The Pixel’s USB-C charger is a nice backup for the new MacBook Pro

I still mourn the loss of MagSafe, but this charger interoperability over USB-C certainly helps ease the pain.

In this massive transition to USB-C connectors across all of our devices, there are a few victories dotted along the path of annoyances and dongles. I’ve found some exciting USB-C adaptors in the past few months, but one thing that’s fantastic over and over again is the seamless swapping of cables between my new MacBook Pro and various USB-C phones, primarily the Pixel XL.

I’ve charged this new MacBook Pro with various cables and power bricks far more often than the big 61W charger than came in the box. It truly is great to have the flexibility of knowing just about any charger will add power to the laptop — the only question is how fast. A standard wall charger that outputs 5V/2.4A just doesn’t do enough to keep adding power while the laptop is in use, but the Pixel XL’s little 18W USB-C charger actually can keep a 13-inch MacBook Pro running.

And that’s why I’m actually using it regularly as a backup laptop charger.

With previous Apple laptops you were “stuck” with the included charger — and, to be fair, its magnetically attaching MagSafe connector was great (and no I don’t want one of those magnetic adaptors). But now that that’s all out the window, I’m happy to use alternative chargers like the one that comes in the box with the Pixel and Pixel XL. Not every situation requires the power capabilities of a full-sized, bulky and heavy charger — sometimes I can get away with something a bit more compact for casual use, provided that charger can at least keep the laptop going. That’s where the Pixel and Pixel XL’s in-box charger comes in — it can easily fit in a jacket pocket or alongside my MacBook pro itself in a laptop sleeve, taking up just a quarter of the space and weight of the MacBook Pro’s own charger.

Enough power to keep you going in a fraction of the size.

But despite its small size, the charger can put out enough power to keep my MacBook Pro running and even add power to it while doing so. The Pixel XL’s charger does this over a simple USB-C to USB-C cable, in a more compact package than most wall chargers that don’t even have the same amount of output.

So how can such a tiny charger, designed originally for a phone, work so well with this laptop? The technology that makes all the difference here is the charging standard that both Apple and Google support. It’s called USB-C Power Delivery, and it lets a high amount of power flow between chargers and devices that are built to the spec. It’s what lets this little charger provide enough output to juice up your Pixel XL in a flash, but also max out its output when plugged into a laptop that’s expecting it.

USB-C Power Delivery is the real hero here.

When I’m at home just doing some light work in Chrome and scrolling through Tweetdeck, this is the charger I have plugged in next to the couch. As I head out of the house expecting to be back home before my laptop battery runs out, I toss the Pixel XL’s charger in my bag as a “just in case” backup plan. At $35 the charger is expensive and therefore probably not the best choice for someone with a MacBook Pro looking for a secondary charger, but when I already have one from my Pixel XL the equation changes.

Who would’ve guessed Google would be the one to make a fantastic backup charger for an Apple laptop? USB-C is great.

Google Pixel + Pixel XL

• Google Pixel and Pixel XL review
• Google Pixel XL review: A U.S. perspective
• Google Pixel FAQ: Should you upgrade?
• Pixel + Pixel XL specs
• Understanding Android 7.1 Nougat
• Join the discussion in the forums!

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Bragi Dash review: The sound of the future?

Before Apple Airpods came and brought everyone’s attention to the truly wireless earphone market, and before so many other companies like Motorola, Samsung and Jabra jumped on board, there was Bragi.

At the time of its announcement and Kickstarter launch, no one had really seen anything like it before. It was a pair of headphones that were completely untethered, and featured enough tech smarts to track fitness and exercise sessions too.

Two years on from their announcement, are Bragi the wireless earphones to go for?

Bragi Dash review: Design

• Wireless earphones
• FitSleeves for different ear sizes
• Included charge/carry case

There’s a lot to like about the way Bragi designed the Dash. The earbuds are impressively compact and light and – more importantly – shaped using ergonomic curves to make them as comfortable as possible to wear. 

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To make sure they don’t slip out during exercise, the inner part – which hosts the heart-rate sensor and gold contacts for charging – is covered with a grippy material. If the fit is too loose by default then there are two included rubber coverings called FitSleeves in medium and large sizes to help make it more snug.

During a run, they stayed in our ears well, and didn’t once feel like they would slip out. It’s a grippy, snug fit, without being uncomfortable. It would be an exaggeration to say we couldn’t tell they were there, but they weren’t so obvious that it was unpleasant. They’re certainly easier to wear than the Jabra Elite earphones we tested which, by comparison, are larger, and a little more cumbersome.  

When they’re not in your ears, the Dash earphones live inside a plastic cradle/case with purposefully shaped holes, sculpted to fit each earphone. Both are marked, so that you don’t accidentally place the left earphone in the right earphone’s space.

What’s more, the docks each have five gold contact points which then charge the earphones when they come into contact. They’re magnetic so when the earphones come into alignment they snap into place. There’s also a micro USB port on one side of the cradle station accompanied by a single LED to inform you when the built-in battery and earphones are fully charged.  

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This plastic docking station then slides into a purpose-fit aluminium sleeve, which is lined with a microfibre material to ensure the earphones and cradle don’t get damaged. There’s a thin slot running along the front of the metal covering to ensure you can still see the lights flashing on the earphones when they’re charging.

Bragi Dash review: Setup

• Bragi app required (iOS and Android)
• Separate Bluetooth connections per earphone

Like many other Bluetooth devices with multiple functions, the Bragi Dash require two connections to any phone in order to work.

Setting up is easy. First you need to download the app on to an iPhone or Android device. In this app the first screen shows your Bragi earphones. Tap in order to connect and type in the PIN number you hear spoken in the earphones. Job done.

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Connecting through the app allows you to do things like change settings, switch on audio transparency and start activities, but it doesn’t enable the audio function, so you can’t listen to music unless you then setup the second connection. To do this, you tap-and-hold a touch sensitive area on the right earphone until it says it’s ready to pair. This is at the bottom of the earbud, on the outside, and can sometimes be tricky to find, especially since there’s no tactile way to find it.  

You then go to your Bluetooth settings menu that you’d usually use to pair with earphones. The problem we had here was that, very often, the earphones just didn’t show up. On iPhone, it was a pretty straightforward experience, but it took far too long to get the connection sorted on Android.

In the end, we opted to tell the phone to forget the initial set up connection, then did the audio connection first, and then installed the app and set up the connection through that afterwards. This is exactly the reason Apple designed the W1 chip in its AirPods (and Beats headphones) – Bluetooth can be a mess.

Bragi Dash review: Performance

• Bluetooth 4.0 and LE
• Up to 4 hours playback
• 4GB on-board storage (for media)

With wireless earphones, especially trend-making completely tether-free models, the most important element of performance is that they stay connected. Sadly, our experience with the Bragi Dash hasn’t been perfect. During a running session, with an iPhone strapped around our waist, the audio would cut out very briefly every few minutes.

This poses more than one problem. Firstly – and most obviously – whatever music you’re listening to is interrupted, which is a little frustrating. Secondly, if you’re using the Dash’s fitness tracking capabilities for measuring your heart rate and steps during a running session, you’ll find you get to the end of a run with no data available on the smartphone app screen.

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As an added bonus, the Dash do have 4GB of built in storage, 3.5GB of which is usable to store media. So you could transfer music directly onto the earphones for playback, then connection issues become a much lower concern.

For walking around the house, phone in the pocket, or just sitting and listening, the connection didn’t pose any problems beyond what we’ve experienced in other Bluetooth earphones. And we’ve enjoyed using the Bragi Dash for casual music listening.

What’s more, you can activate or deactivate the audio transparency so that you can zone out, or tune in to what’s going on around you. In our testing, the ambient noise mics did a good job of letting in noise, without drowning out the music. Like so many other ambient noise mics, however, it was much better with higher frequencies. Cars tyres against the tarmac was audible as (sadly) were noises like the mouse button clicking and children talking. Adult conversation was difficult to pick up.

Bragi Dash review: Features

• Heart-rate sensor
• Gyroscopic sensor & accelerometer
• Touch-sensitive controls
• 2,200mAh battery in case

Bragi’s Dash aren’t advertised as, or built to be, a regular pair of earphones. They’ve been built with a number of different sensors inside. These are designed to track your vitals and exercise. Each ear has a 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis accelerometer, as well as a touch-sensitive panel on the outside, plus a heart-rate monitor.

To go alongside these hardware capabilities, there’s a part of the app which you can use to track exercise. Whether that’s running, walking or cycling. Sadly, however, in our testing this proved not to be useful at all.

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With that said, the fact that it’s HealthKit enabled means you can collate your data and have it automatically imported into Apple’s Health app on the iPhone. Likewise, if you happen to use Strava, you can have the built-in sensors send their information to the app while you’re running. That means when it comes to the end of your run, you not only see your route, pace and elevation, but also your heart-rate information. In other words, there are already better fitness apps out there than the fitness section of Bragi’s, and the earphones should work with them.

The one part that really needs work is the touch-sensitive panel on the outside of the ear panels. Many times we tapped, swiped or held the touch sensor but failed to get a response. Other times, when trying to adjust the position of the Dash in our ears, we accidentally brushed against the panel and inadvertently paused music, or switched the ambient noise pass-through on or off.

Bragi Dash review: Battery life

• 100mAh battery; four hours per charge
• Carry/charging case with 2,200mAh cell

We found battery life was just about good enough. When using the built-in storage to play music, the Dash can provide up to four hours of use from its 100mAh cell before needing to be docked in the carry case. 

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Using a Bluetooth connection with a phone uses a little more power. We found the earphones were good for a couple of hours before needing to be refuelled. The included carrying case has 2,200mAh capacity, giving you between three to five full charges before that too needs plugging in via micro-USB for recharging.

Bragi Dash review: Sound quality

• 20 – 20,000Hz frequency range
• Passive bilateral noise isolation

How good the Bragi Dash sound is heavily dependent on whether or not you have a good, snug fit. Even having one earbud slightly out of place results in flat, bassless sound. However, once placed in the ears correctly, they provide enjoyable immersive sounds.

If there’s any criticism, it could be that they do lack a little clarity. The high and middle frequencies don’t sound quite as bright as you might like and the app doesn’t offer an equaliser of any kind to adjust the balance.

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Still, the detail in the audio is good. With the master level at an optimal level you can hear all the details in the music that you’d want to hear. The sound didn’t blow us away, but it was pleasant enough to enjoy music.

Verdict

In theory the Bragi Dash could have been the perfect pair of truly wire-free earphones. They’re small, comfortable and light and come with an easy-to-carry aluminium charging case. What’s more, they’re packed with fitness-tracking capabilities

Sadly, they are hard to recommend to anyone looking for a great pair of sports earphones. They just don’t stay connected constantly or consistently – and that’s a real deal-breaker. Regardless of how nice they are, their core function just isn’t quite reliable enough (we’ve tested two separate pairs).

It seems a case of trying to cram too much tech into too small a space, leaving a feeling of compromise. With a reliable connection the Dash would be great.

You can order them direct from Bragi for €299 (roughly £255) or from Amazon.co.uk from £249. 

Alternatives to consider

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Jabra Elite Sport

£229

Despite costing less than the Bragi, the Jabra Elite Sport offered a more consistent connection, was more reliable in testing and offers many of the same features as the Dash. The only real downside is that they are bigger and not as comfortable to wear. 

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Apple AirPods

£159

Apple’s Airpods don’t win any prizes for sound quality, and don’t feature any fitness tracking tech, but they win on convenience. They cost £100 less than the Dash, are very comfortable and light, and connect without any of the hassle. 

iPhone 8 will come with an OLED function area, according to Apple analyst

Analytics company KGI Securities has revealed its projections on the iPhone 8 and it believes that an additional OLED model will fit into the family. What’s more it will come with a bottom “function” area instead of a home button.

The speculation that Apple will adopt an OLED screen for its next generation handset is not new. We heard last year that it may have placed an order with Samsung for OLED displays in order to create a curved screen – a bit like the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge.

However, KGI analyst Ming-chi Kuo’s prediction that the OLED panel will have two functions is interesting. It says the overall display is likely to be 5.8-inches, with a resolution of 2800 x 1242, but the main, viewable section will be 5.15-inches, with a useable resolution of 2436 x 1125.

• Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus: What’s the story so far?

The rest of the display will form a touchscreen strip along the bottom, a bit like the function key strip at the top of the new MacBook Pro’s keyboard. It can then offer different buttons or gesture options for interaction.

KGI Securities

KGI also suggests that the OLED version of the iPhone 8 (an iPhone 8 Pro?) would be in addition to a 4.7-inch TFT LCD iPhone 8 and 5.5-inch iPhone 8 Plus.

It’s worth pointing out that Ming-chi Kuo is making a prediction based on his own expertise, and none of this is confirmed or corroborated by Apple or inside sources. We suspect we’ll hear more about the OLED panel in time, however.

Panasonic EZ1002 OLED TV preview: Stunning OLED punch paired with audio prowess

Panasonic announced its return to OLED TVs at IFA 2016, and subsequently unveiled the EZ1000 series at CES 2017. Originally announced as a 65-inch model, Panasonic has now expanded this offering, adding a 77-inch model to the choices for its flagship TV.

To clear up a point of confusion, Panasonic often appends a “2” on the end of model numbers for the UK, so the EZ1000 in Europe and the US is known as the EZ1002 in the UK. 

We’ve had the chance to spend a little more time with this exciting new model.

Panasonic EZ1002 OLED TV: Big sound punch

Panasonic has been using design as a differentiator for its TVs over the past few years. In 2016 this included a model with an easel-type stand and in 2017, there’s the EX750/780 that features a swivel and lift stand, essentially meaning you can mount your TV on a pole.

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The EZ1002 is a little more conventional, offering a minimal bezel design and a fairly thin display, but with a pronounced bump on the bottom section that houses the brains, connections and so on. At first glance, this isn’t quite as dramatic as LG’s “picture on glass” designs you’ll find on the OLED E6 and OLED G6 2016 models, but it’s much the same idea, taking advantage of OLED’s inherent slimness.

The comparison to the E6 is especially relevant, as the EZ1002 has a built-in soundbar that runs across the base. This appears as though it is held in place by the central stand and it’s appropriately called a Blade Speaker. In fact, it’s only integrated with the front of the stand and attached to the bottom of the TV, so you can remove the rear section of that stand it you want to wall-mount this TV. In that guise, it’s a neat solution, presenting a paired OLED TV and great soundbar in one.

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It’s much the same idea as the Signature G6 from LG, although Panasonic has turned to Technics for the tuning of this 80W soundbar. We’ve had the chance to hear this soundbar in action and it certainly packs a punch, although we’ve only heard limited content from it so far.

The question, of course, remains whether the sort of person craving an OLED TV is going to be after a TV with an integrated soundbar rather than, say, a full Dolby Atmos setup via a separate receiver, or via a soundbar à la LG’s 2017 models.

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As a design statement there’s a lot going on here and we can see that someone with a big modern loft apartment could plonk the EZ1002 in the centre of it and have a great clean result that delivers both on the audio and visual fronts.

As a small detail, there’s also some good cable management going on around the back. You can route the cables down through the stand so that they emerge at the back of the foot, staying out of sight as they run off behind whatever table or stand you’ve set it on.

Panasonic EZ1002 OLED TV: Brilliant visuals

The chatter around OLED isn’t really about the design or the sound, it’s really about the visuals. With OLED pixels also being the light source, the opportunities to present deep blacks by turning off the pixel are greater than on LCD TVs, where the light source will often lead to slightly lighter blacks.

At the same time, OLED has often struggled to bring the brightness that LCD offers. Panasonic told us that the EZ1002 has a 1000 nits peak brightness, which matches the sort brightness that many HDR LCD TVs were producing in 2016. That’s a step in the right direction for OLED and across 2017 we’re seeing a lift in brightness across manufacturers to deal specifically with this technical barrier when compared to the LCD rivals, and better deliver those HDR visuals.

• What is HDR, what TVs support HDR, and what HDR content can I watch?

Within those deep blacks that OLED can produce there are often problems, however. In dark areas you often lose texture a you can’t pick out the subtle gradations from dark to light quite as well as you can on LCD. It’s a double-edged sword: you’re getting deeper blacks, but you can also lose some of the that transition that LCD preserves because the blacks aren’t so deep. 

Some of the demos we’ve seen so far suggest that this problem is being addressed in the EZ1002 a little better than some of the 2016 OLED TVs out there. But that’s not all that Panasonic is doing to push picture quality.

There’s also the introduction of an Absolute Black Filter. This is designed to correct some of the colour distortion that can happen on OLED TVs, where some darker tones can have a warmer hue than they were originally intended to. This warmth and vibrancy is something you naturally associate with OLED, but this filter is designed to make sure that browns don’t turn to red or light points don’t get too warm and get a little yellow.

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Again, we’ve seen some demos that reinforce this detail. It’s a small point, but it’s also one that separates the EZ1002 from the EZ950/952, Panasonic’s step-down OLED model that’s also just been added to the line-up. That slightly lower-tier model doesn’t have this filter, although, in reality, it’s likely to be a small change that you only really notice if you’re striving for as close to reference standards as you can get.

That’s also something that the EZ1002 will offer, the ability to add a whole load of master calibration options, something that might not appeal to your average consumer, but could be useful for professionals who need to know that the colour setup of this TV is accurate. 

The EZ1002 is THX certified, Ultra HD Premium badged and very much a flagship OLED to take the fight to the expanding rivals in 2017, like the Sony Bravia A1. What’s missing from the spec sheet at the moment is any mention of Dolby Vision support. Although Panasonic is supporting HDR10 and hybrid log gamma, it looks like Dolby’s technology isn’t supported.

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That perhaps gives rivals an advantage on the spec sheet, but in real world terms, what we’ve seen and heard from the EZ1002 so far is very impressive. Just when we thought that 2017 was going to be a predictable year for TVs, it looks like we’re heading into a year of OLED excitement, taking 4K HDR TVs in a new direction. 

We’ll bring you a full review of the Panasonic EZ1002 closer launch. Price and availability are still to be confirmed, but you can expect a premium price alongside its premium positioning.

Denon AH-C821 review: Big sound in a small package

Good in-ear headphones have always been able to deliver decent levels of bass thanks to their proximity to your ear and tight seal. But the majority of pairs still lack real driving power, which is something you can only really get from a pair of on- or over-ears.

Denon is hoping its latest pair of in-ear headphones, the AH-C821, can buck that trend and conjure similar levels of power thanks to a new design approach that places two drivers in each earpiece, one in front of the other.

Is this a method of madness or has Denon struck a real turning point for affordable in-ear headphones?

Denon AH-C821 review: Design

• Total weight: 10.4g
• Aluminium housings
• Included Comply Foam tips
• Four pairs of silicone tips also included

Everything about the Denon AH-C821 screams premium. From the moment you pick up the box, which itself has a nice weight to it, to the moment you put them in your ears.

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The AH-C821 come wrapped around a soft silicone wheel, which is also the carry case, and are pre-fitted with Comply Foam ear tips. If you’ve never used Comply tips before, they’re made of foam which you need to squeeze before you put them in your ears. They then expand to fill your ear canal and create a tight seal for the best possible sound. Also included are four pairs of silicone tips, which are much easier to wash.

When the C821s are in your ears, you do notice they’re there as they’re not the lightest in-ears ever, but it’s not enough to put us off. They’re made of aluminium and because of the driver array inside the earpieces, they’re able to sit more flush with your ears than most other pairs, so they won’t stick out too far.

Even the cable exudes a premium feel. It’s not your usual cheap-feeling wire or fabric. Instead it’s a tangle-free rubberised cable that has a lovely gunmetal colour finish. Denon has split the cables going to each earpiece in two, so each driver gets its own cable. It’s the first time Denon has done this to help minimise any unwanted interference. We like the results it provides.

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There’s no control buttons or microphone along the cable, so if you receive any phone calls while listening you’ll have to take the in-ears out to take the call. And, of course, all control of your music has to be done via your smartphone our music player.

Denon AH-C821 review: Sound quality

• Denon patented Double Air Compression driver
• Acoustic Optimiser for improving power and detail
• Two 11.5mm drivers in each ear piece

When you first put the AH-C821 into your ears, you probably won’t be prepared for just how loud they can go. We weren’t, that’s for sure. We went with a good test of drums and bass with Mombasa from the Inception soundtrack. Initially we thought what we heard was good, but not that loud, then “bam!” the power Denon promised with the new driver array hit our ears.

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Even at high volumes we were rewarded with clarity and detail. From our experience with some other in-ear headphones, turning the volume up on your phone can often cause them to buckle under the pressure and distort. We faced no such issues with these Denons, they simply took everything in their stride.

You can clearly pinpoint different instruments, backing vocals and leads, such are the Denon’s placement skills, that you really will be immersed in whatever you listen to. There’s a great sense of rhythm from them too, they’re an exciting listen that move along with speed and gusto, but never getting ahead of themselves. They’re entertaining and, although it sounds cliche, made us fall in love with our music collection all over again.

Denon AH-C821 review: Features

• Denon Audio iOS and Android app
• Software equaliser (£1.49 extra)

You may think that the C821s are just another regular pair of wired in-ear headphones, with not much else going for them.

However, Denon has a companion app for iOS and Android that not only acts as a music player, but lets you adjust the equaliser settings for whatever you’re listening to. You can either choose one of the preset settings or manually adjust it to your heart’s content, although you will need to pay £1.49 for the privilege (we’re baffled it’s not included with purchase). You can, however, download the app and use it as a regular music player without the equaliser adjustment free of charge.

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A lot of our music is on Apple Music, which the Denon Audio app can access but can’t play such tracks because they either can’t be fully downloaded from the cloud or are DRM protected. Fortunately we did have a few purchased tracks, so could play about with the sound settings.

You can also access TuneIn radio through the Denon Audio app, giving you access to myriad internet radio stations, for which you can again adjust the sound settings.

Verdict

The Denon AH-C821 in-ears are exceptional in-ear headphones. From the moment we put them in our ears fell in love and didn’t want to take them out. We love their premium look and finish, their fit and , ultimately, the sound they produce.

It’s only some app foibles and the price that work against them. At £169 they’re pricey, but the audio upgrade they offer over the free headphones you get with a smartphone is mind-blowing. We think they’re worth it – especially if you can find them for less cash.

You can buy the Denon C821 now from Amazon.

Rockjaw Resonate review: Rock solid audio with a price that resonates

In the world of popular brands like Beats, Bose and Sony, it can be hard to make a name for yourself as a headphone manufacturer. The best way to do so is to release headphones that offer fantastic versatility, audio and build quality, for as little outlay as possible. That’s Rockjaw’s aim with the Resonate. 

The earphones may be standard wired in-ear monitors, but what they lack in technological advancement they more than make up for in pure old fashioned sound and, of course, value for money. 

Rockjaw Resonate review: Design

• Gold plated 3.5mm jack
• Solid aluminium earbuds
• Detachable Pro MMCX cables 

One of the most noticeable elements of the design is that the Rockjaw earbuds themselves are detachable from the audio cable. They ship unattached, placed in the thick spongey foam shelf along with all of the varied ear tips and custom tuning filters. We were worried at first that this could pose a problem, or compromise the fit of the earphone, but it hasn’t during our use.

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You clip the earbud onto the cable using the micro-miniature coaxial connector (MMCX) and – once the earbud is secured to the cable – it’s a secure fit that won’t come detached easily.

On the plus side, this design choice does mean that if your cable were to break in the future, you could get a replacement without having to buy a whole new pair of headphones.

The earbuds themselves are of a solid metal design, with the drivers encased inside a cylindrical aluminium chassis. Likewise, the swappable tuning filter right at the tip of the earbud is also made from metal, giving the earphones a premium feel.

To ensure they’re as comfortable as possible, for as many different people as possible, the Resonate ship with six extra pairs of tips.

In addition to the pair attached to the earphones already, there are three different sized silicone tips, plus two pairs of memory foam tips and the dual-flange tips for those who like an air-tight seal.

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Rockjaw Audio calles these earphones “over-ear IEMs” or, translated, over-ear in-ear monitors. A puzzling choice of words, perhaps, but it describes the earphones’ ability to have a thin canvas weave-coated cable wrapped over the top of your ears.

This explains why the cable is so long, but the lack of any rigidity or mould-ability mean that it doesn’t feel a very secure fit this way. You don’t get the reassuring grip you might get with a IEMs that have a mouldable cable covering.

Still, in testing, the canvas sheathed cable rarely came loose, but it wasn’t entirely enjoyable having the canvas cable rub against our ears whenever we moved our head. It was impossible to ignore. What’s more, the cable very easily got tangled when the earphones were stowed in their included cloth bag.

Since these are a pretty old-school affair in the world of earphones, there aren’t too many other features to highlight. There’s no active noise-cancellation, Bluetooth, ambient noise pass-through or anything fancy like that, but you do get an inline microphone and built-in remote control for playing and pausing music built into a cable that’s 1.25 metres long. These worked reliably on mobile, and gave a nice click. 

Rockjaw Resonate review: Sound

• 3x interchangeable tuning filters
• 8mm dynamic driver + balanced armature
• 20-20,000Hz frequency response

One of the best features of the Rockjaw Resonate IEMs is the ability to swap the tuning filters that screw into the ends of the earbuds. These manually change the audio profile.

For instance, the green tuners are designed to boost bass, the yellow/gold tuners are the reference/neutral tuners, while the blue ones are designed to enhance the high-end frequencies. This means is that these earphones can sound the way you want them to.

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The bass tuners are fantastic, offering a full breadth of low frequency tones, while maintaining the clarity and detail at the upper end of the frequency spectrum. It really helps immerse you into songs when the bass fills out the landscape. Likewise, the treble tuners maintained enough bass, but enhanced the mid and high-end frequencies to give those details a little more prominence. They were just as lively and enjoyable to listen through as the bass tuners, so it’s a case of preference. As for the reference tuners, those are generally very flat – which is exactly their point. The kind of profile enjoyed by the audiophile, but sometimes they felt a little lifeless to us. It is the exact kind of profile you want then you need to ensure the balance of audio is correct when playing or recording music.

Verdict

Rockjaw is trying to build a name for itself, attempting to bring great audio to your ears at a lower cost than the larger mainstream companies. With the Resonate it feels like the company is getting close to building a brilliant all-round experience at a low cost.

There’s something for everyone here, thanks to the trio of colour-coded tuning filters to suit your listening preferences. There are enough different sized and shaped tips to fit any ears, too, although we found the feel of the rough canvas-coated cord rubbing on the backs of the ears wasn’t pleasant.

For their £125 price point, the Rockjaw Resonate certainly punch above their weight. They’re available to buy direct from Rockjaw or via Amazon.co.uk. 

The Morning After: Thursday, February 16 2017

Welcome to the return of iPhone rumors. It’s already that wonderful time of the year as leaks, rumors and supply chain-side intel offer a glimpse into what Apple’s cooking. Or not. Global gaming show E3 is starting sooner this year, with Xbox set to reveal its new console on the weekend before it begins. And like Pokémon? How about more of ’em?

iPhone Touchbar?
iPhone 8 ‘function area’ rumored to replace home button

Since MWC 2017 can’t grab all the mobile hype, the iPhone rumor machine is already off and running. We’ve already heard that Apple may be planning to release two iPhone 7s models this fall, plus a pricier iPhone 8 with an edge-to-edge OLED screen. Now, a note from analyst Ming-chi Kuo suggests that while dropping the traditional home button, the iPhone 8 will dedicate part of its display as a function area, with controls that switch based on what you’re doing (similar to Apple’s Touchbar on the new MacBook Pro).

No, not the coffee!
‘Prey’ makes you fear everything

Prey is all about deception. The first-person shooter starts off simple enough: You’re a scientist beginning a new job at your brother’s massive research company. You wake up in your bedroom, do some exploring and board a helicopter on top of your roof to head to work, where you’re then subjected to some first-day testing. Then all hell breaks loose. Aliens run rampant in the compound, and you black out. Then you wake up in your bedroom again, just like before, as if the first 30 minutes of the game were a bad dream. Then things get weird.

Because competition works
Why is Verizon offering unlimited data again?

After a few years of running from unlimited data plans, Verizon is offering them once again (with a 22GB asterisk). So what makes now the right time? Nathan Ingraham digs into why T-Mobile’s ‘Uncarrier” pitch has become compelling enough that Verizon felt forced to open the gates.

Its E3 event is moving to Sunday.Microsoft will unveil Xbox Project Scorpio on June 11th

Last year at E3, Microsoft pre-announced its big hardware upgrade for this year’s show: Project Scorpio. The new box should bring true 4K gaming capability to the Xbox platform, but will that be enough to narrow the gap with Sony? We’ll find out what the company has planned for 2017 on Sunday night ahead of E3 at 5PM ET.

It’s like a snorkel for your Shamrock shake.
McDonald’s has re-engineered drinking straws

McDonald’s thinks the humble drinking straw needed a redesign. It drafted in a team of robotic and aerospace engineers to make something to help push its new two-flavor Chocolate Shamrock Shake. It has two holes and looks like a snorkel. But there’s science here. Almost too much.

Yes, people are still playing
‘Pokémon Go’ adds 80 creatures from ‘Gold’ and ‘Silver’ this week

The first big Pokémon Go upgrade for 2017 is rolling out this week, bringing new monsters from the Johto region, like Chikorita, Cyndaquil and Totodile. Their addition will also mean some new evolutions for old monsters, while the gameplay for collecting monsters has been tweaked slightly. It’s still the same game, though, and as the weather warms up once again, we’ll see if it can lure players back to their local Pokéstops.

This discovery could lead to smarter robots.
Your brain always has a backup plan

You may not always be consciously considering a Plan B when you’re making a decision, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Queen’s University researchers have discovered that the human brain’s motor neurons will prepare for multiple actions before making a decision. The findings suggest that the brain interprets the environment as a range of potential actions, and that you’re always considering options even if you only ever settle on one.

But wait, there’s more…

• IMAX opens first VR theater in Los Angeles
• Verizon reportedly reduces its Yahoo offer by $250 million
• Republicans call for investigation into EPA use of encrypted chats

Google Fiber is restructuring and taking a new direction

Alphabet is making some huge changes to steer Google Fiber in a new, more wireless direction. According to Wired, the corporation has reassigned hundreds of Fiber employees to other parts of the company and those who remained will mostly work in the field. It has also hired broadband veteran Greg McCray as the new CEO for Access, the division that runs Google Fiber. These changes don’t exactly come out of left field: back in October, Google announced that it’s pausing the high-speed internet’s expansion to new markets and that it’s firing nine percent of the service’s staff.

Wired says running fiber optic cables into people’s homes has become too expensive for the company. A Recode report last year says it costs Mountain View $1 billion to bring Fiber to a new market. The service is also often named as Google’s most expensive venture. That’s why the company instructed former Fiber CEO Craig Barratt to find a way to lower costs and cut off half of his 500 employees.

Under the new CEO, Fiber might make use of Webpass, a company that Access bought last year. Webpass beams high-speed broadband through networks of small antennas. Access even petitioned the FTC to open up more of the wireless spectrum Webpass uses. Fiber could also use an internet technology Webpass tested that can follow you wherever you go and guarantee a certain amount of bandwidth.

Despite these changes, you won’t have anything to worry about if you already have Fiber: you get to keep your high-speed internet. You can also still sign up for a connection if the service is available in your location, and Fiber will continue its rollout in Nashville, Louisville and San Antonio.

Source: Wired

Yahoo Warns Users of Third Data Breach As Verizon Closes in on Revised Deal

Yahoo has issued a new warning to account holders about malicious hacks linked to a third data breach that the company disclosed late last year.

The warning relates to more recent malicious activity targeting accounts between 2015 and 2016, most likely perpetrated by a “state actor”, according to Yahoo. Specifically, the hacks are said to have been achieved by using “forged” cookies – the text-based keys that give web users access to username and password information without having to re-enter it – created by software stolen from within Yahoo’s internal systems.

A message was sent to affected Yahoo users on Wednesday, warning them of the unauthorized access to their account, but Yahoo did not reveal how many people were notified.

Hopefully the cookie was forged by a state known for such delicacies. #yahoo #security #baking pic.twitter.com/7gCeEd3Y51

— Joshua B. Plotkin (@jplotkin) February 15, 2017

Yahoo’s announcement came just hours after reports that Verizon was close to a renegotiated deal to buy Yahoo’s core assets at a lower price. Last year, Verizon agreed to buy Yahoo’s core business for $4.83 billion, but on Wednesday Bloomberg reported that the renegotiated deal would slash about $250 million off that price because of the security breaches that were revealed after the initial deal was agreed. 

“Outside forensic experts have been investigating the creation of forged cookies that could have enabled an intruder to access our users’ accounts without a password,” a Yahoo spokesperson told Associated Press. “The investigation has identified user accounts for which we believe forged cookies were taken or used. Yahoo is in the process of notifying all potentially affected account holders.”

Back in September, Yahoo revealed that hackers had stolen the personal data of “at least” 500 million users, but by December, the internet company admitted that over one billion Yahoo user accounts had been compromised in a separate hack dating back to August 2013. Information stolen included names, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, hashed passwords, security questions and answers.

The internet company is currently under investigation from the Securities and Exchange Commission over its failure to disclose its massive data breaches sooner.

Tag: Yahoo
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Apple May Crowdsource iPhone Damage Data to Make Future Screens More Resistant to Cracks

Cases of cracked iPhone screens are certainly nothing new, and occur often enough to have earned a separate service fee in Apple’s AppleCare+ program. According to one study, half of mobile users globally have experienced at least one cracked smartphone screen in their lifetime, and at least 21 percent of smartphone owners currently have a cracked screen.

Presumably with this in mind, Apple is currently exploring technology that can detect when an iPhone screen has suffered damage and alert the user early, even if the break is a hairline crack, which may allow the company to come up with better design solutions in the future.

The system appears in a patent published on Thursday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, called “Coverglass fracture detection”, which describes an integrated network of sensors and software that can detect the formation of cracks in a protective display cover.

In one example, the invention detects breaches in the touch sensor substrate embedded in the device display. In another, piezoelectric actuators send out vibrations and detect defects by analyzing the response. In yet another instance, strategically positioned emitters shoot out pulses of light through a series of prisms, to eventually reach sensors located on the other end of the display. Measurements then detect anomalies in the travel of light in order to identify micro-fissures in the screen.

The invention is described as being capable of distinguishing between hairline cracks and spiderweb cracks, and even capable of measuring fracture depth, length, width, and expansion rate, with proximity and orientation sensors also recruited into the system to detect falls. User notifications can include pinpointing the area of damage to the screen, as well as alerts about ancillary damage to internal components caused by the impact.

In some embodiments, the user is asked to confirm the location of cracks onscreen by circling the area with their finger. The diagnostic information is then corralled to generate a timeline of events leading up to the crack, which may be useful during repair work. The ensuing data may also be used by Apple to understand how and when cracks most commonly occur, allowing designers to create displays more resistant to breaks.

(via AppleInsider.)

Tag: patent
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