Month: December 2016

Where does the consumer stand with #tech pop up stores. #VR #VirtualReality

Pop up stores have been a thing for a long time and every festive season and perhaps throughout the year we see them crop up in shopping centres around the country which is fine and they create jobs and people spend. But what happens should something arise after you purchase an item from such a store with nothing on display whatsoever only one notice hidden behind the till…

We found such a pop up at my local retail park selling Virtual Reality Headsets. Marked at €89 which is complete bull.. This headset in particular should cost you no more than €20 Then they tell you they are throwing in a free bluetooth controller worth €25 again daylight robbery..

 

https://twitter.com/techbuzzireland/status/812371952870506496

 

So what they are saying in effect you are getting the headset and controller for €39 which leaves the consumer fleeced no matter what way you look at it I have tried and tested some 20-30 headsets and do have enough to knowledge to call it a complete rip-off..

Having watched people buy them no one asked a thing about it just picked it up and left so for them I have no pity.

First off the Bluetooth controller on Amazon costs 6.99

Secondly the headset itself can be found again on Amazon for around €10-€25 there is plenty of them as its a generic headset,there is several of these types about which we will be discussing at a later date.

 

 

 

FREE GAMES/APPS/MOVIES yeah they are all free from their respective Android and iOS stores none are theirs nor do they own any of them.. They have no app to accompany their headsets like some manufacturers do..

Who owns them..

There is no actual company name anywhere to be seen actually all you see is whats above in the photo. All we see is VRFBOX..

Having spoken to the staff at the kiosk they tell me that Creative Retail Solutions run the show yet on the receipt which is as vague as you can get says  GADGET BOX. Also on the receipt you have just purchased a GADGET. Time and date and rather useless information in general which leaves me asking more questions, What happens if something goes wrong,which in my case the headset broke just inserting my phone..To be fair this could happen to anyone, Regardless the viewing quality was quite poor…

 

 

The staff told me that they are here until the 31.12.16 first of all so then I asked about their returns policy which is more hidden than on display. They are now reduced to 20 euro I must note before I go on.. The staff told me I could go to reception and ask for Creative Retail Solutions and they will sort it out.. This is simply not good enough in my book because say something goes wrong and these have packed their bags and you have a receipt thats worth jack shit in your hand. Again asking about refunds or exchanges well the same scripted response, its the policy. These are on sale in Mahon Point in Cork, Whitewater in Newbridge and Liffey Valley Lucan. So beware… Perhaps a bit late this time around but for future pop ups take stock in the future and not just tech either. Also keep in mind this company has been in trouble before for similar..  

Regarding the unit I got from them they did agree to refund after a slight guff…

 

 

 

StealthVR – New VR50 Headset goes on sale at Smyths Toys #VR #VirtualReality

Stealth VR have made a few headsets and this new one is an affordable HMD for the masses. The best model though is the VR 200 which we have tried and tested and is also available at Smyths Toys and is getting good feedback via questions in here to us..

The VR50 is available in a selection of colours too which would suit those with a colour preference and it is also good to see they are not sticking to the traditional Black and White options we tend to see but on a whole many are taking the same route offering more colour choice. This design to is a more generic design and we have seen similar before but we will find out soon as we have several headsets on the way.

 

 

 

 

The VR50 is the perfect way to introduce yourself to Mobile VR. A removable tray holds your phone in place while 35mm lenses allow you to immerse fully in your chosen virtual experience. A sliding front makes the VR50 AR compatible by providing access to your phone’s camera.

 

  • VR & AR Compatible
  • Independent Focal and Pupil Distance adjustment
  • STEALTH VR customers get exclusive access to their online community hub and support network. Visit http://www.stealthvr.net to check it out!

 

Check them out a Smyths Toys  or over at Stealth VR 

 

Review – The Polk Boom Swimmer Duo Bluetooth Speaker from @polkaudio #PolkAudio

Hook it,Loop it, Set it or Stick it.. Yes this new gadget that arrived is for the outdoor fans and more with all the functionality it offers The Polk Boom Swimmer Duo is what we are checking out today.. Traditionally we are all custom to perhaps the speaker we just turn on and connect to out devices and jut leave them sat wherever they maybe but this speaker offers much more and it becomes part of your routine because it offers more than one way to use it..

I have a countless amount of Bluetooth speakers here and to be honest they are all lacking something… Portability ??? NO.. They in fact are portable but limitations soon crop up due to them mostly being free standing ones and have to be left in a particular environment or position. This speaker has a hook and a suction cup which allows you to place it in an array of places and it will be safe..

 

Packaging 

The package to start with is pretty cool,not your typical box type but a bottled product which is a nice touch and complements the package as a whole and meaning outdoors but you are not limited to outdoor use.In fact there is no limitations at home..

In the package we get some instructions,cable and the speaker itself with two attachments that simple twist on/off. One is a suction cup and another is a hook type that is bendy and twisty which can move in any direction to latch onto something you might like to place it..

 

 

Build Quality

It is tough with a rubber housing all round.. This is built to last its solid its shockproof,its waterproof its dust proof and has an IPX 7 rating which means its good for 3 ft of water for 30 mins or thereabouts. There is two attachments which still remain sealed which you will further on below. While testing I did drop it twice purposely to see if it would remain intact and it did, the drops where from head height and arms length just to be sure. Its solid…

 

 

Functionality 

By no means this is a speaker thats restricted as to where it can be placed. Even in the house…This will stick to surfaces with no problem and with the hook thats on a separate attachment it can be place just about anywhere which is very useful,You could attach it to your jacket or bag or even your bike, canoe or boat, there is no limits as to where it can be placed which I like very much, I even tried this at home in my house just to be sure that the suction works, Now keep in mind this is not light for something to remain to a wall and then add vibration on top of that.. This sticks and stays put…

 

 

Features.

Its got what we should expect to find in such a product yet offers more as a whole. We of course have Bluetooth connectivity, Volume controls and a Pairing button and a small LED status light. You can actually link these together if you had another one,something which we have seen in several speakers before but its nice if you happen to own more than one and get real stereo sound and separation. On the bulk end of the speaker there is a USB port and an inline socket which means you can attach an 3.5 mm audio cable..

 

 

Connectivity 

You can take calls on this which is handy and calls are clear, Connecting is seamless and no loss of connection was seen during testing for around a week,the sound is excellent and it does get amplified for example when on glass or a wooden table and it gets better in these instances.

 

 

Overall this is a great little speaker and does what it says on the tin giving you no limits to where it can be placed, Its a clever idea and for such a small speaker the sound is quite good,better than I had anticipated to be honest and when amplied on wood or a window it sounds better,The buttons are tactile its easy to set up and jut works great even phone calls are good form the few I took when testing it out.. I can really fault it… Thats saying something.. Finally there is several colours to pipck from if you did not like our sample you can buy it in Sport Blue,Black Orange or Green see the link below.

PolkAudio

 

 

Review – The LINDY BNX – 60 Wireless Headphones. #tech #headphones @LINDYUK

We have been testing these cans out a good few days now and one thing that stands out here is how comfortable they are.Having tested out many cans over the year and still some here in testing at first i did not like the look of them but that changed after hours of use and I grew to like them…

One thing for me with headphones that is a must is comfort because I tend to wear them quite alot and these surpassed my expectations. Also with ANC built in they really stepped up my initial thoughts as this feature is quite good and as mentioned the comfort on offer here, your ears are completely covered though this may vary per person and the soft leather padding just makes it a snug fit and not clamped onto your ears like the case can be for some headphones..

 

The Packaging and Presentation

GOOD… You get a touch exterior box with plenty of information on board then you are presented with the package with its own case to house them when not in use. Also inside here we find some extra goodies was welcome packed nicely away in a separate pouch that can be moved anywhere within the case and sticks via Velcro.

 

 

Build Quality

At first I thought they looked cheap,especially around the Volume and ANC area. They are solid though with lots of nice movement on board.They however are made mostly from plastic which is not really an issue for me but they are comfortable no matter what..The headband is on the thin side but padded nicely on both sides with leather which made them nice to wear for long periods of time the band itself seems flexible enough too which is important.There is few joints visible throughout though which is fine and the only metal parts per-say is where the arms extend each side but again feels solid and one thing to note there is no visible wires like you often find on such cans..

The Cups can are held separate via an arm each side which allows a 180 degree swivel and this also is how they are stored by twisting them so they remain flat in the package which is quite nice and again the cups have an inward movement which ensures they nestle just nicely on your ears.The cups themselves again are housed in plastic but have a rubberised texture and dont seem to be a fingerprint magnet either and then that soft leather padding on the cups is just about right,They are really comfortable and really light..

 

 

Functionality 

The cups clearly marked L and R have functioning keys which are easy to navigate once you get use to wearing them,The left side will sport a 3.5mm socket for a wired connection which is good should you run out of juice, There is an indicator light which shows when you are connected to a device and then all our usual controls to skip/pause and play tracks and integrated mic etc which we would expect to find on wireless headphones today. The control buttons are on the small side but tactile though you will need to get used to where they are due to them being almost flush with the housing..Finally there is a port for Micro USB charging…

The right side hosts some features too.. I do like a balance on my  headphones and not everything cramped to one side. On this side we have a Volume control which was oddly a dial rather than a physical key but I was ok with this and it was a bit nostalgic if you will, Also we the ANC function which is very very good and works brilliantly and there is an indicator light here too to let you know if its on or off but you will know the difference when wearing them,Trust me…

 

 

Sound Quality 

Sound quality was rather good all round.. They for me where not the loudest cans I have used or own today but the balance all round seems just about right even for the real thoroughbred audiophile which is something I dont claim to be but owning around 20 sets of headphones alone now I can safely say the sound quality is great, Even when using at full volume there was not much distortion at all but this is down to how loud they can go from my point of view but regardless the sound was good with highs,lows and mids all round and enjoyable and the ANC function is excellent..  There is a lot a thought put into these and its really quite hard to believe how light and comfortable they are to wear and if you are the type to wear such cans for long periods of time these are something to check out ,At no stage did my ears sweat nor did they get annoying,in fact after a few minutes you would forget they are actually there. The only minor gripe I would have is the amount of joints and how long they will last but this would be down to the individual and how rough they are or if you where to swipe them off in a hurry but then again they are not the type that are clamped onto your head and I would expect they can take quite a few knocks too and should serve you a long time..

Buy Here 
 

Video Review

Review – The Jabra ROX Wireless Bluetooth Headset. #Jabra #Wireless #Review

We are big fans of Jabra here and today we will be reviewing the Jabra ROX Wireless Bluetooth headset. We have had many products from Jabra over the last two years so you can check them all out by searching Jabra..This particular headset has been out since 2014 but we where not around then and they kindly sent them over for us to check out until our requested products arrive. The ROX Wireless are ideal for the sports enthusiast and very robust, They actually are made with KEVLAR too which off the bat gives them a solid statement with build quality to say the least.. lets see how they are overall though..

 

The Package

The package comes well presented with a magnetised closure which seems to be the norm these days and it does look and feel well and not a lousy effort when it comes to packaging the product, One thing for those that know me is I detest cheap packaging.. Jabra dont let me down in this department. We get the ROX Wireless Headset – Carry Pouch – A selection of eargels – Stability Earwings – Cable and some instructions.

 

 

The Build Quality

Made with KEVLAR. Enough said… They are solid, The buds are on the large side an perhaps a little to large for me, They do sit in my ears but they tend not to stay in so long,However this has not been an issue with later Jabra earbuds. They also seem on the heavy side, they are big as you can see in the images. The buds themselves are made with metal and solid and the cable is quite tough and would not get tangled, it did not for me during a few days testing. These remember are life proof,Dust and Water resistant and they look and feel “PREMIUM”. These also have magnets which I think make them that bit heavier than what I am used to but I like this idea and it keeps them safe when not in use and nicely stowed together.. This also acts as an on/off feature and saves power..

Functions

On opening the package first thing I notice was the little multi-function button which has  a Volume Up/Down button, the centre button brings Play-Pause, Track Forward, Call Answer End control.These are small however but tactile enough and you can navigate blindly easily enough once you get the feel for it. How do you charge these?? This was something that had me lost for a moment because there is no visible port to charge but on the earbud the cap comes off which when you think of it is clever, Also there is an LED on the same side to give you visual indicators being the usual Blue,Red and Green not only that you do have voice notification as per norm with Jabra products.

 

 

Sound and battery life.

Jabra say you will get around 5-6 hours of usage and you will need a 2.5 hr charge time which is not bad,This can be charged via your PC or typical wall charger but if you are the type to be at your PC/Laptop all day this would do when you are not using them to keep them topped up. Sound was surprisingly good even at the louder end with little or no distortion and the bass is good and dont forget Jabra has their own “Jabra Sound App” which effectively gives you DOLBY sound which is rather good and the app is free… Pairing these was also an effortless task as with any other Jabra product I own and again there is audible notifications which helps..

 

Overall for me personally they worked fine, However they are a bit on the big side, Aside that with all the earwings and gels they did not fully suit my ears but when resting at home they worked a treat but not something for training with, With magnetised buds and the optimum construction in these they will take a few knocks and would last a long time with your average user..

See more at Jabra 

 

Agrikid app is an app to teach kids about farm safety. #Farming #Safety #AgriKid

Farms can be a great place, Be it you work on one or visit one have done so many times as a kid and with my own. We would all probably have heard ads on the radio and seen them on the TV about accidents that sadly happen and can happen to anybody and we sadly see that people still die on farms by accident and its something we need to take heed too and hopefully prevent them happening in the future. This app however is a great idea giving kids the chance to learn about farm safety in a fun way and every kid should have it not those who just live on farms.

On opening the app you will be presented with some simple to follow options. You can share via Facebook or Twitter, There is a “Parents Zone” which enables you to unlock games or get e-books. Also in here you have a settings menu for music,Game explanations,Social Media access, Sound effects and a Parental Gate. Then we have the “Play” Area.

 

 

In here we will be presented with three menus. Game Zone -Get e-books and an Agrikids community..  Overall its a nice fun gamified app on teaching kids important things which will be of benefit at some stage in their life and they can pass it on too…

 

 

Taken from AgriKids’ much acclaimed story book series, ‘Tales from Riverside Farm’, ‘Farm Safe Fun, allows children to play, interact and learn about safety in many areas of the farm and countryside. Free to download your children can start playing and learning immediately!

Test their speed and accuracy and enter the world of AgriKids to learn more about their mission to engage, educate and empower children to be our farm safety ambassadors.

Ideal for children from 6+, AgriKids’ Farm Safe Fun is the only game that makes it fun and easy to learn about farm safety and becoming an AgriKid!

Choose from a great variety of fun and interactive games such as:
• Dodge the Dangers (Free)
• Blackberry Picking
• Stop the Bales

You can also download the series, ‘Tales from Riverside Farm’ so you and your AgriKids never stop learning and being a farm safety ambassador.

 

Review – The Polk BOOM Bit: The First Truly Wearable Speaker by @Pat_Seery

Being out and about a lot I tend to use earphones to listen to music and take calls from my phone however it’s not

always possible to have in-ear or even over ear earphones as its not always a safe thing to do so when I received this little speaker to review I was intrigued to how good it would fair out and about in the real world under normal and somewhat abnormal conditions we get here.

 

 

Features 

  • Wireless Micro wearable Bluetooth speaker that clips securely to your clothing, safely balancing your music with your immediate surroundings.
  • Ipx7 Waterproof enclosure keep water and dirt out and the tunes on full Blast
  • 3-Hour battery life ensures you’ve got tunes that go distance with you
  • Standard USB with Waterproof cap for a quick and easy on-the-go charging

Take hands-free calls and talk safely on any adventure whether on a bike, in the car or wherever the journey leads.

 

Build

It’s a small rubberised USB device probably twice the width of a thumb and a rubberised steel clip on the back which is integrated into the device itself. There’s very little else aside from two buttons along one side which control the volume track selection and pairing. Charging is done by a standard USB powered socket and is quite quick plug it in and off it goes.

 

 

Pairing And Compatibility

This took a minute to figure out as it isn’t really obvious at first what to do (and being a man the instructions were ignored as usual) But what you need to do is press the + and – buttons together and you get an audible indicator that it is now in pairing mode so you follow standard pairing.

 

 

Sound Quality

This is really good considering the size of this device, its loud enough that I could still clearly hear music through a motocross helmet while travelling at speed. Ok once again this isn’t going to be the same kind of quality as a home cinema system but you wouldn’t be wanting that while you’re out on a spin. Call audio quality was also quite good but again this is just something that you need to say a quick “I`ll call you back as I`m driving” as it’s really not safe to be concentrating on a call if you`re on the road.

 

 

 

Overall Verdict

This is a great little speaker and will fit the needs of people who are into fitness and cycling. It’s really small and fits into most pockets and cycling handbar bags or even on the strap of a shoulder bag or backpack. If you are out on the road a lot and either don’t find earphones comfortable or safe then I would say this is the device for you. It allows you to listen to music and take calls without making it too unsafe to do so.

Check out our new Facebook Page

 

Review – The Lindy IEM- 50X Hi-Fi headphones by @Pat_Seery #headphones #Lindy

Normally I’m all about wireless when it comes to using speakers and earphones when it comes to listening to music as I`m usually out and about when doing so and I would have wireless but when push comes to shove and you run out of batteries it’s always good to have a wired set of earphones as a backup. I was given this set of earphones to review and I must admit to being surprised.

Features..

  • Dynamic Bass Tuning allows you to manually tune low frequencies to your preference
  • High fidelity extended response 6.5mm dynamic drivers
  • Inline microphone with single button control
  • Designed for optimum comfort and performance
  • 2 Year Warranty

 

 

 

 

Build

The build quality is really good considering the price you’re being asked for these earphones. They’re lightweight and come in a black finish with soft in ear buds (changeable sizes and shapes to make any ear comfortable) They are really well presented and come with a nice soft pouch to keep everything nice and neat and not a tangled nightmare in the end of your backpack.

 

 

Sound Quality

I must admit that I really didn’t expect too much from these being in the price range that they are but I am surprised at just how good these are. They have something called Dynamic Bass Tuning which allows you with a simple twist to tune out most of the low end frequencies that you might want to get rid of. They also come with noise cancelling too which again on something in this price range you wouldn’t expect to find.

 

 

Overall Verdict

I can’t fault these headphones, especially for the price. The sound is excellent, noodle cables is an excellent feature and they are a really nice fit. Very well presented and boxed and with extra bugs and a nice little storage pouch to keep everything in good condition.   I would definitely recommend these to anyone who is on a budget and needs a good pair of headphones for on the go listening.

BUY HERE – Direct Or you can find them on Amazon..

Check out or new Facebook Page

 

There might be a bit of a Nintendo NES buzz, but @Cex takes this piss with its prices. #NES

Over the last few weeks we have seen folk hunting down the latest retro machine which cost just about 70 euros give or take the few quid taken off from several retailers it even went down to 64.99 if I recall at Argos. Not only that we have seen prices on local selling sites with whom we are all familiar with here in Ireland.. Many folk took to the comments section to tell these vultures where to go my self included. There is simply no justification for this price and I even have to laugh at what they offer people so they can capitalise on their sale which in general is how they operate, Understandably they have to make money but when you check out some of their prices in general it leaves alot to be desired and one thing is for sure I will never set foot inside one of their shops..

Lets take a look at what CEX have on offer and just leave it right there,tell us what you think.. For me,they are greedy you know what. In fact these have been trickling in to some stores such as smyths toys over the last few weeks and will continue to do so, So dont even attempt to pay these people this much for it and wait a bit. Having said that Nintendo themselves are partly to blame trying to keep the name alive until their Switch console comes out. The NES actually went LIVE today on their UK site and sold out quick so just keep checking for availability folks..

 

 

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