What has PSVR 2 got right and wrong?

Sony’s PSVR 2 has been available for just over a year now, originally launching on February 22, 2023. Thus we’ve had plenty of time to analyze the state of the PS5 exclusive VR headset; where it’s been, and where it’s going in the future. In short, it’s not been great, and it certainly doesn’t look good.

While an excellent bit of kit in its own right with specs that compete with some of the best VR headsets out there, things haven’t looked too bright on the software side of things. Its price remains a sticking point, too, especially as the Meta Quest 3 – a much more compelling headset right now – largely outclasses it in terms of both price and versatility.

But perhaps that’s a little unfair. Sony has, after all, recently announced that it’s been working on getting PSVR 2 compatible with PC – though in what capacity remains to be seen. As a result, though, this could mean that PSVR 2 has a decent life ahead of it. But at present, there’s simply very little reason to own Sony’s headset unless you’re desperate to play a relatively modest number of exclusive games.

Where are the exclusives?

Let’s begin at launch. PSVR 2 did have a fairly impressive launch line-up, spearheaded by Horizon: Call of the Mountain which I genuinely believe to be not only the best game in the series but an excellent VR exclusive in its own right. It’s a highly polished offering, featuring varied and energetic play paired with a slew of welcome accessibility options.

Unfortunately, most other PSVR 2 games at launch weren’t exclusive to the headset, and can also be found within the Meta Quest and Steam VR game libraries. These include Kayak VR, Townsmen VR, and Puzzling Places. All wonderful titles in their own right, just not what you’d call flagships or system sellers.

The headset did pick up steam somewhat in the following months, with fully-featured VR modes for Gran Turismo 7, Resident Evil Village, and Resident Evil 4. These were all free additions, too, baked right into the base games themselves. Following these, further VR exclusives launched in the form of Humanity, The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR, Synapse and C-Smash VRS.

So while PSVR 2’s exclusives line-up isn’t predominantly made up of PlayStation Studios titles, I don’t think the ‘lack of exclusives’ argument holds up quite as well now as it may have done half a year ago. Even though some experiences are complementary VR modes, I believe they can still be counted as their own thing, and as such there are plenty of exclusives to enjoy for PSVR 2 in 2024.

Recently, Sony confirmed that it’s testing support for “additional games on PC.” The announcement was quietly snuck into an official PlayStation Blog post, and the wording is quite vague. Among the best-case scenarios would be full parity with Steam VR titles.

That would mean having access to superb VR games like Half-Life: Alyx and Boneworks without needing to shell out for another headset like Valve Index. However, as PSVR 2 doesn’t have mixed reality (tech that imposes virtual elements over your real-world surroundings) support, such experiences likely won’t be available to it on PC.

Sony hopes to make this PC support available sometime in 2024, so PSVR 2 could have a bright future ahead of it away from PS5. However, that’s only one side of the coin. The other is potentially much bleaker, signaling an end for PSVR 2 support on its native console.

There is some evidence that this could be happening right now. Another recent harrowing round of layoffs saw Sony cut about 8% of its workforce; roughly 900 employees. Much of these were from studios like UK-based Firesprite, developer of the aforementioned Horizon: Call of the Mountain. Furthermore, PlayStation’s London Studio has been shuttered entirely. The developer had previously made VR projects like Blood & Truth and PlayStation VR Worlds. As a result, much of Sony’s VR talent has now been, or will be, let go.

While this doesn’t necessarily mean that we shouldn’t expect more first-party PSVR 2 exclusives, it’s a sign that Sony could be scaling back in-house software development for its VR headset.

The Meta-Phant in the room

The Meta Quest 3 and its controllers on a table next to a plant pot with a green fern in and a gold lamp

Easily the greatest threat to PSVR 2’s place in the market is the Meta Quest 3. And there are plenty of reasons as to why this is the case, and why the Quest 2 successor sits atop our best VR headsets list.

In terms of specs, PSVR 2 and Quest 3 are actually quite similar on paper. While I prefer PSVR 2’s vivid OLED display, Quest 3 has it beat in the resolution department coming in at 2,064 x 2,208 pixels per eye. This offers a slightly sharper image than PSVR 2’s 2,000 x 2,040. Elsewhere, both are capable of refresh rates up to 120Hz.

While both headsets feature a passthrough camera – making it easy to view your real-world surroundings at the touch of a button – it’s much more fleshed out on Quest 3. Meta’s headset supports mixed reality experiences which also makes it a better fit for productivity and leisure apps. There’s something of a trade-off here with PSVR 2, which has integrated eye tracking features that Quest 3 lacks. This lets you use your eyes as a cursor, or for various gameplay elements such as focusing on certain objects.

“there’s not much of a reason – at least right now – to purchase a PSVR 2 over a Meta Quest 3.”

Where Quest 3 really wins out, however, is in price and versatility. PSVR 2 will run you $549.99 / £529.99, a bit more than Quest 3’s retail price of $499.99 / £479.99. That doesn’t sound like much of a difference at first inspection, but it’s worth noting that, at present, PSVR 2 requires a PS5 in order to, well, function. As a result, the combined investment reaches the $1,000 / £1,000 threshold, and that’s before you’ve purchased any additional games or PSVR 2 accessories.

There’s no such restriction with Meta Quest 3. You buy the headset, and it can be used either standalone (wirelessly at that) or hooked up to your PC. It’s also compatible with Meta’s own game and app library, as well as that of Steam VR.

In conclusion, there’s not much of a reason – at least right now – to purchase a PSVR 2 over a Meta Quest 3. It’s possible that Sony is well aware of this, and could be cutting its losses by sunsetting official support and looking into PC compatibility. In fairness, being able to use PSVR 2 on both PS5 and PC would increase its value proposition exponentially. But I don’t think this will be enough; a slight price cut – perhaps something more in line with the Quest 3 – would make it even more appealing.

But until that time, the Quest 3 is a much better option if you’re getting into VR for the first time. Unless you’re desperate for that OLED display or bespoke eye tracking, the Quest 3 remains our headset of choice in 2024. There’s been highlights for PSVR 2, certainly, but as competing headsets offer more for less, it’s got a seemingly impossible second year ahead of it.

The post PSVR 2: A Year In Review appeared first on Review Products.

The modern workplace analyzed.

ActivTrak’s comprehensive workforce analytics and productivity software, allows businesses to gain valuable insights into their team’s performance, optimize resource allocation, and drive growth. With its flexible subscription plans and range of add-ons, ActivTrak offers a tailored solution for businesses of all sizes, empowering them to achieve their full potential.

Pros

• +Choice of plans including free tier
• +Scheduled calls for open support cases

Cons

• -24/7 support only available through Signature Plan
• -Additional options get expensive

ActivTrak is a company that provides workforce analytics and productivity software that can help teams understand how people work, whether in the office or remotely. It collects and analyzes data from user activity and provides insights that help businesses be more productive and compliant. It was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and has more than 9,500 customers and over half a million users of its free version. ActivTrak has notable users that include Allstate, Orangetheory Fitness, and FAM Brands.

ACTIVTRAK: FEATURES

ActivTrak offers various features for payroll, HR, and other services for small and mid-sized businesses. Some of the features that ActivTrak provides include Dashboards which can view a summary of workforce productivity metrics to keep a pulse on issues that impact burnout, engagement and efficiency, Productivity Reports to spot patterns that fuel success and gain valuable insights to increase team productivity, and Location Insights to make data-driven decisions about hybrid work with insight into where employees work — even where they work best.

Taking it up a notch, there is also the Impact Analysis report, to understand how organizational change affects employees’ work habits and well-being, Application & Website Usage to understand which applications and websites employees use to identify adoption gaps, potential risk areas from unvetted tools, and budget correctly for the right tools, and Workload Management to uncover hidden potential and optimize work across people, process and technology. There is also Meeting Insights to obtain full visibility into the workday by integrating with your preferred platform of Outlook Calendar or Google Calendar. To plan ahead, further features are built into Benchmarks & Goals that can set and track workforce productivity benchmarks and goals using historical data and trends.

Going beyond traditional analysis is Personal Insights, designed to empower employees to improve productivity, focus, and work-life balance by providing deep insights into individual work habits. There is also Integrations that can easily combine ActivTrak productivity data with your other software applications to get the deeper insights you need to boost productivity and efficiency in the workplace. Finally, there are Alarms & Website Blocking that can use pre-built alarms- or create your own based on any combination of conditions- to get alerted to events such as file sharing, user deletion and more. You can also block access to unproductive or harmful websites to maximize productivity during “Company time.”

ACTIVTRAK: PRICING

ActivTrak is a workforce analytics and productivity software that offers various features for payroll, HR, and other services for small and mid-sized businesses. It has three subscription plans: Free, Essentials, and Professional.

Ideal for small teams or individual users, the Free plan is a cost-effective way to get started with ActivTrak. The plan however is limited to only 3 users and just 30 days of data history.

Priced at only $10 per user per month, the Essentials plan provides a comprehensive set of features for growing teams. It includes unlimited users, allowing you to scale your team without worrying about additional costs. With this, you’ll have access to 6 months of data history, enabling you to analyze trends and make data-driven decisions. Additionally, you’ll benefit from team productivity pulse, activity classification by groups, and more, empowering you to gain a deeper understanding of your team’s performance and identify opportunities for optimization.

At the top is the Professional plan that costs $17 per user per month and includes everything in Essentials plus 12 months of data history, insights dashboards, coaching, impact analysis, and more. The Professional plan also introduces insights dashboards, coaching, impact analysis, and other advanced features that help you maximize team performance, optimize resource allocation, and drive business growth.

You can also purchase add-ons for ActivConnect, Screen Details, and Data History.

ACTIVTRAK: SUPPORT

If you ever find yourself in need of assistance or support with ActivTrak, there are a multitude of options available to you. These encompass both direct support and self-help resources.

For direct support, you can engage in a live chat with a dedicated Support Advocate by simply logging into your ActivTrak platform and selecting the “Get Help” option. This method is the one to use for the fastest response times, ensuring your issues get addressed promptly.

Alternatively, you can reach out to the support team via email at support@activtrak.com. While some may prefer the convenience of support portals, we genuinely believe that email support offers a more personalized and efficient experience.

Once a support ticket is created, the ActivTrak team offers a remote session or phone call to help troubleshoot more complex issues. Customers can also request a meeting directly with the support engineer working their case.

Now, let’s explore the self-help resources at your disposal. The ActivTrak Support Center is a treasure trove of valuable resources, including webinars, videos, reports, templates, and comprehensive guides. It covers a wide range of topics, empowering you to find solutions and answers independently.

Whether you prefer direct support or self-help resources, ActivTrak has you covered. Their commitment to providing exceptional customer service is evident in the diverse options they offer.

ACTIVTRAK: FINAL VERDICT

ActivTrak is a workforce analytics and productivity software that offers various features for payroll, HR, and other services for small and mid-sized businesses. It collects and analyzes data from user activity and provides insights that help businesses be more productive and compliant.

ActivTrak offers various features including dashboards, productivity reports, and location insights to help businesses understand how people work and improve productivity. It also provides advanced features like impact analysis, application and website usage, workload management, meeting insights, benchmarks and goals, personal insights, integrations, alarms and website blocking. ActivTrak has three subscription plans: Free, Essentials, and Professional. For support, ActivTrak offers live chat, email support, as well as a comprehensive Support Center with resources such as webinars, videos, reports, templates, and guides.

Overall, ActivTrak offers a compelling suite of services sure to benefit many businesses looking for a competitive edge to increase their productivity.

The post ActivTrak Review appeared first on Review Products.

Zyxel’s WBE660S Brings Fiber-like Performance To Access Points.

The WBE660S lives up to the expectations brought by the arrival of Wi-Fi 7. With three radio channels, the unit supports legacy standards such as Wi-Fi 2.4G and 5ac.

Pros

• +Speedy with an aggregate throughput of 22Gbps
• +Ethernet port supporting 10 Gbps PoE
• +Seamless cloud integration

Cons

• -Expensive
• -Big footprint
• -No power supply

Zyxel’s new WBE660S Wi-Fi 7 access point quickly and reliably brings fiber-like transfer rates to wireless devices in only a few steps. With an aggregated bandwidth of over 22 Gbps, the AP is no longer the bottleneck around the office. The three-radio system, each with four streams, increases utilization by providing a dedicated backhaul channel in a mesh configuration.

Wi-Fi 7 technology increases power consumption. The higher frequency means more energy is wasted as heat, which helps explain the sizable heatsink at the back of the AP. In fact, with its 1.4kg, it is one of the heaviest units we’ve seen at TechRadar Pro. The mobile app makes integration into Zyxel’s cloud infrastructure straightforward. The AP supports up to 8 SSIDs with over one thousand simultaneous clients.

Since the Wi-Fi 7 standard has been out for less than a year, expect the price to be much higher than Wi-Fi 6 or 6e access points. The WBE660S is four times as fast as previous generations, justifying the hefty price tag of $799, which also carries a two-year warranty. The WBE660S is on special right now on Amazon for $499.

ZYXEL WBE660S: TESTING

To thoroughly test the WBE660S access point, we used a BE200 Wi-Fi 7 WLAN card to exercise the new 6GHz channel in both directions. An Iperf Linux server connected to the AP through the 10Gb interface tested clients’ throughput at one meter.

ZYXEL WBE660S: DESIGN

Right out of the box, the Zyxel WBE660S Wi-Fi 7 access point shows many differences from the previous generation. The white oblong-shaped unit has a gray metal back, which doubles as a heatsink. It is twice as wide as the previous Zyxel Wi-Fi 6e model, measuring 31 cm x 17.8 cm x 5.6 cm and weighing 1.4kg. The mounting kit includes a backplate that secures the AP to a wall or ceiling. Another difference from previous APs is that the Wi-Fi 7 model can quickly dismount from the backplate by rotating a blue locking knob.

SPECIFICATIONS

Model: Zyxel WBE660S

CPU: Quad-core Qualcomm 1220 CPU

RAM: 2GB

Storage: 256MB NAND

Radios: One 4×4 for 6GHz Wi-Fi 7 / 6e, One 4×4 for 5GHz Wi-Fi 6, One 4×4 for 2.4GHz

Wireless throughput: Theoretical 22Gbps

Ports: 10Gb Ethernet with PoE, 1Gb Ethernet

Weight: 1.4 kg

Dimensions: 31 cm x 17.8 cm x 5.6 cm

Power Consumption: 17W with one client connected; 41W maximum consumption

The WBE660S utilizes three radios, offering an aggregated bandwidth of 22 Gbps. In addition to the regular 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, the new 6GHz frequency allows 11.5Gbps in optimal conditions by using a channel bandwidth of 320MHz, twice what is available in Wi-Fi 6 and 6e. A 10G Ethernet port supplies power over PoE and the necessary bandwidth to drive such a high data rate. Zyxel offers a secondary 1G Ethernet port on the access point, which can turn the AP into a rudimentary 10G/1G switch.

A single multicolored LED on top of the case provides information about the AP’s operation. Full green means clients are connected, while blue indicates that the AP is boot-up. The built-in antenna offers a maximum of 5dBi of gain, which, together with -104dBm of RX sensitivity, translates into a speedy connection even when located far from the access point. Connected devices can reach throughputs of 500Mb/s at ten meters or more.

The WBE660S features a Qualcomm Pro 1220 chip, which includes a quad-core A73 CPU clocked at 2.2GHz. The platform offers up to 12 spatial streams to sustain the 22 Gbps bandwidth. Coupled with 2GB of DRAM and 256MB of storage, the IPQ9574 CPU can easily accommodate over one thousand clients connected to eight SSIDs. The enclosure, which serves as a heatsink, becomes warm over time, reaching a peak of 50 degrees Celsius.

ZYXEL WBE660S: IN USE

The easiest way to power the WBE660S is through the Uplink port, which provides up to 45W using PoE. Even without a power injector or switch supporting PoE, the device can still be powered through the built-in Type-C connector, requiring 12V at 45W. The AP boots in less than two minutes when connected to a 10G Ethernet port. The front LED slowly blinks green if everything goes well, indicating that clients can connect. With one client connected, the AP consumed only 17W.

Unlike the previous WBE from Zyxel, the new Wi-Fi 7 model is surprisingly more tolerant of regular Ethernet cabling, even at 10G. We had no linkup issue using a five-meter Cat-5 cable connected to a Zyxel 10G switch. The unit does not provide any visual means of knowing the Ethernet speed, so we used the Nebula portal to see if the connection was optimal.

Configuration can be done using Zyxel’s mobile application by scanning a QR code on the back of the unit. Adding the access point to the app is recommended before performing the hardware installation. The Nebula portal allows users to configure and update other Zyxel network devices besides the WBE660S.

ZYXEL WBE660S: PERFORMANCE

The yet-to-be-ratified Wi-Fi 7 standard improves on the 6th edition by having higher throughput per channel and more channels in the 6GHz band. This results in an upper limit of 46 Gbps, more than four times Wi-Fi 6 aggregated bandwidth. We validate the performance of the WBE660S with a BE200 module, supporting a maximum speed of 5Gbps provided by two streams. At one meter, the maximum throughput was 2.5Gbps downstream and 3.7Gbps upstream. Latency is 1 ms with a jitter of 0.1 ms.

ZYXEL WBE660S: THE COMPETITION

The Ubiquity U7 Pro access point offers Wi-Fi 7 connectivity on a budget. At $239, it is one of the cheapest APs available. However, if one invests in Wi-Fi 7 technology, one will likely favor throughput over monetary savings. The U7 Pro has six spatial streams compared to the twelve offered on the WBE660S, resulting in half the throughput. The Ethernet connection is also slower at 2.5Gbps instead of 10Gbps.

ZYXEL WBE660S: FINAL VERDICT

The WBE660S lives up to the expectations brought by the arrival of Wi-Fi 7. With three radio channels, the unit supports legacy standards such as Wi-Fi 2.4G and 5ac. The 6GHz radio sets it apart with four simultaneous streams, each having a higher bandwidth than Wi-Fi 6. The access point does not suffer from range loss since it covers over 1000 square feet with throughput degradation similar to previous generations. Using the WBE600S is straightforward, thanks to its flawless integration into the Nebula ecosystem.

Having an extra channel with higher bandwidth comes with its challenges. The WBE600S uses much power, about twice as much as previous generations. As a result, the metal case is much bigger and heavier. The higher power will also hurt the wallet and increase the electricity bill. This access point remains an excellent tool for applications requiring high bandwidth, such as augmented reality and 8K videos.

The post Zyxel WBE660S Review appeared first on Review Products.

A contemporary project management tool that doubles up as your instant website creator.

Bublup is a modern project management tool with an intuitive interface that’s pretty easy to set up and use. Assigning tasks and collaborating with your team on Bublup is pretty straightforward. However, the platform is more focused on “Rolls” and lacks traditional collaboration tools.

Pros

• +Create a website within minutes
• +AI Creator tool to auto-populate folders
• +Easily collect emails for your marketing needs

Cons

• -Free plan is quite restrictive

Bublup, founded in 2014, is currently one of the fastest-growing project management and organization apps. It not only provides a safe storage unit for your confidential company files but also doubles up as a team management tool with features that allow you to assign tasks and deadlines to your employees.

If you want to find out whether it’s worth your time and investment, this detailed review is for you.

BUBLUP: PLANS AND PRICING

Bublup offers one free plan and three paid plans with both monthly and annual subscription options.

Here are Bublup’s pricing details:

Standard (free plan)

You can get started without paying a single penny, but note that you can only add your employee as a guest. They will be able to join collaborative and secure group folders and receive task assignments, but apart from that, there’s hardly anything you can do on this plan.

Premium (priced at $7.99/month)

This plan is the first of the lot that gives you any sort of control within the platform. You also get access to an AI writer and the ability to tag team members upload files to storage, add a custom logo and branding, create and share group folders, add links to them, and more.

It also comes with 100GB of storage, which is going to be more than enough for personal use.

Pro (priced at $9.99/month)

This plan is ideal for small businesses. It comes with everything in the Premium plan plus email collection, a centralized billing system, permission to add up to 10 new members, the ability to create teams, and 1TB storage to store all your files and documents, among others.

Teams (priced at $24.99/month)

If you have a large organization with different departments and/or a large team, the Teams plan will fit your bill. Apart from everything in the Pro plan, you get 5TB of storage and the ability to add up to 20 members from your organization.

It’s worth noting that some features, such as data security, folder image picker, unlimited shareable rolls and themes for rolls, and password protection and analytics for rolls, are common in all of the above-mentioned paid plans.

Also, every user qualifies for a free 7-day trial. You might not find it on the pricing page but if you log in without selecting a plan, you’ll see the free 7-day trial option.

Additionally, Bublup does not offer any refunds for the remaining months/years in your plan if you change your mind post-purchase, so I’d recommend making full use of the trial period to test out the tool risk-free before you commit.

BUBLUP: FEATURES

Bublup is much more than an organization and collaboration tool. Here are some of the best features of Bublup:

1. Rolls

The best thing about Bublup has to be its “Rolls.” Rolls are basically small custom websites that are created from the data in the Bublup folders. Simply put, every folder can be converted into a Roll and whether you set it for public or private view is up to you.

Two other features work perfectly with Bublup Rolls – analytics and password protection. Bublup lets you integrate with Google Analytics so that you can see how viewers are interacting with your Rolls. You can see how many visitors it gets, how much time they spend on average, and more.

If you want to prevent unauthorized viewers from accessing your rolls, you can simply add a password to it. Another way to prevent unauthorized use is to disable downloads. What’s more, you can be creative with Rolls by adding different fonts, themes, or even a custom domain.

2. AI Creator

Bublup’s AI Creator feature allows you to auto-populate your folders with AI responses. Let’s say you’re creating a folder on the “best places to visit in Paris.” For this, click on the AI Creator button in the top right corner.

Next, type a prompt for the AI. You can also select the type of prompt from a list of options that include Travel, Top 10, Companies, Best Practices, and more. You can then add the response to your folder. However, it’s important to note that this feature only works in English.

3. Folder Image Picker

Bublup has made managing multiple folders simultaneously a cakewalk, thanks to the Folder Image Picker feature. This tool lets you integrate with Unsplash and then pick a custom image for your folder. It’ll be like an icnn for your folder and it will help you differentiate between folders with similar names.

4. Email collection

One of the most important things in business is building quality connections with your clients and the best way to do that professionally is email marketing. However, manually copying your client’s email information from the files is too time-consuming, and that’s where Bublup’s email collection tool comes in handy.

It extracts all email-related data from the folders and helps you store them in a separate database—meaning you’ll have a list of connections ready for use without much trouble.

5. Team and work management

Bublup is more than just a static organization tool. It also helps you delegate tasks to your team. For instance, you can use the Assign Tasks tool to delegate a certain task to one of your team members.

This tool also lets you add a due date to it. The chosen team member, on the other hand, will have the option to mark the task as completed once they are done with it. Communicating through Bublup is quick and efficient.

Group Folder is another example of Bublup’s easy collaboration. You can share any folder with a particular team or a few selected employees (as per your need). All group participants can view the folder in real-time, add an emoji reaction, or leave feedback for others to see.

BUBLUP: INTEGRATIONS

Bublup offers a decent number of integrations to make your life easier. In addition to the Google Analytics and Unsplash integrations that were mentioned above, it also seamlessly integrates with Google Docs and Google Calendar. Integration with Google Docs allows you to directly save your work in Bublup instead of having to manually upload the links.

Next, Google Calendar lets you set reminders and deadlines from within Bublup. To increase team efficiency, you can also mark certain items (especially the ones needed in tasks that are currently ongoing) for offline access. This way, your team will be able to access all important material even without WiFi—no more excuses for missed deadlines.

BUBLUP: SETUP

Getting started with Bublup is as easy as it gets. Here’s how you can go about setting up this modern project management software:

Step 1: Go to their official website and click on the “Get Bublup” button. You can also choose one of their paid plans before beginning.

Step 2: You’ll be directed to a new window where you’ll be asked how you want to log in – Google, Facebook, or Email.

Step 3: Once you have chosen your preferred sign-up method, you’ll be directed to a new window where you can confirm the email ID/ Facebook ID you have chosen.

Step 4: Wait for a few minutes and you’ll see your account being created, and within just a couple of minutes, your dashboard should be ready.

BUBLUP: INTERFACE AND EASE OF USE

As soon as your account is created, you’ll be given a quick tour of your dashboard. During this tour, you’ll be taught to create a new folder, name it, and add links to it. Once you are done with the tour, you’ll be free to use the dashboard.

The first thing you’ll notice about the dashboard is how vibrant and colorful it is. There are two main menus, one on the top header and the other on the left-hand side.

There’s another collapsable menu hidden under the three dashes on the left column of the page. Here, you’ll find the options to create and edit folders. You’ll also find a trash can icon on the bottom left corner of your page that contains all of the items you have deleted.

In short, the interface is very easy to navigate. Almost every function you need is within your reach. Even if you’re a newbie, you’ll only need a few minutes to familiarize yourself with all of the features.

Also, don’t worry if you are having a hard time figuring something out – there’s a help button on the top right of the page. You’ll find video tutorials and keyboard shortcuts, as well as a quick startup guide and a video on how you can use Bublup in different ways.

BUBLUP: FINAL VERDICT

At this point, it must be pretty clear that Bublup is not only a collaboration tool but also the ultimate document management platform for remote teams that need quick and easy access to every file and limitless interaction within the group. With features like Email Collection and Folder Image Picker, it can significantly reduce the time it takes for your team to manage data.

On the other hand, functionalities like Assign Task and Custom Permissions allow you to control how your team members interact with each other and company files. Now, while the tool is pretty affordable, the stripped-down free plan is not a value-packed solution and it can be looked at as an extended free trial of the tool.

The post Bublup Review appeared first on Review Products.

This thick, cushiony foam topper will transform any old mattress.

At 9cm thick, the Emma Premium Topper is deep enough to transform the feel of any mattress, masking any number of lumps and bumps beneath. The internal foam layers are squishy and sumptuous – to be honest, perhaps a little too much so, as I felt unsupported when lying on my back, and found it a bit difficult to change position. I’d recommend it to lightweight people, some side sleepers, and anyone who knows they love a super-soft mattress.

Pros

• +Super soft and squishy
• +Thick enough to mask bumps
• +Temperature-neutral
• +Cover washable at 40C
• +Grippy base fabric keeps it in place

Cons

• -No straps
• -Lacks support for some sleepers
• -Will likely require deep sheets

EMMA PREMIUM TOPPER: TWO-MINUTE REVIEW

The Emma Premium Mattress Topper is a chunky, 9cm-deep foam topper that promises to boost in-bed comfort without trapping heat. I slept on this topper for two weeks to see if it could deliver on those claims, as well as to judge how it compares to the rest of the best mattress toppers on the market. We rate Emma to be among the best mattress brands on the market (discover the reasons for this in our Emma mattress review and Emma NextGen Premium review), so I was excited to see how this topper performed in practice.

Overall, I was impressed. While it isn’t the right fit for me specifically, I believe it will be the ideal topper for certain groups of people. The two layers of foam deliver a plush, squashy feel that’s great for lightweight people, some side sleepers, and anyone who is already a fan of a soft mattress. It’s also thick enough to totally transform the feel of your existing bed. It’s less well suited to heavier individuals and back or stomach sleepers, who (like me) might find the feel too soft, and lacking in support.

Price is another potential sticking point; it’s fluctuated quite dramatically while I’ve been testing and writing this review, although it has remained in the premium price bracket. The quality and the fact it’s thick enough to transform your existing mattress go some way to justifying the higher price, but there are plenty of cheaper options for those on a budget. Read on for my full Emma Premium Topper review.

EMMA PREMIUM TOPPER REVIEW: DESIGN

• Thick, 9cm depth topper with two different layers of foams
• Polyester cover can be removed and washed at 40C
• No straps or elasticated skirt to keep the topper in place

The Emma Premium Topper has a generous depth of 9cm. Unless your current mattress is pancake thin, it will probably require the purchase of extra-deep sheets. I added it to a 28cm mattress, with the topper taking things to slightly comical heights (I almost had to hop up into bed, and I’m not a short person).

Inside, you’ll find two layers of foam: a thinner top layer of ThermoSync foam and a thicker bottom level of comfort foam. The uppermost foam is infused with graphite, to aid with temperature regulation (it also features in Emma’s cooling mattress, which you can read about that in our Emma Luxe Cooling mattress review).

The cover is made from 98 per cent polyester and 2 per cent elastane, and it can be removed using the zip and washed at 40C – which isn’t quite hot enough to kill off dust mites, but still helpful if you’re prone to spillages. The cover isn’t suitable for tumble drying, bleaching or ironing. I’d still be tempted to add one of the best mattress protectors, for even easier cleaning.

The base is made from a textured, slightly plasticky material. The topper is described as being flippable, but I’m pretty sure that’s an error – I certainly wouldn’t want to sleep on that base fabric. Although it’s no good for lying on, the textured surface feels nice and durable, and does a good job of keeping the topper in place on the bed. This is good news, since there are no straps or other method of attaching it to your bed.

During my review, I topped it with a mattress protector with an elasticated skirt, and used a fitted sheet. All that, combined with the grippy base, kept the topper in place effectively. It all felt secure, and I never once had to reposition it during the two-week test period. I’m not sure how well it would fare just with a flat sheet, though.

The Emma Premium Topper is available in UK single, small double, double, king, and super king sizes. At the time of writing, there’s one other topper in the Emma range – the Flip Topper, which is thinner at 6cm and can be flipped to give a softer or firmer feel. It’s also very pleasing to say out loud.

EMMA PREMIUM TOPPER REVIEW: PRICE & VALUE FOR MONEY

• Sits in the premium price bracket; price has fluctuated
• At maximum price, almost as expensive as a full mattress
• Thickness and quality of materials somewhat justifies higher pricing

Since I started writing this review, the Emma Premium Topper’s pricing has changed quite considerably. At time of my original draft, a double cost £330, but by the time I was ready to publish, this had shot up to £419. Our premium price bracket for toppers is anything above £200 for a double, so it’s definitely a pricey option. There are regular Emma mattress sales, but the toppers aren’t usually discounted.

At time of publishing, here are the RRPs for the main sizes:

Single: £289

Small double: £349

Double: £419

King: £459

Super king: £509

The topper is thick enough to justify being in that premium bracket; it feels very well made, and it will totally change the feel of your bed. However, I’m not sure it’s worth over £400. Some of today’s best cheap mattresses cost less than that – in fact, a double Emma Original mattress is only slightly pricier.

EMMA PREMIUM TOPPER REVIEW: COMFORT & PERFORMANCE

• Squishy, sink-in, contouring feel
• Thick, so will make your sleep surface feel unstable
• Best for side sleepers and those who love a soft mattress

Emma’s Premium Topper has a plush, squishy feel, and that softness is enhanced as a result of its thickness. The Emma brand is known for making some of the best memory foam mattresses around, and you’re getting some of that magic here. The foam contours gently around the sleeper’s joints, gently cushioning and relieving pressure.

Although the feel of a topper will be affected by what’s beneath it, because this one is so thick, it has a pretty transformative effect. It’s chunky enough to mask any lumps and bumps in an existing mattress – and if your bed is far too firm, then it will sort that right out, too.

I’m 5ft 8in tall, of average build, and typically go to sleep on my back but switch to my side in the night. I found this topper too soft to lie on for long periods on my back, as my hips sank too far in and left my back unsupported. It was more comfortable when lying on my side.

That all makes sense: the best mattresses for side sleepers are often a little softer, to prevent pressure from building up in the hip and shoulder while continuing to keep the spine aligned; back and stomach sleepers need something firmer, however, to maintain that neutral spinal position.

Some memory foams have a “quicksand” feel, where they’re slow to respond to changes in pressure. That’s not really the case here – if I press on the surface and remove my hand, it springs back quickly, and I’m not left with an outline of a handprint in the surface. However, the softness of the foam layers and the overall thickness of the topper mean that the sleep surface can feel a bit unstable, making it slightly tricky to change position.

I would be wary of recommending this topper to heavier individuals, since I often felt that I wasn’t quite supported enough. This lead to aches and pains in the morning – maybe the result of shifting about on that slightly unstable surface, perhaps ending up twisting in a sub-optimal sleep position. However, if you’re of lighter body weight, or generally just know you get on well with a softer mattress, then this plush topper may prove perfect for you.

Note, too, that the softness and thickness of the topper is particularly noticeable around the edges. Many mattresses come with edge reinforcements; that’s never really a feature on a topper, with most shallow enough not to matter. If you need a sturdy edge to push up off when rising in the morning, you might get on better with a thinner or firmer topper.

A common issue with memory foam is that it can cling on to body heat, but I’m pleased to report that I didn’t have any problems with the Emma Premium Topper running hot. I found it warmed to a neutral body temperature and stayed that way. I will add the caveat that during testing it was about the coldest overnight temperatures ever seen in my part of England – around -1C, or sometimes colder – so not the best conditions in which to test this properly. Even with that considered, I think the cooling properties of this topper are solid.

EMMA PREMIUM TOPPER REVIEW: CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

• Free delivery and returns, 100-night trial and 10-year guarantee
• Vacuum-packed and rolled for delivery, but still heavy to move

The Emma Premium Topper arrived rolled and vacuum-packed in plastic, and in a box. I was surprised at how big and heavy it was. Many would be right to assume that a topper will be very portable; but at 9cm thick, it adds up to quite a volume of foam (I tested a double size).

Sometimes, foam bed-in-a-box mattresses give off an odour known as off-gassing when released from their wrappings. While harmless, it can be unpleasant. However, there was no reason for concern here: if I stuck my nose right into it, there was a faint “new mattress” smell, but nothing overpowering. Note that experiences can vary from person to person, even with the same product.

The trial period is generous at 100 nights. That’s in line with the shortest full mattress trial periods.

SHOULD I BUY THE EMMA PREMIUM TOPPER?

Buy it if…

You want your mattress to be much softer: This topper is thick, and plush. You could probably lie it on a concrete floor and happily sleep on it.

You’re a lightweight side sleeper: This level of squishiness is best suited to side sleepers and those of light body weight. When lying on your side, the foam contours around your joints and prevents pressure building up in the shoulder.

You have a bumpy old mattress: At 9cm thick, the Emma Premium Topper is deep enough to mask all manner of ills beneath it.

Don’t buy it if…

You lie on your back or stomach: This topper is likely to be too soft for most back or stomach sleepers, especially if they’re on the heavier side. Generally, those positions require a medium-firm or firm feeling bed to keep the spine properly supported.

You have mobility problems: The depth and plushness of the Emma Premium Topper means it will make your mattress super squishy, as a result making it difficult to change position. It will also make the edges of your bed softer and less supportive, which might be an issue if you like to sit on the edge of the bed or use it to push up off when getting up in the morning.

You already have a deep mattress: At 9cm thick, this is one deep topper. Add it to an already thick mattress (such as mine) and your bed quickly starts to look ridiculous. You’ll need deep sheets to cover both the topper and your mattress – and, depending on how tall you are and the height of your frame, you genuinely might have to end up having to hop into bed each night.

HOW I TESTED THE EMMA PREMIUM TOPPER

I slept slept on the Emma Premium Topper every night for two weeks. I added it to a Brook + Wilde Elite mattress (firm feel) and used a thin mattress protector and fitted sheet, along with a duvet and cotton bedding. It was winter during my review period, and very cold overnight – temperatures dipped to -1C on occasion. The temperature in my flat was pretty warm, however.

The post Emma Premium Topper Review appeared first on Review Products.

An Immersive Bedtime Experience.

The Aura smart sleep mask combines total blackout with integrated sound and light to create an immersive wind-down experience. The sunrise alarm clock offers a gentle wake-up, while the buildable soundscape provides customization options. However, the high price tag is hard to justify, especially as it’s not a particularly user friendly design.

Pros

• +Blocks out all light
• +Stays in place overnight
• +Sunrise alarm function
• +Large sound library
• +Immersive meditation

Cons

• -Limited app functionality
• -Awkward button placement
• -Not suitable for front sleepers

AURA SMART SLEEP MASK: TWO-MINUTE REVIEW

The Aura smart sleep mask uses light and sound to transform a basic eye mask into a mindful, immersive experience. I tried sleeping with the Aura mask for a week, and as someone uses an eye mask every night, I was excited to see whether a smart upgrade really could improve my rest.

Crafted with integrated speakers and an in-built ‘glow’ light, the sleep mask connects to the Aura app to provide a customizable sleep experience. You can mix and match ASMR sounds, guided meditations, and nature soundscapes to craft a meditative wind-down routine, while in the morning, the sunrise function gently wakes you up with light and sound.

The basic design of the Aura mask is excellent. The sculpted interior ‘Hug’ cushion keeps the pressure off your face and blocks light completely, while the anti-slip straps hold the mask in place even over restless nights. Back and side sleepers should be able to get comfortable, but stomach sleepers are likely to find the mask presses into the face.

Thanks to the blackout effect and calming sounds, it’s easy to get immersed in the Aura experience. If you’re struggling to find a mindful headspace before bed, the Aura separates you from the outside world while encouraging relaxation. And with a lightweight build and easy charging method, you can take the Aura’s calming techniques with you when you travel.

However, it’s expensive for a sleep mask, and I’m not sure the features entirely justify the price. There are some issues with the user experience and the app is basic, which seems at odds with the price tag. The Aura is a product like no other, and if you want a more mindful bedtime routine (especially on the go) it might be worth the money. But if it’s just better sleep you’re after, a basic eye mask is probably the better starting place.

I tested the Aura smart sleep mask in Midnight Black, which is available for pre-order and will be released 14th March. The Aura smart sleep mask original was launched in November 2023. and is available for purchase from Aura.

Buy the Aura Smart Sleep Mask in Midnight Black from Aura

AURA SMART SLEEP MASK: PRICE

• MSRP US$358 / £285 / €339.95, often discounted to US$229 / £182 / €218.95
• Aura app is free to use
• 1 year warranty for the mask, Hug insert has a 3 month warranty

The Aura smart sleep mask has an MSRP of $329, although it’s regularly discounted, so don’t expect to pay full price. Aura has previously discounted the original sleep mask by up to 40 per cent, taking it down to $199.

Even at a discount, this is an expensive buy, especially considering a basic sleep mask is only a few dollars. However, the Aura is pretty unique. While blackout masks, sleep masks with integrated speakers, and sunrise alarm clocks exist separately, as far as I can tell the Aura is the only one that combines all three.

Aura offers a one year warranty for the mask, while the interior insert has a three month warranty. The app is free to download and doesn’t require a subscription to use it. This gives you access to the full range of features at no extra cost – a welcome bonus, as you can’t use the mask without the app. It’s not unusual for smart products to charge an app subscription cost on top of the original price, so I certainly appreciate that the Aura doesn’t require this.

Is the Aura mask worth it? Thinking of it less as a sleep mask with some added features and more as a sunrise alarm clock with a speaker, a blackout design, and excellent portability, the cost is somewhat justified. There are limited uses to the Aura, but for those after improved mindfulness before bed, the mask delivers.

AURA SMART SLEEP MASK: DESIGN

• Magnetic 3D Hug insert relieves pressure at the eye area
• Velcro strap for a secure fit
• USB-C charger included

The Aura looks like a bigger, bulkier version of a standard sleep mask, but the simple design hides everything interesting happening underneath. Available in two colors – gray and black – the Aura has a sleek appeal. A few interesting colorways would be welcome, especially considering the price, but the overall look is stylish.

Inside sits a detachable 3D Hug band. This is a sculpted, cushioned band that sticks to the interior of the mask with a magnet, taking the pressure off the face while blocking all light. The outer material and the interior Hug are both soft against the skin, and the 3D effect prevents the mask from damaging the eyelashes. Straps at the back use velcro for an adjustable fit, with an anti-slip design to prevent the mask from moving around in the night.

The interior of the Aura smart sleep mask, including hug cushion and glow bar.

Hidden inside the mask is a set of ultra-slim speakers. Because the speakers aren’t set directly over the ears, there is some sound leakage – if you share a bed, your partner is likely to hear what’s coming from your mask, although not clearly.

Sitting just in front of the eye line on the interior of the mask is a small ‘glow’ bar. This is a gentle light, but when the mask is closed, it does flood the space. It’s also not visible from the outside when wearing the mask.

Aura claims the battery lasts for seven nights of normal use, which I found accurate. However, the battery life does depend on usage – if you choose a particularly long soundscape, expect the battery to drain quicker. A light on the mask indicates when the battery is running low, and you can check battery life by connecting to the app. As the Aura charges directly via the cable, you can’t comfortably use the mask when it’s charging.

Weighing 4.59oz (130g), this is heavier than your average sleep mask, but feels surprisingly light on the face. It’s also light and compact enough to travel with. The Aura does come with a small bag that I assume is for traveling, but it’s very hard to actually get the mask in there, so it might serve some other purpose I’m not aware of. (Aura reached out to me to explain that this bag is a laundry bag for the Hug cushion, to keep it protected during a machine wash. Even without the bag, I maintain it would be easy to travel with the Aura.)

The interior Hug band is removable and can be machine or hand washed with mild detergent. Leave it to dry completely before reattaching to your mask. The mask itself is spot clean-only, and you should avoid getting it wet.

AURA SMART SLEEP MASK: FEATURES

• 100 per cent blackout eye mask
• Integrated speakers play customizable soundscapes
• Glow light provides a sunrise alarm effect

At a basic level, the Aura is a 100 per cent blackout sleep mask. Thanks to the thick fabric and molded shape, no light can get in from any side, leaving you in total darkness. While it does rely slightly on the contours of your face roughly matching the Hug insert, for most people, the Aura should block essentially all light.

But this is the simplest function of the Aura. The Aura is a smart sleep mask, able to connect via Bluetooth to the Aura app to play sound, light, and act as an alarm. As well as white noise for sleep, the Aura offers guided meditations, nature soundscapes, and ASMR, which you can schedule and customize depending on whether you’re waking up, going to sleep, napping, or meditating. Because it uses Bluetooth, you can also play your own music through the Aura…  although I wouldn’t recommend it, as I’ll discuss in the performance section below.

The glow bar on the inside of the Aura smart sleep mask, surrounded by the 3D hug cushion

As well as soundscapes, the Aura also contains a sunrise light. This gentle glow bar is located on the interior of the mask, and it pulses along with certain meditations and noises. It also acts as a sunrise alarm clock, with the light gradually increasing at your chosen wake-up time, for a gentle start to the morning.

The Aura app has its own set of features, but it’s primarily used to control the Aura. While there’s a small sleep diary, its functions are minimal, and it primarily tracks your chosen wake-up and sleep times. The app also sends occasional notifications, indicating it’s time to nap, get ready for bed. These need a bit of fine tuning – I received a wake-up notification several minutes after the alarm had gone off, when I’d already disconnected the Aura and closed the app, for instance.

AURA SMART SLEEP MASK: PERFORMANCE

• Comfortable fit that stays in place during the night
• Immersive experience from blackout design and speakers
• App is basic and not particularly user-friendly

First, let’s talk about the Aura as a sleep mask. It’s soft against the face, with the velcro strap allowing you to create a close and secure fit. The inner Hug cushion is sculpted to the eye area and even with the straps as tight as they would go, it’s comfortable and won’t press against your eyes. An anti-slip coating prevents the Aura from moving during the night if, like me, you toss and turn.

This contoured fit prevents light from leaking in around the edges of the mask, creating a 100 per cent blackout effect. With the mask on, it’s honestly hard to tell if it’s day or night. As someone who struggles to sleep with even small amounts of light in the room, this is a real bonus. But this close fit did come with a slight downside – it could get warm. However, this is an issue with many eye masks.

The 3D cushioned Hug mask, removed from the Aura smart sleep mask.

With the Aura you get the basic benefits of a sleep mask, plus a lot more additional features. Using the Aura app, I designed a series of soundscapes for meditation and to help me fall asleep. With white noise, meditation tracks, ASMR, and nature sounds to choose from, there’s enough variety to suit the majority of sleepers. It was fun to craft these soundscapes, and while I normally kept my sessions under the 30 minute mark, you could push it much longer if you wanted sounds to last for most of the night.

The in-built speakers gave the Aura something of a surround sound effect which, combined with the total blackout, made for a deeply immersive experience. I often struggle to concentrate during meditation – the urge to peek is just too strong. With the Aura, it was much easier to get into the serene headspace and stay there. Plus, because the mask was already on my face and the alarm was set, at the end of the soundscape, I simply had to lie down and go to sleep. No disruptions to my calm mood.

That’s at the start of the night. For the morning, you can use the app to set an alarm for your chosen wake-up time. When the time comes, the ‘glow’ light will gradually illuminate, simulating a sunrise, before the sound kicks in.

The Aura Smart sleep mask in the box it came in.

The wake-up is impressively effective, with the light and sound coming together to create the feeling of a natural beginning to the morning. I did find it a little slow at waking me up, but that’s by design – this isn’t the jarring alert of a standard alarm. However, I always set the alarm to start a few minutes before I actually wanted to wake up, so it had time to work.

Aura claims the mask is side sleeper-friendly, and I found this largely accurate. Sometimes it took a minute of adjustment to get my head, the mask, and the pillow just right, but after that, the mask stayed comfortably in place.

I also found it much easier to get comfortable when I switched my pillow. I usually sleep on a medium-firm, all-foam pillow. The foam gently contours to your head, but it doesn’t have a huge amount of give (read my Levitex pillow review to learn exactly what it’s like). When I used a feather pillow with more yield, there was less pressure from the mask overall. If you’re interested in the Aura, consider what’s the best pillow to suit this smart mask.

The tester using the Aura sleep mask while lying on their back.

Back sleepers shouldn’t have any issues with the mask, however, it’s not recommended for stomach sleepers. The sides of the mask press into the face, so unless you twist your neck all the way around, it’s pretty uncomfortable in this position.

Connecting the Aura to the app was easy, although I question why the power button is in the middle of the face, rather than along the top bar with the rest of the buttons. With the mask on, it’s hard to locate just where the button is. I spent the first part of any mindfulness session randomly pressing my face and hoping for the best. It’s easier to find when you don’t have the mask on, but then it’s a rush to get comfortable before your soundscape starts.

As it uses a Bluetooth connection, you can also use the Aura to listen to your own music or meditations. However, I don’t recommend it. While the speakers are fine for meditations and white noise, there are some obvious issues with sound quality when listening to music. It’s definitely not good enough to replace a set of headphones.

The buttons at the top of the Aura smart sleep mask.

The app itself has room for growth. There’s a sleep diary with space to record my wake up time and sleep time, plus an emotion and a gratitude prompt. It doesn’t record any additional information about sleep quality – you’ll need one of the best sleep trackers for that – but this isn’t a major downside, as the mask isn’t equipped to note that sort of data. The bigger issue is that the sleep diary function is limited and not particularly intuitive. Overall, the app could be more user-friendly – the design seems to prioritize minimalism over navigation, which did not put me in a very mindful place. However, I appreciate that this is a free app, and as the Aura is a relatively new product, there’s plenty of time for development in this area.

The mask isn’t the most user-friendly design and it has limited uses. For example, while the immersive experience is great for meditation, the blackout effect means it’s no good during yoga.

But used before bed, the Aura has some real benefits. The combination of blackout and sunrise light allows you to really tap into your circadian rhythms. At night, I could drift off in darkness, while in the morning, natural-seeming light helped gently wake me up. For meditation, the Aura can improve concentration for anyone with wandering thoughts, and I could see the same benefit if you’re struggling to sleep from stress or anxiety. By balancing mindfulness with real-world features, the Aura can be a helpful addition to the pre-bed routine.

AURA SMART SLEEP MASK: SHOULD I BUY IT?

Buy it if…

You’re sensitive to light: Sleep masks are excellent at blocking light in the evening, making it easier to fall asleep. However, that same blackout effect can be problematic in the morning, when you need light to wake you up. The Aura navigates this issue by incorporating light into the mask itself, waking you up with a natural seeming daylight.

You struggle to concentrate during meditation: As someone who gets distracted easily during meditation, the Aura sleep mask helped me add some mindfulness to my bedtime. Surrounded by sound and with a total blackout, you’re pretty much forced to concentrate. And with the velcro straps keeping the mask close to your face, there’s no temptation to peek.

You travel frequently: A lightweight build makes the Aura easy to travel with, while the total blackout effect and immersive soundscapes can help you relax even in unfamiliar, noisy, and bright environments. And thanks to the glow effect alarm, early morning flights might feel less disruptive (there’s even a pre-flight anxiety meditation).

Don’t buy it if…

You’re on a tight budget: You could buy a lifetime’s supply of standard sleep masks for the same price as the Aura. Of course, you won’t get the light and sound functions that make this smart mask standout, but if you just want a darker night, it’s not worth the money. And if only one of the smart features appeals to you (for example. Integrated speakers) there are cheaper options available.

You sleep on your stomach: The sculpted face of the Aura sleep mask presses into the face in most stomach sleeping positions, requiring multiple adjustments to get comfortable. Whether you spend the entire night on your front or you’re a combination sleeper who moves around, there are some sleep positions that just don’t work with the Aura.

You want all your sleep tracking in one place: The Aura app is free but basic and the sleep diary is bare bones. While I didn’t expect the app to track my sleep, I would have appreciated a little more functionality. Overall, it’s not the most intuitive design to use, and it seems like a missed opportunity. A functioning sleep diary plus more space to record your thoughts and mood would have really added to the experience.

AURA SMART SLEEP MASK: HOW I TESTED

I tested the Aura smart sleep mask for a week, using it both before bed as part of my wind-down routine and in bed to help me sleep and wake me up in the morning. I tested during a mild spring in Wales, in a room without blackout curtains. I also used the Aura around other people, to see how much sound traveled.

The post Aura Smart Sleep Mask Review appeared first on Review Products.

A fiery design and surprising gaming chops.

Even for Motorola, the champion of cheap Android phones, the Moto G84 is an above-average handset. It excels above its weight class for gaming power, its battery lasts ages, it has some surprisingly top-end features and, if those traits weren’t all enough, it comes in an eye-catching and vibrant red tone that we can’t get enough of.

Pros

• +Lively red color
• +Impressive performance for price
• +Snappy fingerprint scanner

Cons

• -Two other colorways are dull
• -Unimpressive cameras
• -Very similar to cheaper G73

MOTO G84 TWO-MINUTE REVIEW

Another day, another Moto G phone…

…and as usual, the Moto G84 is a surprisingly adept and reliable Android handset from one of the world’s most dedicated phone manufacturers, with Motorola continuing its forcible takeover of our round-up of the best cheap phones.

The latest entry in Motorola’s ever-growing G-line of low-cost mobiles, the G84 brings a few clear and concise arguments as to why it should be your next purchase, as well as a few wardrobes that it hopes you won’t be checking for skeletons.

First up, the Moto G84 is the company’s latest collaboration between Motorola and paint company Pantone, with one of its three colors designed by color experts. This is the Viva Magenta one that you can see pictured above, adorned in the shade that Pantone decided was its Color Of The Year 2023.

It’s a distinctive shade (which may put some people off), and we’re big enough fans to add the vibrant and striking look to the ‘Pros’ list above. But for some reason, Moto decided to release two other color options, silver and black, which look pretty boring by comparison.

We go from one of the phone’s touted selling points to something Motorola is barely mentioning: the G84 is a powerhouse for gaming. While I’ve been disappointed by other mobiles brandishing the same Snapdragon 695 chipset used here, the Moto chews through gaming and other intensive tasks. If you’re a gamer on a budget, this is definitely a solid pick.

It’s at this point in the review (less than a minute into the ‘two-minute review’, so pretty early on) that I should mention the Moto G73. This mobile, released in early 2023 and still ranged by most retailers including Moto itself, has lots of specs in common with the G84.

It has a lower price and the same camera array, same rough design, same software, same battery size, same charging speed and same screen size. Admittedly it’s screen quality is worse, it doesn’t have an under-display fingerprint scanner, it’s less powerful and it doesn’t catch the eye quite like this Viva Magenta-clad beast. But if you want to save some cash and don’t mind these tweaked features, it’s a very real competitor that may sway your attention.

‘Close competition’ is nothing new for Moto phones, given how many similar-looking budget mobiles it releases each year. Neither is my other major gripe with the handset: its cameras are anything but impressive, with photos that look a little dull and unexciting.

Picking up a Motorola phone and being surprised that its cameras aren’t amazing, is like picking up a dumbbell and being surprised it’s heavy – that trait is just par for the course. The cameras aren’t terrible either, they just won’t suit passionate smartphone-centric photographers.

And overall, the Moto G84 is a terribly impressive phone, when you consider its feisty look, gaming power and low price; it’ll just fit some users better than others.

MOTO G84 REVIEW: PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

• Released in September 2023
• Costs £249.99 (roughly $315, AU$475)
• Not for sale in US or Australia

The Moto G84 was released in the UK in mid-September 2023, after coming out in India and Europe in the weeks prior. It was joined by the low-end Moto G54 and premium-leaning Moto Edge 40 Neo.

You can pick up the phone for £249.99 (roughly $315, AU$475), which lodges it firmly in the category of ‘cheap Android phone’, perfect for people on a budget who want a reliable mobile. That’s Moto’s whole schtick, after all. There’s no information on a US or Australian launch, but they seem unlikely even several months after the phone’s release.

Rivals at that price include Samsung’s Galaxy A23 5G, Redmi’s Note 12 5G, OnePlus’ Nord CE 3 Lite and several of Motorola’s own mobiles, like the Moto G73 5G and Edge 40 Neo, which are all at roughly the same price point. But for its price and the performance it offers, the G84 is solidly good value.

Value score: 4 / 5

MOTO G84 REVIEW: SPECS

The Moto G84 has many traits in common with other budget phones, but it exceeds its class in a few areas too.

Moto G84 Specs:

• Dimensions: 160 x 74.4 x 7.6mm
• Weight: 166.8g
• Screen :6.5-inch 20:9 FHD+ (2400×1080) 120Hz p-OLED
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 695
• RAM: 12GB
• Storage: 256GB
• OS: Android 13
• Primary camera: 50MP, f/1.9
• Ultra-wide camera: 8MP f/2.2
• Front camera: 16MP f/2.5
• Audio: Stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack
• Battery: 5,000mAh
• Charging: 30W wired
• Colors: Viva Magenta, Marshmallow Blue, Midnight Blue

MOTO G84 REVIEW:DESIGN

• Vibrant Pantone-designed red shell
• Repositioned under-display fingerprint scanner
• 3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C port

Motorola isn’t exactly in the business of revolutionizing smartphone design (well, at least for its budget mobiles, though you can say what you like about the Moto Razr). So if you’ve seen a Moto G in the last few years you’ve seen the G84.

It’s a standard Android mobile measuring 160 x 74.4 x 7.6 mm – a few years ago we could’ve called it “a little on the big side” though you could probably consider it average now. It’s surprisingly light at 166.8g, which means the phone sits a little comfier in the hand than most phones with a flat edge.

You’ve got the usual accouterments of a Moto: a USB-C port and 3.5mm headphone jack underneath, a power button and volume rocker on the right edge. But Motorola has made one big adjustment in its budget phones of late, and that’s in replacing the side-mounted fingerprint scanner with a more premium under-display one. And it’s a great change too, as unlocking the phone is much easier than in previous Motos. The scanner is a bit lower down the phone than on most others, but it’s something I got used to.

There are three different color options for the Moto G84: a silver and a black option, and also an eye-catching red version called Viva Magenta. This latter was created by paint company Pantone, and it’d make the phone very attractive if it wasn’t for the big Pantone-logo color swatch on the bottom. You can’t remove this, it’s part of the phone.

Still, if the G84 was in a line-up of 10 random other phones, it’d be the most attractive one the vast majority of the time – its red is a little richer than Apple’s Product Red and the glossy alternatives some Chinese phones offer.

In terms of protection, you’re looking at IP54: it’s partly dust proofed but not against all solids, and is splash-proof but can’t be dunked in water. That’s all to be expected at this price.

Design score: 3.5 / 5

MOTO G84 REVIEW: DISPLAY

• Big 6.5-inch screen
• FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh
• Automatic brightness issues

The Moto G84 has a 6.5-inch display, which is pretty average for a smartphone these days, but the Moto’s specs are anything but average.

The phone packs an FHD+ display (that’s 1080 x 2400) and a 120Hz refresh rate, which means the display updates its image 120 times per second, over the old standard of 60Hz. Lots of budget mobiles tout this spec now but certainly not all of them, and it brings a marked improvement when you’re scrolling around the menus.

Another unusual trait is the use of the DCI-P3 color gamut with over 1 billion colors – this was designed for use in movies and it makes videos look that little bit better than on another budget phone.

One other display feature worth flagging is that the punch-hole that houses the front-facing camera is very small, reducing the amount of screen space you’re losing from it.

A small issue I had with the phone was with its display and the automatic brightness features. Often, the phone would default to a screen brightness that was just too low, and I frequently had to manually adjust it to be able to make out the display.

Display score: 3.5 / 5

MOTO G84 REVIEW: SOFTWARE

• Stock Android 13 is clean
• Useful Moto Actions return
• Plenty of customization options

When you boot up the Moto G84, it’ll come running stock Android 13 – that was the current OS when the mobile launched, though Android 14 started rolling out just weeks later. The G84 is only confirmed for one software update too, so Android 14 is all you’ll definitely get, though you’ll be able to enjoy at least three years’ security updates.

Stock Android is always fairly clean, at least compared to some other Android forks, but some bloatware has snuck into the Moto. There’s TikTok, LinkedIn and three simple games – it’s nothing too offensive, and if you’ve used one of the budget phones from another brand you might have used something a lot worse, but it’s still not ideal.

Moto phones have always been great for software customization, even before Google made it an official Android feature, and there’s no difference here. You have plenty of choice in terms of font, color scheme, icon shape, animations and more – if you like diving into the settings and then tweaking the nitty-gritty of how your phone looks, you’ll love this phone.

A returning feature exclusive to Moto phones are Moto Actions, which are easy navigation tricks that I find myself using a lot. Examples include a double karate-chop motion to quickly turn on the torch and a twisting shake to open the camera app. They take a little getting used to, but once you’ve got the knack for them, they’re incredibly handy.

Software score: 4 / 5

MOTO G84: CAMERAS

• 50MP main and 8MP ultra-wide cameras
• Some extra features like Spot Color
• 16MP front-facing camera for selfies

The camera department is an area that Motorola phones rarely excel in, and there’s no exception here. The phone uses up its ‘color’ budget on its exterior shell and there’s none left for its photos…

The main snapper is a 50MP f/1.9 unit and it’s joined by a single 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide companion. On the front, you’re looking at a 16MP f/2.5 selfie camera. That’s not exactly a revolutionary combo for Moto, which used the exact same line-up in the Moto G73 from earlier in the year.

Pictures taken on the main camera looked fine – that nondescript word is the best way to describe them – with fair sharpness but a lack of vibrancy or color that made me miss Samsung’s or Xiaomi’s handsets.

Flip onto the ultra-wide camera and you’re getting pretty grainy pictures – it’s an 8MP sensor, what did you expect – though not straight away. No, the secondary snapper was surprisingly slow to focus when I pressed the icon in the camera app, and I often found myself waiting a few moments for it to sharpen the image.

You can also use the ultra-wide camera for macro (close-up) shots, but this suffers from the issue that all wide-angle-macro phone photos do: it’s rounded and distorted thanks to the lens type. No thanks!

There’s no zoom lens on the Moto G84, so you have to use its 8x digital zoom to get closer to a subject. But I’d really recommend you don’t, unless you want your photo to be as grainy as spot art.

Grainy is also the word to use for pictures captured on the front camera, which is a surprising twist as some Motos redeem themselves on their selfie abilities. They’ll be fine for sending between phones, especially with bokeh working well in Portrait mode, but if you look at selfies on any bigger screen you’ll see the pixels clearly.

When capturing video, you can shoot at 1080p, with no 4K option. There’s also a slow-mo option as well as dual capture (front and back cameras at once) and Spot Color, which lets you isolate a single color in your recording. These latter two options are also available for photography.

MOTO G84: PERFORMANCE AND AUDIO

• Snapdragon 695 chip exceeds expectations
• 12GB RAM and 256GB storage
• 3.5mm headphone jack and Bluetooth 5.1

The Moto G84 packs the Snapdragon 695, and anyone who’s used a phone using this chipset knows what to expect: fine everyday performance, but a lackluster showing when used for gaming or intensive processes. That’s how this exact same chip worked in the recent OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite, and gaming was a slog.

In a pleasantly surprising plot twist, the G84 bucks expectations: it runs a lot faster than you’d think. In fact, through our rigorous gaming tests, it proved itself as one of the most reliable low-budget phones for gaming.

When playing titles like Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile, the phone could be relied on to get through a match without lags, stutters or freezes – in fact, the G84 beat many gaming phones in that it didn’t even overheat!

This may be thanks to the 12GB RAM you’re getting, a surprising amount for a phone at this price. The 256GB storage is also laudable – this is a phone that’ll last you a long time, and even if you do manage to fill the device’s onboard storage, the microSD card slot will keep you going for even longer.

If you’re into your facts and figures, a benchmark test through Geekbench 6 returned a multi-core average score of 2,037. That middling score shows that this phone is no supercomputer that’ll land a spaceship on the sun or predict the future, but for the price, I was very surprised.

Onto audio – this is par for the course for a Moto phone. There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack for wired music and Bluetooth 5.1 for wireless. The onboard stereo speaker is nothing to write home about, but it’s not so tinny that voice calls or memos are affected.

Performance Score: 4 / 5

MOTO G84 REVIEW: BATTERY LIFE

• Large 5,000mAh battery
• Over a day’s use from a single charge
• 30W charging isn’t particularly fast

If there’s one thing a Motorola phone can be relied on to have, even more than a confusing name, great customization or that distinctive sound when you first boot it up, it’s a long-lasting battery life.

No surprise, then, that the Moto G84’s 5,000mAh battery lasts a long time. You can use it to get through a day of use with no issue, and in our tests it lasted well into a second day before the charging cable needed to come out.

That charging cable gets you powering at 30W, so it’s not particularly fast, not when rival budget mobiles hit 50W, 67W or higher. You’re looking at charging times just shy of an hour, or more if you’re using the thing as you power it.

There’s no wireless charging here, but at that price, no-one should be surprised.

Battery Score: 3.5 / 5

HOW I TESTED THE MOTO G84

Review test period = 2 week

Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback

Tools used = Geekbench 5, Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, GFXBench, native Android stats

As you can tell from my review and the images, I tested the Moto G84 in its Pantone-endorsed Viva Magenta colorway. It felt fitting to test this festive-looking mobile during winter, hence the Christmas baking images!

Before true testing commenced I set up the phone to let the battery use settle, then used it as a standard mobile for two weeks. This included all the tasks you’d use your mobile for: social media, photography and streaming.

I also used it for gaming a lot. In fact, it was so snappy and fast for this task, alongside its lovely display, that I was loathe to move onto the next handset I’m testing for TechRadar!

My tech review history spans five years for TechRadar, and more for other brands. I used to work as an editor and writer for the site, covering phones, tablets and wearables (as well as a wide range of other gadgets), and continue to write freelance reviews across many types of gadget.

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Edit PDFs like a Pro.

Adobe Acrobat Pro has a few additional tools in its arsenal that Acrobat Standard lacks, and most of those would be a very useful addition to a professional workflow. It’s definitely worth trying out, but it’s also likely most customers won’t need anything more than the Standard version.

Pros

• +Polished interface
• +Good number of tools
• +Advanced tools for business use
• +Good redaction and security tools

Cons

• -Best for professionals and businesses
• -Some tools really belong in Acrobat Standard

Adobe Acrobat has evolved since its early days as a PDF all-in-one, growing into three separate multi-platform apps:

Acrobat Reader, Standard and Pro.

Each software adds an increasing number of features, so, if you just need to view a PDF document, Acrobat Reader is ideal. Acrobat Standard and Pro are best for PDF creation and editing, electronic signing, and a lot more document management options. In most cases, and in our experience, Acrobat Standard is the best PDF editor for most people, while Acrobat Pro adds a few more tools for the business or professional user.

We’ve already taken a look at Reader and Standard – you can check out our Adobe Acrobat Reader review and the Adobe Acrobat Standard review for more. It’s time to finish this PDF trilogy by exploring the capabilities of Adobe Acrobat Pro.

ADOBE ACROBAT PRO: PRICE & PLANS

Pro is the most expensive version of Acrobat, but it’s also included in Adobe’s All Apps Creative Cloud bundle.

It’s not going to be a surprise to learn that Pro is the most expensive Acrobat version – $19.99 / £19.97 a year paid monthly (monthly and annual upfront subscriptions are also available).

Unlike Acrobat Standard though, you can opt for a seven-day free trial, if you’d like to check its features out, but it does involve you initiating a subscription, so don’t forget to cancel it in time if you decide the app’s not for you.

There’s also an alternative way to grab a copy of Acrobat Pro: by getting an All Apps Creative Cloud subscription. It’s more expensive, but bundles the PDF editor with dozens of other apps like Photoshop and Premiere Pro, that all integrate seamlessly. This means that if you already have a subscription to handle your professional creative work (or you need one), you already have the most full featured version of Acrobat.

Pricing & plans: 4/5

ADOBE ACROBAT PRO: INTERFACE & EXPERIENCE

The interface is the same as for Reader and Standard:

clean, simple and efficient

Very elegant and well designed interface, offering you various ways of performing the same action, which gives you the flexibility of using the one that suits you best.

Just like Reader and Standard – and just as you’d hope, expect, dream – Acrobat Pro’s interface is clean, simple, well-designed. We found the tools are easy to locate and use, offering you various ways of working.

All told, this creates a highly flexible interface that works for you. Acrobat Pro doesn’t force you to alter your workflow, to do it the Adobe way or else. It’s a fantastic piece of design, particularly for Standard and Pro. We did find Reader’s interface felt more like an advert for Adobe’s superior PDF editors.

Interface: 4/5

ADOBE ACROBAT PRO: STANDARD TOOLS

All the features available in the Standard edition are present and correct in Pro’s comprehensive toolkit

As you’d expect, all the tools available in Standard can be accessed in Pro. This means you’re able to comment on a PDF, share it with others and track the progress of those files. You can change a PDF’s format, and export it as a Microsoft document (Word, Excel or PowerPoint), turn a PDF into images, convert it to HTML, edit it, change the embedded text and images, create PDFs from scratch, fill in and sign PDFs (it’s some of the best eSignature software we’ve ever tested), and there’s plenty more besides.

You also have the ability to combine multiple PDFs into a single file, reorder pages, and delete some. When it comes to security, adding a password to protect a PDF’s content and prevent others from editing it is a cinch. This is all done in a very intuitive way, and even though you might select a specific tool, you’re able to effortlessly access others without having to leave the confines of said tool.

It’s a very comprehensive, even impressive, feature-set – and that’s just the tools you get in Acrobat Standard.

Tools: 4.5/5

ADOBE ACROBAT PRO: PRO TOOLS

Use Acrobat’s Accessibility tool to check if your file meets the accessibility compliance standard.

Some very useful and obviously professional tools, coupled with others that should really be considered mainstream by now.

While the ‘as-Standard’ tools feel weighty, essential for a PDF power user, we couldn’t shake the sense that some tools labelled as “Pro”, don’t really feel that they belong in a “Pro” category.

Take the ability to turn a scanned paper document into a searchable PDF. Although it’s undoubtedly highly useful to be able to do that, some of the best free PDF editors, and even modern hardware, have been offering such a feature for a while now. Take your iPhone camera: you can take a photo with it and any text contained within it becomes selectable – and all without having to pay a subscription.

Another one which is more understandably a Pro feature, is the ability to create and validate PDFs to meet accessibility standards. This is a very important feature for any business, and once you check a document, you’re given a list of issues to fix to improve a document’s accessibility. Some can be resolved automatically, while others may require a little more work. But, we find it baffling why this is restricted to the Pro version? Wouldn’t this feature be of greater benefit if the Standard version had access to it as well?

Adobe Acrobat Pro during our review process

Redacting sensitive information is so easy to do with Acrobat’s ‘Redact’ tool

Be that as it may, as with other features included with Acrobat, it all works well and is easy to understand. There’s even a menu called ‘Explain’ which sends you to a webpage telling you why there’s a problem, and why it’s important to fix it.

Something that makes more sense in the Pro arena is the ability to compare two versions of a document. Acrobat will give you a summary of the disparity through a visual representation, and even gives you the ability to filter those results to make it clearer what has changed. We could see this as an invaluable tool in anyone’s workflow.

Redaction can also prove highly useful when there’s sensitive information on a PDF you’d rather not share with others. As you’d expect, the way it works is incredibly simple: just highlight all the problematic sections, and once you’re done, click on ‘Apply’.

In addition to blanking out certain passages and images, there’s another little highlight here. You also have the option of automatically removing a document’s metadata, embedded URLs, comments, and more. Adobe calls it ‘sanitising’ and if you’re into not passing on too much data, it’s a one-click wonder.

It’s clear that Adobe Acrobat Pro’s market is much more of a niche one than who they’re aiming for with ‘Standard’. It’s highly likely most people will be more than satisfied with Standard, even though Pro is the one included with the All Apps Creating Cloud subscription. However, if those additional tools are crucial to your workflow, you’ll find them extremely well implemented and easy to use in Acrobat Pro.

SHOULD I BUY?

Have different versions of the same file? ‘Compare Files’ will look at them both and tell you what’s different about them (Image credit: Adobe)

BUY IT IF…

You need advanced PDF editing tools, including redaction, and accessibility compliance, or you already subscribe to Adobe’s Creative Cloud package, which includes it by default.

DON’T BUY IT IF…

You want a simple way to view or make basic alterations to a PDF – in our experience, Pro is equipped with more features than most casual users will need.

ADOBE ACROBAT PRO: ALTERNATIVES

We’ve tested out man of the best Adobe Acrobat alternatives if Pro isn’t for you.

If Acrobat Pro is a bit more than you bargained for, we recommend checking out Adobe Acrobat Standard – it’s a great choice for most people’s PDF needs.

For some other top apps, see our pdfFiller review for a browser-based PDF editor that’s surprisingly full of features. For a free alternative, see our PDF24 Creator review – it’s our favorite free PDF tool and it’s packed full of essential document management tools.

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