OnePlus has a new concept phone to show off, which is its way of teasing tech that maybe, just maybe, might make it into one of the company’s future phones. The OnePlus 8T Concept is a similar phone to the OnePlus 8T that was released a couple months ago, but it’s got a pretty unique rear design that changes color alongside a motion-tracking radar module.
According to OnePlus, this color-changing effect is achieved with a film that contains metal oxide, which sits underneath the phone’s glass back and changes color as different voltages are applied to it. At its most basic, it could change color to show off the phone’s notifications, like an incoming phone call, much like the notification light that it has included on its phones in the past. But where things get really interesting is when it gets paired with the concept phone’s rear-mounted radar module.
OnePlus shows how the design on the rear of the phone can change color.Image: OnePlus
This module, which is built into the camera bump on the back of the phone, uses millimeter wave radar to bounce electromagnetic waves off its surroundings and lets the phone “perceive, image, locate, and track objects.” Although OnePlus says this mmWave technology is “borrowed from 5G,” it adds that the radar module is separate from any mmWave communication module in the phone.
Functionally, it sounds similar to the Pixel 4’s radar-enabled Motion Sense technology, which let you swipe your hand above the phone to skip music tracks or silence alarms. It could also detect your presence to show you the time and any notifications. The functionality was interesting, but Google hasn’t included it in subsequent phones.
This concept phone can also use this motion tracker to do simple things like answering a phone call with a gesture, or offer more advanced functionality like sensing a user’s breathing. This can be combined with its color-changing back to offer some interesting use cases. For example, its back could change color to indicate an incoming call, and then you could accept or reject it with a gesture, without having to touch the phone itself. Or the radar could sense your breathing, and then change its back’s color in time with it, “effectively making the phone a biofeedback device,” OnePlus says.
It’s an ambitious collection of features, but there’s no guarantee we’ll ever see them come to a consumer device. After all, a little under a year ago OnePlus was showing off the OnePlus Concept One, an interesting device which used electrochromic glass to make its rear cameras disappear (and which also acted as a pretty neat little ND filter). However, the technology is yet to make an appearance in any of the company’s flagship phones.
As with the Concept One before it, OnePlus says it has no plans to commercially sell the OnePlus 8T Concept, so it’s best thought of as a small showcase of what the company is working on. But with any luck, the technology could yet come to one of its real smartphones one day.
NAD has scored enormously with the M 33 an all-rounder amplifier with everything you could wish for on board and just about the first device with an EigenTakt amplifier from Purifi on board Anyone who already has a streamer DAC or preamplifier needs something else. And hello there is the C 298 This power amplifier looks simple but gives you a quick way to upgrade your music set with the acclaimed Self-Stroke amplification – Read more
Start Spotify Connect Session Playback Conclusion Comments Spotify Connect lets music, audio books and podcasts run on networked speakers. We show how the technology works and which devices are compatible.
music streaming doesn’t always have to be on the phone. The output can be redirected to loudspeakers, TVs and other end devices via Spotify Connect. The function is an integral part of Spotify, all you need is an account and a compatible speaker in the same WLAN.
This is not only great for listening to music. Podcasts and radio plays in particular, for example for children in lockdown, can be easily redirected to proper speakers via the smartphone.
What is Spotify Connect? Put simply: Spotify Connect connects speakers and TVs with the streaming service so that music or podcasts can be played there directly. It is controlled via the app, the desktop software or the web player.
Spotify Connect has several advantages over playback via Bluetooth. The bit rate is up to 50 kbps, this corresponds to the quality setting “Very High” for premium users. The end devices connect directly to Spotify and pull the music directly from the web. In other words, there is no mobile phone in between that has to convert the songs and send them via Bluetooth. This also means less stress on the cell phone battery, the smartphone can still be used for phone calls and it does not have to be constantly within range of the loudspeaker. At the same time, every installed Spotify instance that is logged into the same account becomes a remote control. An example: If you listen to music on your laptop through headphones, you can control playback via the smartphone app or transfer the sound from the headphones seamlessly to other speakers. This even works with smart watches, such as the Fitbit Versa 2 (test report).
With Spotify Connect, a wide variety of end devices can be controlled from Spotify. Spotify Connect works similarly to Apple’s Airplay. The technology searches for all compatible end devices in the current WLAN network. Pairing is not necessary, all devices found in the same network can be used immediately for playback.
The control is simple: In the app, desktop program or the web player you click on the icon for “Connect to a device”. This shows a monitor behind an MP3 player; it is located in the lower right corner of the desktop and web app, between the playlist display and the volume control. For the smartphone app, it is at the bottom left, below the shuffle icon.
A click on it shows all speakers and other Spotify instances that are active in the same network or with which the user is currently logged in. Another click starts the connection with the device, shortly afterwards the playback switches over automatically. Spotify Connect can be activated during playback in the same way as before.
Spotify Connect (4 pictures) Spotify Connect transmits the audio output to other devices and speakers.
Spotify Connect is not a real multi-room solution. From Spotify you can output the content on one device, but not on multiple speakers in the selection. A real multiroom system is required here (adviser). Because Spotify can stream to speakers that are coupled to each other. So if you have several Sonos devices (theme world), for example, you can define them as a group in the Sonos app and then access them from Spotify.
On the other hand, Spotify Connect has an advantage over most multiroom systems: it can be used with the free one Account possible. However, the usual restrictions (bit rate, advertising) apply. However, there may be restrictions depending on the country and manufacturer.
Spotify Session: Together Listening to music A new premium feature from Spotify are the sessions. You can invite up to five people to listen to a playlist together afterwards. It doesn’t matter whether the people are in the same room or somewhere else on earth. That allows for a few cool scenarios, for example when you celebrate alone at the turn of the year but still listen to the same music together. The playback itself continues to run normally, that is, the songs can also be played back on a Spotify Connect-enabled device. You start a new session via the dialog in which you can also find the external playback devices.
End devices: speakers , TVs, systems, soundbars Spotify is now extremely widespread. Almost every multiroom system is compatible, plus Alexa devices and every end device with Google Cast or Chromecast. In other words, the user is spoiled for choice. It is important that the respective device has WiFi, this is the basic requirement for Spotify Connect. Then it is worth taking a look at the technical data. Wherever Spotify Connect or Chromecast is mentioned, you are on the safe side.
The cheapest entry is a simple networked loudspeaker, Medion and other manufacturers offer devices from just under 40 Euros. Sure, nobody expects a sound technical revelation, but as a device for the workshop or the kitchen it easily does. If you want to pick up more, you should consider a real multiroom loudspeaker right away. Sonos is still the top dog, but other manufacturers are also worth a look, as our guide Multiroom: Sound in every room shows.
Alternatively, there are compact systems that now also support streaming. Anyone who already has a “real” hi-fi system has several options. There are network streamers that can play music from the LAN and from Spotify and are integrated like normal audio components. Alternatively, the amplifier can be exchanged for a new variant that has integrated streaming.
If you are looking for a portable speaker that has streaming functions and a battery, you have something heavier. There are devices such as the Sonos Move (test report), the Bose Portable Home Speaker (test report) or speakers from Libratone. When it comes to televisions, you are largely limited to devices with Google Cast. They can safely handle Spotify Connect. In our opinion, it actually makes more sense to play the music on a loudspeaker or soundbar.
Conclusion If you buy a new loudspeaker or a compact system, you should at least roughly have the Spotify Connect function in mind. This applies twice to everyone who is already using Spotify. Everyone else can at least use the free access, albeit with restrictions.
In addition to music, this is especially worthwhile for radio plays. Spotify has an enormous library especially for children, from Bibi Blocksberg and Ninjago over the three ??? to stories by Otfried Preussler, Michael Ende and Co. That is why it is our favorite over other systems, especially when you want to hear a lot. More on this in the article Radio plays for children: Tonies, Spotify and alternatives.
In the early days of despair, I looked at Spotify and decided that everything sounded bad. All songs were boring, and I was sick of everything. What that really meant was I was sick of myself. But by the summer, I’d found the solve: ambient music. The best music I heard this year was barely music at all.
The notion of “ambient music” is pretentious, sure, but the concept is simple. If most music is centered around some alchemy of melody and rhythm, ambient music eschews that for whatever else: tones, moods, atmosphere.
I’ve listened to Peel by Nairobi-based artist KMRU roughly once a day since I first heard it in July. Like most music in the genre, the album is concerned with timbre and texture — a lot of shapeless, ambiguous noise that slowly escalates and envelopes you. (Or, if you are my sister, you might describe it as “scary” and “ominous” and “please turn that off.”) Still, it was nice to put on something consistent in the mornings, which became as much of a ritual for me as taking coffee with oat milk and refreshing the Times’ updated COVID maps.
Peel — and two other KMRU records released this year, Opaquer and Jar — were quiet revelations for me, especially as someone who tends to listen to the same handful of pop songs on repeat. Though its production is often lush and maximalist, pop music is compact. It’s designed to be played in many places: on AirPods, blasted from a car radio, through your tinny laptop speakers. It has to sound good everywhere, which is another way of saying that it has to sound the same everywhere. Pretty depressing when you’re going nowhere.
Peel took on a different shape, depending on where I was listening to it — though this year, that just meant which room of the house I was in. The Sonos in the kitchen made the record sound expansive and often distant. In my office, where I listened to Peel passively while staring at Google Docs during the workday, the resonance seemed to fill every square inch of the room, making me constantly aware of the space’s small dimensions. I’d sometimes play it through my phone after waking up — a calm and steadily escalating thrum. Yet listening to KMRU in the bathroom was too claustrophobic, too annoying, so I’d put on Dua Lipa instead. I even bought Peel on vinyl, not really so I could hear how it sounded, but because I’d gotten really used to soothing boredom and anxiety by ordering things online. And like a lot of things that went through the mail in 2020, the record still hasn’t arrived.
I struggled to find any formal interviews with KMRU, but I did come across a few videos he’d done on YouTube. In one video, he sampled a broken piano he came across on the street, captured on a fuzzy portable mic. Like a lot of things on YouTube, it turned out to be an ad (this one for Ableton Live). But there was something romantic about seeing KMRU’s field recording — someone out in the world, collecting precious little sounds, even if the finished product obfuscated their origins too much to be identified. At least it left something to the imagination.
KMRU doing field recordings.Courtesy of KMRU
Browse YouTube for long enough and you start to recognize that video titles have their own kind of SEO. More than word choice, you see similar constructions over and over that declare what a thing is and who it’s for. This likely makes it easier for a robot to parse and for a recommendation service to serve.
It also allows us to reverse-engineer people’s intentions. Look up footage of nature, and most of it will identify itself as a “relaxation” video, which is more of an intention than a genre. A one-hour 4K video of sunsets in Seattle sells itself as perfect for “sleep, relaxation, distress, insomnia.” The meme equivalent is YouTube’s anime-inflected “lofi hip hop radio – beats to relax/study to,” which has spinoffs for anxiety and even depression. It’s background noise by design. It’s basically Muzak.
In its heyday — the better part of the 20th century — Muzak was the soundtrack of the mall: familiar, pleasing, and most importantly, inoffensive. The company went bankrupt over a decade ago, and its assets now operate under a conglomerate called Mood Media. But if Muzak the corporation left us, its spirit never did.
In many ways, this is what we do to ourselves when we hit shuffle on a playlist or let YouTube guide our listening. Across platforms, a recommendation engine is reactive and reinforcing a suggestion that is, again, familiar, pleasing, and inoffensive. In the absence of Muzak, we just Muzak ourselves.
Brian Eno coined the term “ambient music” to put his work in opposition with Muzak. As the myth goes, stuck for several hours in a terminal in Cologne, Germany, Eno believed he could write better music for a public space — something calming to ease the bustle of frenzied travelers. The result was the seminal 1978 record Music for Airports. Not long after, in the mid-‘80s, Japanese electrosynth polymath Haruomi Hosono would write a suite of dulcet songs specifically for Muji stores to set the tone for a pleasing shopping experience. There’s an argument that the sound design of hospitals could save lives.
And in a year when far fewer people around the world traveled or frequented malls and more people were going to the hospital and never leaving, what do you do with Music for Airports and for Muji and for the morgue? You bring it home.
In the days when escapism was fruitless and indulgences were unsatisfying, the music I listened to felt less like feeding an algorithm and more like asserting control over a nonsense year. Like every personal revelation, it feels obvious in hindsight. But awareness — mindfulness! — is an active pursuit: introduce some friction, stay in the present. I think I always knew what that looked like. It wasn’t until this year that I knew how it sounded.
Five ambient-ish albums for 2020
Blink a Few Times to Clear Your Eyes – Grand River
Telas – Nicolas Jaar
Shall We Go on Sinning So That Grace May Increase? – The Soft Pink Truth
Harbors – Ellen Fullman and Theresa Wong (debatably ambient, mostly abrasive)
We didn’t go to the movies much this year, but the movies still came to us. While the convenience of home viewing can’t match the experience of watching a spectacle in the dark with others, the other joy of movies — talking about them — is easier than ever, thanks to our connected world. And 2020’s pandemic sidelined a lot of big blockbusters, leaving smaller, more interesting movies to take center stage. As silver linings go, this one isn’t that bad.
Here, in no particular order, are ten incredible movies from a year where movies still rallied to offer experiences that were provocative, compelling, and fun.
The Assistant
One of the best films made in response to the crimes of Harvey Weinstein and the subsequent #MeToo movement, The Assistant follows an assistant (Julia Garner) who works at an unnamed movie production company in New York City for one long, miserable day. Looming over everything is the powerful, predatory boss — never shown or heard except over the phone — whom everyone accommodates and protects. The Assistant is essential, difficult filmmaking, and a quiet, unblinking condemnation of the ways abuse is allowed to persist.
Bill & Ted Face the Music
The biggest surprise of the year was a third Bill & Ted movie, and it was a joyous one in a year short on things to feel good about. Ironically, it starts with disappointment: Bill and Ted (Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves) have somehow not yet written the song that will unite the world, the one promised by Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. They’re out of time now, and if they don’t deliver, the world’s going to end.
So they do what they always do: travel through time and space to try to find an easy way out, only to learn that there is so much love and joy to be found if you just commit to doing things the hard way, with the people you love by your side.
Lovers Rock
The second film in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe collection now streaming on Amazon is perhaps its best — and also its smallest. Mostly set at a single party, Lovers Rock opens a window into a whole universe via a single extended dance scene, a moment of cinematic bliss unlike any other this year. Consider this a recommendation for all five Small Axe films, but treat this one as special: it’s 70 minutes of falling in love, and that’s the best feeling in the world.
An incredible reinvention of a classic Universal monster, The Invisible Man turns the classic ‘30s film of a man gone mad with power after becoming invisible into a portrait of toxic masculinity. The remake portrays a woman’s (Elisabeth Moss) struggles to escape her controlling, abusive, tech-billionaire boyfriend (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and survive his elaborate campaign to gaslight her with his high-tech invisibility suit. Like the best horror, it leverages the frightening and fantastic to push on something terribly real.
Birds of Prey
The only big, traditional superhero film we got this year was also the most refreshing. Birds of Prey is an action movie about the breakup between Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and the Joker (unseen) and its messy, violent fallout. A lean, mean thrill ride with genuinely great action choreography (a rarity for big superhero movies!), Birds of Prey doubles down on something most action movies are surprisingly bad at: if you’re gonna have a fight scene, why not make it look really damn cool?
First Cow
While the title delivers on its premise — there is a cow, and it is featured prominently — First Cow is also one of the finest explorations of a friendship you’ll see in a movie this year. A chef, Cookie (John Magaro), and King-Lu, a Chinese immigrant on the run (Orion Lee), form an unlikely bond over a business opportunity: stealing milk from the first and only cow in the Oregon Territory. What starts as a partnership of convenience becomes a gradual expression of care, one that makes First Cow an irresistibly tender and warm cinematic achievement.
La Llorona
A horror film where the real terror is in contemplating what isn’t shown, La Llorona wrestles with a real-life nightmare by way of a thinly veiled fictional stand-in: the genocide of the Maya Ixil by a brutal Guatemalan dictator. (Named Enrique Monteverde in the film, and Efraín Ríos Montt in real life.) When the former ruler and general (Julio Diaz) is acquitted for his war crimes on a technicality, his mansion becomes a haunted house, as unexplainable forces cry for justice. Masterfully crafted and deeply layered, La Llorona is cinema as remembrance, a film made to bring to light what we cannot — and should not — forget.
Boys State
If you’ve never heard of Boys State, let me explain. It’s an annual summer program sponsored by the American Legion where high schoolers spend a week building a government from scratch. This documentary, which follows a number of boys attending a recent one in Texas, will make you wonder why.
An ingenious subject presented by smart filmmakers, Boys State is an exercise that examines the id of our political process; teenagers learn how to negotiate the difference between what they’ve been told about government and what actually succeeds, while they inadvertently replicate our nation’s many shortcomings. Boys State won’t fill you with hope, but it also won’t fill you with dread. It’s a movie about just how much work we have to do.
Dick Johnson Is Dead
When filmmaker Kirsten Johnson learned that her father, Dick, was suffering from dementia, the two agreed to make the long goodbye the diagnosis left them with into a film — specifically, a film where they imagine all the ways Dick Johnson might die and what might be waiting for him after.
The film is less morbid than that description may seem. Dick Johnson Is Dead is an incredibly moving work of affection, a documentary about celebrating a loved one’s life while they’re still here to appreciate it. It’s about how remembering someone is a vital part of loving them.
Da 5 Bloods
During the Vietnam War, five soldiers nicknamed themselves Bloods and hid a chest full of gold deep in the jungles in which they fought. Only four made it back home; they never forgot that loot or the friend they buried with it. Da 5 Bloods is a revenge movie disguised as a treasure hunt. As the four remaining bloods return in the present day to claim their gold, their desire for vengeance drives them.
They’re angry at the country that asked them to fight for freedom while denying it from them, at the Vietnamese people whose world they destroyed in the service of that war, and at the very idea of America — the way it warps and twists you into new shapes in the battered name of democracy. Da 5 Bloods is Spike Lee’s opus about the wars we never stop fighting, even after the guns are put away.
If you use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge as a web browser and you have some extensions active you will do well to look at this list and uninstall the ones that are very dangerous. Here is the full list for both web browsers.
by Bruno Mucciarelli published 20 December 2020 , at 14: 31 in the channel Web Chrome Google Microsoft Edge
Web browser extensions have become a constant for those who want to make the most and even more profitable surfing the Net. In this case there are so many extensions that we can apply to our web browser but unfortunately, as often happens with other tech devices, viruses are always in order of the day. And even in this case here come the researchers of Avast that launch a new alarm on the extensions of Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge: here are the dangerous extensions
In this case the Avast report on Extensions hazard concerns for accuracy 15 Google Chrome extensions but also well 13 extensions for Microsoft Edge . The report even highlights that more than 3 million users have installed the 28 extensions that are dangerous and that these have caused possible problems through malicious code.
The extensions, in this case, would do nothing but redirect traffic to advertisements created purposely by the bad guys. In this case, the redirection would also take place against phishing sites for the collection of sensitive personal data of users or even the browsing history and therefore the attempt to download viruses on notebooks or desktop PCs.
What then are the offending extensions on both Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge?
GOOGLE CHROME
Direct Message for Instagram
DM for Instagram
Invisible mode for Instagram Direct Message
Downloader for Instagram
App Phone for Instagram
Stories for Instagram
Universal Video Downloader
Video Downloader for FaceBook ??
Vimeo ?? Video Downloader
Zoomer for Instagram and FaceBook
VK UnBlock. Works fast.
Odnoklassniki UnBlock. Works quickly.
Upload photo to Instagram ??
Spotify Music Downloader
The New York Times News
MICROSOFT EDGE
Direct Message for Instagram ??
Instagram Download Video & Image
App Phone for Instagram
Universal Video Downloader
Video Downloader for FaceBook ??
Vimeo ?? Video Downloader
Volume Controller
Stories for Instagram
Upload photo to Instagram ??
Pretty Kitty, The Cat Pet
Video Downloader for YouTube
SoundCloud Music Downloader
Instagram App with Direct Message DM
The discovery of all these malicious extensions by Avast and its experts was about a month old but some of these extensions have been around for quite a while more time i.e. from at least December 2018 . The advice clearly in these cases is to uninstall immediately, if any, the offending extensions and to monitor your PC in case of anomalies.
In this tutorial, we’ll install Alexa Smart Screen SDK on a Raspberry Pi 4 to essentially “make” our own version of the Echo Show. We’ll nickname this project, “PiShow.” This project is possible with the Amazon Alexa Smart Screen SDK, in addition to the Alexa Voice Service (AVS) SDK discussed in our previous article, How to Build an Alexa Speaker with Raspberry Pi.
Caveats about PiShow
PiShow is not intended to be a replacement for the Echo Show. While many of the Echo Show capabilities are included with this version, significant capabilities including the ability to play videos natively were intentionally excluded from this build.
This smart screen version of AlexaPi does not include the vocal wake word trigger “Alexa.” The user will press the ‘A’ key when speaking to Alexa.
PiShow cannot launch with VNC active. VNC must be disabled on the Raspberry Pi.
Music – The user can pause music on a Pi touchscreen. Music capabilities are the same as described in the AlexaPi article.
Alexa Skills are available on PiShow, and any visual screens within an Alexa Skill are also visible on PiShow. Furthermore, touchscreen functionality is enabled for Alexa Skills.
If you are using a touchscreen, and you tap the screen while Alexa is speaking, she will stop speaking. This is the same behavior on the Echo Show.
Why Build a PiShow?
In our previous article, we addressed the cost differential of purchasing the AlexaPi project components vs. an Echo Dot. In this post, we fully disclose that it is less expensive to purchase an Echo Show vs. the components for PiShow.
If you already own a Raspberry Pi and a touchscreen, this could be a fun weekend STEM project. The fun is in the making and learning about how voice technology works behind the scenes.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
What You’ll Need
Raspberry Pi 3B+ or Raspberry Pi
16GB (or larger) microSD card (see best Raspberry Pi microSD cards) with a fresh install of Raspberry Pi OS
Power supply/Keyboard/Mouse/Monitor/HDMI Cable (for your Raspberry Pi)
USB Microphone
Speaker with 3.5mm or USB connector. We’ve only tested with a 3.5mm speaker but USB should work also.
HDMI monitor, 7” Raspberry Pi Touchscreen, or 3.5” or 5” TFT screen – This project works with touchscreen capabilities.
Optional: Mini wireless keyboard – useful for starting the script and holding down the ‘A’ key after install.
Timing: Plan for a minimum of 3 hours to complete this project. The AVS Device SDK make install step takes around 2 hours depending on your Pi model and internet speed.
Prerequisites:
Before starting this tutorial, complete the entire project as detailed in our previous article, How to Build an Alexa Speaker with Raspberry Pi.
The majority of this tutorial is based on terminal commands. If you are not familiar with terminal commands on your Raspberry Pi, we highly recommend reviewing 25+ Linux Commands Raspberry Pi Users Need to Know first.
PiShow Setup and Install
1. Important: Complete the AVS installation as detailed in our previous article, How to Build an Alexa Speaker with Raspberry Pi.
2. If your AlexaPi is currently running, press Ctrl-C to stop the script. Speaker, mic and power should still be connected.
3. Attach your screen : I added a 7” Raspberry Pi Touchscreen for the PiShow version. But you could use a third-party touch screen that connects via either HDMI or via the GPIO pins. You can find such screens for as little as $23 on Amazon. If you use a screen that’s non-touch, you can’t use those features.
Back view:
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
4. Open a Terminal.
5. We will start by creating the folders and installing the libraries and apps we will need for PiShow. Enter the following commands.
6. Next, we will install PortAudio to record microphone data.
cd third-party
wget -c http://www.portaudio.com/archives/pa_stable_v190600_20161030.tgz
tar zxf pa_stable_v190600_20161030.tgz
cd portaudio
./configure --without-jack
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
7. Run ‘make’ in the PortAudio folder. This command took around 1.5 minutes on a Raspberry Pi 4.
make
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
cd $HOME/sdk_folder/sdk-source
git clone --single-branch --branch v1.21.0 git://github.com/alexa/avs-device-sdk.git
cd $HOME/sdk_folder/sdk-build
cmake $HOME/sdk_folder/sdk-source/avs-device-sdk
-DGSTREAMER_MEDIA_PLAYER=ON
-DPORTAUDIO=ON
-DPORTAUDIO_LIB_PATH=$HOME/sdk_folder/third-party/portaudio/lib/.libs/libportaudio.a
-DPORTAUDIO_INCLUDE_DIR=$HOME/sdk_folder/third-party/portaudio/include
-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=DEBUG
-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$HOME/sdk_folder/sdk-install
-DRAPIDJSON_MEM_OPTIMIZATION=OFF
make install
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
When the make install is complete, there should be no error messages on your screen.
9. Copy the config.json file from the AlexaPi project (/home/pi/) to the Install folder and generate the AlexaClientSDKConfig.json file.
14. You can also save a backup copy as AlexaClientSDKConfig_backup.json
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
15. Close your Text Editor.
16. Create or modify your /.asoundrc file.
cd
sudo nano ~/.asoundrc
17. Add the following lines to ~/.asoundrc
pcm.!default {
type asym
playback.pcm {
type plug
slave.pcm "hw:0,0"
}
capture.pcm {
type plug
slave.pcm "hw:1,0"
}
}
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
18. Press Ctrl-X, Y, and Enter to save your ~/.asoundrc file.
19. Test your progress so far.
cd $HOME/sdk_folder/sdk-build
PA_ALSA_PLUGHW=1 ./SampleApp/src/SampleApp
./Integration/AlexaClientSDKConfig.json DEBUG9
20. Similar to the authentication you completed during the AlexaPi project, in the Terminal, scroll up to find your code, then navigate to http://amazon.com/us/code and enter your code.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
21. Press Continue and you should see a Success message in your browser.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
22. Go back to your Terminal and scroll up to search for the “Authorized” message.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
23. This AlexaPi works slightly differently from the original AlexaPi project in that you’ll have to type ‘t’ followed by the Enter key before speaking to Alexa. Try it now. Press ‘t’ enter and say, “What time is it?”
If Alexa provides the time, then you have successfully completed installing the AVS Device SDK sample app. Congratulations!
24. Press Ctrl-C to stop the sample app.
25. Next, we will download and ‘make’ the APL Core Library. The last command in this sequence ‘make’ took approximately 15 minutes to complete.
cd $HOME/sdk_folder
git clone --single-branch --branch v1.4.1 git://github.com/alexa/apl-core-library.git
cd $HOME/sdk_folder/apl-core-library
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make
cd $HOME/sdk_folder/third-party
wget https://github.com/zaphoyd/websocketpp/archive/0.8.1.tar.gz -O websocketpp-0.8.1.tar.gz
tar -xvzf websocketpp-0.8.1.tar.gz
cd $HOME/sdk_folder/third-party
sudo apt-get -y install libasio-dev --no-install-recommends
cd $HOME/sdk_folder/third-party
curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_13.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
27. Download and install Alexa Smart Screen SDK. The last step ‘make’ took approximately 25 minutes to complete.
cd $HOME/sdk_folder
git clone git://github.com/alexa/alexa-smart-screen-sdk.git
mkdir ss-build
cd ss-build
cmake -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=$HOME/sdk_folder/sdk-install
-DWEBSOCKETPP_INCLUDE_DIR=$HOME/sdk_folder/third-party/websocketpp-0.8.1
-DDISABLE_WEBSOCKET_SSL=ON
-DGSTREAMER_MEDIA_PLAYER=ON
-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=DEBUG
-DPORTAUDIO=ON -DPORTAUDIO_LIB_PATH=$HOME/sdk_folder/third-party/portaudio/lib/.libs/libportaudio.a
-DPORTAUDIO_INCLUDE_DIR=$HOME/sdk_folder/third-party/portaudio/include/
-DAPL_CORE=ON
-DAPLCORE_INCLUDE_DIR=$HOME/sdk_folder/apl-core-library/aplcore/include
-DAPLCORE_LIB_DIR=$HOME/sdk_folder/apl-core-library/build/aplcore
-DAPLCORE_RAPIDJSON_INCLUDE_DIR=$HOME/sdk_folder/apl-core-library/build/rapidjson-prefix/src/rapidjson/include
-DYOGA_INCLUDE_DIR=$HOME/sdk_folder/apl-core-library/build/yoga-prefix/src/yoga
-DYOGA_LIB_DIR=$HOME/sdk_folder/apl-core-library/build/lib
../alexa-smart-screen-sdk
make
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Next, we can test our PiShow app. (If you are using VNC, you will need to stop and disable VNC in order for the app to launch.)
Run PiShow
28. Open File Manager and navigate to: /home/pi/sdk_folder/ss-build/modules/GUI/index.html
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
29. Open index.html with your Chromium browser by double-clicking on index.html
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
30. Go back to your Terminal and enter the following commands to start your PiShow.
cd $HOME/sdk_folder/ss-build
PA_ALSA_PLUGHW=1 ./modules/Alexa/SampleApp/src/SampleApp -C
$HOME/sdk_folder/sdk-build/Integration/AlexaClientSDKConfig.json -C
$HOME/sdk_folder/alexa-smart-screen-sdk/modules/GUI/config/SmartScreenSDKConfig.json -L INFO
31. You may need to authenticate the PiShow sample app as you did during step 22. If so, scroll up to find your code in the Terminal, then navigate to http://amazon.com/us/code and enter your code.
32. Go back to your Chromium browser and you should see the message “Press and Hold “A” then Speak”
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
33. Give it a try! Quick note: index.html in Chromium must be the active window for PiShow to work. Hold down the ‘A’ key while you say, “Tell me the weather.”
Congratulations! You have made your PiShow!
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Always use the same process: With /home/pi/sdk_folder/ss-build/modules/GUI/index.html as the active window, hold down the ‘A’ key while speaking to Alexa. You do not need to say the wake word, “Alexa.”
Things to Try on your new PiShow
“Play Music” – If using the touchscreen, you can pause the music by tapping the pause button on the screen.
“Tell me a joke.”
“Open Big Sky” – Weather app with great graphics.
“What does Planet Earth look like?”
“Enable Space Station”
To stop PiShow, go back to your Terminal and press Ctrl-C.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
If you turn off or reboot your Pi, you can restart PiShow with the Terminal command:
cd $HOME/sdk_folder/ss-build
PA_ALSA_PLUGHW=1 ./modules/Alexa/SampleApp/src/SampleApp -C
$HOME/sdk_folder/sdk-build/Integration/AlexaClientSDKConfig.json -C
$HOME/sdk_folder/alexa-smart-screen-sdk/modules/GUI/config/SmartScreenSDKConfig.json -L INFO
The holiday season has arrived — but don’t panic. If you forgot to buy a gift for someone, you can’t decide what to give your loved one, or the item you wanted to give can’t be delivered on time, it’s not a problem. Digital gifts are the most convenient and easiest gifts. And with so many digital gifts to choose from — like a subscription to a popular streaming service, some extra cash for iTunes or a new game, or a gift card from your favorite retailer — we made a list of a few quick gift ideas.
A streaming service like Disney Plus could be the perfect gift for a stay-at-home friend or relative.Image: Disney
For movie / TV show streamers
With the pandemic continuing to keep most of us inside, there’s never been a better time to subscribe to one (or multiple) streaming services and indulge in great shows and movies. There are so many streaming services to choose from now, such as Disney Plus, Netflix, and many others.
Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus bundle
Disney Plus
ESPN Plus
HBO Max
Peacock Premium or Premium Plus
Netflix gift card from Amazon, Target, Best Buy, or Walmart
Hulu gift card from Best Buy, Target, or Walmart
YouTube TV
YouTube Premium
YouTube gift card from Amazon
Amazon Prime gift membership
Sling TV gift card from Best Buy, Target, or Walmart
Consider a Spotify gift card for the music lover in your life.Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
For music-lovers
Whether you prefer Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube Music, a music gift card is not a bad gift for someone who enjoys tuning out all of the noise and jamming to some funky tunes.
Spotify gift card from Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart
Apple Gift Card (which can be used for purchases for anything Apple, including products, Apple Arcade games, and iTunes or App Store purchases). Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart.
YouTube Music subscription
For Switch owners, Nintendo eShop or Switch Online memberships are good digital gift options.Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
For gamers
There are a lot of options when it comes to buying games online or gifting a subscription. Whether your giftee could use some extra cash to buy games from a digital storefront or to renew their membership for a video game console, there’s a slew of options to choose from for the gamer in your life.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which includes Xbox Live Gold, plus access to Xbox Game Pass for console and PC, and access to the xCloud game service. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Newegg, Target, and Walmart.
Xbox Game Pass for consoles subscription. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and Target.
Xbox Game Pass for PC subscription. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Walmart.
Xbox Live Gold subscription. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Newegg, Target, and Walmart.
Xbox gift card. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Newegg, Target, and Walmart.
PlayStation Store gift card. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Newegg, Target, and Walmart.
PlayStation Plus subscription. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Newegg, Target, and Walmart.
PlayStation Now is Sony’s cloud gaming service, similar to Microsoft’s xCloud. A subscription is also available at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Newegg, and Walmart.
Nintendo Switch Online 12-month individual subscription at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Walmart
Nintendo Switch Online 12-month family membership at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart
Nintendo eShop Gift Card available at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Walmart
Steam gift card available at Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Walmart
Battle.net (Blizzard Entertainment) gift card available at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Newegg, and Walmart
Google Play gift card available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target
GameStop gift card available at Amazon and GameStop
Uber is a great gift for the traveler in your life.Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
For travelers
While I would not advise traveling right now if you do not need to, Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb offer digital gift cards, which are great for someone who likes to travel or doesn’t like taking public transport. This way, when it is safer to travel again, you can treat them to a nice car ride or even a vacation.
Uber gift card. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart.
Lyft gift card. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart.
Airbnb gift card available at Amazon and Target
Southwest Airlines gift card available at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart
Get the foodie in your life a gift card to DoorDash or UberEats.Image: Uber
For foodies
Most food-ordering apps have online gift cards available for purchase. This is convenient if your loved one is feeling too lazy to cook dinner one night, doesn’t feel like going grocery shopping, or needs to stay indoors. Here are a few gift cards for the food-lover in your life:
Instacart gift card
DoorDash gift cards are available at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart
UberEats gift cards are available at Amazon, Target, and Walmart
Grubhub gift cards are available at Amazon and Target
Whole Foods gift cards are available at Amazon
For everything else
If you’re not sure what to get someone or you want to give them more leverage on what they want to buy, a general gift card might be the best option. From app stores to department stores, here are some gift cards for everyone:
Google Play Store gift card is available at Target, Best Buy, Amazon, and Walmart
Best Buy has joined the list of retailers offering returns for copies of Cyberpunk 2077, with the company announcing (in a forum post) that it’ll be accepting returns through December 21st.
The move is an unusual one for Best Buy, which typically excludes opened video games from its usual return policy — in most circumstances, “opened physical copies of computer software, movies, music, video games, books, video game guides and sheet music can only be exchanged for an identical item.”
However, in light of developer CD Projekt Red’s own acknowledgement of issues with the game — and its offer to supply refunds through December 21st — Best Buy will be offering a similar opportunity for disappointed buyers to return their copies.
Per the forum post:
Normally, Best Buy is unable to offer returns of opened game software per our Return & Exchange Promise here. However, after some deliberation, and seeing that the vendor will be allowing returns through 12/21/2020, Best Buy will also be allowing returns for select opened Cyberpunk 2077 SKU’s through December 21, 2020. Beyond that date, we will return to our normal Return & Exchange Promise for the game
There are a few things that Best Buy customers will need to keep in mind. First off, Best Buy is only accepting returns for Cyberpunk 2077 on PS4 and Xbox One (including the regular, collectors, and digital editions of the game) — disappointed PC players won’t be able to get a refund, though. Additionally, the company notes that customers who choose to take advantage of Best Buy’s free SteelBook cases for the game will have to return those, too, or else have the value of the SteelBook deducted from their refund.
Best Buy is the latest retailer that’s allowing refunds of the game following the widespread issues with the title on the original PS4 and Xbox One. Since CD Projekt Red’s announcement, Sony has offered players full refunds, while also taking the unprecedented step of pulling the title for purchase entirely from the PlayStation store. Microsoft has similarly announced that it will be offering full refunds for the game, although it’ll continue to sell it for now.
CD Projekt Red is already working on patches to improve performance, with one patch due out in the coming days, while more substantial updates are planned for both January and February to help address “the most prominent issues” on original Xbox One and PS4 hardware.
The AirPods Max can also go into energy-saving mode without a case. Apple has now explained this after a missing switch on the headset headphones and the manufacturer’s previous instructions caused confusion among users. Originally, Apple had stated that the headphones would only be switched off when they were placed in the enclosed Smart Case.
Power saving mode even without the case – only later If you take the AirPods Max down and leave it in one place for 5 minutes, then they also switch to power-saving mode to keep the battery charged, as Apple does now explained in a support document that is currently only available in English. In this mode, the Bluetooth connection can still be maintained.
Only after 72 hours, the detached headphones then switch to an even more economical mode (Ultralow Power Mode), in which the wireless connection is also cut, explains the company. Then the over-ears can no longer be found via Apple’s device search service “Where is?” locate and address.
If you put the AirPods Max in the Smart Case, the power saving mode takes effect immediately instead of after 5 minutes. After 18 hours with this storage method, the Ultralow Power Mode takes effect.
Warning tone when the battery level is low The headphones inform about a low battery level via iPhone. If there is a remaining charge of 10 percent and shortly before they are completely empty, they should also play a tone. Apple promises a battery life of up to – both for music playback and for making calls. According to user reports, the charge level of the headphones only decreases slowly after they are taken off – even away from the smart case – so they only lose a few percentage points overnight.
Apple shipped the first AirPods Max this week, but the manufacturer’s first inventory was quickly sold out. A delivery time of around two months is currently stated, the first color variants should be available again from the end of February 2021.
You’ll likely use your headphones more than any other piece of hi-fi equipment. At any one time in the What Hi-Fi? office at least half of us are using them, and not exclusively due to our questionable personalities (though this figure will spike, depending on who’s talking).
We’re well aware there is personal preference in what you want from your headphones – even we aren’t precious enough about hi-fi to assume the success of companies such as Beats is reliant only on good marketing. But by and large there’s no reason you ought to expect a radically different performance to that of your amplifier and speakers. (We’ve also suggested best songs to test your speakers.)
You may already have your own playlist to test equipment before you buy it – if not, it’s a worthwhile exercise – but we’ve put together this collection of ten tracks to help highlight what we believe to be the most important aspects of your headphones’ performance. If they’re found lacking in any department, you may want to consider an upgrade.
Find the accompanying playlist on Apple Music, Deezer, Spotify or Tidal
The best Christmas gift ideas for music fans
Best headphones 2020: all styles, all budgets
Explosions in the Sky – Wilderness
To test overall balance
Why? Balance isn’t always an easy one for headphone manufacturers to get right. Quite often we find them overloading the bottom end in an overzealous attempt to keep their product from sounding lightweight or rolling off the treble to avoid any sharpness nearer the top of the frequency range.
In order to test the overall balance, you want a track that covers as much of the frequency range as possible. You’ll get that from a lot of orchestral works – but more contemporary pieces can work as well, such as this from Explosions in the Sky. There’s plenty of low-end heft in Wilderness‘s percussive pulse, while some of those guitar harmonics will reach high into the treble frequencies.
View Explosions in the Sky at Amazon
Fleet Foxes – Fool’s Errand
To test midrange quality
Why? By and large, the midrange is where you’ll find your vocal lines: pretty important, then. Clarity is, of course, a primary concern, as are stability and warmth. If there isn’t enough midrange support from lower frequencies, vocals can sound thin and lack human quality.
Finding a track with a clear, prominent vocal line is all you need do, but it’s even better if it includes such gorgeous vocal harmonies as Fool’s Errand from the latest Fleet Foxes record. Robin Pecknold’s voice ought to soar, flanked by those luscious harmonies without disappearing into them.
View Fleet Foxes at Amazon
Darkside – Paper Trails
To test bass control
Why? We mentioned some brands’ tendency to skew the balance toward the bottom end, which we understand suits a certain section of the market. But if that’s what you like, it is perhaps even more important those bass frequencies are articulate and suitably agile.
It isn’t enough for your headphones to make your earlobes wobble if you can’t actually hear what’s going on down there. A track with a moving bassline will either drive or confuse a performance, depending on the aptitude of your kit. Darkside’s Paper Trails has the added benefit of testing a vocal line deep into the frequency range, which will really highlight the clarity of the bass – or lack thereof.
View Darkside at Amazon
Pharoah Sanders – You’ve Got to Have Freedom
To test treble quality
Why? Coarseness in treble frequencies is probably one of the first things you’ll notice in headphones because it’ll make your ears hurt. If that’s happening once you’ve given your headphones a day or two to run in, you’ll end up wanting to bin them altogether. But sometimes it can go the other way – perhaps in an attempt to rid a performance of any sharpness, manufacturers will roll the frequency range off at the top end.
Either way, you aren’t getting the rich treble frequencies you and your ears deserve. This particular track from Pharoah Sanders finds his saxophone in full-on attack mode. Without making your ears bleed, it ought to sound like a mother goose being prodded with a knitting needle, and you should accept nothing less.
View Pharoah Sanders at Amazon
20 of the best albums of 2020
Havergal Brian – Symphony No1 in D Minor (The Gothic)
To test level of detail
Why? It’s rare we really criticise a product for lack of detail alone, but when we hear something particularly insightful it can really make a difference. The term itself is pretty self-explanatory: it’s about digging deep into what is being performed, rather than how.
Large-scale orchestral pieces, with a grand range of instruments and timbres, will highlight just how much insight is being delivered. This particular symphony, written by Havergal Brian, is a veritable behemoth, spanning the piccolo to the timpani via two harps and a children’s choir. Live recordings are another decent test: hand-claps are one of the more difficult sounds to reproduce.
View Havergal Brian at Amazon
John Martyn – Small Hours
To test space
Why? Space may appear a peculiar concept when it comes to sounds being played directly into your ears, but a claustrophobic performance can be the enemy of deeper listening. You don’t want instruments to sound detached from one another, but each line should have space to breathe.
Again, live performances are a good test as to whether your headphones are able to judge the size of an auditorium – or you can go a step further with this album closer from John Martyn. It was recorded outside, so there is no excuse for Martyn’s guitar to sound at all boxed in.
View John Martyn at Amazon
BadBadNotGood – Speaking Gently
To test rhythm and timing
Why? Anyone who was ever in a school band will know how infuriating it is to play with somebody who can’t keep time – if you didn’t know that, it was probably you. The same goes for hi-fi, and your headphones should be able to make sense of polyrhythm just as adeptly as they lock into a rigid 4/4.
This particular track from BadBadNotGood’s album IV offers a simple, solid beat as it opens, before sprawling into a freer percussive mindset. Timing also feeds into how instruments interact, how they question each other and then answer. If the performance sounds loose, disorganised or dull, it’s probably down to timing.
View BadBadNotGood at Amazon
Arvo Pärt – Tabula Rasa
To test dynamic range
Why? As good as your four-year-old nephew may be at playing the recorder, you probably don’t want your headphones to play like they’re at a school assembly. A dearth of dynamic range will give you a flat performance, sometimes sounding almost like a rehearsal, undermining any emotion on the original recording.
Pick a piece where small- and large-scale dynamics fluctuate as they do in Arvo Pärt’s Tabula Rasa and you’ll hear whether your headphones are up to the job. It’s often the smaller-scale dynamics that make the greatest impression: those are what will give voices their expression, which will be especially important if you use your headphones for watching films and TV as well.
View Arvo Pärt at Amazon
Ólafur Arnalds – Ljósi∂
To test subtlety
Why? Getting you out the door and enthused for your run is one thing, but if you use your headphones for anything else then a little subtlety and restraint will be as important as that drive.
This Ólafur Arnalds piece, from his album Found Songs, is a lesson in refinement, with piano keys wanting to be stroked rather than hammered, violin weeping rather than in the midst of a full-on gin-sob. If your headphones can render this as well as they do Black Sabbath, it’ll really pay off in the subdued moments of tracks before they end up letting fly.
View Ólafur Arnalds at Amazon
Joe Goddard – Lose Your Love
To test excitement, enthusiasm and drive
Why? All of this may seem like arbitrary box-ticking if your headphones’ performance doesn’t make you want to move. Really, this kind of enthusiasm and drive is a combination of timing, low-end stability and a good grasp of dynamics – but we have heard products seemingly adept at each of these that ultimately fail to enthuse.
You can insert your favourite groove-laden track here, but we’ve opted for Lose Your Love from Joe Goddard’s 2017 album Electric Lines. If your headphones are doing it right, you’ll be anticipating the beat dropping, and you’ll look unhinged to your co-workers as soon as it does.
View Joe Goddard at Amazon
MORE:
10 of the best songs to test your speakers
10 of the best vinyl albums to tell someone you love them
A welcome refresh has done Linn’s entry-level streaming system wonders, even if it isn’t the most entertaining of its kind we’ve heard
For
Clean, organised sound
Comprehensive connectivity
Easy to use app
Against
Lacks verve
Build not premium
At the risk of sounding like a hair-ruffling aunt greeting her nephew after a lengthy absence, oh boy, hasn’t streaming grown? That thought comes to mind as we scan the all-inclusive specs of the new Linn Majik DSM.
Ten years ago, we called the original Majik DSM “an interesting proposition”, owing to its then-rare combination of pre and power amplification and music streamer. Fast forward to today and while the Majik has become Linn’s best-selling streaming product of the past decade, the world of music streaming has grown somewhat since.
Audio hardware has followed suit and just-add-speakers streaming systems are now familiar propositions. When executed effectively, they tick the boxes of convenience and connectivity while still offering a great sound. Linn was there at the start, one of few streaming-savvy hi-fi brands around when Spotify was in its infancy, but the competition has now opened up. So how does its entry-level streamer system stack up at the more affordable end of the high-end market?
Features
(Image credit: Linn)
Like its predecessor, the new Linn Majik DSM has been designed to be the nucleus of an AV and hi-fi system – a one-box solution to which a pair of stereo speakers can be connected. It welcomes all manner of sources, with built-in wi-fi and an ethernet socket the gateways to music (up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM) stored on a network and from streaming services such as Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz and Apple Music.
Linn Majik DSM tech specs
(Image credit: Linn)
Hi-res Up to 24-bit/192 kHz
Max power 100W x2 (4 ohms)
Inputs HDMI, optical, coaxial, USB type B, line-level / MM phono
Outputs HDMI ARC, RCA, 6.3mm headphone jack
Finishes x1
Dimensions (hwd) 10 x 35 x 35cm
Weight 4.1kg
There’s internet radio via TuneIn, too, while Bluetooth and AirPlay are quick and easy streaming alternatives for Bluetooth-supporting and Apple devices respectively.
Physical sources from CD players and turntables to TVs and laptops are catered for, courtesy of eight inputs – four 4K-compatible HDMIs and one USB Type B, optical, coaxial (which can be configured as an output) and line-level stereo RCAs.
That single analogue input can be configured as a moving-magnet phono input for anyone wishing to connect a turntable with an MM cartridge. Those going down this route can feel safe in the knowledge that the built-in phono stage uses architecture derived from the company’s reference Urika II model.
The Urika II isn’t the only Linn product to have had its engineering sprinkled over the Majik DSM, either. In addition to Linn enhancing its 100W-per-channel Class D amplification, and implementing a digital volume control in a further effort to reduce distortion, the Majik DSM’s DAC design has been trickled down from the flagship Katalyst streamer. This promises improved upsampling, a lower noise reference voltage and an ultra-low jitter clock for greater timing accuracy.
Build
(Image credit: Linn)
The Majik DSM’s aesthetic predictably echoes that of the recently refreshed Selekt DSM, with its stylish, glossy black facade, a monochromatic OLED display and six handy preset buttons that offer neat shortcuts to content you can select in the Linn control app (Linn App for iOS; Linn Kazoo for Android).
However, the Majik DSM forgoes the Selekt DSM’s top-panel multi-control dial and nicely contoured underside edges, signifying its pecking order below the Selekt in the Linn streaming system range. But while this is entry-level territory for Linn, the Majik DSM’s aluminium casework doesn’t feel quite as premium as we might have expected at this price. It’s far from shoddy, though, and we’re generally fond of its classy minimalist appearance.
Unlike the Selekt DSM, the Majik doesn’t have Linn’s advanced Katalyst DAC upgrade or the option for surround speaker terminals. But what it does have is plentiful – as well as the above, that also includes control via the new ‘Linn App’ for iOS users and Linn’s Space Optimisation software.
The former now has a tweaked interface that offers quicker, easier access to browse, search, room selection and system settings, but the headline feature over the former Kazoo iOS app is its universal search, which brings up results across streaming services you’re logged onto and stored music on your network.
Search for ‘Michael Jackson’, for example, and all MJ tracks and albums on our NAS drive and in the Tidal library appear before us. Though initially perturbed by this function having replaced the in-app Tidal search bar, we soon find ourselves on board with this more encompassing method of navigation.
(Image credit: Linn)
While Android users will get the Linn App shortly, for now, it’s still the inferior, but functional, Kazoo app. Alternative control is offered through the Majik DSM’s support for Roon, for subscribers of the increasingly popular playback software. There is also a physical remote control, which remains the simplest go-to for volume adjustment.
Linn’s Space Optimisation software (‘space’ stands for ‘Speaker Placement And Custom Environment’) ensures the optimum performance of the Majik DSM and its partnering speakers in your listening environment. It builds a full acoustic picture of your room – based on the placement of connected speakers and the properties of the room – identifies the frequencies being distorted and adjusts frequency response accordingly.
This configuration is typically performed by a Linn specialist, however, the software, which is accessible through Linn’s website, is comprehensive and relatively straightforward to use. The software maps our test room’s dimensions, including wall contours and special features such as doors, and we select the pre-installed profile for our partnering speakers, the ATC SCM50 – Linn says Space Optimisation has profiles for ‘hundreds’ of speakers. Once our profile has been saved, we can simply turn the Majik DSM’s Space Optimisation on or off from the website.
We activate Space Optimisation and note that it draws out some of the bass richness, making way for a cleaner, slightly leaner balance. The presentation has clear gains in articulacy, though it loses some musicality and cohesion in the process and we end up preferring it deactivated. For troublesome rooms, however, Space Optimisation could prove handy in cleaning up unwanted frequencies.
Sound
(Image credit: Linn)
With or without the neat software, the Linn Majik DSM performs much as we’d expect – that isn’t a criticism, just that Linn is so pleasingly consistent. Like many Linn products before it, it has an open and expansive soundstage filled with crisp, precise detail, and is wonderfully eloquent across the frequency spectrum.
Our listening begins with a newly released live recording of John Williams’ Theme From Jurassic Park and the Linn rises to the occasion, with its wide-open sound only enhancing the sonic spectacle. The horns have headroom to soar, the woodwinds acres of room to weave softly beneath and the surging strings come to the fore with presence and precision, carrying the detail and dynamics necessary to evoke the necessary sentiment in its listener.
Radical Face’s Sunlight proves a great indication of the Majik DSM’s analytical, articulate approach too. The Majik DSM handles the acoustic plucking shrewdly, each twanged note tangible and dynamically varied. Even when the tunefully delivered descending bass line, crisply-drawn drumbeat and the subdued piano melody crash the initial party, the Linn keeps tabs on every element, steering everything into the right direction like a conductor controlling an orchestra.
The denser the composition gets, as Ben Cooper‘s storytelling and the bed of strings enter the mix, the more impressed we are by its refusal to sound flustered. We’ve come to expect this kind of precision from Linn products and the Majik DSM doesn’t stray far from that.
10 of the best songs to test your speakers
The Linn’s openness and organisation plays into the hands of Oneohtrix Point Never’s Toys 2, the experimental orchestration having space to unfold while never sounding too condensed or incoherent. Each squeak, fizz and scratch comes through with cleanliness and clarity, and an openness that the more affordable What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Naim Uniti Atom cannot match.
However, the interplay between the synths underpinning the track isn’t as tight through the Linn, as its Naim rival stitches the sequences together with more rhythmic purpose. The Naim, while not as technically adroit as the Linn in some areas, comes across as the more entertaining machine.
Similarly, as we move onto Gang of Youth’s What Can I Do If the Fire Goes Out?, the Linn doesn’t quite relay the excitement of this relentless foot-tapper of a track. The Naim is more energetic, pummelling through the cyclical drumbeat and piercingly shrill synths, whereas the Majik DSM’s rendition is comparatively reserved. It doesn’t exactly rob the track of all energy and drive, it simply comes across as more concerned with dotting the ‘i’s and crossing the ‘t’s than simply writing the letters in big, bold, colourful text, as the track demands.
Verdict
The Linn Majik DSM is not as versatile and all-encompassing in the sound department as it is for its features and that ultimately costs it a fifth star. However, it is still a highly desirable machine – especially for the music fan whose sonic preference errs more on the side of analytical than animated. It can accommodate a wide range of sources, is easy to use and sounds good.
Music streaming has come a long way over the past few years, and Linn’s just-add-speakers system shows just how high-quality, convenient and flexible such propositions can be.
The Epic Games Store, Epic Games’ online game distribution store, has been gaining a niche in the competitive market for platforms of this type on PC through base of certain exclusivities and offers of free games never seen before, at least not in that amount, in the sector. Even so, the shadow of Steam is long and the Valve store is still the largest platform for PC, offering games as well as programs and utilities.
Now, Epic has made a curious move and has started to offer Spotify directly from the Epic games Store . That way, the popular streaming music app can be downloaded and updated directly from the Epic store.
Spotify can now be downloaded from the Epic Games Store in Spain
Naturally, the operation of Spotify will be the same as in the case of downloading the app separately , including free plans and the need to pay a subscription for the premium service. Starting today, Spotify can now be downloaded from the Epic Games Store in our country.
It is expected that the company will reach similar agreements with other programs and similar applications to integrate them in the future in its platform seeking to unify services to try to attract more users.
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Antonio Delgado
Computer Engineer by training, editor and hardware analyst at Geeknetic since 2011. I love gutting everything that comes my way, especially the latest hardware that we get here for reviews. In my spare time I fiddle with 3d printers, drones and other gadgets. For anything here you have me.
Network storage: four NAS empty housings for self-assembly in the test Practical aspects Connections Performance Individual meetings Conclusion Test table Article in c’t 1 / 2021 read The data storage in the LAN is not only useful for centrally stored files and PC backups: it can also act as a media server for music and videos Deliver to the smart TV. If you want to break away from Google, the NAS with software extensions (apps from the manufacturer’s repositories) can also be used as a cloud server for contacts, appointments and notes that can be accessed from the Internet. The central backup of photos and videos from family smartphones via app is no longer a bonus.
You will find an overview of the functions of common NAS operating systems in another article. This is about the hardware equipment and performance of inexpensive NAS empty housings with two storage spaces for self-installation of hard drives or SSDs. We brought four of them into the laboratory: Netgear ReadyNAS 212, QNAP TS – 220, Synology DS 220 j and Western Digital (WD) My Cloud EX2 Ultra. The TerraMaster F2 – 210 is also in the 150 – Euro price range. An Asustor AS 5202 T for around 300 Euro gives an outlook on the added value that a slightly larger investment will buy.
We equipped each of the empty housings with two NAS hard drives Seagate ST 4000 VN 008 of 4 terabytes each. This is the capacity you get most of the bang for your buck right now. In the RAID-1 configuration (mirroring, protects against hard disk defects), there is also a net capacity of 4 terabytes. The devices also support configurations for twice the memory size, but you should avoid that.
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Amazfit launched the GTR 2 in India yesterday, which comes in Sport and Classic Editions priced at INR12,999 ($175/€145) and INR13,499 ($185/€150), respectively. Today, the company announced it will bring the GTS 2 to the country on December 21 with a price tag of INR12,999 ($175/€145), and it will be sold through Amazon.in and Amazfit’s local site with three color options – Desert Gold, Urban Grey, and Midnight Black.
The GTS 2 sports a 1.65″ always-on AMOLED display with support for customizable watch faces. It comes with over 90 sports modes and can track your sleep, monitor your heart rate, and measure stress and blood oxygen levels.
Amazfit GTS 2
The GTS 2 also has 3GB of local music storage that allows you to play music on your Bluetooth earphones or speakers directly from the watch without requiring a smartphone. Moreover, the smartwatch comes with a microphone to let you answer your phone calls, and it also has Alexa built-in that lets you perform functions like setting an alarm or checking the weather.
The rest of the highlights of the GTS 2 include in-built GPS, idle alerts, call and app notification alerts, weather forecast, and 50-meter water resistance. Fueling the entire package is a 246 mAh battery, which is claimed to provide seven days of endurance with typical usage.
In addition to revealing the pricing and availability of the GTS 2 in India, Amazfit also said that it will launch the GTS 2 mini in the country around Christmas, but there’s no word on its pricing yet.
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