Article Image

Anker’s latest power banks are packed with features for your iPhone, laptop and more

With two new Nano Power Banks and the 7-in-1 Charging Station, there's a lot on offer.

What’s happened? Mobile accessory maker Anker has launched three new portable chargers, including a MagSafe power bank for iPhone owners.

Why should I care? If you’re someone who frequently travels, or finds themselves away from an outlet for an extended period of time, having a portable charger with you can be a real blessing.

Okay, what’s next? Anker’s new power banks have the potential to challenge the best portable chargers on the market, and all three accessories are now available to buy.

A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a server run by the VPN provider. Websites see the VPN server’s IP address instead of yours, and you can get around geo-blocks, censorship, and ISP throttling. The best VPN services are paid, but there are still a handful of free options that do the job well. 

Most free VPNs come with a hidden cost, because running servers isn’t cheap and a company that doesn’t charge you has to make its money somewhere else. Many do so by logging your browsing activity and selling it to advertisers, while others flood you with ads and track you across apps. 

There's nothing quite like curling up with a good book on a cold evening. As much as I love the feel of a physical book, books take up a lot of space, and carrying more than one on a trip quickly becomes a chore. That's where e-readers come in, and the Amazon Kindle remains one of the best options.

Amazon just refreshed its Kindle lineup with thinner, lighter designs, a new flush-front display, and colors that wrap from front to back. Add the Kindle Scribe and the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft to the mix, and you have more choices than ever before.

A good Android app should earn its place on your phone. It might make an everyday task easier, handle something the built-in software can't, or let you change an experience that never quite worked for you.

These 20 apps cover everything from quick notes and password management to automation and local file sharing. Some are free, others charge for advanced features, and a few take some effort to figure out. The point isn't to install them all. It's to find the ones that make your phone work better for you.