This battery pack is the perfect buddy for your laptop

BY RAYMOND WONG

Battery packs are incredibly useful for keeping your gadgets charged when they're running low on juice.

But what about your laptop? MacBook users can pick up the HyperJuice, but it requires a little bit of modding to make it compatible with the MagSafe charger and not everyone is comfortable getting their hands dirty. 

A new product called the Omnicharge, currently crowdfunding on Indiegogo, charges any device through a standard AC/DC (120V AC and 150V DC) power plug and has two USB ports to juice up phones and tablets.

The Omnicharge is available in 13,600 mAh and 20,400 mAh capacities currently selling for $99 and $129, respectively, as early promotional prices during the campaign. Once the campaign is over, the Omnicharge will cost $199 (13,600 mAh) and $249 (20,400 mAh). Deliveries are expected to arrive in October.

Sure, the full retail price is expensive. But I'd say it's worth it for the peace of mind when you need juice on the go, even if you don't get the discounted pricing. 

For road warriors and nerds like me who can't go on vacation without bringing a million different devices that need charging, the Omnicharge is basically the ultimate battery pack.

Resembling a stone (even the texture is stone-like), the Omnicharge, which weighs 0.83 pounds (13,600 mAh; 5.2 x 3.3 x 0.9-inches) and 1.3 pounds (20,400 mAh; 5 x 4.8 x 1-inches) is, frankly, quite ugly. The black color looks better, though. Yet the Omnicharge's functionality more than makes up for what it lacks in aesthetics. 

The battery pack contains an OLED screen, which shows the charging output, battery capacity and the temperature of the charger. The screen is bright and easy to read, even in the dark.

Moreover, the Omnicharge can intelligently monitor the batteries and preserve them after each charge to extend life.

The 13,600 mAh Omnicharge provides one full charge (9 hours) for the 12-inch MacBook, 8 hours for the 13.3-inch MacBook Air, 5 hours for the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro, and a full charge for the Surface Pro 4. You can find more device power data 

here, as well as battery life time for the larger 20,400 mAh Omnicharge.

I've tried out MacBook-specific battery packs like Lenmar's ChugPlug, but that thing is big, heavy and overheats so often I always worry it'll explode. I brought it with me to IFA last year and all I'm going to say is I bought a cheap product and got what I paid for. 

The Omnicharge, especially with its discounted crowdfunding pricing (the 20,400 mAh is a hell of a deal for an extra $30), is the battery pack I've been searching for. Yes, I'm gushing over a battery pack and I'm not afraid to shout it from rooftops.

As more laptops include USB-C ports that can be charged with battery packs (like the 12-inch MacBook), there may not be a need for a gadget like the Omnicharge. But the days of widespread USB-C ports won't come for a while. And even then, there will still be tons of laptops and accessories that will need charging through the good ol' AC plug. Better get it while it's still cheap!

Xbox One S, with a thinner form factor, confirmed at E3

BY CHELSEA STARK

The bulky Xbox One is finally much smaller.

The Xbox One S is a welcome change to the giant square of the Xbox One original, which was launched in November 2013. Microsoft confirmed itsexistence at its E3 press conference in Los Angeles on Monday morning.

The all-white Xbox One S is 40% lighter than the original Xbox One, without the large power supply, according to The Verge. The Xbox One S also comes with a stand, so it can be stood vertically as well as laid on its side.

There is no Kinect port on the Xbox One S, fully cementing Microsoft's dropping of the technology. (Instead, players will be able to use Cortana if they want to talk to their consoles.) 

There are small tweaks to the controller as well. It now has Bluetooth built in, so the controller can be used wirelessly with Windows PCs.

The Xbox One S will be available in August, with a 500GB version for $299, a 1TB version for $349 and a limited-edition 2TB version for $399.

Smaller, 4K-ready Xbox One S finally has a launch date

BY RAYMOND WONG

Microsoft's new smaller and sleeker Xbox One S finally has a release date: Aug. 2.

Announced at E3 in June, the Xbox One S is Microsoft's most compact Xbox game console yet. Starting at $299 with a 500GB hard drive, the Xbox One S is 40% smaller than the Xbox One, supports 4K UHD resolution and HDR (High Dynamic Range) videos.

Even if a game wasn't made for 4K, the Xbox One S can upscale to 4K resolution, Xbox boss Phil Spencer told Mashable.

An Xbox first: The power supply is built into the console. The console also stands vertically (yes!).

The smaller console will also be available with 1TB of hard drive storage for $349 and with 2TB for $399.99 (this one launches later on Aug. 31). 

If white isn't your color and you prefer something a grittier and bloodier, Microsoft's also releasing a limited edition Gears of War 4 Xbox One S bundlewith a 2TB hard drive; pre-orders start on Aug. 1 at $449.99 with shipping in mid-September.

In addition the snazzier design, the console also includes a streamlined Xbox One controller for better grip and improved wireless range and Bluetooth connectivity support for use with PCs running Windows 10 with the Anniversary Update).

The Xbox One S is, of course, merely a minor update until the more powerful Xbox "Scorpio" console, which will be able to deliver 6 teraflops of processing power from its graphics processor, launches next year.

3D-printed Pokédex for playing 'Pokémon Go' has built-in battery

BY RAYMOND WONG

You wish you were playing Pokémon Go like a real Pokémon trainer using this 3D-printed Pokédex.

Recently, Sparkfun user Npoole printed this Pokédex case for his Samsung Galaxy S4 and posted the photos online. Pokémon fans will immediately recognize the portable Pokémon scanner and encyclopedia device as the original model Professor Oak gave to Ash Ketchum and Pokédouchebag/Ash's rival/Oak's grandson Gary. 

The 3D-printed Pokédex is more than just a case. It also packs a 2,600mAh battery to keep the phone charged up during long Pokéhunts.

He says he's working on another revision that'll include cooling fans and additional batteries.

Pokémon fans with access to a 3D printer can download files for cases for the Galaxy S4 and iPhone 6S (which he hasn't tested yet) from Github here and print them for themselves. You can also find more pictures on Sparkfun.

And if you really must know, it looks like he's on Team Valor. Because Valor is the best and you know it.

Nintendo embraces retro gaming with a pint-sized NES

BY CHELSEA STARK

Nintendo wants its fans to binge on nostalgia this holiday and reconnect with the orginal versions of the franchises they love.

The NES Classic Edition is a tiny version of the original, 30-year-old Nintendo console. It comes pre-loaded with 30 classic games that appeared on the original console (with no cartridges to blow into).

The NES Classic Edition comes with an A/C adapter and HDMI cable, meaning it will work on pretty much any modern TV or monitor. It also comes with a new version of the classic square controller; you'll receive one packed in, and can purchase the other for $9.99. 

The whole system is out Nov. 11 for $59.99. Here's the full list of games, which include titles from many other publishers like Bandai Namco, Capcom and Square Enix.

• Balloon Fight
• BUBBLE BOBBLE
• Castlevania™
• Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest™
• Donkey Kong™
• Donkey Kong Jr. ™
• DOUBLE DRAGON II: THE REVENGE
• Dr. Mario™
• Excitebike™
• FINAL FANTASY®
• Galaga™
• GHOSTS’N GOBLINS®
• GRADIUS™
• Ice Climber™
• Kid Icarus™
• Kirby’s Adventure™
• Mario Bros. ™
• MEGA MAN® 2
• Metroid™
• NINJA GAIDEN
• PAC-MAN™
• Punch-Out!! ™ Featuring Mr. Dream
• StarTropics™
• SUPER C™
• Super Mario Bros.™
• Super Mario Bros. ™ 2
• Super Mario Bros. ™ 3
• TECMO BOWL
• The Legend of Zelda™
• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link™

Nintendo also said the NES Classic Controller can be hooked up to a Wii Remote to play Virtual Console titles on the Wii and Wii U, for those who miss the feel and precision of that mini, square controller.

Probably also included: the amount of time you'll lose trying to beat every game.

there's finally a nest cam for outdoors

BY LANCE ULANOFF

The rumors about Nest Labs were true. No, no, not the rumors about Alphabet selling the company; the ones about it delivering a Nest Cam designed for the great outdoors.

The Nest Cam Outdoor is real and it’s pretty sharp-looking.

Nest announced the new security camera on Thursday and is already offering it for pre-order. The $199 device doesn’t ship until the fall.

SEE ALSO: Tony Fadell leaves Nest

This is a bright spot in what’s otherwise been a somewhat trying few months. First Nest gets boxed out of the Google Home smart hub development, then founder Tony Fadell exits. However, Nest’s new CEO, Marwan Fawaz, made it clear earlier that the company is far from done and not for sale. He also highlighted new product initiatives, the first of which we’re finally learning about now.

A better guard

When Nest acquired Dropcam in 2014, the device was originally considered a monitoring camera, said Nest Product Manager Mehul Nariyawala. However, Nest executives soon realized that most Dropcam people were using it for security. "Now we think of it as a security camera,” he said.

A year later, Nest launched the Nest Cam, a slightly upgraded, but mostly rebranded version of the Dropcam.

Nest cam outdoor will come in nest's typical smart packagng. we saw some pre-production boxes.

As they continued to sell the new web cameras (and end-of-life-ing older Dropcams), Nest found that many Nest Cams were either being placed or at least pointed outside. Putting them outside the home became so popular that third-party companies began to sell weatherproof housings for the Nest Cams.

With Nest Cam Outdoor, Nest set out to build a 24/7 home security camera that’s completely weatherproof and designed to live outside.

Ready for anything

The new device looks little like its sibling Nest Cam. The mostly white, $199 Nest Cam Outdoor is shaped like one of those chocolate, cherry-filled candies, with the camera lens on the flat side. Set behind a glass cover, the device shoots 1080p video. The small magnetic base snaps onto the Nest Cam Outdoor’s curved back and can be moved into any position. It can attach to your house via those same magnets (if you have any metal on the exterior of your home) or with a pair of screws.Designed to be plugged into one of your exterior power outlets, the Nest Cam Outdoor comes with 25 feet of power cable. The first half ends in a USB plug that connects to the AC/DC converter, which then runs to a traditional two-prong outlet.There is nothing to stop would-be thief from disconnecting the Nest Cam Outdoor or cutting the cable, but they will be recorded up until the moment they do and, just as with the original Nest Cam, all the video is immediately stored in the cloud, meaning it’s still accessible to the cam account owner.

The nest cam outdoor comes with all the wiring and plugs and plugs you need to power it from one of your standard outdoor outlets.

See all hear all

In addition to recording sound through its downward-facing microphone, the Nest Cam Outdoor lets you speak through it. If you get an alert that someone is at your front door, you can ask them in real time why they are there.

The Nest Cam Outdoor has a 130-degree field of view that Nariyawala said works just as well in night-vision mode. “We light up entire scene,” he said.

Nest is also raising the game on the notification side. Nest Cam Outdoors can discern the difference between just motion in front of the camera and actual people. An initial notification might say that it thinks it saw a person, but it won’t raise the alarm until it knows that it 100% saw someone. “We want to give people insights versus deluging them with info,” said a Nest spokesperson.

this is what nest cam outdoor notification will look like on android.

Those notifications will arrive, at least in Android, complete with thumbnail images. Nariyawala told me Apple’s iOS 10 will support similar notifications.

No such thing as free monitoring

While you can still get alerts for free, you won’t be able to replay whatever video and sound the Nest Cam Outdoor collected in the cloud unless you pay the Nest Aware monthly subscription fee. It’s $10 a month for 10 days of continuous recording and $30 a month for 30 days. Each replayable video snippet is between 10 and 60 seconds.Nest is also bringing back a favorite Dropcam feature, Private Sharing — the ability to share the live stream with family, friends and neighbors.

To ease installation, the new Nest Cam Outdoors will ship with all the necessary screws and wire clips. Nariyawala added that home owners can paint the waterproof cable and plug any color they like.

In person, the hardware is impressively designed and feels reassuringly solid. Set-up with the included hardware and, especially, those powerful magnets, looks easy. We won’t know, though, how good an outdoor security camera the Nest Outdoor Cam truly is until we test it later this year. Preorders start Thursday.

the world’s first automated selfie stick

BY LANCE ULANOFF

Our obsession with selfies — we take millions of them a day — is finally generating something useful: innovation.

World, meet the automated selfie stick. It extends, or telescopes, on its own, has a pair of beauty lights that extend from the back of the iPhone holder and even fans that fold out to blow your hair back for that perfect, wind-swept look.

It’s the craziest and most impractical selfie stick ever. It’s also, sadly, not available for purchase.

Created by Thinkmodo — the madcap hacker/video-makers/marketers that brought you Devil Baby and Super Strong Meter Maid Lifting Taxi — the automated selfie stick is a working gadget, but there are only two (one is a backup) and they were built to promote the upcoming season of Lifetime’sUnreal.

Unreal is a fictional, behind-the-scenes look at the making of a The Bachelor-like show. It’s a funny but trenchant look at manufactured reality.

"Lifetime wanted something that communicated self-image manipulation," said Thinkmodo co-founder Michael Krivicka, who edited and directed the above video.

Krivicka, Thinkmodo co-founder James Percelay and producer Sam Pezzullo came up with the idea of a sort of next-gen selfie stick to help market the show, which premieres on June 6.

Lifetime loved the concept, said Pezzullo.

         Not your ordinary selfie stick

Thinkmodo spent three months building the device, which features a large black and red handle that houses the wiring, motors and batteries necessary to auto-extend the stick, and the phone holder that houses the lights and fans. There’s even a second battery on the back of the phone dock to power the beauty lights and the motors that extend them and the fans. Did I mention this is a heavy selfie stick?

"It’s a little bit heavier than a regular selfie stick, but did you see the features?" said Miami-based actress Noa Lindberg who is featured in the video. "Every time they add a feature, it gets heavier, but it’s totally worth it."

Lindberg said she didn’t need to be trained on how to use the sophisticated selfie stick. There’s a clearly labeled button for each main feature.

"All the parts are custom-made," said Krivicka. "The fans were designed from scratch."

In the video, Lindberg sidles up to other selfie-takers who are clearly stunned when she whips out the automated stick, which starts extending with a press of a button. "Generally, they said, 'Oh my god, it’s so amazing, where can I get it?'"

         How it works

Like a regular selfie stick, this one connects to your phone via Bluetooth (iPhone only) and the photos in the video were actually shot using it. Even the fans work, though Thinkmodo admits to using a little artistic license in the shoot.

The retractable beauty lights were a nice touch.

If they ever did commercialize the Automated Selfie Stick, Lindberg said she would buy it, and Krivicka believes there is at least one other virtually guaranteed customer. "We think it’s something Kim Kardashian would love to get it for Christmas."

"The fans are strong enough to blow hair, but like in any commercial, we might have added some wind effect to enhance it."

Lindberg, who is currently shooting a vampire movie called The Soiree, said she has a favorite automated selfie stick feature. "[It] definitely is the lights. It’s just fantastic. It’s like a to-go studio," she said.

Unlike some of their previous video outings, this wasn’t a prank and Thinkmodo didn’t use hidden cameras. Even so, during the two-day shoot, "when the boom extended, crowds gathered quite fast," said Krivicka. They all wanted to know where they could buy it.

Which is nowhere.

Thinkmodo has no plans to mass produce the stick.

"We hate to see an awesome idea like this going to waste," said Krivicka. "If there was enough demand, we’d go back to Lifetime, put our heads together and see what we can do with this."

But would anyone really want it? The handle looks huge and is quite heavy. Plus, we don’t even know how much it would cost. Thinkmodo refused to tell me how much they spent (and Lifetime paid) to build it.

Amazon boasts Prime Day sales were 'biggest' in history of the company

BY CHRISTINA WARREN

Chock up another "W" for Amazon. On Wednesday, the Seattle-based retailer announced that its second annual Prime Day was the "biggest day in the history of Amazon."

The event was a huge success last year, but it was even bigger this year, Amazon said, with worldwide and U.S. orders up 60 and 50 percent, respectively, from 2015. 

It was also a good day for selling Amazon devices, i.e. the Kindle e-readers and tablets, Fire TV, Fire TV Stick and Amazon Echo products. Amazon says it was the biggest sales day globally ever for Amazon devices.

The Fire TV Stick was the best-selling Amazon Device, with 2.5 times as many sticks sold as last year. In the United States, Amazon sold three times as many Amazon devices as it did last year, and more than 2.5 times as many Amazon Echos. Amazon says it was the biggest day ever for the Echo. That's not surprising, given that Echo can do a lot more now than it could this time last year.

Amazon also sold: 

• 2 million toys
• 1 million pairs of shoes
• 90,000 TVs (TVs were a big category on Prime Day)
• "Hundreds of thousands" of Kindle e-readers

The Fire TV stick was the best-selling product globally. Excluding Amazon devices, the best-selling item in the U.S. was a pressure cooker. More than 215,000 were sold.

Headphones had a big day too, with 200,000 pairs selling throughout the day. More than 23,000 iRobot Roomba's were sold, as were more than 14,000 Lenovo laptops.

Of course, like last year, some users complained about the tenor of deals. There were some great gets (I personally got an excellent deal on a 4K TV), but lots ofweird stuff too. 

And like last year, Amazon had competition from other retail outlets. Walmart, Best Buy and eBay all ran recent sales to compete with Prime Day. A spokesperson from Walmart.com wouldn't comment on sales figures, other than to say "millions of customers have been saving all month long on Walmart.com."

TOPICS: AMAZON, AMAZON PRIME, BUSINESS, PRIME DAY, SMALL BUSINESS, TECH

Hands-on with Verizon's modular Moto Z and Z Force Droid Edition

BY RAYMOND WONG

Motorola's new modular smartphones — the Moto Z and Moto Z Force, both branded with Verizon's "Droid Edition" moniker, are almost here and they look really, really hot.

As revealed at Lenovo Tech World, the two Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow-powered smartphones continue the trend of modular phones started by LG's G5.

Through a 16-dot magnetic pin connector located on the back of the phones, users can attach add-on modules such as a JBL speaker, Kate Spade-branded battery pack, or InstaShare Projector to enhance their capabilities beyond the internal specs.

                              JBL speaker module

                                Projector module

Both the Moto Z and Z Force are respectable flagship phones with 5.5-inch Quad HD displays (2,560 x 1,440 resolution with 535 ppi), Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of 64GB of storage (expandable via microSD up to 256GB). 

There's a fingerprint sensor below the screens and the phones come with the new reversible USB Type-C port.The only real differences between the phones are the dimensions, display durability, rear cameras and battery life. 

The Moto Z comes with a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/1.8 aperture, laser autofocus, OIS and a dual-LED flash, while the Moto Z Force has a higher resolution 21-megapixel camera, which also comes with a f/1.8 aperture, laser autofocus, OIS and dual-LED flash. Both phones have a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

The slightly thicker and heavier Moto Z Force (0.28 inches versus the 0.20-inch Moto Z) comes with a larger 3,500 mAh battery. The Moto Z only features a 2,600 mAh battery.

The Moto Z Force also has a more durable shatterproof display like the Droid Turbo 2, which means the screen is shielded by several additional layers to prevent cracks when dropped.

At a media preview event in New York City, I got to try out the phones and I walked away impressed with the sleek metal and glass designs and smooth performance.

In particular, the Moto Z is so pretty. It's ultra-thin at 0.20 inches thick and I did a quick bend test and the phone didn't flex at all. Good stuff.The software was as expected. Since the phones are Verizon-exclusives in the U.S., they come with tons of pre-installed Verizon apps that you can't remove. Ugh.

You'll also notice in the photos the two phones don't have headphone jacks. Yep, Motorola ditched the headphone jack before Apple. Instead, users will have to pick up a pair of USB Type-C headphones or go wireless with Bluetooth headphones.

The modular "Moto Mods" as the company is calling them are easy to attach and detach. 

I didn't get to try out the cameras too much outside of the showroom, but from what I saw, the cameras are quick to launch, autofocus and shoot. I'm not in love with the huge camera "hump" on the back, but I can see it was a pragmatic design choice for two reasons: better camera sensor and a way to hold the modules in place.

The fingerprint sensors are also fast and responsive — they appear to be the same ones used on the Moto G4 and G4 Plus, which is great.

Based on everything I've seen so far, the Moto Z and Z Force look to be excellent phones.

Moto z is only 5.2mm thick (top) versus the moto z force.

The moto z is the thinner than the iphone 6s.

comes with USB type-c ports.

Modules are easily added on via magnetic contacts.

comes in several beautiful colors.

13-megapixel camera on the moto z and 21-megapixel camera on the moto z force.

Modules do add more bulk though.

The JBL speaker module cost $80 and comes with a kickstand.

kind of a fingerprint magnet.