All posts by Gavin Fabiani-Laymond

About Gavin Fabiani-Laymond

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

Belkin RockStar iPhone Headphones with Lightning Connector Review – also in USB C

Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News,

Welcome to my review of the Belkin RockStar iPhone Headphones with Lightning Connector. These are also available with a USB C termination. The Belkin Rockstar retail for around £40 and are available in white and black finishes.

The Key Features and Specifications

– Listen to music and take calls from your iPhone without an adapter
– Designed for Apple LIGHTNING devices without audio port, including iPhone XS, XS max, XR, x, 8, 8 Plus, 7, 7 Plus/ iPad Pro 10. 5-Inch, 9. 7-Inch and more
– Mfi-certified for compatibility with iOS devices
– Tangle-free, flat, lightweight cable keep headphones from bunching up
– Sweat and Splash-Resistant

Review

Conclusion

An upgrade to the in the box earphones. A pleasant sound with a slight V shape. Recommended.

Useful Links

More info and the latest pricing on Amazon – Belkin Rockstar Earphones.

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Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max – My top 12 shots from the camera!

Apple, Tech News

Over the last 24 hours I have taken several photos with the iPhone 11 Pro Max cameras.

The cameras have been wonderful to use. Above one of my dogs Tiggy. This is portrait mode.

And now just a standard shot of my dog George.

Above wide and ultra wide photos. If any editing occurred it was only done with Apple Photos app.

Same again, wide and ultra wide. When you take a wide shot, the iPhone automatically takes the ultra wide shot as well. The iPhone can then auto correct the shot if say for example you chopped a person out of the frame, or you can do this yourself.

The ultra wide provides some great angles.

Above is wide.

Below is ultra wide.

And finally 2 x optical zoom.

I am really happy with the results so far and am looking forward to seeing future improvements.

Jabra Elite 85h Over Ear Wireless Headphones with ANC Review & Comparison

Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News

Welcome to my review of the Jabra Elite 85h Over Ear Headphones with automatic noise cancellation and SmartSound Technology. The headphones retail for around £279.

The Key Features and Specification

– SmartSound: Audio that automatically adapts to your surroundings
– Block unwanted background noise with Smart Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
– 36 hours battery life with ANC on
– On-ear detection; Elite 85h will recognise when you remove them from your ears, auto-playing when you put them on and auto-pausing when you take them off
– Access your voice assistant with one touch for instant, Amazon Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant
– Rain-resistant with a 2 years water and dust warranty
– Personalise the headphones with the Jabra Sound+ app-access SmartSound features, customise music profiles, choose your voice assistant, track battery usage, firmware and more
– Enhanced 8-microphone technology for a superior call experience

Review

Conclusion

The Jabra Elite 85h are a comfortable pair of headphones with superb mics for calls and more. The noise cancellation is flexible, enabling you to listen to music while conducting a conversation with someone in the office! Highly recommended.

Useful Links

More info and latest pricing on Amazon – Jabra Elite 85h

Sony WF-1000XM3 Wireless Noise Cancellation Earphones Long Term Review & Comparison

Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News,

Welcome to my long term review of the Sony WF-1000XM3 true wireless earphones with noise cancellation. The earphones retail for around £219.

The Key Features and Specifications

– Digital Noise Cancelling with HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1e and Dual Noise Sensor Technology
– AAC and SBC codecs
– Up to 24 hours battery life
– USB C for the case
– DSEE HX
– Firmware upgradeable with Sony Headphone app
– Bluetooth 5, NFC

Review

Conclusion

Overall an unbelievable set of wireless earphones. If you travel and need noise cancelling, these are the earphones to get. Highly recommended.

Useful Links

More info and latest pricing on Amazon – Sony WF-1000XM3.

The best cases for the iPhone 11 Pro Max

Tech News

The best cases for iPhone 11 Pro Max. Below are the cases as shown above in the photo. Ideal for the new midnight green iPhone 11.

The cases are available in other colours too, apart from the clear Spigen.

Apple Forest Green leather. If you want the original, you pay for it. £55 https://amzn.to/2Qhg0B5

ESR Premium Leather Green £26.99 , at half the price of Apple’s case, this comes really close in colour matching – https://amzn.to/2QbEMCx

Cyrillic Ciel Leather Green £13.99 , sold by Spigen, a lovely case and good value – https://amzn.to/2NkmBIM

Spigen Liquid Crystal £8.99, you cannot go wrong with this clear case to show off your new iPhone – https://amzn.to/2QhXj04

Huawei Mate 20 X 5G vs Huawei Mate 20 X 4G – All 15 Differences & Review – Check these out before you buy!

Tech News

The Huawei Mate 20 X 5G looks identical to the Mate 20 X 4G. It has the same huge 7.2 inch OLED screen, some size body and more. Yet by adding a 5G modem to the phone, Huawei actually introduces 15 differences and in my video below I not only explain them all, but also the importance of each as required.

If you want to recap on my original detailed review of the Huawei Mate 20 X 4G, which is worth a view, you will get an idea as to what a beast this phone is in so many ways!

Latest deal on the Mate 20 X on Amazon which includes the M Pen and Smart View Flip Cases – Click HERE.

Dali i04 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones Review – An Unbelievable 60 hours Playback Time!

Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News

The Dali iO is luxurious wireless headphones – designed and developed in Denmark. With class-leading battery time, audio comfort and sound performance.

DALI, Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries, grew out of Scandinavia’s leading audio retail chain in 1983. Dalie strive to create loudspeakers with outstanding performance and “natural sound” at competitive prices.

In 2019, DALI offers an exciting range of speakers to suit every taste from the cost-conscious SPEKTOR series to the high-performance speaker EPICON 8. Dali has over one million satisfied customers in more than 70 countries.

A key contributing factor to DALI’s superiority is exclusive DALI driver units designed and developed from scratch by their Danish engineers and produced in their own controlled facilities. With their unique driver technologies they are able to design and build speaker systems that makes it possible for listeners to hear their favourite music exactly as the artists intended.

So the Dali iO continues its tradition with a wireless headphone that is built for extended listening with a comfortable, durable design and a natural transparent sound that never tires.

Dali have released at IFA 2019 to headphones, the i04 and i06. Both are the same in every regard, except the i06 have active noise cancellation. When these go on sale, they will cost 299 and 399 euros respectively.

What is really interesting about the new headphones, is that Dali didn’t go and re badge a Chinese headphone, they designed, built and manufactured everything from scratch. The headphones are in essence a Dali loudspeaker, miniaturised on the ear. What they did do, was buy Sony’s noise cancellation tech for the i06. So you actually have the best of both worlds with this version.

So what is my verdict on these new headphones? Go take a look now!

More info on Dali products on Amazon!

London to Berlin via British Airways – Shot on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ including the history of Messe Berlin

Tech News, , , ,

On Tuesday 3rd September 2019, I set off to Berlin via Berlin Tegel Airport. Whilst in Berlin, I will get to see some of the beautiful sights of the city and spend some time at IFA 2019.

IFA 2019 is one of the world’s largest electronic shows which is located at Messe Berlin. Messe Berlin was originally built in 1936 to 1937. It is 1.7 million square feet. Just imagine how long it takes to walk around all the exhibitors! Messe Berlin is now known at the Berlin ExpoCenter City and without a doubt that name is pretty apt.

The Berlin ExpoCenter consists of 26 halls plus additional buildings like the CityCube Berlin which opened in 2014 as an exhibition and conference hall. Each “hall” is huge, some even on multiple levels. There are approximately 2,000 exhibitors and over 300,000 people visit the show every year.

So expect some updates on some of the aspects of IFA 2019 that I found interesting, and I hope you do too.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10/10+ & accessories on Amazon – Click HERE.

Mimi announces partnerships with leading global audio players at IFA 2019 expanding its sound personalization standard to the wider audio industry – details

Tech News

Mimi announces partnerships with leading global audio players at IFA 2019 expanding its sound personalization standard to the wider audio industry.

Panasonic, Qualcomm, Cadence-Tensilica and DSP Group join beyerdynamic and Bragi as part of Mimi Hearing Technologies’ partnership network.

New SDK and hearing test unveiled at the show.

Berlin, Germany, September 4, 2019: World leaders in hearing-based sound personalization and digital hearing tests, Mimi Hearing Technologies, is set to reveal ground-breaking innovations to tackle the rising challenges of hearing UX in entertainment and interaction, an array of new partnerships, and a new SDK at IFA 2019 (Berlin, September 6-11).

In a world where we all hear differently and 55 % of the adult population has some type of hearing loss, it still goes unrecognized and untreated for the vast majority of the population. And while wearing glasses and contact lenses is the common way to deal with vision problems, hearing difficulties are not equally addressed. This is one of the reasons why Mimi is actively tackling this problem, by providing a technology that knows how people hear and that personalizes the audio to the user’s unique hearing ability in all the places we listen.

Philipp Skribanowitz, CEO of Mimi Hearing Technologies, said: “Through our newly expanded network of global partners, we look forward to showcasing the work we’ve been doing to make Mimi Hearing Technologies the world leader in hearing-based sound personalization and digital hearing tests. With problems associated with hearing prevalent across all demographics, people want to enjoy every moment of whatever they are listening to, making a personalized listening experience tailored to their unique hearing ability more relevant than ever before.

Mimi has analyzed over 1.5 million individual Hearing ID profiles from the Mimi Hearing Test app since 2014 in order to refine the sound personalization process, and our upcoming cross vertical expansion of our already far reaching partnership program will allow us to bring a personalized listening experience to all situations in which people listen”.

This expanded list of new partnerships – which will allow Mimi to establish its standard of hearing-based sound personalization and hearing health throughout the wider consumer electronic industry – includes:

Panasonic:Mimi will bring its industry-leading intelligent audio technology solution into airline cabins as part of Panasonic Avionics’ inflight wellness suite. This marks Mimi’s first expansion into aerospace, with its sound processing solutions being made available to millions of passengers using Panasonic Avionics’ inflight entertainment and communication systems.

Qualcomm: Working through the Qualcomm’s eXtension program, Mimi Hearing Technologies will be integrated with Qualcomm’s existing audio platforms. Once headphone users have created their unique Hearing ID through the Mimi Hearing Test app, they will be able to personalize their audio with Mimi’s audio processing software solutions.

Cadence-Tensilica: A global leader in customizable dataplane processor IP cores, which will enable Mimi to integrate its patented audio personalization technology into Cadence® Tensilica® HiFi digital signal processing (DSP) family for audio and voice. Through the collaboration, users now have access to a personalized listening experience that’s based on a listener’s unique hearing profile.

DSP Group: A leading provider of wireless chipset solutions designed to improve voice intelligibility on mobile, consumer and enterprise devices, this partnership will allow Mimi’s personalization technology to perfect the audio quality for consumer and business phone users.

These partnerships build on a sustained period of growth for Mimi Hearing Technologies following its recent IP acquisitions of three sound personalization companies; 3D Sound Labs, Symphonic and SolidSound. Mimi was also honored with the CES Innovation Award for the second year in a row, and secured successful partnerships with wireless headphones producer beyerdynamic, Bragi and electronics manufacturer Loewe to deliver Mimi’s sound personalization solution to consumers worldwide.

Mimi is the world’s leading provider of hearing-based audio optimization. Because we all hear differently Mimi’s team of in-house hearing scientists developed its biologically-inspired and proprietary audio processing technology, that knows how well a user hears in order to optimize their listening experience. It is based on years of research and informed by the results of over 1.5 million Mimi Hearing tests. Along with its award-winning technology, Mimi can also claim to have created the world’s largest database of digital hearing profiles. Mimi can be easily integrated into consumer electronics devices, such as headphones, smartphones, TVs, in-flight entertainment systems and a range of systems and platforms.

Mimi Hearing Technologies’ products and integrations have won numerous prestigious international awards, including the CES Innovation Award in Las Vegas (2019 & 2018) for sound personalization in beyerdynamic headphones, the SATVISION Innovation Prize (2018) for sound optimization in Loewe TVs, the Sonar+D Award for Innovation in Barcelona (2017), StartUps & Developer Award at the San Francisco Music Tech Summit (2017) and the IFA Berlin Prize for Audio Innovation (2017).

HONOR empowers the visually impaired with the launch of the new AI powered app “POCKETVISION”

Android


HONOR EMPOWERS THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED WITH LAUNCH OF NEW AI- POWERED APP “POCKETVISION”

[Berlin, 6 September 2019] Global smartphone brand HONOR today announced the launch of PocketVision, an AI powered app that makes it easier for the visually impaired and people with low vision to read. According to the World Health Organisation, it is estimated that approximately 1.3 billion people live with some form visual impairment. PocketVision uses the power of HONOR’s AI (artificial intelligence) and superior quad camera technology in the HONOR 20 PRO to deliver a portable, affordable alternative to other magnifiers and typoscopes currently on the market, creating an enhanced reading experience for people all around the world.

Developed by social enterprise Eyecoming and pioneered by HONOR’s cutting-edge technologies, PocketVision features three key modes to help people read more clearly.

Text-to-Speech Mode; powered by HONOR HiAI and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, this mode helps to convert pictures to text faster and more accurately. It then narrates the text from books, documents, menus and more with ease.

Zoom-In Mode; leveraging the HONOR 20 PRO’s 48MP quad camera lens and 8MP telephoto lens for ultra-clarity, this mode allows users to zoom into text using the volume buttons on their device, making even the smallest type larger, less blurry and more legible

Negative Image Mode; providing a range of colour filters to enhance text, this mode improves the contrast of printed materials for people who struggle to see certain colours

“At HONOR, we believe in the relentless pursuit of innovation; creating cutting edge technologies which make a positive impact on the world,” said George Zhao, President of HONOR. “Harnessing the power of the HONOR 20 PRO’s next-generation AI capabilities and pro-grade camera technology, PocketVision aims to level the playing field for the visually impaired, giving this community a portable, affordable solution to other reading aids on the market. In launching this app, we hope to create an enhanced reading experience for people all around the world, enabling a greater sense of independence and giving people with low vision the confidence to unlock their potential and pursue their passions.”

Armed with best-in-class software and hardware, the HONOR 20 PRO offers users a truly intelligent experience. From its superior 48MP AI quad camera, which takes ultra-clear shots from day to night, to its 8MP telephoto lens which allows users to take extreme close ups, capturing every detail has never been easier. Powered by the 7nm Kirin 980 AI chipset, the device features a 4,000 mAh battery that can support a full-day’s uninterrupted use, 256GB storage and a Virtual 9.1 Surround Sound system, allowing for a more conducive audio environment.

To help raise awareness of the barriers blind and partially sighted people face, HONOR has partnered with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) which supports people with vision impairment.

Robin Spinks, Senior Innovation and Technology Relationships Manager at RNIB commented: “Smartphone technology is playing an ever-increasing role in enabling everyday independence for blind and partially sighted people. PocketVision is an example of an exciting new category of apps that allow on-the-spot accessibility. Using this app, people with low vision have the ability to convert any text into a readable format, making the world a more accessible place, giving a greater sense of freedom and breaking down barriers to create a more inclusive society.”

PocketVision can be downloaded for free from today on the Huawei AppGallery and supports English, Portuguese, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese language. To find out more about PocketVision, please visit HONOR’s official website.

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About HONOR

HONOR is a leading smartphone brand. The brand was created to meet the needs of digital natives through internet-optimized products that offer superior user experiences, inspire action, foster creativity and empower the young to achieve their dreams. In doing this, HONOR has set itself apart by showcasing its own bravery to do things differently and to take the steps needed to usher in the latest technologies and innovations for its customers.

For more information, please visit HONOR online at http://www.hihonor.com or follow us on:

https://www.facebook.com/HonorUK

https://www.instagram.com/ukhonor/

About EYECOMING

Eyecoming is a social enterprise that provides integrated hardware and software solutions for people with visual impairments including applications such as PocketVision and Eyecoming. The Eyecoming app connects the visually impaired with volunteers through smart glasses, which are capable of recording video in real time. These volunteers are then able to help blind or short-sighted people to solve tasks remotely. Eyecoming continues to innovate using the latest technology to deliver affordable, professional solutions for people with visual impairments, helping them to live more independently.

About RNIB

We are the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

Every six minutes, someone in the UK begins to lose their sight. RNIB is taking a stand against exclusion, inequality and isolation to create a world without barriers where people with sight loss can lead full lives. A different world where society values blind and partially sighted people not for the disabilities they’ve overcome, but for the people they are.

RNIB. See differently. Call the RNIB Helpline on ‪0303 123 9999‬ or visit http://www.rnib.org.uk

All media enquiries to the RNIB press office on ‪0207 391 2223‬ or mailto:pressoffice@rnib.org.uk. For urgent enquiries out-of-hours, please call ‪07968 482812