MORE FROM THIS BRAND RESUME A radio with a power of 5 watts. That can’t be anything, can it? The opposite is true. The Sangean Revery R5 is the epitome of a device where you should not focus on those kinds of specifications. The reproduction is above average and the possibilities are extensive. A great system to place in a teenage room, bedroom, office or in a kitchen. Hours of listening pleasure guaranteed.
PLUS POINTS Extended feature set Off to expand to stereo set or 2.1 Playback quality at normal volume Interference-free radio reception MINUSES No bluetooth Only remotely controllable via app Price on the high side
Table radios come in all colors and sizes and from very cheap knick-knacks to devices with serious hi-fi aspirations. The Sangean Revery R5 (WFR – featured in this short review ) certainly does not belong to the first category. A small all-rounder that has more to offer than meets the eye.
Sangean Revery R5 The Sangean Revery R5 is a fairly compact model table radio. It is basically a mono speaker with an easily legible display and all buttons on the front. It is a neatly finished speaker with rounded corners and with an appearance that hangs between modern design and a little retro look.
However, the Revery R5 is more than just an FM or DAB + radio. You can also address internet radio and Spotify. In addition to the baked-in option for Spotify, you can use the WFR 249 as a DLNA renderer. This makes it possible to use multiple streaming services from your phone with apps like mConnect (iOS) or BubbleUPnP (Android). In addition, you can connect an external device via the auxiliary input via a 3.5 mm jack plug. And with the Undok app you can connect the Revery R5 with multiple Sangean devices and set up a multiroom system. In short, it is quite a full featured device.
Mono to stereo Another nice feature with the Sangean Revery R5 is that you can easily expand from a mono system to a stereo setup. Sangean also offers a matching passive speaker (SP – 40) that you can connect to an RCA speaker output on the back of the Revery R5. That way you get a 2 x 5 Watt music system. Now that doesn’t sound very impressive, but this is a very capable system for a teenage room, kitchen or office. And there is even a subwoofer output. So if you want some extra support in the bass and if you still have an active subwoofer lying around that you don’t use, connect that bite.
Quality of display With 5 Watts (or double with a connected passive speaker) of music power, you obviously don’t have enough available to create a huge disco-like experience. But make no mistake, with the Sangean Revery R5 it is really a case of quality over quantity. There is a lot of control over the built-in full-range driver. On the back there is a small reflex port to support the layer reproduction.
Actually, the display is quite impressive for this format, but once at a higher volume you notice that there is a lot of loss in control and dynamics. This is inherent to the specifications and form factor. At a lower volume there is certainly detail in the sound and the bass reproduction does not sound cluttered or woolly. All in all, an excellent representation, matching the price and the physical possibilities. And for comparison; during the test period, the Revery R5 was right next to the IKEA Symphonic lamp speaker that is also in my study. The latter wins (of course) in terms of user-friendliness because it is simply a Sonos speaker, but the reproduction of the Sangean is more pleasant, more balanced and less tiring. And that is a real compliment to Sangean.
Conclusion A radio with a power of 5 watts. That can’t be anything, can it? The opposite is true. The Sangean Revery R5 is the epitome of a device where you should not focus on those kinds of specifications. The reproduction is above average and the possibilities are extensive. A great system to place in a teenage room, bedroom, office or in a kitchen. Hours of listening pleasure guaranteed.
It’s been 6 years since Alexa it arrived in the USA for the first time but also 2 years since it landed in our country. Today he decides to celebrate and to do so there is Tiziano Ferro who sings his best wishes.
by Bruno Mucciarelli published 06 November 2020 , at 10: 01 in the Peripherals channel Amazon Alexa
Alexa blows out the candles today! It’s been two years since it officially arrived in Italy, six years since it landed on devices in the USA for the first time. A story that is impressive because Alexa in Italy achieved incredible success immediately with a series of products launched by Amazon that have become 13 from 4 initials. Not only because the skills developed for Alexa are now more than 4. 000 while two years ago at the beginning they were only 400.
Alexa: the greetings sung by Tiziano Ferro. How to listen to it
How to celebrate these two years of Alexa? First of all it will be possible to listen to the song ”Happy Birthday to You” sung by Tiziano Ferro . To listen to it, just say to Alexa ” Alexa, happy birthday “ and you will listen to Titian’s surprise for Alexa. The singer, moreover, today releases his new album Accept Miracles, the experience of others and not only the new documentary Ferro on Amazon Prime Video.
But the celebrations don’t end there because Amazon decides to celebrate Alexa also by offering an exclusive playlist with all the favorite songs. if users have to do is say ” Alexa, put the six years playlist in the Amazon Music cloud “ and after that they can listen to all Alexa’s favorite songs. Another gift will also be that of Audible. Here is that users will be able to listen for free through Alexa devices, the podcast ”Proof” which is nothing more than a scientific investigation into the videos of the Roswell autopsy told by Massimo Polidoro.
Alexa in these two years we know how much she actually helped the Italians. During the last 12 months has in fact seen the beauty of 5 million recipes, set tens of millions of timers but also added 3 million products in the shopping lists as well as having turned 2 million times a day to manage the lighting of Italian homes. Some curiosities? The most requested recipe was that of ” Spaghetti alla carbonara ” but also the Pizza Margherita and the Tiramisu took second and third place.
Developers have grown exponentially with Alexa. The portal opened in June of 2018 here is that today the developers have become even 12. 000 from 3. 000 which instead were at the beginning. Alexa has clearly improved over the years with a user understanding that has reduced errors as far as 12% compared to the first days. To date, moreover, in Italy, customers have assigned a rating higher than 4.5 stars to the various Echo Dot, Echo Show 5 but also to other devices with a really high satisfaction.
In short, a birthday to remember for Alexa. Happy Birthday Alexa!
HERE ARE ALL THE PRODUCTS (also on OFFER) by Amazon ECHO
Every time a new issue of What Hi-Fi? is published – that’s 13 times a year – we update our playlist with a new selection of the music we’ve been listening to (and testing with) over the past month.
And guess what? Now is that time.
The Awards 2020 issue of What Hi-Fi? is now on sale, the most comprehensive guide to the best hi-fi and AV products currently available on the market.
And right now, we have an offer you can’t miss out on: for a limited time only, you can take out a quarterly subscription of three print and digital issues for only £10 –a princely sum over the newsstand price, yes, but it also means that three months of technology news, reviews and features will land on your doormat and on your iPhone, iPad, Android device or Kindle.
(Image credit: Future)
This issue is where we celebrate the 111 best products of the year, including the best of the best in our 26 categories from stereo amps to smartphones. You’ll also find out which product you collectively voted for as the Readers’ Award winner for 2020.
As ever, there’s also a full complement of First Tests – including our full review of the superb KEF LS50 Meta speakers – and our exhaustive Buyer’s Guide.
Naturally, you’re going to need something to test out all your new kit with, so here’s a list of 20 songs – handpicked by our editorial team – we’ve been using for our reviews this month.
Happy listening!
To listen to the playlist via the streaming service of your choice, just click on the relevant link below and load up on new music.
Listen: What Hi-Fi?Spotify playlist 2020
Listen: What Hi-Fi? Tidal playlist Awards 2020
Listen: What Hi-Fi? Deezer playlist Awards 2020
Listen: What Hi-Fi? Qobuz playlist Awards 2020
10 of the best songs to test your speakers
10 of the best hi-res albums on Tidal Masters
10 of the best vinyl albums to tell someone you love them
10 of the best-sounding vinyl records
12 great jazz recordings to test your hi-fi system
Under the hood, Dell’s Tiger Lake update to its XPS 13 2-in-1 convertible makes it the best iteration of the line yet. But an unreasonably shallow keyboard makes using it as a laptop a chore.
For
Strong performance
Bright screen
Clear audio
Against
Low keyboard travel
Few ports
Not upgradeable
Dell’s latest iteration on the XPS 13 2-in-1 brings
Tiger Lake
to this popular line of convertibles, complete with
Intel Evo
certification that promises a better mobile experience. That means you’ll be getting up to 11 hours of battery life, plus features like instant wake. You’ll also get Intel’s new Iris Xe integrated graphics, plus
Thunderbolt 4
ports.
That’s a lot of quality-of-life improvements (or at least quality of your PC life), and our benchmarking shows that you can expect strong performance on CPU-heavy tasks like Geekbench and video editing as well. But that arguably doesn’t matter if the laptop itself is difficult to use, especially given that convertibles sell themselves on their all-in-one nature. We had complaints about Dell’s new keyboard direction for this line of computers on last year’s model, saying it resembled Apple’s much-maligned butterfly keyboard. How does this new model hold up?
Dell’s latest XPS 13 2-in-1 updates last year’s model with a silver and black color scheme that makes it look largely generic on the outside, but much more premium on the inside. While the silver case does have a slightly glittery finish that gives it some texture, its noticeable hinge means it doesn’t give too sleek of a first impression –that is, until you open it up.
Opening the XPS 13 2-in-1 reveals an all-black keyboard surrounded by a comfortable black “woven glass fiber” cushion that has a leathery appearance. It feels great on my wrists while typing, and its checkerboard pattern immediately makes the laptop look boardroom-level fancy.
That impressive look means you might want to take this machine into the conference room with you, but since it’s sacrificed most I/O options in exchange for a thinner form factor, you’ll probably need to bring a dongle or two. There’s a single Thunderbolt 4 port on the laptop’s left side along with a microSD card reader, as well as another Thunderbolt 4 port on the laptop’s right side next to a 3.5mm combination headphone and microphone jack. That’s all the connectivity you’ll get out of the box, though our review unit did come with a USB Type-A to USB Type-C dongle for connecting older devices to the laptop’s Thunderbolt ports more easily.
That lack of ports does mean the 2-in-1 is impressively thin, though other recent machines have offered more connectivity while still hitting the same thinness. At 11.7 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches, it’s roughly on par with the 11.6 x 7.8 x 0.6 inch non-convertible
XPS 13 9310
, as well as the 12 x 8.3 x 0.6 inch
Zenbook Flip S
. The Dell clamshell has the same ports as the 2-in-1, while the Asus has a full HDMI connection and a USB Type-A port. The non-convertible
Zenbook 13
is slightly thinner than the XPS 2-in-1 at 11.9 x 8 x 0.5 inches, despite also having a full HDMI connection and a USB Type-A port.
The XPS 13 2-in-1 is also slightly heavy for an ultraportable, though certainly not clunky. At 2.9 pounds, it’s heavier than its 2.8-pound nonconvertible cousin, as well as the 2.7-pound ZenBook Flip S and the 2.4-pound Zenbook 13.
Productivity Performance of Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (9310)
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is the first Evo-certified Dell convertible, which means it packs a Tiger Lake i7-1165G7 chip and has a number of mobile optimizations such as greater than 9 hours of battery life and the ability to wake from sleep in less than 1 second. The laptop’s Evo features held up in our testing, but even beyond that, it was able to excel against other i7-1165G7 laptops like the nonconvertible XPS 13, the ZenBook Flip S and the ZenBook 13 in most tests.
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In Geekbench, which tests general system performance, the 2-in-1 snagged 5,571 points, more than any other contender. The nonconvertible XPS 13 was the closest, with a score of 5,254 points, while the Zenbook 13 was next with 5,084 points and the ZenBook Flip S lagged behind with 3,880 points.
Both of Dell’s recent XPS options lagged behind on file transfer speeds, though. The 2-in-1 transferred 4.97GB of files at a rate of 503.1 MBps, while its nonconvertible cousin was faster at 806.2 MBps. But both Dells lagged behind Asus’ machines, as the ZenBook Flip S was much speedier at 1,297.2 MBps and the ZenBook 13 was respectable at 966.8 MBps.
However, video editing once again put the 2-in-1 in the spotlight. On our Handbrake video editing benchmark, which tests how long it takes a computer to transcode a video down from
4K
to
FHD
, the XPS 13 2-in-1 was easily the fastest computer we tested, with a time of 15:52. The next quickest contender was the ZenBook 13, with a time of 17:51, while the nonconvertible XPS 13 had a time of 18:22 and the Flip S was the slowest with a time of 22:05.
New to Intel’s Tiger Lake chips are Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, which we tested using 3DMark’s Fire Strike benchmark. The ZenBook 13 performed best here, with a score of 4,407, with the 2-in-1 coming in next with a score of 3,847. The nonconvertible XPS 13 and ZenBook Flip S rounded out the list with scores of 3,598 and 3,351 respectively.
If you’re curious how those numbers translate to games, we also played about a half hour of Overwatch on the XPS 13 2-in-1 at various settings. Despite some hiccups on the first try, the system ran mostly smoothly after a reboot. At 1920 x 1080, we were most comfortable playing on low settings, which tended to hover around 60 fps exactly and had the fewest drastic framerate drops. Medium settings will drop you down to 30-40 fps, but runs the risk of occasional dips into the 20s.
We also stress tested the XPS 13 2-in-1 by running it through Cinebench R20 on a loop 20 times. It started off with fairly strong performance at 2,056.3 points, before dropping off to an average of 1,584.8 points. During this benchmark, its CPU ran at an average clock speed of 2.53 GHz and had an average temperature of 60.3 degrees Celsius.
Display on Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (9310)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The XPS 13 2-in-1 has a basic 13.4 inch LED touchscreen that, despite not being
IPS
or
OLED
, makes an impression thanks to a bright backlight and a 16:10 1920 x 1200 aspect ratio.
I tested the 2-in-1’s screen by watching the trailer for The Devil All the Time on it. The first thing I noticed was how bright the picture was, though this didn’t save the screen from having poor viewing angles. Regardless of how much surrounding light I had on it, the 2-in-1’s screen tended to wash out whenever I got more than a 45 degree angle away from the center. Still, the blacks were deep and the colors were accurate, if not particularly vivid.
The taller aspect ratio also proved helpful when scrolling through webpages, although that feels more intuitive in vertical orientation in tablet mode.
According to our tests, the XPS 13 2-in-1 has an average brightness of 488 nits, which was the highest among the laptops we compared it to. By comparison, the non-convertible XPS 13 had an average brightness of 469 nits, while the ZenBook Flip S and ZenBook 13 had average brightnesses of 370 nits and 375 nits, respectively.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The color rankings were a bit closer. According to our colorimeter, the 2-in-1 covers 70% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is indistinguishable from the conconvertibles XPS 13’s 69% score. Asus’ laptops performed generally better here, with the ZenBook 13 covering 76.1% of the DCI-P3 spectrum and the ZenBook Flip S hitting a much wider 113.1%.
Keyboard and Touchpad on Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (9310)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Keyboards are often the bane of convertible laptops, and the XPS 13 2-in-1 is a great example of this form factor’s greatest weakness.
The difficulty with putting a keyboard on a convertible is making sure it doesn’t become distracting or cumbersome when the laptop is in tablet mode. One answer to this issue (while also keeping the device thin) is to heavily reduce key travel distance. This will make the keys seem flatter and less present when not in use. That seems to be the answer Dell has gone for here, but the issue with this solution is that it greatly hampers the keyboard’s comfortable usability in laptop mode.
The XPS 13 2-in-1’s keyboard easily has the shallowest travel distance of any laptop keyboard I’ve reviewed yet, which makes it difficult to feel much feedback when typing. This meant that not only did I make frequent typos while using it, but I also had to completely change up my typing style. While I usually type with all of my fingers, I found that I frequently lost track of where I was on the keyboard as I typed, and that the best way to keep track of my finger placement and thus increase speed and reduce typos was to limit my typing to just my two index fingers.
That might sound like overkill, but this strategy isn’t too dissimilar to my approach when using a touchscreen keyboard, which the XPS 13 2-in-1’s keyboard shares some similarities to due to the lack of noticeable feedback on each keypress. Even so, my speed on 10fastfingers.com tended to hover anywhere from 59 wpm to 70 wpm, with my average being closer to 80, as well as having far fewer typos.
While your mileage may vary on typing speed or accuracy, the keyboard also just isn’t very comfortable. The lack of travel distance also made the keyboard feel hard and tough to press, like I was repeatedly jamming my fingers up against a wall as opposed to pressing buttons. Even Apple’s much-maligned butterfly keyboard, which has similar issues, feels comparatively cushiony when bottoming out.
In tablet mode, I also still found myself accidentally pressing keys more often than I’d like. Keyboard input is disabled in tablet mode, so this doesn’t have any effect on your activity, but it still felt clumsy and made me wonder if the sacrifices to the keyboard’s travel distance were worth it.
With all that said, the 2-in-1’s touchpad and touchscreen input are both excellent. The laptop uses Windows precision drivers and expertly handles multi-touch gestures on either device, and the 4.4 x 2.6 inch touchpad in particular is smooth and feels almost cushiony to the touch. This mirrors the cushiony, leathery material on the laptop’s wrist rest area, which is also comfortable.
Audio of Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (9310)
The XPS 13 2-in-1 has bottom-firing speakers on either side, which I tested by listening to Be Prepared from the Lion King soundtrack — the original one. I found that despite being somewhat quiet, the laptop packs impressively true-to-life audio.
Be Prepared is arguably more dialogue than music, which turned out to be a great way to demonstrate the XPS 13 2-in-1’s voice quality. Scar’s actors in this scene (he actually swaps from Jeremy Irons to Jim Cummings partway through, fun fact) sounded clear and unmuddled throughout, with a rich quality that both expressed performance and clarity. That’s despite the song’s numerous background sound effects, like hissing geysers, which did not distract and sounded as atmospheric as ever.
The backing music also didn’t lose its bass, nor did the xylophone segments sound tinny, regardless of how high I raised the volume.
That leads me to the speakers’ biggest issue: They don’t get very loud. Even at maximum volume, I had difficulty filling more than one room with sound. Still, if you’re sitting next to the laptop, it gets plenty loud for personal use.
Upgradeability of Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (9310)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
There’s not much point to opening the XPS 13 2-in-1, though Dell hasn’t gone out of its way to make it too difficult. Just use a Torx screwdriver- we used a T5 bit- and remove the 8 screws along the bottom, then pry off the case with a spudger.
Once you’re inside, the only component you’ll have access to is the battery. The RAM is soldered in and the SSD and networking cards are unfortunately inaccessible. That’s not too unexpected for an ultraportable convertible, but it does mean you’ll want to make sure you like your laptop’s configuration before you buy it.
Battery Life of Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (9310)
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is Intel Evo certified, which means Intel has verified that it has at least 9 hours of battery life on FHD screens. That held true during our testing, though the 2-in-1 faced some stiff competition from other Tiger Lake laptops.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
During our battery benchmark, which continually browses the web, streams video and runs OpenGL tests over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness, the XPS 13 2-in-1 held out for 10 hours and 52 minutes. That’s significantly longer than the 8:11 battery life of the nonconvertible XPS 13, but not quite as lengthy as the 11:07 life of the ZenBook 13 or the 13:47 ZenBook Flip S’s endurance on the same test.
Heat of Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (9310)
The XPS 13 2-in-1 is thin and designed to be held when in use, which makes strong heat management vital. Luckily, the XPS 13 2-in-1 more than meets the task.
We took the 2-in-1’s temperature after streaming 15 minutes of video over YouTube. The touchpad was the coolest spot, at 74.7 degrees Fahrenheit (23.7 degrees Celsius), while the keyboard (between the G and H keys) was the next coolest location at 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27.2 degrees Celsius). The bottom of the laptop jumped up to a still manageable 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31.1 degrees Celsius), while the hottest location was near the print screen key. Even this just ended up being 92.3 degrees Fahrenheit (33.5 degrees Celsius), which is still plenty comfortable to the touch.
Webcam on Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (9310)
The XPS 13 2-in-1’s 720p webcam might not match the webcam built into a dedicated tablet, but it still manages to come out above most laptop webcams, which often feel like afterthoughts.
That’s because its picture lacks any kind of noticeable grain or color inaccuracy, which means that any photos you take will appear true-to-life as opposed to distorting your picture. This extends to texture too, and the camera works well across lighting levels, able to perform well in low light and only improving more with greater ambient brightness.
The camera also intelligently swaps to a vertical orientation when using the 2-in-1 in tablet mode and holding it vertically. While your selfies aren’t bound to look as good as those taken on an iPhone, it’s good to know you can recreate that casual experience here.
The 2-in-1’s camera also has an IR sensor for Windows Hello.
Software and Warranty of Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (9310)
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 packs the usual Windows bloat, like Netflix and Microsoft Solitaire Collection, but the real depth of this laptop’s pre-installed software is in the 13 utility programs Dell includes alongside it.
Some of these programs are helpful, like Dell Mobile Connect, which lets you access your phone’s functions and mirror its screen to your laptop. Dell Update, meanwhile, lets you update your BIOS and drivers. But plenty of these programs are either niche, or just hidden storefronts.
For instance, Dell Cinema Guide lets you consolidate your streaming apps into a single program, while “MaxxAudio Pro by Waves” attempts to use your webcam to make spatial audio more realistic on headphones. These might be helpful to some users, but most will likely end up skipping them. Most egregious are inclusions like Dell Digital Delivery, MyDell and “Dropbox promotion,” which attempt to get you to buy even more software.
Because these programs are so hit and miss, it’s very likely some users will ignore them entirely and thus miss out on the more helpful utilities. Meanwhile, competitors like Lenovo are making the utility experience more accessible by bundling programs like these together into one package — Lenovo’s is called Vantage.
We’d prefer a solution that lets us choose whether we want to turn on a movie or nighttime screen color mode without having to click on “Dell CinemaColor” and hoping that’s how we access it.
Configurations of Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (9310)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The XPS 13 2-in-1 9310 starts at $1,099 with options ranging up to $1,949, so it’s got plenty of configurability.
Our $1650 review unit packed an Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU with 16GB of LPDDR4X memory and a 512 GB SSD. If you don’t quite need that much power, there are also Core i3 and Core i5 options that will cut your price down by a few hundred dollars, plus you can lower your memory and storage down to 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for even more savings. Conversely, you can also choose up to 1TB of storage if you need more space.
Our review unit also used a 1920 x 1200 WLED display, but if you’re a 4K fanatic, you can also upgrade to a 3840 x 2400 WLED screen instead.
Bottom Line
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The XPS 13 2-in-1 is a powerful convertible with a bright screen and plenty of mobile convenience thanks to its Intel Evo certification. But its keyboard hampers its laptop usability.
When it comes to performance, it’s hard to beat the new 2-in-1. It leverages the same CPU as both other recent convertibles and other recent ultraportables to much greater effect in tests like Geekbench and Handbrake, though it can be on the slow end on file transfer speeds. Still, it’s in-app performance is impressive.
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 has also got a bright (if not overly colorful) screen, a more-than-decent webcam and clear audio for such a small size. Were it not for one glaring flaw, the new XPS 13 2-in-1 would be a no-brainer.
The biggest factor drawing this convertible down is the keyboard. While your experience may differ from mine, I found it inaccurate and uncomfortable, thanks to the smallest travel distance on keypress I’ve encountered yet. Typos were prevalent when I was using it, and I was a slower typist than usual.
While keeping the keyboard so flat does fit the tablet mode well, even this intention doesn’t succeed. I still found the keyboard distracting when using the 2-in-1 as a tablet, and still pressed plenty of keys when holding it as one (though keyboard input is disabled in tablet mode).
You can get around this flaw by using an external keyboard, sure, but that negates the point of the machine. As an all-in-one portable device, the XPS 13 2-in-1 is powerful, but doesn’t make for the most convenient, comfortable-to-use laptop.
If you’re willing to sacrifice some performance for a more comfortable keyboard while still buying a convertible, the
Asus ZenBook Flip S
promises 1.4mm of travel. It also has a 4K OLED screen at $1,450, while the XPS 13 2-in-1 doesn’t have 4K options until you hit the $1,950 price point.
If you just want an ultraportable, the
ZenBook 13
generally outperformed the nonconvertible
Dell XPS 13
in our benchmarks, aside from Geekbench, while costing much less and having a much larger (and faster) SSD. It’s a good choice if value is your prime concern, but the XPS 13 does have the trendy, taller 16:10 1920 x 1200 aspect ratio.
If a poor keyboard doesn’t bother you, then the XPS 13 2-in-1 is a clear standout here. It performs well and has great convenience features like strong audio and a good webcam. But if you want one device that can do it all, then you’re better off sticking to something that can support comfortable typing for longer periods.
Apple has iOS 14. 2 and iPadOS 14. 2 released for download. The operating system update can be downloaded via the integrated software update (Settings / General / Software update) or installed from a desktop PC via iTunes.
The new iOS version integrates the Unicode standard 13. 0 and contains over 80 new emojis, from ninja to beaver to a classic Italian hand gesture. New groceries, household items and musical instruments are also available, as Apple announced – as well as other gender-neutral emojis.
A small selection of the new emojis in iOS 14. 2.
(Image: Apple / Emojipedia)
New functions in iOS 14. 2 iOS 14. 2 contains a revised music control in the control center, which enables quick access to the audio content last played and music output via multiple AirPlay -Speaker intended to simplify. Apple also allows the purchased music recognition service Shazam to be added to the control center in order to quickly identify music played on the device via headphones.
With the update, Apple is also introducing the battery management system known from iPhones on AirPods: “Optimized charging” is intended to extend the battery life by using the earphones only up to 80 percent are loaded – instead of immediately to 100 percent. When playing very loud music through headphones, the operating system should also warn the user of possible hearing damage.
The magnifying glass function can be used in iOS 14. 2 the LiDAR sensor of iPhone Pro and iPad Pro 2020 to record people in the area and to name their distance – a new operating aid for users with impaired vision.
iOS 14. 2 also brings eight fresh background images as well as support for the new intercom function, with which voice messages can be sent to Apple’s WiFi speaker HomePod and other devices. Optionally, users can also anonymously share information about coronavirus encounter notices with health authorities, as Apple notes. Whether this function will also be introduced in Germany remains unclear for the time being.
Many bug fixes The updates for iOS and iPadOS also address a number of errors and problem areas, including jumbled apps in the dock or problems with the photos widget. Also, when creating new reminders, points in time from the past should no longer be suggested, as Apple lists, a possibly black screen during Netflix playback has been fixed. IPhone charging via the Qi charging mat should work reliably again instead of possibly being interrupted.
Apple also seems to have tackled a persistent bug that can lead to missing GPS tracks when recording sports activities with the Apple Watch – watchOS is probably also improving here 7.1 after. According to the manufacturer, restoring an iPhone via backup and migrating data from another iPhone no longer deactivates the corona encounter messages.
With iOS and iPadOS 14. 2 Apple also closes security holes. The manufacturer should publish information on the plugged vulnerabilities shortly.
44 Percent of adolescents have experienced at least one near-accident in their life because they were distracted by their smartphone. For 17 percent there were two or more near-accidents, a survey among 1011 Adolescents aged from 14 to 18 Years.
6 percent of them stated that they had already had an accident with their smartphone in hand . 18 percent have seen such an accident before, 16 Percent were told about it in their family or friends. 53 percent heard of an accident from other sources, 26 percent The Federal Working Group (BAG) has never determined more safety for children.
Chats, listening to music, making phone calls When asked, what they were doing immediately before their near-accident, 64 percent said they had read chats. 29 percent listened to music, 18 percent telephoned and 16 percent watched video clips. 10 Percent played.
The BAG claims to have observed that dangerous situations in traffic and in public life, which are caused by careless behavior and distraction, are increasing. “Children as pedestrians have accidents 88 percent when crossing the street. More than half paid no attention to the traffic,” explains BAG managing director Andreas Kalbitz. ) Parents are often bad role models. 69 Percent indicated that they had already seen their parents using their smartphone on the steering wheel. They rate smartphone use in the car as “very dangerous”, as “dangerous” when crossing the street or cycling.
Microsoft’s new generation of consoles, the Xbox Series, builds on the Xbox One series and can in turn be used as a streaming client for commercial music and video services and – in the case of the Xbox Series X – as Blu-ray and UHD -Blu-ray player use.
In the past few days, lists had already appeared in the US media stating which streaming services should be launched will be usable on the Xbox Series. However, some of them are limited to the US market.
As of today, the German series consoles will launch for Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney +, Sky Ticket, Zattoo, DAZN, Eurosport, Spotify , Deezer, YouTube, Vimeo and Twitch apps are available. There are also apps for a range of services related to US sports (NBA, MLB, NHL). At the 10. According to US media reports, Apple TV + will be added in November.
We can already confirm that Netflix and Disney + in 4K with increased contrast range in the formats Dolby Vision or HDR 10 and stream it to the new consoles with 3D sound in Dolby Atmos format. At Amazon Prime, there are currently still problems with HDR on a test device, but Microsoft is already working on a solution.
“No Dolby Vision for physical media” fans of the Ultra HD Blu-ray had hoped that with the new generation of consoles, Microsoft would finally support Dolby Vision when playing 4K discs. This is currently not the case on the Xbox Series X, however. Upon request, Microsoft issued the following statement:
” Xbox Series X | S support Dolby Vision for streaming applications at launch and are off Spring 2021 the first consoles to offer Dolby Vision for video games. Xbox Series X supports UHD Blu-Ray media and game discs – Dolby Vision for physical media is not supported. ”
It is worth noting that Microsoft is correct in its opinion on supporting Dolby Vision for physical media categorically denied. In contrast to video games with Dolby Vision, the company does not give any outlook that this situation will change in the future.
(Pocket-lint) – Having a smart home isn’t just about clever appliances or smartphone-controlled heating, you can also get clever lights too. That doesn’t just mean smartphone control, but can also sort you out with all kinds of other great features.
The best smart alarm clocks 2020: Wake up in style
You switch lights on or off everyday and they can play an essential part in creating an ambience in a room. Some smart lighting solutions enable you to recreate the colours within a particular image, while other solutions just mean you don’t need to get up off the sofa to turn the lights off.
Best of all, these smart bulbs will almost always be a big upgrade on your old bulbs in terms of energy efficiency. They’re generally LED, meaning they use less energy to run, but scheduling also makes sure that you can turn them off when you’re not around, or geo-gate them to only be on if you’re at home.
Here are some of the best smart lighting options to consider.
Our pick of the best smart lighting
Philips
Philips Hue
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Philips Hue is probably the most well known when it comes to smart lighting and for good reason with numerous features and various bulbs, lamps and other lights, such as strips, available. The wireless system allows you to use your smartphone to not only switch the LED bulbs on and off, but pick the colour and brightness you want, as well as recreate colours within a specific image, like a sunset you uploaded to Instagram or a painting on your wall.
You can program specific times, for example waking everyone in the house up at 7am every day with bright lights and the Hue system also has a party mode for flashing in time with your music. Philips Hue is compatible with the IFTTT service, as well as Apple’s HomeKit, Google’s Assistant and Amazon Alexa, meaning you can create recipes to take your smart lighting to a different level or control them with your voice
Philips Hue complete system review: A shining light in the smart home
Hive
Hive Active Light
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Hive, perhaps best known for its smart heating system, offers three bulbs in its smart lighting range. The Hive range isn’t as feature rich as the likes of Philips Hue but you’ll still be able to control your lights from your smartphone whether home or away, schedule them and change the colour to create your perfect ambience, assuming you buy the Colour Changing bulb.
There aren’t any strips or lamps available with Hive, like there are with Philips Hue, but Hive does offer both a GU10 and E14 candle bulb, as well as B22 bayonet, on top of the standard E27 bulb. The GU10, E14 and B22 bulbs aren’t currently available in a colour changing option but they do come in white dimmable and cool to warm white options. The Hive Active lights are also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant so if you have an Amazon Echo device, or Google Home home device, you can control your lights with your voice too.
Hive review: The British Gas system that’s the hub of all things
Osram
Osram Lightify
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Osram’s Lightify is one of the closest to Philips Hue in terms of bulb type availability. Its wireless system offers not only standard screw and bayonet bulbs, but GU10s, LED strips and garden spotlights too, all of which can be controlled through the Lightify smartphone app.
There aren’t quite as many features as there are with Philips Hue, but you’ll still get remote access to your lights, scheduling functionality, ambience creation and scene creation. You won’t be able to sync your lights to your music or a film as yet, but the Osram Lightify system is cheaper than Hue, there is a good range of bulbs and it is compatible with most smart home platforms.
Osram Lightify review: Lights out for Philips Hue?
Ikea
Ikea Home Smart
View offer on Ikea.com
Are there any pies Ikea doesn’t have a finger in? The Swedish furniture giant offers numerous options when it comes to smart lighting, at Ikea prices, making smart lighting more accessible than it has been in the past and the system is excellent. There are numerous plug-and-play kits available, from standard white dimmable options, to colour adjustable options where users can switch between warm white and bright white.
Unlike Philips Hue and Osram Lightify, Ikea offers only one coloured bulb option at the moment, but there are several bulb fittings available if you’re after a white colour spectrum, including GU10s, along with light panels with wireless control. Ikea’s smart lights are said to last for 25,000 hours and along with smartphone control via the app, there is also a remote control and dimmer control. The Home Smart (previously called Trådfri) lights are also compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant, which you’ll need to pair them up with if you want to control them away from home.
Ikea Trdfri review: Affordable smart lights and plugs
Sengled
Sengled
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Sengled Wi-Fi Classic is one of the only smart lighting options that doesn’t require an additional hub in the UK – at least for many of its products anyway. Instead, the Wi-Fi Classic, Sengled Boost and Sengled Colour Plus bulbs can be taken straight out of their packaging, screwed in and connected directly to your router through the one of the dedicated Sengled apps.
The Wi-Fi Classic option is the cheapest, offering white dimmable light, while the Sengled Colour Plus is a coloured bulb with a built-in speaker and the Senged Boost is a white dimmable light with WLAN boosting capabilities. There is also a Sengled Element range, though this requires a hub. Features including scheduling, dimming and smartphone control from anywhere are available across the Sengled range. The Sengled Wi-Fi Classic bulbs are also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing for voice control with a compatible device.
Pocket-lint
Tapo
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For those who want simplicity over all else, Tapo offers a really nice solution in the form of its smart bulbs, which don’t require a bridge or hub of any sort.
They’ll connect to your Wi-Fi and work nicely with Google Home and Amazon Alexa, and the most affordable version has dimming to let you set the mood. It’s not as sophisticated a system as the likes of Philips Hue, but it’s a superb option if you want your first smart bulb.
Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Bulb review: Simple smart lighting
Belkin
Belkin WeMo Smart LED lighting
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Belkin offers all sorts of WeMo connected devices and included within the range is the WeMo Smart LED bulb and the WeMo Light Switch, both of which allow lighting control from an iPhone or Android device. The WeMo Smart LED Bulb replaces your existing bulbs enabling you to control, schedule and fully dim them from anywhere using the WeMo Link, Wi-Fi and the WeMo app. It’s worth mentioning that like most of IKEA smart lights, the WeMo bulbs only offer variants of white light rather than millions of colour options.
The WeMo bulbs can be controlled independently or in groups and the WeMo Link can handle up to 50 bulbs. The WeMo LED bulbs offer compatibility with IFTTT, meaning you can create various recipes like the Hue system and they are also compatible with Google Assistant for voice control. There is also a WeMo Light Switch that is designed to replace a standard light switch in your home and allow you to turn your normal lights on and off from anywhere using a smartphone.
LIFX
LIFX
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Originating on Kickstarter, LIFX is an LED light bulb that can be controlled using a smartphone app but like Sengled, it doesn’t require an additional hub. From the LIFX app, you can turn your lights on or off, adjust brightness, change the colour, and even create a light show to go with your music.
Like many of the smart light solutions available, LIFX also offers a wake-up feature, allowing you to wake up naturally each morning with automatically increasing light, or drift off with slowly dimming lights. The company also offers LIFX PLUS bulbs which have the additional advantage of a night vision settings, and like Philips Hue and Osram Lightify, there are LED strips available too.
Lightwave
Lightwave
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Lightwave is not just about lighting, it’s about controlling your entire home whether that be heating, electricity or lighting. It’s a clever system that requires you to swap your sockets and switches for Lightwave units that offer push-buttons and LED indicators, rather than changing out your bulbs like others on this list.
Once you have installed the system, you use the switches and plugs as normal but you get the additional functionality of being able to remotely control and monitor your lighting, power and energy usage from an internet-enabled device. The Lightwave app will let you to set routines based on your usual daily activities, as well as remotely control things.
Nanoleaf
Nanoleaf light panels
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Nanoleaf is a fully-customisable smart lighting system featuring wall-mounted triangular lighting panels that snap together with simple connectors to create whatever shape you can imagine. The starter pack is expandable with extra panels that can be bought and combined to create bigger and bolder designs in future too.
Nanoleaf light panels are app-controlled (iOS and Android) and the system is compatible with most smart home platforms, including Google, Amazon and Apple, allowing for voice control. Like other smart lighting options, Nanoleaf can be programmed to turn on and off at specific hours, and switch light scenes. The Nanoleaf starter pack also includes a Rhythm Module, which transforms the light panels into a dancing light show that reacts to surrounding sound.
Nanoleaf
Nanoleaf Canvas
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Nanoleaf Canvas are fully-customisable six-inch squares that can be connected together and installed anywhere in your home, walls or ceilings, using the included 3M stickers. The lights can be expanded with multiple panels, up to a total of 500 squares, meaning you can fill entire walls with colourful lighting if you so wish.
The panels are touch-sensitive and can be controlled in a variety of ways with gestures, voice commands via a personal assistant or from your phone. Nanoleaf Canvas can also be installed in a multitude of patterns and customised to your own personal taste and the lights can react to the sound in the room – syncing to music or just providing a brilliant light show in your living room.
Pocket-lint
Cololight Smart LED Panels
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If you are interested in customisable smart lighting panels that allow you to create your own patterns and shapes, but don’t like the idea of mounting them on your walls then these lights may be the answer.
This kit contains six hexagonal light panels that can be connected together in various different shapes. They’re then mounted on the hefty stone base that sits nicely on your desk, mantelpiece or windowsill. You can then choose from a variety of different shades, scenes and lighting options from within the app with ease.
The highlights to Cololight’s smart LED panels is they’re not only customisable in the way you connect them, they’re also expandable. So you can purchase additional panels to create larger designs. You’re not restricted to a single design either as you can easily remove the linking modules and create an entirely new look in a matter of seconds.
These lights also react to sound so can be used to create an awesome little light show with to go along with your music as well.
For the price, this is a nifty little smart lighting system that’s a cool addition to the home.
G.Skill has expanded the brand’s Trident Z Neo with a couple of new memory kits that are optimized for AMD’s Ryzen 5000 processors, which have officially gone on sale today.
The Trident Z Neo DDR4-3600 C14, which is one of the best in its class, was only previously available in 16GB (2x8GB) kits. It will certainly come as music to enthusiasts’ ears that G.Skill has finally decided to offer the memory kit in 32GB (2x16GB) and 64GB (4x16GB) flavors for the more demanding consumers. Despite the increase in density, the primary timings and operating voltage remain untouched at 14-15-15-35 and 1.45V, respectively.
With today’s announcement, G.Skill also brings the first DDR4-3800 C14 memory kit to the market and with a capacity of 32GB (2x16GB) at that. Although the memory kit requires a DRAM voltage of 1.5V, it does flex impressive low timings of 14-16-16-36.
G.Skill Trident Z Neo Specifications
Frequency
Timings
Voltage (V)
Capacity
DDR4-3600
14-15-15-35
1.45
2 x 16GB, 4 x 16GB
DDR4-3800
14-16-16-36
1.50
2 x 16GB
DDR4-3800
16-19-19-39
1.40
2 x 8GB, 4 x 8GB, 2 x 16GB
DDR4-3800
18-22-22-42
1.40
2 x 8GB, 4 x 8GB, 2 x 16GB, 2 x 32GB
DDR4-4000
16-19-19-39
1.40
2 x 8GB, 2 x 16GB
DDR4-4000
18-18-18-38
1.40
2 x 16GB
DDR4-4000
18-22-22-42
1.40
2 x 32GB
For enthusiasts eager to push their Ryzen 5000 processor, the higher-clocked Trident Z Neo DDR4-4000 memory kits are exactly what the doctor ordered. If you don’t know by now, some remarkable Ryzen 5000 samples can support a Infinity Fabric clock (FCLK) up to 2,000 MHz, meaning you can leverage DDR4-4000 memory without infringing the 1:1 ratio with the memory clock (MCLK).
The DDR4-4000 variants of the Trident Z Neo come with CAS Latency values that span from 16 to 18, depending on the capacity that you need. Performance wise, the memory kits might not match G.Skill’s existing DDR4-4000 C15 offerings. However, they should be easier on the pockets in comparison to their faster counterparts.
The latest Trident Z Neo memory kits won’t be available globally until the end of this month, therefore, G.Skill hasn’t revealed the pricing for them yet.
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Over the last several years, Jabra’s true wireless earbuds have consistently earned positive reviews and are often at the top of recommendation lists for people who aren’t interested in Apple’s AirPods. Last month, the company announced its latest set — and first to ship with active noise cancellation. The $230 Elite 85t are Jabra’s most premium earbuds yet and meant to go toe-to-toe with the AirPods Pro and Bose’s new QuietComfort Earbuds. But in a surprise bonus, Jabra said it would bring ANC (albeit a less effective implementation) to its existing Elite 75t and Elite Active 75t via a firmware update.
The 85t buds have a new chip dedicated to noise canceling, which allows them to cancel out a wider range of outside sounds than the 75t, where the ANC feature feels tacked on. But while they look and feel very similar to the prior model, Jabra has made some consequential design choices. Most notably, the 85ts now have a “semi-open” design that eliminates the plugged-up ear feeling of older sets. That change comes with sacrifice, however, as these earbuds aren’t capable of the same resounding, impactful bass as the 75t. Jabra has also switched to oval-shaped ear tips — likely necessitated by the larger 12mm drivers and ANC circuitry — that feel slightly less secure in my ears compared to the older round style. And the Elite 85t buds are rated IPX4 for water and sweat resistance, a downgrade from previous Jabras.
But even with those changes, the Elite 85ts are among the better noise-canceling earbuds on the market, thanks to their best-in-class controls, wealth of features, and reliable performance. The main question is whether the noise cancellation is worth the added cost over the Elite 75t. Considering the differences in water resistance and sound quality, it’s not a straightforward answer.
Picking up the 85ts, everything feels very familiar. They’re slightly larger and heavier than their predecessors, the drilled microphone holes are much smaller (likely to keep out dust), and the most obvious change is those oval speaker grills. The case has also grown in size a tad, but it includes Qi wireless charging; the 75t buds are only available with wireless charging if you order them direct from Jabra. (The charging LED is at least now on the case’s front instead of bafflingly on the back near the USB-C port, as it is on the 75ts.)
The Elite 85t earbuds (left) are slightly larger and heavier than the 75t (right).
There’s still a circular button on each earbud that responds to single, double, and triple presses. You’re given a ton of freedom over customizing the controls in the Jabra app, and those changes — like any EQ adjustments you make — stick with the earbuds from device to device. The 85t earbuds are rated IPX4 for water and sweat resistance, which is down from the IP55 of the Elite 75t and IP57 of the Elite Active 75t. IPX4 puts these at par with the AirPods Pro and QuietComfort Earbuds and means they’re capable of surviving splashes of water, but heavy sweaters should be wary of making these their fitness earbuds. (It’s unclear whether Jabra eventually intends to release an Active version of the 85ts.)
The Elite 85 earbuds have Jabra’s excellent customizable controls and a new semi-open design for improved comfort.
Before we get to the noise cancellation, let’s quickly call out one of the best things about Jabra earbuds: multipoint. While most true wireless earbuds can only connect to a single device at a time, Jabra’s can handle two at once. You can be listening to music from your laptop and take an incoming call on your phone without having to manually switch the earbuds over.
That’s a trick that the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, Sennheiser True Momentum Wireless 2s, and Sony’s 1000XM3 buds are simply incapable of. (I’d argue AirPods get a pass here since they can now automatically switch between Apple devices without you having to do anything, and if you own AirPods, you’re probably in that ecosystem.) Multipoint works well on the 85t earbuds, seamlessly switching back and forth between your phone and PC or tablet based on what’s actively playing audio. All of Jabra’s earbuds dating back to the Elite 65t offer this feature, but here, you can combine the convenience of multipoint with powerful noise cancellation.
Jabra’s active noise cancellation performance in the 85t buds is impressive. You can adjust the intensity of ANC with a slider in the Jabra app, and at maximum, I’d say it’s up there with the Sony 1000XM3 or AirPods Pro — but definitely a rung beneath the QuietComfort Earbuds, which I view as the new benchmark.
But as I mentioned earlier, the 85t earbuds differ from past models because of their new semi-open design. When you turn ANC completely off (which can only be done inside the Jabra app), you can definitely hear more ambient noise than with the 75ts, which seal into my ears really well and have the added benefit of great passive noise isolation. I found that the new, oval-shaped tips of the 85 didn’t quite twist into my ears as snugly or as deep; they never fell out or came close, but I could remove them with less effort than the 75ts. This comes down to preference: I know there are many of you who will prefer the airy design of the 85t, which can be worn for long stretches without any noticeable discomfort or pressure buildup.
But keep in mind that Jabra recently updated the Elite 75t with active noise cancellation. By itself, it’s less effective than the 85t, but the noise isolation of the 75t earbuds helps make up the gap some. In the end, I think it’s almost a wash between the two. The Elite 85ts still won out and hushed more noise when I tested them side by side in a coffee shop or on the streets of Brooklyn, but not lopsidedly so. If you’re someone who dislikes the plugged-up feeling that regular earbuds can give, the 85ts are the better choice, but the added comfort means paying more. I don’t mind that closed-off feeling at all, so I’d probably stick with the 75ts.
Compared to competitors, the 85t earbuds have a unique strength: they can pair with two devices at once.
That’s also because of sound quality. The 85ts use new 12mm drivers that deliver slightly better detail and presence (and roll off some of the harshness of the 75t treble), but there’s really not that much of a difference between these two sets of earbuds. The 85ts have a fuller mid-range; the overall EQ feels less blatantly V-shaped — but all of this can be adjusted to your liking.
However, while the semi-open design results in a wider soundstage, it also means the 85ts lose some of the amazing low-end kick that the 75ts are capable of. If you lean toward less sculpted EQ, you might prefer the more even balance of the 85ts; the bass isn’t lacking, it’s just not as head-rattling as the 75ts. I’m pleased when using either set, but even the higher-end 85ts trail competitors like Sennheiser and Bose if top-notch sound is your deciding factor.
Battery life is rated at 7 hours with ANC off (half an hour shorter than the 75t) and 5.5 hours with it enabled, which is fairly standard. Factoring in the case, you can get up to 25 hours of total listening time. As has become standard for Jabra, call quality remains a strength on the 85ts. People said my voice was crisp and came through clear without much background noise. But you can still only use the right earbud by itself since that’s the primary bud that relays audio to the left one. I wish Jabra would make them both independent (especially at this higher cost), but we’re not there yet.
The carrying case supports wireless charging.
A few other things worth touching on quickly:
Jabra’s “HearThrough” passthrough mode still isn’t as natural-sounding as what I’ve experienced with the AirPods Pro or Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, where it can often sound like you’re not wearing earbuds at all. With these earbuds, the outside world still sounds a little digital and over-processed, but it’s perfectly usable for keeping aware of your surroundings.
The Jabra Sound Plus mobile app remains excellent. With it, you can set up different “moments” with customized ANC / HearThrough preferences for each environment. There’s a built-in hearing test for tailoring the sound to your own hearing profile (I found the difference to be negligible), and you can even play white noise and other sounds when you need to focus on something and music or podcasts are too much.
Unlike previous Jabra earbuds, the 85ts no longer offer Amazon Alexa as a voice assistant. I barely ever took advantage of this option, and seeing as it’s now gone, I’m guessing that was true of most people.
Overall, I think the Elite 85t earbuds are Jabra’s best earbuds yet: the noise cancellation is quite good, they deliver rich audio quality, and you can use them with two devices at once. But there are a lot of people who will be better off saving money and just going for the Elite 75ts. For me, the older earbuds fit better, and I prefer their noise isolation over the semi-open feel of the new buds. But maybe the combination of noise cancellation and an airy fit is just what you’ve been looking for. If the AirPods Pro don’t meet your needs, it’s hard to go wrong with the Jabra Elite 85t.
Zenkit brings out Zenchat – a stand-alone messenger app with integrated task management. It can also be connected to Zenkit To Do and Zenkit Base. The chat app is now available for iOS and Android as well as Windows, Linux and macOS. It can also be used as a web app in the browser.
Conversations can be conducted in the classic way with the Messenger and these can be divided into individual topics as subordinate chats will. The division into general messages on a topic and in-depth comments on a sub-item should make the chat clearer. Thanks to the integration of a task management system, i.e. the assignment of tasks to people, it is no longer necessary to switch apps. Zenchat lists the organization of a party as an example in a blog post: There is general information in the superordinate area, as partial chats there is a list for music requests and one for pizzas to be ordered. In the work environment, the tasks are likely to be of a different nature.
Messages can also be converted into a task and then assigned to a chat member – including the due date, notes and Attach. Here, too, further sub-tasks can be created.
Search, react, synchronize The chats have a search function which you can also search for yourself, i.e. the tasks that have been assigned to you. In addition to text messages, voice messages can also be sent and files can be uploaded. Emojis are available as reactions. The app notifies you of new content and there is a reminder function. Voice and video calls via Zenchat are also planned as well as the option of being able to send tasks to Zenchat by email and transferring tasks from Zenchat to other services such as Kanban and Calendar.
Users of other Zenkit services can connect projects created there with the chats. Conversely, the tasks from Zenchat can also be synchronized with the Zenkit project management tool and the To Do task management. For private use with up to five users and limited functions, Zenchat is free, companies pay from five euros per month per participant. An e-mail address is required to create an account. Alternatively, you can log in with accounts from Facebook, Trello or Apple.
Zenkit is a company from Karlsruhe, the data is stored on servers from Amazon Web Service stored in Frankfurt.
Since consoles have existed, console wars have been going on. The original game “Pong” is already the subject of disputes: Atari is looking at the idea from the first game console, the Magnavox Odyssey. But its inventor Ralph Baer is so far-sighted as to have his invention of the “television gaming and training apparatus” patented. The courts are concerned with the idea of tennis on screen; and finally, Atari and others have to pay royalties. In the eighties, Nintendo tried to take action against the patents – without success. By the time they run out in the early 1990s, Magnavox had made more than 100 million dollars . Far more than selling its own consoles.
At the end of the 1980s, the console market was firmly in the hands of Nintendo. The NES (8 bit) is selling well; therefore you take your time with a successor. Sega takes the chance and dashes with the Mega Drive ( Bit) before: “Welcome to the next level”. Nice graphics, low price, an included game, licenses for American films and series. The Mega Drive offered more adult games, like the bloodthirsty “Mortal Kombat”, and a mascot: cooler and faster than Mario, the blue hedgehog Sonic, who sweeps through the scrolling levels like lightning. That works. Especially in the USA (where the device is called Genesis) and in Europe, the Mega Drive is at times level with Nintendo. Part of the success is the cheeky advertising that relates directly to the competitor: “Genesis Does What Nintendon’t”.
The age of the CD In the nineties, the console market becomes confusing. Sure, Nintendo and Sega dominate. But especially in Japan there is still NEC with the PC engine. SNK publishes the Neo Geo. Atari brings out the jaguar. Not to mention the mobile systems: The Game Boy is followed by Game Gear from Sega, Lynx from Atari and WonderSwan from Bandai.
The compact disc is increasingly being used. Philips with the CDi, Panasonic and Goldstar with the 3DO, Commodore with the CDTV (based on the Amiga). Apple develops the hapless Pippin console (based on the PowerPC). The CD is the data carrier of the future. Access to the data takes longer compared to the previous plug-in modules, but it offers a lot more space; for more levels, for video sequences, for music and for voice output. Instead of a new model, some manufacturers choose an intermediate step: the old console, but with a CD drive. This is how the Neo Geo CD appears. CD attachments are available for the Jaguar and the Mega Drive.
The new data carrier is also of interest to Microsoft. A subsidiary for multimedia software publishes CD-ROMs such as the encyclopedia “Encarta” and the book collection “Bookshelf”.
Nintendo Play Station Nintendo does not want to shut itself off from development either. A partnership is agreed with Sony. Sony is supposed to deliver a CD drive for the SNES and wants to develop its own device that plays Nintendo software: Play Station. When Nintendo realizes what’s going on with it, the management breaks the agreement and instead allies with Philips. A CD drive for the Super Nintendo does not appear after all; but Sony is angry and does not want to give up the preparatory work.
The PlayStation, now written as one word, appears 1994 in Japan. It is much cheaper than the CD competition, and Sony is concentrating on games instead of marketing an expensive multimedia device for films and reference books (as with CD-i & Co). The timing is not bad. Nintendo is not yet ready with its SNES successor; the Nintendo , which was created in cooperation with Silicon Graphics, is only two years away out later.
Console Wars: Not only Xbox against Playstation (8 pictures) Already the first game console, the Magnavox Odyssey by 1972, is the subject of disputes. Atari steals the idea of playing tennis for his “pong”
(Image: René Meyer) And with a single word you take Sega and its Saturn, the CD-based successor to the Mega Drive released at the same time, the wind out of their sails. During the memorable keynote speech on the introduction of the PlayStation in the USA by Sony man Steve Race at E3 1994. He is announced, runs to the stage to applause, with his lecture text in hand, bends over to the microphone, says a single word, and calmly goes back to his seat. “299”. 299 dollars. Sega has just announced 299 dollars for Saturn.
The rest is history. The PlayStation is 71 sold millions of times, significantly more than any other game console before . Microsoft does not miss this either.
MSX computer In the 1980s, Sony and Microsoft even worked together on a home computer standard: MSX. It is the golden era of these devices; and there, too, there is “war”, especially Commodore against Atari: The fact that Commodore founder Jack Tramiel is fired from his own company and buys Atari with the proceeds from his shares is the stuff of legends. Japanese companies are watching so far. That should change. An idea is developed under the leadership of ASCII: Many manufacturers each build their own computers that are mutually compatible. Right at the front: Sony with the chic, but quite expensive hit bit.
Microsoft, in turn, would like to have more influence on the market. The popular Microsoft BASIC runs on many computers; but the star begins to burn out. For the BASIC in C 64 Microsoft only receives a one-time license fee. Microsoft BASIC is initially planned for the Atari home computers; but when it turns out that the port exceeds the space of an 8 KByte chip, Atari has a new BASIC developed without further ado. The Schneider CPC also has its own BASIC.
With MSX BASIC, Microsoft is getting into the ROMs of home computers from a number of manufacturers; especially in the attractive market of Japan. The MSX computers are selling well there, but are not a great success in the USA or Europe. They are most likely to spread in the Netherlands and Belgium, as Philips is on board.
Sony uses the MSX platform to establish itself as a publisher. A whole series of games that appear for MSX computers are published by Sony, including the classic “Loderunner”; MobyGames also lists Sony as the developer for three games.
1989 Sony establishes a video game subsidiary that primarily publishes games for Nintendo and Sega consoles; the label “Sony Imagesoft” is also on the packs of games for the Game Boy.
Tidal’s expansive, accessible and hi-res-inclusive catalogue remains the best option for streaming-savvy audiophiles
For
Great sound quality
Hi-res Masters
Intuitive and expansive
Against
Masters can be hard to find
Tidal has been riding an encouraging wave of momentum since its celebrity-studded re-launch in March 2015. And in 2017 it became the first service to offer hi-res audio streaming, thanks to its adoption of MQA technology.
These hi-res (typically 24-bit/96kHz) tracks, which it calls ‘Tidal Masters’, initially numbered in the tens of thousands but now make up a catalogue in the millions, all available to subscribers of its £20 per month HiFi (CD-quality) package at no additional charge.
But Tidal is now far from the only hi-res player in the music streaming game, with both Qobuz and now Amazon Music HD offering better-than-CD streams – the latter at a significantly lower price. So is Tidal still number one?
Features
(Image credit: Apple / Tidal)
Hi-res and CD-quality streams aren’t actually the be-all and end-all of Tidal’s offering, with the 60-million-track catalogue also available to stream in 320kbps to subscribers of its Apple- and Spotify-rivalling £10 per month Premium tier.
Tidal’s availability is on the rise too. As well as being accessible via its PC and Mac desktop apps, web player (HiFi subscribers will need Chrome for lossless sound) and Android and iOS mobile apps, Tidal has expanded into Apple and Android TV apps, and Apple CarPlay.
Tidal apps also form part of several networked hi-fi products’ offerings, from Sonos, Bluesound and Denon Heos kit, to Linn, McIntosh, Naim and Cyrus. Google Chromecast is supported as well, while Tidal Connect – a similar concept to the Spotify feature with the same suffix – is the first technology able to cast MQA and Dolby Atmos files.
Initially, Tidal HiFi members wanting to take advantage of Masters were limited to the desktop app or a Bluesound Node 2 streamer (which could connect directly to Tidal Masters via the Bluesound app, negating the need for a PC or laptop), but those Masters are now available via both Android and iOS, as well as being supported natively by a number of those aforementioned hi-fi components.
There are a few complications, however. Listening through a computer, via its 3.5mm headphone output, or through a connected (non-MQA-enabled) DAC gives the Tidal desktop app the reins over MQA’s core decoding, which has a limited output of 24-bit/96kHz. In other words, even if you’re streaming a 192kHz file, it will only be unpackaged to 96kHz.
Similarly, the iOS and Android apps can only complete the first ‘unfold’ of MQA file decoding, outputting streams at a maximum of 24-bit/96kHz. The only way to entirely unpackage an MQA file for playback, and therefore give you a more accurate representation of the file based on your system characteristics, is by pairing your Apple or Android device with an MQA-compatible DAC, taking the decoding process away from the software (Tidal app).
The benefit of owning kit with built-in MQA decoders – such as the Audirvana Plus 3 computer software, the Bluesound Node 2i or Meridian’s Explorer DAC 2 – is that all decoding is done by the hardware (bypassing the app in this respect altogether), which can unpackage the entire MQA file for playback in its original resolution.
Tidal also offers a growing catalogue of Dolby Atmos Music tracks, with support opened up to include most Atmos-compatible kit – from soundbars and TVs to Award-winning AVRs and smart speakers.
To play these immersive tracks, Tidal HiFi subscribers need to connect their Atmos-enabled device to a compatible streamer running the most recently updated Tidal app. Supported streaming devices include the Apple TV 4K, Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Cube, Fire TV Stick (2nd gen), Fire TV (3rd gen), Nvidia Shield TV and Nvidia Shield TV Pro (2019 or newer).
Ease of use
(Image credit: Apple / Tidal)
They are also helpful to identify a Masters file’s resolution. The Meridian Explorer 2, for example, lights up to show whether a track has a sampling rate of 88kHz or 96kHz, or 176kHz or 192kHz. Without it, the resolution remains a mystery. We highlighted this when we first reviewed Tidal Masters but, unfortunately, it remains an issue.
We also noted that Masters music can be hard to find, and that’s still the case. Only a minority of tracks (around 450 albums-worth) are easily discoverable in the Tidal desktop app, found in the ‘Home’ tab under the ‘Master Quality Audio Albums’.
The other million-odd Masters (such as Fleetwood Mac’s remastered Tusk) are buried within Tidal’s 60m+ database of tracks, and there’s no way to specifically search for them.
However, Tidal has built on its discovery feature with Masters-specifics playlists such as ‘Tidal Masters: New Arrivals’ and ‘Tidal Masters: Essentials’, as well as some genre-specific (‘Tidal Masters: Motown’) and artist-specific (‘Tidal Masters: The Smiths’) options.
(Image credit: Apple / Tidal)
Those Masters playlists are a welcome addition, although we’d still like to see a larger dedicated section, categorised by genre or era – much like the rest of Tidal’s catalogue.
But Masters aside, the service’s layout is exemplary and has actually been tidied up and streamlined in recent months. The desktop app’s large number of tabs has been reduced to match the smartphone app, with the majority of content now grouped under the catch-all ‘Home’ tab.
At the top is a big and bold selection of featured content, while below that you’ll find playlists created for you, based on your listening habits. ‘Recently Played’ allows you to quickly hop back into an album or playlist, while ‘Suggested New Tracks’ and ‘Suggested New Albums’ guides you to the latest new releases that Tidal’s algorithms believe will be up your street.
Tidal appears to have taken a leaf out of Spotify’s book by prioritising the discovery of new music tailored to your tastes, and it does so effectively. Just a couple of weeks of listening and favouriting is enough to start getting worthwhile recommendations.
Below these personalised sections in the Home tab, you’ll find sections dedicated to the most popular playlists and albums on the service, as well as mood-based playlists, podcasts, radio stations and the Tidal Rising section, which helps promote new talent.
Away from ‘Home’ the two main tabs are ‘Explore’, which duplicates many of the discovery elements of ‘Home’ and seems rather redundant, and ‘Videos’, which hosts music videos. The final tab is ‘My Collection’, which groups all of your favourited music and custom playlists and also houses your downloads.
Tidal has also partnered with Tune My Music and Soundiiz to offer two ways of importing playlists from other streaming services, meaning you needn’t drag and drop everything again if you’re migrating from one of its rivals.
Performance
(Image credit: Apple / Tidal)
Whether you’re listening to 320kbps, CD-quality or hi-res streams, Tidal sounds great compared to its rivals. We’d wholeheartedly recommend signing up for Tidal HiFi if you can.
While the 320kbps streams just pip their Spotify and Deezer equivalents with a slightly richer, fuller-bodied sound, tracks streamed in lossless offer much more detail, a better sense of space and a tighter handle on timing than their 320kbps counterparts.
In America’s Sister Golden Hair, the catchy guitar chords are fuller and ring truer with more twang. Harmonies sound like they’re being sung with greater enthusiasm, and the bells underneath are less hollow-sounding.
(Image credit: Apple / Tidal)
Masters tracks increase the level of insight again, prizing open the soundstage and giving the bare acoustic strumming in Christopher Stapleton’s A Simple Song greater freedom of movement. It digs up more inflections in the accompanying vocals, too.
Play the Masters version of Dear Life by Beck and the piano-led rhythm is executed more precisely than the CD-quality version. And that organisation and punctuality put Tidal’s Masters just ahead of the hi-res streams offered by rivals Qobuz and Amazon Music HD, which lack a little sonic cohesion in comparison.
Amazon Music HD does counter with an occasionally more open and detailed delivery, but it’s the Tidal Masters that are most musical.
And the fact you can now cast these hi-res files to compatible devices via Tidal Connect makes listening to high quality music only more convenient. We tested the feature using the Bluesound Node 2i, and enjoyed a comparably insightful and musical performance as when using the built-in Tidal software.
Bluesound is one of a few manufacturers currently updating its products to allow for Tidal Connect – along with Cambridge Audio, KEF, Dali, iFi, Lyngdorf and NAD – but the wider compatibility is spread the better, as far as we’re concerned.
Verdict
(Image credit: Apple / Tidal)
While Tidal’s £10 per month tier is arguably just as appealing as similar offerings from the likes of Spotify and Apple Music, its top HiFi tier is what makes it stand out from the crowd.
Where Masters were once a niche sub-section of the service’s offering, the catalogue is now much bigger and much easier to take advantage of, thanks to broader device support. Of course, we won’t be happy until every track is available in Masters quality on every device, but there’s no doubt Tidal is already ahead of the pack here.
The arrival of Amazon Music HD will no doubt have Team Tidal looking over its shoulder, and you wouldn’t bet against Bezos’s crew catching up at some point, but if you’re in the market for superior music streams right now, Tidal is the service we’d most heartily recommend.
Nearly two years after rolling out its Apple Watch app, Spotify can now work independently on all Watch Series 3 and above without connection to an iPhone. This in turn allows you to stream music to any Bluetooth headset or speaker. The update brings standalone streaming to Wi-Fi-only and cellular models running Watch OS 6.0 and above.
Up until now, the Spotify app on Apple Watch could be used to remotely control music playback while still being connected to an iPhone. The new update is still making its way to users in the US and the new on-device streaming option is appearing with a beta label for some. The wider rollout is expected to take place in the coming days.
Image Credits: TechCrunch
Spotify now joins Pandora and Apple Music as the only three music streaming apps that support native streaming on Apple Watch.
The Apple clock now allows to stream music to Spotify even if it is not connected with an iPhone. A useful feature in different circumstances
by Nino Grasso published 04 November 2020 , at 15: 21 in the Apple channel Apple Watch
Spotify has started distributing the support for streaming music directly from Apple Watch , completely independent from the smartphone . Thanks to the novelty, those who use the Apple watch can listen to music or podcasts from Spotify via WiFi or cellular network even if their iPhone is not paired or not nearby.
In testing for months now, the feature allows you to use Apple Watch completely independently of a smartphone also for listening to various types of content with Spotify . The Swedish streaming service’s app has been available on the Apple Watch for years, however previously it required pairing a smartphone to stream even on Apple Watch models with 4G LTE modem included. The previous approach was going to impact the consumption of both smartphones and Apple Watch, and forced users to make some compromises.
For example, with the app becoming independent of the smartphone you can stream music directly from the Apple Watch to Bluetooth headphones , which is useful for example when not it’s convenient to have your smartphone close at hand. An example? During gymnastic exercises or running sessions, or in those cases where there is no way to carry the smartphone with you.
If you still don’t see the active function on your watch, don’t despair. Spotify has confirmed that the distribution of the update has started, but it may take several days for it to reach everyone the devices. A company spokesperson confirmed the start of the global roll-out at TechCrunch: “We are focused on developing experiences that empower users to listen to Spotify wherever and whenever they want, regardless of device or platform “, his words. “After an initial testing period, we are now rolling out streaming capabilities for Spotify on Apple Watch to everyone” .
Spotify can be downloaded to Apple Watch for free via the App Store, with the new feature requiring an Apple Watch Series 3 or later with Apple watchOS 6.0 or later (7.1 or later recommended). Wi-Fi or 4G LTE connection is required for standalone streaming.
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