What’s new on Netflix and Amazon Prime for the week the 23rd – 29th November
Lets take a look and see what’s new on Netflix and Amazon Prime for the week the 23rd 29th November.
News
Sennheiser launches marble encased headphones for €50k
Sennheiser today announces Orpheus – the best headphones in the world, offering an unprecedented audio experience. The electrostatic headphone system combines the most innovative technology, highest quality craftsmanship and luxurious materials including Italian Carrara marble. The high-end headphones, which will be hand-crafted in Germany from next year onwards, will carry a price tag around €50,000 EUR.
Orpheus fulfils an ambition of the audio specialists, to build a high-end headphone which sounds so brilliant that you feel that you are in a concert hall; creating acoustics that surpass anything that has been heard before. The new launch is the second in the Orpheus series, bringing new technology that surpasses the original design created in 1990/1991, which took the audio world by storm. The product became an icon of the audio industry and was recognised as the best headphones in the world – until now. Almost 25 years later, Sennheiser is now opening up a new chapter in audio history with the successor, one that shares its famous name: “With the new Orpheus, we once again push the boundaries and show that we can repeatedly set new benchmarks in excellence and with that shape the future of the audio world,” said Sennheiser CEO Daniel Sennheiser.
With the first few models only just being created, there have been a series of limited listening sessions and alongside star producer Steve Levine, Grammy award-winner Gregory Porter was one of the first to be invited to an exclusive listening trial. “When I record my own music, I always try to convey my emotions. I don’t know how exactly, but these headphones really do succeed in getting those emotions across,” said the jazz musician, describing his listening experience with the Orpheus.
The unique Orpheus experience begins even before you start listening. When the system is inactive, the components are all retracted and the Orpheus has the serene beauty of a sculpture. Gently pushing the on/off-volume control brings the sculpture to life: the control elements, each of which are crafted from a single piece of brass and then plated with chrome, slowly extend from the marble housing, before the vacuum tubes enclosed in quartz glass bulbs rise from the base and start to glow. Finally, a glass cover is raised, allowing the headphones with ear cups finished in genuine leather to be removed.
The Orpheus uses an innovative amplifier concept that combines to perfection the advantages of a tube amplifier with those of a transistor amplifier.
The selection of all materials consequently supports the acoustic excellence of this milestone product. Over 6,000 components were meticulously chosen to ensure an outstanding acoustic performance. Sennheiser used exclusive components such as gold-vaporized ceramic electrodes and platinum-vaporized diaphragms. The marble that Sennheiser chose for the amplifier housing comes from Carrara in Italy and is the same type of marble that Michelangelo used to create his sculptures.
To immerse yourself in the unique world of the Orpheus, please visit www.sennheiser-reshapingexcellence.com. You can watch the full interview with Gregory Porter by clicking the following link: www.sennheiser.com/bluestage.
Boomerang loops little videos for Instragram
Continuing to evolve, Instagram has unleashed a new app that makes for fun and creative way to make short videos to share with your friends and family. Boomerang take 10 quick images and stitches them together to make a 1-second looping clip.
Like most video interaction in photo apps this is very simple to use, there’s just one button. Press it when you’re ready to record, and it does the rest. When you share the clip to Facebook or Instagram it’ll be on an infinite loop for anyone who wants to watch it. Social Media Daily helps augment your social metrics to reach more people.
For example:
Give it a quick download over at Google Play!
Stylish iKlips flash drive iPhones and iPads
Adam Elements, a leading smart lifestyle solutions brand, presents iKlips, an innovative flash drive solution designed specifically for iPhones, iPads and iPods. Not only does it add between 16 and 256 GB of additional mobile storage. Thanks to its Lightning / USB 3.0 dual interface, it also allows users to easily share data between iOS devices, PCs and Macs.
Award-winning design
Available in gray, gold, rose gold, silver and red colour options, the Apple “Made for iPod/iPhone/iPad” (MFi) certified iKlips perfectly matches the design of the latest iPhone 6s models (especially with the new rose gold colour), which makes it a seamless extension that could not look more natural. A slim, lightweight aluminium body and a clip on its back make it easy to carry iKlips around safely, e.g. attached to your pocket or bag. In June 2015, iKlips won the Red Dot Award in the “Product Design” category for its versatile, robust, portable and convenient design.
Simple and fast data sharing
iKlips is simply plugged into the iPhone’s, iPad’s or iPod’s Lightning port, which instantly expands the device’s storage capacity with up to 256 GB of additional memory, which can be flexibly removed and shared with other iOS devices. Even better, the flash drive boasts a USB 3.0 connector on its other end, which makes it easy to backup and share photos, videos, audio and other files with PCs or Macs and vice versa, all without using the internet, cloud storage or iTunes. The free iKlips iOS app makes managing the additional storage a breeze. Thanks to its support of the latest exFAT flash media format, iKlips also works with individual files larger than 4GB, facilitating long continuous recording of high-resolution video, which can exceed the 4 GB limit quickly, especially when filming 4K footage with the latest iPhone 6s.
Premium components and craftsmanship
iKlips is one of the first flash drives to use top quality MLC flash memory components. These not only provide greater stability and a longer product lifespan, but also allow for high-end read/write speeds: 26/10 MB/s via Lightning and 140/70 MB/s via USB 3.0. Thanks to its extremely energy-efficient design, iKlips has absolutely no noticeable effect on the iPhone’s, iPad’s or iPod’s battery life. This impressive technology comes encased in a slim, colourful and exquisitely designed aluminium body. iKlips has been developed and is exclusively manufactured by Adam Elements in Taiwan, who is committed to offering the highest level of quality assurance for a trusted storage experience.
The ideal Christmas gift
iKlips is available now from the Taiwan-based Adam Store at www.adamelements.com/store/ and at Amazon.co.uk (currently via Amazon Marketplace, shortly also directly from Amazon.co.uk) in different colours and with with five storage capacities to choose from: 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB (MSRP: £49, £69, £89, £159, £359). Other retailers such as Expansys.com and MobileFun.co.uk will follow starting end of October 2015.
For more information about iKlips and detailed product specifications, please visit www.adamelements.com
HTC One A9 has arrived
Announced on 20 October was HTC’s new flagship, originally codenamed the Hima Aero, the HTC One A9. HTC One A9 has a 5-inch display on the front, topped with Gorilla Glass 4. With a pixel resolution of 1920 x 1080 giving for a ppi of 440 leaving a beautiful crisp display. The HTC One A9 measures 145.75 x 70.8 x 7.26mm and is a lightweight 143g. Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 chipset.
Like a number of manufacturers seem to be offering, there will be two versions available, one with 2gb and one with 3gb of RAM. Different territories will get different models. In the UK, we are penciled to get the 2GB version. There will be 16 and 32GB storage options too, although the HTC One A9 supports microSD card expansion up to 2TB.
The battery only has a capacity of 2150mAh which is likely to attract some criticism, however the 617 chipset maybe refined enough to make a difference alongside Android 6.0 Marshmallow’s battery saving techniques. HTC is promising you’ll get 16 hours of talk time from it, 60 hours of music playback or 18 days of standby.
A 13-megapixel sensor, with F/2.0 aperture, and optical image stablisation sits at the very top of the rear next to a dual tone flash. Video capture is limited to full HD so 4K UHD is not an option here, sadly. Like the M9 a 4-megapixel UltraPixel sensor has been placed on the front to increase selfie quality. However, missing from this is HTC’s much loved BoomSound speakers on the front, instead opting for a single speaker in the bottom.
The HTC One A9 will be available in Opal Silver, Deep Garnet, Topaz Gold and Carbon Grey.
UK availability
The 2GB of RAM and 16GB version of the HTC One A9 will be available SIM free from htc.com for £429.99. The HTC One A9 will be available in November.
Only two networks have announced the phone. O2 will offer the HTC One A9, including an exclusive Topaz Gold version. And if you want to trade in your old phone, you can use O2’s Recycle scheme. Giffgaff will offer the HTC One A9, but we’re waiting on specific pricing and release details.
Vivitek Launch New Qumi Q6 Pocket Projector
Vivitek, a leading brand of visual display products, is today introducing the LED HD Qumi Q6, the new addition to its Qumi Series of pocket projectors. Designed for compatibility with any portable digital lifestyle and business mobile device, Q6 is lightweight and compact, offers high brightness and long life performance, to make it perfect for business and home users who want to wirelessly display digital content from a tablet or smartphone instantly onto an impressive, 90”/2.3m sized screen area.
“This latest model in the Qumi Series continues the trend for innovation we’ve shown with each new generation of the product,” comments Holger Graeff, General Manager, Vivitek EMEA. “We’ve increased the brightness as well as the ability to easily share content – whatever the source. So whether it’s content from a digital camera, laptop, smart phone, tablet, USB flash drive or even directly from its 2.5GB user accessible on-board memory, the Q6 is the perfect high-impact projection device.
Thanks to its native WXGA resolution, the 800 ANSI Lumens of brightness and its 30,000:1 contrast ratio, the Q6 projects an outstanding colour image onto a screen area of up to 90’’ diagonal. The Q6 also offers long life and low maintenance as its LED light source gives up to 30,000 hours of use. The LED light source also means that the Q6 is able to operate at any angle through a 360° spectrum, so portrait mode, ceiling to floor, or any tile angle is achievable with the same visually stunning results.
The Q6 uses the industry standard MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) standard for streaming video and audio content. So from any MHL-enabled mobile device, such as smartphone or tablet, it is possible to reproduce its screen onto a large screen area while charging it with the MHL cable (included).
For those who prefer to project directly from the Q6 (without connecting any device) the embedded media player can display documents, photos, videos and audio files instantly. The Q6 also features built-in Wi-Fi for cable-free projection to deliver uncompressed HD digital content transmitted smoothly and beautifully using EZCast Pro application. The Wi-Fi connection to Qumi is not limited to projecting images or video, it essentially replicates the screen of the mobile devices. Q6 is designed with an intuitive touch-sensitive keypad and illuminated backlit controls, and to complete the feature set, the Q6 has a built-in 2 watt loudspeaker.
Small, light and slim, the pocket sized Q6 is the perfect companion for sharing content from mobile devices. The size of a paperback book, and with a weight of only 475 grams and a thickness of 34mm, the Q6 can be conveniently carried around in a purse, briefcase or backpack. Available in 7 fashionable colors – black, white, light blue, red, orange, charcoal gray and gold – the Q6 is a personal device that matches your style, whether in business, school or home environment.
Key features/Specifications
- Native WXGA (1280 x 800) resolution with high definition 720p compatibility
- Bright 800 ANSI lumens and 30,000:1 contrast for brilliant and sharp images
- Project a large and wide screen image up to 90” in diameter
- Weighs just 475 grams and is 34mm thick
- Energy efficient LED light source offers up to 30,000 hours of operation
- Wirelessly stream and all types of content
- MHL compatible
- Integrated media and document viewer
- Display contents directly from a USB flash drive or from the on board memory
- Advanced display connectivity including: HDMI, USB, and internal Wifi
- 3D compatibility with DLP® Link™ and HDMI 1.4b Blu-Ray support for dazzling and realistic life-like images
- Built-in 2 watt audio speaker with multiple audio ports for easy device connection
- Touch-sensitive keypad with illuminated backlit controls
- Intuitive mobile remote control app* (Andriod™/iOS) for convenient control of the projector’s functions and features
- 7 exciting colors including: black, white, light blue, red, orange, gold, charcoal gray
Pricing and availability
The new Qumi Q6 pocket projector will be available from September 2015, at a list price of £480 inc. VAT, and it benefits a 3 year warranty. Education warranty upon registration is 5 years.
In addition to the Qumi Q6, the Qumi range is composed of two others pocket projectors: the Qumi Q4 with a brightness up to 500 ANSI lumens and the Qumi Q5 which adds MHL compatibility and includes a multimedia player as well as a Wi-Fi connection via a dongle. Two personal projectors complete the range: the Qumi Q7 Lite with a brightness up to 700 ANSI lumens and the Qumi Q7 Plus with a brightness up to 1000 ANSI lumens.
Whats new on Netflix and Amazon Prime in the UK?
Lets take a look as what is new to watch on Netflix and Amazon Prime in the UK from 05th – 11th October.
Archos and Sikur deliver privacy with GranitePhone
ARCHOS today announces the forthcoming availability of thousands of the GranitePhone by SIKUR, allowing both companies to enter the global market of private communications smartphones, where the need for voice and data protection is a growing concern.
The GranitePhone, unveiled at MWC, has immediately attracted the attention of government, defense agencies as well as private companies and individual users concerned by their privacy, generating huge quantities of pre-sales on the Granitephone website.
With a 5 inch screen Full HD, Granite OS, 4G and a 16MP camera the phone has all the latest hardware specs along with an unrivaled focus on security, eliminating loopholes which could allow data theft and spying.
The security architecture has been carefully designed with multiple layers of protection to mitigate security issues whilst still delivering the best in mobile technology today.
For additional flexibility, the device’s data storage is also kept in an encrypted form in the cloud so that GranitePhone’s users can access safely to their data from anywhere, using SIKUR applications.
They can do so from a computer and from other mobile devices, either Android and even iOS, which ensures great flexibility without compromising privacy.
“ARCHOS, through its subsidiary Logic Instrument is pleased to have been selected as industrial and development partner for this project as the demand for secured mobile solutions is increasing” says Loïc POIRIER CEO of ARCHOS.
“With GranitePhone, you can create a corporate digital environment, secure for the exchange of strategic information, without compromising productivity and speed offered by mobile devices,” says Frederico D’Avila, CEO of Sikur.
The GranitePhone, the first smartphone entirely focused on user privacy can be ordered through the website www.granitephone.com
Kitsound Boombar 2 Unboxing
The Kitsound Boombar 2 is a gorgeous lump of speaker that comprises of three main pros, is priced nicely, it looks great and it delivers decent sound.
We are seeing an influx of affordable portable speakers that manage to a great sound however none look as impressive as this and whilst it does not carry water resistance a price tag of £70 makes this a device worth looking at.
An upgraded version of our already impressive BoomBar, this portable wireless speaker also features a passive bass radiator but is twice as powerful.
Powerful, Detailed Sound
Despite being just a little bit bigger than our original BoomBar, this wireless speaker, with its passive radiator, is twice as powerful and twice as detailed, especially when positioned on the floor, as its angular design throws sound upwards.
Ultra Portable
We think our BoomBar 2 – with its carry case, built-in rechargeable battery for up to 10 hours of music play time and wireless connectivity – is the perfect modern equivalent of the boombox. You can easily pop the BoomBar 2 in its carry case into your bag for a long weekend away, or a spontaneous trip to the park.
Bluetooth Connectivity
The BoomBar 2’s simple pairing process makes it extremely easy to wirelessly connect to your smartphone, tablet, MP3 player or other Bluetooth device, but there’s also a 3.5 mm aux-in port to let you connect other devices too.
Make and Receive Calls
The perfect all-round wireless speaker, the BoomBar 2 also acts as a speakerphone, with a built-in mic and hands-free function allowing you to easily take calls using the simple control buttons.
The KitSound BoomBar 2
According to hip-hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy, the genre owes much of its success to boomboxes. Welcome to the natural heir of the boombox: the KitSound BoomBar 2.
About KitSound
We are craftspeople. We are musicians. We are KitSound™ and we all commit ourselves to achieving one shared goal: Bringing people closer to their music. By understanding music we stay true to its craft. Pure, rich, incredible sound. We settle for nothing less.
Specifications:
S/N: 65 dB
Bluetooth range: up to 10 m
Frequency response: 60 Hz – 20 kHz
Drivers: 2 x 50 mm
Output RMS: 2 x 5 W @ 2 ohm
Low Power Wide Area Networks coming next year
PicoWAN’s aim is to be the first LP-WAN (Low Power – Wide Area Network) RF network for connected objects, which will be collaborative, global, cross-border and available at a very low price. It will be launched in Europe from June 2016.
“PicoWAN is a project close to my heart. I have been deeply involved in the development and have even filed 3 patents,” announces Henri CROHAS, President of ARCHOS. “The potential is huge.”
A revolution in the Internet of Things
The key to this innovation is a unique wireless communications network protocol based on the use of pico-gateways, as opposed to rooftop concentrators and antennas, which come in the form of smart plugs connected to the internet via WiFi or Ethernet. Embedding a LoRa™ IC, the range of pico-gateways is potentially as long as the sophisticated antenna gears installed on rooftops by telcos. As a result of its low-cost and its easy installation inside buildings, the network can be densified at will and made fail–safe, penetrate very deep indoor resulting in a much higher QoS (Quality of Service).
A collaborative network at a very low price
The cost of a pico-gateway is some 100 times less than the cost of a rooftop installation. Instead of investing tens of million euros in infrastructure, PicoWAN will create a highly competitive LP-WAN thanks to the viral diffusion of very low-cost pico-gateways.
To ensure the deployment of a global network throughout Europe, PicoWAN plans to distribute up to 200,000 free pico-gateways by the end of 2016.
PicoWAN will offer a subscription plan starting at £0.50 pence per year, per connected object. Those who will deploy pico-gateway networks locally will receive up to 50% of the income resulting from the connections passing through their pico-gateways.
Optimal compatibility with connected objects
The software embedded in connected objects will be freely available to all developers and integrators developing on vertical or consumer markets, who can then set up their own IoT networks. This technology will facilitate the launch of multiple connected objects in all domains (health, agriculture, home automation, industry, and more), instantly supported by the PicoWAN network anywhere.
All LoRaWANTM objects can be made compatible with ease.
Join us at the Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona in February 2016 for a demonstration of PicoWAN network.
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