All posts by Gavin Fabiani-Laymond

About Gavin Fabiani-Laymond

President, CEO & Editor of http://gavinsgadgets.com Reviews & News of Technology

UPDATED AGAIN – Amazon Prime Day Tuesday 16th July 2019 – The Best Deals Highlighted

Amazon, Tech News

Today is Amazon Prime Day. It’s the second day of the 48 hour sale by Amazon. Below are all the best deals across a multitude of departments. The deals will be updated during the day so do check back for all the latest offerings. This years seems like a huge bonanza of deals!

If you just want to browse all the deals, click https://amzn.to/2lbBm3T

Updated once again with the following deals –

SHO Bottle – Ultimate Insulated, Double Walled Stainless Steel Vacuum Flask & Water Bottle – 12 Hours Hot & 24 Hours Cold – 260ml, 350ml, 500ml, 750ml & 1000ml – BPA Free – Lifetime Guarantee https://amzn.to/2leXxpU

27% off Nest Smart Thermostat (Works with Alexa) https://amzn.to/2lHjYnN

46% off Hive Thermostats https://amzn.to/2ltRvl8

30% off Power Banks, Chargers and Cables from RAV Power, Poweradd and more https://amzn.to/2k0nDg7

30% off Smart Scales, Blood Pressure Monitors and Thermometres from Omron, Withings and Braun https://amzn.to/2lDpEPH

Up to 50% off SlimFast, XLS Medical, USN and others https://amzn.to/2jZtmmp

Up to 30% off Smartwatches from Samsung and Huawei https://amzn.to/2lfAlYB

15% off Apple iPhone XR (64GB,128GB,256GB) https://amzn.to/2jZs3E1

24% off the new Samsung Galaxy Watch Active https://amzn.to/2lD7Y6M

Up to 35% off TicWatch Smartwatches https://amzn.to/2k8CEfB

Up to 60% off Men’s Shoes, big brands, https://amzn.to/2k8BwZp

Up to 50% off Outdoor Shoes including Salomon and Merrell https://amzn.to/2jZtXVa

Up to 32% off Garmin Wearables (massive selection) https://amzn.to/2jRoNKR

Save £10 on pet products including food & treats when you spend £35, use code PETS10 at checkout https://amzn.to/2lwKi3V

30% off Dog Products: Pedigree, Frontline, Harrington’s and more https://amzn.to/2lDp2tn

Deal of the Day. 30% off Cat Products: Felix, Gourmet, Frontline and more https://amzn.to/2k5SUxW

Up to 40% off Boardgames: Monopoly GoT, UNO, Game of Life and more https://amzn.to/2jZqLsC

Up to 30% off TV’s from Sony, LG, Phillips & more https://amzn.to/32sjnHt

43% off Andrex Supreme Quilts Toilet Tissue, 54 Rolls https://amzn.to/2jZqs0W

Up to 64% off Philips ProtectiveClean 4300 and Whitening Brush heads 4 pack https://amzn.to/2lD8npO

30% off Jabra Elite 65t True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds https://amzn.to/2jVTYoi

50% off Sennheiser HD 4.50 SE, Over Ear Wireless Headphone with Active Noise Cancellation https://amzn.to/2lxaw6q

Up to 70% off Fragrances: Calvin Klein, Ghost, Jimmy Choo and more https://amzn.to/2jVTPkM

Up to 50% off Finish, Dettol, Vanish and Persil (practical everyday products) https://amzn.to/2NYh0cb

Up to 50% off Male Grooming (Philips, Braun, ManCave etc) https://amzn.to/2jWNipZ

56% off SanDisk SDSQXAO-128G-GNCZN microSDXC UHS-I Card for Nintendo Switch, 128 GB, Nintendo Licensed Product https://amzn.to/2jTnmLX

61% off Amazon Echo Show 5 – Black + Amazon Music Unlimited (6 months FREE w/auto-renew) https://amzn.to/30uT1Tt

Up to 33% off Apple Products (iPad Mini, iPad Pro 11, iPhones, accessories) incl latest models. I have never seen so many Apple products discounted, ever!! https://amzn.to/2lpPQx6

30% off Prime Day Offer: PlayStation Plus 15 Month Membership https://amzn.to/2jSHjCz

50% off Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote https://amzn.to/2Jy7mJa

Up to 40% off Jack Daniel’s, Laphroaig and Southern Comfort Whiskies https://amzn.to/32qWyno

Up to 40% off Vacuums by Shark, Gtech, Hoover and more https://amzn.to/2jP2BRv

Extra 20% off open box Amazon Warehouse https://amzn.to/2jRrjRj

Up to 30% off LG Smart TVs (43 to 65-Inch) https://amzn.to/2jXxP8R

Up to 33% off Laptops by HP, Lenovo, Asus and more https://amzn.to/2jRSGdY

Up to 30% off AmazonBasics range covering all departments. Massive deals https://amzn.to/2jSEOAb

30% off Headphones: Beats, Bose, Sennheiser, Jabra and more https://amzn.to/2lbRiTL

Up to 35% off PC Monitors from Acer, Samsung, LG and more https://amzn.to/2jP1stb

Up to 50% off Sony and Canon Cameras https://amzn.to/2jXwAXf

Up to 50% off SanDisk Memory Products and SSD https://amzn.to/2jP1P73

Up to 50% off Philips Hue Indoor and Outdoor Lighting https://amzn.to/2lp0Gn4

Up to 45% off Smartphones: Samsung, One Plus, Huawei and more https://amzn.to/32vo9Ei

Up to 55% off trainers including Adidas, Nike and Vans https://amzn.to/2jRUlAe

Save 49% off Philips Lumea Prestige IPL Hair Removal Device for Body, Face & Precision Areas (Bikini & Underarms) https://amzn.to/2jP39H3

33% off DJI – Mavic Pro Combo Platinum (UK Version) https://amzn.to/2jVmw0U

And don’t forget to check back for all the latest updates which are being updated by a team of people.

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UPDATED AGAIN – Amazon Prime Day Monday 15th July 2019 – The Best Deals Highlighted for You

Amazon, Tech News

Today is Amazon Prime Day. A 48 hour sale by Amazon. Below are all the best deals across a multitude of departments. The deals will be updated over the next 48 hours so do check back for all the latest offerings. This years seems like a huge bonanza of deals!

If you just want to browse all the deals, click https://amzn.to/2lbBm3T

Updated again with the following deals –

Save £10 on pet products including food & treats when you spend £35, use code PETS10 at checkout https://amzn.to/2lwKi3V

30% off Jabra Elite 65t True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds https://amzn.to/2jVTYoi

50% off Sennheiser HD 4.50 SE, Over Ear Wireless Headphone with Active Noise Cancellation https://amzn.to/2lxaw6q

Up to 70% off Fragrances: Calvin Klein, Ghost, Jimmy Choo and more https://amzn.to/2jVTPkM

Up to 50% off Finish, Dettol, Vanish and Persil (practical everyday products) https://amzn.to/2NYh0cb

Up to 50% off Male Grooming (Philips, Braun, ManCave etc) https://amzn.to/2jWNipZ

56% off SanDisk SDSQXAO-128G-GNCZN microSDXC UHS-I Card for Nintendo Switch, 128 GB, Nintendo Licensed Product https://amzn.to/2jTnmLX

61% off Amazon Echo Show 5 – Black + Amazon Music Unlimited (6 months FREE w/auto-renew) https://amzn.to/30uT1Tt

Up to 33% off Apple Products (iPad Mini, iPad Pro 11, iPhones, accessories) incl latest models. I have never seen so many Apple products discounted, ever!! https://amzn.to/2lpPQx6

30% off Prime Day Offer: PlayStation Plus 15 Month Membership https://amzn.to/2jSHjCz

50% off Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote https://amzn.to/2Jy7mJa

Up to 40% off Jack Daniel’s, Laphroaig and Southern Comfort Whiskies https://amzn.to/32qWyno

Up to 40% off Vacuums by Shark, Gtech, Hoover and more https://amzn.to/2jP2BRv

Extra 20% off open box Amazon Warehouse https://amzn.to/2jRrjRj

32% off Garmin Wearables (massive selection) https://amzn.to/2jRoNKR

Up to 30% off LG Smart TVs (43 to 65-Inch) https://amzn.to/2jXxP8R

Up to 33% off Laptops by HP, Lenovo, Asus and more https://amzn.to/2jRSGdY

Up to 30% off AmazonBasics range covering all departments. Massive deals https://amzn.to/2jSEOAb

30% off Headphones: Beats, Bose, Sennheiser, Jabra and more https://amzn.to/2lbRiTL

Up to 35% off PC Monitors from Acer, Samsung, LG and more https://amzn.to/2jP1stb

Up to 50% off Sony and Canon Cameras https://amzn.to/2jXwAXf

Up to 50% off SanDisk Memory Products and SSD https://amzn.to/2jP1P73

Up to 50% off Philips Hue Indoor and Outdoor Lighting https://amzn.to/2lp0Gn4

Up to 45% off Smartphones: Samsung, One Plus, Huawei and more https://amzn.to/32vo9Ei

Up to 55% off trainers including Adidas, Nike and Vans https://amzn.to/2jRUlAe

Save 49% off Philips Lumea Prestige IPL Hair Removal Device for Body, Face & Precision Areas (Bikini & Underarms) https://amzn.to/2jP39H3

33% off DJI – Mavic Pro Combo Platinum (UK Version) https://amzn.to/2jVmw0U

And don’t forget to check back for all the latest updates which are being updated by a team of people.

Is the iPhone X still worth buying in 2019? Is the camera miles behind the competition ?

Tech News, ,

Apple introduced the iPhone X nearly 2 years ago. It was a new design, with new technology. It featured an array of front cameras for FaceID which replaced TouchID. It also featured courage, as the 3.5mm headphone jack was removed.

As some of you may know, my preferred platform of choice for a smartphone is android, however, I am fairly platform agnostic. I will always recommend iOS for someone if it’s the correct choice. I do use an iPad to keep my toes in the iOS camp and whenever a new iPhone is released I always test one.

However, it had been a while since I had used an iPhone in earnest, and one of my family gave me their iPhone X. So I thought let’s install iOS 13 Public Beta and see what’s new. Let’s see if the iPhone X is still worth buying in 2019.

Throughout my post you will see photos all taken on the iPhone X. All looking really good and arguably better than most phones of today. Whilst the default camera app is not the best for shots at night, as the iPhone uses iOS, there are heaps of apps that do take crazy good shots at night. For example, want to shoot the stars, star trails, car trails etc then you can use apps like Nightcap, Slow Shutter or if you need more control there are tons of pro camera apps. Adobe Lightroom has its own camera app, which really helped at night, as did Procamera HDR.

So my caveat here, is that phones like the Huawei P30 Pro and Pixel 3 have dedicated night modes in their default camera apps, and really do a much better job than the iPhone X. But using a third party app minimises that gap, but Apple really need to sort this out. It’s not as if their processors can’t manage this, as they can, and probably with ease.

But we are forgetting the iPhone’s strength in video. Excellent 4K 60fps, or even shoot at 24fps and without time limits. It’s burst mode allows up to 999 shots in a single burst. That’s way ahead of most other android phones which typically allow 100 shots in a burst. Also the iPhone shutter speed is legendary fast as you can see from the bee shots below. The camera is also very reliable. Press the shutter and you will get a usable shot. Then you have Live Photos bringing the gallery to back to life and also ensuring you didn’t miss a special moment with your pet or kid.

So in 2019, the camera is defiantly and definitely very relevant. So what about the rest of the phone.

The processor. It’s still in 2019 an extremely powerful, fast and efficient chip. The iPhone X is as fluid as it was from day 1. FaceID is a fast and reliable and one of the best security options. It is also extremely well integrated into the phone, it’s apps and third party apps. And talking of apps, iOS has the best range, and the best quality apps out there. So using the iPhone X is a joy still and in particular iOS 13 beta adds extra functionality that was badly needed to lift iOS into the modern century.

Ironically, whilst I have used iMessage more to send photos to other iPhone users, I haven’t used FaceTime. That’s because I’ve gotten used to WhatsApp and other messaging services now.

So in summary, I would say the iPhone X is definitely worth buying in 2019. It will also cost a lot less than buying a newer model, yet still provide you with a decent experience.

Latest deals on the iPhone X on Amazon

Night Mode Shootout – Huawei P30 Pro vs iPhone X using True HDR Triple Exposures in RAW

Tech News,

So here’s a test you don’t see that often. The criteria, get the best shot inside part of Buckland Abbey which is dark inside, except for blazing sunshine crashing thru some of the windows and the door.

So what did a do to produce the photos. On the Huawei P30 Pro, I used the Night Mode. The sun pouring in via the door caused some issue with Night Mode, so I had to tap the screen to adjust the exposure point. Afterwards, some editing using Adobe Lightroom on the phone. The result is below.

On straight auto mode the doorway on the right is just a blob of white glare. This is the same issue when using auto mode on the iPhone X.

Now why am I using an iPhone X. Simply to run iOS 13 Beta. Now remember the iPhone X is nearly 2 years old. Now using the default camera app is not sufficient and so it’s over to Adobe Lightroom mobile. This app has an option to use its own built in camera app.

iOS has some very clever apps that can extend what’s possible way beyond the default camera app. Adobe Lightroom has a great feature. True HDR. It shoots several images in RAW and then blends them. A quick edit in Adobe Lightroom and here’s the result.

Now clearly there is more detail in the P30 Pro, but it’s too bright and not realistic. The iPhone X captures the atmosphere but is slightly too dark.

A perfect result would have been somewhere in the middle.

Which shot would you share or prefer ?

Apple just slashed its prices on SSD upgrades for MACS – full details

Apple, Tech News

Something really strange happened at Apple yesterday.

First up it released a new Macbook Air at a new lower price, saving $100 off the older model. Then it removed the Macbook from sale and offered more value for the updated line of Macbook Pro’s.

And then Apple did the unthinkable. It slashed the prices on the upgrades for larger SSDs for its MACS. This change applies across the entire MAC range.

For example a 2TB SSD for the Mac mini will now cost you $1,000, down from $1,400. a 2TB SSD for the 256GB 15-inch MacBook Pro is now just $800, down from $1,200.

A 1TB SSD for the 15-inch MacBook Pro now costs $400. down from $600.

Now all Apple needs to do is offer the same discounts on its RAM upgrade.

Source

YouTube Copyright Claims – YouTube strikes back with new tools for Creators

Tech News

YouTube announced the following changes yesterday to try and fix the out of control copyright claiming system –

Manual Claiming is a tool within Content ID that allows select copyright owners to manually make claims on videos that were not automatically made by our Content ID matching system. Previously, we did not require copyright owners using the Manual Claiming tool to provide timestamps, so it was sometimes unclear to creators which parts of their videos were being claimed and in addition, unlike edits that removed content identified by automated claims, the claims wouldn’t be automatically released.

We’re making the experience better for you in two important ways:

1. Copyright owners must now provide timestamps for exactly what part of your video is being manually claimed.

Just as you would if you receive an automatic claim from our Content ID matching system, you’ll now see timestamps in Creator Studio when you get a manual claim. Check out the Video Copyright Info page in YouTube Studio that offers a visualization of where the manually-claimed content appears in your video, and also, it provides more info about the content being claimed. We’ll be evaluating the accuracy of these timestamps. Copyright owners who repeatedly fail to provide accurate data will have their access to manual claiming revoked.

2. You can use our editing tools to remove the content claimed manually in your video which will now automatically release the claims.

We’ve updated our editing tools to make it easier to remove manually claimed content from your video. If you choose to remove the content, the claim will now be released automatically. Below are some of the options you have without having to edit and upload a new video:

  • Mute all sound when the claimed song plays: If you get a claim for a piece of music in your video, you can now mute the time-stamped segment.
  • Replace the song: If you don’t want to mute the audio entirely, you can instead swap out the music with one of our free-to-use songs from the YouTube Audio Library. We also added new visual indicators below the video player, which show exactly what segment of the video is claimed. This can help you position the audio track in such a way that will remove the claims from your video.
  • Trim out the content: You also have the option to cut out the time-stamped segment from your video using the Trim feature in the YouTube Editor.

We’re still working on several improvements here, like having an explicit Trim option in the Video Copyright Info page that will allow you to trim out the claimed content with just one click.

This is a very good step in the right direction. More at YouTube Blog

Canon new updated Powershot G7 X III & G5 X II – all you need to know.

Tech News,

Canon has just announced updates to two of its compact PowerShot G-series cameras, the G7 X Mark III and the G5 X Mark II. These two new cameras share a lot of their magic both technically and cosmetically. However, they are both very different to their predecessors.

The new sensors on both the G5 X Mark II and G7 X Mark III feature a new stacked design with a 1 inch 20MP resolution sensor. The sensor has a DRAM chip attached to the back of the sensor now. This enables extremely fast readout speeds that the updated Digic 8 processor then reads etc.

Both the G5 X II and G7 X III can shoot Raw + JPEG at 8 fps and 8.3 fps with autofocus, respectively, and up to 20 fps with fixed focus and exposure. That’s using the mechanical shutter. Turn on the fully electronic shutter and you can achieve 30fps bursts, focus and exposure locked, even whilst shooting in raw.

The part you’ve all been waiting for is here. 4K video capture. Maximum of 4K 30fps. 1080p at 120fps and all without any crop. The G7 X does have a microphone input and the ability to stream directly live to YouTube. The lower model doesn’t have either of these options.

When it comes to battery life, you’ll get around 230 shots, or you can plug in a USB power bank charger to keep you shooting constantly.

The cameras now feature a pop up EVF. The G5 X now adds zoom from 24-120mm. There so much more to these new cameras too.

Vloggers are absolutely going to love these. Apart from the pricing which is a stark increase of the previous models.

Source

Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram- when one company owns them, what are the consequences!! Editorial

Tech News, ,

On 3rd July 2019, the 3 top online platforms were plagued with server issues. Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram all had major issues. Photos could not be shared or seen and more.

So what happened, everyone flocked to twitter. There was a sigh of relief around the world that cups of coffee and cake, plates of food and a million more selfies never got shown. Perhaps, people actually decided to speak to each other, instead of communicate online only. Forget that last point, nobody knows how to do this anymore.

Joking aside, the major incident shows just how vulnerable the internet can be when one company Facebook which owns WhatsApp and Instagram, suffers major server issues which in turn impact all its other services and companies.

You might be thinking, so what. However, there are major side effects and consequences of this scenario. All three services are used across the globe to communicate from personally and for businesses. So when Facebook goes down, companies lose money. Small and large businesses use Facebook and Instagram to sell their products and services and whilst the advertising fees won’t get charged, the lost revenue is still lost revenue. This could be £10,000 a day for some companies. Maybe considerably more. Maybe a bit less. But multiply that by several million and the lost revenue is huge.

What if Facebook got hacked. Which imploded onto WhatsApp and Instagram and all the data got deleted and couldn’t be restored. Then what ?

Which begs the question, should one company like Facebook be allowed to be this powerful and on such a global scale?

Amazon founder Bezos’ divorce final with $38 billion settlement – full details

Tech News

Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos’ divorce from his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie Bezos, was finalized by a Seattle-area judge on Friday, paving the way for her to receive $38.3 billion worth of Amazon stock according to Bloomberg. $38 Billion dollars!!

So how has that been achieved. Well back in April, Amazon, mentioned in a filing that 4% of its outstanding stock or 19.7 million shares would be registered in MacKenzie Bezos’ name after court approval of the divorce. 

The couple announced their plan to divorce in a joint Twitter statement in January, confirming that it was a mutual decision.

Jeff retains a 12% stake worth $114.8 billion and remains the world’s richest. MacKenzie Bezos has said she would give him voting control of her shares. 

However, nobody needs $38 billion. So MacKenzie in May pledged to give half her fortune to charity to join the “Giving Pledge,” a campaign announced by billionaire Warren Buffett and Microsoft Corp.

Source – Reuters

Huawei opens the largest Huawei retail & customer experience space outside of China – Full Details & Photos

Tech News

Huawei, the leading global technology company, today opens the doors to the largest retail and customer experience space outside China, located on one of the busiest streets in Europe, Gran Via in Madrid.

The huge flagship venue is split across two floors and will offer free product training, technical support, and expert masterclasses to help customers better their understanding of Huawei products and improve their photography, design, video and multimedia skills.

Located at No. 48, Gran Via, the venue, named ‘Huawei Space’, will showcase the entire Huawei product ecosystem and will give customers the opportunity to experience and immerse themselves in some of the world’s most innovative technologies.

The venue will also be used as a meeting point for consumers to receive product training – for both current and future product features – to ensure they’re getting the most out of their devices. Consumers can expect a personalised consultation service, run by highly qualified consultants, to troubleshoot any product queries and better their understanding of the latest technologies in Huawei’s ecosystem.

The launch of ‘Huawei Space’ Madrid is the latest flagship opening from Huawei, with a similar site planned in Barcelona’s iconic city centre later in 2019.

Looks like Huawei is adopting what many other brands have done and started opening physical stores.