One of my favorite things about the BlackBerry KEY2 I carry every day is the neat little magic trick that lets its keyboard double as a capacitive trackpad – and for the longest time I thought BlackBerry had the exclusive rights to that technology. Well, as it turns out, Lenovo has a keyboard that works just like it – except instead of a smartphone, it’s a remote control for your PC. And instead of $650, it costs about $50.

The Lenovo 500 Multimedia Controller isn’t all that new; in fact it debuted at CES 2017, over a year ago. A series of delays led to my review model just arriving in the MrMobile studio last week – and it only took me about ten minutes of use to realize that, if I still had a roommate who kept a big gaming PC hooked up to the living room TV, I’d have already bought one of these.

If you have a media PC controlling your home theater or living room, or just want to see what a BlackBerry keyboard would look like if you broke it off a KEY2 and gave it a shot of steroids, check out the Lenovo 500 Multimedia Controller review. And if you know of a better product that does the same job in about the same price range, drop it in the comments and maybe I’ll take a look at it the next time I get back on the home-tech train!

[SPONSOR]

This video brought to you by TunnelBear. (Rawr!) Get 59% off a 2-year TunnelBear VPN plan using MrMobile’s exclusive link: http://click.tunnelbear.com/aff_c?offer_id=76&aff_id=5414

[SUBSCRIBE TO MRMOBILE]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSOpcUkE-is7u7c4AkLgqTw?sub_confirmation=1

[ABOUT MRMOBILE’S LENOVO SMART DISPLAY REVIEW]

MrMobile’s Lenovo 500 Multimedia Controller review was produced following five days with a Lenovo 500 Multimedia Controller review device provided by Lenovo. The device was tested with an LG Gram running Windows 10 and a MacBook Pro using OSX.

[PRODUCTS IN THIS VIDEO]:

Lenovo 500 Multimedia Controller [Lenovo.com]:
http://mrmobile.tech/4se

Lenovo 500 Multimedia Controller [Amazon]:
http://mrmobile.tech/4sf

[MUSIC]

“Up Top” by ToneMassif, available at Premium Beats:
https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/up-top

[SOCIALIZE]

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[DISCLOSURE]

This post may contain affiliate links. See Mobile Nations’ disclosure policy for more details: http://www.mobilenations.com/external-links

#lenovo500 #hometech #keyboard

Brought to you by Bombfell. Get $25 off your first order now, at http://bombfell.com/mrmobile

The Oppo Find X is a smartphone you probably shouldn’t buy yet – but not for the reasons you think. Yes, it’s a more fragile phone than the competition, with a motorized camera module that seems fated to fail someday. To quote the great Montgomery Scott, “The more they overtake the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain.”

But to me, carrying a phone as beautiful and unique as the Oppo Find X is worth the durability tradeoff. After all, not every device is meant to hold up to the rigors of carelessness, and you’ve got to expect some compromises in a device made to stand out in 2018. However well-founded they may be, those durability concerns obscure what I think is the more pressing problem with the Oppo Find X: ColorOS. Oppo’s custom Android interface insists upon itself so aggressively that it actively prevents the user from installing a custom launcher. To be clear, I didn’t expect a cakewalk when trying to adapt an overseas smartphone for North American use – but this is the first Android phone in memory that actively prevents the user from enjoying one of the key benefits of Android: the ability to customize the interface to suit their needs. Oppo tells me a software update is due to fix some of the bugs complained of in the above video … but until this launcher lockdown policy is lifted, I won’t be dropping this phone in my pocket. Join me for additional impressions after five days with the Oppo Find X!

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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSOpcUkE-is7u7c4AkLgqTw?sub_confirmation=1

[ABOUT MRMOBILE’S OPPO FIND X PREVIEW]

MrMobile’s Oppo Find X Preview was produced following five days with an Oppo Find X review device (model PAFM00) purchased by Mobile Nations. The device was tested on Project Fi (T-Mobile US) in Greater Boston, MA, USA.

[PRODUCTS IN THIS VIDEO]:

Oppo Find X 128GB PAFM00 [Amazon]:
http://mrmobile.tech/4sd

[LINKS]

Oppo Find X Bend Test Fail!! [JerryRigEverything]:

[MUSIC]

“You Know U Iz” by GG Riggs, available at Premium Beat:
https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/you-know-u-iz

“True Persistence” by Cymatix, available at Premium Beat:
https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/true-persistence

[SOCIALIZE]

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[DISCLOSURE]

This post may contain affiliate links. See Mobile Nations’ disclosure policy for more details: http://www.mobilenations.com/external-links

#oppofindx #findx #oppo #smartphone #technology

I didn’t get the name “MrMobile” by covering a lot of home tech, folks – but when Lenovo revealed back at CES 2018 that it was working with Google to graft a display onto a #GoogleHome … I decided that was something worth crossing categories for. Now, after a week of using the Lenovo Smart Display both at work and home, I’m here to tell you that my hunch was correct: this thing has almost single-handedly reinvigorated my enthusiasm for the #smartassistant category (Sorry, Jibo).

Not that the Lenovo Smart Display is flawless; as an early product just hitting store shelves today, there are a few holes in its functionality. Most notably, you can’t cast to it from your phone yet; there’s no Netflix integration; and the lack of an onboard battery means that moving it from room to room requires a reboot unless you connect it to the mother of all extension cords. But two of those problems are fixable with future updates – and the Smart Display has already proven more useful to me in one week than any of my lesser Google Homes (Googles Home?) have in the past year.

Come see why! Join me for the MrMobile #LenovoSmartDisplay review, and then hit up the rest of the in-depth coverage over on Android Central!

[SPONSOR]

This video brought to you by TunnelBear. (Rawr!) Get 59% off a 2-year TunnelBear VPN plan using MrMobile’s exclusive link: http://click.tunnelbear.com/aff_c?offer_id=76&aff_id=5414

[SUBSCRIBE TO MRMOBILE]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSOpcUkE-is7u7c4AkLgqTw?sub_confirmation=1

[ABOUT MRMOBILE’S LENOVO SMART DISPLAY REVIEW]

MrMobile’s Lenovo Smart Display Review was produced following six days with a #SmartDisplay review device provided by #Lenovo. The device was a preproduction unit running pre-release software. It was tested on two WiFi networks on internet providers Comcast Business and RCN, in Greater Boston, MA.

[PRODUCTS IN THIS VIDEO]:

Lenovo Smart Display [Lenovo.com]:
http://mrmobile.tech/4s9

[LINKS]

Lenovo Smart Display Review: Google Assistant’s best face [Android Central]: https://www.androidcentral.com/lenovo-smart-display-review

Lenovo Smart Display Review [Modern Dad]:

[MUSIC]

“Chill Waves” by Roommate, available at Premium Beat:
https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/chill-waves

“Let Em Ring” by Tonemassif, available at Premium Beat:
https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/let-em-ring

[SOCIALIZE]

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http://mrmobile.tech

[DISCLOSURE]

This post may contain affiliate links. See Mobile Nations’ disclosure policy for more details: http://www.mobilenations.com/external-links

Prime Day live deal tracker at https://www.androidcentral.com/best-amazon-prime-day-deals or visit https://www.thrifter.com

___
When the folks at Thrifter asked me to make a video explaining Amazon Prime Day, I was like “Prime Day?” Isn’t that the overhyped garage sale where Amazon tries to move unsold junk? That’s been my experience – but it turns out that’s just because I haven’t been doing Prime Day right. Well this year I’m gonna do it better – and I’ve collected a few tips so you can, too.

[LIVE DEAL TRACKING]

Brought to you by Thrifter. Get the latest on great deals, including up-to-the-minute buying advice on Amazon Prime Day, at https://www.androidcentral.com/best-amazon-prime-day-deals

[LINKS]

Try Amazon Prime Free:
https://www.amazon.com/tryprimefree?tag=mbnx4-20

Amazon Echo Dot:
http://mrmobile.tech/4s0

Amazon Echo Spot:
http://mrmobile.tech/4rj

Amazon Echo Show:
http://mrmobile.tech/4rk

Kindle Paperwhite:
http://mrmobile.tech/4rl

Kindle Oasis:
http://mrmobile.tech/4rm

Kindle Unlimited:
http://mrmobile.tech/4rn

Prime Exclusive Phones:
http://mrmobile.tech/4ro

Mate 10 Pro:
http://mrmobile.tech/4rp

Fitbit Ionic:
http://mrmobile.tech/4rq

Ticwatch Pro:
http://mrmobile.tech/4rr

Anker PowerCore:
http://mrmobile.tech/4rs

Bose QC35:
http://mrmobile.tech/4rt

DJI Mavic Air (Fly More Combo):
http://mrmobile.tech/4ru

DJI Spark (Fly More Combo):
http://mrmobile.tech/4rv

[SOCIALIZE]

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Tweets by theMrMobile
http://mrmobile.tech

[DISCLOSURE]

This post may contain affiliate links. See Mobile Nations’ disclosure policy for more details: http://www.mobilenations.com/external-links

In a world of smartphones that do everything, it’s refreshing to try a gadget that does … one thing. Relay is an LTE Walkie-Talkie from Republic Wireless designed to keep your kids in contact with you (and each other) without forcing them into the same crippling smartphone addiction that’s slowly sucking the life from all of us grown-ups. But every major wireless carrier has had significant challenges making push-to-talk over data networks function properly – so how much reliability do you sacrifice with Relay versus a traditional cellphone? Find out in MrMobile’s Relay review, then be sure to check out Modern Dad’s and Android Central’s Relay reviews in the links below!

[SPONSOR]

Brought to you by Thrifter. Get the latest on great deals, including up-to-the-minute buying advice on Amazon Prime Day, at http://thrifter.com

[SUBSCRIBE TO MRMOBILE]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSOpcUkE-is7u7c4AkLgqTw?sub_confirmation=1

[ABOUT MRMOBILE’S RELAY WALKIE-TALKIE REVIEW]

MrMobile’s Relay Walkie-Talkie Review was produced following one week with a pair of Relay review units provided by Republic Wireless. The devices were running pre-release software and were tested on Republic Wireless (via the Sprint network) in Greater Boston, MA.

Pursuant to my input concerning service reliability, Republic provided the following feedback about Relay:

“Our latest software build is 1.2 (112) which has some improvements to the resiliency of LTE on CDMA […] We’ve had a small % of customers needing a SIM swap but it has helped almost all of them. The swap is simple [from] a customer perspective, just remove existing SIM and insert new SIM and reboot. We have some algorithms that help us evaluate coverage both based on the vector data we get from the carriers and on real customer experience (eg. if a customer in the same area has requested a swap previously). These data drive future considerations for the coverage we give customers.”

[PRODUCTS IN THIS VIDEO]:

Relay Walkie-Talkie by Republic Wireless [RelayGo]:
http://mrmobile.tech/4ry

[LINKS]

Relay Walkie-Talkie Hands-On [Android Central]:
https://www.androidcentral.com/republic-relay-review

Inside Relay, the Anti-Smartphone for Kids [PCMag]:
https://www.pcmag.com/article/360903/inside-relay-the-anti-smartphone-for-kids

[MUSIC]

“Miami Beach” by Mattijs Miller, available at Premium Beat:
https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/miami-beach

“True Persistence” by Cymatix, available at Premium Beat:
https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/true-persistence

[SOCIALIZE]

http://facebook.com/themrmobile
http://instagram.com/themrmobile
Tweets by theMrMobile
http://mrmobile.tech

[DISCLOSURE]

This post may contain affiliate links. See Mobile Nations’ disclosure policy for more details: http://www.mobilenations.com/external-links

A dual-screen smartwatch sounds like the most ridiculous thing ever devised … until you stop trying to imagine the screens side by side and instead stack them one atop the other. That’s a trick that Mobvoi borrows from Casio for its new TicWatch Pro, and the result is a smartwatch with unparalleled outdoor readability. It also makes for the longest-lasting smartwatch you’ve ever seen – you’ve just got to turn off all the smart stuff to make it happen. Join me for the TicWatch Pro review!

[SPONSOR]

Brought to you by Thrifter. Get the latest on great deals, including up-to-the-minute buying advice on Amazon Prime Day, at http://thrifter.com

[SUBSCRIBE TO MRMOBILE]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSOpcUkE-is7u7c4AkLgqTw?sub_confirmation=1

[ABOUT MRMOBILE’S TICWATCH PRO REVIEW]

MrMobile’s TicWatch Pro Review was produced following 7 days with a TicWatch Pro review device provided by Mobvoi. The watch was tested with a BlackBerry KEY2 and received no software updates during the review period.

[PRODUCTS IN THIS VIDEO]:

TicWatch Pro [Amazon]:
http://mrmobile.tech/4r5

TicWatch Pro [Mobvoi]:
http://mrmobile.tech/4r6

[MUSIC]

“Escapade” by Vincent Tone, available at Premium Beat:
https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/escapade

“True Persistence” by Cymatix, available at Premium Beat:
https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/true-persistence

[SOCIALIZE]

http://facebook.com/themrmobile
http://instagram.com/themrmobile
Tweets by theMrMobile
http://mrmobile.tech

[DISCLOSURE]

This post may contain affiliate links. See Mobile Nations’ disclosure policy for more details: http://www.mobilenations.com/external-links

This video brought to you by TunnelBear. (Rawr!) Get 59% off a 2-year TunnelBear VPN plan using MrMobile’s exclusive link: http://click.tunnelbear.com/aff_c?offer_id=76&aff_id=5414

[Moto Z3 Play Review]

You know what’s cooler than a smartphone that lasts all day long? A smartphone that lasts all day long … and still has 80 percent battery left at bedtime. Is that enough to sell you on Motorola’s Moto Mod lifestyle? Let’s find out in the MrMobile review of the Moto Z3 Play!

[SUBSCRIBE TO MRMOBILE]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSOpcUkE-is7u7c4AkLgqTw?sub_confirmation=1

[ABOUT MRMOBILE’S MOTO Z3 PLAY REVIEW]

MrMobile’s Moto Z3 Play Review was produced following six days with a Moto Z3 Play review device provided by Motorola. The device was running prerelease software and was tested on T-Mobile US (via Project Fi) in Massachusetts and Connecticut, USA.

[PRODUCTS IN THIS VIDEO]:

Moto Z3 Play [Amazon]:
http://mrmobile.tech/4r0

[MUSIC]

“Stir Crazy” by Tonemassif, available at Premium Beat:
https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/stir-crazy

“Days and Days” by Eternity Bro, available at Premium Beat:
https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty_free_music/songs/days-and-days

“Skyrocketing” by Vincent Tone, available at Premium beat:
https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/skyrocketing

[SOCIALIZE]

http://facebook.com/themrmobile
http://instagram.com/themrmobile
Tweets by theMrMobile
http://mrmobile.tech

[DISCLOSURE]

This post may contain affiliate links. See Mobile Nations’ disclosure policy for more details: http://www.mobilenations.com/external-links

This video brought to you by TunnelBear. (Rawr!) Get 59% off a 2-year TunnelBear VPN plan using MrMobile’s exclusive link: http://click.tunnelbear.com/aff_c?offer_id=76&aff_id=5414

[Linedock Review]

As the owner of a late-model MacBook Pro I’ve tried a lot of dongles and extenders to restore the ports that Apple so courageously omitted in its quest to make a thinner laptop. Linedock is the latest solution to this “dongle disease,” and it doesn’t just promise extra ports: it packs a huge battery, an extra hard drive, and (in some models) active cooling to keep your laptop from roasting itself to death. But is Linedock worth the bulk and the cost? Let’s find out, in the MrMobile review!

[SUBSCRIBE TO MRMOBILE]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSOpcUkE-is7u7c4AkLgqTw?sub_confirmation=1

[ABOUT MRMOBILE’S LINEDOCK REVIEW]

MrMobile’s Linedock Review was produced following a week with a preproduction Linedock review unit provided by Linedock. The review device suffered from a soldering defect that rendered its HDMI port useless and un-testable; Linedock has assured me that this defect is not present in the production Linedock models now shipping to buyers.

[PRODUCTS IN THIS VIDEO]:

Linedock 13″:
http://mrmobile.tech/4qz

[MUSIC]

“Beach” by JAM Studio, available at Premium Beat:
https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty_free_music/songs/beach

“Home Organ” by Zach Nicita, available at Premium Beat:
https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty_free_music/songs/home-organ

[SOCIALIZE]

http://facebook.com/themrmobile
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Tweets by theMrMobile
http://mrmobile.tech

[DISCLOSURE]

This post may contain affiliate links. See Mobile Nations’ disclosure policy for more details: http://www.mobilenations.com/external-links

Summertime is no time for over-ear headphones … so when Sony asked me to review its new truly wireless WF-SP700N buds, the timing was perfect. They’re pretty good sport earbuds, with acoustic noise canceling and some very smart sound features – but they make some pretty big compromises too. Join me for the MrMobile WF-SP700N review!

[SUBSCRIBE TO MRMOBILE]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSOpcUkE-is7u7c4AkLgqTw?sub_confirmation=1

[ABOUT MRMOBILE’S WF-SP700N REVIEW]

MrMobile’s WF-SP700N Review was produced following six days with a WF-SP700N review device provided by Sony. It was tested with a BlackBerry KEY2 review device using the Sony Headphones app.

[PRODUCTS IN THIS VIDEO]

Sony WF-SP700N Earbuds:
http://mrmobile.tech/4qf

[MUSIC IN THIS VIDEO]

“Rule the World” by Gyom, available at Premium Beat:
https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty_free_music/songs/rule-the-world

[SOCIALIZE]

http://facebook.com/themrmobile
http://instagram.com/themrmobile
Tweets by theMrMobile
http://mrmobile.tech

[DISCLOSURE]

This post may contain affiliate links. See Mobile Nations’ disclosure policy for more details: http://www.mobilenations.com/external-links