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Android Authority
20-05-2025
- Android Authority
The $300 Garmin Vivoactive 6 is the fitness tracker I think most amateur athletes should buy
Garmin Vivoactive 6 The Vivoactive 6 is a surprisingly robust fitness smartwatch with advanced training tools and key sport features that make the watch one of Garmin's best-value offerings. It doesn't pack a ton of smart features or ECG support, but it nails the basics and packs in many of Garmin's best features for under $300. That makes it an easy recommendation for most amateur athletes. After three weeks with Garmin's newest Vivoactive 6, I'm fairly convinced it's the fitness tracking watch most amateur athletes should buy. Not because it does everything, but because it does exactly what matters, without overcomplicating your wrist (or torching your wallet). The brand's higher-end wearables like the Fenix and Epix lines come packed with maps, metrics, and battery stats to withstand a multi-week expedition, but unless you're training for a back-country sabbatical, the Vivoactive 6 is lighter, more comfortable, and every bit as reliable. A subtly updated experience The Vivoactive 5 was a major leap over the 4, introducing an AMOLED display and new health features. The Vivoactive 6 continues that momentum with a more polished interface, expanded workout tools, and thoughtful refinements that make it an even better fit for everyday athletes. The most immediately apparent change is the device's completely revamped user interface. Garmin redesigned the settings, controls, and overall navigation system to be more intuitive, giving the Vivoactive line a smoother, more modern feel. If you're new to Garmin devices, you'll likely appreciate the layout. However, if you've been using Garmin watches for years like I have, you might feel a bit thrown off as your muscle memory adjusts. A redesigned UI experience may take getting used to for Garmin loyalists, but it's designed to be intuitive in the long run. To be honest, I found the changes frustrating at first, and while I've mostly adjusted, I still occasionally fumble for old shortcuts that no longer exist. I am only now getting used to a long press not taking me to my settings. Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority Cosmetically, the Vivoactive 6 stuck to the 5's single 42mm case size (instead of going back to two options like the 4), which is disappointing. Fortunately, it's a comfortable middle ground for most wrist sizes; not too oversized or too petite. The build itself is sleek and minimalist, with a tweaked button design I really like. Overall, the device is slightly more casual than the Venu 3's upscale look without going too cheap. It is available in four colors, including the Jasper Green pictured above, a soft pink, and two neutrals. For all-day wear, I found the watch very comfortable and incredibly lightweight (just 23g) compared to almost every other watch I own, especially during workouts. Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority On that front, Garmin expanded the device's sport profile options, adding about 50 new workout types. This gives the Vivoactive family more versatility, even if it isn't an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink lineup. Garmin also improved the device's customizable data pages so you can now add up to eight data fields per screen instead of just four. I was personally excited to see animated workouts return to the lineup, which I like to use for HIIT sessions. The Vivoactive 6 adds a few advanced training tools and customization options, plus animated workout guidance. Meanwhile, for avid runners, the watch now supports the brand's PacePro and Running Dynamics (ground contact time, stride length, etc.). These features are readily available on Garmin's higher-end models, so it's nice to see them trickle down to the Vivoactive series. I dipped into the device's added navigation options for following routes (breadcrumb style), which are useful albeit simple. Like the Venu series, there are still no maps here. For walkers, the watch adds Daily suggested workouts, though I found these often underestimated what I was up for doing each day. Then again, I love to walk excessively and maybe Garmin knows better what is actually a healthy amount. Notably, the watch does not feature a barometric altimeter, so if you want to track altitude on your hikes, you'll need something higher up in Garmin's range. Finally, for sleeping off more grueling workouts I was excited by the addition of Smart Wake Alarm, which is relatively new to the Garmin ecosystem. The watch uses sleep data to wake users during a lighter stage of sleep within a set window (up to 30 minutes before your chosen alarm time). It may sound like a subtle feature, but it can make a real difference in how rested you feel when you wake up. You also can choose to use the feature or not from alarm to alarm. Compared to a regular alarm in your list, one with Smart Wake enabled features a star icon. For healthier wake ups, Garmin adds Smart Wake alarms. Unfortunately, I didn't get many nights of adequate sleep during this review, so Garmin rarely saw fit to wake me earlier than the last possible moment (my set time). Still, I appreciated the personalized approach and look forward to more restful nights ahead. For now, the alarm haptics weren't too jarring while managing to wake me up without disturbing my partner. Accuracy where it counts Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority As always, features are fairly meaningless without accuracy. While some features, like perceived exertion or even sleep stages, are either subjective or hard to verify, others are quite straightforward. On the heart rate tracking front, I was disappointed to see the watch land without Garmin's latest Elevated heart rate sensor. This means we don't get ECG support like on the Venu 3, and also just simply don't get the most powerful heart rate tracking tech available. That might not matter to most casual users, but if you're interested in ECG functionality or need more advanced heart metrics for medical or training purposes, this could be a dealbreaker. It also keeps the Vivoactive 6 and 5 more similar than I was hoping. I tested the device's heart rate tracking in a variety of conditions including everything from long outdoor runs to high-intensity interval training, and for the most part, it consistently delivered accurate data. However, it did occasionally struggle during weight lifting and rowing, both of which can put more strain on your wrist. You can see in the graph above where the watch dropped off rather than keeping up with my dedicated chest strap. This was surprising to me as I've always found Garmin devices largely very reliable. It is possible it could be a fit issue, however, and I'm keen to continue testing. Likewise, GPS accuracy is another Vivoactive 6 highlight. I tested the watch on a mix of city runs, trail hikes, and suburban loops, and tracking was consistently spot-on. Its signal locked on quickly and without issue. According to its specs, the watch features updated GPS, (adding Beidou & QZSS), but I didn't notice any significant change. It still does not feature dual frequency like Garmin's pricier models, and though it generally performs as well as devices that do, there might be some cases where it won't. In that map above, for example, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 traced my actual route, a tree-lined neighborhood run, while the Vivoactive 6 recorded me slightly off my route and at one point, on the wrong side of the road. For better or worse, still not a full-out smartwatch Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority The Vivoactive 6 excels as a fitness-first device for athletes who want a reliable, comfortable workout companion at a good price. As a smartwatch, the Vivoactive 6 keeps things minimal. You get smart notifications, music storage, and contactless payments, which is enough for me to head out without my phone or wallet. There's still no speaker or mic onboard for phone calls or voice assistants and certainly no LTE support like I was hoping. I initially wanted to see more smart features, but in the end enjoy the distraction-free experience. Yet, call me fickle, but I actually found that to be a plus. The stripped-down approach keeps me focused on what Garmin does best (tracking my fitness) without layering on distractions or features I rarely use. I didn't miss the temptation to fire off elaborate texts, or the ability to answer calls from my wrist. In fact, I appreciated the sense of separation when heading out for a run. Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority Additionally, without power-hungry smart features like voice assistants or LTE, battery life holds steady, offering the same 11 days in smartwatch mode and up to 21 hours with GPS as the previous generation. Those are impressive specs when you consider the device's bright AMOLED display. In testing, the watch averaged closer to five days with always-on mode enabled and daily GPS workouts, putting my Pixel Watch 3 and Apple Watch Series 10 to shame. Garmin Vivoactive 6 review: The verdict Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority I started this review stating that the Vivoactive 6 is the Garmin tracker most athletes should buy, and I stand by it. It nails the basics, skips the fluff, and helps me focus on fitness mid-workout. It's also light, comfortable, and packed with just enough smart features to keep things convenient without draining battery. It's not a full-on smartwatch, but I didn't miss silencing phone calls at the gym or getting distracted by apps. What I got instead was a reliable training partner that packs in many of Garmin's best tools. For $299, that's not bad. The Vivoactive 6 is a well-priced, reliable fitness tracker packed with more than enough tools for amateur athletes. If you're chasing serious trail maps or want a wrist-based assistant, Garmin's more full-featured lines will serve you better. The Venu 3 ($449.99 at Amazon) packs in a few more smart features and ECG support. The latest Fenix 8 ($999.99 at Amazon) comes loaded with advanced training features and detailed mapping. There are also a variety of Forerunner models to consider. In other words, Garmin's stable is a crowded one. Outside the house of Garmin, the Apple Watch SE ($269.99 at Amazon) is a great pick for iOS users who want a few more smart features while still accessing accurate fitness tracking. Google's Pixel Watch 3 ($349.99 at Amazon) is a pricier, but equally solid smartwatch option for Android phone users.
Los Angeles Times
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Gigi Zumbado takes the edge off new Valentine's Day slasher ‘Heart Eyes'
Love is a killer in the new Valentine's Day horror flick 'Heart Eyes' — but Gigi Zumbado brings levity and charm to this cheeky, yet gruesome movie. The Cuban American actor stars alongside Olivia Holt ('Ally') and Mason Gooding ('Jay'), two co-workers at a marketing agency who find themselves together, but not together, on Valentine's Day. Meanwhile, the 'Heart Eyes Killer,' known for killing young couples in Boston and Philadelphia, has set his sights on Seattle, where the movie takes place. Directed by Josh Ruben and brought to you by Screen Gems and Spyglass Media Group, the same company behind the 'Scream' franchise, 'Heart Eyes' is bound to keep date night-goers on the edges of their seats. The horror factor, however, takes a back seat when Ally and Jay share comically gratuitous moments of rom-com schmaltz. Zumbado's charisma shines through in lighthearted scenes as Monica: Ally's co-worker, wingwoman and occasional fashion police. Their on-screen kinship likely stems from Zumbado's real-life identity as a 'girl's girl.' Born and raised in Miami, the 28-year-old navigates the entertainment industry alongside her two sisters, Carmela and Marisela Zumbado, who are also actors. 'I always say that we have three raffle tickets in the raffle,' Gigi Zumbado said over a Zoom call with De Los. 'We read for the same roles, even though we're very different. We're always sharing notes and giving each other advice.' As the youngest of the three, Zumbado has forged her own path in showbiz, having previously taken on the role of Tammy Ocampo in the Epix series 'Bridge and Tunnel,' and appearing in such films as 'Pitch Perfect 2' and 'Tone-Deaf.' She is also featured in an upcoming comedy pilot for CBS, 'DMV,' alongside former 'Saturday Night Live' cast members Tim Meadows and Molly Kearney. But before Zumbado ventures off into her promising future, will her character Monica survive this Valentine's Day unscathed? Zumbado spoke with De Los about the making of 'Heart Eyes' and bringing a taste of Little Havana to Hollywood. The following Q&A has been lightly edited for clarity and length and contains spoilers. Your character Monica took the edge off an otherwise intense thriller. What did you think of your character? Oh, I love her. She's very fun. Monica is a blast. It's so funny because I feel like I'm in a different movie than everybody else. I forget how scary and hectic and crazy it is. Monica [offered] comedic relief. To come in and just, like you said, take the edge off and get to laugh a little bit. You say your character was in a completely different movie than the others. What kind of movie is Monica in? My character's in a Mary-Kate and Ashley [Olsen] movie. I [cannot] comment so much on the slasher aspects of it. I just got to laugh and have a nice fun time with Olivia Holt. [It] felt like we were just kiki-ing all day long. I kept thinking, 'Is Monica going to be part of the horror?' But [spoiler alert] it felt nice to see a best friend who doesn't die. What a concept. [laughs] If you did have to defend yourself from the killer known as 'Heart Eyes,' what would you use? A chancleta. [Visibly takes off her shoe.] This one's a little one, it's a little kitten heel, it doesn't do much. My dad always told me and my sisters, 'If you got a heel, use it.' How does it feel to come from an acting family? Are your parents actors? Our parents are not actors at all. I do self tapes with my mom sometimes, and that's a horror scene in itself, trying to get her to act opposite me if my sisters are not available. It's fun, though, because our parents never pushed this on us, ever. We were just the entertainment of our family, always dancing and playing instruments, and so that's how we came into entertaining, through music. The three of us all live together in Hollywood now. If Carmela goes in before me to an audition, she'll come out of the room and be like, 'OK, they hated this, they like this, they're looking for this.' I get an extra minute to prep. Then if Marisela goes in next, I'll be like 'OK, Mari, they liked this from Carmela and this of me, but you do this and da, da, da, da.' We're super lucky. I don't know how people can handle this industry without having two best friends beside them cheering them on as well. I wouldn't be able to do this without my sisters. How does it feel to live in L.A., coming from a Miami household?We just turned the Hollywood Hills into Little Havana. We have our mom with us, and we got our dad out here. Now that all of our grandparents have passed, we go back less, and now my aunts and uncles and cousins [come] out here for the holidays. We're such a tight-knit group. We're just not accepting anything else. What comes next for you? I'm really excited about a pilot that I shot in November in Montreal. It's called 'DMV.' It's a CBS pilot, a workplace comedy, and it has the most incredibly talented, hilarious cast I've ever worked with. I feel like the smallest fish in a huge pond with these comedic legends. They're 'SNL' alum, and they're incredible. I'm really hoping we get to go forward because that was a blast and those people are just so gifted and it felt like being on a TED Talk, just watching them all interact with each other. I did see that it was in development. That's so cool. Dana Klein is amazing. She changed my character's name to Cecilia and made her a Cuban girl from Miami. It was so cool to get to bring out my roots and showcase, you know, a little chonga from Miami to CBS. I am starting to notice more Latino characters in mainstream media that don't necessarily have an overly detailed backstory; they can just exist and be who they are. Totally. That was probably the biggest compliment to me. In 'Heart Eyes,' this character of Monica was an open ethnicity [role]. I just happened to be Latina. I had gotten sick of only reading or booking things specifically for Cuban girls. There was a time that you just needed to be Cuban and were asked, 'Do you speak fluent Spanish? Were you raised speaking Spanish?' It had to be [this] exact Latin story for you to be able to tell it. I don't think that's realistic or how it works. I think we all share a lot of things in our different cultures. And I was so proud that this role had nothing to do with being Hispanic. I happen to be Latina. The writer is letting me showcase that, but that's not why I booked it. And that was such a compliment to me.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Plainclothes' Review: A Closeted Cop Is Tempted by the Gay Men He's Tailing in Steamy '90s-Set Psychodrama
These days, gay men can arrange sex by a smartphone app as easily as ordering a pizza. But back in the '90s, when 'Plainclothes' takes place, such trysts not only had to be coordinated in person, but could be punished by arrest. Audiences of a certain age and demographic almost certainly remember the risk and fear (not to mention the illicit excitement) back then, when undercover police monitored public 'tearooms' for lewd behavior. In writer-director Carmen Emmi's 'we've come a long way, baby' debut, the cops take it one step further, luring homosexuals into exposing themselves. But what if the officer in question was closeted and one of these strangers slipped him his phone number? That's the intriguing — if credulity-stretching — premise of 'Plainclothes,' which casts Tom Blyth (the outlaw star of Epix's 'Billy the Kid') as Lucas, a second-generation cop with all kinds of identity issues. He seems relatively comfortable with the assignment early on, hanging out at the shopping mall, where his job is to catch the eye of an interested stranger, follow him to the bathroom and then bust the 'pervert' once he does something illegal (which, in this case, is simply flashing his wares). More from Variety 'Rebuilding' Review: Josh O'Connor Is a Rancher Who's Lost Everything in a Drama That Mostly Just Sits There 'Atropia' Review: Alia Shawkat Trains Troops Assigned to a Fake Iraqi Town in a Self-Reflexive War Comedy That Peters Out 'The Legend of Ochi' Review: Practical Magic Breathes Life Into A24's Grounded Fantasy Preaching Man's Coexistence With Nature The police officers can't speak during the process, lest the entire operation be considered entrapment. That suits Lucas fine … until he meets Andrew ('Looking' heartthrob Russell Tovey), who beckons Lucas to the last stall. Suddenly, Lucas is overwhelmed with feelings, which Emmi suggests by splicing VHS footage into the scene — a sophisticated if somewhat distracting technique for putting audiences in Lucas' fragmented headspace. Instead of arresting Andrew, Lucas lets him go, taking the stranger's number and calling him to arrange a more conventional date. It's around this time that Lucas starts to develop a conscience about arresting men for desires he shares — though he's desperate to hide that dimension of himself from his mother (Maria Dizzia). Emmi was but a boy in 1997, the year when 'Plainclothes' is set, which makes the degree to which he successfully re-creates the atmosphere — as well as the uncertainty and paranoia — of that time rather remarkable. Gay cruising depends largely on unspoken cues: a lingering glance, an interested look back, the conspicuous adjustment of one's 'basket.' Here, such behavior is not as sexy as Drew Lint's 'M/M' or as amusing as Tsai Ming-liang's art-house 'Goodbye Dragon Inn,' and yet, it's encouraging to see these codes re-created by a young filmmaker, who uses mirrors placed directly above a bank of urinals to let the characters' eyes do the talking. For Lucas, whose understanding ex-girlfriend (Amy Forsyth) is the only person he's told of his bi-curious inclinations, the conflicted young man finally seems ready to explore his attraction to men — and he wants Andrew to be his first. 'Plainclothes' presents this experimental impulse in a semi-romantic light, even though neither man can 'host.' Lucas, who gives Andrew a fake name, worries what the neighbors will think, while his crush claims to be a husband and father with a high-profile job as some kind of 'administrator.' That means finding somewhere public to rendez-vous and eventually hook up — which of course exposes Lucas to the same laws he's tasked with enforcing. Lucas' commanding officer (John Bedford Lloyd) explains that someone who'd had oral sex in such a spot went on to molest some little girls. Now concerned citizens are demanding a crackdown, which seems like a stretch. Police have needed less reason than that to target homosexual activity, and as a training film shows, they've gone so far as to hide cameras behind one-way mirrors in order to discourage such behavior. After striking out at a repertory movie palace, Andrew suggests a local park, which introduces another dimension of '90s-era cruising Emmi must have read up on (for context, George Michael was arrested by an undercover vice cop in a Los Angeles toilet, and later outed by a British tabloid after paparazzi caught him cruising London's Hampstead Heath). The 'Plainclothes' pair have better luck, getting it on in a public greenhouse before Andrew's beeper goes off. To the uninitiated, when it comes to trysts between closeted men, there are all kinds of rules, both unwritten and explicit. Andrew warns Lucas that he rarely sees anyone more than once, but Lucas ignores his boundaries. The hot-blooded cop is hooked, running Andrew's license plate through the police database and proceeding to stalk him at work — a bad idea on his part, but a satisfying one, dramatically speaking, since doing so inadvertently exposes the man Lucas had started to believe was his soulmate. You can't entirely blame Lucas for wanting a relationship, though toilets aren't typically the place to find one. Surely even small-town Mansfield, Mass., has a gay bar — or else, a short drive to Boston might do the trick — but Lucas' only exposure to gay culture is the bathroom he's been surveilling. (It may be hard for younger audiences to imagine, but before Ellen DeGeneres came out in 1997, the media was relatively skittish about anything queer, depriving Lucas and his peers of role models or basic information.) As impressive as Emmi's ultra-subjective multimedia approach can be at times, the mix of formats and different timelines occasionally feels like a strategy to mislead. The film has a few major plot holes, mostly concerning the present-tense family meal where Lucas seems to be having a nervous breakdown. He can hardly contain his secret any longer, but when his uncle's new girlfriend (Alessandra Ford Balazs) threatens to expose him, Lucas flips out, and Erik Vogt-Nilsen's editing gets downright tortured. 'Plainclothes' builds to an intense and ultimately cathartic climax, but there's something retrograde about the shame Lucas feels. Emmi wants us to experience his protagonist's sense of suffocation, when looking back from the presence, we just want to shout: 'It gets better!' Best of Variety The Best Albums of the Decade
