burpee would be a tough choice to keep you in ideal shape.

How to add burpees to your workout

Beginners are advised to perform burpees with slow but perfect movements for a minute after a rational full body warm up. Later, you can increase the number or the time according to the efficiency of the body.

Warming up before burpee is highly recommended to avoid muscle injury as burpees affect the entire body.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU CAN'T DO BURPEES?

It's okay if you can't do burpee exercises effectively or at all. It is time for you to lay the groundwork for performing this high-intensity exercise.

Start exercises like planks, squats, high jumps, and arm training individually, as burpee is nothing more than combining all of these exercises with a quick transition between them.

BURPEE VARIATIONS

SIMPLE VARIATION OF BURPEE

This tip makes the burpee less strenuous and easier for beginners.

When you get to the plank position, instead of taking both and bringing them together, take one leg and then another.

Follow these instructions as you return to the front posture.

HARD VARIATIONS OF BURPEE

  • Add a push-up after the plank. This will surely make the burpee harder and more effective on the core and arms.
  • Step up the burpees by replacing higher and more difficult jumps in your burpee reps.
  • A tough but powerful version is a one-legged burpee. Perform the same movements with one leg in action and the other in the air. It will challenge and improve the one-sided balance of the body.
28 Apr
Blog

Marshall Monitor II ANC Review: Stylish, Comfy Cans

Marshall Monitor II ANC

"These headphones offer high-energy sound and tremendous battery life, Marshall-style."

  • Signature Marshall style

  • Very convenient

  • Good ANC and transparency

  • Very intuitive controls

  • Excellent battery life

  • Expensive for what you get

  • No wear sensor or multiple device pairing

  • Narrow sound stage

Are you thinking of buying active noise canceling (ANC) headphones? In addition to the many great models you'll find on our list of the best noise-canceling headphones, we now also recommend the Marshall Monitor II ANC for $ 320.

These ANC cans capture the iconic Marshall design language and add some cool features to create a stylish alternative to the headphones made by Sony, Bose, Apple, and others.

But the competition is tough – does the Marshall Monitor II ANC have what it takes to justify its high price? Let's take a look.

What's in the box?

Marshall Monitor II ANCSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Props go to Marshall to make packaging that at least tries to be sustainable. Most of it is recyclable cardboard, with the exception of a few pieces of foam that may need to be disposed of in a landfill. Inside, you'll find the Monitor II ANC, a USB-C charging cable, a 3.5mm coil-style analog cable, a quick start guide, and a soft fabric carrying case.

design

Marshall Monitor II ANCSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Whether you love Marshall's guitar amp-inspired design language or not (I think it looks awesome), you have to admit, the Monitor II is ANC Peak Marshall.

From the textured black plastic on the ear cups to the coil of the supplied analog cable and of course the distinctive Marshall logo, these headphones exude a rock music atmosphere that you won't find in any other can.

And Marshall's dedication to this look didn't detract from some extremely practical features. By combining the three sets of hinge and pivot pins, the Monitor II ANC can deform into an incredibly compact shape. I find it hard to think of full size headphones that are more travel-friendly.

While most headphones at this price point (and many that are considerably cheaper) come with a zippered hard shell, the way the Monitor II articulates them makes them beg to be thrown in a pocket. Speaking of the included tote bag, it's hard not to notice how Marshall channeled the Herschel backpack look for his black denim bag. Very cool.

The ear cups are super flat, even with the generous padding of the ear pads, which gives the Monitor II a clean, head-hugging look. And when you peel them off your head and hang around your neck, they fold slightly flat against your collarbones.

The construction is mostly plastic, but Marshall used metal for the auricle forks and headband sliders, which helps make these cans feel sturdy and durable.

Convenience, control and connections

Marshall Monitor II ANCSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Marshall Monitor II ANCSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Marshall Monitor II ANCSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Marshall Monitor II ANCSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

At 11.29 ounces, the Monitor II ANC can't be considered light when compared to other over-ear headphones, especially the feather-light Sony WH-1000XM4 (8.8 ounces), but they don't feel particularly heavy to wear . I appreciate the combination of clamping force, ear pad fit, and balance for how well they fit.

I'm a huge fan of the Monitor II controls. They're simple and effective.

Given my Dumbo-like ears, I'd prefer slightly deeper cavities in the ear cups, but overall these headphones are more than comfortable enough for hours of continuous use.

I'm a huge fan of the Monitor II controls. They're simple and effective. The gold colored button protruding from the bottom of the right ear cup is actually a tiny joystick that you can click to activate power, bluetooth pairing, answer / end calls, and play / pause. You move it up, down, front, or back to perform actions like volume and track controls.

There are two other controls that you would totally miss if you didn't look carefully. Each is inserted into the hinge point of the auricle forks where they blend seamlessly with the design and are easy to access. The left button is used to switch between ANC and transparency mode, which happens very quickly. The right "M" button, which is user configurable and allows you to choose between EQ mode, activates Siri (iPhone only) or Google Assistant.

You make these and other selections in the Marshall Bluetooth app.

Instead of spreading out and creating a warm thrum that you can feel, the bass stays a little two-dimensional.

The Monitor II's Bluetooth range is approximately 20 to 30 feet, which should be sufficient for most situations.

Unfortunately, unlike many Bluetooth headphones, you can't pair these sockets with more than one device at a time, making them less suitable for people who want to switch between their phones and laptops on a regular basis.

There's also no wear sensor, so removing the headphones from your ears won't automatically pause your music.

Sound quality

Marshall Monitor II ANCSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Overall, the Monitor II ANC sounds very good. In the factory EQ setting (known as a “Marshall” sound), the sound shifts to higher frequencies. However, the Marshall app lets you choose from six more EQ presets and create your own custom balance.

These adjustments help the Monitor II deliver more bass when you want it, and I've been able to find settings that work with a variety of genres from rock to classical.

Throw in a track like Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz 'On To The Next One, and the intensity hits you like an electric shock.

The soundstage isn't as wide or as detailed as the Sony WH-1000XM4, but what the Monitor II lacks in openness it makes up for in energy.

The acoustics are precise, bright and powerful, with a sharp focus on snare drums, cymbals, vocals and higher-frequency woodwinds such as the clarinet.

Throw in a track like Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz 'On To The Next One, and the intensity hits you like an electric shock.

Deeper, more resonant sounds like jazz bass that rely on the mid-to-low frequencies don't do quite as well. Instead of spreading out and creating a warm thrum that you can feel, they stay a little two-dimensional.

All of this results in headphones that are clearly tuned for energetic rock, pop, and hip-hop music.

Noise cancellation and transparency

Marshall Monitor II ANCSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Some headphones with active noise cancellation try to block out as much background noise as possible. The Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 are the flagship for this approach. Marshall's Monitor II ANC isn't as aggressive – you don't quite get that silent cone effect – but they do reduce the low to mid frequencies significantly when ANC is on.

I found it worked best when listening to podcasts, which were very effective in muting sounds that would otherwise make it difficult to hear spoken words. As an aid to silencing a noisy environment, they were not that helpful due to a small noticeable hiss that I found annoying after a while.

The transparency mode, on the other hand, is excellent. One press of the special ANC button and the world was suddenly very audible.

You can tweak both ANC and transparency modes in the Marshall app, but I found that the 100% levels are best in both modes.

Battery life

The Monitor II ANC's battery life is among the best for premium ANC headphones. Marshall claims 30 hours with bluetooth and ANC on and up to 45 hours with bluetooth only. That beats the $ 400 Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 (up to 20 hours), Apple's $ 549 AirPods Max (up to 20 hours), and even the $ 280 Sony WH-1000XM4 ( 30 hours with the ANC switched on, 38 hours with the device switched off).

They also have a respectable quick charge feature that gives you five hours of playtime after 15 minutes of charging.

As far as I can tell, these numbers are correct. Unlike some wireless sockets, you can also use the Monitor II ANC while charging with the analog cable, so you can never go without music.

Call quality

Marshall Monitor II ANCSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Calls on Monitor II ANC are generally good. You can block out most of the background noise when talking on the phone outdoors while keeping your voice reasonably clear. It's not the high fidelity you get from the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700, but it's perfectly fine for most calls and they work very well indoors.

For some reason, you can't choose how much sidetone you get during a call (this is equivalent to calling transparency mode). The headphones switch to about 50% transparency – enough to hear your own voice a little more clearly, but not quite as clearly as if the transparency were at 100%.

Our opinion

As with most Marshall products, the Monitor II ANC offers a price premium that is difficult to justify based on performance alone. But if you like the retro-cool guitar amp style only Marshall can offer, then these cans make a fun set of full-featured wireless companions.

Is there a better alternative?

If you don't mind the relatively conservative appearance, that's $ 280 Sony WH-1000XM4 are an excellent alternative. They're cheaper (around $ 40), lighter, more comfortable, have better sound quality and ANC, and have more features like wear sensors and Bluetooth multipoint.

But there's no denying that the Marshalls really are in a class of their own when it comes to style.

How long will they last?

The Marshall Monitor II ANC appears to be very well built from high quality materials. The ear pads are easy to remove and replace when worn. Marshall grants a one-year guarantee on these headphones. I suspect that if properly cared for, they will last for many years, although the lack of a hard case means you should be careful about how they are packaged.

Should you buy it?

Yes. If you want a set of high quality ANC wireless headphones with a unique style and sound signature that favors high energy music, this is the Monitor II ANC will make you very happy.

Editor's recommendations




28 Apr
Blog

Primer, Build, Solidify (PBS): A System That Unlocks Long-Term Muscle Growth

If you've reached a plateau in your muscle building journey and aren't sure what changes to make to get your progress started, then I think the P.B.S. Approach can be the solution for you.

Most people can put together a killer workout, but very few can design a proper program. Even fewer know how to adjust a program month-to-month to keep making optimal progress.

Continue reading

28 Apr
Blog

Xiaomi Mi Band 6 Review: Still a Winner

xiaomi mi band 6 review

Xiaomi Mi Band 6 activity tracker

“The Xiaomi Mi Band 6 is equipped with sensors that allow you to track your activities, simple software that makes it easy to use, and a comfortable fit for 24-hour portability. It's not for the serious athlete, but it's great for everyone else. "

  • Convenient and easy

  • Easy to use with a reliable app

  • Comprehensive sensor array

  • Heart rate monitor accuracy concerns

The Xiaomi Mi Band, or Mi Smart Band as it is often called, has always been one of the best low-cost fitness bands out there. Since the first was available in 2015, Xiaomi has updated it annually to keep up with new technological developments and it has only gotten better. The latest version is the Mi Band 6, which I've been wearing for over a week and the formula hasn't changed much.

It filled the space that the Honor Band 6, another inexpensive fitness tracker that surprised me with its capabilities and style, meant that while there is a lot of goodwill towards the Mi Band 6, it still has a tough job ahead of it had. Will Xiaomi's tried and tested wearable still work if others prefer a smartwatch-like design? That's how it went

design

Xiaomi didn't dare to look different from the look of the Mi Band 6, so it is very similar to the Mi Band 5 – a generous screen on a core module attached to a silicone band with a pin-and-hole connector to to hold it on your wrist. At 13 grams, it hardly weighs anything, is a little more than 12 mm thick and in the black color it is an almost completely incognito piece of technology. The module can pop out of the band so you can swap it out for lighter versions if you want the Mi Band 6 to stand out a little more.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The screen is a 1.56-inch AMOLED panel, versus the 1.1-inch AMOLED on the Mi Band 5, and it's sharp, colorful, and bright. I could see and see it in all lighting conditions, despite it there is no automatic brightness function. So I just set it to the maximum. Unfortunately, the screen isn't always on, but you can choose how long the screen stays on (up to 10 seconds). The wake up gesture is accurate and does not require excessive movement to be activated.

There are hundreds of different watch faces to choose from through the app, but don't think that this means you are spoiled for choice. There isn't much of a difference between them, and many of them are pretty unattractive. I tried to find even a handful that I liked. I chose one and didn't want to change it for another.

Xiaomi Mi Band 6 review claspAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

xiaomi mi band 6 review pageAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Xiaomi Mi Band 6 review wristwatchAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

I found it very comfortable and had no problem wearing it 24 hours a day. The pin-and-hole adjustment can be a hassle at times, but it's easy up here, and there are a variety of adjustments available so that it fits regardless of the thickness of your wrist. It doesn't get too sweaty, isn't annoying at night and the band itself hasn't collected any fluff either, so it looks neat and new for longer.

No, the Mi Band 6 isn't a style icon, but there's a reason Xiaomi hasn't strayed far from the established look of the Mi Band – because it works. Smartwatch-like fitness bands are fine, but there's still room for a more compact, less intrusive fitness band to wear next to a traditional watch. If you're looking for a fitness tracker that fits well, can be worn day and night, has a pretty screen, but isn't trying to be a smartwatch, this is it. It also looks a lot better than the many cheap smartwatches infiltrating Amazon's wearable space, and is a much better option overall.

Activity tracking

Before we get into the details, let's talk about the app. I used the Mi Band 6 with an iPhone 12 Pro. The Xiaomi app called Xiaomi Wear is available in the App Store. However, the band also works with the Mi Fit app developed by Huami, the company behind the Amazfit range of wearables, and maker of Xiaomi's wearables. Both integrate with Apple Health, but it's the Mi Fit app that I would recommend.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Confusing right? Yes, especially because Mi Fit – the app not developed by Xiaomi – is the better option as Xiaomi Wear has not been fully localized for use outside of China and there are still some options and menus in Chinese. Mi Fit might not be as attractive to look at, but it has all the information you need, stays connected with no hassle, and won't scare off newbies.

Let's move on to activity tracking. The band has 30 different training modes, six of which can be recognized automatically or activated quickly in the menu. The usual options like walking, running, and swimming are available, as well as a range of more unusual activities like street dancing, zumba, and boxing. I found the auto detection a bit arbitrary and started the workout myself.

The data collected in the app are well visualized. The graphs show heart rate, pace and heart rate zones as well as GPS routing when you grant access to the app. The simplicity is repeated throughout, with everything from sleep to stress data presented in a logical and clear manner. However, sometimes menus can be very dense and historical data can be difficult to find. The main screen in the Mi Fit app shows statistics about the band, including the remaining battery.

It requires some learning and does not look as modern graphically as the Xiaomi Wear app, but it offers all the information you need in one place and is also reliably synchronized. It also provides a PAI value, and the usefulness of this statistic increases the longer you wear the band. You need to read something about what this actually means though, as the in-app explanations are pretty bad.

How about the accuracy? During daily activity, the steps and calories burned were consistent with my Apple Watch, as were the SpO2 blood oxygen readings. However, the accuracy of the heart rate is less certain. A higher value tends to be displayed during exercise and when monitoring in the background. This may be a result of the strap being attached as it is not easy or convenient to get the pin-and-hole system really tight on your wrist. If you force a heart rate measurement, the results will be consistent with the Apple Watch at rest. This shows that there are some problems with the measurement.

For sleeping, I compared it to the Withings Sleep Analyzer under the mattress. It measured very similar total sleep time and REM sleep, but underestimated my deep sleep stage and overestimated my light sleep stage by about an hour each compared to the Withings. It shows a sleep value and also evaluates breathing during sleep. The discrepancy in the sleep stage is not a problem as it is not certain that the Withings sleep is 100% accurate. However, the breath measurements did not match the Withings, which in turn could have something to do with the fact that the band is worn loosely at night. Otherwise, the Mi Band 6 is a good sleep tracking partner for general use by someone without specific sleep problems.

The Mi Band 6's activity tracking is superb – comprehensive, easy to use, and presented logically for easy understanding

Other features include bike tracking for women, breathing exercises, alerts to remind you to move, and automatic stroke detection while swimming. I was struggling with the auto-pause feature, which seemed to pause my workout when I was still in the middle, forcing myself to dig into the settings and turn the feature off.

A software update can remove the heart rate monitor's slight overestimation and a few other accuracy concerns, but the rest of the Mi Band 6's activity tracking is excellent – comprehensive enough for the casual fitness fan, simple to use, and presented logically easy to understand.

Software and battery life

The Mi Band 6 is easy to use. Swipe up on the screen to see a vertical list of options that includes exercise modes and notifications, as well as features like alarms and a world clock, as well as access to the heart rate monitor, stress monitor, and SpO2 blood oxygen test. The order of the list can be changed in the app, as can features that can be accessed with a swipe to personalize the Mi Band 6. It's all relatively smooth, and once the features are placed in an order appropriate for your own use, it's very convenient to live.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The band displays notifications from your phone with moderate frequency, with most, but not all, of the warnings displayed on your wrist. For example, there appeared to be an issue with viewing Gmail notifications, but not with Twitter or Outlook. It may be due to the settings in iOS but I couldn't seem to solve it. It's a nice addition, but don't expect alerts to be that helpful as long messages don't display in full and there's no way to interact with them.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Xiaomi claims that the battery will last two weeks before it needs to be charged. However, it depends on your own use. If you want to take advantage of the continuous heart and stress monitoring features, track sleep, and record an exercise every day, it will take half that time. When used with all of these active features, the battery was 8% on the seventh day. Charging is quick but it is done using a short proprietary cable that is small and easy to lose.

Price and availability

The Mi Band 6 costs £ 40, which is roughly $ 55. It is available through Xiaomi's online shop in the UK. Everyone in the US has to import one, although the Mi Band 6 just like the Mi Band 5 finds its way on Amazon. One thing to watch out for is backing up the UK or "global" version, otherwise it will contain some China-specific features that will not work.

Our opinion

The Mi Band 6 is an excellent fitness band for people who are interested in their general health and want to track their daily movements and make improvements. I put it this way because the Mi Band 6 is not a serious fitness tracker for sports addicts. For example, GPS is not built in, and the accuracy concerns mean anyone seriously looking to improve their performance may find it inadequate.

All of this is reflected in the price. High-end fitness tracking products like the Suunto 7 or Garmin Forerunner 745 cost at least $ 500 and are far better suited for people who train for a marathon or are serious about a particular activity. If you aren't, there is a bit of pointless spending that much, and the Xiaomi Mi Band 6 is great value when you consider what it can do and what sensors it contains.

Xiaomi has not broken its proven formula with the Mi Band 6, it remains a cheap, comfortable fitness band with a list of focused activity features and all the important sensors a modern tracker needs to keep most people happy.

Is there a better alternative?

The Samsung Galaxy Fit 2, priced at $ 60, has a similar design and is more readily available, but doesn't have an SpO2 sensor for improved sleep tracking or GPS. The Honor Band 6 is a great alternative if you prefer a bigger screen and a more traditional, clasp-style band. If you choose Fitbit, Fitbit Charge 4 is our recommended version, but it's much more expensive at $ 150. Sometimes there are decent deals out there to bring that price down a bit.

How long it will take?

The Mi Band 6 should be durable due to its simple plastic construction and be enclosed in the protective belt, which can be replaced inexpensively if it breaks. The entire tape has a water resistance of 5 ATM (50 meters), so it is suitable for swimming but not for diving. Provided Xiaomi has app support (both versions were updated in the last two weeks when this review was written), the Mi Band 6 will last for several years without any problems.

Should you buy one?

Yes. It may take some effort or patience to get one in the US, but it's a good fitness tracker at a very reasonable price.

Editor's recommendations




28 Apr
Blog

Get Your Best Beauty Sleep With These Night Creams

Wondering how to get your best skin overnight? The term "beauty sleep" is true. When your head hits the pillow and you slip into a deep sleep, your skin goes into overdrive, repairing itself and repairing the daily damage caused by environmental stressors. Sleep is the best time to fight free radicals and troublesome skin conditions – without lifting a finger. Here's how you can maximize your beauty sleep with night creams from Eminence Organic Skin Care.

What happens to your skin when you sleep?

Did you know that sleep gives the body time to repair damage accumulated during the day from stressors as it does some vital maintenance? Yes, skin repair is another reason to get eight hours of beauty sleep every night.

1. Your skin goes into repair mode

What Really Happens When You Sleep Soundly? Your skin gets to work, repairs and regenerates. Melatonin kicks in and helps counter the negative effects of sun damage from UV rays and pores clogged with pollution. Human growth hormone peaks and accelerates your skin's ability to repair and regenerate. And your body's stem cells multiply and enable higher cell turnover as aging skin cells are replaced with new ones. While this work occurs at all stages of your sleep cycle, most of the skin repair and regeneration occurs during REM sleep. Hence, getting the right amount of eyes closed is important to keep your skin in its best shape.

2. Skin care products become more effective

At night, your body temperature rises and your skin becomes more permeable, making it easier for it to soak up the active ingredients in the night creams that are part of your skin care routine. Since your body no longer has to focus on fighting the harmful environmental stressors it is exposed to during the day, it can focus its attention on the task of repairing itself. StyleCraze says, "Any product you use at night is far more effective at moisturizing the skin, reducing fine lines and wrinkles, and brightening your skin tone."

3. Your skin loses moisture overnight

If ingredients that are good for you can get into your epidermis, essential moisture can also escape. The measurement of this water loss (known as transepidermal water loss or TWL) is greatest during sleep and often leaves dry, dehydrated skin in the morning. Because your skin loses more water when you sleep, it's important to keep your skin's moisture barrier intact with a deeply moisturizing, replenishing night cream.

Product selection

Lotus Detoxifying Overnight Treatment

VIEW PRODUCT

Light skin overnight correction cream

VIEW PRODUCT

How to improve your beauty sleep with Eminence Organics

Now that you know the importance of closing an eye, it's time to learn how to achieve youthful looking skin (using Eminence Organics overnight treatments).

1. Fight the effects of pollution overnight

The best time to tackle the aging effects of environmental stressors like harmful UV rays and pollution is when your skin is in repair mode. When you sleep, your metabolism drops and your body doesn't produce as many free radicals as it does when you are awake, so your skin can focus on rest.

Improve the hard work your skin does with the Eminence Organic Lotus Overnight Detoxifying Treatment. This lightweight treatment contains moisturizing lotus, strong microgreens, and moisturizing jojoba oil balls to melt down. In combination, these ingredients seal in moisture, prevent transepidermal water loss and protect your skin from drying out from environmental stressors overnight.

Lotus specifically refines the appearance of pores and provides antioxidants that improve the visible signs of aging. This unique ingredient makes the skin look stronger and more elastic. The Lotus Overnight Detoxifying Treatment is formulated with Detoxifying microgreens complex, another great combination for your skin, consisting of broccoli, radishes, clover sprouts and Detoxophan made from Swiss cress sprouts. This blend contains Vitamin C, Beta Carotene, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K to help combat the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Finally, jojoba oil balls add extra moisture to your skin and help lock in moisture by creating a protective barrier against external elements.

To use the Lotus Overnight Detoxifying Treatment, use your fingertips to apply a thin layer of the treatment to cleansed skin over the entire face and neck area. You can leave this on to go to sleep. Apply a thicker layer for extra hydration.

2. Aim for dark spots on your face while you sleep

Overnight is also the best time to target certain skin conditions. Whether you're struggling with fine lines and wrinkles, or those pesky dark spots on your complexion, you can get faster results with targeted nightly treatments.

Our Bright Skin Overnight Correcting Cream works overtime to remove the appearance of dark spots while you sleep. This ultra-rich night cream from our award-winning VitaSkin ™ Bright Skin collection is our most powerful skin-lightening botanical blend to date. With main ingredients such as Punarnava root, Swiss alpine plant extracts and Natural hydroquinone alternative Made from African potatoes and the tare tree, Bright Skin Overnight Correcting Cream visibly – and naturally – reduces the appearance of uneven skin tone.

Which Eminence Organics products are part of your beauty sleep skin care regimen? Let us know in the comments below and join the conversation on social media.

This post was originally published in June 2017 and has been updated for accuracy and completeness.

27 Apr
Blog

Primer, Build, Solidify (PBS): A System That Unlocks Long-Term Muscle Growth

If you've reached a plateau in your muscle building journey and aren't sure what changes to make to get your progress started, then I think the P.B.S. Approach can be the solution for you.

Most people can put together a killer workout, but very few can design a proper program. Even fewer know how to adjust a program month-to-month to keep making optimal progress.

This deficiency is especially true for those whose main goal is to build muscle. While there are some multi-phased templates for strength and strength athletes, there are almost no coherent long-term plans for building muscle.

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27 Apr
Blog

Barbell Row : The Perfect Guide to Follow

Barbell Row is a full body exercise that primarily targets the work of the lower back, upper back, arms, and hips. They also help develop the traction muscles of the posterior posterior deltoids, trapeziuses, rhomboids, and other small muscles that play an essential role in the shoulder joint and shoulder blades. Their other main functions are to build a more muscular back, bigger biceps, and to widen the shoulders. They are also considered very effective as they can improve our efficiency in performing other exercises such as the bench press, squat, and deadlift.

The right way to perform barbell rows

In order to perform barbell rows efficiently and adequately, you need to do the following steps:

1. The setup The first step is to position your body so that the barbell is lifted off the floor.

Directions

1. Place the barbell on the floor. Please go to the barbell and place your feet so that they are a little narrower than shoulder width apart. Your toes should be sticking out a little, and you should move the barbell so that it is more or less directly under your shoulders.

2. Then stand up straight with your chest straight, inhale air into your stomach, and properly support your abdominal muscles so that it looks like someone is punching you in the stomach.

3. Now move your knees back slightly and push your hips back towards the barbell.

4. Then grasp the barbell with your palms facing down and press it firmly together. Make sure the bar is resting on your fingers, your head is out of alignment, your shoulder is flat, and your eyes are focused on a spot that is at least 3 feet in front of you.

2. The Ascension The second step is to pull the barbell up from the floor towards your torso.

Directions

1. First, pull the bar by stretching out your legs. To do this, lift your hips and pull your elbow up. Make sure your back is flat as you try to raise the bar and that your shoulders escalate with your hips.

2. Keep pulling the barbell until it comes into contact with the base of your chest.

3. You should move the barbell until it is level with your knees. Your legs should be straight so they can easily exceed the size of your knees.

Note: Your head should be aligned with your spine, your core should be tight, and your lower back should be slightly arched.

3. The descent The final step is to lower the bar back down to the starting position.

Directions

First, quickly lower the weight toward the floor until both arms are straight and bend your hips so that the weight quickly drops to the floor.

NOTE-

Your core should stay tight throughout the exercise, and your back should be in the same neutral position. It would be helpful if you lowered the bar permanently, rather than slowly, permanently.

Variations of barbell rows

1. Pendlay Line- It's considered a stricter twist on the barbell rows because your legs need to remain motionless as you attempt to lift the weight.

2. Yates Row- This variation on the barbell row requires a more upright posture.

3rd row of dumbbells This version of the barbell row involves the use of dumbbells instead of barbells.

4th row of seat cables This is practiced with a cable machine.

5. T-Bar Row- It does not require greater strength and can therefore be practiced after all training sessions have been completed.

6th row of seals In this exercise, you need to lie down on a flat surface and pull the weights up from a hanging position.

frequently asked Questions

1. How many rows of barbells should I do?

You should include at least 8-20 reps per set in your exercise routine.

2. Are Barbell Rows Really Useful?

Yes. Barbell rows are said to be excellent for building your upper body muscles and promoting back strength.

3. What muscle does a barbell row have?

The barbell row mainly acts on the back muscles. They make a significant contribution to improving your back posture.

27 Apr
Blog

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga Review: Cool to the Touch

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga

ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga

"The ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is the best 2-in-1 convertible if you want to use it as a tablet."

  • Attractive and innovative chassis

  • Insanely thin and light

  • Solid performance

  • Excellent battery life

  • Great display for productivity users

  • The touchpad is too small

  • Expensive

Remember when Lenovo's ThinkPad line was the old standby, a collection of well-built and highly functional, but often boring, laptops? Well not anymore.

That's a good thing because what has been replaced is a far more dynamic line-up that keeps surprising. The latest example is the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga, an exciting addition to the convertible 2-in-1 category that – at least on paper – promises to rival some of the best laptops you can buy.

I received a midrange version of the laptop with a Core i5-1130G7, 16 GB of RAM, a 512 GB PCIe solid-state drive (SSD) and a 13.5-inch display in the productivity-friendly 3: 2 aspect ratio and with a high QHD resolution (2,256 x 1,504). This is the only display option available, a potential vulnerability we'll discuss later. The price for this configuration is $ 1,685 after the e-coupon (list price is a crazy $ 3,369) which makes it a very top notch 2-in-1 device indeed. Let's find out if the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga has what it takes to achieve the best.

design

Let's start with that: Titanium is a really cool metal that is used in aircraft, among other things. Using it in a laptop is even cooler. What if it's only used in the lid of the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga? It's there and while it gives the laptop a cumbersome name, I like it. It has a nice texture that plays with the ThinkPad's usual soft-touch material. At least I'm assuming this is the titanium I'm touching as the lid is made from both titanium and carbon fiber.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium YogaMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga lid openMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga TopMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga logoMark Coppock / Digital Trends

The rest of the case is made of a magnesium-aluminum alloy, which is supposed to make it both light and durable. While it's very light at just 2.54 pounds, there is a bit of sag in the lid and keyboard deck when some pressure is applied.

The HP Specter x360 14, the ThinkPad's most direct competitor, weighs 2.95 pounds and feels more solid – and both differences are noticeable. The difference in thickness is also noticeable, as the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is only 0.45 inches thick compared to the relatively bulky Specter at 0.67 inches. The Specter x360 14 is smaller than the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga – in particular, thanks to the smaller upper and lower bezels, it is not as deep and almost as wide. The Dell XPS 13, the best clamshell competition, comes in at 2.8 pounds and 0.58 inches thick. It also feels sturdier than the ThinkPad.

The ThinkPad would have benefited from smaller bezels all around, although the top bezel needed an extra size for some additional components (see the Security section below for details). The XPS 13 is the smallest model, but it doesn't have to mess with a more complex 2-in-1 hinge. Speaking of the hinge: The ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is a bit stiff. Two hands are required to open, but the lid stays where it belongs in clamshell, tent, media and tablet modes. Note that tablet mode on the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is more comfortable than many other convertibles thanks to its thin case and 3: 2 aspect ratio, which is closer in size to a piece of paper.

What does this thin and light laptop look like? First of all, it hardly resembles its all-black ThinkPad siblings. It's a pleasant silver-gray color that eschews all embellishments except the logos. Even these are different than usual as the ThinkPad logo on the lid is more of a silver embossed version than the norm. white, although the "i" dot remains a flashing LED that shows information about the status of the laptop. Directly below it is a more pronounced X1 logo, which is a mixture of red and black and looks sharp against the ThinkPad logo. There is a barely visible Lenovo logo on the back.

Open the lid and you'll find a similar logo on the keyboard deck, the usual red TrackPoint studs, and the recognizable ThinkPad keyboard. The TrackPoint buttons above the touchpad skip the red accents, which I think works here. Overall, this is a very modern, yet conservative design that I really like, much like the gemstone design of the Specter x360 14 and the sleeker appearance of the XPS 13.

Lenovo Thinkpad x1 Titan Yoga Review Side View v2Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga HingeMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga side viewMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Unsurprisingly, with a machine this thin, connectivity is minimal. You get two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support, one of which is used to power the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga, a Kensington lock port and a 3.5 mm audio jack. This means that if you need to connect multiple devices at the same time, you'll need dongles for older devices and a docking station. Wireless connectivity is state of the art with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1, and there is an option for 5G or 4G LTE WWAN.

security

The ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga has the usual ThinkPad security features like the ThinkShutter privacy switch for the webcam and the fingerprint reader for the sensor. This also includes the HPD (Human Presence Device) technology and the software that I tested on the ThinkPad X1 Nano and found to be fast and reliable.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga - fingerprint readerMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Basically, HPD, configured in the Intelligent Security section of Lenovo's Commercial Vantage utility, uses radar to detect when a user is in front of the laptop and when that user is leaving. In the latter case, the technology first dims the display and finally – as quickly as it can be configured by the user – puts the laptop into sleep mode (especially into modern standby mode). As soon as the user returns within a 60-degree arc from the front of the laptop, the device wakes up and logs the user back in using Windows Hello. Once the infrared camera and face recognition are set up, the process is seamless. Go away, the laptop goes to sleep; When you return, your face will be scanned and you can go back to work.

The feature works well and is great except when you're running a long process that shouldn't be interrupted. For example, I had to turn off HPD during my lengthy benchmarks and battery tests unless I wanted to stay locked in front of the laptop. Otherwise my tests would be interrupted. Imagine a long video rendering session and you will get the idea. I tested the same technology on the Dell Latitude 7400 2-in-1 and found Lenovo's solution to be more reliable and seamless.

performance

My test device used the Core i5-1130G7, a version of the Tiger Lake Core i5 of the 11th generation with a lower thermal design output (TDP) of seven to 15 watts instead of the usual 12 to 28 watts of the Core i5-1135G7 and a maximum turbo frequency of 4.0 GHz versus 4.2 GHz. It contains Intel Iris Xe graphics with the full 80 execution units, but with a slower clock rate of 1.1 GHz compared to 1.3 GHz. All of this is to indicate that Lenovo has opted for a slower and cooler CPU for the Thinkpad X1 Titanium Yoga, which makes sense given the laptop's thin case. Note that the same CPU equipped the ThinkPad X12 detachable tablet I tested, which, as you can see in the table below, was slightly slower than the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga in most of our tests.

As you can see in the graphic, the ThinkPad keeps up in Geekbench 5, but falls behind in the other benchmarks. In the 3DMark Time Spy GPU test, it particularly outperformed the Lenovo Yoga 7i and its faster Core i5, but this was not reflected in real games. Otherwise, the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga did exactly the performance you can expect given its CPU.

Note that where a machine offered switchable performance modes, I recorded results from the "normal" setting. In most cases – including the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga – there is only a slight difference between the "Normal" and "Performance" modes. An outlier is the HP Specter x360 14, which led the field in performance mode while its normal mode is a bit slower.

Geekbench
(single / multiple)		 Handbrake
(Seconds)		 Cinebench R23
(single / multiple)		 PCMark 10 3DMark Time Spy
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga (Core i5-1130G7) 1353/4852 251 1274/3705 4498 1339
Lenovo ThinkPad X12 detachable
(Core i5-1130G7)		 1352/4796 185 1125/3663 4443 926
HP Specter x360 14 (Core i7-1165G7) 1214/4117 236 1389/3941 4728 1457
Dell XPS 13 (Core i7-1165G7) 1540/5432 201 1449/4267 N / A 1589
Lenovo Yoga 7i (Core i5-1135G7) 1357/4246 207 N / A 4565 913
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano
(Core i7-1160G7)		 1466/5139 180 1377/4550 4600 1549

The PCMark 10 results of the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga were particularly interesting. It was slightly behind on the main score shown in the graph, but more importantly, it was particularly slow in the area of ​​content creation of the benchmark. This was carried over to our handbrake test, which encodes a 420 MB video as H.265, in which the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga was even significantly slower than the ThinkPad X12 Detachable. Overall, this laptop performs well for typical productivity apps, web browsing, media usage, and the like, but you don't want to use it to edit videos. I haven't included Apple laptops with their fast M1 chip or AMD Ryzen machines lately – these would have significantly outperformed the ThinkPad and wouldn't really be in the same class of laptops in terms of performance.

This laptop should not be chosen based on its gaming capabilities. I ran Fortnite at 1080p (in a window as the only full screen option was the display's full resolution where the performance would have been awful) and it has 23 frames per second (fps) in high graphics and 17 fps in epic graphics managed. That's about 10 fps slower than most other Tiger Lake laptops.

display

Lenovo built the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga on a 13.5-inch IPS display with a productivity-friendly aspect ratio of 3: 2 and a high QHD resolution (2,256 x 1,504). As mentioned earlier, the 3: 2 aspect ratio makes this thin and light laptop a superior tablet compared to most other convertible 2-in-1s – including the HP Specter x360 14, which has the same aspect ratio.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga screenMark Coppock / Digital Trends

But a display also has to look good, and this is where my colorimeter comes in. According to this device, the display of the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga corresponds to the modern premium average in some respects and surpasses it in other respects. For example, it's pretty bright at 431 nits, well above our preferred 300 nit threshold and better than most of the others. The OLED display of the Specter x360 14 was “only” available at 374 nits, while the 4K display of the Dell XPS 13 was 420 nits. At 1,010: 1, the contrast of the ThinkPad display just exceeded our desired 1000: 1 ratio, which is less than that of the XPS 13 with 1,360: 1 and that of the HP with an incredible 374,200: 1.

The display on the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga was less impressive in terms of color. It managed 71% of AdobeRGB and 96% of sRGB, which is just average for premium displays. The XPS 13 4K display achieved 79% of AdobeRGB and 100% of sRGB, which is slightly better, while the Specter x360 14 had professional quality with 96% of Adobe RGB and 100% of sRGB. The ThinkPad's color accuracy was a DeltaE of 1.62 (less than 1.0 is excellent) compared to the Dell's 1.21 and the HP's 0.69. Gamma was just a bit too bright at 2.1 (2.2 is perfect).

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium YogaMark Coppock / Digital Trends

In practice, I find that it is a pleasant display to work on thanks to the high contrast that creates dark blacks on a white background and a lot of brightness. Creative professionals who crave wide and precise colors won't be satisfied, but productivity workers will love it. Dolby Vision support ensures that HDR (High Dynamic Range) content such as that provided by Netflix is ​​displayed. This is an excellent display for media consumption.

The audio quality was mixed. The volume of the two downward facing speakers was just loud enough and there was little distortion. However, the highs were blown out a bit, so the midrange could fight for attention. As always, there was no bass. The sound quality is fine for the occasional YouTube video. However, if you want to binge or listen to Netflix music, good headphones or bluetooth speakers are recommended.

Keyboard and touchpad

The ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga shares the same basic keyboard as the rest of the ThinkPad lineup, with identically shaped keycaps and excellent spacing. It's a bit flatter, with good travel, but not quite as deep as on larger ThinkPads. This is an improvement: I find that some other ThinkPad keyboards take too much force to register a click. Here the feeling is light, crisp and very precise, with a confident floor effect. It can't quite live up to my favorites, HP's Specter keyboards and Apple's latest Magic keyboard, but it's close.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga pen, keyboard, and trackpadMark Coppock / Digital Trends

The typical ThinkPad TrackPoint sits in the middle of the keyboard and works as usual if you're into that sort of thing. The main disadvantage is that it requires a number of buttons that take up space on the touchpad. That's a bummer, because one of the advantages of a larger display is more keyboard deck space for a larger touchpad. Lenovo didn't take advantage of that space, leaving behind a touchpad that is much smaller than it could be. For example, the touchpad on the Specter x360 14 is much larger. And this is no ordinary touchpad. It uses haptic feedback rather than physical buttons to register clicks. While it doesn't work as naturally as the Apple version, it is a decent solution. There's the usual Microsoft Precision touchpad support, so Windows 10 multi-touch gestures are well supported. Overall, it's an attractive touchpad – it's just too small.

The display is of course touchable and also reacts. It supports the Lenovo Active Pen that is included and supports 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt assistance. The pen is magnetically attached to the right side of the display. While it's not like other Lenovo pens that slide into a port for storage and charging, it's a full-size pen well worth the tradeoff.

Windows 10 Hello is supported by both a fingerprint reader and facial recognition. Both were quick and accurate. As mentioned earlier, you'll want to use face recognition to get the most out of its human presence detection features.

Battery life

The thin frame of the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga only contains 44.5 watt hours of battery, which is not much for a laptop with a high-resolution display of this size. Given the general tendency of the ThinkPad to have a battery life that was above average, I wasn't confident that it would achieve impressive longevity.

As it turned out, the battery life wasn't great, but it was also terrible. In our web browser test, the ThinkPad managed 9.45 hours, an above-average performance, and exceeded both the seven hours of the Specter x360 14 and the slightly more than six hours of the XPS 13 4K. In our video test, which ran through a Full HD movie trailer, the Thinkpad X1 Titanium Yoga managed a strong 15.75 hours, 5.5 hours longer than the HP and five hours longer than the Dell.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium YogaMark Coppock / Digital Trends

I also ran the laptop through the PCMark 10 gaming battery test, which put a strain on the CPU and GPU, and it lasted three hours, much like the Specter x360 14 and about half an hour less than the XPS 13 4K. In the battery test for PCMark 10 applications, which gives the best indication of the productivity of the laptop, the ThinkPad was at the top of our database with almost 11 hours, about two hours longer than HP and Dell.

The net result is that the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga gives you likely a full day of battery life, and a few more. That's not too shabby for a machine with a high-resolution display and decent productivity performance.

Our opinion

The ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is a superior 2-in-1 convertible that offers the best of the HP Specter x360 14. It's thin and light, so it works well as a tablet, a rarity in this class of machines. It has a great keyboard and pen, solid security options, and a case that feels very modern and sturdy.

You won't love the performance when you're doing more than the usual productivity tasks, but if you don't want to get on with demanding tasks, the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is for you. And it's partly made of titanium, which again is pretty cool.

Are there alternatives?

The HP Specter x360 14 is the most logical alternative. It's faster, slightly smaller, thicker, and heavier, and has a superior OLED display. The HP is also close to the same price as the ThinkPad, just with a Core i7-1185G7 and the OLED display, which makes it a far better value for money.

If you want a detachable tablet instead of a 2-in-1 convertible tablet, the Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable is a great option. You get slightly slower performance and battery life, but the best detachable tablet available right now. It's also several hundred dollars cheaper.

If you don't need the flexibility of a 2-in-1, the excellent Dell XPS 13 is, as usual, a great choice. It remains the best overall notebook and offers better performance, a higher resolution display option in a 16:10 aspect ratio, and a chassis that is more robust and slightly smaller.

How long it will take?

The ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is tough enough to withstand years of hard work and has the latest components. You should make a lot of productive work out of it. They also suffer from the inadequate, but industry standard, 1-year guarantee.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is the best 2-in-1 convertible that can be used as a tablet and offers solid battery life due to its attractive, thin and light design.

Editor's recommendations




27 Apr
Blog

The Four Cs of Metabolic Conditioning

How To Take A Metabolic Conditioning Insane Method With Opex Coach Georgia Smith That Lays Down Four Key Principles And Advances For Designing An Exercise Program.

When it comes to strength training, most coaches and even clients understand the concept of moving forward in a structured and systematic manner, using percentages to slowly build strength over time.

But for some reason, when it comes to metabolic conditioning, fitness turns into a free flowing ocean of random, intense exertion, filled with multiple modalities that are all the rage this week:

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