Leading real hands on tech review site in Ireland with technology, business news and more. Jim O Brien Tech.
Author: brendanlahert
20 years’ experience in the commercial technical industry. Interested in technology.
Certified ITIL v3 Service Management, Project Management Prince 2, Six Sigma.
The Roccat Khan Aimo 7.1 Hi-Resolution RGB Gaming headset at first look was striking, eye-catching with the white headset and black box. The box contained oodles of logos and information on the front but lost the actual ROCCAT Khan AIMO logo with the colours, the box was large for the size of the headset but compact, not overly packed with manuals and documents.
The performance of the Roccat Khan Aimo 7.1 Hi-Resolution RGB Gaming headset was great-sounding
audio with smooth transitionsof sound during gameplay and on your computer when listening to music. The Acoustics was very clear, excellent beat, pulse and blocks out most outside noises, the microphone was remarkable as compared to other headsets when players were talking, it was easier to hear the user. The ROCCAT Khan AIMO is a comfortable fit after hours of gameplay, were most headsets would start to give of headaches, or hurt the top of your head due to no cushion at the top whereas this headset is particularly comfortable. When playing audio at a high level, practically no sound could be heard sitting beside the earphone.
Clear and smooth sound transactions during gameplay
The mic is not too long or too short like some gaming headsets where they must constantly be adjusted.
The mic is very clear when talking to other players on the headset.
Easy setup
Noise cancellation is very good even in very noisy places.
Negatives
USB connection rather than a normal AUX cord connection. (No adapter supplied)
Buttons don’t work on consoles like the PS4 and Xbox.
Expensive without the dual option to connect to Gamers, phones, tablets
Overall
These are a distinguished set of headphones that have a lot of handy features, excellent noise block out, clear and comfort that brings the best possible gaming headset experience. However, they should just be for PC gamers as the buttons don’t work on consoles like the PS4 and Xbox, this is a disappointment and as are only USB, not AUX jack, with no a USB adapter supplied. They are a well-made headphone set with memory foam headband and earpads. they have strong steel sliders and felt like a reliable headset with a flashy looking design with lights.
These headphones would suit the likes of a PC gaming streamer, that require a flashy set of headphones, this is ideal for those that use the video camera on the gaming experience. Again, the noise cancellation is superb, they are not ideal for an office job on the phone because of the lights even though they are quite comfortable the lights are glitzy and would constantly distract other workers. The earphone has Hi-Res audio, premium hardware, excellent noise cancellation, extremely comfortable for extended listening. This ROCCAT Khan AIMO allows you to get immersed in an environment blocking out a nosy environment with comfort for hours.
The box came in a conforming box with the specifications clearly label on the side on the box. The 5-inch display with 480 x 960 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The first touch felt thicker with sharper corners than experienced in many recent phones. The back felt plastic but comfortable to hold in one hand, the visual display not as good as seen on other phones. The phone is available in Black, Gold, Blue.
Dimensions:
Dimensions 5.42 x 2.59 x 0.39 inches (137.6 x 65.7 x 9.8 mm)
Weight 4.73 oz (134 g) the average is 5.8 oz (167 g)
Key Features:
5-inch 960 x 480 LCD
MediaTek MT6739 CPU
1GB RAM
8GB storage + microSD
· 5MP rear camera
2000mAh batt
Warranty
Alcatel offers a 24-month handset warranty and six months battery warranty.
Setup:
The phone came as a standard Android setup. The power on, booth up took longer than expected as compared to other more expensive models. The typical options Synchronising contacts in multiple accounts was on the phone. The initial setup resulted in 2 / 3 crashes resulting in the phone required to be powered down and on again.
Camera:
The camera menu is distracting and vague on the phone, the 5MP rear camera was blurry and unclear, the picture quality was poor when compared to many new phones. The phone image via the camera seemed blurry, spinning the phone around the room resulted in a blurry image on the screen.
Radio:
The phone came with an inbuilt FM radio and RDS (2) functionality, the phone can be used as a traditional radio with the option to store 6 favourites channels or with visual information related to the radio program displayed. The Alcatel 1 comes with Headphones 3.5mm connector which is a declining trend on many new phones. (Earphones supplied) The Headphones Jack and radio are positive on this phone.
Conclusion:
This phone is a budget phone that makes and receives calls but not a phone to watch extended video content or play 3D games. The 2000mAh battery life reduced considerably when trying to play games. YouTube video playing resulted in the phone crashing on occasions. The Smartphone is powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT6739 processor,1.28GHz quad-core aided by 1 GB of RAM, the processor and RAM is of low spec ensuring multitasking is not practical on this phone. The booth up took longer than expected, waiting around until the android phone set up. The 480 x 960 pixels display is nothing exciting, but the touch screen scroll felt meagre when sliding between screens.
The phone crashed on occasions which may be down to the negligible 1GB of RAM as compared to other phones. The Alcatel 1 is a budget phone that has the main features of an Android phone, scientific calculator, currency check, unit conversion etc but lacks a punch. The phone has good support centre on the phone app, FAQ, contact us, feedback, e-warranty, hardware diagnostic, device info etc
The Alcatel 1 would not be a phone for demanding teens due to the requirement of a good high-end camera, this may be a phone for an older generation that requires to make and receive calls without the need for a good camera. However for a first phone perhaps for the younger teens it would suffice.
The Smart Health Wristband came in a sturdy box with the main features clearly listed on the box. The smart health wristband was sturdy, reasonable light, comfortable on the wrist. The battery life was listed as 15 days on the box with a variety of sites claimed 30 hours to 30 days. The contents were limited while fulfilled the requirement of use. The wristband came with no charger cable (as not required). This design is positive in not carrying around another charger lead. The smart health wristband plugs directly into a wall charger, laptop etc with extension USB power cable if required.
Features
Fitness / Health Tracker – Track your Steps, Heart Rate, Blood Oxygen, Distance Travelled and much more
Battery life. The box (as supplied) states 15 days with their website stating up to 30 days of battery life. The days are dependent on the frequency of the device is synced.
IP67 Waterproof / Dustproof – This rating means that the SWB200 is protected from dust, and against water up to depths of 1m
Find your device function – Use the ‘Search Wristband’ function, causing the wristband to vibrate allowing you to find it with ease
Notification alerts – Enable silent vibrating functions to alert you of calls, messages alarms and more
Sleep Tracker
See information on how you sleep, the length and periods where you were in a deep sleep or shallow sleep, as well as how many times you woke and your entire sleep time.
Redefine Healthy Life
The incorporation of comprehensive big data detailed examination, internet of things used to derive information, provides a tailored daily health service.
Remote Photo Taker
Simply rotate or shake your SWB200 to control your smartphone and take photos! Who needs a selfie stick or tripod?
Compatibility
Android: 4.4+
Apple: iOS8+
Bluetooth: 4.0+
The App:
The August pulse app can be easily downloaded by searching for the App of scanning the QR code. The app got a poor rating of 2.8 out of 5. This score is a fair score as the app suffers from annoying bugs/design. The app has many annoying setup features, the app requests access to make and manage phone calls, access to your contacts, send and view SMS messages, access photos, media and files on your device, take pictures and record video.
The upgraded software version deletes a personal setting, date of birth etc, previous settings. The app setup had bugs in finding the save button often not clearly visible, the time was auto set but when the app upgraded to the latest software version, this reset all personal details. The app paired easily to an android phone but often lost the pairing when returning within the range. The year for date of birth was not available to scroll, instead this required scroll month by month to get to the year of your birth. (This was noticed on a One Plus One phone but worked ok on a Samsung S8.)
The app has many good features which are clear, Steps, Heart Rate, Blood Oxygen, Distance Travelled, and calories burnt, stopwatch function, your fatigue state, Sleep Tracker, Find Device Function (within Bluetooth range) The Heart Rate gave a daily/weekly/monthly view. The manual does advise measurements are for reference only and are not for medical use.
Overview:
The Heart Rate / Blood Oxygen, options may not be calibrated to the medical industry but would give a trend of personal medical conditions. The wristband picked up obvious changes when out for a brisk walk or Blood pressure times of the days. The August smart health wristband swb200b came with a single strap which was comfortable for most adults, the dual studs on the strap prevent the strap for falling off by accident. This smart health wristband was comfortable to wear. The August marketing department require to get their act together on the battery life, (giving a consistency message of the battery life) getting over 20 days charger and still, battery left.
The August smart health wristband swb200b has featured superior to many trackers that are triple the price. The Heart Rate / Blood Oxygen / Fatigue features are great, the waterproof is a real positive on the wristband. One of my favourites is the charger of the wristband, there is no proprietary charger, simple remove the strap for the wristband and plug the unit directly into a USB charger. The August smart health wristband swb200 is not a budget device as compared to many alternatives but packs a host of features to rival some of the market leaders.
The Jabra ELITE 45e first look outside of the box, was a smooth and comfortable set of earphones, decent size not too small or not oversized with an impressive look to them. The new Jabra elite 45e is the new earphone that comes with a lot of great features such as an adjustable equaliser which gives you the option to customise your music settings to suit the user of the earphones. It gives you the option to lower and higher the bass, mid-range and the treble all from the workings of your phone. The Jabra sound+ app also has 6 settings for your Jabra elite 45 music pre-sets; the default, speech, bass boost, treble boost, smooth and energize which can all be changed to suit your style.
The packaging is quick and simple to get off. The design was a pleasure to open, nicely packaged inside and are only a matter of sliding the covers off to get your earphone. The packaging is eye-catching and great colour contrast with the brand name.
Box Contains:
Packaging dimensions (L x W x H): 12.4 x5.5 x18.66 cm
Jabra Elite 45e, Micro USB cable, 3 sets of Ear Gels and Ear Wings sizes small, medium and large, Quick Start Guide, Warranty and Warning Leaflets.
Ear set weight: 25.95g.
Warranty: 1 year (2-year dust- and water resistance warranty with in-app registration)
The earphones also have a 2-microphone technology that delivers a clear and smooth wireless performance, that will reduce noises like wind, other people around you in a public place, etc. when in a call to improve your conversation so they are clear.
When you download the Jabra sound + app you can register your earphones to give them a 2-year dust and water resistance warranty. The battery in the earphones will last up to 8 hours which is a long life for a set of wireless earphones. The earphones come with the charger cable (Micro USB cable) which is the same as older android phones which makes it easier for some people who have an android phone as they would tend to have more chargers like the earphone’s charger slot.
The newer Micro C charger cable would be good to have future proof for newer android phones. In the wire that connects the headphones, there is a very flexible memory for devices connected to the earphone set so it will remember them the second time around, so they will connect automatically instead of going through the connecting process again. The earbuds have a magnetic connection that connects them together which keeps them in place around your neck in a comfortable position.
Setup:
Download Jabra sound cloud to get the full earphone experience; not necessary as the earphones will work through Bluetooth on its own.
The turn on and off button can also be used in different ways. To turn on hold down for 3 seconds. When pairing, hold the button for 5 seconds and the LED will shine blue. If looking to call the last person you called double, click the power button. To turn off hold for 3 seconds, the LED will shine red and the earphones will turn off.
The + volume button when pressed will higher the music up and if held for 3 seconds it will change to the next song
The – button will lower the music down when pressed once if pressed for 3 seconds it will go back to the previous song.
The call button will hang up and if held for 3 seconds will mute the conversation.
If the magnets on the earphones are put together the call will be ended and if music is playing it will be paused.
The earphones out of the box had over 50% charge. The pairing was quick and easy. This was aided by the voice commands which gave clear instructions. The earphones are magnetised, which can be put together when not using. This stops the music playing automatically saving pressing additional buttons on your phone.
It takes a second to get the earphones perfect in your ear but once they’re in they will stay in and are very comfortable even when doing sports activities such as running, gym workouts, etc.
They take 2 hours to fully charge and they last up to 8 hours. They are charged with a standard Android phone charger and they come with a mini charger in the box.
They have a noise blocker to ensure calls and music performance are not disturbed. This is the ambient noise reduction, (2-Microphone ambient noise reduction technology). Some other qualities about the Jabra elite 45e are the microphone frequency range-100Hz to 10 kHz, microphone sensitivity- 38 dBV/Pa, speaker size ⌀ 12.4mm, and speaker frequency range 20Hz to 20 kHz.
Conclusion:
The Jabra 45e earphones are unsophisticated to use product (with an abundance of technology inbuilt) which is a pleasure to recommend even when compared to normally wired earphones and wireless earphones. The advantage it has against wired earphones is; if connected to your phone with wired earphones, the wire can drag and cause your phone to fall. There are also no worries about the wire inside the earphones connecting your phone being pulled apart, which is a common fault with wired earphones. These are connected by wireless Bluetooth ensuring there is no need to worry about these things. The advantages of wireless earphones is, if your phone is upstairs and you were listening to music and went to get something downstairs and someone called you, you can just answer with the headphones and talk freely instead of running back up to get your phone , Alternatively if your you just wanted to change the song of choice you can hold the plus or minus button to change the song.
The benefits of the earphones been connected without a cable is significance in the quality of use , the ability to connect to more than one device and to store up to 8 devices in the Jabra memory is impressive, The Jabra 45e earphones are not the top of the range of the Jabra range and lack the noise cancelling which is an exceptional feature in the top of the range models. The Jabra 45e earphones are a quality product, excellent audio, easy setup and use from a trusted brand leader. A champion product in the price range. BUY HERE
The LG monitor came in a standard LG Box. The box gave little way in terms of features other than a Gaming Monitor. The 27″ Screen Size is perfect for viewing close but not large enough to view across a room. The Monitor is not a 4k Monitor rather Full HD (1920×1080) Resolution. The Monitor came with ample connector in the rear and a useful headphone out socket. The bracket design as expected from LG is off an excellent design.
Features:
240Hz Refresh Rate
Games are smoother and more thrilling at a higher refresh rate, and this 240Hz monitor can refresh the image on screen up to an astounding 240 times per second. Enjoy high-speed gaming with virtually no motion blur or stuttering.
1ms Motion Blur Reduction
1ms Motion Blur Reduction allows gamers to enjoy the precision and accuracy needed to play at a high level. With a response time that is virtually 1ms, blurring and ghosting are dramatically reduced to make the in-game action smoother and gamer’s reactions more precise.
AMD FreeSync™ Technology
LG’s monitors with AMD FreeSync™* technology reduces the tearing and stuttering that occur between a graphic card’s frame rate and a monitor’s refresh rate. Thanks to FreeSync, gaming enthusiasts can experience seamless, fluid movement throughout any hi-res, heavy-duty game.
Custom Gaming Environment
Optimize the display of different games, then switch between different modes quickly and easily. Precise presets for FPS, RTS and other genres are just a few clicks away. Users can also adjust for personal preferences, including crosshair shapes, brightness, aspect ratio and much more.
Advanced Gaming Features
Serious gaming features for serious gamers. Dynamic Action Sync assures smooth, action while Black Stabilizer reveals enhanced detail in dark scenes. The Crosshair feature helps to enhance accuracy in first-person shooter games.
Warranty:
The warranty is a disappointment from a South Korean multinational electronics company that is known through the world for their quality products with a 1-year warranty.
Setup:
The setup was great in terms of no fiddle bit of screws etc were required, the bracket was self-explanatory to fit and sturdy. The abundance of sockets in the rear allowed connections of a variety of gaming consoles. The HDMI connected with Monitor picking up the resolution to match the input.
Note: The monitor does not come with speakers which would require to be got separate
Overview of LG monitor:
Positives
The resolution runs smooth.
The graphics were very good, a lot better and more stand out than most HD tv today.
Very easy to set up and very compact and easily adjustable.
The adjustability is a great plus for gaming as it is easier and a lot less stressful to adjust to the gamers height and have it at eye level for gaming purposes.
The Custom Gaming Environment and Graphic and colours are very clear and very smooth which make gameplay a lot easier, the games with sensitivity e.g. fortnite, call of duty, etc. allows the increases sensitivity play faster for the player.
Very easy to set up a console and has a variety of HDMI and USB ports so as well as your console it can be used for charging other devices such as phones and iPods, etc.
Negatives
After an hour of gameplay, a power saver mode comes on and displays it in the middle of the screen which could disrupt gameplay.
Buttons are very hidden if not using a mouse and keyboard to use the monitor.
No sound from the monitor unless speakers are provided by the user.
High product in the price range but lacks 4k.
Overall the monitor was a commendable product, but the price is high range considering all the negatives, and not 4K. This is a Premium brand while there are monitors and televisions that are considered to have better graphs and have sound from them. This is a high-quality monitor for gaming that has an earphone slot which is another beneficial thing for gamers, Gameplay is very good and smooth leaving a traditional LED with similar resolution miles behind with the technology graphic cards frame rate and refresh rate. This is a serious gaming Monitor for serious gamers.
The NUU comes packed as a standard, nothing exciting from the box, slightly bulker from the outset. The made in China with 2 IMEI listed on the box inspired little confidence. The dual sim 5.50-inch touchscreen with 720 pixels by 1280 pixels of resolution again inspired little confidence The sapphire blue colour stood out amongst a variety of phones.
The Asahi strengthened glass casings was strong and solid to feel and hold in one hand. The feel of the phone was of an expensive phone with a soft dual curve screen.The supplied TPU Case was a nice touch for a case, basic but practical and will not leave you searching but they have their own cases which you can see reviewed HERE
Contents:
G3 Smartphone
TPU Case
Type C to 3.5mm Audio Cable
USB Type-C charging cable
USB Power Adapter
Quick Start Guide
Processor:
Helio P25 Octa-Core 2.39GHz,
The Mediatek Helio P25 is an upper mainstream ARM SoC for smartphones (mainly Android-based) that were introduced in 2017. It is manufactured in a 16 nm FinFET+ process and is equipped with 8 ARM Cortex-A53 CPU cores. The cores are divided into two clusters, a performance cluster clocked at up to 2.6 GHz and a power efficiency cluster clocked at up to 1.6 GHz. The chip also includes an LTE modem (Cat. 6).
The Brand:
NUU Mobile was founded in 2010 as a partnership of the Hong Kong-based Sun Cupid Group and U.S.-based Noetic Inc. They are a designer and manufacturer of unlocked Android™ smartphones. The Chinese company has expanded throughout Asia, Europe, and the Americas NUU Mobile have entry-level, mid-range and flagship Z Series phones. All NUU Mobile smartphones are protected by a two-year limited warranty. These smartphones feature two SIM card slots, expandable microSD™ storage.
Settings gallery
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Features
Dual Sim GSM unlocked phone
The G3 works seamlessly on all major UK networks such as EE, Vodafone, O2, and Three. Plus all other carrier brands.
Multiple Lines
Easily switch between two numbers and data plans using the built-in Dual SIM feature. We are proud to say this is the most advanced Android unlocked cell phone that NUU Mobile has designed for the smartphone market.
Crystal Clear calls
The unique glass-designed body allows for enhanced signal detection and output, while VoLTE technology ensures that your conversation is crisp and clear. This also means you will always have a strong signal for both 4G LTE & Wi-Fi connectivity.
13 MP Front Camera
The G3’s front camera and 88 degree-wide angle lenses is perfect for anything from close-ups to portraits.
Perfect Selfies.
The front camera includes power flash for low light environments, and a convenient fingerprint sensor helps take the best selfies possible.
Dual Rear Cameras
The dual-rear cameras consist of a 13 MP PureCel® Plus main camera, and 5 MP depth-sensing camera built with phase detection autofocus to capture moments instantly.
Stunning Images.
Featuring 13 MP + 5MP dual rear cameras, which produce stunning images, from close-ups to wide-angle shots. Perfected algorithm and dual image signalling processors on G3 capture the soft and natural Bokeh effect of an SLR camera. Its ‘Pro’ camera feature enables you to manually adjust focus, ISO, exposure and light for the perfect image.
Effortlessly Smart Camera.
The f/2.0 aperture lens in the G3 reduces noise just where it’s needed enabling bright, clear images even in low light. The unique lock-on function that tracks moving subjects and keeps them in sharp focus.
Boosted Performance
Powered by the MediaTek Helio P25 chipset Octa-core processor.
4GB RAM & 64GB Storage
Powerful, built-in performance. The G3 comes with 64GB of storage and can be expanded using microSD cards up to 128GB, allowing you to store thousands of photos, video, music and more.
Charged for the Future
The ultra-thin 3000mAh battery with fast charge and advanced battery performance optimization have been designed to make your G3 work all day with just one quick charge.
Cutting Edge security
Unlocking your smartphone has never been easier or more secure than it is now with the facial recognition and fingertip digital sensor technologies built into the NUU Mobile G3.
Unlock with Your Face or Finger.
The G3’s facial recognition technology studies your facial features to build your own facial map for a true encrypted password that is unique for every individual. Next-generation fingertip digital sensor technology recognizes your fingerprint instantly, also allowing you to unlock the phone with the touch of a finger.
Android Beam
The G3 unlocked phone is also equipped with a cool feature called Android Beam. This allows you to send contacts and files, share photos and videos, and even beam webpage links to another Android device by simply bringing the two phones together.
Tap and Pay with Your Device.
Android Beam also allows you to tap and pay to pay for purchases at merchants that accept contactless payments
Overview:
This smartphone has similarities to a Samsung’s high-end Galaxy phone. This is a budget smartphone with high-end features, acceptable audio, and NFC for android pay. The most striking feature on the smartphone was the sapphire blue colour which stood out amongst a variety of phones. The dual curve screen was comfortable in the hand allowing one hand use when texting and so on.
The phone lacks some features in terms of not being waterproof, has no 3.5 mm Audio Jack which is a common trend,The smartphone lacks the option of wireless charging and takes up to 2 hours to charge. The dual camera mode on the back of the camera worked well on occasions but lacks clarity when used in poor lighting. Given there is no wireless charging it is not a huge thing as many phones yet have to adopt this feature and here in Ireland it is a slow take up with consumers in general.
Design and build on this device is up there with high end smartphones and is a joy to hold with a glass back and front overall this sits with high priced devices when it comes to looks and build and you cant really complain about it at all bar the fingerpint magnet backing which is normal in this set-up.
IMAGE GALLERY
The Nuu Mobile G3 is an Unlocked phone, not tied to any network which has the advantage of allowing any network sim and does not contain the watered-down version of android The Dual Sim is a great feature allowing a work sim and personal sim on the same phone. This phone is a pleasant surprise within the price range, the build quality and features stand out above its weight.
The Benq ScreenBar e-Reading lamp is a horizontal LED lamp that sits on top of any monitor and lights up the area in front.The Benq ScreenBar e-Reading lamp felt strong and sturdy with the patented clip heavier and stronger than expected while visually appealing. The Benq ScreenBar is made up of a aluminum tube. The tube clips into a counter-weight mount, which then sits on top of your monitor. The entire tube rotates a few degrees and you can also shift the angle by moving the mount on the monitor a bit.
Key Features:
Auto Dimming
Space Saving Design
Screen Glare Free
USB Powered
Mood Lighting
Dimensions:
Weight 531 g
Product Dimensions 53 x 44 x 35 cm
Setup:
The setup is minimal, there was is no need for tape or screws, The Benq ScreenBar e-Reading lamp was hung on the back of the TV using the supplied counter-weight mount on the back of the lamp. This has a micro-USB port for power, this was connected to a USB socket, (cable was supplied) The LED was connected via the USB port which tales very little power. The 4 main buttons on the tube worked easily with minimum fuss. Once connected, the built-in ambient light sensor automatically illuminates to 500 lux which advised, is the ambient light source.
A specially designed clip makes the attachment onto monitors easy and stable. No need for screws or tape that damage monitors. The clip fits any monitor with thickness from 0.4” to 1.2” (1 to 3 cm). The patented clip features space saving, no Lamp base and more desk space.
Overview:
The units touch and weight look like a premium quality product. The Screen Bar has an automatic dimmer and asymmetric optical design, this can illuminate the working space with USB power, avoiding reflectively glare off your monitor screen. The ambient light sensor automatically illuminates to 500 lumens as it detects the surrounding brightness and then supplements it with just the right amount of light. This worked close to the light for reading but not practical for reading in a larger room. The light has a high level of technology build into the LED, allowing eight colours choices. The warm light lets you relax and replenishes your energy. The cool light allows you to concentrate and boosts work efficiency.
This technology includes Remove Eye Strain, Non-flickering LED lighting, Auto-Dimming, Hue Adjustment Features, No Screen Glare or Flicker and No Blue Light Hazard, with my favorite Touch Sensitive Control. The BenQ ScreenBar e-Reading LED Task Lamp can be hung on monitors to save space, matte black USB powered office lamp with eye-care. This light is ideal for those who want a light in the room but don’t want the room lights turned on fully, the build quality is strong, sturdy and unobtrusive on the top of a TV or monitor. The setup and controls are simple to use.
This is a light which looks cool, works as a light with lots of technology in the background, this is not going to excite anyone but does what it supported to do. This solves some basic problems with a traditional light, limited space, another plug socket required. The Benq team seems to have looked at traditional lights, found the annoying features and designed a lamp to minimise these defects. There are less expensive lights out there but if the technology from BenQ does what it states in terms of your eyes this alone is a feature work getting.
The Blips Full kit comes with a variety of pieces to allow your smartphone to become a microscope. The Blips lenses are fundamentally small lenses placed on a sticky pad applied to the smartphone’s camera / iPad. There are lenses with different magnifying power allowing difference magnifications. The Blips Full kit 2018 comes with a stand and light source to better illuminate the object.
Contents:
1 Macro lens
1 Macro Plus lens
1 Micro lens
1 Ultra lens
1 smartphone stage
2 plain microscope slides
1 prepared microscope slide
Free App (iOS, Android & Windows Phone compatible)
Spare, multi-usable adhesive tape included
Lens supplied:
The kit comes with two lenses for turning your phone into a powerful, digital magnifying lens, plus two lenses for real microscopic observations
Blips Macro Plus allows you to take high definition macro pictures, with an optical magnification of about 5 times. It is extremely thin, less than 1 mm (≈1/25 inches), and very user-friendly. It allows you to take crystal clear pictures of insects, flowers, small objects, details of everyday life. It’s working distance, i.e. the distance between the lens and the focal plane, is of about 20 mm (≈¾ inch).
Blips Macro allows you to take high definition macro pictures, with an optical magnification of about 10 times. It is extremely thin, less than 1 mm (≈1/25 inch). This is the first step from “standard” photography toward portable microscopy. Its working distance, i.e. the distance between the lens and the focal plane, is of about 12mm (≈1/2 inch).
Blips Micro helps you enter the realm of smartphone microscopy. Blips Micro allows you to recognize details of about 4.5 micron using your smartphone. BLIPS Micro, 1.2mm-thick (≈1/20 inch), turns your phone into a real digital microscope. You need to keep 6mm (¼ inch) between the lens and the sample under observation to discover tiny details at high definition. With the use of digital zoom, it is possible to achieve magnification over 100x.
Blips Ultra permits the use of your smartphone for real microscopy applications.
Blips Ultra allows to recognize details of about 3.5 microns; you can see cells or other inhabitants of the micro-world, on your smartphone. BLIPS Ultra is less than 1.6mm-thick (≈1/16 inch), and it turns your phone into a real digital microscope. You need to keep ⅛ inch (3mm) between the lens and the sample under observation to discover tiny details at high definition. With the use of digital zoom, it is possible to achieve magnification over 150x.
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Setup:
The setup involves attaching the (1 of 4 supplied) lens to your smartphone like a piece of tape, the lens required to be carefully centered on the smartphone camera. The stand option can be used to stabilize your view on the object as required,
The fact that the lens just sticks onto your phone with tape makes it quick and easy to set up. Once the lens is fitted this removed the option to use the standard camera on your smartphone. The kit comprises a variety of small pieces which fit together, these have the potential to get lost is not packed away correctly. The stickiness of the tape could get worn down from a few weeks use ( if it gets dirty ) or fall off when in and out of a pocket The lens required to be fitted exactly centred.
The stand and light that comes with the kit can be used for stationary images while the smartphone camera can be used on its own holding it close to the image that requires magnification. The light source which can be positioned directly beneath the camera using the supplied bracket. Those that want a mobile magnifying power in a microscopic weather for curiosity or educational purposes would find this a technology with abundant features without breaking the bank.
This initial view of this looks like a standard notebook with a pen. This comes with 32 pages to write different types of notes. At first glance, this looks like a typical A4 diary, nothing special spiral notebook. The first page has 7 different categories which are organized to create images in specific folders, this allows you to write/draw on the sheets, then using an app, an image is taken of the text which is then electronically stored as a PDF or Jpeg.
Features:
Erase with a Damp Cloth – Use Everlast with pens, highlighters, and markers from the Pilot FriXion line. Wipe pages with a damp cloth, and watch them erase
Environment-Friendly – Quit wasting paper and throwing away old notebooks. Everlast is endlessly reusable—the last notebook you’ll ever need.
Blast to Eight Hot Apps – Rocketbook is integrated with all the cloud storage services you already use.
Always in Airplane Mode – Power up your Rocketbook anywhere, even where other electronics have to be powered down.
No Whiteboard Required – Share notes and sketches with colleagues even if they weren’t in the meeting, or even if there was no meeting at all.
Organized – Students, engineers, designers, managers use Rocketbook to be more organized, creative and productive.
Practical use:
The Rocketbook System allows standard writing on one of the 32 pages. Once the text/artwork etc is completed, one of the 7 symbols at the bottom of the page can be marked. A standard smartphone using the App (iPhone 6 was used on this review) allows a digital image of the page to display on the smartphone. This image was scanned automatically via the phone camera via the app. The iPhone was held above the Rocketbook, with the pages manually turned over and scanned automatically.
3 / 8
The app used machine vision to search and scan the page (There’s was no need to push a button). To scan the text/ art the app distinguishes the symbol marked (one of 8 symbols) and sends the image direct to the pre-set folder in a variety of locations. The Rocketbook allows integration to a variety of products, Google Docs, Dropbox, iCloud, Evernote, email and more using the quick to setup app.
The App:
The Rocketbook app has got good feedback with 4.4 out of 5 for over 2000 feedback. The setup on the iPhone was standard with no issues. The Rocketbook app allowed writing in a traditional paper and pen notebook, then with the use of a smartphone digitizing all notes and sending them to the chosen destination. The Rocketbook app allows integration to a variety of products. The app requires setting a destination for each symbol, which can be Email, Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, Slack, Box, and iCloud.
If you have an apple watch, you can create a picture/text on the Rocketbook and store this as your Apple watch face. There is a variety of these types of options on the app.
4 / 9
Note:
This is not recommended for a lefthander, this is due to the smudges of the text when writing from right to left.
Don’t leave the text on any page for over a month, as this may leave the text difficult to remove.
The Pilot Frixion pen range can be purchased in most stationary shops, (a little bit more expensive than your typical pens but can be under €5). These pens can write on a normal sheet as a pen and erase as required like a typical pen. I have used these pens for over 5 years removing the need for tipp-ex correction fluid.
This may sound strange but if the notebook is left in a hot environment like a car in the sun the writing may seem faded, as at 60 degrees Celsius the writing disappears due to the ink, the notebook can be put into the freezer to cool down and the text returns, something from Bond! (but works)
Conclusion:
This is a product changing from Analogue to digital with ease in organizing handwriting/art via a standard looking spiral notebook and smartphone. The Rocketbook features advise that the text/ art can be scanned and forgotten, – This does what it states on the packaging The Rocketbook is like a notebook, well-built and sturdy, writing is standard (except for left-handed persons). The book is easy to clean but requires cleaning via a damp cloth (included). The smartphone via the app detects pages and stores them in chosen destinations in an appropriate format. This can integrate into a variety of products via the app including Google Docs, Dropbox, iCloud, Evernote, Slack, OneNote, and Email.
If this could convert the handwriting to text on your laptop, this would be the number one product of the year. This has practical applications whether as a student, engineer, designer, or managers minutes, which can be organized easily and stored. This is an interesting technology bringing handwritten notes/pictures into the digital area stored and organized easily.
