European audio specialist, Hër, announces the launch of its stylish, on-ear Bluetooth stereo headphones in partnership with the highly regarded, premium retailer, Selfridges. The headphone range will be available in store by mid-November. Perfect for the retailers’ fashion conscious and quality driven shoppers, it introduces great sound aligned with a stylish and minimalistic look. Lightweight, comfortable and cable free, they are everyday headphones that fit in perfectly with busy lifestyles. This also means irish customer’s can now get their hands on the goods via virtual shipping addresses now available.
Hër is a statement item, combining technology with contemporary design, enabling them to live to their own soundtrack with confidence. Standing out with its elegant yet simple style, the nude and beige colours complement any outfit and fit in perfectly with that Instagram feed. The matte metal and soft leather are high quality whilst remaining incredibly lightweight at just 200 gms and easy to store in the supplied linen bag when on the go.
The extra soft ear cushions provide an incredibly comfortable fit and the frame can be adjusted to fit all head shapes so they can be worn with ease on long flights, commutes or to drown out distractions when working out.
A built-in microphone makes it easy to answer calls with Hër. There is no need to dig around a handbag for a mobile phone as the buttons can be used to answer or reject calls. This feature can be used not only for phone calls but also for music so the headphones can be paused with ease.
Effortless to set up with Bluetooth 4.1, they allow for full freedom of movement whether at the gym, at home or traveling with at least a 10m range. However, if the battery does run out, the headphones can also be used with the included standard jack cable so no need to worry if the battery is running low. The headphones offer a 23 hour talk time, 21 hour playback time after no more than three hours charging.
The Hër on-ear studio headphones don’t only look and feel great but sound great too. As one of the most established sound technology producers and wholesalers in Europe, Hër refuse to compromise on audio class. Meeting the highest quality demands and having a razor-sharp sound, listening to the latest tunes will sound exactly as the artist intended.
The name Hër combines the English pronoun ‘her’ with the German ‘hör’, the imperative of ‘to hear’ demonstrating the amalgamation of the headphones’ feminine style with a strong focus on sound quality. The company aim to bring a headphone to market that is stylish as well as being actively committed to gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The use of their hashtag #hearher aims to make women heard more worldwide with, at least 3% of the profits made, donated to the German Committee for UN Women.
Specifications:
Bluetooth version: 4.1
Bluetooth profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, APTX, HSP, HFP
Talk time: at least 23h
Playback time: at least 21h
Stand-by time: 840h
Charging time: 2 – 3h
Wireless range: at least 10m
Impedance: 64Ohm
Sound pressure level: 102 ± 3dB at 1kHz 1mW/IEC318
Total harmonic distortion: < 5%
Frequency response: 20Hz – 20KHz
Power supply: 5V (integrated Li-ion battery)
Materials: leather, metal, synthetic
Weight: 0.2kg
EAN: 4260416830646
Accessories: USB charging cable, 3.5mm jack cable (120mm), canvas carrying bag
The Hër on-ear Bluetooth headphones are available to buy from www.hear-her.com and will soon be available in Selfridges for £99.99
The Smart Health Wristband came in a sturdy box with the main features clearly listed on the box. The smart health wristband was sturdy, reasonable light, comfortable on the wrist. The battery life was listed as 15 days on the box with a variety of sites claimed 30 hours to 30 days. The contents were limited while fulfilled the requirement of use. The wristband came with no charger cable (as not required). This design is positive in not carrying around another charger lead. The smart health wristband plugs directly into a wall charger, laptop etc with extension USB power cable if required.
Features
Fitness / Health Tracker – Track your Steps, Heart Rate, Blood Oxygen, Distance Travelled and much more
Battery life. The box (as supplied) states 15 days with their website stating up to 30 days of battery life. The days are dependent on the frequency of the device is synced.
IP67 Waterproof / Dustproof – This rating means that the SWB200 is protected from dust, and against water up to depths of 1m
Find your device function – Use the ‘Search Wristband’ function, causing the wristband to vibrate allowing you to find it with ease
Notification alerts – Enable silent vibrating functions to alert you of calls, messages alarms and more
Sleep Tracker
See information on how you sleep, the length and periods where you were in a deep sleep or shallow sleep, as well as how many times you woke and your entire sleep time.
Redefine Healthy Life
The incorporation of comprehensive big data detailed examination, internet of things used to derive information, provides a tailored daily health service.
Remote Photo Taker
Simply rotate or shake your SWB200 to control your smartphone and take photos! Who needs a selfie stick or tripod?
Compatibility
Android: 4.4+
Apple: iOS8+
Bluetooth: 4.0+
The App:
The August pulse app can be easily downloaded by searching for the App of scanning the QR code. The app got a poor rating of 2.8 out of 5. This score is a fair score as the app suffers from annoying bugs/design. The app has many annoying setup features, the app requests access to make and manage phone calls, access to your contacts, send and view SMS messages, access photos, media and files on your device, take pictures and record video.
The upgraded software version deletes a personal setting, date of birth etc, previous settings. The app setup had bugs in finding the save button often not clearly visible, the time was auto set but when the app upgraded to the latest software version, this reset all personal details. The app paired easily to an android phone but often lost the pairing when returning within the range. The year for date of birth was not available to scroll, instead this required scroll month by month to get to the year of your birth. (This was noticed on a One Plus One phone but worked ok on a Samsung S8.)
The app has many good features which are clear, Steps, Heart Rate, Blood Oxygen, Distance Travelled, and calories burnt, stopwatch function, your fatigue state, Sleep Tracker, Find Device Function (within Bluetooth range) The Heart Rate gave a daily/weekly/monthly view. The manual does advise measurements are for reference only and are not for medical use.
Overview:
The Heart Rate / Blood Oxygen, options may not be calibrated to the medical industry but would give a trend of personal medical conditions. The wristband picked up obvious changes when out for a brisk walk or Blood pressure times of the days. The August smart health wristband swb200b came with a single strap which was comfortable for most adults, the dual studs on the strap prevent the strap for falling off by accident. This smart health wristband was comfortable to wear. The August marketing department require to get their act together on the battery life, (giving a consistency message of the battery life) getting over 20 days charger and still, battery left.
The August smart health wristband swb200b has featured superior to many trackers that are triple the price. The Heart Rate / Blood Oxygen / Fatigue features are great, the waterproof is a real positive on the wristband. One of my favourites is the charger of the wristband, there is no proprietary charger, simple remove the strap for the wristband and plug the unit directly into a USB charger. The August smart health wristband swb200 is not a budget device as compared to many alternatives but packs a host of features to rival some of the market leaders.
Recently I checked out the RevoNext QT3 headphones and as stated the look was great but the sound was a bit of a letdown and I did not like the cable set up which still remains on the RX8. However this time around the RX8 again looks great with its transparent look in several colours and delivers better on sound quality.
Features.
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, My pixel 3 XL and various other devices …
The RX8 overall are a worthy purchase if you are into something different that looks different with a good build quality, The sound this time around is better and louder giving a crisp clear punchy sound which at some levels probably too high pitched this depends on source and track type though but overall good alongside the bass offering. Mids and lows are fine and overall i think these performed better than the QT3,clarity overall this time round is great.For me this time I would warrant a purchase here and really for anyone who wants something different looking and is not the audiofile these will easily please many ears.
The Jabra ELITE 45e first look outside of the box, was a smooth and comfortable set of earphones, decent size not too small or not oversized with an impressive look to them. The new Jabra elite 45e is the new earphone that comes with a lot of great features such as an adjustable equaliser which gives you the option to customise your music settings to suit the user of the earphones. It gives you the option to lower and higher the bass, mid-range and the treble all from the workings of your phone. The Jabra sound+ app also has 6 settings for your Jabra elite 45 music pre-sets; the default, speech, bass boost, treble boost, smooth and energize which can all be changed to suit your style.
The packaging is quick and simple to get off. The design was a pleasure to open, nicely packaged inside and are only a matter of sliding the covers off to get your earphone. The packaging is eye-catching and great colour contrast with the brand name.
Box Contains:
Packaging dimensions (L x W x H): 12.4 x5.5 x18.66 cm
Jabra Elite 45e, Micro USB cable, 3 sets of Ear Gels and Ear Wings sizes small, medium and large, Quick Start Guide, Warranty and Warning Leaflets.
Ear set weight: 25.95g.
Warranty: 1 year (2-year dust- and water resistance warranty with in-app registration)
The earphones also have a 2-microphone technology that delivers a clear and smooth wireless performance, that will reduce noises like wind, other people around you in a public place, etc. when in a call to improve your conversation so they are clear.
When you download the Jabra sound + app you can register your earphones to give them a 2-year dust and water resistance warranty. The battery in the earphones will last up to 8 hours which is a long life for a set of wireless earphones. The earphones come with the charger cable (Micro USB cable) which is the same as older android phones which makes it easier for some people who have an android phone as they would tend to have more chargers like the earphone’s charger slot.
The newer Micro C charger cable would be good to have future proof for newer android phones. In the wire that connects the headphones, there is a very flexible memory for devices connected to the earphone set so it will remember them the second time around, so they will connect automatically instead of going through the connecting process again. The earbuds have a magnetic connection that connects them together which keeps them in place around your neck in a comfortable position.
Setup:
Download Jabra sound cloud to get the full earphone experience; not necessary as the earphones will work through Bluetooth on its own.
The turn on and off button can also be used in different ways. To turn on hold down for 3 seconds. When pairing, hold the button for 5 seconds and the LED will shine blue. If looking to call the last person you called double, click the power button. To turn off hold for 3 seconds, the LED will shine red and the earphones will turn off.
The + volume button when pressed will higher the music up and if held for 3 seconds it will change to the next song
The – button will lower the music down when pressed once if pressed for 3 seconds it will go back to the previous song.
The call button will hang up and if held for 3 seconds will mute the conversation.
If the magnets on the earphones are put together the call will be ended and if music is playing it will be paused.
The earphones out of the box had over 50% charge. The pairing was quick and easy. This was aided by the voice commands which gave clear instructions. The earphones are magnetised, which can be put together when not using. This stops the music playing automatically saving pressing additional buttons on your phone.
It takes a second to get the earphones perfect in your ear but once they’re in they will stay in and are very comfortable even when doing sports activities such as running, gym workouts, etc.
They take 2 hours to fully charge and they last up to 8 hours. They are charged with a standard Android phone charger and they come with a mini charger in the box.
They have a noise blocker to ensure calls and music performance are not disturbed. This is the ambient noise reduction, (2-Microphone ambient noise reduction technology). Some other qualities about the Jabra elite 45e are the microphone frequency range-100Hz to 10 kHz, microphone sensitivity- 38 dBV/Pa, speaker size ⌀ 12.4mm, and speaker frequency range 20Hz to 20 kHz.
Conclusion:
The Jabra 45e earphones are unsophisticated to use product (with an abundance of technology inbuilt) which is a pleasure to recommend even when compared to normally wired earphones and wireless earphones. The advantage it has against wired earphones is; if connected to your phone with wired earphones, the wire can drag and cause your phone to fall. There are also no worries about the wire inside the earphones connecting your phone being pulled apart, which is a common fault with wired earphones. These are connected by wireless Bluetooth ensuring there is no need to worry about these things. The advantages of wireless earphones is, if your phone is upstairs and you were listening to music and went to get something downstairs and someone called you, you can just answer with the headphones and talk freely instead of running back up to get your phone , Alternatively if your you just wanted to change the song of choice you can hold the plus or minus button to change the song.
The benefits of the earphones been connected without a cable is significance in the quality of use , the ability to connect to more than one device and to store up to 8 devices in the Jabra memory is impressive, The Jabra 45e earphones are not the top of the range of the Jabra range and lack the noise cancelling which is an exceptional feature in the top of the range models. The Jabra 45e earphones are a quality product, excellent audio, easy setup and use from a trusted brand leader. A champion product in the price range. BUY HERE
The Pixel 3XL has been my primary phone for the last two weeks and during those two weeks much news has come out about this and that wrong with it to which no symptoms I seen after really heavy usage being my primary device doing what I do and even down to the new UI which some folk are moaning about when it comes to gestures which I find more intuitive and its all about change. Simple changes seem to bother us and if nothing is delivered we are still bothered and we really need to adjust and learn how to move on and the changes found on the Pixel 3XL are easy to master after some usage and with PIE on board.
The hard wear itself might look a bit standard but improved over the last two iterations and given most of us would use a case I find it a hard argument to argue with when you wont see the phone itself apart from its front, OK there is some that like to keep their phone naked but then here is where moanfest part 2 comes in with the scratches the glass back seemed to have given but turned out they simply wipe off and to be honest if you get a deep enough scratch on it well tough shit you know glass is glass and we will just leave it there.
I like the build quality of the phone its robust and its rounded edges and corners make the phone feel comfortable in hand being the bigger device. I prefer the bigger device obviously because of the screen but the Pixel 3 standard might be a sweeter spot for some and again the cost. The phone is not cheap by any means and lacking a headphone jack and expandable storage this is a critique some must have but in todays age and again moving forward we are saying goodbye to the likes using cloud storage and wireless headphones which falls in line with Mirco-USB being phased out. Google however here have given us more than what Apple have done with giving us a cable to use headphones, decent headphones bundled in the package and better charging.
Moving on there is the Pixel stand.. This charges much faster than I would have expected and now I use it everyday and it is just great to come in after a day out or whatever and drop the phone on the stand and let it charge up, Also you can still use and charge the phone in landscape mode which is great if you watch movies or Netflix for example like I would in bed and have the stand placed there on my locker and having no fears of the phone dying during a you tube session or watching something else on the device. Again a bit pricey but when you look at it for those whom really like to use their phone for media consumption its a win win.
The buttons on the side of the device are perfect alongside the fingerprint scanner placement given its size and this is important for those who want quick access to their phone however one thing they could have given us is face unlock as this is seen on many devices today even the cheaper phones out there now costing under 200 euro have this and then we have the notch on top which is much of an annoyance to some but it did not really bother me at all.
Another thing I have repeatedly seen was the one camera set up.. Just because others are doing more like two/three lenses on the rear doesn’t mean Google has too, and if I am being honest it is become a stupid race yielding stupid looking phones from the rear and it does not seem to be slowing down either with some of the renders out there which promote nothing but give the folks with trypophobia a phone to steer clear of. The Pixel 3XL can do what other phones do with dual or trio camera set ups with just one lens and does it good.
Another area of concern was RAM . Again no issues for me this is something that will affect people with app choice mostly and again can be controlled with optimisation settings on the device. As a whole we have way to many apps on our phones and do not use half of them and some in fact remain idle for the phones entire life depending on how often you switch phones.
The camera and video quality on the PIXEL 3XL are simply fantastic even in low light situations from a general users standpoint. I have several videos up there showing this and again portrait mode have been quite great.Overall the camera in general even from a point and shoot perspective you will find it hard to go wrong with it given the multiple settings choices you have embedded and the slow mo feature works really well again I have provided samples here.
From a media consumption standpoint this device also ticks all the boxes with the big screen and those front firing speakers which are plenty aloud forward firing speakers and this is ideal and something others could learn about placing speakers a top and bottom of the phone where we tend to hold blocking out the sound..
The camera itself has new options such as enhanced HDR and AR effects thrown in the mix. Now I am not one for selfies but for those who are will be in for a treat to say the least. Probably the biggest for me is the digital zoom when maxed out is really impressive and images can be seen in video reel first at standard and following image maxed out its really impressive for digital zooming especially from a smartphone. Also a real improvement and hard to beat is the low light capabilities here which again really impressed me when using it a launch event where the lighting was terrible and the camera took images as if it was almost daytime in the settings provided at the event.
For video you will be able to shoot at 4K but sadly only at 30fps we really should have 60fps here at this price point but nonetheless its impressive and stabilisation is the best in the game end of story which can be seen through all my handheld samples and no tripods in use at all. If you want slow motion that’s here too and it works really well and again samples have been provided.
If you are into gaming this phone is also capable of heavy loaded games from the few I have tried. I am not a massive gamer fan on mobile but since trying a few games on this I have been popping in and out of the games more often that I usually would because of the screen quality and sound quality provided which makes it a much more enjoyable experience overall and it certainly will keep those happy who have gaming in mind if they are looking for this phone going forward.
General everyday usage on this phone has been the best experience to date when it comes to multitasking and productivity and it’s really fast. I have only encounter two reboots since I put my sim in which can be expected and I am a heavy power user on mobile phone and its been an enjoyable experience.
Battery life for me was a bit poor mainly because I am a heavy user and I did find myself reaching for a charge late in the evening however charging is fast and the pixel stand is an ideal addition which perhaps should have been bundled with the phone to give it some justice for its pricepoint. An average user would easily see a day out of the phone perhaps two days but heavy users certainly will need to top up late in the day based on a 7am start.
For me overall I will be honest the phone is just too expensive lacking some features but this is what we expected it would be but Google at least gave us fast charging and a dongle which something apple forgot however the lack of expandable storage is a big gripe I have and I am not too bothered about the lack of a headphone jack but overall I was impressed with the phone and my sim will be staying put for many reasons being mainly the camera/video experience speed and reliability.
The Pixel 3, with a 5.5” screen, is priced at €899 for the 64GB version and €959 for the 128GB version; meanwhile the larger Pixel 3 XL, which has a 6.3” screen, is priced at €999 for the 64 GBversion and €1099 for the 128GB version. Both sizes come in Just Black and Clearly White, and an additional Not Pink colour is available exclusively from the Google Store. Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XLare available for pre-order now and on sale and in store on 1 November from the Google Storeand Vodafone Ireland. Pixel USB-C earbuds come included with all models.
Ireland’s professional body for the Data Science and Analytics industry, the Analytics Institute, will welcome a number of global analytics experts to the National Analytics Conference at the Mansion House, Dublin on 6 November 2018.
Headline speaker, author and Hitachi Vantara CTO, Bill Schmarzo will lead the programme with his insights into how data powers big business. Microsoft’s Global Head of Data Science, John Hoegger, is coming from the US to Dublin to share his analysis of big data and the impact of artificial intelligence with delegates of the National Analytics Conference in Dublin, while EY’s Global Innovation Leader and Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Chris Mazzei, will discuss how data, analytics and AI are impacting business decisions. Athina Kainouri, Global Chief Data Scientist of Accenture Analytics will also be in Ireland to address this market leading analytics event.
Speaking at the conference launch, Analytics Institute CEO Lorcan Malone said, “We are witnessing the start of a fundamental change in how businesses will deliver products, services and support to customers. Data Analytics is not only influencing how key decisions are made in the Boardroom, it is permeating every aspect of the business – from marketing to operations, from finance to production. Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, RPA, Big Data and IoT will be key enablers for business success in the coming years. The National Analytics Conference brings together global thought leaders in these fields along with our data scientists, analysts, policymakers and leaders from across the private and public sectors.”
Speaking ahead of the National Analytics Conference, Fergal Collins, CEO at Aon’s Centre for Innovation and Analytics (ACIA) said,
“The objectives of this conference align with Aon’s focus on using data and analytics to drive value for our clients. We continuously scan the horizon for new challenges, new analytical technologies and new data sets that, translate interesting prototypes into scalable commercial solutions. The conference will allow attendees to tap into the knowledge and experience of many renowned experts across all these fields. We are delighted to partner with the Analytics Institute on this exciting event.”
Over 500 delegates have already registered to attend the conference, which is supported by a number of leading organisations including Aon, Microsoft, EY, IBM, SAS, Hitachi Vantara and AIB. Aon is a leading proponent of analytics and a key sponsor of the event.
Tech blogs have been abuzz this year over the future of smartphone technology in 2019 and beyond. Between company announcements and leaked prototypes, some of the most common features we’ve seen smartphone manufacturers and tech companies currently developing include foldable display screens, new charging technologies, new security features and multi-lens cameras. While the next generation of smartphones promises multiple advancements, the imaging capabilities showcase some of the hardware and software improvements that will enable these anticipated camera upgrades and other new technologies.
Leaked photos of the Huawei P20 before the phone’s release. Photo from Android Authority.
Cameras have been one of the most rapidly developing features since smartphones became ubiquitous, and that shows no sign of slowing down in 2019. Huawei set the scene this March with the release of the three-lens P20 Pro. Since then, several other manufacturers have released multi-lens cameras, including HTC’s four-lens U12 Plus and LG’s five-lens V40. In July, camera technology company Light announced a prototype for a camera phone with up to nine lenses. The phone, expected to be released later this year, will have the ability to capture up to 64-megapixel images and will feature advanced low-light capabilities.
The prototype is certainly different from the other multi-lens smartphones we’ve seen so far, but the more revolutionary aspect of the phone may be the software that will produce these high-end images. While smartphones with multiple lenses already incorporate computational imaging technology, a Light smartphone may help take this tech to the next level.
The startup company currently sells a 16-lens compact camera called the L16, and has made waves as a pioneer in computational photography. The L16 camera was released in 2017 with the goal of fitting the capabilities and technology of a DSLR camera into one compact device. The device boasts broad, optical zoom range of 28-150mm, and the lens arrangement allows users advanced depth-of-field control.
With the production of the L16, Light aimed to incorporate professional photography capabilities into a lightweight device that would free users from the bulk and additional gear often required by traditional photography. Specifics for the Light phone have not yet been released, but early discussion of product hints that it will adapt these professional-grade features of the L16 for smartphone use.
In addition to the hardware of the revolutionary multi-lens camera, the anticipated Light smartphone will likely incorporate elements of Light’s computational imaging capabilities. The L16 currently captures up to ten images simultaneously. Once photos are taken on the L16, Light’s desktop image editing software, Lumen, uses computational algorithms to combine the multiple images into one.
Lumen works in tandem with the L16 to create and export these photos with up to 52-megapixel resolution. Early coverage of the Light smartphone has promised image quality of up to 64-megapixels, higher than any smartphone currently available, and would likely include some of the most advanced imaging capabilities incorporated into smartphone devices.
Light is partnering with a smartphone manufacturer to release the phone later this year, although as of today, they’ve remained silent about which company. In preparation for their move into the mobile market, Light raised more $100 million from SoftBank and German camera manufacturer Leica earlier this year. In a blog post about the funding, the company promises that the incorporation of Light technology into smartphones will “shatter the expectations of mobile photography”. The product will not only be the next step in bringing high-end camera technology to smartphones, but will also likely put high-powered imaging capabilities into the pockets of many smartphone users.
