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John Cena's China apology: What you need to know

John Cena's China apology: What you need to know

After making a career of being booed by wrestling crowds, John Cena is facing a more intense type of criticism.  On Tuesday night Cena, actor and occassional wrestler, delivered an apology in Mandarin to China and his Chinese fans. In a 68-second clip posted to Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, Cena struck a contrite tone as he repeatedly said sorry to his 600,000 followers.

"I made a mistake," he says in Mandarin, "I'm so, so sorry for my mistake. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm very sorry. You have to understand I love and respect China and Chinese people. I'm sorry."

What crime was he beseeching forgiveness for? Earlier in the month during a promotional tour for F9, the ninth Fast and the Furious flick, Cena told a Taiwanese TV station that "Taiwan is the first country that can watch F9."

Country.

China doesn't recognize Taiwan as a country, a point that's become an increasingly intense issue among its government and citizens in recent years.

A civil war in China ended in 1949 when the Nationalists fled to Taiwan and the Communists consolidated control of the mainland. No peace treaty has ever been signed. 

Google Earth

What's the issue between China and Taiwan? 

This story goes back to the 1920s. Between 1927 and 1949 a violent civil war raged in China, albeit with a World War 2-sized intermission in between. It was ultimately won by the Chinese Communist Party, led by Mao Zedong, which is still in power to this day: Xi Jinping doubles as China's president and the general secretary of the CCP.

On the other side of the conflict were the Nationals, led by Chiang Kai-shek. They lost the battle but technically never lost the war. Facing defeat, Chiang Kai-shek, the Nationalist leadership and over a million refugees fled to Taiwan, control of which was taken from Japan in World War 2 and granted to The Nationalists by the Allied powers. No armistice or peace treaty has ever been signed. 

Taiwan's official name is The Republic of China (as compared to The People's Republic of China) and Chiang Kai-shek believed until his death that he would reclaim the mainland. After his death, in 1976, democracy flourished in Taiwan, though attitudes toward the mainland remain a polarizing political topic. 

Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek toasting  in 1945 during a round of peace talks to end the civil war. The peace talks failed.

Getty

China, for its part, has never recognized Taiwan as a country. It has historically promoted a "one country, two systems" agreement, which would see Taiwan formally become part of China without a major loss of autonomy. That was the same line used to induce Hong Kong back into the mainland before the CCP made moves to undermine that country's democracy (which is a whole other thing).

It's an issue China takes very seriously. It has blocked Taiwan from the World Health Organization's World Health Assembly and has warned international airliners and hotel chains not to refer to Taiwan as a country. Some military heads have warned that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is a very real possibility.

So in short, China sees Taiwan as a renegade province -- and it really doesn't like any insinuation otherwise. 

Fast and Furious is big business

It's not just China's leadership that is sensitive to Taiwan's dependence or independence. Thanks to decades of patriotic education, censorship and sometimes jingoistic propaganda, experts tend to agree that parts of China's population have become increasingly nationalistic. (Without a free press or trustable pollsters, it's difficult to quantify.) Many Chinese citizens think it an insult when Taiwan is referred to as a country and not a part of China.

And here's the key, central issue to Cena's apology: Hollywood in general does big business in China, particularly so for the Fast and Furious franchise. Of the $1.2 billion The Fate of the Furious grossed worldwide, over $400 million came from the Chinese box office. Hobbs and Shaw made more money in China, $201 million, than in the US. 

The importance of China to the franchise is evident in the fact that F9 has already hit cinemas in the country, where it's made $136 million. So, with that as context, it would be no surprise if Universal Pictures gave Cena a tap on the shoulder to apologize to Chinese fans.

"I have many, many interviews," Cena said in his apology. "In one of them, I made a mistake. Everyone asked me if I can use Chinese. People at F9 gave me lots of interview information. I made a mistake. I have to say right now, It's so so so so so so important, I love and respect China and Chinese people, I'm so so sorry for my mistake."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm very sorry. You have to understand I love and respect China and Chinese people. I'm sorry."

Wait, John Cena speaks Mandarin?

Yes, he's a beast. Cena said on the Steve Austin Show podcast in 2014 that he began learning Mandarin to help WWE expand into China. He surprised and impressed many back in 2016 when he spoke Mandarin at a press conference in Shanghai.

What's the reaction been? 

Cena has over 600,000 followers on Weibo, the Twitter-like platform he posted the clip to. The post has currently got over 11,000 comments, eliciting a mix of responses. Some are crediting him for apologizing, while others are pointing out that Cena at no point explicitly states that Taiwan isn't a country.

"Please say in Chinese that Taiwan is part of China. Otherwise, we won't accept it," reads one comment with over 3,200 likes. Another user writes: "What you have said in the video is nonsense. You can't take benefits from China, but in the meantime, do things to harm China's interests."

In the US, the apology has been criticized heavily, particularly (but not exclusively) on the right. 

Perhaps the best response came from CM Punk, a former wrestler famed for his matches with Cena. "New bio!" he tweeted Tuesday night. His new bio:

Twitter

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Huawei, OnePlus and beyond: China's biggest smartphone brands you should know about

Huawei, OnePlus and beyond: China's biggest smartphone brands you should know about

This story is part of Generation China, CNET's series exploring the nation's technological ambition.

Apple, Samsung and Huawei have long been mainstays on the global smartphone leaderboard, but in recent years there's been a string of new players. Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo might sound unfamiliar to most Americans, outside a tech-savvy bubble, but they're right up there with the world's top brands.

While Samsung wears the crown as the world's largest smartphone company and Apple still pulls in the most profit, Chinese phone-makers have ascended rapidly worldwide and are displaying resilience amid the coronavirus pandemic. Huawei surpassed Apple to become the world's second largest seller of smartphones last year, achieving this coveted milestone without selling any phones in the US, and briefly eclipsed Samsung in April. A Shenzhen-based phone company, Transsion, meanwhile, has overtaken Samsung as the No. 1 phone supplier in Africa since its launch there in 2018. 

"Chinese smartphone-makers have captured around 40% of the global market share, showing that Chinese firms are increasingly capable of building consumer products with global appeal," said Dan Wang, technology analyst at Gavekal Dragonomics, a research firm. 

In addition to enticing shoppers around the world to buy their handsets, Chinese vendors have worked hard to shed the reputation that they're merely cheap copycats -- they're starting to drive innovations such as foldable designs or pop-up cameras, which offer a window into the future of smartphone technology. Royole, a Shenzhen-based company, unveiled the world's first flexible smartphone, beating Samsung to the punch, although the South Korean electronics giant is often mistakenly credited for it. Nevermind that it was a spectacular failure. Xiaomi, meanwhile, unveiled the first trifold foldable phone that much of the world had ever laid eyes on. Vivo and Meizu both made waves when they released phones without a single physical button and almost no ports.

Generation China is a CNET series that looks at the areas of technology where the country is looking to take a leadership position.

Along with these innovative designs, Chinese phone brands are increasingly churning out high-end phones and pushing price boundaries, aiming to transcend their budget phone image and compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple after focusing on the budget or entry level market for years. Critics say they still have a long way to go. 

"These competitive pressures drive changes in pricing, innovation and marketing, but I'm not convinced that Chinese vendors, aside from Huawei previously, pose a significant threat to Apple's brand," said Tuong Huy Nguyen, senior principal analyst at Gartner. "Apple is a high-end brand and an ecosystem-driven experience."

To be fair, China's smartphone industry has witnessed its fair share of failures along with the meteoric rise of companies like Huawei and Xiaomi as the smartphone market consolidates. Gionee, a Shenzhen-based manufacturer that was among the first Chinese firms to break into the lucrative Indian market, went bust last year. There was also Vsun, a Chinese contract manufacturer that laid off all its employees on the same day it filed for bankruptcy in May last year. Small players have been squeezed even tighter amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in Chinese phone-makers refocusing their efforts back to their home market, according to industry analysts.

But the rapid emergence of China's phone-makers on the global stage underscores the country's rising technological prowess. It comes as Beijing seeks to catch up and eventually overtake the US as the global technological leader across 10 high-tech sectors including robotics, semiconductors and even electric vehicles, as part of Chinese President Xi Jin Ping's ambitious master plan known as Made in China 2025. It's this very plan that fueled the costly trade war between Washington and Beijing. In May, Beijing unveiled a follow-up plan that details China's involvement in setting the standards for key tech like 5G.

Still, some Chinese phone-makers are poised to gain market share from Apple and Samsung in the second quarter despite the coronavirus pandemic, which has ravaged the global economy and disrupted supply chains, according to a TrendForce report published in April. 

But who are the key players? The following is a breakdown of all of the Chinese phone-makers you should know, according to how recognizable they are in the US.

Huawei

US chipmakers continue to sell product to Huawei, despite a Trump administration ban on the sale of US technology to the Chinese telecom giant.

SOPA Images

Of all the Chinese phone manufacturers on this list, Huawei is probably the name that needs no introduction. It's the world's second largest smartphone company, and it's at the center of an international battle for technological dominance between Beijing and Washington. 

Once virtually unknown to most Americans, the telecommunications giant was splashed across newspapers when top executive (and daughter of the company's founder) Meng Wangzhou was arrested in Canada for an alleged violation of US sanctions with Iran. Since then, the Chinese telecom has regularly made international headlines, especially since the US Commerce Department banned American companies from doing business with Huawei without first obtaining a license. 

For Huawei, that meant it could lose access to crucial technological parts including semiconductors, which are key components used in its base stations and phones. It also meant Huawei's handsets were cut off from the full power of Google's Android operating system, along with several popular apps including the Google Play store, Gmail, Google Maps and apps that rely on Google like Uber and eBay. 

At its launch in September, the Mate 30 was Huawei's first major phone to launch without Google's proprietary apps. Despite US efforts to constrain Huawei, the company reported first-half earnings this month showing revenue grew more than 13% from a year ago to around $65 billion.

But in May, Washington tightened its entity list measures in a move that blocked Huawei's global chip supply from key supplier's like Taiwan's TSMC, which could put Huawei's future in genuine jeopardy. "It might cripple Huawei, which I consider China's most important technology company," Wang said.

ZTE

ZTE launched the Axon 10 series in the US last year, which marked its comeback into the United States after being swept up in a trade fight with the Trump administration. 

Angela Lang/CNET

You may remember ZTE from when it got embroiled in a trade fight with the US government. Once the fourth largest phone vendor by market share in the US, ZTE saw its operations come to a grinding halt after the Commerce Department in 2018 barred the state-owned Chinese telecom from buying components from American companies over sanctions violations. 

Although the ban was lifted several months later as the result of Trump's surprise intervention, ZTE paid the US $1.4 billion in penalties, the Chinese telecom took a reputational hit and suffered a $1 billion loss in 2018. 

The 35-year-old company had spent years building its brand in the US, where it sold low-cost smartphones through wireless carriers including AT&T and Verizon, selling 19 million phones in 2017, according to Canalys. It had achieved what none of its homegrown competitors had been able to in the US. Much of that evaporated with the controversy. 

Last year, ZTE quietly reentered the US market with its "comeback phone," the Axon 10 Pro, its first major phone launch since it was banned. Still, industry analysts say they have doubts over whether ZTE can shake off the impact of the US ban even after installing company veteran Ni Fei at the helm of its consumer electronics business.

"ZTE is expected to face challenges from both its Chinese competitors and the US-China tensions," said Will Wong, research manager at IDC Asia Pacific. "Since ZTE has been banned by the US in the past, the current tensions between the US and China are expected to make its channel players more cautious while working with them."

Lenovo

Angela Lang/CNET

Lenovo is a giant in the PC industry. It can even lay claim to the world's first 5G laptop. But it's also the owner of one of the most iconic American phone companies: Motorola, which it bought from Google for a cool $2.9 in 2015. Still, it's been a long road back to the black for Lenovo's phone business. After years of bruising losses and layoffs, Lenovo's mobile unit turned a small profit last year, its first since it acquired Motorola, thanks to a "clear focus on selected markets, a competitive product portfolio and expense control." This year, the company released a string of phones across the price spectrum under its Motorola label like the revamped Razr, and it's gearing up to release its Legion-branded gaming phone as the company seeks to grow those gains in its phone business.

OnePlus

Launched this month, the Nord is OnePlus' inaugural midrange phone from a brand-new line by the same name.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Unlike most of its Chinese competitors, OnePlus has emerged as an unlikely success story in the US, breaking into the brutally competitive American smartphone market within the seven years of starting out. The young company, which has roots in tech metropolis Shenzhen, started off there as an online-only supplier of high-end yet affordable phones. 

But it truly broke into mainstream America in 2018 when it launched the 6T flagship series with the support of a key US ally: T-Mobile. It was the first time OnePlus had the backing of a major US carrier, which marked an important milestone for OnePlus since most Americans still buy their phones from carriers. It also meant that the phones would be available in T-Mobile's vast network of retail stores around the country. 

Jump ahead to 2020, and OnePlus is one of the fastest-growing smartphone brands in the US after its phone sales more than tripled in 2019, according to Counterpoint Research. Although its market share remains minuscule compared to those of Apple and Samsung, it has managed to snatch a small slice of the pie from both juggernauts, as well as curry favor with some of the most discerning gadget enthusiasts out there. 

In April, it launched its OnePlus 8 flagship series amid the coronavirus pandemic with the backing of Verizon, and is set to launch the more wallet-friendly Nord this month via an augmented reality launch.

Xiaomi

Xiaomi's flagship for this year is known as the Mi 10 series.

Xiaomi

Xiaomi is one of China's earlier homegrown success stories. Founded in 2010, Xiaomi, which was once widely ridiculed for blatantly copying Apple, has matured into one of China's domestic champions, shipping more than 124 million phones in 2019 in more than 90 countries worldwide. 

For many years, Xiaomi's not-so-secret weapon has been selling quality phones at near cost. It has even released a $100 phone. This low-margin strategy has helped Xiaomi cultivate a loyal fan base, especially in price-sensitive countries in Asia like India, where its slick Android phones often sell out within hours of release. 

Xiaomi generates most of its revenue from selling phones, but recurring revenue from the sale of software and services that ride on its phone allow the Beijing-based company to sell its handsets for cheap. It also sells a portfolio of its own smart products to help boost its brand. 

In addition to phones, Xiaomi relies on a portfolio of smart products including bedside lamps and air purifiers to help build its Mi brand internationally. An upgraded electric scooter (pictured above) was launched in July.

Screenshot by Sareena Dayaram/CNET

In recent years, however, Xiaomi -- like many of its rivals -- has prioritized selling more high-priced phones as the global smartphone industry and its margins shrink. This strategy seems to have paid off, with the company reporting nearly 14% revenue growth in the first quarter despite the business challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. It stands in contrast to Samsung and Apple, which have both warned of a challenging year ahead. 

Oppo and Vivo

Vivo has broken ground for a 32-story highrise, which will house its headquarters, in the southern Chinese tech metropolis of Shenzhen. It's scheduled to be completed by 2025.

NBBJ

If you're not familiar with the name Vivo, there's still a good chance you have seen some of its phones, which appeared in Marvel's blockbuster Captain America: Civil War. As with its older and larger sibling Oppo, the Chinese phone-maker's trademark marketing style involves using high-profile product placement and sponsorships to win over European shoppers. Although Oppo and Vivo aren't household names in the West, both have vaulted up the global rankings to place within the top six smartphone manufacturers in a comparatively short period of time, due partially to the popularity of their affordable phones among young consumers. 

Oppo and Vivo (along with Xiaomi) are expected to have gained even more market share in the April-to-June quarter despite the pandemic, according to IDC. That's mainly because both companies enjoy a strong foothold in Asia, including the world's two largest smartphone markets, China and India, where most of their regional sales are generated, according to Wong. Even though Oppo and Vivo stress that they're competitors, both companies were spun out of the same parent company. BBK Electronics is a privately held, media-shy Chinese conglomerate believed to be the world's third largest manufacturer of smartphones. Along with Vivo and Oppo, it counts OnePlus and RealMe as part of its stable of brands.

RealMe

Ian Knighton/CNET

RealMe is the baby of the bunch, a 2-year-old company founded by a former Oppo executive. RealMe phones found success quickly because they were cheap but juiced up with cutting-edge technology. 

Last year, the company, which is also owned by BBK Electronics, said it shipped 25 millions phones -- a figure it hopes to double by the end of 2020.

"Their connection with Oppo allowed them to form a partnership with channel players in a more efficient way, which might be difficult for new smartphone-makers as channel players may not be familiar with a new brand," said IDC's Wong. 

The brand originally piggybacked on Oppo's success, and was known back in 2010 as Oppo Real before it spun off into an independent division. It also rapidly entered new international markets, finding success in India and parts of Europe in recent years. Earlier this year, the company unveiled its first 5G phones as part of a push toward the premium end of the market.

TCL

TCL is the new kid on the smartphone block -- after a fashion. The Shenzhen-listed company has had a long history of designing, manufacturing and marketing phones under brands that are not its own: TCL has produced handsets carrying the Alcatel name, the once-popular Blackberry brand and even has the tiny Palm handset. 

In April, the company, better known for making televisions, launched the moderately spec'd TCL 10 series, the debut line using its own brand that included a 5G phone, internationally. 

But the Chinese company is also vying to become the next big name in foldable phones, teasing radical designs including a trifold phone and a rollable phone. 

Founded in 1981, the Chinese consumer electronics company built its reputation selling value-for-money TVs that mostly kept up with competitors in terms of specs.TCL will continue selling these TVs along with the bevy of consumer electronics under its portfolio, but it's aiming to boost its brand through the more personal smartphone, echoing a strategy employed by industry giants Samsung and LG. 

Meizu

The Meizu Pro 6 (center) looks a lot like an iPhone.

Dave Cheng/CNET

Formerly a maker of MP3 players, Meizu was one of the earlier Chinese firms to make a foray into the hypercompetitive world of smartphones. The Zhuhai-based company rolled out its first phones in 2009, quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with domestically, and eventually entering overseas markets like India and parts of Europe. 

At its height, it was China's sixth largest domestic manufacturer, shipping approximately 20 million smartphones in 2015, which was a 350% jump from the year before. Huawei sold about 100 million in 2015. In a sign of confidence in its business that same year, Meizu garnered a near $600 million investment from Alibaba, as part of the e-commerce behemoth's push of its own mobile operating system into Meizu's popular handsets.

But Meizu has failed so far to break into the upper strata to join the ranks of China's smartphone elite. Today, the once high-flying company is struggling to stay afloat amid the consequences of misguided business decisions that included the over-release of smartphones and intensifying competition from its homegrown rivals. As players with more financial firepower refocus on the Chinese market, "there is little room left for smaller vendors," said Canalys research analyst Hattie He in a 2018 report.

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Best High-Tech Ski Gear for 2022

Best High-Tech Ski Gear for 2022

Few sports have cooler gadgets and tech than skiing and snowboarding. And there's such a wide range of equipment as well. A lot of it can enhance your experience or make recovery quicker and more efficient. The best skiing and snowboarding gadgets can make you feel like James Bond, bombing down the slopes as you're (not) being chased by your nemesis's henchmen. To help you spend more time bombing down slopes, we've collected the best high-tech ski gear on the market right now and compiled it for you below. From action cameras like a GoPro to new goggles and more, there's something for everyone.

Much of the gear here is battery-powered, including the top GoPros and other action games, as well as some ski-friendly earbuds and helmet speakers. But not everything has a power component to it. In some cases, I've included items with high-tech materials, cutting-edge designs or basic protection for iPhones and Android devices. There are also several helmets and ski goggles in the mix.

I'll add more top ski gear products to this list as I find them.

Josh Goldman/CNET

At the moment, the GoPro Hero10 is the best single-lens action camera you can get from GoPro. It's not a big upgrade over the GoProHero 9, which is available for a little less, but it has a new GP2 chip that allows high resolutions at higher frame rates -- up to 5.3K (5,312 x2,988 pixels) at 30 or 60 frames per second. It also has HyperSmooth 4.0, GoPro's highest level of image stabilization.

As with the Hero 9 Black, pricing is a little confusing for the Hero 10 Black. The camera is $550, which is more costly than the Hero 9's starting price. However, if you buy directly from GoPro.com and sign up for the GoPro subscription service -- which is included with the camera -- GoPro knocks $200 off, so it's $350 (a year of the service, which costs $50 a year or $5 a month, is included for free).

The subscription service gives you unlimited cloud backups at original quality, damaged camera replacement, discounts on GoPro accessories and gear and access to GoPro's premium live streaming platform.

Read our GoPro Hero 10 Black review.

David Carnoy/CNET

360 cams capture everything in a sphere around the camera, then later you can decide what you want to show -- and exactly how it's shown. For this type of camera, a lot of people like the GoPro Max, which is selling for around $430, but Insta360's One X2 is also impressive and some people prefer it to the GoPro.

Insta360 sells the newer and more affordable Go 2 ($300) and the earlier One R. The Snow Bundle includes a variety of mounts and accessories, everything from a chest mount to GoPro-style helmet mounts along with a pole mount. 

We have a couple of videos to give you an idea of the kind of footage Insta360 cams can produce. Former CNET Senior Video Producer Nic Henry reviewed both the Go 2 (you can find the video here) and the One X2 (you can find that video here).

Read more: Insta360 Go 2 hands-on

Joshua Goldman/CNET

We could have put the GoPro Hero 9 Black on this list. It costs $50 less than the Hero 10 Black, but the truth is, if you're considering the Hero 9, you might as well get the Hero 10. However, If you can do without that top-end resolution and front-facing screen, the older Hero 8 offers a decent amount of savings and remains a good choice. It still does 4K video at 60 fps, so it's no slouch and has come down from its original list price of $350 (it's now around $280). It was a CNET Editors' Choice Award winner two years ago.

Read more: Best action cams

David Carnoy/CNET

The Aleck 006 earpieces slip into your helmet and can be used as wireless headphones for listening to music or as a headset for making calls. They offer decent sound but what makes them even more useful is if you link multiple Aleck 006 together and set up what amounts to a walkie-talkie system among friends or family members.

With real-time GPS tracking in the Aleck Go app for iOS and Android, you can also map the location of everyone in your party.

David Carnoy/CNET

Helly Hansen's flagship $750 Elevation Infinity 2.0 technical shell jacket features the company's LIFA Infinity Pro technology, its new waterproof, windproof yet breathable material that it says is the "first to-market to be made entirely without added chemicals." Typically, waterproof jackets are chemically treated, but Helly Hansen says the Infinity's "everlasting water-repellent protection never needs to be reproofed with chemical treatment after use."

For a shell jacket it offers good flexibility and doesn't feel stiff. While it has a three-layer fabric construction and offers some warmth, it's not insulated so in very cold conditions you'd need to wear another jacket underneath it, like the Odin Lifaloft Hybrid ($400).

The Elevation Infinity 2.0 is available at Backcountry and comes in black, gray fog and orange (pictured) and, like other premium Helly ski jackets, also features its Life Pocket Plus, which uses Aerogel insulation to help keep your phone from getting too cold, thus preserving its battery.

David Carnoy/CNET

Helmets with integrated lens shields or goggles have become popular in Europe in recent years, and Giro makes one of the best ones with its Orbit helmet that also comes in a version for women called the Aria (it looks very similar but has different colored trim elements). While these types of helmets tend to be expensive, they're good for people who wear glasses or just like the convenience of eye protection integrated into a helmet design -- you can rotate the articulating "shield" up onto the helmet or tilt it down over your face. It's also worth noting that the large Vivid lens (with optics by Zeiss) provides a very wide field of view. 

Unlike some shields that have an open design at the bottom, this one has a foam liner and is designed to sit on your face like goggles, though the seal isn't quite as tight as a typical pair of goggles. There's good ventilation and the helmet is very comfortable to wear, with a Polartec "Power Grid" padded lining that helps with moisture management. Like many of Giro's helmets, this one also incorporates the company's custom Spherical MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection) technology. 

The included lens shield is designed to work well in a variety of conditions (it is replaceable for $125). It does a very good job staying fog-free on nonstorm days, but I can't guarantee that it won't fog at times on big snow days, which can be challenging for most goggles (particularly if you wear glasses or prescription lens inserts with your goggles). That said, it's an excellent helmet overall.

David Carnoy/CNET

The Marauder Elite is Spy's latest and greatest model of goggles that features 60% more venting over the similarly styled Spy Ace goggles (another highly vented model). That makes it "nearly impossible to fog," according to the company. They didn't fog on me during my limited testing, but I still need to put them through a wider variety of conditions to confirm that.

The goggles' lenses adhere magnetically and can be easily swapped out (two lenses are included). These are over-the-glasses, or OTG-type, that are suitable for use with RX eyeglasses and have subtle notches in the temples to allow your glasses to fit better. Like Spy's other premium goggles, these feature the company's Happy lens tech, which it says is "scientifically tuned to boost mood and alertness while optimizing color and contrast."

They're a nice pair of goggles and although they're expensive, Spy has been having trouble keeping them in stock.

David Carnoy/CNET

When your phone gets too cold its battery drains faster, and if it's really cold, it might shut off. That's where the Phoozy comes in.

A simple sleeve or "capsule" for smartphones, the Phoozy has a Chromium Thermal Barrier Shell and SpaceTech Penetration Layer, as well as a bit of velcro to keep it closed at the top. That will help keep your phone warm on extra cold days and help preserve battery life. It will also keep your phone from overheating.

Phoozy pouches now come in a few different versions and sizes and start at $30. Just make sure to get one that's big enough to hold your phone.

Atomic

Atomic's new Redster CTD helmet is pricey but has some cool features that may someday find their way into more helmets. Inspired by Atomic's pro racing helmets, this model has sensors that assess any damage after the helmet takes a hit. You get a report on your helmet's condition via the Atomic Shocksense app for iOS and Android. Also, if you slam into something hard enough and the helmet takes heavy damage, it will automatically send SOS alerts out to your emergency contacts. 

As far as protection goes, it's serious. Atomic says the Redster CTD's Atomic Multi-directional Impact Deflector (AMID) dual-density foam system absorbs shock from all angles to deliver 30% higher impact protection than International Ski Federation standards require. It's available in black, red and white.

David Carnoy/CNET

These glove liners are equipped with Seirus' Kinetic heat return system that it says amplifies your body heat 4 to 5 degrees and reflects it back to you for 20% more warmth. Of course, how warm your hands are will also depend on how warm the gloves are that go over these (they can be used as stand-alone gloves, but more for running in cold weather than skiing).

David Carnoy/CNET

After a day of shredding, your body will certainly appreciate a little percussion massage gun action. There are plenty of options available but we like the travel-friendly Theragun Mini because it won't weigh your luggage down too much and is a great little massage gun for $199 that's surprisingly powerful for its size.

Like the other new Theragun models, the Mini is equipped with Quiet Force technology that allows the device to run just as powerfully but much more quietly than the previous generation of Theraguns. The Theragun Mini has three speed settings, ranging from 1,750 rpm to 2,400 rpm, and the battery lasts for 150 minutes of continuous use. 

The one notable downside to the Theragun Mini is that it only comes with one attachment, the standard ball head. You could buy other Theragun attachments a la carte because the Mini is compatible with all the same attachments that come with other models, but that brings the price up.

Florian Breitenberger

Private lessons have gotten really expensive, so why not get a virtual one?

Carv is a digital ski coach that combines some hardware that you attach to your boots with an iOS app (Android coming soon) that delivers real-time feedback about how you're skiing.

I'm still waiting to try this out but have had friends use it and really like it. The software was updated to version 2.0 with some small hardware enhancements, including a more compact battery with the same battery life.

For better or worse (probably worse), Carv has moved toward a subscription model that makes the hardware less expensive (the original kit is now $149 instead of $349), but requires you to purchase an add-on subscription for $199 a year or $298 for a two-year plan. That's still a lot less than what a single full-day private lesson would cost you at most resorts -- at least in the US.

Sarah Tew/CNET

If you don't want to pay upward of $200 for a set of Smith I/O goggles, there are plenty of more affordable alternatives, including those from Colorado-based Glade, which prides itself on making goggles that offer similar or better performance than high-end models from other companies for a lot less.

The big deal is its Adapt goggles include a Photochromic Flux lens for $129. This is a lens that changes colors according to the lighting conditions you experience. In other words, it's the chameleon of lenses, and typically photochromatic goggles cost a lot more.

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The Smith 4D MAG googles are the company's current top-of-the-line model and have seen a price increase from $280 to $320. They feature a wider field of view (25% wider than the I/O Mag, according to Smith) and a 5x antifog inner lens with AirEvac Integration Technology that helps reduce fogging. Changing the lenses is easy with the MAG system. Two levers release the lens, which adheres magnetically to the goggles. One low-light and one bright-light lens are included.

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If you wear glasses, the $270 I/O MAG XL goggles are a good choice, albeit a fairly expensive one.

The MAG XL is Smith's MAG lens change system featuring -- you guessed it -- magnets that let you easily swap out lenses, as well as a 5x antifog inner lens with AirEvac Integration Technology that helps reduce fogging. They come with two lenses.

The Smith I/O MAG XL goggles come in several different ChromoPop lens colors.

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Seirus' flagship HeatTouch Hellfire gloves are available for $450 for men or women. The gloves haven't changed for a few years, but the battery was upgraded last year to a more slimmed-down version with increased battery life.

At the low-heat setting you can get up to 12 hours of battery life, with medium pegged at around 8 hours and high at 4 hours.

It's also available in a mitten for $450.

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In the past, I've highlighted Smith's Vantage helmet, which has a visor. The Code is more oriented toward snowboarders and free riders, but a lot of mainstream skiers like its streamlined look.

Smith didn't change anything in this year's model from last year's -- except for the color options. It packs in most of Smith's latest technologies. On the inside, instead of hard foam you'll find Koroyd inserts that, from the top, look like a honeycomb with circular (not hexagonal) cylinders. The high-tech material is made of lightweight, eco-friendly polymer extruded tubes that are thermally welded together to form a strong layer of protection that also allows for good airflow. (Smith has added other materials and design elements to the helmet and is calling the whole protection package Aerocore construction.)

Beyond the fancy padding, there's the BOA FS360 fit system (with a 360-degree halo design), which helps you get a snug, "custom" fit. And new this year: a Wayfinder strap system featuring Fidlock that's basically a quick-release magnetic system that makes it easier to open and close the strap.

The helmet only comes in a MIPS version, which offers increased protection. In a MIPS Brain Protection System, the shell and liner are separated by a low-friction layer that "allows the helmet to slide relative to the head."

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Giro says the "modern profile" of its Jackson helmet, which comes in multiple color options, utilizes the new Passive Aggressive Venting system that's "inspired by the aerodynamic airflow of high-end autos." Well, it's a good looking helmet and also pretty lightweight and comfortable while offering MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection) technology. 

It doesn't have the company's upgraded Spherical MIPS technology found in its Emerge helmet ($150), this model has Giro's Form 2 Fit system that allows you to dial in the fit of the helmet (it's similar to Smith's dial-in fit), which allowed me to get a more snug fit. The Emerge uses the company's Stash Fit system that allows you to remove or add layers of padding to customize your fit.

Both the Emerge and the Jackson are designed for maximum compatibility with Giro goggles but they work just fine with other goggles. 

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Giro makes a couple of goggles in the $150 range, including the Method and Article. It describes the Method as having a "bold retro style" that's been advanced with "the most modern technology." It's a comfortable goggle with a wide field of view and good venting that helps keep the goggles fog-free in most conditions (I haven't met a goggle that's truly fog-free in all conditions).

Like the more rounded Article goggles ($170), the Method uses Giro's Vivid lens with optics by Zeiss and a second lens is included. The Method is available in a few different color options. 

Beringia

If you're looking for the ultimate Merino wool base layers, these tops and bottoms from Beringia may just be it. Diomede is Beringia's proprietary fabric "that seamlessly knits multiple layers of fabric into one ultrastretchy waffle." Real-world translation: The fabric is thin, lightweight and comfortable but also warm. The only downside is that tops ($150) and bottoms ($175) are quite expensive and there's no deal if you buy both together, although you can get 15% off with your first purchase.

Beringia Diomede base layers are available in a few color options and three sizes, as well as women's versions. The top also comes with a snorkel hoodie for $25 more. 

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Constructed from Grilamid, a lightweight but very durable frame material, the Spy Helm Tech sunglasses are a modern take on glacier sunglasses that includes removable side shields so you can block both the sun and all the "haters" at the same time, according to the company (they turn into standard wayfarer sunglasses without the side shields).

The sunglasses have hidden sweat channels in both the nose pads and inner temples for breathability and feature the company's Happy Tech lens tech that it says is "scientifically tuned to boost mood and alertness while enhancing color and contrast."

True or not, I will say they fit comfortably, the optics were very good and I was indeed happy using them.

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Most new phones, including the iPhone 13 models, offer a decent level of water resistance. But if you want some added protection, Lifeproof still sells its waterproof and shockproof Fre case -- and the latest version is built for MagSafe accessories. 

The Fre case is also available for some Samsung Galaxy models but that version doesn't feature MagSafe, a feature that adds $10 to the case.

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You don't want your phone to go dead on the mountain, so it's always good to pack a battery pack.

MyCharge calls its new line of magnetic power banks Superhero Mag-Lock, implying that they're real saviors. I was impressed by their design. Not only do the batteries, which come in various capacities, have strong magnets and stick really well to the back of your iPhone 12 or 13, but they have raised coils, which are supposed to help with reducing heat levels while charging. It does seem to work.

The 3,000-mAh battery is lightweight and slim and is nice to have around for some emergency charging. However, it won't get you a full charge, so you'll probably want to step up to one of the higher-capacity options like the 6,000-mAh model that retails for $60 but is currently being discounted to $36. The 9,000-mAh version is beefy and feels like your phone is attached to a small brick (the battery and phone do fit in your hand nicely but the combo certainly isn't pocket-friendly).

All the Mag-Lock batteries charge Qi-enabled iPhones at 5W, although you can get faster charging if you go wired and use a USB-C to Lightning cable. I also liked how there's a chime when the charging starts and your phone tells you how much juice is left in the battery pack (it's tied into iOS 15). You can wirelessly charge Android devices as well, but the Mag-Lock won't stick unless you have a metal ring on the back of your phone's case. Stick-on rings are available for sale.

The MyCharge SuperHero Mag-Lock is available in a few color options and has a nice glossy finish. It currently is the best-designed magnetic power bank -- better even than Apple's.

Ibex

Ibex, which is known for its high-tech merino wool garments, describes its Wool Aire Hoodie as having "backcountry performance with frontcountry style." Available in a few colors and both men's and women's options, it's a puffy jacket that's not all that puffy but is lightweight, comfortable (it has some stretch to it) and can be used as either a midlayer on cold days or outer layer on not-so-cold days.

It's constructed of eco-friendly Bluesign-certified materials and is wind- and water-resistant. Also worth noting: It packs up into its chest pocket, which makes it travel-friendly.

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Bollé's Torus goggles come in a version with a standard lens for around $120 (or less), but I tried the step-up version with the company's high-contrast Volt lens, which is harder to find in stock. You get one lens with these goggles, but the Ice Blue Cat 3 lens (with a pink base tint) offers some flexibility in terms of what lighting conditions you can use it with. The goggles offer a wide field of view and good ventilation. 

Amazon

Biolite has a new line of portable batteries that offer USB-C PD fast-charging (up to 18W) along with two additional USB-A ports so you can charge a couple of phones at the same time, albeit at slower speeds. There are three sizes available -- 6,000-mAh, 10,000-mAh and 20,000-mAh -- but the 6,000-mAh version (pictured on right) is probably best for skiers because it's slim, relatively lightweight and fits easily in a pocket. To charge iPhones at 18W speeds, you'll need to bring your own USB-C-to-Lightning cable to the charging party (the latest iPhones include that cable). 

Although Biolite says its powerbanks are "durable," they don't have a water-resistance rating. That said, they should survive a drop in the snow just fine.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Zeal goggles have excellent optics and a wide field of view, and many feature the company's Rail Lock System that makes the lenses easy to change and the goggles easy to vent when you're in hiking mode.

The base models with standard lenses are pretty affordable, ranging from $129 to $159. Things get more expensive when you move to the Automatic Plus GB lens, which is photochromic and changes quickly with the lighting and works in any conditions. Add that Automatic Plus lens and the price goes up to $279.

I like the Portal XL (on right), which also starts at $249 for the standard two-lens option. It has the widest field of view and is an OTG type that allows you to wear glasses.

The Hemisphere, starting at $129, has a spherical frame with upper and lower ventilation and triple-layer face foam and is available in a variety of lens options. It doesn't have the RLS system, but the lens quality is quite good for the price.

David Carnoy/CNET

The Jaybird Vista 2 sports buds feature a similar design to the original Vista buds but have a couple of key upgrades: active noise canceling and a transparency mode called SurroundSense that allows you to hear the outside world, an important safety feature for skiers as well as runners and bikers. 

The Vista 2 buds have an IPX68 water resistance rating, which means they're both dust-proof and fully waterproof. Jaybird says they're also sweat-proof, crush-proof and drop-proof. And the compact case is now splash-proof and dust-resistant, with an IP54 rating.

They sound quite good once you tweak the EQ settings to your liking, but in sound quality they're not quite up to the level of some other premium earbuds. Their noise-canceling, transparency mode and voice calling are decent though unspectacular (the Beats Fit Pro performs better in all departments). But if you're buying these, you're buying them for the secure fit and durability.

Sarah Tew/CNET

This is Smith's goggles-sunglasses hybrid, the Wildcat ($200). Constructed with the same materials used in Smith goggles, the Wildcat glasses provide lots of eye coverage and good airflow but have the comfort of a more lightweight pair of sunglasses. The Wildcat sunglasses come with a bright-light ChromaPop lens and a secondary clear lens for flat-light overcast days and are available in three color options.

Amazon

This product comes at the recommendation of CNET editor Justin Jaffe, who lives in New England. He writes:

"As Covid surged again this winter, I've taken up alpine touring: skinning up a mountain and skiing down. The benefits are considerable -- you can often get by without a lift pass and it delivers a much more rewarding cardio workout than pure downhill skiing. This highly adjustable USWE backpack has become an essential tool for me, providing the right amount of space for gear as well as an insulated water bladder that has never once frozen up. And there is a strap and pocket for everything, from goggles to helmet to skis. Highly recommended."

Sarah Tew/CNET

You'd think that more companies would have made Bluetooth headphones that slip inside your helmet, but Outdoor Technology is one of the few that does (some Chinese companies like Outdoor Master have gotten in on the game in the last couple of years). Their appeal has waned now that true wireless earbuds have come along, but they're still available at a discounted price, around $90.

How it works is you charge up the Chips and slide them into the earflaps on your helmet (they should work with most helmets). You want to make sure that no excess padding in your helmet is covering the Chips or else they'll get muffled and you'll lose some volume; you want them as close to your ears as possible.

The Chips 2.0 have a walkie-talkie feature that allows you to communicate with friends who are also using Chips 2.0 headphones. You create a group using the ODT Walkie-Talkie app and talk over the cell network, which means the only limit on distance is whether you're getting a phone signal. Up to 99 people can be in your private group.

I thought the sound quality was decent for Bluetooth but not great. That said, it's nice to be able to stick your helmet on and have the headphones built in with no wires to worry about. Battery life is rated at 10 hours, and the Chips are sweat- and water-resistant but not waterproof.

Outdoor Technology also sells the Chips Ultra, a true-wireless version of the Chips that costs significantly more (about $163). I don't think the Ultras are worth the money.

David Carnoy/CNET

You never know when you might need to hang up some gear, which is where the Heroclip comes in. Available in a few different sizes and colors, this souped-up rotating carabiner hook clip costs around $23.

Garmin

The original Garmin inReach Mini has been one of the more popular satellite communication devices with backcountry skiers. The new inReach Mini 2 has the same compact, lightweight form factor but adds additional features, including a more energy-efficient processor that greatly improves battery life (now up to 14 days of battery life, using default 10-minute tracking, and your location is sent to your MapShare page for friends and family to view), a higher resolution display and user interface, as well as compatibility with Garmin's Explore app and some new navigation features.

Garmin says that while most users will interact via their phones or paired Garmin devices, you can still send a check-in, read incoming messages, and reply with either a pre-canned QuickText or write a custom message from the device itself. 

You do need an active satellite subscription to use the inReach Mini 2 with basic annual plans starting at $11.95 a month or $14.95 for a single month subscription. 

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The Mate XS: A Huawei foldable will finally be available outside China

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The Mate XS: A Huawei foldable will finally be available outside China

Huawei has taken the wraps off the Mate XS, a minor update to its existing Mate X that I spent time with in Paris late last year. I think the folding design is great and while the Mate X was strictly China-only, the Mate XS is due to go on sale elsewhere in the world, including the UK.

The XS does have some slight upgrades, including an apparently strengthened display, the latest Kirin 990 processor and some caps on the edge of the folding mechanism to help protect against dust. 

There's no firm date for the Mate XS as of yet, and no firm price either, although it is expected to be somewhere around the £2,200 mark in the UK (about $2,850 or AU$4,300). Yikes. Don't expect it to be available in the US at all, due to Huawei's ongoing political difficulties. 

The Mate XS is otherwise identical to the Mate X, so read on to see what I thought of that phone when I took it on a lovely tour of Paris. 

The Huawei Mate X

I've finally been able to spend some real time with the foldable Huawei Mate X, the Chinese company's folding phone rival to Samsung's Galaxy Fold and Motorola's folding Razr. After a whole day using it all over Paris, I've gotta be honest, this foldable Android device is damn cool. 

I'll start with the obvious, the actual folding mechanism. The Mate X's flexible OLED screen folds backward on itself, in contrast to Samsung's Galaxy Fold, which closes in on itself like a book, or the Razr, which folds shut like an old clamshell phone. That means you can use the entire 8-inch display even when the phone is closed. Unlike the Galaxy Fold, there is no internal Mate X display. 

Now we can debate all we want about which screen design and mechanical hinge are best, but this is purely about the Mate X, so I'll tell you what I've found to be great so far.

First of all, that folding display just looks amazing. The way the screen bends back around on itself, without any kind of distortion to the images, is awesome and I love the way the interface -- no matter what you're looking at -- instantly resizes into the correct aspect ratio. When I first saw this at MWC earlier in the year I had a genuine rush of excitement at witnessing something so futuristic. Months later, and even having used the Galaxy Fold since its launch, I'm no less excited about the way the Huawei Mate X bends. 

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Trust me when I say that from the moment you get it out of the box, you'll want to fold and unfold the Mate X time and time again. Your friends will want to have a go, your colleagues will want a go and even random strangers in bars will want a go.

But there's more to like about this foldable phone than just its ability to draw attention on a night out. By folding backward as it does, that big screen is essentially split in half, giving you a 6.6-inch display in its regular, "closed" phone format, outsizing all but the biggest phablet giants. (You get full use of the screen only when you unfold the phone.) As a result, videos and photos look great, particularly because there's no notch interrupting the view -- something I'll come back to later.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Having a big outer screen in "phone mode" makes it much more usable than the closed Galaxy Fold. In my several months with the Fold, I've found its 4.6-inch outer screen to be so narrow that typing on it can be extremely difficult. As a result, I almost always use it in its large, folded-out tablet mode. I've been forced to ask myself, do I really have a foldable smartphone or do I have a tablet that can be folded away for easy storage?

With the Huawei Mate X, I don't need to ask myself the same question. The Mate X's design is comfortable to use and while it's wider than the Fold, it's much thinner in its closed form, so it sits in my jeans pocket more easily and didn't feel at all awkward to keep there as I paced the busy Parisian streets. 

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The downside? By bending outward, the rear screen is permanently exposed to the world, or to potentially damaging keys and coins in your pocket. Although the plastic material seemed pretty tough in my time with it, I can't vouch for it over months or years of ownership and I can't deny I'd be concerned about how easily it could get damaged. Let's not forget that Samsung canceled all orders of the original Fold following numerous instances of the screen breaking and eventually launched it with a refreshed design. At the very least, I'd want to keep it in some kind of protective sleeve when not in use.

The OLED display itself is bright, vibrant, pin-sharp and even under the bright lights of my hotel room -- and later, under the admittedly gray sky of winter in Paris -- I didn't struggle to read what was on screen. Watching videos in phone mode is great, but it's when you fold it out into its full 8 inches that those videos become significantly more immersive. I really loved checking out the images I shot on my day out in the city on that big display.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

To allow it to bend, the display is covered in plastic, not glass (as are all of today's foldable phones) and, like we've seen on the Galaxy Fold, there are some noticeable ripples on the screen's surface when it lays flat. But they're best described as "ripples" rather than the more pronounced "crease" on the Fold. This is likely due to the fact that the screen doesn't bend at such a sharp angle, thereby causing less of a crease in the display material. In my extended hands-on throughout the day, I rarely noticed these ripples and never found them to be a distraction. 

If I were really nitpicking (which, of course, I am), I'd say that the folding hinge is a bit stiff. Bending it backward from its tablet mode feels like you're having to force it more than it really wants, and on my first few attempts I wasn't sure if I was doing it properly. But it's something I'm sure you'd get used to once you got over the initial jarring sensation of basically trying to bend a tablet in half. It does mean that you're not likely to accidentally close it while using it as a tablet. I do like that a physical clasp holds it securely in its phone form and there's an easy-to-reach button that you'll press to release it and fold back out. The Fold and Razr use magnets to remain shut, but I believe the Mate just relies on the clasp. Time will tell which is better.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The cameras are housed in a vertical side-bar, which I found to be a handy gripping point when unfolded in tablet mode (when closed, the phone folds back, sitting flush against this sidebar). It also means the cameras don't interrupt the display with notches, not even for selfies, as you simply turn the phone over and take those with the main camera. 

The camera lineup is much the same as Huawei's P30 Pro: a standard lens, a zoom lens that offers 3x and 5x zoom, a super wide-angle lens and a fourth "time of flight" sensor for depth processing. Having used the cameras extensively throughout my time with the smartphone, I'm pretty pleased with the results, particularly the portrait mode, which gave an extremely accurate bokeh around my willing subject. Exposure seemed good across the board and it uses the same night mode that's impressed me so much on Huawei's previous flagship phones, being able to capture bright, sharp images in dark night-time scenes.

The depth sensor did a great job of recognising that this metro sign is closer to the phone, thereby managing to produce a lovely looking bokeh with the background.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

There's lovely exposure and contrast in this street scene.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Accurate colours and an even exposure. Lovely stuff!

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Although shot at night, this image is vibrant and pin-sharp.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Other specs are pretty much in line with what you'd expect from any top-end smartphone. It runs Huawei's latest Kirin 980 octacore processor, has a 4,500-mAh battery with all-day battery life, 512GB of internal storage and 8GB of RAM. 

But it's not internal specs that are important here. The Huawei Mate X is all about that bend and having spent all day with the phone I'm confident in saying that this is my favorite foldable phone I've used so far. Given that it's only available in China, I'm not likely to add one to my permanent collection anytime soon, and that's a real shame, but my time with it has left me extremely excited about what we'll see from folding devices in the years to come. 

Originally published in December 2019.

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