Having tested Edifier products some years now it always a joy to get their latest product they are a staple in audio I use their products daily and their sound signature has always been consistent until now.. Their latest TWS NB2 is their last product and was a fine fit to compare them too considering the design and looks are near identical bar some small cosmetic changes perhaps and size Edifier have upped the game here in a big way and these are a pair of earbuds you need to check out if you want something different and that moves away from the boring industry design.
Check out the unboxing below and see what I mean..
Now I will give out here when it comes to two things and I never have complaints about Edifier and they are NO wireless charging and NO EQ in the app this perhaps may change with a software update for the EQ after that it is a clean sheet of excellence. In their PR material there is an EQ advertised so lets hope this comes to fruition soon.
Design and build
These are a great design as mentioned and move away from the boring straight stem look with nice edges and angles with a nice finish too that stand out and have people asking about them which was similar to the previous model, they are robust and then you have the charging case which I really like and has some cosmetic changes here too and the it comes under one of the best charging cases to date with the LED light that reminds me of kitt from knight rider is is very cool indeed.
Comfort and controls
These fit really well and as always select the right tips for the optimum experience there is a choice as with any set of earbuds and do try them out sometimes they might differ and the ones on them mostly suit me best but sometimes I do need to change them, the controls are easy to use and the sensitivity can be changed in the app and we go through these in the video review below, you simply have to tap the top of the earbud it is all a simple process
Sound
The sound is amazing to put it simple I did not think they could be as good as their marketing stated like all brands you get the usual marketing jargon but this time they delivered and outshine the previous model and gamers can get in on the act too 30db is a standard you see when it comes to noise cancelling and these go up to 42db which is fantastic and not only this there is 6 mics, again something you see on more expensive earbuds the average is around 4 mics today, Music and gaming is great and for movies these really took me by surprise with the sound here and the direction the sound is what you expect from headphones this is remarkable here and of course full volume was how I tested.
All the highs lows and mids are excellent and there is a nice level of bass too and overall simply put a great audio experience from a pair of earbuds, you have to remember these are earbuds not headphones and they deliver headphones quality sound.
Battery life is on par with their claims too and for the price if you get them early they are an easy to recommend purchase and put it up to other brands especially at the early price, you cant go wrong overall here so take my word and thank me later and just buy them.
The latest offering from SOUL is their new emotion max ANC headphones which I have been testing for a while now and they are a very worthy contenter in the market for the price and come with all the features you would expect to do so and more. Well presented too with the packaging this was a good start to the overall experience.
Check out the unboxing here and see what you get for your money ..,
Built for the modern consumer, EMOTION MAX allows wearers to effortlessly switch back and forth between Normal, Active Noise Cancellation and Audio Transparency mode, while Bluetooth Multipoint Technology empowers users to stream music, answer calls, and receive notifications from two separate devices at once. Not only can consumers expect SOUL’s signature precision sound, complete with a powerful 40mm driver and AptX and AAC codec, but they will have clear-sounding calls and voice communication with the built-in Qualcomm® CvC™ 8.0 (Clear Voice Capture). EMOTION MAX also boasts up to 38 hours of music, entertainment, and talk time (24 hours with ANC function on).
Comfort and build
These are very light in comparison to some headphones recently tested here and are robust, they are made of mostly plastic but still strong and no creaks as seen in the unboxing and that is a good sign. These can be worn for hours on end too with no issues with that head clamping experience you might find on some headphones and your ears do not sweat either.
Controls
The controls are great and easy to use and after a while using them blindly is fine too, all the controls are on one side which I like and prefer and the keys are slightly raised and all commands can be done from the one side which we go through in the video below it is a simple affair and executed well..
Sound
Well this is the bit most people just read reviews for and it is good to report all is good here, One thing I would like is for soul to have an app in the near future to enhance the experience even more but out of the box the sound overall is great at this price point. One caveat noted was some tunes maxed out with ANC off got distorted sometimes but having ANC headphones I use the ANC and hardly use transparency mode but having said that these modes do work really well and are a great addition to the features on the headphones.
For movies You Tube and gaming etc you will be happy with the audio quality given here with good direction highs lows and mids are good too and in general a listening experience you will enjoy.
The other major benefit with these is multipoint technology which allows you to connect to two devices at once so for me working at home connecting to my phone and pc make these a great pair of headphones to have and makes life much easier.
Tiny Tv classics is a new product on the market and is seen as a collectible with several series available now and more to come with a small classic TV housed in a tough plastic in several designs and it is a great idea and an ideal gift and again something you could collect yourself, Though limited in scences it would be a great idea to be able to sideload clips or content in it yourself so this is a thought for the company going forward but overall it is a neat idea and can see people taking up on them.
Also in the box is a backdrop to match the Movie clips or TV scene which is fine and you want to go all in but I see folk just using these in their table or locker etc but you could get a nice set up going akin to other ideas like lego sets for example a friends one my daughter has.
You get the cutest remote you have ever seen here too that works via infra red and allow you to change clips and volume and power on/off the tiny TV making it a more realistic experience, Check out the video below for more and you can pick these up now at Smyths toys
Other sets available are South Park, The Big Bang Theory, Friends, Batman and Back to the Future. See the shorts unboxing
Contents: A Tiny TV (with content), a remote control, a custom backdrop scene and an instruction manual
Batteries required: 3 AAA for TV and 2 AG13 for remote (Included)
Watch top Family Guy scenes on a real-working Tiny TV
The Tronsmart Onyx Apex are one of the latest on offer from the company that brings good tech at an affordable price, this is the third pair we have tried out in recent times and again bringing some bang for your book which is great for the consumer in a saturated market, these do come with some caveats albeit small considering the price and they are no wireless charging no auto play/pause and no app they do have a similar sound signature to the Apollo Air and are loud with a nice level of bass thrown in for good measure.
The lack of app support here is what lets them down and akin to the apollo air but it is something you can live without if you just want earbuds that give a good punch for the money and all the controls you need at your fingertips. They have a great seal and easy to use controls which you tap or tap and hold to execute a command which we go through in the video below.
Tronsmart Onyx Apex
Tronsmart Onyx Apex
Tronsmart Onyx Apex
No lag latency was noticed during my usual test loop and they performed well with You Tube Netflix and Music and are loud and I like loud, anyone who is looking for a new pair of earbuds or indeed if it is their first they will be impressed with these at the price you pay and overall you cant complain here..
Features
Active noise cancelling technology.
Advanced Qualcomm QCC3040 chip.
High quality Qualcomm® aptX™ audio decoding.
Bluetooth 5.2 technology for better stability and compatibility.
2 microphones each with cVc 8.0 technology for ultra-clear calls.
We are all so familiar with the humble business card though recent times maybe no so much and now with things slowly getting back to normal we are probably making orders to get some new business cards done up right now…They have been a staple in the business community for years passing on information to clients but you have to come up with a design or pay someone to do that and from past experience the more you add to the card the card quality the costs stack up and you can only order a certain minimum amount and this is annoying and time consuming and can be costly and with the environment in mind which I am not going to bang on about here you save the planet too..
TAPiTAG has the solution here that is simply a win win for everyone and it is cost effective you can design your card add what you like and have a one stop shop to pass on all your information in one go, how much more could you ask for?? This is a simple solution to end the need for business cards that you perhaps carry around in your car, have boxes of them in your office and so on and this fits in your wallet or a tag you can have on your device it is simple, effective and well executed.
How does it work
There is no app required to begin with which is nice for a change and it uses NFC technology. NFC has been around for years and we slowly adopted it here in Ireland for some years and now we see the benefits of how useful it is and most of today’s smartphones have this built in. You simply tap the back of a phone that is NFC compatible and job is done, On the iPhone you tap near the top and on Android devices you tap in the middle.
Set up
You can create your account on phone or desktop there is a QR code on the card you can scan and once you get going you can then edit as you need and tailor to your requirements
Will it work with phone cases
A question I have been asked several times and from my own selection of phones and cases here there was no problem even with leather and thick cases like otterbox.
Is the cost worth it
You will have people complain about cost with any piece of tech but when you see what these products do and how easy life is made and the cost savings over time even for the average joe it is well worth the spend, people who network meet at corporate events and trade shows and much more will see just how great this product is and the fact you can customise these to your needs makes it an easy win for everyone.. The tag will cost 14.99 and card 24.99 there is no need for dirty paper and with things as they are this is a contactless solution to benefit everyone.
Looking for some new cans that will not break the bank and deliver on sound well the new House of Marley is where to look and not expensive either. Built like a tank too with an excellent build quality these are one of the nicest headphones so far this year I have tried and the level of comfort provided here is also something worth noting..
The Positive Vibration XL ANC sports 40mm high-definition drivers and engineered to deliver House of Marley’s signature, powerful sound within a comfortable wireless experience. The headphones feature hybrid active noise cancellation through dual sets of integrated microphones to provide uninterrupted listening from external noise. The monitor mode feature is available to let the outside world in and pause listening with the tap of a button to engage with your surroundings.
From my usual test loop these performed really well, there is no app with these however none is required to be honest and for anyone buying new cans for the first time and pick these they will be super impressed with music, Netflix and more and even calls you can’t go wrong.
Controls are simple to use with raised rubberised buttons and easy to navigate blindly once you get use to them, we go through all this in the video review below and much more.
Build quality is excellent here to with metal cups and I also love how the wood is implemented here to give a nice fresh look and in general a great built quality throughout and as for comfort they also get top marks here with no head clamping felt even on long term use. Overall if you need some new cans you should check these out and check the video below for more…
Positive Vibration XL ANC Key Features:
Environmentally conscious materials including FSC® certified wood, REWIND™ fabric, recyclable aluminium, stainless steel, REWIND™ cables from 99% post-consumer PE
26 Hours of playtime with ANC on and 32 Hours with ANC off
40mm High-definition drivers designed and engineered for powerful sound
Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation with monitor mode feature
Ultra-comfort memory foam ear cushions
On-board microphone and controls for hands-free calling and voice command activation
USB-C charging with quick charge
Foldable hinge design with sustainable stash bag for portability and convenience
Braided 1-button mic AUX and USB-C charging cables
When the pixel buds launched last year they were very well received and what was most striking about them was their size and shape and then once worn the fit was also great, they were called mints etc but does that matter if they sound good and look good and don’t stand out like some earbuds do? Not in my book and they only got better as time went on too making them an easy recommendation given they are seen as pricey they still remain in my top 5 earbuds today. So how can the new A-Series come in at half the price and stack up to last years? Well they do it and are a real challenger to what Apple have done with the new beats studio buds and still coming in cheaper.
You do get some omissions though for the price you will pay but if you are not fussy with these omissions you are onto a winner here and you get great value for money in this crowded market but the A series hold many of the previous models traits you would be hard pressed to spot the difference between both unless you are a tech head.
PIxelBuds A-Series techbuzzireland
PIxelBuds A-Series techbuzzireland
This time around they have a glossy finish rather than matt but this is fine, there is no wireless charging which might be a deal breaker for some especially those who invest in wireless charging and the gestures and volume control are gone but this can be addressed with the Google Assistant which is always on by the way..There is still one more bearbug though and that is the lack of ANC.
When it comes to sound they pretty much sound the same as before which is certainly most welcome here so you do not loose out on the sound quality and also the connection issues have been addressed, you also have the pixel buds app to tune things to your needs which is great and it is a great app it must be said and nice and clean.
The big question here overall is and after my testing which overall for me are easy to recommend is the price worth it, they are comfortable, they lack ANC and have average battery life for what is out there today but if you can live with some compromises they are for you but if you want some more they are not but this is where you end up paying more they are a case of you get what you pay for but some more but there is alternatives out there with cheaper but some not well known brands however these are worth the 99 euro price tag overall for me, See the video below for more..
The SwitchBot Curtain came in an exciting array of connectable devices for the smart home which included SwitchBot Curtain, SwitchBot remote, SwitchBot Solar Panel, SwitchBot Thermometer and Hygrometer and SwitchBot Hub mini. The various units are designed to work for one app on your phone, reducing the need to have multiple apps for each product. This provides an ecosystem of integrated units for the smart home The kit comes with no screws or bolts or hardwiring, electrician required.
Features:
Works with – retrofit property.
For any types of curtains rail No matter it is Rod, U Rail track, or I Rail track, SwitchBot Curtain can always fit.
Support U Rail Curtain
Support Rod Curtain
Support Rail Curtain
This kit is designed to work with (Note the SwitchBot Hub Mini, is required for this to work and sold separately)
This is excellent for the ecosystem to control the units from a security perspective open and close the curtains at random times or used for other features in terms of connecting to the thermometer/ hydrometer to check the temperature or turn off / on other connected devices.
Make your curtains smart in seconds, also makes your existing curtains motorized and automated with 30-second installation. schedule, and touch and go.
The marketing team for SwitchBot may get legal action and in my opinion, this is false marketing without giving the full truth, and are setting up customers to fail.
The process involves opening the box, read the instructions, download the app via the QR code, register your account, await a SwitchBot verification code via email, physically set up the SwitchBot curtains, set up the app on the phone, and configure, calibrate the curtains, notwithstanding read the 48-page guide for installation and charge the kit for 10 hours, if taking a short cut and not reading the manual prepare for the “ Factory reset on numerous occasions “ by holding the contact button for 15 seconds. All this in 30 seconds installation!
Battery:
Charging takes 10 hours while once charged lasts an excellent time up to last 8 months depending on the usage. An alternative option to minimise the need to charge the kit would be to purchase (sold separately) the SwitchBot Solar Panel which would mitigate the need for charging, The kit is supplied with modern USB C charging cables which if not going for the solar panel option could be charged leaving a power bank attached to the SwitchBot Curtain overnight removing the need to remove the SwitchBot Curtain from its hanging position. This is a real positive for the smart home. The other devices came with a standard battery which is easily changed as required.
SwitchBot Thermometer and Hygrometer
Once configured which is easy, this will mirror the temperature in the room to your app which is ideal to set alerts if the temperature drops below a certain temperature e.g., Child’s bedroom which can be configured to take an action. The Hygrometer is used for measuring the humidity of the air. For maximum heating effectiveness and comfort, humidity levels should be between 30% and 50%. In the summer, a maximum of 55% is tolerable this is great to be aware of if monitoring the elderly. The Thermometer is slow to change temperature, having placed this is a fridge down to 2 degrees Celsius, on placing within the kitchen it took approx. 10 minutes to raise back to the normal temperature while appears correct when compared with 2 other temperature gauges. The app does keep a record, which can be displayed graphically of the temperature which can be exported as required for a day, week, month or year.
SwitchBot Hub mini
This is required to allow the technology to connect the smart home to your router and connected remotely to the devices and the likes of Alexa. This as many products do not support connection from your router on 5G and do not support does not support WEP and WPS for now, (which as stated by SwitchBot ) makes users vulnerable. If this does not connect instantly on the first go, a requirement may be required for a techie to login into your router to configure firewall rules as troubleshooting.
SwitchBot remote,
The remote is possible the most used items, simple in what it does, configured via the app to e.g., top button press = close, bottom button = open. Again, instructed in the manual but configured via the App. This is ideal as once configured, no app, phone, Wi-Fi etc. is required just press the button to open or close which has worked faultlessly once configured and calibrated.
App use, SwitchBot:
The app has got a rating of 2.8 out of 5 with over 100k downloads, the rating would not be considered a good rating but can often be caused by an older version of the software or bug. In my opinion, I believe this is a fair result for the app having various issues on the initial setup, (albeit tried on an older phone – and got an error when tried to use the Forget Password – error Validation error detected, with code lingo in terms of the details must satisfy regular expression pattern.) This was again used on newer android phone and technically worked with FAQ, but a lot of time spent on trial and error, (Hence read the manual and app details to prevent hours of futile time setting up)
Once the app is set up, controlling the curtains or configuration of the other devices was standard in terms of adding a new product with challenges to establish how to link one product to another, various links to videos were available to view online in this area via the FAQ.
Brand:
SwitchBot has been around since 2016 with a tag line of, we help you to create a comfortable home with innovative smart home products. Which I would agree with (once their app get a makeover) https://switch-bot.com/
Overall:
My biggest niggle on this product is the claim “30-second installation” which is compounded by an app that still requires work and manuals that in my opinion are written by someone English is not their first language. Notwithstanding the above, the product once setup works well, and has been the focal point of many visitors who have been very impressed with the simplicity of the unit, allowing it to be used via the App, or remote once configured, alternatively connect via various smart home option E.g., Alexa. Again, the simple things have been done, pulling one curtain manually, the Touch & Go kicks in to close/open both curtains as required ensuring an equal balance with both open / closed as required. The remote, or the Touch & Go requires no smartphones required once setup and has the advantage of no cables needed to run or electrical wiring to be done. Keeping with one standard brand in terms of one smart home ecosystem again is another positive ensuring when you change the phone or do a smart reset you are not stuck with numerous apps to configure as required. This is ideal for the elderly if set up by a junior person and calibrated to allow them easy of use for the curtains and visibility to see the temperature of the rooms when away.
This has the potential to be a colossal winner once the app & setup nuances are updated.
In a world of sports and fitness tech there is something for everyone out there and the most popular is wearables such as smartwatches and fitness bands and much more but what about something totally unique that can hack your metabolism? Well that is what Lumen does and by the time you are finished testing this out you will know if your lungs are in good shape you will have to use it to understand what I mean but we will touch on that as we go along.
The device itself is small and compact with a rubberised texture to it with a magnetic cap and will easily fit in any pocket or bag if you are going to get full use of this you may need to bring it to work or if you work from home it is fine it is a pretty extensive programme to follow and you would be using it several times a day..
The unit comes with its own dock to charge and one charge will last some time and this again depends on how much you will use it but the battery life is quite good and that is not a bad thing when you think about having another device in the house you need to charge.
Once open you download the app which has great tutorials inside which helps and you are good to go and this is a great test to see how good your lungs are too it is effectively like blowing into a peak flow device where you have to keep the ball between the lines for ten seconds and then you have to repeat this again a second time and you get your results..
You also fill in your personal profile this is very intense and there is many fields to complete to get the full end user benefit from the unit.The goal is to burn more fat and you have a daily chart to remind you on a level of 1-5 all in nice graphics too..
Ok so this is not like a fitness tracker where you read the results and jog on you have to input data daily, several times a day and it will become part of your life so to speak to get the desired results .You get a score out of 5 daily depending on what you eat and this in turn will entice you to change your habits and you can adjust your meals and fitness regime to suit if needed..
For the most you will get a morning score and evening score and recommendations and that is all they are is recommendations and it means you may have to adjust your meals and change your carb intake and so on and the goal is to see what score you get daily and after two weeks of testing you will unlock the lumen flex score.
I have not got mine yet as i missed a day here and there over a few weeks testing and simply forgot to bring with me on my travels and being honest as I mentioned it becomes part of you if your into getting results and that is not a bad thing either but when you think of it it is the same as forgetting your phone if you are into it like I was.
Lumen uses a CO2 sensor and flow meter to determine the CO2 concentration in a single breath. This indicates the type of fuel your body is using to produce energy. Lumen is scientifically proven to meet the gold standard of metabolism measurement (RER) in multiple validation studies.
Workout optimization
See if you have enough energy before a workout or if you need to fuel up. Breathe afterwards to see the impact on your body.
Customize your nutrition
Get daily personalized meal plans. Know exactly what to eat and when.
Track your metabolism daily
See how your metabolism is affected by your sleep, physical activity, and nutrition.
Metabolic flexibility
With Lumen’s daily insights, you will improve your metabolism by improving metabolic flexibility: your body’s ability to shift efficiently between using fats or carbs as a source of energy.
Getting to know you
Lumen is calibrated to your unique CO2 range and lung capacity.
Receiving your plan
Lumen provides personalized nutrition recommendations and daily guidance on sleep, diet, exercise and more.
Lumen began with twin sisters Merav and Michal – two Ironman winners, and PhDs in physiology. As scientists and athletes, they were passionate about developing a way to provide personalized nutrition, but knew the only way to measure metabolism was costly and time consuming.
So they teamed up with entrepreneurs with experience building large companies; Daniel, Dror, and Avi, and after two years of R&D, they developed the first Lumen prototype. Lumen measured metabolism in a single breath, in less than a minute, instead of an hour-long test in a lab!
After four years of hard work and hundreds of beta users, the Lumen team launched on Indiegogo. Lumen broke the $1 million threshold on IndieGogo in weeks, and now Lumen is leading the way in bringing personalized nutrition to the entire world.
Overall for me this is more a motivational product and helps keep you in check and the daily breathing tests might be a bit cumbersome for some people out there depending how often you do it but it can help you get a better mindset and achieve goals and for me it gave me better lung capacity i think..
