Vodafone’s Smart ultra 7 combines an octa-core processor with the Android 6.0 Marshmallow and a fairly low price tag to appeal to those of us who just want a smartphone without the high price tag. To keep the user going there is a 2960 mAh battery that charges in half the time using “Pump Express Plus technology.”
Other specifications:
Mediatek MT6755M processor with Mali-T860MP2 GPU
5.5 inch 1080 x 1920 IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen
2 GB RAM
16 GB expandable storage
13 MP autofocus rear camera with LED flash
5 MP front facing camera with LED flash
And can be yours for around £150-£160.
Check out http://www.techaddicts.uk for a full review soon…
Y-Cam is a security setup that employs a bunch of little peripherals under the one hub to give you peace of mind when away from home of when you locked everything up for the night.
Here we take a look at the Y-Cam Protect Alarm system. A basic, starter kit that notifies you when something happens in the home.
What you get in the box:
First up is the alarm hub itself. This box looks like an alarm system, is large enough to act as a deterrent however it’s designed to plug into your route so it might have some limits as to where you can place it. The Hub has some holes on the back for screws to allow wall mounting.
Also is the box is a door sensor with some adhesive tape to attach to both the door and the door frame. A motion sensor and remote control are also included.
The Y-Cam Protect calls itself a “Triple Layer” security system. This uses wired, wireless and SIM card to protect your home if your internet or power is cut.
In order to use the third level, the user has to pay for the SIM service. This costs either £5.99 per month or £59.99 for the year. The SIM provides alarms to the application and text messages to your phone when the alarm has been triggered.
There is also a feature to include the Plus button on the remote to send an emergency message to two mobile numbers. If an elderly relative has fallen perhaps, they can summon help if they have the remote on their person.
The battery on the Y-Cam lasts for around eight hours, this would be handy if there was a power cut and house was broken into a few hours afterwards. The motion and door sensors are battery powered and are said to last a year before needing replacement their batteries replaced.
The sensors work for the most part. Testing the motion sensor was a little deflating as I was able to wave at it in the dark from a meter away without it jumping into action. During the day it was triggered by my pets and unlike my main house alarm does not have a function to disregard differing weight categories. However, it’s cost £150, my house alarm was close to £1000 and only upsets the neighbours when it goes off instead of tapping me on the shoulder to tell me my phone collection might not be there when I get home.
You can also arm or disarm from anywhere by the application. Whilst the Y-cam isn’t loud enough to annoy the neighbours on a false alarm it would probably aggravate your dog/cat that set it off in the first instance.
When armed the hub announces that it has been armed before allowing an adjustable grace period to clear the area. Setting off the alarm is an odd experience. The bell inside is loud, but not pant wettingly loud. You neighbours are unlikely to investigate and the sound may only serve to alert an intruder that something has happened. Instead, notifications will fly out to your device for you to react to.
The Y-Cam app is available for both for iOS or Android and is relatively simple to use. There are not many options, however, I would imagine as you add more peripherals to the system it would become a lot busier. Whilst I do not have the addition camera the functions are available to give a taste of how I could enhance the system if I were to feel inclined.
The Hub settings have a large amount of customisation making for quite an attractive experience. From naming sensors and items on the Y-Cam system to checking signal, there is a lot to work with, however not all is necessary when you are just plugging in and wanting it up and running.
The Protect system works pretty well. The remote is useful however I found using the application a lot more useful. I couldn’t help but think that the remote would really only be for the elderly. It’s not something you would attach to your keys when you go out and oddly enough it sat beside the Y-Cam hub for most of the time, so I didn’t lose it.
The Protect function arms and disarms quite quickly and the app is updated quickly when something happens with the system. One afternoon I did encounter a problem with the app when I received an error stating “regld required” however it worked later.
The Y-Cam Protect is a good-value home alarm system with an extra layer of reliability. It’s easy to setup and use with the benefits that easily outweigh the shortcomings. The subscription fee has it merits however it might not suit everyone.
You’d be amazed at the technology that goes into modern flashlights. I’m not talking about the cheap and cheerful/nasty ones you can pick up for £1 at the checkout at Tesco or a petrol station, I mean “proper” flashlights. Precision machined reflectors shape the beam pattern and balance the throw and spill. Cutting edge LEDs generate insane amounts of light. Clever electronics regulate the output to ensure a constant and steady output for as long as possible before dimming, squeezing the maximum out of the batteries. And that’s not to mention the various user interfaces that allow for a number of different light levels along with other modes such as strobe, S.O.S. and beacon. These lights cost between “quite a lot” and “eye-watering” on the scale of wallet pain. Believe me, I know, I have quite a few of them.
Yes folks, my name is Paul and I am a flashaholic.
Uniquefire sent us one of their flashlights to take a look at. At £18 I really didn’t expect a lot, but two things intrigued me, the name of the light and the specification/description from the manufacturer, but I’ll get to those later.
So let’s judge the light on its own merits. Is it any good? Well, yes and no. For £18 it falls firmly into the cheap but useful pigeon hole. It does feel quite solidly made, which surprised me. I initially thought the tail button glowed in the dark which would have been a really nice feature, it alas no, it’s just green.
The light can be powered by either an 18650 battery or 3x AAA batteries. The former will provide more power, but they are not exactly common, so most people will opt for the much more readily available AAA option. There are 5 modes available – high, medium, low, strobe and S.O.S. which are cycled through by half-pressing the tail button. The main gimmick of the flashlight is the zoom function. This allows the output to transition between a wide flood or a tight and narrow beam for maximum throw.
It all sounds very positive, but there are some issues. The reflector, what there is of it, is incredibly shallow and untextured. This is compensated by a parabolic lens to magnify the light from the large LED. It’s a common feature on cheaper lights.
Putting the light on high mode the flashlight does a decent job at illuminating a wide area, perhaps 5m wide, but only for about 3m in front of you. Pulling the head away from the body create a telescoping effect which tightens the beam to a bright but very narrow profile that stretches out perhaps 80-100m. The beam pattern is horrible though. It’s square, full of artefacts and clearly shows the cheapness of the light. I compared it against my little Zebralight SC51, a single AA light that, although almost twice the price, is also a fraction of the size and weight. It has an output of 200 lumens, so it should be interesting to see the comparison.
As you can see from the pictures below, the zebralight may lack the zooming feature, but a properly engineered reflector can create simultaneous spill and throw, giving a much more versatile beam.
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- Zebralight
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- Zebralight
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- Zebralight
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- XM-L2 Led flashlight from Uniquefire
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- XM-L2 Led flashlight from Uniquefire
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- XM-L2 Led flashlight from Uniquefire
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- XM-L2 Led flashlight from Uniquefire
Now onto my issues with the name and spec. The light is called the “XM-L2”. I have seen this particular sales tactic before. It leads the buyer to believe that the light has an XM-L2 LED, a high output, super efficient component in it and not the sort of LED one might find in a low-end light. I don’t know what LED is actually in this. The spec from the company is vague, non-specific and potentially misleading. Generally, companies will provide output and runtimes for each mode, but sadly not in this case. You can see that the 200-lumen zebralight appears to be putting out more light, yet the XM-L2 claims to put out 600-1000 lumens in its somewhat confusing information. I don’t think so.
Overall, this light isn’t bad for the money, and if it marketed itself as such, I wouldn’t have a problem with it. However, I take issue with how it appears to be presenting itself as a high-end light when it is very clearly not.
Pick one up from Amazon here.
In an age where we increasingly rely on our smartphones for work, for keeping in touch with what’s going on in the world, chatting with our friends and checking social media, absolute power is an absolute necessity. The sheer panic many people feel when their phone is running out of juice and the mad scramble to find a power source can now be a thing of the past.
The Dubleup power bank, which is launching on Kickstarter on the 9th March, offers a truly portable solution to your charging issues. Being the same size as your average credit card, it can easily be popped into your purse or wallet so is readily available to charge your phone whether at work, on the move or whilst travelling. The ultra-light and ultra-thin design mean you will hardly know you are carrying it, no bulkier, heavy chargers weighing you down now!
Dubleup is not only incredibly portable but also incredibly stylish and is available in a choice of gold, silver and black. It is available with either a built-in lightning connector for iPod and iPhone or a built-in MicroUSB for Android devices. With a capacity of 1280mAH, there is more than enough juice to give a dead or dying iPhone 7 (1,960 mAH battery capacity) sufficient battery life to last the rest of the day.
The LED power indicator displays your battery level and charge status so no more flat battery dilemmas either. The power card has met worldwide safety approvals and is Apple Certified, so you can rest easy knowing that your device will charge safely when the power bank is operational and that all of your Apple items will be supported with Dubleup’s power bank.
Don’t miss out on this stylish and portable charging solution, register your interest now on Dubleup.com and check out the Kickstarter page on 9th March and make your life a little lighter!
Early Bird Offer! The first 6000 backers will be able to get their Dubleup for just $50 USD (Around £39.94).
Thereafter the price is $59 USD (Around £47.13).
Both of these prices will include shipping.
This week featuring Gareth Myles and Jay Garrett
RSS Link: http://mobiletechaddicts.libsyn.com/rss
News:
Play Test:
Jay
Gareth
- Creative Outlier Sports Wireless Sweatproof In-Ear Headphones review
- A Look At The D-Link Exo AC 1900 Wi-Fi Router
- Venturer PrimePro
Bargain Basement:
- Three 30GB data, 600 mins £20 a month 12m +
- £59 for a phone and a free phone service? That’s FreedomPop!
Main Show URL: http://www.techaddicts.uk
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @garethmyles ; @gavinfabiani ; @GadgetyNewsCom ; @JayGarrett ; @swanny ; @girlsngadgets ; @wildlime
Facebook: Tech Addicts
Web: http://gavinsgadgets.com ; http://GadgetyNews.com ; http://swanny.me/
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The BenQ BL2405HT has both Flicker-free technology and Low Blue Light Modes allowing for both an approach to office and gaming in the one unit. Priced at £130 the BenQ is worth considering if you do a bit of both, also there are some great options for monitors in sites like bestbezellessmonitor online which offer a great selection of monitors as well.
The BL2405 has a 2cm wide bezel all around the screen. This is a totally acceptable and non-offensive or obtrusive amount. Certainly, it adds a large amount of the width and height of the screen, however, given the size of the screen, the bezels a are not overwhelming in any way. Buttons have been placed on the right edge of the screen. Here we have a power on/off, a select “Enter” button, Up/Down buttons for use in the menu system and to control the volume and brightness. There is also a Menu button and an Auto function. The indicator of the Brightness down button is a sticker and it would see the inputs have been upgraded. Pressing the brightness down button allows the up/down buttons to control the brightness. After a timed delay, the brightness control is released and hitting the volume Up button allows the Up/down buttons to control the volume. Take a little getting used to however as most home computer operators will probably have speakers connected to their computers this saves having an extra two buttons and the brightness can monopolise the inputs.
Here BenQ has an Ultra-Flexible Height Adjustment System (HAS) and it’s probably one of the best mounts for a desktop screen. Once attached, the screen has a full 11cm of vertical travel. Additionally, there is a very smooth 45 degrees of swivel and a twenty degrees of tilt.
On the rear are a 3.5mm audio input and a second output, for headphones or desktop speakers. As for image inputs, there is an HDMI 1.4 port, a 24-pin DVI-D input and a D-SUB. One of the great features is that the Power Supply Unit (PSU) is internal so there is no power brick.
Featuring a backlit 24-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) LED TN panel with an aspect ratio of 16:9 the BL2405 manages a contrast ratio of 1,000:1 with a maximum dynamic contrast of 12 million to one. BenQ reckons the Pixel response time is roughly two milliseconds and there is a viewing angle of 170 degrees horizontal and 160 degrees vertically.
Screen are continually tied to problems with eye-strain and BenQ have been taking steps to ensure their screen have the correct technology inbuilt to reduce common problems. The Low Blue Light modes a noticeably different to the standard settings however they take some getting used to whilst they do help eye strain. BL2405HT works well in bright environments with the impressive maximum light output. In darker conditions, the BL2405 suffered a little from light pooling in the corners however it really isn’t too much of an issue and can be overlooked given the price tag.
A trained eye might pickup on a little corner bleed here and there, noticeable when gaming or watching a movie, however, it is not to the extent to ruin an experience. The screen works well as either an office panel or gaming/media consumption panel and most will find it perfectly acceptable. I honestly like this panel a great deal and using it as the main display on a secondary computer saw no faults or blemishes I would feel it was worth pointing out.
This is a solid screen for a very reasonable price and comes as an easy recommendation.
Available on Amazon for around £130.
With Gareth Myles, Gavin Fabiani-Laymond and Jay Garrett
RSS Link: http://mobiletechaddicts.libsyn.com/rss
Show Notes
Listener Feedback:
Hi thanks for a great podcast I was just wondering what app or software? do you use for your smartphone web home security solution?
Thanks
Neil
Nate langston has done Patreon, will MTA go that way?
Leigh
News:
MWC 20117
- Whats with the LG G6?
- Whats with the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus?
- Whats with the Sony Xperia XZs and XZ Premium?
- Whats with the Blackberry KEYone?
- Nokia 3, 5, 6, 8 This 3310 nonsense.But it has snake!
Play Test:
Gavin
- Vodafone Smart Platinum 7 review -£300 and QHD
- Huawei Mate 9 review
- LG G5 – Re-visited with Android Nougat review
- Groov-e Mini & Classic Boombox reviews
- Zecti 70 inch Travel Tripod review
- Austell&Kern XB10 review
Jay
- The Bristol Show (Sound & Vision) 2017
- TP-Link Archer VR2800 DSL modem router
Gareth
Bargain Basement:
Main Show URL: http://www.techaddicts.uk
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @garethmyles ; @gavinfabiani ; @GadgetyNewsCom ; @JayGarrett ; @swanny ; @girlsngadgets ; @wildlime
Facebook: Tech Addicts
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ARCHOS unveils the ARCHOS 50 Graphite and the ARCHOS 55 Graphite smartphones, providing users with a true combination of latest technologies for enhanced functionalities: two cameras, 13MP + 2MP on the back and 5MP on the front, a fingerprint sensor, a USB-C port and Google Android Nougat. The smartphones will be demonstrated at MWC both models will be available in June 2017.
With its Graphite range, ARCHOS puts at users’ disposal what they expect: larger screens, fast authentication, high-speed mobile Internet connection, access to fancy apps, photo and videos to share on social networks, rapid charge for an ease of use anytime.
In its extra slim Aluminium unibody frame design (7.8mm thick), the ARCHOS 55 Graphite packs a large 5.5” IPS Full Lamination HD screen with a 2.5D contoured edge, making it comfortable for heavy multimedia users to view their favourite content.
It flaunts a Mediatek MT6737 Quad-Core 1.5GHz chipset, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage (expandable up to 128 GB via a microSD slot).
The ARCHOS 55 Graphite embeds two cameras: 13MP with autofocus and LED flash + 2MP on the back and 5MP on the front. Its dual-lens camera system enables a sharper image with more details as well as ultra-wide angle and shallow depth of field (Bokeh) modes, for capturing and sharing life best moments.
Its ultra-responsive fingerprint sensor unlocks the smartphone in less than 0.3 of a second, with the ability to save up to five different fingerprints, not need to worry how you grab it.
The ARCHOS 55 Graphite contains two SIM slots and allows fast downloads and rapid data transfer via its 4G/LTE connectivity.
In addition to its 3000 mAh Li-Ion battery, the ARCHOS 55 Graphite benefits from a super-fast charge, thanks to the micro USB-C adaptor. Its battery life is also optimisable via the extending features of Doze 2.0 brought by Google latest Android release, Nougat.
It runs Google Android 7.0 (Nougat) in its purest release, with a bunch of new features: split-screen mode, quick reply to notifications, and revamped settings and toggle menus. It gives complete access to the Google Play Store and its millions of apps, games and books.
A lighter version, the ARCHOS 50 Graphite, with a 5.0” IPS HD screen + 2.5D, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage (expandable up to 128 GB via microSD slot) will also be made available.
Exact specifications and availability might vary by country. They will be specified when the smartphones are launched, in June 2017.
FERUS Gaming Keyboard
Time for a change! Swap the standard black keycaps on your FERUS Gaming Keyboard in a flash – for fire-red gaming keys. They make those critical WASD and arrow keys really stand out, plus guide you so you always hit the right key when things get tense in the heat of battle. What’s more interesting is that you can use it with your streaming device, which is almost all gamers’ dream out there. The keyboard also features 10 hotkeys for direct media player and Windows control so you can chat to your comrades-in-arms during the gaming session. With driverless plug & play functionality, a full-size key layout, plus height adjustment – this keyboard is incredibly easy to use and feature-packed.
CRIPT Ultra Thin Gaming Mousepad
Locked and loaded for greater gaming glory! The CRIPT Ultra Thin Gaming Mousepad was born for breakneck, energetic gameplay. Experience superior control thanks to its incredible combination of precision, gliding area and sturdiness: a non-slip layer on the base, a chrome-effect layer sandwiched in between for maximum sturdiness, and a surface designed for ultra-fast gliding. Available in classic black or in a camouflage look, the CRIPT is a truly impressive accessory for optical and laser mice.
LEGATOS Stereo Gaming Headset
The LEGATOS Stereo Headset will supply the soundtrack to action-packed games. Treat your ears to incredible comfort when fighting it out in multiplayer games. With its ultra-soft ear pads and padded, flexible headband plus adjustable microphone which captures your voice with crystal-clear clarity, you’ll enjoy gaming and chatting using this headset just as much as listening to the balanced stereo sound.
ASSERO Gaming Mouse
Click by click: with its impressive 3,200dpi resolution and fast, driverless installation the ASSERO becomes a reliable companion in terms of levelling up. Thanks to its symmetrical design, the five-button mouse comfortably fits the hand perfectly and is suitable for right and left handers. Even in the playground of destruction the glow of the mouse wheel and the logo lettering make the ASSERO a shining eye-catcher. In operation mode, the gently pulsating lights will automatically toggle between the colours Midnight Blue, Passionate Pink, Volcano Red and Tyrian Purple. In addition, the mouse wheel lighting colour indicates the current dpi level. A brilliant bonus: between the games the multimedia mode provides quick and convenient access to fundamental control functions, for example in your music software.
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Your twitter name will be entered into the draw. You’ll have to keep following us as we’ll notify winners via DM.
Entry is open until midnight on the 1st March 2016 and the winner will be picked on the March 2nd.
We’ll contact the winner via twitter so make sure that you are still following us! Good luck and get tweeting!
Has this top amazon seller sent me a speaker to replace my hi-fi system? I usually have music blasting in the background if I am home alone doing housework, my wife listens to music during her home exercise routines and whenever we are having parties it always helps to have some music in the background to keep the kids entertained. I suppose with it being 2017 it is time to move into the world of wireless and put this speaker to the test.
Out of the box, the Aukey Portable wireless speaker looks and feels like a premium device with the smooth black rubber casing and the silver grills. This brick shaped speaker weighs 650.6 grammes and is 20.9 x 8.3 x 7.3cm (L x W x H). The speaker uses Bluetooth 4.1 and Aukey state you can get up to 30 hours playtime connected via cable or 12 hours wireless play with the 2600mAh lithium battery.
On top of the speaker you have the control panel, volume buttons, call button (pressed twice dials the last number dialled on your phone) the power button and Mode button (presumably pop, rock, vocal)
On the left-hand side there is the USB charging port, Aux-in, and reset button. These are covered with a red silicone cover
On the right-hand side, there is a detachable handle which can be used to mount the speaker on a hook.
At the bottom, there is a 1/4″-20 standard tripod screw mount
The speaker paired via Bluetooth to my phone effortlessly. Browsing through my music collection I had a mixture of dance, country, rock and pop are being played and I must say I was impressed. The sound output was crystal clear, with fantastic bass and treble with no noise distortion at maximum volume. Aukey state ‘Dual 5W drivers produce deep lows, textured mids, and clear highs to enjoy at home or outdoor’
When testing the speaker outdoors the 33ft wireless range opened a world of opportunity for summer BBQ’s. The Aukey Wireless speaker has not only impressed me, my wife and kids but other members of our family have been impressed by the sound quality from ‘the brick’ speaker. On a single charge, I have got two weeks worth of listening without having to worry about charging the battery, listening to the speaker for about an hour a day I have had no issues or problems. It currently has found a home at the kitchen sink with the splash proof grills it has made washing the dishes a more enjoyable task!
I would definitely recommend this Aukey speaker for £29.99 on Amazon this is truly a smart purchase and will hopefully be able to explore more of the Aukey range soon.
Package Contents: Aukey SK-M12 Bluetooth 4.1 Speaker, Micro-USB Cable, 3.5mm Audio Cable, User Manual, 24 Month Warranty
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