Sound Advice: A power bank to get charged up about and stereo system options
Published in Entertainment News
Powerful, flexible mobile charger: A power bank is a portable charger that draws its power from an internal battery. Charge it up and take it with you, and you can charge your devices whenever and wherever you want. I just finished testing a power bank charger that may be my very favorite one yet.
The LISEN Ultra Slim MagSafe Power Bank is compact and lightweight, with a tough alloy body and narrow half-inch thickness. A big 10,000 mAh battery provides power and the integrated USB-C cable inserts into the side to make a carrying loop. This one cable can do it all because not only does it charge other devices, it can be used to charge the power bank itself.
A digital display shows power remaining and charging status. If the design and feature set stopped there it would be a winner, but it also offers wireless charging for both phones and Apple Watches. If you put a compatible phone on the back of the power bank, powerful magnets snap it in to position for optimum placement for wireless charging. You can charge wirelessly and with the USB cable simultaneously, and I did just that with the USB-C cable connected to my iPad Pro and my iPhone resting on the wireless charging pad. It's just super and it may be the single most satisfying and useful charging device I have ever tried.
The LISEN Ultra Slim MagSafe Power Bank lists for $59.99, which is a bit pricey but right now the price on Amazon is $44.99, with a $5 checkbox coupon reducing it to $39.99. The current discount code POWERBK2 at checkout reduces the price $10 to $29.99. That $29.99 gets you an excellent charging device you can use anywhere, but most importantly it brings peace of mind and the confidence your phone will have power when you really need it.
Q. What are your thoughts on the AIWA Exos CD player radio, is it on the same quality level as the Bose CD player radio? I gather that Bose has discontinued it, but they can be had for around $400.
—J.M., Maple Grove, Minnesota
A. Unfortunately, though they look similar the AIWA isn't in the same league as the Bose. Of course the AIWA is much less expensive at $159.99 new, so it's a trade-off. If you want premium sound you should spend the extra money and get the Bose. For $1,299.99 the Technics SC-C70MK2 is far superior to the Bose, but of course it's much more expensive as well. The Technics is so good, I think it is a better value at $1,299.99 than the Bose was at $599 brand new! The SC-C70MK2 has very advanced technology and though sized to be placed on a tabletop, it sounds like a pair of full-size high-end speakers in your room.
Q. Recent ads are touting the ability to delete unwanted items from phone pictures. How does the camera know what to substitute in the area where the item has been removed?
—D.G., Verona, Pennsylvania
A. It is not the camera that does the substituting, it is programming in the phone itself often working with AI over the internet. It's not perfect, but the AI analyzes the picture and makes substitutions, like a human doing Photoshop. AI is finding its way in to many imaging applications, with fascinating results. You can use the AI in an Amazon Fire TV to create art just by talking to the remote, and if you search YouTube for "Super Panavision 70" you will find hundreds of trailers of modern content rendered in retro 1950s style. It's amazing, check it out!
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