Mobile Devices
Ado Mate 3 portable Bluetooth speaker review: why size doesn’t matter
This year I decided to be more in tune with technology and I vowed to try and incorporate gadgets more into my daily life and routine. One of the essentials for starting an interconnected section of your life, for various reasons, is a Bluetooth speaker and I got the chance to test and review a really neat one during my journey. This review will mostly be about the Ado Mate 3 portable Bluetooth speaker from GearBest, but it will also reveal a bit about how technology can be used to make life easier, with a minimal investment.
One of the best parts about the Ado Mate 3 Bluetooth speaker is its price. If you’re looking for a cheap, portable Bluetooth speaker that won’t leave your pockets empty for the rest of the week, you’ve stumbled to the right place. The Ado Mate 3 price is just $15 , which is outrageously low. Seeing such a price might make people turn around and run, but when you’re on a budget, you will try everything.
I did, and I have no reason to complain. The Ado Mate 3 Bluetooth speaker is as good as any other speaker (wired or wireless) I’ve used. If you’re in the market for a Bluetooth speaker that you want to use for entertainment at home or at work, the Ado Mate 3 is a good option. I’ve found myself using it while I shower, at work and while cooking and cleaning around the house. The convenience of a Bluetooth speaker doesn’t necessarily have to be explained, but I find it better to describe the use cases for the device so that you guys can get an idea of how I used it and how you could use it.
The main thing I used the Ado Mate 3 Bluetooth speaker for was music. Using the device is stupidly easy: you just turn it on and turn the Bluetooth on on your chosen device (Android, PC, Mac, iOS) and you’re ready. Although it might take the Ado Mate 3 a couple of minutes to connect to the target device for the first time, it won’t have any connectivity issues in the future thanks to Bluetooth 2.1. There is also the option of using the speaker’s built-in NFC antennae to connect to your smartphone, which is yet another convenience.
Once the devices are connected, every sound that you play on your phone will be output on the Bluetooth speaker and that’s all there is to it. It’s an inherently simple device made for those who don’t really like to fiddle with settings, connections, passkeys, codes, names, playlists, streaming lists, Miracast and such complicated issues. Although there are obvious benefits to having more customizable devices, the Ado Mate 3 is made for simplicity rather than user customization. All the sound settings that you want to apply you do through your target device, be that your phone or laptop.
The Ado Mate 3 does the basics: it plays music. It doesn’t have a volume button, and all that it has is a power button and a truly great design, but that’s all it needs. You can control volume from the connected device, and while that may be a problem for some, I didn’t find it bothersome at all. Once I turned the Bluetooth speaker on, I just positioned it right above the counter and left it there. All the music playing and volume adjusting was done on my phone, from any room of the house.
The Ado Mate 3 Bluetooth speaker has a seamless connection which hasn’t faltered on me once. There’s a 15 m range that the device supports and it stays true to that. While I left the speaker on the kitchen counter, and went out to the balcony, the music was still playing with no interference. I also tried the Bluetooth speaker outdoors in an area where there could have been a lot of interference: a fast food joint. While the employees enjoyed the music I was playing, I went next door to the coffee shop for a cup’p’gold and the speaker had no issues keeping the connection steady. I might have even passed the 15 m range by a foot or two, but the speaker still managed to play music without a hitch.
The Ado Mate 3 comes with stereo sound and great bass, which I was surprised by. When I first saw the Bluetooth speaker, I thought that it would be about as loud as my phone’s speaker and about as high-res as the speaker on my watch. Luckily, the speaker impressed more than I had anticipated it would. Besides being tremendously loud (loud enough to fill a pretty big fast food joint and loud enough to accompany a bike rally and entertain most of the crowd), the speaker actually has good bass, which is usually an issue with such small, cheap devices.
The design of the Bluetooth speaker is my favorite, though it doesn’t have anything special. The body of the device is made from metal and polycarbonate and while most of the device is plastic, the company added a matte, grainy finish to the surface of the speaker all around the grill, which looks and feels great. The device fits in your pocket, although it is a bit heavy. I enjoyed the sturdy, heavy feeling of the Bluetooth speaker however, as I saw it fall and roll on the ground without any negative consequences. The minimalist, yet sturdy design is among my favorite features of the gadget.
Inside the Bluetooth speaker we can find a pretty big 1800 mAh battery, which according to the company should provide for about 15 hours of usage. That’s a pretty high estimate and I was rather skeptical about it. There are few Bluetooth speakers out there which can boast with that battery life, especially in such a small form factor, so skepticism was not uncalled for. After a month of testing on NFC and Bluetooth, I came up with an average battery life for the device.
The Ado Mate 3 Bluetooth speaker will last for about 6 or 7 hours with continuous music playing from Youtube, Soundcloud, media library either on a Bluetooth connection or on NFC. I found that battery life was the same with both connectivity options, although it is half of what the company advertises. Honestly, I did not feel disappointed by the performance and battery life of the device, which is surprising. Considering the fact that the company promises 15 hours of music play and the device managed only half of that, most people would feel disappointed.
I’m content with the battery life on the Bluetooth speaker because it only costs $15, it has no connectivity issues, it’s loud, it has a decent level of bass and it charges in less than 2 hours to full. I think the trade-off is fair here and for what this speaker is designed for, it doesn’t even need a stellar autonomy. Thanks to the seamless user experience, I was actually impressed that the speaker even lasted that long.
Overall, the Ado Mate 3 Bluetooth speaker is not bad at all. with the $15 price in mind, the device does what it is supposed to do, and in style no less. Although advertising 15 to 20 hours of continuous playtime is a bit misleading, 7 hours from a device smaller than my phone is still rather impressive. I would definitely recommend the Ado Mate 3 to anyone looking for a cheap Bluetooth speaker that they can slip in their pocket or purse and just turn on and off and be done with it. No hassle, no stress.
Mobile Devices
3 Video Games About Women’s Health
Video games have transcended entertainment to become powerful tools for promoting health and wellness. One notable genre in this realm is fitness gaming, exemplified by titles like Hatsune Miku Fit Boxing, which motivates players to engage in physical activity to enhance their fitness levels. Building on this foundation, developers have ventured into women’s health with games designed to raise awareness and empower players to take control of their well-being. Here are 3 video games on women’s health that provide valuable health information and foster a sense of agency to uplift women around the world.
Tampon Run – Menstrual health
Created by Girls Who Code alumnae Andrea Gonzales and Sophie Houser in 2014, Tampon Run is an old-school 8-bit online game where the main character, Luna, lobs tampons to destroy enemies, who will confiscate the tampons if she lets them pass by. Interestingly, the concept of weaponized tampons is based on a real incident that occurred in 2013, where Texas state troopers confiscated tampons as potential projectiles, but not guns, from visitors observing a vote on abortion restrictions at the Texas State Capitol. The goal of Tampon Run is to destigmatize periods and menstrual products, which, up until recently, have not been properly studied to measure their absorbency, which underscores the need to address menstrual health so that women can get better care.
In between tossing tampons, Luna shares empowering messages about how periods are a natural part of women’s lives and should not be a source of shame or embarrassment. The game is available to play on the Tampon Run website and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store for iOS users.
PCOS Vitality – PCOS
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a complex hormonal condition and the leading cause of female infertility that affects approximately 5 to 6 million women in the US, according to the Endocrine Society. Common features of the condition include having irregular menstrual periods, hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovaries. Additionally, some studies estimate that up to 88% of women with PCOS are overweight or obese. While there are weight loss programs helping women tackle PCOS, focusing on aspects like lifestyle, symptom management, diet, and other tips for how to lose weight with PCOS, the condition itself remains grossly under-researched. For some women, it may take years to confirm that they have PCOS, as there are other disorders that mimic PCOS signs and symptoms that must be excluded.
The lack of research has extended to a lack of awareness among the general population and is what clinicians from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland are trying to address with the 2023 game PCOS Vitality. Essentially a learning tool, the game takes users through a simple obstacle course. As you click toward the finish line, you are asked simple trivia questions about PCOS. The game is free to play on Focus Games’ website.
Bound by Blood – Period poverty
Period poverty refers to the lack of regular access to period products, painkillers, or underwear during a menstrual cycle. In the US, where 16.9 million menstruating women live in poverty, two-thirds cannot afford basic menstrual products. Period poverty has also been associated with mental health issues and urinary tract infections.
Available to play on the itch.io website, Bound by Blood was created by Jessica Gates in 2017 and aims to educate players about the reality of period poverty. Users take the character of Beth, a homeless woman who wakes up in her car and realizes that she’s started her period. Players then make a series of choices to try to stay as hygienic as possible in spite of lacking resources such as menstrual products and clean restrooms. There isn’t really a way to “win” the game, and it is instead a peek into the reality of life where period products are inaccessible and how this affects women’s quality of life.
Through these games, players not only gain valuable insights into various aspects of women’s health but also find themselves actively engaged in their own well-being. As developers continue to explore this emerging field, the potential for video games to serve as educational tools and catalysts for change in healthcare remains promising
Consoles
PS5, PS4 Game Death Stranding Coming Natively to iPhone 15 Pro
PS5 and PS4 console game Death Stranding Director’s Cut is coming natively to the iPhone 15 Pro, demonstrating its power. The entirety of Kojima Productions’ seminal hiking sim, Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil Village, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage, will be available on your phone. Bonkers!
Tech giant: “Continuing Apple’s leadership in smartphone silicon, A17 Pro improves the entire chip, including Apple’s biggest GPU redesign. The new CPU is 10% faster with microarchitectural and design improvements, and the Neural Engine is 2x faster, powering iOS 17 features like autocorrect and Personal Voice.
According to the company, the pro-class GPU is 20% faster and unlocks new experiences with a 6-core design that boosts peak performance and energy efficiency. Hardware-accelerated ray tracing, 4x faster than software-based, gives iPhone 15 Pro smoother graphics and more immersive AR and gaming experiences. The iPhone 15 Pro brings console games to smartphones for the first time.
As with all cutting-edge Apple products, participation is expensive. The iPhone 15 Pro will cost £999/$999 at launch, and the Max model will cost £1,199/$1,199 for a 6.7″ screen. The most basic option only gives you 128GB, so you’ll need more if you want to play Death Stranding on the go.
However, the blurring of standalone consoles and mobile games is fascinating. The success of Genshin Impact, a full-fledged open world, has shown there’s a market for console-like mobile games. It will be interesting to see how Death Stranding performs on this latest iPhone generation.
Android
Launched Redmi Note 12 series: 200MP camera, 210W charging for less than $400
The three phones have similar screens and processors, but they vary in a number of ways.
The Redmi Note series from Xiaomi has historically been the brand’s most well-liked smartphone line, providing excellent value in the entry-level market. The Redmi Note 12 series has now been unveiled by the firm in China.
The Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition, Redmi Note 12 Pro, and Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus are the three phones we truly have this time. A flat 6.67-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED screen, a Mediatek Dimensity 1080 5G processor, and a 16MP selfie camera are features shared by all three devices.
They both have a 3.5mm connector, NFC, IR blaster, and Wi-Fi 6 compatibility, among other things. In contrast, there are a few significant variances.
Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition
The Note 12 Discovery Edition of the Redmi Note 12 has a 200MP HPX primary camera (f/1.65, OIS), making it possibly the most striking model. This camera can capture photographs with a resolution of 200MP, 50MP pixels (using four-in-one binning), or 12.5MP (using 16-in-one binning). Additionally, the phone offers a 2MP macro lens and an 8MP ultrawide camera.
The phone is notably different from its stablemates in that it supports 210W wired charging; according to Xiaomi, a full charge can be achieved in just nine minutes. Although you only get a 4,300mAh battery here, this high wattage comes at the expense of battery capacity.
Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus
Thought a 200MP smartphone with a larger battery would be cool? With the Pro Plus model, you get precisely that. The triple back camera system will have the same 200MP+8MP+2MP resolution as the Discovery Edition.
The Pro Plus variant, on the other hand, chooses a 5,000mAh battery and still blazing-fast 120W cable charging. Xiaomi claims that a full charge should be achieved in about 19 minutes.
Redmi Note 12 Pro
Have no interest in megapixels? The Redmi Note 12 Pro, which adds a 50MP IMX766 primary camera (f/1.88, OIS) in addition to the 8MP+2MP duo, fills this need. The Oppo Find X5 Pro and the Asus Zenfone 9 both feature flagship devices with 50MP sensors similar to this one. We therefore have high hopes that it will also produce acceptable image quality on the Note 12 Pro.
The Pro version additionally includes a 5,000mAh battery with 67W wired speeds. A 100% charge should be expected in a still quick 46 minutes.
Pricing and availability for the Redmi Note 12 series
The base 8GB/256GB variant of the Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition costs 2,399 yuan (about $332), while the base 6GB/128GB model of the Redmi Note 12 Pro costs 1,699 yuan (about $235). Do you want Pro Plus? The 8GB/256GB variant thus has a starting price of 2,099 yuan (about $290).
Although Xiaomi acknowledged that these phones are currently limited to China, it advised us to “keep tuned” for international announcements. To be fair, the Chinese Redmi Note 11 series was very different from the international variants that debuted a few months later.
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