Monthly Archives: January 2019

Every Mid-Size Family Sedan Ranked

See which of 2019’s four-doors are great (Accord! Cough, cough!), and which aren’t so great.

These days, family sedans seem like an antiquated vehicle type: They’re low-slung and relegate their cargo holds to trunks sticking off their tails. (Back when automobiles were competing with horses, trunks were literally that, trunks strapped to the backs of motor vehicles.) Crossovers and SUVs balance style and utility far better (and offer that must-have tall driving position), hence why customers are flocking to them. Far from pinching mid-size family sedans out of existence, the market’s transition is freeing up automakers to imbue their four-doors with sportiness and style, playing to customers’ emotions more than their rationality.

Read full post here:
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g8514934/best-midsize-family-sedans/

Top 15 Best Camera Phones For Photography 2019

Cameras in smartphones have come a long way over the last few years, with a number of features that have greatly improved the quality of images produced by smartphones, including optical image stabilisation (OIS), larger sensors, bright lenses, and even optical zoom making them even better for photography. The photographic capabilities of smartphones has become such a massive selling feature, that many premium smartphones now support shooting “raw” images, so you can take complete control over image processing.

Some of the weaknesses of small sensor cameras have also been removed by the use of “computational photography” – for example Auto HDR, combines images for improved dynamic range, “Bokeh mode” produces DSLR-like images with blurred backgrounds for portraits, and multi-shot night modes offer better low-light shots, with reduced noise.

Read full post here:
https://www.ephotozine.com/article/top-15-best-camera-phones-for-photography-2019-23050

iPad mini 5 Rumors: Release Date, Price and More

While Apple’s iPad Pro and standard iPad both got recent refreshes, we haven’t seen a new iPad mini since 2015’s iPad mini 4. Apple’s smallest iOS tablet is long overdue for a revamp, and based on recent rumors, it could be coming early this year.

Here’s everything we’ve heard about the iPad mini 5, including its expected release date, possible specs and rumored design.

Read full post here:
https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/ipad-mini-5-rumors

Sony XG85 (KD-55XG8505) 4K LCD Preview : Now with added Dolby Atmos

The Sony KD-55XG8505 is an entry-level 4K LED LCD TV. It uses the HDR Processor X1, which is designed to reproduce more depth, textures and natural colours with Object-based HDR remaster technology.

The 55XG8505 also features Acoustic Multi-Audio with Sound Positioning Tweeters. This delivers Sony’s Sound-from-Picture Reality experience, where action and sound are precisely aligned and your viewing becomes so much more immersive.

Raed full post here:
https://www.avforums.com/review/sony-xg85-kd-55xg8505-4k-lcd-review.15760

Samsung Galaxy M10 and M20 deliver waterdrop notches on a budget

For a couple of months now, we’ve been hearing about Samsung’s Galaxy M, which was rumored to be a line of budget phones destined for India. Today, Samsung India officially revealed the Galaxy M10 and M20, putting truth those reports. Just as we heard leading up to this reveal, Galaxy M phones are indeed budget devices, and Samsung is targeting “young millennials” with their release.

Right away, one of the things that stand out about the M10 and M20 are their Infinity V displays that sport a waterdrop notch. Rumor has it that Samsung is plotting a hole-punch cutout for the front-facing cameras on the upcoming Galaxy S10 line, so that waterdrop notch on the Galaxy M is certainly an interesting sight.

Raed full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/samsung-galaxy-m10-and-m20-deliver-waterdrop-notches-on-a-budget-28563804/

Galaxy S10 Could Be First Phone with 25-Watt Fast Charging

Samsung apparently has some big plans for its Galaxy S10’s battery and fast charging capabilities.

Credit: Slashleaks

Over the weekend, Slashleaks published an image of what is believed to be the battery charger for the upcoming Galaxy S10. At first blush, it might not mean much, but when you look at the information on the charger, it reveals that it supports 12V/2.1A charging, in addition to 9V and 5V charging. In other words, the charger, which is codenamed TA300, will allow for charging at 25.2W.

Read full post here:
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/samsung-galaxy-s10-battery,news-29248.html

LG SM9970 (75SM9970) 8K LCD Preview : 8K NanoCell

The LG 75SM9970 is the company’s flagship 8K NanoCell LCD TV, it has a resolution of 7680 x 4320 and comes in a single 75-inch screen size.

The SM9970 uses a new 8K LCD IPS panel with a full array LED backlight and local dimming. It also features the Alpha 9 Gen 2 processor (optimised for 8K), ThinQ AI smart features, and High Dynamic Range support (HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma, and Dolby Vision with dynamic metadata).

Read full post here:
https://www.avforums.com/review/lg-sm9970-75sm9970-8k-lcd-review.15752

SoundMagic E11D Review

The SoundMagic sound you love, but the USB-C connection adds a few wrinkles

What are the SoundMagic E11D?

Earphones such as the SoundMagic E11D will become more important as new phones coming onto the market increasingly leave out the 3.5mm headphone jack. The E11D look good and sound good, and since they’re wired units, you don’t have to worry about charging any batteries.

USB-C headphones will, for a while at least, also highlight what is most annoying about the shift away from the headphone jack. Headphones and earphones will have to incorporate their own digital-analogue converter, raising prices even though this sort of hardware makes much more sense in a phone than a space-limited pair of earphones.

Read full post here:
https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/soundmagic-e11d

AOC AGON AG322QC4 Review

The AOC AGON AG322QC4 has every feature going – but is it quantity over quality?

What is the AOC AGON AG322QC4?

The latest monitor to emerge from AOC’s AGON gaming brand isn’t cheap – £380 is a lot to spend on a screen. The AGON attempts to justify its price by offering plenty of features.

But I’m a little concerned that this screen loads up on the extras while forgetting about image quality. Let’s see what happens when I deploy the benchmarks.

Read full post here:
https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/aoc-agon-ag322qc4

2019 Lexus UX 200 F Sport (2WD) Review : Road Test

Lexus introduces its smallest and cheapest SUV yet, the all-new UX priced from $44,450

Lexus has launched its smallest and cheapest SUV in Australia, the all-new UX priced from $44,450 (plus on-road costs). Based on the Toyota C-HR (and also the Corolla), the Lexus UX is available with conventional petrol or petrol-electric hybrid power, three levels of trim, and front or all-wheel drive motivation. Well equipped, and featuring the latest safety technology, the Lexus UX will rival light prestige SUVs including the Audi Q2, BMW X1, Infiniti QX30 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class, MINI Countryman and Carsales 2018 Car of the Year, the Volvo XC40.

Quietly slipping in

The arrival of the Lexus UX – or Urban eXplorer – in Australia may not have received the attention it deserved.

Read full post here:
https://www.motoring.com.au/lexus-ux-200-f-sport-2019-review-116467/

LG SM9500 (65SM9500) 4K LCD Preview : Flagship NanoCell

The LG 65SM9500 is the flagship model in the company’s NanoCell 4K OLED TV range, and uses an IPS LCD panel with a full array LED backlight and local dimming. As with the other models in LG’s 4K LCD range, the SM9500 uses the Alpha 7 Gen 2 processor.

This high-end LCD TV does however include all the ThinQ AI smart functions, and High Dynamic Range support (HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma, and Dolby Vision with dynamic metadata).

Read full post here:
https://www.avforums.com/review/lg-sm9500-65sm9500-4k-lcd-review.15750

Honor 10 Lite vs ASUS ZenFone Max M2 (ZB633KL) Specs Comparison

Two smartphones have recently launched in the Philippines, carrying capable specs at a reasonable price. One one hand, we have the Honor 10 Lite with Kirin 710 chipset, while on the other, is the ASUS ZenFone Max M2 (ZB633KL) with a Snapdragon 632. So which one offers more based on specs? Let’s find out below.


Read full post here:
https://www.yugatech.com/comparisons/specs-comparison-honor-10-lite-vs-asus-zenfone-max-m2-zb633kl/#sthash.pK8XiPZA.dpbs#bEiIfqDIEzrlyqjc.97

Sigma AF 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM Lens Review

It certainly seems that manufacturers are currently pursuing the path of the high quality, fast prime lens. As the MP count of our cameras increases, so the quality of our lenses strives to keep pace. Furthering this goal, Sigma offer their Art range as the pinnacle of their lens makers’ art. Here we review the new Sigma AF 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art, a wide angle prime lens for full frame and APS-C cameras. 28mm is probably the widest lens that offers a general usefulness, before we fall into the territory of the ultra wide 24mm lenses and beyond. Using the 50MP Canon 5DSR body, let’s see what this new, fast, bright lens has to offer.

Read full post here:
https://www.ephotozine.com/article/sigma-af-28mm-f-1-4-dg-hsm-lens-review–33141

LG SM9000 (55SM9000) 4K LCD Preview : Midrange NanoCell

The LG 55SM9000 is a new mid-range NanoCell 4K OLED TV that uses an IPS LCD panel with a full array LED backlight and local dimming. As with most of LG’s LCD TVs, the SM9000 uses the Alpha 7 Gen 2 processor.

It does however include ThinQ AI smart functions, and High Dynamic Range support (HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma, and Dolby Vision with dynamic metadata).

Read full popst here:
https://www.avforums.com/review/lg-sm9000-55sm9000-4k-lcd-review.15751

GMC weighs luxury EV pickup plans as Ford and Tesla commit

General Motors is considering electric trucks and pickups, giving its GMC brand a range of EVs as Ford and others weigh into the space. The admission from GM comes a week after Ford confirmed it had begun work on an electric F-150, a zero-emissions version of its best-selling truck.

That surprise news came after Ford had already committed to a hybrid F-150. That would pair an unspecified gas engine with an electric motor and batteries, for reduced emission, more torque, and more flexible operation.

Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/gmc-luxury-electric-pickup-truck-suv-general-motors-ford-tesla-rivian-24563599/

ASUS ZenPower Pro PD: The best power bank right now?

With all the smartphones and gadgets that exist in peoples’ pockets and bags nowadays, an argument can be made that one particular accessory is ubiquitous nowadays — of course, I’m referring to power banks.

I’m sure many of you have the same experience, but I’ve personally owned several of them over the last few years. But when ASUS sent us the new ZenPower Pro PD, it had a different vibe to it.

Read full post here:
https://www.yugatech.com/accessories/asus-zenpower-pro-pd-review-price-philippines/#sthash.nvnG33b1.dpbs#87P8q8HT4Gq5j7QS.97

Wireless Charging Power Banks You Can Buy Right Now

Let’s say you have one of the newest Apple iPhones, Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Notes, LG G and V-series, and Sony Xperias, and you want to charge the battery with a power bank but you’re getting fed up with the cables. Well, the solution to that is to use wireless charging. Fortunately, there are power banks in the market that support that technology so you can charge your phone, without having to worry about cables.

Read full post here:
https://www.yugatech.com/accessories/wireless-charging-power-banks-you-can-buy-right-now/#sthash.RMmAPD6L.dpbs#pKK1j1CMVhTXu2gf.97

2019 Yamaha YZF-R3 Review – First Ride

The Yamaha R3 gets a facelift and new springs to its step

The 2019 Yamaha R3 feels incredibly nimble as I flick it back and forth effortlessly between corners along a mountain road. As we snake our way up into the dense fog surrounding Palomar mountain in San Diego County, dodging gravel and mud that was spread across the roadway from the week’s downpour, I’m thankful for the precise handling the R3 offered. It easily changes direction, almost too easily I think to myself as I close into a tight right-hander just before the apex.

Read full post here:
https://www.motorcycle.com/features/2019-yamaha-yzf-r3-review.html

Dell XPS 13 9380 review: The best little laptop fixes its biggest problem

Dell’s new Whiskey Lake U-based XPS 13 is faster and finally puts the camera on top

xps 13 9380 4

When the big news surrounding the latest version of the Dell XPS 13 is its camera position, that’s both good and bad.

It’s good because the camera’s one “feature” that some customers (and competitors) have used to batter what has otherwise been the most trend-setting laptop of recent memory.

If you recall, the original Dell XPS 13 9343 from 2014 crammed a 13.3-inch laptop into the space an 11-inch laptop would normally occupy. Dell relied on “InfinityEdge” bezels to shrink the foot print of the XPS 13 to unbelievable levels. Just about every laptop maker now offers their own narrow bezel designs.

Read full post here:
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3334537/laptop-computers/dell-xps-13-9380-review.html

Huawei Y7 Pro (2019) vs OPPO A3s (3GB) specs comparison

The Huawei Y7 Pro (2019) just arrived in the country this month and looking at its specs made me realize that there’s a smartphone from another brand with similar components. That device is the OPPO A3s so today; we’ll check them out side-by-side and see which one has the upper hand in each key smartphone aspect. Let’s start!

Here are their detailed specs:

Read full post here:
https://www.yugatech.com/comparisons/huawei-y7-pro-2019-vs-oppo-a3s-3gb-specs-comparison/#sthash.0pxs4yE1.dpbs#LQkSGmrLqqfjX4uy.97

Sennheiser GSP 600 review: An audio-first alternative to your typical gaming headset

It could use a price cut, a better fit, and a sleeker look, but the sound quality is phenomenal for gaming purposes.

Sennheiser GSP 600

Conventional wisdom goes like this: “Skip the gaming headset and buy a great pair of headphones and a standalone microphone for the same money.” And why not? Most of the headsets we review come from jack-of-all-trades companies like Logitech, Razer, and Corsair, attempting to compete with dedicated audio companies. The deck is stacked against them from the start.

Read full post here:
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3330741/hardware/sennheiser-gsp-600-gaming-headset-review.html

Olympus E-M1X review in progress

The Olympus OM-D E-M1X is a dual grip Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera aimed at pro sports and action photographers. It’s designed to be rugged, durable, fast and capable, and has a price tag to match that ambition.

The EM1X uses fast readout and fast processing both to provide high-level AF performance and a range of novel modes and features. It also promises new levels of performance in terms of weather resistance and image stabilization.

Read full post here:
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympus-e-m1x-review-in-progress?utm_source=self-desktop&utm_medium=marquee&utm_campaign=traffic_source

Huawei MediaPad Tablets vs. iPad: What Should You Buy?

When forum user herbertvwright asked if Huawei has caught up to Apple in the tablet market,  I was slightly surprised to discover the answer. The MateBook X Pro shows that the Chinese tech giant can hold its own when it comes to laptops, but can the company’s tablets match the “quality, durability [and] speed” of the iPad?

iPad-Pro-vs-MediaPad-M5-Pro-002-2

While Huawei can’t touch the iPad Pro’s blistering-fast speed and industrial design, it’s not even trying to right now. Let’s consider Huawei’s $329 MediaPad M5 and $449 M5 Pro, two midrange tablets that Huawei’s aimed squarely at Apple’s $329 iPad, as well as the upcoming, family-focused MediaPad M5 Lite.

Read full post here:
https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/huawei-mediapad-vs-ipad

Toyota reveals 2020 Land Cruiser Heritage Edition, celebrating 60th anniversary

The Chicago Auto Show isn’t until next month, but Toyota is making an early announcement for a special edition of one of the world’s most iconic SUVs: the Land Cruiser. Later this year, the carmaker will be releasing the 2020 Land Cruiser Heritage Edition, limited to just 1,200 units, to celebrate over six decades of production.

Most of the details making up the Heritage Edition are visual, including BBS forged aluminum wheels in bronze, black accented grille, a vintage-inspired “Toyota Land Cruiser” emblem by the rear windows, and a choice of either Midnight Black Metallic or Blizzard Pearl for the exterior color. The interior is filled with black leather-trimmed upholstery, and bronze accents to match the wheels, like stitching on the seats, steering wheel, and console.

Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/toyota-reveals-2020-land-cruiser-heritage-edition-celebrating-60th-anniversary-26563754/

And finally: Samsung’s next smartwatch is called the Galaxy Watch Active

Oh hey, welcome back to And finally, the place to be for all the wearable news from the week.

Another year, another batch of new devices incoming. This week we got our specs rundown of Louis Vuitton’s next smartwatch, and we also learned about Fitbit’s corporate-focused Inspire and Inspire HR.

Honor’s Watch Magic is also heading to Europe on 23 January, and we found out that Samsung’s more fitness focused Galaxy Watch is coming too. Apple wasn’t out of the news either – it looks like AirPods 2 could have some interesting health tracking features, while Cupertino also applied for a patent for poisonous gas detection on the Apple Watch. Read on for the rest.

Read full post here:
https://www.wareable.com/samsung/samsung-galaxy-watch-active-release-date-specs-price-6944

Xbox Two: Fresh rumours tease two pieces of hardware for 2020

It’s likely to still be years away, but at E3 2018 Microsoft’s Phil Spencer took to the stage to confirm that the company is hard at work on the Xbox’s next generation of hardware. 

Aside from that, the head of Xbox didn’t have too many more details to share about the upcoming hardware, leading to much analysis of the few words he did choose to share.

So before we jump into the details, here’s what Phil Spencer had to say in full at the conference.

Read full post here:
https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/gaming/xbox-two-release-date-3408041

2019 Audi A7 and Mercedes-Benz CLS450 Face Off in a Luxury-Coupe Battle

These two four-door coupes are hellbent on proving they’re more than a pair of pretty faces.

image

Light rain is to Southern California what a hurricane is to Florida or a blizzard is to upstate New York. Highways close, semis jackknife, mountains slide away as mud, and houses of worship fill with those seeking God’s mercy. It’s not the end of civilization, but it’s close.

Into this apocalyptic nightmare we drove the new-for-2019 Audi A7 and Mercedes-Benz CLS450 4MATIC, boldly risking nature’s wrath to discover which of these squished-roof four-doors would best overcome it all with grace and confidence. And which may be good enough to thrive in a world gone mad for crossovers and SUVs.

Read full post here:
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison-test/a25938596/2019-audi-a7-vs-2019-mercedes-benz-cls-four-door-luxury-coupe/

How to calibrate pool length on Fitbit

Make sure you’re getting the most accurate swim tracking from your Fitbit

We had to wait a while, but we finally got ourselves a waterproof Fitbit. In fact, there’s now a bunch of Fitbits that can survive a dip in the pool and the sea.

The Fitbit Flex 2 was the first to get some waterproofing love, then came the Ionic and Versa smartwatches – then the Charge 3 became the first iteration of the flagship tracker to join the party.

Along with making wearing that Fitbit a truly 24/7 affair, we also got the ability to track our swimming in the water, specifically the pool. All of the devices mentioned above have the ability to do that, although what you can view on the device differs from the screen-lacking Flex 2 in comparison to the Ionic for instance.

Read full post here:
https://www.wareable.com/fitbit/how-to-calibrate-fitbit-pool-length-6943

Philips OLED804 / OLED854 Hands-on Review

HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and what looks like a big step-up in performance

TODO alt text

The 2019 Philips TV range is compelling for a number of reasons. There’s Dolby Vision and HDR10+ on 90 per cent of models, a new LCD model with Bowers & Wilkins sound, and a budget TV with the Alexa assistant built-in. But it’s undeniably the 2019 Philips OLEDs that are most compelling to us and, in all likelihood, you.

Those new OLEDs are the OLED804 and OLED854, which will both be available in 55in and 65in sizes (model numbers will be 55OLED804, 65OLED804, 55OLED854 and 65OLED854). These new models will replace last year’s excellent OLED803. We understand that there will be a replacement for the B&W-tuned OLED903, too, but it’s as yet not been announced.

Read full post here:
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/philips-oled804-oled854

MSI GF63 8RB Review

With the unceasing buzz surrounding Fortnite and other hot titles, gaming laptops are in high demand. Priced at $699, the MSI GF63 is designed for people who want to game, but don’t want to spend a fortune to do so. You get solid performance from its Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia graphics. However, a dim display and subpar battery life keep the laptop from rising higher in the ranks. With that in mind, the GF63 is more appropriate for a entry-level gamer than an aspiring Esports competitor.

Read full post here:
https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/msi-gf63-8rd