Month: December 2019

Review – The Umi Essentials TWS Bluetooth 5.0 IPX7 earbuds. #TrueWireless #Tech #UMI #Amazon

True Wireless earbuds are aplenty these days but people still go on about Airpods and seeing these as a benchmark which is rubbish,they are overpriced and underwhelming and yes I have tested them.

These new earbuds which come in multiple colours, Again something Apple would not know about fall into the low end pricing but having said that the cost to performance ratio has dropped over the last year when it comes to true wireless and these fit into that category easily. There is some features omitted but that is fine but what most people want is the sound quality and these deliver at their pricepoint and are worth the money.

You get fast charging in one hour and no USB-C so one makes up for the other and there is no wireless charging which is expected at this price and again this is only starting to become a standard now and will be a while before we see it as a standard feature across all price points. You can get 24HRs playback on one full charge and you get an extra 3-4 hours of charges out of the case which also has a metal finish which is quite nice but you cant have the case stand upright due to its shape but some people prefer the case to stand upright and some dont, For me it is not a big issue but prefer the latte but the case is one of the better build ones I have seen of late.

On the rear you have your LED status lights and you Micro USB charge port. The buds themselves are light and have a different shape compared to many out there with an elongated housing but they fit really well and do not stick out like some do and they do offer some noise isolation to when fitted correctly. They have a decent touch area with clicky buttons letting you know you have made a command and for the time I have tested them they worked fine each time.

The two earbuds can be used alone or in two channels and each earphone can be paired independently. Both “L” and “R” can control play/pause/previous/next/volume up/volume down /answer/end/reject call.  However they do not work independently by that I mean once one side is placed inside the case the other side will turn off but once left outside the case you are fine,again this is quite normal. You do not have voice assistant either, something that does not bother me to be honest as I hardly use this feature.

When it comes to sound I was surprised how good it was with a decent bass level and good volume level,Overall the music sounded good,crisp and clear but with a deeper tone too it which is something I like,directional,instrumentals and so on where fine and there is decent separation here and sounded like a more expensive pair of earbuds being honest when it comes to quality. The usual Netflix and You Tube also yielded no lag latency and the bluetooth range is on par with claims of 33ft (direct line) but this might vary per household due to build materials where I now see this an issue creeping in with some earbuds starting to break up even in less than 30ft but all fine here this time.

For the price you pay here with these and the colour options at hand with decent sound you cant complain,with the omissions aside you cant go wrong if you need a spare pair of true wireless of if this is your first pair,they would also make a great gift..

BUY HERE 

Review. The Tronsmart Spunky Pro True Wireless #TrueWireless #SpunkyPro #Tech

The Tronsmart Spunky pro True Wireless are much similar to the recent pair of Spunky Beat we checked out here and all for the better and like I said before this company offers good tech at low cost prices which is welcome and ads up to the competition which certainly bodes well for the consumer at the end of the day.

These come in a circular charge case this time around and have USB- C charging and wireless charging which is a real bonus and you will get around 3-5 hours use off one charge it will take around 1.5 hours or so to charge the case fully and up to 14-15 hours of extra use more from the case which looks cool and has the swivel top head with a small release button on the rear.

Build quality is again good with a similar look to carbon but more square looking but still looks good and takes the plain look away like the industry standard we tend to see at this price range. The earbuds are light,fit great and for me have not been an issue,came loose and give a decent level of isolation too which is good,there is no audio passthrough or auto pause though but that is ok at this price for me. You do get nice audio prompts when connected and disconnected and this is handy.

You cant use these individually but on one side you can once the other earbud is placed back in the charge case the right side remains connected but the left does not so this is a similar feature with many and it may differ what size remains active, however once not place in the case they both remain on and can be used separate but people always ask for what happens if one side is placed back in the charge case and this is what happens here.

Controls are again similar to before with ease of use and given the smaller surface they worked fine though your thumb memory will work this out after some usage just like any other earbud of this nature, You have power on/off with a long tap,play pause or answer call with one tap either side which is good so no confusion here,previous track tap 3 times and skip is tap twice. Volume up is two taps and volume down is three and all on the left side. You also have voice assistant available which you hold for 2 seconds,this will take getting use to as you might power them off there is little between the two functions.

Sound quality is good overall considering the price decent volume level some bass and generally play well across all instruments and genres etc you will be pleased I think they are not the most bass driven our loudest I have tested but the balance if fair and there is a slight lag latency notable at times but minor and you are talking half a second here which is not uncommon by any stretch.

Bluetooth range is on par here to once you are in a direct line or open space I noticed no break up issues in my house which is a new build but often causes issues with some earbuds so in general around 30-35 ft which is fine. Battery life is on par too however this depends on the individual here where battery life is shorter when used max all the time which I do.

BUY HERE

Review – The JBL Flip 5 Bluetooth Speaker. #JBL #Tech #Speaker

I have tried and tested many Bluetooth speakers this year and we many more on the way but straight up this one is the best one yet, When I say that I mean a standalone speaker,not bookshelf speakers or similar but when it comes to packing a punch this one does it and it is loud and the best part is you can pair more than one up at a time and have separate audio channels and if you are thinking of buying one of these dont..Buy two…

This speaker is also IPX7 rated which means it can be taken to the beach or travelling about and this will certainly fill a room at home so you can use this anywhere knowing you are protected from water up to three feet so if your having a party at home or out your backgarden in the summer for example and have a kids pool you are covered.

Build quality is great too all round with a mesh fabric covering and rubber housing and you have raised keys to play/pause,skip tracks which is all you need you cant reverse tracks or add an sd card but that is no big deal here and also have USB-C charging and a great battery life.

The sound quality is great though,its loud great bass and punchy so those tunes will be belted out no problem and if you like a deep tune to your audio this is where you need to go. Check the video below for more and hear for yourself just how good this is and how easy it is to use.

BUY HERE 

Review – The Tronsmart Element T2 Plus waterproof bluetooth speaker. #Tech #Tronsmart

If you are looking for an affordable bluetooth speaker this one to check out coming in at around €30 at the time of press this one could be for you. It has a solid build with a good bit of weight to it and finished in Matt Black with a rubber textured finish and easy to use controls placed on top and you also have access to your voice assistant.

This also comes with USB- C charging and you can also add a micro sd card too if you do not want to have a device paired to it, It is a clean looking speaker with the typical industry standard look but delivers on sound quality and bass fans will certainly like this one for sure, Calls are also good and for the music aspect the bass level is ideal giving a punchy sound that is loud and will easily fill a room. Lets also not forget the IPX7 rating here which means it is safe for the pool or going on a trip and you also have Bluetooth 5.0 here for a good stable connection. Also included in a hook on the side of the speaker which allows you place it elsewhere if you did not want it in the way but you can of course place it on a flat surface if you wish.

You have easy to use controls on top to change tracks on music,play and pause you cant reverse tracks however which is no huge deal and something that is the norm on bluetooth speakers but you can use your smartphone if you wish to do that. Battery life is also great and giving you a decent listening time and you also have the ability to use AUX if you do not want to use the Bluetooth so you have input choice here if required.

 

  • 【20W Ultra-Portable Speaker with Deep Bass & Extensive Connectivity】Advanced Bluetooth 5.0 technology features faster & stable signal transmission, clearer sound quality and lower power consumption. The waterproof wireless speaker has a range of about 100 feet. It can also be connected to non-Bluetooth devices via the included 3.5mm audio cable and the speaker will shift to AUX mode. Palm-sized, built to go, fits in your hand easily to play tunes anywhere anytime.
  • 【True Wireless Stereo & Super Bass Home Speaker】The Micro SD/TF Card Slot not only supports MP3 but also Lossless Audio Codec such as WAV/FLAC/APE. You can connect Two T2 Plus speakers together (40W) to get room-filling stereo sound to get a live music experience. Access Siri or Google now for help from your speaker with a simple button tap.
  • 【IPX7 Waterproof Floating Bluetooth Speaker】IPX7 Waterproof protection against rain, dust, snow, and shock. Perfect for home, yard, beach, shower or pool party. IPX7 Waterproof Bluetooth speaker is splash-proof which allows you to enjoy it in different circumstances by the seaside or in the rain. Durable design great for travel, camping, boating, Kayaking, outdoor adventure. It has a built-in microphone to help you make phone calls hands free.
  • 【Excellent Battery – 3600MAH Outdoor Speaker】Smart Speaker with 3600mAh rechargeable battery, One full charge lets you play music for up to 24 straight hours at 50% volume(Playtime varies according to volume level and audio content). Elegant design to be comfortable to carry or place as an ornament in the room, so portable Bluetooth speaker is the best choice to enjoy music from day to night.
  • 【100% Satisfaction Service + 30 Day Returns】Our Portable Bluetooth speakers are built to last, so we’ve included a 12-MONTH after-sale service.A metal hook included is specially designed for you to hang it on your backpack or duffel bag, more suitable for home, party, outdoors or travel.

BUY ON AMAZON

 

 

emporia to launch its mobile handsets in the UK and Ireland in 2020 #emporia #mobile

Mobile industry veteran Chris Millington has been appointed to launch the emporia Telecom brand in the UK and Ireland in early 2020. The UK and Ireland add to emporia’s current market presence in 30 countries, with the brand having grown across Europe since initially offering fixed-line devices in 1991, and mobile devices from 2003.
emporia, a multi-national private company based in Austria, exists to offer customers user-friendly products. Its portfolio features a range of telecommunication devices specially designed and adapted for the changing lives of the 60+ demographic.
Eveline Pupeter, CEO of the emporia Telecom group, said: “Our company vision is to provide simplicity in telephony for everyone, and we are confident that our range of user-friendly devices has strong appeal for the senior market in the UK and Ireland. There are currently 8.6 million senior citizens in the UK alone today who still don’t own a smartphone; yet there is an ever-increasing number of day-to-day activities that can only be performed with one. It is our mission to guide older people into the digital future.”
Pupeter added: “We have appointed Chris to lead our entry into the UK market where we see a great opportunity to build market share in the provision of telecom products for seniors. The UK senior category has had very little investment in recent years so we have a great opportunity to become the leading brand. Chris has a wealth of success in telecoms solutions for the senior demographic. Chris and his team have the passion and drive needed to succeed.”
Millington, who will have the title of Managing Director for emporia UK and Ireland, said: “Working with a strong brand with a long heritage in both fixed-line and mobile devices gives us the firepower to get up and running, build our profile, and start to gain market share from day one. We are investing significantly in the brand launch and further details will be made available in the New Year.”
The brief at emporia UK and Ireland is to establish itself as a trusted supplier of products that are exclusively focused on the ageing population. Partners will include specialists that focus on hearing, sight and dexterity, alongside key national retail and network relationships.
Having reviewed the current distribution market in the UK, Chris has chosen Eurostar Global Electronics Ltd as the launch partner and UK distributor with its dedication to flexible and professional distribution services.
Steve Hankey, Head of Commercial and Vendor Management, said: “We will be working hard with Chris and his team to ensure we provide wholesale customers and retail consumers with the seamless purchasing experience that they would expect from a brand as internationally strong as emporia. We are delighted to have been chosen as their launch partner for their entry to the UK market.”
Peter Carnall, Managing Director of Eurostar Global Electronics, added: “By 2050, the Office for National Statistics estimates that there will be nearly double the number of people aged 60 and over (2.1 billion people) which will represent 21.3% of the global population. Our ageing population is therefore clearly a growing market, where seniors are often left isolated and overwhelmed by technology. As an established entity throughout Europe, emporia has a set of hardware and software products that make it a market leader in its field. It delivers pragmatic solutions and allows seniors access to technology in a way that works for them. Eurostar Global is looking forward to being part of the solution – bringing emporia products to the UK consumers – and we are delighted to have partnered with Chris and his experienced team.”
Prior to the launch, Millington is currently laying the groundwork for a sales and distribution network in the UK and Ireland and assembling an account handling and marketing team, with a headquarters operation in Watford.
Handset and devices that will be available to UK and Ireland customers will be announced soon.
UK and Ireland customers will be able to visit www.emporiatelecom.co.uk for more information.

What WON’T happen in 2020: 5G Wearables, Quantum Computing, and Self-Driving Trucks to Name a few.

As 2019 winds down, predictions abound on the technology advancements and innovations expected in the year ahead. However, there are several anticipated advancements, including 5G wearables, quantum computing, and self-driving trucks, that will NOT happen in the first year of the new decade, states global tech market advisory firm, ABI Research.

In its new whitepaper, 54 Technology Trends to Watch in 2020, ABI Research’s analysts have identified 35 trends that will shape the technology market and 19 others that, although attracting huge amounts of speculation and commentary, look less likely to move the needle over the next twelve month. “After a tumultuous 2019 that was beset by many challenges, both integral to technology markets and derived from global market dynamics, 2020 looks set to be equally challenging,” says Stuart Carlaw, Chief Research Officer at ABI Research. “Knowing what won’t happen in technology in the next year is important for end users, implementors, and vendors to properly place their investments or focus their strategies.”

What won’t happen in 2020?

5G Wearables: “While smartphones will dominate the 5G market in 2020, 5G wearables won’t arrive in 2020, or anytime soon,” says Stephanie Tomsett, 5G Devices, Smartphones & Wearables analyst at ABI Research. “To bring 5G to wearables, specific 5G chipsets will need to be designed and components will need to be reconfigured to fit in the small form factor. That won’t begin to happen until 2024, at the earliest.”

Quantum Computing: “Despite claims from Google in achieving quantum supremacy, the tech industry is still far away from the democratization of quantum computing technology,” says Lian Jye Su, AI & Machine Learning Principal Analyst at ABI Research. “Quantum computing is definitely not even remotely close to the large-scale commercial deployment stage.”

Self-Driving Trucks: “Despite numerous headlines declaring the arrival of driverless, self-driving, or robot vehicles, very little, if any, driver-free commercial usage is underway beyond closed-course operations in the United States,” says Susan Beardslee, Freight Transportation & Logistics Principal Analyst at ABI Research.

A Consolidated IoT Platform Market: “For many years, there have been predictions that the IoT platform supplier market will begin to consolidate, and it just won’t happen,” says Dan Shey, Vice President of Enabling Platforms at ABI Research. “The simple reason is that there are more than 100 companies that offer device-to-cloud IoT platform services and for every one that is acquired, there are always new ones that come to market.”

Edge Will Not Overtake Cloud: “The accelerated growth of the edge technology and intelligent device paradigm created one of the largest industry misconceptions: edge technology will cannibalize cloud technology,” says Kateryna Dubrova, M2M, IoT & IoE Analyst at ABI Research. “In fact, in the future, we will see a rapid development of edge-cloud-fog continuum, where technology will complement each other, rather than cross-cannibalize.”

8K TVs: “Announcements of 8K Television (TV) sets by major vendors earlier in 2019 attracted much attention and raised many of questions within the industry,” says Khin Sandi Lynn, Video & Cloud Services Analyst at ABI Research. “The fact is, 8K content is not available and the price of 8K TV sets are exorbitant. The transition from high definition (HD) to 4K will continue in 2020 with very limited 8K shipments – less than 1 million worldwide.”

For more trends that won’t happen in 2020, and the 35 trends that will, download the 54 Technology Trends to Watch in 2020 whitepaper.

Top 5 technology predictions for 2020 unveiled by Dell Technologies. #AI #5G #Multicloud #Dell #Tech

Dell Technologies has today unveiled its top five technology predictions for 2020 with the company forecasting how developments in AI, 5G, Multicloud technology and sustainable innovation will reshape Ireland’s economy and society in the next twelve months and to pave the way to the next data decade.

Unveiling the predictions today, Mark Hopkins, General Manager, Dell Technologies Ireland, said: “2020 will be a milestone year in technology. The explosion in the growth of data and increasing computer power will result in emerging technologies becoming ever more evident in our everyday lives – from how we work and play, to how we do business in Ireland.

“To help organisations to prepare for the change that lies ahead, we’ve identified the technology breakthroughs that will come to the fore. From AI and Machine Learning turning our PCs into even smarter companions, next-generation infrastructure supporting the delivery of 5G, and sustainable innovation taking centre stage, 2020 is set to be the opening of the next data decade.

“I’m very excited about what the future holds and how the Dell Technologies’ teams in Limerick, Cork and Dublin can help businesses to transform. Our Innovation Lab in Limerick provides a critical AI and Internet of Things test-bed for businesses whilst our teams in Cork are at the global forefront of using 5G technology and Edge Computing to create next-generation services that can help to save lives.” 

Top 5 Predictions:

The top technology predictions from Dell Technologies include:

  • Prediction 1: Intelligent devices will change the way we work

Over the next year, AI and machine learning will turn our PCs into even smarter companions. They’ll have the ability to optimise power and battery life for our most productive moments. These devices will become increasingly self-sufficient with the ability to automatically repair, without needing to inform the owner. Biometrics will also become widespread in PC ranges. With this innovation, PCs know it’s you from the moment you gaze at the screen.

 

  • Prediction 2: 5G promises to completely change the data game 

5G promises to completely change the data game – bringing transmissions speeds up to 20 times faster than current 4G platforms. The near-instantaneous transfer of data and information will speed up the delivery of autonomous vehicle and smart cities. In 2020, focus will turn to the delivery of the hardware and infrastructure needed to support the delivery of 5G and the massive amounts of data that will move at speed.

 

  • Prediction 3: Public and private clouds to co-exist

The idea that public and private clouds can and will co-exist becomes a clear reality in 2020. Multi-cloud IT strategies supported by hybrid cloud architectures will play a key role in ensuing organizations have better data management and visibility, while also ensuring that their data remains accessible and secure. In fact, IDC predicts that by 2021, 9 in 10 businesses worldwide will rely on a mix of private and public clouds together with legacy platforms to meet their infrastructure needs.

 

  • Prediction 4: Flexible consumption and as-a-service adoption will accelerate rapidly

One of the biggest hurdles for IT decision makers driving transformation is resources. In 2020, flexible consumption and as-a-service options will accelerate rapidly as organisations seize the opportunity to transform into software-defined and cloud-enabled IT. As a result – they’ll be able to choose the right economic model for their business to take advantage of end-to-end IT solutions that enable data mobility and visibility, and crunch even the most intensive AI and Machine Learning workloads when needed.

  • Prediction 5: Sustainable innovation to take centre stage

Sustainable technology will also take centre stage, with organisations increasing looking to protect the plant. 2020 will see greater investments in reuse and recycling for closed-loop innovation. Hardware will become smaller and more efficient and built with recycled and reclaimed goods.

For more information on Dell Technologies 2020 Predictions, see here.

Review – The Sudio FEM True Wireless plus get a discount. #SudioMoments #TrueWireless #Tech

Over the last two years or so I have been testing out Sudio products and they are consistent in quality and design and also their presentation which works well for everyone and the latest product from them has jumped in many way ways and the new Sudio FEM are their best yet when it comes to Audio quality and design.

You get the typical packaging from Sudio which as always is excellent and well presented and the case looks like the Sudio NIVA we did some time ago with a nice matt black finish that is rubberised and comes with USB-C charging/quick charge and gives great battery life giving you 20hrs in total but you do not get wireless charging here and there is no EQ app but there is no need for one in this instance.

The design is nice with a small stem that sits perfect on your ear and they offer a snug tight fit isolating much of the outside world and you also have 4 mics and noise cancelling which you have no control of but that is also fine for me. They are light and have a nice finish to them and we go through all the features in the video review below.

These work individually too so one can be placed in the box this applies to both sides which is something you dont see to often today and you also have volume control alongside the usual features you would expect to find and the FEM offer some more at the pricepoint they come in at.

When it comes to sound which is what you all want to know is they have upped their game over the previous true wireless on offer and they have a nice bass level thrown into the mix here, I was impressed with my usual test run here and across all genres and sound stages all quite clear crisp with good direction and separation here overall. My usual You Tube and Nextlfix delivered excellent results and no lag latency and phone calls great both ends and clear. You will not be left short changed here with the Sudio FEM minus the lack of wireless charging and no app they still deliver an excellent product that comes in an array of colours.

 

Real Clear Voice: 4 environmental noise-cancelling microphones
– IPX 5 (splash/rain/sweat proof)
– Touch control
– Individual automatic pairing
– Total 20h of playtime, 6h in a single charge
– Weighs 5.5 g per earbud

You can get an extra discount too from us using the code  TECHBI at the till

BUY HERE 

Check out the full range of products HERE

Review – The Skullcandy Cassette Wireless Headphones. #Tech #Skullcandy #Cassette

Skullcandy are a known audio brand delivering several products to cover most pockets but the Cassette wireless headphones come in at the €40 price mark and like this entry level and mid tier market it is quite over saturated with such products but its the audio quality you want most for you euros and after that whatever you get is a bonus. Like I have said before the cost to performance ratio is coming down and we are all now expecting top tier specs for little money,In some cases you get this but many factors still omitted and this is subjective as to what people want in their headphones and what they get.

The Cassette are cheap but built well, I have my video review below and gave these a good twist and no creaks or nosies and they did not snap. I have done so before with headphones at this price and they snapped and the companies involved just said forget it and never heard from them again,So much for being up – front about things and how they operate but this is not the case here as you will see.

The headphones are light and comfortable too which is great,smaller cups (they are on ears rather than overears though) than I would like but having said that they do no sweat the ears and are really comfortable to wear for long periods of time,there is also a leather cushion on the top of the headset, you will notice they are thinner than say their crusher range but thats fine,these are not aimed at the real audiophile at all but something they could consider as a spare headset to have lying around of for travel perhaps.

 

Controls on these are great and all placed on one side where your USB port is for charging and a status LED light and of course your 3.5mm headphone socket should you run out of juice, But these have quick charge which gives you 2 hrs of play in just ten minutes. B

The controls are in a small cluster and rubber coated and simple to use and raised perfectly for navigating blindly in comparison to some recent headphones I test which seen it a bit more troublesome to get use to where the buttons are and they have a good tactile feedback and you know when you hit a command easily.

Given these are entry level they have voice assistant present,there is no audio pass through or ANC but again this is fine at this level,the cups do a decent job of noise isolation and do not clamp onto your head so overall this works well at this price. Bluetooth connection is good and I got at least the typical 10M average with no problems,battery life is great and as mentioned you get quick charge too and not forgetting you get the audio cable just in case.

The controls offer the usual features you would expect with play/pause ,call control and skip and go back on tracks and you also have volume control here,this is something that is omitted from many headphones and true wireless. The sound overall is great and for me I got a nice bass orientated feel from them and deeper tones, there is no lag latency at all on my testing the usual Netflix and You Tube playlists and overall the music experience is generally good with all genres ,instruments and direction very good but nothing near the level of the crusher series which is probably one of the best experiences you will find on headphones today especially if you are in the market for bass heavy cans.

You cant go wrong if you want something affordable that gives a good listening experience overall and you need access to a voice assistant,comfort is great and the ease of use too and for  €40 you will find it hard to get something decent, I have been talking about headphones on sale now in the likes of local garages and multiple supermarkets for example coming in less than €25 euro but these are trash I have tested in store and the audio experience is woeful as a whole and lacking features.

BUY HERE