Month: October 2021

Tech Review – PHNX case round up for the iPhone 13 Pro

PHNX formerly MNML have been a regular feature on techbuzzireland and have now a range of cases for the iPhone 13 series, we have the iPhone 13 pro and they have sent us over some cases to check out which give you a super clean look and one that is minimal, these cases are best used with screen protectors to give you protection but they do not add any bulk to your device like some cases do, they are 0.35mm thin and come in three different colours.

The cases also work well with wireless charging and are not fingerprint magnets either and are very robust given how thin they are and are an ideal pick up for your smartphone if you just want something simple.

Features of the cases are

  • Slim, sleek, non-branded case preserves the beautiful look and feel Apple phones are famous for
  • Raised bump around back camera provides camera extra protection from scratches
  • Special finish prevents fingerprints on the notorious fingerprint-magnet iPhone glass back

See their website for a full range of cases and check the video below to see what exactly you are going to get. Check out the iPhone 13 pro case lineup and get a 25% discount HERE using the code Techbuzz

Tee off for the unknown – A Little Golf Journey takes to the greens today. #Gaming #Golf

A Little Golf Journey is all about the journey, not the driver.  Explore diverse biomes, uncover each course’s secrets and enjoy a relaxed, playful experience built around a stripped back version of the game of golf.

Created by a duo of former AAA games developers and launching on Steam & GOG for PC and Nintendo Switch today, A Little Golf Journey allows players to soak up the natural beauty of the course, spend all your time out of bounds or shoot straight for the greens. But who knows what mysteries you might uncover if you explore a little?

Available for digital download now, A Little Golf Journey is priced at £15.49/$17.99/€16.79 for Nintendo Switch and £15.49/$19.99/€17.30 on Steam & GOG

The worlds first self-charging solar powers ANC headphones now available, The Urbanista Los Angeles

Urbanista, the Swedish lifestyle audio brand, are pleased to announce that the world’s first self-charging solar-powered, wireless active noise-cancelling headphones, Urbanista Los Angeles, are now available now in Midnight Black at www.urbanista.com/losangeles and Sand Gold is available for pre-order.

Urbanista Los Angeles brings a rare leap in headphone technology innovation to the market with a product that is designed to revolutionise your listening experience. With Urbanista Los Angeles, for the first time ever, you can experience virtually unlimited playtime with solar charging. Los Angeles never stops charging when exposed to light, both outdoors and indoors, providing a nonstop audio experience.

Enhance Your Experience with the Urbanista Mobile App 

To allow customers to get the most out of their product experience with Los Angeles, Urbanista launched their mobile companion app that is available at www.urbanista.com/app for both iOS and Android users. The app provides information on how to get the most of the product’s playtime, including visual indications of solar charge levels and usage, and the option to customise the headphones controls.

URBANISTA LOS ANGELES – THE WORLD’S FIRST SELF-CHARGING HEADPHONES

Anders Andreen, CEO, comments: “Los Angeles has been a highly anticipated product and an advancement in technology that our industry has been waiting for. We are pleased to announce Urbanista Los Angeles is now shipping worldwide and we are excited to be delivering this ground-breaking technology to the market. It is not often innovations such as this one come along and I am personally looking forward to seeing how our customers enjoy an entirely new way of consuming content on the go.”

Priced at GBP 169 / SEK 1999 / EUR 199 / USD 199 / NOK 1999 / DKK 1499 MSRP, Los Angeles comes in two stylish colours: Midnight Black and Sand Gold.

Urbanista Los Angeles is now available at www.urbanista.com/losangeles

Watch the full Urbanista Los Angeles “A New Dawn” campaign film and enter the dawn of a new era of solar powered headphones:

Urbanista Los Angeles Key Features

  • Virtually infinite playtime
  • Always charging when exposed to light, both outdoors and indoors
  • 80h battery reserve
  • Hybrid active noise cancelling
  • Ambient sound mode
  • On-ear detection
  • USB type-C charging
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • Siri and Google Assistant
  • Compatible with iOS, Android and Windows

Tech Review – Otterbox Stand for MagSafe Charger

If you need accessories for your iPhone 13/Pro/Max  check out the Otterbox Stand for MagSafe charger which is very usefull in more ways than one, there is a myriad of MagSafe accessories out there now and if you own Otterbox with Magsafe cases this is a must for the Otterbox fan.

This makes life much easier for those who do not like wires and it also comes with a good cable management system too which for me is ideal this can be used on your bedside locker or beside your PC as an extra tool having your device at hand for social media, calls and media consumption keeping your PC free which I find productive and very handy to have, you could also use it on your bedside locker too for viewing media and so on and your phone can be used in both vertical and horizontal mode which makes it and ideal accessory and also makes a great gift if you know someone that could do with it.

The build quality is also excellent here, it might be white but has a matt finish is very robust with cable management to keep the cable out of the way, it does not collect fingerprints and has a rubberised base to stop it moving around and is a really premium finish and will not get scratched either.

FEATURES  

  • Designed for seamless interaction with Apple MagSafe Charger, iPhone  and cases with MagSafe*  
  • Accommodates strong magnetic alignment and attachment  
  • Precision-fit design for Apple MagSafe Charger (sold separately) 
  • No-slip, weighted form holds stand in place as iPhone clicks on and off • Facilitates optimal wireless charging speeds up to 15W for iPhones with MagSafe • Suspends iPhone securely at any angle while charging, streaming and connecting • Compact design and styling blends in around the home and home office • Premium finish resists scratches and fingerprints 
  • Sleek stand with cable routing feature protects cable 
  • Legendary durable OtterBox design 
  • Hassle-free customer service 
  • For best experience and protection, attach to an OtterBox for MagSafe case† 

BUY HERE  Check the video review below.

First look at the €199 realme 8i with 120Hz refresh rate #realme8i

Building upon the success and maintaining the momentum of the overwhelmingly favoured realme 8 series, today, realme will launch one more best-seller candidate: realme 8i. Since its inception, realme has been carrying out the mission of democratising tech for all, by providing cutting edge technology at an affordable price.

This time, the realme 8i brings the first 120Hz ultra smooth experience with a never before seen affordable price. Equipped with a powerful G96 processor, 120Hz display, and up to 7GB Dynamic RAM while also featuring a massive 5000mAh battery with 18W fast charge, realme 8i is poised to be the ultimate smooth superhero.

realme 8i comes with Helio G96’s debut in Europe. The Helio G96 possesses two large A75 cores and 6 small A55 cores, and its main frequency reaches up to 2.05GHz.

The Helio G96 processor is jointly overseen and launched by realme and Mediatek, demonstrating realme’s determination in ensuring quality control and product development. Seven senior engineers were assigned to guide the whole process. Over the course of 106 days, they had technically optimised 3 major performance features, making the realme G96 the only G9 series chip that can power 120Hz displays for updated smooth gaming performance. This is also realme’s first screen in which the brightness can reach as low as 1 nit.

Combined with high-quality performance, the realme 8i also offers the ultimate immersive viewing experience with its 120Hz refresh rate, 6.6inch full screen with a 90.8% screen-to-body ratio, allowing more people to enjoy the ultra-smooth experience together.

Apart from processor and screen display, realme also upgrades the smooth experience with DRE technology, Dynamic RAM Expansion, where 4GB RAM can be upgraded to 7GB RAM (only 4GB+128GB version). The DRE technology is originally derived from computers and is now applied to smartphones for comprehensive uplift in overall smoothness. Not only do apps open faster, but background processes also move faster.

The realme 8i not only delivers a smooth experience but the 5000mAh Battery has also been optimised for ultimate, long-lasting performance that doesn’t affect the day-to-day experience. With just a single charge, this device lets you talk to your friends for 40 hours straight, listen to 1,200 songs or watch 18 movies.

For now we take a dive into the new device and will have a full review soon so if you have any questions feel free to ask below or on our You Tube video below

Soundcore Frames is the latest eyewear to hit the market

Soundcore, Anker Innovations’ premium audio brand, today unveiled its Soundcore Frames, a new audio eyewear product that features an immersive listening experience and multiple frame styles.

“Up until, now the emerging audio eyewear space has been pretty dull with only limited design choices,” says Steven Yang, CEO of Anker Innovations. “With our new Soundcore Frames we hope to reset things, bringing a more stylish audio listening experience to the market.”

Immersive Sound

Soundcore Frames feature the company’s patented OpenSurround system, designed with two customized drivers in each arm, custom DSP and a listening port for a more immersive experience. The main speaker is in front of the user’s ear, with another located behind the ear to help amplify the stereo sound. Soundcore Frames also feature on-ear wearing detection and will automatically pause audio when the glasses are removed.

Soundcore Frames on woman

Great for Phone and Video Calls

Soundcore Frames feature noise reducing microphones and can be easily paired with a phone, tablet or PC to take calls or participate in online meetings from anywhere. In addition, Soundcore Frames come with a private listening mode that can help reduce audio leakage when on a call.

Interchangeable Frames

When purchasing on Soundcore.com, consumers can choose from one of ten different frame styles to come with their new Soundcore Frames. They can also purchase additional frames in an assortment of sizes, shapes and styles including tinted sunglasses, prescription and blue-light filtering options. And with Soundcore’s Pull and Plug quick release system, consumers can easily swap out different styles.

The Soundcore app and website feature a virtual try-on experience so consumers can find the perfect frame style to go with their new Soundcore Frames.

Soundcore Frames

Touch and Voice Controls

Controlling the Soundcore Frames is easy with both touch and voice controls. Consumers can customize a number of touch and swipe motions to play and pause music, answer phone calls, raise and lower the volume and advance or reverse tracks. Multiple trigger words can also perform these actions using AI voice technology.

Battery Life

Soundcore Frames offer up to 5.5 hours of playback on a single charge as well as the ability to fast charge an additional 1.5 hours of playback with a 10-minute charge.

Availability and Pricing

Soundcore Frames will be available on Soundcore.com, Amazon.com and in retail partners including Best Buy in November for $199.99 in the US, £149.99 in the UK, €179.99 EUR in Germany and Europe and $249 CAD in Canada.

Additional frame models will be available for purchase via Soundcore.com in the coming weeks for $49.99 in the US, £49.99 in the UK, €49.99 EUR in Germany and Europe and $59.99 CAD in Canada.

Tech Review – Cocoda Phone Tripod Extendable with Bluetooth remote

Vloggers and Bloggers need some kit every now and then to get things done and this is something that might be of interest and affordable and can be used in several scenarios and again it is portable and it is also light. The Cocoda Phone Tripod, Extendable comes with a telescopic pole that gets higher than most and comes with a bluetooth remote control which makes many tasks much easier rather than having a second person with you all the time which is great.

This product also has a better base than most allowing it to hold more weight and is built with aluminum rather than plastic which many tend to be. With the main portion that holds devices being effectively 360 degrees it is also not fixed and gives you more freedom too which is another benefit, some of my kit for example is fixed and some is more flexible and this one here does a great job of covering all angles.

Features

  • Cocoda Phone Tripod Stand, Bluetooth Selfie Stick Tripod, 20.4’’ – 55.9’’ Flexible Mobile Phone Tripod Mount Holder, Compatible with Camera iPhone 13 12 11 8 7 6 Pro Max, Galaxy S20 S10 and Other Smart Phones
  • Fast Bluetooth Remote Shutter: The pocket sized Bluetooth remote allows you to take selfies or group photos easily from a distance up to 10m or 33ft. And the shutter is built in 60mAh CR2032 lithium battery, which can be instantly connected and operate easily. Just record every moment like traveling, parties, face time, vlogging from now on.
  • More Possibility: This smartphone tripod can be extended from 20.47″ to 55.9″, and combined with 180° head rotation and 360° rotatable phone holder, it can meet the requirements of different height and angle formerly impossible when shooting or video. Let you enjoy the top-level stable quality of photographing works. Product Attributes Bullet Points
  • Stability and Non-Slip: Equipped with 3 quick flick locks, you can adjust it to the length you desire. To prevent telescopic stick sliding down, please make sure each stick is locked. Non-slip foot pad maintains the stability and security of your device without any slippage.
  • Great Compatibility: With universal 1/4 inch screw, this phone tripod mount compatible with digital camera,action camera, GoPro etc. And the phone with width between 2.36 to 3.54 inch, such as compatible with iPhone iPhone13 Pro Max 13 Pro 13 mini 13 SE 12 Pro Max 12 Pro 12 XS Max XR XS X 8, Samsung Galaxy S20 Note 10 S10 S10e S9+, Google Pixel, and More.

BUY HERE

Next-Gen Online Gaming: What To Expect

Online Takeover

The gaming scene is shifting to online-based gaming. You rarely have the experience of going to your local game shop anymore. Gone are the days when you could spend some time searching through fully packed racks of covers and skim-read the manual on the way home. You now face an online shopfront with an infinite supply of the games you are looking for. The stores use intelligent algorithms that cater to your style, showing you precisely what you want to see and what online gaming bonuses will incentivize your next purchase. From online casino to multiplayer gaming with your friends, the virtual gaming experience has never been so varied.

The option of getting “online-only” content has been steadily rising in popularity, with the introduction of consoles that no longer come with disc trays to support physical copies of games. The Digital marketplaces are filled with subscriptions that unlock various games for you based on the plan you take. For example, EA PASS and Xbox Live Gold will cost you a fraction of the number of games you will unlock. Essentially these are in the forms of a monthly or annual subscription to access all the fun they are offering on their lists without any restrictions and often with exclusive bonuses.

Missing Singleplayer

It is becoming more and more common to see games with no story mode that are completely online-based. The demand for story mode single-player games is sadly decreasing, and developers see this too, making them far less inclined to make story mode titles. A significant amount of more work is put into a game with an exciting and compelling storyline for it not to be well received or simply ignored.

Nowadays, it is almost too easy for corporations like the Call of Duty franchise to capitalize on their already perfect recipe. The mechanics of a Call of Duty game has been roughly the same since its inception, and that makes their game-making process increasingly easier as now they have a lot of online-only titles which are merely reskinned clones of the same game.

This, mixed with the overall success of development companies rehashing the same game, leads to a lack of new story-based games that are truly worth your time and money.

Rockstar Hall of Fame & Playing With History

Unfortunately, Rockstar Games has confirmed that there will not be a new Grand Theft Auto title but will be providing gamers with an “enhanced” edition of Grand Theft Auto: V. This is somewhat disappointing as they already have released Grand Theft Auto: V multiple times and have moved into an online-focused platform.

Grand Theft Auto: V will earn most of its money this year from the release of its enhanced version. Sony accidentally revealed that its upcoming November launch would boast an enhanced version with improved graphics running on PlayStation 5 at 4K 60fps. The specs for Xbox Series X have not yet been announced, but it seems likely they will be similar to the PS5’s. Despite the game being launched more than eight years ago, it is still one of the most fun and interactive games available.

This means we will still be playing a lot of the same online before seeing a new Grand Theft Auto. V is simply just too successful in stopping milking yet.

It is saddening to know that gamers never received at least an enhanced remaster of other iconic Rockstar Titles such as Bully or Manhunt in all these years. Especially an enhanced Grand Theft Auto: IV online with first-person capabilities would be so much more refreshing than hearing Lester whine in his annoying voice for nearly a decade.

The True Cost Of Online Gaming

Unless you are comfortable waiting for a day or two for a game, then you may need to consider some factors before jumping to buy yourself a Next-Gen console. Many gamers forget to consider certain aspects of how this industry is moving, and it is becoming easier to have an unpleasant experience based on external circumstances.

Both consoles are coming in at around the eight hundred dollar region on Amazon, and this is a pretty hefty price to have a bad experience. After you buy your console, you will need to pay for the online experience, which can vary in cost, but both will be a minimum of fifty to sixty dollars. After you get online and realize that your Wi-Fi is not up to par with the extended memory sizes of next-gen games entirely it is an incredibly long wait to play the game you just purchased. With that said, you may need to invest in extra storage as some games take up to two hundred and twenty-five gigabytes. Considering a PlayStation 5 will have eight hundred and twenty-five gigabytes of storage space, you can easily take nearly thirty percent of your console’s storage with one game, and that is not looking good for your storage real estate. Not to mention if you do not have a television that is capable of handling 4K graphics, you will not be seeing the 4K graphics you are forking your hard-earned cash for.

Despite all of this, Microsoft has made more than fifty games available for free on its Xbox Series X. Many gamers have complained that Microsoft refuses to allow free-to-play games to be played online without Xbox Live Gold memberships. This is a move in the right direction. Next-Gen online gaming is the future, but it is clear the game developers still need to catch up to the curve, and so does your wallet.

Sony Continues to Redefine Excellence in Imaging with the Introduction of the new FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II

Sony announced the newest lens in their G Master lineup – the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​, which delivers an extraordinary combination of resolution and bokeh as well as unequalled AF (autofocus) performance known to Sony’s G Master design.

“Listening to our customers around the world, we decided to develop a new, improved version of our 70-200mm F2.8: the G-Master FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II,” said Yann Salmon Legagneur, Director, Product Marketing, Sony Europe BV. “The improvements in weight and focusing speed with this new lens are immense and will make a huge difference for both photographers and videographers. When used in conjunction with our compact and lightweight full frame bodies, Sony is providing an ideally balanced and extremely portable combination.”

Designed to perfectly pair with Sony’s E-mount camera bodies, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ not only offers outstanding optical quality and advanced AF performance, but it is the lightesti F2.8 70-200mm zoom in the world and allows for unprecedented shooting freedom and flexibility. Sony continues to strengthen the Alpha system with this newest addition to the broadest selection of mirrorless lenses on the market as the 65th lens in its E-mount lens lineup.

New Levels of Performance

The new FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ delivers outstanding image quality with high resolution and clarity. Users can expect a clean and clear image from corner-to-corner throughout the entire zoom range, even when the aperture is wide open. Thanks to the two aspherical lens elements, including one XA (extreme aspherical) element manufactured to 0.01-micron surface precision, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ effectively controls distance-related aberration variations to ensure outstanding resolution throughout the image area.

The FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ also employs two ED (extra-low dispersion) spherical glass elements and two Super ED spherical glass elements to significantly reduce chromatic aberration without colour bleeding. This lens also includes an ED aspherical element for the first time in an Alpha system lens, which simultaneously suppresses chromatic and spherical aberration, common issues in other telephoto lenses.

Smooth, beautiful bokeh is made possible by a large F2.8 maximum aperture and a newly developed 11-blade circular aperture unit. In addition, the lens’ advanced optical design including an XA element thoroughly suppresses the unwanted ‘onion ring’ effect, further enhancing the bokeh. The FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ also offers excellent close-up performance with deep bokeh. The minimum focusing distance is just 15.7 inches (0.4 meters) at 70mm and 32.3 inches (0.82 meters) at 200mm, with a maximum magnification of 0.3x.　Moreover, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ can be easily paired with Sony’s high-performance 1.4x or 2.0x teleconverter to extend the lens’ focal length to 400mm at an F5.6 aperture, all while maintaining its G Master quality.

To avoid any unwanted flare and ghosting in challenging lighting conditions, Sony’s original Nano AR Coating II produces a uniform anti-reflection coating on the surface of the lens. In addition, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​’s optical design also effectively suppresses internal reflections to improve clarity.

Industry-leading Autofocus

The FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​’s state-of-the-art lens technology brings out the best in the advanced camera body it is paired with. The new lens uses four Sony-original XD (extreme dynamic) Linear Motors for extraordinary fast and precise AF, making it up to approximately 4 times faster and with focus tracking improved by 30% when compared to the previous model. When paired with Sony’s flagship Alpha 1, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ is capable of high-speed continuous shooting at up to 30 fps. Superb AF tracking is also available even when using a teleconverter. For video, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ offers smooth and quiet AF to reliably lock in focus and track fast moving subjects, even while zooming so the user can leave the focusing to the camera.

​Advanced Features for Video

With its constant F2.8 maximum aperture, astounding AF performance, versatile control, and solid reliability, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ is a perfect choice for video. The new lens was designed to dramatically reduce focus breathing, focus shift, and axis shift when zooming so that there is minimal unwanted image movement and angle of view variations.

For easy video-use operation, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ features independent control rings for focus, zoom, and aperture (iris), allowing precise manual operation. The aperture ring also has a click ON/OFF switch. Additionally, Sony’s Linear Response MF ensures responsive, low-lag manual focus control. The supplied lens hood also features an opening that allows convenient operation of circular polarising filters or variable ND filters for more creative flexibility.

Designed for Professionals

The FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ is the world’s lightest F2.8 telephoto zoom lens and is approximately 29% lighter than previous model, weighing just under 37 oz (1,045g). In addition to its light weight, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ was designed for professionals to offer an ideal balance without front-heaviness, ensuring that the lens’ centre of gravity falls directly above the tripod mount. It also features internal zoom to keep the centre of gravity constant.

The FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ has been specifically designed for professionals based on their direct feedback. The new lens includes focus functions to support the user’s professional needs such as Full-time DMF, natural and linear manual focus response, and a focus-range limiter switch. The FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ also includes three customizable focus hold buttons that are provided 90° apart for easy access and convenient control when shooting in horizontal or vertical orientation, and just about any angle.

The FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ features both a click ON/OFF switch and an iris lock switch for quick, flexible aperture control. The aperture ring click stops can be turned ON to provide tactile feedback when shooting stills, or OFF for smooth, silent aperture control when shooting movies. In addition, the zoom ring torque is optimised and now includes image stabilisation with MODE 3 for moving subjects.

The FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ is designed to be reliable in even the most challenging environments. It features dust and moisture resistance, equal to the FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS and FE 600mm F4 GM OSS, based on feedback from professionals. The front lens element features a fluorine coating that repels water, oil, and other contaminants, while making it easier to wipe off any contaminants or fingerprints that do become attached to the lens surface.

Pricing and Availability

The new FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II will be available in November 2021 at a variety of Sony’s authorised dealers, for an estimated retail price of €3,000/£2,600

For detailed product information on FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​, please click here.