Monthly Archives: November 2017

Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Review: Great Sound; Uncomfortable Design

Enter the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 ($100), a wireless headset for the PS4 or Xbox One that sounds good and doesn’t cost too much. A name-brand wireless headset for $100 may sound like a superb deal. However, an awkward mic, a lack of versatility and a truly uncomfortable fit make the Stealth 600 a relatively hard sell.

Turtle Beach made a lot of compromises with the Stealth 600, but those compromises did help make it one of the cheapest wireless gaming headsets around. Weigh your options accordingly.

Read full post here:
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/turtle-beach-stealth-600,review-4919.html

GoPro’s time as king of the action cams is under threat

High-profile flops will likely mean the company plays it safe in 2018

GoPro recently announced it had returned to profit, which might come as a surprise to anyone that doesn’t pay close attention to what’s happening in the world of tech news. Those things are really popular, aren’t they? Everyone at least knows someone who has one.

That may be true, but GoPro’s fortunes are far from assured. 2017 saw the arrival of the Hero6, the Omni camera rig and GoPro’s Fusion 360-degree action cam in a bid to make VR moviemaking easier. But over the past two years, the company has faced financial tribulations and declining shares, caused by a range of factors.

One of the biggest factors was the Karma, an impressive attempt at a consumer drone, which was scuppered by two unexpected things – a botched launch, and the unveiling of the DJI Mavic, a very similar product whose launch was slightly less botched.

Read full post here:
https://www.wareable.com/cameras/gopro-launches-in-2017-review-430

BLACKVIEW BV9000 PRO Review

The new BLACKVIEW BV9000 PRO smartphone is rocking the market with its bigger screen size, processor, operating system, processor and other specifications. We are here to provide you the best firsthand information about the smartphone. Our main aim is to ensure that you grab the best handset that fits your needs and budgets

With excellent flagships from Blackview, our attention cannot get diverted on any other handset floating in the market. Choosing the right smartphone has never been easy. But the exceptional range of Blackview with its affordable pricing strategy is helping us to ease our search.

The Blackview BV9000 Pro is a rugged smartphone with the dual rear camera and this is the only rugged smartphone having the dual rear camera. This is something new and fresh into the market. Without any delay let’s take a look at the more features of this smartphone:

Read full post here:
https://technosoups.com/blackview-bv9000-pro-review-presale-available-great-discount/

Marshall Woburn multi-room speaker review

Here’s a multi-room speaker that looks unashamedly like a bulky Marshall amplifier you might find on stage at a gig. Need your own Wall of Sound at home? If you do, the Woburn spits out a pretty serious 110W from any device with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Compatible not only with AirPlay, ChromeCast and Spotify Connect, but also with two other wireless speakers in Zound’s Marshall collection – the Acton and Stanmore – the Marshall Woburn makes one helluva sound.

The new collection of Marshall multi-room speakers are all about presenting a stylistic alternative to Sonos. And like its nemesis, the Sonos Play:5, the Woburn has no remote control. Compatible with Apple AirPlay, Google ChromeCast and also baked-in to Spotify, the Woburn can be installed using the Google Home app on either OS, and connected to via WiFi or Bluetooth. However, it does have hard-button controls.

Read full post here:
https://www.techradar.com/reviews/marshall-woburn-multi-room-speaker

Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III Review

Introduction

The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III is a new premium compact camera that replaces the three-year-old Mark II model. The weather sealed G1 X Mark III has a larger APS-C sensor offering 24 megapixels and a Dual Pixel CMOS AF system that can auto-focus in 0.09 seconds, an ISO range of 100 to 25,600, a 3x optical lens (24-72mm) with f/2.8-5.6 aperture, 4-stops of image stabilisation, Full HD 60p movies, a DIGIC 7 processor, a tilting LCD touchscreen, a built-in electronic viewfinder, a pop-up flash, and Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Dynamic NFC connectivity. The Canon Powershot G1 X Mark III is available in black priced at £1149 / €1399 / $1299.

Read full post here:
https://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/canon_powershot_g1_x_mark_iii_review

2017 Seat Leon Cupra R FIRST DRIVE review – price specs and release date

Seat’s hottest hot hatch the Leon Cupra R has revised underpinnings and more power, but is it the best of its kind?

*** Note : £1 = $1.33 (correct at time of post)

The Seat Leon Cupra has always appealed to us here at What Car?, largely because of the inconspicuous manner in which it delivers properly eye-widening performance. Even the Cupra 300, with its 296bhp 2.0-litre TSI engine, goes about its business of giving more distinguished performance cars a hard time with little to denote its muscle other than a red badge here and a painted brake caliper there. It keeps things pretty, leaving the tricks and flicks to others.

Read full post here:
https://www.whatcar.com/news/2017-seat-leon-cupra-r-review-price-specs-and-release-date/n16354

OPPO F5 Youth Review

OPPO has just released a new addition to their F5 series, which has taken selfies to another level by introducing their newest AI Beautification technology. The first one was the vanilla F5, and now comes its little brother — the F5 Youth. Is this smartphone worth the purchase? Find out in our full review down below.

Before we proceed, check out our initial hands-on video here.

Design and Construction

The F5 Youth has a 6-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and an 84.75% screen-to-body ratio. It has a unibody design with curved edges and narrow bezels which makes it nice to look at. Its polycarbonate back panel has a matte-finish that could be easily mistaken for a metal body. Additionally, users can mistake the F5 Youth for the F5 since it has an almost identical design.

Read full post here:
https://www.yugatech.com/mobile/oppo-f5-youth-review/#5bZv7HjWx7DaiDfo.97

Lenovo Yoga 720 (12-inch) Review

Lenovo delivers an affordable and stylish ultraportable with its 12-inch Yoga 720. Starting at $629, the Yoga 720 offers a bright 1080p display and solid Core i3 performance. We would’ve liked to see Lenovo offer a few more ports, and the battery life could be better. However, with an aluminum chassis and a lightweight, flexible body, the Yoga 720 is a midrange 2-in-1 worth considering.

Design: Fun-size

Lenovo’s Yoga 720 12 is a sleek and compact 2-in-1 laptop you’ll be proud to carry around. Sporting a matte iron-gray chassis made out of aluminum, the Yoga 720 is a well-built convertible with solid fit and finish. An engraved Yoga logo is located on the lid’s upper-left corner. When you lift the lid, you’ll find the Yoga 720’s island-style keyboard, which has charcoal keys and white lettering. On its deck, you’ll notice a matching gray touchpad, a fingerprint scanner and branded prints that say “Yoga” and “audio by Harman.”

Read full post here:
https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/lenovo-yoga-720-12-inch

Samsung Gear Sport v Samsung Gear S3: Clash of the Samsung titans

Which Samsung smartwatch should adorn your wrist?

Despite the Samsung Gear Sport rolling around this holiday, Samsung still considers the Gear S3 its big flagship device. That’s right, the Gear Sport isn’t exactly the Gear S4.

Instead, the Gear Sport is more like a much sportier version of the Gear S2. The Gear S3 is more of a traditional smartwatch, including big features like LTE connectivity and a larger size.

Samsung Gear Sport v Gear S3

That can be confusing if you’re looking for a new smartwatch and you’re leaning in Samsung’s direction. Do you go with the new hotness that is the Gear Sport or what Samsung considers its crown jewel, the S4? Luckily for you, we’ve put together this guide to help you along.

Design

Samsung Gear Sport v Samsung Gear S3: Clash of the Samsung smartwatches

The Gear Sport and Gear S3 are a good lesson in how different you can design two products while retaining several signature touches. All you have to do is look at them to see. The Gear S3 comes in two varieties, there’s the more adventure-y Frontier and then the more sophisticated Classic.

The Gear Sport is a little more colorful, and comes with a fairly unique square-circle shape that makes it look like a round watch was stuck onto a square frame. We’ve found it to be a little divisive. The Gear Sport also has a 42.9mm case that weighs in at 67g.

Meanwhile, the Gear S3 is a chunky monster, with a case that comes in at 46mm, though it comes in at a lighter 63g for the Frontier and 59g for the Classic. There are only a couple of differences between the Classic and Frontier. The Frontier is a little more rugged and has the bezel raised above the rest of the watch case. The Classic is more subdued, with cleaner buttons and a bezel blended into the case.

In the looks department, it’s hard not to go with the S3 Classic. It looks like a standard wrist watch in the best way, and it’s the one that you’ll be able to pull off with any look – whether you’re headed to the store or off to a werdding. The Classic will also give you a leather band, while the Frontier and the Gear Sport get you a more rugged, sporty plastic band (though these can be swapped for others). Straps on the Gear Sport are also more narrow, coming in at 20mm rather than the S3’s 22mm.

Samsung Gear Sport v Samsung Gear S3: Clash of the Samsung smartwatches

The Gear S3’s display is slightly larger, at 1.3 inches compared to the 1.2 inches of the Gear Sport, but they both have roughly the same 360 x 360 resolution AMOLED displays.

Both of these devices have heart rate sensors on the underside, but only the Gear Sport has 5 ATM water resistance. The Gear S3 has an IP68, but that’s mostly going to help you out if you’re looking to take a shower or a run in the rain, not for more extensive lap work in the pool.

The Gear S3 is a clear winner when it comes to the looks. It’s a classy, round smartwatch that looks as good as most regular analog watches or even a hybrid. It is plenty chunky though, which might be way too big for a lot of people, which could make the smaller Gear Sport more appealing for those who have smaller wrists – or even those who appreciate unique design quirks.

Features

Samsung Gear Sport v Samsung Gear S3: Clash of the Samsung smartwatches

The basic undercarriage of the Samsung smartwatch experience is the same across the Gear Sport and Gear S3. Both of these devices are running Tizen, which means you’ll have access to the Gear app store to download apps, including the Under Armour suite.

You’ve also got things like offline Spotify playback, which will allow you to sync over music from Spotify. This is a huge boon to the many people who use Spotify and want to keep their music without relying on their phone. You can also store music files separately on the 4GB of storage space.

The Gear Sport’s 5 ATM water resistance gives it a sizable sports advantage over the S3, but they both have solid GPS, so you can head out for a run without your phone.

Where these two diverge is Samsung Pay. They both have it, but one has a better version of Samsung Pay than the other. The Gear S3’s Samsung Pay has the ability to use magnetic strip readers, which turns any pay terminal into a contactless pay terminal. The Gear Sport only supports Samsung Pay via NFC, which means you’ll only be able to use compatible contactless terminals.

The other big difference is that the Gear S3 comes in a version that enables LTE connectivity, while the Gear Sport will have to rely on your phone for the most part. This of course is a potential deal breaker for those of us who like to leave our phones at home, keeping us connected without fully being connected.

The Gear Sport actually had the feature advantage for a little bit, but then Samsung released the Tizen 3.0 Value Pack update, which brought the Gear S3 back up to feature parity. The only major differences here are in hardware, with the Gear S3 having that LTE version, better water resistance for swimming, and a magnetic strip reader for a more robust version of Samsung Pay.

Health and fitness

Samsung Gear Sport v Samsung Gear S3: Clash of the Samsung smartwatches

Samsung Health has grown into a competent and mature health platform, and you can even sign up to get virtual doctors appointments right from your phone. For the most part, the Gear Sport and S3 have similar health and fitness experiences.

You’ll get the full benefit of both Samsung Health and Under Armour’s suite of apps, which includes MapMyRun, Endomondo, and MyFitnessPal. The Gear Sport, because its better swimming ability, will also get you the Speedo On app, which will be handy if you hit some laps.

In our testing of the Gear Sport’s swimming ability, we actually came away a little disappointed. Samsung’s own app was inaccurate, and while the Speedo app worked better it wasn’t great at accuracy when it came to pool lengths.

Swimming – and Speedo On support – is the big difference between the Gear Sport and Gear S3. For the most part, the rest of the experience is largely the same. Both devices also struggle with heart rate at more intensive levels, though they go about it a little differently.

The Gear Sport constantly feels like its catching up in the heart rate department, and if you’re looking to do intervals you might as well forget it, but otherwise it should serve its purpose. The Gear S3, on the other hand, will sometimes record abnormally high heart rate readings.

One thing to not forget is that the Gear Sport is also considerably smaller than the Gear S3. And while the Gear S3 has LTE connectivity, which means you can truly leave your phone at home while you run, the smaller size means using the Gear Sport is not only easier on your wrist, but can be used by more people.

All of this helps make the Gear Sport true to its name, and a better health and fitness device than the bigger Gear S3. When you’ve got better GPS performance and 5 ATM water resistance in a smaller package it’s hard to go against that.

Battery life

Samsung Gear Sport v Samsung Gear S3: Clash of the Samsung smartwatches

The Gear Sport and Gear 3 both got us around three days of battery life in our tests, though we were also able to push to four days on the S3 when we turned off the always-on display mode. On the Gear Sport, we were bouncing between three and four days.

On both devices, GPS use will knock down that life considerably. These two devices also have Watch Only mode, which kill give you an insane 40 days of battery life.

This is all especially impressive for the Sport, which has a 300mAh battery compared to the Gear S3’s 380mAh battery. So if you’re looking for battery life efficiency, the Gear Sport is the winner here.

Price

Samsung Gear Sport v Samsung Gear S3: Clash of the Samsung smartwatches

The pricing between these two smartwatches depends on where you buy them. Samsung still looks at the Gear S3 like its flagship smartwatch, and in the US it prices it like its flagship smartwatch at $349.99 – and that’s not counting the $10 a month extra you’ll have to pay for LTE. Meanwhile, the Gear Sport comes in at $299.99

Over in the UK, the Gear S3 Classic and Frontier will set you back £249.99, with the LTE models adding £5 a month to your bill. The Gear Sport, however, will see you pay £299.99. That makes the Gear Sport more expensive than the flagship in the UK, but less expensive in the US.

Verdict

Samsung Gear Sport v Samsung Gear S3: Clash of the Samsung smartwatches

The Gear S3 might be what Samsung calls its flagship, and it might even have a couple more features that the Gear Sport can’t physically have, but the Gear Sport is our favored choice here.

That’s for a couple reasons. The first is that it takes most of what the Gear S3 does and miniaturizes it, making it a better choice for most people since the Gear S3 sometimes feels monstrously huge on the wrist. The second is that it has 5 ATM water resistance, so that you can take it for a swim and not worry about it all.

It’s also, at least in the US, more affordable than the Gear S3. While you are missing out on LTE connectivity, Spotify offline playback helps mitigate that a little bit (it’s also available on the Gear S3 of course, but still). If you’re looking for the best Samsung smartwatch, the Gear Sport is your best bet.

(wareable.com, https://goo.gl/ajXJue)

2018 Royal Enfield Himalayan Preview

Adventure bikes are wonderfully versatile for all types of riding, making the ADV class one of the hottest segments in contemporary motorcycling. The best of them retail at north of $15,000 and can soar above $20k. But are those heavyweights really the best ADVs? A simple tip-over off the beaten path might have you wishing you were on a bike that was 100 or more pounds lighter and much less costly to repair.

The all-new Royal Enfield Himalayan might be a viable option for riders short on inseams and bank balances, boasting a 411cc single-cylinder motor, reasonable off-road ability, and an accessible MSRP of just $4,499, thanks to production in India at Enfield’s home base. RE claims the Himalayan scales in at 421 pounds wet.

The Himalayan, says RE, “is purpose-built for adventure, allowing for a purer and more accessible form of adventure touring.”

With a clean, rugged appearance, the Himalayan looks ready for adventure. Shown is the “Snow” colorway, but a “Graphite” version is  also available.

The Himalayan occupies a unique space in the lightweight ADV market, with its 411cc single-cylinder engine out-cubing the 250cc mini-ADVs from Japanese manufacturers, such as Honda’s new CRF250L Rally ($5,899) and Kawasaki’s reborn KLX250 ($5,349) and its recently introduced twin-cylinder Versys-X 300 ($5,399).

The new Enfield also has a larger engine than the 313cc Single in BMW’s G310GS, also built in India (by TVS), but the Himalayan’s motor is built more for durability and driveability than outright performance. Enfield claims a maximum of just 24.5 hp delivered at 6500 rpm, nearly 27% fewer ponies than the Beemer’s 33.5-hp claim at 9500 rpm.

RE calls its single-overhead-cam engine the LS410, with the LS referring to its bore (78mm) and stroke (86mm) ratio being substantially under-square. This will allow the engine to be lugged further down in its powerband, providing accessible grunt at low revs. Peak torque of 23.6 lb-ft is said to arrive between 4000-4500 rpm, comparing favorably to the G310’s claim of 20.7 lb-ft way up at 7500 rpm.

The unit-construction 411cc Single eschews liquid-cooling for stone-ax-reliable cylinder finning for air cooling, augmented by an oil cooler. Nods to modernity include fuel injection, an overhead cam and a counterbalancer.

We’re happy to report the Himalayan is equipped with a counterbalancer to mute objectionable vibration, unlike previous Royal Enfields that vibrate at levels high enough to irritate. Also a first for an Indian-built RE is the inclusion of an oil cooler, which helps the air-cooled mill shed heat.

112817-2018-royal-enfield-himalayan-exhaust-595x388

The adventure-themed Himalayan looks the part, with a rugged appearance penned by noted designer Pierre Terblanche before he left Enfield’s employ. It starts up front with an off-road-desirable 21-inch front wheel/tire combo with the requisite high fender. A reasonably large windscreen (manually adjustable to two positions) is perched above a round headlight. The steel frame was developed in England by Harris Performance, and it provides 9 inches of ground clearance. Front and rear wheel travel is 7.9 and 7.1 inches, respectively. Rubber fork gaitors protect the 41mm fork tubes from rock damage.

Further protection is provided by crash guards that surround the fuel tank and by a robust-looking bash plate for the bottom of the engine. A scooped seat design brings its height down to a reasonably accessible 31.5-inch perch, while a rack behind the passenger seat provides a place to strap down luggage. Braking is provided by a 300mm disc with a twin-piston caliper up front and a single-piston clamper and 240mm rotor out back.

Thin enough for some single-track exploration…

Instrumentation appears to be fairly contemporary, with digital displays for a fuel gauge, gear-position indicator, digital compass and engine temperature gauge joining the usual analog tach and speedo dials. A 4.0-gallon fuel tank is purported to provide 280 miles between fill-ups.

The Himalayan will retail for $4,499 when it hits American dealers in the summer of 2018. We’re looking forward to riding it to find out if Royal Enfield has struck a sweet spot in the marketplace and will become, as RE describes, “an adventure offering for all.”

112817-2018-royal-enfield-himalayan-headlight-583x388

(motorcycle.com, https://goo.gl/cVBi9z)

Samsung UN55MU7000 / UE55MU8000 review

Impressive though they are in many (though not all) ways, Samsung’s new QLED TVs don’t come cheap. Just as well, then, that Samsung has provided a handy ‘Plan B’ in the shape of its MU series.

We recently looked at and were impressed by the great value UN49MU6400(confusingly named the MU7000T in the UK). Not surprisingly, then, we’re feeling pretty excited by the arrival on our test benches of the step-up UN55MU7000 (called the MU8000 in the UK). After all, this 55-inch costs more and boasts more powerful picture technology, so it’s got to be substantially better, right?

Read full post here:
https://www.techradar.com/reviews/samsung-un55mu7000-ue55mu8000

2019 Corvette ZR1 Convertible First Look: Chevy melts some faces

Very orange, and very angry. That’s the unavoidable first impression when faced with the 2019 Corvette ZR1 Convertible, Chevrolet’s 755 horsepower route to getting lots, and lots, and lots of wind in your hair. Open-top sibling to the Corvette ZR1 coupe, the drop-top refuses to succumb to the old adage that cutting the roof off also means compromising on performance.

It certainly doesn’t hurt the style. The Corvette is a striking car to begin with, but the styling updates Chevrolet’s engineers have put in place for the ZR1 are more comprehensive – and more cohesive, too – the more you look at it.

The hood has gained a more significant bulge, with a mohawk of carbon fiber running down its center. Chevy is particularly proud of its thirteen radiators, more than you’ll find on a Bugatti Chiron and responsible for keeping the Corvette ZR1 cool under pressure. They’re not hidden away, either, with sizable – and working – vents studding the bodywork.

Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/2019-corvette-zr1-convertible-first-look-chevy-melts-some-faces-29509772/

OnePlus 5T camera review : First impressions

The brand new OnePlus 5T is the Chinese manufacturer’s latest flagship model. Like its predecessors, offers high-end specifications, materials and design at a price point that is noticeably lower than the more established competition.

The 5T is in most respects pretty much identical to its predecessor, the OnePlus 5. However, there are two important changes: the AMOLED display now comes with an 18:9 aspect ratio, covering the entire front of the device, and the dual-camera has done away with the tele-module and replaced it with a secondary sensor that has been optimized for low light performance.

The camera switches to this sensor when light levels drop below 10 Lux and merges four pixels into one for improved image quality. Despite the lack of a tele lens, OnePlus says the new dual-camera setup offers a similar zoom performance to the OnePlus.

Read full post here:
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/0100696659/oneplus-5t-first-impressions-review

MEIIGOO NOTE 8 Review: The Best Replica Of Samsung Note 8

Here we have the MEIIGOO Note 8, the replica of Samsung Galaxy Note 8. The MEIIGOO Note 8 design is just similar to the Samsung Note 8.

For those who are planning on buying the Samsung Note 8, wait here you can save your money. The MEIIGOO Note 8 has the 5.99-inch display and Octa Core process and 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM. The internal memory can be expanded with micro-sd card.

MEIIGOO is one of the renowned smartphone makers in China. They have a huge line of the killer smartphone at a cheap price. Now the company has launched it’s latest smartphone in the front of Samsung Note 8. Now let’s take a look how Meiigoo is going to replace the Samsung Note 8.

Before we start let’s take a quick look at the specification of both Phone and also quick comparison.

Read full post here:
https://technosoups.com/meiigoo-note-8-review-best-replica-samsung-note-8/

2018 Jaguar F-Pace 25t R-Sport v Porsche Macan (4cyl) comparison

You could pitch an XJR against a Panamera, or an F-Type against a Boxster or Cayman. Yet the absolute domination of SUVs in today’s sales numbers suggests the most relevant Jaguar versus Porsche comparison pits the F-Pace against the Macan.

Many automotive purists would prefer neither existed, believing them to be a slight on two brands with impeccable sporting pedigrees.

Yet both the Jaguar F-Pace and Porsche Macan have proven to be the most dynamically accomplished pair in the world of mid-sized luxury SUVs.

And here we’re at the relatively affordable spectrum of the two model ranges: the $81,787 F-Pace 25t R-Sport AWD and the plainly and simply named Macan at $80,110.

Read full post here:
https://www.caradvice.com.au/604792/2018-jaguar-f-pace-25t-r-sport-v-porsche-macan-4cyl-comparison/

Nokia Steel HR review : There might be a new name on the face, but this is still a hybrid smartwatch great

The Nokia Steel HR is the Withings Steel HR aside from some very minor differences, and quite frankly we don’t have a problem with that. This is still one of the best hybrid watches out there and while we favour the discreet secondary screen on the Garmin Vivomove HR, the Steel HR still shows that analogue-style watches can get smarter while retaining those charming good looks.

The delayed arrival of the Nokia Steel HR completes the rebranding of Withings’ hybrid smartwatches since it was snapped up by the Finnish tech giant earlier this year.

After deciding to whip the Withings name off the Steel hybrid, Go fitness tracker and its smart scales, it’s now the turn of arguably its most exciting wearable. According to Nokia, there’s a bit more to this relaunch of the Steel HR than a new name. Minor improvements have been made in the design and software departments too.

Read full post here:
https://www.wareable.com/hybrid-smartwatches/nokia-steel-hr-review

ASUS Vivobook X405UQ Hands on Review : First impressions

Apart from their famous ROG gaming line and their premium Zenbook line, ASUS actually has a budget notebook line dubbed the VivoBook series. These notebooks were made specifically for those on a budget who still wants a well-built and respectable device. What we’re looking at here is one of the company’s topline Vivobooks, the Vivobook X405UQ. We took it for a little spin and here are our first impressions.

The VivoBook X405UQ has a 14-inch Full HD IPS Display with the company’s so-called NanoEdge display giving it a screen to body ratio of about 78%, which is quite good for a laptop. Another thing to take note is that the device’s panel is 13-inches. ASUS did quite a good job of cramming a display that’s an inch wider. This also gives users the illusion that they’re using a bigger device. In any case, the display is not just all about the thin bezels, it also has good color reproduction, accuracy, and viewing angles.

Read full post here:
https://www.yugatech.com/laptop/asus-vivobook-x405uq-hands-on-first-impressions/#DP36llvOGwDTE3Al.97

Panasonic TX-50EX750 review

The only thing separating Panasonic’s five-strong line of EX750 LED LCD TVs and its OLED range toppers is the underrated but advanced TX-55EZ952. In terms of spec then, this is a well-appointed flatscreen fleet.

The 50-inch model featured here merits 4K Pro status, and is HDR10 enabled. It’ll also support HLG broadcast HDR when that starts and is promised an HDR10+ firmware upgrade, as and when that becomes relevant.

More specific attractions include a high transmittance Super Bright Panel and Enhanced Local Dimming. While 3D may be out of favour with most TV manufacturers, the EX750 even offers active shutter 3D, although no glasses are included in the box.

Read full post here:
https://www.techradar.com/reviews/panasonic-tx-50ex750

Marshall Acton multi-room speaker review

Consumer electronics companies are always looking for a brand to convince is to part with our cash, and by now all brands with any kind of recognition have already been licensed to Chinese gadget-makers. Some don’t work at all – does a Porsche laptop or an, err, KFC phone make any sense – and yet Zound’s decision to put not just a Marshall logo, but the retro styling of its legendary amplifiers and speakers on its multi-room system makes a lot of sense.

Marshall’s rock-star heritage translates to the diminutive Acton pretty well; the use of the same mottled matte black vinyl plastic covering found on Marshall guitar amps, complete with rounded corners and beautifully machined brass knobs, produce a great-looking device.

Read full post here:
https://www.techradar.com/reviews/marshall-acton-multi-room-speaker-review

VW I.D. CROZZ previews 2020’s electric crossover

Volkswagen has brought its electric crossover concept to the LA Auto Show 2017, the VW. I.D. CROZZ, and the little SUV EV is something particularly special. That’s because, the German automaker says, while the show car may only be a concept today, the production car will be the first of VW’s next-generation EVs to hit US roads.

That’s not going to happen until 2020, mind, as part of what Volkswagen insists is its new commitment to “global leadership in electric mobility.” The I.D. CROZZ was first shown off at the Shanghai Motor Show earlier this year, though makes its North American debut this week in LA. it’s an important model for the car company.

Indeed, the production version of the I.D. CROZZ will make it to dealerships before VW’s other hotly-anticipated EV, the production version of the I.D. BUZZ “Microbus”. VW confirmed earlier this year that, in the face of a vocal and positive response to the I.D. BUZZ concept, it would be giving the green light – no pun intended – to the bus. However, that’s not due to go on sale until 2022.

Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/vw-i-d-crozz-previews-2020s-electric-crossover-28509550/

Damson S-Series makes Dolby Atmos wireless: Hands-on

Home cinema fans want Dolby Atmos, but they generally don’t want a room full of speakers and cables: enter Damson’s confusingly small, wireless Atmos surround sound system. The British company has cooked up the first wireless modular home cinema system to support Atmos sound, promising ridiculously easy setup and performance that punches above its scale. I picked up some popcorn to find out if that could be true.

The S-Series supports Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and – most importantly – Dolby Atmos. That, if you’ve not been keeping up to date with your surround sound standards, is the audio company’s latest iteration for both theaters and home cinema rooms. Rather than just positioning elements from the soundtrack around the viewer, it includes overhead audio: you can, for instance, hear helicopters buzzing overhead. In movie theaters it requires speakers built into the ceiling, but Damson is using directional technology to bounce the audio off the ceiling instead.

Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/damson-s-series-makes-dolby-atmos-wireless-hands-on-28509210/

LA Auto Show 2017 preview: 5 new cars we can’t wait to see

2017 may be drawing to a close, but there’s still one big event left: the LA Auto Show 2017kicks off this week. Finishing up the year on a high, we’re expecting a wide range of new cars from automakers domestic and international. Convertible hybrids, more capacious new SUVs, and some serious luxury… check out five of the cars we’re most excited about, set to debut at this year’s show.

BMW i8 Roadster

BMW has been teasing us with the droptop version of its i8 hybrid sports car for years now, but it’ll be the LA Auto Show 2017 where the i8 Roadster makes its official debut. Borrowing its hard-top sibling’s style – still distinctive, even after several years on the market – the convertible is expected to have a soft-top rather than a hard roof, both for practical and weight-saving purposes.

Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/la-auto-show-2017-preview-5-new-cars-we-cant-wait-to-see-28509514/

7 best premium smartphones of 2017

With the year almost over and all of 2017 premium racehorses in position, it’s time to take stock of what’s available to us so far. Just in time, too, since the holiday, and therefore shopping, season is upon us. Not everyone can be winners, and, let’s face it, we probably don’t want them to be. Sooner or later, choices have to be made. Picking out a new smartphone, especially when you’re playing for both teams, can be a pretty daunting quest. Since no one size fits all, and no smartphone can be perfect for everything and everyone, we’ve tried to present this year’s top models along different use cases and needs.

Best in productivity: Samsung Galaxy Note 8

The Galaxy Note series has always been made for productivity. Although Samsung’s direction has changed a bit, throwing away large or removable batteries, the spirit has remained mostly the same. A large, Infinity Display bezel-less screen, 6 GB of RAM, and an S Pen all contribute to making the Galaxy Note 8 a beast of burden.

Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/7-best-premium-smartphones-of-2017-28508900/

Suunto Ambit 3 Run review

Suunto knows a thing or two about sports watches, and that’s apparent in the Suunto Ambit 3 Run – which is also sometimes known as the Ambit3 Run – even Suunto’s own site uses both.

[Update: The Suunto Ambit Run3 has been around for a couple of years now, and been usurped by watches likes the Suunto Spartan Trainer Wrist HR – that model is vastly more powerful and not a lot more money, so we’d recommend going for that].

Suunto has a long heritage in dive computer design and build leading it to place a premium on durability when compared with more ‘lifestyle’ brands such as Fitbit, Basis and TomTom. This means it tends to favour chunky ‘outdoor’ watches, but it also means you get a wrist guard that feels like it’s capable of fighting off bears.

The Suunto Ambit 3 Run is the latest in a long line of Suunto Ambits, all waterproof to immense depths, GPS-enabled and solidly built. Suunto has begun to differentiate the various sporting uses by taking a standard Ambit 3 and removing the unnecessary bits.

Read full post here:
https://www.techradar.com/reviews/wearables/suunto-ambit-3-run-1300574/review

Ticwatch E review : Affordable doesn’t have to mean big compromises

The Ticwatch E is an affordable and well-balanced Android Wear smartwatch, with enough of Mobvoi’s own flavors to help it stand out from the increasingly crowded family of Google watches. Looking for a serious fitness watch? This isn’t it. But as far as Android Wear goes, the Ticwatch E is a strong performer for the asking price.

Mobvoi has always promised that its Ticwatch smartwatchescan deliver things all the other smartwatches do at even better price points, and that’s no different with the new Ticwatch E.

E in this case stands for Express, which is a good word to describe what this watch aims to do. It wants to be the quickest and most affordable way for you to get into the smartwatch world, and it’s not just content with giving you features, it wants to give you a fairly intriguing design at the same time.

While doing all of that, the Ticwatch E also ditches the Ticwatch 2’s proprietary OS for Android Wear 2.0, while adding some ideas of its own into the mix.

Read full post here:
https://www.wareable.com/smartwatches/ticwatch-e-review

Acer Aspire E 15 (E5-576G-5762) Review

Acer’s E 15 line is well-regarded for offering high-end specs at budget prices. Like the E 15 (E5-575G-57D4) that came before it, the 15.6-inch Acer Aspire E 15 (E5-576G-5762) offers an impressive set of components for a sub-$600 laptop. The new E 15 rocks an Intel 8th Gen Core i5 CPU, a full-HD screen, a 256GB SSD and discrete Nvidia graphics. It even throws in all-day battery life and a DVD optical drive (for those who still want one) for good measure. However, to get this level of performance for just $599, you have to live with a display that is very dull and has muted colors.

Design

The Aspire E 15 features a plastic lid printed with the woven-cotton pattern that’s synonymous with Acer’s more affordable notebooks. While a shiny, embossed Acer logo decorates its lid, a hunchback hump rises from the back of its underside.

Read full post here:
https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/acer-aspire-e-15-e5-576g-5762

Best small SUVs 2017 – and the ones to avoid

Thinking of buying a small SUV? Then make sure you read our count down of the top 10 cars in this booming sector

Small SUVs are among the most popular cars on sale, and include previous What Car? Car of the Year winners, such as the Nissan Qashqai.

They offer the high-set driving position, practicality and muscular looks of more traditional 4x4s, but usually without the high purchase price or running costs, so can make great family cars.

Here we count down the top 10 small SUVs you can currently buy – and reveal the models that are best to steer clear of.

10. Suzuki Vitara

While the original Suzuki Vitara was a tiny, rugged 4×4, this latest version is more of a rival to city-friendly models, such as the Nissan Jukeand Renault Captur.

Read full post here:
https://www.whatcar.com/news/best-small-suvs-2018-and-the-ones-to-avoid/n17050#11

What’s New with the Sony a7R III

It’s already been two years since the Sony a7R II was launched, which means that its successor is finally here. The Sony a7R III improves on existing features and includes a slew of new ones, all of which make it a worthy successor. What exactly are they? Read on to find out.

10fps continuous shooting

The most show-off feature this camera has is its ability to shoot 10fps continuous at a full 42.4MP resolution with a 14-bit RAW output. It also has a way larger image buffer of 76 images, as long as you’re using a UHS-II SD card.

Read full post here:
https://www.yugatech.com/cameras/whats-new-with-the-sony-a7r-iii/#cKSLzrEfbVBUwSxz.97

TiVo Bolt Vox DVR review: New look, same old app problem

Tivo’s latest DVR brings a software overhaul and voice search, but it still feels tethered to the past.

As time goes by,  TiVo gets harder to love. The cable-box DVRs for which TiVo serves as an alternative are becoming more sophisticated, with modern interfaces, voice search, and built-in streaming apps. Forgoing cable entirely is also getting easier, thanks to a proliferation of streaming services and new over-the-air DVR solutions. TiVo’s consumer hardware business is getting squeezed from both directions.

The TiVo Bolt Vox is an attempt to push back. Like the existing TiVo Bolt, the Vox serves as either a DVR for cable subscribers or a way to record free over-the-air channels from an antenna. Its main addition is a new remote with voice search, and it also ships with a long-awaited software overhaul.

Read full post here:
https://www.techhive.com/article/3237729/tivo-bolt-vox-dvr-review.html

OPPO F5 Youth Hands-on Review : First Impressions

OPPO is on a roll with the release of their newest smartphone with A.I. beautification technology, the F5. Now, they have recently launched the “Younger” version — the F5 Youth. Here’s our hands-on and first impressions of the device.

The F5 Youth looks almost exactly the same as the F5 but with slight physical differences. It does not have the line design located at the top corners of the device. However, has the same sleek design and form factor with an 18:9 screen aspect ratio and narrow bezels. It even has the same matte-finish with its polycarbonate back panel that could be easily mistaken as metal plating.

Starting at the front, we have the 16MP front camera with AI Beautification at the left, the call speaker at the middle, and receiver at the right. The whole front panel is covered with Gorilla Glass 5 screen protection, with an included screen protector on top. Located below is the device’s on-screen navigation buttons.

Read full post here:
https://www.yugatech.com/mobile/oppo-f5-youth-hands-on-first-impressions/#M2SxYexsdkWgeMjt.97