Huawei Watch 3 Series and new MatePad Pro Launched with HarmonyOS 2

Huawei has launched a range of smartwatches and tablets powered by its new HarmonyOS 2 operating system, including the Huawei Watch 3 Series and the Huawei MatePad Pro.

Harmony OS has been in the pipeline for a while, but now it’s hitting the ground running in its 2.0 flavour as it is powering a raft of new products.

Huawei is pinning its hopes on HarmonyOS as becoming the Android slayer where BlackBerry, Symbian, Windows Phone, Firefox OS, et al failed. Naturally, the company has had its hand somewhat forced thanks to the ongoing political situation between the USA and China.

Harmony OS first appeared on some IoT devices and the much publicised Smart TVs. Now 2.0 boasts apps that will appear on the brand’s Huawei smartphones, such as the P40 and Mate 40, as well as tablets and watches.

HUAWEI Watch 3 Series

Huawei’s brand-new flagship smartwatch, the Huawei Watch 3 Series, features a curved glass 1.43-inch circular AMOLED display that totes a 326ppi pixel density and 316L stainless steel case. There is also a brand-new 3D rotating crown that senses different pressure levels and provides haptic feedback in response to user input.

Naturally, there are stacks of health and fitness tracking baked in, too. The Huawei Watch 3 Series supports more than 100 workout modes. In addition to a broad range of healthcare support options, the watch can now monitor skin temperature with a new, high-precision temperature sensor. It also supports fall detection and SOS functions so that you can monitor and manage another user’s health in real-time.

The Huawei Watch 3 Pro has a quoted battery life of 21 days in ultra-long battery life mode or five in smart mode, whereas the Huawei Watch 3 can last three days in smart mode and 14 days in ultra-long battery life mode.

Connectivity comes through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, and eSIM, enabling you to make and receive phone calls and listen to music using the same phone number and data plan as your smartphone.

Pre-orders run from June 2nd to 17th in the UK, with the Watch 3 going on sale on June 18th priced at £349.99. As for the Pro model, that costs £499.99, and pre-orders are active between June 2nd and 27th, with the watch becoming available on June 27th.

Those who place a pre-order with a deposit – £20 for the Watch 3, £50 for the Watch 3 Pro – will get that money off their watch of choice at purchase and will be able to redeem a pair of the company’s FreeBuds Pro true-wireless earphones at the same time.

HUAWEI MatePad Pro

We’re told that the new Huawei MatePad Pro features a 12.6-inch OLED FullView Display and has bragging rights to a 90% screen-to-body ratio, the highest among all tablets currently available on the market, they say. 

Every display comes with a Delta-E colour difference of less than 0.5 for incredibly high colour accuracy. It promises to deliver a crisp, colour-accurate picture that is on par with professional monitors. The Huawei MatePad Pro also has an ultra-high contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 and supports a DCI-P3 colour gamut.

Loaded with Kirin 9000 series chipsets, the MatePad Pro should deliver the goods as it is also supported by the distributed data management and task scheduling capabilities of HarmonyOS. This means that the tablet can work together seamlessly with smartphones and PCs to double your productivity and creativity in different scenarios, “whether you’re in the office or at the drawing board”.

The nifty MatePad Pro also supports multi-screen collaboration with PCs and supports cross-device file dragging and dropping, delivering a more efficient and collaborative multi-device experience.

The second-generation M-Pencil was also unveiled together with the MatePad Pro. The new smartpen features a new platinum-coated nib for high-precision handwriting and ultra-low latency, accurately differentiating between 4,096 levels of force. 

The MatePad Pro is available for £499.99 and comes with a free keyboard cover and mini speaker when purchased directly from the Huawei website.

The post Huawei Launches HarmonyOS 2 with Watch 3 Series and MatePad Pro appeared first on GadgetyNews.

KS Distribution has launched their SoundMAGIC E11 and E11C universal earphones. Please welcome the long-awaited updates of the award-winning E10 and E10C.

The well-received E10 was released back in 2011; now it is time to evolve. Moreover, the E11 models show SoundMAGIC’s dedication to providing high-end sound and build quality at an affordable price.

SoundMAGIC E11

SoundMAGIC has designed the E11 to retain the shape of the well known and loved E10. However, they have updated the earphones with improved materials and updated listening experience.

Firstly, the E11 housings are made using aluminium, as is the 3-button microphone control, cable yoke and the 120-degree angled 3.5mm jack plug.

Additionally, the SoundMAGIC E11 and E11C are fitted with newly designed silver plated copper cables. Finally, the cables are surrounded by a flexible and robust high purity TPE coating.

This is a significant upgrade on the E10 models, helping to improve the durability, appearance and sound quality of the earphones.

Price and availability

The SoundMAGIC E11 and E11C are available now direct from the company’s website. The E11 is priced at £39.99 and the E11C, that comes with in-line controls and mic, at £49.99.

The post SoundMAGIC E11 and E11c earphones announced appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Star Wars fans, are you looking to add some extra volume from your mobile devices? This super Stormtrooper speaker might just be the thing.

Take this Original Stormtrooper speaker everywhere, even the dark side of the… hey, that’s no moon.

Hook it to your bag, keyring or jacket and always have a speaker to hand.

TK-421 was obviously listening to music when he went missing. Maybe.

Original Stormtrooper Bluetooth speaker

This Bluetooth speaker is pocket sized. However, even though it is ultra-portable, it packs a punch.

What this little guy lacks in size he makes up for with powerful 2W sound.

Just connect him to your Bluetooth-enabled device and play your favourite tracks.

Furthermore, it won’t leave its post to recharge until it has played tunes for 4 hours.

The built-in microphone allows you to make and receive calls, while the power button doubles up as a shutter remote so you can take selfies from a distance too.

In 1976 prop maker Andrew Ainsworth of Shepperton Design Studios created the original Stormtrooper helmets and armour for the first movie. These products are based on the original moulds Andrew produced, as close as it is possible to get to the original film props. Accept no compromises!

Price and availability

The Thumbs Up! Original Stormtroooper Mini Bluetooth Speaker from Amazon for £14.80.

The post Imperial sounds – dark side of the Bluetooth Stormtrooper appeared first on GadgetyNews.

We are no strangers to Bluetooth speakers here at GadgetyNews. But, ones that offer a wide soundstage thanks to a stereo pair of loudspeakers? Not so much. It was with much joy then that we were offered a look at the AOSM 68 speakers.

Look at any Hi-Fi system and, where price and components may differ, one thing remains. They will all feature at least two loudspeakers. This is not only to produce stereo sound, but also to create a more realistic soundstage. Many will tell you that the positioning of a stereo pair of speakers can make or break their performance. So, where most Bluetooth speakers are great on portability, few allow you to alter their position in a stereo field.

However, this is not true for the AOSM 68. The reason for this is that you actually get a pair of speakers that can act in concert.

AOSM 68 speakers design

The AOSM 68 speakers have a ruggedised appearance thanks to their reinforced corners. These protect the “high quality diaphragm” found at either end. Also, this is perhaps a nod to their IPX5 rating. That means they are able to survive splashed water and protection from dust.

The speakers are covered in wire mesh and have the brand ensconced on the front.

The back of the speakers hold most of their features. On the left, there’s a water-resistant panel that conceals the Micro USB and 3.5mm headphone ports.

Over on the right side you get four buttons: power, play/pause, volume down and volume up.

Additionally, there’s also a leatherette carry strap. Handy.

Each speaker measures 6.2 x 2.2 x 2.2-inches and weighs 12.5oz. Compact but not really feather light. You will notice two in your bag. 

They are not the most striking speakers we’ve ever seen. However, they are also not ugly. To be honest, I quite like their utilitarian vibe.

AOSM 68 speakers performance

The speakers are rated at 2 x 6 Watts. According to the literature, the battery life should be around 8 hours but I have eeked out more. This will probably change as with most batteries though. Recharging takes in the region of 3 hours.

As I alluded to earlier, Bluetooth speakers are generally single units. This aids portability as well as convenience.

What you will discover with the AOSM 68 is that you will have to double up. Two speakers means two cables. Two cables could then mean a pair of plug adapters and wall sockets, unless you have a USB hub handy.

Those reinforced corners do allow the speakers to shrug off rough use though. Furthermore, that water and dust resistance should allow for some non-lethal encounters with environmental hazards. These are all bonuses for anyone planning to take the speakers out and about.

The speakers can be set horizontally or vertically. As the strap is situated on the same face as the controls, this does not get in the way of having them in either orientation.

Set up

To pair a single speaker with your mobile device, it is the standard routine. Turn on the speaker, find it on your phone or tablet, pair. Sorted.

To get the ASOM 68 running in stereo pair mode you will need to turn them both on at the same time. Wait for the signal stating that they they’re powered up. Now, just tap the power key again to get them to pair with each other.

Once that’s done, you’ll see that one speaker has a solid blue LED light and the other has a flashing blue LED. It’s then just a matter of grabbing your phone and connecting up.

Now you have stereo sound and can place the speakers wide apart to get the full stereo experience.

Sound quality

So, are two speakers better than one? Yes. Stereo was developed for a reason — having two speakers gives a much better sense of presence, and allows music makers to be more creative in their recordings.

The AOSM 68 packs Bluetooth TWS. Thanks to True Wireless Stereo technology, you can pair two speakers via bluetooth to form a wireless left and right channel system.

Did I notice a huge difference in musical enjoyment from carrying two speakers and all they need around? Well, the sound quality certainly rivals that of a single speaker at their price point.

As I sat in my office setting these speakers up I had them stacked upon each other. This provided the usual Bluetooth speaker dynamic. However, placing one on each of the chair arms opposite me, this did make an incredible difference to their presentation.

The panned instruments in Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Chain’ were given more space. The vocals were also better placed.

A quick blast of some Yello did show the speakers’ weak spot though. The low-end is a little lacking. It’s there, when the volume is pushed but then you are sacrificing some of the mid-range’s clarity as that starts to get a bit overdriven.

Orchestral pieces and singer/songwriter compositions are clear and balanced. If you do prefer the less pastorial classics, again, you may notice the slightly light-handling of the lower ranges. But then, look at the size of the woofers. Can we really expect earth-shattering sub from these, especially at this price?

Whether paired or used as a single unit, the AOSM 68 boasts a decent, balanced sound with reasonable mid and high-end performance. There is even some good bass presence once you crank the volume up a bit. As I’ve said, however, higher volumes can make the treble a tad harsh and muddy the mids.

AOSM 68 speakers review conclusion

[amazon_link asins=’B073PZF77Q’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’gadgnews-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=”]Twice the speakers, twice the fun? Well, you do also get twice the weight to carry and twice the cables needed. But with 8hrs play time, you won’t need the cables everywhere you use these.
 
The upside is that you do get proper stereo. The output is decent and the speakers will take the odd knock and splash. This lends them to being handy for festivals and the like.
 
I also like the fact that two of you can use a speaker each independently and then, when you want, you can join forces again using the AOSM 68s as a stereo pair.
 
However, I think their prime use would be out in the garden together. I can see these pumping out tunes during a BBQ, and the like.
 

Price and availability

You can buy the AOSM 68 speakers for £49.99 as a pair from Amazon right now.

In each box you get a speaker, aux cable and USB charging cable.

The post AOSM 68 Bluetooth True Wireless Stereo speakers review – two’s up appeared first on GadgetyNews.

The Skullcandy Barricade Bluetooth speaker promises to differentiate itself in two main ways. With the amount of Bluetooth speakers out there, these are quite important. The Barricade is not only rugged, but it’s buoyant.

To be honest, buoyancy has never been the top of the list when I’ve been looking at speakers. Although, this attribute does bring along waterproofing as a handy side-effect.

Coming from Skullcandy the sound quality should also be pretty decent too.

Let’s have a look.

Skullcandy Barricade design

The Barricade measures 15.4cm x 8.3 x 22.5cm (HxWxD) and so is quite compact. The Barricade sits between its siblings, the Barricade Mini and Barricade XL.

It certainly looks like it’s ready for adventure. The one I have here is grey with a lime green backplate.

The front is equipped with a steel mesh grille in a gunmetal colour.

Along the top sits minus and plus symbol buttons either side a round multifunction one. The latter also features the skull logo.

Following on from the buttons there is a mic hole and indication light. Finally, literally on the edge, is the power button.

All of the buttons are underneath the outer skin so as not to let any dust or liquid in.

Beneath the power button is a pale grey flap. Here you’ll find an aux in and aux out port, a mini USB port and then a full-sized USB for charging your other devices.

Yup, this speaker is also an emergency charger.

Rounding things off is a webbing carry strap/loop. Handy for hanging the Barricade off of tree branches, door handles or handlebars.

It all looks and feels really well put together.

Barricade performance

Sound Quality

It is rare, very rare, that Bluetooth speakers are able to wow me. Most are OK or decent.

The Barricade is loaded with a 10W speaker with dual passive radiators. These all work in concert to create a powerful, dynamic sound. The bass is very impressive, but Skullcandy has form here.

This speaker loves party music. Rock, Metal, Hip Hop, House and Electronica all pump merrily out of this compact speaker. It handles classical reasonably well but singer/songwriter, acoustic numbers do lose a little bit of character and emotion.

Functionality

This is a go anyway speaker. It is rugged and portable. The fabric strap makes it easy to carry around.

Its rubberised outer skin not only protects it from the wet stuff but it also shirks off any bumps or knocks.

I really like the grille. It looks like it means business and can walk the walk too.

Then there is the water resistance. Many portable speakers lack this feature. The thing is, especially in the UK, what’s the point of having a portable speaker if have to hide it away when the rain clouds start to loom?

If water isn’t your problem then you probably have friends like mine. With that I mean spilled booze is probably more of a worry. So, water resistance is definitely a selling point for any serious party speaker. Being waterproof is even better!

Barricade is rated at IPX7 and so can actually be submerged up to 3-feet. Thanks to its buoyant design, if you dropped it overboard, it pops up and will bob around until you grab it. More domestically, you can have it float in the bath or pool with you.

[youtube id=”IahKRKzazQg”]

Bluetooth range is around 30 feet of wireless freedom. Once paired you can hide your non-water resistant phone away and use the Barricade’s on-board controls. Play, pause and skip tracks whilst your phone or iPod are safe.

Finally, the Barricade has a full 8 hours of battery life when fully charged. Naturally, this is diminished if you’re recharging your phone or other devices from it. I’ve had it running for a couple of hours each night so far this week and it is still going strong.

Skullcandy Barricade review conclusion

If you’re clumsy or one of those outdoorsy types, the Skullcandy Barricade certainly gives you plenty of bang for your buck.

It’s loud, looks good and seems virtually indestructible.

In fact, I could see the Barricade living in a tradesman’s toolbox just as easily as chilling by the pool. The waterproof and highly durable case, along with device charging skills, adds up to the perfect portable party speaker.

Skullcandy Barricade price and availability

The Skullcandy Barricade is available now direct from their website for €69,99.

The post Skullcandy Barricade Bluetooth speaker review appeared first on GadgetyNews.

The Qumi Q3 certainly answers one of today’s demands; smaller tech. Phones have to be thin and light. Cameras have to be powerful yet tiny. Vivitek has listened and have come up with a projector that can not only fit in your pocket, it can cast a HD image equivalent to a 100-inch TV!

There is a problem with miniaturising some tech. Like the iPhone 7, something has to go. Or has it?

Looking at the Qumi Q3’s spec list, it almost seems that Vivitek has managed to add a bunch of features whilst keeping the 720p projector’s frame tiny. The thing is, how does it perform?

Qumi Q3 design

Upon opening the box I liked what I saw.

The Qumi Q3 looks every bit the professional’s portable buddy. I can imagine high-power execs rocking up to a business meeting, opening up their expensive case and unleashing the Qumi Q3 to confused looks. That confusion soon turns to amazement when our travelling friend switches on the projector without the need to locate a power socket. Only then to navigate to their presentation which is stored on the Q3 and get straight on to business, moving through slides using a tiny Bluetooth remote.

Yes, gadgety faithful, the Qumi Q3 can do all of that right out of the box.

The projector measures just 176 x 103 x 28 mm and weighs just under 0.5Kilos (0.460Kg) – so not much more than a rather chunky smartphone.

It has a neat industrial look to it which I really like. The cooling grilles at either end look like they’ve been taken from a classic British Grand Tourer.

The lens is protected by a sliding cover. The Q3 uses LED lighting rated at 500 ANSI Lumens. This not only enables the projector to be this small and still throw a bright image, but LEDs are a darned sight cheaper to replace than regular projector bulbs.

Around the rear is where you’ll find a healthy array of ports. HDMI, Composite Video (via 3.5mm mini jack shared with audio out port), Audio-Out (Mini-Jack), two USB A, and microSD card slot are all present. Do you really need any more than that from a pocket projector?

But there are further ways to connect which this device. This has the added bonus of both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi! This just seems to get better and better doesn’t it? I have already mentioned that it has a rechargeable battery, haven’t I? I should add that this also has a pair of 2Watt speakers on-board though.

The projector also has a little kickstand which angles it slightly upwards.

I was sent the gold one but there are a whole load of colourways to choose from.

Qumi Q3 performance

Apps

The Q3 runs on the Android operating system and so share’s the OS’s flexibility. It also allows you to use the Play Store.

The Qumi projector also has its own preinstalled apps that allows you to view photos, videos, play music, access documents, and so on. Thanks to its Wi-Fi skills there’s even a web browser.

All of that means there’s no need to drag around your laptop or any other device as the Q3 can pretty much cover all those bases. Just switch it on watch YouTube, Netflix or play something from your Amazon Fire Stick. That’s what I did. I also downloaded ShowBox but selecting a video wasn’t happening. I think a Bluetooth mouse might work though.

Flicking through settings and the app menus is fairly slick with hardly any lag.

The picture mode offers Movie mode, Bright, a custom user option and Presentation mode.

Picture quality

The photos here really don’t do the picture quality any justice really. The Q3 actually has a native resolution of 1280 x 720 (720p). My bad photography must be excused – low light, shortness of time and poor eyesight are my excuses.

The Qumi Q3 automatic vertical keystone works incredibly well. This means no matter what angle the projected image hits the surface, the picture will always present as a rectangular viewing area.

The LED lightsource is very bright, even in a lit room the picture is clear and watchable. The projector’s light is good for 30, 000 hours before you need to start thinking about replacements.

Watching a film from Amazon Prime and the action was clear with very little noticeable blurring or hazing. I kept on having to look at the size of the device that this image was being sent from.

PowerPoint presentations were excellently clear and crisp. Charts readable and still images popped with strong and vibrant colours.

Sound quality

The speakers aren’t going to shake your foundations but I dare say that they’ll wake the people in the next tent. Yup, I have already mulled over the thought of taking a Q3 on camping holidays, using the tent as a screen.

Watching a few videos in my quiet living room and the speakers were passable. Hooking up the Dali Katch (review soon) or the audioCube and things went up a notch. Where sometimes mumbled dialogue was difficult to discern, all becomes a lot clearer.

Qumi Q3 review conclusion

The Qumi Q3 really is a great little device. I can really see this coming in to its own in a professional scenario but I can’t ignore its usefulness for leisure too. Who can resist an alfresco summer screening of a classic flick? As I’ve already mentioned, taking a Q3 on holiday would ensure no evenings of boredom.

If you travel as part of your job and have to make regular presentations, you really need a Q3 in your life. Me? I’d have one just to watch films wherever I want to – on a 100-inch screen.

Qumi Q3 price and availability

The Vivitek Qumi Q is available now for £429. Check out the website for listed stockists.

The post Vivitek Qumi Q3 pocket projector review appeared first on GadgetyNews.

The Fiil Diva are some very cool-looking headphones which are available through Kickstarter. I am very privileged to have a set to review.

Yes, Apple has ditched the headphone socket, as has some currently China-only Android phones. This could be the future of smart devices but, unless you’re prepared to dongle-up, getting the best out of your portable audio is going to rely even more heavily on their tech.

Battery life, control and wireless audio quality are things that are peculiar to Bluetooth headphones.

There is also the issue of getting all of that in to a set that looks good and doesn’t weigh heavily on your noggin.

Has the FIIL Diva managed all, or even some of that?

FIIL Diva design

The headphones certainly have a premium air about them, and that starts with the packaging.

A classy white box is wrapped in a similarly white, sleeve that only features what it has to.

The Diva headphones comes packaged inside a hard traveling case stamped with the logo of the company. I have to say that the choice of typeface makes it look more like “Fiii.”

The name is also on each side of the Diva which glows a soft white when the device is on.

When the lighting effect is off, the logo still looks good in a metallic silver hue.

The set I was sent to review, as you can see, are white. It’s a really clean, nice white too. The grey vents on the earpieces are grey and are sandwiched between a textured aluminium section that holds the controls, mics and hinges and a chromed ring around the earpads.

The Diva’s earcups are about two inches in diameter. The headband can be adjusted about an inch to accommodate larger skulls.

The ear cups and headband are lined with soft leather. This continues the premium look and feel of these cans. Not only that but, unlike pleather, these don’t give you sweaty lobes.

The right ear cup has a multifunction button that turns the headphones on and off, controls music playback and will also activate a voice telling you the current battery level.

There’s a little toggle switch next to it that controls the special ‘My AudioFiilter’ mode. This can allow more of your environment in so you know what’s going on around you.

You also get a 3.5mm jack port so you can use the Diva as wired headphones.

But there’s something else. Some more controls, but you can’t see them. The right ear cup has touch controls.

FIIL Diva performance

Controls

Let’s talk about those touch controls I mentioned.

This rather neat sounding idea allows you to control music playback via a series of finger swipes on the right ear cup.

Up and down will raise or lower the volume; right and left will skip tracks.

This takes quite a bit of practice and I felt that my swipes worked best when I started right at the edge and go right the way across for it to register.

Later on, I could more-or-less manage shorter swipes so I guess my accuracy was improving.

FIIL+ app

To unlock even more, you can and should download the FIIL+ app for iOS or Android.

The app gives you important info such as battery life for playback and standby hours. Other headphone apps I have seen offers similar.

It also has an instruction manual for how to access the various modes, turning the logo lights on and off, and all that other good stuff.

Burn and battery

The FIIL, however, are the first ones that I have seen that has a ‘burn in’ function.

This plays pink noise at various volume levels for 8 hours to imitate use. The characteristics of headphones, as well as other items of Hi-Fi gear, change as they get used. The burn in process speeds this up.

The Diva’s battery is excellent. When fully charged the app shows over 30 hours of music playback. Once I had got half way through the week, the headphones still showed more than a third of its charge was left.

3D sound and MAF

This natty, but mostly pointless in my point of view, feature simulates the experience of listening to music in different-sized rooms. This adds a bit of reverb basically.

The biggest of these is “Hall” so, think empty concert hall. It’s fun but, as I said, unless you want to add some false spatial sounds to your tunes, not something I can see being used that often.

The ‘My AudioFiilter’ (MAF) has Open, Moni and NC modes. Using the app helps you be sure what you’ve selected as, just using the button, the female voice states the mode… in Chinese.

These are most useful, especially as NC is Noise Cancelling.

The Windy mode filters out wind noise and this also works quite well.

FIIL Diva sound quality

Standard music playback is bright and crisp, and I found myself noticing details I often miss on other headsets. The reproduction seemed quite level, perhaps with the mids pushed a little forward.

I eventually ignored those odd modes completely and stuck with the standard settings.

The EQ is handy of you want to ramp up the bass end though.

As usual, I have put a variety of music through these. Everything has come through well defined, clear and punchy.

It makes such a nice change to test Bluetooth headphones that aren’t tuned to deliver banging bass.

Bass is there, and it is taught and direct. The mids a clear with vocals cutting through nicely. The highs come through crisp without any shimmer or harshness.

FIIL Diva convenience

As previously mentioned, the Diva fold up at both ends to either slip in to a bag or in to its travel case. The hinges seem to be very sturdy too!

This is not the extent of its handiness though.

Yes, the touch controls are neat but these also have motion-sensing capabilities.

“But, motion sensing?” I hear you ask.

Well, you see, when you take the headphones off, the music pauses. Guess what, when you put them back on the music resumes. This also works when you’re watching videos on your tablet or phone.

I really like this idea. Walk in to a coffee shop and slip your headphones around your neck to chat with the Barista, without missing any of your music. Brilliant!

I found that this worked really well.

FIIL Diva review conclusion

Everything about these headphones both look and feel quality. I love the design, and the little additional bits such as the app and the motion sensing are the icing on the cake.

Sound quality is great and not the usual ‘urban’ bass heaviness or ‘tuned to be exciting’ you usually get.

The only slight drawback is that all the voice notifications are in Chinese. True, I am slowly learning what Bluetooth connected or disconnected sounds like but this hasn’t prevented me from enjoying the headphones.

FIIL Diva price and availability

The FIIL Diva is available through Kickstarter currently at $149 (£114-ish) which is 25% of their retail price. The campaign is looking really good as it stands at $131,843 of their pledged $50.000 goal.

FIIL also has a Pro version which boasts 4GB of on-board storage, “Hi-Fi quality sound”, and more. Those are available for a $199 pledge.

The post Fiil Diva wireless headphones review appeared first on GadgetyNews.

There is plenty to chose from if you want a Bluetooth speaker these days. Naturally, size and sound are two of the most important factors for many. Allocacoc have recently announced their audioCube and sent me one to review.

Dutch manufacturer, Allocacoc, have an interesting proposition to getting the most out of a portable Bluetooth speaker. They obviously like working with cubes, and have therefore added a speaker to almost every face of one.

It looks pretty good but, more importantly, how does it sound?

audioCube design

It looks great and sounds potent. Add around 10 hours of play time, this is a fab choice for a portable speaker.

audioCube price and availability

You can buy the audioCube now direct from Allocacoc for Eur 99.95

The post Allocacoc audioCube review appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Vivitek has just announced an addition to its popular Qumi Series of industry leading pocket projectors with the introduction of the Qumi Q3 Plus.

The Vivitek Qumi Q3 Plus is an ultra-portable LED smart projector. It is powered by Android and is designed to provide entertainment on the go.

Redefining how and where the big screen experience can be enjoyed and shared, the Qumi Q3 Plus joins Vivitek’s existing Qumi projectors – including the Qumi Q6 and the Qumi Q7 Plus – which also offer Wi-Fi connectivity and PC-free access to multimedia content.

Pocket-friendly and potent

The Qumi Q3 might only be slightly bigger than a smartphone and weigh just 460 grams, but it is able to project a large widescreen image up to a massive 100-inches diagonal size.

The pocket powerhouse packs native HD720p resolution, 500 lumen brightness and 5,000:1 contrast. The LED light-source is good for 30,000 hours before needing a refresh.

Under the hood of the Q3 projector you’ll find a 1.5GHz quad-core CPU running the Android v.4.42.

Combined, these ensure that the Q3 Plus packs a visual punch wherever it is used. It’s an experience set to last too, thanks to its built-in 8,000mAh rechargeable battery which delivers up to two hours on the go projection.

Wireless and versatile

This pocket projector will play nice with a multitude of content sources – playing back video, photos, documents and other content from a PC-free reader via a USB drive, microSD cards or even from its 64GB onboard memory.

The Q3 Plus even has built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. This gives you the freedom to put the projector where you want it. It’s also handy for those looking to use it on their travels.

Not only that, you are able to project content from iOS or Android devices. If that’s not enough choice, then there’s the preloaded online streaming content provider apps. Expect Netflix and Youtube for starters, so you can watch without having to use your smart device.

If you need more sound than the integral 2 watt stereo speakers can give, the Q3 Plus offers Bluetooth connectivity. This means that, not only can you use headphones, but it can transmit from the projector to a compatible external speaker for increased volume.

Looking good

I have to say, I really like how the Qumi Q3 Plus looks.

It has a minimalist-yet-functional design. The Qumi Q3 Plus’ sliding lens cover, curved edges and neatly integrated speakers sits somewhere between business-like and understated elegance.

Commenting on the Q3 Plus’ introduction, Holger Graeff, General Manager EMEA, Vivitek, said:

This projector encapsulates Vivitek’s commitment to engineering excellence which is reflected in its innovation, performance and flexibility. It also shows our enthusiasm for giving our customers solutions that deliver the image quality and performance associated with Vivitek, irrespective of the size of the projector or where it is used.”

I am really looking forward to reviewing the Q3 Plus so stay tuned!

Qumi Q3 Plus pricing and availability

The Qumi Q3 Plus comes in white, black, red and gold. It lands in stores from September 2016 at a list price of £429 inc VAT.

The post Vivitek Qumi Q3 pocket projector released appeared first on GadgetyNews.

You have probably read the review of the totally wireless VerveOnes+ (think a chunky AirPod that looks less like you’ve shoved an electric toothbrush tip in your ear). Here is its slightly less technically amazing, but still darned fine looking, stablemate. I give you the VerveRider+.

The Motorola VerveRider+ Bluetooth earphones are, as its name suggests, aimed at those who tend to ride things for fitness. So, bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades, horses, you get the idea.

Saying that though, I reckon that these would fit the running types too.

You see, where the VerveOnes+ were great in that they had absolutely no chords attaching them to anything (or each other) that ‘leads’ to a problem. You can’t just flick out an earpiece to listen to something/one. Well, you could and watch that rather non-cheap earpiece barrel along the floor.

The VerveRider+, however, do have cables attaching them but to a natty control collar.

VerveRider+ design

As I have already hinted at, the VerveRider+ is based around a flexible, yet sturdy collar.

This collar hosts all of the controls as well as giving the earbuds something to be attached to. Attached in more than one way.

Firstly, the controls. Most of this live on the right end of the collar.

On the edge you have the joint volume/track skip rocker control.

The face of this side is home to the play/pause button recessed in a little circular area.

Over on the left hand side, you get the call answer/end button in its exact opposite location.

While we’re over on this side the bottom edge here is where you power these on and control the Bluetooth sync. This button can be a bit tricky to find at first.

Also this is where you’ll find the USB charging port.

At the very tips on both sides is a microphone, for extra clear hands-free calling.

I did mention that the earbuds were attached in more than one way. Those cool recessed buttons on the front of the collar are magnetic as are the bases of the earbuds. So, when they are not in use they can be attached to the collar, out of harms way. Neat huh?

VerveRider+ performance

Having that plus symbol in the VerveRider’s name signifies that this kit is happy to get moist. Sweat and a little bit of rain won’t stop this fitness freak from performing.

Just don’t wear it in the shower or go swimming with it, ok?

The battery life is quoted at 12 hours before needing a boost and I have easily managed to get a good week of commutes and lunchtime listening.

Sound quality

I must say that I hardly noticed the collar at all. Which is good as that was my main concern having never worn any earphones like this before.

The accompanying Hubble Connect app doesn’t have the same array of features as it does with the VerveOnes+ but it still has the tracker. Which is handy.

The audio is comparable to the other Verve headphones which is pretty good. You don’t get the variety of EQ settings as the Ones but, to be honest, these didn’t need them.

The bass-end is favoured, of course, but everything else sits just about right in the mix. The tips offer decent isolation ones you have found the optimum fit.

Comfort

The VerveRider+ comes with a selection of tips so getting a good fit shouldn’t be a problem.

Having all the electronic gadgety in the collar means that the earbuds themselves are fairly light. Wearing these for long periods of time, on a bike ride for example, should be easily acheived without discomfort.

I don’t cycle but I do buy coffee. A lot. And being able to flick one of the earbuds out in order to converse with a Barista is something most earbuds can achieve. But not having the earbud flail around loose could be distracting when cycling. This isn’t something you have to worry about with the Rider+ thanks to those little magnets.

I will openly admit that I have sat at my desk all day with the collar around my neck and earbuds sat in their magnets and never noticed til home time. Yes, that’s the kind of colleagues I have.

Still, it just shows how unobtrusive the VerveRider+ is.

VerveRider+ review conclusion

The Motorola VerveRider+ might look a bit odd, but most specialist equipment does.

I was extremely dubious about wearing a bright orange collar with earbuds hanging from it but the design works; and it works well.

Being water and sweat resistant is good but having the magnetic buds attach to the collar when not in use is great.

The sound quality is good enough to get that motivational playlist pumping in to your ears. Should you need to chat to anyone, at least you know that you’ll easily find your earbud again.

VerveRider+ price and availability

The Motorola VerveRider+ is available now for £55 from Amazon.

The post Motorola VerveRider+ fitness earphones review appeared first on GadgetyNews.