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..
I have reviewed several beanie hats in the past which are an effective idea and simple mostly used in the Winter but this model here can be used in both sports and used as a sleep aide. This is a really comfortable beanie to wear and is washable too which is nice of course and has simple to use controls on the front identical to controls I have used in similar beanie hats before. You can listen to your music radio and take calls which is handy and it can be also used as a sleep mask which again is handy with the early bright mornings we have now in the Summer.
Having tested in all scenarios this is really comfortable and does not clamp on your head and the speakers are placed either side and can be removed. The thing I find most interesting is how good the sound is with this and much better than I expected, it will not blow you away like some earbuds or headphones but the sound quality is pretty decent and is nice to see. This is ideal for those who like sports and like sleep and is not expensive either and worth a look in my book to try out and costs around 18 euro so for the price it is a nice gift to start with or just something to have at hand at home.. See the video for more below…
HIGHEVER beanie hat
3 in 1 Multifunctional Bluetooth Sleeping Headphone: HIGHEVER Sleeping headphone headband combines the 3 functions of Sleep Headphones & Sleep Mask & Sports Headband, Sleep headphones feature a headband design with wireless speakers inside, ear muffs for sleeping noise cancelling. Bluetooth mindband sleep headphones are suitable for sports, yoga, running, biking, sleeping, It is also good choice for Gifts for Men and Women, Fathers day gifts, Birthday Gifts, Secret Santa gifts, Stocking Fillers
Ultra-soft Comfortable Washable Material Sleep Headband: HIGHEVER Sleep Headband is made of Ultra-soft, comfortable, high-quality washable fabric material, Noise cancelling for Bluetooth sleeping headphones offer a breathable mesh lining, easily stretch to fit most head sizes. The Bluetooth headphones are thin and compact, just in the ear position, no matter what sleeping position you adapt to fall asleep, it will not cause discomfort to your head and ears, It is a good choice for good sleep
HD Hi-Fi Audio Sound & Broad Bluetooth-compatibility: HIGHEVER sleep headphones built-in stereo speaker and microphone, provide high-quality digital sound, The sound of the headphones will not affect the outside world, The Bluetooth of the headphones’ headband can cover a radius of 10 m, It can be compatible with any version of Bluetooth devices. The sleep band with Bluetooth headphones not only gives users a stylish look but also brings them superior sound quality when sleeping, running, yoga
Enjoy High Sound Quality and Long Battery Endurance: HIGHEVER sleep headphones offer a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 10 hours. Headphone headband can be used all night, The sleep headband has a built-in high-quality chip that can output lossless high-quality sound quality, There are built-in microphone and volume control buttons that enable users to answer hands-free phone calls and handle previous/next song without having to use your phone. Using sleeping headphone can reduce tinnitus
Professional 24 After-sales Service: Sleep headphones headband made of breathable and skin-friendly fabric material, Sleep headphones headband is Personalised gifts for men and women designed as one size fits all. We are confident that you will find it an essential gadget in daily life. If you have any problems with HIGHEVER Sleep headphones headband, please feel free to contact us.
Actigun is a personalized massage gun with an AI Chip installed -it is made for your physical needs and applicable to all your body parts. Once Actigun is started, the AI chip will react to the condition of your muscles and provide the exact percussive strength you need with a humanized-interactive experience. It comes with 4 and 6-speed settings, 20-gear controls, and 5-replaceable massage heads! This being my second such product I can see the rise in popularity with these.
This is an affordable option as there is many out there that can cost much more and there is two models available from the company this being the cheapest option and they are ideal for those into sports percussive massagers which can be great for recovery and maintaining their health. Packed in a nice case too all the fittings you need are present and the battery life on the unit is pretty decent too and it is simple to use with no tech knowledge to get it going with just a power on/off switch with a touch sensitive digital display on top. I have had comments like it looks like a hairdryer or speed gun but this has been said about the previous one I tested and it is what it is for now with the design and there is always some form of tech that looks like something being honest and will be labelled.
This is well built and solid with a matt finish and grippy rubber so you will not let it drop and if you do I would say it will take a beating anyway it is robust all round.
Depending on your needs there is several pieces in the case that can help you out and pretty much everything is covered from the get go. I am no massage gun expert but from trying two models you can feel the benefits it must be said after not using one until now I can see and feel a difference and the benefit these products offer the user. As mentioned there is two options available and there is cheaper out there so I cant compare to those just now as it would be unfair but it is not a bad price to pay but there is more expensive ones and being honest it is hard to tell just what the differences is between those and the two I have tried unless I test them personally but for your money hear you cant really complain.
actigun package techbuzzireland
actigun power switch on/off techubzzireland
actigun control setting techbuzzireland
What do you get in the case
6 MASSAGE HEADS INCLUDED
M & L Ball Head for bigger muscle groups, like arms, thighs, back, buttocks and calves.
U-Shaped Head for massaging the neck, spine, and Achilles.
Rubble Gas Head for all parts of the body.
Flat Head for muscle relaxation on all parts of the body
Bullet Head for deep tissue
WHAT IS PERCUSSION THERAPY?
Percussive therapy is popular in the world of physical therapy and derives its benefits from penetrating deep into the muscle
tissue with a series of rapid, concentrated pulsating strokes. This type of therapy can help increase range of motion, treat muscles, and promote healthy circulation (results may vary from person to person), the best way to benefit from percussive therapy is with a percussive therapy device such as Actigun-the smartest and most affordable percussion massager.
Gain back control of your body with Actigun, the smartest and most affordable percussion massager!
The tronsmart Apollo air Plus are near identical to the Apollo air we just recently checked out, They come with a nice sized case too and fits in any pocket giving you around 20 hours in total playtime with case and around 5 hours with one charge this is less when you use ANC and high volumes, there is wireless charging here which is great as I have adopted wireless charging around the house.
The earbuds are a comfortable fit but slight protrude from the ears with a long chamber but this is normal and there is others out there that stick out much more and this to be honest doesn’t bother me. For calls these are also good but it is the music and how it sounds is what is most important. When it comes to modes we have three options here and they are ideal for indoors outdoors and commutes and so on giving you ambient mode ANC on/off.
Tronsmart Apollo Air Plus techbuzzireland
Tronsmart Apollo Air Plus techbuzzireland
These really do get loud highs lows and mids are good, listening to music is great and also for films You Tube and Netflix etc they really shine in action movies with great direction and they give a near like headphone experience. The app as mentioned above really enhances the overall experince here with choices like 3d,deep bass,vocal,rock and much more to choose from you will see the full details in the video review. There is no lag latency to be noted either during my testing.
Controls are a breeze to use here given you might find them sensitive to begin with, everything is here from skip and reverse tracks .volume control and voice assistant and you can adjust the settings to your requirement in the app. There is no difference between the app set up here with the Apollo air all things remain identical throughout.
Features
35dB full frequency hybrid active noise cancelling.
Industry-leading Qualcomm QCC3046 chip.
High-quality Qualcomm® aptX™ audio decoding.
Customized graphene driver for better sound quality.
Three modes switching designed for different usage scenarios.
Six mics with cVc 8.0 technology for crystal-clear calls.
