Bluetooth - Page 10 of 72

Audio Pro launches compact SW-5 sub for its Award-winning wireless speakers

(Image credit: Audio Pro)

Audio Pro has launched a new compact subwoofer, the SW-5, designed to add “just the right amount” of bass to its Award-winning multi-room speakers.

The SW-5 arrives as the smallest offering in the company’s line-up of compact subs, shaving 5mm off the dimensions of its big sibling, the SW-10.

Its pared back, minimalist design conceals an 8in long-throw woofer on the underside, and a 150W digital class D amp and RCA input on the rear.

The Swedish manufacturer may now be best known for its wireless and Bluetooth single-box speakers, such as the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning C5 and C10, but subwoofers were, in fact, the brand’s initial focus when it started life over 40 years ago.

Speaking about the SW-5 within Audio Pro’s lineup, CCO Jens Henriksen said: “Put simply, it offers a ‘basic sub’ in relation to the others in our range but performs at a much higher level than your average subwoofer, with an impressive bass making your body literally vibrate.

“We see SW-5 as the ultimate subwoofer for those looking for excellent value for money and a small speaker with remarkable audio, meaning the SW-5 is ‘just right’ in every sense.”

Audio Pro’s SW-5 subwoofer comes in black or white, priced at £270 (€300).

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Bang & Olufsen’s “most advanced” wireless speaker yet is the Beolab 28

(Image credit: Bang & Olufsen)

For Bang & Olufsen to introduce its new Beolab 28 as its ‘most advanced connected speaker yet’ is quite something considering the wealth of technology that has blessed the company’s catalogue in recent years.

The Beolab 28 is a wireless speaker designed with versatility in mind; to live in any space due to its slim shape and small footprint, whether stood on the floor or hung on the wall. Its curvaceous column form was inspired by the iconic column shape used on the company’s Beolab Penta, Beolab 6000 and Beolab 8000 of old.

It certainly has a few audio processing tricks up its sleeve to make it so adaptable. B&O’s latest-generation Active Room Compensation works to adapt the 6.5-inch woofer’s bass response to the room, while Beam Width Control aims to customise sound from the specially developed 3-inch full range drivers (on the front and one on each side) and 1-inch tweeter according to room positioning and placement.

(Image credit: Bang & Olufsen)

Whereas ‘narrow mode’ aims to minimise the interference of side wall reflections and provide a more focused, direct soundstage, ‘wide mode’ opens up the field, diffuses more sound all around the speaker while, B&O claims, maintaining a natural tonal balance. The Danish firm has put its mechanical mastery to good use once again, too: the Beolab 28 incorporates curtains that open when the speaker is switched on, or move when the sound beam is adjusted when switching modes.

What makes them wireless isn’t just Bluetooth connectivity but also a full suite of streaming smarts, including AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast. That essentially makes the Beolab 28 an all-in-one speaker system; plug them in and you’re away. Future-proofing has also been considered here, in the fact that the connectivity module is replaceable and front-loaded with enough processing power for it to simply be swapped out down the road to accommodate streaming technologies that will inevitably arrive in the future.

(Image credit: Bang & Olufsen)

On the nearer horizon, the Beolab 28 will be made compatible with Beolink Multiroom in autumn 2021 through an automatic software update. They can already be paired with a Bang & Olufsen TV using Powerlink or Wireless Powerlink. The two speakers’ synchronicity, meanwhile, is over a 24-bit/48kHz wireless connection.

The Beolab 28 wouldn’t be a high-end B&O speaker without some impressive design flair, so to that end the 19kg columns features a top-panel touch interface that lights up when approached and includes playback and preset controls; a conically shaped foot (where the woofer is) that gives the column a ‘floating’ look; and a range of premium finish options.

The towers come in either Natural Silver, Black Anthracite or Bronze Tone aluminium, combined with speaker covers in knitted fabric (grey or grey mélange, priced £9750 per speaker pair) or solid wood (light oak, oak, smoked oak or walnut, priced £10,750 per speaker pair).

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Akko 3084 World Tour Tokyo Bluetooth Keyboard Review

Introduction

Akko, a brand not even 5 years young yet, has created waves already with some fantastic keycap sets that have grabbed the eyes of many around the world. Our own introduction to the brand came in the form of their Neon keycap set, and thanks to Epomaker, we have our hands on a full Akko keyboard this time around. Thanks again to Epomaker (and Akko) for sending a review sample to TechPowerUp!

Perhaps fittingly with all the delays to the event, this review will hopefully come up when the fervor to the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics is still ongoing. Akko wanted to create a whole series dedicated to Tokyo, nicknamed World Tour Tokyo, including multiple keyboards in different form factors, as well as accessories consisting of replacement keycap sets, a wrist rest, and even a desk mat. The common theme is a pink base with designs that take inspiration from popular Japanese elements, such as Mt. Fuji and Sakura. The Akko brand is also one of very few to offer uncommon keyboard sizes, which I wanted to take advantage of by going with the 84-key version seen above. We will go over all the features in detail and begin with a look at the specifications in the table below.

Specifications

Akko 3084 World Tour Tokyo Bluetooth Keyboard
Layout:	84-key, 80% form factor in a modified US ANSI layout
Material:	ABS plastic case, PBT plastic keycaps, and steel plate
Macro Support:	Yes
Weight:	0.85 kg/1.88 lbs.
Wrist Rest:	Available for purchase separately
Anti-ghosting:	6-key rollover Bluetooth and N-key rollover USB
Media Keys:	Available as a layered function
Dimensions:	126 (L) x 315 (W) x 38 (H) mm
Cable Length:	6 ft/1.8 m
Software:	No
Switch Type:	Choice of Cherry MX Red, Brown, or Blue mechanical switch
Backlighting:	No
Interface:	Bluetooth 3.0 or USB
Warranty:	One year

Developer Finds 8 Extra GPIO Pins on Raspberry Pi 4

(Image credit: Jwothke)

The Raspberry Pi wouldn’t be the board we love without its ever-versatile GPIO pins. These little connectors make it possible to control a wide range of hardware and devices but what do you do when they’re all occupied? Or maybe you want to use a HAT, because we all know the best Raspberry Pi projects always come with a good HAT, but need just one extra GPIO.

This maker, known as Jwothke online, has discovered a solution and shared it with the world in a blog post just this week. It turns out the Pi has a few extra GPIO pins that aren’t on the GPIO pinout, but makers can tap into, effectively expanding the official number of connections available.

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(Image credit: Jwothke)

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(Image credit: Jwothke)

According to Jwothke, there are eight possible ways to expand the GPIO on the Raspberry Pi 4. These are reserved for existing hardware used by the Pi but if you’re willing to sacrifice a given component such as the camera or Bluetooth radio, you can tap into the GPIO it uses.

Jwothke opted to use a GPIO reserved for the camera port, meaning it won’t be possible to use anything connected to the port. In the blog post, Jwothke is using the camera GPIO to control a fan while leaving all of the standard GPIO pins exposed.

If you need more GPIO access on your Pi, check out the full post on Jwothke’s website for more details and an in-depth explanation of the process.

T-Mobile launches LTE-based SyncUp Tracker

It seems that 2021 is the year of the tracker, with new options from Samsung, Apple, and now T-Mobile in the form of its SyncUp Tracker. But unlike those other Tile-type tracking devices, SyncUp uses LTE rather than Bluetooth or Ultra Wideband for real-time location information, a la Samsung’s SmartThings tracker. That means it doesn’t rely on being within a certain range of your phone (or other phones) to tell you where it is — but it does come with a $5 per month data charge on your T-Mobile phone plan.

The SyncUp offers some nice tracking features: you can make the device ring to help locate it when it’s out of sight, for example, and it offers geofencing to send you an alert when it leaves a predetermined area. It’s also IP67 dust and water resistant. More unusually, it offers a light sensor as an optional feature to detect if it’s been moved from somewhere dark, like the inside of a suitcase, to somewhere brighter.

The SyncUp’s rechargeable battery should last up to seven days on a charge.

Photo: T-Mobile

Some trackers fit into the “set it and forget it” category with long-lasting batteries that only need to be replaced once a year or so. The SyncUp is not one of these devices. Its 900mAh battery needs to be recharged about once every seven days, so it’ll either be something you use occasionally as needed, or one more gadget in your life that you have to remember to charge.

Since the SyncUp operates on T-Mobile’s data network, you’ll need one of their data plans to use it: specifically, a postpaid Magenta plan, though the company says it plans to make the tracker available for Sprint and prepaid customers in the future. With autopay, T-Mobile says prices start at $5 per month per connected device, and it’s compatible with both Android and iOS phones. It goes on sale next Friday, May 7th, for $60 outright or $2.50 per month with financing.

Samsung’s Galaxy Book Pro Laptops Bring AMOLED to Tiger Lake

(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung is taking another swing making the

best ultrabooks

with two new Windows laptops: the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro and Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360. Both the clamshell and the convertible options were announced at today’s Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event. They are available for pre-order now and will hit retail stores on May 14.

Both the Book Pro and Book Pro 360 will come in 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch versions, all of which will rely on intel’s Core i5 or Core i7 “Tiger Lake” processors and Iris Xe integrated graphics, and they will carry

Intel Evo

branding.

	Samsung Galaxy Book Pro	Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360
CPU	Up to 11th Gen Intel Core i7	Up to 11th Gen Intel Core i7
Graphics	Intel Iris Xe (Integrated)	Intel Iris Xe (Integrated)
RAM	Up to 16GB LPDDR4x	Up to 16GB LPDDR4x
Storage	Up to 512GB NVMe SSD	Up to 1TB NVMe SSD on 15.6-inch inch, Up to 512GB on 13.3-inch
Display	13.3 or 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080, AMOLED	13.3 or 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080, Super AMOLED touch
Networking	LTE (only in some countries, not the US, 13-inch), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1	5G (optional, 13-inch), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1
Battery	63 Wh (13-inch) / 68 Wh (15-inch)	63 Wh (13-inch) / 68 Wh (15-inch)
Starting Price	13.3-inch: $999, 15.6-inch: $1,099	13.3-inch: $1,199, 15.6-inch: $1,299

There are a number of other similarities between both laptops across the sizes. The whole line is using 1920 x 1080 AMOLED displays (though the Galaxy Book Pro 360’s Super AMOLED also incorporates touch), and they’re made of what Samsung calls 6000-series aluminum. Samsung is also bringing a “secret screen” technology to the laptops, which hampers viewing angles from sides when you are working on private documents. HP has included similar functionality in many of its business laptops for a few years under the name SureView.

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(Image credit: Samsung)

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(Image credit: Samsung)

The biggest differences between the two models are the networking options and ports. The Galaxy Book Pro will offer Wi-Fi 6E and, in the 13.3-inch option, LTE in some territories. But the Galaxy Book Pro 360’s 13.3-inch configuration will have optional 5G. The Book Pro has Thunderbolt 4, USB Type-C, USB Type-A 3.2, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microSD card slot and a SIM card slot, while the Book PRo 360 ditches the USB 3.2 in favor of another Type-C port. Both use 65W gallium nitride (GaN) chargers for fast charging. The 15.6-inch Galaxy Book Pro 360 has the largest storage option at 1TB.

There are also differences in color. The Book Pro uses matte colors called mystic blue and mystic silver while the Book Pro 360 opts for a more metallic mystic navy and mystic bronze.

(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung is touting how thin the laptops are. The Book Pro is 11.2 mm thin on the 13-incher and 11.7 mm on the 15.6-incher, while the Galaxy Book Pro 360 is slightly thicker at 11.5 mm and 11.9 mm, respectively. The smallest of the line, the Galaxy Book Pro 13, will weigh just 1.92 pounds.

The hardware also includes a redesigned keyboard, with scissor switches and rubber domes with 1 millimeter of travel which Samsung says is nearly silent.

Samsung is also emphasizing the two laptops for their spot in the Galaxy-branded ecosystem. That includes using Samsung Notes and PENUP to sync notes across devices, using Smart Switch to transfer files (a first on Samsung’s PCs) and Quick Share. A Galaxy Tab S7 can be used as a second monitor, and a Link to Windows feature will let you use up to five mobile apps on your laptop.

For those of us working from home, there’s a Studio Mode for improved video calling and intelligent noise cancelling to get rid of ambient sounds. Some of this is already built into other apps, but for those not familiar, these may be a nice touch.

The company is also bringing Samsung Care+ to PCs for the first time, allowing for up to two years of customer service and what it says are discounted repairs.

The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro will start at $999 for the 13-inch version and $1,099 for the 15.6 option. The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 will start at $1,199 and $1,299 in the same screen sizes, but with touch support and an S Pen.

Samsung’s latest Galaxy Book laptops deliver OLED, HDR and Dolby Atmos

(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung has expanded its Galaxy family with four new Galaxy Book “mobile PCs”, each of which can be used in laptop or tablet form.

The new Galaxy Books – the Galaxy Book, Galaxy Book Pro (pictured, top) and Galaxy Book Pro 360 – aim to be as powerful as a laptop but as portable as a tablet, and with the promise of an all-day battery. Prices start from £699, rising to £1499 (full details below).

Samsung wants these Galaxy Books to be the obvious choice for the millions of people who already own Galaxy devices, whether that be the Galaxy S21 phone or the Galaxy Buds earphones, promising a seamless cross-device experience.

Samsung Galaxy Book (Image credit: Samsung)

But there are reasons to consider them whether you’re part of the Galaxy family already: all three Galaxy Books feature Dolby Atmos support, while the Pro and Pro 360 also have VESA-certified DisplayHDR 500 screens, which bodes well for picture performance.

While the Galaxy Book (pictured, above) makes do with a full HD LCD screen, you can jump to a full HD AMOLED with the Galaxy Book Pro or a full HD Super AMOLED on the Pro 360.

Inside are the 11th-gen Intel Core processors and Intel Iris X garphics, plus USB-C and HDMI connections, and a microSD card slot. An upgraded S Pen stylus, as seen on the Galaxy Note phones, is also included on the Galaxy Book Pro 360 (pictured, below), though there’s no storage integrated inside the laptop, which seems a shame.

Only the Pro 360 includes 5G connectivity, with the Pro settling for LTE. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 are across all three models. All the Galaxy Books use the Windows 10 Home/Pro OS, so expect all the associated Microsoft features including Link to Windows/Microsoft Your Phone mobile connectivity. In fact, Samsung is promising seamless Android and Windows compatibility for something of a world first.

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 (Image credit: Samsung)

The real draw is the form factor, with the most compact model (the 13-inch Galaxy Book Pro) coming in at just 11.2mm – “thin like a phone” – and weighing just 870g. And of course you can fold the laptop on itself for a flat tablet experience or to use as a second screen.

The Pro and Pro 360 are also available in a 15.6-inch screen size, while the Galaxy Book is limited to a 15.6-inch display model.

There’s Samsung’s finger print authentication on each of the laptop-tablet combos, plus support for USB-C 65-watt fast charging.

Built from aluminium, the Galaxy Books continue the ‘Mystic’ colour palette of Samsung’s Galaxy phones, with a choice of mystic navy, silver, blue, pink gold and bronze.

Also launching are a range of accessories, including a neoprene pouch with pen holder (£24.99), a Galaxy Book Leather Sleeve (from £149.99), the Smart Keyboard Trio 500 (£39.99) and the Bluetooth Mouse Slim (£52.99).

Can it beat the best tablets and the best laptops? That remains to be seen.

If you’re already smitten you can pre-order now and you’ll get a free pair of Galaxy Buds Pro true wireless earbuds.

On sale from 14th May, full price details are as follows:

Samsung Galaxy Book

• 15.6″ Wi-Fi (i5) 8GB/ 256GB RAM – RRP £699

• 15.6″ LTE (i5) 8GB/ 256GB RAM – RRP £799

• 15.6″ Wi-Fi (i7) 8GB/512GB RAM – RRP 899

• 15.6″ LTE (i7) 16GB/512GB RAM – RRP £1,099

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro

• 13.3″ Wi-Fi (i5) 8GB/512GB RAM – RRP £1099

• 13.3″ LTE (i5) 8GB/256GB RAM – RRP £1099

• 15.6″ Wi-Fi (i5) 8GB/512GB RAM – RRP £1199

• 15.6″ Wi-Fi (i7) 16GB/512GB RAM – RRP £1499

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360

• 13.3″ Wi-Fi (i5) 8GB/512GB RAM – RRP £1199

• 15.6″ Wi-Fi (i5) 8GB/512GB RAM – RRP £1249

• 15.6″ Wi-Fi (i7) 16GB/512GB RAM – RRP £1499

Oppo A53s 5G unveiled with Dimensity 700, 5,000mAh battery

The Oppo A53s 5G was teased recently on Flipkart, and today the phone makes its official debut. It comes with a Dimensity 700 chipset, two RAM options, a big battery and three cameras on the back.

The front of the Oppo A53s 5G is a 6.52” screen with HD+ resolution and a waterdrop notch. Since the panel is LCD, the fingerprint scanner made its way on the side, acting as a power key as well. RAM is either 6 GB or 8 GB, with internal storage being 128 gigs in both cases.

Oppo has provided room for a micro SD in a long tray that can host two SIM cards and a memory card up to 2 TB.

The trio of cameras on the back consists of a 13MP main shooter, 2 MP depth sensor for portrait shots and 2MP macro cam. The selfie camera has an 8MP senosr.

The phone runs Android 11, topped with Color OS 11.1. The battery on the inside is 5,000 mAh, but the listing does not say anything about fast-charging.

The specs sheet does give us some insight on connectivity like dual 5G standby (even if India has zero actual working networks) Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.0.

Oppo A53s 5G

The Oppo A53s 5G is offered in Crystal Blue or Ink Black colors. Prices are INR14,990 or INR16,990, depending on the memory combination. Flipkart is yet to reveal a date for pre-order or market launch.

Source

Oppo A95 5G is official with 6.43″AMOLED display, Dimensity 800U

Oppo A95 5G popped up on China Telecom’s website earlier this month and today, the phone maker made the device official. The Oppo A95 5G has the same chipset and screen as the Oppo Reno 5Z, but one fewer cameras on the back.

Oppo A95 5G

The panel on the front is a 6.43” AMOLED with a punch hole in the upper left corner. The resolution is Full HD+ and the panel has a standard 60Hz refresh rate. The A95 5G is powered by Dimensity 800U chipset by Mediatek and has 8GB RAM to keep it company. The storage is either 128GB or 256GB, with micro SD for up to 2TB more.

The camera setup on the back includes 48MP main, 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro modules. The front-facing shooter is 16MP. Oppo did not put anything spectacular where the depth cam was – just a mere “48MP” sign.

The battery has 4,310mAh capacity with 30W fast charging through the USB-C port. The connector is on the bottom, right next to the 3.5mm audio jack. Other highlights include ColorOS 11.1, based on Android 11, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.1 support.

The Oppo A95 5G is offered in Black, White and Dawn Blue on the company website. It is up for pre-order and costs CNY1,999 ($310/€255) or CNY2,299 ($355/€295), depending on the storage choice.

Source (in Chinese)

Razer’s Orochi V2 is a compact wireless mouse with up to 900 hours of battery life

Matthew Wilson
2 hours ago
Featured Tech News, Mouse

Razer is back with another gaming mouse this week. This time around, the Razer Orochi is getting a tune up with the Orochi V2, a compact and ultra lightweight wireless gaming mouse capable of up to 900 hours of use on a single charge.

The Razer Orochi V2 is equipped with the company’s HyperSpeed Wireless technology, making latency a non-issue. It also comes with Razer’s 2nd Gen mechanical mouse switches for even greater response times. Aimed at laptop gamers, the Orochi V2 is designed to be portable, as noted by its smaller, compact design and light weight. In fact, the Orochi V2 weighs in at less than 60g (excluding batteries).

Rather than having a built-in battery that you constantly have to recharge, the Razer Orochi V2 uses a AA battery for power. Just one battery can deliver up to 900 hours of use in Bluetooth mode, or 425 hours of use in Razer HyperSpeed mode.

Here is the full list of specs and features:

Approximate size: 108mm (Length) x 60mm (Width) x 38mm (Height)
Approximate weight: <60g / <2.2oz (mass centralized)
Symmetrical right-handed design
Razer HyperSpeed wireless technology with dual-device support on single dongle
Dual-mode wireless (2.4GHz and BLE)
Battery life: Up to 425 hours (2.4Ghz), 950 hours (BLE) with included Lithium AA battery
2nd-gen Razer™ Mechanical Mouse Switches rated for 60M clicks
AA/AAA battery slot (only one type at a time)
Six independently programmable buttons
Gaming-grade tactile scroll wheel
True 18,000 DPI 5G optical sensor with 99.4% resolution accuracy
Up to 450 inches per second (IPS) / 40 G acceleration
Undyed PTFE mouse-feet
On-The-Fly Sensitivity Adjustment (Default stages: 400/800/1600/3200/6400)
On-board DPI and keymap storage
Razer Synapse 3 enabled

The Razer Orochi V2 is available in either black or white colours. Alternatively, there is also the Razer Customs edition, which allows buyers to customise the mouse more to their liking, choosing from over 100 different designs. The Razer Orochi V2 will cost £69.99/$69.99/€79.99, while the Customs Edition costs a bit more, coming in at £89.99/$89.99/€99.99.

KitGuru Says: The Razer Orochi is back and better than ever. What do you all think of the Orochi V2? Is this something you’d add to your portable gaming setup?

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MSI launches Modern AM241 and AM271 all-in-one PCs

Matthew Wilson
1 day ago
Featured Tech News, General Tech

MSI has been dabbling in the world of all-in-one PCs for a while now and this week, we’re getting some brand new models. Today, MSI announced the Modern AM241 and Modern AM271 series of all-in-one PCs, featuring Intel 11th Gen processors.

The new Modern 24 and 27 series PCs are designed with efficiency and productivity in mind, while also looking rather elegant. Each system comes with an OPS display for wide viewing angles and better colours. Under the hood, you’ll find an Intel 11th Gen Core series processor, with MSI offering up to an Intel Core i7-1165G7, but Core i3 and Core i5 configurations are also available.

In the table below, you can see the full specification list for the MSI Modern AM241 and AM271 PCs:

Specification	Modern AM241 Modern AM241T	Modern AM241P Modern AM241TP	Modern AM271	Modern AM271P
CPU	Up to Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7
OS	Windows 10 Home – MSI recommends Windows 10 Pro for business
CHIPSET	Intel® SoC
STORAGE	1x 2.5” SATAIII / 7200rpm with MSI Storage Rapid Upgrade Design 1x M.2 SSD (NVMe PCIe / SATA Auto Switch)
MEMORY	DDR4 SO-DIMM x slots 2 / up to 64GB
GRAPHICS	Intel® UHD Graphics (Pentium & Core i3) / Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics (Core i5 above)
PANEL RESOLUTION	23.8″ IPS Grade Panel LED Backlight (1920*1080 FHD) with MSI Anti-Flicker technology	23.8″ IPS Grade Panel LED Backlight (1920*1080 FHD) with MSI Anti-Flicker technology	27″ IPS Grade Panel LED Backlight (1920*1080 FHD) with MSI Anti-Flicker technology	27″ IPS Grade Panel LED Backlight (1920*1080 FHD) with MSI Anti-Flicker technology
TOUCH PANEL	Non-Touch for Modern AM241 / In-cell 10-Point Touch for ModernAM241T	Non-Touch for Modern AM241P / In-cell 10-Point Touch for ModernAM241TP	Non-Touch	Non-Touch
ADJUSTABLE STAND	-5° ~ 15° (Tilt)	-4° ~ 20° (Tilt) ; 0 ~ 130mm (Height)	-5° ~ 15° (Tilt)	-4° ~ 20° (Tilt) ; 0 ~ 130mm (Height)
OPTICAL DRIVE	N/A
AUDIO	2 x 2.5W Speakers
LAN	1 x RJ45 (10/100/1000)
WIRELESS LAN	Intel 9462 AC / AX201 AX (either one)
BLUETOOTH	5.1
USB 3.2 PORT	4 (2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A)
USB 2.0 PORT	3
HDMI IN	1
HDMI OUT	1
AUDIO	1x Mic-in/Headphone-out Combo
5-WAY NAVIGATOR	1
KEYBOARD / MOUSE	Optional
AC ADAPTER	90W / 120W (Core i3 above)
AIO WALL MOUNT KIT III	Support Standard VESA Mount (75x75mm)
DIMENSION (WXDXH)	541.40 x 175.09 x 406.86 mm (21.31 x 6.89 x 16.02 inch)	541.40 x 194.68 x 534.92 mm (21.31 x 7.66 x 21.06 inch)	611.75 x 169.96 x 436.06 mm (24.08 x 6.69 x 17.17 inch)	611.75 x 169.96 x 553.52 mm (24.08 x 6.69 x 21.79 inch)
NET WEIGHT	4.65 kg (10.25 lbs)	6.16 kg (13.58 lbs)	5.82 kg (12.83 lbs)	7.42 kg (16.36 lbs)
GROSS WEIGHT	7.35 kg (16.20 lbs)	8.45 kg (18.63 lbs)	8.60 kg (18.96 lbs)	10.00 kg (22.05 lbs)

With more people working from home and relying on virtual meetings, MSI has bumped up the specs of the webcam, delivering 1080p quality. The option to remove the webcam is also there for those concerned about privacy.

Using MSI Instant Display Technology, the Modern AM series can also be used as a standalone monitor for a second system, meaning you don’t have to boot up the PC hidden behind the display. These all-in-one systems also support using a second monitor through an additional HDMI output. Standard VESA mounts are supported for those who prefer having a monitor arm – MSI even has a ready to go solution for that with the VESA Arm MT81.

We’re still waiting on pricing and availability information, but we’ll update if/when we hear more. Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Do any of you use an all-in-one PC for work at all? What do you think of the new MSI Modern series systems?

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Razer’s Orochi V2 is a compact wireless mouse with up to 900 hours of battery life

Razer is back with another gaming mouse this week. This time around, the Razer Orochi …

Razer’s Orochi V2 wireless gaming mouse has astoundingly long battery life

Razer’s new $69.99 Orochi V2 is a wireless gaming mouse that promises extremely long battery life. It can apparently last up to 950 hours on a single AA battery when it’s in Bluetooth mode or up to 425 hours if you toggle its wireless switch to use the 2.4GHz Hyperspeed mode that can deliver lower-latency performance.

Alternatively, you can use an AAA battery for a slightly lighter weight. Razer says you’ll get approximately a third of the longevity this way compared to an AA battery. Still, it’s nice that either size of battery can power this mouse for many, many hours. Razer includes a USB-A dongle near the battery slots, which is accessible by lifting up on the mouse’s magnetically attached shell.

Good battery life is useful for any kind of workload, but it’s especially nice to have for gaming, which is what the Orochi V2 was designed for. This mouse feels similar in some ways to the Razer Basilisk X Hyperspeed — another budget-friendly battery-powered mouse with two wireless modes. The Orochi V2 has a textured scroll wheel, angular main mouse buttons that are slightly concave to keep your fingers steady in-game, and two thumb buttons. It’s a smaller mouse overall than the Basilisk X Hyperspeed, yet Razer built it to cater to several grip styles, including claw, palm, and fingertip grips. It is symmetrically designed, though not ambidextrous. A concave thumb rest and the two thumb buttons cater to right-handed gamers.

It can hold a AA battery or a AAA battery but not both.

Image: Razer

As for the specs, the Orochi V2 comes in matte black or white and weighs around 71 grams with a AA battery or 64 grams with a AAA battery. It features mechanical mouse switches that have a 60-million click lifespan and uses Razer’s 18K DPI 5G optical sensor. The mouse’s underside features PTFE feet that help it glide easily across a mousepad. Near the scroll wheel, the Orochi V2 has a DPI switcher to adjust sensitivity. It doesn’t have any LEDs, aside from the power indicator next to the DPI-switching button.

The Orochi V2 in black is available at Razer and Walmart. The white-colored model is selling at Amazon, Best Buy, and Razer. If you want a different color or design, Razer is launching a site where you can create an Orochi V2 with a custom look, picking from (according to the company) “over 100” different designs. The customized model costs $89.99 — a $20 premium over the standard option.

A sampling of the designs you can get on the Orochi V2 for an extra $20.

Image: Razer

The company has also released universal grip tape for your tech. It’s a $9.99 kit filled with different sizes of textured tape that you can stick to a mouse, keyboard, controller, or anything else you want to add some grip to. That’s available on Amazon now.

Android bug exposed COVID-19 contact tracing logs to preinstalled apps

The Android version of Google and Apple’s COVID-19 exposure notification app had a privacy flaw that let other preinstalled apps potentially see sensitive data, including if someone had been in contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19, privacy analysis firm AppCensus revealed on Tuesday. Google says it’s currently rolling out a fix to the bug.

The bug cuts against repeated promises from Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and numerous public health officials that the data collected by the exposure notification program could not be shared outside of a person’s device.

AppCensus first reported the vulnerability to Google in February, but the company failed to address it, The Markup reported. Fixing the issue would be as simple as deleting a few nonessential lines of code, Joel Reardon, co-founder and forensics lead of AppCensus, told The Markup. “It’s such an obvious fix, and I was flabbergasted that it wasn’t seen as that,” Reardon said.

Updates to address the issue are “ongoing,” Google spokesperson José Castañeda said in an emailed statement to The Markup. “We were notified of an issue where the Bluetooth identifiers were temporarily accessible to specific system level applications for debugging purposes, and we immediately started rolling out a fix to address this,” he said.

The exposure notification system works by pinging anonymized Bluetooth signals between a user’s phone and other phones that have the system activated. Then, if someone using the app tests positive for COVID-19, they can work with health authorities to send an alert to any phones with corresponding signals logged in the phone’s memory.

On Android phones, the contract tracing data is logged in privileged system memory, where it’s inaccessible to most software running on the phone. But apps that are preinstalled by manufacturers get special system privileges that would let them access those logs, putting sensitive contact-tracing data at risk. There is no indication any apps have actually collected that data at this point, Reardon said.

Preinstalled apps have taken advantage of their special permissions before — other investigations show that they sometimes harvest data like geolocation information and phone contacts.

The analysis did not find any similar issues with the exposure notification system on iPhone.

The problem is an implementation issue and not inherent to the exposure notification framework, Serge Egelman, the chief technology officer at AppCensus, said in a statement posted on Twitter. It should not erode trust in public health technologies. “We hope the lesson here is that getting privacy right is really hard, vulnerabilities will always be discovered in systems, but that it’s in everyone’s interest to work together to remediate these issues,” Egelman said.

Anne Pro 2 Keyboard Review – Tapping is Key

Introduction

I have covered a significant amount of 60% form factor keyboards recently, including the Kinesis Gaming TKO, CORSAIR K65 RGB MINI, and Ajazz K620T 2.0, with a few more still on the way. It does seem like the entire world is gung-ho on the 60% keyboard craze off late, so I sought to provide some context for these newer keyboards by covering one of the originals. Sadly, my time with the Anne Pro was limited to a few hours from a loaner courtesy a friend a few years ago, and between this and the Vortex Poker, I had learned to appreciate smaller form factor keyboards for their increased ergonomics and the potential to be used as dedicated game pads. Well, the Anne Pro may have come and gone, but we have the Anne Pro 2 now, and here we are taking a look at it!

The original Anne Pro and the newer Anne Pro 2 are the brainchildren of a group of engineers in the keyboard industry who wanted a minimalist keyboard for typing with layered functionality for reduced finger travel. The Anne Pro 2 is by itself not a new product either, having been released over two years ago, but one that is not the easiest to obtain for the sake of reviews unless you buy it yourself. So when Banggood, a B2C entity that provides access to Chinese goods globally, contacted us about doing reviews of keyboards they sell around the world, the Anne Pro 2 was the first that came to my mind. Thanks again to the retailer for sending a review sample to TechPowerUp!

Specifications

Anne Pro 2 Keyboard
Layout:	61-key, 60% form factor in a US ANSI layout
Material:	ABS plastic case, PBT plastic keycaps, and steel plate
Macro Support:	Yes
Weight:	0.64 kg / 1.4 lbs.
Wrist Rest:	No
Anti-ghosting:	Full N-Key rollover USB, 6KRO in Bluetooth mode
Media Keys:	Available via layers
Dimensions:	97 (L) x 284 (W) x 40 (H) mm
Cable Length:	6 ft / 1.8 m
Software:	Yes
Switch Type:	Choice of various Cherry, Kailh, or Gateron RGB mechanical switches
Backlighting:	Yes, 16.8 M per-key RGB lighting
Interface:	USB or Bluetooth 5.0
Warranty:	One year

Apple TV 4K (2021) vs Apple TV 4K (2017): Is it worth upgrading?

(Pocket-lint) – Apple has finally announced a refresh of its flagship streaming box, the Apple TV 4K.

The last model was released in 2017 and was decently specced for its time. The new one is faster and includes some extra bells and whistles, but does that mean you need to upgrade?

We look at the features and specifications of both to help you make that decision.

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What’s the same?

Main “puck”-style box design – measuring 3.9 x 3.9 x 1.4mm
Access to thousands of TV shows and movies
Streaming services, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and, of course, Apple TV+
Apple Arcade support
Apps and games
4K HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos support
Bluetooth 5.0
Available in 32GB and 64GB variants

If you own an Apple TV 4K already, you’ll already know much of what to expect. The box itself is identical in size and shape, for starters.

The 2017 model is 4K (2160p) capable, just like the newer version, and is capable of playing all the same content. Both offer access to a wide variety of streaming services, including Apple’s own TV+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and BBC iPlayer (in the UK). Movie rentals and purchases can be played equally well through them too. And they each can play the games that come with the Apple Arcade subscription.

Both devices are capable of 4K playback in HDR or Dolby Vision (depending on your TV), and can feed Dolby Atmos surround sound to a compatible AV receiver, TV or sound system.

Bluetooth 5.0 is support for connection to the included remote or other accessories. AirPlay 2 is also support by each of the machines. As too is Apple’s new TV calibration mode, which is available on the latest version of tvOS.

What’s different?

A12 Bionic processing
HDMI 2.1
High Frame Rate (HFR) support – up to 60fps
New Siri Remote
802.11ax Wi-Fi 6

While the latest Apple TV 4K model looks the same as its predecessor, there are some differences under the hood, as we detail below. There is also a brand new remote control.

Siri Remote

Perhaps the most obvious generational changes can be found on the included remote. We weren’t huge fans of the touchpanel on the previous version, so are pleased to see that’s been replaced by a new chickwheel.

There are still touch elements to it, to help with cursor use and navigation, but the Siri Remote now has clickable direction buttons on the wheel. It can also be used as a scroll wheel by running your finger around the circular edge.

The new remote comes in recycled aluminium, and the Siri button has been switched to the side – more like an iPhone. There’s a new mute button and a power button at the top that can also be used to turn on/off your TV through IR or HDMI CEC.

As before, the remote is rechargable, with a claimed battery life of “months” on a single charge (in normal use).

A12 Bionic

A new processor (upgraded from the A10X Fusion) means the latest Apple TV 4K should run more quickly than before and is capable of more powerful features – some of which could come down the pipeline at a later date. The A12 Bionic is the same processor used by the Apple iPad mini (4th generation) and 2020 iPad.

High Frame Rate

HFR is supported for the first time, with the new Apple TV 4K able to playback HDR video at upo to 60 frames-per-second. This includes 4K video.

That’s especially great for iPhone 12 Pro users who shoot videos in 60fps. You will be able to stream them to your TV in the higher frame rate over AirPlay 2. You will need an HFR supporting TV as well, of course, but most modern 4K HDR TVs are capable of 60fps playback too (ie. 60Hz and above).

HDMI 2.1

The HDMI output has been upgraded to HDMI 2.1 (from 2.0a) to enable the HFR support. Other benefits might become apparent over time.

Wi-Fi 6

With the Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) wireless standard now supported you will be able to more seamlessly stream higher bandwidth content – including 4K 60fps video.

Conclusion

To be honest, there’s not a load of new changes, even considering the four year gap between models. However, the latest Apple TV 4K will updoubtedly be faster in operation and, therefore, more capable with processing-heavy applications. That will include games on Apple Arcade.

As is the way of such things, you might find some apps and games released in the future will only run effectively on the new model. But then, you might want to hold on from upgrading until then.

The one huge improvement comes in the shape of the new remote. It’s definitely better thought out, in our opinion. But even then, you needn’t upgrade for that alone as it’ll also be available as a optional extra and will work on the 2017 model too.

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There’s a much clearer reason to upgrade if you own the standard 1080p Apple TV, though. If you have one of those and have been holding off to see what happens, now’s a great time to consider taking the plunge.

Most importantly, the pricing remains the same between generations, so if you’ve never owned an Apple TV before, you can expect to get all the new features for the same price.

Writing by Rik Henderson.