14 Jun
Blog

Keys to Monitor An Athlete’s Workload

Effective training plans are based on levels of complex planning, preparation, and implementation. Simply throwing a template program on a group of athletes and hoping that they will magically improve after eight weeks is not enough. Trainers need to take the time to assess what is happening along the way and to make the necessary changes as they see fit.

Anyone can be the artist of a program that smokes their athletes. But the best coaches act as a guide to steer the program in the right direction and offer the optimal appeal. Surveillance techniques are undoubtedly essential for a high-level sports performance program.

Why we monitor

To understand why it is important to monitor your athletes and their training, it is helpful to ask yourself what would happen if you did not watch. No monitoring means no understanding of how athletes react to the training from an analytical perspective.

Some coaches believe that they can use their coaching eye and assume what's going on with their athletes. Monitoring is therefore seen as a waste of time. Although I believe it is important to use some intuition and deep understanding of your athletes, planning your programming using perception techniques is a recipe for disaster.

Monitoring enables us to assess stress responses to individual training sessions or a series of sessions (more on that later). We also receive information that can help make decisions and control the training process. We can get an idea of ​​how hard an athlete works, what his recovery looks like, and even his potential risk of injury

Key to monitoring an athlete's workload - fitness, fitness, recreation, pace training, programming, optimal performance training, game day, training programs, customer evaluation, coaching process, sports injuries, heart rate variability

Monitoring not only leads to training and provides information about our athletes, but also validates the approaches and methods we use. By testing and monitoring performance, we can determine if our programming is working and achieve a positive performance gain.

In addition to the performance on the match day, this is one of the few ways in which we as performance specialists, sports coaches, sports directors and athletes alike can validate themselves in order to keep a job. It's a competitive environment, and if you can't prove you are getting better, many just assume you are getting worse.

What to monitor

It goes without saying that more is not always better when it comes to monitoring.

One should not only collect data for the purpose, without the intention to use this data. Monitoring must improve the effectiveness of the training, make logical sense, and provide reliable information about the specifics of the athlete's training. It must be specific to the age, gender, sporting event, age of training, level of performance and injury status of the athlete. It must also be easy to present to coaches and athletes. 2

There is simply not enough time to collect data as this can be very distracting and can cost valuable training time if used inappropriately. Implementing the least amount of monitoring for the maximum results is paramount.

Monitoring athletes' training and performance can basically be divided into two categories:

  1. Internal load
  2. External load

The internal stress represents the athlete's physiological and psychological responses to the physical stimulus, while the external stress is simply the training stimulus applied It is important to note that the training load goes far beyond the sets and repetitions that we prescribe in the weight room. It includes all of the athlete's training units, from sports exercises to competitions and conditioning sessions.

Within the training load paradigm, we have a dose-response relationship that can be classified under:

  • Acute Training Effects – Acute training effects can be designed as immediate or immediate effects such as an increase in heart rate during a sprint.
  • Immediate training effects – Immediate training effects occur in a single training session, e.g. B. A change in the ratio of testosterone to cortisol after exercise.
  • Cumulative Training Effects – After all, cumulative training effects are the physiological or motor / technical responses that you get from a series of training sessions or a training plan.

It is important to understand what each piece is and what it contains, as they all help create an effective athlete monitoring program.

How to monitor

Once you understand the various aspects of athlete monitoring, you can start collecting data. As mentioned before It is important to collect information about both the internal and external training load.

If we do this, we can determine the impact of our external training load on the internal training load of our athletes.

External training load

There are dozens of variables that we can monitor when we look at the external training load. For example, we can track the number:

The key is choosing the right variables for tracking the athlete you are working with.3

A soccer player can benefit from GPS monitoring that tracks the distance traveled and the total number of accelerations during a game, which would be rather useless for a competitive weight lifter. Having an idea of ​​the global training stimulus is key, but when it comes to the weight room, we can certainly be a little more specific.

One of the keys to building a successful strength training program is tracking the volume load that occurs. The most basic form for this is:

The sets x Reps x Load = Volume Load

There are several equations that deal more precisely with a percentage of the repetition maximum. However, the real key is to consistently use an equation and use it across all strength training sessions to keep track of the total work done. With this method, coaches can correlate the workload of their athletes with the overall goal of the training week or month.

It's easy to understand why blindly prescribing repetitions and sentences is a recipe for disaster, since a targeted amount of work consistently drives adaptation. Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less, but it vibrates, allowing athletes to train, accumulate fatigue, relax, and repeat.

Internal training load

Similar to the external training load, there are a variety of variables that can be measured to capture details of the internal training load. Heart rate (HR) and heart rate reserve (HRV) are two extremely common methods because they are easy to measure, Negative blood lactate and hormone responses can be a little more difficult to assemble.

The internal training load paints a nice picture of how an athlete reacts to the training and how it can be restored. We can generally assume that the higher the heart rate during aerobic exercise, the harder they work. Similarly, HRV has been popularized as a method of determining readiness for training and recovery.

While I'm a fan of tracking internal load measurements, when appropriate, A big problem arises when we try to apply a method across multiple training modalities. Using heart rate as a measure of work and fatigue during a speed run may be an excellent choice, but a heavy squat with short, intermittent work spurts is very different.

One method that has been popularized and used to combat this problem is the perceived effort session rate or sRPE. With sRPE, athletes can rate a session on a scale of 1 to 10 levels of difficulty. This way we can go back and multiply it by the duration of the session and derive a score. For example, if an athlete:

  • With a 30-minute conditioning session at an RPE of 5, they would have a training load of 150 arbitrary units (AU).
  • Then if they had a 60 minute weight session later that day and rated it as an RPE of 8, it would result in a training load of 480 (AU).
  • If you add them up, it shows that the training load for this day was 630 (AU).

This method is very helpful because it synchronizes several training methods and makes them somewhat compatible in terms of our understanding of the impact on the athlete. For example, we can look at the relationship between acute and chronic workload and see how they respond to the intended training stimulus.

While using this method on some of my athletes, I am the first to admit that it has some shortcomings. It is somewhat subjective in nature and some athletes do not have enough experience to accurately assess the difficulty of their sessions.

Different personality types rate sessions differently depending on the attitude and motivation of a particular athlete. While not perfect, it certainly offers an alternative way to track your internal training load.

Wrap up

We know that training is a revolving door of many variables, some of which we can control and some of which we cannot. It is important to have a solid understanding of how a training plan can not only be implemented but also tracked and changed over time.

Implementing monitoring in your athlete programs ensures that you are directing things in the right direction and making changes as necessary. Just remember to keep track of what's needed and get rid of what's not needed. Use monitoring as a means to improve your programming without affecting it.

References

1. Haff, G.G. "Quantifying the workload in strength training: a brief review." Professional strength and condition 10th autumn (2010): 31–40. Network.

2. Robertson, S. "Red, Amber, or Green? Monitoring Athletes in Team Sports: The Need for Decision Support Systems." International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance 12 (2017): 73–79. Network.

3. McGuigan, M. "Monitoring Training and Performance in Athletes." Human kinetics. 2017.

13 Jun
Blog

Edifier TWS6 Review: Affordable Audio For Athletes

Edifier tws6 earphones

"Edifier has successfully developed affordable real wireless earbuds for active listeners."

  • 8 hours of playback

  • IPX5 waterproof

  • Exceptional sound quality

  • Comfortable

  • Limited touch controls

  • Ear wings required for proper fit

Edifier is committed to taking the world of affordable real wireless earphones by storm this year by releasing two products with identical prices: the TWS NB and the TWS6.

The TWS NB impressed us enough to be called our new favorite budget e-wireless earbud. As a result, expectations were understandably high for the $ 120 TWS6, a pair of buds with similar functions and some important differences that target an active audience. After a week of keeping these earphones in my ears, you should consider that these expectations have been met.

Out of the box

With the last edifier buds I checked, I was impressed with the luxury of the packaging in which they were delivered. It seems that this is a trend in the brand as I came across the same takeaways when I opened the TWS6.

Edifier TWS6 earphonesNick Woodard / Digital Trends

Both the charging case with the buds and the four (!) Pairs of additional earplugs waited patiently in foam pads. Directly under the earplugs was a small box with a USB-C charging cable, installation instructions and silicone ear wings, as Edifier calls them.

There is a pairing button on the housing itself that starts the connection process. Following the standard procedures for locating the buds in my phone's Bluetooth settings made setup quick and easy. The process is neither unusual nor unusual, but the ability to simply plug in a new pair of earphones is always appreciated.

However, I will point out that if you are looking for more detailed instructions on the functionality of the earbuds or the correct way to attach the ear wings to the buds, you will not find any in the compressed physical version of the manual. You must venture online for the full edition to receive this information.

design

I am fascinated by the way the TWS6 looks, but also a bit perplexed. Because I liked the initial aesthetics of the buds so much, I have some concerns about the methodology of the overall design.

First, the TWS6 are elegant and simple and present themselves as buttonless buds in black (white is also available). They're not heavy on your ears and don't stand out like other options like the Sony WF-XB700. But they're fat, something you should keep in mind when you're stuck against a "clogged ear". Regardless, it was pleasant to have them in my ears for longer test periods.

Edifier TWS6 earphonesNick Woodard / Digital Trends

There are both memory foam and silicone earplugs to choose from. In my tests, I chose a smaller silicone alternative to the one on the buds and found that it fits well. There are also the ear wings above that started my confusion. The TWS6 doesn't come with ear wings that are already attached to the buds, but part of me really thinks this should have been. This is because if you just took the buds out of their suitcase like I did, put them in your ears and wanted to start listening, you would have a completely different experience.

This is important to note as the buds would not fit my ears very well without these wings. Finding the right wing has completely changed this and made the TWS6 much more suitable for the intense workouts and activities that Edifier is targeting with this product. I accept the possibility that this is a user error and most buyers know how to attach the ear wings without referring to the instructions. But for those who have a similar attitude, I offer this advice: wrap the buds in your preferred ear wings and save yourself the hassle of constantly having to readjust yourself during a walk.

When we look at the case, it has the same black finish as the buds and essentially looks like a wider copy of the case for Apple's popular AirPods. I was initially worried about how the buds with the wings attached would fit in the case. I will say for the sake of clarity that they sit a little closer, but still sit tight and are charged without hiccups.

properties

When comparing the function sets between these buds and the TWS NB, it becomes clear that Edifier has taken two different demographic characteristics into account in these products. While the TWS NB was more geared towards the serious music listener, the TWS6 has features that suggest that it is much more geared towards lifestyle.

Edifier TWS6 earphonesNick Woodard / Digital Trends

The TWS6 supports 8 hours of playback with a total of 32 hours of battery life with the charging case. Technically speaking, the TWS NB can last 11 hours at a time, but only without active noise reduction (ANC). With this coveted feature, playback drops to 5 hours.

The differences between the buds become clear when looking at the waterproof ratings. The TWS NB have IPX4 water resistance, which is reasonable but not special. Meanwhile, the TWS6 offers IPX5 resistance, which protects it from the continued use of moisture-like rain. Having gotten into a downpour the morning before completing this review, I can vouch for her ability to withstand harsh weather.

Both edifier buds we've discussed here support Bluetooth 5.0, and I've found similarly strong connections with each pair. Where the TWS6 falls behind significantly, however, are the controls. The TWS NB have multifunction buttons for a variety of applications. In contrast, the TWS6 has touchpads, which unfortunately lack a lot of functionality.

I can pause and resume tracks with a double tap on the right bud and call up my voice assistant with a double tap on the left side. There is no possibility to change tracks and to increase or decrease the volume. While asking Alexa to create a particular song or playlist helps, it still doesn't relieve the pain of missing a couple of what I categorize as both standard and crucial controls.

Audio quality

Edifier was not silent about promoting the Knowles Balanced Armature drivers built into the TWS6, and for good reason. With a diameter of only 12 mm for the entire bud, these drivers are rather small, but offer an exciting punch.

Edifier TWS6 earphonesNick Woodard / Digital Trends

Based on my listening experience, the TWS6 has all the audio qualities required to create solid buds for workouts and other activities. I've heard a healthy dose of soca music lately (it's a long story), and the TWS6 has skilfully processed the bass-heavy Caribbean beats of Michael Montano's Toco Loco.

They also go well with more mainstream genres. One of my favorite test tracks, Blues Travelers & # 39; Hook, was once again a fun ride that demonstrated the TWS6's ability to dance through a range of frequencies. Other genres and tracks led to the same result: these earphones have a wonderfully pleasant sound that I think will satisfy most people looking for buds in this price range.

However, I would prefer the TWS NB to these buds in terms of sound quality. Although the TWS6 also supports aptX, the NB has an advantage in terms of definition and clarity, as well as ANC to support the listening experience. Thanks to its fit, the TWS6 has efficient passive noise suppression, but does not meet the advantages of ANC, e.g. B. listening to music or making phone calls without interruption.

Our opinion

Edifier did it again with the TWS6 and created an affordable pair of real wireless earphones with nice features and exceptional audio quality. This time they only did it for another listener.

Are there any better alternatives?

I would probably still choose the $ 120 TWS-NB for its audio quality and control benefits, though they're not ideal for active scenarios. Outside of the Edifier brand, the $ 130 Amazon Echo Buds or the $ 130 Sony WF-XB700 are solid competitors in this price range.

How long will they last?

The TWS6 has a build quality that feels solid and impressive waterproofness to protect it from nature. It is a safe bet that you will get your money's worth with these buds.

Should you buy them

Yes. Restricted touch controls are crap, but they don't interfere with what leads to a valuable pair of buds ready for training in the Edifier TWS6. Remember to attach these ear wings.

Editor's recommendations




13 Jun
Blog

Keys to Monitor An Athlete’s Workload

Effective training plans are based on levels of complex planning, preparation, and implementation. Simply throwing a template program on a group of athletes and hoping that they will magically improve after eight weeks is not enough. Trainers need to take the time to assess what is happening along the way and to make the necessary changes as they see fit.

Anyone can be the artist of a program that smokes their athletes. But the best coaches act as a guide to steer the program in the right direction and offer the optimal appeal. Surveillance techniques are undoubtedly essential for a high-level sports performance program.

Why do we monitor?

To understand why it is important to monitor your athletes and their training, it is helpful to ask yourself what would happen if you did not watch. No monitoring means no understanding of how athletes react to the training from an analytical perspective.

Some coaches believe that they can use their coaching eye and assume what's going on with their athletes. Monitoring is therefore seen as a waste of time. Although I believe it is important to use some intuition and deep understanding of your athletes, planning your programming using perception techniques is a recipe for disaster.

Monitoring enables us to assess stress responses to individual training sessions or a series of sessions (more on that later). We also receive information that can help make decisions and control the training process. We can get an idea of ​​how hard an athlete works, what his recovery looks like, and even his potential risk of injury

Key to monitoring an athlete's workload - fitness, fitness, recreation, pace training, programming, optimal performance training, game day, training programs, customer evaluation, coaching process, sports injuries, heart rate variability

Monitoring not only leads to training and provides information about our athletes, but also validates the approaches and methods we use. By testing and monitoring performance, we can determine if our programming is working and achieve a positive performance gain.

In addition to the performance on the match day, this is one of the few ways in which we as performance specialists, sports coaches, sports directors and athletes alike can validate themselves in order to keep a job. It's a competitive environment, and if you can't prove you are getting better, many just assume you are getting worse.

What to monitor

It goes without saying that more is not always better when it comes to monitoring.

One should not only collect data for the purpose, without the intention to use this data. Monitoring must improve the effectiveness of the training, make logical sense, and provide reliable information about the specifics of the athlete's training. It must be specific to the age, gender, sporting event, age of training, level of performance and injury status of the athlete. It must also be easy to present to coaches and athletes. 2

There is simply not enough time to collect data as this can be very distracting and can cost valuable training time if used inappropriately. Implementing the least amount of monitoring for the maximum results is paramount.

Monitoring athletes' training and performance can basically be divided into two categories:

  1. Internal load
  2. External load

The internal stress represents the athlete's physiological and psychological responses to the physical stimulus, while the external stress is simply the training stimulus applied It is important to note that the training load goes far beyond the sets and repetitions that we prescribe in the weight room. It includes all of the athlete's training units, from sports exercises to competitions and conditioning sessions.

Within the training load paradigm, we have a dose-response relationship that can be classified under:

  • Acute Training Effects – Acute training effects can be designed as immediate or immediate effects such as an increase in heart rate during a sprint.
  • Immediate training effects – Immediate training effects occur in a single training session, e.g. B. A change in the ratio of testosterone to cortisol after exercise.
  • Cumulative Training Effects – After all, cumulative training effects are the physiological or motor / technical responses that you get from a series of training sessions or a training plan.

It is important to understand what each piece is and what it contains, as they all help create an effective athlete monitoring program.

How to monitor

Once you understand the various aspects of athlete monitoring, you can start collecting data. As mentioned before It is important to collect information about both the internal and external training load.

If we do this, we can determine the impact of our external training load on the internal training load of our athletes.

External training load

There are dozens of variables that we can monitor when we look at the external training load. For example, we can track the number:

The key is choosing the right variables for tracking the athlete you are working with.3

A soccer player can benefit from GPS monitoring that tracks the distance traveled and the total number of accelerations during a game, which would be rather useless for a competitive weight lifter. Having an idea of ​​the global training stimulus is key, but when it comes to the weight room, we can certainly be a little more specific.

One of the keys to building a successful strength training program is tracking the volume load that occurs. The most basic form for this is:

The sets x Reps x Load = Volume Load

There are several equations that deal more precisely with a percentage of the repetition maximum. However, the real key is to consistently use an equation and use it across all strength training sessions to keep track of the total work done. With this method, coaches can correlate the workload of their athletes with the overall goal of the training week or month.

It's easy to understand why blindly prescribing repetitions and sentences is a recipe for disaster, since a targeted amount of work consistently drives adaptation. Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less, but it vibrates, allowing athletes to train, accumulate fatigue, relax, and repeat.

Internal training load

Similar to the external training load, there are a variety of variables that can be measured to capture details of the internal training load. Heart rate (HR) and heart rate reserve (HRV) are two extremely common methods because they are easy to measure, Negative blood lactate and hormone responses can be a little more difficult to assemble.

The internal training load paints a nice picture of how an athlete reacts to the training and how it can be restored. We can generally assume that the higher the heart rate during aerobic exercise, the harder they work. Similarly, HRV has been popularized as a method of determining readiness for training and recovery.

While I'm a fan of tracking internal load measurements, when appropriate, A big problem arises when we try to apply a method across multiple training modalities. Using heart rate as a measure of work and fatigue during a speed run may be an excellent choice, but a heavy squat with short, intermittent work spurts is very different.

One method that has been popularized and used to combat this problem is the perceived effort session rate or sRPE. With sRPE, athletes can rate a session on a scale of 1 to 10 levels of difficulty. This way we can go back and multiply it by the duration of the session and derive a score. For example, if an athlete:

  • With a 30-minute conditioning session at an RPE of 5, they would have a training load of 150 arbitrary units (AU).
  • Then if they had a 60 minute weight session later that day and rated it as an RPE of 8, it would result in a training load of 480 (AU).
  • If you add them up, it shows that the training load for this day was 630 (AU).

This method is very helpful because it synchronizes several training methods and makes them somewhat compatible in terms of our understanding of the impact on the athlete. For example, we can look at the relationship between acute and chronic workload and see how they respond to the intended training stimulus.

While using this method on some of my athletes, I am the first to admit that it has some shortcomings. It is somewhat subjective in nature and some athletes do not have enough experience to accurately assess the difficulty of their sessions.

Different personality types rate sessions differently depending on the attitude and motivation of a particular athlete. While not perfect, it certainly offers an alternative way to track your internal training load.

Wrap up

We know that training is a revolving door of many variables, some of which we can control and some of which we cannot. It is important to have a solid understanding of how a training plan can not only be implemented but also tracked and changed over time.

Implementing monitoring in your athlete programs ensures that you are directing things in the right direction and making changes as necessary. Just remember to keep track of what's needed and get rid of what's not needed. Use monitoring as a means to improve your programming without affecting it.

References:

1. Haff, G.G. "Quantifying the workload in strength training: a brief review." Professional strength and condition 10th autumn (2010): 31–40. Network.

2. Robertson, S. "Red, Amber, or Green? Monitoring Athletes in Team Sports: The Need for Decision Support Systems." International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance 12 (2017): 73–79. Network.

3. McGuigan, M. "Monitoring Training and Performance in Athletes." Human kinetics. 2017.

12 Jun
Blog

The Last of Us Part II Review: A Dark Masterpiece

the last of us part 2 review ellie

"The last of us Part II is a slap in the face in the best way."

  • Deep emotional impact

  • Well-written narrative

  • Breathtaking graphics

  • Fine-tuned game mechanics

  • Characters are fully developed and credible

  • High level of detail in the game and in the options

  • Gating prevents more extensive exploration

Publishing a follow-up to a very popular game is daunting and can easily disappoint fans. The last of us part II accomplishes the feat effortlessly.

This sequel extends and perfects the already well-made story. It lives up to the first release and extends the original without going too far, which could alienate fans hoping to get a taste of what they loved the first time.

The last of us places a heavy burden on this entry because the effects of Joel's actions have far-reaching effects and history is not forgotten. Ellie and Joel started a new life in Jackson, Wyoming, but the game lets players know that it is not that easy to continue.

The plot is certainly dark, but it never feels nervous. There is empathy even for your enemies. Obviously, the game contains many unexpected twists that make The Last of Us Part II look emotionally and narratively polished. There are Easter eggs and funny jokes, but that's a story of revenge. It will never be forgotten.

Emotional impact

The Last of Us has been praised for its emotional narrative that shook players, and Naughty Dog's sequel finds a way to expand on that. The last of us Part II is a slap in the face in the best way.

I can't count the number of times I stared at the screen with wide eyes and thought, "No. It can't be right. It can't be that way."

The players in the first game already know and love Ellie, so it's easy to shop around in her story. That said, this is not a happy story. Fans are likely expecting this since Sony described the plot as a quest for revenge. But The last of us part II takes many dark turns. It twists and affects your expectations and therefore your well-being.

I can't count the number of times I stared at the screen with wide eyes and thought, "No. It can't be right. It can't be that way."

And while I thought I knew Ellie, the game felt like meeting an old friend I was separated from. Sure, she is – but she's older and her attitude has evolved from a spunky, tough child to a blunt survivor.

Ellie is still very loyal and fearless, but she has lost the hope she had in the first game. This is probably because the original Ellie was on the way to finding a cure. It is clear that the failure of this mission took part of its optimism and growing up in a post-apocalyptic world, while the excruciating pressure to be a teenager still didn't help.

We see her story and her fear of telling Joel about her first friend. This story is particularly beautiful and I was glad to see that Ellie's feelings were explored with the same sincerity as a heterosexual relationship.

Screenshot of The Last of Us Part IINaughty dog

Their relationship with Joel also deepens as they create a new life after the events of the first game. There is a look back at one of their birthdays, and the time they spend tying is a strong reminder that the family is not just blood relatives.

Still, Ellie is older. She has questions and she was not one who was afraid to question authority. And after the failed vaccine search by her and Joel, it becomes more difficult to see how people turn away from a bite.

Sometimes Ellie is unrecognizable to herself.

The event that causes Ellie to take revenge is even more relieved.

Sometimes our protagonist is unrecognizable for herself. It is painful to watch their journey – to participate actively, but not to be able to change course. Writing does The last of us part II one of the greatest gaming experiences I've ever had. It reminds me of the games my mother, who really didn't understand my fascination with video games, would look over my shoulder to watch. Those who made her stop asking, "Aren't you tired of playing this?" and sit next to me instead. That made her say softly to my stepfather, "It's like a movie."

Similar to the first time The last of us, The narrative will remind players why they love to play and give birth to a new generation of players.

While Ellie is the star, the story goes beyond her. I was involved in the life of characters I would never meet, some dead, some still out there. You will find documents and memorabilia, similar to the one in the last game. But this time the game does better at creating stories that can last the entire duration of the game. A document in an early area is linked to a document in a later level. One person mentioned in a note is the author of another. And when I came across the last note of an invisible character near his body in a room with an infected person, or worse, my heart was broken.

That was teased Part II is darker, but I wasn't prepared.

This also goes beyond Ellie. The world is at war with itself. Different factions are suffering on both sides after the termination of an armistice for which neither party is to blame. There is also the profound moral question of which side is the right one. People who had previously joined the government-sanctioned FEDRA, the countermovement of fireflies, or who chose to respond only for themselves. But it's not just about survival. It's about what society looks like when the remains of human civilization are desperately trying to hold on.

If you kill a human enemy, his friends will cry out for them. They each have names. Their allies will be devastated to bump into their dead bodies, and not because that means they are in danger themselves. It's a heartbreaking but realistic detail that lights up the game and leaves you with a pit of the stomach.

Way of playing

If you add so many elements to the game, you have to open the map. While not really an open-world game, some levels are large and complex, and definitely worth exploring.

When it comes to game mechanics, it doesn't fix what isn't broken.

I was happy to come across Easter eggs, to unravel a story by leaving notes and clues behind, or to find a particularly practical way to pick up the equipment by bothering.

There are also small moments that trigger cutscenes and appear completely optional. Some parts were just cute, others added a deep emotional layer. I highly recommend reviewing everything and I will probably go to another degree myself.

Screenshot of The Last of Us Part IINaughty dog

Still, The last of us part II is a linear game, and gating – which prevents you from going back to a previous area – removes any illusion that this could be a real sandpit title.

When it comes to game mechanics, it doesn't fix what isn't broken. It works much like the first game, but refines the fight. Stealth is getting smarter, there are new enemies and there are skill trees in which you can invest resources depending on your preferred fighting style. I found it easy to jump in again and appreciated the new elements.

Pictures and details

The visuals of The last of us part II are just great. The details of the surroundings and the objects are absolutely phenomenal. I played on a PlayStation 4 base with HDR turned on and was convinced that I wasn't playing in 4K. It really looks so good. Textures look exceptionally detailed and landscapes look incredible. This is particularly important because a lot of time is spent outdoors.

The character details could be even more impressive. There is a small part where Ellie looks in the mirror and makes different faces, and it is not a cut scene. The animations look so good that it feels like the developers are showing off.

Screenshot of The Last of Us Part II

Of course, it would be inappropriate not to mention the crisis in this game. Naughty Dog has received criticism of his practice of putting his team in stressful hours to end this and other games. It's an absolute shame that everyone would work under these conditions, and they're the unsung heroes who made this game as good as it is.

They contain so many subtleties that have to be explored. The options menu allows you to customize the difficulty of things like enemy health or the number of resources you find.

More importantly, players can change the controls to make them more accessible in several ways. Changes can be made visually to make reading subtitles easier or to display important details. There's also a text-to-speech option and motion sickness settings. Players can even change the guitar playing or operate a boat. These options are also highlighted by on-screen notifications, and other accessibility features are announced at the start. It's a great move that I hope to see in more titles.

Do all these details The last of us part II an incredibly powerful game.

Our opinion

The last part II is a tour de force, in which the best parts of the original are brought into their best forms. History will stagger you, and there are some unexpected twists and turns that you will invest consistently. The level of detail and quality in creating and creating stories in the world is at the top of their class.

Is there a better alternative?

There's nothing like The Last of Us Part II, let alone a better alternative. The gameplay and combat are not unique, but the story that revolves around these elements is unique. This is also the reason why people chose the first game so strongly.

How long it will take?

The campaign lasts between 30 and 40 hours and reaches it easily if you want to explore and find everything that is available. If you just want to get through the story, 30 hours are closer to accuracy, but even narrative players will benefit from additional exploration.

But should you?

Yes absolutely. The Last of Us Part II will go down as a classic game that people will talk about for years, much like the first iteration. The fact that this title extends what worked well so much makes it much easier to justify adding it to your library.

Editor's recommendations




12 Jun
Blog

An Open Letter to CrossFit

An open letter to CrossFit

My name is Greg Walsh. I started working with CrossFit in 2003 and was a member, trainer and manager of CrossFit Long Beach until I returned to my hometown Rochester, NY in 2008.

I started with the Wolf Brigade in 2008 and since then we have been training people from all walks of life and fitness levels every day.

During my time in Long Beach, I developed relationships with many CrossFit employees and started a friendship with Greg Glassman. This resulted in a "partnership" based on my idea of ​​offering affiliates a one-stop shop to get top quality artwork and clothing prints, as well as the opportunity / option to present them on a website called for worldwide purchase, crossfitshirts.com.

We had a small but very high quality printing company in Rochester. I loved CrossFit – especially the affiliates – and I wanted to both help and show more engagement. I presented the “CrossFit Shirts” project at an affiliate meeting in 2007 with a very positive response, and we set off.

The project was a great success. CrossFit products have never looked better, and the subsidiaries benefit from our high level of expertise in art direction and graphic design.

The crossfitshirts.com platform was fun, exciting and mutually beneficial. CrossFit received a percentage of everything that was sold, as did the partners we worked with, and it expanded rapidly.

Between 2007 and 2009, Greg and I became friends (or at least I thought I did), and I felt no obvious reason to apply the brakes as we developed our combined projects. We expanded the print shop, hired talented employees and adapted to the growing occasion. During that time, Greg routinely called to talk about his life, marriage, and business problems, and routinely invited me to his Arizona home, on various CrossFit-related trips, etc. I appreciated it, although I rarely accepted it because we were neck. We work intensively in the gym and develop our “partnership”.

My mistake was to assume that a handshake “contract” meant the same to others as to me.

In 2009, when our coordinated projects were in full swing, I was called out of the blue – first by a persistent lackey by Greg and then by a smug and stylized CrossFit lawyer. Both were asked to send the message that we can no longer use the CrossFit name without affiliate-specific branding, and much more seriously

The website crossfitshirts.com should be handed over to you immediately.

Without dubbing the hand, it felt like a bad joke. We have always had problems – I have been working in and managing small, high quality companies for over 25 years, and we were finally on the way to something that grew and fully in our wheelhouse.

I did everything I could to find out what was really happening. Greg did not return calls, text, or email, and was finally given the “option” to take any remaining soft goods to another partner event in Austin, Texas and try to sell them off. After selling shirts at shows and events since I was a kid, I knew exactly how it was going (bad), but had no choice. After paying for the shipping of the clothes and my trip and selling less than half of what we had brought with me at less than half the prices we would normally charge, I lost several thousand dollars.

This was around the same time that poor decision making, self-based leadership, and myopia drove some of the most advanced, lovable, and respected minds in CrossFit, including Robb Wolf, James "OPT" Fitzgerald, and Greg Everett – three people I've had since my first one Respected exposure and whose positions I took very seriously. I knew at the time, although I was very marginal compared to these three, that our “partnership” was really over; I was classified as expendable or worse, and we had to act accordingly.

In retrospect, I should have downsized, given up on the second press I just bought, let our newly hired, experienced print workers go and get to the point, but I really felt we could keep a lot of the affiliate business and keep going. I was very wrong

The removal of the website crossfitshirts.com and clearly our "CrossFit blessing" has rejected many partners. Many stayed, and I still appreciate this step of faith to this day, but the loss was too great, our answer was not as it should be, and in late 2009 we were forced to close our print shop and solve the committed people, who had operated it.

Now in deep debt after I moved across the country to work on a project that was now dead and cheated and abandoned by someone I thought was a strong ally, I concentrated all my efforts on training people really, really well.

I set out to develop and document our processes meticulously and adapt the general education elements that we had worked on in Long Beach that I knew were critical to our idea of ​​“global linear progression” Meaning. In short, if a glass in this story were half full, the Wolf Brigade would have become one of the best training platforms in the world – in every way and in many ways that no one had ever addressed before. When the chips were at the bottom, I grabbed what had brought me to where I was:

Help people as best I could.

Greg Glassman has never been a good person. Even though almost everyone who reads this believed that it was him, he was still a very judgmental, elitist (wrong way) and opportunistic man who made himself comfortable telling everyone who would listen how much better he was offers very little evidence for this statement.

During this time there are currently many partners / ex-partners / participants who question their direction, the next steps and the need for "damage control". As someone who has often been targeted and attacked based on the irresponsible words of others and outside of the subject at hand, I will say the following:

Stand for what you know is right and stand damn hard. Do what's right, not what you're told.

If you want to train people, chase all the ways of progress and the facts that are available to you and excel in your market.

In response to the fact that he never offers territorial protection to his territories, Greg would say: "The cream rises up". Now is the time to prove this theory to yourself. The current climate is causing unfortunate casualties in small facilities that would otherwise have survived, and the idea of ​​distancing yourself from something on which a foundation has been built and branding it is daunting to say the least.

But that is not impossible. And with all of the current sharpness and negativity, it's important to remember that CrossFit DID, in one way or another, functional or dysfunctional, proves to all of us that we are stronger than we think.

Partner, ex-partner, participant:

Now it is time to "prove your fitness" … and it has nothing to do with burpees or box jumps.

CrossFit introduced me to concepts and ideas that I had never seen before, and I took the ball and ran with it. Greg Glassman teamed up with me – a small, independent, unhealthy, passionate idealist – and left me cold without ever saying a word of comfort, an act of repentance, or even an apology – as he did you all in last time.

This betrayal closed one door and opened another – as was the case for many at that time and under similar divisions – and I used it to reinforce the fire I already had and to develop a brand and training system that are far more transferable. multi-level access and more effective than anything CrossFit has ever done.

If I / we can help you, our door is open.

We are not trying to capitalize on the misfortune of this situation, but we have had the displeasure of being able to predict for a long time, live by ourselves and now have the skills and abilities to help others.

After all, EVERYTHING – at least for those who should still be here – is about helping others.

Honest and sincere Greg Walsh

An open letter to CrossFit - fitness, crossfit, functional fitness, kettlebells, GPP, maces, barbells, subversive fitness, boxing gym

12 Jun
Blog

Father’s Day: Skin Care Gift Ideas For 3 Types of Dads

This June we celebrate fathers – the men who have an important impact on our lives. Whether the man you look up to is your father, husband, father figure or even your grandfather – everyone deserves the best on Father's Day.

Instead of buying him a stereotypical set of golf clubs, ties, or shaving sets this year, why not give dad the gift of healthy skin? Every father is unique. Here you can see three types of fathers and our selection Eminence Organics Products that are tailored to his lifestyle.

1. The outdoor father

The outdoor dad is always ready for adventure. You will find that he cycles, hikes, works in the garden or does everything that requires a healthy dose of fresh air. Although outdoor dads are generally physically fit, their skin condition could tell a different story. Constant contact with the elements – such as sun, wind, water or snow – can make the skin dry, weathered and often damaged by the sun. Eminence Organics Rosehip and Lemongrass Soothing Hydrator

To protect against UV radiation, a sun care product like our Lilikoi Mineral Defense Sport Sun Protection SPF 30 is essential for these fathers. After a day outdoors, our soothing rose hip and lemongrass hydrator for the face and body is another must to restore and replenish the skin. This lightweight moisturizer contains a natural repair complex to hydrate, repair and reduce redness caused by dryness, especially after being exposed to the elements.

2. The career father

The career father is a busy man. You will find that he rushes to his next meeting, defying the rush hour traffic, and spending a lot of time traveling from one airport to the next. These fathers are generally not nonsense, and they look for convenience and quality when it comes to their technical devices and even their skin care needs.

A few dark circles around his eyes are just a normal part of life as he reconciles family life with early morning workouts and late evening meetings. To combat tired, swollen eyes, we recommend our soothing cucumber eye gel. Our Bright Skin Starter Set helps you with skin care on the go. This set is packed in a practical travel bag and offers comprehensive skin care (detergent, moisturizer, mask and serum) that fits perfectly in your father's case.

Eminence Organics Cucumber Eye Gel

3. The relaxed father

The relaxed father is a relaxed, uncomplicated guy. He enjoys staying close to home and spending time with his family, walking the dog, watching the game or reading a good book. Most laid-back dads prefer a BBQ with a few close friends over a fancy dinner, and they definitely want to keep things simple when it comes to skin care.

When we think of products for relaxed fathers, we think of convenience and simplicity. Some of our multitasking products such as our Citrus Exfoliating Wash and our 3-in-1 cleaning water for rice milk are perfect for caring for a carefree father. For example, our Citrus Exfoliating Wash exfoliates and cleanses gently to normally oily skin in one easy step. Fresh lime juice removes impurities, while grapefruit seeds and silica make the skin appear radiantly clear. Our 3-in-1 cleaning water for rice milk is even less maintenance because it can be rinsed off or left on. This product cleanses and tones in one step, which provides the skin with moisture, minimizes the pores and minimizes the occurrence of skin aging. Eminence Organics rice milk 3 in 1 cleaning water

What kind of father do you honor this Father's Day? Tell us in the comments. For more gift ideas for dad, visit our men's skin care page. Happy Father's Day!

Note: This post was originally published in June 2016 and updated for accuracy and completeness.

11 Jun
Blog

Dell XPS 15 (9500) Review: The Best 15-inch Laptop

dell xps 15 9500 review 2020 03

"The elegant design and impressive performance of the Dell XPS 15 make it an excellent choice for creative people."

  • Efficient design

  • An additional Thunderbolt 3 port

  • World class display

  • Excellent performance

Dell hit 15 gold with the XPS. It was the perfect alternative to the MacBook Pro 15-inch, a laptop with problems ranging from thermal throttling to unreliable keyboards.

But now that Apple has the 16-inch MacBook Pro, the ball is back on Dell's pitch. The new XPS 15 is the answer. With improvements to almost every aspect of the design, this is the biggest revision of the XPS 15 since its debut.

Is this the ultimate premium laptop for creative people?

design

Known and yet fresh. That's how Dell describes the new XPS 15, and I have to agree.

The look of the Dell XPS 15 has not changed in almost five years. It took a long time to redesign, especially with all the advances the XPS 13 has received over the years.

Almost every aspect of the XPS 15 has been updated in some way. The only design elements that have remained intact are the black carbon fiber fabric used in the palm rests and the aluminum on the lid. The use of aluminum and carbon fiber makes the XPS 15 look like an XPS product, but this is where familiarity ends.

The first thing you'll notice is the display. The XPS 15 now has an aspect ratio of 16:10 for a slightly larger screen. I really like this choice. It made a difference with the XPS 13, and with the larger XPS 15 it made an even bigger difference.

More screen and less wasted space are always good.

The screen measures 15.6 inches and offers a resolution of 3,840 x 2,400. That's more pixels than a conventional 4K screen and a higher pixel density than the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Angry.

Of course, a bigger screen generally means a bigger laptop. Not here. Despite the larger display, the dimensions of the new laptop roughly correspond to those of the previous model. It still weighs only 4 pounds (or 4.5 for the version with the larger battery) and is 0.71 inches thick. More screen and less wasted space are always good.

This emphasis on efficiency also applies to other areas. The keyboard has a wider, more comfortable layout with larger keycaps and a lot of travel. The touchpad is significantly larger and now corresponds to the size of the MacBook Pro 16 inches. However, you don't need to worry about it being too big – the palm rejection is as good as it gets.

My device had a problem with the touchpad. When pressed, it moves slightly as if it were working, but does not register a click. I learned that I have to push harder for it to work as expected. It's annoying with an otherwise excellent tracking experience.

There's no question that some design elements of the laptop were inspired by the MacBook Pro 16-inch, but it doesn't feel like a copycat. The look is XPS through and through.

The port selection has been reduced this time and the HDMI and USB-A ports have been replaced by plenty of USB-C. Two of them are Thunderbolt 3 ports and one is a standard USB-C 3.1 port. Fortunately, Dell has kept the SD card slot, which is a great blessing for creatives. No doubt some of them will miss their old peripheral ports like a wired mouse, but more future-proof, more powerful ports like Thunderbolt 3 are never a bad thing.

Display and speakers

Dell boasted of its new speakers, which are now located directly on the keyboard deck. The placement offers a much more satisfying audio experience than in previous years, and more bass can be heard here than I've ever heard of an XPS product.

However, this doesn't mean that it competes with the MacBook Pro 16-inch. It still fades in terms of clear bass and full mids. The speakers of the XPS 15 are even thinner than the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

If you are a video or photo editor, you will love this screen.

The display and speakers have been redesigned for the better. The larger panel that Dell chose is as good as they come. Although it is an LED (not OLED), 100% was achieved in both sRGB and Adobe RGB color spaces. It also has one of the most color-accurate screens I've ever seen – even the MacBook Pro 16.

Although I miss the deep black and high peak brightness of the OLED screen (which is no longer on sale), this is still one of the best laptop displays I've ever tested. If you are a video or photo editor or even a graphic designer you will love this screen.

Of course, you do not get this high-resolution screen in the basic model. It's an $ 294 upgrade to make the 1,920 x 1,200 jump – but it's a must for creatives.

Battery life

Thanks to this insanely high-resolution screen, the battery life is impaired. Dell has put a large 86-watt-hour battery in this model, but the 4K + XPS 15 still only lasts about 6 hours with a light workload. Don't expect to spend all day outside of a store.

The 1080p version of the XPS 15 was a record for battery life in the past, but this 4K model sucks batteries away like no one cares.

It is particularly noticeable when you do hard work. I tested this with the Basemark benchmark, which puts a heavy load on the CPU, and it only took less than 3.5 hours. This is not uncommon for a 15-inch 4K laptop, but it is something you should be aware of.

Compared to the MacBook Pro 16-inch and other 4K laptops, the battery life of the XPS 15 is even.

performance

The performance of the XPS 15 has always been the most important feature. In contrast to laptops like the Surface Laptop 3 15 or the LG Gram 15, the XPS 15 is not just a larger screen. It is more power. It has a 45 watt processor with up to eight cores and 16 threads. It also has an option for a discrete graphics card and plenty of memory.

My test device came with the Intel Core i7-10875H, the Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti, 16 GB RAM and a 512 GB SSD. This, of course, is one of the high-end configurations that costs $ 2,200. That's expensive, yes – although it's $ 500 cheaper than a similarly configured 16-inch MacBook Pro.

The system measures quite well. In Cinebench R20 it stomps on the MacBook Pro 16-inch and the XPS 15 from last year. However, the gap in Geekbench 5 is even bigger. However, this lead does not hold up in real performance. It's 5% slower than the MacBook Pro in handbrake video encoding and 15% behind last year's XPS 15.

Video exports to Adobe Premiere Pro are a good challenge for both discrete graphics and a powerful processor. Rendering a 2-minute 4K clip for ProRes 422 took 8 minutes and 42 seconds. Compare this to the 9 minutes and 27 seconds for the Razer Blade, which is equipped with a six-core processor and a powerful Nvidia RTX 2070 for graphics.

It's a solid performance, though it's not earth-shattering. The XPS 15 that I tested last year did that in under 5 minutes thanks to the Core i9-9880HK. It was a faster, fully unlocked processor, and the 32 GB of RAM that was included in my test device didn't hurt either. The latest version of this unlocked 10th generation chip has not yet been shipped in the XPS 15, although Dell says it will be available soon.

While the XPS 15 is a powerful laptop, it is also a fantastic 15-inch laptop in general.

The Microsoft Surface Book 3 was another laptop that surpasses this XPS 15 in terms of video editing. Although there is only one quad-core processor, its powerful graphics dominate the Premiere rendering.

The XPS 15 costs from $ 1,300 for the base model, which gives you only a quad-core processor, integrated graphics and 8 GB of RAM. This model doesn't work nearly as well as the model I've tested, but should be more than sufficient for buyers who don't have a specific, demanding application in mind. While the XPS 15 is a powerful laptop, it is also a fantastic 15-inch laptop overall. The basic model is well suited for users who are looking for a first-class laptop for everyday use.

Gaming performance

The XPS 15 has never been a gaming laptop, and that hasn't changed. The system continues to prioritize processor performance, making the GPU not glow like a gaming laptop.

However, upgrading from the Nvidia GTX 1650 to the 1650 Ti offers a significant improvement in game performance that I was happy to see. It was 105 to 20% faster than the previous model and can play most games with at least 60 frames per second (FPS). In Battlefield V I had to reduce the settings to medium to get there, but in Fortnite and Civilization VI you can easily play at maximum settings and still get 60 FPS.

This is an important number because the screen is locked at a refresh rate of 60 Hz. Anything over 60 FPS is not seen.

The only game that proved unplayable at maximum settings was Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Only 26 FPS were achieved with Ultra High, 47 FPS with High (the middle setting of the game).

There are many more powerful gaming laptops out there. Laptops with more graphics options like the Surface Book 3 or Dell G5 SE are also better gaming experiences. But for those who want to use the XPS 15 on the side for a couple of games, it's just the ticket.

Our opinion

The Dell XPS 15 is the best 15-inch notebook you can buy. The design is beautiful, the screen is out of this world and the performance is impressive. The eight-core Intel Core i7 model I've tested isn't the most powerful version of this laptop, but with the Core i9 on the way, the XPS 15 will likely be one of the most powerful video editing laptops you can buy. However, it is not cheap. To get a model that is similar to the model I tested, easily spend over $ 2,000 on the combination of a premium case, a color-accurate 4K display, and powerful fixtures.

Are there alternatives?

If you want an even more powerful XPS laptop, wait for the Dell XPS 17. Not only does it have a larger screen, it also has a powerful Nvidia RTX 2060 graphics card for even better performance.

The MacBook Pro 16-inch is a good alternative, although it's a little more expensive.

How long it will take?

The Dell XPS 15 should last for at least four or five years. From the components inside to the durability of the chassis, everything is first class. However, the guarantee has nothing special. It's still just a one-year standard hardware warranty, although Dell offers premium care packages like extended support up to four years or accident damage service.

Should you buy it

Yes. It's the best 15-inch laptop you can buy, and an excellent choice for creatives who need a lot of power under the hood.

Editor's recommendations




11 Jun
Blog

Motorola Edge review: Stunning Display At A Reasonable Price

Motorola Edge Review screen angle

"The significant daily benefits of the Motorola Edge, from battery life to performance, outweigh the few frustrating disadvantages."

  • Great screen

  • 5G at a reasonable price

  • Outstanding battery life

  • Strong suitability for everyday use

  • Pretty, easy-to-use design

  • Fingerprint sensor is unreliable

  • Software can get frustrating

  • Camera needs to be improved

The Motorola Edge is so correct that I almost forget the annoyances. It's the best looking Motorola phone in ages, and yes, I'm counting the Moto Razr in that statement. The screen is a killer. I also liked to use it, especially because it's light, compact, and disappears in my pocket or bag. It's ideal for everyday use if you're not looking for a game-oriented powerhouse with the best camera.

However, there are some irritations in terms of build quality, security and software, which are very frustrating and are not entirely offset by the significant benefits. I've been using the phone for almost two weeks now and here are the good and bad details in more detail.

design

The Motorola Edge has been my favorite design for Motorola phones for some time. A main reason for this is the 19.5: 9 aspect ratio screen, which makes the body slim, much like Sony did with the 21: 9 aspect ratio Xperia 10 Plus. The advantage is that the phone doesn't need that much stretch, even though the screen is 6.7 inches and you can still reach the screen buttons with your fingers. It even fits in your pocket.

The screen falls over both sides of the phone in the same way as the Motorola Edge Plus and Huawei Mate 30 Pro, and helps you forget the large and slim aspect ratio by removing the side bezels. I think it looks great and although the functionality is shaky, more on that later, it gives the Edge a striking, modern look that is rarely seen on widely used devices.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

It's light at 188 grams, but fairly thick at 9.3 mm, and the body is very slippery. For this reason, a case for long-term use is required. The back of the phone is made of plastic, although it really feels like glass, but it has already noticed some uncomfortable scratches on the back even though it has spent most of its time indoors. This is unfortunate because I love the way the back of the edge looks.

Motorola’s decision not to make the phone very thin means that the camera module doesn’t protrude half a mile and instead is almost flush with the back of the phone. The Motorola logo is etched under the highly reflective black housing, which then takes on a rainbow effect in the right light. It is reminiscent of Samsung's aura glow color on the Galaxy Note 10 Plus.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

So all right? No not really. My Motorola Edge review has a striking seam where the glass of the screen meets the body, and it's not consistent around the phone. Run your finger along the bottom left and it's very pronounced, almost as if the screen glass was misaligned, while being perfectly smooth and fitting in the upper right corner. You also don't have to struggle to find this, as you notice every time you hold the phone.

This is a problem with waterfall displays because my Huawei Mate 30 Pro test model has the exact same problem. It distracts and feels like poor build quality, whether it is real or not. The Motorola Edge scores some important design points and can then lose as many.

Screen and security

The 6.7-inch OLED touchscreen offers a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels, a refresh rate of 90 Hz and HDR10 support. The aspect ratio of 19.5: 9 is very cinematic and gives the Edge a screen-to-body ratio of 95.9%, which is only interrupted by a small selfie camera with a punch that is barely noticeable. The waterfall display makes the background image look great. If the phone is covered, a white notification light runs along the side, which attracts your attention.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you watch the ever stunning carfection channel on YouTube in 1080p and set the color profile of the screen to Saturated, it becomes clear that the Edge screen emphasizes the colors strongly, but never oversaturated. Instead, you get a wonderful balance between black and shadow with light blue and red, resulting in an engaging and enjoyable visual experience. Compare it to the iPhone 11 Pro, which has the natural color profile active, and there are times when the Edge looks just as good, and that's a huge praise indeed.

HDR10 videos can be played back easily, and some of the breathtaking films look even better when zoomed in, so that they fill the entire screen, which also brings the cascade edge into play. The audio is also good, with a single speaker at the bottom of the phone, as well as audio from the speaker used for voice calls at the top of the screen. There is a lot of volume and a decent amount of bass, but also a certain amount of vibration through the body of the phone. Overall, the Edge is an excellent media smartphone.

Motorola Edge fingerprint sensorAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

There is a fingerprint sensor on the screen that is slow, unreliable and frustrating. It often takes several attempts to recognize your finger, and then about a second to unlock the device, or worse, a second or two to actually activate the sensor. This means that you tap the screen and press the power button in the hope that it will wake up to make the situation worse when the software gets into trouble. Using Face Unlock as an alternative compromises security and isn't much faster either. Security on the edge is a disappointment.

software

My review Motorola Edge installed Android 10 with the security update from May 2020 and exaggerated the very easy adjustment from Motorola. Visually, it's very similar to the look of Android on a Google Pixel 4, with the app taskbar up and the notification shadow down unaffected and all gesture controls and notifications untouched. This is a good thing since Android 10 is easy to use, attractive and fast.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

However, Motorola has added a selection of tools and features, some of which have been successful. I like the peek display, where notifications are sent on the lock screen and more information is shown by touching the icon. The edge light effect, where the sides of the screen light up to alert you to a new notification, caught my attention.

How about the edge of the screen in general? Edge Touch lets you open the app bar and notification shadow from the side of the screen, interact with some app shortcuts, and generally use the phone with one hand. It's not very successful and has often misunderstood my touch. I switched it off. Even then, the accidental interactions don't stop. I often accidentally open Google Assistant and often find that I've moved apps around on the screen. Also, tapping buttons on the edges of the screen is frustrating because they often don't work.

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Motorola Edge Moto action menu "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn3.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/motorola-edge-moto-actions-640x640.jpg "srcset = "https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7The Motorola Edge Moto Actions menu Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Motorola Edge screen customization menu "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn4.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/motorola-edge-select-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https : //www.digitaltrends.com/data: image / gif; base64, https: //www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7Motorola Edge's screen customization menu Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

An excellent function is hidden. Since some apps don't work well with the waterfall screen, especially if the text wraps around the edge and makes reading difficult, you can switch any app from an edgeless to a standard full screen view. It is in the helicopter view of open apps and by tapping the app icon. Very practical and a great way to avoid at least some of the interference caused by this type of display.

Most apps ran smoothly, but not the standard camera app. It doesn't want to be in a hurry at all, and when you try it, it crashes often, sometimes to the point where the phone needs a restart to work again. This most often happens when you open the camera from the lock screen, either after unlocking it or when you use the quick gesture to rotate your wrist. Motorola forces you to do this instead of adding a swipe icon. I missed various photographic moments while the camera app fell over for this reason.

camera

The camera app can be painful, but what about the camera itself? On paper, it's a solid performance with a 64-megapixel main camera with an aperture of 1: 1.8, an ultrawide camera with 16 megapixels and 1: 2.2, and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens for 2x optical Zoom shots. There is also a time-of-flight sensor that helps with portrait and bokeh shots. On the front there is a 25 megapixel wide-angle selfie camera with an aperture of 1: 2.0.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The results are good, but not quite as good as I expected, and it looks like Motorola still needs some tweaking. The differences in exposure and dynamic range between standard, wide-angle, and 2x zoom shots are significant, and wide-angle has problems, especially in difficult lighting. The colors are muted and the exposure is too low. Although this can be fixed with some edits, the shots can only be shared if you optimize them. This is not acceptable.

Shoot with the standard camera and the photos are generally much better, but exposure remains problematic. You can't always tell when this will happen, which makes it difficult to predict whether a photo will come out well.

I like macro mode, which can take some very detailed close-ups, and portrait mode is good too. Macro mode, however, requires a very steady hand, while edges when taking portraits can falsely become blurred. The night mode brightens pictures a little and without much influence on details. However, it's not a drastic change like you find on phones like the Huawei P40 Pro.

The Motorola camera app, if it has no problems opening it, is one thing apart. Motorola has placed the Google lens button right next to the shutter button, and not only is it too easy to accidentally press, it's also easily confused with the button used to switch between the rear and front cameras, which is annoying right on the page is placed. You also cannot edit the primary function switch. You must therefore go to a separate menu to activate night or portrait mode. Selfies in good light are great, with bold colors and lots of details, but in low light, it's not that good even in night mode, and edge detection in portrait mode is random.

Motorola Edge Review Standard "class =" m-Karussell - picture dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn4.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/motorola-edge-standard-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https : //www.digitaltrends.com/data: image / gif; base64, https: //www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7Motorola Edge standard lens Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

motorola edge review wide "class =" m-Karussell - picture dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn5.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/motorola-edge-wide-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https : //www.digitaltrends.com/data: image / gif; base64, https: //www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7Motorola Edge wide angle lens Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

motorola edge review 2x "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn6.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/motorola-edge-2x-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https : //www.digitaltrends.com/data: image / gif; base64, https: //www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7Motorola Edge 2x zoom Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The Motorola Edge's camera is just not very consistent, although the hardware is good and it can take some great photos under the right conditions. It's probably all software-related, which means future updates can bring improvements, but the Edge's camera isn't currently inspiring you to use it.

Power and battery

The Motorola Edge does not use Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 865 chipset, but the Snapdragon 765G chipset. This will make many think that this is a “middle range”, but real-world performance is anything but. Ordinary, everyday tasks like taking photos, using email, making calls, and checking social media apps are as fluid and fast as you want them to be.

Geekbench 5: 1785 Multi Core / 573 Single Core

3DMark Sling Shot Extreme: 2800 (volcano)

The situation is different with the benchmark results. The closest competitor to the Motorola Edge is the OnePlus 8, which houses the Snapdragon 865 chipset, and which exceeds these numbers. Even the aging Asus Zenfone 6 with last year's Snapdragon 855 processor leaves the Motorola in the dust. However, it beats the Samsung Galaxy A51.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

However, the poor benchmark numbers do not lead to slowness. Asphalt 9 Legends is solid if you don't crank up the graphics properly, and DariusBurst is great too. No, the Motorola Edge isn't really for hardcore gamers, but it's okay for casual gaming. Motorola has added a game mode that minimizes distractions, as well as an option for virtual shoulder buttons that are easily programmable for individual games.

Motorola did the right thing with the Edge battery. It has a capacity of 4,500 mAh and it is absolutely no problem to take two full days, sometimes saving energy. However, if you add a few video calls, you will need to charge them sometime in the evening of the second day. Although my phone is currently mostly connected to Wi-Fi, the Edge typically ended a normal day with more than 60% remaining power, even when connected to a smartwatch and using voice calls, photos, and app usage. This is an excellent achievement.

It is quickly charged with the supplied charger with 18 W. Charging from zero to full takes almost an hour and 40 minutes and only reaches 26% after 20 minutes. There are faster charging systems, and unfortunately the Edge doesn't have wireless charging. Since my area is not a 5G coverage area, I was unable to test the Edge's 5G connectivity. However, I had no problems with regular calls and 4G LTE reception, but Wi-Fi sometimes failed when I was further away from my router. Many will also like to look at the bottom of the phone and see a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Price, guarantee and availability

The Motorola Edge costs £ 549 or about $ 695 and can currently be pre-ordered in the UK on Motorola's own website through the O2 network, as well as from retailers such as Amazon and Argos. A publication in the United States has been cited, but there are no details at the time of writing.

Our opinion

The Motorola Edge has strong advantages and disadvantages. The size, performance, and screen are excellent, and long battery life is a serious advantage, the camera is decent, and the price is reasonable because the phone has 5G for the future. These benefits pay off every day and make it very easy to live with. Elsewhere, it's not as good as it should be due to software and security vulnerabilities, but some aspects could be improved in the future by software updates.

Is there a better alternative?

The major challenger to the Motorola Edge is the OnePlus 8. In the UK, it costs £ 599, or $ 699 in the US. While not the most exciting phone you can buy today, it is very reliable and extremely powerful. It has 5G, ready for the future and more power than the Edge. This is the better buy unless you can upgrade to the OnePlus 8 Pro at £ 799 (or $ 899). Spend a little more again and the Samsung Galaxy S20 for $ 999 (or £ 799) is a great phone. If you haven't opted for Android, the Apple iPhone 11 is also an excellent buy for $ 699 or £ 729 with great camera, design, software, and battery life.

How long it will take?

While 5G is not an advantage at the moment, it will become more desirable in the near future and the Motorola Edge ensures that you are ready for the day without spending a fortune. It's moderately durable with Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and plastic on the back, but as I have already noticed, it can be scratched fairly quickly. According to Motorola, the phone is water-repellent, but does not offer an IP protection class. This means it's okay when it rains, but not if you drop it in the bathtub.

According to Motorola, the Edge is guaranteed to get Android 11, but according to the company, it is not certain whether one will arrive afterwards. Based on that, you should only expect one big Android update after purchase, and that's not great.

Should you buy one?

Yes, despite the inconvenience, the everyday life of the Motorola Edge is excellent overall, so it is still worth buying if you are interested in the screen and design.

Editor's recommendations




11 Jun
Blog

An Open Letter to CrossFit

An open letter to CrossFit

My name is Greg Walsh. I started working with CrossFit in 2003 and was a member, trainer and manager of CrossFit Long Beach until I returned to my hometown Rochester, NY in 2008.

I started with the Wolf Brigade in 2008 and since then we have been training people from all walks of life and fitness levels every day.

During my time in Long Beach, I developed relationships with many CrossFit employees and started a friendship with Greg Glassman. This resulted in a "partnership" based on my idea of ​​offering affiliates a one-stop shop to get top quality artwork and clothing prints, as well as the opportunity / option to present them on a website called for worldwide purchase, crossfitshirts.com.

We had a small but very high quality printing company in Rochester. I loved CrossFit – especially the affiliates – and I wanted to both help and show more engagement. I presented the “CrossFit Shirts” project at an affiliate meeting in 2007 with a very positive response, and we set off.

The project was a great success. The CrossFit brand had never looked better, and the subsidiaries benefited from our high level of expertise in art direction and graphic design.

The crossfitshirts.com platform was fun, exciting and mutually beneficial. CrossFit received a percentage of everything that was sold, as did the partners we worked with, and it expanded rapidly.

Between 2007 and 2009, Greg and I became friends (or at least I thought I did), and I felt no obvious reason to apply the brakes as we developed our combined projects. We expanded the print shop, hired talented employees and adapted to the growing occasion. During this time, Greg routinely called to talk about his life, marriage, and business problems, and routinely invited me to his Cross Arizona vacation home for various CrossFit trips, etc. We work intensively in the gym and develop our “partnership”.

My mistake was to assume that a handshake “contract” meant the same to others as to me.

In 2009, when our coordinated projects were in full swing, I was called out of the blue – first by a persistent lackey by Greg and then by a smug and stylized CrossFit lawyer. Both were asked to send the message that we are no longer allowed to use the CrossFit name without affiliate-specific branding, and much more seriously

The website crossfitshirts.com should be handed over to you immediately.

Without dubbing the hand, it felt like a bad joke. We have always had problems – I have been working in and managing small, high-quality companies for over 25 years, and we were finally on the way to something that grew and fully in our wheelhouse.

I did everything I could to find out what was really happening. Greg did not return calls, text, or email, and was finally given the “option” to take any remaining soft goods to another partner event in Austin, Texas and try to sell them off. After selling shirts at shows and events since I was a kid, I knew exactly how it was going (bad), but had no choice. After paying for the shipping of the clothes and my trip and selling less than half of what we had brought with me at less than half the prices we would normally charge, I lost several thousand dollars.

This was around the same time that poor decision making, self-based leadership, and myopia drove some of the most advanced, lovable, and respected minds in CrossFit, including Robb Wolf, James "OPT" Fitzgerald, and Greg Everett – three people I've had since my first one Respected exposure and whose positions I took very seriously. I knew at the time, although I was very marginal compared to these three, that our “partnership” was really over; I was classified as expendable or worse, and we had to act accordingly.

In retrospect, I should have downsized, given up on the second press I just bought, let our newly hired, experienced print workers go and get to the point, but I really felt we could keep a lot of the affiliate business and keep going. I was very wrong

The removal of the website crossfitshirts.com and clearly our "CrossFit blessing" has rejected many partners. Many stayed, and I still appreciate this step of faith to this day, but the loss was too great, our answer was not as it should be, and in late 2009 we were forced to close our print shop and solve the committed people who had operated it.

Now in deep debt after I moved across the country to work on a project that was now dead and cheated and abandoned by someone I thought was a strong ally, I concentrated all my efforts on training people really, really well.

I set out to develop our processes and document them meticulously, and to adapt the general education elements that we had worked on in Long Beach that I knew were crucial to our idea of ​​"global linear progression" Meaning. In short, if a glass in this story were half full, the Wolf Brigade would have become one of the best training platforms in the world – in every way and in many ways that no one had ever addressed before. When the chips were at the bottom, I grabbed what had brought me to where I was:

Help people as best I could.

Greg Glassman has never been a good person. Even if almost everyone who reads this believed that he was, he was still a very judgmental, elitist (wrong way) and opportunistic man who made himself comfortable telling everyone who would listen how much better he was offers very little evidence for this statement.

During this time there are currently many partners / ex-partners / participants who question their direction, the next steps and the need for "damage control". As someone who has been attacked and attacked often due to irresponsible words from others and outside of the subject at hand, I say the following:

Stand for what you know is right and stand damn hard. Do what's right, not what you're told.

If you want to train people, hunt down all the ways of progress and the facts that are available to you and excel in your market.

In response to the fact that he never offers territorial protection to his territories, Greg would say: "The cream rises up". Now is the time to prove this theory to yourself. The current climate is causing unfortunate casualties in small facilities that would otherwise have survived, and the idea of ​​distancing yourself from something on which a foundation has been built and branding it is daunting to say the least.

But that is not impossible. And with all of the current sharpness and negativity, it's important to remember that CrossFit DID, in one way or another, functional or dysfunctional, proves to all of us that we are stronger than we think.

Partner, ex-partner, participant:

Now it is time to "prove your fitness" … and it has nothing to do with burpees or box jumps.

CrossFit introduced me to concepts and ideas that I had never seen before, and I took the ball and ran with it. Greg Glassman teamed up with me – a small, independent, unhealthy, passionate idealist – and left me cold without ever saying a word of comfort, an act of repentance, or even an apology – as he did all of you last time.

This betrayal closed one door and opened another – as was the case for many at that time and under similar divisions – and I used it to reinforce the fire I already had and to develop a brand and training system, that are far more transferable. multi-level access and more effective than anything CrossFit has ever done.

If I / we can help you, our door is open.

We are not trying to capitalize on the misfortune of this situation, but we have had the displeasure of being able to predict for a long time, live by ourselves, and now have the skills and abilities to help others.

After all, EVERYTHING – at least for those who should still be here – is about helping others.

Honest and sincere Greg Walsh

An open letter to CrossFit - fitness, crossfit, functional fitness, kettlebells, GPP, maces, barbells, subversive fitness, boxing gym

11 Jun
Blog

The Outer Worlds Switch Review: Another Disappointing Port

the outer worlds change the evaluation

The Outer Worlds for Switch Rating: Port tariffs bad

“The Outer Worlds is a fun game. It's just a shame that the switch port doesn't run better. "

  • Great world exploration

  • Well-written dialogue

  • No content is cut out of the game

  • Terrible step in the graphics

  • Bad frame rate

  • Sputtering and pop-ins

  • Long loading times

Just when it looked like the horde of badly rushed switch ports was behind us The outer worlds proves that there is always room for more.

News that The outer worlds would come to Nintendo's hugely popular switch console, cautiously optimistic. I thought it might have the polish that other switch ports were missing as no attempt was made to make up for the console's success. While this version is not an unplayable bug, which is more than can be said of some other ports, it is certainly not well made – and does not do justice to the original game.

A nice mess

The outer worlds wasn't the most visually impressive game when it came out in 2019, but it had stunning aesthetics. What he lacked in character models or high-resolution textures, he made up for with wonderfully detailed planets and a coherent appearance that underlined his snarky capitalist dystopia. When I played on an Xbox One X, I was amazed by the living foliage, the blinding sky, and the lovable rust buckets that were used as spaceships.

On the switch, I felt like I was playing a completely different game. The switch port has not met my expectations in many ways, and more importantly, it does not do justice to the unique style of the game.

When I took my first steps on Terra 2, the introductory planet was in The outer worlds I could immediately say that this port would be rough. Still, I made my way and was convinced that I would find the psychedelic fields that I fell in love with when I first played on Xbox One X. Then I realized that I was in these areas. And they weren't psychedelic at all.

The screenshot of the outer worldsObsidian

Textures look amateurish, and anything outside of your immediate area is a blurry mess. Not only is the bad graphics a big disappointment, it also makes it more difficult to engage in ranged combat. The almost constant pop-ins often took me out of the game and I was frustrated.

To make sure, I briefly revised the game on Xbox One X and PC to see if I remembered wrong. That was not me.

In fact, it was worse than I thought. Entire objects and details such as bricks, bushes or paths have completely disappeared. It's not just about looks. Missing objects change the overall feel of the game, as I now walked through a barren landscape rather than a lush planet. I have lost the feeling of wonder associated with exploring a new world.

Looks bad, plays worse

Play The outer worlds on the switch should be impressive. With more than 10 GB, it takes up more space than many other switch titles, and there are seemingly endless loading screens that indicate that a game is being created that deserves such a long wait. You can easily wait up to 30 seconds every time you enter and leave your ship or building and when you are traveling. There is also a lot of sputtering and lag, especially when it's outside.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and BioShock Infinite done. So why not? The outer worlds?

After a while I wondered if a game of this kind with reduced graphics would ask too much. Maybe this just goes beyond what the switch can handle. But The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and BioShock Infinite managed to make the leap to an acceptable level of quality. So why not? The outer worlds?

The switch port targets an inconspicuous 30 frames per second, but even that feels spotty. This is particularly problematic during combat, in addition to the rendering problems removed. In hand-to-hand combat, I swung wildly against enemies who had just dodged a hair, while long-range combat was difficult due to the unresponsive frame rate. If you wait 30 seconds to reappear when you die in the middle of this mess, the experience will get worse.

It's a shame

The technical problems are indeed insurmountable. They make it impossible to recommend the port.

Still, it's worth remembering The outer worlds is a great game. It's not the best game I've ever played, even within the genre, but it's a solid choice that delivers a decent story and doesn't go beyond the greeting. Fallout fans, especially those who love it Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegaswill love it. Obsidian, the developer behind it The outer worldshas worked on these two Fallout titles and the relationship is easy to see.

The screenshot of the outer worldsObsidian

The outer worlds brings biting wit in small details and dialogues, an abundance of characters that you can love and hate with the same passion, and an open world that is ripe for exploration. The world or worlds are smaller than the maps of other popular open world games, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the wild and Witcher 3, they're both on switches. But planet hopping is fun and I enjoyed seeing the worlds differ.

Even though I often wanted to run through my run because of the confused graphics and technical problems, I couldn't help exploring every detail. What does this terminal say? What does this message reveal about a character who has not been around for a long time and whom I will never meet?

Among the porting problems, The outer worlds remains solid and the port offers all the functions and story beats of the original. It's just a shame that things are not going better.

Our opinion

The outer worlds is a great open world first person shooter with well written dialogue and building the world. However, playing on the switch is a disadvantage for the original game. It often feels like a chore.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. The outer worldson literally any other platform. It is available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows.

You can play under switch games The Witcher 3 or Breath of the wild, However, these titles differ greatly in tone, style and many gameplay elements. There is nothing like it The outer worlds on the counter.

How long it will take?

This can vary a lot depending on how far you want to go in side quests. If you stick to the main quest, you can easily measure 20 hours, but a predecessor will spend closer to 40 on the game. I played for about 30 hours and was picky about which side quests and companion quests I wanted to accept.

Should you buy it

No, you shouldn't buy the switch port from The outer worlds. Unless, and this is a slightly special exception, the Switch is your only gaming device and this game is your alley. If you don't have a PC to run the game on, a PS4 or Xbox One – and many players don't – then for sure. The problem is not there The outer worlds. It's like the game is so much better wherever you can play it. For Fallout or FPS fans who only rely on the Switch, however, it's a good title to add to the library. Just be prepared for an imperfect game.

Editor's recommendations




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