Argos has a large range of headphones for all pockets and ages and we have just tested out the new Jam Out There Headphones with ANC on board. On first impressions there would be aimed at younger teens or kids more so than adults but that is just my opinion on them. However the sound from these is excellent all round and the ANC built-in helps too but it is not the best due to the fact they did not cover my ears.
On a younger persons ears the story would be different as they would be smaller and fit more snug around them and my daughter tested them out and clearly seen the difference with ANC turned on. Also what is nice about these they are light and don’t sweat nor clamp onto your head and can be worn for long periods of time. From my personal view when it comes to sound they are impressive with a balanced audio experience throughout and you will not be disappointed.
Click to enlarge
They are loud,clear and reproduce music well across all genres and have good bass too which can be adjusted via a music EQ on your phone or app should you not have one. Overall I would see these more fit for the younger folk who are custom to good headphones and can tell the difference with Audio and as for me I would certainly use them daily but the cups are too small for my personal liking and the ANC effect does not shine in that respect but other than that they are a solid pair of cans and have simple controls and call quality is good should you take any on them. To top things off they are also sweat and rain proof.. More than enough for that demanding teen..
Flowers or chocolates? Or, why not try being more imaginative than that? Gift your loved one an instax camera and capture special moments all year round. Make like cupid and set your loves heart alight with the perfect present this Valentine’s Day from instax.
The instax mini 9 is fun and stylish, and features an automatic brightness adjustment, as well a specially designed selfie mirror, for just the right angle. The instax mini 9 is also available in two romantic colours for the day that’s in it; poppy red and blush rose, so match the present to the bunch of roses and make sure to smile in every picture.
For loved ones who are Instagram obsessed, instax has the best present to gift this Valentine’s Day. The instax SQ6 in rose gold is the ultimate gift for a special someone who likes to turn every occasion into the picture-perfect moment. Not only does the SQ6 have a selfie mirror, but it also captures every moment in seamless symmetry in a 1:1 image, with a neat white border. Print the pictures and make a real-life heart shaped Instagram wall at home and treasure those memories forever.
Instax cameras are available in FUJIFILM stockists nationwide. Prices start from €84.99 and may vary by retailer.
The iStorage diskAshur DT2is an external hard disc drive with a difference. (is an encrypted desktop hard drive) The box advised designed and developed in the Uk with military-grade encryption with pin authenticated. The box made no mention of GDPR but compatible. The 4 TB HDD had a number keypad on the HDD. The diskAshur DT2 was a 4 TB HDD which was heavier than expected, the unit had a 13-button keypad which was soft to touch. Built with wear resistant epoxy coated keypad. The keypad provides ultra-secure, PIN authenticated, USB 3.1 desktop harddrive. The enclosure is full aluminium with plastic end caps, the unit is encrypted desktop hard drive. The manufacturers advise “If you don’t have the pin code there is no access to the disc”
Box Contains
Drive, Universal Mains Adapter, USB cable & Quick Start Guide
Features:
Common Criteria EAL4+ ready on-board secure microprocessor
Real-time military grade AES-XTS 256-bit Full-Disk Hardware Encryption
FIPS PUB 197 Validated Encryption Algorithm (10X faster than USB 2.0)
Encryption keys are always encrypted while at rest
Brute Force Hack Defence Mechanism
Tamper Proof
Immune to BadUSB
Epoxy coated wear resistant keypad
No speed degradation – as fast as any non-encrypted USB 3.1 HDD
Desk Lock Slot
All components covered with a layer of super tough epoxy resin
No software or drivers required – 100% Hardware Encryption
Read-Only (Write Protect) & Read/Write modes
PIN authenticated – Supports Admin and User Independent PINs 7-15 digits in length
Self Destruct Feature
Drive Reset Feature for easy redeployment
Super Speed USB 3.1
Unattended Auto-Lock feature
No admin rights needed
OS & Platform Independent – Works on any device with a USB port
The unit is not portable (required to be plugged in at the mains) with the only factor that looks out of place was the 12 v charger. The charger came with a variety of pin types allowing use in a high number of countries, the charger while came with a lot of country adapters looked cheap and the socket looks like could be a mechanical point of failure. The rest of the unit looked strong and sturdy.
Warranty: – 2-year warranty
Setup and use:
There is no setup required, plug the USB lead into your laptop and charger into the mains socket, the diskAshur connect to the laptop. The diskAshur DT2 used Super-fast USB 3.1 but will work on older version of USB standards. The LED will light up with different colours on the status Once connected enter the pin code and the HDD work as normal. The Pin code is required to be changed from the default, once changed the HDD cannot be accessed without the pin code. The security has numerous certification encryption to prevent access.
GDPR compliance:
The diskAshur DT2 is GDPR compliant in that if personal data is lost/stolen in the diskAshur DT2, the HDD “render the personal data unintelligible” from the data breach, the data is still secure even if the hard drive is removed from its enclosure. This ensures personal data is secure and GDPR Implementation compliance “appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk, including…encryption of personal data” (Article 32, Security of processing). In the event of a data breach, the organization is not required to inform individuals of the breach if measures that “render the personal data unintelligible” where in place, including encryption (Article 34, Communication of a personal data breach to the data subject).
Conclusion:
We have tested diskAshur in the past with great pleasure ease to use and secure. The diskAshur DT2 would not look out of place in a bond movie but works as a standard external hard drive. The unit is solid which an excellent amount of storage on the unit. The product looks strong and secure only let down by what looks like a cheap 12 v charger and socket to the main HDD. The encryption is to military standards which would ensure GDPR compliance in the event the HDD was lost or stolen. The diskAshur DT2 is NCSC CPA, FIPS 140-2 Level 3, NLNCSA BSPA and NATO Restricted Level certified encrypted desktop hard drive.
The iStorage diskAshur DT2is available in size from 1TB to 14TB ensuring the most size of data is covered. This storage may be classed as expensive in terms of standard external HDD, but in the event of loss or theft of the data, this HDD could save a company’s reputation and immense fines. This is a product that is a requirement for any business that required data to be backed up or moved from site to site that requires secure data transfer. This is a product that will grow exponential in sales once the Data Protection Commissioner enforces fines regarding GDPR.
There is an increasing amount of cloned products now on the market and this is no different in the True Wireless scene as I have said before and especially when it comes to Apple. I really do feel so sorry for them …. Insert sarcasm detector… But the fact of the matter it is true and these products are just as good for less than half the price of the real thing.
We have tested out this companies Airpods recently and I was impressed with the quality and the looks and for the money it is worth the risk even if you ended up buying several pairs and they lasted a few months before you lose or break one which most people do anyway. So are these any different to the past pair we tried or even the one they are out to copy??
Yes.. There is one difference here but that is it really and this is testing on my Android device and the company does say controls are different to iOS on their site so they are not hiding the fact, There is a force sensor on the original Airpod pro and one visible on these but it is just purely an aesthetic look and does not work, instead you need to use these the old fashioned way and tap the top of the earbud and choose your command but after that the commands worked fine for me over and over again and there was no problems.
You have your usual single tap,double tap and triple tap to execute the music and voice assistants which worked fine as mentioned and when it comes to using individually you cant they do however have auto detect too and once either side is removed the music stops and when reinserted it will continue from obviously where you stopped. There have some bass which is good and pretty much similar to the TWS500 overall and I cant complain about the sound at the price,there is no app to fine tune which is fine and the call quality is fine. Lag latency is minimal here perhaps half a second here and there from my usual Nextlfix and You Tube binge.
Battery life is again on par with their claim and the bluetooth distance is around 35 feet when I started to notice break up. Only gripe is here that there no extra buds in the box but most folk may have some old one lying around to get the secure fit,they do fit much better than the previous pair and give a better seal for noise isolation.
Fun fact, When both are put back in the case they play all by themselves,take a listen if you get them.
VERSION 1
VERSION 2
i500 Pro Wireless Headphones – The Best You Can Find In The Market
Powered by the best Qualcomm Headphones Chip, i500 Pro Wireless Headphones deliver an unparalleled wireless headphone experience. Simply take them out and they’re ready to use with all your devices. Put them in your ears and they connect immediately, immersing you in rich, high-quality sound.
▶ Pop-up Window only for iOS 13.2
i500 Pro has a pop-up window animation only for i0S 13.2, below which can only connect via Bluetooth.
▶ The Power of 15-hour Battery Life
i500 Pro delivers a 4-hour of listening time-all on one charge. And they’re made to keep up with you, thanks to a charging case that holds multiple charges for more than 15 hours of listening time. Need a quick charge? Just put AirPods back in the case for 45 minutes to get up to 4 hours of listening time and 2 hours of talk time.
▶ In-Ear Optical Sensors
i500 Pro TWS Headphones have similar features with the original one such as Optical Sensors, they sense when they’re in your ears and pause when you take them out.
▶ Wireless Charging Case
i500 Pro comes with a Wireless Charging Case, which is used for both charging and storage purposes so it won’t get lost. The Charging Case is about the size of a container of dental floss, so it’s easily pocketable. A Lightning port at the bottom lets the i500 Pro and the case be charged with the Lightning cables you already have on hand, and the Wireless Charging Case lets you charge with a Qi wireless charger.
15% OFF DISCOUNT for the upcoming Christmas, starts on 4th Dec, ends on 15th Dec, and what is more, 2 units in one purchase will be shipped by DHL so you can get the item before Christmas, DON’T MISS OUT!
Discount Code – ALL15%OFF (*Only 2 units or more in ONE PURCHASE is shipped by DHL, delivery time 7 business days.
BritishTVmanufacturerCellohas announced aworldfirst for campers, motorhome ownersand lorry driversacross the UK – the Cello Traveller TV, a22”portable Smarttelevision.Weighing just 2.4kg, this12vpower cableTV isperfectforusers wantinga versatile viewing experience outside the home.
Witha 22-inchscreenand built-inWi-Fi connections,watching your favourite programme or film couldn’t be easier. Cello customers can now stream from over 1000 apps,including Netflix, Amazon and BBC iPlayer,usingvarioushotspots.
Key featuresinclude:
· Full HD screen
· 2.4kg weight for light portability
· 12v powercable
· Wi-Fi and mobile hotspot capabilities
· Headphonejack
· Aninteractive recording system, soyou never miss a programme
· Additional accessories – remote control with batteries, satellite tuner and 12/240V DC adapters
Brian Palmer, CEO at Cello Electronics, commented: “Cellois unquestionably the market leader in creating specialised viewing experiences for niche audiences.And the TravellerTV was createdin response to anincrease in customer demand. A trueworld firstat only 2.4kg,this TV is extremelylight,and its Full HD screen means motorhome owners, glampers and lorry drivers can now enjoy theirscreen timeoutside of the home,without having to compromiseon quality.”
Priced affordably at£199.99the new CelloTravellerTV isavailablefrom the first week of February 2019from a range of retailersincludingAmazon,eBay, CPC, TV Villageand HB Products.
It is not often you get technology in forms you might not expect but this idea is great. I hate big jackets despite owning some expensive ones and they spend more time in the wardrobe than anything when I say that i might wear them 3/4 times a year.I prefer the sporty light jacket due to my work and travel detail and obviously they are not something to keep you warm in the cold weather. This product however changes this and is something for those who like me should look into not limiting it to that but you can get extra heat on your heavy winter coats too.
Not only that this is powered by a portable 6000 mAh powerbank and has 3 modes of heat for you to pick from which is great and not only this the unit can also charge your mobile phone or headphones should you run out of juice so it is a clever idea all round. Check out the video below and if you have any questions feel free to ask below or on our social channels.
Torch 2.0 is a series of 3 very thin heat pads that stick in your coat and provide heat for up to 4 hours on a single charge (4 hours on low and 2.5 hours on high), and with 3 heat settings you can adjust the temperature and perfectly control your body temperature. Torch is also very compact and extremely versatile making it great for outdoor enthusiasts and anyone that just doesn’t like being cold.
*Added safety features protect from short circuits and hot spots.
*Durable and lightweight construction weighs only 4oz and can withstand all your winter activities
Includes
*One Super-Slim Rechargeable 5 Volt, 6,000 mah Lithium Polymer battery
*Included Charger has USB to micro USB cord with a USB wall charger adapter (US standard).
*Charges in 3-4 hours and lasts for up to 500 charges.
*Has proper CE and FCC certifications.
*Installs in seconds- Velcro Brand Peel and stick adhesive pads designed for a permanent hold on fabrics
*Includes 2 installation kits. Each installation kit consists of 3 adhesive backed Velcro patches that install in seconds and fit discreetly in your coat. With 2 installation kits, that means you are able to transfer the Torch Coat Heater between 2 of your favorite coats.
*Durable, thin, lightweight construction weighs only 4 oz.
*Heat Setting Temperatures (Degrees in Fahrenheit)
-High 120°-135° – 2.5 Hours of Use
-Med 110°-120° – 3 Hours of Use
-Low 100°-110° – 4 Hours of Use
*Torch 2.0 is recommended to be hand washed, and Velcro installation kits are machine washable in jackets.
With GDPR being a talkative subject it is now up to us to safely keep our data under control however this does not seem to work with the likes of Facebook whom now face huge fines and alongside this much of this information we freely share is down to us what we sign up to and NOT IGNORING the banners that come up on web pages which lets us decide what is share albeit some still require some opt ins to continue within the websites.
Even recently I was at a hotel and to use Wi-Fi I had to opt in to continue using it which I kindly declined and this also goes for many public Wi-Fi hotspots out there in eateries and shopping centres and so on and I would advise to steer clear as they just suck up information. Whatever about being on your mobile phone using such but imagine using your laptop…
— Jim O Brien Tech 👨💻techbuzzireland.com (@techbuzzinfo) December 22, 2018
I have tried several such items we are looking at today before and these two items from Apricorn are unique in their own right when it comes to security standards and size being portable and easy to use,robust and most importantly secure. The Aegis padlock fortress and Hardware encrypted thumb drive are two valuable pieces of tech you should have in your arson to protect and limit whom has access to the data stored on them. They come in a range of storage formats to suit pockets and as we know storage is expensive these days and capacity is an issue for some and both these have you covered.
Small compact and robust this has all the bells and whistles required with a simple set up as seen in the video above with storage options from 2GB up to 128GB you are covered here.
Software-Free, 100% hardware-based 256-bit AES XTS encrypted, onboard keypad PIN authenticated, and ultra-fast USB 3.1 (3.0) data transfer speeds. All Data is encrypted on the fly and the device’s PINs and Data remain encrypted while the drive is at rest. Completely cross-platform compatible and OS agnostic; thrives in Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, Chrome, embedded systems, and equipment possessing a powered USB port and storage file system. All internal componentry is protected from physical tampering with a layer of hardened epoxy, and locked-down firmware brings immunity to malware attacks such as BadUSB.
DATA TRANSFER RATE
Up to 77MB/s Read / 72MB/s Write
POWER SUPPLY
USB Port / Internal Battery
INTERFACE
Super Speed USB 3.1 (Backwards compatible with USB 3.0, 2.0 and 1.1)
The bigger brother of the above given it’s not big compared to some I have tried in the past this is pocketable which is handy or will fit fine in you laptop bag and comes with two cables for connectivity which is standard USB and a USB-C connection cable which is great forward thinking as now we are seeing laptops coming with USB-C ports as well as mobile phones and that includes Apple products. This will also work with USB-C mobile phones.
Again robust, portable and easy to set up this is also a must have in you tech bag be it for personal or business use and again you can limit access to this via admin mode which keeps data under control should you need to move it or transfer to someone else.. Once again this comes in several storage options from 500GB up to 5 TB or SSD from 512GB up to 16TB which the latter will cost you 10 grand.
FIPS 140-2 level 3 Validated (pending Q1 2019)
Delivering all of the same next level security features as our Aegis line of secure drives, in an extremely rugged enclosure, and with a new, ultra fast encryption chipset, the L3 is the fastest, most robust, highest capacity drive we’ve ever made. Tough on the outside, the Fortress L3 is designed to meet NIST’s highest level of FIPS validation attainable for portable devices: 140-2 level 3. Small enough to go in a pocket or briefcase, large enough to carry up to 16TB of data, the Fortress L3 allows you to securely and easily carry large amounts of sensitive data everywhere you go. Available in a wide variety of storage capacities in both HDD and high speed SSD models.
The Aegis Fortress is Software-Free, 100% hardware-based 256-bit AES XTS encrypted, and onboard keypad PIN authenticated with ultra-fast USB 3.1 (3.0) data transfer speeds. All Data is encrypted on the fly and all PINs and Data remain encrypted while the drive is at rest. Completely cross-platform compatible and OS agnostic; the Aegis Fortress thrives with Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, Symbian and Chrome. It also thrives where software-authenticated encrypted devices can’t function, such as embedded systems and equipment in possession of a powered USB port and storage file system but no keyboard.
DATA TRANSFER RATE
USB 3.0 – up to 180 MB/sec | *To acheive these data transfer speeds, your computer’s internal drive must be solid state. In the case of your computer having a hard drive, the speed will be limited by your internal HDD
POWER SUPPLY
100% Bus Powered
BUFFERSIZE
8MB
INTERFACE
USB 3.0
AVERAGE SEEK TIME
0.1 ms Access Time
SHOCK – OPERATING
1500G/0.5ms | Virtually shock and vibration resistant
WARRANTY
3 Year Limited
APPROVALS
FCC, CE | FIPS 140-2 Level 2 Validated (NIST certification # 2835)
Compatible with all Operating Systems, including Windows, Mac and Linux Requires USB port (for maximum speeds must be used with a USB 3.0 port) – Backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1 One gigabyte (GB) = one billion bytes; accessible capacity will be less and actual capacity depends on the operating environment and formatting.
COMMENTS
Drive Type: Solid State Drive
Encryption: 256-bit AES Hardware Encryption
Operating Temperature Range: -40°F to 158°F (-40°C to 70°C)
Operating Humidity Range: 95% humidity at temperatures under 131°F (55°C)
Vibration: 20G/20-2000Hz
The 3rd gen echo dot has mostly addressed issues of old and packs much better sound and also looks better than previous iterations and looks similar to the Google Mini home but the Amazon is more user friendly when it comes to being a smart hub in your house or office.
You will get the same familiar layout on top again given you will not have to use the buttons much aside muting Alexa from snooping in on your conversations there is an option there to activate Alexa just in case it does not pick you up which has not being an issue for me and is quite good even across a big room it has not failed in that department.
The USB charge port is also gone which might be an issue for some but its no huge deal and it comes hard wired so to speak so you just plug and play and leave it sat where you may want it at any given time once a power source is nearby.
Alexa like before is great for local weather,news and lots more including skills which are added I had several updates on my app whilst trying this out however Alexa compared to Google for the smart equipped home is where it wins and for those with multiple smart devices in house this is what you need for a seamless experience as we now have more smart devices at home than ever such as smart bulbs and kettles etc the list is now becoming endless..
The 3RD gen version launched at the same price as the older one and is a worthy upgrade and better again you can pair both for a stereo sound effect with music but it is not as good as standalone speakers but not to be sniffed at either and as I mentioned above you dont have to stand beside it either to get commands going due to far field technology inside.. One thing I would say is do not put it near your radio or TV.
The Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen) came in a plain box with all the features clearly visible on the box with the Amazon logo on the box. Alexa is listed on the packaging which is the key to using the many features on the kit. The Far-field Voice control stood out on the kit. The Echo plus was a wide cylinder with cloth fabric, This unit came in white colour but available black or grey,. The Echo plus does not look out of place in any room in a house. The buttons are visible on the top of the unit to manual adjust setting while these are not used much due to the hand’s freespeaker, the 7 dots/holes on the top of the unit are 7 separate microphones. The bottom has a screw socket to allow the speaker to be placed on a tripod stand.
Alexa has skills, asking details, control your smart TV,.
Setup:
The setup was standard, plug in the Echo device wait for the blue ring which covers the top of the cylinder around 45 seconds. Then the unit is paired with the wifi / smartphone easily and quickly.
Amazon Alexa app:
The Amazon Alexa App is setup using your Amazon account, ( similar to Google Gmail account for Android) The allows personalized feature, including stop-start a resume from previous actions. the app allows control of Alexa-enabled devices, eg smart lights, locks and thermostats at home. The app connected allowed to connect to music services Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio.
Once set up,
Alexa was able to play music, read the news, check weather forecasts, Set alarm to get up, or use as an egg timer, control compatible smart home devices, call anyone with an Echo device, the Alexa App or Skype,. The voice control allows you to ask for any song, artist, or genre from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, SiriusXM, and more, and play music across compatible Echo devices across your home. The option is also available for Audible, podcasts, radio stations, and more.
Note, The Amazon marketing has got their act together on the physical unit as the unit had no visible mention of Amazon on the unit, but if you ask to play music on the unit. The unit asks to subscribe to Amazon music.
Caution when asking for details of any products for units, Alexa requests “do you want to put it in your basket,”
Smart home experience:
The Echo Plus has a built-in Zigbee hub. TheZigbee is a protocol that talks to smart home devices, allowing connectivity to the Internet of Things into the Smart Home – connecting and controlling them. A common language ensuring if you have a compatible Zigbee device this should work with the echo plus. ( there are many other protocols compatible with other products e.g. Z-Wave ) Once connected to other products Alexa can control these e.g. turn off the lights etc.
Conclusion:
The setup can be annoying as connected via your Amazon account, the use of the speaker had an annoying habit of asking when searching for a product, do you want to add this to your basket. This has the potential of accidentally ordering a product. The Echo is always listening pending the Alexa keyword similar to the other voice assistance on your smartphone. The Echo Plus looks and felt friendly with the voice assistant, ( albeit a few variations on the keywords as picked up from different accents ) the Far-field voice recognition works great, Alexa keyword was spoken across a room and acknowledged with the blue ring of light picking up the command.
The seven microphones, beam-forming technology and noise cancellation worked from any direction even when the music was playing from the unit. The features of playing a game, e.g. Song quiz is great allowing various decades of music to be chosen with the option to repeat the question which was a real hit with friends. Changing the volumes is a pleasure, asking to increase/decrease volume or requesting volume between 1 and 10, i.e. Alexa set volume to 4 keep the same settings as required. The sound and the base was great with full surround speakers built in throughout the Echo Plus,
The Echo plus or smart home technology is not going away getting better as time goes on with more products compatible with the products. When looking to purchase any new smart technology, Bulbs. Light switches, etc it’s worth checking the compatibility eg checking if a compatible zigbee smart home devices. The Amazon Echo Plus 2nd Gen worked great as a hands-freespeaker build in hub allowing control of smart home devices, a pleasure to use.
