Gadgets: Solar speaker

A category on the Victrola site referred perfectly to their new Victrola Zen wireless outdoor Bluetooth solar speaker as "The Art of Outdoor Listening." This speaker not only has powerful, crystal-clear sound but also is a beautifully designed piece of art that delivers all-day, solar-powered playback.

The somewhat rounded, stone-colored speaker (12.71 by 12.76 by 10.63 inches) is designed to blend naturally into an outdoor environment. A flat bottom keeps it in place, and a solar panel on top ensures there's always power. All this is designed with an IP65 weather-resistant body.

A metal grill is on the front cover of the speaker, which produces up to 22 watts of output. Rubber control buttons are on the opposite side of the grill. There, you find the power, Bluetooth pairing and a button for Auracast multi-speaker connections. All the buttons have corresponding LED indicator lights. There is a rubber flap cover over the USB-C port that must be closed to keep the speaker weather-resistant.

If you're not familiar with Auracast technology, it's simple and easy to use. After pairing one of the speakers (now your host speaker) with your music source (smartphone, iPad, etc.) via Bluetooth (v5.4), you can pair and sync an unlimited number of Auracast-enabled speakers with the press of a button. It's instant and easy.

Every time your host speaker is on and paired, Wireless Wake Mode turns on the speakers you previously connected via Auracast. The previously last used modes, pairings and connections remain in its memory. Victrola points out that Auracast technology provides enhanced audio quality, extended range and improved battery performance.

With its rugged design, one advantage of the speakers is that they can be placed most anywhere: on a patio, under a stable, or, as I chose for testing, buried to blend in with my landscape. The speakers performed flawlessly, with sound that was clear, crisp, and powerful, and a nice amount of bass. I had two speakers for my testing, and they paired without issue and played for an entire day.

There is a 2,450 mAh lithium-ion USB-C battery inside that charges in less than 5 hours. It's rated to play for up to 30 hours at 50 percent volume and 10 hours at 100 percent volume. But then, when you add the solar panels, which need sunlight, your time will only be extended.

The outdoor features will keep the speaker operating in a temperature range of 32 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit. And while they are great for the outdoors, don't hesitate to pick them up (each weighs 8.17 pounds) and bring the great sound indoors.

Even before the Victrola Zen was available, it had a head start after being named a winner in this year's Consumer Electronics Show Picks Awards in the Twice category. The category honors products that are at the forefront of innovation, showcasing products and solutions that push boundaries.

https://www.victrola.com/collections/bluetooth-speakers/products/zen-outdoor-solar-speaker. $299.99

I'll sum it up right away: The pocket-sized TicNote AI voice recorder from Mobvoi is a fantastic device. There's no doubt a device like this will increase productivity and be a significant advantage when traveling abroad.

It's touted on their website as the world's first Agentic AI Notetaker, designed to help anyone increase their productivity with a wide variety of uses. The all-in-one device can mind map, record, real-time transcribe, translate and summarize meetings, phone calls, and lectures.

When I was first pitched to take a look at the TicNote, a note in the email caught my attention. They stated it has technology that can pair with your phone or be used on its own to capture thoughts you didn't even realize were mixed within a phone call or meeting, thanks to Shadow, a built-in AI agent. I know AI is a fast-developing technology with no end in sight, and this really takes things to another level.

The Shadow feature is an organizer that can recap a meeting and even turn that or any recording into a Podcast. It takes productivity to another level by organizing and connecting recordings taken over time. With the help of AI, the built-in Shadow assistant transcribes audio in over 100 languages in real time.

It is built with noise-canceling microphones to make your recordings clean and background noise-free, even from several feet away. You can carry the TicNote, which is about the size of 3 or 4 credit cards stacked together, on its own, or use the included MagSafe case to attach it to a MagSafe-compatible smartphone, which is ideal for cell phone recording. A vibration sensor records both sides of phone calls in clarity, directly from your device.

A power button turns it on and off, and a display shows a few of the features. A small toggle switch on the front is used to choose between recording phone calls and in-person voice recordings. The internal battery lasts 22 hours before a charge is needed with the proprietary USB cable. Files can be transferred wirelessly from TicNote to work with the companion app.

It stores up to 25 hours of recordings in its 64GB of built-in storage. There are three monthly plans available to increase the storage and a variety of other features. A chart on the TicNote site highlights them all.

Some highlights include the free Plus plan, which offers 600 monthly transcription minutes and up to 10 conversations per day. The Pro plan ($12.99 monthly/$79 yearly) has 2,100 monthly transcription minutes and unlimited daily conversations. The business plan ($29.99 monthly/$239 yearly) includes 6,600 monthly transcription minutes and unlimited daily conversations.

https://ticnote.ai/products/ai-voice-recorder-us. $159.99

Whoosh is the one thing that matters for any gadget, computer, vehicle, display TV, or smartphone with a screen—and especially touchscreens.

The award-winning, non-toxic, and eco-friendly, fingerprint-resistant screen cleaner will leave any or all of these devices clean and clear. Just spray on a small amount of the fine mist, and with the included scratch-free soft microfiber cloth, you'll be left with a clean odor-free screen.

Whoosh is available in a variety of sizes. A pair of 1-ounce bottles with two microfiber cloths is $17.99. A container of 90 wipes is $19.99. By the end of this year, every bottle of Whoosh will be recyclable, and most will be made from 100 percent recycled plastic. And their Wipes will be biodegradable.

And remember, as Whoosh points out, your phone is 10 times dirtier than a public toilet seat.

https://whoosh.com