Staying power: The Fitbit Luxe needs to be recharged only about once a week
Sennheiser CX True Wireless
Huawei Watch 3
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Staying power: The Fitbit Luxe needs to be recharged only about once a week
Question I’ve been laid low with Covid-related symptoms for months and have fallen badly out of shape. I want to get some sort of smart device that will help me keep a diary of my activity. I’m not that proficient with technology. Is there anything you’d recommend? — Garrett Murphy
Answer Any old smartphone will do the absolute basics, like count your steps (yes, even when it’s in your pocket or bag). For other metrics, like keeping track of your heart rate, you’re probably looking at getting a fitness smartwatch. These range from very simple, cheap fitness wristbands (from about €40) to very rugged, sophisticated GPS watches for the likes of ultra-marathon runners. They’ve become very comprehensive in the last two years, measuring everything from skin temperature and blood oxygen levels to stress, calories and how you slept.
If it’s mainly things like walking and heart rate you’re after, something like Fitbit’s slim little Luxe (€150) is decent. It needs to be recharged about once a week and it will also measure quite a few of the things I mention above, such as sleep scores.
If you’d like something that does all of that but with a bigger, more readable touchscreen, Garmin’s new Venu 2 is excellent and has some great fitness programs, even though it costs quite a bit more (€399). There is also the blended version of a smartwatch and fitness tracker, represented by the likes of the Apple Watch SE (€299, but it only works with iPhones) and Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Active (€199, best with Samsungs or other Android smartphones). These generalist smartwatches are popular because they record quite a bit of your health data as well as your exercise, while allowing you to make or take calls on them (as long as your phone is nearby).
Recommendation: Fitbit Luxe (€150 from retailers)
Question I’m trying to get Word and Excel for my laptop without being drawn into an annual subscription. Is it possible to get it for one year or is there any such thing as free Word? I actually have Google Docs but don’t find it satisfactory as I’ve been so used to Microsoft Office going back years. Any advice would be really appreciated. — Noirin O’Dalaigh
Answer
There is a free version of Microsoft Word but it has hugely reduced functionality and you can use it online at Office.com through your web browser (meaning you can only save documents online through Microsoft’s OneDrive, which is free for 5GB of space, but then costs from €2 a month). To get the kind of Microsoft Word and Excel application experience that you’re used to, you’ll either need to pay their subscription (€7 per month or €69 per year) or buy a one-off forever version for €299.
As for free, non-Microsoft alternatives, they are available but are mixed in terms of their effectiveness. WPS Office is prominent, while LibreOffice has been going for a while. Neither could exactly be called ‘much used’, even though they do synchronise with Microsoft Office applications. Google Docs is the most popular alternative, so if you prefer Microsoft Office, you may find that there’s limited scope to avoid that subscription.
Question I’m going to college in September and I am looking to get the MacBook Air that came out in November. What I’m wondering is whether now is a good time to get it or should I wait? Will the MacBook Air be updated before September? — Noah Moynihan
Answer Almost certainly not. All of the indications are that there won’t be a new MacBook Air until 2022. There may be a new MacBook Pro this autumn, but that’s only to catch up with the high-end chip technology that is already in the MacBook Air. So it’s still a good time to buy the Air model without worrying that another one will supersede it. You probably know this, but don’t buy one of the old models (still floating around) that have the Intel chips. They are nowhere near as good as Apple’s new M1 models.
Sennheiser’s newest mid-range in-ear buds lack noise cancellation but have everything else. The audio quality is excellent and you can adjust things like bass and treble nicely within the app. The buds also control touch-sensitive controls in a way that stops you accidentally skipping tracks or activating voice controls.
If you have a Huawei phone, this is a really nice accessory. If you don’t, this is missing some key features, even though it’s still the best-looking smartwatch on the market. The Watch 3 fuses fitness, health and general smartwatch functionality, but its trump feature — eSim capability — isn’t supported by any Irish operators.