Lithe Audio has announced a new Alexa and Google Home-friendly Bluetooth speaker that literally rocks!

Building on the successful previous iteration of Lithe Audio’s garden speaker the company has added a host of new features. Firstly, the latest version is fully compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, this iteration is even more robust.

Also, the ‘stone’ colour means that this all-weather speaker can effectively disappear in the garden environment.

All you need to add is a phone or tablet and the promised superior sound quality that comes from 12 months of testing and tweaking should have your next garden party rocking.

Amit Ravat, co-founder of Lithe Audio told GadgetyNews:

It’s the perfect solution for instant summer fun! With the exceptional sound quality, it will really make your garden parties and BBQs rock. Our team has been working hard to create something that sounds as good as it looks and is able to survive the best and the worst of the Great British weather, and we’re delighted with the outcome. We’ve created a fun, weatherproof way to enjoy music outside all year round.

The all-in-one Rock Bluetooth speakers are available now from Lithe Audio and cost £199.99 each or £299.99 for a pair.

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Professional seating specialists, AndaSeat, has announced its Fnatic edition gaming chair.

AndaSeat has manufactured race car seats for BMW & Mercedes Benz, as well as partnered prestigious brands in the sports and Esports field. Today it has revealed the Fnatic edition ergonomic gaming chair. 

Fnatic is the most successful Esport club of the last decade winning more than 200 championships across 30 different games, and their gamers will now all be using the AndaSeat chairs – and you can too!

Padded with 65Kg/M3 cold-cured and super high-density foam, the AndaSeat Fnatic Edition offers the all-important support for the spine during long gaming sessions. The dual cushions can be adjusted to support both the lumbar and cervical spine areas simultaneously, enabling you to settle back into the chair with ease. Additionally, the chair boasts a lockable synchronic-tilt mechanism and special Z-shape design, allowing you to recline up to an angle of 160 degrees and then locked when not in rocking mode.

The backrest is entirely independent and adjustable, which also lessens the strain on the neck and back whilst the 4D PU covered customisable armrest allows for a wide variety in terms of width and height adjustment. 

AndaSeat and Fnatic handily share the same brand colours of yellow and orange. The AndaSeat Fnatic Edition gaming chair displays the brand colour at the sides and the chair arms. However, the chair’s body is in professional and timelessly elegant black. The chair is made of luxury PVC leather with the soft touch of a top grain leather, designed and made with total comfort in mind. With the same materials as used in the racing car chairs previously built by AndaSeat, they offer smooth bonded, scratch and stain-resistant technology. Not only it is easy to clean, but also much more durable.

Zhou Lin, CEO & Founder of AndaSeat, told GadgetyNews: 

AndaSeat is proud to bring our ergonomic technology to support Fnatic’s success in world championships and their vision through which young people communicate with the world’s leading and forward-thinking brands. The usage of the AndaSeat chairs by the Fnatic teams is an important step for our long-term partnership and our commitment to designing and producing top quality professional gaming chairs.

The AndaSeat Fnatic Edition ergonomic gaming chair is available from the AndaSeat website for £399.99.

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Shark vacuum cleaners have been catching our eye for the past couple of years, so it was time to take one for a test drive.

I have been using a cylinder vacuum cleaner designed by a well-known British engineer. It’s done me proud over the past 7 years. However, as always with technology, it has since been bettered – by both its successors and by alternative brands. Shark is one such alternative that has been making waves and a regular at tech shows I attend. The designs are modern and eye-catching, and the company appears to make real-world claims.

Hairy issues

The main issue in my household is hair. I’ve had long hair since my teens, and my girlfriend has shoulder-length hair. Furthermore, we seem to shed. A lot. This means that the regular style spinning bristle brushes found on most cleaners soon get hair wrapped around the barrel which impacts on its cleaning efficiency. It also requires me to unravel and cut the hair out of the bristles, wasting more time.

Thankfully, Shark has an answer with its Anti Hair Wrap system that features on this AZ910UK model, so I put it to the test.

Shark AZ910UK Vacuum design

Firstly, I like that vacs are now allowed to sport funky colours. The Shark upright we have is the kind of purple that Prince would have approved of. 

Putting the device together actually gives you a preview of its nifty superpowers. The Powered Lift-Away part of its moniker means that you can detach the vacuum bit and use it as a handheld vac using the long wand that makes up the upright part of the handle.

Alternatively, you can disengage the handgrip, which then becomes the nozzle. It’s all quite engenious.

I am also digging the LED headlights at the front of the roller brush head. It is this sizeable DuoClean floorhead that also boasts the Anti Hair Wrap Technology, too. The clever bit of engineering actively separates and removes hair with a unique bristle-guard.

The result is a tangle-free bristle brush-roll. Oh yeah, Shark gives the floorhead the DuoClean moniker due to the two motorised brush-rolls which together removes large debris and small particles, as well as stuck-on dust from hard floors and carpets, so Shark tells me.

I have to admit, it’s quite a nice looking thing and really easy to put together.

The Shark AZ910UK in use

My first impression was that it was more substantial than the drag-along vac that I have had in service for several years. You see, I have grown used to waving the hose around while the motor and dust collection was happening in the unit on wheels being dragged behind, now I was pushing and pulling the lot. However, once I had got back into the upright-vac-shuffle, all was well.

I tell you what though, it is excellent at its job. My living room is a mixture of hard-flooring, a thick pile rug and a more hardy close twill rug. It was the cleaning of those rugs that really impressed. Whether it’s the little robot vac or me using my regular yellow sucker, there are generally still little bits suck in the fibres, especially in the black shaggy rug. However, the Shark DuoClean using the correct setting flicked on using the handle switch, got every little bit after a few passes. I really did get the feeling that the rug was the cleanest it had been for a long while.

It gets everywhere

I also liked the 8 meter-long power cord, which meant that I could attack the living room, hallway and stairs in my little London home without having to unplug. It’s been a while since I’ve had to manually coil up a vac cable, but I’ll live. On the subject of stairs, being able to convert the Shark AZ910UK into a more compact machine really does help.

The dust collection/motor section fits well on the stairs and removing the wand means that close work is effortless. Using the same configuration also works wonders for the car too.

Finally, a note about hair tangles. Even after cleaning the trouble areas (in front of the hallway mirror and in the bedroom), the DuoClean head remained tangle-free. Moreover, the easy-to-empty collection bin was full of hair that would have otherwise been left for me to untangle and cut away from the brush head of a regular vacuum cleaner.

Shark AZ910UK review conclusion

The Shark AZ910UK DuoClean Powered Lift-Away with Anti-Hair Wrap Technology might be a long title, but it tells you everything you need to know about this very talented vacuum cleaner.

The DuoClean head does an exceptional job of cleaning and being able to adjust for low pile, deep pile carpets, and hard flooring at the handle means there’s no starting and stopping. The Powered Lift-Away is nothing short of genius and, finally, the Anti-Hair Wrap tech really works.  

If being this excited about a vacuum cleaner is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

The post Review of the Shark AZ910UK Vacuum Cleaner appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Samsung has a special deal when you buy the rather swanky Frame TV. If you are in the market for one of these televisions, read on.

About Frame TV

The Samsung Frame QLED SamsunTV is at the brand’s luxury end of TVs. Moreover, when it is not being used as a telly it becomes a work of art.

The wall-mounted TV can be customised to fit in perfectly no matter what your choice of decor is.

When not being used to watch the latest blockbusters or box set, the television can display a range of art from galleries such as the Tate, V&A and The Royal Collection. Naturally, you can also opt to show your own handiwork and family photos.

When mounted, The Frame hangs flush to the wall thanks to the No Gap Wall Mount, transforming to look like a true piece of art. The Samsung Frame TV is available in 43, 49,55 and 65-inch sizes.

Samsung Frame TV Deal

Adding to those already compelling reasons to buy a Frame TV is that Samsung is offering a complimentary bezel when purchasing a 2019 Frame.

Available in black, brown, white and beige, the customisable bezels are the perfect TV accessory for personalisation.

Price and availability

Prices start at £1,299 for the 43-inch model, rising to £1,999 for the 65-inch version.

The post Free Bezel with Samsung Frame TV appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Long-haired people rejoice as Shark’s new Anti Hair Wrap Technology is here to leave your vac’s brush tangle-free.

UK best-selling vac brand, Shark, is set to revolutionise the vacuum cleaner market with its new Anti Hair Wrap Technology.

Shark’s new range of vacuum cleaners brings the convenience of the brand’s Lift-Away and DuoClean tech along with a new development – all to make cleaning easier.

What is Anti Hair Wrap Technology?

Do you or your housemates have long hair? I grew my hair in the 80s and that the ‘style’ I’ve had ever since. When it comes to vacuuming my home, I can guarantee that I’ll have to spend time removing tangled hair from the vac’s brush-roll.

Well, it sounds like those days could be over. Shark’s new Anti Hair Wrap Technology actively separates and removes hair from the bristle brush as you clean.

The new range of Shark Anti Hair Wrap technology works for long, short and pet hair.

How Does it Work?

Shark’s signature DuoClean floorhead features a unique combination of two brush-rolls. Firstly there’s a bristle brush-roll that cleans deep into the carpet pile. That works alongside a soft front brush-roll that actively draws in large debris as well as small particles.

Anti Hair Wrap Technology features a unique bristle-guard and comb. Those additions actively separate and removes hair from the bristle brush-roll, so you don’t have to.

Powered Lift-Away

We’ve covered Powered Lift-Away Technology before. However, for those unaware, this tech enables you to convert the upright vac into a cordless portable cleaner. This transformation is achieved by simply lifting the detachable pod away from the floorhead.

This makes it easier to clean stairs, under furniture or even the car, in comfort. Additionally, as power is delivered directly to the vacuum head, two DuoClean brush-rolls continue rotating and drawing in dirt, rather than relying on suction alone.

Prices and availability

The Shark Anti Hair Wrap upright vacuum cleaner range is available now from Amazon from £299.

The post Shark Vacs Pack Anti Hair Wrap Tech appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Epson has launched its all-in-one Expression Photo printers. The new offerings are designed to produce superior photos with 6-colour inks at up to A4 (XP-8600 series) and A3 (XP-970).

The XP-8600 series and XP-970 provide an excellent solution for photo enthusiasts looking for an all-in-one printer that can print superior photos.

Both models offer mobile printing and feature a space-saving and stylish design. Additionally, the improved user interface makes it easy for you to navigate the printer’s features directly.

Lasting Photos

The 6-colour, Claria Photo HD inks, are capable of printing long-lasting and professional-looking, glossy photos. Moreover, those snaps can apparently last for up to 300 years in a photo album.

Printing photos directly from a memory card is simple using the large 10.9cm touchscreen. You can also print onto suitable CDs and DVDs and a range of media including thicker photography papers (XP-970 offers up to A3) using the rear media feed.

The XP-8600 series and XP-970 offer lots of user-friendly features including A4 auto double-sided printing, motorised output tray and auto power on for convenience.

Making it easy to switch between tasks, the printers have two front-loading paper trays (A4 and photo sized).

Mohamed Musa, product manager, Epson Europe, told GadgetyNews:

Photography enthusiasts want the flexibility to print photos at home that match the quality of their DSLR camera. The XP-970 and XP-8600 series provide a fantastic solution as the 6-colour inks deliver superior, long-lasting images. As all-in-ones with a modern user interface, they’re also great for the whole family with our free mobile printing apps making it simple to print directly from smart devices.

Price and availability

The XP-970 and XP-8600 series are available from September 2019, priced at £229.99 and £129.99.

The post Epson Expression Photo Printers Launched – IFA 2019 appeared first on GadgetyNews.

D-Link has announced the launch of its all-new Exo Smart Mesh Wi-Fi Router series. This latest additions to D-Link’s portfolio of seamless connectivity solutions for the home comprises of the AC1900 Smart Mesh Wi-Fi Router (DIR-1960) and AC2600 Smart Mesh Wi-Fi Router (DIR-2660).

D-Link’s next-generation routers offer high-performance Wi-Fi connectivity combined with McAfee protection. So, as well as getting a faster home network, you also get a more secure one too. 

Protection

The routers all feature a five-year McAfee Secure Home Platform subscription. That protection goes for every device on a connected home network by blocking suspicious connections and access to malicious content. 

Thanks to comprehensive parental controls, you can prevent access to inappropriate content as well as setting up Wi-Fi schedules. 

Finally, the routers also come with a two-year subscription to McAfee LiveSafe, which allows antivirus software to be installed on an unlimited number of computers, tablets and smartphones.

Routers

The new routers feature best in class 802.11ac Wave 2 allowing for dual-band and tri-band combined wireless speeds of up to 1,900 Mbps, 2,533 Mbps and 3,000 Mbps. For even more extensive coverage, simply add compatible D-Link Wi-Fi Mesh extenders to create a seamless, self-optimising, mesh wireless network that allows you to move around without disconnection.

Additionally, you get voice control support with Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa enabled devices. Also, thanks to the potent 880 MHz dual-core processor, the routers can handle intensive network activity, giving you buffer-free video streaming, lag-free gaming and lightning-fast internet surfing.

Kevin Wen, President at D-Link Europe, told GadgetyNews:

People want internet access that is as safe and secure, as it is fast and reliable. With McAfee protection, our new Exo routers provide enhanced cybersecurity for the home network as well as on-the-go protection when users are away from home.

Price and availability

AC1900 Smart Mesh Wi-Fi Router (DIR-1960) –Available now for £99.95 on promo at Amazon

AC2600 Smart Mesh Wi-Fi Router (DIR-2660) – Available here now for £131.99 at Amazon

The post D-Link Exo Smart Mesh Routers Launched at IFA 2019 appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Samsung Electronics unveiled a range of new advanced home appliances. Amongst those were the POWERstick Jet vacuum cleaner, AirDresser and the Bespoke Refridgerator. 

Each device offers a unique and practical solution to the many challenges of modern life, like finding kitchen appliances that fit and look good, clothing contamination, dust and hurried lifestyles.

The POWERstick Jet vacuum cleaner is a game-changer in terms of powerful suction capabilities. AirDresser represents a new category of clothing care appliances. It refreshes and sanitises clothing using powerful blasts of air and steam, enabling consumers to re-wear clothes without having to run a full load of laundry and helping them lengthen the lifespan of delicate garments. Finally, the BESPOKE Refridgerator is part of Samsung’s BESPOKE lineup. The new category of refrigerators allows you to set your kitchen in a customised style.

Samsung POWERstick Jet

The POWERstick Jet focuses on getting improved suction power from a cordless vacuum cleaner to match that of corded units. POWERstick Jet promises to deliver thanks to it using ‘Samsung’s Digital Inverter Motor and Jet Cyclone System to generate up to 200W of industry-leading suction power. 

Filters

Samsung has also developed the best-in-class 5-layer HEPA filtration system for the POWERstick Jet. The impressive filter captures 99.999% of dust particles and allergens.

In the first stage of the filtration process, the main cyclone separates large dust particles, which are then trapped in another metal mesh grille filter. The Jet Cyclone serves as a second cyclone and works together with a washable microfilter to capture finer dust particles. Finally, an ultra-fine dust filter captures 0.3~10µm sized dust particles. All parts and filters are washable, so the unit can be maintained hygienically.

POWERstick Jet comes with a removable high-capacity battery, meaning you can replace it with a spare to clean if your house is really that big (or dusty).

Samsung AirDresser

AirDresser introduces a new standard of clothing care that addresses unmet needs for a more efficient method of refreshing and revitalising your clothes daily. 

Personally, anything that means I no longer have to iron works for me. Let’s face it, most of us want to be able to take better care of our clothes, especially if they are made of delicate materials. The AirDresser from Samsung quickly and conveniently freshens up your outfit while saving time and money by reducing trips to the dry cleaners.

AirDresser freshens clothes with its Jet Air system and Air Hangers. The system uses powerful jets of air to loosen and remove engrained dust, even from deep within the fabric. Then, the Jet Steam feature sanitises garments gently to get rid of bacteria. Additionally, Heatpump Drying also provides delicate care for clothes by drying them at a low temperature to reduce shrinkage and heat damage. 

Fresh

AirDresser also features a Deodorising Filter to capture and remove odours while preventing them from building up inside the unit. It even has a Dust Filter that keeps the inside of the compartment clean by capturing the dust left floating in the air.

Available in a Crystal Mirror colour, AirDresser blends advanced technologies with unique styling, doubling as a state-of-the-art wardrobe that fits in beautifully with contemporary living spaces.

Samsung BESPOKE Refridgerator

The new BESPOKE refrigerator lineup incorporates a modular design and offers 3 different types, ranging from 1-door tall fridges and freezers to classic style refrigerators. With the ability to configure BESPOKE in many ways, the system provides the flexibility of tailoring your fridge to your lifestyle and design needs.

We particularly like the choice of front panel materials—cotta metal, satin glass, and glam glass—as well as the multiple colour options.

Check them out at IFA 2019

All the new Samsung products can be experienced at the Berlin City Cube at IFA between September 6 and September 11.

The post Samsung Unveils Host of Smart Appliances at IFA 2019 appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Nuki, the smart lock people, announced the launch of the Nuki Opener at IFA 2019.

The Austrian smart-home pioneer has delivered over 70,000 Nuki Smart Locks to customers. Furthermore, by the end of 2019, the company expects to surpass 100,000 installed locks.

Smart Entry to Your Apartment Building

The Nuki Opener isn’t for unlocking your can of beans. This nifty product is designed for letting people into apartment buildings.

The Nuki Opener enables keyless entry of the front door to apartment buildings by using the Nuki app. This function also works remotely. This retrofit solution is connected to the intercom system inside the apartment. Once fitted it enables the Opener to trigger the entrance buzzer when activated.

In combination with the Nuki Smart Lock, the revolutionary Nuki Opener gives residents completely keyless access from the street to their flat.

Nuki CEO Martin Pansy told GadgetyNews:

The Opener is a huge step for us since about 50% of the European population live in apartment buildings. With the addition of the Nuki Opener to our portfolio, we can now enable completely keyless access from the road to the living room for renters and owners of flats.

Easy Installation

Just like the Nuki Smart Lock, the Opener can be retrofitted by following the simples steps on the app tutorial.

The result is converting an intercom into a smart entry system.

Priced at €99, the Nuki Opener is connected to the intercom so it can trigger the door buzzer when activated. You can then open the front door directly or remotely through the app – in combination with the Nuki Bridge.

Additionally, there are several other features that make the solution even handier.

For instance, when activating the “Ring to Open” feature authorised users don’t even need to get their smartphone out of their pocket, they just open their front door by ringing the bell to their apartment.

Check out the Nuki Opener at IFA

Experience the Nuki Smart Lock and the new Nuki Opener as well as a wide range of accessories for yourself at IFA this year – Hall 25 Booth 352.

The post Nuki Opener Apartment Smart Lock System – IFA 2019 appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Samsung has opened its first connected living show home in the UK – the Samsung ‘Connected Living Apartment’. This London flat could well be the UK’s smartest home.

The Connected Living Apartment is found in funky rental brand Tipi’s new residential development at Wembley Park.

Tipi and Samsung Connected Living

The Connected Living Apartment is a live showcase of Samsung’s latest connected home tech in a real-life apartment setting.

The state-of-the-art connected home showcases Samsung’s pledge of ensuring all the company’s products will be connected to the Internet of Things by 2020.

Looking at the press photos, it certainly seems that the Tipi apartment is bale to shows how secure, seamless and convenient connected living is for consumers, both inside and outside of the home.

Teg Dosanjh, Director of Connected Living, Samsung Electronics UK and Ireland, told GadgetyNews:

Many of us have already had a glimpse into the potential of a connected home through devices like smart speakers, but we want to take this to a whole new level of smart. This genuine residential setting is a perfect place to showcase the best of Samsung and third-party brands coming together to highlight what is already possible today, as well as our future vision. This initiative chimes with our higher purpose of building communities which are enriched through technology-powered experiences.

Samsung SmartThings

Naturally, at the heart of all the connected tech is Samsung’s open ecosystem powered by the SmartThings app.

The app is compatible with the majority of the UK’s leading IoT brands such as Ikea, Yale, Ring, Bose, Arlo and Philips Hue. The SmartThings app centralises control through one simple mobile interface, available on Android or iOS. Smart should be simple, after all.

As well as cutting down the number of apps you need, SmartThings is also secured by Samsung Knox. Samsung Knox boasts enterprise-grade security – protecting personal data travelling between the home and the cloud.

Delivering value to consumer lives

From checking who’s at the door through the Samsung QLED TV, Family Hub fridge or smartphone, SmartThings allows people to take control of their homes, and the devices within them wherever and whenever it suits them.

Additionally, you can control locks and switch off hair straighteners as well as having the ability to schedule and control kitchen appliances and view the contents of your fridge.

Rajesh Shah, Managing Director, Tipi, commented:

We’re all about offering residents an all-inclusive rental package with lifestyle services that are fit for the future rental market. The Samsung Connected Living Apartment is a physical embodiment of the ultimate smart, connected home, and we can’t think of a better location for this than Tipi’s new buzzing Wembley Park development.

Samsung’s Teg adds:

Everything on show in the Samsung Connected Living Apartment is technology and functionality that is available today, not in a decade’s time; it’s why we’ve launched our showcase in a real-life residential setting,”  

Smart Home

Whether-or-not this is actually the UK’s smartest home, we still want all that kit in our place, please.

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