Month: October 2018

Review – The LG Gaming Monitor – 27GK750F-B #LG #Gaming #Tech

The LG monitor came in a standard LG Box. The box gave little way in terms of features other than a Gaming Monitor.  The 27″ Screen Size is perfect for viewing close but not large enough to view across a room.  The Monitor is not a 4k Monitor rather Full HD (1920×1080) Resolution. The Monitor came with ample connector in the rear and a useful headphone out socket. The bracket design as expected from LG is off an excellent design.

Features:

240Hz Refresh Rate

Games are smoother and more thrilling at a higher refresh rate, and this 240Hz monitor can refresh the image on screen up to an astounding 240 times per second. Enjoy high-speed gaming with virtually no motion blur or stuttering.

1ms Motion Blur Reduction

1ms Motion Blur Reduction allows gamers to enjoy the precision and accuracy needed to play at a high level. With a response time that is virtually 1ms, blurring and ghosting are dramatically reduced to make the in-game action smoother and gamer’s reactions more precise.

 

AMD FreeSync™ Technology

LG’s monitors with AMD FreeSync™* technology reduces the tearing and stuttering that occur between a graphic card’s frame rate and a monitor’s refresh rate. Thanks to FreeSync, gaming enthusiasts can experience seamless, fluid movement throughout any hi-res, heavy-duty game.

 

 

Custom Gaming Environment

Optimize the display of different games, then switch between different modes quickly and easily. Precise presets for FPS, RTS and other genres are just a few clicks away. Users can also adjust for personal preferences, including crosshair shapes, brightness, aspect ratio and much more.

 

Advanced Gaming Features

Serious gaming features for serious gamers. Dynamic Action Sync assures smooth, action while Black Stabilizer reveals enhanced detail in dark scenes. The Crosshair feature helps to enhance accuracy in first-person shooter games.

 Warranty:

The warranty is a disappointment from a  South Korean multinational electronics company that is known through the world for their quality products with a 1-year warranty.

Setup:

The setup was great in terms of no fiddle bit of screws etc were required, the bracket was self-explanatory to fit and sturdy. The abundance of sockets in the rear allowed connections of a variety of gaming consoles.  The HDMI connected with Monitor picking up the resolution to match the input.

Note: The monitor does not come with speakers which would require to be got separate

 

Overview of LG monitor:

Positives

  • The resolution runs smooth.
  • The graphics were very good, a lot better and more stand out than most HD tv today.
  • Very easy to set up and very compact and easily adjustable.
  • The adjustability is a great plus for gaming as it is easier and a lot less stressful to adjust to the gamers height and have it at eye level for gaming purposes.
  • The Custom Gaming Environment and Graphic and colours are very clear and very smooth which make gameplay a lot easier, the games with sensitivity e.g. fortnite, call of duty, etc. allows the increases sensitivity play faster for the player.
  • Very easy to set up a console and has a variety of HDMI and USB ports so as well as your console it can be used for charging other devices such as phones and iPods, etc.

Negatives

  • After an hour of gameplay, a power saver mode comes on and displays it in the middle of the screen which could disrupt gameplay.
  • Buttons are very hidden if not using a mouse and keyboard to use the monitor.
  • No sound from the monitor unless speakers are provided by the user.
  • High product in the price range but lacks 4k.

 

Overall the monitor was a commendable product, but the price is high range considering all the negatives, and not 4K. This is a Premium brand while there are monitors and televisions that are considered to have better graphs and have sound from them. This is a high-quality monitor for gaming that has an earphone slot which is another beneficial thing for gamers, Gameplay is very good and smooth leaving a traditional LED with similar resolution miles behind with the technology graphic cards frame rate and refresh rate.  This is a serious gaming Monitor for serious gamers.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/LG-27GK750F-Monitor-DisplayPort-Freesync/dp/B07DX1344H/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539441371&sr=8-1&keywords=27GK750F-B.

Review – The Sony Xperia XZ3 by Liam Burke #Sony #XperiaXZ3 #XZ3

Liam Burke is a regular Sony contributor reviewer here and today he shares his thoughts on the all new Sony Xperia XZ3

Design:-

Sony has kept its current design in the new Xperia XZ3 and even though its slightly longer they have reduced the weight by 5g and thickness of the phone 1.2mm from the previous Xperia XZ2 it feels lighter and very balanced in the hand.   

As the rear of the phone is made from Corning Gorilla Glass5 it can feel a bit slippery in the hand so a case would be recommended. A case also makes finding the rear finger print sensor easier as I found its position is a bit too low. The beveled edges on the rear of the phone make it look very premium.

Sony has still kept its camera to a single 19 Mega Pixel camera sensor also on the rear is the NFC sensor, the camera led flash, laser auto-focus sensor and an infrared color sensor.                                As with other Sony Xperia’s it has a dedicated camera button on the side of the phone, along with the power button and volume rocker. A handy feature is that the sim-card and micro sd tray can be pulled out without the need for a pin or special tool.

On the front there are the two front facing speakers, USB-C port but no headphone jack as is the norm these days. The Xperia XZ3 is rated for IP65/68 so its water-resistant and dust-proof, so no need to worry if it gets wet.

 

Screen:-

Now onto the screen which is the biggest improvement over the Xperia XZ2 where Sony have moved from LED to OLED. The screen is a 6 inch Quad HD+ pOLED (1440 x 2880 pixels) High Dynamic Range (HDR) with 18:9 aspect ratio.                                                                                                  The screen is brilliant its so bright and vibrant it gives excellent colour reproduction even in sunny conditions I found it very easy to view all the details on the screen. Sony have really done a great job here bringing their tech from their Bravia TVs onto this phone, watching streaming content like Netflix you do get to see every detail.

Again Sony has plenty of options in the Display settings so you can get the most of out that OLED Screen with options Night Light which tints your screen amber making it easier to look at your screen in dark conditions.

Sony have also included a nifty feature called Side Sense which uses sensors at the side of the screen to bring up a menu of your most used apps and Settings, I found this quiet a useful feature as you didn’t need to swipe back into the main menu to goto your apps.

As the screen is OLED there is plenty of options in the settings that you can select, you can choose to have it always on or configure when you want the screen to turn on i.e. only activate the screen when the phone is lifted so you can see the time and notifications that you have.

Audio :-

The Xperia XZ3 has plenty of Sony’s Audio tech like Hi-Res Audio,LDAC, DSEE HX, ClearAudio+ and “S-Force Front Surround Sound” speakers. Again it has Sonys “Dynamic Vibration System” which gives you something of a vibration rumble feedback on sound, something I found more handy when playing games instead of watching movies or listening to music.

As there is no headphone jack you will need to use the included adapter if you want to use your wired headphones or instead use USB-C wired headphones.The front facing Stereo speakers I found to have quiet a punch and didn’t distort the audio even at high volumes.

 

Camera:-

Sony have stuck with the same 19Mp Motion Eye single-lens camera that was on the Xperia XZ2, but they have improved the camera app with some nice features like having an icon for the previously used mode on the bottom of the screen. The integration with Google Lens is a good feature I found copying text from documents to be quiet a handy feature.

The default camera AI mode does a good job changing the settings for your picture automatically, so you don’t need to modify white balance and ISO etc.

There are other modes like Panorama and AR effect where you can add virtual animations to your photos like Dinosaurs or Superheros it’s a nice gimmick. The Smart launch feature which detects when you lift up the phone horizontally and opens the photo app, I found it hit and miss and I was quicker opening the app via the dedicated camera button on the side of the phone.

To help you get the perfect selfie Sony have bumped up the front camera to 13 Mp and have  added a new Portrait Selfie Mode where you have options like Slender Face, Skin Brightness, Soft skin and Bokeh which blurs the background. Even in lowlight conditions I found the selfie pictures aren’t too grainy.

In the video mode you get the usual options on how you can tweak your settings, enabling Steadyshot did a good job at keeping the video smooth even when your moving around.   

The Xperia XZ3 can record in 4K HDR the videos recorded with these settings recorded detail compared to videos recorded in HD mode. It also supports Full HD slow motion video recording at 960fps, I found it took a bit of practice to get these slow motion shots at the right time, I found it easier to use the Slow motion mode which records in 120fps and edit the video afterwards.

Battery:-

The battery capacity in the Xperia XZ3 is 3300mAh it also supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 (compatible charger supplied in the box) and Qi Wireless charging.

Sony also have their own tweaks to the battery that they call Stamina Mode which disables some background processes to make your battery last longer.

There is also a Battery Care feature which learns your battery charging patterns and for example if you charge your phone every night, it would slowly charge the battery during the night up to 90% then the hour before your wake up it fully charges the phone up to 100%. In my tests I was getting nearly 2 days of usage from a full charge.

 

Performance:-

The Xperia XZ3 runs Android Pie 9.0 out of the box, Sony has its own lightly skinned version of Android. I found the user experience very snappy as it has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor running with 4GB of RAM and 64 internal storage.                                                

I noticed that downloading and uploading over Wi-Fi seems faster on the phone.If you have a Playstation 4 and you install the PS4 Remote Play app on the Xperia XZ3 then you can connect to your PS4 if the phone and PS4 are connected to the same network.

Full Specs:-

https://www.sonymobile.com/ie/products/phones/xperia-xz3/

Available to buy:-  Three Billpay from €79 https://www.three.ie/online/voice/contract/sony-xperia-xz3/?src=p

Three Prepay €579 https://www.three.ie/online/voice/prepay/sony-xperia-xz3/?src=p

Three also have a limited time offer of a Free pair of Sony SBH90C High Res Audio earphones worth €189.99 when you buy online (While stocks last.)

And will be coming to Eir soon. From Sony Direct https://estore.sonymobile.com/ie/sony-xperia-xz3-liquid-black-uk-ie-312305/

Featured image by Jim O Brien at the Christmas Tech Showcase from Sony

Review – Urbanista Chigaco Sport headphones. #urbanista #headphones #review

Urbanista have officially launched their new headphones called the “Chigaco Sport” and we have been testing these out for a bit now and I am impressed with the product as a whole as expected from Urbanista. These also come in a range of colours to boot so you have choice.  Packaged as expected you will see below in the unboxing they are well presented off the bat as all their other products we have tested over the last two years.

We are proud to introduce Chicago – a collaboration of refined sound and elegant lightweight design, the Chicago is your perfect sidekick thanks to its custom design and specialized GoFit tips that gives you a secure fit and improved experience with your active lifestyle.

The Chicago Sports are ideal for those who like bass.fitness and comfort along with style. The headphones come with specialised tips called GO FIT TIPS which gives you additional comfort and audio on the move and if you like bass you are covered here too. Talking is also an option on the go here as the come with an in built mic and inline control panel to make life easy when on the move and the buttons are easy to navigate blindly and the inline control panel has rubber texture for additional grip and tactile buttons which let you know you hit the right spot.

Charging the headphones is a little different to the norm which is typically plug-in a cable. Not this time though as they come with a bluetooth clip on piece which connects to your PC/Laptop and I like this approach you are also not limited to using your Laptop to charge as you can use a standard wall plug which will be faster charging too.

Sound overall is pretty good and I was happy with the music reproduction through highs,lows and mids so for the average user or users more sound wise the will be pleased overall with them coming in at the price they do. You also get a carry bag included in the package which is really a nice touch and becoming the trend these days so this will keep them protected when not in use. As for battery life the times are in line with manufacturers claims so for the average commuter they will see you through a day however if you have a longer day it would be best to top up each night.

Specs 

  • Bluetooth: 4.1
  • Speaker size: φ10.0mm
  • Sensitivity: 99dB+/-3dB
  • Impedance: 32Ω ± 15%
  • Frequency range: 20Hz~20KHz
  • Hands-free with microphone and volume control
  • Stand-by time: 15 days
  • Play time: around 7h
  • Charging: Micro USB, about 1h charging time
  • Compatible with Android, iOS and Windows
  • Weight: 23g (without packaging)
  • Weight including packaging: 78g/pcs
  • Package size: 200x200x85mm
  • Packaging size: 100x31x121mm

BUY HERE 

 

A big thank you from techbuzzireland and the #bloggies18 #tech #Ireland #irishblogging

This is our second year to take second place at the Blog Awards and we are really delighted to do so and would like to thank all involved and all the bloggers who were finalists on the night in all categories. Everyone is a winner. TechbuzzIreland has been a fully independent Irish personal tech blog for three years now with NO media backing and we strive to bring as many tech products to you as we can and have been doing so the last two years.

We have been working on a few big things and hopefully a big announcement next month to come pending terms and conditions and look forward to bringing you even more tech product reviews for all ages in the coming months. Our You Tube channel also has passed 1 million views 3 months ago. We will be shifting towards You Tube with full hands on video on all products which Thank you to all and our vendors for the support over the years and we look forward to many more. We are also delighted to become a member of creators.ie where the best of Irish blogging can be found for all topics. At techbuzzireland.com we bring the most product reviews and handpicked news. Get seen today..

We also like to hear from other tech enthusiasts and give you the chance to submit your tech ideas,reviews and thoughts so dont be afraid to get in touch if you want to have your say or your tech review featured. We would also like the opportunity to thank those who have contributed to the site over the same period.

Review – @GEAR4 ‏ Piccadilly case for the Google Pixel 3XL #Pixel3XL #GEAR4

Gear 4 have sent us their latest case for the Google Pixel 3 XL which is the Piccadilly case in Black. The case itself has a transparent back which allows users to enjoy the natural colour of their device and it also has a Black trim around the entire case which looks well.

Gear 4 use D30 technology in their cases and you are sure to be protected with theses cases no matter what. The case also gives you some additional grip and also allows wireless charging so you do not have to remove the case and something a few people have been asking is about the squeeze factor to launch the assistant.. Yes that works fine too. Check out the video below for more.

GEAR 4 PICCADILLY

  • Clear PC case with Colour Match D3O® inside
  • Slim fitting, elegant and stylish
  • Scratch protected with UV coating
  • Easy access to all ports
  • Wireless charging compatible

Review – Sudio TVÅ headphones and check out the great deal on offer. #headphones

The Sudio TVÅ headphones are a cheap and cheerful purchase which comes in several colours and we have the “Sand” version which is really nice. Presentation once again with this package is great and adds to the value and considering the cost of these is already at the lower end of the scale.

The Två earphones are stylish,sleek and simple they do not stick out like some other earphones we have tried here and some people like this, they want simple and these fit the bill. The most important thing here is sound though and do they deliver on the price you will pay..

Overall they are good, Sudio is a brand that brings quality sound at a budget price but you may ask about the compromise here. There is none really these are simple in ears lightweight and deliver on the sound aspect too reproducing all highs lows and mids fine and as I expected them to do  and frequency response was fine on some instances having the max volume set they did get somewhat distorted but most headphones suffer that depending on source.OK they wont blow your mind away like more expensive earphones but they do a good job for the price you pay and there is no need to worry about connectivity either due to them being wired.

Sudio have a great new deal going on right now and you can also grab 4 sets of coasters free with your purchase to top that off you get a further 15% discount using the code techbuzzireland

The “Coasters Campaign” – is a set of 4 modern and distinctive Swedish design heatproof cork based coasters for your favourite beverage of choice.  They are made with the finest types of rock material to protect wood and glass surfaces, absorb liquids, prevent the sliding of cups, making it the most suitable gift for homes, offices, corporate gifts, and more.

BUY HERE 

 

Review – The NUU G3 dual sim smartphone. Good for the money. #NUUG3 #Mobile #Tech

The NUU comes packed as a standard, nothing exciting from the box, slightly bulker from the outset. The made in China with 2 IMEI listed on the box inspired little confidence. The dual sim 5.50-inch touchscreen with 720 pixels by 1280 pixels of resolution again inspired little confidence  The sapphire blue colour stood out amongst a variety of phones.

The Asahi strengthened glass casings was strong and solid to feel and hold in one hand. The feel of the phone was of an expensive phone with a soft dual curve screen.The supplied TPU Case was a nice touch for a case, basic but practical and will not leave you searching but they have their own cases which you can see reviewed HERE 

 

Contents:

  • G3 Smartphone
  • TPU Case
  • Type C to 3.5mm Audio Cable
  • USB Type-C charging cable
  • USB Power Adapter
  • Quick Start Guide

 

Processor:

Helio P25 Octa-Core 2.39GHz,

The Mediatek Helio P25 is an upper mainstream ARM SoC for smartphones (mainly Android-based) that were introduced in 2017. It is manufactured in a 16 nm FinFET+ process and is equipped with 8 ARM Cortex-A53 CPU cores. The cores are divided into two clusters, a performance cluster clocked at up to 2.6 GHz and a power efficiency cluster clocked at up to 1.6 GHz. The chip also includes an LTE modem (Cat. 6).

The Brand:

NUU Mobile was founded in 2010 as a partnership of the Hong Kong-based Sun Cupid Group and U.S.-based Noetic Inc. They are a designer and manufacturer of unlocked Android™ smartphones. The Chinese company has expanded throughout Asia, Europe, and the Americas NUU Mobile have entry-level, mid-range and flagship Z Series phones. All NUU Mobile smartphones are protected by a two-year limited warranty. These smartphones feature two SIM card slots, expandable microSD™ storage.

Settings gallery

1 / 12

 

Features

  • Dual Sim GSM unlocked phone

The G3 works seamlessly on all major UK networks such as EE, Vodafone, O2, and Three. Plus all other carrier brands.

  • Multiple Lines

Easily switch between two numbers and data plans using the built-in Dual SIM feature. We are proud to say this is the most advanced Android unlocked cell phone that NUU Mobile has designed for the smartphone market.

 

  • Crystal Clear calls

The unique glass-designed body allows for enhanced signal detection and output, while VoLTE technology ensures that your conversation is crisp and clear. This also means you will always have a strong signal for both 4G LTE & Wi-Fi connectivity.

 

  • 13 MP Front Camera

The G3’s front camera and 88 degree-wide angle lenses is perfect for anything from close-ups to portraits.

 

  • Perfect Selfies.

The front camera includes power flash for low light environments, and a convenient fingerprint sensor helps take the best selfies possible.

 

  • Dual Rear Cameras

The dual-rear cameras consist of a 13 MP PureCel® Plus main camera, and 5 MP depth-sensing camera built with phase detection autofocus to capture moments instantly.

 

  • Stunning Images.

Featuring 13 MP + 5MP dual rear cameras, which produce stunning images, from close-ups to wide-angle shots. Perfected algorithm and dual image signalling processors on G3 capture the soft and natural Bokeh effect of an SLR camera. Its ‘Pro’ camera feature enables you to manually adjust focus, ISO, exposure and light for the perfect image.

  • Effortlessly Smart Camera.

The f/2.0 aperture lens in the G3 reduces noise just where it’s needed enabling bright, clear images even in low light. The unique lock-on function that tracks moving subjects and keeps them in sharp focus.

  • Boosted Performance

Powered by the MediaTek Helio P25 chipset Octa-core processor.

  • 4GB RAM & 64GB Storage

Powerful, built-in performance. The G3 comes with 64GB of storage and can be expanded using microSD cards up to 128GB, allowing you to store thousands of photos, video, music and more.

  • Charged for the Future

The ultra-thin 3000mAh battery with fast charge and advanced battery performance optimization have been designed to make your G3 work all day with just one quick charge.

  • Cutting Edge security

Unlocking your smartphone has never been easier or more secure than it is now with the facial recognition and fingertip digital sensor technologies built into the NUU Mobile G3.

  • Unlock with Your Face or Finger.

The G3’s facial recognition technology studies your facial features to build your own facial map for a true encrypted password that is unique for every individual. Next-generation fingertip digital sensor technology recognizes your fingerprint instantly, also allowing you to unlock the phone with the touch of a finger.

  • Android Beam

The G3 unlocked phone is also equipped with a cool feature called Android Beam. This allows you to send contacts and files, share photos and videos, and even beam webpage links to another Android device by simply bringing the two phones together.

  • Tap and Pay with Your Device.

Android Beam also allows you to tap and pay to pay for purchases at merchants that accept contactless payments

 

Overview:

This smartphone has similarities to a Samsung’s high-end Galaxy phone. This is a budget smartphone with high-end features, acceptable audio, and NFC for android pay.  The most striking feature on the smartphone was the sapphire blue colour which stood out amongst a variety of phones.  The dual curve screen was comfortable in the hand allowing one hand use when texting and so on.

The phone lacks some features in terms of not being waterproof, has no 3.5 mm Audio Jack which is a common trend,The smartphone lacks the option of wireless charging and takes up to 2 hours to charge. The dual camera mode on the back of the camera worked well on occasions but lacks clarity when used in poor lighting. Given there is no wireless charging it is not a huge thing as many phones yet have to adopt this feature and here in Ireland it is a slow take up with consumers in general.

Design and build on this device is up there with high end smartphones and is a joy to hold with a glass back and front overall this sits with high priced devices when it comes to looks and build and you cant really complain about it at all bar the fingerpint magnet backing which is normal in this set-up.

IMAGE GALLERY

 

The Nuu Mobile G3 is an Unlocked phone, not tied to any network which has the advantage of allowing any network sim and does not contain the watered-down version of android The Dual Sim is a great feature allowing a work sim and personal sim on the same phone. This phone is a pleasant surprise within the price range, the build quality and features stand out above its weight.

Additional commentry and footage by JIM O BRIEN..

 

https://uk.nuumobile.com/     stg 199.99

Review – August Hands Free bluetooth beanie. #tech #bluetooth #August

With the winter months here its set to get cold but you can disregard those silly weather reports we see from some of the media and take each day as it comes. But what has tech got to do with that? Last year we reviewed a similar product which effectively is a hat with built-in headphones and a simple control panel and we have a new one in today from August who sell a huge range of tech products.

The unit itself is a trendy current looking hat which has tech built-in and kept simple and works simply via Bluetooth and the sound is actually better than expected for such. You can remove the speakers to clean machine wash the hat too which is great. The bluetooth controls are simple to use and akin to most standard bluetooth products today..

Style and Tech combine, your wise choice for winter
Keep your head and tunes warm this winter with the new August Bluetooth Hat. The EPA30 allows you to listen to your music without having to wear additional headphones. This original stereo headset brings you great sound quality, style and comfort.

Remote control for Music, Volume and Calls
A remote control panel on the right earpiece allows you to skip back and forth through your playlist, answer and hang up calls without having to use your phone.

Built-in Mic for Hands free calling
Thanks to the microphone, you will be able to keep running and exercising knowing that any incoming calls can be answered without having to pick up your phone. The mic can also be used with VOiP services like Skype and AOL giving you a hands free headset for internet calling or PC gaming.

Over 2 hours battery life
A quick charge of only 45 minutes via its Micro USB connection provides over 2 hours of playback.

Wool hat with a twist
The high quality wool of the EPA30 provide the warm you need, don’t stop running this winter!

  • Bluetooth Hat – Keep warm while listening to music from smartphones and tablets
    Audio, Volume and Call control Buttons – Answer calls & control your music
    Built-in Microphone – Stay connected to your phone with hands free calling
    Internal Li Ion Battery – Rechargeable battery gives over 2 hours between charges
    Quality wool – Warm your ears with your coolest tunes.

BUY HERE

Unboxing and First Look – The RevoNext RX8 transparent headphones #headphones #tech

Recently we reviewed the RevoNext QT3 this time around its the all new RX8 which like the last model look different to the norm and these are transparent which is even better and gives you a look at the inerts of the prodcuts, Something some smartphone manufacturers are now trying with clear backs to see the inner workings. Today is a quick unboxing and we will have our review soon..

DUAL DRIVERS – RevoNext RX8 In-Ear Headphones include a balanced armature and a dynamic drivers,to deliver amazing bass and excellent detailed analytical ability. No matter you hear, this earphone can provide you an excellent music enjoyment.

PATENTED DESIGN & ERGONOMIC FIT – Application for Europe and USA patent.Ergonomics and soft design-highly elastic TPE material and silicone can better enclose ear canal. Noise Isolating design and the silicone earbuds allow you to fully immerse into your music with any other distraction.

TRANSPARENT HOUSING & EXCELLENT SOUND – RX8 in ear headphones with transparent housing design,you can see the exact quality just from the outside. Not only have unique design with elegant style,but also deliver powerful acoustics and deep bass,bring you a new kind of auditory sense.

COMPATIBLE MODEL – Built-in mic lets you talk hands-free on your device.The cable use 3.5MM 0.78mm 2 pin Detachable Hifi  Audio Cable.100% fits Android,also fits iPhone 6/6S Samsung S6 S5 Note 4  Nexus and other Smart Phones.

BUY HERE