Month: August 2020

This year’s hottest gadgets for pupils and students of all ages. #backtoschool #tech #students

With the new school year just around the corner, help your kids to transition back to school life with these practical yet cool gadgets and accessories. Whether it’s helping them to get up in the morning or improving their homework experience, there is something for pupils of all ages, from primary school to university.

 

Groov-e Kidz

Price: £29.99 REVIEWED

Available from Groov-e

 

These headphones are ideal for online learning and group homework projects, in addition to leisure activities. The Groov-e Kidz are designed with kids in mind, the soft ear pads ensure a comfortable fit for long periods of time.

 

Suited for use with all devices, these headphones even include a built-in audio-sharing port for them and their music loving friends to listen together. The Kidz headphones offer up to 7.5 hours playtime however the optional 3.5mm headphone jack means they can continue to be used for even longer. They are available in blue or pink.

 

Groov-e Apollo

Price: £29.99 REVIEWED

Available from Groov-e

 

Perfect for students of any age – whether they’re doing homework on their computer, reading books before bed or chilling after a busy day in lectures – the Apollo is a stylish LED lamp, wireless charger and Bluetooth speaker in one.

Lightweight, flexible and USB powered, the touch-controlled Apollo can be used anywhere. To give a compatible mobile device some extra juice simply place it on the base of the lamp for safe charging with no messy cables. Simply connect to the Apollo via Bluetooth and users can hear their favourite tunes around the room through the built-in 3W speaker.

Available in black or white, the Apollo provides a warm LED light with three colour settings making it a must-have for any desk or bedside table.

 

Groov-e Light Curve Wake Up

Price: £39.99

Available from Groov-e

 

If getting them up for school in the morning is a challenge, particularly in the winter months, this radio alarm clock is ideal. The sunrise simulator function offers a more natural wake up, which is ideal for dark mornings. The Light Curve also has seven different mood light functions, perfect for bedtime reading. Older children or university students will also appreciate the FM Radio function so they can listen to music while getting ready for school.

 

Groov-e Aura

Price: £44.99

Available from Groov-e

 

The perfect home study companion, the Aura is a 3-in-1 wireless charger, Bluetooth speaker and touch control LED light. With a futuristic yet subtle design that will look good in any room, users simply place their device on the integrated charging base to give it more juice. What’s more if they want to listen to their favourite tunes while doing homework, the built-in Bluetooth speaker means they can do just that.

 

Whether reading before bed, getting ready in the morning or studying, the three LED light settings of low, medium and high mean users can choose the best lighting to suit their needs.

 

Twelve South Compass Pro

Price: £49.99

Available from Amazon UK

 

The iPad Pro is the perfect gadget for creative children and students and the Compass Pro is designed with creativity in mind. This versatile, all-metal folding stand, described as the iPad’s ‘easel’, can hold the iPad at three different angles for when they’re sketching, doing homework or learning remotely. As well as its stylish, high-quality finish, the Compass Pro folds away and so can be used at home, school, university, coffee shops and more!

 

Twelve South PowerPic

Price: £79.99

Available from Amazon UK

 

The PowerPic, a wireless phone charger disguised as a picture frame, is ideal for students returning to university accommodation. The perfect desk or nightstand companion, it charges their phone wirelessly while also displaying their favourite photo, whether that be of family, friends or pets! It also charges through phone cases up to 3mm thick.

 

Twelve South HiRise Wireless

Price: £79.99 REVIEWED 

Available from Amazon UK

 

HiRise Wireless is a 3-function beauty: a gorgeous upright desktop stand for mobile phones, a wireless charging pad for AirPods and a USB-C portable wireless charger for travel, all in one beautiful chrome and leather package. It’s a useful gadget for students who are always on the go and need to stay connected.

 

Twelve South HiRise for MacBook

Price: £59.99

Available from Amazon UK

 

People of all ages suffer from neck pain caused by poor posture and too many hours spent looking down at a screen. Having a good laptop stand like the Twelve South HiRise for MacBook will make studying instantly more comfortable and healthier. HiRise for MacBook is a beautifully designed, height adjustable stand that elevates your laptop. HiRise does what fixed stands can’t do, letting you set your screen height from a few inches up to half a foot off your desk making it perfect for MacBook users of all sizes.

 

Groov-e Artemis

Price: £34.99

Available from Groov-e

 

The sleek and stylish Artemis is a wireless charging station and LED Touch Lamp in one. Available in black or white, it is the perfect gadget for teenagers’ bedrooms or student accommodation, simply place a wireless enabled device on top of the Artemis for quick and convenient wireless charging.

 

With a unique and modern design, the Artemis also features a touch sensitive light bar which provides three brightness settings (low, medium and high) using long-life energy saving LED’s.

 

Evernote

Price: Basic package is free

Available from Evernote

 

For older children and college/university students, organisation is key but also a skill that takes time to master! Evernote takes the stress out of managing their own time and to-do lists, by offering them a digital solution with reminders. It is also compatible with voice command, which is perfect for the younger generation.

 

Pocketalk

Price: £249.00

Available from Amazon UK

 

A must-have gadget for any students studying abroad this year, Pocketalk S is a multi-sensory, two-way translation device designed for easy naturally flowing conversations, even in noisy environments. With a sleek design encompassing a large touchscreen, two high-quality speakers, noise-cancelling microphones and a text-to-translate camera, Pocketalk S is able to create connections across 74 different languages in over 130 countries and regions. By utilising the best translation engines from around the world, Pocketalk S provides a consistently accurate translation for deciphering public transportation signs, menus, and creates the best experience by picking up localised dialects and slang.

Formula 1 and AWS tap into machine learning and cloud technology to identify the fastest driver of all time #F1 #AWS

As part of the Formula 1 70th anniversary year, the pinnacle of motorsport has been working with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to compare driver speeds throughout the ages and define an ultimate ranking of the fastest drivers ever. Fastest Driver, the latest F1 Insight powered by AWS, is a unique tool that uses machine learning technology to provide an objective, data-driven ranking of all drivers from 1983 through present day, by removing the F1 car differential from the equation.

Ranked by qualifying speed – the fastest that all drivers traverse the course during a Grand Prix weekend –  three-time World Champion Ayrton Senna came out on top, with the Brazilian closely followed by seven-time World Champion, Michael Schumacher with a time differential of +0.114 seconds to Senna, and current World Champion Lewis Hamilton rounding out the top three, achieving a relative time of +0.275 seconds.

By comparing teammates in qualifying sessions, the machine learning-based tool focuses on a driver’s performance output, building a network of teammates across the time-range, all interlinked, and therefore comparable. By comparing laptimes between teammates only, the Fastest Driver algorithm effectively normalises for car and the team performance. Overall, this builds up a picture of how drivers from different generations compare, by analysing the purest indication of raw speed – the qualifying lap.

As a part of F1 Insights, it also provides a unique understanding into a similar exercise F1 teams undergo to define their target drivers for upcoming seasons, but is here applied over a 37-year period of F1 history, despite the differences in rules and machinery.

By using AWS’s machine learning technology, data scientists from F1 and the Amazon Machine Learning (ML) Solutions Lab have for the first time in history created a cross-era, objective, complex, data-driven ranking of driver speed – the Fastest Driver insight.

The output from the Fastest Driver insight is a dataset with rankings based on speed (or qualifying times) in descending order of outputs including: Driver, Rank (integer), and Gap to best (seconds, to 0.001s).

The full top 10 driver rankings includes current F1 stars Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Sebastian Vettel, former World Champions Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg, and fan favourites Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli. Further drivers will be announced on F1.com in the coming weeks as the season continues and more data is analysed.

A detailed explainer video and analysis of the data can be found here..

Ranking Driver Timings
 1. Ayrton Senna 0.000
 2. Michael Schumacher 0.114
 3. Lewis Hamilton 0.275
 4. Max Verstappen 0.280
5. Fernando Alonso 0.309
6. Nico Rosberg 0.374
7. Charles Leclerc 0.376
8. Heikki Kovalainen 0.378
9. Jarno Trulli 0.409
10. Sebastian Vettel 0.435

Dean Locke, Director of Broadcast & Media F1 said: “This has been such an exciting project to work on, stripping back the man from the machine and looking at a wealth of data of each driver throughout history. With the help of AWS we have been able to address something that has been asked for many years and rank drivers by the one raw attribute of pure speed in one flying lap, across the ages, regardless of how good their car is or isn’t.”

Rob Smedley, Director of Data Systems, F1 said: “Within the team environment this type of modelling is used to make key decisions on driver choices. As drivers are more often than not the most expensive asset of the team it is important that the selection process is as robust as possible. A process such as this therefore would be deployed by the F1 team’s strategists in order to present the most objective and evidence-based selection possible. Fastest Driver enables us to build up a picture of how the drivers compare, by analysing the purest indication of raw speed, the qualifying lap – and it’s important to note this pure speed is the only element of the vast driver armoury we are analysing here, to showcase the quickest drivers ever, which is very exciting.”

Dr. Priya Ponnapalli, Principal Scientist and Senior Manager, Amazon ML Solutions Lab, AWS, said: “We’re excited to be able to continue to collaborate with an organisation like F1, which has such a data-rich catalogue of information. With machine learning, there are a number of opportunities to apply the technology to answer complex problems, and in this case, we hope to help settle age-old disputes with fans by using data to inform  decisions. For us at AWS, it’s exciting to see machine learning being used in a way that everyone can relate to.”

Review – The @skullcandy Crusher ANC. Bass fans need these. #Skullcandy #ANC #Tech

I have an extensive collection of headphones here and they get better as time goes on which of course is welcome and it is not the first time we have tried a pair of crusher ANC headphones from the company,this time around we have this fantastic colour too but the built is plastic throughout but it is not really an issue once you look after your headphones and you get a carry case with them so you have no excuse.

If you can get over the build which most will and you put these on your head you will forget about it and just be blown over by how these operate, you do have an ambient mode and ANC mode by holding the left cup.

Comfort is excellent here too and can be worn for long periods of time,typically for me a few hours on You Tube Netflix and so on every evening I move from the True Wireless earbuds to headphones and get away from it all it is like a routine for me alongside testing and wearing for hours was no problem and really comfortable, A bit awkward lying in bed due to size like any headphones if lying down but this is how I use or if nobody in the house turn em up full blast and immerse in the sound.

The controls are great you have the slider on the left for the sensory bass and this is where the magic happens it is quite remarkable and a feeling like no other, On the right is three circular buttons that are easy to find with the hands and work a treat and this I like as many headphones today offer small linear buttons,these work well all the time,here is where you can skip/reverse play/pause tracks etc we go through all this in the video anyway.

These might be targeted at a certain audience but if you have any headphones at home or need a new pair and try these out particularly if you are a bass fan you will want them, Even if you are not a bass heavy fan they are worth a look with comfort in mind and looks,they stand out in this colour, As a normal use case with ANC tuned off and no sensory bass turned up they do a great job too and having these options at hand are great, In general if you like movies  for example this will change the experience totally and immerse you in what you are watching, I have tried other brands like the QC25/35 people go on about but only for a short time in a retail outlet and at airports BOSE have yet to send us a pair to test out and Sony with their offering the WH 1000-MX3 yet, I tested them at the press launch, Given I have not had enough time to pair these off from initial testing the Crusher ANC stick it up to them both..

Features

ADJUSTABLE SENSORY BASS Bass you can measure in goosebumps. Crusher ANC features our broadest range of Sensory Bass yet with new, patented drivers. You don’t just hear it, you feel it. And you can easily adjust it up or down based on your preference.

PERSONAL SOUND Tuned to your personal hearing with the Skullcandy App. By taking a real-time audio test on the Skullcandy app, you’ll create a Personal Sound profile based on your unique hearing. That profile is then stored on your headphones to optimize audio levels so you hear layers in your music that you’ve never heard before.

ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLATION Less Noise. Cleaner Sound. No matter how much the sounds around you change, Skullcandy’s Active Noise Cancellation monitors your environment and eliminates outside noise to keep your music crystal clear.

Skullcandy kindly sent us these to review with no compensation paid nor influence on my thoughts and are seeing this the same time as you..

BUY

Review – The Jabra Evolve 2 85. The hybrid headphones you need. #JabraEvolve2 #Jabra

The Jabra Evolve 2 85 are a hybrid pair of headphones that can be used both in the office and home or even out for a stroll, If you are coming from a pair of 85h you are going to get the same experience as before only this time these are equipped towards the office user or indeed those who work from home which is a new trend that has recently went on fast forward. These headphones are UC certified which means if you have the UC variant (there is several options available) you are good to go with the likes of Microsoft teams which again has seen a huge spike in use.

Build quality is great and quite similar to the older 85h which still today serve me well and when it comes to controls everything is laid out simple on these headphones which helps, There is multiple features on board here which I think sets these apart from other offerings out there. One is ANC you need this in your life especially in an open space working are for less distraction and keeping you focused on the call at hand,not only that when listening to music this is a winner and I do not need to tell you anymore on that from using the 85h the same applies again.

Comfort is another thing here to note they again can be worn for long periods of time and are really comfortable these are not heavy headphones nor clamp onto your head and after wearing these for multiple hours over several days they did not sweat nor feel annoying like some headphones can.

JABRA EVOLVE 2 65 REVIEW

 

The busy light is probably my favourite, Pet hate of mine if I am on a call and people come up to me when I am clearly on the phone talking this light is clearly visible to let people know that you are busy and steer clear of me if you come near me with these lights active you are asking for trouble.

The mic is retractable so it hides when not in use,these headphones can be used in both home,office or outdoors and for many out there these are a perfect answer to solve two problems and save money in the long run the mic is on the right though and some have said why not on the left or make it removable,again this is an industry standard yet I see the point and perhaps all manufacturers can look at this going forward..

The headphones come with ten mic technology and calls are great, I am not one to use teams or zoom much but I do use these platforms and they shine here as they do with music due to the 40mm speakers, Battery life is excellent here and something to note too,if you are a heavy ANC user it will obviously drain the life quicker but overall on par with the 37 hours slated, you also can get 8 hours charge in just 15 minutes which is impressive and it will take 2.5 hours to fully charge.

Check out the video for more below.

The great folks at Jabra sent us these to review with no copy approval or compensation paid and are seeing this the same time as you..

Buy –  https://www.jabra.co.uk/business/office-headsets/jabra-evolve/jabra-evolve2-85##28599-989-999

Poly appoints Dave Shull President and Chief Executive Officer.

Plantronics, Inc.  a global communications company that powers meaningful human connection and collaboration, today announced the appointment of Dave Shull as President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), effective September 8, 2020. Mr. Shull succeeds Robert Hagerty, who has served as Interim Chief Executive Officer since February 2020. Mr. Hagerty will continue in his role as Chairman of the Board, and resume his membership on the Nominating and Governance and Strategy Committees, as well as his role as Chair of the Mergers and Acquisitions Committee. Marv Tseu will continue in his role as Vice Chairman of the Board.

“Dave is a technology veteran whose global operations and telecommunications expertise, together with his extensive leadership experience and fresh insights, make him an outstanding leader for Poly,” said Mr. Hagerty. “Poly’s rich technology history, diverse end markets ranging from offices and call centres to consumers, and proven focus on excellence in innovation mean that we have a tremendous opportunity ahead of us. The addition of an enthusiastic, creative thinker like Dave is, in the Board’s view, a recipe for long-term success and growth. On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to welcome Dave to the Poly family.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world for all of us – especially how we interact and connect with others, both professionally and personally,” said Mr. Shull. “Poly has been leading the world for decades in connecting teams wherever and however they want. Its world-class audio, video, and software engineers are focused on creating the best communication endpoints that sound great and deliver amazing video, and are also consistently reliable and manageable for the most demanding users. We expect the fundamental shift to remote work and to the cloud will endure well beyond the pandemic, and the market opportunities created by the work-from-anywhere revolution are significant and exciting. This is a pivotal time in Poly’s history, and I am excited to lead this talented team during this transformational period.”  

About Dave Shull
Mr. Shull most recently served as President and CEO of TiVo Corporation, where he gained significant consumer hardware experience and reinvigorated the image of the TiVo brand through a new corporate narrative and a cutting-edge streaming product. Under Mr. Shull’s leadership, TiVo’s adjusted EBITDA grew 55% from Q1 2019 to Q2 2020. Prior to leading TiVo, he served as CEO of The Weather Channel. Mr. Shull brings over 15 years of senior leadership experience in digital media, commercial marketing, operations, and telecommunications. He also brings extensive global experience in operational transformation, complex business partnerships, corporate development and capital markets.

Prior to serving as CEO of The Weather Channel, he held various executive roles at DISH Network/EchoStar for 10 years, including Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Senior Vice President, Programming, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific, and Vice President, Operations. Mr. Shull holds an A.B. from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from Oxford University.

 

The Nik Collection 3 by DxO wins the 2020-2021 EISA Award for Best Photo Software.

DxO, one of the most innovative companies in the photography and image editing industry, is proud to announce that EISA has awarded the prestigious “2020-2021 EISA PHOTO SOFTWARE” Award to the Nik Collection 3 by DxO, the famous creative photo plugin suite for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, and DxO PhotoLab.

 

With more than sixty expert magazines published in nearly 30 countries worldwide, the Expert Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) represents the broadest editorial collaboration in the mass retail electronics sector. Every year, its jury awards the top products in photography as well as the Hi-Fi, home cinema, embedded electronics, and mobile device industries.

“With the Nik Collection 3 by DxO, we set out to provide Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom Classic users with an even more flexible and fluid editing process,” says Jérôme Ménière, founder and CEO of DxO. “We are especially proud that EISA’s expert jury chose to recognize this major improvement to our software, which was made possible by an amazing collaboration with the Nik Collection community—a group that is continuing to grow throughout the world.” 

 

The Nik Collection 3 by DxO offers expert photographers a palette of nearly 200 creative, high-quality effects and filters as well as a number of retouching tools. With the software’s exclusive U POINT™ technology, users can apply local adjustments to specific areas in the image with seamless precision. Launched in June 2020, the Nik Collection 3 By DxO includes the new Nik Selective Tool, the suite’s plugin launcher for Adobe Photoshop, and new quick-edit tools. Nik Collection 3 By DxO also offers a new non-destructive workflow, an exclusive feature that is perfect for Adobe Lightroom Classic users, as well as an eighth geometric correction plugin, Perspective Efex. 

 

According to the EISA jury, “Nik Collection 3 by DxO is a suite of eight powerful photo-editing plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and DxO PhotoLab, that helps photographers take their images to the next level. Together the plug-ins allow a wide range of effects to be applied quickly and easily to images, such as great black & white conversions, attractive colour adjustments and creative treatments, and new in this version, comprehensive geometric corrections. A new non-destructive mode allows you to export images as TIFF files and tweak your edits, while keeping your original images safe and your adjustments reversible.”

Review – The Hohem iSteady X Smartphone Gimbal. #Gimbal #Smartphone #Tech #Hohem

The Hohem smartphone gimbal is a lightweight ideal tool for beginners and more, With the use of social media and other ideas this gimbal fits the bill for most people especially newcomers to using such tech,the accompanying app you get with it makes it even easier to use and is one of the better apps out there to get started with all the tutorials on board,you also get other features in the app too which you may or may not want to use to enhance or add to your creations.

The design and build is nice and an off white colour which I like over the typical black colour we tend to see much of and the functions are easy to use too again described well in the tutorials on the app, We go through the app in the video below anyway.

You have a simple zoom button to the left and a navi key that is circular to direct the gimbal in any direction however I did find it did not tilt backwards too much compared to another model I have here but you can change the axis on the back. This is a 3 axis gimbal with four shooting modes with anti shake and face tracking, In the video I am testing a new Sony xperia L4 and you will see the difference here between handheld and using the gimbal whilst walking around and it is quite impressive for the price, Overall it is an affordable way to up your game and try something new using such technology and it has only been recent I have started using gimbals myself and they are a handy tool to have at your disposal.

The company sent us this to review and paid no compensation they are seeing this the same time as you and had no influence on my findings.

BUY HERE

Review – MNML case line up for the Google Pixel 4a. #Tech #MNML #Pixel4a

Recently we checked out the iPhone 11 case line up and last year the Pixel 4 now this time around it is the all new Pixel 4a case line up from our friends at MNML, Again these are simple clean cases with no branding and access to all ports and a minimal design hence the name. One thing to keep in mind is you will need a screen protector as the front will be exposed to the elements but overall a nice clean case for your phone that is thin..

The Pixel 4a was made for minimalists. Compliment your Pixel 4a with a MNML Case for the ultimate one-two combo.

. Slim, sleek design preserves the original look and feel of your phone without adding excess bulk
. Raised back camera bump protects your world-class camera from scratches
. Precision cutouts around curved glass screen and speakers allow for unhampered media consumption

See the video for more and image samples..

 

BUY HERE 

T-Pain and Herman Li To Rock Dream Laptop In Battle Of The Hands. #ROG #Tech

The ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 is no ordinary laptop. So when Republic of Gamers (ROG) were thinking about the best way to showcase their machine’s abundant high-end abilities, it was always going to take something a little less than ordinary to fulfil the brief. Enter stage left our two teams: fronted by T-Pain and Herman Li, who — alongside animation talents Rafael Varona and Kingdom of Something — have been tasked with creating a mini-masterpiece with their new toys.

Herman Li is a British Chinese musician and co-lead guitar with London’s premier power metal band, Dragonforce. His co-conspirators are the Amsterdam-based animation team, Kingdom of Something. Hoping to dash the hopes of these European dreamers is American rapper, songwriter and record producer, T-Pain. His artistic ally being Rafael Varona — a South American animator based in Western Europe but with roots firmly planted in his native Peru.

Both teams have within their ranks huge community engagement on social media platforms like twitter, Facebook and Instagram. This support will be key to the success of their projects and will also see two lucky winners score their very own ROG Zephyrus Duo 15s — as well as the chance to collaborate with the teams on their projects. Runners-up prizes also include high-end ROG hardware (detailed below).

The battle lines are drawn, the two teams are tasked with creating an animated short film with accompanying musical score; with the ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 offering all the creative firepower they’ll need. The laptop behind each team has a patented ROG ScreenPad, a secondary display, innovative liquid metal cooling and a groundbreaking thermal design unleashIng peak power from a 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9 CPU and NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2080 SUPER™ GPU; it will also run 48GB of the fastest 3200-DDR4 RAM. Meaning our creative teams certainly shouldn’t encounter any issues when collaborating across their respective music and animation projects.

Industrial designer, Adrian Godin-Bernard, suggests the ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 will easily handle the demands placed on it by the two teams: “The laptop can handle any kind of 3D rendering for hours without any problems at all. In terms of its music-making abilities there are also zero latency issues. The cutting edge specs mean this baby eats even the most resource-sapping music production projects — for breakfast, lunch and dinner!”

Angela Chang, ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 product manager explains how screen choices will be set up for ‘Art of the Duo’ teams: “For the main display we have two different alternatives that both balance the needs of gamers and creators. The first option provides a 300Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time; perfect for pro-level gaming. The second option, is a more professional creator-oriented set-up with a 4K display — this is the one our two creative teams will be using here.”

Battle commences on August 13.