Latest news with #vanlife
The Verge
5 days ago
- The Verge
Anker Nebula X1 review: a terrific home theater that goes anywhere
I seldom sleep in the same place for more than a couple of weeks at a time, so I'm a big fan of portable all-in-one projectors. They're small and set up quickly, making them ideal for vanlife, gaming parties, outdoor movie nights, or an evening in on the couch — but they usually sacrifice quality for convenience. Anker's new Nebula X1 projector promises to produce an incredibly bright and color-accurate 4K image with excellent sound while remaining portable and quiet. Typically, if portability is at the top of your wish list, then sound and picture quality will suffer. Prioritize a cinematic experience and you're looking at an expensive, hulking, noisy device that requires permanent placement inside a home theater. Over a month of testing across endless firmware updates and a variety of viewing conditions, the Nebula X1 did a superb job of striking the right balance with very few tradeoffs, delivering on Anker's promise. But with a price starting at $2,999, or $3,998 for a kit that includes the highly recommended satellite speakers, it's not exactly cheap. And at close to 25 pounds (11.3kg) for the entire bundle — the Nebula X1 is more luggable than portable. 9 Verge Score The Nebula X1 is a 3500 ANSI lumen triple-laser 4K projector with integrated four-speaker sound system. It runs Google TV so you get built-in Chromecast, Google Assistant, and an official Netflix app (unlike many all-in-one projectors) that streams media over Wi-Fi 6. It includes a pair of USB and HDMI 2.1 ports (one supporting eARC) to attach your favorite game console or media drive. A satisfying, recessed handle pops up with a push to make the 13.7 pound (6.2kg) projection unit portable. There's a long list of features that make the X1 unique for a portable projector: Note: I did my best with the photographs, but they can only approximate the brightness, color, and contrast viewed with the naked eye. I'll just say it: the X1's image quality is unmatched for a go-anywhere all-in-one projector. Its 3500 ANSI lumen output is better than many home theater projectors, allowing it to produce a vivid image across a range of challenging environments with no apparent optical distortion. It looked great at default settings when tested in a variety of lighting situations on painted walls, a traditional white-matte pulldown screen, a gray Ambient Light Rejection (ALR) screen, and a small folding Ikea tabletop. The X1 will attempt to dynamically balance the colors and contrast on whatever surface it detects. Mostly it works, but colors, especially reds, tend to be over-saturated out of the box, making Gwyneth Paltrow's face overly ruddy, especially on my ALR screen. Anker offers plenty of manual overrides to dial in the exact image you prefer with just a few minutes of work. The X1's lumen count made casual viewings possible in spaces flooded with ambient light. At times, I found the image to be too bright, especially when all that light was focused into a 32-inch diagonal on a glossy Ikea panel from just five feet (about 1.5 meters) away. Fortunately, you can manually reduce the power and iris settings to dim the image. That class-leading brightness makes the X1's HDR10 and Dolby Vision support more than just checkmarks on a sales sheet — color is mostly accurate with plenty of contrast, but it's still a DLP projector, so don't expect true blacks. The X1's lumen count should also do a decent job with 3D if you own DLP 3D glasses (I did not test this). Importantly for a portable, the Nebula X1 features all the automatic placement features you'd expect. These include automatic focus, keystone correction, and obstacle avoidance, as well as automatic color adaptation to optimize the image based on the color of the paint or material used on the projection surface. These can be triggered manually from the device, Nebula app, or remote control, or set to engage at startup and when the projector is moved. Autofocus worked 100 precent of the time, while the automatic placement features worked well when there was a clear border. I had to manually correct the edges more often than not when projected onto a blank white wall. Startup is relatively fast. You can begin navigating Google TV in about 45 seconds from a cold boot, or just a few seconds if resuming from standby. There's also an 'Extreme' game mode that disables digital keystone correction and motion smoothing to devote all that background processing to faster response times. For casual game play, the very slight lag is something you quickly get used to. The bundled mics, I can confirm, are fun for karaoke nights. Sound is the killer feature of the Nebula X1. Even without the satellites, the sound is clear and immersive and easily fills a room. Connecting the optional battery-powered satellite speakers over a direct, low-latency 5.8GHz Wi-Fi connection to the main unit takes things to another level. The satellites link automatically at startup and transform the X1's four internal speakers into a makeshift subwoofer, while the three speakers in each satellite take over responsibility for center, top, and side channels. The resulting soundscape is wide and impressive and plenty loud enough for a group to enjoy outdoors — so long as you have accommodating neighbors. There's also a 'Bluetooth Speaker Mode' that turns off the projection lamp to play music with plenty of bass when full, rich, warm audio is all the entertainment required. I used this feature several hours a day which helps to maximize value for money. With the audio turned down the projector is largely silent thanks to its liquid cooling. The fan kicked in on an especially hot day of testing, but I could barely hear it (measuring just 26dB from a distance of 1 meter) over the regular din of a living room or waves crashing beyond. As expected, the X1 did not deliver on the promise of 4.2.1 surround sound. I struggled to hear any simulated channel separation from overhead or behind. Anker lists some strict placement requirements that I couldn't meet exactly in testing — you might have better luck. Those satellites also dropped connection occasionally requiring manual intervention that sometimes resulted in an audible pop. It's a little annoying, and has improved with each firmware update. I saw 19 hours of battery life from those satellites (the projector does not have a battery) in my testing. That included two hours of film watched outdoors at a loud 50 percent volume, and the rest spent vibing to music at a relaxed 20 to 30 percent. Those IP54-rated satellite speakers even survived a small rain shower when I forgot them outside once. Overall, I don't have any real complaints. Sometimes the automatic image placement features can miss the mark, but I find them far more useful than annoying. Sometimes the satellite speakers don't pair properly, but that can be quickly fixed with a power toggle. The Google UI verges on sluggish at times, but it's faster than any other portable implementation I've tried. And I've seen far too many firmware updates, but things keep improving. Anker's Nebula X1 has left me utterly impressed. It produces incredibly immersive sound for its size, alongside a bright, vivid image comparable to home theater projectors costing closer to $5,000. The Nebula X1 with the satellite speaker bundle is expensive at $3,998, but anyone who finds themselves in need of a projector that can quickly approximate a home theater experience anywhere they go will get their money's worth. Photography by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
Gizmodo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Gizmodo
Jackery Portable Power Station Is Back at Its Prime Day Price, Now Amazon Wants to Clear Out Stock
Prime Day may have passed nearly two weeks ago but summer is not a time for Amazon to take a break. If you're looking for a portable power station for van life or camping, there is no better time than now: Jackery Explorer models are very popular and they're currently on sale at Amazon. Today, the Jackery portable power station Explorer 300 is an all-time low at Amazon, dropping to just $169 from its usual $259 price. The 35% discount puts it at the lower end for power stations available on the market for both planned holidays and unexpected power outages. See at Amazon The Jackery Explorer 300 boasts a 293Wh lithium-ion battery pack housed in a light and compact body and weighs only 7 pounds. Even though it's small, you have plenty of power which is strong enough to charge essentials such as smartphones, cameras, drones, laptops, and small appliances when you're out of the house. Six devices are chargeable at the same time by users because of a wide variety of ports: two pure sine wave AC ports for continuous charging, a USB-C PD 60W port that is both input and output, a Quick Charge 3.0 port, a common USB-A, and a DC car port. One of the major advantages is how fast the Explorer 300 can recharge: Using a standard wall plug and the USB-C PD charging input, you can charge up to 80% in just two hours from flat. Road life is taken care of by charging the power station from your car plug, or (if you own a Jackery SolarSaga 100 solar panel) by topping off on sunshine. Because it is battery-powered and not gasoline, there are no fumes, no sound, and no upkeep to worry about, no complicated installation to navigate. Put it alongside the campsite, in a van, or in your living room in the event of a blackout. With summer in full swing, Amazon's current deal won't last long. See at Amazon
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Campervans: how to buy the pick of the pop-tops in the UK
Whether for weekends, music festivals or longer overseas adventures, many Britons have fallen in love with the idea of owning a campervan. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. A home on wheels means you can enjoy the great outdoors without worrying about broken tent poles or deflating airbeds. With a memory foam bed, air conditioning and wifi on the long list of bells and whistles you can add, Daniel Lopez, the managing director of Sussex Campervans, jokingly describes van life as 'camping with standards'. He says: 'Campervan life suits people of all ages. The one thing they tend to have in common is a love of the outdoors and the desire to make the most of their leisure time.' But how much does a pop-top roof under the stars cost and what are the other financial outlays involved? How much you need to budget for your vehicle depends on whether you are happy with a secondhand model or have your heart set on a brand new top-of-the-range Volkswagen California Ocean, complete with a two-tone white and blue paint job for an extra £3,000. You can get your hands on a used campervan for under £10,000 but new vehicles can cost anything from £40,000 for an entry-level model, such as the Peugeot Boxer, to north of £85,000 for a hybrid Ocean. Prices for used campervans are largely dictated by age, mileage, condition and desirability, says AutoTrader's Tom Roberts. 'A used 2001 Mazda Bongo campervan conversion that sleeps four people with a pop-top roof will cost £5,000-£7,000, while a similar 2001 Volkswagen Transporter would set a prospective buyer back an extra £11,000.' Most offer the same basic amenities such as gas connections, water tanks, a small kitchen area and sleeping areas, but some come with showers, pop-top roofs and solar panels. 'A 2017 version of the Transporter would probably cost about £30,000 due to more modern used campervans being in better condition and therefore holding their resale value,' Roberts says. As a buyer you could opt for a finance deal to spread the cost. A key step is to decide whether you want to buy from a dealership or a company that specialises in bespoke conversions, or hunt down a classic such as the VW type 2. A growing number of Britons are also embarking on DIY conversions. Traditionally campervans have been based on panel vans with diesel engines because they provide the most torque and the best fuel economy when the van is loaded up. However, petrol models are becoming more common, and there are electric options such as the Nissan e-NV200 and Vauxhall Vivaro-e. These are especially good for city dwellers worried about Ulez charges. For many people the ideal is a new VW. Its bestselling California comes in three progressively expensive models: Beach Camper, Coast and Ocean. You can drive away a Beach Camper for £63,500 (£71,300 hybrid), while the Ocean starts at £77,600 (£85,400 hybrid). However, these prices are a guide as the bill can soon mount once extras ranging from a bespoke paint job to parking sensors and cameras are added. The lead times for orders vary, depending on specification, but the average is three to four months, so you won't be taking it on holiday this summer. Lopez, whose company builds bespoke campervans, advises would-be buyers to consider the 'total cost' of ownership as well as 'usability'. They don't expect to, but some buyers find they end up using the van every day, he says. One customer uses his to pick up his newspaper and then heads to the beach with his dog. Afterwards he 'sits in the campervan reading the paper, drinking a coffee and the dog has a little sleep', Lopez says. While the investment is substantial, campervans lose value more slowly than cars, he says. 'We generally say that you lose the VAT in your first year, which is 20% and then 10% a year after that. So say you paid £50,000 for a campervan, after a year it is probably worth £40,000, after two years £36,000 and so on.' You need a dedicated policy for your campervan – you can't just drive it under your existing car insurance. Typically, cover costs less than general van or car insurance. The usual factors affect the price, such as make and model, value, storage location, age and number of drivers, claims history and annual mileage. Depending on your circumstances, you could get a quote for as little as £250 or more than £1,000. If the campervan is your main mode of transport this could drive up the premium but on the other hand, if you use it infrequently, this should bring it down. Specialists, such as Safeguard, Caravan Guard and Adrian Flux, are seen to offer the best value. It is important to tell the insurer if it's a self-build or professional conversion. A DIY conversion can make finding insurance more complicated, and insurers may ask for more information, including photos, before they give you a quote. You must be upfront about any modifications you have made. Earlier this year Guardian Money reported on the case of an aid worker whose Transit van was stolen only for his claim to be rejected. This was because he had been using it as a campervan and had not told his insurer about an overhaul that included a kitchen, heater and solar panels. These add-ons change the vehicle's value and make it more attractive to thieves. Had the insurer known the full picture it might have upped the premium or pulled cover. Insurance providers base their prices on risk – so if your van seems more likely to get stolen or damaged, you will pay more. The value of the vehicle and where you live are the biggest drivers of price. 'A high-risk postcode can make a huge difference to the premium,' says the Caravan Guard marketing director, Craig Thompson. For those buying a van as an additional vehicle, it may be possible to mirror a no-claims bonus from an existing car insurance policy. Experience of driving larger vehicles can also lead to a bigger introductory discount. You could also opt for a higher excess. Fitting a Thatcham tracking device can result in a considerable saving (25% at Caravan Guard), while an alarm can help, too. (Thatcham provides independent ratings for car alarms and immobilisers.) Insurers are also a fan of owners being able to park it on a driveway behind locked gates. Thompson adds: 'Physical security such as steering wheel locks can also qualify for insurance savings, as do safety devices such as reversing cameras – as you can imagine, reversing prangs are not uncommon.' Being able to store it in a secure location, such as a locked garage, will also help. Write a list of must-haves. For example, do you want to be able to stand up inside but still sail under car park barriers? Think about the sleeping arrangements as most manufacturers start with the bed design. What about a sink with running water, a Porta Potti or cab seats that swivel? Also think about how many people will be along for the ride as this will dictate storage needs. You will need a rainy day fund for servicing and repairs, not to mention membership of a roadside recovery service in case something goes wrong. Before investing thousands it is a good idea to get a sense of what sharing a small space with loved ones might be like. Rental sites such as Indie Campers or Quirky Campers allow you to try out different makes, models and conversion styles, and vans are available to pick up at locations around the country. Not all campervans are created equal, and with a bold interior featuring plants and animals inspired by the work of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, 'Frida' has personality in spades. Five years ago Lindsay Berresford and her husband, David Ffrench, paid £19,000 at a dealership for a Citroën Relay and then spent almost the same again to turn it into the 'ultimate family campervan'. The couple used the professional converters Rustic Simplicity to bring it to life with a wooden interior made of oak from reclaimed whisky barrels. The clever layout incorporates fixed triple bunks for their children Isaac, 11, and nine -year-old twins Autumn and Skylar. 'For us the biggest expense was the electrical setup – everything runs off a lithium battery which is charged from solar panels,' Berresford says. While touring with a family of five sounds ambitious, that's not the case, she says. Although you do need to pack light. 'Our wardrobe is made up of five wicker baskets which can be taken out and brought into the house to pack. You can only take the clothes that fit in the basket. 'We've been doing this since the kids were born. I think Isaac was three weeks old on his first trip, the twins were slightly older. It's been amazing for us.' The family spend about five weeks a year in the van, which does about 10,000 miles annually, including rentals. While it is possible to fit lots of gadgetry the Bristol family's setup is at the 'simpler end' of the scale. 'It's luxurious to have a proper mattress but we don't go for lots of fancy tech, which means there is less to go wrong,' Berresford says. Their love of van life resulted in the couple inadvertently finding the rental website Quirky Campers. It was set up in 2010 to rent their previous van, Bella, when they spent some time overseas but the idea took off when friends wanted to use it to rent out their vans. Hiring Frida out through the site more than covers its annual running costs, which include £1,500 for insurance and breakdown cover. The family's most exciting adventure to date has been a six-week road trip across Europe, making it as far as Albania. A stop off in Croatia was particularly memorable with an unspoilt beach to play on. 'We found a wild camping spot by the beach,' Berresford says. 'For a few days we were totally off-grid.'
The Sun
6 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
I ditched tiny city flat for ‘UK's Costa Del Sol'…I live on £10 a day – you don't have to go abroad for dream beach life
LIVING in a cramped city flat, care worker Erin Temple struggled to get by - often relying on food banks when her salary would barely cover her rent. But now she owns her own home with picture-perfect sea views - and has slashed her monthly living expenses by a staggering 90 per cent. 14 14 14 And she didn't need to flee the country to beat the cost of living crisis. She simply bought a van for £650 and parked it on the Cornish coast. Erin, 25, tells The Sun: 'I swapped a tiny flat for an off-grid home on wheels. The savings are gobsmacking. "I'm proof you don't have to move abroad to live affordably near world class beaches." Fed up with working gruelling shifts as a dementia and end-of-life carer for a salary that barely covered the rent on her Tyne and Wear one-bedroom flat, Erin upped sticks and moved to Cornwall with just £1,000 to her name. She arrived in Truro with her two dogs, Rooster and Rebel, a backpack, and a tent - and was soon tipped off by a local at a camping site about an elderly couple who wanted to sell their van. Erin snapped up the 20-year-old green LDV Convoy, affectionately nicknamed Betsy, and secured a long term camping spot on a private airfield near Perranporth, North Cornwall surrounded by forest and with spectacular views over the Atlantic coast. She says: 'It's a beautiful life on a budget.' Betsy's interior includes a double cabin style bed, built-in stove, sink and solar powered electrics which keep her energy costs down. The van is also fitted with a portable camping toilet and shower, though the campsite where Erin pays £300 a month to park offers full facilities. Her only other major costs are £100 for diesel and insurance, and around £20 a week for groceries, meaning her monthly outgoings total just £460. She keeps costs low by shopping for yellow label supermarket bargains, buying from local farmers and finding free firewood for Betsy's log burner, which heats her home. She adds: 'I've even started growing vegetables in buckets outside the van. "I used to pay nearly £1,200 a month in rent and bills. 'Now I live on around tenner a day, including food and accommodation. And I own my home." I was broken by low wages, high rents, and exhausting and often dangerous work. Erin Temple It's a far cry from Erin's previous life in the north east town where she would work 50 hours a week but still struggle to pay her bills. She says: "I was broken by low wages, high rents, and exhausting and often dangerous work. "It got so bad that, on occasion, I used food banks despite working 12 hour shifts. 'Carers are the hidden workers who are chronically underpaid and caught in a constant cost of living crisis. Getting a foot on the property ladder seemed like an impossible dream. She admits: "Even with double shifts, I couldn't get ahead.' Turning point 14 Her turning point came after being pushed by a dementia patient during a 24-hour shift. She recalls: "I was exhausted. My knees were bleeding and my arms bruised. 'Other staff were meant to meet me at a local pub for an after work drink but didn't show. 'I looked around and realised I was standing there in the middle of the day surrounded by two old alcoholics. 'I knew then if I did not change my life I'd end up a boozing mess, with no savings and no hope. That moment changed everything." 'Make or break' Erin gave notice on her flat, sold most of her belongings, and headed south. "I'd heard it was quieter, cheaper and the weather was tropical compared to up north," she recalls. "People said I was mad. Friends told me to take a holiday. But I knew it had to be make or break." Now Erin is living the dream in Cornwall - which since the pandemic has overtaken London as the most-searched-for location for property in the UK according to Rightmove. Perranporth Beach, renowned as one of the most beautiful surfing spots in Europe and dubbed 'Costa Del Perran' - after Spain 's Costa Del Sol - by locals is on her doorstep. She says: 'I've never been happier. The weather's great, the people are kind, and the view is incredible. 'An elderly neighbour even brought me homegrown veg to welcome me when I first arrived. That never happened in the city." Saving thousands 14 14 14 Determined that Betsy will be her home for years to come, Erin is currently building storage, redecorating and expanding her bucket garden. She says: "My dogs love it here. I am planning on studying psychology and counselling at a local college next year and finally have a life I love. 'I'm saving money, making plans and my mental health has never been better.' Erin adds that she's happily single at the moment - which she's thankful for as a bloke might be a bit of a squeeze with her and the two dogs. She chuckles: 'Living in a van, you downsize and de-clutter. I might find myself a nice Cornish lad and we'll just have to make sure he can fit in somehow!' I'm saving money, making plans and my mental health has never been better Erin Temple Erin is one of many embracing the van life movement. Since 2019, the number of Brits living in vans, buses or converted vehicles has exploded by 2,280 per cent, from 21,000 to over half a million. Cornwall is a hotspot for digital nomads even in the off season, with van lifers lured by the mild winters, coastal beauty and affordability. Farmers are renting out fields and people in local towns rent out their driveways to meet demand. While Cornwall is known for its luxurious seaside mansions and celebrity residents, including Cate Blanchett, Gordon Ramsay and Dawn French, costs can be surprisingly low. A cappuccino in Cornwall costs an average of £2.80, a third cheaper than £4.05 in London. A pint of lager averages £4.79, compared to £5.99 in the capital, and a loaf of bread is 92p compared to £1.64. For Erin, it's the perfect balance of quality of life on a budget. She says: 'We're Gen Z - we don't want to work just to pay bills. We want purpose, nature, creativity, community. Cornwall gives us that. "I'm healthier, happier, and finally hopeful. I've swapped a high rise flat for a van on the Cornish coast, and I wouldn't change a thing.' 14 14 14
Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
I tried living the Brad Pitt fantasy: just a man and a van
I n his latest film Brad Pitt is a perfectly formed middle-aged man's fantasy. He plays the racing driver Sonny Hayes, who is handsome, brave and lives totally alone in a van. It's a wanderer's life without emotional commitment or guttering repairs. That's why I'm spending some solo time in an RV, far from home. I want a brief, sample taster of this freedom business, like a yoga retreat but with an engine and a chemical lavatory. The heroic figure with no permanent address, no responsibilities and a life of endless adventure has a strange grip on the collective male imagination and I'm not immune. As a teenager I saw Clint Eastwood ride into town wearing what looked like a piece of carpet and the dream was in place. Then there was Jack Reacher, who owns nothing but his folding toothbrush and the clothes he stands up in. Now Pitt has made van life look like the ultimate expression of masculine independence.
