AndroidGuys 2014-09-08 13:00:02

There is a large array of bluetooth speakers and speakerphones out there on the market. Some are better than others with each one trying to get the upper hand on their competitors. Trying to stand out in a crowded field is not always that easy. Lofree has come out with a truly uniquely designed bluetooth speaker that really breaks the mold on how these speakers should be built.

The device itself is different. The form concept of this device is something that I find intriguing and when it comes right down to it, looks awesome. Unlike your normal shaped bluetooth speaker device, not matter what the shape be it typically does not have light bursting through it. That’s right, this bluetooth speaker has an effect to where it has slices in the casing of the device causing it to look like light is literally busting through the device. Taking full advantage of this led lighting ability, Lofree has also allowed the device to act as a night light too.

The packaging for the device was impressive and stylish. Coming in a padded white box, it was almost like opening up a Christmas present. It comes with an audio cable and a usb charging cable, both which are white and stylishly flat. The packaging and the device accessories set the correct tone for the device itself.

The build quality and design of this device is incredible. The Lofree Edge has some weight to it. Normally weight for accessories is bad, you want them to be as light as possible, for this specific device though, the weight was welcomed. It made me feel like it was a quality device using strong materials and not using cheaper plastics.

Another neat feature on this device is how they hide the buttons in order to keep with the visual design flow of the device. The buttons are on the bottom of the device staying hidden and easy controlled by pressing down on the corners.

The device is a bluetooth speakerphone toting a built-in microphone and a high quality audio decoder chip that allows the users to experience crisp, crystal clear sound. I am a picky speakerphone user. I need something that has good volume and that is clear to hear. I’ve been to one to many Aerosmith concerts and my hearing is picky. I need a speakerphone that is loud and clear and my experience with the Edge is that it more than outperformed my picky expectations.

This speaker is also a great bluetooth speaker for playing back your media files as well. The sound quality for music was loud with a nice, deep rich sound and the quality of the sound was very much in par for a device in this product range.

The Lofree Edge has decent battery life claiming to get about 5 hours. My experience was closer to about 4 hours 30 minutes at full volume with a few speakerphone calls mixed in. Recharge time was about 3 hours. With a device of this size, I would have liked to seen a little longer play time but I guess that is the trade off for having the lights on the speaker.

After a week playing with the device I have to say I love it. I’ve tested out a couple bluetooth speakers now for AndroidGuys and I have to say that this one so far has been my favorite. It not only has awesome build quality but is also stylish and unique. Looks aren’t everything though and this device holds its own by rocking out with both volume and sound quality.

You can pick up this uniquely lit up bluetooth speaker and speakerphone device from Amazon for the price of $49.99.

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Tivo proves that ‘size matters’ with absurd 26,000 hour DVR

TiVo has taken the TV-watching to a new, insane dimension with the Mega, a rack-mountable, 24TB DVR that will cost around $5,000. That trumps its current flagship Roamio Pro‘s 4TB storage by sixfold and makes it look quaint in comparison. Like that box, the Mega supports six channels of simultaneous recording, built-in transcoding, multi-room capability and live internet streaming to smartphones or tablets. In addition, it uses RAID 5 and hot-swappable drives, so that you won’t lose your Shark Week marathon in case of a hard disk failure.

While the Mega seems like overkill in nearly every way, TiVo explained that “size matters — people hate being forced to delete cool stuff from their DVR.” That shouldn’t be a problem, since the new system brings 4,000 hours of HD recording, or nearly 26,000 hours at regular SD resolution. However, with the five grand price tag, you’ll need to both be rich and have a lot of time to watch TV, a market segment we doubt is all that large. However, with a full keyboard, ethernet and a recording scheduler, it could also appeal to video producers or broadcasters who need to track and store a lot of content. TiVo said the Mega will arrive early next year along with final pricing, but if you’re interested, beware — it’s not likely to fit under your TV stand.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Storage

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Via: The Verge

Source: TiVo

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Super-speedy light detector gives x-ray machines a run for their money

It’s very tough to find light beyond certain frequencies. If you want to see elusive terahertz waves, for example, you have to get a system that’s either really slow or needs to be kept at a temperature near absolute zero — not exactly practical. The University of Maryland’s scientists have a better way, however. They’ve developed a graphene-based detector that not only works at room temperature, but should be over a million times faster than previous tech. The very nature of graphene is what makes it work so well; since the material doesn’t absorb the heat from incoming light, you can use it as a sensor without having to keep it chilly or otherwise jump through hoops to get an accurate reading.

A very fast, very flexible detector like this could be useful for more than just scientific discoveries, like identifying chemicals. The researchers believe it could come in handy for extra-speedy communications and night vision beyond simple infrared, for a start. The breakthrough could be especially vital in medicine — unlike x-rays, you can see what’s between bones and skin, potentially catching problems that would otherwise go unnoticed. It’ll likely be a long while before you’re standing in front of a graphene scanner in the hospital, but the concept is no longer all that outlandish.

[Image credit: AP Photo/Gero Breloer]

Filed under: Science

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Source: Phys.org

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Mobile networks push back on national roaming plans

In a perfect world, mobile operators would pool all of their network resources to allow Britons to make calls in the remotest parts of the country. The government wants to make it happen, but operators aren’t so keen on the idea. According to the Financial Times, Ed Vaizey, the UK’s digital czar, sent letters to carriers in an attempt to reach an accord over “national roaming” plans, but mobile bosses rejected the idea because it gave them nothing in return and they couldn’t implement a solution by the start of next year. It shouldn’t come as a surprise: the carriers voiced their opposition when Culture Secretary Sajid Javid first mooted the idea, suggesting it would slow network expansions and could see extra costs passed on to bill payers. The government could bully carriers into playing ball by using existing legislation, but for now it’s putting the ball in their court. They’ll now have to come up with their own ways to rid the country of “not spots”, or possibly face having their hand forced.

[Image credit: webmink, Flickr]

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

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Source: Financial Times

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