The plier is an ancient tool based on the principle of leverage and has evolved from what were essentially tongs into a feat of engineering and design that makes life easy for electricians, plumbers. 

As pliers have developed over many years the designs have branched off into a range of uses and abilities, creating different families of pliers that have their own specific jobs. Global distributors like RS Components often sell a whole range of different types, all with their own stories.

Let’s have a look at some of the truths about pliers. 

Pliers are not just for picking up and turning. 

There are around sixteen different types of pliers designed and engineered to perform their individual job. Diagonal pliers or side cutters, for example, are for the purpose of cutting wire and are not designed to pick up or turn objects. The cutting edges of the jaws intersect the joint rivet at an angle, which allows the wire to be separated by indenting and wedging it apart.  Round nose pliers, by contrast, are used to forming a loop at the end of a wire in electronics or for jewellery making to form different shapes with the wire. 

Wire cutting is not a one plier job. 

Lineman’s pliers are designed to cut, straighten, and bend wire, and twist wires together when making splices. For wire stripping, a wire stripper is the best tool. An electrician might also carry side cutters, electronic cutters and a ratchet cable cutter in his pliers’ belt.

Pliers can be used as a wrench but not a hammer.  

The Channellock or tongue and groove plier are actually designed to tighten and loosen nuts and bolts  It can be adjusted to fit any size nut and is built with a PermaLock to eliminate nut and bolt failure.  

Pliers will last longer if you use them as directed – banging in nails is best left to a hammer. 

There are famous pliers 

The most high profile pliers are Linemans’ pliers, the Vise-Grip and the Channellock, all named for the company who designed them and all of which have a different function in the workshop. 

The vise-grip or locking pliers uses an over-centre clamp to maintain a spring pressure on the jaws to allow them to remain clamped on an object without requiring external pressure on the handle levers. The bolt is set to a slightly smaller size and maintains this pressure without damaging the object being gripped. 

Blunt pliers can’t be hand sharpened. 

Grandad may have sharpened his pliers but today’s tools are a different matter.  Take the Knipex Needle Nose Cutting Pliers as one example. The long flat rounded jaws have serrated gripping surfaces that are separately induction hardened to 61 HRC and are forged from a high grade of vanadium electric steel, oil-hardened for added strength and durability.  These pliers are not going to be sharpened by a file. 

Check the rating and manufacturers instructions for the correct use of your plier.  If you are not sure, ask for assistance before you make a plier purchase. 

While Apple pioneered the idea of a smart personal voice recognition assistant with the launch of Siri on the iPhone, recent years have seen this concept taken to the next level with smart speakers from Apple, Google, and Alexa. But which smart assistant is the best? Let’s look at the differences between the three dominant market systems.

Apple Siri

While Siri is primarily known as the personal assistant for the iPhone and iPad, Apple recently launched its own smart speaker called the HomePod. And, in true Apple fashion, the HomePod is packed with superior sound and a premium price. But is Siri up to the task?

Siri Pros:

Great for doing chores and staying organized. Siri’s connection to the iOS ecosystem makes it a great assistant for iPhone and iPad owners.

The potential is soaring now that Apple is opening Siri to third-party applications, which means it will be able to do even more for you in the future.

It has the largest language and worldwide support. Siri is also available on a wider range of devices when Apple TV is included along with support for HomePod, iPhone, and iPad.

Against Siri:

• It only works with Apple hardware, so if you don’t have an iPhone, iPad, or HomePod, you’re out of luck. It also works best within the Apple ecosystem, such as removing music from an Apple Music subscription.
• Although she is good at homework, she is not that good at gathering information. It is the worst at interpreting human speech patterns and often returns text on the screen rather than a voice response.
• Limited third-party functions. Apple allows developers to make their applications with Siri, but developers cannot program applications directly on Siri as they do with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
• Almost non-existent purchases.

Google Assistant

It is no surprise that the world’s leading search provider has an advantage when it comes to gathering information from the web and delivering it on demand. But Google Assistant is much more than just a voice recognition for Google Search.

Pros or advantages of Google Assistant:

• By far the best at interpreting human speech and delivering information.
• Excellent for understanding the context of questions, allowing quick follow-up of questions.
• Available on smartphones, tablets, and smart speakers, including availability on the iPhone and iPad through the Google Assistant app.
• Purchases are actually quite strong thanks to Google Express.
• Third-party applications or “actions” help extend the functionality of Google Assistant.

Cons of Google Assistant:

• Google Play music channels are mediocre if you don’t have a subscription to Google Play Music or YouTube Music. You better change the default provider to Pandora.
• While the Google Assistant allows third-party developers to produce skills, it still lags behind Alexa in this regard.

Amazon Alexa

While both Apple and Google beat Amazon in the market when it comes to voice assistants, Amazon defined the smart speaker when it launched Alexa. A voice assistant for a speaker is very different from one for a smartphone. For one, there is no screen, so all communication must be done by voice.

Pros of Amazon Alexa:

• She can do the most for you. Alexa has more third-party skills than Google Assistant or Siri.
• The best in shopping … as long as you buy from Amazon. Not surprisingly, Alexa and an Amazon Prime membership go hand in hand.
• Music is almost free. Although the music subscription that comes with Amazon Prime isn’t as comprehensive as Apple Music or Spotify, it’s basically a free add-on for those of us who subscribe to Prime for free shipping or streaming video content.
• The closest thing to the dream of a smart home. We all want to talk to our house, right? Alexa gives you that feeling more than any other assistant. He can even play Jeopardy with you!

Cons of Amazon Alexa:

• Closely linked to the Amazon ecosystem. If you’re not a core member and don’t regularly shop with Amazon, you won’t get as much from Alexa.
• Although Alexa can do more than other assistants, it is not as good as Google Assistant at tracking human speech and delivering information. But it is closer to this than Siri.
• Mostly it’s a smart voice assistant. While Alexa is branching out to smartphones and tablets, and there is a line of Alexa-enabled smart displays, she’s still largely a smart assistant. This means that Alexa is not as portable as other smart assistants.

Which smart personal assistant is right for you?

There is no easy way to choose the best overall smart assistant. They all have their bright spots. Siri is the best assistant for a mobile device, Google is the best assistant to understand your requests and deliver information, and Alexa can do the best for you. So which one to choose?

Your first choice should be the assistant that comes with your smartphone.

If you have an iPhone, take a look at what Siri has to offer. You will be amazed at how much it can add to your productivity. Do you want a smart speaker? Use Bluetooth to connect your iPhone with a wireless speaker.

If you have an Android smartphone, try Google Assistant. Samsung phones come with their own smart assistant called Bixby. See how it works with Google Assistant. Like the iPhone, Android smartphones can be paired with wireless speakers.

Are you not satisfied? Buy an Alexa smart speaker. Your smartphone assistant is free, so you better check it first. But if it doesn’t do it for you, buy an Alexa smart speaker. Alexa has the most skills available and currently leads the market in this area. And since Alexa smart speakers come with an audio output port, you can easily hook even the cheapest model to a great speaker system.

Therefore, it is necessary to hide photos and videos (those files) that you consider sensitive, and that should not be seen by people who can access your iPhone. To solve this problem, there is a native iOS tool that hides multimedia content.

If you want to know the steps so that you are sure that nobody will be able to access your private information, we ask you to continue reading this article. Also, we will talk about other apps that will help you further shield your device.

What are the main reasons why we should hide our photos and videos?

There are different reasons why it is convenient to hide photos and videos on your mobile. You can have other private aspects that will be worth restricting access to this type of file, and that will not be discussed below.

The most important reasons are:

• When you share the mobile with other people, especially with the smallest of the house, it may happen that your children inadvertently access the image gallery and permanently delete important photographs or videos for your work or study.
• If you practice sexting with your partner, that is, you receive private photos with sexual content. It is necessary to keep in mind that this practice is dangerous for both of you if other people can access the smartphone, so it is convenient to have hidden this type of video and images.
• In case you lose your mobile, or it is stolen. If you, unfortunately, go through this situation, you will be a little calmer if you have restricted access to all the private images you may have on the phone.
• When you take screenshots of private information, especially those related to online payments or documentation, if these photos fell into the hands of intruders, you could have important personal consequences.
• Something that is often the most common to hide photos so that your partner does not access certain content that can affect the relationship between the two.
• You can also hide files containing photos and videos when the people who appear in them can suffer moral damage if they fall into the wrong hands.
• Many people use photographs as supporting documents of transactions or labor actions that happen daily. In this way, an intruder who accesses the mobile and erases all this valuable information for you can cause headaches in the future.

Steps to hide iOS multimedia content fast and easy

The steps that you must carry out on your iPhone or iPad are the following when you want to hide photos or videos:

Select Photos

To choose multimedia content, you will have to go to the Photos app, which is found in the start menu. Then select All photos, a gallery will open with all the images and videos you have saved in this application.

When you want to choose one or more of these files, you will have to press your finger for a few seconds until it is selected.

Create a private album

When you have selected all the photos you want to hide, press the Share button, which is represented by a rectangle and a down arrow. Next, you must choose the Hide option, confirm that you want to do this and an album called Hidden would automatically be created.

In case you want to see all the items you have stored in this latest album, you will have to go to it, and you’re done.

Set password

As you may have noticed, you do not need a password in the previous process. You want to establish an access PIN you can do it through Notes. This native iOS application will allow you to save one or more images and create restrictions to access using an ID.

To achieve this type of limitation, you will have to follow the following steps:

• The first thing you will have to do is go to the Notes app.
• Then click on the “+” icon, which means you will create a new note.
• Find the Photo Library option and click on it.
• Select all the photos and video files you want to protect.
• When you’re done, click Ok.
• Save the note and go to the main screen and slide your finger to the left of the screen.
• Click on the padlock.
• Enter the password you want and click Ok.
• When you want to access this note, you must do it through Touch ID or Face ID.

Add photos to private albums.

When you want to add more photos after the creation of this note, you will have to choose the multimedia content and select Share. Then, you will have to find the note in which all the hidden photo and video files are located.

To access this note, you must log in so that all the documents you want can be saved.

[Also Read: Top Useful Secret Codes of your Android and iOS Mobile: ]

5 Best External Apps to hide files and apps on iOS

If you are not willing to be the process that we indicated in the previous paragraph, rest easy because you can use third-party tools on your iPhone or iPad to hide multimedia content and also other applications.

Let’s see the most important apps:

Keepsafe

It is used through an ID to hide all the photos on an iPhone. You can do it with the advantage that your private images will be protected since anyone who wants to enter will have a certain number of attempts to access it.

In case the failed attempts exceed the allowed number, the app will be blocked. To access again, you will have to wait several minutes. You will have the possibility to select different themes in its interface modifying the colors. You can also choose to enter through a pattern or by a fingerprint.

It is free to download and is also available for Android.

Secret photos – KYMS

Multimedia content or documents. Also, you will have the possibility of having multiple tabs in the browser and securely manage the logins. If you are one of the people who make purchases via mobile, you can protect all apps and hide them with a PIN or password.

Within this option, you can include tasks, audio recordings, contacts, and any physical document since it will have an advanced technology scanner. It is free to download, and once you have entered the protected file, it will be decrypted in real-time, while you are watching the multimedia content.

Spy Calc

This application works as a calculator, but it has within its functions a hidden tool, and it is that of accessing hidden images through a numerical combination. In this way, you will be safe, since no person will know about this app, so they will not have any opportunity to find your private information.

It is not available from the official Apple store, but you can download it without any problem from the link that we leave you.

* Note: Ideally, you should download it from the App Store directly

Best Secret Folder

With this tool, you can organize your albums on an iPhone or iPad. In addition, you will have the possibility of having a secret folder where no person will be able to access your private files. Every time you save an image in this app, you must enter the access password. The same happens when you want to delete a video or photo.

It will also allow you to have a record of failed logins. You will be able to know who was the intruder who wanted to access without your permission since you will have a capture of the photo and location each time it failed in its attempts. It is characterized by being a very simple tool, and you can rename or delete folders and photos with intuitive steps.

Private Photo Vault – Pic Safe

It is one of the most downloaded applications in the App Store. It has the fingerprint, a numerical pattern and an ID Face as methods to unlock images, videos, and any app that you want to hide on your iPhone or iPad.

It is characterized by creating albums and syncing with iTunes at the same time. Also, you will have the option to send the photos wirelessly and view all the images saved in this app through a private gallery.

WinRAR, the most popular file compressor

It is a popular and powerful RAR compressor that will allow us to create, manage and control archive files, being available for both Windows, Linux, and Mac OS. This tool allows the use of RAR and ZIP files, as well as the handling of other compression files such as 7Z, ARJ, BZ2, CAB, GZ, ISO, JAR, LZ, LZH, TAR, UUE, XZ, Z, 001 and various ZIPX types. In addition, it allows the creation of multivolume and self-extracting files, by using predetermined self-extracting modules. Also, it allows the recovery of damaged files and volumes, as well as performing encoding, file commenting and error logging functions.

Credits: Techdows

This great file compressor has a fully functional trial version for 40 days. Once that time has elapsed, it will inform us that we must buy the license that costs 36.24 euros.

Top alternatives to WinRAR

If you are looking for a different application, today we are going to tell you what are the best alternatives to WinRAR that we can find to compress and decompress our files.

WinZip

It is a tremendously well-known and pioneering tool for compressing files in Windows since it began its activity back in 1990. This application will be able to compress and decompress files, as well as protect, manage, and share them in a simple and comfortable way. This program allows compressing files in ZIP format by default, although it is also capable of opening files in other popular compression formats such as ZIP, ZIPX, RAR, 7Z, TAR, GZIP, VHD, XZ, and POSIX TAR.

WinZip has a 45-day trial function that we can download from its official page. Your license costs 39.21 USD.

BandiZIP

It is a program to compress and decompress files in a comfortable and tremendously fast way. It will allow us to create files in Zip, ZipX, TAR, TGZ, 7Z, and EXE formats, and it is compatible to decompress more than 30 different formats, including RAR or ISO. The application is integrated into the context menu of Windows Explorer so that we can run it without having to open the application. It allows compressing files with password and multi-volume, supporting the AES256 encryption algorithm, as well as compression of files over 4 GB in size.

BandiZIP has a free version that we can download from its website, available to use anywhere, whether for domestic or commercial use. It also has a Professional version that costs $ 30.

Ashampoo ZIP

We are before a file compressor that is located as a great alternative to WinRAR for Windows, given its ease of handling the most common formats to compress and decompress files such as ZIP or RAR, among others. This program allows extraction in more than 30 different formats and uses 256-bit AES encryption for added protection. It has an integrated preview for image, video, and text, among others. It also has the Repair ZIP Tool function, which will allow us to repair damaged ZIP files.

Ashampoo ZIP has a free version that includes the basic functions of compressing, decompressing, and repairing files. In addition, it has a premium paid version, which has additional functions such as mounting ISO files in virtual drives or encrypting and decrypting files and folders of various formats in one go.

AZip

It is a free, open-source, portable Zip file compression and decompression program, with which we can add, extract, and delete all types of files. We will also have the possibility of recompressing files, obtaining even smaller ZIP files. It has a super-fast search function with which we can search for content within a compressed file without having to extract it and without using any file explorer. AZip runs under the Windows operating system and is compatible with other ZIP compressors, regardless of the operating system.

B1 Free Archiver

It is a cross-platform file manager, so it can be used on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS, which is a great alternative to WinRAR. Supports the most popular compression formats like B1, ZIP, JAR, XPI, RAR, 7Z, ARJ, BZ2, CAB, DEB, GZIP, TGZ, ISO, LZH, LHA, LZMA, RPM, TAR, XAR, DMG, and others. Also, it works with split files and password protected. It also has AES 256 bit encryption to protect our files securely, so that nobody can read or extract the original files without a password.

You can download B1 Free Archiver completely free from its website and can be used on any computer without having to register or pay anything.

7-ZIP

It is a free, open-source, high compression ratio file archiver. It compresses in 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP and WIM formats, and it decompresses in ARJ, CAB, CHM, RAR, and others, being compatible with AES 256 encryption in 7z and WinZip formats. In addition, it has a file division tool in equal parts, the possibility of creating self-extracting files for 7z format, and complete integration in Windows File Explorer.

You can download 7-ZIP for free on any computer for either domestic or commercial use without paying anything.

IZArc

It is a powerful and free file compressor for Windows, characterized by supporting a large number of formats, such as the most popular ZIP, RAR, 7-ZIP, BIN, ISO, among others, making it a great alternative to WinRAR. It is available in Spanish along with 50 other languages, which makes it possible to have a simple and easy-to-use interface, which will allow us to configure numerous program parameters. It has full integration with Windows file explorer through the context menu. In this way, it allows creating a compressed ZIP file in just three clicks. With this tool, we will be able to encrypt files safely thanks to the use of the AES algorithm with a key of up to 256 bits.

IZArc can be downloaded for free from its website.

PeaZip

It is a cross-platform application designed to compress and decompress files for free, based on open source technologies, making it a great alternative to WinRAR. It is capable of opening and extracting more than 180 file formats, including 001, 7Z, ARC, ARJ, BR, BZ2, CAB, DMG, GZ, ISO, LHA, PAQ, PEA, RAR, TAR, UDF, WIM, XZ, ZIP, ZIPX, ZST, among others. This program has high-security protection of our data since it has secure encryption (AES, Twofish, Serpent), encrypted password manager, optional two-factor authentication (encryption with a password and key file) and secure deletion.

PeaZip can be downloaded from its website completely free of charge and is compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and Linux computers.

Zipware

It is a free program to compress and decompress files, since it supports all the main file formats, including the new RAR5 format. It is a simple, fast, and very stable application capable of handling all types of files, from the smallest to the heaviest. It is capable of extracting files in ZIP, ZIPX, 7Z, RAR, RAR5, ISO, VHD, GZIP, BZIP2, TAR, CPIO, XZ, DEB, DMG, RPM, XPI formats, among others. You can also create ZIP, 7-ZIP, and EXE files. It is compatible with the AES 256 encryption protection system and is fully integrated into the context menu of Windows file explorer for our convenience.

The zip wire is compatible with the Windows operating system and we can download it completely free of charge from its website.

Currently, hard drives have reached an interesting storage capacity, reaching in some models up to 4TB, existing units of up to 16TB in an industrial version.

A traditional hard drive, HHD has until recently been the storage system on any computer. It is made up of a metal layer with magnetic cover, a mechanical arm, and a read and writes head that stores the data.

An SSD stores data on a series of interconnected flash memory chips capable of retaining information even when there is no electrical connection. The chips can be permanently embedded in the motherboard or can be embedded in a device that can be connected to the motherboard of any computer. This type of chip is different from the one used by USB memory, being much faster and more reliable, hence the same capacity as the SSD is more expensive than a USB memory.

SSD hard drives began operating in the late 2000s, with the rise of netbooks, ultrabooks, and other types of laptops. The size of the SSD disk has been standardized in the 2.5 ”format, making it possible to remove an HHD from any laptop and replace it with an SSD.

What advantages does buying an SSD offer?

Price remains the key factor when choosing a hard drive, but really, why buy an SSD?

Speed: A computer equipped with an SSD hard drive boots up in a few seconds while a computer equipped with an HDD takes about a minute to be operational.

The SSD starts, launches and runs all the programs and performs the file transfer in a much faster way.

Durability:

SSD hard drives lack moving parts, making it much more difficult for them to be damaged by a blow or sudden movement. Traditional hard drives run on the physical drive a nanometer distance when they are working. If you ask the computer a lot, it is highly recommended to use an SSD hard drive.

Size:

An HDD hard drive works by a turntable and there is a limit to its size. An SSD hard drive has no limitations, so although its standard is at 2.5 ”, as time passes they will decrease in size to accommodate new laptops and tablets.

Noise:

Any hard drive with a mechanical arm will make some noise when it is working and will make more noise the faster it is. On the contrary, an SSD hard drive does not produce any noise since it does not have mechanical parts in operation.

And remember, a computer with a solid hard drive is going to be much faster in starting and launching programs, being an ideal element for professionals looking for speed such as engineers, graphic designers or audio technicians or musicians, or simply for those who are accustomed to going with their computer anywhere and want it to start and shut down immediately.

In the market, we can find a good number of routers that we can probably use at home, but before choosing one or the other we should think about what type of internet connection we have, whether it is fiber optic, coaxial or xDSL. Depending on the type of connection, we must buy a neutral router or an xDSL router with a built-in ADSL2 + or VDSL2 modem.

Let’s analyze the main characteristics that a router should have:

1. Gigabit Ethernet ports, for the WAN and for the LAN

The current routers due to the speeds provided by the internet greater than 100Mbps should have Gigabit Ethernet ports, but although the connection does not exceed 30Mbps, these ports are recommended to transfer files to our local network at high speed since if we have a NAS server It is absolutely necessary to have a Gigabit network.

2. Simultaneous dual-band with Wi-Fi AC

If we want to get the most out of our connection, it should have a dual simultaneous band with Wi-Fi AC. This double band allows us to connect to both the 2.4GHz band and the 5GHz band. Currently, you can get equipment with these characteristics at a good price.

Most devices that we connect to our routers, such as smartphones or tablets, incorporate two antennas in MIMO 2T2R configuration so that although our router has four antennas for each frequency band, we will not notice the connection speed on our devices too much.

3. If we want to get the most out of the USB port of the router that is 3.0

The limitation on routers with USB 3.0 ports generally comes from the router processor that is unable to interpret so much data. If we want to get the most out of the USB ports it should be 3.0 and we should also make sure that the router has a capable processor, for example, one with a dual-core at 800MHz speed.

If we do not opt for a router with a dual-core processor, we will not get the most out of USB 3.0, so we could save some money with a lower-end device.

Choose a trusted manufacturer

Credits: amazon

The new GoPro Hero 8 Black has some interesting updates on the 7. The most interesting is on the outside, in its design, the housing that connects the camera to the different fasteners of the brand, disappears after a decade. Probably, the system that they already tested in the Fusion launched last year, to which it did not make sense due to its size to include a casing and made the fastening removable, is the reason for the new design, where they can be removed and inserted when necessary. The system is a success, eliminates an unnecessary additional component, is very simple to use and just as effective in attaching the camera.

The next major update on the GoPro 7 is Hypersmooth mode which is changed to 2.0, it improves by adding better stabilization and is now capable of recording at any resolution in this mode. The Hypersmooth is a fantastic effect, with which accelerated video with a high degree of stabilization is achieved, for example, while walking, with an almost cinematic result. Compared to its predecessor, improvement is seen, but only in situations with a high degree of inclination or rocking, for example walking, the result is the same. What we really liked, is that in the new model the Hypersmooth can be interrupted, record at normal speed and return to the same format again; all in the same video, with an impressive result.

Another novelty that we will find in GoPro Hero 8 Black is the menu of the camera itself that has been simplified to the maximum. To change the camera settings, previously we had to navigate a few options within the menu to get everything ready, which was very little agile when going from one recording mode to another. Now you can create different recording profiles, and practically with two taps, you can change from one mode to another.

As you can see we have not talked about resolutions or image quality that, although there are surely improvements in HDR and Protune, these are minimal and the image and video resolution the same as previous models. In short, it is a step forward and a new generation of GoPro cameras with interesting updates, but it hardly warrants an update.

We will have to see what happens when GoPro launches the accessories of the GoPro Hero 8 Black for the “Youtubers”, which consist of a microphone, a second folding screen for the selfie mode and a lighting spotlight. Will the most active profiles of social networks stop using the mobile to use a GoPro? That is the question. These accessories are not yet available, but we can’t wait to try them out.

DualSense incorporates haptic technology, which can be used for functions such as simulating the resistance of the steering wheel when driving in mud, and the new adapters that trigger the L2 and R2 buttons, which reproduce the tension of loading and shooting an arrow, as Sony Interactive Entertainment has assured. through a statement.

The new PS5 wireless controller features a more rounded and less compact design than its predecessor, Dualshock 4, in two shades – white and dark gray. In addition, the light bar has been relocated, which goes from being on top to both sides of the touchpad. The angle of the triggers has also been modified and the grip has been improved.

In DualSense the ‘Share’ button in Dualshock 4 becomes ‘Create’, named for its ability to create game content and share it with other players.

In addition, the new controller adds an integrated microphone array with which to initiate conversations without the need for headphones, and also the PS5’s Tempest 3D audio technology, which will provide “a new feeling of immersion”, according to Sony.

The senior vice president of the Planning and Management of Platforms of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has assured that “hundreds of drafts have been created and discarded over the last few years until they find what is now the final design.”

SIE President and CEO Jim Ryan point out, for his part, that DualSense “breaks with the tradition” of the previous controls of PlayStation, representing “the generational leap” of its next PS5 console, which will launch on Christmas of 2020.

The new Sony console will have technical features such as AMD’s RDNA 2 graphics architecture, maximum graphics power of 10.3 Teraflops and new SSD storage that will allow 2GB to be loaded in 0.27 seconds, the company recently announced.

The original Echo Dot revolutionized homes by making virtual assistants more accessible (and affordable), ushering in the era of the voice-controlled smart home. The third-generation Echo Dot incorporates many of the features than its predecessors, but with some much-needed improvements.

The last model is more powerful than the previous ones. It retains an audio port and Bluetooth connectivity, allowing it to receive both physical and wireless connections. Additionally, the virtual assistant Alexa received a major update and now has fitness tracking, games, and a host of features supported by Echo Dot devices.

Design:

Unlike the plastic outer shell you find on first and second-generation Dots, the latest Amazon model uses a softer, more attractive design.

The Echo Dot 3 will fit better with any home decor than the second generation. It will be less noticeable than the second-generation Dot, due to its softer edges and surface. It has a more elegant and futuristic look and tends to blend in well with the surroundings when placed on a table or desk. The fabric covers the outside of the device, which now features a rounded top with no sharp edges. Aesthetically it is more similar to the Google Home Mini and is available in three colors: charcoal, heather gray and sandstone.

The second-generation Echo Dot, on the other hand, is available in a white or black finish and is smaller, looking similar to a hockey puck.

Sound:

Sound quality is one of the biggest differences between Amazon Echo Dot 2 vs. Echo Dot 3. Rich Shibley / Digital Trends
This is the biggest difference between Amazon Echo Dot 2 vs. Echo Dot 3, as the latter sounds significantly better than the second generation.

The third-generation Echo Dot has a single 1.6-inch speaker, which emits 360-degree sound. The second generation has a smaller horn (1.1 inches), which sends sound from various holes. Because the Echo Dot 3 features a significantly larger driver, it offers a more robust sound with less distortion. According to Amazon, the volume of the model is 70 percent higher than that of the Echo Dot 2. In fact, our reviewers highlighted it’s improvements in the field of sound.

The Echo Dot 3 features a set of microphones that improves overall performance. Instead of the seven microphones from previous generations, the latest Dot only uses four far-field microphones to hear you from across the room. According to our reviewers, the Echo Dot could still hear from across the room, with the music blasting.

The 3rd Generation Dot retains the 3.5mm port to connect to an external speaker, but you can also do it wirelessly via Bluetooth. This means you can add your own more powerful speakers to your setup, without having to buy a bigger Echo. Since Amazon started marketing the Echo Sub, a powerful subwoofer designed to pair with your devices, you can increase considerably improves sound quality.

Voice Assistant Alexa

Alexa’s voice assistant technology is exactly the same on the second and third-generation Echo Dots. Alexa functionalities such as voice recognition and smart home connectivity are sent through firmware updates that are unrelated to the physical characteristics of your device. Therefore, it should not be an important factor in your choice.

Pricing and availability

The price between Amazon Echo Dot 2 vs. Echo Dot 3 is quite similar, with many offers. Rich Shibley / Digital Trends
The third-generation Echo Dot [/ cc-placement] is worth $ 50. However, it’s often on sale, for around $ 30 on Amazon. You can combine it with other smart home devices like smart lights and smart plugs to save more money. The Echo Dot 2 is available for $ 30, though it’s hard to say how much longer it will be available, given the release of the Echo Dot 3.

* Updated on April 5, 2020 by Rodrigo Orellana