We spotlight a lot of external SSD drives on Haveaheartsavealife, but some days you can’t beat a good, old-fashioned flash drive. And today’s one of those days. Amazon is selling the 64GB SanDisk Ultra Flair USB 3.0 flash drive for a ridiculous $12.89 todayRemove non-product link, an all-time low.
This durable little flash drive features a slick metal casing to keep your data safe from physical threats, while 128-bit encryption software and password protection. The Ultra Flair also provides speedy transfers, with speeds up to 150Mb/s over USB 3.0, which is compatible with any USB port.
We haven’t tried this flash drive ourselves, but we’ve been fans of SanDisk products in the past. And this one is a hit on Amazon, with 4.1 stars out of 5 across more than 3,200 user reviews.
[Today’s deal: 64GB SanDisk Ultra Flair USB 3.0 flash drive for $12.89 on AmazonRemove non-product link]
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Six years after the events of “Wreck-It Ralph,” Ralph and Vanellope, now friends, discover a wi-fi router in their arcade, leading them into a new adventure.
Teen Miles Morales becomes Spider-Man of his reality, crossing his path with five counterparts from other dimensions to stop a threat for all realities.
A Lion cub crown prince is tricked by a treacherous uncle into thinking he caused his father’s death and flees into exile in despair, only to learn in adulthood his identity and his responsibilities.
Directors:
Roger Allers,
Rob Minkoff
Stars:
Matthew Broderick,
Jeremy Irons,
James Earl Jones
The Incredibles hero family takes on a new mission, which involves a change in family roles: Bob Parr (Mr Incredible) must manage the house while his wife Helen (Elastigirl) goes out to save the world.
Director:
Brad Bird
Stars:
Craig T. Nelson,
Holly Hunter,
Sarah Vowell
In a city of humanoid animals, a hustling theater impresario’s attempt to save his theater with a singing competition becomes grander than he anticipates even as its finalists’ find that their lives will never be the same.
Directors:
Garth Jennings,
Christophe Lourdelet
Stars:
Matthew McConaughey,
Reese Witherspoon,
Seth MacFarlane
A selfish prince is cursed to become a monster for the rest of his life, unless he learns to fall in love with a beautiful young woman he keeps prisoner.
In Depression-era London, a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, along with Michael’s three children, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins following a personal loss. Through her unique magical skills, and with the aid of her friend Jack, she helps the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives. Written by Disney
It was chosen by both the National Board of Review and American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of 2018 and received numerous award nominations, including four at the 76th Golden Globe Awards (including for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy), nine at the 24th Critics’ Choice Awards, and a SAG Award nomination for Blunt at the 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards. See more »
Goofs
When the children are going to the shop and don’t have enough money, they mention buying things at ‘half-off’. This is an American phrase that would not be used by a child in London who would say ‘half price’. See more »
Quotes
Mary Poppins:
[singing]
So, perhaps we’ve learned when day is done, some stuff and nonsense could be fun!
In a reprisal of the credits gag from the original, Dick Van Dyke is at first credited as “Nackvid Keyd”, only for the credits to unscramble themselves again. See more »
If you’re looking to put together a new gaming rig, Newegg’s got some great deals for you today on the most important components: the processor, motherboard, and graphics card—and you’ll get a couple of free games for good measure.
First up, the retailer is selling a special deal combo of the Ryzen 5 2600 and the ASRock X370 Killer motherboard for $230Remove non-product link after a $25 mail-in rebate. That’s about $70 cheaper than buying these two components separately. For graphics, you can grab the MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Duke 8GB OC for $480Remove non-product link after a $20 mail-in rebate. All together you’re paying $755 upfront for both deals, but you’ll get $45 of that back in rebates.
When you’re looking for value on a new gaming rig it’s hard to beat AMD’s Ryzen series right now given the high performance you get at a much cheaper price than an Intel chip. The 3.6Ghz AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is a 65-watt CPU featuring six core and twelve threads, and this version of the Ryzen 5 comes rocking an AMD Wraith Stealth cooler. On top of that you get Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 for free when you purchase this processor.
The RTX 2070 is a solid option for 1440p gaming and entry-level 4K performance. In addition, you get a free copy of either Anthem or Battlefield V. This particular version of the RTX 2070 is usually around $530, and the best price you’ll find for any RTX 2070 is $500. This card is one of the most powerful around, and it’ll be even better once ray tracing and deep learning super sampling (DLSS) become a standard feature in games. We haven’t reviewed the ASRock X370 Killer motherboard, but it’s an affordable option that’s even cheaper as part of this deal.
Whether you’re going for one or both deals, you’ll be well on your way to building a fantastic gaming PC.
[Today’s deals: Ryzen 5 2600 and the ASRock X370 Killer motherboardRemove non-product link and MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Duke 8GB OCRemove non-product link at Newegg]
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Ian is an independent writer based in Israel who has never met a tech subject he didn’t like. He primarily covers Windows, PC and gaming hardware, video and music streaming services, social networks, and browsers. When he’s not covering the news he’s working on how-to tips for PC users, or tuning his eGPU setup.
On the run in the year of 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie, on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken.
Director:
Travis Knight
Stars:
Hailee Steinfeld,
Jorge Lendeborg Jr.,
John Cena
The true story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her struggles for equal rights, and the early cases of a historic career that lead to her nomination and confirmation as U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice.
Six strangers are given mysterious black boxes with tickets to an immersive escape room for a chance to win tons of money. Being locked in several rooms with extreme conditions, they discover the secrets behind the escape room and must fight to survive and to find a way out.
Brinno’s Empower TLC2000 security camera serves a very particular niche: the need to easily capture hours or even days of activity, and then play it all back as a succinct video digest.
That makes this time-lapse camera a viable product for users as varied as the small business owner who wants an inexpensive security solution, construction managers looking to monitor job sites, and creative types wanting to produce stop-motion video or to document art projects.
It’s not inexpensive at $350, but with 1080p resolution, four capture modes, and dead-simple operation, it’s a worthwhile purchase for these folks who don’t have many other options to suit their needs.
Brinno
The lens on the Brinno TCL2000 can be swapped out for one one of Brinno’s BCS zoom lenses.
Features
The palm-sized TLC2000 measures 2.4- by 2.8- by 1.7 inches and is portable enough to toss in a pocket, purse, or a laptop bag. The included lens has an F2.0 aperture and a 118-degree field of view, but this can be removed (it easily unscrews from the body) and swapped out for any of Brinno’s BCS zoom lenses, which are sold separately. Video is recorded at up to 1080p resolution.
A 2-inch TFT LCD on the back is accompanied by a trio of menu-navigation buttons. The power and shutter buttons sit on top, and a Micro-USB port and a microSD card slot are located behind a rubber cover on the side of the camera. The TCL2000 has an operating temperature of 32- to 113 degrees F, making it safe to operate outdoors.
Performance
Before you can use the camera, you must install the included microSD card (8GB, but the camera can support up to 128GB cards) and a pair of AA batteries. Brinno claims battery life of up to 18 hours when recording at three-second intervals, and up to 25 days at five-minute intervals. A USB-C-to-USB cable is also provided if you’d prefer to connect the camera to a power source. Once the camera is powered on, you’re prompted to set the current date and time, and then you can start shooting.
With its flat bottom, you can set the camera on any horizontal surface and frame your shot. I placed it on a fence to monitor traffic outside my home, as well as visitors and delivery trucks going in and out of my driveway. It sat undisturbed until I retrieved it. But there’s a threaded tripod socket on the bottom that can be used if a stable surface isn’t available. I also found this option invaluable when I made a short stop-motion video with a few of my kids toys.
The camera includes four capture modes for shooting: Time Lapse captures a series of still images at your choice of intervals, and then automatically combines them into a time-lapse video. Similarly, Step Video records short video clips at selected intervals, and then automatically combines them into one longer clip. Stop Motion allows you to combine multiple still frames into a motion video, while Still Photo captures a single image.
To prepare for shooting, you navigate through the menu items to select the capture mode, and in the case of Time Lapse and Step Video, the capture interval. For Time Lapse, you can have the camera snap pictures every 30 seconds or every one, two, three, or five minutes. Step Video requires you to choose two intervals: the burst length (the duration of each clip) and the burst interval (the frequency with which each clip is recorded. You then just press the shutter button to start recording, and again to stop and have the camera process all the images or clips into one video.
In Stop Motion and Still Photo modes, you use the TLC2000 more like a conventional camera, by depressing the shutter button to capture each individual still image. In the case of Stop Motion, you press the shutter button for three seconds when you’re done and the camera edits all the images into a stop-motion video.
You can’t view the processed videos on the camera’s display; instead, you must pop the microSD card into your computer (an adapter is provided for this). The video quality is superb, with sharp detail and vivid color, easily on par with what you’d get with a good Wi-Fi security camera. The video processing is also excellent, providing polished results whether you’re creating a daily security digest or a creative short video.
Michael Ansaldo/IDG
I set the Brinno Empower on my fence to capture time-lapse video of activity around my driveway for an afternoon.
While you can get great results with the out-of-the-box settings, the camera allows you customize parameters such as resolution and frame rate, and you can make image corrections to brightness, contrast, and white balance to ensure the best quality images. It also offers an adjustable flicker filter and scene modes for daytime, twilight, and night.
A scheduling feature will be invaluable to anyone using the camera for security monitoring: Just set the start and stop times and select the days of the week for the camera to automatically start and stop recording.
Bottom line
For what it does, the Brinno Empower TLC2000 is a cool little camera. It’s important to note, however, that while you can use it for security monitoring, it doesn’t have such common security features as remote monitoring, motion detection, or app control, all of which you’d get with a conventional Wi-Fi security camera. If those capabilities are important to you, check out our home security camera buying guide for more suitable options.
But if you fit one of the profiles I mentioned at the beginning of this review, you’ll find much to like in this camera. The ability to instantly produce time-lapse video without having to import clips into third-party software is the main allure here, but the camera’s portability and ease of use are equally attractive.
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Six years after the events of “Wreck-It Ralph,” Ralph and Vanellope, now friends, discover a wi-fi router in their arcade, leading them into a new adventure.
The Incredibles hero family takes on a new mission, which involves a change in family roles: Bob Parr (Mr Incredible) must manage the house while his wife Helen (Elastigirl) goes out to save the world.
Director:
Brad Bird
Stars:
Craig T. Nelson,
Holly Hunter,
Sarah Vowell
The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.
A Lion cub crown prince is tricked by a treacherous uncle into thinking he caused his father’s death and flees into exile in despair, only to learn in adulthood his identity and his responsibilities.
Directors:
Roger Allers,
Rob Minkoff
Stars:
Matthew Broderick,
Jeremy Irons,
James Earl Jones
During her family’s move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.
Miles Morales is a New York teen struggling with school, friends and, on top of that, being the new Spider-Man. When he comes across Peter Parker, the erstwhile saviour of New York, in the multiverse, Miles must train to become the new protector of his city. Written by Tom Daly
It was announced shortly after Stan Lee’s death, at age 95, that he had recorded a cameo for the film and that it would be his final voice-acting role. Lord and Miller felt it was important that Lee was given a bigger moment compared to previous Marvel films because he was “so integral to the spirit of this movie,” and considered his role “extra meaningful” following his death. See more »
Goofs
When Peter Parker, Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy are standing outside Aunt May’s door, Peter starts walking away until Gwen fires up a web to pull him back. In the very next shot, Peter is back in place but the web behind him is gone entirely. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Peter Parker:
[narrating]
Alright, let’s do this one last time. My name is Peter Parker. I was bitten by a radioactive spider and for ten years I’ve been the one and only Spider-Man. I’m pretty sure you know the rest. I saved a bunch of people, fell in love, saved the city, and then I saved the city again and again and again… And, uh… I did this.
[shot of Spidey doing the emo dance from “Spider-Man 3”]
Peter Parker:
We don’t really talk about this. Look, I’m a comic book, I’m a cereal, did a Christmas album…
SPOILER: There is a scene at the end of the closing credits: Spider-Man 2099 (Miguel O’Hara) travels to Spider-Man (1967) and has a comical encounter with the Spider-Man of that show. See more »
Conventional wisdom goes like this: “Skip the gaming headset and buy a great pair of headphones and a standalone microphone for the same money.” And why not? Most of the headsets we review come from jack-of-all-trades companies like Logitech, Razer, and Corsair, attempting to compete with dedicated audio companies. The deck is stacked against them from the start.
But every once in a while we get a gaming headset from a mainstream audio company, presenting an interesting deviation from the norm. In these cases, the reverse usually plays out, with a headset nailing the audio side of the equation but flubbing the rest.
So it goes with Sennheiser’s new GSP 600, which won’t win any awards for style or comfort but still manages to impress on some aspects.
Note: This review is part of our roundupof best gaming headsets. Go there for details on competing products and how we tested them.
Too big and too small
“Won’t win any awards for style” is a bit of an understatement. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a headset as boxy as the GSP 600. The last one was…well, probably the GSP 350 that Sennheiser sent over a few years back. The GSP 600 has a decidedly retro silhouette—the dreaded “Air Traffic Controller” look that most headsets (thankfully) avoid these days. It’s enormous, squat, and bizarrely top-heavy. With the ears extended it looks better but not that much better.
IDG / Hayden Dingman
Sure, you’re wearing the GSP 600 in front of your PC, not to a wedding or a modeling shoot or whatever. It doesn’t really matter.
But it sort-of matters, right? The GSP 600 simply isn’t much of a looker. It makes a few improvements over the GSP 350, swapping the pale-gray of the previous model for a sleek matte black. That, combined with a more industrial aesthetic, helps mask some of the bulk and make the GSP 600 look a little less dated. I like the angular silver hinges between the headband and earcups, for instance, as well as the metallic red highlights. The branding’s inconspicuous as well, which I always appreciate.
Point being: Sennheiser has a solid grasp on design, and has put out great devices like the Game Zero headset using many of the same tenets. Sennheiser’s gaming aesthetic is more aggressive than its mainstream devices, for sure, but not offensively so.
And despite its size, the GSP 600 isn’t as comfortable as I expected either. I figured the size was at least in part due to padding. And the GSP 600’s earcups and headband are indeed generously padded. It doesn’t matter though, as the GSP 600 fits like a vice, and that’s after you adjust the secondary “contact pressure” mechanisms.
On the headband you’ll find two sliding bars that theoretically change how tightly the GSP 600 grips your skull. In my experience it didn’t make much difference whether they were all the way loose or not. No matter what I tried, the GSP 600 never really reached that happy medium between “secure” and “tight.” I’ve worn it for upwards of an hour or two at a time, and I’m always slightly relieved when I take it off. I don’t consider my head abnormally large either, and found that I had to extend the GSP 600 to its maximum size for a good fit. Consider that a warning.
The cabling is removable and the GSP 600 comes with two options: a shorter cable with a single 3.5mm jack and a longer dual-terminus option. The cables are both a bit weird on the headset end, featuring a bulbous piece of plastic that I suppose is meant to “lock in,” but mostly make it a pain to connect the wire to the headset the first time.
Last but not least, there’s a volume knob hiding on the right earcup. That’s it, as far as headset controls are concerned. Mic mute is controlled by flipping the mic up out of the way, which I like—although the GSP 600’s mic makes an annoying click noise when you move it up or down. I could’ve done without that feature.
Lives up to the name
So yeah, not a looker and not particularly amazing to wear. Those are the things that most gaming headsets find it easiest nail, and yet it’s where Sennheiser’s dropped the ball with the GSP 600.
Flip that sentiment though. As I said up top: Gaming headsets are often great for marathon play sessions, exceptionally comfortable and lightweight, but struggle with audio fidelity. That’s less true than it used to be, as headsets like the HyperX Cloud Alpha manage to bridge both sides to an extent. But even now, HyperX is the exception and not the norm.
IDG / Hayden Dingman
The GSP 600 sounds pretty damn good, much like a high-end pair of headphones you’d expect to get from Sennheiser. It’s not a flat studio sound by any means. Like both the GSP 350 and the Game Zero, I detect a bit of a mid-range boost that can be fatiguing over the course of the day, especially if you’re listening to a lot of music. Vocals are noticeably bumped, as are some of the treble-heavy instruments (like cymbals). But it’s a vibrant and exciting sound profile, not cloying like some of Corsair’s treble-slanted headsets.
Likewise, bass lovers might be disappointed by the GSP 600’s low-end, as it has a tendency to fade into the background. There’s an exceptional precision to it though, with snappy bass drums on the music side and crisp explosions in-game.
The real standout though is the GSP 600’s wide soundstage. I applauded Sennheiser for the same accomplishment on the Game Zero, and it’s no less impressive this time around. The GSP 600 is a stereo headset at heart, without any of the fancy software-driven 7.1 surround gimmicks we’ve seen in recent years, but you’d hardly notice the difference. The left-right play in the GSP 600 is some of the most realistic I’ve found in a gaming headset, meaning it’s easy to pinpoint an enemy in-game, while a well-mixed piece of music sees instruments naturally separate into their proper locations.
IDG / Hayden Dingman
And Sennheiser’s still one of the only companies to really nail the microphone on one of these gaming headsets. Usually the microphone is an afterthough, but the GSP 600’s voice reproduction is crisp, clean, and flattering even without the software tricks most USB-powered headsets lean on.
Bottom line
Are you better off buying a pair of headphones and a microphone? Or just a normal gaming headset, like the HyperX Cloud Alpha? Maybe. Like usual, the biggest hurdle for Sennheiser is the price. Listing at $250, the GSP 600 is far more expensive than even the best wired gaming headsets. It sounds good, but perhaps not $250 good by 2019 standards. The GSP 600 is also a gaming-oriented headset first and foremost, and whether that fits your needs is debatable.
That said, I’ve been pretty happy both gaming and listening to music on the GSP 600, enough to put up with the lackluster fit and finish. Personally I think Sennheiser’s Game Zero is a better one-stop solution for music and games, especially now that it lists for $180, but can often be found for much less. The GSP 600 is a solid alternative though—as long as you’ve got a resilient jaw and don’t mind the bulk.
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One peaceful day on Earth, two remnants of Frieza’s army named Sorbet and Tagoma arrive searching for the Dragon Balls with the aim of reviving Frieza. They succeed, and Frieza subsequently seeks revenge on the Saiyans.
The Z-Fighters must contend with Lord Beerus, the God of Destruction, but only a God can fight a God, and none of them are Gods. However with the creation of the Super Saiyan God, will the Z-Fighters be able to defeat Lord Beerus?
After learning that he is from another planet, a warrior named Goku and his friends are prompted to defend it from an onslaught of extraterrestrial enemies.
Stars:
Doc Harris,
Christopher Sabat,
Scott McNeil
The adventures of Earth’s martial arts defender Son Goku continue with a new family and the revelation of his alien origin. Now Goku and his allies must defend the planet from an onslaught of new extraterrestrial enemies.
Vegeta is lured to the planet New Vegeta by a group of Saiyan survivors in hopes that he will be the king of their new planet. But when he finds that they have ulterior motives of universal… See full summary »
Son Gokû, a fighter with a monkey tail, goes on a quest with an assortment of odd characters in search of the Dragon Balls, a set of crystals that can give its bearer anything they desire.
A mysterious being named Hoy arrives on Earth and asks the Z Warriors to use the dragon balls to help him release Tapion. Tapion, an ancient warrior imprisoned in a music box, and Hoy needs… See full summary »
Mr. Satan is challenged to a fight by an old rival, and he is taken to an island where the fight is to be held. Accompanying him are Android 18, who is making sure he doesn’t skip town … See full summary »
The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.
Directors:
Anthony Russo,
Joe Russo
Stars:
Robert Downey Jr.,
Chris Hemsworth,
Mark Ruffalo
On the run in the year of 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie, on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken.
Director:
Travis Knight
Stars:
Hailee Steinfeld,
Jorge Lendeborg Jr.,
John Cena
T’Challa, heir to the hidden but advanced kingdom of Wakanda, must step forward to lead his people into a new future and must confront a challenger from his country’s past.
Director:
Ryan Coogler
Stars:
Chadwick Boseman,
Michael B. Jordan,
Lupita Nyong’o
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy.
Thor is imprisoned on the planet Sakaar, and must race against time to return to Asgard and stop Ragnarök, the destruction of his world, at the hands of the powerful and ruthless villain Hela.
Director:
Taika Waititi
Stars:
Chris Hemsworth,
Tom Hiddleston,
Cate Blanchett
When a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, Diana, an Amazonian warrior in training, leaves home to fight a war, discovering her full powers and true destiny.
Foul-mouthed mutant mercenary Wade Wilson (AKA. Deadpool), brings together a team of fellow mutant rogues to protect a young boy with supernatural abilities from the brutal, time-traveling cyborg, Cable.
Director:
David Leitch
Stars:
Ryan Reynolds,
Josh Brolin,
Morena Baccarin
As Scott Lang balances being both a Super Hero and a father, Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym present an urgent new mission that finds the Ant-Man fighting alongside The Wasp to uncover secrets from their past.
Peter Parker balances his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens with his superhero alter-ego Spider-Man, and finds himself on the trail of a new menace prowling the skies of New York City.
Director:
Jon Watts
Stars:
Tom Holland,
Michael Keaton,
Robert Downey Jr.
Fearing that the actions of Superman are left unchecked, Batman takes on the Man of Steel, while the world wrestles with what kind of a hero it really needs.
Arthur Curry, half human half from Atlantis, goes on a trip of a lifetime. Not only does this adventure compel him to come to terms with his real identity, but it also forces him to discover whether he is entirely worthy of fulfilling his own destiny: becoming a king. Written by Domingo Alvarez
David Kane (Black Manta) has a manta-shaped submarine. This was taken from the comics. See more »
Goofs
In the 1985 segment of the movie, when discussing names for the baby, Tom suggests “Arthur” after hearing about the current hurricane Arthur on the radio. In 1985 the “A” named hurricane was Ana, in 1986 it was Andrew. Arthur wasn’t used as a storm name until 2014. See more »
Quotes
Queen Atlanna:
[to her son]
You could unite our worlds one day.
Ocean To Ocean
Written by David Paich, Jeff Porcaro, Pitbull (as Armando C. Perez), George Bechara, James Saaib, Bianca Oechsle and Gabriel Dunn
Performed by Pitbull feat. Rhea
Produced by George “GWizard” Bechara and James Saaib
Courtesy of Mr. 305 Records
Contains an interpolation of “Africa” written by David Paich and Jeff Porcaro See more »