• Samsung Galaxy Active Pro: Certified and tested to be military standard (MIL-STD-810G) for drops, shocks, vibration, rain, dirt, mud, sand, water, altitude, freeze & thaw, temperature range, temperature shock, and humidity
• Samsung Galaxy Tab Active2: Similar to the Pro, less expensive
• WinBridge S933L which runs Android and its rated at IP68 (this guarantees protection in water up to 1.5 meter deep for 30 minutes. It also ensures dust and shock resistance)
• Vanquisher 8″ tablet, which runs Windows and is IP67 rated (protection in water up to 1 meter deep for 30 minutes. It also ensures dust and shock resistance)

The Details: The Best Waterproof Tablet

Samsung’s Galaxy Active Pro is a ruggedized version the flagship Galaxy tablet. It is protected by protective silicone edging and a sturdy internal frame. It has an impressive IP67 rating, which means it has complete protection against contact from dust and is safe in up to 1m of water immersion.

I has some other ruggedized features:

• Water-resistant touch screen
• Glove mode for winter use
• Includes IP68-Certified Samsung S Pen
• Facial recognition for unlocking while wearing gloves

The Galaxy Active Pro is available on Amazon for around $745.

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The Details

USB Thumb Drives use flash memory to store and transfer data. These little guys have been around for awhile, and are a quick and effective means of transferring data. There are a couple factors to keep in mind when purchasing a USB thumb drive. The first is speed. The era of slow-as-molasses thumb drives is gone but not forgotten, and many of today’s USB 3.0 drives still leave something to be desired.

You also want a drive with encryption. The sad truth is that USB drives are easy to lose, especially if you use shared computers. Get a device that can encrypt your files so strangers can’t access them if they find your drive.

Finally, you want a durable device. While the exact level of ruggedness you want may vary, make sure to get a well constructed product that doesn’t overheat or jam up in a slide.

The Best Overall Thumb Drive: SanDisk Extreme CZ80 64GB

For the pasts few years, California-based SanDisk has produced the best USB 3.0 thumb drive. Their 64GB Extreme CZ80 is fast, affordable, and secure.

This drive delivers read and write speeds at a significantly faster clip than most competitors. SanDisk advertises read speeds up to 245MBs and write speeds of 190MBs, and user benchmarks confirm that these speeds are mostly accurate. This means you can transfer a full-length SD movie in about 10 seconds. That’s 50x faster than old USB 2.0 drives (and double the speed of many 3.0 drives). This drive is ideal for transferring large files, both due to its capacity and speed relative to other options on the market.

The drive also protects your files with AES 128-bit encryption and a secure access vault that works on both Macs and USB. It also includes RescuePRO data recovery software. The Extreme is made with durable plastic, not the most rugged USB drive on the market, but it is solidly constructed and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. It’s also not the most discrete, coming in at 2.8 inches long. But the speed and value of this device cannot be beat for most users.

The Fastest USB Thumb Drive: Lexar 128GB JumpDrive P20

USB drives get a bum rap for their slow speeds. Earlier models had read and write speeds in the low teens, while even many of today’s USB 3.0 drives take twice as long as an external hard drive. But the Lexar 128GB Jump Drive P20 delivers an impressive read/write speed of 400/270MBs. That speed is fast enough to transfer an HD movie in less than the time it takes a Netflix video to load and buffer.

The JumpDrive P20 is housed in a sturdy metal alloy case with a glossy black mirror finish. It’s a retractable drive, which made me suspicious at first, as retractable drives are prone to jamming or otherwise breaking. But the P20 slides along solidly (if not a little stiff) and is protected by a lock mechanism that keeps it safe when extended. At 25 grams, it has a nice heft to it. Lexar includes a limited lifetime warranty. I also like the 256-bit AES encryption via EncryptStickTM Lite software.

The main draw is the drive’s USB 3.0 capacity. This drive runs faster than many external HDDs. While it doesn’t touch SSD speeds, it gets the job done fast enough to be a viable option for large data transfers. Transfer 1000 photos in 1 minute 15 seconds or a full-length HD movie in 36 seconds.

The Most Secure USB Thumb Drive: Apricorn Aegis Secure

The Apricorn Aegis Secure Key is the perfect storage device for a small amount of data. There are two steps to protect your data. First, it requires you to enter a 7-15 digit code on an alphanumeric keyboard.

The second layer of security comes from 256-bit AES Military Grade Hardware Encryption. The Secure Key is tested by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and receives a FIPS 140-2 Level 3 cryptography specification. It doesn’t need any software or firmware to run. That means there’s no risk of a firmware hack. Finally, it protects against brute force attacks with a mechanism that deletes the encryption key if an incorrect PIN is entered too many times.

You can set up an Admin PIN as well as individual user PINs, so companies can recycle the keys if they are granted to new users. The keypad is powered by a battery and is convenient to use. It also resits dust and water ingress. The rest of the device is also solidly constructed in water-resistant aluminum casing. This version uses USB 2.0. A USB 3.0 version exists, but has a few issues (like overheating) that this version doesn’t have.

The post The Best USB Thumb Drive Of 2016 appeared first on Reactual.

The Details

3D printing has been around since the 1980’s, but the prohibitive price and size of most units kept them out of consumer hands. Over the past decade, 3D printer manufacturers have made a concentrated push to get the devices into consumer hands. Predictably, a flood of cheaply produced models that deliver low quality prints hit the market. These lower-end models aren’t capable of much more than churning out the odd novelty. Luckily, a few professional grade desktop 3D printers are now available at a fraction of the cost of larger industrial units. I’ve detailed the two best to come out in 2016.

Best Overall Desktop 3D Printer: Formlabs Form 2

Formlabs got its start at MIT back in 2011. Since then they’ve graduated to become one of the most innovative companies in the 3D industry. In 2014 they released the Form 1+ SLA Printer. It delivered professional-level printing at a price that small businesses and private consumers could actually afford. This year Formlabs improved on the success of their first effort with the release of the Form 2 3D Stereo Lithography printer.

Stereo lithography differs from most desktop 3D printers, which use ABS or PLA thermoplastics fed from a spool into a heated nozzle then set to cool. Stereo lithography employs a laser to harden resin distributed from a vat. It builds up one layer at a time and solidifies the resin on contact with the laser. 

The process is much slower than using the filament spools. It takes the Form 2 12 seconds per layer, which means you might have to wait 20 hours for your product to finish. But the longer time is well worth the wait, especially if you are producing detailed medical equipment. Once your project is done, it needs to be finished in alcohol. Formlabs included an isopropyl alcohol finishing kit with the printer, but be warned that the finishing process should take place in a well ventilated area.

Let’s get into the details. The Form 2 can print 5.7 x 5.7 x 6.9 inches. That’s larger than most desktop printers, but still smaller than industrial competitors. But the real draw is the 25 micron layer thickness, 4x more fine than the latest Makerbot replica. The detail is precise and stunning.

This time around the resin and print area are removable. Each resin tank goes through about 2L of printing before they have to be replaced. The process is simple, and you can switch between types of resin with ease. Each cartridge is quite pricey compared to ABS and PLA- between $150 and $300.

Another big upgrade is a level sensor that guarantees you are printing on a level surface. To level the printer, you have to manually adjust four leveling legs underneath. It also comes with a leveling tool to help in this process. The Form 2 has a touchscreen, and supports Wi-Fi and USB, setting it apart from most desktop 3D printers. Formlabs continues to release firmware and software upgrades to improve the process.

So is the extra money worth the price? Depends on your needs. Professional artists, architects, and doctors benefit the most from the added precision. If you are a hobbyist or new to 3D printing, you can probably stick to ABS for now.

Best Filament Printer: Lulzbot TAZ 6

Colorado-based AlephObjects delivers quality 3D printing with an opensource ethos in the TAZ 6, the latest gen model of  its flagship printer line. The TAZ 6 is a rugged fused filament fabrication 3D printer that looks and operates like something you’d see in an engineer’s warehouse. It doesn’t have the futuristic aesthetic of other consumer-oriented 3D printers. This is a printer that is built with quality parts and the clear intention to last. And it’s all the better for it.

The TAZ 6 printer focuses on reliability and quality over speed. This is a large unit with a 12 inch bed that prints objects up to 250 mm tall. The frame is a combination of aluminum with metal brackets and plastic parts parts printed at AlephObject’s massive print farm. The Z-axis is a giant spindle, while the X and Y axis use 2mm pitch belts. The TAZ 6 uses 3mm filament which comes out of hexagonal hot end on a 0.5mm nozzle. It has an LCD screen and SD card reader hooked up to the company’s RAMBo motherboard. The power supply and computer are cooled off by fans, and every wire is crimped and grounded. These extra touches show that AlephObjects care about the electronic components on this unit and have put in the effort to make them

One of the best features is that the TAZ 6 comes nearly ready to use right out of the box. Just fasten the extruder on with a single screw and then attach the surface and you are up and running within 15 minutes. Another plus is the auto-leveling feature which uses the washers at the four corners of the to establish a level surface before each and every print. It also has a reliable auto-cleaning feature that cleans the print head after every use.

The weakest part of the TAZ 6 is the glass bed, which has heated silicone underneath. The heat tends to dissipate away from the center, making it harder to pry the finished product off if its near the edges and achieve a smooth bottom. Other than that the prints are very high quality for a FFF 3D printer, and you can decide between “fast” “strong” and “high detail” profiles.

Finally, AlephObjects prides itself on its opensource policy. The company uses freely licensed designs, specifications, and documentation to make sure your software is never obsolete and you have access to free designs.

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The reputation that USB tables are junk doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that they are USB. It has everything to do with the cheap materials that they are made from. A turntable consists of many precision parts, including the arm, the platter, the plinth, the motor and the cartridge. Most USB turntables are all about style (or budget) over substance. So long as it looks good in a sepia-filtered Tumblr photo, does it really matter how the thing sounds? The problem isn’t just that they look and sound cheap (many play music at an abysmal 128Kbs). But some of these players, like the Crosleys you see at Urban Outfitters, use non-changeable ceramic cartridges that have a heavy tracking force that damages records. Why even spend the extra money?

In other words, most USB turntables are not made with the audiophile in mind.

Best USB Turntable For Digitizing Vinyl: Sony PSHX500

So what happens if you are sitting on boxes of vinyl that need to be converted to digital for posterity’s sake? That’s where the Sony PSHX500 Hi Res USB Turntable comes in. Its cartridge isn’t the best on the market and it isn’t packed with a ton of features, but this is the first device that converts to digital in high resolution.  The PSHX500 is also almost completely customizeable, a fact that sets it apart from most other USB turntables.

So how good are the recordings? Sony uses a patented circuit that the takes the record’s signal and converts it into a digital audio data stream using a Burr-Brown PCM4202 analog to digital converter. You can record files in everything from WAV to  double DSD (although good look finding a vinyl that will rip at 5.8MHz).  After you rip a track, the file appears on Sony software, which lets you choose the file format. It also lets you do some basic manipulation, like rearranging the tracks.

Now, you don’t always get a perfect recording. Some reviewers noted a faint humming in the background. But this is bar-none the best commercial option available for getting those rare options off wax and onto silicon. The process is also incredibly streamlined. You just plug the USB from the device into the computer, drag the needle, and hit play. Finally, you can digitize your records.

I like the minimalist matte black design for home use. It’s modern and goes well with polished dark wood cabinets and exposed brick and all the other staples of 2o10s interior decorating. The bare-bones approach means you are forgoing DJ staples like reverse function and pitch range. You get two speeds: 33 and 45 rpm(78 is missing, so don’t plan on converting those).

The Sony PSHX500 is outfitted with a moving magnet cartridge that is fit at the top of the arm. It is a fine cartridge, but audiophiles will want to switch in their preferred one. It also has a built-in phono preamplifier with RIAA curve, which is a nice feature for a turntable in this range. If you would rather play through your own phono EQ, just switch off the built-in one. It also has a removable lid and and integrated shell for solid stabilization.

All in all it is a durable piece of equipment, with a belt system that uses spindle-bearing construction. The platter is aluminum die cast and the mat is rubber, so that’s good. The spindle hinges are worrisome. I don’t recommend this unit for DJs who are going to be transporting their equipment around, but it will hold up in a stationary environment for a long time.

Best USB Turntable For DJs: Audio Technica AT-LP1240

Hauling a turntable around to parties and shows necessitates a device that can withstand wear and tear. The Audio Technica AT-LP1240 is a professional quality DJ turntable that is equipped with an internal stereo phono pre-amp and a high-torque motor. The thing is built to last and weighs like it.

If you are drawn to turntables for their retro aesthetic, then the blue LED lights and the slick pitcher and controls on the LP1240 won’t appeal to you. The turntable platter is made with die-cast aluminum, an S-shaped tone arm with counterweight, and anti-skate adjustment. These quality components are held together in a futuristic black and silver design. The LP1240 is a 3-speed fully manual and comes with plenty of ways to keep your speed accurate. It also has a a high quality brake. DJs also get a target light for dark clubs, two start/stop buttons, a reverse function, and a pitch change that goes to 50 percent over or under record speed.

You can plug right in to your laptop via USB and record using Audacity software. It doesn’t come with a cartridge so you will have to supply your own. You won’t find a better turntable in this pricerange, USB or otherwise.

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The Details

Paper is on the way out, but it isn’t gone yet. Offices around the world are full of documents produced before the digital age, filled with boxes full of memos and important documents. Scanning and uploading these documents doesn’t need to intimidating. Whether you have a basement full of files or just want to upload paper receipts to help balance your budget, a portable scanner is your best bet.

A good portable scanner is a fraction of the price of a big Xerox machine. Plus, they go places your printer can’t. They can scan up to a dozen documents at the same time and send them directly to your PC as searchable PDFs. As always, assess your needs before you decide what is best for you. We’ve assessed the field and found the best portable scanners available in 2016.

The Best Overall Portable Scanner of 2016: Doxie Go Wi-Fi

This fully portable scanner is light enough to carry in a backpack, but powerful enough to serve as your full-time desktop scanner. The flagship of Doxie‘s respected line of portable scanners, it is Wi-Fi enable so you can go from paper to PC or Mac in seconds without the use of any wires or cables.

Unlike some wireless scanners, the Doxie Go Wi-Fi is truly portable. It is less than a foot long and and about 2 inches tall, so it fits a piece of  standard computer paper but not much more. Barely heavier than a pound, it can go in an archivists backpack or legal aid’s tote-bag without feeling like a burden.

But the real magic of this product is the technology and utility. You can scan everything from business cards to receipts. It scans up to 10 pages of loaded A4 paper at a time. While you can instantly transmit the scanned document to your PC or Apple device (including Mac, iPhone, and iPad), it holds up to 1,800 scans at a time, and more if you put in an SD card. That means you can upload scans without a computer present, which means you can leave your laptop at home and scan away. Most people will never need this storage, but ask anyone who has had to scan an archive before and they will be extremely thankful for this functionality.

What is useful for everyone is ABBYY OCR technology that recognizes text in your scanned PDFs. That means you can search your documents for keywords or files, saving you the trouble of tracking down that one purchase or memo. Doxie Go Wi-Fi is also compatible with Evernote, OneNote, and Dropbox, which makes organizing your documents even easier. One downside is that it does not have duplex, or dual-sided, scanning.

The Best Dual-Sided Portable Scanner: Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i

If you have filing cabinets full of double-sided documents that need to be digitized save yourself a ton of hassle by investing in a dual-sided scanner. Fujitsu’s ScanSnap S1300i Deluxe is the perfect tool for the job, though is a bit on the bulky side for a portable scanner.

This well-built machine weighs in at nearly 5 pounds, but justifies the extra weight with diverse functionality and quality scanning. You can scan in color, grayscale, or monochrome at a clip of 12 double sided pages per minute. It doesn’t matter if you are scanning medical files, receipts, or handwritten notes. The ScanSnap has auto size and color detection, cropping out empty room for the perfect quality and size scan. ABBYY FineReader lets you  create automatically searchable PDFs on PC or Mac.

The ScanSnap can be recharged with via USB or AC Adapter, so it works everywhere your laptop does. You also get a wide array of cloud options. It can upload documents to Evernote, Google Docs, Salesforce, SharePointOnline, One Drive, and more.

The Best Handheld Scanner: MSRM iScan Wand

In the library and need to scan a page for your research paper? The handheld MSRM iScan Wand is your best friend. This battery-powered device is perfect for scholars and artists who need to get up to 900x900dpi reproduction of photos, textbooks, or whatever.

The lightweight device weighs a bit more than half of a pound and is charged by USB. It is about the size of a rolled up magazine, so you can fit it in your purse or bag easily. Like the other products on this list, it scans into a searchable PDF or to cloud technology. Because it is handheld, it isn’t ideal for scanning huge quantities of documents, since each needs to be done individually. But the high image quality, ease of use, and portability make it a precision tool to take on the road.

The MSRM iScan Wand is available on Amazon for about $55.

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