First look and unboxing. – The Garmin DriveSmart 65 sat nav with Amazon Alexa. #Garmin

Nope it aint a dashcam this time around it is a sat nav with plenty of features to keep you occupied on your travels to boot and it even has eircode. This comes in a tablet form obviously and is in line with built in systems with cars today to make for easy viewing. There is a few configurations available giving you options such as built in dash-cam which is cool and you can see the line-up here.

We will be taking this on a test drive so if you have any questions in the interim feel free to ask here or on our social media. Check the unboxing and UI walk though below in two separate videos.

  • Premium GPS sat-nav with a 6.95” edge-to-edge, high-resolution display
  • Alexa built-in; ask Alexa to play music from Amazon Music and more
  • Use Alexa to create to-do lists, check your calendar, news, weather and traffic, control smart home devices and play interactive games
  • Ask Garmin voice control for directions, points of interest (POIs) along the route and more
  • Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity for easy map updates of Europe and software updates
  • Server-based route calculation for instant route calculation while connected with the Drive app
  • Use your smartphone’s Bluetooth or an AUX cable (sold separately) to stream Alexa responses, including music, through your vehicle’s speakers

BUY HERE 

Set up and UI walk through.

First look at Arlo Ultra+4K Wire-Free security camera. #Arlo #Security #Tech

We have tested out several products of the range on offer from Arlo and today we have their latest models in their home security lineup .We currently still use last years model which is a great addition to any home combined with their doorbell and chime. There is some differences to note between this model and last years including the base station which you can see in the video below.

Again a simple installation process is all that is required and no fussing with wires and so on and then you use their app to set up the camera to your needs as there is lots on offer this time around we will go through this in the full review soon.

  • Wire-free and weather-resistant design, works with Alexa and includes 1-year of Arlo smart premier service with rolling 30 day cloud recordings (up to 10 cameras)
  • 4K and HDR zoom in to see sharp details with Arlo ultra’s 4K and HDR advanced image quality technology
  • Enhanced night vision: See what’s lurking with colour night vision allowing you to see video in colour rather than traditional black and white
  • Integrated spotlight: Light up the night and ward off unwelcome guests using Arlo ultra’s integrated spotlight
  • 180 Degree diagonal field of view: See more with a wider angle lens that has auto image correction reducing the fish eye effect
  • Noise canceling technology: Listen and speak to visitors with crystal clear, full 2-way audio that reduces wind and noise
  • Auto zoom and tracking: Auto-focus on moving objects with clarity and detail; works with apple watch, google home hub, amazon alexa

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Nokia 2.2 hits Ireland and UK with Littlewoods. Cheaper than Nokia store. #Nokia2

Recently the device went on sale through the Nokia website with a free case included and a price tag of €119 Now Littlewoods Ireland and UK have the device on offer and probably a first timer here on launch it is cheaper than the Nokia store itself at €104.99.

The Nokia 2.2 comes with Google Assistant and AI technology and will get regular updates as part of the Android One programme and is said to get Android Q at a later stage this year. The 2.2 comes with a 13 megapixel real camera and a 5MP front facing camera, 3000mAh battery and 2GB RAM. At the time of posting this the Dual Sim variant is on offer so again this might suit those who carry two sims and it would be an ideal holiday phone which would allow you buy a local sim.

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Android 10 “coming soon” to the Nokia smartphone family. #Nokia #Android10 #HMDGlobal

HMD Global is excited to share its roll out plan for Android 10 across the Nokia smartphone family. Starting in Q4 2019, Nokia smartphone fans can get their hands on the Android 10 software upgrade and start enjoying the very latest Android experiences.

Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer, HMD Global said: “With a proven track record in delivering software updates fast, Nokia smartphones were the first whole portfolio to benefit from a 2-letter upgrade from Android Nougat to Android Oreo and then Android Pie. We were the fastest manufacturer to upgrade from Android Oreo to Android Pie across the range. And with today’s roll out plan we look set to do it even faster for Android Pie to Android 10 upgrades. We are the only manufacturer 100% committed to having the latest Android across the entire portfolio. Thank you to everyone in our Beta programmes who help to build on our unique Android promise and ensure your Nokia phone experience just keeps getting better.”

HMD Global’s unique Android promise ensures that Nokia smartphone owners benefit from 2 years of OS upgrades and 3 years of security updates.

Review – The QUMIZ1 projector. My new favorite gadget. #Tech #QUMIZ1 #Projector

This is my first projector however I have seen and used many in stores or through friends and so on and I will say it now,this is my new favorite toy at the moment and how versatile and portable this is just ads to the fun.

I will be investing in such too as I plan to ditch the TV as it is just a centerpiece in the sitting room taking up space when with the right conditions you can just use your laptop or any other device you can connect to use this cool gadget.

Its small portable, light and comes with a carry case and has HDMI support, USB and micro-sd so you have all the ports you need to get going with such a set up and as most of us have laptops and phones today we can use those to project your TV viewing on the wall with ease.

The device is also easy to use and get going as you will see in the full video review below. On the rear is where all your ports are and on the top is where the controls are which is complemented with a remote control and on one side we have the focus wheel so its plug and play with no messing around in short which is how it should be.

The QUMI Z1 also has a nice textured surrounding which reminds me of the Amazon Echo devices but it is subtle and blends in anywhere in the home no matter where you want to place it, I have used in several spaces in the house to get an idea of use cases and it can be used almost anywhere and you can show off your images ,documents ,videos or whatever it is to a larger audience or keep it simple and small for personal use.

Superb image

The Qumi Z1 Series can light up any social gathering thanks to it being able to project an image of up to 100” from any mobile device. Its advanced multi-media player and ability to display virtually any content makes the Qumi Z1H a true extension to a mobile device. Users can display their favourite apps or stream online content directly via a WiFi connection to the Qumi Z1H, or preload content to the on-board storage, or directly mirror their content from USB-C for certain compatible Android phones, via a cable. It is equally easy to connect the Qumi Z1V to USB or HDMI sources to really get the party started.

Looking for a job in IT or tech,click the image below.

Massive sound

The Qumi Z1 Series is set to impress those who consider a smart phone’s screen too small and its volume too quiet for true entertainment satisfaction. The combination of image quality and the built-in 2x5W stereo sound performances adds to its talents as a true entertainer offering both perfect picture quality with an audio ambiance that will impress users wherever it accompanies them; to a friend’s, at parties, in a hotel room, or even at an outside movie-night, under the stars.You can see a speaker test here in the review too as a standalone speaker and being used as a projector.

BUY HERE

See full video samples and review for more below…

VIDEO REVIEW

First look and unboxing of the EPSON (4K PRO-UHD/ EH-TW9400) Home projector. #EPSON #Projector

This thing is a beast before I even go any further and I was not going to do an unboxing but many have got in touch via social media since I have said it was coming and it does look much smaller than the images but it is big and it is heavy and all for good reason…Recently we covered a more portable projector and I was impressed with it but with the specs on offer here I look forward to seeing what this can do in comparison and in this instance the price matches the size and it will set you back the guts of €2.800

The EH-TW9400 puts image quality front and centre to bring the magic of the cinema to our homes. Combining bright and vivid colour output with high contrast ratio, large screen size and suppressed blurring, the projector is still incredibly straightforward to set up.

For maximum ease of use, the projector also offers wireless viewing. You can stream high-quality 4K content to the projector from smartphones, games consoles, Blu-ray players and more by connecting via HDMI to the 4K WiHD transmitter.

 

The key features include:

  • PRO-UHD 4K-enhancement technology with advanced pixel-shifting
  • Full HD, UHD BD, and HDR support
  • 3LCD technology and an equally high White and Colour Light Output of up to 2,600 lumens delivering vivid colours
  • Frame interpolation and Detail Enhancement for smooth fast-moving action
  • Fully motorised optics: Powered zoom, focus and wide lens shift for flexible positioning
  • Large screen size – up to 300 inches
  • Incredibly long lamp life and easy installation

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Review – The Alcatel 3 2019. Best for first teens or second phone. #Alcatel #Alcatel3

The Alcatel 3 2019 is here and another unusual naming scheme some might say but Nokia and HMD Global win that award for the Nokia x .1.2 which is confusing and very questionable but Alcatel are not the first to go with this naming scheme, (2016/2017 for example) Samsung did it for a while too but it gets confusing when you’ve several device’s starting at you in as store, with naming game over lets look at the phone.

Off the bat and when turned on it does have a premium look to it and kind of reminds me of the iPhone XR with the front panel and it does look good and vibrant and given it is not the brightest screen it does the job and depending whats on show it turns out well which is all we need. It is a decent panel for the money.

Check out the unboxing below for more and a walk-through of the UI and phone itself so you wont have too.

The build quality is cheap lets be honest but it does look good on the rear with a two tone colour and I like this but it is prone to scratching easy and you should get a case, It will be hard to find a case for this in stores but Amazon sell them and one should have come in the box even it was just a clear case to keep you protected from the get go.

We have bio-metrics on a cheap phone here and the fingerprint scanner is quite quick considering and their native face unlock (face key) is not shabby either but there is arguments on security levels here which is for you to decide but your device is secure.

Looking for a job in IT or tech click the image below.

Dual camera set up is quite good but only in the right setup. Sometimes the phone took overexposed and blown out images but overall you cant complain for the price it will take decent shots in the end under the right conditions but low light is not great and can be expected even from more expensive phones but the image and video samples below will speak for themselves taken in low light,day time and same for video and their slow motion is quite good too.

This device is not for power users but vastly improved on last years spec sheet with the 3GB RAM on board is is fine for everyday tasks like social media web browsing and emails but for heavy duty tasks it will slow down as I tried it in that capacity for two days and at times it struggled but this phone is not for that purpose but I had to try it anyway just to see but one thing for sure is as mentioned much improved over last years model.

Battery life (3500mAh) is One day for me but take into account i would be very active with social media and web browsing and so on more so than the average person so I would see 1.5 days for most and 2 days at a push this would depend on the person. For me this device is a teens phone or first or second or even upgrading form last years device and it would be a worthy upgrade if in that context.

Media consumption is fine here too as I said the screen is vibrant and near edge to edge and enjoyable and the speaker is decent enough but not the loudest in the world, again factor in just like my headphones I like things loud..

Would I recommend this phone well yes but there is much competition here from other players at the entry level tier such as Nokia and Motorola and some of their older models can be picked up for 60 euro but they a year old yet worthy devices still in some departments especially the build quality but a case on this phone would protect the casing on this as it will get marked easily and give the phone some more support but it certainly stands out with the two tone back cover which appeals to some as this is a new trend whilst the rest still often come with a one color finish that looks boring. It is a nice phone to use for people that just want a phone to do something simple and I would use it as a spare phone or use it a reviewed as a personal phone for just social media etc. I carry two phones all the time and switch off the powerhouse at weekends to stay away from it all.

Key features.

  • 3500 mAh battery
  • 32GB of memory and 3GB of RAM
  • 8MP front facing camera
  • In screen fingerprint security
  • 5.94″ HD+ display
  • Dual Lens 13MP + 5MP camera

Read more

Now On sale at eir

Carphone Warehouse

VIDEO REVIEW

First look at the House of Marley No Bounds bluetooth speaker. #Speakers #Bluetooth

We have a huge range of speakers covered on site with more on the way but this time round we have the new House of Marley No bounds speaker in house which looks quite nice and this company also plants trees for each speaker purchased which is nice to see. The speaker is also made with cork and looks really well with a fabric top..

The No Bounds is their most rugged outdoor bluetooth speaker, crafted with sustainable cork to be as natural as its intended environment. The 4-colour speaker series is water and dust-proof, and each No Bounds boasts a 10-hour battery life which can be charged from flat in just 2 hours.

Go hands free with built in microphone to take calls and chat with friends or pair them up for double the fun.  The No Bounds Bluetooth Speaker can be paired with another No Bounds Speaker to provide stereo sound from a single source. Ideal for the perfect party or chilling to your favourite beats.

Stay tuned for our review soon and if you have any questions fire away

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First look at the MINUT Point smart home alarm. #MINUT #SmartHome #Alarm

A home security system with no camera you might be saying to yourself well yes I thought so too and we will have more on that soon from MINUT and privacy which is a concern for many of us.

Founded in 2014, Minut boasts an enviable executive team, led by CEO/co-founder Nils Mattisson who spent seven years in the Exploratory Design Group at Apple. The team also includes Head of Product Johan Nystrand, who worked as one of the first engineers at Gapminder, later acquired by Google, where he ended up staying for ten years contributing to the development of public health and search.

“With their innovative ‘Point’ device, The Minut team has executed on the vision to make home security smart, simple and accessible for everybody. KPN powers the connected home and sees great opportunities to partner with Minut to help people protect their homes”, said Herman Kienhuis, Director of KPN Ventures.

Perfect for every home

 

Bedroom – If you live in shared house, you can now monitor your private space.

Apartment – Easy to install, affordable and movable. The perfect solution for renters and owners.

House – Easily install and connect multiple devices to ensure your home and family are safe.

Short term rentals – A discreet, light-weight device that makes remote monitoring easy and effective.
See more – https://minut.com/
In the interim if you have any questions hit us up below or on our social while we test this cool product out.