Music - Page 63 of 73

Apple's TV app is coming to the Xbox

2003 Apple decided to go with iTunes on the Windows platform. Steve Jobs announced at the time that hell was frozen over. This step was extremely important because it boosted sales of the iPod music player, after all, the target group increased so significantly.

17 Years later, this process is repeated in a modified form: From 10. November Apple services are to be available directly on Microsoft consoles. This is the so-called TV app, which offers access to various channel packages, films from the iTunes Store, your own music library and the TV + streaming service.

Netflix & Co. are already there According to a statement by the software giant, the application is available on both the current Xbox One and the new Xbox Series X and Series S models However, Apple is by no means the only provider here. Apps for Netflix, YouTube, Spotify, Disney +, Amazon Prime Video or Sky have been available on Xbox One for a long time. Microsoft promises that they will also be prepared for Series X and Series S and will be available from the start.

The Apple TV app is planned by Apple as an all-in-one offer. In addition to access to content from Apple itself, you can subscribe to various “channels”, including pay TV stations, depending on the country. The largest supply is in the USA. Functions such as family sharing, with which six people in a household can share the content, are also available on the Xbox; only Apple ID and password are required.

Playstation is coming also soon Apple had already set up its TV app widely on other platforms. So also Sony’s Playstation will be supplied this month – PS4 and PS5. Apple services are already available on TVs from brands such as Sony, Samsung, LG or Vizio or will soon be available via updates. Amazon’s Fire TV technology is also included.

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heise + | Three piano learning services in comparison: Skoove, Music2Me and Flowkey

With online piano learning services, even beginners can learn to play their first melodies in just a few minutes. But can the services replace a real teacher?

(Image: Oliver Martin-Lopez)

Three piano learning services in comparison: Skoove, Music2Me and Flowkey One-to-one meetings Conclusion Test table Piano lessons with a flesh-and-blood teacher is a fine thing, but it has some disadvantages: It is expensive, you are tied to fixed dates and on a human level it doesn’t always fit between teacher and student. This is where the online services Skoove, Music2Me and Flowkey come in. This allows piano beginners and amateur pianists to practice at any time of the day or night and at a comparatively manageable cost.

Advanced pianists study new pieces from pop to rock to classical and jazz with the virtual piano teachers . Newcomers should be able to learn their first piano melodies quickly with the services. Music2Me, Skoove and Flowkey partly use different teaching concepts. While one service transmits its knowledge through pure video lessons, the other listens to the pianist’s playing and actively reacts to it.

If you are really serious about learning the instrument, it quickly becomes clear: Learning the piano is much more than “just” playing with the black and white keys. Correct posture and correct finger technique are at least as important. In the worst case, there is a risk of tension and pain if you exercise in the wrong posture – an important point that all services should take into account. And the footwork with the three pedals of a piano should also be taught – the simultaneous coordination of hands and feet in time with the music is a lot more difficult than if you only have to concentrate on the hands.

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Sign in and read Register now and read the article immediately More information about heise + Three piano learning services in comparison: Skoove, Music2Me and Flowkey One-to-one meetings Conclusion Test table

heise offer: Combine Bits & Currywurst with betterCode () PHP 8 and save money

The operators of the PHP.RUHR conference and heise Developer have again entered into a partnership. The Heise Medien online channel was already involved in the concept of the multi-day PHP.RUHR conference last year. Developers can now benefit again from this collaboration. Because the result is a combination offer for participation in this year’s special edition of Bits & Currywurst on November 5th as well as in the betterCode () PHP 8 on 26. November 2020.

This year, the multi-day PHP event will not take place in the Signal Iduna Arena in Dortmund as usual. Instead, the operators are organizing a hybrid edition of the networking event “Bits & Currywurst”, which has always followed the developer conference in the evening. Hybrid means in this context that there is a limited number of tickets (for 100 euros excluding VAT) for the event on site in the Warsteiner Music Hall.

The main topics of the event starting at 15 o’clock include Data Driven Commerce and the Impact of Financial Technology on E-Commerce. “On Top” this year there is a panel discussion by and with the blogger and journalist Sascha Lobo.

The online event: betterCode () PHP 8 Developers who are interested in PHP now have the chance to use the heise Developer anyway thanks to the partnership To keep up to date. Because on 26. November 2020 there will be an online conference on the then current eighth major version of the programming language, which in all probability will be released on the day.

In cooperation with the experts from thePHP.cc heise Developer has put together a program that provides interested parties with information about the new features of PHP 8 and the current state of development should. Experts such as Nikita Popov (JetBrains), Sebastian Bergmann, Arne Blankerts, Stefan Priebsch (all thePHP.cc), Benjamin Eberlei (Tideways) and PHP release manager Sara Golemon (MongoDB) provide insights into the new features and show how Migration succeeds in practice.

The title of the lectures read as follows:

Tracing JIT in PHP 8 Nuclear disarmament thanks to type-safe PHP Metadata in PHP 8: language feature instead of Docblocks hacks Autumn makes everything new: Modernize the infrastructure Migration: Make the code fit PHP: How the Sausage Is Made Final speaker panel Offer for developers Both events are on the conference websites (Bits & Currywurst, betterCode () PHP 8) book. But if you are interested in both events, you can benefit from a discount of around 30 euros when booking. The combination booking is made via Bits & Currywurst.

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TechStage | Top 10: The ten best smartphones for 2020 up to 200 euros

Testing Tests overview Smartphone Oneplus 8T: Battery full in 45 Minutes and 120 – Hz display Pixel 5 in the test: Google just does it better Elephone U5 in the test: The cheap phone from China is that good The most popular China smartphones 2020 Xiaomi Mi 10 T Pro i m Test: 144 – Hz display and great camera Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC in the test: 120 Hz and the best camera Motorola Moto G9 Play in the test: A lot of power for little money Smartwatch Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro in the test: Smartwatch with cross-country battery Apple Watch: Smartwatch with contract from 15 € per month Buy Apple Watch 6: All generations in the price check Skagen Falster 3 in the test: Smartwatch with Wear OS Test Huawei Watch GT 2: Noble fitness tracker in watch form Huawei Watch GT in the test: record-breaking battery life Skagen Falster 2 in the test: good design and a weak point Multiroom Bose Portable Home Speaker in the test: battery, WLAN, Airplay 2 Sonos Move in the test: The robust all-rounder Musiccast: Multiroom from Yamaha in the test Denon Heos in the test: versatile multiroom system Flat soundbar Teufel Sounddeck Streaming in the test Teufel Raumfeld in the test: Satter Multiroom sound Technisat Digitradio 580 in the test: The gray all-rounder Keyfinder Tile Slim (2017): Key finder in credit card format Bluetooth key finder Tile Pro in the test: 122 m range ! Tile Pro key finder in the test: the range champion Orbit Bluetooth tracker in the test: looking for wallet and keys Nonda iHere 3.0: smart keyfinder in the test Chipolo Classic and Plus: Bluetooth key finder in the test Musegear finder 2: Keyfinder without registration obligation Action-Cam DJI Pocket 2 in the test: Zoom and 50 – Megapixel sensor Actioncam Insta 300 One R: 1-inch image sensor in the test Gopro Hero 8 Black in the test: Back to the top Insta 360 One R in the test : The modular action cam Motorola Moto G8 Plus test: Great smartphone, but … Insta 360 Go: Micro-GoPro in the test Motorola One Action Test: Good hardware, bad camera microSD In the test: Kingston UHS-I U3 microS DXC Kit MicroSD card for smartphone: Samsung Evo Plus 2017 Test report: Lexar Professional 1800 x microSDXC Kit Test report: Intenso Premium microSDXC card with 64 GByte Android Sonos Move in the test: The robust all-rounder Honor 20: Inexpensive high-end smartphone in the test Xiaomi Mi 9: Top technology at a bargain price Doogee S 90 in the test : modular outdoor smartphone ZTE Axon 10 Pro in the test: high-end phone at a competitive price Motorola Moto G7 Power in the test: large battery, low price Sony Xperia 10: Smartphone with 21: 9 display in Test Advisor Advisor overview Purchase advice Purchase advice: What good is a leaf blower with a battery for 45 Euro? True wireless headphones: How much do you have to invest? Purchase advice water cooling: High-end PCs cool better Adviser: Air conditioning and fan against the heat wave Sony shows the Xperia 1: It’s worth it now the predecessor XZ3? Purchase advice: Current headphones with ANC to 400 Euro Purchase advice: Smartphones with dual SIM and micro SD Practice Caution, money away: Kickstarter & Co. are not shops Switch off Android notifications from annoying apps How it works: Install the new Android L keyboard now Tip: Use “Ok Google everywhere” in Germany In the test: Does the jailbreak work for iOS 7.1? Goderma and mobile medicine: The doctor apps are coming! Instructions: Jailbreak for iOS 7 on iPhone 5S, 5 , 4S and 4 Technology Importing technology from China, part 2: Customs, taxes and tricks Drones & copters: Von Toys to the FPV racer What does the end of an ecosystem mean? Smartphones with a flexible display: what’s in it for me? Smartphone processors at a glance: Everything Snapdragon ? Evolutionary dead ends: di e worst cell phones mpass: Pay with the NFC cell phone – or the NFC toilet roll Display calculator Pixel density, number and calculate the display portion Leaderboard Test winner Price comparison Price comparison overview Smartphones from Android 7.0 Phablets with stylus Fitness tracker with GPS Bluetooth headphones with ANR Drones with GPS Video TechStage Best list Top 10: The ten best smartphones 2020 to 200 Euro Start Age Memory Display Camera Furnishing Best list 1st place Place 2 Place 3 4th place 5th place Place 6 Place 7 Place 8 Place 9 Space 10 Conclusion Comments (16) from Stefan // 02. 11. 2020 16: 27 Clock

Even cheap smartphones are replacing GPS, cameras, music players and much more. We show the ten best smartphones up to 200 Euro.

Update from November 2nd 2020

High-end smartphones today cost well and happily more than 1000 Euro. They have great cameras, first-class screens, and an incredible number of features. However, for most tasks – social media, Spotify , Netflix , web browser, navigation and many apps – a significantly cheaper model is sufficient. Gone are the days when cheap cell phones were basically useless; Entry-level devices come with an enormous amount of equipment and have long since ceased to be bogged down with no-go features such as a resistive touchscreen or poor display resolution. Nevertheless, a few things should be considered if you want to buy a cheap smartphone.

Age and Android version The age of the devices plays a role that should not be underestimated. Older models are clearly cheaper than they were at the market launch, but even high-priced smartphones usually do not receive any updates after two or three years at the latest. This is much more likely the case with cheaper smartphones, so there are no new Android versions or patches for security holes.

Smartphones with Android One are an exception (list of the best: Top -5), which usually have an update guarantee of two years. All smartphones in our list use at least Android 9, but mostly Android 10. Android 11 is currently not found on smartphones under 200 Euro. Because of the update problem, we only have smartphones from 2019 added to our list of the best.

Storage Not only do older smartphones have little memory, even current models sometimes offer very little space. However, certain limits should not be exceeded. RAM shouldn’t be smaller than 4 GB, below that it jerks quickly. The internal data memory should be used in times when even mobile games can have more than 1 GByte, 64 Do not fall below GB and can be expanded using a micro SD card. All models listed here are beyond any doubt, 4 GByte RAM and 64 GByte internal, normally Expandable memory is up to 193 easy to get euros, even 6 / 256 GBytes are in it – why should you then settle for less?

Display The display size is basically left to your own taste, but the image sharpness should not fall below a certain level. The following applies as a guide: Below 275 Pixels per inch (PPI) content quickly looks blurred, but it is allowed to 300 PPI or 400 be PPI and more. With HD resolution that can be tight, with Full HD (2017 × 1080 pixels) you are on the safe side. Accordingly, all of our listed models have FHD + resolution. There are hardly any OLEDs in the lower price ranges, especially not in young models. But there are exceptions, and there are likely to be even more in the future. We explain more about the resolutions and display technologies in the guide to smartphone displays: panels, resolutions and frame rates explained.

Camera With cheap models you shouldn’t expect too much from the cameras. Under optimal lighting conditions they usually still take good-looking pictures, but when the light is fading it quickly looks very different. If you want to shoot good quality pictures in the evening, you should take a look at our list of the best smartphones with optical image stabilizer up to 300 Euro or generally in a (significantly) higher price range watch. To 200 Euro there are main cameras up to 48 Megapixels, usually a wide-angle lens. Other additions such as depth sensors and macro cameras are only good on paper, meaningful extras such as telephoto lenses are currently not available in this low price range. Other equipment Do you want NFC, WLAN ac, fingerprint sensors and the like? Then keep your eyes open when buying a smartphone: in the price range up to 200 Euro, that’s not necessarily all there, or only in a weaker form. All devices have WLAN, of course, but many only have the n-standard, which is now neatly outdated. Here, too, our listed models are exemplary, all of which offer the latest technology. Only luxury features such as wireless charging are not yet available here and 5G radio is (still) missing.

These are the 10 best smartphones up to 200 Euro Note: Our leaderboard is a snapshot, among other things the daily prices at the time of creation are taken into account. But since they fluctuate a lot, the list and the order of the smartphones should be understood as a guide.

1st place: Honor 9X Pro First place in our current ranking up to 200 The Honor 9X Pro occupies euros. As a subsidiary of Huawei, which falls under the US ban and therefore no longer comes to customers with Google services, this placement may seem surprising at first glance. However, the disadvantage has a great advantage, and it could soon be obsolete. Because on the one hand en Honor and Huawei smartphones currently bring an enormous amount of hardware for the money, and a tool from the renowned XDA developers allows Google services with just a few Bring clicks on such devices.

Then stand Advantages such as a good 6.6 inch IPS LCD, a main camera with 48 Megapixel plus wide angle , an extendable front camera, Kirin 710 with 6 GByte RAM and 200 GByte of internal and expandable memory no longer a real disadvantage. Honor produces it itself with the missing NFC at most – interested parties should keep that in mind when buying. The battery with 4000 mAh , however, is not a problem, since it is more like the comparatively slow loading with only 10 watt. Android 10 is available as an update.

2nd place: Huawei P 40 Lite Also for the P 40 Lite there is Android 10 – and the XDA tool . Otherwise, the Huawei model offers a quad cam with up to 48 Megapixels, NFC, Kirin 810 and a full 6 GB of RAM and at least 128 GByte internal memory. The 4200 – mAh battery with 40 – Watt fast charging technology is a real recommendation , d he screen with 6.4 inches also delivers decent performance.

3rd place: Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S is now also available in a large memory configuration, which lifts the device further up in our top 10. The smartphone offers a quad cam with up to 48 Megapixels, also an IR Blaster and a strong Snapdragon 7 ) 20 G with 6 GB of RAM . Programs can be found in 128 GByte large memory space, which can of course be expanded . The battery is performing 5020 mAh and can be charged quickly – even if only with 18 Watt . Biggest disadvantage here too : You won’t find NFC.

Place 4: Realme 6 Meanwhile the Realme 6 (Test report) also in larger memory configurations under the 200 – Euro limit slipped. As a result, the device makes it into the first half of our top 10 of the recommended smartphones up to 200 Euro. Because the device has everything that looks good on much more expensive models: a 6.5 inch touchscreen with full HD + resolution and 90 Hertz refresh rate, a quad cam with (as the only device in the list) 64 Megapixels, WLAN ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, LTE and USB-C.

All pictures for Realme 6 (12 Photos) A strong Mediatek Helio P 90 T with eight cores, which in this case is from 4 GByte RAM is flanked. 128 GByte internal, expandable memory, a chic design and a 4300 – mAh battery with 30 – Watt fast charging technology round off the excellent overall picture. Android 10 is ultimately just the icing on the cake – but now many competitors offer this even under 200 Euro.

5th place: Huawei P 27 Lite New Edition With the “New Editions”, Huawei brought new editions of previous year’s models onto the market, which because of rather subtle innovations (mostly primarily doubled memory) may still have Google services. This is also the case with the P 30 Lite in the New Edition , the 6 GB y te RAM and full 256 GByte of internal memory shows off. A still sufficient Kirin serves as a drive ) 710, it fires an LCD with 6, 15 Inch. The built-in battery is with its 3340 mAh a bit lean, always he lets himself go with 18 Charge watts halfway quickly. Android 10 so far did not get the device. The “normal” Huawei P 30 We tested Lite here.

Place 6: Realme 7 Realme continues to grow. The new Realme 7 is one of the few devices in this price class that offers a 6.5 inch IPS LCD with 90 Hertz refresh rate and comes with a Helio G95 and 6 GB of RAM to the customer. A little lean compared to most of the other models of our top 10 the only 64 GByte internal memory . The 50 00 mAh strong battery promises decent endurance and can be used with 30 Charge watts quickly.

7th place: Oppo A 72 As Realme is also Oppo not so well known in this country, but smartphones from the manufacturer have a lot to offer. The Oppo A 72 about has a 6.5 inch IPS LCD, a Qaud – Cam with up to 48 Megapixels and delivers with his Snapdragon 400 in combination with 4 GB of RAM from decent everyday performance. 128 GByte internal memory are an announcement, this also applies to the battery With 5000 mAh . With 18 But it doesn’t fully charge watts as fast as some competitors.

Place 8: TCL 10 L Apropos not so well known in Germany: This also applies to the Chinese manufacturer TCL. After the official market launch two years ago, things have become quite quiet around the European newcomer , with us he makes it with the 10 L in our top 10. The biggest disadvantage is the internal memory with only 64 GByte, which can be expanded.

A Snapdragon 665 calculates in connection with 6 GByte RAM the 2020 × 1080 Pixels of the 6.5 inch IPS-LCD, the quad camera offers up to 48 Megapixels. The connection standards include everything that is possible in this price range, including NFC, WLAN ac , Bluetooth 5.0 and even a 3.5-millimeter connection. The battery is still performing 4000 mAh.

Place 9: Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 On the nine th place we currently see the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9. The 6.5 inch tall Display wi rd protected by Gorilla Glass 5, the quad cam offers a maximum of 48 Megapixels. With the remaining equipment, the Xiaomi model among other things an IR blaster that turns the smartphone into a universal remote control to control TV and Co.

All pictures of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro (12 Photos) The drive is equipped with a Helio G 85 nominally minimally slower than the previous counterparties , the main memory measures 4 GByte and the internal memory is 128 GByte large. Android 10 is also included here , the battery is strong 5020 mAh and can be described with 18 Fast charging watts. We have explained the differences to the better placed Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S in this article.

Space 10: Samsung Galaxy A 31 Samsung in the top 10 for smartphones up to 200 Euro? Indeed, the Galaxy A 31 is for around 193 Euro to have. Although the Helio P 65, the Samsung for the A 31 has selected the slowest chipset in this top 10 and also the memory configuration is 4 / 64 GByte comparatively meager. The place in of the top 10 the smartphone secures itself through one feature alone: the 6.4-inch OLED display, which like the rest of the competition Full – HD + resolution offers. The rest is similar to that of the competition, but the battery has a decent performance 4343 mAh and can always be with 15 Fast charging watts. Android 10 of course there is already.

Conclusion A lot has happened in the lower middle class up to 200 Euro, the hardware is getting stronger. For under 200 Interested parties have long been getting upper middle class chipsets, mostly 4 or even 6 GB of RAM and a lot of storage space. In some cases this is not much less than it was in top models not so long ago. In most cases, the main difference is the camera, even if the quality cannot be deduced from the mere number of megapixels. Some of the models in our tests performed surprisingly well, at least in decent light. In short: there is always more for less and less – the user is rightly happy.

A tip on the side: The prices of smartphones sometimes fluctuate by several dozen euros within a few days. It is worthwhile to set a price alert. Our picture gallery shows how this works:

Don’t miss a bargain: So set up the price alert (7 pictures) The TechStage price comparison is simple: Above is the picture of the product including the technical data, below are the prices of the various providers, sorted by price excluding shipping. For the example we use a 1 TB SSD, but the steps are identical for all products in the price comparison.

Click here to compare prices

If you also want to spend a little more, take a look at our guide: The best smartphones up to 400 Euro or our purchase advice: Smartphones with OLED to 300 Throw euros. Also our top – 10: We update the best smartphones with Android One regularly.

Permalink: https://techstage.de/-4480088

Neil Young Archives now available to BluOS users globally (and there’s a competition to celebrate)

(Image credit: Neil Young Archives)

Owners of BluOS-enabled kit around the world can now access the Neil Young Archives. The Canadian rock icon’s hi-res streaming service is now available to the BluOS users globally, from Toronto to, er, Tamworth.

The rollout comes just ahead of the 20th November release of Young’s epic, 131-track, multi-album collection, ARCHIVES VOL. II: 1972-1976, which will be available as a 10-CD Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set and as streaming content to Neil Young Archives subscribers.

The studio-quality streaming service was already available to BluOS users in the States, but the new firmware update opens availability to the full user base. The update should be visible now within the BluOS Controller app for BluOS-enabled devices from NAD, Bluesound, Dali and Monitor Audio.

Not familiar with the 2018-launched service? Premium membership costs $19.99 per year and grants access to Young’s full hi-res catalogue, plus exclusive live concert streams and previously unreleased songs. Don’t subscribe? A couple of nice freebies – ‘Song of the Day’ and ‘Album of the Week’ – will appear in the BluOS app.

And talking of freebies, Young is celebrating the expansion by launching a bumper competition with NAD. From the 3rd to the 17th November, music lovers can win prizes – including the NAD C 368 integrated amplifier and autographed albums – by answering trivia questions here.

New users can sign-up to the Neil Young Archives here, while existing subscribers can simply log in via the ‘Add Music’ area of the BluOS app.

MORE:

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Baby Shark is the most-viewed YouTube video of all time, and there’s no end in sight

“Baby Shark” has now crossed 7.043 billion views — which officially makes the kid-friendly, adult-terrorizing earworm the most-watched YouTube video ever. It’s been over three years since Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” took that crown, but parents won’t be surprised to see the music industry’s greatest hit laid low by the Pinkfong empire: we’ve been taking 2020 one day and one video at a time.

“This is news?” says my wife. “Please don’t play it. Please don’t play it.”

Of course, it’s too late. “Baby Shark” is practically a core memory at this point; even with my speakers muted, it’s already playing in our brains.

What might surprise you is just how dramatically “Baby Shark” flew up the charts. When I checked in on YouTube’s most popular videos last April, the video only had 2.5 billion views and has apparently shot up 181 percent since then. While “Despacito” has managed to stay ahead of “Baby Shark” all the way to 7.04 billion views, the same hasn’t been true of the record industry’s other hits during that same period:

(#3) Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” gained less than a billion views to 5.05B
(#4) Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” went from 4 billion to 4.8B
(#7) “Uptown Funk” only went from 3.5B to 3.99B
(#8) Psy’s “Gangnam Style” went from 3.3B to 3.8B

What are the #5 and #6 most-viewed YouTube videos? More kid songs, of course. “Masha and the Bear” has 4.4 billion views, and “Johny Johny Yes Papa” has 4.15 billion now. Based on this Vox profile and my “Baby Shark” experience, I think I’d best steer clear of the latter for sanity.

And if this graphic is any indication, “Baby Shark” hasn’t even come close to peaking yet:

It might be too early to say, but it seems to have a totally different trajectory than any of the big music video hits. That could be an interesting change of pace, considering how much the music industry has dominated the YouTube charts this past decade.

Then again, this is “Baby Shark” we’re talking about. God help us all.

“Baby Shark” has a mysterious origin story, by the way. I’ll let our friends at Vulture tell you about it.

Spotify will let artists give their songs a boost — and get paid less in exchange

Spotify’s going to test letting artists and labels influence more of what its algorithm promotes. The company announced today a new test for all artists and labels on the platform where they can decide to promote any music that’s important to them. So, for example, if Fleetwood Mac wanted to promote “Dreams” after it went viral on TikTok, they could decide to do so, and Spotify’s algorithm would consider that request when building a radio session or when a listener enters autoplay. Of course, this could apply to any song, including tracks that might be new or that artists want to put extra promotional push behind.

“We want to be able to provide tools that help our artists leverage those moments, so they can be more in control of their success on Spotify and more in charge of their careers,” says Charleton Lamb, product marketing lead at Spotify.

In return for this extra promotional boost, Spotify says it’ll be paying artists a lower “promotional recording royalty rate” whenever songs are played during those autoplay or radio sessions. A spokesperson wouldn’t say how much that rate is because the feature is in testing, but they added that “the idea is for artist teams to be able to earn a positive ROI by using the tool,” and that the company would “calibrate to make sure that the widest group of artists and labels can find success.”

Presumably, this means artists would hope that by promoting the song and taking a loss on those plays, they would make up the revenue if the song catches on and people start directly trying to play it on their own. Although Lamb cited “Dreams” as an example, a potentially better use case is likely a song that artists or labels think will catch on before it already does — for instance, if the label sees viral potential in a song and wants to prime listeners to hear it. At the same time, though, Fleetwood Mac and other viral song stars could promote tracks that have already taken off in the hopes of converting a TikTok listener to a full-fledged Spotify listener and potential fan.

Logitech teams up with Riot for LoL-themed gaming peripherals

João Silva
4 hours ago
Featured Tech News, Headphones, Mouse

Logitech and Riot Games have announced a new partnership to launch “a portfolio of officially licensed League of Legends gaming products”, inspired by Riot’s own virtual music group K/DA.

A League of Legends themed G733 gaming headset is the “centrepiece of this new collection”, but a G304/305 gaming mouse, a G840 XL gaming mouse pad, and a G33 gaming headphones are also on the way.

Peter Kingsley, chief marketing officer at Logitech G, stated that this partnership will “bring several product, technology and design collaborations that will give League of Legends fans the best way to play”. Christian Bayley, director of consumer products at Riot Games, said that the new LoL-themed Logitech peripherals are perfect for fans who wish to show “their love and passion” for the game.

The G733 Lightspeed wireless RGB gaming headset is lightweight (278 grams) and features a reversible and adjustable suspension headband. The G333 gaming in-ear headset is the “first in-ear headphone” from the company, featuring dual drivers on each side – one for bass and another for mids and highs.

The G304/305 Lightspeed wireless gaming mouse is small and light (99 grams), but also very precise thanks to the Hero sensor. The G840 XL gaming mouse pad has a massive ” performance-tuned” surface area featuring custom K/DA artwork and a rubber base to prevent it from sliding.

All Logitech LoL-themed peripherals will be available in 2021. The Logitech G733 will be available for $129.99, while the K/DA G333 in-ear headset will cost $49.99. The K/DA G304/G305 will be priced at $59.99, and the G840 XL at $49.99.

KitGuru says: Are you a fan of League of Legends? Are you interested in any of the Logitech LoL-themed peripherals?

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Best free music apps: free music on Android and iPhone

Best free music apps: Welcome to What Hi-Fi?’s round-up of the best free music apps you can get in 2020.

Portable music used to mean carrying around a single album on CD or cassette. Now you can now walk around with millions of songs in your pocket without worrying about storage space at all. And the best bit? You don’t even need to pay.

Most major music streaming services have a free tier, barring Tidal, Qobuz and Apple Music. While these free music services inevitably include adverts, and have more limited functionality than their paid-for stablemates, they’re still pretty great.

They give you access to millions of songs. They let you test the service for a while before deciding whether to take the plunge and pay for a monthly subscription. And if you’re only an occasional listener, they make a lot more sense than paying for something you barely use. We’ve rounded up the best free options around so you can see which suits you – a worthy list, particularly for those looking for an alternative now that Google Play Music has died.

Best headphones 2020: all styles, all budgets

(Image credit: Spotify)

1. Spotify

Still top of the game, though there’s plenty of competition around.

SPECIFICATIONS

Quality of free tier: Up to 160kbps | Library size: 60 million+ | Platforms: iOS and Android apps, desktop app, web player, smart TV apps, connected speaker support, cars

Reasons to Buy

Plenty of ways to find new music

Easy to use

Works on lots of platforms

Reasons to Avoid

Not the best sounding

No lossless audio

The best-known free streaming service is also one of the best. While you will have to put up with ads if you don’t want to pay, and you’ll have to listen to playlists on shuffle mode (except for certain playlists), there’s still plenty to like: decent sound quality, over 60 million songs, offline listening, bags of podcasts, and it all works on almost any device imaginable. If you want free music streaming, Spotify should be your first port of call.

Read the full review: Spotify

(Image credit: Amazon)

2. Amazon Prime Music

The best streaming service you didn’t know you had.

SPECIFICATIONS

Quality: 256kbps | Library size: 2 million | Platforms: iOS and Android apps, Echo and Fire TV devices

Reasons to Buy

2 million songs for free

No adverts

Works with Alexa

Reasons to Avoid

Only free to Prime subscribers

You might not know it, but if you have Amazon Prime then you can access Amazon’s free music streaming service. That’s right, as well as free one-day delivery and Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime entitles you to Amazon Prime Music, which gives you over 2 million songs to stream on-demand. And the best bit? They’re ad-free.

As you would expect, the selection is pretty mainstream, and the sound quality isn’t going to blow you away, but Prime customers can’t really complain. And if you’re not happy, you can always step up to Amazon Music Unlimited, which costs £9.99/$9.99(or £7.99/$7.99 with Prime) a month and boasts a library that rivals Spotify’s.

Read more: Amazon Prime Music

(Image credit: Future)

3. Deezer

An extensive catalogue makes this free service a compelling prospect.

SPECIFICATIONS

Quality of free tier: 128kbps | Library size: 56 million | Platforms: iOS and Android apps, desktop app, web player

Reasons to Buy

Lots of choice

Good podcasts

Simple to use

Deezer’s free tier means you have to suffer ads, and track quality is only 128kbps. The mobile app for this tier is also a little limited, but no more than any of its rivals. But when it comes to what to listen to, there’s a ton of choice, and the layout is pleasingly simple to find your way around. There are also lots of podcasts and other non-music content to get your ears into. A great choice for anyone looking beyond just music. If you do sign-up for the full service, you can enjoy lossless audio, too.

Read the full review: Deezer

(Image credit: Future)

4. YouTube Music

The video-sharing giant’s free music streaming service is surprisingly decent.

SPECIFICATIONS

Quality of free tier: 128kbps | Library size: N/A | Platforms: iOS and Android apps, web player

Reasons to Buy

Uncluttered

Plenty of rareties

Lots of videos

Reasons to Avoid

Iffy sound quality

Discovery could be improved

YouTube isn’t just for videos. Launched back in 2015, YouTube Music is the video-sharing site’s attempt to take on Spotify et al. And, just like Spotify, it offers a free tier. Sure, there are adverts, as you would expect, but not as many as you would fear.

Extras like downloading for offline listening are pay-only, so you’re limited to streaming the service’s selection, but there’s a considerable catalogue to choose from, the layout is nice and clean, and its selection of music videos is, of course, unrivalled. Well worth a listen.

Read the full review: YouTube Music

(Image credit: Future)

5. TuneIn Radio

Radio lover? Tune in to TuneIn. You won’t be disappointed.

SPECIFICATIONS

Quality of free tier: N/A | Library size: N/A | Platforms: iOS and Android apps, web player, smart speakers, cars, wearables, smart TVs, games consoles

Reasons to Buy

Wide spread of content

Big name stations

This isn’t a pure music streaming service – rather the focus is on radio stations, so you can still get your music fix that way. It offers a range of stations, including some BBC Radio, NPR, All India Radio and C-SPAN, as well as news from the likes of CNN and Fox News and a host of podcasts. There are even local and genre-specific radio stations to choose from, so there should be something for everyone. From a wide choice of radio apps, this is the best we’ve come across.

(Image credit: BBC)

6. BBC Sounds

The new app to replace iPlayer Radio.

SPECIFICATIONS

Quality of free tier: 48-320kbps | Library size: N/A | Platforms: iOS and Android apps, web player, internet radios, smart speakers, Virgin Media, YouView

Reasons to Buy

Diverse content

Excellent radio stations

Useful features

BBC Sounds has taken the place of the Beeb’s iPlayer Radio app and it feels like a good decision. As well as the usual BBC radio stations (Radio 1, Radio 4, 1Xtra, etc) which you can listen to live or on-demand, it brings together all sorts of podcasts, music mixes, live sets and more.

You can search by genre, download and listen on-the-go and continue listening where you left off on another device. The app had some teething issues, but has blossomed into a suitably rich and slick home for the BBC’s excellent audio output.

Read more: BBC Sounds app replaces iPlayer Radio

(Image credit: Future)

7. SoundCloud

If your taste is more off the beaten track, SoundCloud could be for you…

SPECIFICATIONS

Quality of free tier: 64kbps | Library size: 200 million | Platforms: iOS and Android apps, web player

Reasons to Buy

Great for emerging artists

120 million+ tracks

Great UI

SoundCloud is known as the home of emerging artists, so if you want to check one out before they make it big, this is the place to do so. The free tier offers over 120 million tracks, mixes, podcasts and more, though we can’t vouch for the quality of each (that’s the trouble with ‘up-and-coming’ artists).

The upside is you can connect with friends and even the artists directly on the platform, make playlists, and get curated tracklists based on your taste. The downside is that, like many free services, you do have to put up with adverts.

If you tire of the mainstream, maybe it’s time to take a trip to SoundCloud.

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Best smartphones

iPhone 11: release date, price and leaks for the new iPhone

Budget roundup: the latest low-cost speakers, headphones, and earbuds

Music can be said to be the universal language: while our tastes in tunes may differ, there are few people who don’t have their own favorite songs to listen to. New technologies have increased the quality of that music — however, we can’t all afford the types of speakers and headphones that offer the most superior sound.

But if you’re a music fan with a strict budget, don’t despair. There are audio devices out there that offer good or even excellent sound without forcing you to take out a loan. The following are reviews of various speakers and headsets (both headphones and earbuds) that will allow you to really enjoy your playlist. Read on, and see if you can’t find something that will fit your needs perfectly.

Headphones and earbuds

Razer Opus review: surprisingly competent wireless headphones

For the money, Razer’s new $200 Opus noise-canceling, wireless headphones come with almost everything I want in a set of headphones: comfort, good sound quality, and long battery life — with a few extra features as a bonus. For instance, the ear cups can swivel 90 degrees to rest on my chest, then into an even more compact form to fold up into the included hard case. These headphones can automatically pause when you remove them from your ears, as well.

SONY WF-XB700z: BEST WIRELESS EARBUDS ON A BUDGET

Sony’s entry-level earbuds were released without much fanfare, but I think they’re a real standout. They’ve already seen sale prices of below $100, and for that, you get a pair of earbuds that can kick out powerful bass and latch into your ears with remarkable stability — no support fins or hooks required. The WF-XB700 earbuds sound downright terrific for the price, the connection stability is rock solid (with no audio sync issues when watching videos), and their ingenious charging case always makes clear that everything is charging as it should, thanks to a slightly transparent lid.

ONEPLUS BUDS REVIEW: CHEAP AIRPODS FOR ONEPLUS PHONES

The aggressively priced $79 OnePlus Buds have an AirPod-like rigid design that’s all hard plastic — marking a shift away from the Bullets, Bullets Wireless 2, and other OnePlus earbuds that used silicone tips for a sealed-off, in-ear fit. The OnePlus Buds require a OnePlus phone if you want to get the most from them, so these really won’t appeal to owners of other Android devices. You won’t get features like wireless charging or noise cancellation at a price this low, but if you’ve found yourself envious of Apple’s AirPods and don’t like how in-ear earbuds feel, it’s hard to beat the value factor here.

BEATS FLEX REVIEW: WIRELESS EARBUD BASICS DONE RIGHT

The new $50 Beats Flex are a very smart play from Apple’s Beats division. One reason why is obvious: with the iPhone 12 lineup no longer shipping with included earbuds, this neckband-style option could prove to be a popular substitute. The Beats Flex earbuds are significantly less expensive than the Beats X they’re replacing — not to mention AirPods. They offer a lengthy 12 hours of battery life, have a comfortable fit, and eliminate the anxiety of losing a truly wireless earbud.

Speakers

IKEA’S NEW SPEAKERS ARE THE MOST AFFORDABLE WAY TO GET SONOS IN YOUR HOME

Sonos and Ikea kicked off what has the makings of a long-term partnership in August 2019. You can now purchase the Symfonisk table lamp speaker ($179) or Symfonisk bookshelf speaker ($99) from your local Ikea or from the home furnishing store’s website; these devices aren’t available from third-party retailers like Best Buy or even directly from Sonos. They look Ikea on the outside, but both are very much Sonos speakers on the inside and seamlessly integrate with other products in the company’s lineup like the Sonos One, Beam, Play:5, Play:1, and more.

Marshall’s Emberton is a basic but brilliant Bluetooth speaker

Marshall’s new $149 Emberton Bluetooth speaker gives the beloved Logitech Ultimate Ears Boom a run for its money. For starters, it charges over USB-C for quick, no-fuss charging, and it borrows the excellent joystick-like controls from Marshall’s recent lineup of headphones. Instead of having to learn a few combinations of buttons to change the song or check the battery’s level, everything is dead simple here. As some companies try to find clever ways to let you control your devices, such as swipes or gestures, there’s something to be said for physical buttons being easy, accessible, and fun.

AMAZON ECHO DOT (2020) REVIEW: HAVE A BALL

It’s no surprise that alongside the big redesign to the 4th Gen Echo, Amazon has also redesigned the Echo Dot. The new 4th Gen Dot shares the new spherical design of its larger sibling, just on a smaller scale. It’s immediately available in three different variations: the standard model for $49.99, a version with a built-in LED clock for $59.99, and a Kids Edition that comes in a cute tiger or panda design for $59.99.

Apple One allows more iCloud storage

The standard iCloud storage variants that Apple’s new service and content bundle One brings with it should not be sufficient for many users. In the case of the single-user package, 15, 95 Euro only 50 GByte with – too little for a fully occupied new iPhone 12 in its smallest version secure. For the family package to 17, 95 Euro are at least 100 GByte, but up to six people have to be together divide. With the single-user package, Apple only adds the cheapest iCloud package to One, which normally costs EUR 0 99 for which 200 GByte from the family package would be without One 2, 99 Euro due.

Buy iCloud storage space – but without any discount As is now shown in a support document that has so far only been updated in English, Apple has forbearance with One subscribers who need a little more cloud space: They can if desired namely also upgrade. However, you don’t save a cent, you simply pay the normal iCloud tariffs on top of it. In practice this means: 100 GByte storage space including one for the single place costs for example 15, 94 Euro, one in single place with 2050 GByte 24,94 Euro. Additionally 200 GByte, i.e. in total 250 GByte, would be 17, 94 Euro. For the family package, in turn 0, 99 Euro (plus 50 GByte), 2, 99 Euro (plus 200 GByte) or 9, 99 Euro ( plus 2 TB).

A maximum of 4 Tbytes is possible – but not with us In the USA there is also the Premier Package as a third Apple One bundle. In addition to iCloud storage of 2 TByte, Apple Music, Apple Arcade and Apple TV +, this also provides the news and magazine service News + as well as the Fitness + sports videos. 29, 94 Apple wants US dollars for this. With the 9, 99 dollars for another 2 TByte you get 39, 94 dollars per month. The maximum possible iCloud storage space with Apple One is 4 TB. Otherwise Premier corresponds to the family package, i.e. six users can be registered.

Not entirely uncomplicated procedure Apple One started at the end of last week. The service can be tested free of charge for a month, but only those services that the user does not currently have, the rest continues to run normally (and paid for). If you already have paid iCloud storage space, it will continue to run normally in the trial month; then, if it does not differ in size from the one in One, it will be switched for free. The same applies to smaller tariffs – money may be given back. If, on the other hand, your own iCloud storage space is larger than that of Apple One, both are combined. Here you have to cancel the iCloud storage space if necessary.

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Harman Kardon Citation 200 review: It’ll make you move

(Pocket-lint) – Speakers have evolved a whole lot over the years, so why lock yourself to either a wired at-home one or a smaller battery-based portable? The Harman Kardon Citation 200 is the best of both worlds: a Sonos Move-rivalling speaker in terms of scale, sound and portability, but at a much more appealing asking price.

It ticks a lot of features boxes, too, by offering Wi-Fi, AirPlay and Bluetooth connectivity, so it’s super easy to connect whether you’re an Apple or Android phone user. There’s even built-in Google Assistant voice compatibility (Wi-Fi only though) which gives it appeal to those who might be looking at, say, a Google Nest Audio.

Because, if you want big sound that smaller smart speakers can’t offer then, well, the Citation 200 absolutely belts out the sound. If you want big, bassy sound in a great-looking design that’s also portable then it’s a stellar offering that should also see Sonos shaking in its boots (literally, given this speaker’s low-end impact).

Design

Portable design, charging cradle included (123d x 15mm)
Dimensions: 178 x 219 x 172mm / Weight: 2.85kg
Kvadrat fabric cover, leather handle
Colours: Grey, Black
IPX4 waterproofing

A key design feature of the Citation 200 is its smart leather handle – that’s the bit that says “hey, I’m a portable speaker”. With the grey Kvadrat fabric model, as reviewed here, that handle is an attractive brown colour, while the material covering the body gives a real dynamic texture.

Best Bluetooth speakers 2020: Top portable speakers to buy today

The Citation 200 is also available in black, but that also means the handle is black too and, frankly, we think it looks a lot more boring in that finish. It’s hardly as if picking grey is being bold anyway, eh?

As we said when we first saw the speaker back at its launch at CES 2020, we do wish the product name was a bit more blatant in telling you why you should buy one. “Citation 200” hardly yells that this is a portable at-home speaker, does it? There’s obviously a spectrum to this, though, with Bose going the whole hog with its Portable Home Speaker. But sometimes it helps to state what it does on the tin.

Anyway, now that you know the Citation 200 is indeed portable, you’ll be pleased to know it also comes with its own charging cradle, much like the Sonos Move. Ok, so the Harman Kardon one doesn’t look quite as smart – it’s an oversized grey puck really – but it’s very effective. When the speaker is docked it’s just a normal home speaker. Grab the handle to remove the speaker – without having to fuss with any cables, clips or anything else – and, bosh, job done, it’s now portable.

We did wonder how often we’d use this speaker as a portable. The answer: a lot. Because its sound is so massive we’ve been carting it from the back of the kitchen to by the cooker to drown out the extraction fans; from kitchen to the living room when having a weekend tipple; and even upstairs and into the bathroom when soaking in the tub on a chill-out Sunday.

You might gasp at that last one because why would any sane person get a speaker near to steam and condensation? Well, it doesn’t matter here: the Citation 200 is IPX4 waterproof, meaning it’s protected from splashes in any direction. Just don’t put it in the actual bath. It’s also not dust-resistant, so don’t take it to the beach either. It’s not that kind of portable, though, which you can probably tell from the look anyway.

Sound quality

Battery: 4,800mAh (up to 8 hours playback, 3 hours to charge)
Supports: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay, Chromecast
Voice assistants: Google Assistant via app only
1x 25mm tweeter, 1x 120mm woofer
Frequency response: 40Hz-20kHz
Power: 50W

The Citation 200 boasts eight hours of battery life when it’s away from its dock, which is plenty of albums and streams when it’s being used around the house. Or in the garden. Or park. Or wherever it is you wish to use such a speaker. Popping it back onto the stand for a recharge is super easy, of course, although the 3 hour time-frame to get it topped back up to full is a bit slow if you ask us.

As for sound. Wow. The Citation 200 really packs a sonic punch. It’s easy to look at speakers’ specs and see various checkboxes ticked. As one example this Harman Kardon says it can cater for bass down to 40Hz. Sure, so can plenty of other speakers. But when we’ve been testing bass music tracks the sheer welly this speaker gives in the low-end department is stupendous. It’s like there’s a proper built-in subwoofer.

Now, we know, some people will find this degree of bass washing over everything to throw the balance of sound. That could be the case for certain tracks and genres, but we’ve not found it to be of concern or a problem really. All we’ll really say is that the Citation 200 doesn’t quite have that pinpoint precision when it comes to delivering mid-range snap and high-end sparkle to counter the low-end stuff.

Where you place the speaker is also of key importance. Although it looks almost cylindrical, it’s not a 360-degree output, it’s a forward wall of sound by design – because there are only two drivers inside, not the multiples you’ll find in some competitors. Not a problem, of course, just face it in the right direction and ensure it’s high enough – plonking it on a carpeted floor will see the bass take over as the mid-to-highs get adsorbed.

The Citation 200, with 50W of power, is also very loud indeed. You can fill big spaces with this fairly small speaker. All while looking better than, say, the Ultimate Ears Hyperboom, which is why the Harman Kardon will be so appealing to many – it looks kind of unassuming, but it delivers sound that’s loud enough to bite.

It’s got its teeth right into us, too, as we love the way it grabs hold of rock’n’roll tracks to provide a solid groove, gives proper thump to kick drums – Black Coffee is our go-to mellow Afro House guy right now – and warbling, impactful bass to any underground productions that dare go big on the low-end.

Connectivity is varied too, with Wi-Fi and AirPlay catering for Apple and Android users alike. We’ve been Casting from Spotify using Google Home no problems. If you’re wanting to use Bluetooth only then you’ll need to forego the voice assistant, but oh well, that’s not a big surprise – and the same with Sonos’ Move.

Verdict

While the name doesn’t scream “portable home speaker” by any means, when you get to hear the Citation 200 you’ll scream at just how massive it sounds for such a device.

As we said up top: this speaker will have Sonos quaking in its boots, as it delivers a similar prospect for a cut of the price. And without real compromise to sound, so long as you’re on board with the big bass.

Writing by Mike Lowe.

Best GPS running watch 2020: The top sports watches to buy today.

(Pocket-lint) – Sports watches are smartwatches but they have some specialisms – notably, they tend to have GPS so you can track fitness activity as you go.

Familiar names persist: Garmin and Polar offer some of the best sports watches, adding the connectivity to give you more from your smartphone, more analysis of your data and better presentation.

There are decisions to be made – do you want the accuracy of a heart rate chest strap or the convenience of wrist-based HR? Do you have a preference for the platform the data will sync to? Are you interested in a wider ecosystem?

Buying a running watch is a very personal thing, so here’s a rundown of the best watches on the market starting with our top running watch.

Pocket-lint

Garmin Fenix 6 Pro

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The Garmin Fenix 6 Pro is an outstanding sports device, with enough intelligence to compete in the smartwatch category too. It offers a substantial build, a range of sports metrics and a genuine two week battery life.

It’s not cheap and you’ll find some of its features on other Garmin sports watches for less money, but whether you’re training for a 5K, about to finish your third Ironman or are on a multi-day adventure race, the Fenix has something for you in terms of functions.

It’s impossible not to applaud a device as comprehensively impressive as the Fenix 6. As multi-functional sports-focused smartwatches go there’s no equal.

Garmin Fenix 6 Pro review: Sublime sports watch, great smartwatch

Pocket-lint

Garmin Forerunner 945

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The Garmin Forerunner 945 is Garmin’s top multisport watch. The functions it offers very much match those that you get on the Fenix 6 – so it basically does everything – but it’s priced a little cheaper than the Fenix because it doesn’t have quite the same build and protection. If you’re not planning on abusing it in the great outdoors, you might find it’s the better choice for you.

The 945 offers mapping – which the 935 didn’t – as well as offline music and Garmin Pay, so it’s very much the complete package. Not only that, but it’s accurate, has a great battery life, is slim and comfortable to wear and offers you one of the most comprehensive sets of data that you’ll find on a sports watch. It’s smart too, giving you notifications, and if you’re an Android user, smart replies to messages as well.

Garmin Forerunner 945 review: The ultimate watch for runners

Pocket-lint

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music

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The Garmin Forerunner 645 Music is a wonderful running watch. It doesn’t offer all the metrics you get with the Forerunner 945 or the Fenix 6 Pro – but it supports Garmin Pay and offline music, including Spotify while also offering smartphone notifications and customisations.

This sports watch has a lovely compact design that is comfortable to wear, excellent sports and activity tracking, and it sits on a platform that doesn’t just track that activity but it excels in delivering your stats too.

Garmin Pay isn’t hugely supported and the battery life of the Forerunner 645 Music could be better, but overall this is a fantastic running device.

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music review: On the beat?

Pocket-lint

Polar Vantage V

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The Polar Vantage V is a flagship device that will track and monitor your daily activity, sleep, sport-specific training and give you feedback. There are great metrics for runners particularly, along with great running training programmes and you’ll find plenty of support for other sports too.

The wrist-based heart rate monitor isn’t the best in the market – offering slightly dubious results at times – and a lot of the great data requires the Polar website, but the Vantage V is comfortable and the Polar Flow system has some great elements.

Polar Vantage V sports watch review: No pain, no gain

Pocket-lint

Garmin Forerunner 935

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The Garmin Forerunner 935 has been updated with the 945, but it’s still very complete.

The data that the Forerunner 935 gathers is comprehensive, not only taking those basic running metrics like your heart rate and GPS location – both fantastically accurate, but also altitude data, training status, your stress levels and estimations for things like VO2 Max and your power to weight ratio.

Beyond that, it’s a lovely watch to wear, offers a battery that will see you through a full week easily, as well as giving you tracking for events over 24 hours and support for a full range of sports and activities.

Garmin Forerunner 935 review: The sports watch of champions

Pocket-lint

Garmin Vivoactive 4

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The Garmin Vivoactive 4 offers great multi-sport tracking at a sensible price point. It is a versatile smart fitness watch that offers a long-lasting battery life, lightweight design and it tracks multiple activities, not just running so it’s a great option if you like to mix it up every once in a while.

Its screen isn’t as impressive as the likes of the Apple Watch or Fitbit Ionic but the Garmin Vivoactive 3 still offers great GPS and heart rate tracking and it delivers plenty of detail through the Garmin Connect app. You also get a couple of extra features on this device like Garmin Pay and offline music, so it’s a complete package.

Garmin Vivoactive 4 review: Great tracking without the huge price tag

Pocket-lint

Polar Vantage M

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The Polar Vantage M has a lot to admire if you’re looking for a sports-first smartwatch. It’s comfortable to wear, there is plenty of support for sports and there are some great training programmes too.

There’s no on board music storage or payments and the heart rate sensor can be a little hit and miss, but the Polar Flow environment is great and the Polar Vantage M will do everything most users will want, even if it isn’t as accomplished as the Vantage V.

Polar Vantage M review: Keeping you on track

Pocket-lint

Fitbit Charge 4

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The Fitbit Charge 4 offers all the normal lifestyle tracking that Fitbit is known for – steps, sleep – but in the Charge 4 is adds GPS, meaning it’s a lot more capable as a device for those who want to throw in the occasional run as well.

We say occasional, because the size of the display means you can’t see a huge amount of information and because this is a compact device, the battery won’t last as long as others on this list – especially if you’re using the GPS to track a lot of events. But, it’s affordable, it’s discreet, and it’s accurate enough, it just won’t give you as complete a set of metric as some of the more advanced devices here.

Fitbit Charge 4 review: The most accomplished fitness band?

Pocket-lint

Fitbit Ionic

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The Fitbit Ionic is the brand’s attempt at creating a smartwatch that’s as savvy with fitness as it is with its connectivity. It’s a no brainer for those looking for a more advanced device who are already in the Fitbit ecosystem, a great upgrade for someone who finds that an older device just doesn’t give them enough information.

Importantly, the Ionic covers major sports – running, cycling, swimming – rather well, with integrated GPS and heart rate tracking. But it’s all wrapped in a light and compact design that’s less bulky than a lot of the watches on this list. From a runner’s point of view the presentation of the information isn’t as customisable as you’ll get from Garmin and the Fitbit app is more geared towards lifestyle tracking than running performance, but for casual runners, that might be what you need.

The display is lovely, vibrant and far from boring, but the cost is that it only really offers four days of battery life.

Fitbit Ionic review: Bridging the gap between fitness tracker and smartwatch

Pocket-lint

Apple Watch Nike

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If you’re an Apple iPhone user, then the Apple Watch delivers a first class smartwatch experience. The Nike version of the watch has been designed for runners, although the only real unique options are the strap and the watch faces from the Nike Running app. Otherwise, the Apple Watch supplies you with wrist-based heart rate tracking and GPS, returning accurate results.

The running metrics aren’t as full as you’ll get from the other devices on this list, but if it’s only basic run tracking that you’re after then the Apple Watch will do that for you, while also giving you the advantage of a full smartwatch experience. There are Nike versions of many recent models, including the new Apple Watch SE. The downside is you only get 1 day of battery life.

Apple Watch SE review: The smarter choice for your wallet

Pocket-lint

Garmin Venu

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The Garmin Venu is Garmin’s answer to devices like the Apple Watch, offering an OLED display to boost the visuals over all the other devices it offers. That means this watch is nicer to look at than anything else the company does – but it takes a big hit on the battery life as a result.

To back up its credentials, it offers a full range of functionality, essentially the same as the Garmin Vivoactive 4, so that’s offline music, Garmin Pay and all the sports functions you’d expect from Garmin. If you want a watch that has a great display, this could be the model for you, if you are happy to accept the hit to battery life.

Garmin Venu review: Garmin’s first true smartwatch

Writing by Chris Hall. Editing by Max Freeman-Mills.

Review: Gerrard Street always a new pair of headphones

RESUME Of course, the Prince’s main focus is the rental model. There is certainly something to be said. Two years from now, you will still have working headphones in good condition, for example. The fact that you can replace parts is more sustainable, and more durability is certainly allowed in our opinion. Regardless of that approach: whether the financial picture is correct, actually depends on your own habits. In any case, you are not going to be disappointed by the quality.

PLUS POINTS Very good autonomy Comfortable and light Trendy, Immersive Sound Innovative Concept MINUSES Rental model should suit you NC does not achieve ultimate efficiency

Services like Spotify and Netflix have turned our idea of owning things upside down. But what about hardware? Look at the smartphone world and everything has become a disposable product. Fortunately, the hi-fi world has been largely spared from that trend, because most hi-fi devices are made to last, and in many cases are supported by service and possibly repair to ensure that. D wireless headphones are the exception, however, as they are almost never repaired if they break. The Rotterdam Gerrard Street would like to do something about this. We started with the Gerrard Street Prince, the top model.

Gerrard Street

The idea behind Gerrard Street is that you no longer buy headphones, to throw it away after a year or two. Does that disposable use sound excessive? According to the Dutch startup we throw like this 1844 million worth of electronics gone. Well yes â € œ awayâ €. The reality is that our junk ends up somewhere in a third world country, where some precious metals and parts are still being recovered in bad conditions. The rest pollutes the local communities, it turns out.

Gerrard Street contrasts with a different model. They now offer three modular headphones that you can rent for a fixed amount per month or year. If something breaks, you will get what you need to repair your headphones. The modular construction makes that easy and the waste content remains under control.

Here we take a look at the Prince, the top model with Bluetooth and noise cancellation. There is also the Boss (wireless) and the Day (wired).

Gerrard Street Prince That’s a very flat box … Â We have a very inventive mailman, but this is the first time he has managed to stuff a full pair of headphones through the slot on the bus. Admittedly, it was also made easy for him. The Prince is delivered in a disassembled condition, in a very flat box. First impression: the postman drove over the box with his delivery van. Which, incidentally, is a reflection on format and not on content; they present the parts in a very neat way, no loose bags taped together.

Step Ã © Ã So, this is assembling the Prince headphones. You can view the necessary explanation via a QR code, but we were able to assemble the six parts without too much mess. It is self-explanatory. You just don’t have to forcefully attach the drivers to the metal bracket without first inserting the bracket through the padded headband. The cable that you plug in at the two driver housings also runs along that headband. Gerrard Street opted for USB-C plugs here. Smart, because they are trusted and you cannot insert them wrong.

The assembly took us about two minutes and, as mentioned, was anything but challenging. It does give a warm, I-am-not-just-a-consumer feeling.

Technically strong

Despite the DIY approach, the Prince appears to be quite ahead in terms of technique. Bluetooth 5.0 and support for the aptX codec are two things that ensure a quick connection with your smartphone and good sound quality. If you own an iPhone instead of a recent Android phone, switch to the AAC codec. The autonomy is with 44 hours (with NC, 44 hours without) also very good, charging is done via a USB-C cable and your phone charger.

There is also noise canceling on board, operated via a button on the right ear. You adjust the volume on the left. You can switch off the noise suppression, or switch between an ambient mode or maximum NC. With the ambient mode you get a lot of your surroundings, but even with maximum noise canceling, voices are still relatively well audible. Of course it depends on how loud you listen to your music. Since flying is not a smart idea now, we test the noise canceling by listening to quiet music (‘Getting into Knives’ by The Mountain Goats) with a YouTube video of a train journey through a snowstorm plays the background through speakers. Although we still hear a relatively large amount of the train between tracks (pun not intended, ed.), It turns out that during the moments that music is playing, this is not really bothersome.

We may not be speaking here about NC at the level of the top models from Bose or Sony, but about noise reduction at a better level. You notice that even when no music is playing; there is not much noise or artifacts from the digital NC to be detected. It’s not completely silent, but that’s almost impossible. In any case, you will not suffer from it.

Totally cozy The thick, soft ear pads on the Prince keep out a lot of ambient noise Ã © n sit comfortably on your ears. That has been won twice. Your ears are getting a little warm â ???? you always have thick pillows â ???? but they also help to completely refine the sound. You get a nice bass foundation in this way, not exaggerated but enough for the various tracks on â ???? Song Machineâ ???? of Damon Albarns Gorillazâ ?? s nice and compelling. Voices stand out well, so Robert Smith comes out of the mix well on the first track. With cheaper headphones you often end up with a â ???? hiddenâ ???? sound as soon as too much happens, but also further on on this album, at â ???? Simplicityâ ???? with Joan As Police Woman, the beats don’t drown out the double vocals. The clipping of the fingers in the background also stands out, which gives a pretty spatial experience for closed headphones.

Conclusion The Prince’s main focus is of course the separate rental model. There is certainly something to be said for it. Two years from now, you will still have working headphones in good condition, for example. The fact that you can replace parts is more sustainable, and more durability is certainly allowed in our opinion. Apart from that: whether the financial picture is correct, actually depends on your own habits. If you do lose (or destroy) a pair of headphones every year or two, then you’re better off with the Gerrard Street model.

In any case, you will not be disappointed by the quality. The headphones themselves are a fine thing and seem sturdy. In any case, it will be assembled by someone you know. The battery lasts a long time, features such as Bluetooth 5.0 and aptX are very welcome, the noise canceling is effective and the wearing comfort is especially great. The Prince also has a pleasant, slightly bass heavier tuning that is perfect for many types of music. It is also a great pair of headphones for watching a movie on Netflix on the go.

Gerrard Street Prince

â ?? ¬ 12, 50 euro / month | Â www.gerrardstreet.nl

Rating 4 out of 5

Braun Audio’s comeback LE wireless speaker range is finally available

(Image credit: Braun)

It’s been well over a year since Braun Audio announced its return and plans to revive its classic LE speaker range from 1959, and now, at long last, they are available.

The LE01 (£1099, $1299), LE02 (£749, $899) and LE03 (£349, $399) are the first products out of the gate for the German brand in almost three decades, and whereas the original speakers they are founded on were passive designs, these new arrivals have been brought bang up to date with many of the modern technologies now ubiquitous in the speaker world.

The trio of LE speakers can be categorised as wireless, multi-room and smart, with Google Assistant voice control and Google Chromecast streaming at the core of their functionality.

Braun Audio LE02 (Image credit: Braun Audio)

The speakers can be used individually (when positioned in landscape mode, LE01 and LE02 will perform as stereo speakers) or in a pair (when in portrait orientation, they can be configured into a stereo left and right configuration). Additionally, a companion app allows users to select placement modes and adjust EQ to get the most from the Balanced Mode Radiator (BMR) drive units based on sonic preference and where the speakers are placed in a room.

Braun Audio LE03 (Image credit: Braun Audio)

The LE01, LE02 and LE03 will initially be finished in white, with a black colourway coming “at a later date”. They’re available on the Braun Audio store from today for existing registered Braun subscribers, with general release following on Wednesday. In the US, they will be sold through the Museum Of Modern Art store in New York.

With Braun’s centenary year just months away, we can expect the brand to be prolific throughout 2021.

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