Final Audio Design Sonorous III review – CNET
The Good Final Audio Design’s Sonorous III’s dynamic driver will refresh your appreciation for high-resolution audio files, but its low-impedance spec makes it sound great with streaming audio files on your phone too. The plush synthetic leather covering the headband and ear cups has the right amount of comfort relative to the headphone’s heavyweight stature, and the Y-style cable locks into the cups on both sides for additional durability.
The Bad The headphones are heavier than the average over-ear set and lack a case for protected storage.
The Bottom Line The Final Audio Design Sonorous III exceeded our expectations for comfort and audio quality and serve as an excellent introduction to the brand at an affordable cost.
You probably haven’t heard about Final Audio Design headphones before now unless you’ve considered dropping $5,000 on its flagship headphone, the Sonorous X. It’s the company’s most popular headphone with the audio elite, and it gets its price tag from parts composed of titanium, aluminum and gold-leaf trim. I haven’t heard it myself yet, but the company positions it at the “zenith” of personal audio.
But if you don’t have 5K to spend, the company has introduced the Sonorous III, a budget alternative around-the-ear headphone that carries a similar “house sound” with slightly less premium parts for $399 (UK pricing unavailable, you can find it online in Australia for AU$549).
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Price aside, I actually prefer the subtle design of the Sonorous III’s matte plastic finish to the X’s bright gold and reflective stainless steel materials. The ABS on the earcup connections doesn’t flex at all and the stainless-steel rails where you adjust the size add a sense of toughness to the headset. The earcups themselves are hinged on a small circular piece that allows them to twist vertically and horizontally so they don’t clamp down too tightly around your head.
Final Sonorous III headphones (pictures)
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Another thing the company got right is the weight to comfort ratio of the headband and earcups. With a lot of headphones, you’ll notice that the ear cups are too heavy and you can feel the headband pressing down; if they’re too light, you get the feeling that the materials are cheaply made and won’t survive long-term wear and tear.
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With the Sonorous III, the thick synthetic leather that wraps across the top of the headband has a balance of elasticity and depth that makes the earcups feel like they’re floating on your head. I’ve worn them all day at work without taking many breaks and I haven’t felt my ears get hot once.
The headphones include a detachable Y-cable with dual entry points on the left and right that lock with a 90-degree turn. That also means you can’t replace the cable with a generic one if it breaks, but it does feel like it’ll hold up to a lot of abuse. It’s about 5 feet (1.5 meters) long and terminates in a straight plug with additional stainless-steel housing around the end to make it even stronger.
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I’m a little disappointed that Final Audio Design doesn’t include a protective case for the headphones, especially considering the low-impedance spec (16 ohms) would indicate that the company wants listeners to use them at home with a receiver and with a smart phone. On top of that, the IIIs don’t fold down like the Oppo PM-3, a competing headphone for the same price. You get a 3.5mm adapter in the box for home stereos, but considering the price, I also expected to get second cable with an in-line remote and microphone for making calls — they keep it simple with just the one.
LG G5 and V10 now certified for enterprise and military use
LG has announced that the G5 and the V10 have both been certified by the U.S. National Information Assurance Partnership for use in enterprise and military programs.
The NIAP uses the internationally recognized Common Criteria Evaluation and Validation Scheme to evaluate conformity with security standards in 25 different countries, including the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom.
LG mentions that a big part of the device security on the G5 and V10 comes from using LG’s GATE (Guarded Access To Enterprise) technology, which strengthens and enhances platform and application security as well as network security. GATE was developed in 2013 and provides mobile device management and hacking protection for phones using the service. Android for Work also leverages GATE networking capabilities to separate work and personal applications.
The full press release is below.
LATEST SMARTPHONES FROM LG GET U.S. GOVERNMENT STAMP OF APPROVAL FOR ENTERPRISE AND MILITARY USE
LG G5 and V10 Certified for Environments Where Security is Top Priority
SEOUL, May. 6, 2016 ― LG Electronics (LG) announced today that the G5 and V10 smartphones have been certified by the U.S. National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) for compliance in meeting international security standards in corporate environments.
NIAP administers the globally recognized Common Criteria Evaluation and Validation Scheme (CCEVS) for evaluating security conformance with the Common Criteria international standard. NIAP certification is recognized by the governments of 25 Common Criteria member countries such as Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom (www.commoncriteriaportal.org/ccra/members).
LG’s flagship smartphones are equipped with LG’s GATE technology for enhanced platform, network, and application security that allow for secure, reliable access to enterprise data. GATE, or Guarded Access to Enterprise, is LG’s enterprise-level security platform developed in 2013 to provide a variety of security solutions such as anti-hacking and mobile device management systems for enterprise mobile devices. GATE’s layered security components help to maintain the integrity of software components, strengthening system protection and safeguarding corporate data without compromising performance.
What’s more, LG G5 and V10 also feature Google’s Android for Work which leverages the LG GATE network capabilities. Included in Android for Work is a container solution which separates and secures work apps from personal apps.
“With the growing importance of higher security in business these days, we believe a firm security platform is a must for mobile workplace devices,” said Chris Yie, vice president and head of marketing communications for LG Mobile Communications Company. “This certification is confirmation that LG smartphones are among the most secure mobile devices available today.”
Facebook tries out temporary reactions for Mother’s Day
While it’s not the first time Facebook has reminded you to call your mother, the ubiquitous social network is using Mother’s Day to test out some temporary Facebook reactions, The Verge notes. Twitter user Sreedev Sharma spotted the dainty purple flower icon in Facebook’s source code and a statement from Facebook confirms users in certain markets will be able to leave virtual flowers as reactions for a limited time.
Although the company didn’t specify which markets the flowers would show up in, it did confirm to The Verge that the United States wasn’t among them. In those places where it is available, it will disappear from the options come Monday morning, but will still appear on posts where it was left during the few days it was live. This also marks the first time since Facebook rolled out reactions in February that the company has added a temporary, event-based option.
Windows phones will know where your fingers are before they touch
Windows phones could soon learn a new trick from their Kinect cousins: the ability to see. Microsoft Research released a new video late last month that demonstrates the prototype “pre-touch sensing” system. It uses a self-capacitive touchscreen to recognize both the user’s grip around the outer edge of the phone and their hovering fingers immediately above it. With that sensor data, the phone understands how you’re holding it and can anticipate interactions based on its orientation, whether it’s being held in one hand or two, the number of fingers involved and how far they are from the screen.
There’s no word on when or if Microsoft will actually bring this technology to market. Microsoft’s smartphone line looks to be on its last legs, marking a decade-long decline for the company.
Source: The Next Web
LinkedIn reportedly looking to rival Facebook’s Instant Articles
LinkedIn is said to be considering an Instant Articles feature of its own, BuzzFeed News reports. According to the publication, which cites sources familiar with the matter, LinkedIn recently started floating this idea to “various” publishers, inspired by what Facebook is doing in the space. For the unaware, Instant Articles are links to stories that you can read within Facebook’s app, elimitating the need to visit a third-party site — such as The New York Times, BuzzFeed and other news outlets.
Naturally, LinkedIn would benefit heavily from a similar product, as it would keep more users locked in to its platform. Right now, there are no details on how much LinkedIn is willing to pay publishers to host their content, so it could be a while before the service launches — if it ever does.
In the meantime, a LinkedIn spokesperson provided BuzzFeed News the following statement:
“Publishers remain a very important part of our content ecosystem and we are in regular conversations with them about new ways to work together. Our goal is to ensure we get the right content in front of the right member at the right time to deliver the best member experience possible.”
Source: BuzzFeed News
Apple Hired Former Google Employee Experienced in Electric Vehicle Charging
Google today applied for a patent for an electric vehicle charging system and, as spotted by Quartz, one of the inventors listed on the patent application is Kurt Adelberger, who left Google for Apple in July 2015. The hire marks yet another potential addition to Apple’s rumored electric car team.
Adelberger, according to his LinkedIn page, has been serving as a Product Designer at Apple. At Google, he was focused on reducing the Mountain View company’s EV charging by 34%, energy storage and energy management. The Google patent he was working on is for a device that would “manage the connections between an electric vehicle and a charging station.” This device would communicate with an optimization service that would provide data to allow the device to optimize charge based on outside factors like energy price and grid demands.
While Adelberger has experience working with electric vehicles and their charging systems, he’s also experienced in managing electricity use for buildings and working with energy derived from solar panels. He led a team that procured and installed large-scale energy storage for Google’s campus. Although Adelberger could be a Product Designer on Apple’s Project Titan car project, it’s also possible he’s working on other projects that need help with energy management.
Multiple Apple hires with automotive backgrounds have been reported in the past month, with Tesla employees David Masiukiewicz and Chris Porritt joining as a “Senior Model Maker” and as a member of Apple’s Special Projects group, respectively. Apple also hired Kevin Harvey, who worked at the CNC machine shop at Andretti Autosport.
Related Roundup: Apple Car
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Apple Seeking ‘Large Expanses of Real Estate’ for Autonomous Car Project
Apple is looking to purchase “large expanses of real estate” in the San Francisco Bay Area for its much-rumored car project, codenamed Project Titan, according to The Wall Street Journal. Google parent company Alphabet and several car manufacturers, such as Tesla and Mercedes Benz, are also on the hunt for more space, according to Hudson Pacific, one of the Bay Area’s largest landlords.
Map of Apple’s newly-purchased real estate in San Jose
“We’re seeing the Toyotas of the world, the Teslas of the world, BMWs, Mercedes. Ford now is out in the marketplace looking for space,” [Hudson Pacific Properties CEO Victor Coleman] said on the landlord’s quarterly investor call. “I haven’t even mentioned the 400,000 square feet that Google’s looking to take down and the 800,000 square feet that Apple’s looking to take down for their autonomous cars as well.”
While the size Coleman references is fairly big, car production plants tend to be even larger. Tesla’s Fremont, California factory is 5.3 million square feet while Ford’s Flat Rock, Michigan plant, one of its smaller factories, is 2.9 million square feet. For comparison, Apple’s new headquarters is 2.8 million square feet while Google’s Mountain View campus is 4.8 million square feet.
In recent months Apple has been leasing more space repeatedly for its car project in the Bay Area. In March, Apple leased a former Pepsi bottling plant in Sunnyvale, California. The Cupertino company has also leased and purchased several smaller, secret buildings likely being used to develop Apple Car technologies. In January, Apple gained approval from the San Jose city council to develop a 4.15 million-square-foot campus in the city.
The WSJ also notes that Apple is in the process of growing its Apple Car team, which had 600 employees last year. Earlier today, it was reported that Apple had hired a former Google employee with experience in electric vehicle charging.
Related Roundup: Apple Car
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Netflix orders a series based on the movie ‘Dear White People’
As Netflix’s store of original content continues to grow by leaps and bounds, The Hollywood Reporter notes it is adding another new series: Dear White People. It’s based on 2014 film with the same name that took a satirical look at the experiences of minority students in a majority white Ivy League environment. Its creator Justin Simien made a trailer for the flick with his tax return to promote an Indiegogo campaign that funded the movie, which went on to win the Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent at the Sundance Film Festival.
Lionsgate’s Roadside Attractions released the original movie (which was available on Netflix streaming for a time before it left as the service’s deal with Epix expired), and Lionsgate TV is producing the series, its second deal with Netflix after Orange is the New Black. According to Deadline, Simien is writing the 10 episode series adaptation, and will direct the first episode.
Simien had previously said he pictured the movie as a series, similar to something like A Different World. That’s particularly notable given The Washington Post’s recent report on the dearth of black TV shows on Netflix and other streaming services (it added ADW in March 2015), and slightly lower adoption among minority groups. It’s also only the second Netflix original I can think of to feature a black writer and (presumably, if it follows the casting of the movie) lead characters, after Cheo Hodari Coker on Marvel’s Luke Cage series. That’s not for lack of trying of course, as it lost out to a lower bid for Nate Parker’s Birth of a Nation at the Sundance festival earlier this year.
Source: Deadline, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Shadow and Act
Google and Honeywell put Nest patent dispute to rest
Google and Honeywell have agreed to settle an ongoing patent dispute between the two companies. Prior to the agreement, Google and Honeywell, which is best known for its line of thermostats, were at odds over patents relating to the former’s Nest Labs division.
According to the terms of the agreement, the two companies have agreed to cross-license patents as part of the deal.
Google Inc. and Honeywell today announced that they have reached a long-term patent cross-license agreement reflecting the respective strength of the companies’ patent portfolios. Google and Honeywell believe that this patent accord promotes product innovation and consumer choice in the market for smart home products. The agreement fully resolves pending patent litigation between Honeywell and Nest Labs. Terms of the agreement are otherwise confidential.
The agreement comes after Honeywell initially filed a patent infringement case against now Google-owned Nest in 2012 over technology used in its Learning Thermostat. Any financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Best accessories for the Moto 360
From screen protectors, to straps, to storage — here’s a roundup of the best Moto 360 accessories!
You’ve got yourself a smartwatch, sweet! You chose the Moto 360, awesome! Immediately you start tapping and swiping and customizing the Moto 360 to work exactly the way you want. But once that’s done a hollow feeling begins to settle … is there no more customization to do with your brand new watch? Not at all! Customize your Moto 360 from the inside out by pairing it with the absolute best accessories.
- Moto 360 replacement bands
- Watch strap display case
- ArmorSuit screen protector
Moto 360 Replacement Bands
From leather, to steel, to whatever that rubbery sport stuff is, the world of Moto 360 watch straps is wide and deep! Between Motorola-created designs and the big world of third party styles you have a lot to choose from. We created a list of the best third-party watch straps for the Moto 360, but for the time being, here’s a recommendation for great replacement band.
From Motorola itself, you can choose from a nice variety of leather or metal bands in different colors to give yourself some more variety instead of just using the one that came with your watch. The main advantage of choosing a strap for Motorola is so you can choose a second generation strap (assuming you have the latest model) with the quick release button. This was not available on the first-gen line of Moto 360 and is hard to find with most third party straps. If you use a third party strap, you usually need a small tool to
swap your straps, but using straps designed with the quick-release button allows you to simply switch between sporty and classy strips with minimal effort.
See at Amazon
Watch Strap Display Case
As you amass a large collection of straps in a full pallet of colors and materials you’re going to have this stylish rainbow of accessories to choose from. The problem is, when these straps aren’t organized nicely, you forget what you have, top and bottoms can get separated, and ultimately you stop harnessing the full power of your stylish accessories and default to always wearing your favorite all the time.
Prevent this dilemma by picking up a handsome watch strap case. These don’t have to be smart-watch specific so this gives you more shopping options. Moto 360 straps are generally 22mm in size so keep that in mind when checking out cases. Swiss Watch International has slots for 24 straps held inside of a velvet interior to protect your straps from damage. It can be zipped shut and tossed in a drawer or propped open to display your lovely collection.
See at Amazon
ArmorSuit Screen Protector
You interact with your Moto 360 by tapping and swiping on your phone. The interface is designed to very intuitive; however, oil from your fingers can smudge up the screen pretty quick. Choosing a great screen protector for your Moto 360 can help reduce screen glare, hide fingerprints, and even add some durability to your Moto 360’s screen.
The [ArmorSuit] screen protector is a great third-party option, specifically tailored to your Moto 360. Remember, the Moto 360 comes in two display sizes (46mm and 42mm), so whichever screen protector you choose, make sure you get the right size for your model. ArmorSuit has made protectors for each generation and size of the Moto 360, each designed to prevent glare and reduce the appearance of fingerprints. One additional feature that is pretty cool is ArmorSuit’s self-healing screen protectors which automatically repair themselves from minor surface scratches.
See at Amazon
Moto 360 Charger
Generally your Moto 360 should last you through the entire day, but if you’re sitting at your desk for extended periods of time, a frequent traveller, or want to have an extra option to charge and display your smartwatch picking up an additional charger might be worth the money.
Whatever charger you decide to go with, make sure it works with the generation of Moto 360 you’re on (as the charging points on the Gen 1 and Gen 2 chargers are slightly different). If you order the genuine Motorola charger for the second generation of this smartwatch you can count on it to function exactly like the one that came in the box. While your watch rests in the cradle, it will automatically display the time, which is a handy feature if you want to use this as a bedside clock.
See at Motorola
To accessorize, or not?
Aside from straps, screen protectors, and maybe an extra charging dock for work, you’re Moto 360 is ready to go right out of the box. What do you do to dress up or your Moto 360? Do you have any accessories you can’t live without? Make sure to let us know in the comments!
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