Along with its three new S series phones, Samsung also announced its Galaxy Buds Pro truly wireless headphones, which are supposed to be the company’s new flagship in this segment. They draw inspiration from the Galaxy Buds+ design but claim to offer even better ergonomics and longer listening times. Additionally they promise better audio quality and bring the active noise cancelling from the Buds Live.
The Galaxy Buds Pro have 11mm woofers for deeper sound and 6.5mm tweeters to deliver crisp trebles. Samsung says the current setup improves the sound quality quite a bit, even compared to the highly regarded Galaxy Buds+.
Moreover, the Buds Pro offer a considerable improvement in the call department. There’s a dedicated Voice Pickup Unit (VPU) that hones in on your voice and three microphones to separate your voice from the background noise. One of those microphones features high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to help with the ambient sounds. And lastly, the TWS headphones feature Samsung’s brand new Wind Shield technology so the wind doesn’t mess up your calls while outside or while riding your bike.
Of course, there’s also active noise canceling too and Samsung claims about 99% ambient sound blockage. The ANC settings are pretty granular so you can choose the level of ANC and if you want to have a conversation, you can actually amplify the surrounding sounds by more than 20 dB. The best part is that the headphones are smart enough to manage that themselves. The microphones are always listening for your voice so whenever you speak, the Ambient Sound feature will kick in and let the ambient sounds in.
Another neat new feature is the Auto Switch. You can connect two Samsung devices simultaneously – your tablet and your phone, for example. This allows you to watch a movie on the tablet and when a call comes in on your phone the Buds Pro will automatically pause the movie and switch to the phone so you can accept the call. And once the conversation is over, the buds will hit play on the movie to ensure a seamless experience.
It doesn’t end there – there’s 360 Audio based on Dolby Head Tracking technology similar to Apple’s Spatial Audio. And Game Mode is for those cases when you need the lowest latency possible.
Each bud has a 61mAh battery that Samsung says can last for up to 5 hours of non-stop listening with the ANC turned on and about 8 hours without it. There’s another 472 mAh cell inside the case, taking the total play times to 18 and 28 hours, respectively. The fast charging functionality gives you 1 hour of music playback for just 5 minutes of charging.
The available colors for the Galaxy Buds Pro are Phantom Silver, Phantom Violet and Phantom Black – they will go on pre-order starting tomorrow, January 15, for €229. Actual availability is coming on January 29.
Here are the Acer notebooks announced at CES 2021: many solutions that integrate the new AMD Ryzen CPUs 5000 or Intel Core 11 th Tiger Lake H 35, not forgetting Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX GPUs 3000.
by Manolo De Agostini published 14 January 2021 , at 11: 51 in the Portable channel Acer Predator
Acer announced at CES 2021 a range complete with notebook equipped with the new CPU AMD Ryzen 5000 and processors Intel Core of 11 th generation Tiger Lake H 35 . As for the AMD offer, the Taiwanese company is ready with the new Nitro 5, Aspire 5 and Aspire 7.
Gaming notebook line Acer Nitro 5 includes processors up to Ryzen 9 5900 HX and a GPU up to GeForce RTX 3080. A complete the equipment there are two slots to accommodate storage, up to 32 GB DDR4 RAM – 3200 and connectivity is wired with Killer E 2600 and wireless with Wi-Fi 6.
Available with 15, 6 o 14, 3 inches , buyers can choose from panels with a 3 millisecond response time, rice WQHD lution and refresh rate 165 Hz or Full HD up to 360 Hz . The panels reach a brightness of 300 nit and guarantee sRGB gamut coverage of the 100%. From a design standpoint, Acer has shrunk the bezels to around 7mm for a screen-to-body ratio of 80%. The notebook is equipped with two fans and four ventilation grilles to prevent heating.
The Acer Nitro 5 from 15 inches will be available in Europe from February starting from 1199 euro (initial configuration with Ryzen 7, GeForce GTX GPU 1650 and SSD from 512 GB). The model from 17 inches (AN 517 – 41) will start from 1299 euro (initial configuration with Ryzen 7, GeForce GTX 1650 and SSD from 512 GB).
The new Acer Aspire 5 has a thickness of 14, 95 mm , a sandblasted aluminum coating and thin bezels surround a IPS FHD display of 15, 6 inch which also includes Acer BlueLightShield technology to reduce blue light emission, potentially and harmful to the eyes. In this case the Ryzen processors 5000 are flanked by a GPU AMD Radeon RX 640, up to 24 GB RAM and an M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD up to 1TB and / or a HDD up to 2TB . Equipped with USB C and dual-band Wi-Fi 6 connectivity (802. 11 ax), Aspire 5 will be available from February starting from 679 EUR.
The Acer Aspire 7 shows one Full HD screen from 15, 6 inches, one Ryzen processor 5000 and a GeForce GTX GPU 1650 . The Taiwanese company expects up to 32 GB of DDR4 memory and a PCIe SSD with a maximum capacity of up to 1 TB. The whole is enclosed in a body that weighs only 2, 15 kilograms. The laptop is equipped with the latest generation connectivity, with USB-C and dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (802. 11 ax). As for the price list, Acer indicates a starting price of 899 euro .
Switching to the offer based on 11th H Intel Core CPU 35 (Tiger Lake) , Acer announced the update of several gaming notebooks including Predator Triton 165 SE, Predator Helios 300 and Acer Nitro 5.
Predator Triton 300 SELF has a metal body with a thickness of only 17 , 9 mm and weighing 1.7 kg . The notebook sees Intel Core i7 H CPU 24 paired with a GeForce RTX GPU 3060 . A dual-fan cooling system, including the new all-metal AeroBlade designed to improve airflow and reduce turbulence, helps keep temperatures in check during gaming sessions.
The laptop boasts a Full HD display from 14 inches with refresh rate of 144 Hz surrounded by thin frames. Battery life is, according to Acer, equal to 00 hours . The equipment is completed by a 3-zone backlit RGB keyboard, DTS: X Ultra audio, Killer Wi-Fi 6 connectivity 1650 i AX and a large set of ports including Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 Gen 2 and HDMI. Predator Triton 300 SE (PT 314 – 51 s) will be available in Europe from April with prices starting from 1499 EUR.
The Predator Helios 165 has been updated to include the GeForce RTX 3080 and up to 32 GB of DDR4 memory. The IPS display from 240 Hz with 3ms response time ensures smooth images, while audio DTS: X Ultra and 3D simulated surround sound aim to deliver greater immersion. The notebook is equipped with two fans to cool the hardware at best. Predator Helios 300 (PH 315 – 53) will be available, again from April, starting from 1799 EUR.
The Nitro 5, in version from 15 is 17 inch (144 Hz, 3 ms response time, 300 nit), alongside an Intel Core H series CPU 35 of the eleventh generation an unspecified GeForce GTX GPU and up to 32 GB of DDR4 memory. Plus, there’s room for two M.2 SSDs. To improve the user experience, the notebook’s charging port has been moved to the rear of the chassis so that the power cable does not get in the way , while USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 6 support ensure fast connections. The keyboard features four-zone RGB lighting. Both versions will arrive in March, with prices starting at 1199 euro for the model from 15 inches and by 1299 euro for that from 17 inches.
Today takes place on UNPACKED by Samsung , an event in which we will be able to see new products from the company, and although the name that resonates everywhere is that of the new Samsung flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S 21 , the event has started with the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, a new high-end TWS headphones that arrive with a two-way design and high performance noise cancellation.
Inside the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro we find a woofer of 11 millimeters in diameter together with a 6.5 millimeter diameter tweeter , allowing each path to be take care of the audio frequencies in which na turally they are more effective.
Among the characteristics of the Buds Pro, we see that they arrive with IPX7 resistance , three microphones that give life to the cancellation functions of noise, the technology Wind Shield Sound , and of course, the microphone functions of the headphones themselves, although Wind Shield Sound doesn’t just rely on microphones.
The complete design of the headphones has been created face reduce wind noise, in addition to the fact that the grids for the microphones lead to watertight chambers in which the air will enter, instead of addressing the microphones , and finally, through software, the air noise patterns will be canceled remaining.
Its autonomy is 5 hours, the c These are increased to 18 hours if we take into account the autonomy that the storage box can provide us , which also has its own battery, and its price will be 239 euros for all its colors, which are silver, black and lilac.
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Today, next to the flagship smartphones of the Samsung Galaxy S series 21, the truly wireless in-ear headphones Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro also debuted. Last year’s Korean musical design, the Galaxy Buds Live, was slightly different in terms of construction, but as you can see this year the company wanted to return to a more classic look. Is it good – I will let you assess it, and I will go to the details, i.e. the specification and functionality. The headphones are available in three colors: black, silver and purple. They will be sold in selected countries 29 January 2021, and the pre-sale starts now. The equipment was priced at 999 PLN.
Next of the flagship Samsung Galaxy S series smartphones 21 also debuted new, truly Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro wireless in-ear headphones. They enjoy the presence of ANC and some legitimate improvements.
Even before the premiere, it was known that the new designs, next to Ambient Sound (listening to the environment with the use of microphones), would finally offer active noise reduction (ANC), with (as suggested by the manufacturer) ) block up to 99% of outside noise. Leaks were also confirmed in the case of intelligent switching to Ambient mode, as soon as the device detects that we are talking, thanks to which there will be no need to remove the headphones from the ears. This is known as the Conversation Mode. How exactly it works is shown in the video below.
Samsung Galaxy S 15 5G, S 21 + 5G and S 21 Ultra 5G – Launch of new flagship smartphones with Exynos chip 2100
As we can see in the material above, the new TWS headphones are designed for we also have another novelty, but only owners of Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets will benefit from it. Well, the headphones offer smooth switching between sound sources from the aforementioned devices, as long as we are logged in to both of them with the same Samsung account. The design will also guarantee cooperation with voice assistants, waterproof with IPX7 resistance class, three microphones per “flea”, operation after Bluetooth 5.1 transmission and surround sound 360 Audio enhanced with Dolby Head Tracking technology.
Samsung will soon include the first webcam in the laptop screen. Smartphones will receive this solution a little later
A single charging of the headphones is enough for 8 hours of listening to music or 4.5 hours of talks. In turn, using the power stored in the magnetic case, the headphones are to play for 28 hours or allow total 15 telephone hours. Each of the headphones has a battery with a capacity of 61 mAh, and the charging case – 472 mAh. A pair of “flea” pickups are responsible for the sound: 11 – a millimeter driver for low and medium tones and a 6.5-millimeter tweeter. Unfortunately, the greatest music enthusiasts will be disappointed, because the new headphones are still based only on AAC and SBC codecs and on the proprietary Samsung Scalable Audio Codec.
Videoconferencing has become an integral part of office work, which is why the latest Logitech offer is tailored to various situations related to working remotely. Logitech presented next-generation devices and solutions dedicated primarily to videoconferencing services, such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, GoTo, Pexip or Ring Central. Logitech Rally Bar and Logitech Rally Bar Mini were priced at 3999 and
dollars, and Logitech RoomMate for 999 dollars. The devices will be available at the end of this quarter, but before you close this page by fainting at the above prices, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the possibilities of individual designs.
Logitech has just unveiled several devices targeting videoconferencing rooms. Logitech Rally Bar, Rally Bar Mini and RoomMate will be available at the end of this quarter.
Logitech G Pro X Superlight – the brand’s lightest wireless mouse
New devices Logitech Rally Bar and Logitech Rally Bar Mini are designed to analyze the room in which are located and using artificial intelligence to propose a solution best suited to a given situation. Rally Bar is supposed to work well in medium-sized rooms, and Rally Bar Mini in small ones. For large conference rooms there was created Logitech RoomMate – a device that allows you to run video conferences on Logitech conference cameras, such as Rally Plus, without using a computer PC or Mac. Each of these devices is to feature not only high video quality, but also audio.
Logitech K 845 – simple, neat and inexpensive mechanical keyboard
Alio FHD Test 84 – Full HD Webcam wide angle 84 °
What distinguishes new Logitech devices include:
Optics up to 4K: The Rally Bar offers lossless quality with a 5x optical zoom that will be digitally scaled up to 15 – total zoom times.
Clear Sound: The Adaptive Beam-shaped Mic Array picks up voices from anywhere with a clarity of conversation, focusing on the active speaker and automatically leveling louder and softer voices while suppressing unwanted noise.
Smart Framing: Both video bars feature Logitech RightSense and the AI viewfinder, a second camera dedicated to computer vision. The camera detects human figures and processes in real time, increasing the precision of automatic camera framing and camera control, so meeting participants are always the center of attention.
Simple setup, management and monitoring: Rally Bar and Rally Bar Mini come with handy cable management options and flexible installation. Set up takes minutes out of the box and you can easily monitor and manage your video bars from one platform using Logitech Sync or your preferred device management dashboard. In addition, you can gain insight into how meeting rooms are being used based on metrics such as number of people, which is especially important with room occupancy limits in a hybrid workplace.
Creative Technology is releasing a refreshed version of the Sound Blaster Z sound card, a model called Sound Blaster Z SE. It is a sound card built on the basis of the popular six-channel Sound Blaster Z sound card. The parameters of the new SB Z SE sound card are essentially the same as its predecessors SB Z, from the sound parameters to the software itself, which has been updated to Sound Blaster Command version. One of the main changes to the sound card, however, is the use of the new generation Sound Core3D sound processor, which is responsible for Creative’s proprietary technologies, such as SBX profiles, Crystal Voice, Scout Mode, Surround Virtualization, Creative ALchemy.
Creative is releasing a refreshed version of the Sound Blaster Z sound card, a model called Sound Blaster Z SE. One of the major changes to the sound card, however, is the adoption of the next generation Sound Core3D sound processor, including support for 7.1 sets.
Test Creative Sound BlasterX Katana – soundbar with sound card
The card occupies one PCI-Ex1 slot. It is equipped with a metal housing / EMI shield, which is designed to protect the electronics of the sound card against interference from electromagnetic waves emanating from other components. The mentioned Sound Core3D sound processor and DAC built on the Cirrus Logic chip are responsible for the sound; 24 bit / 192 kHz and SNR 120 dB. Two two-channel operational amplifiers are responsible for the amplification of the headphone paths and the sound quality. The headphone amplifier is able to drive high-quality headphones with an impedance of 600 ohms. Front panel users can use the 10 – pin connector located on the PCB. This time the sound card does not have LED illumination, which is red in the SB Z version.
Creative Outlier Gold test – Golden headphones, also in figurative
On the rear panel has connectors such as (from left):
Line / Mic In
Headphone Out
Output to Stereo Speakers / Front Speakers
Rear output
Center and Subwoofer Out
Optical Out
Optical Input
Test Creative Sound Blaster AE-7. How it sounds!
Sound Blaster Z SE is complemented by Creative’s proprietary software called Sound Blaster Command, which includes solutions such as ready-made sound profiles for headphones, speakers and even a microphone . We can use the built-in Equalizer to better control our sound equipment. We cannot forget about the available “Scout mode” technology, which is designed to help players in faster and better positioning of enemies on the battlefield. The software gives us the ability to quickly and conveniently switch between speakers and headphones. Previous SB Z users can also take advantage of the new Sound Blaster Command software that replaces the older version of Sound Blaster Control Panel Pro Studio. The Sound BlasterZ SE sound card is priced at 449 and is available at creative.com.
Creative Sound Blaster AE-9 test – the best PC sound card
Creative Sound Blaster Z SE specification:
Signal ratio to noise: 116 dB
24 – bit analog-to-digital conversion of audio from analog inputs with maximum sampling rate 96 kHz
24 – bit digital-to-analog conversion of digital sources with sampling rate to 192 kHz to analog outputs
Recording sampling rates from 16 to 24 bits: 16, 24, 44, 1, 48 and 96 kHz
Playback sampling rates from 16 to 24 bits: 16, 24, 44, 1, 48, 96 and 192 kHz
Dominic Moass 6 hours ago Featured Tech News, Graphics
There’s no denying the last few months have been a disaster for GPU availability. New products from both AMD and Nvidia have proven very hard to come by, and prices have shot up as a result of the scarce supply. Nvidia EVP and CFO, Colette Kress, recently commented that supply is expected to remain ‘lean’ throughout the rest of the quarter.
Speaking with Seeking Alpha (via VideoCardz), Kress stated that demand continues to remain right at this time, and that Nvidia expects ‘overall channel inventories, meaning the inventories that are with our AIC partners as well as in our e-tail and retail channels will likely remain lean throughout Q1.’ Kress went on to say that Nvidia remains ‘focused on this and working each day to improve our overall supply situation’, though nothing concrete was offered.
AMD’s CEO, Lisa Su, also spoke to Anandtech in similar terms. Despite confirming its RX 6000 reference cards will remain on sale this quarter, Su stated that in regards to pricing and availability, ‘not only tariffs, but the COVID environment has increased shipping and freight costs, which are hard to avoid. As we get into a more normal environment, this should improve. This also matters for our planned graphics updates through the first half of the year, as we have a lot of product coming to market.’ Call me pessimistic but that doesn’t sound like we can expect the situation to turn around anytime soon.
KitGuru says: This generation of GPUs have been mighty impressive – but hardly anyone has been able to buy one. While the evidence doesn’t seem to support it, I really hope this changes sooner rather than later.
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With the launch of the RTX 30 series laptop GPUs and Ryzen 5000H mobile processors, ASUS is updating its laptop lineup with a few new additions, including the compact ROG Flow X13, 15-inch and 17-inch Strix Scar and G laptops, and the new Zephyrus Duo 15 SE.
Based on the specifications of these new ASUS laptops, it seems that there won’t be any Intel CPU options for now. These new ROG laptops expected to be available in Q1 2021, will be cooled using liquid metal TIM and powered by up to the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX and RTX 3080 mobile GPUs, offering a powerful hardware combination capable of rivalling high-end desktops.
Starting with the dual-screen ASUS Zephyrus Duo 15 SE, this powerful laptop will feature 16GB of DDR4-3200 (32GB max.) soldered memory, up to a Ryzen 9 5900HX, and an RTX 3080 laptop GPU, which will then be paired with an FHD main display with 300Hz refresh rate or a 4K main display with 120Hz refresh rate. Depending on the main display, the respective 14.1-inch ScreenPad Plus is either a 1920x550p IPS screen or a 3840×1100 IPS screen, both with a 60Hz refresh rate.
The new ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 SE will be available in February, starting at £2499.99.
The ROG Flow X13 is an ultraportable gaming laptop equipped with a GeForce GTX 1650 and up to a Ryzen 9 5980HS mobile processor. The 13.4-inch screen options include a 1920×1200 IPS panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and touchscreen capabilities, or a 3840×2400 IPS panel with a 60Hz refresh rate and touchscreen.
For those who want a bit more out of the Flow X13, ASUS has created the ROG XG Mobile external GPU dock. Measuring 208x155x29.6mm, this GPU dock is equipped with a mobile RTX 3080 GPU, which is cooled by a vapor chamber solution and a single fan. The ROG XG Mobile external GPU dock also features additional I/O ports to expand the connectivity of the laptop, including a USB-Hub, video outputs, and more.
The ROG Flow X13 will be priced at £1499.99, and it will be available in February. Pricing of the ROG XG Mobile external GPU dock was not disclosed yet, but it should release before Q1 2021 ends. The dock will be available separately, or as a bundle with the laptop.
Jumping onto the ROG Strix 15-inch (G15) and 17-inch (G17) laptops, both models are similarly specced, featuring up to an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060/3070 GPU, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of SSD storage. The 15-inch model comes with two display options, both with a 3ms response time: a FullHD IPS panel with a 300Hz refresh rate, and a QHD IPS panel with a 165Hz refresh rate. The 17-inch model features the same display options but with a bigger screen.
Connectivity ports include 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen1 interfaces, a USB-C 3.2 Gen2 interface, a LAN RJ-45 jack, an HDMI 2.0b interface, and an audio combo jack. Available colours include original black, eclipse gray, and electro punk. Both models will be available in Q1 2021, with the 15-inch model starting at £899.99, and the 17-inch model at £1299.99.
The 15-inch and 17-inch Scar laptops are basically a beefed-up version of the Strix G laptops, equipped with up to an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU, up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of SSD storage. The display options of both models are also the same, coming with either a FullHD IPS display with a 300Hz refresh rate or a QHD IPS panel with a 165Hz refresh rate.
The ROG Scar laptops also feature a similar set of connectivity ports, but it distinguishes itself from the Strix G laptops thanks to the mechanical keyboard with per-key RGB lighting and superior sound system. The Scar laptops will be only available in ‘original black’. With a starting price of £1899.99, both models should be available in February.
KitGuru says: Which ASUS laptop seems more exciting? Do you think dual-screen laptops will become mainstream? What your opinion on the ROG Flow X13 and ROG XG Mobile external GPU dock?
The still fresh mind game in EU circles of operating your own satellite Internet and focusing on a particularly high degree of availability, security and resilience should quickly take shape. “My goal is to move forward quickly,” emphasized EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton on Tuesday at the 13 . European space conference. He therefore considers it appropriate for the Brussels government institution to submit a corresponding proposal to the EU Parliament and the Council of Ministers this year “so that we can act concretely”.
An end to the white spots According to Breton, the goal of the infrastructure should be the “dead zones” in the form of white spots on the Card to end Internet coverage and “give everyone access to high-speed broadband”. An ambitious target for an estimated five million EU households without a network. Elon Musk’s space company SpaceX wants to use the public tests for a comparable major project to customers in the USA and Northern Europe with around 900 satellite speeds of 50 to 150 offer Mbit / s. During test runs in summer, the download was between 29 and 61 Mbit / s and when uploading at 4.5 to 17 MBit / s end.
Digital sovereignty is also a reason for Breton to push ahead with the initiative as quickly as possible. According to him, Europe should become “autonomous” when it comes to satellite Internet and avoid dependence on Starlink or the British-Indian alternative OneWeb. It is important to “keep the continent connected, whatever happens”, including in the event of “massive attacks” on the network. In addition, the project should catapult Europe “into the quantum age” by ensuring communication via quantum encryption.
The Commission gave the end 2020 A feasibility study was commissioned by an industrial consortium for 7.1 million euros. This should sound out the expectations of potential users and the requirements of the mission within a year. Breton now made it clear that he expected the first results in April.
Thinking outside the box This is not a “business as usual” space project, emphasized the French. “It is broader. It will have to rely on industry from different sectors. We have to think outside the box, including in terms of funding.” “All possible sources” should be mobilized, such as the EU budget, the Member States, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the private sector.
Technically, Breton envisions that the project would involve a Altitude up to 2000 kilometers combined with others up to satellites in geostationary orbit (35. 786 kilometers altitude). It should complement existing infrastructures, e.g. improve the signal of the GPS alternative Galileo or provide data relay capacities for real-time missions in the Copernicus network. Additional sensors in space are also in demand to improve space surveillance.
No later than 2030 ready At Galileo it took 17 years from conception to about the first operational service, pointed out Jean-Marc Nasr from Airbus Space Systems. It shouldn’t take that long this time. The network must be usable at the latest at the beginning 2030 in order to still be able to play an international role. Riadh Cammoun from the Franco-Italian satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space recalled that in addition to money and a strategy, frequencies are also necessary for the planned constellation. According to the commission, negotiations are already underway with the responsible International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Andreas Scheuer, Federal Minister for Transport and Digital Infrastructure, has meanwhile announced that he wants to launch a voucher program so that around 200. 000 Households in this country without fast internet could use satellite capacities at short notice during the Corona crisis. The CSU politician described this to the Funke media group as bridging aid for peripheral locations until fixed network projects funded there were also implemented. Each 500 Euro would cover the costs for installing a satellite connection. The green media politician Margit Stumpp criticized this as a populist crazy idea and an admission of government failure.
The announcement of the HP Reverb G2 had sparked a lot of hype in the virtual reality scene: For comparatively cheap 700 Euro it offers PC-VR with a resolution of 2160 × 2160 pixels per eye.
Immediately after putting it on, you will notice that the display of the G2 is beyond any doubt. The picture looks bright, clear and colorful. The HP headset uses the same lenses as the more expensive Valve Index VR glasses, but pairs them with higher-resolution LC displays – the index only shows 1440 × 1600 per eye. In terms of sharpness, the G2 has the lead, and we also noticed fewer reflections than with the Index. With the flight simulator Xplane, for example, the displays of a Cessna 172 can be read without having to look forward lean. The G2, however, draws the short straw in the field of view (FoV): While the Valve headset is one of the devices with the largest FoV on the market, the HP G2 only offers mediocre performance: The FoV is roughly on par with Oculus Quest (2) and HTC Vive.
HP also worked with Valve on the speakers and the “Ear Speakers” were taken over from the index. These direct the audio signal to the ear without touching it – this prevents “being locked in” when the headphones are closed, which many people find uncomfortable. The Valve audio system works almost scary well, at Half-Life: Alyx, several colleagues winced because the sound didn’t sound like game sound, but like real. Unlike the previous G1, there is no jack socket for connecting your own headphones.
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The Motorola razr 5G can be folded up like its ancestor almost 20 years. The reincarnation was successful, at least visually.
Motorola razr 5G folding smartphone in the test Display and folding mechanism Average hardware Conclusion and test table Article in c’t 1 / 2021 read In cellphone times, the Razr V3 was an iconic flip phone. Motorola is trying to make a comeback with the razr 5G: How to be 17 year old ancestor, the razr 5G can be folded in the middle. When opened, a 6.2-inch OLED screen unfolds, no larger than conventional smartphones. Unlike the foldable Huawei Mate X and Samsung Galaxy Fold, the razr 5G is not supposed to be an ultraportable tablet, but rather a compact smartphone that can be carried in your pocket thanks to the folding mechanism.
You hardly see any differences , but the razr 5G is Motorola’s second attempt at a folding smartphone. The manufacturer has removed some obvious weaknesses in the second edition of the razr. Unlike the predecessor, the revised version is equipped with a slot for a SIM card. The previously exclusive possibility of operating the smartphone via eSIM also remains. At the price of 1500 euros, the razr is now also 5G -capable.
Display and folding mechanism The metal frame of the razr made a robust impression in the test. The folding hinge reliably holds the display in position, i.e. either completely open or folded. The hinge does not allow intermediate steps. This is where the razr differs from the only other similarly compact foldable, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. This can also be operated half open and then distributes the controls and content of some apps in the different halves of the display, which can be quite practical.
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The American electronics fair CES, together with the Berlin IFA, has become an important place of pilgrimage for gadget fans. With the pandemic, the happening was pushed into virtual space. But that now enables interested parties from Japan to introduce themselves to the world without much travel. Nippon’s foreign trade organization Jetro managed to steer more startups onto the global tech stage than ever before.
53 Companies now presented their ideas digitally at CES, twice as many as a year earlier. And with its own “Japan Session”, Jetro put the offensive into a larger framework: Japan’s companies, so the idea, transform the super-aging into a super-smart society with new visions and solutions.
Furry creature The action was at least partially successful. The startup Vanguard Industries received a “Best Innovation Award” for its hand-sized, furry robot creature “Moflin”, which can beep and respond to touch. The creator Masahiko Yamanaka promises a companion who can learn and develop thanks to artificial intelligence.
The machine pet had already made it into the top in its crowdfunding campaign on the Kickstarter platform – 10 Robot projects completed. Yamanaka was already getting a proud price from his investors: 41. 800 Yen, always 330 Euro – or a good one Euro for one gram of “live weight”.
The award-winning startup was by no means the only company that advertised itself with robots. South Korea’s electronics company Samsung sent in a trio: a robot vacuum cleaner JetBot 90 AI +, which can detect the type of obstacle; the communication robot Samsung Bot Care, which is supposed to talk to people, and the robot butler Samsung Bot Handy, which uses its robotic arm to load the dishwasher and pour wine.
First drone from Sony Other major topics from Asian manufacturers were televisions, which, thanks to the pandemic, are enjoying great popularity just like notebooks and computers. Sony also used the exhibition to present its venture into the air: the first drone from the new Airpeak brand. This is a fairly large device that generates enough lift with four wings to let one of Sony system cameras fly next to cars at high speed.
Japan has always tried everything possible with electronics – and often the impossible. Every Thursday our author Martin Kölling reports on the latest trends from Tokyo.
Another highlight was Sony’s the real remote control of a virtual three-dimensional avatar. The application was supplied by the owner of film and music studios at the same time: The electronics and entertainment company explained how it recorded a virtual concert with the American singer Madison Beer in which the 21 – year olds moved their digital counterparts on a digital stage, where the audience can choose their own perspective.
This opens the door to Sony new real-virtual hybrid experience that fits particularly well with this pandemic period of popular amusement. Sony’s rival Panasonic also provided a glimpse into the future of virtual reality (VR) – with VR glasses that are a bit reminiscent of glacier glasses.
The company even proved that it was involved in one point can keep up with the Japanese robot startup. The Sound Slayer gaming speaker also received an innovation award from the trade fair. Like the pet robot, the award also fits in with the new everyday life in the pandemic. The device promises that thanks to the surround sound from the flat, compact loudspeaker, video players can lose themselves even more in their dream worlds than before. (bsc)
(Pocket-lint) – The last 12 months or so have been unlike any other and that has had a profound affect on this year’s CES.
Being virtual-only for the first time, it meant we couldn’t tread the halls of the world’s largest trade show as we usually do, and therefore didn’t get to see as many products in the flesh.
But, we won’t let that stop us from giving you our rundown of the products we think will excite most in the coming year – the announcements from CES 2021 that you should keep an eye on.
This therefore is our list of the best tech launched during a quite unique CES.
Pocket-lint
Acer Chromebook Spin 514
The latest Chromebook Spin is the first to adopt AMD Ryzen processing, which should balance great performance with decent battery life.
It is well-made, in anodised aluminium and with a 360-degree hinge to turn it into a tablet. It also has a healthy amount of ports for great connectivity.
Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2021, AMD) initial review: Versatility is its charm
Pocket-lint
Acer Predator Triton 300 SE
A gaming laptop that doesn’t really look like one, the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE comes with a 14-inch 1080p display that sports an impressive 144Hz refresh rate.
It also has the cooling systems synonymous with gaming PCs, yet will suit college or the workplace as equally well.
Acer Predator Triton 300 SE initial review: The everyday gamers’ laptop
Arlo
Arlo Touchless Video Doorbell
In these days of Covid-19 transmission and social distancing, Arlo has devised a doorbell that doesn’t need to be pressed to alert occupants.
The Arlo Touchless Video Doorbell uses AI and motion sensing to judge when someone is coming to the front door (rather than just wandering by), whereby it will sound the chime without needing any physical contact. An alert also tells the visitor that it has “rung” so there’s no confusion.
Arlo announces Touchless Video Doorbell, cutting down on COVID risk
Denon
Denon Home Sound Bar 550
No only does the Denon Home Sound Bar 550 sport four 55mm dribers, two 19mm tweeters and three bass radiators, it can be expanded with optional other Denon Home speakers to make for a complete home cinema solution.
It’s all wrapped up in a neat package too. And Denon Heos compatibility means it can sit at the heart of a multiroom setup with ease.
Denon’s Home Sound Bar 550 all-in-one soundbar is here to boost your TV’s audio
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED
The Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED is rather unique in gaming laptop terms as it comes with a 1080p HDR AMOLED panel rather than traditional LCD.
That means it will present images with superb black levels and great, accurate colours. While HDMI 2.1 support enables it to feed the latest TVs too.
Gigabyte’s Aero and Aorus laptops come with RTX 3080 and OLEDs
JBL
JBL Tour One
JBL is well known for its fun and funky headphones, but the Tour One over-ears take it in a new direction. They are aimed at the same market as the Bose QC 35 II and Sony WH-1000XM4 – commuters, business types and travellers.
That means they have an unassuming design and adaptive noise cancelling tech talents. And there is up to 50 hours of playback time on the battery to boot.
JBL Tour One over-ears and Tour Pro+ TWS earbuds take aim at Bose and Sony
Lenovo
Lenovo Yoga AIO 7
This Lenovo all-in-one desktop PC comes with a 4K display that can be rotated at the touch of a button. That gives a more suitable aspect ration for looking at social media videos or browsing the web.
It’s no slouch in the computing stakes neither, with the ability to be spec’ed up to an AMD Ryzen 7 4800H Processor paired with Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 GPU.
Lenovo’s Yoga AIO 7 all-in-one has a rotating 27-inch display
LG
LG G1 OLED TV
LG’s 2021 OLED TV range will be topped by a new version of its 4K G1 Gallery TV – a super slim panel that can sit almost flush against a wall.
As well as gorgeous looks and picture performance, the G1 also comes with webOS 6.0 and a new version of its Alpha 9 processor with even more AI skills. Plus, Google’s Stadia cloud gaming service will be playable on the new TV without the need for a separate Chromecast.
LG announces new, more efficient G1 OLED TV series, updates to C1 series
Microsoft
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus expands on its immediate predecessor with renewed internal hardware.
It comes with a larger battery, removable SSD storage and upgraded 11th Gen Intel Core processing. The front and rear cameras are also upgraded, with 1080p video capabilities. Nice.
Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7 Plus has longer battery life and a removable SSD
Panasonic
Panasonic JZ2000 OLED TV
Pansonic’s flagship OLED TV for 2021 adds HDR 10+ Adapative tech to the brand’s already long list of impressive features.
HDR 10+ Adaptive not only gives you scene by scene adjustments for HDR content, it adjusts it based on your room’s ambient lighting. Add that to Dolby Vision IQ and Filmmaker Mode and you have a cinema standard set.
Panasonic JZ2000 OLED TV is company’s 2021 flagship and spec’ed for next-gen gaming
Razer
Razer Blade 15
Not only can the latest iteration of the Razer Blade come with new Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics cards – even spec’ed up to the RTX 3080 – it gives you the option of a 4K display with a 165Hz refresh rate.
Even the base model has a 144Hz 1080p display – great at 15-inches. And a 4K OLED option is available too.
Razer reveals Blade 15 and 17 laptops with 360Hz screens and next gen Nvidia RTX GPUs
Samsung
Samsung HW-Q950A
Samsung has a couple of high-end soundbars coming in 2021, with the HW-Q800A (pictured) adding Apple AirPlay 2 to an impressive feature set.
However, it is the Samsung HW-Q950A system with its staggering 11.1.4 channel setup that really grabs our attention. The separate, wireless rears now come with side-firing speaker units as well as up-firing for truly all-encompassing audio.
Samsung’s 2021 soundbars include an 11.1.4-channel beast
Samsung
Samsung JetBot 90 AI+
The latest Samsung JetBot vacuum is not only packed with sensors, including Lidar, it comes with a charging dock that can extract all the dust and waste.
That way, you never have to empty the cleaner itself, with plenty of storage in the “bin” to only need your attention every “couple of months”.
Samsung JetBot 90 AI+ has a messy name, but promises to smartly clean your home
Samsung
Samsung Q900A Neo QLED TV
Samsung has embraced Mini LED for its top-of-the-range QLED TVs this year and its Q900A is an 8K flagship worthy of the title.
It has “Infinity One” design to almost eradicate the bezel, while Object Tracking Sound (OTS) Pro audio ensures the aural experience perfectly matches the movement on screen.
Samsung embraces Mini LED for 2021 8K and 4K Neo QLED TV range
Sony
Sony Bravia XR Master Series A90J
Sony’s latest sets have switched from Android TV to the more recent Google TV smart system, and they come with exclusive access to the brand’s new Bravia Core movie streaming service which provides 4K Blu-ray quality versions of films.
There is also a new Cognitive Processor XR tech inside that replicates the way a human brain sees images to perfect any flaws. The 4K A90J is our pick of the bunch.
Sony’s latest Bravia XR TVs are designed to more closely replicate what you see and hear
Having been leaked all across the web in recent months, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are finally official. The company’s latest true wireless earbuds have been announced alongside its Galaxy S21 phones during today’s Galaxy Unpacked event, and are its latest and most ambitious response to the AirPods Pro yet.
If you’ve watched this 17-minute long hands-on video leak, you already know a lot about these next-generation Samsung wireless earbuds. Indeed, most of it has turned out to be true. But if you haven’t, or would rather read about them instead, here’s the full lowdown…
(Image credit: Samsung)
Like the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live they replace, the Galaxy Buds Pro sport active noise-cancellation – only this time it’s more versatile and supposedly more effective. Which is why Samsung is calling it ‘Intelligent ANC’. While Samsung claimed that the Buds Live could reduce background noise under 700Hz (e.g. trains and buses) by up to 97 per cent, the Buds Pro promise to block 99 per cent of outside noise.
There’s ‘high’ and ‘low’ levels of ANC this time, as well as four levels of Ambient Sound, allowing users to vary the intensity of the isolating effect and let in varying degrees of sound if they need to.
Also helping to justify the ‘Intelligent’ naming, the Buds Pro can also automatically switch between ANC and Ambient Sound, too, with the earbuds able to recognise when a conversation begins and ends. Start talking and the Buds Pro will turn down your music, firing it back up to volume when you’re done, and offering a skip-back function if you missed your favourite part of the song you were listening to.
(Image credit: Samsung)
Samsung Galaxy fans can take advantage of the AirPods-like Auto Switch feature, which lets the earbuds simultaneously connect to multiple Galaxy devices and automatically switch to the one you’re using. For example, if you’re watching a video on your Galaxy Tab tablet when a call comes in, the Buds Pro will switch to your phone so you can answer it, switching back when you hang up.
As rumoured, the Pro Buds offer IPX7 water protection – an upgrade from the IPX2-rated Buds Live and Galaxy Buds+ before them. That’s the difference between surviving water drips to being able to be completely submerged under at least one meter of water for at least half an hour. Consider the Buds Pro pretty waterproof, then!
As for battery life, you get 18 hours in total (which is OK but only OK), with a five-minute fast charge delivering one hour of playback time.
(Image credit: Samsung)
As you can see, Samsung has ditched the kidney-bean design of their predecessors (which is a shame; we actually quite liked it) and returned to the more traditional rounder shape of the Galaxy Buds+ with more traditional earbud tips. They come in Phantom Violet, Phantom Silver and Phantom Black – all pictured above.
We can only hope the 11mm woofer and 6.5mm tweeter pairing inside their glossy exterior fares better than the drivers inside the Buds Live, too. Our Galaxy Buds Live review only deemed them worthy of three stars and concluded: “They produce a hefty and full-bodied sound, but it’s a sound that lacks dynamism and excitement.” Fingers crossed the Buds Pro are more competitive in the sonic department, and they’ll need to be, given their price tag.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro cost £219 ($199) – a smidgeon over the rumoured UK price of £199 – and can be pre-ordered now, with shipping beginning on the 29th January.
MORE:
Best Apple AirPods alternatives 2021: budget to premium
Sony WF-1000XM4: release date, price and leaks for Sony’s next earbuds
The LG CineBeam HU810P 4K laser projector has hit the shelves in the States for a par-for-course $2999 and should be making its way worldwide shortly, according to usual form.
It’s a DLP projector, powered by LG’s three-colour ‘Dual Laser’ system which uses an XPR pixel shifting technology to create a 4K HDR image, at 2700 lumens, with a light source lifespan of up to 20,000 hours of use.
At the front end is a 1.6x zoom lens which can focus an image of between 40-300in at a minimum distance of 1.1m. The lens shift feature adds a good degree of flexibility to the installation too, offering up to 60 per cent movement on the vertical in either direction and 24 per cent horizontally.
Its relatively high brightness means that you should be able to get a decent picture in rooms with ambient lighting and there is an excellent suite of connectivity for wireless sources, masterminded by the LG webOS 5.0 TV operating system. It brings built-in access to the likes of Disney+, Prime Video and Netflix. Any service you can’t find can be mirrored from an iOS device given that the LG CineBeam HU810P is also Apple AirPlay 2-enabled.
There are also three HDMI 2.1 inputs (including ALLM and eARC) as well as two USB 2.0 sockets and Bluetooth to stream sound to headphones or external speakers.
There’s plenty of picture processing on board too with LG’s Trumotion image smoothing as well as a big focus on contrast tech assisted by the automatic iris on the lens. It can adjust to let more or less light out to match the brightness of your environment and works in tandem with an Adaptive Contrast system which analyses the source material frame-by-frame to work at an optimum black level at all times.
Dynamic Tone Mapping is also there to help with colour as well as contrast. But, if those processing modes aren’t working for you, then there’s always the option to go manual with the aid of LG’s built-in calibration software.
(Image credit: LG)
There has been no official announcement about UK, Europe or Australian pricing but, given that this device was first announced at IFA 2020, it seems destined to be travelling beyond America. Expect to pay somewhere in the region of £2500 (AU$4400).
LG has been making very credible inroads into the 4K home projector space in the last few years and we look forward to seeing how this one performs.
MORE:
Best projectors 2020: Full HD, 4K, portable, short throw
How to set up your projector and get the best picture
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