The nice tradition of preinstalling games on hardware (Snake on Nokia phones in the 1990 er!) Was Unfortunately a bit out of fashion – and now all of a sudden Sony comes around the corner with Astro’s Playroom, which is preinstalled on all Playstation 5 consoles. The PS5 is officially available in Europe from this Thursday.
You might think that Astro’s Playroom game should only serve the customer to bring the new dualsense controller closer to some extent. The fact that this is the most innovative and in my opinion also the best game of the new generation of consoles so far – that’s a real surprise. Sure, Gears 5, which has been pimped up for the Xbox Series X, or the remasters or remakes of Spider-Man and Demon’s Souls are great games – but they don’t feel like a generation leap, a few more frames and a little ray tracing don’t change anything .
Astro’s Playroom is brimming with lovely details, such as these Playstation flowers .
Astro’s Playroom, on the other hand, is something completely new. This is mainly due to the use of the new controller, because mechanically it is a relatively conventional 3D platformer à la Mario. But the game feels different: every surface you walk over with the character, every object you touch, causes different, characteristic vibration patterns in the controller. In contrast to the rather coarse unbalance motors in previous controllers, a voice coil actuator is now used on each side of the controller. Instead of just rumbling, these voice coils can transmit subtle vibrations to the hands. It always feels different when you run on ice, sand or grass. If it starts to rain in the game, you can feel it on the controller – impressive.
50 of the most popular Playstation accessories can be found in the Astro world, including curiosities such as the PocketStation.
The game is about to burst Creativity The 16 short levels are bursting with creativity. Particularly nice: Since the game world is located within the PS5, “nature” consists of plastic, sheet metal and silicon. The “sea” is cooling liquid, the “flowers” look like the Playstation controller symbols square, triangle, circle and cross. In addition to puzzle pieces, collectibles also 46 of the most popular accessories from Playstation 1 to 5 – including curiosities like the GPS receiver of the PSP or the mouse of the Playstation 1.
Our Playstation 5 test video (Astro’s Playroom is from minute 15: 46 to see). was conceived the astro world from the Asobi team, a division of Sony’s Japan Studio. In an interview with heise online, studio boss Nicolas Doucet reported how much he enjoyed the journey through Playstation history. If he was able to access Sony’s CAD data for 3D images of current accessories, older devices had to be completely remodeled and some of them had to be purchased first: the team bought the PS2 multitap adapter online, while other parts come from Doucet’s private retro games collection .
Of course there are PSVR glasses lying around in the astro world.
Astro’s Playroom is already the fourth game in which the little white robots appear: In the mini-game collection The Playroom they appeared 2013 for the first time on the PS4, in The Playroom VR they 2016 conquered virtual reality. Both games were available for free, the PSVR game Astro Bot Rescue Mission was 2018 the first full-price Astro title. The game has a metascore of 50 and is considered one of the best PSVR titles ever.
At first glance, child’s play The team of Creative Director Nicolas Doucet bought some historical Playstation accessories used to to recreate them for Astro’s Playroom.
In contrast to the extremely challenging Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Astro’s Playroom is – at least at first glance – child’s play. Nicolas Doucet explains that this is intentional, since the goals of the games are very different. Astro Bot is aimed at platforming lovers, the level of difficulty would be based on games of this type. With Astro’s Playroom, on the other hand, they want to reach all PS5 players without exception. It is therefore important that all players really get to see the whole game and not get stuck somewhere. If you leave out the numerous collectibles, you can actually jump through all levels very easily in about four hours – despite the low level of difficulty, it is still not boring, as the game sections are very varied: In one level you fly through them with a jetpack Area, in another you climb around in a monkey costume – and then there are also ice skating levels. Astro’s Playroom becomes more challenging when you want to have all 16 trophies: Until I have the platinum trophy in my pocket nine hours passed.
If Astro’s Playroom is too easy for you, you can try your hand at speedrun competitions.
sublime without a doubt is the visual and audiovisual presentation: As with Astro Bot Rescue Mission, the creators of the world have given the world a very characteristic, toy-like appearance – you want to touch everything. You whistle the soundtrack of Kenneth MC Young days after the game – while you hope that there will be another more extensive Astro title. The potential to get Nintendo’s Mario off the platformer throne is definitely there.
(Pocket-lint) – Dash cams are a great upgrade to your car setup. They add peace of mind while you’re on the road, with an extra pair of (digital) eyes working as a witness should you ever be in an accident.
They’re also useful for other things. Some car insurance companies offer discounts on your premium if you have a dash cam installed for example. Alternatively, they can be used to report motoring offences or simply prevent others from making malicious false claims against you.
If you’re after a dash cam, then you’ve probably noticed there are quite a number to choose from. At a glance, it’s hard to know which is the right one for you. To cut down on the fuss, we’ve been testing out a number of different dash cams to bring you the low-down on the best cameras to buy for your car.
The best dash cam system
1/9Pocket-lint
Viofo A129 Pro Duo
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Dual-Channel 4K front and 1080P rear dash cam (both 30FPS)
G-Sensor and motion detection, advanced parking mode
On the face of it, the Viofo A129 Pro Duo is easily one of the best dash cam systems money can buy. It might not be as user-friendly or as affordable as other dash cams on this list, but it is one of the most feature-packed cameras available.
As you might have gathered from the name, the Viofo A129 Pro Duo is a package that includes two cameras. One for the front and a second for the rear. The front-facing camera is capable of capturing video in 4K (3840 x 2160P 30FPS) while the rear records HD footage (1920 x 1080P 30FPS). You can, of course, choose to tweak settings on the camera and within the app. This includes various recording modes, timelapse and parking mode too.
Setup includes incredibly convenient gear and accessories with everything that you could need. This includes a MicroSD convertor to read files from the camera on your PC, a car charger adapter with two ports (so you can still charge your phone), multiple cable tidying hooks and even extra sticky labels to keep the cameras in place. There’s even a tool to tease out the inner trim of your vehicle and run the cable behind it to keep things neat.
The Viofo A129 Pro Duo has an accompanying app that allows you to both live-stream footage from the camera and download it directly to your phone rather than having to transfer it to your PC first.
There’s an easy access button to secure footage on this camera should you witness or be involved in an accident. It also has a “G-sensor” technology to detect crashes, collisions or near misses. Those recordings are “locked” so they can’t get deleted as generally the recordings are done on a rolling basis, so when the card gets full it gets overwritten.
The result is a low maintenance, feature-rich dash cam that’s capable of not only capturing great footage, but also can save your bacon if you happen to get rear-ended. If you’re looking for a dual-camera setup, look no further.
Most user-friendly dash cam
1/6Pocket-lint
Nextbase 622GW dash cam
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3-inch HD IPS Touch screen
Video capture at 4k 30FPS, 1440p 60 FPS or 1080p 120 FPS
If you’re looking for something that’s easy to manage, with a simple interface and very little fuss then we’d suggest the Nextbase 622GW is the answer to your quest.
This camera has a number of fantastic features to it that include a large 3-inch touchscreen display, the ability to capture up to 4K footage at 30 FPS and a simple mounting design.
This dash cam boasts a quick release catch which means you can easily take it out of the car when not in use if you’re worried about theft. There’s also a suction cup mount as an alternative installation option. Like the other cameras on this list, this dash cam has a trim tool for easy installation too.
This dash cam has a rolling video capture capability and a large button to protect important footage from being overwritten. A quick tap on the touch screen also snaps a still photo should the need arise. You can then use this touchscreen to scroll through and replay captured footage without moving it to another device.
The Nextbase 622GW is an updated version of the company’s very best dash cam with numerous superb features including smooth image stabilisation, enhanced night vision, super slow mode, extreme weather capture and what3words capabilities. That last feature can be used to help emergency services find your exact location with ease if you’re in an accident.
It’s also worth noting that Nextbase also has a system to help you easily submit footage to local police forces with ease, which is pretty neat.
The Nextbase 622GW is a superb dash cam, that’s convenient, easy to use and packed full of great features for a very reasonable price.
Most affordable dash cam
1/9Pocket-lint
Nextbase 222 dash cam
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2.5-inch LED screen
140-degree viewing angle
6 layer f1.6 lens
Video capture at 1080p with 30 FPS or 720p with 60 FPS
Intelligent parking mode
Click and go mounting system
If you’re shopping on a budget, but still want something reliable and able to capture useful footage, then look no further than the Nextbase 222. This camera is essentially the cheaper, less feature-packed brother of the 522GW. It might not have the touchscreen, the Amazon Alexa compatibility or the ability to capture 1440p footage, but that doesn’t mean it should be overlooked.
The Nextbase 222 is an easy to use dash cam that’s easy to install, convenient to use and is capable of capturing up to 1080p footage as well.
Alongside the standard road-facing footage capture, this camera also has an Intelligent Parking Mode. This can be used to keep an eye on your car when you’re not in it. Park in a car park and nip off to the shops and the camera will automatically switch into this mode – only recording if it senses a bump or shunt. Meaning if someone reverses into your car while you’re away and makes off without leaving a note you’ll have footage to prove it.
This system is available on other dash cams too, but having the feature on such an affordable camera is certainly a bonus. Other highlights include a simple mounting system that makes it easy to take the camera down and into the house with you if you want to keep it safe or check the recorded footage.
All told, the 222 is a fantastic camera for the money and does not disappoint.
Speed camera warning system and speed limit alerts
Various smart alerts including fatigue warning, headlight reminder, lane departure warning
If you demand more from your dash cam and want something that does more than just capture footage then how about one that also spots speed cameras and helps ensure your safety on the road?
The Mio MiVue 798 seemingly has it all. It sports Sony’s premium STARVIS CMOS sensor, along with a 150-degree wide-angle lens that’s capable of capturing up to 2.5K footage at 25 FPS.
It also boasts several intelligent features that include smart alerts for fatigue warnings, headlight reminders, lane departure warnings and more. One of these alerts is a “safety camera warning” system that will let you know when you’re approaching a speed camera and highlight your current speed so you don’t get an any unnecessary/accidental tickets.
The others are intended to help reduce the chances of you getting into an accident by drifting into other lanes or overdoing it.
The Mio MiVue 798 has a G sensor for recording “events” like high speed driving, aggressive braking, crashes and more. The footage it captures is fantastic too. All told, this is a fantastic camera for the money and a great choice if you happen to have a heavy right foot.
The best dash cam for Uber drivers and lift sharers
1/5Pocket-lint
ZENFOX T3-3CH TRIPLE CHANNEL DASH CAM
Zenfox T3-3CH triple channel dash cam
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Front QHD 1440P, Interior FHD 1080P and Rear FHD 1080P
The Zenfox T3-3CH is an excellent option for those who not only need eyes on the road but an inside view of the vehicle too.
Whether for safety sake or for peace of mind, taxi drivers or Uber drivers or those involved in lift sharing will appreciate this triple camera setup. Not only does this camera record both a front and back view, but also a nice wide angle view of the inside of the vehicle too.
The main camera can capture 1440p footage while the inside and rear capture at 1080p. Sony STARVIS sensors and Wide Dynamic Range tech and IR LEDs mean you get a great view from every camera whatever the conditions.
This one is easy to adjust too, with cameras that can be moved to the perfect position with ease. All this from a single power source as well. Fantastic.
As you’d expect, the Zenfox T3-3CH has a built-in G-sensor supporting variable sensitivity, so it’ll automatically capture and save footage in the event of an accident. You can also protect important clips with a click of a button too. Other highlights include built-in GPS accurately records the driving route, location, speed and time too, but for us, it’s the usability of this triple camera setup that makes it appealing.
Writing by Adrian Willings. Editing by Max Freeman-Mills.
Codebug Connect, a project to enable anyone to create their own gadgets is now available via Kickstarter. Codebug Connect is a microcontroller based board that aims to “democratise making and allow people to build what they imagine without technology getting in the way.” To do this it uses the popular MicroPython programming language accessible via a self hosted web IDE compatible with most web browsers, enabling use via computers, tablets and mobile devices.
Codebug Connect is the second product in the Codebug range, with the former released in April 2015.
The goal of Codebug Connect is to “allow people of all abilities to build their own connected gadgets. Fun or serious; from making an eye-catching animated badge, to light painting, to mapping air quality data across a city or sending an alert when there’s a squirrel on your feeder. ” – Dr Andrew Robinson, creator of Codebug.
Codebug Connect is powered by an Atmel SAMD21, the same chip which features in the Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 and many boards from Adafruit. Codebug Connect can be programmed using a built-in IDE available via your browser courtesy of a Wi-Fi access point created by Codebug Connect. The IDE uses a refactored version of MicroPython, a version of Python 3 for microcontroller boards. Codebug Connect can also be used with C and C++, and the Arduino application along with compatible libraries and toolchain. An interesting feature of Codebug Connect is an experimental long range radio link to another Codebug Connect, enabling data to be sent between devices which are up to 800m away!
5×5 RGB LEDs with dedicated hardware driver/buffer
Two 5 way navigation joysticks
Onboard Accelerometer
4 GPIO legs, including high impedance sensing for detecting touch
6 Sewable/croc-clip-able loops. 4 I/O including analogue 1 power and ground
6 pin GPIO 0.1″ header (configurable for UART/I2C/SPI, I2S or analogue audio out)
QuadCore — four heterogeneous processors
4MB Flash Storage
2.4GHz WiFi 802.11 b/n/g, Station and Soft AP (simultaneous)
Experimental long range wireless 0.8km to another CodeBug Connect
UART terminal access over USB
High efficiency SMPS Boost converter for battery (JST PH connector)
High efficiency SMPS Buck converter from 5V USB
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(Image credit: Codebug / Dr Andrew Robinson)
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(Image credit: Codebug / Dr Andrew Robinson)
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(Image credit: Codebug / Dr Andrew Robinson)
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(Image credit: Codebug / Dr Andrew Robinson)
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(Image credit: Codebug / Dr Andrew Robinson)
Codebug Connect is for all levels of maker. Children taking their first steps will find the onboard RGB LEDs a colorful and quick way to get to grips with the board. Moving onward they can then tackle the six “loops” which offer a strong connection for crocodile clip circuits and a means to use conductive thread for wearable projects.
For the more advanced maker a six pin header provides a means to connect devices using UART / I2C / SPI and I2S, including a range of specially designed add-ons which can be chained together. The Envirosense add-on provides sensors for temperature, humidity, pressure, altitude, UV, light levels and color. This add-on could be used to create your own Wi-Fi enabled weather station or add the air quality and GPS add-ons for a citizen science project which shows the weather and air quality where you live.
Codebug Connect is available via Kickstarter with pledges starting from $33 (£25) and shipping from March 2021. A super early bird, limited to 100 units is available for $53 (£40) and will be sent to backers in December 2020.
How many people really want a small smartphone? If you sort small phones in the Pricewatch from 2020 – maximum 15 x6,6cm for example – then you will only find two models: the iPhone SE 2020 and iPhone 12 mini, not coincidentally from the same manufacturer: Apple.
In the category of slightly larger phones, there is plenty of choice with, for example, the Google Pixel 4a and Samsung Galaxy S 20, but those phones are a lot bigger. A new phenomenon is not: phones have been getting bigger for years and Sony’s Compact series of small smartphones started way back in 2013.
With the arrival of the iPhone 12 mini, the question arises whether this step by Apple will find. In short: will we now see more smartphones with a really small housing?
Figures An average phone has become increasingly larger in recent years. This is evident from figures in our Pricewatch. If we look at the size of the average telephone, then every year a little bit is added, especially in length.
In figures you can also see this: the average goes from 14, 5x7cm in 2014 to 16 x7.5cm now. But what is striking: phones in 2014 weren’t really small either. For example, the iPhone 12 mini is 13, 1×6.4cm, a lot smaller than the 14, 5x7cm of the Moto G 2nd Gen which was average in 2014.
This shows a clear trend: phones are getting a lot longer and a little bit wider. That corresponds to screen proportions: where phones in 2014 to 2016 almost all have a 16: 9 screen, it now fluctuates between 19: 9 and 21: 9. This has resulted in screens appearing much larger – diagonals of 6.5 “are now quite normal – while screens are mainly longer.
The width has increased a bit, but even wider phones hold less hold tight and don’t fit so well in trouser pockets, which are some of the reasons why phones have gotten longer.
An iPhone 12 mini can be called small with 13, 1×6, 4cm The same goes for Sony’s Compact phones from a few years ago, the latest of which is the XZ2 Compact from 13, 5×6.5cm. As telephones are now longer, we have taken 14 x6,6cm as the limit for a small phone.
If you fill in that and look at how many phone models comply with it, then that will indeed become less and less. In 2014 these were 30 percent of all models, now less than 1 percent. Except d e iPhone 12 mini only satisfies the iPhone SE 2020 to that format
But maybe that is unfair and so we have used another calculation method. How many phones have appeared with no more than three-quarters of the surface – length times width – of an average phone of that year?
The percentages are lower, but the picture is the same: many phones have around the same area. Obviously, there is arguing about where you should set the boundary of ‘small’, but the picture is that the number of small telephones in absolute and relative terms has fallen to almost zero in recent years.
The why Would you buy a phone with a single camera, without 5G and with a battery life of half a day? If you think this does not sound like an attractive offer, you will immediately see why hardly anyone has a small phone in their range anymore.
Because the number of components that manufacturers want to put into phones is serious grown. Multiple cameras, some with large sensors, a high capacity battery and the antennas to receive 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, wifi, bluetooth, NFC and GPS all take up space.
Sony – the great example in the Android field that compact phones are possible – looked for the thickness with its Compact series. The XZ2 Compact from 2018 is therefore relatively small, but with 12, 1mm very thick; the average at the time was around 8.5mm. This allowed a 2870 mAh battery in it.
The battery capacity is also where iPhones sacrifice. The iPhone SE 2020 has a 1821 mAh battery, the iPhone 12 mini does it with a 2227 mAh battery and that’s about half the that of an average smartphone today. The housing thereof is 7.4 mm or thin again.
The fact that Apple can get away with that is partly due to the economy of iOS: Apple’s phones squeeze a relatively long battery life from their small batteries. . The iPhone SE scores about average on our battery tests, maybe slightly below.
That is also what top people of Xiaomi subsidiary brand Redmi have said. Smaller phones are possible, but then you lose battery life, Wang Cheng Tomas said on Weibo this summer. Other manufacturers don’t let on the record know anything, but the portfolio speaks volumes: Samsung has stopped smaller models such as the A3 phones and the S 10 e did not get a successor either. Xiaomi also did not give smaller models a successor and Sony stopped its Compact phones. Google is the only one to make the opposite step this year: the Pixel 4 XL didn’t get a successor, and the Pixel 4a and 5 are among the smallest phones released this year.
These are all technical reasons , but there are other considerations as well. The use of telephones is increasingly about video on, for example, TikTok, YouTube or Netflix. So many people want a bigger screen for that reason. A smaller screen is more suitable for users who mainly use phones as a means of communication, for example WhatsApp and e-mail.
Figures on this are difficult to find, but when it comes to smartphones with small screens you can do conclude the following: if they had been a big and resounding success, we would have seen more small telephones by now. Manufacturers such as Samsung and Sony would never stop with small phones if there was sufficient demand.
Outside the mainstream, some niche phones with a small housing have appeared. Among these are, for example, last year’s Palm Phone, although it only worked as a secondary telephone with the American provider Verizon Wireless. Another initiative is the Unihertz Jelly 2 from earlier this year, a 3 “screen phone that was available to order through Kickstarter. The campaign has been successful, so he’s coming to backers next month There are 5323, which sounds like a lot until you consider that more than a billion smartphones are sold annually.
Finally The release of the iPhone 12 mini will be followed with great interest in all boardrooms of smartphone makers. How do users respond? What is the battery life? Do people think this size is fine or is it too small? It is like a large-scale user test for the smartphone market.
If the iPhone 12 mini flies out of the stores and produces satisfied users, then it is obvious that there will also be Android models with smaller cases – if only to try and get a piece of the pie Each phone is a compromise but which compromises are the most acceptable? Could the battery be smaller? Can a camera be removed? Can there be a function? How fat can we make him?
Those are all questions that could arise. But with the disappearance of the XL versions of the Google Pixel phones and the appearance of the iPhone 12 mini in any case it is clear that the compact phone is not completely gone yet. The market segment still exists, but the question is whether it will grow in the coming period or whether it will remain small.
(Pocket-lint) – Golf may look like one of the more leisurely sporting activities you could pick up, but that doesn’t mean it won’t take hours and hours of practice to reach the top of your game. Thankfully, there are an ever-increasing range of golfing gadgets out there to help you get better.
Best fitness trackers: Top activity bands to buy today
We’ve found the best kit to enhance any golfer’s game, from beginners wanting to improve to seasoned players trying to hone and perfect their game. We’ve even thrown in a few fun gadgets too.
Our pick of the best Golf gadgets
Garmin
Garmin Approach S40
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Garmin may be a smartwatch maker, but it’s also got a surprisingly wide range of golf wearables in its Approach line. The pick of the bunch is the S40, a smartwatch that’s stylish most of the time but comes into its own on the course. The Garmin Approach S40 offers more than 41,000 course guides with shot distances, digital scorecard, green layup details and more for each.
The 43g watch is water resistant to 50 metres and manages 10 days on a charge. It can pair with your smartphone via Bluetooth to display calls, texts and emails as you’re going around the course, so the phone can stay in your bag.
A dedicated Green-View button takes you to the Green View screen where a true shape and layout of the green can be seen. The pin can be touched and dragged to the day’s location for an exact measure of distance so swing power can be calculated perfectly. A AutoShot feature even tracks your shot distances automatically as you play.
The Garmin Approach S40 is arguably the pinnacle of a sports wearable, in that it’s perfect for golf but also a great smartwatch in its own right.
Leupold
Leupold GX-2i3 laser rangefinder
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The Leupold GX-2i3 is a digital rangefinder that uses lasers and lenses to offer an accurate measurement of distance. It works in both yards and metres, includes a scan mode, and stretches up to a range of 600 yards – beyond even Tiger Woods’ drive.
The lens offers 6x magnification allowing you to spot the pin and read the range of anything in the crosshairs. Leupold also claims the scope can take a real beating and keep going thanks to the rugged waterproof build. The battery should last a whopping 7,000 sightings before needing to be changed. For the money you’ll be hard pressed to find a better-kitted rangefinder.
Hole19
Hole19
Download now on iOS|Android
You might, quite fairly, not want to spend too much on your golf game, at least at first – and if you’ve got an Apple Watch, or even just a smartphone, you’re in luck. Hole19 is a great app that will track you around courses, and can give you information about the hole you’re on, including yardage and advised shots.
If you pair it with a compatible smartwatch it gets even better, tracking you without needing inputs.
Zepp
Zepp 2 Swing Analyser
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Make any golf glove a smart glove with this nifty little swing analyser that attached to your wrist. It uses a range of sensors to track your swings and reports back on them in the companion app.
You’ll get loads of data on your game, plus training videos to help you improve on your weakest elements. It can also take data from your smartphone and smartwatch to augment its tracking, a clever integration.
Garmin
Garmin Approach S10
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As we mentioned, Garmin’s Approach series has a bunch of different wearable trackers to choose from. If you’re not sure you have the money for the S40, the S10 represents a great alternative.
This tracker has access to all the same courses, and can give you your distances to the green or hole using GPS. It’s basically a slightly less stylish version of the S40 for those who aren’t as concerned about the looks of the device, and is consequently a good chunk cheaper.
Game Golf
Game Golf Live
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Another great tracking system can be found in the form of Game Golf Live, with its distinctive red colours and an impressive range of professional users. The two main sensors here are one that can be popped onto the top of your club before you play, and another that clips onto your belt as you go around the course.
These combine to great effect, tracking and reporting on your play and strokes. It’s easy to then use the associated app to work out where you need to improve, and strategise accordingly. You do have to tap the two sensors together before each shot, though, which is surprisingly easy to forget to do.
(Pocket-lint) – The Apple Watch has been kicking around for several years now and the apps available for it are plentiful to say the least – especially now it has its own App Store. Of course, not all the apps are great, useful or even suited to the Apple Watch but there are a few that are simply brilliant.
These are the best Apple Watch apps we’ve come across – the ones that hold their own on the smaller screen and deliver the information you need without you having to get your iPhone out.
There’s everything from games to productivity apps, all of which make the Apple Watch useful, rather than just another gadget.
Which Apple Watch is right for you?
Pocket-lint
Best travel Apple Watch apps
British Airways
If you fly a lot with British Airways, having your flight details on your wrist when at the airport is very handy. The BA Apple Watch app will provide you with gate details, whether the plane is on time and what the status of the flight is. It even goes as far as telling you the weather at your destination.
Citymapper
Citymapper’s approach to its Apple Watch app is to let you quickly see the status of nearby public transport at the press of a few buttons. It will also give you directions to your work address, or any saved addresses that you have preset using your iPhone using available public transport from your location and you can see real-time departures too. Quick and simple.
Uber
The Uber Apple Watch app is simple but effective. It doesn’t offer as many features as your phone, such as fare estimates, but it will allow you to request and Uber from your wrist without touching your phone. It will tell you how long the wait is for an Uber, switching between the various car choices.
Apple Maps
Apple Maps doesn’t have the best reputation but this app works well on the Apple Watch. You can ask Siri to direct you to a location using your Watch and the Apple Maps app will open, find the location and give you the option to press start. It will then give you step-by-step instructions on your wrist, vibrating to alert you when the next turn is coming up. No iPhone necessary.
XE Currency
XE Currency is a handy little app for those that travel and want to know how much something is in a different currency. Australian Dollars, British Pounds, Canadian Dollars, Chinese Yuan, Euro, Japanese Yen and US Dollars are all available currencies, among others. Type in an amount into any of them on your wrist and it will convert it into all the others instantly.
Elk
Elk is another good currency converter app. It knows where you are and will automatically pick the right currency for you, along with a starting value. You can then swipe left to increase the values, swipe right to decrease them, or tap on a value for more accuracy. There is a free version, as well as a paid for version with access to all currencies.
iTranslate
Another for those that travel, or even for those just going on holiday. The iTranslate app will translate the words spoken into it when the microphone is pressed into the language you request at the bottom. There are numerous languages available and the translations are pretty accurate from our experience. It will allow you to order a beer or find out where the toilet is at least.
Pocket-lint
Best productivity Apple Watch apps
PCalc
If you remember and loved Casio’s calculator watch, PCalc is a must-have app for the Apple Watch. As you might guess, it is a calculator on your wrist. It’s nice and simple, allowing you to add, subtract, divide and multiply, as well as calculate percentages directly from your wrist. There is a Lite version that is free, but the paid version includes a paper tape, engineering and scientific notation, making it more useful than Apple’s own calculator for Apple Watch.
Evernote
The Evernote Apple Watch app allows you to record voice notes on your Apple Watch, which are then translated into text and synced to your Evernote account to make sure you don’t forget any lightbulb moments. You can also see your previous notes but you can’t edit them or the voice note translation text. This app is purely for barking instructions rather than editing that novel you are writing, and rightly so.
Noted
Noted is an audio recording and note taking app that allows you to record directly from your Apple Watch. You can start recording with one tap, pause recording and add a Time Tag. The Time Tag feature is brilliant for pin pointing the more exciting parts of a recording so you can access it quickly later on your iPhone.
Things 3
Things 3 is a paid-for organiser and reminder app with a lovely design. You can add new To-Dos directly from your wrist and tick off the ones you’ve done. The app follows the Apple Ring look, showing you how close you are to completing your To-Dos for that day. It’s a great one for those that love to be organised.
Pacemaker
Pacemaker is a very basic DJ app that creates music mixes automatically from your iPhone and then allows you to add effects via four preset options on your watch. Effects include distorting the music, making it sound like it is under water, and smashing up the music. It’s simple but fun and paired with a Bluetooth speaker makes things even more interesting.
Pocket-lint
Best information Apple Watch apps
Weather
There are numerous apps you can download for the Apple Watch when it comes to weather but we found the native Apple weather app was perfectly adequate at providing quick and easy information on our wrist. For each place you have set up on the iPhone, the Apple Watch weather app will show you the hourly expected outlook. It’s easy to read and understand and it’s quick to access.
Carrot Weather
If you fancy a more exciting take on the weather, the Carrot Weather Apple Watch app is fabulous. It offers access to current, hourly and daily forecasts but it delivers them with dialogue and characters, making things much more interesting. You can also disable the personality if it becomes too much.
Dark Sky
Another weather app, but this one is like magic. Dark Sky creates forecasts for your precise location, offering minute-by-minute predictions for the next hour and hour-by-hour forecasts for the next day and week. It will literally tell you to the minute if you’re about to get rained on.
Find Near Me
The Find Near Me app allows you to find various amenities nearby where you are from your wrist. The list is pretty comprehensive with everything from ATMs and cafes to beauty salons and book stores. Tap on what you need to find and a list of results will appear on your arm, each of which you can then tap on for more information and even directions.
Shazam
If you’ve used Shazam you’ll know how it works. You hear a track, fumble for your phone, and try to tap listen before the song finishes. With the Shazam Apple Watch app, you can simply slide up from a Glance, press the listen button and you’re capturing the tune before you know it. The Apple Watch app then gives you the option to buy the track on iTunes using Apple’s Handoff feature.
Night Sky
Night Sky is a great app for identifying stars, planets, constellations and satellites in the night sky. Ever wondered which one Orion’s Belt is? Just point your Apple Watch at the sky and it will direct you to it, after which you can explore the object in AR on your iPhone.
Onefootball
An essential app for the football fans out there. Onefootball allows you to follow thousands of teams and hundreds of leagues and competitions worldwide. You can select your favourite players, clubs, national teams and leagues to get instant content and scores that matter to you when they happen.
ESPN
Another great app for the sports fan, the ESPN Apple Watch app gives you quick access to scores across football, cricket, F1, NBA, NFL, tennis, golf, MLB and more. Like Onefootball, you can personalise the app to get alerts for your favourite teams and leagues.
Yelp
Yelp is a local guide to helps you find restaurants, bars, salons, coffee shops and plenty more near by. You’ll be able to see reviews, price range, opening hours and the address directly from your wrist. Perfect for when you’re in a new area.
Pocket-lint
Best health and fitness Apple Watch apps
FiiT
FiiT lets you stream hundreds of workouts, with options including HIIT, strength training, kettlebell, dumbbell, yoga, postnatal recovery and more. Signing up to a membership (£20/month) gives you unlimited access to 10, 25 and 40 minutes classes with personal trainers, whenever you want. Start a workout on your iPhone and you’ll see your heart rate come up on your Apple Watch, along with a leaderboard on the next screen.
Runkeeper
If you are wearing the Apple Watch for fitness, Runkeeper is a good one to download. It allows you to start the app straight from your wrist, without even looking at your iPhone. Open the app, press “start running” and off you go. Once you’ve started running you can check a number of stats, including overall time, distance covered and pace.
Strava
Strava is an excellent app and the Apple Watch version is great. Like others, Strava allows you to start an activity from your wrist, such as an outdoor ride or run, or indoor run. It will then offer time, splits, distance and heart rate on your wrist during the workout. All data is transferred to the iPhone app following a workout so you can see more detail.
Streaks Workout
Streaks Workout app is excellent, offering 30 equipment-free exercises to choose from and four different workout lengths comprising six minutes, 12 minutes, 18 minutes or 30 minutes. The Apple Watch will display your heart rate on the display, alongside the exercise, time and your progress. Super simple to use, but expect some serious pain.
Gymaholic
The Gymaholic Workout Tracker uses AR to create an avatar, which you can then change to represent your gender, height and body fat percentage. After a workout, the avatar will show all the muscles you trained and it will also show which muscles are ready for training too. During a workout, you’ll see various stats, including reps, weight, heart rate and calories, alongside your avatar. It’s great.
MapMyRun
MapMyRun is another good Apple Watch app for those into fitness. It allows you to start a running, cycling or walking workout without touching your iPhone. During the workout, you will be able to see duration, distance and calories burned, as well as pause, finish, save or discard the workout. The information is then visible in the MapMyRun iPhone app.
Runtastic
Runtastic allows you to track various activities from running to biking, see a brief history of your previous workouts and monitor your stats from your wrist. The app will track workouts in real time with built-in GPS and during a workout, it will display time, distance, pace and heart rate. It is also possible to manage tracking settings directly from your Apple Watch.
Withings Health Mate
For those that use the Withings ecosystem, the Withings Apple Watch app is good for providing quick stats in a simple format. If you have a Withings activity and sleep tracker, as well as one of its smart scales, the Apple Watch app will show you steps and distance, sleep recorded and weight recorded. You can also see your activity and weight history without opening the app on your phone.
Seven
Seven is another workout app and the Apple Watch version is lovely and simple. You can pretty much do everything on your wrist as you can on your phone. The Apple Watch app allows you to select which seven-minute workout you want to do, whether that’s full body, upper body, core, lower body or random, depending on which workouts you’ve bought or unlocked, and then you can just hit start. A picture of the exercise you need to perform appears on the watch face, surrounded by a countdown circle.
Hole19
Hole19 is the Apple Watch app for golfers. You’ll need to start a round on your iPhone after which the Watch will take the information and deliver it to you when you need it, such as distances and the par of the hole. The app also allows you to enter strokes and putts via your wrist, which it then puts into a score card so you can see how you’re doing nice and easily.
Autosleep
Autosleep does exactly what it says on the tin – it automatically tracks your sleep if you wear your Apple Watch to bed. You don’t need to press a single button. Wear your Apple Watch to sleep and you’ll get a notification in the morning detailing how well you’ve slept, including quality, average heart rate and deep sleep. The app will also show your seven-day average.
One Drop
One Drop is a great app for those with diabetes. It enables you to log glucose, meds, food and activity directly from your wrist, as well as view daily goals progress and glucose in range. You can also schedule medication reminders and there is automatic carb counting too.
Pocket-lint
Best Apple Watch games
Trivia Crack
No list of apps would be complete without a couple of games and Trivia Crack is one of our favourites. It’s a very basic version of Trivial Pursuit but if you’re any good at general knowledge, it’s a great app to try. You compete with an online opponent and choose from six categories of questions. Answers are multiple choice, which you select on your wrist and you don’t even need to get your iPhone out to start a game.
Brainess
Brainess is all about stimulating your brain and it offers seven brain training games that you can play on your Apple Watch. The games include memorising and tapping dice, choosing the correct number to complete a maths equation and matching pairs of identical cards. The seven games are said to improve and exercise your memory, vision and compute skills. Whether they will or not is a different story altogether but worth a try right.
Rules
Rules is a puzzle game with super cute little animations. There are different levels, comprising beginner, expert or timeless and the game includes a daily brain workout mini-game for the Apple Watch.
Lifeline 2
Lifeline 2 is the successor to the original Lifeline, offering a new story of a young woman called Arika who is on a deadly quest to avenge her parents and rescue her long-lost brother. You will have to make choices to keep her alive and help her succeed.
Pocket-lint
Best finance Apple Watch apps
Wallet
Wallet is one of Apple’s own apps so you’d expect it to be good on the Apple Watch and it is. Like the iPhone version, it provides easy access to boarding passes, tickets and cards you’ve registered to Apple Pay. Having your boarding pass and tickets on your wrist means you don’t have to mess about getting your phone out, which is always good when travelling and you can also pay using your wrist.
Pennies
There are plenty of apps trying to help you stay on top of your finances but we’ve taken a liking to the Pennies Apple Watch app, which lets you quickly tap in how much you’ve spent of a given budget target straight on your wrist. It means you can then track how much you’ve got left, whether that’s keeping an eye on your weekly food bill, or as we would like to imagine, your champagne bar bill.
Pocket-lint
Best smart home Apple Watch apps
Philips Hue
The Philips Hue app is a simple remote control that lets you have a number of lighting presets that you can then control directly from your watch. You don’t even need to pick up your iPhone to turn the lights on now, let alone move from the sofa.
IFTTT
IFTTT (If This Then That) is compatible with over 600 apps from Twitter and Instagram to Nest and Hive. The Apple Watch app doesn’t allow you to create new Applets, such as turn the lights on at sunset, but download various Widgets through the main IFTTT iPhone app and you can activate any of them through the Apple Watch app.
Neato
Got a Neato robot vacuum cleaner? The Neato Apple Watch app allows you to start and stop and clean. You can’t get the Neato robot to return to the dock or anything from your wrist so it’s basic functionality, but it’s still a useful app to start that quick clean.
Hive
The Hive Apple Watch app not only allows you to control your Hive thermostat, but you can also control any Hive lights or plugs than you have.
Pocket-lint
Best social media Apple Watch apps
Facebook Messenger
Facebook might not be available for Apple Watch but Messenger is so you can get access to all your Facebook Messenger chats. You’ll be able to reply with stickers, or a voice recording or a pre-written message so you can stay in touch without having to get your phone out at all.
Chirp for Twitter
Chirp for Twitter is pretty much the only way you’ll be using Twitter on your Apple Watch. The app allows you to browse your timeline, lists, like and retweet things. You can also see quotes, pictures, hashtags and mentions directly from your wrist.
Writing by Britta O’Boyle. Editing by Max Freeman-Mills.
Swarming migratory birds in the impressive formation of a “V”: Most of them have already marveled at this fascinating natural spectacle in the sky. Scientists have now gone one step further and have immediately joined the swarm. Using an ultralight aircraft, they even took on the role of guide bird. They wanted to find out something that was previously only known theoretically and could only be simulated with mathematical models: How do birds manage to save energy through their cooperative behavior during their migratory flight? Energy efficiency is an important survival factor.
The international research team led young bald ibises to their Italian winter quarters to find a new Win record. The predominantly Austrian research group also includes two doctoral students from Italy and Israel; other partners come from the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, the Joanneum University of Applied Sciences in Graz and the University of Bern.
Data logger on each bird Already in the years 2018 and 2019 two groups of young birds. During this first migration from Überlingen (Lake Constance), they covered around kilometers to their winter quarters in southern Tuscany (WWF Oasi Laguna di Ortobello) back. The journey lasted two weeks, including six to seven flight days, during which the Alps and the Apennines were crossed and altitudes of up to 2900 meters were reached. The birds were all raised by human hands. Thus they could be equipped with an extra light “data logger” that was assembled and disassembled every day. “The data logger does not transmit any data, it saves it internally. It was particularly challenging for us to achieve the extremely high level of precision to within a few centimeters,” sums up research director Johannes Fritz, biologist, conservationist and bald ibis expert.
What interested the team most were the exact positions of the individual animals and their relationships to each other – these could be recorded thanks to three global satellite navigation systems (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS). It was clear that the guide bird would play a decisive role in saving energy. Only which? Originally, the team assumed that this would benefit the least from the structure. But they were surprised: “In a preliminary study we found out that the animals take turns, but assumed a rather static system with a leader. In the current research project we observed much more dynamics than expected. Each animal was in both the Lead and follow-up function, which means that everyone benefits, “explains Fritz.
Exact distances and wing beats In order to save energy collectively, an exact choreography in the flight structure is decisive: distance to the person in front and exact synchronization of the flapping of the wings. Motion sensors in the data loggers therefore measure both the frequency of the wing beat and the position of the wing. In the case of four separately reared young birds, the heart rate was also recorded using electrodes in order to be able to calibrate these values with the metabolic energy expenditure under laboratory conditions and to enable conclusions species protection is becoming more and more relevant. The data records are currently still being evaluated. Fritz and the team suspect that the energy savings between 15 and 30 percent will be. This is a significant value, especially for inexperienced young birds with low productivity. The research project will run until the end 2021 and is financed by the FWF Science Fund. (bsc)
(Pocket-lint) – Garmin has a full range of bike computers in the Edge series, but thankfully, there are fewer options than you’ll find in the Garmin’s watch and fitness tracker families.
But there are still plenty of choices to be made if you’re looking to get a computer for your road, mountain or gravel bike, giving you access to bike data, performance data, mapping and navigation.
They range from simple monochrome devices up to larger, full colour, touchscreen devices. All connect to the wider Garmin ecosystem of sensors, but there’s a big variance in features – and prices.
Here’s how all Garmin’s current devices breakdown.
Garmin
Garmin Edge 1030 Plus
squirrel_widget_3662312
58 x 114 x 19mm, 124g
3.5in colour, 282 x 470 pixels, touchscreen
GPS, altimeter, accelerometer
24 hours battery
ANT+, BLE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
IPX7
The Garmin Edge 1030 Plus is Garmin’s top Edge device and also the biggest, with a 3.5-inch colour touchscreen, but also having the advantage of being able to offer a 24-hour battery life.
The bigger screen also means the Edge 1030 Plus can show the most sophisticated graphics, and while that makes little difference when you’re looking at your stats during a ride (except that they’re bigger or you can get more on the display), it does mean better visual representation.
Loads of metrics are captured from your ride, supporting connected sensors via ANT+ or BLE, while there’s also support for power control and indoor bike trainers. Full mapping, with imported routes or routes created on the device are supported, re-routing when you go wrong.
There’s also support for Strava Segments, meaning you can compete against Strava friends on those hills, while ClimbPro will help you manage your effort on hills too. Daily workout suggestions will keep you motivated.
Smartphone connectivity will sync all your data to Garmin Connect, provide live tracking for your rides and serve you notifications from your phone – including quick replies to messages (Android only). You can also use it as an alarm for your bike, it supports group messaging and tracking. It’s Garmin’s most complete device, but also the most expensive.
Garmin
Garmin Edge 1030
squirrel_widget_3664670
58 x 114 x 19mm, 123g
3.5in colour, 282 x 470 pixels, touchscreen
GPS, altimeter, accelerometer
20 hours battery
ANT+, BLE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
IPX7
The Edge 1030 is essentially the older version of the 1030 Plus, with a few small differences, like less internal storage, but support for microSD. It offers the same overall hardware and connectivity, but lacks the bike alarm function offered by the 1030 Plus and the daily workout suggestions.
Otherwise it offers full mapping on that large display, including on-device route planning and re-routing. It doesn’t offer the MTB Dynamics of newer devices, or the included TrailForks routes.
Otherwise, there’s full smartphone connectivity, all the metrics you could hope for and compatibility with things like power meters and control of indoor bike trainers. In truth, it’s close in offering to the 1030 Plus, but as it’s older, you might be able to find it at a better price.
Pocket-lint
Garmin Edge 830
squirrel_widget_3662313
50 x 82 x 20mm, 79.1g
2.6in colour, 246 x 322 pixels, touchscreen
GPS, altimeter, accelerometer
20 hours battery
ANT+, BLE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
IPX7
The Garmin Edge 830 is more compact than the Edge 1030 Plus and a lot more affordable, while offering many of the same advanced features. The device itself is close to the Edge 530, but offers a touchsreen for more intuitive navigation – on top of essential button control to stop/start tracking.
A full selection of data is returned, from all your route and performance metrics – mirroring those you’ll get from the Edge 1030 Pro, the only real exception being the daily workout suggestions. It will support connection to a full range of sensors for more data, including power, as well as offering smart indoor trainer controls.
Full mapping is offered, supporting route imports and creation on the device, re-routing and navigation back to the start of routes, as well as features like Strava Segments and ClimbPro so you can see how much further you have to fight up those hills. TrailForks data is integrated and MTB Dynamics supported.
You can also use it as an alarm for your bike, it supports group messaging and tracking. Full smartphone connectivity is offered, including replies to messages (Android only).
Garmin
Garmin Edge 820
squirrel_widget_3664689
49 x 73 x 21mm, 67.7g
2.3in colour, 200 x 265 pixels, touchscreen
GPS, altimeter, accelerometer
15 hours battery
ANT+, BLE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
IPX7
The Edge 820 offers a colour touchscreen – like the Edge 830 – but it’s smaller and lower resolution. On the hardware front the 15 hours of battery is respectible, but not as accomplished as the 830.
A full range of metrics is offered, however, with much the same data gathered as you’ll get from the Edge 530 or Edge 830, but it doesn’t support MTB Dynamics or Training Effect measurements. It also lacks ClimbPro, useful for managing effort on long hills.
However, it does offer a complete mapping solution, letting you create courses on the device, import courses, with turn-by-turn routes. Given that this Edge model is older – you might find that Edge 530 covers your needs, only really lacking the touchscreen offered here.
Garmin
Garmin Edge 530
squirrel_widget_3401317
50 x 82 x 20mm, 71g
2.6in colour, 246 x 322 pixels
GPS, altimeter, accelerometer
20 hours battery
ANT+, BLE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
IPX7
The Edge 530 is a upgrade over the Edge 520 Plus and sits below the 830, while offering a similar size and display. It doesn’t have a touchscreen however, it’s button control only, which is one of the big differences between these units.
The Edge 530 offers a lot more data than the smaller 130 Plus, with full recovery and training load covered, as well as metrics for your ride, including power compatibility and indoor bike trainer control.
It uses Garmin’s cycle map, so supports colour navigation with turn-by-turn routing, re-routing, but there’s no on-device route creation as you get on the Edge 830.
Smartphone connectivity provides LiveTrack, notifications, and much more, while connectivity includes Wi-Fi for updates and syncing without a phone connection, and Bluetooth and ANT+ for connectivity to other sensors.
Garmin
Garmin Edge 520 Plus
squirrel_widget_246777
49 x 73 x 21mm, 65.2g
2.3in colour, 200 x 265 pixels
GPS, altimeter, accelerometer
15 hours battery
ANT+, BLE
IPX7 waterproofing
The Garmin Edge 520 Plus updated the Edge 520 (which is now fairly obsolete) and is teh forebear of the Edge 530. It has a smaller display than the new model, has lesser battery life and misses out on some features, like Wi-Fi.
There’s full mapping, with colours base maps, allowing re-routing of imported courses, but there’s no on-device route creation, which separates this from devices in the Edge 800 series. It also lacks ClimbPro the useful tool for managing effort in the hills.
Smartphone connectivity is supported, along with notifications, and a full selection of tracking features. Workouts are supported, and you’ll get plenty of data on things like VO2 Max and recovery advice.
The Edge 520 Plus is a decent device, but the 530, ahem, has the edge as a newer model.
Garmin
Garmin Edge Explore
squirrel_widget_3495699
55 x 105 x 22mm, 116g
3.0in colour, 240 x 400 pixels, touchscreen
GPS, accelerometer
12 hours battery
ANT+, BLE
IPX7 waterproofing
The Edge Explore cuts down on some features, while retaining core elements, like mapping and navigation tools. It’s large, with a 3-inch display supporting touch, with GPS and an accelerometer, but there’s no altimeter, so it lacks the elevation accuracy and features of some other Edge devices.
While plenty of route data is collected, the Explore doesn’t delve into some of the deeper training metrics – it doesn’t support workouts or interval training, it doesn’t give data on VO2 Max, recovery or training effect either. It’s also not compatible with power meters, although it will connect to other ANT+ sensors.
Essentially, the Explore is all about touring and navigation, rather than training.
Garmin
Garmin Edge 130 Plus
squirrel_widget_3656540
41 x 63 x 16mm, 33g
1.8in monochrome, 230 x 303 pixels
GPS, altimeter, accelerometer
15 hours battery
ANT+, BLE
IPX7 waterproofing
An update to the Garmin Edge 130, the Plus is a compact and light unit giving you the essential details about your ride. It has a GPS and alitmeter, so offers route tracking and some navigation. It offers button control only.
There’s no mapping on the device, so it’s a breadcrumb trail only from imported routes, with notifications of when to turn. It will route back to the start, but there’s no re-routing offered when off course. The altimeter means that ClimbPro is offered, showing a visual graph of the hill you’re climbing and how much further there is to go.
It will connect to your smartphone, enabling data syncing with Garmin Connect, LiveTrack and notifications. It’s also compatible with a wide range of sensors using ANT+ or Bluetooth and in the future will support indoor trainer control too.
Over the past few years, Amazfit products have successfully ascended from being an intriguing curiosity on our radar to somewhat of an important mainstay in our regular smart wearable coverage. Rightfully so, since the company continues to deliver a selection of great-looking and feature-rich wearables, with a clear focus on great battery life and tantalizingly competitive pricing.
The new Amazfit GTR 2 fits right into that description. It is a smart wearable that builds upon the original GTR and its already impressive hardware and feature set. It adds things like a microphone and speaker for voice commands and Bluetooth calls, 3GB of independent music storage, and a lot of polish inside the UI and the watch face selection. All of this while still maintaining a solid battery endurance promise of 14 days on a single charge. Plus, as affordable price point of $180.
Amazfit GTR 2 specs
Body: 46.4 x 46.4 x 10.7 mm; Sports edition – aluminum alloy – 36g., Classic edition – stainless steel – 39g.; 22mm strap; 5 ATM water resistance (up to 50 m); 3D Corning Gorilla Glass, with an anti-fingerprint coating and optical “Diamond-like Carbon (oDLC) coating front
Display: 1.39” AMOLED, Resolution 454×454, 326 ppi
OS: Proprietary; Support for Android 5.0 and above, iOS 10.0 and above (Zepp companion app)
Memory: around 3GB – user accessible for storing MP3 files and watch faces
Battery: 471mAh (14 days typical use); Magnetic charging base (2.5h for a full charge)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 + BLE; Wi-Fi 6; GPS+GLONASS; NFC (for AliPay)
Misc: BioTracker 2 PPG biological tracking optical sensor, 6-axis acceleration sensor, 3-axis geomagnetic sensor, Air-pressure sensor, Gyroscopic sensors, Ambient light sensor; Speaker and microphone for calls, music playback and voice assistant (Offline commands available at launch, Amazon Alexa integration coming in OTA update)
Amazfit is a brand of the Chinese company Huami Technology. Huami is probably best known as an exclusive provider of smart wearables for Xiaomi. As such, it is the company behind the popular Mi Band line of products. That should be enough of a pedigree in itself, yet Huami has a lot more to “flex,” like the fact that it is listed on the New Your Stock Exchange (NYSE) and is the first Chinese smart hardware company to have its stock traded on the US capital market. Last year the cumulative global shipments of Huami’s smart devices exceeded 100 million units. And after Apple, Huami is probably the world’s second-largest smart wearable manufacturer.
The watch we are reviewing today does not have a full-blown OS with third-party apps like Apple’s Watch OS, Google’s Wear OS, or Samsung’s Tizen OS. It doesn’t have an app store with third-party apps. Still, it occupies a niche that is experiencing a renaissance of sorts. If you can live without features like notification replying or the ability to order a pizza or call a cab right from your wrist, going for one of these dumber smartwatches saves you money, and you can enjoy a battery life that’s miles better than a real smartwatch.
The Amazfit GTR 2 offer pretty much every modern hardware feature out there sans a powerful enough chipset to make third-party app development viable. It’s got a heart rate sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer, air pressure sensor, ambient light sensor, speaker and microphone, GPS receiver, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.0, all sitting behind a 1.39-inch AMOLED display is vibrant, power-efficient, and comes with always-on features. Building on years of activity tracking experience and general UX improvements, the GTR 2 also has all of the typical smart features well covered.
Unboxing
The Amazfit GTR 2 ships in a very similar box to the one we got the Amazfit T-Rex a few months ago. It is a solid two-piece box, complete with a silky-smooth finish.
The charging cradle you get in the box is like the one for the Amazfit T-Rex, which is a departure from the one shipped with the original Amazfit GTR. It’s a slimmed-down magnetic “snap-on” charging attachment rather than a full circle. It uses a pair of pogo pins to connect instead of something fancier like Qi wireless charging.
The downside of this cheaper approach is that you can’t just use any other wireless charger, and placing the charger onto the watch is a bit fiddly despite the magnetic connection. Still, you charge these wearables so rarely that it never becomes a burden.
What if a Nokia N 95 had really arrived on the revised smartphone market and fully functional? Would you have bought it? There was a prototype and it could actually become interesting.
by Bruno Mucciarelli published 09 November 2020 , at 11: 41 in the Telephony channel Nokia
Nokia N 95, the mobile phone born in 2007, which literally invaded the market of those years and which everyone wanted to buy. A phone that has gone down in history for its being technically advanced for the period and above all for its being different with a double slide, both upper and lower, but also for a camera with sense re Zeiss capable of taking quality photos (always for the period). Well HMD Global, today’s new Nokia, would have liked to bring it back some time ago but with a completely new and modern style in full line from smartphones. It has never been released but a video shows us what the idea of Nokia N was like ”modern”.
Nokia N 95: here’s how would have been the smartphone today
Nokia N 95 was a mobile phone which is characterized by its high compactness and its distinctly multimedia-oriented functions: mp3 player, 5MP digital camera , digital video camera with quality recording DVD-Video, mini-PC for office work, calendar, voice recorder, games console, three-axis motion sensors, GPS and VoIP telephony. The display of the N 95 is a 2.6 TFT ?? e 320 x 240 pixel a 16 millions of colors. The phone was equipped with Bluetooth 2.0 connections with EDR, infrared WI-FI b / g up to 54 Mbit / s, UMTS / HSDPA, USB, UPnP and Bluetooth profiles: A2DP (for audio distribution), AVRCP (for remote control of: calls, volume and playback of audio and video), HIDP (for connecting peripherals such as wireless keyboards), FTP (for transferring files over the Internet), SP (for remote synchronization ).
The internal memory was 260 MB , of of which 125 approximately occupied by the operating system, and could be expanded to 16 GB via MicroSD HC (TransFlash) memory cards. The integrated operating system was Symbian 9.2 release 3 series 60 . Internet browsing guaranteed by the browser based on KHTML but it was possible to install alternative browsers, which guaranteed more speed than the integrated one. Battery? Was from 950 mAh while for videos we relied on VGA resolutions from 640 x 480 pixel a 30 fps.
HMD Global decided to try to design a new Nokia N 95 that took the good that had been done in 2007 bringing it to the present day and making it a real smartphone. Here is the new Nokia N 95 taken back in the hands of Mr. Mobile, better known also as Michael Fisher . The smartphone would later have a very particular photographic module with a circular shape but above all with a removable ring and capable of being effective as a tripod for watching videos or taking photos. At the front there was a sliding mechanism that allowed you to discover the front camera but also the audio speakers in addition to the LED flash. Display, unfortunately not active, important for its size just like current smartphones.
Would it have been a success? We cannot know since HMG Global decided never to bring it to market. Certainly the nostalgia effect could have captured the attention of the public even if of the old Nokia N 95 perhaps only the name would have remained and little else. Would you like it?
Testing Tests overview Smartphone Oneplus 8T: Battery full in 45 minutes and 120 – Hz display Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 5G in the test: better and cheaper Pixel 5 in the test: Google just does it better Elephone U5 in the test: The cheap phone from China is so good The most popular China smartphones 2020 Xiaomi Mi 10 T Pro in the test: 122 – Hz display and great camera Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC in the test: 120 Hz and the best camera Smartwatch Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro in the test: Smartwatch with cross-country battery Apple Watch: Smartwatch with contract from 15 € per month Buy Apple Watch 6: All generations in the price check Skagen Falster 3 in the test: Smartwatch with Wear OS Test Huawei Watch GT 2: Noble fitness tracker in watch form Huawei Watch GT in the test: record-breaking battery life Skagen Falster 2 in the test: good design and a vulnerability Multiroom Bose Portable Home Speaker in the test: Battery, WLAN, Airplay 2 Sonos Move in the test: The robust one All-rounder Musiccast: Multiroom from Yamaha in the test Denon Heos in the test: versatile multiroom system Flat soundbar Teufel Sounddeck Streaming in the test Teufel Raumfeld in the test: rich multiroom sound Technisat Digitradio 580 in the test: The gray all-rounder Keyfinder Tile Slim (2019): Key finder in credit card format Bluetooth key finder Tile Pro in the test: 122 m range! Key finder Tile Pro in the test: the range champion Orbit Bluetooth tracker in the test: looking for wallet and keys Nonda iHere 3.0: smart key finder under test Chipolo Classic and Plus: Bluetooth key finder under test Musegear finder 2: Keyfinder without mandatory registration Action-Cam DJI Pocket 2 in the test: Zoom and 64 – Megapixel sensor Actio ncam Insta 360 One R: 1-inch image sensor in the test Gopro Hero 8 Black in the test: Back to the top Insta 360 One R in the test: The modular action cam Motorola Moto G8 Plus review: Great smartphone, but … Insta 360 Go: Micro -GoPro in the test Motorola One Action Test: good hardware, bad camera microSD In the test: Kingston UHS-I U3 microSDXC Kit MicroSD card for smartphone: Samsung Evo Plus 2017 Test report: Lexar Professional 1800 x microSDXC Kit Test report: Intenso Premium microSDXC card with 50 GByte Android Sonos Move in the test: The robust all-rounder Honor 20: Inexpensive high-end -Smartphone in the test Xiaomi Mi 9: top technology at a bargain price Doogee S 090 in the test: modular outdoor smartphone ZTE Axon 10 Pro in the test: High-end phone at a competitive price Motorola Moto G7 Power in the test: large battery, small price Sony Xperia 10: Smartphone with 20: 9 display under test Advice Advisor overview Purchase advice Bargain: Which Fire TV stick from 19 € is the right one? Purchase advice: What good is a leaf blower with a battery for 45 Euro? True wireless headphones: How much do you have to invest? Purchase advice water cooling: High-end PCs cool better Guide : Air conditioning and fan against the heat wave Sony shows the Xperia 1: Is the predecessor XZ3 worth it now? Purchase advice: Current headphones with ANC to 400 Euro Practice Caution, money gone: Kickstarter & Co. are not shops Android notifications Turn off annoying apps Here’s how: Install the new Android L keyboard now Tip: Use “Ok Google everywhere” in Germany In the test: the jailbreak works for iOS 7.1? Goderma and mobile medicine: The doctor apps are coming! Instructions: Jailbreak for iOS 7 on iPhone 5S, 5, 4S and 4 Technology Importing technology from China, part 2: Customs, taxes and tricks Drones & copters: From toys to FPV racers What does the end of an ecosystem mean? Smartphones with a flexible display: What is the benefit for me? Smartphone processors at a glance: Everything Snapdragon? Evolutionary dead ends: the worst cell phones mpass: Z Dial with the NFC mobile phone or the NFC toilet roll Display calculator Calculate pixel density, number and display proportion Best list Test winner Price comparison Price comparison overview Smartphones from Android 7.0 Phablets with stylus Fitness tracker with GPS Bluetooth headphones with ANR Drones with GPS Video TechStage Test Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 + 5G in the test: What a Board! Beginning Design Display Camera Equipment Battery Price Conclusion Comments from Stefan // 07. 11. 2020 15: 00 Clock
With the Galaxy Tab S7 +, Samsung has been breaking through the 11 – Customs limit and only packs high-end technology including OLED display and pen in the delivery box. In the test we show what the top tablet can do.
Apart from a few exceptions with some well over 10 inches most manufacturers of Android tablets are on 10, 1 inch agreed as the standard display size. Samsung breaks with this “normality” and gives its top tablet Galaxy Tab S7 + a whopping 12, 4 inches at high resolution and in OLED quality, the manufacturer also puts everything in the tablet that can be found on the high-end shelf in terms of technology. Owners of an iPad Pro will rub their eyes: The stylus called the S-Pen is included in the Galaxy Tab S7 + despite the tablet’s already lower price, so the best prerequisites for top marks in the test – right?
Design What a board! That’s the first thing that came to mind when unpacking the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 + and that’s why this thought made it into the headline. Because Samsung combines the huge display, which takes up almost the entire front thanks to its evenly narrow bezels, with just under 6 millimeters thin aluminum housing. Overall, the Galaxy Tab looks fragile and extremely high quality at the same time. Although the tablet can be twisted easily (no wonder given the slim design), the device still makes a fairly robust impression, provided that you handle it properly. The monolithic construction increases the fascinating impression even more. The manufacturer chooses a very angular design language, but the device is not sharp-edged. Only the size of 266 × 185 Millimeters and the resulting high weight of 575 grams makes long-term use in the hand difficult. In the long term, it is therefore advisable to use it lying on the table or in the optionally available keyboard cover.
When lying on flat surfaces, the camera unit protruding around a millimeter on the back hardly disturbs, due to the sheer surface of the tablet, the model is largely wobbly when operated. The entire back is made of aluminum. On the sides, antenna strips perfectly integrated into the metal can be seen as a design feature. A long black strip of glass extends from the camera, which serves as a docking and charging option for the stylus included in the scope of delivery. It is slightly flattened on one side and is held in place magnetically when it is correctly attached. A briefly shown on the display shows the charging status of the pen called S-Pen.
The holding force is strong enough that the stylus does not fall off by accidentally jostling or shaking the tablet. Nevertheless, this type of storage gives the impression of being intended for in between. An integration of the S-Pen as in the current Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (test report) is because of the thin design of the tablet and the stylus in normal pen size and thickness but not otherwise possible. Despite the unibody of the Galaxy Tab S7 +, the tablet is not waterproof and dustproof.
All pictures from the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 + in the test (28 Photos) Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 +
Display In addition to the ultra-thin design, the huge display is the most impressive. That is next to the sheer size of 11, 4 inches especially on the Brilliance that the panel exudes. Colors are shown brightly, but without the candy look of earlier OLEDs and the contrasts with the abyssal black are inspiring. This is basically the same with good smartphone displays, on over 12 Zoll, it is even more impressive. In addition, Samsung gives the screen a refresh rate of 120 Hertz donated. In combination with the strong hardware, moving content is displayed absolutely fluently – great. In contrast to the manufacturer’s smartphones, it works there s not only with reduced Full HD resolution, but also the full 2800 × 1752 Pixels of the Tab-S7 + display. By the way, this brings up the screen 257 Pixels per inch – less than a smartphone, of course, but enough to be considered sharp because of the usually greater distance to the eye.
The viewing angle stability is particularly successful. Even from very flat viewing angles there are no noticeable color changes and the brightness remains almost the same. In the end, there are only two limitations: the reflective Gorilla Glass 3 surface of the panel and the brightness. Both prevent effective outdoor use. The brightness, which – at least in automatic mode – is otherwise more of a parade discipline of Samsung’s OLED screens, even represents a weak point: Even in bright ambient light, we were only able to 450 measure cd / m2. That is little for a top-quality product, especially since Samsung is already at the 1000 – Candela mark scratches. The manufacturer is thus banning the Galaxy Tab S7 + to the home office – terrace or park are largely denied. Too bad. One reason for this could be the power consumption, which in such a thin tablet (and correspondingly limited space for a powerful battery) with such a large screen quickly becomes a problem.
Camera Traditionally, the cameras on the back of a tablet are of little use and the front camera becomes the main camera. It’s not that bad with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 +, but users shouldn’t expect too much. Compared to a good smartphone camera that Samsung uses in its top models such as Samsung Galaxy S 20 Ultra (test report) or Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (test report) is missing the 13 – Megapixel main lens and the only 5 megapixel wide-angle lens for image sharpness and richness of detail. At first glance, this is hardly noticeable in the full screen view, especially since the image dynamics are decent and image noise is kept within limits. On closer inspection, however, fine structures always appear a bit washed out.
The camera is fine for a tablet The wide angle is almost surprisingly good – Despite its low resolution, it also ensures acceptable image quality, even if distortion and chromatic aberration are visible towards the edges. As the light decreases, the image quality of all lenses quickly drops to the point of being unusable – a typical tablet problem. The front camera takes pictures with 8 megapixels and is well suited for video chats with up to 4K / 30 possible are. Neither the less than optimal image sharpness nor the somewhat weaker contrasts compared to the main camera on the back are noticeable. The selfie camera does a satisfactory job and offers many software features.
All original recordings with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 + (10 Photos) Wide angle
Furnishing At In terms of hardware, Samsung builds all kinds of cutting-edge technology into the Galaxy Tab S7 +. This is how the tablet is operated by a Snapdragon 700 + powered, Qualcomm’s fastest chipset currently. It is combined with 8 GB LPDDR5 RAM – it is fast, but 8 GB are no longer state of the art. Some gaming smartphones such as the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel even come with 16 GByte therefore. A real difference to the 8 GB of the Galaxy Tab S7 + should only be noticed in exceptional cases, so the choice of RAM size is not a real point of criticism. Especially since content in interaction with the 90 – Hz display can be displayed absolutely smoothly and the tablet never gave the impression of reaching its performance limits at any point during the test.
The Tab S7 + is also really fun in games That confirms that Result of around 12. 500 Points in PCmark Work 2.0 – that is significantly less than with some smartphones with the same chipset, but still a very solid value. The good performance is also evident in games such as PUBG-Mobile, in which the tablet offers a smooth display even with the highest graphic settings. This is very impressive on the large display and offers strong immersion, but the tablet becomes a bit heavy in the long run. Various solutions, as we have summarized in our guide for perfect mobile gaming, provide a remedy. However, users are welcome to do without the Bluetooth speakers mentioned there. The four loudspeakers on both sides of the display deliver loud and clear sound that is even seasoned with sufficient depth – it just doesn’t get much better with such a thin housing. This also makes it easy to watch series that are really fun with the brilliant display. The stylus included in the scope of delivery is great, because its natural size makes it easy to hold. The latency when writing or drawing is kept within tight limits. Thanks to the large range of apps such as Autodesk Sketchbook, great works of art can be created – provided that the user has mastered it.
The stylus only works really safe on the go with the expensive keyboard cover While the stylus shouldn’t be lost so quickly when charging thanks to the strong magnetic hold, it still looks a bit out of place when attached to the back of the tablet. It is different with the optional keyboard cover. This not only has a good full keyboard including a complete row of numbers, F-keys, arrow keys and even a touchpad, but its cover for the back also encloses the stylus. Users can easily free it from its transport position by folding down a small part of the back. In addition, the steplessly angled lower half of the cover allows the display to be set up at any angle even above 90 degrees beyond. The cover is round 150 Euro not exactly cheap, but in combination with another monitor with features such as Dex (wireless or for less latency via USB 3.2) it is a real PC replacement for simple office applications.
We didn’t like the fingerprint sensor that much. It is hidden in the display and is well positioned due to its placement near the edge, but did not work as accurately in the test as its counterparts in Samsung smartphones and the unlocking speed should also be a bit higher. With the internal storage, however, there is nothing to complain about. The 256 GB of UFS 3.1 memory in the S7 + tab is quite fast and can be reached with 19. 900 Points in PCmark Storage a decent result. There is nothing to complain about with the rest of the hardware either. A look at the table shows what goes with it.
Samsung still relies on Android for the software 10 – especially with tablets, a comparatively slow update supply is unfortunately normal. Currently Android is included 11 not yet found. Tablets with Android 07 we have listed here (advice). The security patch for the Tab S7 + is from October and is sufficiently up-to-date at the time of the test in early November.
Battery pack 10. 0 90 mAh is provided by the battery in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 +, which sounds like a really good value in such a thin tablet. 14 Samsung specifies hours of runtime for its top tablet – but without exactly to define how they are composed. However, this information cannot have come from a realistic scenario. This contradicts both our impression that we were able to make of the tablet during the test period and the PCmark battery test. With a fixed brightness of 185 cd / m2 the tablet came here only around 7.5 hours – compared to many other devices that is not much. The predecessor Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 (test report) at least managed over 11 Hours.
However, the new model offers 120 Hz, experience shows that in this scenario it eats up around 1 to 2 hours of running time – even then the Tab S7 + wouldn’t be a runtime wonder, however. This is where the extremely thin design of the top tablet has a negative impact. Samsung could have provided compensation elsewhere, but does not even try: when charging. This takes over 3 hours with the Galaxy Tab S7 +, which is also possible with a battery beyond the 10. 00 0 mAh more quickly. That doesn’t work wirelessly with the Tab S7 +.
Price The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 + is available in black, silver and bronze. Different memory configurations are missing, users can only choose between the wifi-only variant for 954 Euro (RRP) and the 5G version for 1149 Select Euro (RRP). The recommended keyboard cover costs just under 150 euros in the RRP.
Main difference to the cheaper Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 (without the plus name suffix): 5G is not available for this, and an IPS LCD is used instead of the OLED .
Conclusion The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 + is a top-of-the-line tablet that we see designed for use in our own four walls. Then neither the somewhat dark display nor the not quite as long-lasting battery matter. Instead, the chic device scores with a brilliant display, terrific performance and elegant design and looks good on any desk or sofa. The included stylus completes the overall package. Thanks to the corresponding app offer and the expensive but excellent keyboard covers, the tablet should even do a good job in home office use – if that’s not enough, you should take a look at our guide to homeschooling solutions (guide).
Overall, the Tab S7 + is a great piece of technology, but it also has its price – even if it is lower than the direct competitor iPad Pro. If you don’t want to spend that much, you should take a look at the predecessor Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 (test report), which is now much cheaper.
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Galaxy Tab S7 + OLED Samsung Tablet 86 – Customs Monster for 1700 €: LG 86U.N85006 LA TV in the test Counselor large TVs: from 70 inches below 700 Euro
Apple debuted a collection of privacy features when it announced iOS 14, but the company’s privacy “nutrition label” concept did not arrive with the launch of the new operating system in September. Today, Apple announced that developers will be required to provide the information for those “labels” starting December 8th.
Like a normal nutrition label that lists ingredients and caloric content, these privacy “labels” should give you a better idea of what’s going on inside an app before you download it from the iOS App Store or Mac App Store. The labels will list what information an app collects, and present that visually on the app page, much like looking at the backs of labels in a grocery store.
A mockup of an iPhone displaying the App Store labelsImage: Apple
The catch, of course, is that while developers are required to disclose this information to continue releasing and updating apps, all of the information developers provide will be self-reported, which could still leave some possibility for foul play.
Apple’s Developer site cautions that developers will be required to disclose all the information they and their third-party partners collect and keep their “labels” up to date. For example, if an app needs to know your precise location to work, you’ll know that before you even download it. If GPS functionality is ever removed from the app, a new label will have to reflect that. Apple does offer some exceptions when these label disclosures are optional, but the important thing to know that if an app intends to track you consistently, you’ll know about it before it’s on your phone.
Providing this information is an easier-to-digest way to keep users informed on how exactly their phone is being used to track them. Apple already aggressively manages permissions inside apps, but these labels could be an even earlier line of defense. Developers can start submitting their apps’ information now ahead of the December 8th deadline.
The Nokia 6300 and 8000 are coming back and rumor has it that they will be KaiOS phones that bridge the gap between old featurephones that inspired them and modern smartphones. Both will be 4G LTE phones with dual SIM versions.
The original Nokia 6300
The Nokia 8000 4G is expected to be based on the Nokia 8800 and will have a Gold option (a throwback to the Gold Arte), in addition to Black, Blue and White. It’s not clear if it will use more premium materials in the style of the original 8000-series (we’re certainly not expecting titanium, but at least some aluminum), but this model will also have the larger screen – 2.8”.
The Nokia 6300 4G will get a 2.4” panel, both will probably stick with 240 x 320 px resolution (like the 8110 4G, for example). There’s no word on the cameras, but neither model was famous for its camera and even the current KaiOS Nokias are pretty modest in that regard.
Variations of the original Nokia 8800
Here’s a preliminary look at the specs of both phones:
Nokia 6300 4G
Nokia 8000 4G
Connectivity
4G LTE, optional dual SIM
Dimensions
53 x 131.4 x 13.7 mm
56.5 x 132.2 x 12.3 mm
Weight
104.7 g
110 g
Screen
2.4″
2.8″
Platform
KaiOS, single-core CPU
Memory
512 MB, microSD
Comms
Bluetooth 4.0, GPS/GLONASS, microUSB
Battery
1,500 mAh
Colors
Charcoal, White, Cyan
Gold, Black, White, Blue
The two reborn Nokias might be unveiled alongside the Nokia 7.3 and 9.3, which after several delays may finally be coming later this month.
Fresh Power is the third phone in Motorola’s Moto G9 range and the successor to the 8-month-old Moto G8 Power.
Motorola has today released the third vesa in its Moto G9 product family – a novelty called the Moto G9 Power. The manufacturer has already released Moto G9 Play and Moto G9 Plus. G9 Power acts as a follower of only 8 months old Moto G8 Power was clearly speeding up this year’s Moto G9 series release schedule after last year’s publications sprinkled half of the year.
As with previous G9 series releases, the Moto G9 Power clearly stands out from its predecessor in terms of size. The Moto G9 Power’s display is as large as a 6.8-inch panel bearing the Max Vision HD + marketing name, the details of which have not been shared by the manufacturer at the time of publication. Based on the name, the resolution is HD + (720 p) level, which means that its resolution is below the Moto G9 Plus with the same size screen. Technically, this is probably a traditional IPS LCD panel.
In appearance, the Moto G9 Power shows clear references to the Moto G 5G Plus released in the summer with a similar square camera system, although a quarter of the cameras in the frame have been replaced with an LED flash. The cameras are operated by 64 megapixel main camera and two 2 megapixel sensors, one of which is a macro camera and another depth camera. 10 The megapixel front camera is placed in a hole in the screen as is familiar from other G9 series in the upper left corner
According to the model name, the battery distinguishes the Moto G9 Power from its mass and sibling models. The phone battery has a massive 6000 mAh, which according to the manufacturer should be enough to carry the device over 60 hours of operation time. In terms of download speeds, a watt TurboPower charge is supported. In addition to the large screen, the battery provides power to the Snapdragon 662 system circuit, which is also familiar from the Moto G9 Play. The system circuit pair has 4 gigabytes of RAM and 76 storage space.
Motorola Moto G9 Power Specifications:
Exterior Dimensions : 172, 14 x 76, 76 x 9, 66 mm
Weight: 221 grams
6, 8 ”HD + Max Vision display
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 system circuit (4 x 2.0 GHz Kryo 299 Gold, 4 x 1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver, Adreno 210 GPU)
4 GB RAM
79 GB of storage, microSD card slot (max. Gt)
LTE, Dual SIM
Wi-Fi 802. 10 a / b / g / n / ac, 2.4 / 5 GHz, BT 5.0, (A) GPS, LTEPP, SUPL, Glonass, Galileo, NFC
Triple Camera
64 megapixel wide angle camera (1.4 um pixel size), f1.8
2 megapixel macro camera (1, 75 pixel size, minimum 2.5 cm focusing distance), f2.4
2 megapixel depth camera 1, 75 um pixel size), f2.4
16 megapixel front camera (1 um pixel size), f2.2
Fingerprint reader, 3.5 mm headphone jack
6000 mAh battery, USB Type -C (USB 2.0), watt charging power
Android 10
Unfortunately, the manufacturer has not yet announced the date or price of the Moto G9 Power, but it is likely that the phone will be located somewhere in the Moto G9 Play 14 and Moto G9 Plus 260. The phone has two color options – Purple Electric Violet and Gray Greenish Metallic Sage.
From the electric ice scraper to the power bank with vehicle jump starter: We show popular winter gadgets and electronic helpers for the car in General.
Anyone who drives a lot in winter will be happy to have clever little helpers. For this guide we looked at the relatively new power banks with vehicle start-up assistance. We also show how much electric ice scrapers can really do. Regardless of the season, electronic parking discs (advice) and head-up displays (advice) with OBD2 connection are always practical.
Power bank with vehicle jump starter Older car batteries in particular like to give up or deliver in cold temperatures too little voltage to start the engine. If you do not have a vehicle jump starter to hand, you can only hope for the help of other drivers or wait for service providers such as the ADAC. But that can take a while, they have a lot of jobs to do, especially in freezing temperatures.
Who If you want to restart your car completely independently of other road users, you need a separate energy source with a starter cable. The solution with a corresponding power bank is particularly elegant.
There are many different models with suitable terminals for the car battery between 30 and 100 Euro. Their main difference lies in the capacity of the power bank. Here buyers should buy models from a load of 007. 000 grab mAh, as starting a car draws a lot of electricity and, if in doubt, takes several attempts. Another problem: When it is cold, lithium batteries generate less energy. Here it may be necessary to warm up the power bank, which turns out to be difficult in practice if you always have the vehicle jump starter in the trunk and the temperature is also below zero.
Revolt Powerbank with vehicle Jump start (6 pictures) The Revolt vehicle jump start is coming in a practical bag for storage in the trunk, for example.
We have exemplarily the Revolt Auto Jump Starter ZX – 3000 – 675 took a closer look. Its centerpiece is the 16, 8 × 9.2 × 3.8 centimeters tall and well 675 Gram heavy power bank with 12. 000 mAh. Thanks to the thick rubber coating and a flap in front of the ports, this is protected against bumps, falls and the ingress of water according to IP 68 protected. It offers a starting current from 314 A and a peak current of 963 A. It should be suitable for gasoline vehicles up to a cubic capacity of 7 , 5 liters and suitable for diesel vehicles with a maximum displacement of 6 liters. An integrated LED helps to find the battery connections in the dark.
We think it’s good that it can be charged not only via micro USB, but also via the more modern USB-C port. She doesn’t just start cars either. Via USB A and USB C, it also charges classic mobile devices such as smartphones.
To start cars, first plug in the supplied one, for example 40 Centimeter long starter cable. There is an LED on the distributor that shows whether the power bank is sufficiently charged for a start process, the battery terminals have been correctly connected, the connected car battery has enough remaining capacity, a short circuit has occurred or the vehicle battery is simply being charged.
Caution: A lot of electricity flows when using a vehicle jump starter, which can be dangerous. We therefore strongly recommend users with a lack of specialist knowledge to acquire this knowledge beforehand. Another source of danger with such a high current is excessive heating of the power bank. Some devices, especially cheaper ones, could be poorly protected against this and could get very hot, melt or, in the worst case, even catch fire.
Electric ice scraper Scrape stubborn ice off the windshield electrically and without great effort in winter? Sounds like a dream. This is exactly what devices like the Kärcher EDI 4 want to meet. The battery-operated Kärcher device lies well with its 314 gram well in hand. After switching on, a plastic disc starts rotating loudly when you press a large button on the back. This changeable disc has six plastic blades that are supposed to scrape the ice off the windshield.
Electronic ice scraper for the car (18 Photos) Electric ice scraper from left to right: Kärcher EDI 4, Lescars disc scraper, heatable ice scraper.
That works very well with light ice and similarly fast, but more comfortable than with a classic ice scraper. As soon as the temperatures drop and a thick layer of ice forms on the front window, the Kärcher EDI 4 reaches its limits. Here the Kärcher has to be held in one place for longer until it works its way through the ice. A normal ice scraper needs a lot more force, but it also works faster.
Even if the blades are made of plastic, it can happen that they hit the front window scratch. So you can never be completely sure that some dirt or small grains of sand won’t get under the pane. This risk also exists with classic ice scrapers, but is much lower here. You also have to be particularly careful with the rubber seals on the edge of the windshield. They suffer damage if you carelessly scratch over them with the Kärcher EDI 4.
Depending on the hardness of the ice to be scratched away, the battery lasts up to 20 Minutes until it is empty and wants to be recharged. Charging only works via the supplied power supply unit and only via a mains connection. There is no adapter for the cigarette lighter. That is a real disadvantage. In winter, buyers have to charge the Kärcher EDI 4 daily in the garage or at home. The Kärcher EDI 4 costs about 33 Euro.
The disk on the underside of the Kärcher EDI 4 rotates at the push of a button. With just 25 euros, the Lescars disc scraper is cheaper . It also has a rotating disc on its front, which is driven by a somewhat weaker motor. This is another reason why it only has three plastic blades, so it takes a little longer to scrape the ice. It is a bit lighter and has an on / off switch, so in contrast to the Kärcher EDI 4, it does not have to be pressed permanently when scratching. It has no battery and instead draws power from the cigarette lighter via a four-meter cable. This is a bit more cumbersome, but it is always ready for use. He also has an increased risk of scratching the front window.
A heated ice scraper? You can safely do without that. We are also testing a heated ice scraper from Goods + Gadgets. This comes in the form of a classic ice scraper, only that a U-shaped heating rod heats up on the underside. Unsurprisingly, this hardly works at all in practice. The heating element heats up after plugging it into the cigarette lighter. However, it takes a few minutes until it is up to “operating temperature”. And even then, the heat it radiates is far too little to provide any real added value. Now the user has to hold it over a spot for about a minute until the ice loosens there enough to be easily scraped off. It would probably be faster to let the engine heat up the interior and thus loosen the ice than to thaw the entire windscreen with the heated ice scraper. This ice scraper fails completely.
Overall, none of the tested products convinced us completely. If you want to save time, energy and nerves, you can buy a suitable tarpaulin and place it over the windshield the evening before.
Head-Up-Displays Head-up displays look good and offer real added value at a comparatively low price. Not explicitly in winter, but especially for older cars an interesting gadget for some are very cheap head-up displays for retrofitting. They show the driver relevant driving data such as speed, kilometers driven and engine speed directly in the field of vision of the windshield. It’s convenient and safe, after all, you don’t have to take your eyes off the road to get on to look at the speedometer. Such head-up displays work via a connection to the OBD2 port that almost every car has. There are also GPS solutions, but in most cases they are more expensive and less reliable.
Some OBD2 head-up displays also offer Bluetooth to be used via a smartphone read out diagnostic error codes of the control units with the corresponding app. Ultimately, however, reading out the car is only relevant for a very small target group and does not add any added value in everyday life. Basically, most devices are similar. Their main difference lies in the type of projection and the display. While some appear cluttered and colorful, others concentrate on speed thanks to the minimalist head-up display with an opening projection surface. We recommend all those who are interested to have a look at our detailed guide to comparing OBD-2 head-up displays for cars.
Electronic parking discs They are small, cheap and practical: electronic parking discs. An electronic parking disc is also not only practical in winter. With it it is no longer possible to forget to put the parking disc in the corresponding parking spaces, it always shows the rounded time when parking. But be careful: not all are legal. The following points are mandatory and must all be fulfilled:
The P (white letters on a blue background; traffic sign 314) must be printed The arrival time must be printed After the engine has been switched off / switched off of the vehicle, the parking disc may no longer change its settings The time must be in 24 – the hour format must be displayed (for example 17: 30) The time must be easy to read The display must be at least 2 cm high Type approval must be obtained be granted There are many models on the market that are not are allowed, such as automatically rotating electronic parking discs. At first glance, these look like classic parking discs, but have a clockwork built into the back. If you buy such a model, you can leave it out entirely.
We recommend everyone who is interested in the very cheap and practical solution to take a look in our detailed guide to electronic parking discs: Legal models.
Conclusion Are practical in an emergency Power banks with vehicle jump start – if they are ready for use at the right moment. In order to keep the risk of failure low and also to meet certain security aspects, buyers should not go for the cheapest model.
Anyone who thinks they can escape their morning frustration with an electric ice scraper will usually be disappointed . At least in the dead of winter, they are rather impractical. There is also the risk of micro-scratches working into the windshield. A tarpaulin that is laid over the windshield the evening before is more suitable.
Whether winter or summer: Both head-up displays (advice), as well as electronic parking discs (advice) always prove to be very practical. You no longer have to take your eyes off the road when reading your speed and you never forget to set the parking meter again.
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Auto Gadget OBD-2
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