Technologies
The Best GoPro Alternative: Half the Price of the Hero 10
Half the price, but not half the camera.
GoPro makes some of the best action cameras, especially its flagship Hero10 Black. It has excellent image quality and supersmooth stabilization and the whole thing is waterproof without a case. But all those features don’t come cheap — the Hero 10 Black costs around $449. If you can’t quite stretch the budget to get the best GoPro, you can get a cheaper GoPro or look for a budget alternative.
There’s no shortage of contenders looking to take on the GoPro. I’ve chosen two cameras to compare with the current top-tier GoPro, at different prices to suit all budgets. First is the Akaso EK7000 Pro, at $75. The second is the Yi 4K Plus Action Camera, which is $199. I’ve chosen the Yi because an earlier Yi model scored high marks from CNET camera guru Josh Goldman.
Read more: Best action cameras of 2019: GoPro, DJI and Yi compared
I tested all three cameras while walking, riding a bicycle and scuba diving to see what they could do.
Check out the video above to see my full thoughts on how the Hero10 Black compares with these cheaper alternatives.
GoPro vs. cheap alternatives
| GoPro Hero 7 Black | Yi 4K Plus Action Camera | Akaso EK7000 Pro | |
| Display | 2-inch touchscreen | 2.2-inch touchscreen | 2-inch touchscreen |
| Max resolution | 4K/60 | 4K/60 | 4K/25 |
| Still image resolution | 12MP | 12MP | 16MP |
| Lens | 149.2-degree FOV | 155-degree FOV | 170-degree FOV |
| Stabilization | Yes (HyperSmooth) | Yes (EIS at 4K/30) | Yes (EIS at 1080/60) |
| Voice control | Yes | Yes | No |
| Waterproofing (without case) | Yes (33ft/10m) | No | No |
| Waterproofing (with case) | 131ft/40m | 131ft/40m | 131ft/40m |
These GoPro alternatives are all easy to use
Thankfully, the GoPro method has almost become the default way to operate action cameras. All three have a touchscreen at the back, as well as physical buttons that turn the camera on and off, start and stop recording or change settings like the Wi-Fi connection.
There are also companion apps on iOS or Android that let you view the live image, start recording, pull down footage to your phone or even livestream (GoPro and Yi only). I didn’t have any problems connecting, downloading footage or filming with any of the cameras when I tested on iOS.
Want mounts? Akaso has them all
Open the box that comes with the Akaso EK7000 Pro and you’ll be shocked at how much you get for your money. There are several mounts, a waterproof case, a remote control and a spare battery.
The Yi, on the other hand, comes with nothing but the camera, the battery and two cables. That’s it.
The GoPro falls in the middle, with a cage, buckle and some adhesive mounts.
Fortunately, all the cameras are compatible with the standard GoPro mounting system. It’s really easy to change them in and out as you need, as long as you have the right parts.
GoPro wins at image quality, but the Yi gets close
Hands down, the best image out of these cameras comes from the GoPro, which is our benchmark for all these comparisons. The other two cameras just can’t match it for dynamic range, especially underwater. But the Yi gets close and captures detail and color in bright, outdoor situations well. Motion at 60fps looks smooth and overall I think the image looks quite good.
The Akaso’s image, on the other hand, is far from perfect. There’s plenty of noise, even when filming in bright sunlight, as well as chromatic aberration (the technical term for purple fringing). The exposure also blew out some highlights and the colors didn’t look very accurate. I could tell that this was the cheapest camera of the bunch. But where this camera did perform well was underwater, thanks to a dedicated diving mode.
I went to the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco to test out underwater image quality. Dive safety operator Chris Grace took all three cameras down to 16 feet in the Near Shore and Sharks of Alcatraz tunnels. Want to see sharks and fish up close? Watch the video at the top of the article.
Note that all the sample video and images were taken on default color settings, although you can use ProTune on the GoPro or a flat profile on the Yi so you have more flexibility to color correct footage.
Ready, steady, GoPro stabilization
Stabilization is so important on an action camera, otherwise that epic bike ride or skate trick will make you sick when watching the footage. GoPro has its own version of electronic image stabilization called HyperSmooth that makes everything look like it’s been filmed on a gimbal. And it works at most resolutions and frame rates, including 4K/60.
The Yi also offers its own electronic image stabilization but it’s nowhere near as nice as the GoPro and it’s only at 4K/30. And the Akaso … well, the less said about that the better. It’s only at 1080/60 and it doesn’t look particularly smooth at all, at least from the footage I took on a bike ride.
So which one is the best cheap GoPro alternative?
The Akaso EK7000 Pro is not my favorite when it comes to image quality. But it’s cheap for what it offers and if you don’t have any more wiggle room in the budget for mounts and accessories, it could fit the bill.
My pick is the Yi 4K Plus Action Cam because it does a lot more than the Akaso and offers comparable image quality to the GoPro — for half the price. That said, you get absolutely nothing apart from the camera in the box, so you’ll have to invest a little more in accessories to get the most out of it.
Don’t forget to watch the video at the top of the page for my full review, where I talk about battery life and audio quality and show you plenty of video samples!
Also, if you have your heart set on getting an actual GoPro but aren’t prepared to pay for the Hero 10 Black, then you’ll want to check out the Silver and White lines. Or look for discounts on earlier models like the Hero 9 or Hero 8.
Technologies
Pope Francis’ Funeral: How to Stream Live or Watch the Replay
Here’s how to stream the pope’s funeral very early Saturday, and what you can expect to see during the service.
After a week of global mourning for Pope Francis, who died on Monday at age 88, the pope’s funeral will be celebrated on Saturday . Francis’ funeral will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. local time at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City (which is very, very early if you’re tuning in from the US or Canada), and he will be laid to rest at the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.
The Vatican will be livestreaming the papal funeral and procession, though not the burial, on its YouTube channel as it happens. The funeral will also be televised live on CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox, as well as on streaming services like Disney Plus, Hulu, Peacock and Paramount Plus. Due to the time difference, it seems likely that many interested North American viewers will catch it when it’s replayed later on Saturday. Numerous networks will rebroadcast the service later that day.
If you choose to stay up, or get up early, here’s when the live broadcast of the pope’s funeral will air in your time zone in the continental US on April 26:
- ET: 4 a.m.
- CT: 3 a.m.
- MT: 2 a.m.
- PT: 1 a.m.
The papacy of Pope Francis was notable for the progressive reforms he brought to the Roman Catholic Church. He appointed more than half of the current College of Cardinals and attempted to foster more positive attitudes toward members of the LGBT community and migrants worldwide.
What to expect from the funeral
The funeral will follow many rituals, though not all traditional protocols will be followed. Most popes are buried in St. Peter’s Basilica or its grottoes, but the AP reports Francis chose the St. Mary Major Basilica to reflect his veneration of an icon of the Virgin Mary that is located there, the Salus Populi Romani (Salvation of the People of Rome).
His funeral will be less elaborate than those of other popes per his own wishes. Francis simplified papal funeral rites last year, permitting his burial outside the Vatican, and emphasizing his role as a bishop rather than as pope (the pope is also the Bishop of Rome).
Previous popes were buried in three coffins: one of cypress, one of lead and one of oak. Francis requested to be buried in a single wooden, zinc-lined coffin and not to be placed in an elevated bier as other popes were.
The coffin will be taken from St Peter’s Basilica and placed on a dais in St Peter’s Square, where Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will lead the service. After the service, the coffin will return to St Peter’s Basilica before it is carried across the River Tiber and to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major for burial. The ceremony is estimated to end around 2 p.m. local time, or four hours after it begins.
Pope Francis’ funeral Mass will be the first of nine Masses held daily at St. Peter’s until May 4. This is an ancient tradition of the Catholic Church that observes nine days of consecutive mourning. According to Vatican News, a different group of mourners will participate each day, though the Eucharistic celebrations are open to everyone.
Who will attend Pope Francis’ funeral?
Hundreds of people, including world leaders and royals, are expected to attend Pope Francis’ funeral.
US president Donald Trump confirmed on his Truth Social Platform that he and first lady Melania Trump will be at the funeral. This will be Trump’s first foreign trip in his second term. He is expected to have a seat in the third row, though the Vatican has yet to release an official seating chart. It is tradition for the first row of seats to go to Catholic royalty, and the second row to non-Catholic royals.
Prince William, who is attending on behalf of King Charles, will sit in the second row, which is reserved for non-Catholic royals. Former president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, devout Catholics, will also attend the funeral.
Conclave: What happens next to choose the new pope
After Pope Francis’ funeral, the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church will vote on his successor in an assembly of cardinals known as a conclave.
There are many matters for the cardinals to settle before the conclave begins, but once it does, it can take days or even weeks to conclude. Two-thirds of the cardinals’ votes are required to elect the next pope. The conclave occurs behind closed doors and the vote tally is never made public.
Read more: Where to Watch Conclave, the Vatican Thriller About Electing a New Pope
Look for the white smoke
The ballots are burned after each round, and chemicals are added to the flames to produce black smoke if there’s no majority. When a new pope has been selected, the chemicals will be added to the flames so they produce white smoke. Crowds gather in St. Peter’s Square to watch for the results.
If you’re fascinated by the process, you can watch a dramatized version of the events in 2024 film Conclave.
In the movie, Ralph Fiennes stars as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, who spearheads the election of the next pope while investigating rumors about potential candidates. The film is based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris and is completely fictional — though it does represent some of the events of how actual papal conclaves take place. In March, the film won the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay.
You can stream Conclave on Amazon Prime Video, or rent it for $6 on Apple TV, Fandango at Home, YouTube or Google Play Movies.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 26, #685
Hints and answers for Connections for April 26, #685.
Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections puzzle features a lot of short words, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. That purple category requires a lot of thinking — probably most people will solve it only by solving the other three and having four words left over. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.
The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.
Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time
Hints for today’s Connections groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Rainbow.
Green group hint: San Fernando ____.
Blue group hint: Think Robert.
Purple group hint: Mixed-up hue words.
Answers for today’s Connections groups
Yellow group: Tint.
Green group: Valley.
Blue group: Bobs.
Purple group: Color anagrams.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is tint. The four answers are color, hue, shade and tone.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is valley. The four answers are dale, dell, glen and hollow.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is Bobs. The four answers are Dole, Hope, Marley and Ross.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is color anagrams. The four answers are Dre (red), Gary (gray), genre (green) and lube (blue).
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 26, #215
Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 215, for Saturday, April 26.
Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Connections: Sports Edition is tough today. The purple category theme threw me because of one phrase I didn’t know. And let’s hope you’re familiar with college coach surnames. Read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Try to achieve.
Green group hint: Move through it.
Blue group hint: Sideline bosses.
Purple group hint: Like a carton.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: What one strives for.
Green group: Room to run.
Blue group: College football coaches.
Purple group: Box ____.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is what one strives for. The four answers are aim, goal, objective and target.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is room to run. The four answers are gap, hole, opening and space.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is college football coaches. The four answers are Day, Lanning, Smart and Stoops.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is box ____. The four answers are lacrosse, office, score and seat.
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