Meaco is delighted that the MeacoDry20L ‘ABC’ Dehumidifier becomes the eighth Meaco product to have achieved the Quiet Mark accreditation. Meaco products are renowned for low noise levels. The company prioritises manufacturing products that are low in noise and low on energy consumption.
The ‘ABC’ 20L joins the smaller ‘ABC’ 10L and 12L models, the 12L Low Energy dehumidifier, and the company’s family of cooling fans as Quiet Mark accredited products. After extensive testing, the 20L was found to be one of the quietest products in its category. Quiet Mark is the international approval award programme associated with the UK Noise Abatement Society, and Meaco is the only manufacturer to have achieved this award for its dehumidifiers.
With more people currently working from home, products that are “whisper” quiet can make for a better work/home lifestyle, helping to reduce stress, and noise levels are becoming an important feature when making a buying decision. Quiet Mark awarded products have each been tested and approved as one of the lowest noise performance products in their category. Recent consumer research by Quiet Mark confirmed that 76% of UK customers want quieter home appliances.
Reaching these low noise levels have enabled customers to use the dehumidifiers in and around their bedroom and in particular for the fans to be used close up whether that be on a work desk, in the living room whilst watching TV or by the bed to improve sleep.
With news of the latest certification achievement Poppy Szkiler Founder and CEO of Quiet Mark said, “We are delighted these Meaco dehumidifiers have achieved Quiet Mark certification, providing acoustic performance which does not intrude, whilst delivering the core function of reducing humidity in summer and condensation in winter.”
Until recently smaller Meaco dehumidifiers, ideal for up to three-bedroom homes, held the Quiet Mark accreditation. Operating at 44dB (A), this latest award for the ABC 20L shows that you can have a larger model for use in larger homes, without compromising on noise level. The model is also energy efficient and the environmentally friendly R290 refrigerant means that it extracts more water from the air for less money.
Chris Michael, Meaco MD comments “We’re proud to receive the Quiet Mark accreditation for the latest Meaco product to undergo testing. We continually strive to produce quieter and more energy efficient machines and are determined to give our customers the best products available.”
Rules are there to be broken: With the new CX 400BT True Wireless, Sennheiser has rewritten the rulebook for true wireless audio by bringing its high-end acoustic technology to an exciting new pair of everyday earphones. With intuitive customisable controls, all-day comfort and a 7-hour battery life that can be extended to up to 20 hours using the supplied charging case, they are the ideal, uncompromised choice for anyone with a passion for great sound.
“The CX 400BT True Wireless makes astonishing sound quality incredibly accessible,” said Frank Foppe, Product Manager at Sennheiser. “First, our premium true wireless range set new standards in audio quality by introducing high-end acoustic technology to the true wireless market. Now, we are excited to be bringing this ‘sound first’ ethos to everyday true wireless earphones as well. We believe that people shouldn’t give up on sound quality when giving up cables – and with the CX 400BT True Wireless they don’t have to.”
The CX 400BT True Wireless delivers astonishing performance thanks to Sennheiser’s 7mm dynamic drivers which are also featured in the acclaimed MOMENTUM True Wireless 2 earphones that were introduced earlier this year. Developed for the audio specialist’s premium true wireless earphones, this bespoke acoustic system delivers high-fidelity stereo sound with deep bass, natural mids and clear, detailed treble. With the Sennheiser Smart Control app it is also possible to tailor the sound experience to your personal preference via the built-in equaliser. Support for codecs such as SBC, AAC and aptX assures exceptional sound quality with both iOS and Android mobile devices.
The CX 400BT True Wireless is powered by Sennheiser’s 7mm dynamic drivers
Intuitive and effortless to use The CX 400BT True Wireless has been created for fast-paced, always-on lifestyles. Staying entertained, informed and connected is effortless and intuitive, thanks to the earbuds’ customisable touch controls that let the user define their preferred way of controlling audio, calls or accessing voice assistants such as Google Assistant or Siri.
For phone calls and when using smart assistants, the earbuds feature ambient noise reduction microphones to make voice interactions sound natural and crystal clear. With the CX 400BT True Wireless, device connectivity is fuss-free, thanks to Bluetooth 5.1 compatibility for reliable connectivity and easy management of Bluetooth connections using the Smart Control app.
Experience all day entertainment in total comfort With 7 hours battery life and up to 20 hours available when charging on-the-go with the supplied case, the CX 400BT True Wireless can keep you entertained throughout the day – and comes with all-day comfort to match.
The stylish, minimalist design is available in white or black
Stylish, minimalist, and perfectly balanced, the earbuds’ ergonomic design – available in either black or white – assures all-day wearing comfort, while their carefully crafted build quality ensures lasting durability. For a perfect in-ear fit that keeps the earbuds securely in place and effectively attenuates outside noise, adapters are provided in a choice of four sizes.
The CX 400BT True Wireless will be available in black and white from September 15 for £169.00 GBP (MSRP).
Happy Plugs based in Stockholm got in touch with us recently and showcased their earbuds so we are delighted to check them out and out of the gate the presentation is the best I have seen on a pair of True Wireless earbuds to date with a personal letter inside and the book depicting the brand and the product itself. These earbuds come in really nice colours to begin with which moves away from the typical B/W which in itself is a great start and these are packed with all the latest features including ANC and Wireless charging this is the latest on offer from the company and my first impressions so far are great..
We have tested by far the biggest range of true wireless in Ireland and have many more here and en route to test in the coming weeks, we like to cover TWS that suit all pockets and like to check out all the styles so you can see what is out there and what is worth your hard earned money, with the huge catalogue we have reviewed including many leading brands you will get a real hands on opinion here and also we go through how they work.
Check out the video below and see Happy Plugs website HERE and feel free to ask us any questions as per usual whilst we check these out.. As with all our reviews we answer all questions and gladly help with support
With the launch of two new camera modules, Dutch social enterprise Fairphone has once again taken an innovative approach to smartphone longevity and sustainability. Starting today, the camera modules will be available separately, for current users, or in the upgraded version of the Fairphone 3 for new users: the Fairphone 3+. This achievement is the company’s latest step in their journey to create fairer, long-lasting, high-quality devices.
In the electronics industry, rapid technological advances have led consumers to believe that the next big thing is always just around the corner. However, in reality, the latest gadget is rarely life changing, and smartphones are becoming more similar than ever before, with only incremental improvements from one model to the next.
The current consumer (and industry) mindset means that 1.4 billion mobile phones are sold every year – often replacing a device that still works just fine. Today, people only keep their phones on average for 2.7 years, and less than 5% of the materials used can be recovered for reuse. This behavior contributes to the issue of electronic waste (e-waste), which is the fastest growing waste stream worldwide. Excessive consumption also puts a strain on natural resources, and contributes to the ongoing social and environmental issues in every part of the supply chain, from the mines to the factories.
One of the ways to positively impact all of these problems is to use phones for as long as possible. This is exactly what Fairphone is enabling with the launch of the Fairphone 3+. The latest phone – an upgraded version of the Fairphone 3 – contains new camera modules to significantly improve the photo and video quality, as well as improved audio with louder, crisper sound. The refresh upgrades the rear camera from 12 megapixels to 48 megapixels, and the front camera from 8 megapixels to 16 megapixels – giving users sharper selfies and clearer video calls.
The cameras also feature enhanced object tracking, faster autofocus and image stabilization for more reliable shots. In addition, software optimization provides an outstanding user experience. Besides technical improvements, the Fairphone 3+ contains 40% recycled plastics, the equivalent of one 33cl plastic bottle, which is a much higher percentage than Fairphone 3 (9%).
However, this improved experience isn’t only available to new Fairphone buyers – because the camera modules are sold separately, current Fairphone 3 users can upgrade their devices for as little as €70 until the end of September and €94.90 as of 1 October. This encourages users to keep their phones longer, while easily accessing the latest functionality at the same time. Fairphone’s recent life cycle assessment found that keeping the Fairphone 3 or other mobile devices for five to seven years – one of Fairphone’s key ambitions – could reduce the phone’s CO2 footprint by 28-42%. However, many industry-wide barriers to smartphone longevity remain, including continued software support and ensuring long-term availability of spare parts.
The rest of the technical specifications of the Fairphone 3+ are similar to the Fairphone 3, such as a Qualcomm 632 processor, 64GB memory (expandable to 400GB with a MicroSD card), a replaceable 3000mAh capacity battery and sturdy Gorilla® Glass 5. As with previous models, it also contains replaceable modules to encourage easy repairs, further supporting Fairphone’s goal of creating sustainable, long-lasting phones. The Fairphone 3+ comes pre-installed with Android 10, which will also be available for the current Fairphone 3 users starting in the first half of September.
On top of all this, what sets Fairphone apart is what the company refers to as “fair specs”. With every new phone it develops, Fairphone is expanding on existing projects and introducing new initiatives to make its supply chain fairer for all those involved. Sales of the Fairphone 3+ and the upgraded camera modules will contribute to:
Collecting e-waste in Europe and abroad, plus sourcing Fairtrade gold, fair cobalt and conflict-free tin and tungsten from high risk areas, as well as recycled copper.
Improving conditions in small-scale cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and gold mines in Uganda.
Launching the Circular Module Program for Fairphone 3 and Fairphone 3+, encouraging customers to send back their old or broken modules free of charge to give them a second life. The program is currently being launched in Germany with iFixit, and in France with our repair partner, Cordon. Other countries will be added in the near future.
Employee satisfaction programs and living wage bonuses for factory workers in China.
Fairphone CEO Eva Gouwens sums up the company’s goals for the camera upgrades and Fairphone 3+, commenting:
“We believe that we must make the most of the materials used in consumer electronics. We’re moving one step closer to a circular economy by encouraging the reuse and repair of our phones, plus making it easier for users to keep their devices for longer. The launch of the new camera modules and the Fairphone 3+ is a concrete example of how we’re making this possible. By showing that it is commercially viable to care for people and the planet , we want to motivate the electronics industry to act more responsibly.”
From Now, the Fairphone 3+ will be available for presale on Fairphone’s website and via partners for a suggested retail price of €469. The device will be released on 14 September and will be available across Europe from selected (online) retailers and operators.
Poly recently announced some new products that are ideal for the office and now the work from home environment which has seen a sharp rise due to the pandemic. The Voyager 4245 and Blackwire 8225 have arrived for testing and if you have any questions feel free to ask below or on any of our channels during the test period.
Blackwire 8225.
The Blackwire 8225 is easy for IT to deploy and manage and is designed to drastically reduce the noise and distraction that comes with every style of workplace – from the home office to the traditional office. Three settings of advanced hybrid active noise cancelling (ANC) technology allow users to adjust to fit their work environment and seamlessly tune out distracting household noises such as vacuum cleaners, or workplace chatter from colleagues. A noise-cancelling microphone enhanced with Poly Acoustic Fence technology ensures users sound crisp and clear from wherever they work by automatically reducing distracting background noise, like nearby talkers or dogs barking, so that the only sound heard on the other end of the line is clear, premium audio of the speaker talking.
The Voyager 4245 wireless headset system enables your employees globally to experience high levels of wireless freedom, comfort, and audio quality. Connecting to deskphones, PCs, and mobiles—the Voyager 4245 enables your journey from on-premises equipment to the cloud. Unlike other solutions, the Voyager 4245 Office delivers unlimited talk time,so you never lose that connection with a customer. It delivers 3-way connectivity for more flexibility and has Microsoft Teams certification to futureproof your devices.
Recently Urbanista announced their new TWS earbuds called the Stockholm Plus and we have just got the titanium version in which looks really cool. Today we take a first real hands on first look and if you have any questions in the interim please feel free to ask whilst we test them out. We will have our real hands on review soon here on site. For more information see HERE
Urbanista Stockholm Plus key features
20 hours total playtime
3.5 hours playtime
Bluetooth 5.0
IPX4 protected
Type C charging
Stereo phone calls
Voice and music controls
Touch control
Voice assistant (Siri and Google Assistant)
Compatible with iOS, Android and Windows devices
Slim, colour matches charging case with LED battery indicators
Charging case reset button
Stockholm Plus comes in a set of attractive colours, including Midnight Black, Fluffy Cloud, Rose Gold, Olive Green and Titanium. The product is available now at https://www.urbanista.com/stockholm-plus and authorised retailers globally.
The 3rd Gen Moto 360 is the latest on offer and vastly improved over the well received first model that came out some years ago and in short for me it takes me away from my phone more now which is not a bad thing and effectively acts as a detox tool for me with rich notifications. Having a companion device is handy for most if you can find one that is affordable as there is many out there today that are not cheap and you could say this falls into that category as is and it was missing one big feature which would make the sale easier and that is it is missing a speaker to take calls on and would probably detach me from my phone even more. It is now on sale for 219 euro which is good but at the full price of 299 it is harder to swallow but do check the pricing as it does vary.
The build quality is excellent here and a watch I have yet managed not to scratch the screen on due to the corning gorrila glass 3 and stainless steel build which makes it a more robust watch compared to the plastic version 1 which I still have and it is more beefy looking with two buttons on the right and one being a dialler that turns to navigate through the menu set up which is cool but you can also do the same by touch on the screen,it is akin to apples digital crown if you will.
Spec wise it comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 with 1GB RAM + 8GB Internal Memory,Bluetooth 4.2 and quick charge which is really good at 0-100% in 60 minutes with a 355mAh battery. The display is a 1.2″ Circular AMOLED (390×390) Full color always on display but has a bezel inside which takes up some screen estate which would have suited it better if not there I have seen smaller bezels on phones. You have GPS, NFC for google pay heart rate 3ATM water resistance.
On a whole the watch does deliver minus the usual Android wear bugs and for me has worked quite well and you can customise the watch as before with faces built in or like in my case I have used Facer but went back to the original watch face as I did with the first model, You can add information (tiles) to the screen to get the most use out of the watch too which again takes you away from your mobile phone and set what notifications you want this will impede on battery life too which is moderate but again this is down to the watch face you use and how much information is being sent to the phone and I went max out here because I want to spend less time on my phone and the fact you can directly respond to notifications on the watch makes it even better given there is limitations and a tiny keyboard you do have some predefined messages there that are brief but it does the job for me.
Yes you can screenshot your watch face by using the app which is handy for information or whatever the case might be for using it and a nice option to have at your disposal and you can see an array of images taken above of the OS and so on.
For me this is a great watch and the pricing depending on where and when you buy it and to compare it to others out there it has alot going for it but no stand out feature to buck the current trend and they missed out here by not having a speaker either, there is no wireless charging either and the design of the charging puck is rather odd with how the cable underneath was placed when it could of been easily just a plug in from the side and again proprietary charging which needs to go and that applies to most smartwatch makers and just make them USB/C.
OG MOTO 360
OG MOTO 360
3RD GEN
3RD GEN
This product was sent to us by Motorola with no compensation paid nor influence on my thoughts they are seeing the review the same time as you..
The Jabra Evolve 2 85 are a hybrid pair of headphones that can be used both in the office and home or even out for a stroll, If you are coming from a pair of 85h you are going to get the same experience as before only this time these are equipped towards the office user or indeed those who work from home which is a new trend that has recently went on fast forward. These headphones are UC certified which means if you have the UC variant (there is several options available) you are good to go with the likes of Microsoft teams which again has seen a huge spike in use.
Build quality is great and quite similar to the older 85h which still today serve me well and when it comes to controls everything is laid out simple on these headphones which helps, There is multiple features on board here which I think sets these apart from other offerings out there. One is ANC you need this in your life especially in an open space working are for less distraction and keeping you focused on the call at hand,not only that when listening to music this is a winner and I do not need to tell you anymore on that from using the 85h the same applies again.
Comfort is another thing here to note they again can be worn for long periods of time and are really comfortable these are not heavy headphones nor clamp onto your head and after wearing these for multiple hours over several days they did not sweat nor feel annoying like some headphones can.
The busy light is probably my favourite, Pet hate of mine if I am on a call and people come up to me when I am clearly on the phone talking this light is clearly visible to let people know that you are busy and steer clear of me if you come near me with these lights active you are asking for trouble.
The mic is retractable so it hides when not in use,these headphones can be used in both home,office or outdoors and for many out there these are a perfect answer to solve two problems and save money in the long run the mic is on the right though and some have said why not on the left or make it removable,again this is an industry standard yet I see the point and perhaps all manufacturers can look at this going forward..
The headphones come with ten mic technology and calls are great, I am not one to use teams or zoom much but I do use these platforms and they shine here as they do with music due to the 40mm speakers, Battery life is excellent here and something to note too,if you are a heavy ANC user it will obviously drain the life quicker but overall on par with the 37 hours slated, you also can get 8 hours charge in just 15 minutes which is impressive and it will take 2.5 hours to fully charge.
Check out the video for more below.
The great folks at Jabra sent us these to review with no copy approval or compensation paid and are seeing this the same time as you..
Plantronics, Inc. a global communications company that powers meaningful human connection and collaboration, today announced the appointment of Dave Shull as President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), effective September 8, 2020. Mr. Shull succeeds Robert Hagerty, who has served as Interim Chief Executive Officer since February 2020. Mr. Hagerty will continue in his role as Chairman of the Board, and resume his membership on the Nominating and Governance and Strategy Committees, as well as his role as Chair of the Mergers and Acquisitions Committee. Marv Tseu will continue in his role as Vice Chairman of the Board.
“Dave is a technology veteran whose global operations and telecommunications expertise, together with his extensive leadership experience and fresh insights, make him an outstanding leader for Poly,” said Mr. Hagerty. “Poly’s rich technology history, diverse end markets ranging from offices and call centres to consumers, and proven focus on excellence in innovation mean that we have a tremendous opportunity ahead of us. The addition of an enthusiastic, creative thinker like Dave is, in the Board’s view, a recipe for long-term success and growth. On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to welcome Dave to the Poly family.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world for all of us – especially how we interact and connect with others, both professionally and personally,” said Mr. Shull. “Poly has been leading the world for decades in connecting teams wherever and however they want. Its world-class audio, video, and software engineers are focused on creating the best communication endpoints that sound great and deliver amazing video, and are also consistently reliable and manageable for the most demanding users. We expect the fundamental shift to remote work and to the cloud will endure well beyond the pandemic, and the market opportunities created by the work-from-anywhere revolution are significant and exciting. This is a pivotal time in Poly’s history, and I am excited to lead this talented team during this transformational period.”
About Dave Shull Mr. Shull most recently served as President and CEO of TiVo Corporation, where he gained significant consumer hardware experience and reinvigorated the image of the TiVo brand through a new corporate narrative and a cutting-edge streaming product. Under Mr. Shull’s leadership, TiVo’s adjusted EBITDA grew 55% from Q1 2019 to Q2 2020. Prior to leading TiVo, he served as CEO of The Weather Channel. Mr. Shull brings over 15 years of senior leadership experience in digital media, commercial marketing, operations, and telecommunications. He also brings extensive global experience in operational transformation, complex business partnerships, corporate development and capital markets.
Prior to serving as CEO of The Weather Channel, he held various executive roles at DISH Network/EchoStar for 10 years, including Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Senior Vice President, Programming, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific, and Vice President, Operations. Mr. Shull holds an A.B. from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from Oxford University.
