Titled, “The Stressful Rush Hour on Dartmoor” , this is the road conditions at rush hour. The G4 did a marvellous job, in easy to shoot conditions.
All posts by Gavin Fabiani-Laymond
Back to the Future arrives 5th August 2015 – The Lexus Hoverboard – Video – So COOL
Lexus is due to reveal its new Hoverboard on the 5th August 2015. This is looking like one of the coolest gadgets I have seen to date! What do you think? And do you want one?
Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen) 2015 – Unboxing
Jon Love from Clove Technology unboxes the new Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen) 2015. Looks like a great little phone too!
Yahoo announces LiveText – details
“So today, we’re introducing Yahoo Livetext – a new way to communicate that blends the immediacy, simplicity and ease of texting with the expressiveness of video, without the audio. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been testing Yahoo Livetext in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Ireland, and we’re really excited about what we’ve heard from our community so far. Starting tomorrow, we’ll be releasing Yahoo Livetext in five new countries – U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany and France.
Just go to the App Store and Google Play Store tomorrow to check it out, and let us know how you’re using Yahoo Livetext to connect. Livetexting is better together.”
Not sure what to make of this. Doubt it will catch on. But what do you think?
More details and source – http://yahoo.tumblr.com/post/125351474614/yahoo-livetext-a-new-way-to-connect
Meizu announces the Meizu M2 – Just check out the specs for £65
The Meizu has just announced the M2, that costs around £65. For that you get the following –
– The quad-core Cortex-A53 processor has a clock speed of 1.3GHz, making the MEIZU m2 blazing fast. MediaTek’s CorePilot™, the highly efficient multi-processing technology, allows the CPU and GPU to work together perfectly. The 64-bit processor is powered by the all-new Flyme OS 4.5 based on Android 5.1 to deliver a smooth user experience.
– 2GB RAM • 16gb Samsung eMMC 5.0 high-speed flash memory
– The 5-inch 720p HD screen, which is fully laminated, features a contrast ratio of 1000:1 and an excellent screen-to-body ratio of 75.6%.
– The MEIZU m2 is equipped with a 13 megapixel Samsung CMOS sensor, 5-element lens modules, and an ƒ/2.2 ultra large aperture. The 5 megapixel front camera is leading in this price range. Its brand new FotoNation 2.0 smart selfie enhancement system and precise white balance adjustment helps to produce superior photographs.
– The MEIZU m2 supports dual SIM and dual 4G. Plus memory cards up to 128gb.
– 2500mAh battery • First-class SONY/ATL battery cells
– 131g weight
At this price point and the overall offering how can you justify more expensive phones!
For more info – http://www.meizu.com/en/products/m2/features.html
Motorola Moto X’s – Flagship Killers?
![Moto 2015 Family Portrait[1]](https://gavinsgadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/moto-2015-family-portrait1.jpg?w=500&h=316)
Yesterday Motorola announced 3 phones. If you want to read the full specs head over to Motorola.
Following the announcement the inter webs go crazy with news of the flagship killers from Motorola. The same happened following the OnePlus 2 announcement. Well, none of the phones are total flagship killers. However, they are super good phones.
If you look at the new Moto X Play for starters. This has a less powerful processor than the Moto X Style. This in turn means that despite have identical components for the camera as the X Style, the Style will take better shots. This is because it has a better ISP and also includes Phase Detection. And all of these processors are not top of the league offerings. The Style only has a Snapdragon 808. The more powerful the processor and GPU, the more capable the gaming and camera should be. Plus 4GB ram is flagship status now. Neither of these phones include this amount of ram.
Why on earth didn’t Motorola have the same large battery in the Style as the Play confounds me. QHD displays eat battery. Next, neither phone includes a fingerprint sensor which would be needed for Android Pay when it arrives. USB C connectors are not provided.
The display. Gorilla Glass 3 is used instead of Gorilla Glass 4. Sounds like a small difference but all of the differences all reduce the costs of manufacture and in turn the selling price.
As to the selling price, neither of these phones are dirt cheap. They are reasonably priced for the specification.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom. What you do have is a phone built for a very good price. Components and manufacturing costs have reduced over time. Not only have the component parts reduced in cost, but the quality or what you can get for your money has improved too.
At the end of the day it all depends on what you need your phone to do. If you’re not in to photography or gaming, the Snapdragon 615 processor will be excellent. That also means you can spend less too.
A positive aspect of the new phones is the customisation options. These should make these phones standout from the competition ,and is also likely a money maker for Motorola as the pricing is at the full retail price.
We are still waiting for the next tranche of phones to be released along with the new iPhones. Then and only then can we truly decide what is a flagship phone or not. Always remember cracking specs don’t always translate into a good handset!
In my book, a flagship is a phone that has the best of everything. Unfortunately this comes at a premium and I do wonder if it would be better to spend a few hundred pounds on a basic or mid priced phone and use the rest of buy something like a Sony RX100 MK2 or Panasonic TZ70 camera. The final combination will be substantially better !
PS. I wish Motorola had made the Moto X Play with the same processor as the X Style, thereby giving it an equal footing with the camera, along with 4gb of ram. That would be a near perfect smartphone for many people.
Which Streaming Service?
Currently, I am a month into my 6 month Google Play All Access trial, a week into my Deezer 3 month trial and I subscribe to Tidal HiFi. I have yet to start my 3 month Apple Music Trial. And then came Amazon UK yesterday and added PrimeMusic to my Prime account at no extra cost.
So far my ranking of these services are as follows with the best first and the worst one last.
First – Tidal HiFi – if you’re going to pay it better sound bloody marvellous. And it really does with its FLAC recordings. I’m actually listening to Tidal as I type this ! I also like the music discovery on Tidal. I have found many new artists.
Deezer – it’s flow option works well for me as does the different genres on offer across the world.
Google Play All Access – it’s is dreadful since its last update. It has removed many genres from the new releases eg classical and jazz. However, in its free mode, I can still stream my entire music collection.
Amazon PrimeMusic – in last place as the catalogue is weak. Yet to its credit it did play some great tunes yesterday but I’ve noticed it quickly deteriorates to older tracks when it can. And consequently its in last place. However, I will still use it as I get it with my Amazon Prime service.
I’ve still got Apple Music to try which I’m looking forward to due to its extensive catalogue of songs.
So what is your favourite streaming service ?
Evolve Audio Soundbar SB-2501 – review
Welcome to my review of the Evolve Audio Soundbar SB-2501. Evolve Audio are a relatively new brand, owned by Janky Inc, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of satellite products.
The Evolve Audio Soundbar is designed to provide a much better audio experience with your TV. The SB-2501 looks stylish and a quality item from the moment you unbox it. The soundbar itself is made from a brushed aluminium cabinet that houses the latest audio technology. Its 49mm slim profile adds to the entire image.
Evolve Audio have created some unique selling points with their SB-2501. In terms of the technology they have incorporated their unique ‘Definitive Surround Sound’. In addition, the box includes the EVO-1 integrated,rechargeable, wireless headphones which are handy to use when others around you do not want to be disturbed. Evolve Audio have also designed the headphones so that anyone who is hard of hearing can use the Evolve’s EVO-1 wireless headphones at the same time with the soundbar but with their own required volume. But that is not all. The technology included continues as below –
The official technical specifications –
-40mm 8ohm High Efficiency Acoustic Driver x4
-40mm 4ohm High Efficiency Acoustic Driver x2
-60 Watts Power Output
-Built-In 16-bit Audio DSP
-2.4ghz Digital Wireless Audio Transceiver
-24-bit Audio Codec
-APT-X Bluetooth Streaming
-Brushed Aluminum Cabinet
-Evolve Wireless Headphone Compatible
-Dimensions: L-820mm x H-583mm xD-490mm
-Power input: DC 12V
Box Contents:
– Ultra-Slim Brushed Aluminium Soundbar
– Wireless Subwoofer (Pre-Paired With Soundbar)
– One Pair EVO-1 Wireless Rechargeable Headphones (Pre-Paired with Soundbar)
– Full Function Remote Control including Battery– Battery Type 3V Lithium CR2032
– Optical Cable (Toslink)
– RCA Cable
– 3.5mm Mini-jack To RCA Cable
– 12V AC/DC Adaptor (For Soundbar)
– 15V AC/DC Adaptor (For Subwoofer)
– USB Charger Cable (For Headphones)
– User Manual
– Quick Start Guide
The Evolve SB-2501 includes 4 EQ settings (music, movies, sports, news), independent bass control, touch sensitive LED display, full function remote and integrated wall mount brackets. It uses less than 0.5W in standby so it is energy efficient.
The Wireless HD Subwoofer
The Wireless Subwoofer incorporates wireless HD Lossless Technology. The subwoofer is fairly compact, measuring approx 250mm wide by 336mm deep. The wireless HD technology utilised by Evolve Audio is a digital wireless and lossless non-compression audio transmission technology that is significantly more efficient than Bluetooth. This has the added benefit of providing more audio detail. Using this wireless lossless technology also delivers real time sound from your TV ensuring no lip-sync issues. It also has a USB socket for recharging the EVO-1 headphones. For ease of setup, the subwoofer is pre paired too.
The EVO-1 Headphones
The headphones deserve a further mention as they are a welcome addition to the offering by Evolve Audio. The EVO-1 headphones use atom drivers. These are extremely powerful neodymium magnets made with rare-earth material and are twice as powerful as regular ferroferric oxide magnets. Apart from making these sound good, they are also lightweight and energy efficient. Recharging the headphones is a breeze as the subwoofer has a USB socket for recharging them. Of course, you can use the provided micro USB cable to recharge the headphones on another USB socket. Using the headphones couldn’t be simpler. Press the power on button to turn on or off, and use the volume controls to decrease or increase the sound. These are clearly marked and easy to feel. To change the input source simply use the remote. Again, like the subwoofer, the headphones are pre paired ready to use out of the box.
EVO-1 Headphone Specificiations
-40mm 8ohm High Efficiency ATOM Drive x 2
-24-bit Audio Codec
-Three Dimensional Head Fitting Adjustment
-Integrates with Evolve Audio Soundbars
-8-10 hours playback time from one full charge
-USB Charging Port
The Remote Control
The remote control is a cracking piece of kit and clearly designed by somebody who watches movies and thought “What would be really useful to include on a remote control”. So from the remote control you can adjust the volume, bass level, mute, 3D DSS mode, effects, input, screen dimming level and bluetooth. The screen can be dimmed and switched off too. If you want to pair a bluetooth device eg your iPhone it’s a one touch operation of pressing the bluetooth icon on the remote. In use, this remote control makes life so fast and fun to operate the soundbar.
The Soundbar
The soundbar has all the connections on the rear. This includes the power switch and connector, 3 AUX jacks one of which is digital. All the respective leads are provided in the box too. See main specifications.
Evolve Audio have integrated UniPhase into the soundbar. This is a frequency separation technology that delivers a consistent audio wave form from all drivers, without discrepancy or interference. This translates into a high quality music listening experience.
The soundbar has 2 rubber feet that are screwed onto the bottom. This allows it to rest on a flat surface, but these can be removed and used as the wall mounting bracket.
The main screen is touch controllable so if your remote control has temporarily vanished, all is not lost.
The Experience
The first challenge of any new product is the setup. Evolve Audio provide a Quick Start guide and a full manual. The Quick Start guide was clear and concise and made the whole process effortless. Added to the fact that all the cables are included, the remote control battery is also included and the headphones and subwoofer come pre paired, it is one of the easiest systems I have connected. And so few wires too!
In use the standout was the quality of the sound. I connected my mobile phone in seconds via bluetooth and boom, the SB-2501 was pumping out great sounding music tunes. Time to watch a movie, and once again great sounding music. Switching back to using my TV speakers was a harsh experience as you realise just how awful they are. The remote control is fantastic. Flipping between the different effects was easy. Muting, dimming, or changing the input so quick. Bass to heavy, just press the bass minus button. Turn on the EVO-1 headphones and the soundbar mutes automatically. Power off the headphones, and the soundbar goes automatically into mute. This prevents accidental blasting out of music late at night.
Conclusion
I really enjoyed using the Evolve Audio SB-2501 soundbar. It is easy to setup. Even easier to use with some real life thought gone into making the operation a breeze. Includes wireless headphones and subwoofer. Incorporates tons of technology which in layman terms equates to good quality music reproduction.
Impressive piece of kit and recommended.
For the latest deals at Amazon UK on the Evolve Audio SB-2501 Soundbar System click here
Oneplus 2 – The Good and the Bad – Specs and Opinion
The Good
– Built from a strong and lightweight metal
– 1080p 5.5 inch display will help with battery life, 600 nits , 178 degree readability, sunlight visible
– Dual sim
– USB Type C
– Alert Slider – control which incoming notifications provide sound or vibration
– Fingerprint sensor -stores up to 5 fingers
– 13mp OIS rear camera, last focus, can take 120 frames per second, 6 lenses to avoid distortion and color aberration, f/2.0
– 5mp front camera
– Snapdragon 810 with 4gb ram, 64 GB/16 GB eMMC v5.0, Adreno™ 430
– Colours – start with Sandstone Black and expands over time. OnePlus has four StyleSwap covers to choose from as well: Bamboo, Black Apricot, Rosewood, and Kevlar
– $329 for the 16GB model and $389 for the 64GB model
– Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity and Ambient Light sensors
– 151.8 x 74.9 x 9.85 mm
– Weight 175g
– GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz, WCDMA: Bands: 1/2/5/8, FDD-LTE: Bands: 1/3/5/7/8/20
– Dual-band Wi-Fi: 2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n and 5GHz 802.11a/n/ac
– Bluetooth 4.1
– Internal GPS antenna + GLONASS, Digital Compass
This is why the Oneplus 2 is not the Flagship Killer.
The Bad
– No quick charging support of any kind
– Only 1080p screen which is not as high as displays from LG, Samsung and others, 401 ppi
– Camera only f/2.0 – not up with the best from LG with f/1.8
– OxygenOS returns, likely based on Android 5.1 Lollipop
– No NFC
– No Qi charging
– No Micro SD
– No removable battery
All the phone really offers is a low cost phone, well built with a few compromises that probably won’t matter to most people. Personally, the lack of quick charger is a huge oversight. Otherwise it seems a reasonable deal.
Source – https://oneplus.net/uk/2
Marshall London Smartphone – Unboxing Video
Marshall London Smartphone has filled the web with news of its new phone, highlighting its audio pedigree. Looking at the specs in the cold light of day and it appears that the phone tech is Moto G territory. But lurking beneath that exterior is meant to be some serious audio tech.
Anyway, Marshall have created an unboxing video which gives you a better insight into the London phone, which is on a special preorder price of £399, which includes a pair of their £180 headphones.
Source – https://www.marshallheadphones.com/mh_se_en/london-phone
Gavin's Gadgets & Photography 