Pixel Buds A-series

 

Pixel Buds - the expensive ones, especially the first gen but also the second - have had their share of teething troubles, and then some. Actually, it seems that all those woes have never been completely straightened out. On top of that, the lack of ANC has been almost a deal breaker for me. However, the Google buds do have a 'feature' that very few among the competition can match: they fit pretty much flush in the ears so nothing sticks out. This last thing is something that I do like a lot, for several reasons, and one of them is that - on my home turf - being outdoors wintertime equals wearing a warm ski hat of sorts!

Then the Pixel Buds A-series came along: almost exactly the same design as the earlier ones, not all the bells and whistles but more budget friendly price for sure. Then the most important thing: these cheaper buds didn't seem to have connection problems, either. I made up my mind - time to purchase the A-series and hope for the best. Perhaps, perhaps I'd be able to cope without ANC.

At the time of this writing I have been using the cheap(?) Google buds for almost a month and I do have slightly mixed feelings about these A-buds.

The Cool Stuff

• These tiny BT buds are super light and very comfortable in my ears (default tips). The tiny stabilizer arc does not bother me at all and apparently does its job since the buds stay put - even though I hardly notice wearing them. 
• Did I mention that the A-Buds fit darn close to completely flush in the ear conch? Superb. Further, apart from the practical aspects, I would not like to walk around advertising that I'm wearing (a certain brand of) ear buds. That is something that, say, Apple Airpods users invariably do.
• Audio quality is fine - considering the price - now that Google added the possibility to boost the low end. A couple of notches results in a balanced audio without any 'boom bass' at all. Works extremely well for voice as well - my listening using in-ear buds is perhaps 90% podcasts. However, I feel that the audio does not quite match that of Sony WF-1000XM3 that I tried earlier but the Sony buds were never an option for me (see my review).
• IPx4 'water and sweat resistance' is a good thing for sure but does not mean you should shower or go swimming wearing these! Workouts and a bit of rain should be fine though.
• The BT connection is solid, I haven't had any dropouts at all. Nil, zero, none, regardless where I carry my Pixel 4a. The reach of the signal is also very decent, even through a couple of apartment walls. Good job, at last!
• It's great to be able to take out one of the buds and keep listening through the other one.
• The Google assistant is available in all its glory, providing your phone is connected to the Internet of course, and that can be very handy. However, I sure do not use the assistant when other folks are around - I would feel pretty stupid doing that.

Not Very Cool

• There were many reports about exceptionally low volume on A-buds when they were first introduced. The firmware updates seem to have fixed this; however, I still get a feeling that I need to raise the volume more than when using other earphones.
• There is no volume control on the touch surfaces - however, what you do get functions better than I expected. After some practice, I get the tap right (almost) every time. No need to push the buds hard, either, and my warm winter hat doesn't cause any trouble so kudos for that.
• The Adaptive sound thingy increases the listening volume automagically when the noise level around you goes up. It's a bit weird and when, say, a loud car approaches you and the listening volume typically goes up after that car is already gone. Nah, I'm not a fan. Especially when listening to music, I find that the setting completely wrecks the listening experience.
• There is no multi-pairing - switching from the Android phone to the pc takes some strenuous manual labor, each and every time.
• No wireless charging; luckily, that doesn't matter to me.

Miscellaneous

• The case is small, smooth and 'pebble rounded' in a way that feels great when holding it - and you can use it as a fridge magnet, if you really feel the need. The lid seems okay, snaps shut reassuringly and the buds stay in their magnetic slots the way you'd expect them to. So, what about if you drop the case? I'd guess that depends on the circumstances but I sure try not to do a crash test! Most probably the buds would go flying, to start with..
• Battery life is definitely not stellar - most of the competition does better - but it's still ok with me; frequent intercontinental flights have never been a part of my routine. Using one bud only (I often do) obviously doubles the listening time available and the bud that goes back into the 'den' charges reasonably fast.

Verdict

From past experience with (wired) Bose QC20, way back in time (see my review), my view is that well functioning ANC is a real blessing. I was well aware that the A-series buds lack this but I still decided to get a pair - partly because I was curious, partly because I had tried some other pricy ANC earbuds that just didn't make the cut.

The A-series are, in a way, the opposite to ANC-buds: A-series are designed to make the person wearing them aware of the surroundings. During a bus commute this is not a great thing to me so I end up using over-the-ear hearing protection! Yup, makes me look like a bozo but it does work. Taking a walk, it really is a good thing to be able to hear what's going on around you so I have, in a way, (almost) made my peace with not having ANC. Would just love to have it in these earbuds though!

So, I do like my A-series buds; they tick most of the other important boxes for me and the physical design feels just right. Extremely comfy, solid BT connection and good audio. They are kinda Cool alright but do not leave the case behind when you put the buds in your ears - forgetting the case equals trouble :)

Go Solar: Anker Power Port Solar Lite

The pocket book for size comparison only - not included with the solar charger! No rechargeable batteries or a power bank, either, but that would be a bit too much to ask considering the price.

Many moons ago, I figured it would be neat to have a (compact) solar charger available on kayaking trips. My reasoning should be mostly obvious - it's great to have a power source when away from the grid, weather permitting! - but I do also get this warm and fuzzy feeling from using solar power.

Quite a bit of research followed and, in the end, I decided on the Anker Power Port Solar Lite - the 15W rated sibling to the larger (21W) one. Anker is globally known for high quality chargers, power banks and other similar accessories (check the Decoder interview with Anker CEO!) and the Solar Lite has been one of the most popular and budget friendly solar chargers for years.

My experiences from using the Solar Lite are also definitely positive, including the 'bang for the GBP factor' (I bought mine from Amazon UK): I think I paid roughly 40 GBP and that included the shipping cost to my very Nordic location in northern Sweden. A summary of my thoughts, after sporadically using the charger since 2016:

• The unit is very compact, extremely durable when folded and copes just fine with some light drizzle (the ports are not well protected from rain though). However, I sure wouldn't recommend leaving it unfolded and open in the rain!
• It does the charging job very well, considering the compact size of the panels. No problems charging a phone or a similar device and in direct sunlight it seems to perform just as well - or better - than a traditional out-of-the-box phone charger. The Solar Lite also resumes charging almost immediately after a cloud has passed and does trickle charge even through some light cloud cover.
• My unit has two 'old school' USB outputs; USB-C is way too modern of course! I have rarely tried charging two units simultaneously but charging two phones has worked okay, even though more slowly.
• Normally, I use the Solar to keep a power bank well charged. I have also tried placing the Solar on top of my kayak rear deck, in a clear (100% water proof tested) map 'sleeve' along with a small power bank and that did work, even though charging was slow through the plastic. Your mileage will most probably vary.
• If you have a tiny phone - or a power bank - it might fit in the built-in pouch with a velcro closure. Beware that whatever you put in there does get hot in direct sunlight; that's generally a very bad idea, especially when NiMH batteries are involved. Get a longer USB cable instead so you can have your electronics better protected from the sun while connected to the Solar.

All in all, a great solar charger that doesn't add much weight to whatever you are lugging around, so a good choice for hiking as well. Cool? Actually the opposite in direct sunlight but a good choice anyway!

Charging my HX870 VHF radio: In The Wild

I know - the photo is not 'in the wild' at all but it shows all the gear needed at least. Batteries not included!

I still can't quite get it that it took me so many years to realize that a VHF marine handheld really is something I need to have when I'm out there on the water, in my sea kayak. Guess I've always figured that, since I never do any extreme stuff, I'm good anyway. Well, it turned out that's not the case; my writing about that here.

These days both me and my wife are always wearing a Standard Radio HX870 marine VHF radio when kayaking; it's a good choice in many ways but easily charging the battery is not one of them. You have to bring along, in addition to the radio..

• The charging cradle(!)
• The car charger (included when you get the radio)
• An additional USB adapter that the car charger plugs into

Lugging around all that gear, it's possible to charge the HX870 when you are somewhere - probably in the tent - fully protected from the (wet) elements. No 'wet swap' of the battery possible, by the way, but I'd guess that would be a lot to ask. The cable connecting the power to the charging cradle is, unfortunately, of the cheap & stiff kind that you don't want to bend too many times (and the same applies to the car charger cable).

Perhaps the main drawback of the HX870 - and many other marine radios - is this: you can't charge the radio without the cradle and there is no way, that I know of, to charge the battery when it's removed from the radio. Sure, a USB port is a potential point of failure but there are ways - far better than a rubber flap - to secure it from water damage.

Obviously, to be able to charge anything, you also need a power source but that's another story altogether!

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The Instant Ramen Hack

 

So, how's this the ramen hack, since there must be roughly a billion of them on YouTube? Okay, let's just say that this is the only one I've tried, at least!

I was running low on lunch food at the office - I do fix my own lunch, in various ways, in case I don't have some of the really good stuff with me (the delicious leftovers from a home cooked dinner, prepared by my very own chef). What I did have was mayo - not the US whole-eggs-style but made of yolks only - plus eggs and instant ramen noodles. Heck, why not.

Some garnish would have been great - and some garlic as well - but at least there was a bit of built-in garlic taste in the Sriracha clone that I used for additional oomph. 

All in all, this weird combo does really work; it doesn't quite turn instant ramen into the culinary peak experience of a lifetime but you do get something quite a bit tastier than the bare bones bowl!

[UPDATE] The second time, I added spring onions that had been marinating overnight in my secret sauce (secret ingredients: Japanese soy, miso, sesame oil, lemon, chili, Hoisin sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ginger, maple syrup). A generous tablespoon of this combo went in together with the mayo in the beginning and then I garnished the works with some of the spring onions. The end result? Definitely yummy. I'd even say: the best instant ramen ever - and crazy cool.

Spectacular pizza - on the stovetop

It's almost begging: 'bite me!' I sure did :)

Sometimes, when the pizza cravings hit, there might not be an oven available - or perhaps you just don't want to fire up your oven, for whatever reason. So, what about the stovetop then? Googling 'stovetop pizza' gives way more than ten million hits so, apparently, it's doable alright! Just get your dough ready in advance, as usual, grab a pan and you're good to go. But hey, what about that amazing slightly charred, Neapolitan style leopard crust? Yup, you can fix that too, but you do need the specialty item that's also a must-have for the super delicious desserts like Crème Brûlée or Crema Catalana: a kitchen torch!

I'm not sure how I found Andrea - probably more widely known as CuoreDiCiccolato on the web - but he seems to be a really nice guy who knows what he's doing in his kitchen, he's got this truly beautiful Italian accent and, talking about pizza: shoot, he's Italian! So, I checked his YouTube video about Neapolitan style stovetop pizza and knew I just had to give it a try. 

Andrea's dough recipe is way more exact than anything that I can handle so I just winged it, being careful not to add too much flour (you can always cope with a dough that's perhaps a bit too sticky but the other way round is basically impossible). The pan I used is a shallow DeBuyer Mineral B carbon steel pan and the torch a heavy duty Sievert Handyjet 2282. The result? I'd guess Andrea would say something like this: pretty spectacular!

Crazy delicious, the Parmesan shavings almost melting in the mozzarella and pesto topping. Rucola on top gives the final green and tasty touch!

The version above - Bianco e verde (mozzarella, pesto, capers and before serving generously with parmesan shavings plus arugula), many thanks btw to Martin Johansson and his superb (Swedish) book Bröd och pizza - is probably one of our great favorites that really shines with the sour dough boost Martin knows all about! My wife is a bit of a sour dough wizard so I will definitely later on try the Spectacular style infused with some sour dough magic :) 

All in all, I'd say that my stovetop pizza test was a great success and something I'll most probably get back to many times in the future. Very, very Cool and Grazie, Andrea!

Jabra Elite 75t: A Total In-ear Disaster

They are small and lightweight, the Jabra Elite 75t, and that's Cool. Unfortunately, there wasn't much more to add into that department - the rest was mainly very, very uncool.

After sending back the Sony WF-1000XM3 - my writing here - I was trying to make up my mind if I should give Jabra a try. The pro reviewers were mostly giving both thumbs up to the 75t and also the latest 85t; the latter seemed crazy expensive so I decided to see if the 75t would fit the bill. Not that the 75t are cheap though - on the contrary! However, at least they were smaller than the really bulky Sony buds and the latest firmware apparently also made some kind of ANC magic happen.

The first impression, when unpacking the 75t, was that the small (charging) case felt cheap, made of extremely slippery plastic. The buds are very light but have the same super slippery finish so it's really easy to accidentally drop them. Shaking the empty case a little, I could hear the lid rattling; not a good sign. Flimsy! Dropping the case on a hard surface would most probably break it.

After unpacking, the next move is obviously to fully charge the buds and the built-in battery of the case. While the USB charger was doing its thing, I checked the instruction manual with a microscope (yes, the font size is that small) and downloaded the Jabra Sound+ app in order to update the buds' firmware to the latest version. Not bad, what I had read, getting ANC through a firmware update!

Soon enough the charging was done. I fired up the Jabra app and connected the buds.. No, I take that back! The app did not find the buds at all. What the heck! I read the instructions again, tried again, then checked the Reddit thread about folks having the same problem, tried again, did everything suggested by Jabra to remedy the situation, reset the buds, tried again.. Nope. No luck - and I was feeling slightly tired of the whole thing by now.

For a while, I just set aside my Jabra app woes and tried the buds with default settings and the old firmware. They felt comfortable in my ears even though I'm a bit wary of jamming any small pieces of equipment deep into my ear canal (came to think of the TWiT AllAboutAndroid co-host, Ron Richards, who had the in-ear tips of his buds get stuck in his ears while on a plane - yes, a very bad experience). The audio was okay and so was the BT connection; however, if the right side one - the 'master' bud - quits, all you have is a pair of pricey so-so functioning ear plugs. This master-slave arrangement in expensive in-ear buds like these sucks big time!

The Jabra 75t buds do block out some of the ambient noise but the talk of 'passive noise cancellation' bugs me big time; it's all about the good old ear plug effect and has nothing to do with any kind of noise cancellation! Are these extremely good ear plugs, then? Nope, the old cheap standard issue that expands in the ear is way better. Then, what about the size of the buds and them protruding from the ears? Well, Jabra sure is way better in this respect than the Sony I tried; the buds are small and don't stick out of the ears very much (but more than I'd like, anyway).

The battery life of the Jabra buds is a mystery to me. After a couple of days, the left earbud - the slave - would occasionally run out of juice even though the phone reported almost full battery level for Jabra. Then it became clear to me that the 'slave' bud wasn't charging at all, since I got the power off voice prompt right away after inserting the buds in my ears. The 'master' bud kept soldiering on, even though it started frequently dropping the BT connection. Is this an issue that has been addressed by new firmware? Who knows.

Okay, back to the stubborn Jabra Sound+ app then. I decided to test one last time, now using my wife's still fairly new Sony phone. I unpaired the Jabra from my Pixel 2, paired with the Sony - no problem there - and then tried the app again: you guessed it, no connection with the buds. Sigh. It seems there is something badly wrong here and whatever it is, it's on the Jabra side.

Using the Jabra Elite 75t without the companion app is not an alternative. Not only would you miss the 'software ANC' through the firmware update but also all future fixes. There are also tons of other settings that can only be accessed through the app. The 'slave' bud not charging is, of course, a disaster and so is the buds dropping the BT connection. To sum up: these earbuds I bought are total garbage. Was I unlucky to get defective gear? I have no idea but I have already returned the buds and will steer clear of Jabra products in the future. 

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Sangean MMR-88: A Cranky Radio

It's cranky alright - and you really can crank some emergency power into this thing

I do like analogue technology - perhaps just because almost everything seems to be in the digital domain these days. The good old radio broadcasting is still alive and kicking in Sweden, even though the young folks barely seem to know what it is.

Even though the days of the old fashioned radio are probably numbered, there are situations where the age old tech beats its digital counterpart. Some of the plus points:

• Proven, robust tech
• Good coverage (in many countries)
• Inexpensive end user equipment
• No internet connection needed!

In case of a major emergency, analogue radio broadcast is still the straightforward way of reaching many people - completely separate from digital networks that can always be messed up by hostile actors, from anywhere on the globe.

The Sangean MMR-88  - Survivor(!) - is marketed as an emergency FM/AM radio and the tiny piece of kit definitely has features that underline this description: hand crank dynamo as an alternative power source and a solar panel being the foremost ones. Hey, I almost forgot - the radio has the bright yellow 'emergency kit' color as well! However, the color does not equal full protection from rain or rough handling; an unlucky drop from a moderate height to a hard surface would probably break the (non-rubberised) main plastic shell. Is this thing the Survivor? Not quite sure about that..

The radio has good reception and surprisingly good audio quality from the tiny speaker. The crank works as advertised for emergency power and the tiny solar panel seems to give the battery enough boost to keep it powering the radio for most of (preferably sunny) days. 

My main gripe - apart from the lack of good protection from the elements and the weird format of the replaceable battery - is the large on/off button, on top of the unit, for the built-in flashlight. It's great to have a flashlight but the big button will invariably be pressed accidentally when traveling! The result: no battery power when it's time to get the radio out of the bag or the innards of the kayak. This is a stupid design flaw and, obviously, I had to make an advanced modification of my own to correct the situation.

I have earlier put together a more detailed summary of this Sangean radio - you'll find the GoogleDoc here - and, for the most part, I like this tiny unit. Pretty Cool but there's definitely also room for improvement.

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