ConceptDraw Office 11: Your Productivity Suite Just Got a Promotion!

ConceptDraw Office 11, released in October 2024, is the latest version of the software suite. It includes several updates and enhancements compared to ConceptDraw Office 10, which was released in October 2023.

Here are some of the key differences between the two versions:

ConceptDraw Office 11:

• Updated Applications: Includes the latest versions of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM 18,  MINDMAP 16, and PROJECT 15.
• macOS 15 Sequoia Support: Full compatibility with the latest macOS 15 Sequoia.
• New Features and Improvements: Each application within the suite has been upgraded with new features and improvements based on user feedback.
• Operating System Support: Supports Windows 10, 11 (64-bit) and macOS 14 (Sonoma), 15 (Sequoia).

ConceptDraw DIAGRAM 18:

Support for LaTeX which enhances complex mathematical formulas, tables, and matrices which is useful  for scientific diagrams, business infographics, technical drawings, and other visuals where precision and clarity in representing equations and data structures are crucial.

A version of the Pages panel was added in a tree structure format. You can now choose between a linear and tree structure to browse your multi-page document.

The Align and Size panel has been improved with a new Align to Page tool that helps you arrange shapes and connectors neatly and evenly.

Application security has been improved with the implementation of an anti-hacking protection system.

Improved import of MS Visio files is important for users. It allows them to continue leveraging content created in Visio while benefiting from advanced diagramming tools.

ConceptDraw PROJECT 15

1. ConceptDraw PROJECT allows you to assign three levels of access to a document:
2. Project Manager (PM) - full access. Can read, edit, and generate reports.
3. Resource Manager (RM) - can read a document, edit resources, and generate reports.
4. Viewer (V) - can read a document and generate reports.

The calendar year can be changed to the financial year for better budgetary and business alignment.

Resources can now be sorted alphabetically in Resource and Resource Usage tables

ConceptDraw MINDMAP 16

New Format Options

• The new Complex layout, added to the Arrange panel, combines the circular arrangement of mind map topics at the first level and subsequent topics arrangement — at an angle to the topics of the first level.
• New design options for mind map topics and lines have been added to the Topic Format options.
• The "Ribbon" topic tail shape and the "Structure" topic shape have been added to the Format options.

Enhanced integration with Evernote: Import of Evernote notes (ENEX) has been added.

Integrations with Google Drive, MS OneDrive, and Dropbox have been added.

Import from Mail (macOS) improved: Added the ability to set time frames for imported messages. It helps to convert communication into actionable insights and structured knowledge.

Export to Word improved: If a topic has an attached image, it will also appear in the MS Word document when exported, just like images inserted into the topic.

Solutions:

There are 233 solutions of which 21 are paid for.

Building Plans

Electric and Telecom Plans

Fire and Emergency Plans

Floor Plans

Plant Layout Plans

School and Training Plans

Seating Plans

Security and Access Plans

Site Plans

Sport Field Plans

Cafe and Restaurant Floor Plan

Gym and Spa Area Plans

HVAC Plans

Landscape & Garden

Office Layout Plans

Plumbing and Piping Plans

Reflected Ceiling Plans

Tilt and Turn Windows

Business Infographics

Agriculture Infographics Buy

Economy Infographics Buy

Education Infographics

Energy Industry Infographics Buy

Financial Infographics

Green Energy Buy

Management Infographics

Marketing Infographics

Mass Media Infographics Buy

Oil and Gas Buy

Politics Infographics Buy

Travel Infographics Buy

Business Processes

Business Process Diagrams

Business Process Mapping

Classic Business Process Modeling

Cross-Functional Flowcharts

Event-driven Process Chain Diagrams EPC

IDEF Business Process Diagrams

Logistics Flow Charts

Workflow Diagrams

Business Intelligence Dashboard

Business Process Workflow Diagrams

Healthcare Management Workflow Diagrams

Logistic Dashboard

Business Productivity

Presentation Exchange

Word Exchange

Collaboration

ConceptDraw Dashboard for Facebook

MindTweet

Note Exchange

Social Media Response

Mind Map Exchange

Project Exchange

Computer and Networks

Active Directory Diagrams

AWS Architecture Diagrams

Azure Architecture

Cisco Network Diagrams

Cisco Networking

Cloud Computing Diagrams

Computer Network Diagrams

Google Cloud Platform

Interactive Voice Response Diagrams

Network Layout Floor Plans

Network Security Diagrams

Rack Diagrams

Telecommunication Network Diagrams

Vehicular Networking

Wireless Networks

Internet of Things Buy

Dashboards

Comparison Dashboard

Composition Dashboard

Correlation Dashboard

Frequency Distribution Dashboard

Meter Dashboard

Spatial Dashboard

Status Dashboard

Time Series Dashboard

Diagrams

Basic Circle-Spoke Diagrams

Basic Circular Arrows Diagrams

Basic Venn Diagrams

Block Diagrams

Concept Maps

Family Tree

Flowcharts

Finance and Accounting

Accounting Flowcharts

Audit Flowcharts

Food and Beverage

Food Court

Cooking Recipes

Health Food

Graphs and Charts

Basic Area Charts

Basic Bar Graphs

Basic Divided Bar Diagrams

Basic Histograms

Basic Line Graphs

Basic Picture Graphs

Basic Pie Charts

Basic Scatter Diagrams

Health

Health Informatics

Allergology Buy

Biomedicine

Genogram

Human Anatomy

Immunology Buy

Medical Illustrations

Medical Mycology Buy

Pharmacy Illustrations

Health Sciences

Medical Virology

Illustrations

Aerospace and Transport

Artwork

Audio, Video, Media

Business and Finance

Computers and Communications

Holiday

Manufacturing and Maintenance

Nature

People

Presentation Clipart

Safety and Security

Industrial Engineering

Analogue Electronics

Audio and Video Connector

Basic Circuit Diagrams

Chemical and Process Engineering

Digital Electronics

Electrical Engineering

Electron Tube Circuits

Electronic Block Diagrams

Fault Tree Analysis Diagrams

GHS Hazard Pictograms

Home Automation and Wiring

Mechanical Engineering

One-line Diagrams

Power Circuits

Specification and Description Language (SDL)

Telecom and AV Circuits

Transport Hazard Pictograms

Infographics

Data-driven Infographics

Pictorial Infographics

Spatial Infographics

Typography Infographics

Management

Calendars

Decision Making

Enterprise Architecture Diagrams

Fishbone Diagrams

Organizational Charts

Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)

Seven Management and Planning Tools

SWOT and TOWS Matrix Diagrams

Timeline Diagrams

25 Typical Orgcharts

Business Diagrams

Critical Infrastructure Sectors Buy

CRM Center Dashboard

Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance Buy

HR Dashboard

HR Flowcharts

Public Utilities Buy

Stakeholder Onion Diagrams

Sustainable Development Buy

Maps

Australia Map

Continent Maps

Directional Maps

Germany Map

Metro Map

UK Map

USA Maps

Marketing

Customer Journey Mapping

Marketing Diagrams

Matrices

Pyramid Diagrams

Sales Dashboard

Sales Flowcharts

Target and Circular Diagrams

Funnel Diagrams

Project Management

Cash Flow Reports

Current Activities Reports

MINDMAP Diagrams Buy

Custom Excel Report

Knowledge Reports

MINDMAP Reports

Overview Reports

PM Agile

PM Dashboards

PM Meetings

PM Personal Time Management

PM Planning

PM Presentations

PM Response

Resource Usage Reports

Visual Reports

Kanban Board Buy

PM Mind Mans and Tables Buy

Project Diagrams Buy

Scrum Workflow Buy

Quality Management

House of Quality

Quality Mind Maps

Total Quality Management Diagrams

Value Stream Mapping

Seven Basic Tools of Quality

Science and Education

Astronomy

Biology

Chemistry

Language Learning

Mathematics

Piano Sheet Music

Physics

Software Development

Android User Interface

Class Hierarchy Tree

Data Flow Diagrams

DOM Tree

Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD)

EXPRESS-G data Modeling Diagram

IDEFO Diagrams

iPhone User Interface

Jackson Structured Programming (JSP) Diagrams

Mac OS X User Interface

Object-Role Modeling (ORM) Diagrams

Rapid UML

SysML

Website Wireframe

Windows 10 User Interface

ATM UML Diagrams

Sport

Baseball

Basketball

Chess

Football

Ice Hockey

Soccer

Summer Sports BUY

Winter Sports

Statistical Charts

Area Charts

Bar Graphs

Divided Bar Diagrams

Histograms

Line Graphs

Picture Graphs

Pie Charts

Scatter Diagrams

Overall:

ConceptDraw Office 11 offers the latest features, better compatibility, and improved performance compared to ConceptDraw Office 10. If you're considering purchasing or upgrading, ConceptDraw Office 11 is the recommended choice. Office 11 costs $299 (down from $499) for macOS or Windows.

Individual costs are:

ConceptDraw DIAGRAM 18 $199
ConceptDraw PROJECT 15 $299
ConceptDraw MINDMAP 16 $199
ConceptDrawMINDMAP 16 & PROJECT 15 $399

Nank get real with OE mix True Wireless Earphones

Nank (previously known as Naenka) has been big in the bone conduction earphone space, now there's a move to open ear and the first True Wireless earphones the OE Mix.

Nank OE Mix box

The box contains the earphones in their case, a USB A to USB C cable and an instruction manual.

Open Box

The earphones are light, weighing in a 6.7g each (i.e. left and right) and are coated with a non-skin irritable silicon.

Open case

Bluetooth is now at version 5.4 and supports 60mS latency for gaming. Battery life is 24 hours (but each earphone will hold charge for 6 hours and then has to be put in the case to recharge). Whilst charging the LED on the case flashes red and turns green when fully charged.

Earphones

The drivers have a 0.0096mm diaphragm and support Super Base 2.0 (Nank's terminology).

Earphones

There aren't any physical buttons on the earphone, but they are touch sensitive and touching the left and right top of the earphone perform the following: -

Double touch L/R - switch between music and call.

Single touch L - volume down

Single touch R - volume up

Long touch L - rewind

Long touch R - fast forward

Long touch L/R (1.5s) - call hangup

Triple touch L/R - microphone

The first thing you notice (well don't notice) is how light they are. It can feel a bit awkward placing them over the ear in the correct position, but when they are there, they are very comfortable. Though they stay in place, they can easily be knocked off by say brushing your hand against them while doing something else.

When removed from the case, the earphones turn on and will automatically connect to the device they're paired with (the first time they turn on they will automatically go into pairing mode). When put back into the case they will start charging and the case green light will flash. The earphone turn themselves off - though they can be turned off by touching them for a longer time i.e. over 1.5 seconds - they tell you they're turning off. Though as soon as they are removed from the charger they turn themselves on again.

The earphones are IP55 rated and survive getting wet from sweat etc. As they don't completely cover the ear, you can still hear your environment, so these are good for activities like cycling or running. They can't be fully immersed in water so aren't suitable for swimming.

The sound quality is very good and there are decent highs and lows (notes) as the earphone speakers are placed just outside the ear canal projecting the sound inwards and unlike other Nank bone conducting earphones don't suffer the issues of some of bass being lost or tickling against the skin.

These are a nice addition to the Nank line and at the website price of £43.32 they aren't going to break the bank.

ConceptDraw Office v10: Taking the "Office" Out of Office Work (In a Good Way)

ConceptDraw OFFICE from CSOdessa has released its 10th version, pretty amazing since Ukraine's been illegally invaded by Russia.

ConceptDraw Office v10 has arrived, and it's shaping up to be a game-changer for visual thinkers across all industries. This productivity suite bundles three powerhouse applications: ConceptDraw MINDMAP, PROJECT, and DIAGRAM (formerly PRO). Let's dive into what makes v10 such a compelling upgrade (or just a compelling purchase).

ConceptDraw has always been known for its intuitive diagramming capabilities, and v10 takes it a step further.  DIAGRAM boasts a sleek interface and an extensive library of pre-built templates and symbols, allowing you to create stunning flowcharts, network diagrams, mind maps, and more –  all with just a few clicks.

One of the biggest strengths of v10 is the seamless integration between the three applications. Brainstorming ideas in MINDMAP? Effortlessly convert them into actionable tasks in PROJECT. Need to present your project plan? Export your data directly into a polished DIAGRAM for maximum impact. This streamlined workflow eliminates the need for juggling multiple programs, saving you valuable time and frustration.

New features are: -

Apple Silicon support and macOS Sonoma so the programs run natively on M series Macs.

Rapid Draw - Сreate diagrams faster than ever with expanded Rapid Draw functionality. You can personalise RapidDraw for creating flowcharts using your customised objects.

Grouped Objects in a Diagram - Editing objects in a group individually is easy. You can use a special command to change one object in a group without affecting the others.

Multi-page Mind Maps - Easily create and design multi-page mind maps. Apply the first page style to the entire multi-page map with one click.

Outline View - View and edit your mind map as a diagram with an updated interface and new editing capabilities.

Micro Reports - A new line of micro-reports to remind your team on project deadlines. Create manually or set up automatic creation of ready-to-send deadline reminder emails.

Export to MS Excel - Export project data to MS Excel spreadsheets "as is", including project schedule, resource allocation, cost data, etc.

Interface improvements - 

New captions on the buttons during apps and solutions installation process.

Built-in Help including instructions on activation, proxy set up, and keyboard shortcuts.

Office now comes 222 solution packs of which 163 are free and 59 are paid for, they are: -

Business Infographics

Economy Infographics $25

Education Infographics $25

Energy Industry Infographics $25

Financial Infographics $25

Green Energy $25

Management Infographics $25

Marketing Infographics $25

Mass Media Infographics $25

Oil and Gas $25

Politics Infographics $25

Travel Infographics $25

Business Processes

Business Process Diagrams FREE

Business Process Mapping FREE

Classic Business Process Modeling FREE

Cross-Functional Flowcharts FREE

Event-driven Process Chain Diagrams FREE

IDEF Business Process Diagrams FREE

Logistics Flow Charts FREE

Workflow Diagrams FREE

Business Intelligence Dashboard $99

Business Process Workflow Diagrams $49

Healthcare Management Workflow Diagrams $49

Logistic Dashboard $49

Business Productivity

Presentation Exchange FREE

Word Exchange FREE

Collaboration FREE

ConceptDraw Dashboard for Facebook FREE

Mind Map Exchange FREE

MindTweet FREE

Note Exchange FREE

Project Exchange FREE

Social Media Response FREE

Computer and Networks

Active Directory Diagrams FREE

AWS Architecture Diagrams FREE

Azure Architecture FREE

Cisco Network Diagrams FREE

Cisco Networking FREE

Cloud Computing Diagrams FREE

Computer Network Diagrams FREE

Google Cloud Platform FREE

Interactive Voice Response Diagrams FREE

Network Layout Floor Plans FREE

Network Security Diagrams FREE

Rack Diagrams FREE

Telecommunication Network Diagrams FREE

Vehicular Networking FREE

Wireless Networks FREE

Internet of Things $30

Dashboards

Comparison Dashboard FREE

Composition Dashboard FREE

Correlation Dashboard FREE

Frequency Distribution Dashboard FREE

Meter Dashboard FREE

Spatial Dashboard FREE

Status Dashboard FREE

Time Series Dashboard FREE

Diagrams

Basic Circle-Spoke Diagrams FREE

Basic Circular Arrows Diagrams FREE

Basic Venn Diagrams FREE

Block Diagrams FREE

Concept Maps FREE

Family Tree FREE

Flowcharts FREE

Finance and Accounting

Accounting Flowcharts FREE

Audit Flowcharts FREE

Food and Beverage

Food Court FREE

Cooking Recipes $25

Health Food $25

Graphs and Charts

Basic Area Charts FREE

Basic Bar Graphs FREE

Basic Divided Bar Diagrams FREE

Basic Histograms FREE

Basic Line Graphs FREE

Basic Picture Graphs FREE

Basic Pie Charts FREE

Basic Scatter Diagrams FREE

Health

Health Informatics FREE

Allergology $49

Biomedicine $49 Genogram $25

Health Sciences $25

Human Anatomy $25

Immunology $49

Medical Illustrations $25

Medical Mycology $49

Medical Virology $49

Pharmacy Illustrations $25

Illustration

Aerospace and Transport FREE

Artwork FREE

Audio, Video, Media FREE

Business and Finance FREE

Computers and Communications FREE

Holiday FREE

Manufacturing and Maintenance FREE

Nature FREE

People FREE

Presentation Clipart FREE

Safety and Security FREE

Industrial Engineering

Analog Electronics FREE

Audio and Video Connectors FREE

Basic Circuit Diagrams FREE

Chemical and Process Engineering FREE

Digital Electronics FREE

Electrical Engineering FREE

Electron Tube Circuits FREE

Electronic Block Diagrams FREE

Fault Tree Analysis Diagrams FREE

GHS Hazard Pictograms FREE

Home Automation and Wiring FREE

Mechanical Engineering FREE

One-line Diagrams FREE

Power Сircuits FREE

Specification and Description Language (SDL) FREE

Telecom and AV Circuits FREE

Transport Hazard Pictograms FREE

Infographics

Data-driven Infographics FREE

Pictorial Infographics FREE

Spatial Infographics FREE

Typography Infographics FREE

Management

Calendars FREE

Decision Making FREE

Enterprise Architecture Diagrams FREE

Fishbone Diagrams FREE

Organizational Charts FREE

Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) FREE

Seven Management and Planning Tools FREE

SWOT and TOWS Matrix Diagrams FREE

Timeline Diagrams FREE

25 Typical Orgcharts $25

Business Diagrams $49

CRM Center Dashboard $49

Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance $25

HR Dashboard $49

HR Flowcharts $25

Public Utilities $25

Stakeholder Onion Diagrams $49

Sustainable Development $25

Maps

Australia Map FREE

Continent Maps FREE

Directional Maps FREE

Germany Map FREE

Metro Map FREE

UK Map FREE

USA Maps FREE

Marketing

Customer Journey Mapping FREE

Marketing Diagrams FREE

Matrices FREE

Pyramid Diagrams FREE

Sales Dashboard FREE

Sales Flowcharts FREE

Target and Circular Diagrams FREE

Funnel Diagrams $25

Packages

Building Design Package $180

Business Diagrams Package $230

Business Infographics Package $130

Business Management Package $367

Education Package $160

Health Package $180

Project Management Package $158

Project Management

Cash Flow Reports FREE

Current Activities Reports FREE

Custom Excel Report FREE

Knowledge Reports FREE

MINDMAP Reports FREE

Overview Reports FREE

PM Agile FREE

PM Dashboards FREE

PM Docs FREE

PM Easy FREE

PM Meetings FREE

PM Personal Time Management FREE

PM Planning FREE

PM Presentations FREE

PM Response FREE

Resource Usage Reports FREE

Visual Reports FREE

Kanban Board $25

MindMap Diagrams $99

PM Mind Maps and Tables $25

Project Diagrams $49

Scrum Workflow $49

Quality Management

House of Quality FREE

Quality Mind Map FREE

Total Quality Management TQM Diagrams FREE

Value Stream Mapping FREE

Seven Basic Tools of Quality $25

Science and Education

Astronomy FREE

Biology FREE

Chemistry FREE

Language Learning FREE

Mathematics FREE

Physics FREE

Piano Sheet Music FREE

Software Development

Android User Interface FREE

Class Hierarchy Tree FREE

Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) FREE

DOM Tree FREE

Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) FREE

EXPRESS-G data Modeling Diagram FREE

IDEF0 Diagrams FREE

iPhone User Interface FREE

Jackson Structured Programming (JSP) Diagrams FREE

macOS User Interface FREE

Object-Role Modeling (ORM) Diagrams FREE

Rapid UML FREE

SYSML FREE

Website Wireframe FREE

Windows 10 User Interface FREE

ATM UML Diagrams $25

Sport

Baseball FREE

Basketball FREE

Chess FREE

Football FREE

Ice Hockey FREE

Soccer FREE

Winter Sports FREE

Summer Sports $25

Statistical Charts

Area Charts $25

Bar Graphs $35

Divided Bar Diagrams $25

Histograms $30 Line Graphs $25

Picture Graphs $40

Pie Charts $20

Scatter Diagrams $25

Some of the paid solutions are actually complete packages where some free and paid solutions are bundled.

All the programs are easy to use and offer a sensible alternative to incumbent application from the dominant players and they work well together (though Mindmap, Project and Diagram can be purchased separately).

The current price for ConceptDraw OFFICE 10 £239 (usually £399) May 2024.

Individually ConceptDraw DIAGRAM 17 is £159, ConceptDraw PROJECT 14 is £239 and ConceptDraw MINDMAP 15 is £159 and there is a ConceptDraw MINDMAP 15 & PROJECT 14 which is £319 (which make no sense when the whole suite is £90 cheaper). There are also upgrade options if you own a previous version.

See Clearly, Clean Safely: The TOFARO Visual Ear Cleaner

Another day, another Kickstarter. Who doesn't want an in-ear camera system?

Ever felt like you're flying blind when cleaning your ears? Traditional cotton swabs can be ineffective and even push wax further into the ear canal. TOFARO, a new visual ear cleaner on the scene, promises a safer, more precise clean with the help of a high-definition camera.

Box

TOFARO boasts a 1080p HD camera that transmits a live feed to your smartphone or tablet via a dedicated app. This allows you to magnify and examine the inner ear, ensuring you only clean what needs cleaning. Blurry images are a thing of the past, thanks to TOFARO's advanced lens technology.

Inside box

Safety is paramount when it comes to ear care. TOFARO features a detachable cleaning head with a built-in storage compartment. This not only keeps the head clean and hygienic but also prevents accidental loss. The 360-degree angle detection and a smart gyroscope ensure you have complete control and can maneuver the cleaning rod precisely within the ear canal.

Silicon scraper

TOFARO is designed to be compact and portable. It can be carried around easily (though would you want to?). It has a WiFi hotspot that you connect your phone/tablet to and then the app simply connects via this.

Camera with cap

Though not a medical device, it's always important to ensure the device is used safely and shouldn't be used if previous problems with any parts of the ear.

Cap removed

Looking inside your ear may show unexpected things and if these are serious seek medical advice rather than poking around and damaging yourself.

Unit twisted, exposing tube and light that is inserted

The silicon scrapers are relatively soft and if placed behind any wax and gently pulled forward, the wax usually comes with it.

USB-C charging

Again, if wax lodged in the ear and doesn't want to move, don't try forcing it, you can do damage to the surrounding area.

In Ear

The above is a view from the camera of a real ear.

It's a novel device with a decent camera (and gyroscopic stabilisation if required).

Nank(was Naenka) Runner Neo: Bone Conduction for the (Active) Soul music

Bone conduction headphones have risen in popularity with runners, cyclists and other sports enthusiasts as listening to music doesn't mean you can't engage with your surroundings and you're aware of what's going on around you.

Product Box

The Nank(was Naenka) Runner Neo's come in three colours, red, grey and green (though the red is quite orangey and the green quite light). A great improvement to other Nank and competitor products is the wireless charging, The charger connects via USB A and has a white LED to showing it's powered. The right control section magnetically sits on the charger and the white LED in the arm will flash (along with the LED in the charger) when it's charging, both light are steady white when fully charged.

Tech Features: -

• IP66 water resistant
• Bluetooth 5.2
• Skin-friendly silicone
• 10-hour Playtime (2 hours charge time)
• Dual-mic Noise Reduction, Clear Sound Quality
• QCC chips from Qualcomm (High Performance with Low Power Consumption)

Also included with the headphones are 2 Earplugs, 6 sound quality enhancers and a user manual.

Headphone in box

The Runner Neo boasts a sleek, minimalist design with a one-piece, fully-silicone frame. This not only contributes to a cool, futuristic aesthetic but also enhances durability and sweat resistance – ideal for workouts. The headphones are lightweight, weighing just 28 grams, and sit comfortably on your skin without causing pressure or irritation.

Sound quality enhancers

The core of any bone conduction headphone is its audio delivery. The Runner Neo utilises advanced bone conduction technology to transmit sound vibrations through your cheekbones. This approach keeps your ears open, allowing for ambient noise awareness, which is crucial for safety during outdoor activities.

The sound quality is surprisingly good for bone conduction headphones. While it won't match the bass punch of over-ear options and some in-ear options, the Runner Neo delivers crisp highs, clear mids, and a decent amount of low-end rumble. Podcasts and audiobooks come across clearly, and music playback is enjoyable, especially for genres like pop, rock, and electronica.

The sound is enhanced when the "sound quality enhancers" are placed in the ear, but that sort of removes the ability to hear what's going around you, which is the main point of bone conducting earphones.

Charging cable

The wireless charging is a great feature, as it removes the need to plug anything in or have contacts exposed, which makes the whole system waterproof and little chance of sweat or rain getting into the internals.

Charger on earphones

Call quality is decent, with the dual microphones effectively picking up your voice well.

Controls are simple and intuitive, with three buttons located on the right earpiece. These buttons handle power, volume, playback, and call functionality.

Showing charger attached

The headphones can do multipoint pairing and connect to two devices simultaneously.

Though they are comfortable, if the volume is too loud they can vibrate on the skin which gives a tickling sensation which can be annoying.

Maybe not as high fidelity as some competing bone conduction headphones, but for the price they perform pretty well. They are currently £60.31 from Nank's site.

Dualit EcoPress™ Duo Max Pod Recycler, finally, a Way to Feel Good About Your Coffee Habit

Dualit, famous for their high end kitchen equipment, make Nespresso compatible coffee machines, coffee pods and recyclers.

EcoPress™ Duo Max Pod Recycler,

Recently the EcoPress™ Duo Max Pod Recycler was released. It's slightly more complex than the original EcoPress™ Aluminium Capsule Recycler in that it empties two pods at once and also has a container to hold the emptied pods for washing.

Showing pod recycler left and emptied pod holder right

The pod emptier has a base that can be removed and it sits in a slight depression in the main base that holds the second section.

pods

Pods are placed silver side down on to the recycling section (the thinner end pointing up), the lid is pressed down and the pod will empty into the container. It can hold about 12 pods worth of coffee before it needs emptying. The other section holds maybe 40 to 50 emptied pods.

pods on recycler

When lifting the lid off the emptier, it's easy to move the container, so it's no longer sitting in the depression and as quite a lot of force is required to push down, then container can slip.

Lid on top of pods

Emptying the container is easiest by just inverting and shaking the grounds out of the holes, though sometimes a pod will be pushed in and then the base has to be removed. Removing the base for normal emptying isn't recommended as it's fiddly and the holes have to stay on top (or the grounds will fall out).

Emptied pods in recycler

Though most of the grounds stay in the containers, there will be some spillage on to whatever the recycler is placed. It also must be quite sturdy as a fair bit of steady effort is required pushing down the recycler lid.

If there's a lot of pods to recycle, it's definitely quicker than using the original, but probably not worth an upgrade.

It retails for £19.99

Nank(Naenka) Runner Diver2 Bone Conduction Swimming Headphones that Will Make You Sing Underwater

Nank(Naenka) formally known as Naenka are a Chinese manufacturer specialising in bone conduction headphones.

The Runner Diver 2 are its latest product. As well as Bluetooth (v5.3) support, there's 32GB of memory allowing for music files to be stored on the device itself.

The come in a box (that is remarkably similar dimensions to a competitor) which is mainly cardboard with some plastic inserts to hold various items such as the ear plugs, sound quality enhancers and the headphones themselves. They're also a USB-A charging cable and instruction manual.

Headphone box

If the USB cable is plugged into a PC (macOS or Windows), the headphones appear as a USB disk and music files which are MP3/M4A/WAV/APE/FLAC can be transferred. The headphones support multipoint paring (i.e. multiple devices).

Diver is probably not the best description for the headphones as they are only IP68 certified which is 1 metre depth in water for up to 30 minutes - so maybe Runner Swimmer would be more appropriate. While swimming it's necessary to use the MP3 mode as a Bluetooth connection may cut out when the headphones are submersed and will then try and reconnect as they come out of the water.

Looking under headphones

Bone conduction works by transferring the audio vibrations through the cheekbones so how the headphones fit is quite important. They comes with some silicon inserts called sound enhancers that fit into the ear itself, sitting on the indented bit before the ear canal (so not in the ear canal like in-ear earphones). The sound enhancers come in small, medium and large. The headphones then are placed over the ears.

Sound enhancers

The sound enhancers made a huge difference in sound quality and fit, however head shape has a lot to do with it and they may not make a huge difference for everyone. An obvious issue is that they sit in-front of the ear canal so do block some of the sounds from the environment which is why some people are using bone conduction headphones in the first place. There's good bass, midrange and treble supported by the 16 mm speaker. There's also built-in noise cancelling for the microphones.

looking form back

Battery life is 10 hours (at 60% volume) and 150 hours standby and a full charge takes 1.5 hours and 15 hours talk time. The magnetic connector is polarised so it will only fit one way, but the pins do protrude and can easily short onto any flat metallic material especially if it's ferrous as the magnets will be attracted to it.

Side view

The headphones are reasonably light weight at 32g and are covered in silicone that is skin friendly being soft, hypoallergenic and breathable. The design is meant to resemble a seahorse (well the bone conducting part).

Top view

There are 3 buttons, Power, "+" and "-".

Power button

Long Press 3 secs - Power On / Power Off

Double click - Wake up Voice assistant / exit voice assistant

Click Once - Play/Pause / Answer/Hangup

Double Click - Ignore call

Triple Click - Bluetooth/MP3 mode

Quad (4) clicks - Sequential/Random play in MP3 mode

+ Button

Click once - Volume Up

Long Press 2 seconds - Next song

- Button

Click once - Volume Down

Long Press 2 seconds - Last song

They retail for around £140.00 but a 15% discount is available using the code "Steve" (no quotes required).

As stated without the sound enhancers, the sound quality and fit wasn't brilliant and they vibrated against the skin annoyingly, with the sound enhanced things improved dramatically but that relates to head shape so things might be completely different for other users. With the sound enhancers sound quality was pretty good (as least as good as the competition). Not a bad headphone.