Razer Seiren BT 是款藍牙裝置，是可以無線連接手機、電腦等裝置，以全方向收音和 AI 降噪技術，旨在帶來更便利、更高音質的遠距收音方案。
‘Call of Duty: Warzone’ is coming to mobile
Call of Duty: Warzone, the free-to-play battle royale game, will soon have a mobile version. In a tweet, the game’s publisher Activision announced it was hiring for a slate of new mobile roles. The upcoming Warzone will be the second CoD title adapted …
Valve’s Steam Deck is (mostly) ready to run Windows
It’s now realistic to install Windows on a Steam Deck, provided you’re wiling to live with certain limitations. Valve has released Windows drivers for the handheld’s Bluetooth, graphics and WiFi, helping you use the system properly if the Linux-based SteamOS isn’t to your liking. The developer has also shared instructions on how to install Windows on its gaming machine.
As you might gather, though, it’s not a simple process. Audio drivers remain “in the works,” so you’ll have to rely on a Bluetooth or USB-C audio device. You’ll have to install Windows 10 (Windows 11 support is coming through a BIOS update), and there’s no dual-boot option at the moment — you’ll have to replace SteamOS entirely.
Valve warned that it can’t provide support for Windows users. You can revert to SteamOS using a USB recovery drive if necessary.
The limitations might make a good case for buying a Windows-native alternative like the Aya Neo or GPD Win 3. If you prefer the Steam Deck hardware and don’t mind the lack of a safety net, though, this might be the moment you’ve been waiting for. Windows not only promises more performance thanks to native code (no Proton here), but access to Destiny 2 and other games that were previously off-limits.
Pinterest expands shopping features with in-app checkout
Pinterest is moving deeper into e-commerce with some more features it announced at its annual advertiser summit. The platform says users have long been asking for a way to shop directly on Pinterest and you can now complete some purchases without leaving the app.
The in-app checkout feature is currently in beta for some Shopify sellers in the US. Pinterest plans to expand access in the US this year. It will contact folks who run stores through Shopify with more details soon.
The company also announced a feature called Your Shop at Pinterest Presents. It calls this a “personal shopping concierge” that will provide users with their own personalized shopping pages. It’ll recommend creators and brands based on your preferences and activity. The feature is in beta for some US users. Pinterest plans to expand Your Shop to all US pinners this year ahead of an international rollout.
In addition, Pinterest says it will be easier for sellers to upload catalogs to the platform and keep prices up to date. Using a trends tool, sellers in the US, UK and Canada will be able to view real-time search data, see trend recommendations and learn more about their audiences. The trends tool will be available in other countries later in 2022.
Pinterest is following in the footsteps of Instagram by adding its in-app checkout. Instagram has had a similar feature since 2020. Meta’s app added a dedicated shopping section toward the end of that year.
Earlier this year, Pinterest added a feature that lets users see what a piece of furniture will look like in their home before they buy it using augmented reality.
Meta Quest 2 fitness data will be available outside of VR
The Quest 2 headset’s fitness tracking has been helpful for staying in shape, but there’s been a major catch: your stats weren’t viewable outside the headset, making it impractical to check your progress or combine it with info from other apps. That won’t be an issue before long. As of April, Meta will make your Oculus Move fitness tracking data available through the Oculus app on Android and iOS, and will sync progress with Apple Health on iOS.
There are no mentions of syncing Move data with Google Fit or other Android platforms, but Meta said it was “exploring” future tie-ins. The company made clear that Oculus app and Apple Health syncing are strictly opt-in features, with end-to-end encryption on Meta’s servers. Your stats won’t influence ads on Facebook or other Meta services.
The expansion was arguably necessary to make Oculus Move relevant for more people. There’s a good chance you don’t rely solely on VR for workouts, and you probably don’t want to return to your headset just to check your calorie burn. This upgrade lets you treat VR as just one piece of a larger fitness puzzle, and might persuade you to try a headset if you were hesitant before.
March Madness Live app will let you watch two NCAA games at once on more devices
As the name implies, the NCAA’s March Madness (aka the Division I men’s basketball tournament) is chock full of games that may be difficult to follow — thankfully, that might not be an issue if you have the right device. The sports association, Turner and CBS Sports are expanding a feature in the NCAA March Madness Live app that lets you watch two games at once (one without audio) on more platforms. It was already available on Android TV, Apple TV and Fire TV, but should now be an option on Google TV and Xbox One. This isn’t completely novel and will only help so much on the busiest match days, but you should have 20 percent lower latency and 5.1-channel surround sound.
The desktop, mobile and tablet versions of March Madness Live are limited to picture-in-picture viewing while you browse the app. The software is also available without these viewing perks on Roku players and some LG TVs. Everyone has access to an upgraded “Fast Break” feature that overlays and breaks down vital stats during games.
The new March Madness Live experience should be available on March 17th, right after the “first four” games on the 15th and 16th. You can also watch the tournament through CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV platforms, including Paramount+ if you’re a subscriber. While you’d ideally have more than two streams, this is likely to be the best viewing option you’ll get on a big screen during the college competition.
Razer made a Bluetooth lapel mic for mobile streamers
Razer’s latest livestreaming gear is built for broadcasts far away from your desk. The company has unveiled the Seiren Bluetooth, its first Bluetooth lapel microphone. The clip-on design’s omnidirectional mic and AI-based noise suppression are built to help mobile streamers and vloggers who want better voice quality than their phone can offer, particularly in noisy situations.
The lapel mic includes a 3.5mm jack for monitoring through headphones, and you can customize it through the Razer Streaming App to tweak the noise suppression levels, reduce latency for game streams and adjust sidetone for monitoring. The battery lasts for up to four hours with AI enabled and six hours with AI disabled, or enough for a lengthy IRL stream. Included socks help reduce popping and wind noise both indoors and outside.
The Seiren Bluetooth is available for $100 and should work with “all” phones as well as common streaming apps like Streamlabs, Twitch and YouTube. Whether or not that’s a good value may depend on your needs. Razer is most eager to compare the Seiren to Sabinetek’s similarly-equipped $140 SmartMike+, but this also assumes you insist on a wireless option. You can spend considerably less if you’re happy with a USB- or Lightning-based wired lapel mic.
The best mobile microphones you can buy, plus how to pick one
If you consider yourself a mobile creator and you’re not using some sort of dedicated microphone, you might be holding yourself back. We’re not judging, but your audience likely is. Audio, especially dialog, is often overlooked but nothing screams amateur more than subpar sound. There are many, many options for the home or office/studio, but there are a surprising amount of mobile-specific (or at least, mobile-friendly) solutions out there to elevate your on-the-go recordings be that for social, a jam session, making movies, podcasting and beyond.
What “the best mic for your iPhone or Android” is will vary depending on the task you need it for. If you want to record a TikTok or a Podcast or even a jam session, all have slightly different needs but the selection below covers most bases (and maybe even a few you didn’t think of yet) for recording high-quality sound with little more than a phone.
The gear
This guide is all about recording on the go, free from the constraints of a studio or office, but also far away from luxuries like power outlets, acoustically friendly rooms and a full-size PC. As such there are two styles of microphone that really shine here: Lavalier (lapel) and shotgun. We’ll be covering a few other types, too, but between those, most tasks are covered.
We’ll also show you how you can use the USB mics you may already have with your phone and even ways to connect heavy-duty studio classics (XLR) to your humble handset, but all that will be through accessories. For now, let’s start with the classic clip mics.
James Trew / Engadget
Lavalier mics
The obvious benefit of a lapel mic is size. Their small profile makes them perfect for presenting to the camera with the flexibility to move around while maintaining consistent audio quality. If you’re a budding TikTok or YouTube creator it’s definitely worth having one of these in your bag.
The main trade-off, however, is that they’re only good for recording the person they’re attached to. If you have two people talking and only one is wearing the mic, you’ll only get good audio for one half of the conversation, so for multi-person recordings you’ll need a mic for each guest and a way to record them at the same time, so costs can go up quickly.
Fortunately, lapel mics have become a very competitive market with good, viable options costing as little as $14.95. For an absolute bargain with a long cord and some connectivity accessories, the Boya BY M1 is hard to argue with. But, while these budget choices are great value, if you want something that should either last longer, is more versatile or just sounds better it’s worth paying a little bit more.
Best 3.5mm mic: Rode Lavalier II
Rode’s Lavalier II is a slick-looking low-profile lavalier that sounds great. At $95, it’s somewhere in the sweet spot between budget and higher-end options. It’s easy to recommend the Lavalier II just on its sound alone, but it comes with a rugged case and a good selection of accessories. For even more flexibility you can pair this with Rode’s AI Micro interface ($79) which provides easy connection to an iPhone or Android (or even PCs) and adds support for a second mic – perfect for recording podcasts or interviews.
Buy Rode Lavalier II at Amazon – $95
Best USB-C mic: Sennheiser XS
At $60 Sennheiser’s XS (USB-C) lav mic is fairly affordable, sounds great and plugs right into your phone (or laptop) without needing an adapter. This not only makes it convenient but reduces the overall cost as you don’t need a headphone adapter for your phone. What’s more, the XS has a 2-meter long cable which gives you plenty of scope for movement or framing.
Buy Sennheiser XS at Amazon – $60
James Trew / Engadget
A word on wireless systems
Recently there has been an explosion in mobile-friendly wireless systems but there are two we really like. The first is Rode’s Wireless GO II. Arguably the original defined this category, but the second generation improves on it with two wireless transmitters making this podcast and interview friendly. The Wireless GO II is also incredibly versatile as it doubles as a standalone recorder, can be mounted in a camera cold shoe and even has its own “reporter” mic adapter. Oh, and you can make any 3.5mm mic (including the lavaliers above) wireless by plugging it into one of the receivers.
The second is the Mikme Pocket. This Austrian-designed wireless pack is a high-end lavalier mic system designed to be particularly mobile-friendly. There’s a comprehensive app for both video and audio recording and internal storage so you won’t ever experience dropouts. It also means you can enjoy a practically infinite range. At $399 it’s a higher spend, but if high-quality audio and near-infinite range are what you need then this is the one.
Adapters
So we’ve already touched on this with the AI Micro, which is an adapter of sorts. One of the first things you might bump up against when dealing with mobile audio accessories is TRRS vs TRS connectors. Simply put, 3.5mm TRS is what you might know as the age-old classic headphone connector while TRRS became common for its support for headsets and inline mics. You can easily tell them apart as TRS connectors have two black bands on them while a TRRS has three.
For you, the budding creator, it can be a bit of an annoyance as many 3.5mm lavaliers are going to be TRS and won’t work when plugged into your phone’s headphone adapter. Sometimes your lavalier might include what you need in the box, but otherwise, you’ll want to pick up a TRS to TRRS adapter like this. Of course, some smartphone-specific mics have TRRS connectors already – for those, you’ll want a cable that goes the other way should you want to use it with other devices like a DSLR.
James Trew / Engadget
Shotgun mics
You may be more familiar with shotgun mics when it comes to video. It’s the style of microphone most often found atop a DSLR or mirrorless camera, but they make great companions for other portable devices too, your phone included.
The benefit of a shotgun is that they tend to be highly directional, which makes them perfect for podcasts, recording instruments, foley sounds and much, much more.
For us mobile recordists, another benefit is that they tend to be light and portable, perfect for slipping into a backpack or even a laptop bag. Even better, there are some great mobile-specific options.
Best shotgun mic for video / music: Sennheiser MKE 400 (2nd gen)
You shouldn’t buy a mic just because of how it looks, but the MKE 400 from Sennheiser ($200) definitely makes its rivals look wimpy. More important than aesthetics, though, is how it sounds and the MKE 400 records very cleanly without obvious coloration to the audio. What’s more, the battery-powered mic won’t steal power from your phone or camera, and with three gain levels to choose from you can boost things when needed, or avoid clipping on louder subjects. The MKE 400 also comes with both TRS and TRRS cables for compatibility with a variety of devices.
The MKE 400’s physical gain controls and high pass filter (unlike the other two below that are updated via an app) take the stress out of worrying if your audio source moves or changes volume as you can adjust that on the fly. If you’re a musician looking to record loud drums and then softer vocals on the move, for example, these tactile gain settings are a massive plus.
Buy Sennheiser MKE 400 at B&H – $200
Best budget shotgun mic: Rode VideoMic GO II
When we tested the VideoMic GO II we were surprised at just how good it sounded right out of the box. At $150 it rivals many desktop microphones that cost three times the price. You’ll need a companion app to change settings, otherwise this performs well across the board.
Buy Rode VideoMic GO II at Amazon – $150
Best shotgun mic for portability: Shure MV88+
Not to be confused with the older MV88 that plugged directly into a Lightning port, the MV88+ is a diminutive shotgun mic made with the smartphone in mind. Often sold as a vlogging kit ($249) with a tripod and phone grip, the MV88+ has modular cables for connecting directly to Androids and iPhones.
Buy Shure MV88+ at Amazon – $199
Desktop and USB mics go mobile
Mobile-specific mics are great, but there’s nothing stopping you from using the mic you might already have (if it’s somewhat portable). You’ll definitely need to do a little dance with some adapters, but that’s half the fun. Below are a couple of recommendations for “regular” microphones that pair well with a phone and then the cables and adapters that you’ll need to get setup.
James Trew / Engadget
Apogee HypeMic
Arguably, there are few microphones that are could be described as “mobile-friendly” than the HypeMic from Apogee. While it looks like a regular handheld mic, it’s actually deceivingly small, making it very light and portable. It also comes with cables to directly connect it to iPhones and Android handsets — no adapters needed. Don’t let the small size deceive you though, the HypeMic has a big trick up its sleeve: a built-in analog compressor for professional-sounding vocals. Whether you record podcasts, vocals or instruments there’s a setting on the HypeMic just for you. At $349 it’s a little on the spendy side, but you get a very versatile device that’s just as useful for the desktop too.
Samson Q2U
This dynamic mic is a favorite with podcasters, with many production companies using it as their standard mic to send out to remote guests thanks to its excellent quality to value performance. The Q2U features both USB and XLR connectivity making it versatile for both desktop and mobile applications, but it’s the former we’re interested in here as that’s what allows you to connect it to your phone with nothing more than a USB cable and an adapter (see below).
What’s more, the Q2U is solid enough to endure a little bit of rough and tumble, so will happily live in the bottom of your backpack ready for when you need it. Meanwhile, the handheld design is versatile enough it can turn its hand to singing/instruments, podcasts, interviews and more.
Buy Samson Q2U at Amazon – $69
Tula
You may not be familiar with the name, but Tula snuck into our hearts with its versatile, vintage inspired debut microphone. From a mobile perspective, the Tula connects to Androids directly over USB-C or iPhones with the right USB-C to Lightning cable (more on this below) or a USB “camera kit” adapter. What makes the Tula special is that it’s also a desktop mic and portable recorder with lavalier input and 8GB of storage and even features noise cancellation – perfect for cutting down on outside background sounds. With the Tula you could theoretically have one mic for home, mobile and standalone recording.
James Trew / Engadget
IK Multimedia iRig Pre 2
If you already have a stash of XLR mics or really do need a studio condenser mic with phantom power then the iRig Pre 2 is a portable interface that will feed any XLR mic into your phone. It runs off two AA batteries which it uses to supply phantom power when needed and won’t drain your phone. There’s also a headphone port for monitoring, gain controls and LEDs to help prevent clipping.
Buy iRig Pre 2 at Amazon – $60
A word on cables
Connecting USB microphones directly to phones is rarely as simple as just one cable, although that’s starting to become more common. In general, Android makes this simpler, but also, thanks to the wide range of manufacturers and software versions you can’t always guarantee things will work smoothly.
The iPhone is a whole other situation. USB microphones have a good chance of working via the USB camera kit we mentioned earlier, but that’s still inelegant sometimes. Frustratingly, some USB-C to Lightning cables will play nice with microphones, but sadly most will not – including Apple’s own. One confirmed option is this cable from Fiio or this generic alternative. These are inexpensive enough that it’s worth having a couple around if you work with audio a lot (they of course can also be used to charge your phone as a bonus).
Samsung adds performance throttling controls to the Galaxy S22
Samsung doesn’t seem to have wasted any time delivering its promised performance throttling update. XDAreports users on Samsung’s Korean community forums are receiving an update for the Galaxy S22 series that adds a “Game Performance Management Mode” to Game Booster. The release should let users override throttling and wring more speed out of the flagship phones, at least so long as they’re willing to accept reduced battery life and more heat.
We’ve asked Samsung for more details, including timing for the update in the US and other countries. It’s also unclear if or when older Galaxy models will see updates. Releases like this won’t necessarily take long, but they may be staggered by region and device.
Whether or not this fully addresses concerns is another matter. Users have accused Samsung of throttling non-game apps like Netflix and TikTok. Samsung has denied slowing those titles and pins any limitations on its Game Optimizing Service, but Galaxy phone owners might still be frustrated if they feel some of their apps are being held back.
As it stands, the update might be necessary for Samsung to regain some trust. Those same users criticized Samsung for throttling games while letting benchmarks run at full speed. That led Geekbench to delist four years of high-end Galaxy phones from its benchmark list over concerns the tests didn’t represent real-world capabilities. The new software could help Samsung reclaim its place on that list and improve its standing among enthusiasts.
Google’s big Android update offers voice pay for parking and offline live transcriptions
Google has released a bunch of new features and updates for several of its products, including the ability to pay for parking using your voice. You can now simply say “Hey Google, pay for parking” in ParkMobile street parking zones and then follow Assistant’s prompts. After you complete the transaction using Google Pay, you can ask Assistant to check your parking status or to extend your time anytime you want.
The tech giant has also rolled out grammar check for Gboard on all Android devices. It was originally a Pixel 6 exclusive before making its way to other Pixel models earlier this year. Now all Gboard users will be able to use it to detect errors and suggest corrections while typing. Google says the feature works entirely on-device to ensure your privacy.
The Android Live Transcribe app has been updated, as well, and now has an offline mode that you can use to generate real-time speech-to-text captions without an internet connection. It will give you a way to access its capabilities while on a plane, in the subway or in other areas where you don’t have access to mobile data or WiFi.
When you fire up Google TV, you’ll now see a Highlights tab containing a feed of entertainment news and reviews based on the movies and shows you watch. The articles link to the shows or movies they’re based on, and you can simply tap them to start watching. Meanwhile, an update for Nearby Share makes it easier to share photos, videos and other kinds of files to several people by letting you add multiple recipients during a transfer. This particular feature is rolling out to all devices running Android 6 or higher.
If you’re trying to curb the time you spend on your phone, you may find Android’s new screen time widget useful. The widget itself shows a glimpse of the three apps you use most each day. You can also click through to set daily timers for you apps, set a focus mode to pause distracting apps at certain times and set a bedtime mode that silences your device and changes its screen to black and white.
Finally, you’ll soon be able to use Portrait Blur on more subjects if you own a Pixel or have a Google One subscription. The editing tool blurs the background on photos of people after you’ve already taken them, but when the update goes out, it can also be used on photos of other subjects like pets, food and plants. You’ll even be able to retroactively apply the effect on old photos taken without the feature enabled. Unfortunately, Google didn’t say when the update will be available, but here’s a video showing how the feature works: