Huawei have very kindly sent over a Mate S for a full review. Here is the initial unboxing and reaction to the device.
Featuring a 5.5 inch 1080 x 1920 pixels (401 ppi) Amoled capacities touchscreen there is a lot to like in the Mate S. Under the hood are a couple of Quad-core processors, one sitting at 2.2 GHz and the other at 1.5 GHz with 3 GB RAM at disposal. A 13mp, OIS, autofocus camera with dual-LED flash lies subtly in the rear whilst the front sees an 8mp LED flash companion. Powered by a non-removable 2700 mAh battery the phone should see an upgrade from Android 5.1.1 Lollipop to 6.0 Marshmallow in the near future.
A fairly heavy user interface sits atop of Lollipop call EMUI. This can seems somewhat intrusive however initial impression are that this user interface has more elegance than the user interfaces we have seen from other manufactures and in fact bring Android a lot closer to iOS than we’ve seen before.
Available in three colours Luxurious Gold, Mystic Champagne, Titanium Grey and with three storage options 32, 64 and 128gb we will have a full review up early in the New Year.
With the mad Christmas rush reaching fever point you may find yourself stuck finding that perfect gift for someone. Look no further than red5.com for some fantastic gift ideas. Whether or not a Quad copter is on your child’s or your own Christmas wish list they are fast becoming the must have fun item for this Christmas and new year. You can spend hundreds of pounds on a drone however if like me you are a complete novice you can start with a low budget quad copter like the Syma X5sc explorer for £58.95 available in black or white.
This was my first time test driving a quad copter so when I unpacked the Syma X5sc explorers 2 I was surprised at how light it was. My main concern was would this break easily?
When my kids saw the drone they were thrilled and could not wait to have a turn, however I had to make sure that I was able to show them how to fly it, so after a few hours they lost interest waiting for their turn as I needed another go, just to be sure.
Out of the box it took 15 minutes to attach the legs, blade safeguards, camera and battery.
With the remote control taking 4 AA batteries I was ready to fly. I like most men had a quick glance at the instructions and figured i would instantly know how to fly the drone. I was proven wrong. I suggest you have a long read at the instruction booklet as the controls are quite tricky to get use to.
My first test flight was indoors as storm Desmond was still attacking the UK. The controls were tricky to begin with as i was restricted to the flight paths available. But i must say it was incredibly fun, dodging doors and christmas decorations. The blade safeguards proved to be extremely useful as they prevented any damage that may have been caused on my first few turbulence filled flights.
On my second attempt i took the drone outside with my son as my navigator we went were no drone had been before. With a full battery charge we managed six minutes of flying. To recharge the battery it took just over one hour and thirty minutes before the quad copter was ready to fly again. I have been told by colleagues that this wait time for a battery charge was incredibly fast.
The controls outside were easy to handle as I was not restricted by the inside obstacles. The quad copter took off and I was able to control very carefully around my back garden, however there were a few epic crashes. The Quadcopters light frame was very durable as there were a number of times the it fell from great heights and seemingly like a cat bounced into an upright position ready to fly again. On testing my seven year old son and I did not manage to damage the Quadcopter or blades. There are however four extra blades included in the box but I am sure these are only there as after extensive use they will eventually need replaced.
In my videos I have included a couple of the crash landings the copter experienced.
The quality of the video is fine for a 2 megapixel camera. Understandably if you wanted a better recording device you would have to spend more money on a better on board camera. For there most part there is a small amount of fragmentation in the recorded image and some might be unhappy with it, however for the money it is considerably better than the competition.
Product features
Super Stable quadcopter
Built in HD camera
2.4 GHz frequency
6 axis gyroscope
720p video recording
Take in flight videos and photos
Headless flying fuction – easier in flight control
Bigger improved optional blade protectors
Raised landing skids optimize camera viewing angle
2 fly modes – beginners and advance
360^ flips and tricks
4GB micro SD card and card reader included
Colourful LED lights indicate front of quadcopter
USB charging
Measures approx. 32cm x 32cm x 11cm
The Syma X5sc explorers 2 has 360 flight which you can do many stunts with as with time I am sure I could master. For a budget under £60 I feel you cannot go wrong purchasing this Quadcopter. As a learning experience before moving onto a bigger, more expensive device, or perhaps just for curiosity, I have never purchased one before however I will consider purchasing this one for my son’s birthday as he thoroughly enjoyed test flying it. The camera recording may not be as fantastic as you would want but for a 2 megapixel camera the recordings are adequate.
The Christmas party season is in full swing and we’ve all been there. A “get into the spirit” festive tipple turns into seventeen “IT’S CHRIIIIIISTMAAAAS” Jagerbombs and before you know it, you’ve a smashed phone screen staring back at you, accompanied by a hollow feeling of regret.
Over a quarter of UK revellers aged 18-40 have damaged their phone on a night out
London named the clumsiest region (29%), and Newcastle the most accident-prone city (23%)
Only 1 in 10 covered by insurance
Average amount spent on repairs is £49, roughly double the price of a protective case
Ahead of ‘Mad Friday’, the last Friday before Christmas and most popular for office parties, it has been revealed that 27% of lumbering UK revellers aged 18-40 have damaged their phone on a night out. In the survey of 2,000 British adults, conducted by Griffin Technology, Newcastle topped the list of clumsy cities, while London is the region reporting most mobile emergencies.
As only 12% of damages were covered by insurance, our resident Griffin Gadgetologist, the brains behind the tough-as-nails Survivor phone cases, is on a mission to help the buttery-fingered amongst you.
So if you’re a ham-fisted Harry, or your BFF is a regular blundering Barbara, take note – here are some top tips to avoid having to fork out for a pricey repair, or even a new phone, come Christmas.
Resist the urge to take a bathroom selfie
Tiled flooring and all that running water (amongst other things) spells disaster for your phone, both inside and out. Research shows water damage comes second only to cracked screens as the cause of smartphone failure, so do your phone a favour and protect them from the elements.
Watch out for office geeks in YOLO party mode
If you must grab that group shot on the dance floor, stand well out of the way of errant dancers. Christmas does funny things to people – we tend to get overexcited and fling our arms in the air like we just don’t care, cue phones being knocked out of hands left, right and centre.
Keep it zipped
The more barriers there are to your phone, the less chance it has of falling to its demise. Whether it’s a zipped compartment in a handbag or buttoned pockets, something to stop you reaching for it every 10 seconds can work wonders.
Invest in a super-sturdy phone case
If you’ve been known to hit the deck after a few shandies, it could be worth taking a good hard look at your phone’s attire to decide if it’s up to the job. Even if you’re the type to dance on tables, Griffin’s new Survivor Summit and Journey cases survive drops of up to 3 metres!
Simplicity is key
Everyone knows that nothing says it better than an emoji, but the tinier the buttons and more intricate your conversation, the longer it takes to text and the more likely your phone is to slip from your hand. Do everyone a favour and stick to the classic … “by the bar”.
Spanish energy company Momit offers an affordable and stylish option for energy conscious consumers who want to optimise household temperature and save money. Let’s start with their first product, the intelligent Momit Home Thermostat has an attractive display which provides thermal information about your home. The learning thermostat detects when people are at home, learns from your habits and estimates consumption. Momit Home Thermostat can control both your boiler and underfloor heating.
Through the Momit Home Thermostat App’s My Budget function, you can set a heating budget and limits, saving money on energy bills.
The Momit Home Thermostat Starter Kit includes two main devices: one thermostat and one gateway (internet bridge plugged to your router that gives internet access to the thermostat). The kit measures temperature and humidity; has a presence sensor; runs on batteries; controls heating; can be managed directly on the device or via an app; is compatible with iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows devices; and available in five colours – Pure Black, Steel Silver, Luxury Gold, Red Dahlia and Summer Blue.
Features summary for Momit Home Thermostat
• Presence and lighting sensors
• Wi-Fi enabled
• Saves up 30% of heating costs and Co2 emissions
• Geo-localisation feature
• Works 24/7 to make sure the house is just as heated as it needs to be
£99.00 from www.momit.com, delivery 3 – 5 working days. If you want to move your thermostat from room to room, buy the momit Extension Kit for £29.
For more features, momit also offers the momit Smart Thermostat – it connects via Wi-Fi; measures temperature and humidity of the home; has a presence sensor; controls heating, wall ac unit, underfloor heating; offers a touch screen LCD display with six different display modes and a light sensor; is compatible with iOS and Android; offers stylish curved and ridged edges and fonts that are closer to someone’s handwriting; and installation can be done in less than five steps. It retails at £149.00.
Features summary for Momit Smart Thermostat
Remote control
Saves up 30% of heating costs and Co2 emissions
Geo-localisation feature
Touch screen
Wi-Fi connection
Works 24/7 to make sure the house is just as heated as it needs to be
You can install the Momit Smart Thermostat yourself in less than five steps. Here is a video showing you how:
Features summary for Momit Home Thermostat
• Presence and lighting sensors
• Wi-Fi enabled
• Saves up 30% of heating costs and Co2 emissions
• Geo-localisation feature
• Works 24/7 to make sure the house is just as heated as it needs to be
£99.00 from www.momit.com, delivery 3 – 5 working days. If you want to move your thermostat from room to room, buy the momit Extension Kit for £29.
To champion the latest Viera TV range, we’ve teamed up with Panasonic to offer one lucky reader a brand new Panasonic Sound Bar worth xx. You’ll be able to enjoy watching your TV with the highest quality of sound.
Panasonic Viera TVs, which I got to see in IFA, Berlin, as part of the Viera VIP Club, produce stunning images and are packed with ‘4K Pro’ technology, allowing you to view TV in remarkable quality.
Many Viera TVs from this year’s line up now feature 4K pro technology as standard. 4K allows content to be viewed in four times as many pixels as Full-HD content. They have a shiny new Mozilla-powered user interface which allows navigating around so much easier. Not only that, but the new range is the first to host Freeview Play. This service allows the viewer to stream Freeview programmes from the internet which you may have missed using the familiar TV guide rewind facility.
The Panasonic SC-HTB485EBK Sound Bar is a 2.1-channel high-quality sound system which produces a rich sound field and crisp, clear dialogue. It comes with a wireless subwoofer and its Music Sound Mode optimises music listening. Without taking up too much space, you can enjoy movies, TV and music videos with lifelike acoustic ambiance and the clearest of sounds.
To be in with a chance of winning a Panasonic Sound Bar, just answer the following question.
As usual we are going to make this very easy for you.
To enter, all you have to do is follow tracyandmatt on Twitter and retweet the following tweet: “RT I want to win a new Panasonic Sound Bar from @tracyandmatt and @PanasonicUK – You could too: http://wp.me/p3WUB6-fwL #vieravipclub” You can also click the retweet link below to save you copying and pasting the phrase. Your twitter name will be entered in to the draw.
Terms & Conditions for [insert blog/website name]/Panasonic Competition
1. The promoter is: Tracy And Matt Ltd
2. Tracyandmatt.co.uk contributors, Panasonic and their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the competition including helping to set up the competition shall not be permitted to enter the competition. The competition is only open to residents of the UK and Republic of Ireland (ROI), aged 18 years or over.
3. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.
4. Route to entry for the competition and details of how to enter are via http://wp.me/p3WUB6-fwL
5. Closing date for entry is 28/12/15. After this date the no further entries to the competition will be permitted. Only one entry may be submitted per participant. Multiple entries will not be considered. Incomplete incorrect or otherwise invalid entries will not be considered. The Promoter reserves the right to verify the eligibility of all participants. 6. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
7. The prize for each winner are as follows: one Panasonic SC-HTB485EBK Sound Bar
8. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice and for any reason. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
10. No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and the promotor reserves the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.
11. Winners will be drawn at random by Tracyandmattfrom all valid entries received
12. The winner will be notified by email and/or letter within 28 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or does not claim the prize within 14 days of notification, the promotor reserves the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
13. The winner consents to their name, postal address and mobile contact number to be passed on to Panasonic in order to fulfil the prize.
14. The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.15. The promoter’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
16. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
17. The competition and these terms and conditions will be governed by English law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.
Christmas is normally a time that folks start looking for a cheaper tablet to appease a younger child or to slip down the side of an armchair for quick usage and there are a bunch of online lists of the best tablet to grab for not too little money. Over the has couple of years the Tesco Hudl has usually been the all rounder that many would pick up however this year there is no refresh and the Hudl name is a thing of the past.
This creates a gap in the market and there will be a flurry of tablets fighting to be the hit this year. From this tech enthusiast I would recommend avoiding the unknown and going with the trusted. Looking around the options there is no tablet that really ticks all the boxes however one tablet gets very close, it’s from Asus.
Having impressed everyone for the last few years, admittedly with Google supporting them, with the Nexus 7 devices Asus know how to put together a winning package. Some of their ventures between the Nexus 7 2013 and now have been a little forgettable however they are back with the Zenpad range and I urge you to check them out.
Most manufacturers will fill their devices with tech and you will have little to no option save for some storage options depending on your location. Asus have gone the other way with a confusing array of differing tablets that will fit your desired spec without inflating the price too much.
At the lower end is the £80 Zenpad C Intel Atom X3 processor with 1 GB of RAM, and 16 GB ROM. Moving up through various different price bands and losing the C there is a Zenpad 7 and 8 with a base model spec increase with 2-4gb of RAM, 16,32 and 64gb of storage and display sizes of 7, 8 and 10” inch size. You will have to spend some time to get your desired spec.
There is also a high end option called the Zenpad S that seems to have the strongest spec options however lacks the customisable hardware we will be looking at next.
In this review we will be having a look at the P022 Zenpad 8.0 with 2gb ram, 16gb rom, 800 x 1280 (189 dpi,) Intel Atom Z3560 processor. Asus were kind enough to provide the optional extended battery and an alternate cover. The covers and setup were previously illustrated in this Unboxing video.
The extended battery comes with a simple, yet funny charge adaptor that clicks onto the battery with little fuss. I would suggest it is easy to lose based entirely on size however it does provide a handy alternative to using the tablet to charge the extended battery. In a sense you do never need to charge the tablet if you were to make full use of the extended battery every other day. Combined we are looking at roughly 14 hours of continual use or over a week of standby. The little adapter that magnetically grips the extended battery cover and charges it independently, hardly a fast charge I clocked a full charge at 5 hours. Increase Laptop Battery Life, Longer Battery Laptop Life.
One additional add-on is the ASUS Audio Cover, a simple folio cover with an over-the-top cinematic, 5.1-channel surround sound built in providing the ZenPad with DTS-HD Premium Sound and SonicMaster technology provide further enhancement. I’m not sure where this might be useful however I love it exists. In saying that I would probably want to be able to use it everywhere.
One issue I would have is the alternate cover. I would have been fairly annoyed having purchased it as the clips are broken having removed it once. Given the nature of the extended battery the covers should have a more durable fitting method.
The tablet has a very standard layout, aside from the lines of the back cover. Here is a little gallery of the device’s notable edges:
Below is a video illustration of the Asus Zenpad benchmark scores and compared again a high end Android tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4. The Zenpad has a decent amount of power inside to keep things ticking over and for the money I hope to see if stand up well against an ageing super beast of a tablet, in saying that the innards of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 are almost identical to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S.
Asus have also included a fairly heavy overlay. This doesn’t intrude as much as Samsung’s Touchwiz or HTC’s Sense UI, instead it adds a number of features for helping the user get more from the device’s settings.
Take, for example, the screen settings. Ordinarily Android offers the ability to adjust the screen brightness with sensors above the screen measuring the direct light on the screen. In a step forward manufacturers have taken the brightness and contrast settings and allowed the user to pick from different settings to customise the look of the screen’s colour palette. Asus have taken another step again allowing a massive amount of freedom in boosting and subduing the colour palette to get the most out of the screen. Adding filters to help reading in the dark and reduce eye fatigue.
The screen is good. Using a Samsung Galaxy Tab S as my main tablet I am spoiled when it comes to screen tech in my life. The Zenpad, doesn’t quite measure up yet I would find it difficult to fault. The IPS display works well, has great brightness and contrast levels alongside some commendable colour representation. Movies and games look very well and there is no evidence of a limited viewing angle. The Tru2life additions give great options for the user to get the most out of the screen alongside some presets that enhance the most basic experiences.
Android 5.0.2 is whats at play here. Far from stock as the Zen User Interface is in full swing. Whilst I had initially thought Asus had really taken strides to enhance the user experience on the tablet I realised quite quickly that the Zen UI is for the Zen range as there are tools and options that are really designed for the Zenfone and there is no way they would put the level of effort into a camera application as they have here for such a poor camera optic.
The Camera isn’t terrible, however it’s about as far from award winning as you could get and falls in line with the majority of tablet cameras. Fit for purpose, little more. The front facing will work for video calls and the lesser quality will help disguise blemishes and not-quite-so-beauty spots better than most smoothing options. Yet those beautification additions are resident, turning the user into a mannequin, an obvious leftover for a better camera on the Zenfone.
Video quality is pretty bad and there do seem to be some bugs with the camera software itself when rotating the device. There are only two options for the camera, SD or 720 HD. Both feature a large amount of image fragmentions.
The front facing speaker is a welcome addition, there is only one however it proves to be loud and whilst hardly amazing quality will provide a decent output for sound when watching a video or playing a game. The user won’t accidentally cover the speaker but it would have really been a step up had there been a second speaker on the other side of the screen.
There is a bit of bloatware on the device, something I am not a fan of, especially when dealing with a 16gb were only 9gb being available. Most of the pre-populated apps are Asus’s own however the odd app like Trip Advisor pops up and isn’t removable. It can be hidden however it’s still there, and that bugs me.
In all the Zenpad range is a truly welcome move and entry to the market. Priced nicely with echoes of the Nexus 7 legacy here and there and no real compromises with the hardware. You are getting what you pay for and knowing upfront how well it should really operate. This is the device to replace an aging Hudl, a kids beaten up cheapie or something to slide down the side of the sofa for quick reference.
The Sennheiser HD 800 is cherished by music lovers throughout the world for its brilliant sound image and impressive spatiality. With the HD 800 S, the audio specialist now presents a new version, which even surpasses the listening experience of its predecessor: Acoustically, the proven transducer technology and the innovative earcup design of the HD 800 are still being employed, while the sound image has once again been further optimized in the medium and low frequency range. Sennheiser has also enhanced the equipment level of the HD 800 S with the addition of a symmetrical XLR4 cable. The color was also slightly changed: the earcups of the new model are resplendent in a premium matte-black finish.
Ever since its launch, the HD 800 has been a firm favourite among music lovers and audiophiles. Brilliant trebles, precise bass reproduction and a particularly clear sound image combined with a frequency response from 4 to 51,000 Hz – these are the outstanding qualities of the multi-award-winning HD 800.
With the HD 800 S, sound reproduction has been optimized even beyond the high benchmark set by the HD 800. This is made possible through the innovative absorber technology that was first introduced in the IE 800. This patented technology ensures that the so-called “masking effect” is neutralized. This acoustic phenomenon, that diminishes sound quality, arises as the human ear is unable to perceive higher-pitched sounds, that have low-volumes, at the same time that sigificantly louder sounds in a lower frequency range occur. Through the application of the absorber technology, the energy of the resonances is absorbed, thus preventing any unwanted peaks in the frequency response and ensuring that even the finest nuances in the music remain audible over the entire frequency range.
The improved audio quality of the HD 800 S is based on the high-end technology of its legendary predecessor. As before, the core of the new model is a unique transducer system which, as in the HD 800, is the source and guarantee of an exceptionally detailed sound image. Measuring 56 millimetres, it is the largest transducer currently to be found in a set of dynamic headphones. In spite of the size of the transducer, the patented diaphragm with its innovative ring design minimizes any distortion that might occur especially at higher frequencies – keeping total harmonic distortion to less than 0.02 percent. Meticulous attention was also paid to the design of the earcups. These are designed in such a way that the sound waves are directed to the ear at a slight angle. This ensures a particularly natural and spatial sound perception.
In order to achieve even better audio quality in the reproduction of audio sources with a symmetrical output, such as the Sennheiser HDVD 800, the HD 800 S comes with a symmetrical XLR4 cable.
Luxurious materials for luxury headphones
“The HD 800 is in a class of its own. During its development, we took time to focus on every single detail,” explained Maurice Quarré, Director Business Segment Select & Audiophile at Sennheiser. And that is also true for the new HD 800 S. Like their predecessor, these high-end headphones from the audio specialist use only the highest quality materials – not least to optimally support the outstanding sound properties. For example, the transducer is embedded in a specially manufactured stainless steel gauze. For the headband, the audio specialist has chosen a design consisting of several layers of sound-attenuating plastic and stainless steel, while the connector contacts are gold-plated to ensure optimum contact. The earcups are made of high-quality, high-attenuation plastic, which is used in aviation engineering as a substitute for metal. It is precisely these components on the HD 800 S that feature a matte-black, silk-gloss finish, providing the new high-end headphones with a unique, silky luxurious look. In this way, the outer appearance of the HD 800 S is in perfect harmony with the exceptional quality of the sound image.
Like the HD 800, the HD 800 S is hand-crafted at the company’s German headquarters in Wedemark. It will be available from mid-December 2015.
SYMA X5SC QUADCOPTER HD CAMERA is currently selling over at Red5.com. This modestly priced Quadcopter an updated, upgraded, bigger and better version of the popular Syma X5C Quadcopter with an HD Cam. This improved version still has all the same capabilities as the X5C, but with a few changes to get more out of its feature set. The rotor guards have been increased in size to further protect them from damage and the landing skids have been raised to give you the best possible viewing angle.
The Syma X5SC is a 2.4GHz Quadcopter with a built in HD 720p camera allowing you to film all of your flights, as well as taking some still images along the way.
This quad comes with a 6 axis gyroscope and 4 channel flight making it ideal for newbies who are just starting out on 4 channel flyers, as well as the pros who want to do some sweet tricks.
With a range of approximately 50 metres, boasting incredible stability, and indoor and outdoor usage, the Syma X5SC Quadcopter With HD Camera is worth checking out.
Connect
Connect with us on the following social media platforms.