SpeedX Leopard Pro Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

In March, a new bike company known as SpeedX launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. The company was looking to raise $50,000 to help launch the first-ever smart aero road bike. Within two hours, the campaign surpassed the initial financing goal, going on to raise over $2.3 million from over 1,200 backers. This made it the most funded bike in Kickstarter’s history.

SpeedX was offering a high-end road bike with better components than brands such as Trek, Cannondale and Cervelo for thousands less. The campaign and product were both intriguing. I was close to becoming a backer myself, but had second thoughts. There was no way this no-name company would be able to deliver the bike on time, let alone deliver a product that lives up to the hype.

I was wrong. The SpeedX Leopard Pro is as elegant as the campaign originally promised. Even more impressive, the company will begin shipping the bike to backers this August.

The SpeedX Leopard Pro is available for preorder now through the SpeedX website for $2,500 (about £1,900, AU$3,350). A more affordable model with a slightly different components, called the SpeedX Leopard, can be had for $1,400 (about £1,000, AU$1,875). Preorders are slated to ship in September.

What are the specs?

Despite the $2,500 price tag, the SpeedX Leopard Pro seems like an incredible value. The frame and fork are made from a mix of T1000 and T800 carbon fiber. The handlebars and seat post are also made from carbon. This makes the bike incredibly light, with a weight of just over 17 pounds.

Dan Graziano/CNET

As for the groupset, it’s Shimano Ultegra Di2, which features electronic shifting. My only complaint about the bike is that it lacks disc brakes, which I prefer for better stopping power, although a few commenters were quick to point out that most racing bikes don’t include them.

The more affordable Leopard model swaps out the Ultegra groupset for a Shimano 105 groupset. The handlebars are also aluminum rather than carbon fiber, although the bike still has the same carbon frame as the more expensive model, with a weight of about 19lbs.

I’m a big fan of the overall look of the bike. Both models feature full internal wiring to give them that clean look. There’s also an integrated rear LED light that will automatically turn on when it gets dark, which I thought was a great idea.

Dan Graziano/CNET

What makes this bike smart?

You may hear the word “smart bike” and assume there’s an electric motor, but that’s not the case. What makes the Leopard smart is the built-in GPS, altimeter and speed sensors, which essentially replaces the need for a separate Garmin or Polar bike computer.

These sensors are used to measure moving time, distance, speed, altitude, cadence, calorie burn and can provide navigation. There’s also Bluetooth and ANT+ built-in for connecting a power meter or heart-rate sensor. All of this data can be viewed in real time on the 2.4-inch color screen, which can also display incoming calls and notifications when your smartphone is connected.

Dan Graziano/CNET

Post-ride data can be viewed in the SpeedX mobile app. In addition to viewing a map of the ride and all of the recorded data, the app is similar to Strava and includes online challenges and leaderboards.

What about battery life?

Yes, the bike has to be charged, but it won’t be very often. The battery, which powers the built-in display, will last up to 40 hours of continuous usage. Charging is done through a small microUSB port on the back of the bike (our model didn’t have a protective flap covering it but the company says the final ones will).

This isn’t the kind of bike you would leave outside, at least not in New York City, and it only takes 30 minutes for a full charge, but it would have been cool if you could charge it simply by pedaling.

Dan Graziano/CNET

Is it too good to be true?

I didn’t get to ride the bike for an extended period, but I was impressed with the ride in the short time I did spend with it. The electronic shifting was smooth, and it felt as if I could really get some speed on the bike. The seat wasn’t the most comfortable, but that’s pretty standard. While my first impressions were positive, further testing will be needed to make a final conclusion.

My only concern is with the company itself. While SpeedX offers a lifetime warranty on the frame and a 30-day money back guarantee on the entire purchase, this is still a company we know little about. A lifetime warranty could mean only a few months if business were to go south.

The Leopard and Leopard Pro are an incredible value. SpeedX has said it can offer these low prices by cutting out the middleman to deliver high-quality bikes cheaper than the competition, but a part of me wonders if you are better off going with a true and tested bike from a reliable brand.

Only time will tell how SpeedX and the Leopard bikes continue to perform, but it is a company I plan to keep my eye on.

Jabra Halo Smart review – CNET

The Good The Jabra Halo Smart is a sturdily built neck-band style headphone that performs very well as a headset for making cell phone calls, offers good battery life, and decent sound for music if you get a tight seal. Neckband vibrates when a call comes in.

The Bad You may not get a secure, tight seal from any of the included ear tips, which leads to a poor fit and a reduction in sound quality.

The Bottom Line While it doesn’t do much to distinguish itself from other neckband-style headphones from a design standpoint, the Jabra Halo Smart seems sturdily built, performs very well as a headset for making calls and offers decent sound quality for music if you get a tight seal.

Welcome another neckband-style headphone to the world: the Jabra Halo Smart, which retails for $80 (sorry, UK and Australian readers, no word on international pricing yet).

What’s special about it? Well, since it’s from Jabra, you’d hope it would work really well as a headset for making calls. And it does, with multiple microphones and noise reduction technology that helps tamp down ambient noise like wind. It’s also water-resistant and has very good battery life, with up to 17 hours of talk time and 15 hours of music listening.

What you get in the box.

Sarah Tew/CNET

It also has a few notable extra features. The ear buds adhere magnetically to each other, which keeps them from flopping around when they’re not in your ears. You end up wearing them sort of like a pendant or you can affix the buds to a spot on the neckband to eliminate any dangling altogether (the manual shows you exactly where on the neckband the tips can be pinned magnetically).

When a call comes in, there’s a vibrate feature in the neckband, and you can answer the call by pulling the ear buds apart. You then stick one or both buds in your ears.

The free Jabra Assist app for iOS and Android works with the Halo Smart. It doesn’t do all that much, but you can enable a message readout feature that allows you to hear incoming notifications. These include calendar events and incoming emails (just the subject name and subject). There’s also a “Find my Jabra” feature that allows you to locate your headset should you lose it.

Three sizes of ear tips are included, but I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t get a tight seal and secure fit with any of them. I had to pull off a set of extra large tips from another in-ear headphone I was testing. Those bigger tips made a big difference.

The tip issue was really my only major gripe. Otherwise, the headphone performed well, and I encountered only a minimal amount of Bluetooth hiccups.

GE GTW485ASJWS review – CNET

The Good At $650, the GTW485ASJWS is one of GE’s most entry-level washers. It also boasts 13 cleaning modes and a Deep Fill feature that lets you add as much water to a cycle as you want.

The Bad Its traditional agitator wasn’t gentle on clothes.

The Bottom Line The GE GTW485ASJWS is fine if you’re looking for an affordable top-load washer — just keep in mind that its agitator isn’t forgiving when it comes to wear and tear.

The $650 GE GTW485ASJWS might be one of the simplest washing machines you can buy today. It doesn’t have a ton of advanced settings, an LED-bedazzled digital display, or on-board Wi-Fi connectivity. You won’t find a second washer tucked inside a hidden compartment like the LG Twin Wash or a built-in sink like the Samsung WA52J8700.

But what the 485 lacks in pizazz, it makes up for with a traditional agitator — something folks nostalgic for the days of laundry-past will like. The downside, of course, is that agitators tend to be tougher on fabric than the impeller-style designs you’ll find on most pricier top-loaders. It did do a decent job removing stains, though. Yes, GE’s GTW485ASJWS will do fine overall, but you might want to spend a little more for an impeller washing machine if you’re concerned about wear and tear.

A budget washing machine for laundry traditionalists
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A simpler wash

While the 485 doesn’t exactly do anything innovative in terms of design, it’s a nice looking machine considering its price. Available in a glossy white finish, it features the same 13 cleaning cycles as more expensive GE washers. They include:

• Active Wear
• Bulky Items
• Casuals
  

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• Cold Wash
• Colors/Normals
• Dark Colors
• Delicates
• Drain + Spin
• Heavy Duty
• Jeans
• Speed Wash
• Towels & Sheets
• Whites

It also has a Deep Fill setting, which lets you add more water to a cycle. This isn’t great in terms of efficiency, but it does let you customize the fill level if you think the washer isn’t adding enough water on its own. Press the Deep Fill button at the top of the display panel either before a cycle begins or after it has finished auto-filling. Press it again to stop it.

The straightforward display features one dial each for soil level, temperature, cleaning cycles, options (this includes things like Auto Soak and Extra Spin), and stain pre-treat.

Here’s a look at the 485’s basic specs compared to other top-load washers:

Comparing washers

The main difference here is bin capacity. Where models like the GE GTW810SSJWS, the GE GTW860SPJMC, and Samsung’s WA52J8700 all have capacities over 5 cubic feet, the 485 has just 4.2 cubic feet of space. This is mainly due to the built-in agitator, although its dimensions are also slightly smaller.