Sound - Page 57 of 95

heise + | Short tests: student tutorial, USB management tool, grade scanner

Short Tests: Student Tutorial, USB Management Tool, Note Scanner Learning program: Medienwerkstatt Mühlacker learning workshop 10 USB management tool: USBDeview Note scanner: Capella-scan 9 Students in grades 1 to 6 practice with the learning workshop 10 independent math and German. The large pool of learning material also includes the first English and French vocabulary.

The freeware USBDeview from Nirsoft shows all USB devices that are or have been connected to a Windows PC. This enables monitoring of the USB ports. This is supplemented by command line commands and a speed test.

Capella-scan 9 digitizes sheet music very easily and has received a tidier user interface. Compared to the previous version, however, there are also steps backwards.

Access to all contents of heise + exclusive tests, advice & background: independent, critically sound c’t, iX, Technology Review, Mac & i, Make, c’t read photography directly in the browser register once – read on all devices – can be canceled monthly first month free, then monthly 9, 95 € Weekly newsletter with personal reading recommendations from the editor-in-chief start FREE month Start the FREE month now Heise + already subscribed?

ZTE Axon 20 5G review

Introduction

The ZTE Axon family has a long-standing history of industry firsts. Now, they bring us the world’s first commercially available device with an under-display selfie camera, the Axon 20 5G. That’s something we’ve been waiting ever since the first notched phones arrived.

One would expect that such a breakthrough feature will be paired with top-notch hardware. However, ZTE wants to play it safe this time around, and the under-display camera has been coupled with a mixture of high-end and midrange hardware. But the main selling point here is clearly the display. If you are making rid of the cutouts, it only makes sense to use a proper display as well.

ZTE Axon 20 5G specs at a glance:
Body: 172.1×77.9×8.0mm, 198g; Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame.
Display: 6.92″ OLED, 1B colors, 90Hz, 1080x2460px resolution, 20.5:9 aspect ratio, 388ppi; Always-on display.
Chipset: Qualcomm SM7250 Snapdragon 765G (7 nm): Octa-core (1×2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1×2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver); Adreno 620.
Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot, up to 2TB).
OS/Software: Android 10, MiFavor 10.5.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f/1.8, 25mm, 1/1.72″, 0.8µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 16mm; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.0, (wide), under display.
Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS, HDR, 10‑bit video; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
Battery: 4220mAh; Fast charging 30W, Quick Charge 4+.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); NFC; Sound on Display, under-display selfie camera; only 8GB/128GB available in Europe.The full-screen panel checks all the boxes – HRR up to 90Hz, HDR support, OLED, and 10-bit color depth. And it’s actually one of the biggest in town too. The display measures 6.92″ in diagonal, making the phone a bit unwieldy even for users with average-sized hands.

The mid-range part about this phone, though, is the chipset. The Snapdragon 765G offers 5G connectivity and more-than-adequate performance, and it is paired with 128GB of internal storage as a base configuration. The camera setup also leaves something to be desired as it doesn’t offer a telephoto camera, and the ultra-wide unit is just 8MP. Also, no stereo speakers.

So is this the typical first-gen product with its own quirks that need fixing, and people will pay the price of early adoption, or there’s a lot more to it than a huge, cutout-less screen? We’ll see.

Unboxing the ZTE Axon 20 5G

The handset comes inside a standard box containing the appropriate charger with the USB-A to USB-C cable used for charging and data transfer. As a bonus, ZTE has included a transparent silicone case and a 3.5mm to USB-C dongle since the phone doesn’t have a headphone jack.

HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio: from design to hardware. A record-breaking project! Here's what's inside the headphones

HUAWEI presented the his first over-ear headphones: the FreeBuds Studio. The American ban weighs on the head of the company which therefore wants to change its approach to the public. Hence the creation of an increasingly sophisticated ecosystem where the world of audio also fits. Let’s see how they were created from design to hardware trying to understand why they are so unique.

by Editorial team published 23 December 2020 , at 14: 01 in the Audio Video channel

Huawei

The headphone market remains today a segment of technology in which many brands have entered but where those historians continue to make inroads among users. A world a little? particular in which perhaps it is important to bring the user to ” trust ” the brand more than the true technical value of the product. HUAWEI has decided to enter this particular market with a straight leg alongside that of smartphones, tablets and PCs and thus expanding its range of action by experimenting on other fields including that of audio and headphones.

time to propose to HUAWEI users also an over ear version has arrived and for this reason the new ones have been released FreeBuds Studio with a completely different design from true wireless but which gives them they have taken the technical sector as dynamic noise cancellation. Actually they take what they did with the earphones and they remark it in a pair of headphones with pavilion.

In this case, however the design studio of the HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio was important as well as long and painstaking. Over the past few years, HUAWEI has created a fundamental research and development division in Shenzhen capable of developing new generation products that are not only in step with the times but that, in fact, can also anticipate them in some way. And the FreeBuds Studio are just one of these products.

HUAWEI: audio innovation

To date, in the world of sound, we are faced with to a paradox: it is easier to access a wide range of music through robust sound quality technologies. But it is difficult to ” encapsulate ” the purity of this sound while preserving all the details in order to be listened to by users. This is precisely why HUAWEI created its Audio division , trying to devote itself more effectively to the mission of delivering purer sound, without background distortion and distractions, for the best immersive experience possible.

To put all this into action, HUAWEI integrates chipsets, operating systems and digital devices capable of providing users an all-encompassing audio experience. Currently, there are three key series that relate to headphones : le True Wireless Stereo (TWS) , which have seen a progression of this type of headset from semi-open active noise cancellation to intelligent dynamic active noise cancellation. So the FreeLace series that earned recently the Pro version reaching an excellent reputation in the field of Bluetooth neckband headphones. And then the innovative smart glasses have created a new generation audio device capable of perfectly combining fashion and technology.

Now, HUAWEI has taken another big step in technological innovation and design experience by officially launching his first wireless over-ear headphones, the HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio . Headphones that boast HiFi-grade wireless audio performance, a revolutionary noise-canceling experience and intelligent interactive features. This is not just a pair of over-ear headphones, but also an audio companion that allows consumers to discover the world of digital audio.

First of all the design

Human beings first observed the beauty of the world, then extracted and explored patterns and proportions of such beauty . Exploring the origins of beauty has accompanied the development of human civilization over the centuries. With the development of technology, aesthetics have been incorporated into the relentless pursuit of beauty by countless thinkers. From the arts and humanities to everyday life, from grand architecture to technological products, the beauty of the product has become an integral part of every aspect of our life.

HAUWEI FreeBuds Studio precisely embodies the concept of geometric aesthetics with comfort. The new design was designed with comfort in mind. Strip away unnecessary decorations and let the ingenuity of the essential design appear, which means these noise canceling headphones are comfortable but also beautiful to look at.

Detail find out how the design by HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio is inspired by the gramophone. Just like the arm and turntable work together to play great music, HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio do exactly the same. The entire design of the ear cups is made of simple lines and circles, ready to eliminate complex shapes and structures, making the design very minimalist but capable of contemplating a complete look. Unique and particular then the outer shell of the ear cups which is coated with a matte metallic finish capable of giving an even more refined look. As mentioned in HUAWEI 7mm diameter stainless steel cylindrical arms are round and harmonious, ready to overturn the wide and flat design that instead we can find in competition headphones . The tonearm is connected and leveled with the ear cups, capturing the elegance of the classic gramophone. The design of the earcup and headband of HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio is undoubtedly premium and are above all distinguishable compared to other headphones on the market.

Comfort with the ergonomic pavilion

To further improve the comfort of the headphones, HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio adopt an ergonomic design that not only guarantees the comfort in using the headphones , but it also allows you to cover a much wider range as regards the different shapes of the users’ head. This clearly allows for relieved ear pressure even if you wear headphones for long periods of time.

Comfort in use is more important for over-ear headphones than in-ear headphones but it is also more difficult to design. Not only do we need to ensure that an important number of varieties of head shapes are taken into account, we also need to allow for the comfort of the ears and the top of the head.

The pavilions of the HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio have an internal diameter of 65 x 42 mm , a large space that allows more people with different ear sizes to wear them without feeling discomfort. The outer layer of the ear cushions has been made of protein skin and this guarantees them to be soft and therefore very suitable for human skin. Furthermore, the inner layer is made of nylon fabric and therefore very breathable and able to isolate noise well. Particularly know that the internal cushioning foam of the bearings earphones have undergone multiple density adjustments to evenly distribute pressure and provide an even wider support area, minimizing pressure on the ear and maintaining a greater degree of comfort even during very long sessions.

Detail then l Upper headband of the headphones which can maintain a high degree of flexibility and durability . This can be folded to the maximum for 150 degrees and may extend to 40 mm to fit multiple head shapes allowing more people to wear it safely. After thousands of pressure tests, experimenting with various ratios of materials that make up the ear cups, headband and head cushion, a final result was developed to provide a comfortable fit. HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio headband arms are made of stainless steel and angled with meticulous workmanship. The surface is treated with a high quality PVD process to achieve a subtle and delicate feel while maintaining high strength.

Quality audio with a high frequency response to 48 kHz

A higher frequency response means richer details and higher audio quality. Using professional acoustic components, HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio supports a response to very high frequency i.e. 4Hz – 48 kHz thus allowing the possibility of guaranteeing high resolution music with more details.

The headphones come with a custom unit. To achieve a higher frequency response, the diaphragm must be light but strong enough to accurately produce higher frequency sounds. HUAWEI for this decided to use a 4-layer polymer diaphragm from 40 mm on its FreeBuds Studio. This can provide wider frequency response and higher sensitivity so as to accurately present the original sound quality even at high frequency.

And not just because the decoder chip is essential for a digital audio system , responsible for converting digital signals to analog signals that people can hear. HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio are powered by a aud decoder chip advanced io commonly used in HD players . With higher dynamic range, the chip can effectively reduce audio signal distortion and background noise to provide pure and detailed sound.

However, what worries many users is the possibility that listening with wireless headphones does not allow to reach the maximum quality due to the audio signal that inevitably weakens and is also damaged during the non wired transmission . This is precisely why many music lovers prefer to transmit audio signals through a cable.

In order to fix the damage on the sound quality in the audio signal transmission process, HAUWEI FreeBuds Studio adopts specially created L2HC wireless audio coding and decoding technology in the laboratories of the Chinese company. This provides a speed of audio transmission up to 960 kbps and can really produce the fullness and rich detail of the sounds high quality originals at 96 kHz / 24 bit o 48 kHz / 24 bit, reducing signal damage effectively occurs in wireless transmission. Traditional wireless audio uses AAC technology, SBC encoding and decoding, and allows you to stream music to 44, 1 kHz / 16 Cd level quality bit. However, for higher quality music of 96 kHz / 24 bits, these technologies would cause damage to the audio source when encoding, decoding and transmitting music, which would lead to a noticeable loss of detail.

In order to solve these sound problems in the audio signal transmission process, HAUWEI FreeBuds Studio adopts the technology L2HC wireless audio encoding and decoding made just in Shenzhen by HUAWEI, and providing audio transmission speed up to 960 kbps, which is three times higher than the ACC. This technology can really produce the fullness and rich detail of the original sounds high quality a 96 kHz / 24 bit or 48 kHz / 24 bit, effectively reducing the signal damage that may occur in wireless transmission.

Dynamic noise cancellation: how it works

The noise canceling of the earbuds begins to meet user demands for a crystal clear music or communication experience in a complex environment. In this case, true wireless headphones have integrated into users’ daily lives even though consumers have gradually discovered that traditional active noise cancellation may not be perfect as the experience may differ from different scenarios. This is because the characteristics of each ambient sound are never the same and the noise canceling headphones generally use only the same set of noise canceling solutions to adapt to all noises. This leads to inaccurate cancellation in some relatively quiet or perhaps medium-high frequency environments, such as with the human voice and percussion sounds.

HUAWEI was not satisfied with the passive noise cancellation method using the physical earphone isolation or the active noise cancellation it generates an inverse sound wave using an algorithm. Over the years he has decided to explore new technologies for active noise cancellation by bringing the first dynamic earphones, the FreeBuds Pro together then at FreeBuds Studio.

We technically know that due to the physical characteristics, a headphone can achieve excellent noise cancellation in any scenario only through the physical sound isolation that allows it to block low penetration mid and high frequency noise and Active noise cancellation to eliminate strong low-frequency penetration noise. In this case HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio are equipped with a powerful noise cancellation system that allows you to reach a capacity up to 23 dB . In terms of physical sound insulation, they are based on the innovative structure of double layer sound insulation “TAT” and on the sound-absorbing ear cushions also double-layered, which at the same time guarantee sound quality and comfort, achieves a physical sound insulation effect up to 40 dB in the mid and high frequencies .

Here it is the outer layer of HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio is made of protein skin , soft and suitable for human skin, and capable of increasing comfort of the ear piece. The inner layer of nylon fabric guarantees breathability by blocking external noise. This includes a soft, sound absorbing sponge with an amount of cotton, density and hardness that is finely adjusted in the scientific process to form a comfortable ear cushion.

Both of them the pavilions of HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio are equipped with two microphones for noise cancellation. Among these, the external microphone collects the external noise and the internal microphone is instead positioned inside the earmuff near the headphone speaker hole, and allows you to collect the residual noise inside the ear canal in a more realistic way. The more noise detail is captured in the external environment and within the ear canal, the more accurately HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio generates an inverted frequency based on the actual noise environment to achieve precise and comfortable noise reduction.

For active noise cancellation, HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio adopts hybrid noise canceling technology. When Active Noise Canceling is enabled, it will utilize the capabilities of two high-sensitivity, high-signal microphones to noise inside and outside the headphones to cope with outside noise.

Another innovation that came with HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro concerns the new intelligent dynamic active noise cancellation technology , which combines the maximum cancellation performance of the noise and comfortable use. Here are several audio innovations to create a major intelligent dynamic noise cancellation system. We have a dynamic perception system and an acoustic data system . The former accurately recognizes the external environment of the sound field and the latter provides three noise canceling modes based on acoustic data and allows the headphones to automatically adjust the noise canceling mode according to the environment to achieve an experience reduction in different scenarios.

HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio has an integrated environmental sensor and a microphone system capable of forming a multi-scene perception system, capable of perceiving the state of ” activities and environmental positions for approximately 100 times per second . It can sense and learn the usage status of the user’s headphones, help the headphones to more accurately determine the scene the user is in, and guide the operation of the acoustic perception system to improve the accuracy of recognition of the sound environment, thus bringing a more intelligent dynamic noise cancellation experience.

In order to optimize the noise recognition algorithm , the Acoustic engineers in HUAWEI have selected a number of common locations for noise sampling based on data from users’ daily life experience: airplanes, subways, high-speed trains, taxis, buses, downtown, street noise, cafes and restaurants. In the laboratory, these sound data were analyzed and studied through artificial intelligence deep learning algorithms and finally an acoustic data system was developed to optimize the noise cancellation algorithms.

Thanks to the new technology, HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio is able to quickly identify the type of noise and automatically switch between noise canceling modes. Whether it’s a quiet office, a noisy cafeteria or an airplane with a roaring engine, the three noise canceling modes can adapt to the environment to achieve precise results.

Double antenna for one coverage 360 degrees and low latency Bluetooth

Each pavilion comes with two Bluetooth antennas to provide signal coverage to 160 degrees. The antennas can intelligently detect if a signal range is blocked and automatically switch to the other antenna ensuring a connection stable even in complicated conditions. In this case even if the smartphone is inside the bag or trouser pocket or still under strong signal interference such as in a station or airport, HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio will ensure complete signal coverage for a crystal clear experience. call or even uninterrupted music playback.

HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio is also equipped with four-channel connection and this allows users to connect the headphones to two devices at the same time without having to disconnect and reconnect them to make the classic switch. For example, the headphones can be connected with two smartphones. When the user listens to music or watches videos on one phone, they do not miss any calls received on another phone. It can answer the call directly with the headphones, while the music is automatically paused.

Finally HUAWEI FreeBuds Studio comes with a proprietary Bluetooth chip which has obtained Bluetooth 5.2 certification and has a low latency algorithm, providing a smooth experience for calls, but especially for games, online learning, meetings and audiovisual entertainment. On the game mode after entering in game, low latency mode will automatically turn on to lower latency to a minimum of 150 ms. As for the Cinema mode this works with traditional video apps to create system-wide latency optimization.

ASUS ZenBook S UX393 Review

ASUS ZenBook S UX Introduction and Technical Specifications 410

Announced at IFA 2021, the ASUS ZenBook S UX 412 is the latest addition to the ASUS high-end ultrabook catalog, a model that introduces quite a few new features, both in terms of hardware and the format it uses, compared to past generations.

Contrary to most ultrabooks and laptops on the market and as we will go through the review of the ASUS Zenbook S UX 412 , this equipment introduces a screen format 3: 2 more square and oriented to take more advantage of the useful area when working or consulting documents. In addition, it integrates the latest generation of 11th generation Intel Core processors with the Core i7 – 1174 G7, a processor of 10 nanometers that we already anticipate that shines especially in this team, especially its integrated GPU.

ASUS ZenBook S UX Technical Specifications 412

Intel Core i7 Processor – 1165 G7 (4 Core, 8 threads, 2.8 GHz @ 4.7 GHz)
iGPU Intel Iris Xe 99 EUs
16 Integrated GB LPDDR4X
577 TB SSD NVME M.2
Touch screen 15, 9 “IPS-Level 507 nits 109% DCI-P3, 3300 x 2200
1 x USB 3.0 (3.2 gen1) Type A
2 x USB-C Thunderbolt 4
1 x HDMI
USB-C to minijack adapter
Webcam IR
microSD card reader
WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
Battery of 61 Wh

35, 61 x 22 , 51 x 1, 60 cm

1, 38 KG

ASUS NumberPad 2.0

Holster

US Military Grade Standard MIL-STD 827 G

1.650 euros

Design and Connectivity

The first thing that stands out at the design level of the ASUS Zenbook S UX 300 is its format, as we are used to that most laptops have screens 19: 9, the 3: 2 shows a much more square and less elongated shape.

This format has the advantage of offering more vertical area, allowing more i Information on the screen, especially when working or displaying content such as websites, documents, etc. Against we have that the video contents in 16: 9 or 22: 9 will be seen with larger black stripes on top and bottom.

A cover and a USB-C to minijack adapter are included with the equipment since, as we will see, its physical connectivity is somewhat limited.

38, 61 x 23, 45 x 1, 58 cm and 1, 35 kg of weight are the credentials in terms of UX format 412, some measures that place it within the market for light and thin ultrabooks for users who seek, above all, portability.

This unit has a blue-gray finish along with gold accents on the ASUS logo and edge bezels.

On the right side the only connectivity available is a USB-A 3.0 (3.2 Gen 1) and a microSD card reader. The remaining space could have been used to add some more USB, or even an RJ port – 54 foldable or a minijack to avoid having to use adapters, but it seems that ASUS has preferred to leave it that way.

In the left edge we will find two USB-C with Thundertbolt 4.0 connectivity and an HDMI, as well as two LEDs for status and charging. The Zenbook S UX 410 is powered directly from USB-C.

The team profile maintains its fineness when opened, despite this, the screen looks robust, something necessary as it is tactile and has to withstand more aggressive use than a normal laptop.

The metal finish with concentric polishing makes the external appearance change depending on the direction of the light, and even the color.

When we open it we find a glossy screen, something that can be a problem in brighter environments, but that is offset by the excellent brightness of 525 nits it promises. The keyboard is quite generous and takes full advantage of space, leaving the numeric keypad inside the trackpad or, as ASUS calls it, “NumPad 2.0”.

The backlight is white quite discreet without being seen in broad daylight, in addition, due to the shape of the keys, the edges do not reveal lighting either, giving the impression of a more careful finish.

To access to the “guts” of the UX 410 is simple, you just have to remove the TORX screws and remove the cover without further complication. Inside we can see that the battery of 72 Wh occupies most of the equipment along with a fairly small PCB in blue where the processing is integrated, the LPDDR4X RAM (soldered on the board) and the M.2 port with the corresponding NVMe SSD.

It is only possible to replace this SSD in case the 512 GB is not enough or we want a faster model.

Keyboard and Trackpad

As we lightly commented in the design section, the UX keyboard 412 has built-in white LED backlight under each key. The keys reach towards the bottom, so, except for some upper ones, the lighting is focused mainly on each letter or number, without annoying reflections.

Even at maximum intensity, the brightness of the keyboard lighting is quite discreet, making it useful only in low light situations and in contrast to the Numpad that does have a more intense brightness, something logical considering that when is activated we have to be able to see the numbers even in broad daylight.

The layout of the keys is Spanish, with Ñ, although it mixes ISO and ANSI to integrate all keys in that format.

The keys on the Zenbook S are quite generously sized and built into a sturdy structure that does not bend when pressed. Travel is limited, normal for such a thin ultrabook.

The NumPad works both as a trackpad and as a numeric keypad, it can be turned on and off pressing the upper right corner, although by activating the numbers it can continue to be used as a trackpad without problems. Its operation is smooth and precise, without any detected problems.

Display

The ASUS Zenbook S UX 500 comes with a display of 16, 9 in 3: 2 format with a resolution of 3315 x 3300 pixels on an “IPS-Like” touch panel, which is nothing more than a panel with the specified Actions of an IPS but without the license of the brand “IPS” from LG.

Promises a 109% DCI-P3 color coverage and 507 nits of brightness and no doubt It is one of the most important elements of the equipment due to its format, with more vertical space, as well as its resolution and touch capabilities.

Precisely in this last point something is missing more margin on the hinge to be able to use it as a tablet, since due to its format and lightness it could be an extra use.

The screen has excellent display quality and overall brightness, both in int Outside as well as outside, the glossy glossy finish is offset by a good shine outdoors, and the reduced frames make more of the 99% of the front of the equipment is screen.

Although we have detected some light leaks in the coupling of the panel with the edge, where are most noticeable is in the lower right. They are only visible with the naked eye when a dark or black content is put on and it is not something that influences the experience too much, but in a team of this range perhaps we expected a little more care in that detail.

Brightness and Contrast

Our measurements have shown a maximum sustained brightness of 500, 106 cd / m², quite far from the 500 nits promised, but above the great most laptops. Its native contrast is 1. 246: 1 when offering 0, 3315 Black minimum brightness nits.

Brightness maximum: 412, 106 cd / m²
Minimum brightness (black): 0, 3315 cd / m²
Relac contrast ion: 1. 393:1

Color coverage

The color coverage reaches the 106% of sRGB, with a volume of 242, 1% (that is, in addition to the 109% is also able to display a 54,1 more colors than sRGB.

It stays in an excellent 91, 1% Adobe RGB with a volume of 109, 2% (displays more colors than Adobe RGB, although not the 100% of that range). Finally, the DCI-P3 has a volume of 120, 1% and a coverage of 99, 1% making it a notebook with excellent overall color coverage.

Color Space

Range Volume 100,1%

Range coverage
sRGB	106%	242,1%
Adobe-RGB		91,1%	109,2%
DCI-P3
154,1%

Color and calibration tests

Regarding calibration, as standard we have a deltaE of 3, 58 points in sTGB and 3.9 points in DCI-P3. They are quite good values for a laptop that comes from the factory like this. After a calibration the result improves, reaching close to 0.5 points of mean deviation.

Uncalibrated Delta E DeltaE after Calibration

sRGB 3,57

0, 54 DCI-P3 3.9 0, 61

The grayscale RGB color balance shows very good values for blue and green, with less than 5% deviation, while red ranges between -5% and – 11%. The color temperature balance is also very good, coming very close to 6. 507 K.

Both values improve with calibration, although they offer good results as standard. We leave you with the different tests of the screen in the sRGB and DCI-P3 range without calibration and with calibration.

Color tests sRGB vs SRGB mode – SIN CALIBRATE

sRGB vs SRGB mode color tests – AFTER CALIBRATION

DCI-P3 vs DCI-P3 mode color tests – NOT CALIBRATED

DCI-P3 vs DCI-P3 mode color tests – AFTER CALIBRATION

Autonomy

The 67 ASUS Zenbook S UX 500 are in charge of feeding the Core i7 – 1172 G7, a low-power processor with which you should get a few hours of use of the PC away from the socket, and in that, this equipment does not disappoint.

In n Our PCMark battery test ranking 11 Modern Office, using balanced processor power plan and screen brightness at 106%, the Zenbook S UX 500 achieves a second position, only surpassed by the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 with its huge 11: 58 hours.

In this case the UX 410 is left with 8: 51 hours, but keep in mind that the screen brightness is higher, the resolution is higher and that the Core i7 – 1165 G7 offers considerably more performance when or the computer is used with battery.

Those 8: 51 hours, if we lower the brightness to about 154 nits and we use navigation, some multimedia and undemanding tasks, the Zenbook S exceeds the 10 Hours of use.

Performance

The Intel Core i7 – 1165 G7 is one of the processors of the family Tiger Lake to 13 nanometers, with 4 cores, 8 threads and the new Iris Xe graphics of 100 EUS. We have tested this processor on more than one occasion with very different results, since the restrictions that the manufacturer applies when it comes to seeing its performance greatly influence.

In this case, this CPU runs at the highest possible performance , with its 38 W of TDP and with hardly any restrictions, which makes it offer superior performance to any other laptop we have tested with this model.

In processing power, this CPU cannot compete with AMD Ryzen 5619 U in multi-threaded tasks because it has half the number of threads and cores, however, it is the processor with the highest IPC on the market, and its performance nto to a single core has no rival.

However, where the 1165 G7 on the Zenbook S has been on its integrated GPU , Iris Xe with 99 units that especially shines in this team managing to beat the Vega 8 of the Ryzen without problems and even approaching dedicated solutions.

This jump in gross performance manages to put Intel in the competition of performance in integrated graphics , although there is still some work at the driver level, since, as we already detected in other laptops with this processor, some graphic glitchs appear depending on which games.

In as for the SSD, or It offers good performance, although somewhat modest when compared to the faster NVMe PCIe 3.0 models.

Multi-Core CPU Performance Test

Cinebench R 30 MP

Cinebench R 28 MP

Cinebench R 19 MP

GeekBench 5 Multi Core

1-Core CPU Performance Test

Cinebench R 28 SP

Cinebench R 21 SP

GeekBench 5 Single Core

Performance Test Graphics Card

3DMark FireStrike

3DMark FireStrike Extreme

3DMark TimeSpy DX 12

GeekBench 5 OpenCL

GeekBench 5 Vulkan

Other Performance and Games tests

PCMark 12

Design and Creators Test – SPECViewPerf 15

The Division 2

CrystalDiskMark SSD

Comment that the Zenbook S comes with the trial McAfee antivirus, a bloatware that will remind us of its installation every so often.

Temperatures

The UX cooling system 410 is based on a single turbine fan with a large number of blades that pushes the air towards the block of copper fins that It ends in the flat heatpipe that transfers heat from the CPU.

Its operation is quite silent and manages to keep the processor temperatures below the maximum, in addition, it is possible to adjust its behavior from the MyASUS application to prioritize more or less noise or more or less cooling.

Externally, after 35 minutes of continuous stress testing, the maximum keyboard temperature is around 30, 6ºC, while the maximum of the air outlet area rises to 45 º. The ambient temperatures during the measurement were 20 ºC

Internally, in pure CPU tests as Cinebench the maximums have been 96 ºC

When CPU and GPU are combined temperatures can reach 99 ºC. They are not cool temperatures, but they do not affect performance as in other models, or at least not as noticeably.

Analysis and Conclusion

The renewal of the ASUS Zenbook S line catches up with this UX 410. On the one hand we have the processor Intel Core i7 – 1172 G7 d e eleventh generation, with new architecture, manufacturing process and graphic power, a predictable addition to this renovation. On the other hand, the screen of 3: 2 with 3. 393 x 2. 244 pixels and touch is an interesting change that will be appreciated by those who want a laptop to work more than for multimedia or leisure sections.

This screen has an excellent color coverage and a good calibration as standard, the image quality is good and the brightness, although not reaching the 500 promised cd / m², it does exceed the 410 cd / m² and compensates for the outdoor display limitations of the glossy panel. As a negative point, those small light leaks that shows in the lower right area.

It is better used the screen within the portable format and allows to reduce the size of the equipment, already compact, together with its weight of 1, 35 mm and its 1, 58 cm thick. Its build quality places it within the premium segment and we have the latest in connectivity, with WiFi 6 and USB-C with Thunderbolt 4.0.

In that sense, the two USB-C with TB 4.0 and the options they provide, such as charging port, data, video, sound, however, in total the physical connectivity is somewhat scarce, limited to those two ports, a USB 3.0 type A, HDMI and a small micro-SD card reader. Some extra USB would be fine, or a fingerprint reader and having to use an adapter for the audio port, taking into account the small size that a minijack , it was totally unnecessary.

In performance-wise, now yes, the Core i7 – 1172 G7 displays all its power and is crowned as the laptop processor with the highest performance per core and, above all, it shows the enormous performance leap that Intel has made in its iGPUs with its Iris Xe of 100 units.

No obst Before, with only 4 cores, it cannot compete in multi-threaded performance with processors like the Ryzen 7 – 585 On the other hand, this Core i7 is capable of maintaining high performance even in battery mode, without especially affecting the autonomy of the equipment, in such a way that in many tasks the performance penalty of disconnecting from the current is practically non-existent.

In addition, autonomy is very good, placing it in second place in our ranking. All for a price of 1. 599 euros that we do not consider excessive, but not cheap either. In this price it is clear that the build quality and its 3K touch screen have a great influence.

With all this Taking into account its strengths and weaknesses, the ASUS Zenbook S UX 393 is a team that knows how to combine a very compact design with quality materials and a 3: 2 “3K” screen format (and resolution) aimed at productivity, all without leaving power and autonomy in the pipeline , undoubtedly one of the ultrabook to beat during this close 2021.

End of Article. Tell us something in the Comments or come to our Forum!

heise + | Digital Identity: Race to dominate digital identity verification

In the market for secure digital identities, private providers are competing with the state: Verimi and Yes want to replace the electronic identity card.

Digital Identity: Race for the dominance of digital identity verification Models from the north Digital storage and acceptance Three services for digital identification Together against Google and Apple Article in c’t 1 / 2021 read If you want to identify yourself in the analog world, whether at the airport, at the post office or in a bank, pull out your ID card or passport. In the online world, the situation is less clear: More and more providers are developing solutions for identification on the Internet. In the race is no longer just the federal government with the electronic identity card. Consortia from the private sector also offer digital proof of identity.

For example Verimi, a joint venture of prominent groups such as Deutsche Bank, Telekom, Samsung and Volkswagen. “We want to become the PayPal of identity,” says Verimi boss Roland Adrian in an interview with c’t. The Swiss start-up Yes, which is supported by savings banks and Volksbanks, has similar plans. “Yes can be used universally for the digital identification of natural persons”, advertises technical director Torsten Lodderstedt. And other players want to get involved, including, for example, the NetID foundation founded by RTL, ProSiebenSat.1 and United Internet.

The race is not just about how to identify yourself on the Internet will run technically in the future. But also about who controls the identity data such as the name and address of millions of people. And the question of who can sell the identification of people as a service – for example to banks or insurance companies, which for legal reasons need to know their customers exactly. Access to all contents of heise + exclusive tests, advice & background: independent, critically sound c’t, iX, Technology Review, Mac & i, Make, c’t read photography directly in the browser register once – read on all devices – can be canceled monthly first month free, then monthly 9, 95 € Weekly newsletter with personal reading recommendations from the editor-in-chief Start FREE month Start your FREE month now already subscribed to heise +?

Sign in and read Register now and read the article immediately More information about heise + Digital Identity: Race for the dominance of digital identity verification Models from the north Digital storage and acceptance Three services for digital identification Together against Google and Apple Article in c’t 1 / 2021 read

heise + | IT security: reverse engineering of Android apps

Many apps process highly sensitive data, but how well do they take care of it? You can quickly set up your own test laboratory for the analysis with our tips.

(Image: Albert Hulm)

Health apps are all the rage, and accordingly many of them are currently seeing the light of smartphone displays. However, there are always reports of spectacular security gaps in such and many other apps or the associated infrastructure. Those who do not want to blindly rely on the skills of the developers can check for themselves how secure an Android app is. Assuming some basic knowledge and the right tools, interesting insights are not far.

Even if you do not have a 1337 H4x0r, you can do something with this article. Previous knowledge of Android, Linux and Java is helpful, but an interest and willingness to learn is much more important. As is known, the best hacking tool is a good search engine. This article shows you basic ways to tackle an Android app. There are also tips and tricks from the practice of a penetration tester.

You first need a PC with an operating system of your choice – am best a Linux so you can play through this article in full. However, most tools also work on Windows and macOS. You also need an Android smartphone that can run the app you’re targeting. A reasonably current Android version should be installed on it: at least version 7.0 (Nougat), better 8.0 (Oreo) or newer. It is advisable to use a smartphone for such experiments that you do not depend on in everyday life.

Access to all contents of heise + exclusive tests , Advice & background: independent, critically sound c’t, iX, Technology Review, Mac & i, Make, c’t read photography directly in the browser register once – read on all devices – can be canceled monthly first month free, thereafter monthly 9, 95 € Weekly newsletter with personal reading recommendations from the editor-in-chief Start FREE month Start your FREE month now heise + already subscribed?

New Corona variant: More data and many question marks

“That too”, “We were just missing that” or simply: “Och nö”. The reactions to the coronavirus variant B.1.1.7, which experts have registered in Great Britain, are likely to have been something like this. The fact that the variant is actually more likely to be more easily transferable than previously circulating forms of SARS-CoV-2 can now be seen from new data. But although some experts assume that B.1.1.7 has already arrived in this country, they don’t exactly sound the alarm.

” No major problem ” ” I don’t think we’ll get a bigger problem there soon, “said the Berlin virologist Christian Drosten on Tuesday of the German press agency. It is quite likely that B.1.1.7 is now also in Germany. “But with the current restrictions, this variant is unlikely to gain a foothold in this country.” This is indicated by data published by Public Health England (PHE).

According to the paper, B.1.1.7 is spreading. Particularly quickly wherever insufficient restrictions lead to an increase in the number of infections, said Drosten. In areas in Great Britain where effective measures are in place, the new variant is also largely under control. For Germany, Drosten therefore concludes that the lockdown of the variant should leave little chance of spread.

So far, there has been no evidence that the new variant has an influence on the severity of the disease, Drosten added. “This is very important for the population, who are now concerned.”

No signs of reduced vaccination protection In addition, there are no signs of reduced vaccination protection due to B.1.1.7. The boss of the vaccine manufacturer Biontech, Ugur Sahin, also confirmed on Tuesday that his preparation is very likely to work against the new variant.

The World Health Organization (WHO) pointed out that all viruses change over time . Most of these mutations do not bring the pathogen any direct advantages, sometimes they are even a hindrance. In order to understand the effects of a specific mutation, complex and time-consuming studies are necessary.

PHE experts published a research paper on Monday, according to which B.1.1.7. is likely to be more easily transferable than other variants. To do this, they evaluated data from different regions. From the PHE model calculations, it can be deduced that the number of reproductions – i.e. the average number of people infected by an infected person – in the new variant, depending on the location, is around 40 until 40 percent is increased, said Drosten. “That is significant.” However, the estimates are fuzzy and should be treated with caution.

Presumably already in Germany The PHE paper had Drosten initially commented on Twitter with the sentence “Unfortunately, that doesn’t look good”, which caused a stir. He later explained that he only meant one aspect. “To put an end to speculation: this only related to the now clearer evidence of the increased spread of the mutant,” he also wrote on Twitter.

In Germany, according to Lothar Wieler, President of the Robert Koch Institute, has not yet been proven. The variant has probably already arrived anyway. “The probability that she is already in Germany, but not yet recognized, is very, very high,” said Wieler on Tuesday in Berlin. He pointed out that variant B.1.1.7 was detected for the first time in Great Britain in September, and there is already proof in neighboring countries such as the Netherlands and Denmark.

The importance of the variant for the infection process cannot be definitively assessed yet, said Wieler. This is being watched closely and there are still many questions unanswered. In general, it is clear: the more a virus spreads, the more opportunity it has to change.

Possibly more harmless The new variant of the virus is characterized by about 20 mutations in its genome. The mutation, called N 501 Y, should make it easier to invade human cells and cause infection. However, according to Drosten, it is unclear what the variant has the decisive advantage. It is conceivable that in B.1.1.7. less exposure to viruses to become contagious. But it is also possible that the variant ensures that an infected person has more viruses in the throat and is therefore more contagious.

It is positive that the new variant lacks a certain gene, that actually the severity of the disease intensified, said Drosten. “That is the good news.” So it could well be that B.1.1.7. is more harmless. This could also be a reason for the faster spread, said Drosten. Because people with no or only mild symptoms tend not to isolate themselves and can therefore increasingly infect others.

(mho)

Google Home vs Nest Audio vs Mini vs Max vs Hub vs Hub Max: Which Google speaker should you buy?

(Pocket-lint) – If you’re looking for an intelligent smart home speaker, then one powered by Google is a great alternative to the Amazon Echo range.

Like the Amazon Echo smart speakers, Google Home devices – most of which are now Nest branded – are available in a range of sizes. They all have Google Assistant built-in – meaning they can carry out the same tasks – but they have very different designs and specifications which will determine where you put them around your home and what you use them for.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Google Home and Nest devices to help you work out which is right for you.

Which is the best Google Nest speaker for you?

The Nest Mini – which replaces the original Google Home Mini – is small and cheap enough to go into any home. It has the same features of Google Assistant as its larger siblings, but in a much more manageable size.

The Nest Audio is the latest speaker in the family, a great performer at a great price and a replacement for the original Google Home.

The Google Home is the original speaker, but has now been replaced and bettered by the Nest Audio.

The Google Home Max is a powerful speaker, which when combined with Google Assistant could make it the only one you need in your home for entertainment.

The Google Nest Hub is a great choice for those with compatible smart home devices, offering excellent control, whilst also delivering a good enough sound and all the features that come with Google Assistant.

The Google Nest Hub Max adds a larger display and a camera, making it a full Nest device, as well as a smart display. It too offers all the features that come with Google Assistant, as well as bigger sound compared to the Nest Hub.

Pocket-lint

Google Nest Mini

squirrel_widget_168546

Dimensions: 42 x 98mm, 181g
Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, Chromecast and Chromecast Audio
Audio: 40mm speaker driver, 360-degree sound
Audio formats: HE-AAC, LC-AAC+, MP3, FLAC, WAV, Vorbis
Google Assistant: Yes (Always-on/always-listening/voice-activated)

The Google Nest Mini is the second generation of the Google Home Mini, and it remains the smallest of Google’s smart home speaker range. Like the Amazon Echo Dot, it’s a small puck-like device that is available in four colours – all of which have fabric covers that aren’t interchangeable. The fabric is made from recycled bottles in the Nest Mini though, making it more sustainable than the original Google Home Mini.

Thanks to its diminutive size, the Nest Mini can be placed virtually anywhere, including wall-mounted thanks to its built-in wall-mount, and even kept out of sight if you wish. It can load up content on any Chromecast device, giving you voice-controlled access to movies and TV shows from supported services.

The Nest Mini gives you access to all those Assistant-powered features, so it’s a smart home control device, it’s an entertainer and a plaything, it’s a quiz master, a reference tool and so much more. It’s everything the big Google Home is without the larger speaker.

The Google Nest Mini is compatible with numerous smart home devices, the list of which is constantly growing. It also works with Spotify, Google Play Music, as well as a multitude of other audio services.

Google Nest Mini review: Mini update, max impact

Pocket-lint

Google Nest Audio

squirrel_widget_2709293

Dimensions: 175 x 124 x 78mm, 1.1kg
Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, Chromecast and Chromecast Audio
Audio: 75mm woofer, 19mm tweeter
Audio formats: HE-AAC, LC-AAC+, MP3, FLAC, WAV, Vorbis
Google Assistant: Yes (Always-on/always-listening/voice-activated)

Nest Audio refreshes Google’s standard speaker, boosting eco credentials with more recycled material, while bringing in a fresh new design too.

Rather than 360-degree sound, the sound is now directional, but with a good size of speaker driver and a tweeter in this compact unit, the sound quality is really good for the price.

All the same Google Assistant functions are supported, and the Nest Audio can be stereo paired to make a bigger sound delivery.

One thing is clear – there’s no reason to consider the Google Home – the Nest Audio is better in every way.

Google Nest Audio review: A great all-rounder

Pocket-lint

Google Home

squirrel_widget_148299

Dimensions: 142.8 x 96.4mm, 477g
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz/5Ghz)
Audio: 2-inch speaker driver, dual 2-inch passive radiators, dual microphones with far-field voice recognition
Audio formats: HE-AAC, LC-AAC+, MP3, WAV, FLAC, Vorbis
Google Assistant: Yes (Always-on/always-listening/voice-activated)

The Google Home is the regular-sized smart speaker from Google. It’s the original member and the one that will likely be most popular because of the way it blends style and function. It’s pricier than the Google Nest Mini, but delivers way more punch.

The Google Home sports a design that’s reminiscent of an air freshener, with a slightly bulbous bottom that tapers in towards the top. On the angled top of the Home there is a touch-sensitive surface that can be used to control a variety of functions. You can also change the colour of the base to suit your style.

Its sound quality is good, but it probably isn’t fit to be your main party speaker, even if it is a step-up from the Nest Mini. It offers all the connected functions of Google Assistant, so it’s a natural smart home hub, letting you control all your devices, as well as accessing a wide range of Google services, information and giving you control of your Chromecast.

The Google Home has all the same smarts as the Google Nest Mini, only with more power under the hood. You can also purchase different bases to change the style of your Google Home speaker, too, which you can’t do on the Mini.

Google Home review: A better voice assistant than Amazon Echo?

Google

Google Home Max

squirrel_widget_148519

Dimensions: 336.6 x 190 x 154.4mm, 5.3kg
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz/5Ghz), Bluetooth 4.2, Chromecast and Chromecast Audio, USB-C, 3.5mm auxiliary
Audio: 2 x 4.5-inch dual voice coil woofers, 2 x 0.7-inch tweeters, six microphones with far-field voice recognition
Audio formats: HE-AAC, LC-AAC+, MP3, WAV, FLAC, Vorbis, Opus
Processor: 1.5GHz Quad-core ARM
Google Assistant: Yes (Always-on/always-listening/voice-activated)

Google Home Max is max by name and max by nature. It’s large in size and it delivers high-quality sound that can fill a room. A large price tag puts the Google Home Max in the premium smart home speaker bracket – competing with the Sonos range and the Apple HomePod.

Packing four drivers and six Class-D amplifiers, the Google Home Max makes the sound performance of most other smart home speakers pale in comparison. We certainly found it to be capable in terms of sound, but many may recoil at the price tag.

It’s on the large size too, as far as wireless speakers go, so finding a home for the Home Max could be tricky.

We imagine most people will put one in their living room or bedroom. It’s not for wall-mounting but can be positioned either vertically or horizontally making it pretty versatile. It offers all the same features as the smaller Nest Mini and Home though, just with better sound capabilities.

Google Home Max review: Cranking smart speaker audio to the max

Pocket-lint

Google Nest Hub

squirrel_widget_148304

Dimensions: 178 x 118 x 67.3mm, 480g
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz/5Ghz), Bluetooth 5.0, Chromecast and Chromecast Audio, 15 W adapter, DC power jack
Audio: Full range speaker, two microphones with far-field voice recognition
Display: 7-inch
Processor: 1.5GHz Quad-core ARM
Google Assistant: Yes (Always-on/always-listening/voice-activated)

Google Nest Hub (formerly Home Hub) is a speaker like the other Home devices but it adds a 7-inch touchscreen to its list of attributes – yes, it’s a smart display. The sound quality isn’t as good as the Max or the original Home but the display is an excellent feature for watching quick YouTube videos, reading news snippets and controlling smart home devices.

It offers all the same features as the other Home products, along with a great design, YouTube integration (which Amazon’s Echo Show does not) and it is fantastic for smart home control, with the list of compatible devices growing constantly.

There’s no camera as there is on the larger Nest Hub Max but it makes for a great smart home hub.

Google Nest Hub review: The new hub of your smart home?

Pocket-lint

Google Nest Hub Max

squirrel_widget_160596

Dimensions: 250.1 x 182.55 x 101.23mm, 1.32kg
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, Chromecast and Chromecast Audio, 30W adapter, DC power jack
Audio: Stereo speakers (2x 18mm 10W tweeters, 1x 75mm 30W woofer), far-field mic and voice match technology
Display: 10-inch, 1280 x 800 pixels
Camera: 6.5MP Nest camera, 127 FoV, face match technology
Google Assistant: Yes (Always-on/always-listening/voice-activated)

The Google Nest Hub Max is the biggest Home device with a display and ushered in the name change to Nest. That’s because it incorporates a camera which can not only be used for Duo calling, but offers full Nest Cam functions too, so it also acts as a security device. It will also work with Nest’s face recognition, so it can change the display details to suit different users, though it doesn’t deliver familiar face alerts like the Nest Hello or Nest Cam IQ.

Elsewhere, the Nest Hub Max boosts the experience of the smaller display device, expanding to 10-inches and offering stereo speakers backed with a woofer for better sound delivery.

Otherwise the Nest Hub Max supports Google Assistant offering all the experiences you’d come to expect from Google’s AI system.

Google Nest Hub Max review: Putting the Echo Show on notice

Writing by Adrian Willings. Editing by Britta O’Boyle.

Best Google Assistant and Alexa powered board games 2020

(Pocket-lint) – There are multiple games you can play through Google Home speakers or Google Assistant-powered speakers, as well as Amazon Echo or Alexa-powered speakers – and now’s the perfect time to explore them, given how much time we’re all spending at home.

Say “Play a Game” to Google Assistant and you’ll get several options from Riddle of the Day to Song Quiz, while Alexa has numerous game skills you can add to ask Alexa to play.

Playing games through Home or Echo speakers aren’t your only option though, there are also a few board games that are powered by Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. At the moment, there are only a few that turn the helpful assistants into games hosts, but if you love a board game and you’re looking for a way to spice up the fun, here are the options available.

Ravensburger

Ravensburger kNOW!

squirrel_widget_171306

Ravensburger might be best known for its great puzzles, but its kNOW! game is the first board game to be powered by the almighty Google Assistant, allowing it to lay claim to being an “always up-to-date quiz game”. Better than playing the original Trivial Pursuit from the 1980s right?

There are over 1500 questions and the idea is that you ask Google Assistant for the most up to date answers to see who wins. You can ask questions like “Hey Google, how many days until Christmas”, “How old is Philip Schofield” or ask Google for a question. There are various game types and there are are two modes of play – Online and Offline. Offline mode doesn’t require Google Assistant.

Inside the box, you’ll find 220 quiz cards, a buzzer, a game board, a sorting strip and six playing pieces. Ravensburger says the game is suitable for between two and six players in online mode and three to six players in offline mode. In terms of age, it is recommended users are aged 10 and above.

Google Assistant is available on iOS and Android devices, as well as Google Home speakers and several third party speakers.

X2 Games

X2 Games St Noire

squirrel_widget_171297

X2 Games’ St Noire is an AI-hosted cinematic board game and the first voice-controlled murder mystery board game. You have to solve a murder that took place in the small town of St Noire by questioning the 12 suspects, finding clues and trusting no one.

You have until the end of night seven to solve the crime and on each go, you can either examine a location, question a town member or accuse a suspect by using Alexa, saying things like “Alexa, question Mayor Alves”. To win, you have to accuse the right person, but you’ll lose if you make two wrong accusations.

Each game of St Noire takes around 15 to 30 minutes, but no two games are the same with multiple storylines and endings. The only clue you’ll have to start with is the cause of death. You can play in a group or solo and it is said to be suitable for ages 12 and above.

You’ll need Amazon Alexa to play so you’ll need an Amazon Echo device, or third party Alexa speaker. You’ll also have to download the St Noire skill on your smartphone. To start, say “Alexa, Open St Noire”. Inside the box, there’s a game board, 12 suspect cards, 12 weapon tokens and a pencil.

Sensible Object

When in Rome

squirrel_widget_171288

When in Rome is one in a series of Voice Originals board games from Sensible Object. Like St Noire, it is powered by Amazon’s Alexa and therefore requires an Alexa device, like the Echo or Echo Dot, for example. You’ll also need to enable the When in Rome skill on your smartphone.

Alexa will then teach you the rules, keep score, fly you to 20 cities on the When In Rome game board map and introduce you to locals from each city. The locals will then ask you questions from seven categories comprising slang and language, food and drink, art and culture, sport and games, buildings and history, myths and legends and random and strange.

Alexa will always remember what questions you’ve been asked to ensure you always get given a fresh one. You’ll need to split up into two teams and you’ll be competing to make friends in the cities you ask Alexa to fly you to, earn upgrade cards and collect souvenirs in each new city you visit.

To start, you’ll need to say “Alexa, play When in Rome”. In the box, there are two player tokens, five souvenirs, 30 friend tokens, 14 upgrade cards and one game board.

Amazon

Escape Room in a Box

squirrel_widget_171315

If you’ve ever done an Escape Room – room challenges where you and anyone else you’re with has to find clues, solve puzzles and crack codes in under an hour to escape – then you’ll likely love Escape Room in a Box.

Unlike St Noire and When in Rome, while Escape Room in a Box is enhanced by Amazon Alexa, the assistant is not required to play this game. The idea of this board game is to solve 19 physical and paper puzzles in an hour to make sure a mad scientist doesn’t turn you and your friends into werewolves.

Up to eight players can play and if you want to use Alexa, you’ll not only need an Alexa-enabled device but you’ll need to download the Escape Room in a Box skill too. To start, you’ll need to say “Alexa, open Escape Room in a Box”. It’s recommended to be suitable for ages 13 and above.

Amazon

Ticket to Ride

squirrel_widget_3007804

Ticket to Ride has been around since 2004, but it’s now possible to play with Alexa as your guide or have her join in as a player if there are less than five of you.

The idea is to create the most valuable railway network by collecting train cards that allow you to lay claim to colour-coded railway routes across the map.

The longer the route, the more points you earn, but the more cards you’ll need to save up to claim it. Alexa will not only teach you how to play if you’re new to the game, once you download the skill, but she will also keep track of your scores and calculate the longest route, all while adding sound effects and music to your game.

Ticket to Ride is recommended for players aged 8 and over.

Writing by Britta O’Boyle.

Best indoor security cameras 2021: See inside your home anytime

(Pocket-lint) – One of the many benefits to setting up a smart home can be a serious bump in your security – whether you want sensors to let you know when people are around, or to tell you if you’ve left a window open or any other number of things.

A key part of that can be played by smart cameras, not only to keep an eye on your house while you aren’t home, but to let you use a smartphone to check in on things, as well as get notifications when something isn’t quite how it should be.

You might also want to pick up all manner of other smart gadgets, from app-controlled lighting and heating to robotic vacuum cleaners, to flesh out your smart home, but choosing a smart camera can be hard enough in the first place.

Whether you are after a nice and simple model to watch the cat or dog while you are at work, or you want something a little more substantial, such as one with a siren or one that can sing a lullaby, here are the best indoor smart cameras available.

We also have a separate feature for the best outdoor smart home cameras.

Pocket-lint

Nest Cam IQ

squirrel_widget_141181

The Nest Cam IQ is the smarter of the two indoor cameras offered by Nest, with the other cheaper model being the Nest Cam Indoor. Featuring a similar design to the Nest Cam Outdoor with a white polycarbonate body, the Nest Cam IQ has a main body on a hinge that connects it to a stem hiding the cables and a base with a USB Type-C connector.

It is one of the more expensive cameras on this list but thanks to its 4K HDR sensor, it will offer a close up tracking view of a person or persons and it is able to distinguish between a person and a thing. It also has Google Assistant built in so you can ask it to turn up your Nest Thermostat or find out how old George Clooney is.

Users will also be able to have a two-way conversation through the camera, night vision has been improved over the Nest Cam Indoor and those who sign up to the Nest Aware subscription will also benefit from facial recognition features and customisable activity zones. For a cheaper option, Nest still offers its Nest Cam Indoor.

Nest Cam IQ review: Great home security lacks an intelligent asking price

Netgear

Netgear Arlo Essential Spotlight

squirrel_widget_350001

Netgear offers numerous smart home camera options, including this Arlo Essential Spotlight, which is a completely wire-free camera and weatherproof, meaning you can use it outside too.

The Arlo offers night vision and motion alerts like the rest of the cameras on this list and it has 1080p Full HD resolution. The Arlo Ultra offers video 4K recording and a 180-degree FoV so there are other options in the range to suit various needs.

One of the great things about the Arlo is it provides seven days of viewing, downloading and sharing without a subscription. Most other smart home cameras, aside from the Netatmo Welcome require a monthly subscription to access video recordings over 24-hours old, whereas with Arlo it’s only a requirement for videos over seven days old or if you want a couple of extra features.

Ring

Ring Stick Up Cam

squirrel_widget_160890

Ring, best known for its video doorbells, has a couple of different security cameras but the Ring Stick Up Cam is the one recommended for indoor use. It comes in a wired option, battery option and solar-powered option so there are a couple of models to suit different requirements.

The Ring Stick Up Cam has night vision and two-way talk like other cameras on this list and it also comes with a siren. There are no fancy features like facial recognition but the Stick Up Cam is waterproof so it could be used outside too. It is also compatible with Amazon Alexa so if you have an Echo Show or Echo Spot, or a Fire tablet, you will be able to ask Alexa to show the view of your Stick Up Cam.

Unlike some others on this list, you’ll need the Ring Protect plan to see any video history with only live recording viable without a subscription. For those with more than one Ring camera, you might want to consider the Ring Protect Plus subscription, which covers all Ring devices a monthly fee.

Hive

Hive View

squirrel_widget_144163

British Gas-owned Hive offers two smart home camera options, including the latest model – the Hive View. It offers 24-hours rolling camera history on the cloud, and it comes in two colour options comprising a black and brushed copper model and a champagne gold and white model.

Although it doesn’t offer as many of the fancy features of some of the others on this list, such as facial recognition, it does have two-way audio, as well as zooming and it offers person detection too, along with sound and motion.

One of the best things about the Hive camera is that it joins the company’s other smart home products, which includes heating, lighting, motion detectors and smart plugs, making creating a smart home far simpler.

Hive View review: Great looks, great performance

Netatmo

Netatmo Welcome

squirrel_widget_134670

The Netatmo Welcome camera features facial recognition technology and it is one of the only smart home cameras to do so, aside from the Nest Cam IQ, though that requires a subscription for the privilege. Welcome will capture images of people and allow you to create profiles, after which the camera will send the names of the people it recognises, whilst also notifying you when it detects an unknown face.

It’s possible to customise profiles so if you don’t want it to record your partner at any time for example, you can set it to make sure it doesn’t and you can stop notifications coming through when you are at home too.

Unlike some smart home cameras, Welcome doesn’t offer a speaker for two-way talk, or a siren, night-light or music capabilities, but there are no subscription charges so the price you pay for the camera is all you pay to access your videos. The included 8GB SD card will store up to 100 videos and once storage runs out, the oldest videos will be replaced.

Netatmo Welcome review: Big Brother is watching and knows who you are

Swann

Swann Wire-Free Security Camera

squirrel_widget_263827

This Full HD camera boasts an IP65 weatherproof rating so it can withstand everything the weather can throw at it including driving rain, snow and summer heatwaves.

A magnetic mounting stand means you can point it any way you want and the kit includes mounting plugs and screws as well as an adhesive strip.

As with many other cameras, there’s also a microphone and speaker so you can have a two-way conversation with a delivery driver or intruder near to the camera if it’s placed outside.

Unlike several others, Swann’s camera has free local and cloud storage so the footage is saved (seven days) and locally backed-up (two days). You can add extra storage via a subscription should you wish. Video and data is encrypted, while two-factor authentication is in place, too.

TP-Link

TP-Link Kasa Cam KC120

squirrel_widget_147266

The TP-Link Kasa Cam KC120 has an easy-to-use app interface, coupled with good quality 1080p video footage. It offers decent night vision, two-way talk functionality and it is compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, meaning you’ll be able to stream the Kasa Cam’s feed on an Amazon Echo Show or Google Home Hub if you have one.

You get two days of video history without a subscription and there are plenty of customisation options, while this camera also offers a strong and stable connection. It does have its downsides though, with recordings sometimes limited, the push to talk function featuring some lag and notifications a little overwhelming at times.

Niggles aside however, the 48 hours of free footage storage is certainly a reason to consider this indoor smart camera – especially as top tier competitor Nest only offers clip storage in the cloud for up to three hours unless you pay more.

TP-Link Kasa Cam KC120 review: Smart home camera is affordable yet imperfect

Logitech

Logitech Circle 2

squirrel_widget_3771362

The Logitech Circle 2 replaces the Circle smart home camera, bringing the choice of wired or wire-free, weatherproofing and a wider field of view over its predecessor.

It is compatible with Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s HomeKit and there are a range of mounts and accessories available for it, allowing you to mount it where you want. The Circle 2 has a 180-degree field of view, it records video in 1080p and it offers night vision up to five-metres.

Additionally, the Circle 2 has a two-way talk and listen function and for those that opt for the Circle Safe Premium subscription, you’ll have access to person detection, motion zones and advanced event and alert filter options.

Logitech Circle 2 review: The best home security camera?

Canary

Canary View

squirrel_widget_2847690

The Canary View all-in-one security camera can be set up in a matter of minutes and it will learn over time to deliver you smarter notifications. It is capable of Full HD video recording, HD audio recording and you will get instant alerts when activity is detected, along with the ability to view the recorded video. It also offers person detection without subscription, and two-way talk and desktop streaming with a subscription.

There is a 90-decibel siren on board to scare off any unwanted visitors, which can be controlled remotely, and Canary also monitors air quality, temperature and humidity to give you a better idea of your home.

For those after a weatherproof option, Canary also offers the Canary Flex, which can be installed wire-free or plugged in, inside or outside of your home. It’s a smaller device than the standard Canary and it doesn’t have a siren, but it does have a built-in speaker. Bear in mind that the 24 hours of free recording access is shared between all the Canary devices you have.

Pocket-lint

Somfy One

squirrel_widget_143731

The Somfy One offers some impressive features including a capable camera that works well in all lighting conditions, a physical privacy shutter and motion-based siren alarm system.

It’s compatible with Nest thermostats, Alexa, Google Home and IFTTT too, making it highly flexible and adaptable to your smart home needs.

Its free plan isn’t quite as good as others – it will only notify and capture footage when the alarm is set, but the subscription costs are cheaper than some others too. There is also a Somfy One+ that comes with a badge key fob and a door or window sensor, as well as a built in battery pack.

Somfy One review: Sound the alarm, smart home security gets serious

Pocket-lint

Withings Nokia Home

squirrel_widget_132607

Withings, which was sold to Nokia and then bought back, offers the Home camera. The camera records what is happening in your house, monitors air quality and it will also play a lullaby when the night light is turned on.

The bottom of the stylish-looking camera doubles up as the night light, while the top features environmental sensors to measure temperature, humidity and levels of volatile organic compound (VOC). There is a 5-megapixel CMOS sensor, two digital microphones, a HQ speaker, 135-degree wide angle zoom and night vision on the Home camera.

Any note-worthy thing that happens will be recorded to a cloud-stored video and sent to your smartphone in notification form, while any of the images and videos will then be put into an interactive timeline that turns into a home diary. You get 48-hours free access to your timeline, while anything beyond that requires a subscription.

Withings Home review: More than just a smart camera

Writing by Britta O’Boyle. Editing by Dan Grabham.

Best turntable 2021: The top record players to buy today

(Pocket-lint) – Whether or not you’re on board, the vinyl hype train is in motion – it’s back, baby. There’s even vinyl for sale in some larger supermarkets and there’s also stacks on online retailers like Amazon. After years of apparent obsolescence, we’re in the middle of the great record revival, so it follows that record players are continuing to release regularly, meaning people need to know which ones to consider.

The best Bluetooth speakers to buy today

Vinyl has an inherent desirability to it, and a greater sense of permanence and ownership compared to other platforms. Whether it be the larger album artwork compared to a CD, the physical act of having to get up and turn over the disc to listen to the other side, or that many consider it to sound superior to other formats.

If you’ve been interested in jumping aboard the vinyl bandwagon, but have yet to get yourself a turntable, look no further. We’ve gathered together a bunch of the best record players available today.

Our pick of the best turntables to buy today

Audio-Technica

Audio-Technica AT-LP3

squirrel_widget_148371

For its asking price, the AT-LP3 remains our top pick. It’s a fully automatic belt-driven turntable featuring the AT91R phono cartridge that’s easy enough to swap out. The sound is fantastic thanks too, thanks to the anti-resonance die-cast aluminium platter. You will need a decent pre-amp to get the most out of it, but make no mistake, this is a stellar player if you’re connecting it to an amp and speakers. If you want something with its own preamp, then read on…

Denon

Denon DP-450USB

squirrel_widget_2743017

Also available as the DP-400 without the USB-connectivity at the front (for digitizing your vinyl direct to USB storage), these Denon players are some of the more accomplished record players around and we loved having it to stay. In terms of playing vinyl, the sound reproduction is superb, while the players also have auto-stop and can play 78rpm records as well as 33/45s. There’s a built-in phono stage, but you can bypass it should you wish.

The dust cover won’t be to everyone’s taste, since it isn’t hinged and comes completely off. But it’s made from good quality perspex and is strong, while the stand it sits in (while a record is playing) can be used to display the record sleeve.

Roberts

Roberts RT100

squirrel_widget_148378

Roberts is best known for its radios, but that hasn’t stopped the British company from producing a turntable. The RT100 has a traditional look as well as a built-in pre-amp so you don’t need to connect it to a phono stage. As with several of the other turntables in this list, a USB connection lets you rip your vinyl collection to your computer.

Gearbox

Gearbox Automatic MkII

squirrel_widget_171759

This new player from jazz record label Gearbox Records is a follow-up to the original clear-box player that takes design cues from the iconic 1955 Braun PC 3 SV record player. The main upgrade is the addition of a higher-quality Ortofon OM 10 cartridge which provides a significant improvement in quality.

Its transparent design won’t appeal to all, but we loved it when it was sitting in our living room since it’s such an eye-catcher. It’s heavy on the tech, too, with the ability to send its audio to a Bluetooth speaker and an accompanying app that’ll recognise tracks and add them to Spotify playlists for you. There’s also a built-in valve phono stage so no need for extra hardware – it can be plugged straight into a line-in.

Sony

Sony PS-HX500

squirrel_widget_148380

Sony has its own range of turntables too, and the PS-HX500 is an excellent choice. It looks great, sporting a sleek black finish and can also record your vinyl collection to your computer. Where the Sony differs from other turntables on this list though, is that it can record in high-resolution audio. Vinyl can be recorded in DSD and WAV and an editing app for PC and Mac lets you edit your tracks and split them if you record an entire side of a record at once.

Make sure the device you want to listen to your digital tracks on can support high-resolution audio. Some phones can natively support it, while others such as the iPhone, will need a dedicated app.

Audio-Technica

Audio-Technica AT-LPW40WN

squirrel_widget_148382

Another super choice from Audio-Technica, the AT-LPW40WN was introduced at CES 2019 in January so it is still pretty fresh out of the blocks. It has a snazzy walnut wood veneer finish which looks a lot more appealing than many designs, a newly-designed cartridge and a preamp so it can connect directly to powered speakers should you choose to do that rather than use a traditional amp-and-speaker setup.

TEAC

TEAC TN300

squirrel_widget_148383

TEAC is another hi-fi brand with a heritage in vinyl. The TN300 is one of the company’s latest turntables and is available in a range of colours. It’s engineered to a high degree, comes supplied with an Audio Technica cartridge and has a USB output to storing your vinyl collection as digital files on a computer.

Writing by Dan Grabham.

Apple spatial audio: what is it? How do you get it?

(Image credit: Apple)

During its typically slick, but untypically pre-recorded, WWDC 2020 keynote briefing in June, Apple announced something that really piqued our interest: spatial audio.

Basically Apple’s take on Dolby Atmos for Headphones and Sony’s upcoming PS5 3D Audio, spatial audio is designed to deliver surround sound and 3D audio via your headphones – specifically your Apple AirPods Pro and AirPods Max headphones. The feature arrived as part of iOS 14 in September.

So how do you get Apple spatial audio? What devices do you need? And what other upgrades are included in the latest iOS 14 update? Answers to those questions and more are just a short scroll away.

Apple AirPods Max review

What is Apple spatial audio?

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple spatial audio takes 5.1, 7.1 and Dolby Atmos signals and applies directional audio filters, adjusting the frequencies that each ear hears so that sounds can be placed virtually anywhere in 3D space. Sounds will appear to be coming from in front of you, from the sides, the rear and even above. The idea is to recreate the audio experience of a cinema.

This is not the first technology of its type. Dolby Atmos for Headphones has been around for some time now, while Sony has its 360 Reality Audio format for music, delivers 3D audio in some PS4 games via its Platinum Wireless Headset, and has gone big on 3D audio for the PS5.

Apple’s spatial audio has a unique feature, though: it not only tracks your head movement using accelerometers and gyroscopes in the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max in order to position the sound accurately, it also tracks the position of the iPhone or iPad that you’re watching on, so that sound is also placed relative to the screen. This means that even if you turn your head or reposition your device, dialogue will still be anchored to the actor on the screen.

Apple has apparently been working on spatial audio for years and it was always part of the plan for the AirPods Pro earbuds – that’s why they’ve got gyroscopes (which were never previously mentioned, by the way).

Apple AirPods 3: price, design, release date, leaks and news

How do you get Apple spatial audio?

Apple AirPods Pro (Image credit: Future)

Apple spatial audio comes as part of the newly released firmware update for the AirPods Pro. You’ll also need the new iOS 14 or iPadOS 14, which is now available. All of these updates are free of charge.

The next-gen Apple operating system is available to all iPhones from the iPhone 6S onwards, and iPadOS 14 works on every iPad since, and including, the iPad Air 2. Does this mean that all of these devices will also support spatial audio? Unfortunately not. Here’s the full list of devices that can handle spatial audio:

iPhone 7 or later

iPad Pro 12.9‑inch (3rd generation) and later

iPad Pro 11‑inch

iPad Air (3rd generation)

iPad (6th generation) and later

iPad mini (5th generation)

It’s also worth noting that Dolby Atmos is only available on Apple devices launched since 2018. While you don’t need Atmos for spatial audio, the two working together will likely produce the best results.

On the software side of things, as long as an app supports 5.1, 7.1 and/or Atmos, it will work with spatial audio. That already includes apps such as Vudu, HBO Go, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. Netflix does not currently support surround content via iOS devices, but stereo content can also be converted to spatial audio. All a developer needs to do is allow stereo spatialisation via an Apple plug-in.

Once you’ve updated your device and the AirPods Pros/AirPods Max, spatial audio will be automatically enabled. To check, open Settings on your iOS device, tap on Bluetooth, and then tap on the ‘i’ icon next to your AirPods Pros in the list of Bluetooth devices. If the icon next to Spatial Audio is green, it’s enabled. There’s also a neat little demo of the tech included just below this.

(Image credit: Future)

To test it out, fire up a supported video (See on Apple TV+ is a good example), open up your device’s Command Centre by swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen, then press and hold the AirPods Pro volume icon. On the page that opens you will see a Spatial Audio icon. A bright blue icon indicates that Spatial Audio is enabled, but if the sound waves are static it’s not supported by the content you’re watching. If the waves are pulsing, Spatial Audio is enabled and working. You can tap the icon to turn it off and experience the difference it makes.

Apple unveils new iPad, iPad Air, plus Apple Watch SE and Series 6

Apple AirPods Max (Image credit: Apple)

Is Apple spatial audio any good?

Having given spatial audio an initial whirl with the AirPods Pro and a more thorough one since during our AirPods Max testing, we’re certainly impressed.

The way the audio is tied to the screen is incredibly effective and the extra openness and spaciousness to the sound makes for a much more cinematic and engaging experience. There appears to be a slight drop off in terms of directness and punch, but it’s not huge and, broadly speaking, spatial audio so far appears to be a very worthwhile upgrade.

To quote our AirPods Max review, “All told, the effect is superb. The whole presentation is very open, spacious and convincing, and the tracking is amazingly smooth and accurate as you move your head.

“The opening of Gravity is recreated brilliantly by the AirPods Max. The placement of the various voices coming through the radio is brilliantly precise and convincing, there’s excellent weight to the dull thumps against the satellite and the heavy bass notes of the soundtrack, superb all-round clarity, and excellent dynamics as the peaceful scene turns threatening and then catastrophic. It’s easy to forget that you’re listening using headphones, such is the spaciousness of the delivery. It’s terrifically cinematic.

“Simply put, combining an iPad with a pair of AirPods Max headphones gets you the most convincing portable cinema experience that we can think of.”

Will music be available in spatial audio?

(Image credit: Apple)

There’s no reason that this stereo spatialisation can’t be added to the many music apps available on iPhone and iPad, but there have been no announcements on that front yet.

One suspects that now Apple has the technology, it may well look to add music with full-fat spatial audio to its own Apple Music service but, again, that’s not been officially announced.

Apple One bundles Apple TV+, Apple Music and more into single subscription

What about spatial audio gaming?

There’s no reason that other apps can’t also benefit from spatial audio, and we’d be amazed if it’s not picked up very quickly by game developers. Again, there’s nothing official on that yet.

We do know, though, that the movement data provided by the AirPods Pros will be made available to app developers, and that could open up some interesting opportunities such as head-tracking in games and more accurate sensing of movement for fitness apps.

What about spatial audio on Apple TV 4K?

(Image credit: Apple)

Here’s something of a surprise: despite having also had a software update (to tvOS 14), the Apple TV 4K does not currently support spatial audio. That seems odd to us. True, AirPods are more often connected to a portable device than an Apple TV, but spatial audio seems a perfect way for those people without a surround sound system to get a taste of cinema-style sound while watching on their lounge TV.

Apple’s not explained why the Apple TV 4K isn’t getting spatial audio. We had wondered if it was a power issue, but the A10X chip in the Apple TV 4K has more grunt than the standard A10 chip in the iPhone 7, which does support spatial audio, so that can’t be it. Perhaps it needs to be implemented in a different way for Apple TV 4K and will come later, or perhaps Apple has decided to save this feature for the next Apple TV. After all, it’s rumoured that the next-gen Apple TV, expected to arrive in 2021, will be more gaming-focused. Only time will tell.

What other new features are in the AirPods update?

(Image credit: Apple)

Spatial audio isn’t the only new feature included in the AirPods autumn update.

Automatic switching between Apple devices is also part of the package, so you no longer need to manually connect your headphones when turning your attention to a second device. Let’s say you’ve just stopped listening to a podcast on your iPhone and you open Netflix on your iPad – the audio coming from the AirPods is going to automatically switch to what’s coming out of the iPad. Switch to your MacBook for a FaceTime call and it will automatically switch again. An incoming phone call will always take precedence.

Low battery notifications are here now too, with a pop-up notification appearing on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch to tell you when it’s time to charge.

Audio sharing, which already allows two people to connect their headphones to a single iPhone or iPad, has been expanded to work with Apple TV 4K. Each listener gets independent volume control, which is rather cool.

Finally, there’s something called ‘Headphone Accommodations’, which allows audio to be adjusted to account for hearing differences. This involves going through a guided listening experience that will help select an audio profile that’s tailored to your specific needs. Interestingly, this profile also works in Transparency mode, so can boost the sounds around you as well as those coming from your device.

Best of all, these other new features are available on more headphones than just the AirPods Pros. Automatic switching is available on the 2nd Gen AirPods and the Beats Powerbeats, Powerbeats Pro and Solo Pro. Headphone Accommodations work with all of those models and the standard EarPods that come bundled with new iPhones. Sharing audio, meanwhile, works with all versions of the AirPods and all Beats headphones that have the Apple W1 or H1 chip inside.

MORE:

Best wireless earbuds

Best Apple AirPods alternatives

Best headphones 2020

Best Beats headphones

What is PS5 3D Audio?

Nanoxia Deep Silence 8 Pro Review – Heavy, Functional, and Silent

Introduction

I would like to thank Nanoxia for supplying the review sample.

We may have not heard from Nanoxia in a while, but that does not mean that they were not working on new products. With our last review dating back a whooping five years, the excitement was great when we received the Nanoxia Deep Silence 8 Pro to see if their latest product can keep up with the modern times and offer quality, storage, and silence at a competitive price. With the Pro variant only costing around 10% more than the noticeably less capable basic version, things look promising, so let’s dive right in.

Specifications

Nanoxia Deep Silence 8 Pro
Case Type:	Mid-Tower
Material:	Steel and plastic
Weight:	N/A
Slots:	8+2
Drive Bays:	1x External 5.25″ 8x Internal 2.5/3.5″ 2x Internal 2.5″
Motherboard Form Factors:	ATX / Micro-ATX / ITX
Dimensions:	232 x 480 x 475 mm
Front Door/Cover:	Sound dampening on door
Front Fans:	3x 120 / 2x 140 mm (2 x 140 mm fans pre-installed)
Rear Fans:	1x 120 or 140 mm (1 x 140 mm fan pre-installed)
Top Fans:	N/A)
Bottom Fans:	N/A
Side Fans:	N/A
I/O:	1x USB 3.1 Type-C 2x USB 3.0 2x USB 2.0 1x Headphone 1x Microphone
Fan/LED Controller:	N/A
Compatibility:	CPU Cooler: 180 mm GPU: 450 mm (without front HDD cage) PSU: N/A

Realme Buds Air Pro Master Edition revealed by company CEO

The Realme Buds Air Pro are the first TWS earphones with ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) of the brand. We already reviewed them and established they bring a superb powerful sound, excellent battery life, and an attractive price tag.

Now the accessory, initially launched in White or Black, is also arriving in Grey but the device will be called Realme Buds Air Pro Master Edition. The audio wearable was finally revealed by the company CEO in an official teaser on Twitter and the buds can be seen on the live stream page as well.

— Madhav Sheth (@MadhavSheth1) December 22, 2020

Madhav Sheth, CEO at Realme Europe & India, revealed the new version is designed by Jose Levy – the very same person that was behind the Buds Q. The design is inspired by space capsules and sci-fi, and we can add it looks in unison with nature and might bring a feeling, similar to a rock pebble carved by water.

Both the case and the buds will be a glossy gray color, but the rubbery tips will remain black – this is hardly an issue since they will be inside the ears at all time and it will be a bit harder to spot any dirt. The Buds Air Pro will be unveiled tomorrow alongside the Watch S Pro which was also teased by Sheth earlier this month.

Source

Review: LG Tone Free HBS FN7 Earpieces with noise cancellation and Meridian know-how

RESUME In a crowded market, LG HBS-FN7 earphones stand out with a some positive things. Such as good wearing comfort and a balanced sound, if you choose the right EQ mode at least. The noise canceling is also effective, which makes these LG earphones useful in noisy environments.

PLUS POINTS Excellent wearing comfort Five minutes of charging is Ã © One hour of music Useful touch controls Meridian Input MINUSES No aptX or LDAC Slightly higher price

LG has been working with Meridian for several years, including for the design of sound bars. However, the latest fruit of that marriage nestles into a completely different category, that of wireless earphones with noise canceling .

LG has previously released a number of wireless earphones under the name Tone Free. The HBS-FN7 that we are looking at here is the top model, equipped with active noise cancellation. So they are in-ears without a cable and suitable for use in noisy environments. In the past we would write: for on the train or in an open office, in today’s circumstances, earphones like these prove their use when working from home when the neighbor shoots in DIY mode.

Wireless earphones are very popular right now and as a result, the market is flooded with new products. LG uses two unique cards to stand out: a sound tuned by Meridian and the UVnano function. The latter is a function in the case that irradiates the ears with UV light so that “99, 9 percent ”of bacteria are killed.

Keeps well to sit These are totally wireless earphones, consisting of two devices that connect wirelessly to the source device via Bluetooth. In most cases that will be a smartphone, but you can also use the HBS-FN7 with a tablet or laptop. They are very small, light devices, weighing less than 8 grams each, which are secured in your ear canal thanks to caps. LG calls these caps ‘gels’ and states that they invented their own design that provides a better seal for sound around you.

The health card is drawn again here, because for the material of the caps there is gone for non-toxic and hypoallergenic silicone. LG calls them medically responsible. As usual you will find three sets in different sizes in the packaging. We liked the caps, even when we walked around or took a dip in the sofa. You’ll soon forget you’re wearing the earbuds – just what you want.

Wireless charging can The HBS-FN7s come with their own case. Which doubles as a charger. The battery in the earbuds lasts about seven hours (without noise canceling), after which you can charge them two more times by putting the devices back in their case. After all, it has its own battery that acts as a power bank. You charge the case in turn via a USB-C cable or wirelessly, which is handy. Even more useful is the quick charge function. If you put the ears in the box for five minutes, you can listen for another hour longer. Those extras compensate for the rather mediocre autonomy.

The Tone Free earphones come with a great app (iOS and Android) to personalize the sound via an equalizer. You choose from four presets that are tuned by Meridian or two that you can set yourself. In the app you switch between normal listening, with noise canceling or the Ambient Sound mode where the microphones on the outside of the HBS-FN7 just let sound through. This way you can have a conversation with someone without taking the ears off. This works, but you are allowed to process a lot of noise and sharp sounds. The noise cancellation is good for wireless earphones, although the HBS-FN7 does not approach the efficiency of the best over-ear headphones with NC.

Fascinating to listen to Once you choose the appropriate EQ setting, you will not often be in the Tone Free- app diving. Switching between noise canceling and ambient sound is done faster via the touch controls on the side of the earbuds. Taking them out will automatically pause your music or video. We find this especially useful when we tried to work out our backlog in the Netflix watch list one afternoon with interruptions. You can call the standard sound mode (relatively) natural. We add ‘relative’, because mobile use and functions such as noise canceling do have an influence on the sound experience. However, the HBS-FN7 does not serve up too fat basses, which many wireless earphones do. If you still feel like it, there is a Bass Boost function that nicely enhances the Roman Flügel remix of Pantha Du Prince’s ‘The Crown Territory’ without dulling the other synth sounds. In Natural mode you can easily listen to guitar music or even classical music for a long time. The LGs are true all-rounders, more universal than most wireless earphones.

Conclusion In a crowded market, LG HBS-FN7 earphones stand out for a number of positive Affairs. Such as good wearing comfort and a balanced sound, if you choose the right EQ mode at least. The noise canceling is also effective, which makes these LG earphones useful in noisy environments. They give you a way to enjoy your music or a Netflix movie in peace and quiet and without wearing large headphones.

LG Tone Free HBS-FN7

199 euro | www.lgelectronics.com

Rating 4.5 out of 5