Tag: tech

NAD Electronics Announces the C 389 Hybrid Digital DAC Amplifier

NAD Electronics, the  highly regarded manufacturer of high-performance audio/video components, today announced  the C 389 HybridDigital DAC amplifier, the perfect cornerstone for an audiophile-grade stereo  system combining exceptional sound quality with the flexibility and the long-term value offered  by NAD’s latest Modular Design Construction platform, MDC2. Available for retail sale in early  Summer 2022, the C 389 will carry a suggested retail price of $1,499 US / £1,299 GBP / €1,499 EUR. 

Featuring NAD’s proven HybridDigital UcD amplifier design and the same ESS Sabre DAC  used in the brand’s up-market Masters Series amplifiers, the C 389 has been engineered to  deliver thrilling dynamics and transparent, detailed sound. The digital section is built around a  32-bit/384kHz ESS Technology Sabre DAC chip renowned for its near-zero levels of clock jitter,  exceptionally wide dynamic range, and ultra-low noise and distortion, delivering astonishing  clarity and holographic imaging on all sources. 

For the output stage, the C 389 uses a customized version of NAD’s HybridDigital UcD design,  with multiple UcD amplifier modules in balanced bridged configuration and an innovative  switch-mode power supply that can provide ample reserves of current on demand. Delivering  130 Watts per channel of continuous power, the C 389 can produce real-life listening levels with  any loudspeaker load, with virtually unmeasurable distortion and noise through the audioband,  and effortless reproduction of musical transients.

With a full suite of digital and analogue inputs, including an ultra-low-noise phono stage and  HDMI eARC interface, the C 389 can accommodate all your source components. In addition to  two sets of speaker outputs, the C 389 has two subwoofer outputs, preamp outputs, and a  dedicated headphone amp.  

The C 389 incorporates the latest iteration of NAD’s Modular Design Construction technology,  MDC 2, and with its two MDC2 expansion slots, the C 389 can adapt to technical advances and  evolving user needs. Introduced in 2006, NAD’s Modular Design Construction future-proofing  technology lets owners of MDC-capable components add new capabilities by inserting an expansion module into an MDC slot on the rear panel. Introduced in 2021, MDC2 is an all-new  design that allows two-way communications between the expansion module and host component.  NAD’s first MDC2 module is the MDC2 BluOS-D, which features BluOS high-res multi-room  streaming and Dirac Live room correction. 

NAD C 389 Rear

The MDC2 BluOS-D connects to your home network via Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet. With the  MDC2 BluOS-D installed, the C 389 can be part of a whole-home music system with as many as  64 zones. Controlled via the BluOS Controller app, available for Android, iOS, macOS, and  Windows, listeners can play music from over 20 streaming services including Tidal, Deezer,  Qobuz, Amazon Music HD, or Spotify, or from their personal music libraries. Like all BluOS enabled components, the MDC2 BluOS-D will bring MQA decoding and rendering capability to  the C 389, as well Apple AirPlay 2 and control by popular voice assistants. Connect the supplied  microphone to the MDC BluOS-D’s USB port, and then run the free Dirac Live app on a smart  device or personal computer. Dirac Live room correction compensates for acoustic problems like  standing waves and room reflections. The results are transformative and offers deeper, more  textured bass; more precise imaging; and improved timbral accuracy.  

Key Features  

  • Customized HybridDigital UcD amplifier in fully balanced bridged configuration • Continuous Power: 2 x 130 Watts per channel into 8/4 ohms (preliminary) • Instantaneous Power: 210 W into 8 ohms, 300 W into 4 ohms, 350 W into 2 ohms (preliminary)  
  • Vanishingly low harmonic and intermodulation distortion 
  • Nearly unmeasurable noise through the entire audioband 
  • Dual MDC2 ports for expanded functionality 
  • Optional MDC2 BluOS-D module adds BluOS Hi-Res multi-room music streaming and Dirac  Live room correction 
  • Jitter-free 32-bit/384kHz ESS Sabre DAC 
  • Ultra-low-noise MM phono stage with infrasonic filtering circuitry 
  • Two optical, two coaxial digital inputs 
  • HDMI-eARC input 
  • Two pairs of line-level analogue inputs with ultra-low-noise buffer amplifiers • Speaker A/Speaker B outputs
  • Two-way Qualcomm aptX HD Bluetooth 
  • Dual subwoofer outputs 
  • Dedicated headphone amplifier 
  • CI-Friendly – IR remote, 12V Trigger in/out, IR in/out, RS-232 Serial port • Seamless integrations with smart home control systems such as Control4, Crestron, RTI, URC,  Lutron, and Elan 

Raising the Bar for Wearable Fitness

Smartwatches have soared in popularity in recent years, with their motion and heart rate sensors tracking the activity of millions worldwide. However, not all activity can be monitored using step counts – limiting the appeal of existing wearable technology to many gym-goers and amateur athletes.

Monitoring specific exercises

Running is one of the most popular activities tracked by motion sensors in watches. They are used to keep track of the distance and speed covered by a runner, complemented by some with heart rate data to show calorie burn and effort level.

Whilst these systems are excellent at measuring the overall movements of a watch wearer in two dimensions, to date they cannot accurately determine movements in a third – height.

Changes in the height of a watch are crucial for monitoring many exercises and movements. Consider sit-ups and push-ups, or a tennis serve and a golf swing. Moreover, consider the impact of gradient during running or climbing that is too subtle to be determined using GPS.

Third-party apps are available to process motion data – and with the right algorithms, this can be successful. In fact, Apple use software to specifically allow users to input data while rowing and swimming.

However, it is well known that many apps to augment wearable sensor data are deleted shortly after download. Moreover, many of the popular features by Apple are still focused on two-dimensional insights; lengths completed in the pool or the number of rowing strokes, for example.

This creates an opportunity for sensor technology capable of accurately determining the height of wearables to disrupt the industry. We are already seeing some companies seek to capitalize on this gap in the market, with Bosch Sensortec adding a miniaturized pressure sensor to its suite of MEMS for wearables. Capable of determining changes in height as small as 50 cm, and small enough for integration into wrist-worn and in-ear devices. Successful implementation is marketed as allowing for the number of push-up reps, length of pull-up extensions, and overall form during strength training to be directly measured.

The smartwatch and fitness tracker industry is becoming more crowded, and as prices for the latest tech continue to increase, so does the expectation of the consumer. Differentiation in the wearable fitness space will be crucial for success in the coming years, and device manufacturers should raise the bar of their sensor’s capabilities so that their users can too.

Beyond the smartwatch

For many sports wearing a watch at all during play isn’t feasible, safe, or permitted. A rigid wrist-worn device is too dangerous to wear whilst playing contact sports like football and rugby, and too valuable to risk during hockey or squash.

As such, a large proportion of amateur and professional sportspeople are removing their smartwatch just as they are about to exercise the most. For this market, understanding their performance during a match is arguably as important if not more essential than tracking fitness during a training run.

Innovations in wearable sensor technology, specifically e-textiles are a promising solution to this problem. Traditional textiles integrated with electronics, or e-textiles, have been under development in different forms by many universities, start-ups, and larger companies alike. Conductive components embedded within clothes have shown promise for the measurement of heart rate and activity level, alongside other biometrics valued in the wellness and even healthcare space.

To date, the major hurdle facing e-textiles has been washability, durability, and cost. The integrity of the clothing often fails within a few cycles in the washing machine, which is unlikely to tempt many consumers to part with very much money at all. This has led to some disenchantment with e-textiles, with them written off as the perpetual technology of the future.

However, the gap in the market for wearables for sports creates a unique opportunity. Match-day tops are not worn as frequently as other clothes, and buyers are already used to spending more on sport-specific equipment and local club apparel. Furthermore, professional footballers are increasingly seen sporting chest straps tracking their performance, making wearable technology of this kind much more socially acceptable.

E-textile technology is slowly improving, with some companies now capable of creating garments that can survive more than a hundred washes and cost a few hundred pounds. Whilst still a way off being commercially viable to the mass market, it is iterating closer to promising niches such as contact sports.

The most promising companies are creating fundamental components for e-textile integration: wiring, electrodes, and interconnects; that can be easily incorporated into existing mass manufacturing methods for clothing. It is also popular to see companies create fully realized shirts, headbands, bras, and socks as marketing tools with which to generate interest and engage with more established players. As early-stage companies focus their energies on scaling up and collaborating with big-name brands, it wouldn’t be surprising if we see high-end smart shirts for the prosumer emerge onto the market within the foreseeable future.

Those looking to compete in the wearable technology space would be remiss to overlook users for whom the form factor of the watch will always be inappropriate. This could be through flexible electronics and e-textiles, new locations on the body or even sensors integrated within wirelessly connected sports equipment.

Outlook and market forecasts

There is no denying that major players like Apple, Fitbit, Garmin, and Samsung currently dominate the wearables market. However, whilst the industry looks set to split between consumer and medical devices – the opportunity remains for sensor innovations to create more space in the market for activity monitoring.

IDTechEx has been covering wearable technology for almost a decade, and our dedicated portfolio of reports provides a detailed overview of fitness tracking, smartwatches, skin patches, augmented and virtual reality hardware, e-textiles, hearables, and more. Our granular ten-year forecasts segment each industry by application and technology, and together, they include hundreds of company profiles from interviews with both major manufacturers and start-ups. Also included in the reports are multiple use-case examples, SWOT analysis, and technological/commercial readiness assessments. Further details and downloadable sample pages for each report can be found on the IDTechEx website.

Mobile gaming facts that might surprise you

More than 2.6 billion people play games on their mobile devices, with most said to be enjoying the games while on the loo! Over the years, technological enhancements and new game features have meant the overall experience has changed dramatically – but that’s not the only impressive thing. In fact, here we reveal some of the most interesting facts that just might surprise you. 

Mobile gaming launched in the 90s

The 90s doesn’t feel that long ago, does it? But this was when the first-ever mobile phone game was released. In 1994, gamers began to play a pre-installed version of Tetris. A few years later, in 1997, Nokia launched Snake, but only selected phone models could enjoy it. Having first been played by Nokia 6110 users, now over 400 million devices have the game. In fact, it soon became one of the most played video games in the world. 

As more people became interested, mobile manufacturers launched even more products. It was only time before big-name casino brands and online gaming platforms began to tap into the mobile network. Today, individuals can enjoy bingo, slot games, and even poker – whenever and wherever they want. There isn’t just variety in the types of games either, every subcategory boasts a myriad of game styles from a variety of respected developers.

Nokia kicked off multiplayer games

First, they launched one of our favourite games and then they introduced multiplayer gaming – again, on the Nokia 6110. This time, it allowed two individuals to play Snake using their own mobile phones. 

Fast forward to 2011 and Nokia Malaysia actually broke a world record for the largest group of people in a mobile phone game. Over 2,000 people showed up to play Angry Birds for 10 hours straight! While we’re on the subject of Angry Birds, you probably won’t be surprised to know that this game has had over 250 million downloads. 

The 10-hour gameplay of Angry Birds isn’t the longest session though. In 2011, a team of Austrian mobile gamers played for 24 hours and 10 minutes continuously. 

It’s a sociable thing

A study from Twitch revealed that mobile gamers are more socially active than those that don’t play games. Not just that, but gamers are more socially conscious and value friendships more, compared to non-gamers. 

It doesn’t just have an effect on your relationships, as gaming can be good for our brain and thinking abilities. Cynthia Green, a doctor, explained that mobile games require us to think and focus quickly and keep our brains flexible. What’s more, some mobile games can actually train the brain to be and stay sharp. 

It’s becoming more popular

Gaming as an industry is growing in size and popularity, and mobile gaming has a big role to play. It’s believed that 200 million minutes every day are spent playing games, but it’s not just becoming more popular amongst gamers. 

The Academy of Interactive Arts and Science hosts its Interactive Achievement Awards every year. In 2012, they added the Mobile Game of the Year Award for the first time – highlighting that, as a sub-sector, it’s becoming commemorated too. 

These facts show how far mobile gaming has come. As we look ahead, it’s thought that even more games will be released and the likes of cryptocurrency and virtual reality will further change the experience for gamers and mobile manufacturers. One thing’s for sure, whatever type of mobile game you’re interested in, you’re sure to find it online.

Tech Review – Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro

The latest earbuds from Tronsmart are the all new Onyx Ace Pro which might look familiar to those who are tronsmart fans, the case is identical to the Onyx Ace and so are the earbuds but beefed up somewhat, Tronsmart are a leading brand when it comes to affordable tech and over the years we have been testing all their earbuds so we had plenty of time ahead of their release to check these new earbuds out and see what is on offer.

The packing is as expected from the brand with their well labelled box and orange take, the same applies when you first open the package, you can see more of this and the full video review and how to operate the earbuds below, stock image reviews do not give the product any justice or context so do check it out.

Comfort and fit

These fit well as the previous model did and are really light they have a stem which might not suit all however fine with me, you will forget they are there after a few minutes use, there is no tips as they are a one piece product and it will be a one size fits all here but they are comfortable and look well.

Controls

Again you have touch controls here and they work fine, in general Tronsmart are good in this department, play and pause is tap twice on any earbud, skip track you tap and hold for 2 seconds on the left and reverse the same on the right, Volume up is tap once on the left and down the same on the right, voice assistant is tap three times on the left quickly and the right side is where you have the gaming mode option by tapping again three times quickly, calls are tap twice either side to answer and end and tap and hold for two seconds either side.

Sound

They sound great as expected, nice and loud with some nice bass, however there is no app access which would of been nice, tronsmart have a good app which works with some earbuds, highs lows and mids are fine too good direction and great on gaming, calls are good too nice and crisp and for watching movies and all the rest is good overall, music is great too and nothing overlaps even when maxed out on full volume. The earbuds come with 13mm composite polymer driver units combined with lossless Qualcomm aptX adaptive decoding, there is no auto play and pause present here.

Overall

These are an affordable pair of earbuds from the brand and give you all the basics and more, they are stylish comfortable and give a good audio experience and for gamers it an even better option to have these at your disposal. See the video review for more below.

Features

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Bolt to launch pilot e-bike service in Sligo

Bolt, the largest micromobility operator in Europe, will launch its first Irish electric bike service in Sligo at the beginning of June. Representatives discussed the 100 bike pilot scheme for the town at today’s ‘Let’s Play Sligo’ event to mark National Bike Week.

Sligo has been one of the leading regional proponents of sustainable transport options and sees potential for commuting, recreation and tourism alike. The pilot will kick off in the coming weeks and will trial a range of parking options to both provide flexibility and ease of use for cyclists and ensure the scheme is mindful of pedestrians and other road users. This includes an investment by Bolt in lasting bike parking infrastructure for Sligo.

Bolt is a leading European mobility champion operating a range of services including e-bikes, e-scooters, ride-hailing and car clubs for over 100m people across 170 cities. The company currently operates ride-hailing taxi services in Dublin and Cork and is seeking to bring electric bikes and in time, electric scooters to cities and towns across Ireland. The launch in Sligo comes as part of a wider push for Bolt to deploy 16,000 e-bikes across Europe in 2022, following a recent fundraise.

Head of Public Policy for Ireland at Bolt, Aisling Dunne, said, “Sligo is an ideal town in which to launch Bolt’s e-bikes in Ireland; with the growing university, recently increased investment in cycling infrastructure and real public support for making sustainable choices. We’re excited to support a forward-thinking council determined to provide alternatives to private car use. 

We know from Bolt research that only 1 in 10 Irish car owners currently see themselves being able to give up their private vehicle. According to Sligo’s Vision 2030 survey, cycling constituted only 1% of transport for those attending education or work and only 2% in Sligo Town. We need to do more to help people make that change for the many short and accessible journeys made every day. Alternative options like electric bikes and shared micromobility services such as electric scooters are a crucial part of forming an ecosystem, which will change habits, improve air quality and translate into less congestion.”

The Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council Councillor, Paul Taylor, said, “This is an excellent initiative which will enable us to promote the many benefits of sustainable travel to the people of County Sligo, and I would like to commend the Project Team for bringing it to fruition.”

Sligo County Council Chief Executive, Martin Lydon, said, “I expect the shared electric bike scheme to be hugely popular, and will provide the impetus for this Council to explore and introduce further sustainable travel initiatives in the future.”

How to rent a Bolt e-bike

To rent a Bolt e-bike, users need the Bolt app, available on app stores, and a payment card tied to an account.

Follow these steps to start riding a Bolt e-bike:

 

  • Open the app and tap on the e-bike icon to locate your closest bike;

  • Scan the QR code on the bike to unlock it;

  • Carefully read through the safety tips;

  • When you’re ready to roll, push off and go!

Bolt is the most affordable provider of shared electric bikes, thanks to having low rates and  no unlock fee. The per-minute rental price is the lowest on the market at just 0.15 EUR/minute during the launch campaign.

Tech Review – Tronsmart Trip Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker

The Tronsmart Trip is the latest bluetooth speaker on offer from the brand that delivers great tech at affordable prices and with the Summer coming in now is a time to check your tech stash and see if you have a speaker you can take to the beach or pool and not worry about it getting damaged and not only that delivering a decent sound too.

This speaker by no means is big and is portable which is ideal for most and not a cumbersome load to add to your travel bag heading to a picnic or park and so on, and you can see more of this in the unboxing below before we give a full hands on review and get some audio samples too..

The speaker itself has a big Tronsmart logo splashed across the front which stands out and it is not like the company to do so but it looks well and the lettering is raised and made of rubber, this matches the control keys up top which are again raised for easy to use functionality and work well, you can also use your mobile phone to control the speaker if you like you can skip and reverse tracks, play and pause music and take calls on the speaker too which is quite handy.

When it comes to sound there is a decent punch out of the speaker for its size, placing on a solid surface gives better results buy you can hang it if you like with the braided rope attached to one side, there is rubber feet on the underside which keeps it still and it never budged for me testing at max volume.

On the rear is where the ports rest and covered with a rubber flap to keep it safe from water and dirt, there is no sd card expansion on on offer here for those who like to carry them with them but no huge deal, pairing is super fast with Bluetooth 5.3 and if you have two of these you can pair them up which would be a super sounding set up and not expensive.

The speaker comes in a range of colours too which is great and better than the standard offerings we usually see at launch and there is one something for everyone here,battery life is a bit on the poor side with 20 hours having said that you will easily get a few days on one charge or it will last through the night if you are having a late one, there is a nice material finish on the speaker too and does not look like heavy maintenance to keep it clean either, the speaker is light too and overall a decent sounding speaker for its size and packs a decent punch on max volume and will fill a good sized room indoors too.

  • SoundPulse® Technology.
  • Up to 20 Hours of Playtime.
  • IPX7 Waterproof.
  • TrueWireless Stereo Pairing.
  • Built-in Microphone.

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Urbanista Wins Red Dot And iF Design Awards With The Urbanista Los Angeles, The world’s first solar-powered headphones.headpon

Urbanista the Swedish lifestyle audio brand, is proud to announce that it is the winner of this year’s iF DESIGN AWARD and Red Dot ‘Best of the Best’: Product Design Award. In 2021, the brand launched the world’s first solar- powered wireless
headphones that are set to revolutionise the audio industry. Urbanista Los Angeles has also recently been listed in the consumer products category for Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas 2022 Awards.

Red Dot ‘Best of the Best’ Product Design Award 2022

This year, Urbanista Los Angeles solar- powered headphones have been awarded with the Red Dot ‘Best of the Best’ Product Design Award. Designers, design offices and manufacturers from around 60 countries entered their products in 2022. The Red Dot Jury made of 48 international members has evaluated almost 20,000 products “in search of good design and innovation”. Only those products that won over the experts with their outstanding design quality won a distinction. With
Urbanista Los Angeles, Urbanista sets a new standard in the design industry.

iF DESIGN AWARD 2022

Urbanista Los Angeles Solar – Powered Headphones, won in the product discipline and audio category in the iF DESIGN AWARD 2022. Each year, the world’s oldest independent design organisation, Hannover- based, iF International Forum Design
GmbH, organises the iF DESIGN AWARD. Urbanista Los Angeles won over the 132 member jury, made up of independent
experts from all over the world, with its revolutionary technology that converts light into energy for a nonstop audio experience.

iF design award
Red dot award

The competition was intense: almost 11,000 entries were submitted from 57 countries in hopes of receiving the seal of
quality. Anders Andreen, CEO at Urbanista, comments: “We are honoured that a product like Los Angeles keeps winning
awards. These headphones are an advancement in technology that our industry has been waiting for and we at Urbanista are proud to deliver this groundbreaking technology to the market. Solar- powered technology will be at the forefront of audio technology for the foreseeable future and we are excited to drive this advancement in the audio space.”

See our full hands on review of the Multi Award Winning headphones and see how they work for yourself, this is super cool technology and the future of what is to come.

Video Review

Leading researchers come together at Dell Technologies Limerick to highlight role of new technologies in delivering better health

Leading healthcare researchers and technology experts from across the island of Ireland gathered at the Dell Technologies Innovation Lab in Limerick recently for a series of events and workshops to investigate how new technologies and the power of data can help deliver better healthcare into the future.

Professor Mark Lawler and his team of researchers from the Global Innovation Institute at Queen’s University Belfast are some of those who joined the team of experts at Dell Innovation Lab last week. Queen’s University Belfast is recognised as a global leader in cancer research and is home to the Centre for Secure Information Technologies.

By tapping into the power of High-Performance Computing and other advancements in technology, researchers at the university can help to break down data silos, increase clinical understanding of disease and use Big Data to improve the health and wellbeing of people on the island of Ireland and around the world.

Dell Limerick also hosted 190 members of the All-Island Cancer Research Institute (AICRI) for a unique hybrid event. The team at Dell have been looking at ways in which they can overcome challenges in harnessing the benefits of Big Data and other breakthrough technologies to speed up innovation and advance their research efforts. Using new data-driven insights, Professor Aedin Culhane and her fellow AICRI members can accelerate their work to uncover better diagnostics and treatments for patients with cancer.

The Innovation Lab located at Dell Limerick is a cutting-edge facility where organisations and businesses can experience real-life examples of how AI, 5G and the Internet of Things bring business value in advancing connected healthcare as well as developing digital cities, Industry 4.0 and connected transport.

Tech Review – The Newbee F13 affordable smartwatch

Wearables are a huge industry and there is something for everyone too, price plays a factor and features come with the price but over the last year it seems like the cost of an extension to your phone on your arm is coming down with plenty of wearables coming in under the 100 euro mark however there is some out there that can cost well over 500 euros and it is a matter of opinion or if you are simply a fan of a particular brand you are willing to pay the excess.

On the upside however is good news if you do not want to spent silly money on such products and there are many to pick from now sub 100 euro. An example I have been testing is the F13 smartwatch from Newbee who sells tech at affordable prices and this also comes with an app and a UI i have seen before on other similar smartwatches.

This watch has a colour screen albeit small and has plenty of sports features inside and not just the handful you often get, you cant take calls on it which might be a drawback for some however there is nothing out there at this price point that does and also much more expensive watches, the app is pretty good I must add and has a myriad of features and functions for most people including heart rate monitoring SPO2 monitoring and sleep tracking just to name a few and again often left out on more expensive models, notifications work a treat and there is no lag either, you can control the notifications too keeping in mind the more you have the more it will impede on battery life, they are not rich but a plain text and you cant respond so it is a keep it simple approach but it does it rather well.

For the fitness there is plenty of sports included you can see all about the watch in detail in the video review below and we go through the app to and show you what to expect if you decide to purchase, there is also a discount for our viewers (techbuzz20) using the link below.

 

Features include

  • 1.69-inches full screen
  • Size : 45.2*35.6*11.8mm
  • Long Battery Life
  • Body temperature monitoring. IP67 Waterproof. Sport Mode. Health monitoring. Smart notification & Reminder. Sleep monitoring. Heart rate monitoring. Daily activity tracking.

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