Nexus 6P Review and Giveaway | Dramel Notes

This year, Google was generous and gave us two Nexus devices to gawk over: the high-end Nexus 6P by Huawei and the more mid-range Nexus 5X by LG. We’ve decided to take a look at the fancier of the two — after all, the “P” in “6P” does stand for premium.

And it’s a really interesting device. Made by the relatively unknown (at least in the US) Chinese manufacturer Huawei, it veers strongly from the soft plastic design of the Nexus 5X, but you still get all the advantages of having a device running pure Android.

Is it really the best option in the Nexus lineup? Let’s find out – and at the end of this review, we’re giving away our Nexus 6P to one lucky reader!

Specs

• Price: $500, $550, or $650 depending on storage options
• Screen: 5.7″ WQHD (2560px x 1440px) AMOLED (558 ppi)
• Dimensions: 159.3mm x 77.8mm x 7.3mm (6.27in x 3.06in x 0.29in)
• Weight: 178g (6.28oz)
• Processor: 2.0Ghz octa-core 64-bit Snapdragon 810 with Adreno 430 GPU
• RAM: 3GB
• Storage: 64GB
• Cameras: 12MP f/2.0 rear-facing, 5MP f/2.4 front-facing
• Speakers: Dual front-facing speakers
• Battery: 3450mAh
• Operating System: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
• Extras: Fingerprint sensor
• Color: Frost

Look and Feel

This is a gorgeous phone — depending upon how you feel about that black bar along the top of the back. I think it’s a really nice aesthetic, and I love the huge landscape-oriented Nexus logo. The edges are chamfered in a nice (if iPhone-like) style, and the whole thing is made of a very solid metal.

To tell the truth, though, it’s a huge phone. It’s even bigger than my current OnePlus One, and despite my relatively large hands, I struggle to use this thing one-handed. It’s not just that it’s large, but the metal is also extremely slick. It’s a slippery phone, and I’m in constant fear that I’m going to drop it while using it.

So those pretty looks and large screen come at a price — gripability. I also pressed the volume buttons a few too many times on accident as I was trying to shuffle this monster around in my hand. The power and volume buttons are low enough to make them easily pressable, but they’re also right where you need to put pressure to be able to keep this thing from falling.

To some, “large metal phone” is going to be a bit off-putting, but for others, it’s the premium device they’ve always wanted. It really comes down to personal preference here. Personally, I’m not sure if I would want to use this phone longterm without a case.

Screen

The enormous 5.7″ screen on the 6P is an AMOLED display, which means it has good contrast and is able to selectively turn on pixels — this allows for the Ambient Display feature, which can show you the time and your notifications in black and white when you pick up the device or get a new notification. I didn’t find Ambient Display to be particularly useful — I prefer the built-in LED for letting me know about notifications — but for some, it’s a nice way to save battery by turning the screen on less.

In general, the screen isn’t the brightest I’ve ever seen. You could have some issues viewing it in direct sunlight, but other than that, it’s hard to beat that WQHD quality. You definitely won’t spot any pixels here.

Speakers

If I could only choose one feature to talk about in this review, it would be the speakers. They are fantastic. Dual front-facing speakers really need to become standard in the smartphone industry. At full volume, this phone easily fills a room with music.

And if you hold the phone at full volume, you can feel the speakers vibrating — that’s some power. I really enjoyed listening to music with the Nexus 6P; its speakers just weren’t comparable to any other smartphone I’ve used. They were even louder than the HTC One M9’s dual front-facing speakers.

Cameras

The 12MP shooter on the rear of the Nexus 6P has an impressive f/2.0 that results in some very good low-light photos. Even the 5MP camera on the front has a decent f/2.4 and takes solid selfies.

But what I really enjoyed was the built-in camera app — the Google Camera app. It has some wonderful secret features, but specifically for the Nexus 6P, Google has added some other cool tricks like SmartBurst (hold to take burst photos, easily create collages or GIFs), Auto-HDR+, slow motion video capture, and an improved user interface.

And honestly, it’s great. It takes photos super quickly, they come out nice and clear, and the interface is lovely.

Fingerprint Scanner

Alright, so here’s the big notable change we can all talk about and debate the merits of. For me, I found the fingerprint scanner to be a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, it’s super fast and convenient when you’re holding the phone. The sensor is located on the back of the device right where your index finger would naturally fall, and you can unlock the screen instantly by just lightly touching it. Seriously. It’s so fast. You don’t even have to wake the phone first!

But, the other side of that coin is that if your phone is resting on a table, there’s no good way to wake it up. You have to pick up the phone to use the fingerprint scanner, and there’s no double-tap to wake, so you have to feel around for the power button and then type in your backup PIN.

I want to love the fingerprint scanner. It’s brilliant when you’re holding the 6P, but leave it sitting on your table, and it’s going to become a good deal more annoying to wake up.

Software

Ah, now this is really why you’re buying a Nexus device, right? The 6P runs pure, stock Android, which means that you’re getting Android exactly as Google imagined it. On top of that, you get updates immediately and don’t have to wait for manufacturers and carriers to work through their bureaucracy.

Of course it’s running the newest version of Android, 6.0 Marshmallow, and it’s dead simple to use. Google has made a few nice additions to Marshmallow that generally make things more intuitive. One of the best examples of this is Google Now on Tap. Simply hold down the home button, and Google will show you relevant information about the things on your screen.

But in general, it’s the Android you know and (hopefully) love. You won’t find all the bloatware of a Samsung device here, and if you buy unlocked from Google or Amazon, you won’t have any carrier bloatware either. It feels like a clean, smooth experience in the software department.

Plus, rooting could not be easier since it’s a Nexus. If you’re a fan of rooting your device and customizing it with custom ROMs, this is the phone for you without a doubt.

Performance

Given the powerful Snapdragon 810 processor and 3GB of RAM that are in this beast, you shouldn’t expect to encounter apps that lag or stutter. I managed to multitask, watch videos, and play games without any trouble.

Many were worried about the Snapdragon 810 having overheating issues, and while it certainly got warm after prolonged periods of usage, I wouldn’t say that it was worse than other phones.

Battery Life

Powered by a 3450mAh battery, the Nexus 6P definitely isn’t lacking in juice. It does have to power a huge screen, though, so your screen on time might not end up being the best of any smartphone — but it’s definitely not bad. Its standby when not using the screen is great, probably thanks in part to Marshmallow’s new Doze feature that puts your apps to sleep while the screen is off.

But really, I made it through my days without a problem using the Nexus 6P. I’d say it has above average battery life, but the best part about the it is the fast-charging that is available thanks to the new USB Type-C.

Sure, your old microUSB cables aren’t going to work with the Nexus 6P, but that’s only because this phone is the future. The world is moving towards USB Type-C to replace microUSB and regular USB ports — and that’s fantastic because it’s a small universal port and it’s reversible. No more putting in your cable the wrong way.

Still, the 6P doesn’t support wireless charging. That’s a bummer, but the USB Type-C charging is much faster anyway.

Price

The model that I tested was the 64GB Frost, but it comes in three different colors, three different storage options, and three different price ranges.

The colors are Frost, Graphite, and Aluminum Silver.

The 32GB is $499, the 64GB is $549, and the 128GB is $649 at the Google Store. Though the 32GB is currently on sale on Amazon from Huawei for $599.

Google Nexus 6P by Huawei - 32GB Graphite, 4G LTE - USA Warranty

2G: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G: 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100, 4G: LTE 1900 (B2), 1800 (B3), 1700 (B4), 2100 (B4), 850 (B5), 2600 (B7), 700 (B12), 700 (B13), 700 (B17), 1900 (B25), 850 (B26), 700(B29), 2300 (B30), 2500 (B41)
Price: $549.00

That’s still a bit cheaper than other high-end phones like the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge or iPhone 6s, but nowhere near as cheap as some budget Android smartphones like the OnePlus X.

For what you’re getting, it’s not a bad deal. This is clearly a high-end smartphone, and it’s priced pretty fairly for that.

Should You Buy It?

The Nexus 6P is a mammoth of a phone, but we live in a world of phablets now. Its fingerprint scanner has its advantages, but what I really love about this phone is the speakers — and that enormous screen certainly isn’t a downside either. I just wish the phone was less slippery.

Nexus 6P Giveaway

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How to Rename Any Computer, Smartphone, or Tablet | Dramel Notes

It’s a good idea to give each of the devices you use a meaningful name. This is especially important on Windows 10, as Microsoft has removed the computer name option from the first-time setup process. Windows 10 PCs will just receive random, meaningless names by default.

On a network, this “hostname” identifies the device on your router’s status pages and when browsing shared files. Such names are also used in “find my device” interfaces and anywhere else the device needs to be identified.

Windows 10

Microsoft simplified the setup process in Windows 10. Windows will no longer ask you to enter a name for your PC when you set it up, which means that your Windows 10 PC probably has a meaningless, confusing name.

To provide a name, open the “Settings” app from the Start menu or Start screen, select the “System” category, and select “About” at the bottom of the list. Click or tap the “Rename PC” button and provide a new name for your PC. Your change will take effect after a reboot.

Windows 7, 8, and 8.1

On previous versions of Windows — or even Windows 10 — you can open the Control Panel, click “System and Security”, and click “System”. Click the “Advanced system settings” link in the sidebar, click the “Computer Name” tab at the top of the System Properties window, and click the “Change” button to the right of “To rename this computer, click Change”. Type a new name into the “Computer name” box and click “OK” to rename your computer.

Mac

On a Mac, this option is in the System Preferences window. To access it, click the Apple menu on the menu bar at the top of your screen and select “System Preferences”. Click the “Sharing” icon in the system preferences window, and enter a new name for your Mac in the “Computer Name” field at the top of the window.

iPhone and iPad

This option is available on the “About” screen on Apple’s iOS, used on iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches. To find it, open the “Settings” app from your home screen, tap the “General” category, and tap “About”.

Tap the “Name” field at the top of the About screen and you’ll be able to enter a new name.

Android

For whatever reason, Google doesn’t offer this option on an Android device. If you’re setting up a Wi-Fi hotspot from your Android phone or tablet, you can change the name of that Wi-Fi hotspot in the hotspot settings — but that’s it.

There’s no way to change the device’s name so it’s identified by that particular name on your network. The only way you can do this is to root your Android device and search for an app that can change the “hostname”. You can still use the device’s MAC address to uniquely identify it, at least.

You can rename your Android device in Google Play to make it more distinct when installing apps via Google Play and tracking your lost device, however. Head to play.google.com/settings, or visit the Google Play Store website, click the gear icon, and select “Settings” to access this page. Click the “Edit” button and enter a new name for your device.

Chromebooks

Like Android, Chrome OS is also made by Google. So it should be no surprise that Google hasn’t provided a way to change your Chromebook’s name, either. As with Android devices, you can use the MAC address to uniquely identify a Chromebook on your router’s settings page, if you need to.

Chrome OS is just Linux underneath it all, however. If you put your Chromebook into developer mode — for example, you have to do this to install a Linux desktop alongside Chrome OS — you’ll then have write access to the system configuration files and can change your Chromebook’s name.

Linux

Different Linux distributions handle this in different ways. You can generally change your hostname just by running the “hostname” command as root, but it’ll be reset when you restart your PC. Different Linux distributions define the hostname in different configuration files. For example, on Ubuntu and other Debian-based Linux distributions, you’ll need to edit the /etc/hostname file.

If you’re using another Linux distribution, perform a web search for something like “change hostname on [name of Linux distribution]”.

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Other devices will have hostnames, too. They may or may not provide a way to change their names, but you’ll often find this option on an “About” screen or somewhere else in their settings if they do.

Image Credit: miniyo73 on Flickr

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Get a $20 Credit When You Buy a $35 Chromecast Now | Dramel Notes

Have you been thinking of buying a Chromecast lately? You should. Not only is it one of the best streaming devices currently available, it’s also one of the cheapest. At $35, this thing pays for itself over and over and over.

But if you still need a budge, consider this: if you buy a Chromecast right now, Google will give you a $20 credit to the Play Store.

Obviously it’s not as good as a straight device discount, but a $20 credit for the Play Store is better than it might seem at first. In addition to apps, the Play Store also sells movies, TV shows, and music — all of which can be played with your new Chromecast.

Not only that, but if you combine it with these free music streaming apps for Android, you can easily stream music for any crowd. Check out our full review of the Chromecast 2 if you still aren’t convinced.

Note that it doesn’t matter where you buy the device. Just go to the Chromecast redemption page to claim your credit. Take advantage of it while you still can!

Will you be buying a Chromecast for this offer? If not, why not? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Image Credit: Chromecast Device by Robert Fruehauf via Shutterstock

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The Future Of Driving Looks Exciting | Dramel Notes

The world of technology is constantly changing. Whether we’re talking about new devices for our homes, evolving cell phones, or improved video games, things are on the move at a truly staggering rate. That being said, few things are changing faster than cars. And not only that, the advancements to the way we drive are among the most exciting, as they could offer tremendous convenience and safety.

What big changes are we talking about? Check out the infographic below for a fascinating look at the future of driving. If it doesn’t excite you, check to see if you still have a pulse!

Via crallenandsons.co.uk

Click To Enlarge

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What Are The Biggest Trends In Design For 2016? Get Ahead Of The Curve | Dramel Notes

Attention designers: you need to be aware of the latest trends in the field if you want to stay ahead.

For the rest of us, looking at where design is going in 2016 is fascinating because it lets us see what kind of look and feel we’ll get from our devices and apps in the very near future.

So where is design going in 2016? What are the hot trends that we need to keep an eye on? How will 2016’s design trends differ from those of last year? Check out the infographic below for a fascinating look.

Via CoastalCreative

Click To Enlarge

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5 Mobile PPC Techniques Veterans Use to Win by @DustyVegas | Dramel Notes

It is no secret that we live in a mobile world now. Over half of all online media is consumed via mobile devices. Sadly, many novice PPC advertisers aren’t prepared to take on mobile PPC, so they leave themselves open to unnecessary costs and poor user experiences.

User behavior on mobile devices is much different from on desktops, so you need to master the smart phone if you want to compete. Adapting to the growth of mobile pay-per-click traffic means the difference between marketing success and getting left in the dust.

Below, you will find five mobile PPC techniques you can use to optimize your AdWords mobile performance. You will learn how to make smart decisions based on the data already in the AdWords interface. With a little practice, you will outperform your competitors in the mobile SERPs.

Capturing Mobile Clicks With Ad Customizers

People surf the internet differently with mobile devices than with computers. While desktop users will spend hours idly browsing, mobile users are much more goal-oriented. They want answers, and they want them now. Think about when you use your smart phone the most. It is probably when finding directions, comparing prices, or finding an answer to issue on your mind in that moment. Most of your mobile surfing probably involves accomplishing a goal.

In short: smartphone users want answers right now, so give it to them. Ad customizers let you do that.

Ad customizers dynamically change the text in your ads according to the behavior of the searcher. You can insert placeholder text that will adapt to specific circumstances. Common customizers include:

• Countdowns to the end of a sale
• Special pricing
• Inventory levels for limited stocks
• Location-based information

Perhaps the most underutilized ad customizer attribute is the device preference. This attribute forces your ad customizers to change when it detects an impression from a mobile device. This is a huge opportunity for the savvy marketer. If you leverage ad customizers intelligently, you will be able to entice those goal-oriented mobile searchers to choose your ad.

Put yourself into the shoes of your potential customer. What problems are they are trying to solve? Mobile searchers are not captivated by generalized or vague ad copy. You have to wow them. Tie a huge bow around the solution you provide and throw it in their faces with an ad customizer.

Crafting hyper-relevant ad copy is what separates novices from professional PPC advertisers, doubly so when competing in mobile auctions.

Maxing Out Ad Extensions

Ad extensions are the greatest thing to happen to mobile PPC since someone invented the touch screen. There is no cheaper and more effective way to increase your click-through rates on mobile devices.

Why? Aside from the other amazing benefits, ad extensions let your ads consume much more real estate in the mobile SERPs. You can more than double the size of your ads while filling them with enticing information about your business.

The small size of smart phone screens makes ad position incredibly important to mobile SEM. Desktop SERPs will show up to five ads above the fold while mobile ads must fight for two or three spots. The ads below those spots are shoved to the bottom of the page, which can be a black hole for click-through rates.

Ad extensions allow you to dominate the space above the fold. Every ad extension is free to set up; they just require a little manual work. Better yet – some extensions are automatically generated, no action is needed.

The list of currently available ad extensions include:

• Reviews
• Sitelinks to valuable pages
• Locations and directions
• Business feature call outs
• Social media influence
• “Call Now” buttons

Make sure every single ad extension is activated. When you are done, find campaigns or ad groups that you can afford to push to the top three spots on mobile devices. Google will take care of the rest if your quality scores are high enough.

Scheduling Call Extensions to Business Hours

Mobile phones give people the ability to access the internet at any time. They surf on the weekends just like they do on the weekdays, even if your business is not open. This fact is most important when you have activated call extensions in your ads.

Call extensions insert your phone number and a call button into your ads. A smart phone user then clicks your ad to call your business directly. It’s that simple, and you are charged as if the phone call were an ad click.

Unless your business operates 24-hours a day, though, you probably don’t want to pay for phone calls that will go unanswered. This is where call extension scheduling comes in handy. It gives you control of the times and dates when your call extensions appear.

You will find the scheduling option in the Ad Extensions tab of your campaigns. If a call extension already exists, click the phone number and select the edit icon. Ensure that the mobile device preference is on, then open the advanced menu to create a custom schedule. Block out the times when you would be paying Google for unanswered phone calls.

Honing in on Mobile Bid Adjustments

This is the big one.

Like I wrote above, mobile PPC is all about location, location, and location. Your life would be much easier if all of your ads could show above the fold on mobile devices.

That is not always possible, though. Cash rules everything around ads, so you have to consider the profitability of going after those prime locations. To make the matter more difficult, AdWords has combined its mobile and desktop capabilities into one platform. This system of “enhanced campaigns” stripped away much of the control that advertisers had over our mobile PPC strategies.

Luckily, there is a way to regain some control. Mobile bid adjustments (MBAs) allow you to change your mobile bids based on they are worth to you. Google’s desktop and mobile auctions function differently, so your max bids on mobile should usually be different from those on desktop.

But how do you figure out what to bid in mobile auctions? It’s time to break out Excel and get to work.

Every marketer should have a goal of what they can afford to spend for a conversion. I will use a basic cost per acquisition (CPA) goal for this example. A $10.00 target CPA means that I can afford to spend ten dollars for every one conversion on average. I use that information to calculate my target costs-per-click (CPCs) and MBAs.

This technique limits the guesswork when setting mobile bids. Predictability and accuracy separate novices from professional PPC advertisers.

First, calculate your CPA goals for mobile and desktop devices. This is the amount you feel comfortable paying for mobile and desktop conversions, respectively.

Next, you need the conversion rates for the campaigns or ad groups you want to modify. Pull the conversion rate column into the AdWords interface.

Export your view and segment by device. This will give you the conversion rates by device type. Remember to pull data from a wide enough time range, so you have enough data to make reliable calculations.

Multiply your conversion rates by your CPAs next. This will give you the max average cost-per-click that your campaigns can spend while remaining profitable. This data should direct you to the campaigns that need some TLC. Find the campaigns where your current CPCs are greater than the numbers you calculated for desktop and mobile. Those campaigns are at risk of being unprofitable. Work on them.

Then, hold your nose. We are going deeper.

You will probably notice that your mobile campaigns have very difference max average CPCs than your desktop campaigns. That is totally normal. There is a problem, though, because Google defaults your max mobile bids to equal your max desktop bids. That means that you are paying more money for clicks that may be less valuable.

Luckily, Google created mobile bid adjustments to help you spend your money wisely. You will find the MBA field in the settings of the campaigns and ad groups.

How do you calculate what your mobile bid adjustments should be? Easy — you are one step away from it already.

Look at the calculations you made in Excel. Let’s say that your max CPC on computers should be $1.00 while your max CPC on mobile phones should be $0.40. You would need to modify your mobile bid by -60% on average to become profitable.

Use the following Excel formula to find the adjustments you need to improve your mobile performance. Apply it to all of the campaigns you exported:

=(Mobile CPC / Desktop CPC) – 1

Take this data and run with it. You might discover you can push some of your campaigns to those valuable top spots in the mobile auction. Maybe you should reduce the max mobile bids for some of your campaigns because they aren’t as profitable as you once thought. Now you don’t have to guess.

Asking for Necessary Information in Forms

Mobile phone users don’t have time for long, drawn-out forms. They will simply bounce and convert with your competitors instead. Mobile phone users surf while sitting at bus stops, or while walking to their front doors. They have real world priorities that will take precedence over a long form. If you are lucky, they will return to your website to finish filling it out. Many people will not.

Remove unnecessary submission form fields until only the vital ones remain. Implementing an A/B testing strategy will help you take the guesswork out of this process. Start with your current form and test it against a variation with fewer fields. You may be surprised by the results you find. I have seen mobile conversions skyrocket after the business agreed to test their submission forms.

HubSpot’s download forms (pictured here) ask for only essential information.

Too many marketers lose money by sending qualified PPC traffic to their landing pages, just to see the user bounce before clicking the submit button. Don’t let that happen to you.

Unnecessary fields often include:

• Date of birth
• Street address
• Country
• Phone number
• Middle name

It is easy to start thinking of your PPC traffic as numbers on a screen, but fight that urge. You are dealing with people, first and foremost. Take the time to understand what motivates them to perform the actions that you want them to take. Get into the habit of testing; find ways to remove the aspects of your website that prevent them from converting.

Conclusion

Mobile is the wild west of digital advertising. The experienced advertisers study, learn more every day, and adapt to survive. If novices want to succeed, they must study how searchers use mobile phones in today’s changing world. Every PPC advertiser must understand the bidding process of mobile auctions, and how it differs from desktop auctions. Doing so will put you ahead of the pack, where you can rub shoulders with the veterans.

Question: What tips would you offer to a novice search engine marketer trying to improve their account performance?

 

Image Credits

Featured Image: FirmBee/Pixabay.com
All screenshots by Dusty Vegas. Taken November 2015.

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How to Manually Import Photos and Videos from an iPhone or iPad into Windows | Dramel Notes

iPhones and iPads go with Macs like peanut butter goes with jelly. If you use Windows however, you can still access your photos and videos on these devices with just a few quick steps.

As popular as Apple products have become in recent years, there’s still a huge Windows user base. This often means that said users are left scratching their heads on how to make their iPhones and iPads get along with their PCs.

One thing that we’ve discovered is that while it’s super easy to access your photos and videos from a Mac, using a Windows PC requires a bit more work. It’s not too terribly difficult, but it isn’t necessarily elegant either. That said, once you know how to import photos and videos on your iOS device, you can make quick work of it.

When you first plug your iOS device into your Windows computer, it will prompt you to allow your PC to access its photos and videos.

Before you can proceed with any import process on your PC, you will first need to allow it to access your iOS device.

If you tap “Allow” and you have a photo program installed, then you might get a prompt asking you if you want to import. In this example, our Windows 10 PC immediately pops up with a dialog asking us if we want to import items from our iPhone.

Our Windows 10 PC automatically opens up the Photos app to import photos from our device (Apple iPhone).

If you don’t have a photos application installed (this is unlikely but possible) or you don’t want to import all your photos onto your computer (you might have hundreds or even thousands), then you can do so manually.

First, open File Explorer and browse to your PC’s directory. Click on your iPhone or iPad and then open the folder titled “Internal Storage”. All your photos and videos will be saved in the DCIM folder.

This is way too much to have to go through individually, so it’s best to try searching.

It gets a little tricky from here because it won’t be immediately apparent where the content you seek is located. You can either go through each folder one by one, which is going to be pretty tedious and time consuming, or you can try searching.

If you search, you might try listing all your photos by type, such that you use the search string “*.jpg” to list all the photos contained on your phone however, this will list all the files on your device ending in .jpg so that too will take a lot of time to go through.

If you do search, you can first go through your photos by changing the view to large or extra large icons.

On the other hand, if you know about when the photo you’re looking for was taken, you can sort them out that way using the Details view.

Alternatively, you can try sorting by date, using the Details view.

How you choose to find and sort through your photos and videos is up to you and whether you want to use a photos program or simply import them onto your PC file by file.

If you would like further information on how to best search for photo files, then we recommend you read our Geek School series, which will explain the ins-and-outs of searching in far greater detail.

We hope this article was of some use to you and gives you the knowledge to use your iPhone or iPad easily alongside your Windows PC. If you have any questions or comments you would like to add, we encourage you to leave your feedback in our discussion forum.

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Huge Discounts On TVs, Bluetooth Speakers, and Mirrorless Cameras Available Now | Dramel Notes

Today, we have some awesome deals on three different types of devices that everyone needs — cameras, speakers, and TVs. Whether you’re looking for some new goodies for yourself, or you want to do some holiday shopping, you’ll love the deals we’ve found for you!

Huge Discounts On High-End Mirrorless Cameras

If you’re looking for a professional-quality camera, the mirrorless options from Sony and Samsung that you’ll find below are awesome choices. Whether you want to spend a few hundred or over $1,000, we’ve found deals that will work for you!

Sony Mirrorless Camera with 16-50mm Lens ($548.00, 31% Off)

This is the best-selling mirrorless camera on Amazon right now, and with good reason, because it’s a fantastic piece of hardware. It comes with a 16-50mm lens, which offers a good amount of flexibility. With the 31% discount, this is the perfect time to take this camera home for yourself or as a really nice gift.

Samsung 28 MP Smart Mirrorless Camera with 16-50mm Lens ($497.99, 38% Off)

This camera has a 4.5 star rating on Amazon, with most buyers being incredibly happy with their purchase. On top of taking amazing photos, it also has Internet features, so you can share photos whenever you have a Wi-Fi connection. It also features an interchangeable lens design, so you can purchase new ones later to suit your ever-changing photography needs.

Samsung 28 MP 4K Smart Camera with 16-50mm Lens ($1,297.99, 24% Off)

If you need an absolute monster of a camera, look no further than this one. Sure, it comes with a hefty price tag, but it also comes with every feature you could ever want from a mirrorless camera. At 24% off, it’s a great deal that can help you jumpstart your photography career.

Save On Portable Bluetooth Speakers

Listen to all of your favorite music anywhere with these Bluetooth speakers. If you need one to sit safely on your counter, we’ve got deals for you. And if you’re the adventurous type, we’ve also found a great deal on a waterproof speaker that can take a beating. Check them out!

AmazonBasics Portable Bluetooth Speaker ($39.99, 33% Off)

Do you need a quality speaker on a budget? This one from Amazon has a 4.5 star rating from over 1,000 reviews. You really can’t go wrong for just $39.99! With a 15 hour battery life, you can rock out to your music all day and sleep easy knowing you didn’t break the bank purchasing it.

Sony Portable NFC Bluetooth Wireless Speaker ($78.00, 22% Off)

Sony’s portable Bluetooth speaker features convenient NFC pairing, so when you’re having a party and a friend wants to share their tunes with everyone, they can sync up to the speaker with just a quick touch. And it’s from Sony, so you know it delivers quality sound.

Philips Rugged Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker ($29.99, 40% Off)

If you like getting outside, you’ll love this speaker. It features a waterproof design, so you can even use it in the shower or swimming pool. It’s also designed to take a beating, so it will last even if you’re not exactly gentle with your stuff.

Massive Deals On TVs

Do you need a TV? Look no further than the awesome deals below!

LG Electronics 49-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV ($597.99, 57% Off)

If you want a big screen 4K TV on a budget, this LG is a perfect one to consider. For less than $600, you really can’t go wrong. It has all the features you need from a TV of this sort. It’s got Internet, 4K, multiple HDMI inputs, and more.

Samsung 60-Inch 1080p Smart LED TV ($848.00, 50% Off)

You don’t often see 60-inch TVs from a brand with the reputation of Samsung for this cheap, but that’s just what you can get right now. This price is only good for a very limited time, so if you need a big screen for your living room or man cave, the time to buy is right now!

Seiki 42-Inch 4K Ultra HD LED TV ($329.99, 63% Off)

If you don’t want to spend a lot on a new TV, but you still want to get in on the 4K revolution, you should check out this one. At 63% off, it’s a massive discount and one you should definitely consider.

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Deleted a Google Calendar Event by Mistake? Here’s How to Get It Back | Dramel Notes

Do you use Google Calendar to keep track of your busy schedule? Lots of people do, as it’s a great service that integrates with all kinds of devices.

If you have a lot of events that come and go, mistakes are bound to happen. In your haste to get things done, you might accidentally delete the wrong event. Are you out of luck? Nope! You can actually restore deleted events to your Calendar relatively easily.

First, and this one is pretty obvious, right after you delete an event, there’s an option to Undo on the top of the screen. This is great if you notice right away and you want to go back in time to get rid of your mistake.

But if you don’t notice right off the bat, there’s a little more to it. First, you’ll need to mouse over the calendar from which you deleted the event, and then click the little arrow that appears to open a dropdown menu. Under said menu is a link labeled Trash.

Click that, and then you will be taken to a screen with the events that have been deleted within the last 30 days. Check the box next to the event you want to restore, and then click Restore selected events.

Note: You can only restore events from the browser version of Google Calendar. However, events deleted from a phone or tablet will still appear for restoration, you just need to go to a computer to actually bring them back.

Have you ever missed an event because you accidentally deleted it from your calendar? It’s okay, it happens to us all!

Image Credit: xtock via ShutterStock

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The 7 Best Free Alternatives to Pushbullet | Dramel Notes

Pushbullet was one of the best things to happen to Android in a while — it offered utilities like quickly transferring files between devices, sending SMS messages from your PC, and even setting chore reminders — but the bad news is that Pushbullet is no longer free.

Well, technically there is still a free version, but it’s so gutted and crippled compared to what was previously available that it feels insulting to use, and if you want to make use of the Pro features, the price is just obscene ($5 per month).

Fortunately, there are several free alternatives that you can turn to if Pushbullet has left a sour taste in your mouth.

1. AirDroid

Similarities: Remote SMS, mirrored notifications, file transfers.

If you’re looking for an app that’s basically “Pushbullet but not Pushbullet”, then AirDroid is the one you want. Whatever Pushbullet can do, AirDroid can do as well: mirrored notifications, file and folder transfers, remote dialing, and more.

In fact, AirDroid can do some things that Pushbullet can’t, including the ability to view your camera remotely from your computer, take photos of people trying to break into your phone, and dial your phone remotely.

The downsides to AirDroid are that it isn’t as user-friendly as Pushbullet when it comes to setup and operation, and it also has a paywall like Pushbullet. However, the $2 per month cost of AirDroid is far more reasonable.

2. Pushline

Similarities: Remote SMS, mirrored notifications, accept/reject calls.

It’s no coincidence that Pushline’s name is so similar to Pushbullet — the former is basically a clone (or knockoff) of the latter, except completely free. Seriously: no advertisements, no in-app purchases, and no premium version.

It has most of Pushbullet’s features, including mirrored notifications to other devices, writing and replying to SMS messages remotely, sending notes/links/websites between devices, and synchronizing your phone’s clipboard with your desktop’s.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t yet have support for file transfers. However, it can make/accept/reject calls remotely, mute/unmute your phone remotely, and even find your phone if you happen to lose it.

3. MightyText

Similarities: Remote SMS, mirrored notifications.

MightyText consistently remains one of our preferred ways to send free SMS messages from your PC, but the catch is that MightyText is a browser solution rather than a desktop solution like Pushbullet. If that’s a dealbreaker for you, then go ahead and skip to the next one.

MightyText allows the synchronization of notifications, photos, videos, and SMS messages between your Android phone, Android tablets, and desktop browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and IE), and it allows you to send SMS messages from connected devices. It’s free with a 500-per-month message limit.

There is a Pro version that unlocks a few advanced features: scheduled SMS messages, bulk messaging to multiple contacts, sending SMS messages by email, SMS message templates, blocking numbers, no limits, no ads, and more. The $5 per month cost is a bit steep, though.

4. Yappy

Similarities: Remote SMS, mirrored notifications.

Like MightyText, Yappy (formerly Endless Jabber) is a way to synchronize your Android phone with your Android tablets and desktop PCs through the Yappy web app (extensions only exist for Chrome and Firefox).

Feature-wise, Yappy is simpler than MightyText: it can send and receive encrypted SMS messages, synchronize notifications, and initiate calls remotely. That’s about it, but if those were the only Pushbullet features you were using, then Yappy is the ideal alternative for you.

Yappy’s free version has no message limit, which gives it a slight edge over MightyText, but it has ads and only retains messages for 14 days. The Pro version removes ads, has unlimited message retention (making it good for SMS backups), allows message scheduling and searching, and more for just $2 per month.

5. MySMS

Similarities: Remote SMS, desktop app.

Here’s yet another app that synchronizes SMS messages from your Android phone to your Android tablets, iPads, and desktop computers — but unlike MightyText and Yappy, MySMS provides desktop apps in addition to a web app (but only for Windows and Mac).

Unfortunately, the features are pretty limited. Apart from sending and receiving messages remotely, you can get notified when your phone receives a call. At least there’s no limit on how many messages you can send each month.

For $10 per year, you can upgrade to a Premium account that can backup and store messages, schedule message sending, archive messages to the cloud (Dropbox, Evernote, or Google Drive), export your entire SMS inbox, and manage calls from the computer. At less than $1 per month, that’s not bad at all.

6. Infinit

Similarities: File transfers.

Infinit is a neat little tool for people who used Pushbullet for its file transfer capabilities rather than its SMS or notification features. With Infinit, sharing files from one device to another has never been easier.

The app is available for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux, so you can rest assured that Infinit will work across all of your devices. It’s easy to use, able to send files and folders, secured with encryption, and robust enough to detect disconnections and finish when your connection is reestablished.

Infinit’s free account allows unlimited transfers with a size limit of 10 GB. You can increase that to 50 GB with a Plus account (either $6 or 2 friend invitations every month). For unlimited file sizes, you’ll need the Professional account at $8.50 per month.

7. Send Anywhere

Similarities: File transfers.

Send Anywhere is like Infinit but arguably better, depending on which features are important to you. It’s available as an app for desktops (Windows, Mac, Linux), mobile devices (Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Amazon Kindle), Chrome, and the web.

When you want to send a file, Send Anywhere uploads it to its servers and generates a six-digit key. Anyone can enter that key into Send Anywhere to begin downloading said file from the servers, but only if they enter it within 10 minutes. When the key expires, the file is deleted.

No sign-ups required, everything is done anonymously, and it’s 100% free — there are absolutely no limits on the number of files or the size of files.

What’s Your Pushbullet Alternative?

It’s unfortunate that Pushbullet did what it did. All we can do now is hope that they alter their pricing model, which is unlikely, or move on to one of these replacement apps. It’s a shame that only AirDroid and Pushline are close to being full stand-ins.

Notifications are a big deal, so once you’ve switched over to whichever alternative you like best, don’t forget to further enhance your Android notification experience.

On the other hand, if all you wanted was a lighter-weight version of Pushbullet that only had the features you actually used (e.g. file transfers), then some of these apps may be exactly what you needed. In that case, go ahead and disable the notifications you don’t need.

So which alternative are you going with? Or are you just going to stick with Pushbullet? Let us know what you’re thinking in the comments below!

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