Inateck Lacerta earphones review
With such a saturated earphone market, companies have to work to make their products stand out. Inateck is one such company who seeks to stand out amidst the crowd with their Lacerta earphones. Do they succeed?
Design
The area that Inateck seeks to make their earphones stand out most is in the design area. The Lacerta earphones have a premium feel that does not typically come with earphones at this price.
The earphones themselves have full-metal-housings that feel very nice to the touch. The only issue this brings is that the earphones often fall out of your ear if they are even slightly out of balance in your ear. Also, if you use them while laying your head against something, the earphones are not the most comfortable. Still, the premium feel is nice and out of the ordinary. That outside of each housing also has a giant “R” or “L” to help tell the difference between each side.
The cord on the earphones is covered in a braided plastic that not only helps with the premium feel, but also helps keep the cord not tangle as much. Above the plug on the earphones is more metal, which is especially nice, since that will help the cord not fray there, something that occurs often with earphones.
Partway down the cord on the __ side of the cord is the mic, along with volume buttons and an answer/end call button. It also has a switch with an “A” and a “B” on it that supposedly allows the earphones to work with both iPhones and Androids, but more on that later.
With the earphones you receive the usual different fittings for the rubber pieces that go in your ear, but you also get a carrying case, an airplane adapter, a clothing clip, and a manual. The addition of the case, adapter, and clip are all nice touches, and go a long ways in helping the Lacerta earphones feel premium.
Function
The earphones worked well, with the correct stereo playing through its respective earpiece. The mic worked whenever I used it to make calls. The case is nice, and the clothing clip is good. The only other place in terms of function are the buttons I mentioned previously, and the Lacerta earphones seem to drop the ball here.
On my Moto X (2014), the controls don’t work at all, even when I switch the A/B switch. I tried it with my Nexus 7 (2013), and it sort of worked – on one switch the answer/end call button could pause if you pressed it once, and go to the next track if pressed twice; on the other switch, it did the same thing but for all three buttons.
Essentially, whether or not the buttons will work the way they’re supposed to is slim, and how they will work at all seems to be a gamble. If you’re looking for earphones because of their playback/phone controls, these are not what you need.
Sound Quality
The sound quality of the Lacerta earphones are nice. Inateck says the Lacerta earphones feature a dual dynamic driver that helps bring the sound together. As I’ve mentioned in other reviews, I’m not an audiophile by any means. However, I tend to have a better ear than the average person.
To be honest, the Lacerta, while having good sound, doesn’t really stand out a whole lot to me. Sure, the bass is full, the mids come through clearly, and the volume goes all the way without trading out sound quality. But the sound quality isn’t going to blow anyone away. Still, perhaps that the point. These earphones are reasonably priced, and as such deliver good sound. Something you don’t always get with earphones in this price range
Conclusion
Overall, the Lacerta earphones bring a premium package in an affordable price range, without compromising sound. Using these earphones feels like more than just the typical earphones – it feels like earphones that will last. The controls don’t work at all, but if you’re not too worried about that (and still want a mic on your earphones anyways) then the Lacerta earphones will be a great purchase.
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How much does it cost to repair the Samsung Galaxy Note 5?
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 has some great internals coupled with an incredible display and a solid build. However, unlike last year’s Note 4, the battery is not user-swappable. Should the battery lose a significant (more than 20%) level of capacity within the first year Samsung will replace it free of charge, but after that you’re going to have to shell out some cash, or try and replace it yourself.
So what happens if you need to replace a battery, screen, other component? How much will it cost and where should you go? Let’s take a look.
DIY Battery, Back Cover and Screen Repair
The back of the device is a piece of glass that is glued down and fairly hard to get off, however it can be done. Replacing the battery yourself will run you around $52 in supplies (including a heat gun) + the battery itself, which can be found for about $22. Popular smartphone repair site iFixit has plenty of guides on replacing various parts of the device yourself, but be aware that due to the nature of the Note 5’s build, DIY may not be the best option if you’re new to smartphone repair.
If you want to replace the screen, you have two options. If you replace the whole display, the screen and digitizer assembly is around $200 on most online retailers anyway, so it may be better just to send your device to Samsung, if you have that option available.
See also: Best Galaxy Note 5 cases & accessories
However, if the touchscreen and display still work, you may be able to get away with only replacing the front glass lens, which costs around $22 on its own, not including the supplies you’ll need (although, if you’re doing multiple repairs, the supplies will be pretty similar across all of the repairs and can be used multiple times). Finally, if you do want to replace a cracked back cover, it’ll cost about $40 for the glass cover itself.
Repair Stores or official Samsung Repair
Repair costs vary between repair shops, however it shouldn’t be more than what Samsung charges and, in most cases, it’ll be a good deal cheaper. Unfortunately it is hard to tell you an exact price, and so you’ll need to go to a local shop or call them in order to get a proper quote.
If you’d like to have Samsung repair your device, you can get a display replacement (assuming that the damage is out of warranty) for $199, the same price as the replacement on the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge. Regarding the battery, Samsung’s support team stated that they “wouldn’t be able to speculate on this”, when asked how much it would cost to replace a Note 5 battery out of warranty.
However, it’s most likely not significantly higher, if at all, than the $45 Samsung charges to replace the battery on the S6/S6 Edge, seeing as the build of the devices are incredibly similar.
If you live in a few key locations in Canada or the United States, you can even head to the service center yourself and get it repaired on the same day.
Star Wars-themed Cardboard sets being offered by Google for free (Update: gone…)
Update: Less than 5 minutes after publishing this, Google ran out of stock. Sorry guys!
Earlier this month Verizon gave away awesome Star Wars-themed Google Cardboard VR viewers for its subscribers that stopped by their local Verizon store. For those who missed out, the good news is that Google is now directly extending an invitation to pick one up for free from the Google Store. The same range of models that Verizon offered originally are available, including old favorites like R2-D2 and Stormtrooper themes, while bringing the new BB-8 and Kylo Ren textures to the table.
On the downside, the demand for these viewers is likely very hot and that’s probably why every time I (and a few fellow Android Authority team members) have encountered errors when attempting to check out. Some of the luckier guys at AA managed to make it through okay though, so your mileage may vary.
As for what the Stars Wars-edition Cardboard does? Aside from having a nice Star Wars themed coat of paint thrown on, this is just an ordinary Google Cardboard VR kit that utilizes your phone as the brains. That means any Google Play app designed for cardboard will work with this one, including Google’s new Star wars VR experiences, such as the official Star Wars app and the “Awaken the Force Within”.
See also: New Star Wars VR experience coming to Google Cardboard December 2
See also: How to make your own Google Cardboard headset
Looking for more to do with your new Cardboard once it arrives? Check out the following:
Google Now On Tap update unleashes instant screen sharing
For those Android users lucky enough to be running Marshmallow, Google Now On Tap just got a little bit sweeter. An update that came down the pipe last night added an unobtrusive little share button to the bottom left corner of Now On Tap’s pop up menu. When tapped, the app runs perhaps the slickest screenshot interface we’ve seen.
What do you use screenshots for? Most of the time, they’re ephemera. You need the image for a specific purpose at hand, and once it’s accomplished, you might as well not keep it around. When you’re bragging about a high score or sharing a screengrab of someone’s Facebook meltdown, you don’t necessarily need to keep those images around for posterity. They’re one-and-done. That screenshot folder in your gallery is really only good for hoarding stolen Snapchats.
See also: How to enable Google Now on Tap and use it!
Furthermore, the typical screenshot command for Android – holding Volume Down and the Power Button at the same time – is frankly a little bit awkward. If you have to do even one other thing at the same time, it becomes a herculean task better suited to some 20-fingered alien or an octopus.
Google Now On Tap solves both of these problems with grace. When you tap the share button, it takes a temporary screenshot that you can share through any of the share function’s usual channels: tweet it, post it to Facebook, send it as a text, etc. It even trims the status and navigation bars off for you. Once you’ve shared the image, the screenshot vanishes into the aether rather than stick around on your internal storage. If it’s an image you do want to save, then simply share it to Google Photos or your Gallery, no sweat.
All in all, pretty stellar little update for Now On Tap. An elegant solution to screenshotting that foregoes clumsy button interface and keeps your storage uncluttered. What are your thoughts on this new feature? Let us know in the comments!
Here’s when your HTC device should get Marshmallow
Among all the companies producing Android devices, HTC is probably the most open and honest regarding software updates. While the company hasn’t commented on many of its phones, HTC has revealed when software updates are coming to the One A9 and One M9. The status of other HTC phones could be known as LlabTooFeR laid out an alleged schedule for more than ten others.
This is how HTC is expected to be handling the following devices:
- One A9
- Android 6.0.1 + Sense 7.0: Confirmed Early Q1 2016
- One M9
- Android 6.0 + Sense 7.0: Confirmed Late December 2015
- Android 6.0.1. + Sense 7.0: Confirmed Q1 2016
- One M9+, ME, Supreme
- Android 6.0 + Sense 7.0: Confirmed Q1 2016
- Android 6.0 + Sense 7.0: Evaluation
- One (M8)
- Android 6.0.1 + Sense 7.0: Evaluation
- One (E8)
- Android 6.0. + Sense 7.0: Confirmed Q1 2016
- Android 6.0.1 + Sense 7.0: Evaluation
- One M8s
- Android 6.0. + Sense 7.0: Confirmed Q1 2016
- Android 6.0.1 + Sense 7.0: Evaluation
- One (M7)
- Android 6.0 + Sense 7.0: End of Life
- Android 6.0.1 + Sense 7.0: End of Life
- Butterfly 3
- Android 6.0.1 + Sense 7.0: Confirmed Q1 2016
- Butterfly 2
- Android 6.0.1 + Sense 7.0: Confirmed Q2 2016
- Desire EYE
- Android 6.0.1 + Sense 7.0: Evaluation
- Desire 826
- Android 6.0.1 + Sense 7.0: Confirmed Q2 2016
- Desire 820
- Android 6.0.1 + Sense 7.0: Confirmed Q2 2016
- Desire 816
- Android 6.0 + Sense 7.0: Confirmed Q2 2016
- Android 6.0.1 + Sense 7.0: Evaluation
- Desire 626
- Android 6.0.1 + Sense 7.0: Confirmed Q2 2016
- Desire 526
- Android 6.0 + Sense 7.0: Confirmed Q2 2016
- Android 6.0.1 + Sense 7.0: Evaluation
If this all ends up being accurate, HTC deserves a standing ovation for bringing the latest version of Android to so many of its phones.
Source: LlabTooFeR
Come comment on this article: Here’s when your HTC device should get Marshmallow
Screenshots on Android are now as straightforward as ever
Google is introducing a new way to take screenshots, one that will be accessible to anyone with an Android device that is running Android 6.0 Marshmallow and above. The contextual arm of Google Now, known as Google Now on Tap, now has a dedicated share button to take a screenshot of your display before choosing the app to send it to.
Screenshot using Now on Tap
Screenshot using physical buttons
Come comment on this article: Screenshots on Android are now as straightforward as ever
Yahoo’s new app is your guide to streaming
We’ve all been there. You decided on a movie or TV show and fired up Netflix only to find it wasn’t available on the service. Next, you tried Hulu. Nope. Then it’s on to Amazon, where you had to rent the movie because it wasn’t in Prime’s free library. Bummer. Rather than waste time hunting for what you’re after, Yahoo’s Video Guide app searches across a host of streaming services, in addition to iTunes and Google Play, to find the content you’re after.
Simply search for the show or movie you want to watch, and the app will let you know all of the places it’s available. After you select your preference, Video Guide will send you over to the appropriate streaming library in a flash. If you’re not sure what you feel like watching, the app’s Mood Picker will help you make a decision with a series of GIFs. While the concept itself isn’t new, most of the previous efforts were poorly designed.
This is an interesting move for Yahoo, a company that paid big money for its own video content from the likes of Saturday Night Live and Community. Now, however, it seems the company is looking to revisit its glory days as a key player in the search (and email) game. At any rate, if you’re looking to give it a shot, Android and iOS apps are ready to accept your queries.
Via: Talk Android
Source: Yahoo
Pee-powered socks generate emergency electricity
A team of researchers from University of the West of England in Bristol, UK want you to pee in your socks. You know, in case of an emergency. They’ve developed a novel power system that leverages your own liquid waste to generate electricity in an emergency. It’s essentially the same process as the still suits from Dune, just with electricity instead of water filtration.
These socks have a series of soft silicon tubes lining the heel that lead up to small microbial fuel cells embedded near the ankle. Walking around mechanically pumps urine from a 640 mL bladder through the silicon tubes and into the MFCs where bacterial colonies convert the liquid nutrients into an electrical charge. It’s not a lot of power, but was enough in lab trials to wirelessly transmit the phrase “World’s First Wearable MFC” every two minutes.
The socks are not yet ready for consumers, mind you. As Heather Luckarift, a researcher at Universal Technology Corporation in Ohio told New Scientist, “It’s not clear how you would get the urine directly into this system — how do you pee into your socks?” Still, once that issue is resolved, these socks could eventually make their way into a variety of applications from military operations to medical treatments. The team published their findings in the journal Bioinspiration & Biomimetics.
Via: Paul Kredosky
Source: New Scientist
Microsoft Band 2 gets new music controls and activity reminders
If you own one of Microsoft’s latest wearable, the Band 2, today is good day. The company has revealed a few fresh features for the device, designed to make it smarter and more functional. For starters, there are new music controls, which will let you play, pause or skip music tracks directly from your wrist.
In addition to that, Microsoft added support for activity reminders, while an improved Exercise Tile makes it easier to track burned calories, heart rate and workout duration. This update should be rolling out already, so be sure to install it on your Band 2 as soon as possible.
Source: Microsoft
Study finds most drone incidents occur in prohibited airspace
The rising popularity of drones is a cause for concern for a lot of folks, not just the FAA. Thanks to the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College, we have a bit more info on the dangers created by the UAVs. The center conducted a study of drone sightings and what the FAA classifies as “close encounters.” In other words, any time a drone and a manned aircraft met the agency’s criteria for a “near mid-air collision.” The research, taken from info on flights between December 2012 and September 2015, shows that 35.5 percent of all incidents where the so-called close encounters while the rest were classified as sightings.
When considering all of the reported incidents, nearly 90 percent occurred above 400 feet — an altitude above which drones aren’t allowed to fly. The study also found that “a majority” of the cases also happened within five miles of an airport. And yes, that’s prohibited airspace, too. This means that most of the incidents are happening in areas where drone use isn’t allowed, despite the FAA’s regulations.
In total, there were 158 cases over the nearly two-year period where a drone came within 200 feet or less of a manned aircraft. That number may actually be higher, but a third of the reported close encounters don’t offer an accurate distance measurement. Of the 158, 51 were reported to have happened at a distance of 50 feet or less and there were 28 times when a pilot had to take action to avoid a collision. Lastly, that total count also includes 90 close encounters involving commercial aircraft.
In addition to its regulations and drone registration program, the FAA is working on technology that spots drones illegally flying near airports. Once that’s in place, it should help with the issues of the UAVs operating too close to commercial runways. Drone makers are pitching in as well, with features like DJI’s geofencing system to keep the compact aircraft from causing trouble.
[Image credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images]
Source: Bard College
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