Deezer launches in the US: How does the music-streaming service work?
Americans now have another option when it comes to music services.
French music service Deezer has fully launched in the States, bringing its catalogue of more than 40 million tracks to US customers who are willing to pay $10 a month for it. Unlike in other countries, the service has no free tier, but with that monthly fee you get fancy perks like no ads, unlimited listening, offline capabilities, and more. The only question is: Can it succeed in the already-crowded music space?
The US is a tough market for paid music-streaming services because of free internet radio. Pandora, for instance, has nearly 80 million active monthly users – and that service is completely free for Americans to use. Only time will tell in terms of whether Deezer can make an impact, but for now, here’s everything we know so far about the new offering and its expansion to the US.
- Deezer Elite now available in UK
- Shazam now lets you instantly play indentified songs with Deezer
- Which is the best music streaming service in the UK?
What is Deezer?
Deezer is a music service based in France. It is 9 years old and has about 6 million subscribers world-wide. In comparison, Spotify, which is based in Sweden and launched a year after Deezer, has more than 30 million paying subscribers world-wide and 70 million free users, while Apple Music, which is based in the US and launched last year, has about 15 million paying subscribers.
Deezer stands out because it’s popular Europe, and it offers more music than its competitors. It has roughly 40 million tracks in its catalogue, while both Spotify and Apple Music claim to offer more than 30 million tracks. Deezer’s chief executive, Hans-Holger Albrecht, told The Wall Street Journal that Deezer is also unique in that it carries more local tunes from across the world.
When will Deezer be available in the US?
Deezer announced on 19 July 2016 that its service would launch in the US “this week”. The launch is technically considered a wider launch, as Deezer had been exclusively available in the States to only AT&T Cricket Wireless customers or on Sonos and Bose speaker systems. Deezer basically tested the waters in the US by offering its service to owners of specific speaker brands.
How much does Deezer cost?
Deezer has both free and paid tiers in several countries, but in the US, it’ll be available to all US customers for $9.99 a month after a 30-day free trial. That said, Deezer said it will continue to offer Sonos customers a $20 standalone high-fidelity plan called Deezer Elite. So, if you’re looking to try out a Hi-Fi music service but don’t own Sonos, you’re better off trying something like Jay Z’s Tidal service.
Which devices work with Deezer?
Deezer is available in the App Store, Google Play, the Windows Store, and from Deezer.com.
It therefore works with iOS devices, Android devices, Windows Phone devices, and PCs and Macs. It’s also available on select TVs, cars, and Hi-Fi setups.You can learn more about which devices work with Deezer from this support page.
How does Deezer work?
Here’s a list of some of Deezer’s most notable features.
- Flow: Deezer offers something called Flow. It’s a button that users can press for a personalised soundtrack based on their tastes and listening habits. It’s described as an “instant and personalised radio channel based on what is in your music library”.
- Lyrics: Deezer has lyrics to over 2.5 million tracks available on your computer, mobile, and tablet. You can see a track’s lyrics no matter what subscription type you have.
- Hear This: Deezer offers users their own personal music feeds. It replaced Deezer Picks and Recommendations and offers suggestions for albums, playlists and artists based on your listening habits and your favourites.
- Podcasts: Stitcher is the leading podcast app in the US. It has recently been acquired by Deezer.
- Playlists: Like most music-streaming services, you can make playlists with Deezer. There’s even an collaborative playlist feature, which allows other Deezer members to add but not to delete tracks.
- Artist Radio: The is a smart radio channel that automatically generates a musical program based on an artist and generates other similar artists. You can launch these channels by clicking on the “Radio Channels” button on an artist’s page.
- Offline listening: You can download your music to listen to even when there’s no connection.
Are there adverts on Deezer?
In the US, as a paid subscriber, you can listen to all the tracks you want without any interruptions. There are no ads.
Want to know more?
Check out Deezer’s US website for more details.
BratWurst Bot takes orders, then cooks and serves sausage
Do you like sausage? I mean, really, really like it? Then we have the robot for you: BratWurst Bot — an autonomous machine that takes customer orders, cooks sausages and serves bratwurst without any human interference. Making its debut at the Stallwächter Party, a government event for German State Representatives, BratWurst bot served over 200 sausages over the course of an evening, independently taking orders from a web front end while using a pair of RGB camera and some custom management software to cook the wurst to perfection.
An automatic grilling machine is impressive in its own right, but what’s even more notable is that BratWurst bot is made entirely from off the shelf parts. It’s more than just a fun project though, FZI built the bot to show how flexible service robotics has become, demonstrating a feasible robot cook that can interact all on its own. It’s not the first time the company’s done it either — last year’s Stallwächter Party featured an autonomous robot bartender. All this amazing service tech leaves us with one question: when will there be party with /both/ bots and how do we get invited?
Source: FZI, YouTube
‘Rock Band Rivals’ rocks out with two new game modes
Rock Band Rivals was announced last month during E3 as the first paid expansion for Rock Band 4. It quickly generated buzz ahead of its October release, but there were scant details as to what the expansion would actually provide. Now the cat’s out of the bag and Rock Band Rivals sounds a lot like something die-hard fans of the rhythm game series are going to want to get in on.
Rock Band Rivals will add two important new chunks of content to Rock Band 4 for $29.99: a story-based career mode and a series-first asynchronous multiplayer mode with both cooperative and competitive options. While regular asynchronous online multiplayer is hitting Rock Band 4 in a free update planned for December, half of Rock Band Rivals is meant to be a “counterpart” to online play.
Rather than playing with friends at the same time, you can team up with other players to create in-game groups called “crews.” You and other crews will compete in challenges each week, where victories or failures contribute to the entire group’s success as a whole.
It sounds like a much-needed extra dimension for online play, and should offer a new reason to get back on board with competitive gaming via Rock Band 4, if that’s what you’re interested in.
If you’re more about going solo (and who isn’t?) the new Rockudrama mode allows you to tell your band’s story, much like VH1’s popular Behind the Music series. It combines live-action footage and Rock Band gameplay that create a “documentary” of your group’s rise to stardom. It’s silly and over-the-top, but it adds a layer of personality to a game that was otherwise lacking any real way to “own” your fictional band. Your performances will affect Rockudrama’s commentary and even your outcome, so if you want to go down in history you’ll have to play like you’ve already made it.
Rockudrama will come packed with new venues, though there won’t be any additional songs to play unless you preorder the entire expansion. In that case, you’ll get 10 tracks, including Sia’s “Chandelier” and Semisonic’s “Closing Time.” If you preorder through Amazon, you’ll also receive “One More Time” from Maroon 5 and “3AM” from Matchbox Twenty.
Rock Band Rivals will be available for $29.99 for both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One players as a digital download, but if you don’t already own Rock Band 4 (which is required) you can purchase a bundled digital version of the original game and the expansion for $59.99. Alternatively, you can pick up PDP’s upcoming Fender Jaguar guitar controller bundle for $89.99. If you’re brand new to this entire Rock Band business and need a guitar, drum set and microphone too, you can pick up everything from PDP in a tidy little bundle for $199.99. In the immortal words of Freezepop, it’s time to “get ready 2 rokk.”
Via: Polygon
Here’s how ‘Batman v Superman’ got its futuristic displays
Ever wonder about how Batman’s gadgets ended up with such cool interfaces? They owe it all to Perception, a graphics company asked to create unique displays and control screens for several of the electronics in Batman’s inventory in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. From the Batwing to the Batmobile, Perception was there each step of the way. The result? A cool, futuristic look for each item, unique to each character.
In a look behind the scenes, Perception explains the process behind designing all of these different interfaces. For gadgetry as advanced as Batman’s, the tech needed to be state of the art, so the company looked to fighter jet tracking systems, HUDs and other military tech for ideas.
The LexOS design is a complete visual departure from that of Batman’s tech. Clean, white and functional, Perception intended it to be the “polar opposite” of what was created for Batman’s character. This UI was inspired by a mix of real customer-facing OSs and other releases, creating something that uniquely matched Lex Luthor’s personality.
It’s something you may not pay attention to on first glance, but this kind of design work is interesting and useful for creating ambiance and expanding beyond a film’s actors and setpieces into another realm entirely. Next time you ponder on a UI seen in a piece of media, you might find yourself dwelling on how it came to be in the first place. And if you want to see the UI in action, check out Perception’s video here.
Source: Perception
‘Mr. Robot’ gets a nationwide VR experience for Comic-Con
That online season premiere isn’t the only elusive Mr. Robot video that you can watch this month. USA Network and Within are partnering on a Mr. Robot Virtual Reality Experinece that will be simulcast across the US on July 21st at 1:45PM Eastern, the same day that San Diego Comic-Con gets underway. Neither company is spoiling the surprise for the 12-minute short, but Within teases that you’ll get an “important flashback” from Elliot’s past. And no, this isn’t throwaway material. Series creator Sam Esmail wrote and directed this, so it should maintain Mr. Robot’s signature off-kilter style.
The simulcast is a one-time-only affair, although there will be opportunities to watch afterwards. Uber is even providing the VR experience on-demand in San Diego through July 24th. You won’t have to be picky about how you watch, at any rate. It’ll work through the Within apps on Android (including Gear VR), iOS, the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift. The simulcast is undoubtedly something of a gimmick. At the same time, it’ll also represent a rare, nationally-shared VR experiment — there will be thousands upon thousands of viewers to talk to when it’s all said and done.
Source: Within (Medium), USA Network
Apple Pay Launches in Hong Kong with Support for MasterCard, Visa, and American Express Cards
Just after becoming available in France, Apple Pay has also expanded to Hong Kong. Starting today, Visa, MasterCard, and American Express debit and credit cards issued by Hang Seng Bank, Bank of China (Hong Kong), DBS Bank (Hong Kong), HSBC, Standard Chartered, and directly from American Express work with Apple’s payment service.
According to the Apple Pay Hong Kong website, Apple Pay support will be coming to Hong Kong’s Bank of East Asia and Tap & Go in the near future.
Cards can be added to Apple Pay by tapping the “Add Credit or Debit Card” option in the Wallet app on devices running iOS 8.1 or later. Apple Pay works with the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s Plus, and iPhone SE, and it is available on the iPhone 5, 5c, and 5s when paired with an Apple Watch. Apple Pay in apps is also available on iPads with Touch ID, including the iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, and both iPad Pro models.
Apple Pay in Hong Kong can be used anywhere contactless payments are accepted and at a wide range of retail partners, including 7-Eleven, KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Pacific Coffee, Su-Pa-De-Pa, Taste, ThreeSixty, Uny, and more.
Apple Pay is now available in the United States, the UK, China, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Singapore, France, and Hong Kong. Later in 2016, Apple plans to expand Apple Pay to Spain through a partnership with American Express.
Related Roundup: Apple Pay
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Bluboo Maya review: Unlocked, nearly stock and under $100
We live in a wonderful era of smartphones. Rarely do we have to spend much more than a few hundred dollars to find something that satisfies the needs of the masses. Sure, there’s always going to be selection in that $500-$800 space, but we don’t necessarily have to shop from that rack. And, thanks to the slowly dying long-term contract, we’re now more free than ever to consider options.
Whereas one year ago we would have been cautious about spending less than $200 for an unlocked smartphone, that’s not really the case in mid-2016. Indeed, there are plenty of options to choose from in that range, with some diving into double digits. The Blu R1 HD, for instance is only $99 through Amazon, and costs half of that if you are an Amazon Prime customer.
Suffice it to say, a phone that costs $100 or less isn’t for everyone. The specs are often 2-3 generations behind what you’ll get from the current crop. But, just like we find in computers, not everyone wants to buy a high dollar replacement or upgrade.
Unlike PCs, sometimes we drop our phone and need an inexpensive model to tie us over until we’re ready for a new flagship. Heck, a lot of people only want to spend the least amount of money possible in order to get on Facebook or play Pokemon Go. That’s where the $75-$100 phones come into play. This is where you find a phone like the Bluboo Maya.
About
Powered by Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the Bluboo Maya is a perfect example of what we might term a band-aid phone. It other words, it’s enough to help fill a void left behind when you lose your current model or dunk it in the pool. It’s also enough to help someone get their feet wet in the world of smartphones.
The Bluboo Maya is an unlocked phone, which means you’ll be able to use with with a variety of GSM carriers in the United States. Not only that, but there’s a spot for two SIM cards. But, you’ll want to look closely as it’s not a 4G LTE smartphone; data speeds could be less than desirable. If you don’t care about streaming video or doing much multimedia, you might just fine with the 3G connection.
Bluboo is a Chinese phone maker whose offerings come in with a lower price tag than that of our typical US competitors. Similar to Blu, Nuu Mobile, and LeEco, you’ll find pretty reasonable bang for the buck. Moreover, you won’t be tied to a carrier or have to jump through any strange hoops. But, that doesn’t mean there are not compromises.
Specs
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 5.5-inch 720p display
- 13-megapixel rear camera
- 8-megapixel front-facing camera
- 16GB storage
- Quad-core 1.3GHz processor
- 2GB RAM
- 3000mAh removable battery
- GSM: 850MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 1900MHz
- WCDMA: 850MHz, 2100MHz
Design
Upon taking the Bluboo Maya out of the box we recognized almost immediately that this wasn’t going to compete with our current daily driver. Not that there was anything wrong with it, but the general feel and design of it gave us a sense of “budget”.
The screen was quick to pick up fingerprints and oils, something we battled with every day. The rear features a plastic, removable battery cover which reminded us of early generation Samsung Galaxy S models. Really, the phone reminded us an awful lot of the Blu Vivo XL, a phone we reviewed earlier this year.
Nothing in the design was extraordinary, but we didn’t expect that with this price tag. The volume rocker and power buttons are found on the right side of the display while the headphone jack is up top and justified to the left. Down below is the microUSB charging port, flanked by a pair of speaker grilles.
Where to Buy:
- AliExpress $69.99
- AliExpress $69.99 – $75.99
- Amazon $89.99
Display
With a pixel resolution of 1280×720, the Maya gives users an HD experience. No, it’s not the 1080p stuff you’ll find in those which run just a little more, but it’s decent. At 5.5-inches, though, we would have liked to see a higher image quality.
Keeping price in mind, however, it’s enough to get the job done. Text renders fine and pictures aren’t bad. We tend to say this a lot, but you don’t really notice shortcomings until you’ve spent time with something else to compare it with.
After years of handling flagships and high-end phones, we’ve come to appreciate finer details. But, handing this off to someone who only uses a smartphone to make calls and read emails, they “don’t see anything wrong it at all”. When we randomly asked friends and family for a quick reaction, the replies were largely positive and found no issues with quality.
When looking at the phone from various angles we found the picture to be washed out somewhat. It was almost as if there was a very thin, nearly transparent sheer material placed over the display. Text was perfectly legible and everything was balanced, but the picture simply appeared faded as compared to straight on.
Camera
We found that the 13-megapixel camera took perfectly usable photos, especially for sharing on social media. The shutter speed was much slower than we would have liked, but the end results were decent enough. Switching to HDR really slows the picture taking process down, but, if you don’t need to worry about the time, feel free to enjoy it.
There are a number of camera modes installed in the app, each of which speaks to a different user. Like to take a bunch of selfies? You’ll probably enjoy the “peace sign” option which takes photos when you throw up deuces. Aside from your standard pics, the phone lets you snap panoramic shots as well as manual editing and tweaking for more pro images.
Perhaps a testament to its target demographic or homeland user base, there’s a lot of vanity stuff at play in the Maya. Once you’ve taken a photo you can go back in and edit all sorts of things, including makeup (eyes, lips, cheeks, etc), breast enhancement, jawline trimming, and teeth whitening.
There are considerably better cameras available on the market but when you are spending less than $100 you can’t be mad at this one. You might not necessarily use all of the weird software stuff; however, a replacement app is all it takes to feel “normal” again.
Software
The Maya runs a really stripped down version of Android, but it’s not quite “stock”. Outside of the Google Play Store, though, there’s nothing else here that’s Google. You’ll have to resort to installing Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Chrome, Drive, and anything else you might have become accustomed to using.
On the other hand, if you’re brand new to smartphones, there are apps to get you rolling. Present out of the box are app such as FM Radio, Music, Messaging, Email, Camera, Calendar, Calculator, SIM Toolkit, and more. We’re big proponents of Google apps and recommend those as soon as possible.
The icons and general interface reminds us of the older iPhone UI in that they are colorful gradients. First time smartphone adopters might be cool with it, but those of you replacing an existing model could grow restless. We’ve said it before and we’ll continue to do it, but there’s nothing like installing your own custom launcher. As much as we try to put up with the default stuff here, we were only too happy to install Nova. A quick import of a preset layout and we’re back in business.
Performance
As a daily driver, the Bluboo Maya gets the job done. That is, if your day-to-day requirements are minimal and don’t revolve around heavy multi-tasking. The quad-core 1.3GHz CPU and 2GB RAM aren’t designed with today’s top games in mind. But, your aunt and uncle who just want to get on Facebook, take a few calls, and reply to messages… they’ll be happy.
Installing a few work applications and utilities and relying on the phone for general business duties, the Maya performed as expected. Hopping in and out of apps was sometimes a little slower than we’d like, but closing down some of the more demanding apps brought the snap back.
You’ll want to get yourself into an octa-core processor with 2GB or 3GB of RAM if you plan to push your phone or hold onto it for the long term. As an interim device or something to get your feet wet, the Bluboo Maya is perfectly acceptable.
Battery life is pretty good thanks to the removable 3000mAh unit and Android 6.0 enhancements. Were this an internal battery we might not have been so keen on it. There’s no Quick Charge option so we’re at a wall longer than normal. But, on the plus side, at least we can purchase additional batteries to have on standby.
Sound is par for the course and falls right in line with the other features. Nothing here is going to overwhelm you, but it’s not bad. We’ve never been big on playing music on phones for extended periods of time and that’s definitely the case here.
There’s not a lot of range in the speakers, but they are clear and crisp. YouTube videos, Facebook clips, and other general media work nicely on the Maya as do podcasts and audiobooks. Want to listen to a full album or playlist? You’ll want to plug in headphones or pair to a Bluetooth speaker.
Conclusion
As easy as it is to point out shortcomings or quibbles about the Bluboo Maya, we have to keep the sub-$100 price tag in mind. But, even with that factored in, you’re still in an increasingly competitive space. As the US market finally acclimates to unlocked phones we find there are new brands and models worth considering.
We like the Maya, but we don’t exactly love it. Call us elitist or snobbish, but we prefer phones with more premium materials. Fingerprint readers aren’t really a “must-have” feature, but we’ve come to appreciate them for security purposes. Would we have liked to see one here? You bet. But, we’re cool with not having one, too. It might have actually been odd to see that newer tech among the otherwise aging hardware.
If there’s one thing we didn’t enjoy, it’s the 3G connectivity. We do too much with our phones to be content with the slower data speeds. But, what about you? That’s a question you’ll have to answer yourself. Spend a lot of time connected to WiFi? This topic is likely a non-starter. Replacing a device that you’ve come to use for YouTube and Netflix? Head in another direction.
For roughly $90 it’s hard for us not to recommend you consider the Bluboo Maya. Keep the data aspect in mind, though. A younger, more savvy and demanding user could grow anxious or irritated. On the flip side, there’s no reason for some you to plunk down hundreds of dollars to replace your two-year-old phone. The rub, though, is whether that person knows enough about getting the apps and experience they like.
The preset Maya experience takes some getting used to and the seasoned vet knows where to go. Your casual, older demographic might need some hand-holding in getting things just right. If you’re planning to get an elder family member something to go with an MVNO, this one is a good option.
Where to Buy:
- AliExpress $69.99
- AliExpress $69.99 – $75.99
- Amazon $89.99
Hurom H-AA Slow Juicer review – CNET
The Good The Hurom H-AA Slow Juicer effectively extracts liquid from citrus and hard fruits and vegetables. The cold-press juicer also runs quietly compared with noisy centrifugal machines.
The Bad The Hurom H-AA Slow Juicer has trouble pulling juice from leafy greens. It’s also expensive and has a complicated design and hand-wash-only accessories.
The Bottom Line Avoid the complex and troublesome to clean Hurom H-AA Slow Juicer in favor of better performing models such as the Omega J8006.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
With a sticker price that’s higher than many premium cold-press models, the $439 (£256, $649 AU) Hurom H-AA Slow Juicer will certainly make a negative impact on your budget. Unfortunately while the large and expensive machine plays the part of a luxury juicer, its performance misses the mark, which makes it an unwise purchase compared with competing juicers such as the $300 Omega J8006.
The first thing you’ll notice about the Hurom H-AA is that it comes with numerous accessories such as strainers, even gadgets for preparing ice cream and pressing homemade tofu.
Included with the Huron H-AA juicer are lots of parts and accessories.
Chris Monroe/CNET
However, all that extra equipment results in a kitchen gadget that’s overly complex to assemble and break down. The Hurom H-AA’s many moving parts are not dishwasher-safe either and must be washed by hand which makes keeping the whole apparatus clean a big headache. The design of this appliance is extremely similar to another product, the $200 VonShef Premium Slow Masticating Juicer, which I also found a chore to use and wash.
2016 Chevrolet Tahoe review – Roadshow
The Good It’s easy to modulate the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe’s throttle, making for smooth maneuvering and safe towing. Safety systems in the Luxury package include blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and forward collision warning. Even without the navigation option, Chevrolet’s MyLink head unit supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The Bad The Chevrolet Tahoe comes in a little pricier than its competition without necessarily besting the others in power or cabin space. Adaptive cruise control is only available in the top trim.
The Bottom Line The 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe remains a solid choice for family recreation and towing, making for an easy-driving and modern-looking SUV with some nice tech features, but it doesn’t leap ahead of the competition.
Driving the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe down the California coast, I contemplated the uses I could make of this big beast. With its middle-row bucket seats, I could take five friends to its namesake Lake Tahoe. Although with only 15.3 cubic feet for cargo behind the third row, I would have to leave a couple of those friends behind. Its full 94.7 cubic feet, behind the first row, would allow an epic Ikea run.
Considering what it could tow, the Tahoe’s 8,600-pound rating would let me pull a 28-foot Airstream Land Yacht for an upscale Burning Man experience. Or on the Lake Tahoe idea again, this SUV could manage a Sea Ray 280 Sundancer, although dragging a 28-foot boat on a twisty mountain highway doesn’t sound particularly fun.
A big truck-based SUV like the Tahoe offers a lot of possibilities for recreation, while cylinder deactivation helps maintain reasonable fuel economy.
The Chevy Tahoe continues with its body-on-frame architecture, and adds a smooth, handsome exterior for the current generation.
Wayne Cunningham/Roadshow
The Chevrolet Tahoe got a significant update for the 2015 model year, pretty recent considering the longer product cycles for this type of vehicle. Eschewing the trend of independent suspensions among SUVs, the Tahoe stuck to its solid rear axle and body-on-frame architecture. Chevrolet currently cites the Ford Expedition, Nissan Armada and Toyota Sequoia as the Tahoe’s main competition.
Smooth-skinned
Chevrolet
Tahoe
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I got behind the wheel of a 2016 Tahoe in LT trim, with rear-wheel drive instead of the available four. And despite the last-century architecture, I was impressed with the modern look, the sheet metal showing smooth sides and a neatly squared-off rear instead of the more contoured look embraced by many other automakers. The Tahoe looks like a Bauhaus office building, all sheer sides and geometrical windows.
The Tahoe looks like a Bauhaus office building, all sheer sides and geometrical windows.
Under the hood, a 5.3-liter V-8 makes 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque, that latter figure tuned to give the Tahoe its towing power. Tipping halfway into the throttle left me wondering if the engine was taking a nap, as the Tahoe seemed in no rush to accelerate. However, putting the pedal down to pass on a two-lane highway showed that the engine could get up and go when needed.
This throttle mapping makes for a smooth driving experience in the Tahoe, giving me a lot of leeway in pedal travel for maneuvering in the city or other tight spaces. That controlled tip-in would make even more of a difference with a trailer hitched up. But the initially light power delivery can fool you into thinking the engine doesn’t have much to give.
Chevy mapped the Tahoe’s throttle program for easy modulation, which can seem like a lack of power until you really get on the gas pedal.
Wayne Cunningham/Roadshow
Cruising down the highway, I appreciated the Tahoe’s high seating position and view of the road, but in the city its sheer sides made me worry that I might not see a pedestrian, pet or bicyclist close in.
Lending to the Tahoe’s safety, the Luxury package in the model I drove brought in blind-spot monitors, a rearview camera with cross-traffic alert and forward collision alert. And making sure I didn’t miss a visual or auditory warning from these systems, I was sitting on Chevrolet’s Safety Alert Seat, which buzzed either side of the seat bottom in an alert that I could not ignore.
Lane drift prevention also worked to keep the Tahoe from rolling over lane lines in an unobtrusive manner, a feature that could save drivers who fall asleep at the wheel. Oddly missing from the package is adaptive cruise control, a feature only available at the Tahoe’s top trim.
GE JB750SJSS review – CNET
The Good The GE JB750SJSS electric range cooks fantastic roast chicken, boils large pots of water in less than 10 minutes and only costs $1,000.
The Bad None of the cook times were record-breaking, and its design is pretty basic.
The Bottom Line This range is a good pick if you’re on a budget but don’t want to sacrifice quality cooking.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Manufacturers have to keep large appliance features to a minimum if they want to keep the price budget-friendly. This means that a range should perform basic cooking tasks well since there are not many bells and whistles to hide behind. GE Appliances has taken this challenge and excelled with the $1,000 GE JB750SJSS, an electric range that cooks food well, is easy to use and is reasonably priced.
GE includes just enough features in this range to help you cook more efficiently, such as a convection fan in the oven and a powerful burner to quickly bring water to a boil. And the JB750SJSS cooks food well — the oven bakes food evenly, and the convection roast features makes for some of the most delicious chicken to come out of the CNET Appliances test kitchen.
There isn’t much in the way of fancy design when it comes to the GE JB750SJSS. And its cook times lag behind similar appliances. But these points barely register as inconveniences when you consider the range’s price and performance. The GE JB750SJSS, like the similar GE PB911SJSS we’ve reviewed, is a solid appliance that is worth consideration the next time you’re buying a range.
Basic ain’t bad when it comes to this GE…
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Basic design in exchange for a bargain
The stainless-steel GE JB750SJSS is a basic large appliance without a lot of frills. The 30-inch wide electric range has a smooth ceramic cooktop with four burners and a warming zone. The oven has 5.3 cubic feet of space, which is a bit smaller than what we’ve seen from other brands, such as the 5.9-cubic-foot oven on the Samsung NE59J7630SB or the 6.1-cubic-foot oven on the Kenmore 95073.
AIVAnet 