UTO Drone U960 Hexacopter review – CNET

The Good The UTO U960 Drone is a relatively easy-to-fly hexacopter with a solid feature set including a headless mode with one-key return; one-key flips and rolls; and a Wi-Fi camera and mobile app for FPV flying and photo and video capture using a smartphone. Batteries and replacement parts are easy to find.

The Bad Wi-Fi has problems staying connected and there’s a bit too much lag to use for FPV flying around obstacles.

The Bottom Line The UTO X960 Drone is a good hexacopter that’s also an inexpensive way to test out first-person-view flying. Treat the FPV like a bonus, though, and not the main reason to buy.

If you’re interested in camera or racing drones, flying by first-person view (FPV) — i.e., by looking through a camera mounted on the drone — is a skill you need. That said, it’s better to practice with something like the UTO U960 than a drone costing hundreds.

The hexacopter costs about $90 (around £60 or AU$125) and includes a Wi-Fi-enabled video camera attached to its belly. Download an iOS or Android app to your smartphone and connect to the wireless network created by the camera. Open the app and you’ll have a view from the camera on your screen.

The video downlink range isn’t great, however, and there’s a bit too much lag between the drone and what’s on screen to reliably guide yourself around obstacles. Still if you’re in an open area, it’s a good way to practice piloting by looking at just the screen. The app also lets you snap photos and capture video to your phone (the camera has no microSD card slot or internal storage) and you can switch to a 3D mode that will create side-by-side video to view in a VR headset.

More drone coverage

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The U960’s controller holds your smartphone for FPV flying.

Sarah Tew/CNET

The U960 is also sold as the MJX X600 for about half the price, but without the camera. I mention this because the ‘copter is pretty good on its own. It has a headless mode, for example, which means you don’t need to worry about what direction the drone is facing as it will always move in the direction you move the stick relative to your position. Plus, in this mode, you can press a controller button to get the U960 to return to you automatically. You can also do flips and rolls easily enough and, for new or experienced pilots, you can set speed and throttle limits.

Battery life is average for a drone this size at about 7 to 9 minutes depending on how hard you fly it, wind if you’re outside and if you have the prop guards and camera attached. It uses a 7.4-volt 700mAh battery that you can find on Amazon for $15, or less if you buy multiples.

The UTO X960 Drone is a good hexacopter that’s also an inexpensive way to test out first-person-view flying. Treat the FPV like a bonus, though, and not the main reason to buy.

Omate Wherecom S3 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Omate

A Chinese company has created a Dick Tracey-style smartwatch for your grandparents. Omate on Tuesday announced the Wherecom S3. It’s an Android-powered smartwatch with GPS, Wi-Fi and 3G cellular connectivity, which means it can function without being connected to a smartphone.

In addition to telling the time, the watch can be used to make calls, send text messages, track steps and remind senior citizens when it’s time to take their medication. The S3 can also act as a Life Alert-esque emergency device. A red SOS button on the side of the watch can be pressed in the event of an emergency (such as a fall) to send the wearer’s GPS location to specific contacts.

Omate

Other features include interchangeable watch straps and up to three days of battery life. It’s unclear, however, if the watch can be worn in the shower or while swimming.

The Omate Wherecom S3 is slated to launch in September in Europe for €149. Pricing and availability weren’t announced for the U.S. or Australia, but the European price converts to about £115, $170 or AU$230.

Specs

• Android
• 37x38x13.9mm
• 2G/3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth
• 1.54-inch color touchscreen with a 320×320-pixel resolution
• MediaTek 1GHz dual-core processor
• 4GB of internal storage
• 512MB of RAM
• 600mAh battery for up to three days of usage
• SOS quick-alert button
• Pedometer

Black+Decker Smartech Battery Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Black+Decker

Black+Decker, the company known for its power drills and other tools, has just announced a new smart product: the Smartech Battery. This Bluetooth-connected battery will work with all current Black+Decker 20V MAX tools, and the company says it is available now at Menard’s, Lowe’s, and on Amazon for $70 (converted, that’s about £50 or AU$95; international retailers haven’t been confirmed).

Smartech Batteries will work with the Black+Decker iOS and Android app, meaning people can control the batteries and, therefore, their tools, wirelessly. First, you can enable and disable any of these batteries while in range. That means no one can use any battery-powered tools lying around the garage during a project unless you enable the batteries via the app. You can also use the app to view battery life, use a “locate” feature to find missing batteries and activate each battery’s USB port. The app has other components like a message center for notifications from batteries and a “Projects” section that is supposed to offer insight into construction and ideas for DIYers.

This new Bluetooth connectivity seems promising. The disabling and location features could be welcome additions for anyone with kids around the house and a garage that sometimes falls into disarray. But for many people who don’t want to fiddle with an app in the middle of a project, these devices could just be a hassle. Will Bluetooth features contribute to the quality of Black+Decker’s products without making them less easy to use? We’ll have to see for ourselves.

Motorola Moto G (2016) Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

I’ve called Motorola’s previous Moto G the “best budget phone around”. That’s a big accolade to live up to, but by taking its already great phone and giving almost every spec a healthy boost, Motorola makes sure the two new Moto Gs might well keep their lofty title.

The new Moto G

The revamped Moto G has a 5.5-inch screen, making it rather large: half an inch larger than the previous model and a full inch larger than the original Moto G. It’s comfortable to hold though but whether it fits into your pocket depends on how tight you like your jeans.

As before, it’ll be available in a wide variety of colours, using Motorola’s online Moto Maker tool. The plain black model I saw doesn’t look too exciting, so I’ll be looking for a brighter shell to clip on.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Moto G Plus

While the standard model has a 13-megapixel camera, the Plus bumps that up to 16 megapixels, and pairs that with a laser-enabled autofocus for faster focusing for speedy snaps.

Motorola’s new phones both run Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Motorola typically does little to customise Android, meaning it’s fast and easy to use. Thankfully it seems that Motorola has taken a similarly hands-off approach on the new models.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Moto G and G Plus key specs:

• 5.5-inch display, full HD resolution (1,920×1,080-pixels)
• 3,000mAh battery (up to 24 hours of “mixed use”)
• Octa-core processor
• 16, 32 or 64GB storage (selectable using Moto Maker tool)
• 2, 3 or 4GB RAM (selectable using Moto Maker tool)

The Moto G will cost a mere £169 when it goes on sale in the UK in early June. The Plus will be available shortly after from Amazon and will cost £199. I’d argue that an additional £30 is a small price to pay for the higher-performance camera.

Motorola hasn’t said how much the phones will cost in the US or Australia, but the Moto G’s price converts to about $245 or AU$335, while the Plus’ price converts to about $285 or AU$395.

Cameras aside, both phones appear to offer a really solid set of specs for an extremely reasonable price. I’m looking forward to giving these new guys the full review treatment.

Home8 Smart Garage Starter Kit Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Home8

Many people use their garage as much as their front door, so buying a device to control or automate it seems like a pretty logical investment. But a new company called Home8 says simple control isn’t enough — security is just as important. Enter the Smart Garage Starter Kit.

At $230, the Starter Kit costs about $30 more than Garageio and $100 more than the Chamberlain MyQ. But unlike both of those competitors, Home8’s kit includes security gadgets, like a camera and an alarm. For anyone worried that the garage isn’t just another door, but also another home security vulnerability, the Home8 Smart Garage Starter Kit could be a useful solution.

The Kit will contain three devices. First, you’ll get the garage door opener itself. The second device is the Shuttle Intelligent Hub, which will act as a bridge between your phone and the opener. That means you’ll still be able to control your garage remotely. In addition, the Hub contains an alarm, so you’ll be alerted in the case of a break-in.

The final device in the package is a Mini Cube HD camera. The camera itself is proprietary, so how well it works remains to be seen. But with 720p resolution, a ball-and-socket mount for manual swiveling, motion detection, night vision and two-way audio, it seems to have its bases covered.

While the $230 price tag feels a little high at first glance, for a high-quality camera and a connected garage door opener, it could be a great deal. The Starter Kit also works with integration platform IFTTT, and Home8 is working on Amazon Echo compatibility as well.

Between these strategic smart-home integrations and the security-centric approach to garage door automation, Home8 is taking a big step in the right direction. Now the question is whether the Smart Garage Starter Kit’s performance will match the idea behind it.

Motorola Moto G Play Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Motorola

Just as it unveiled the new Moto G and G Plus, Motorola today also added a third new member to the forever-expanding Moto G family, the Moto G Play.

Announced for the US initially, the G Play is similar to the 2016 G and G Plus though it scales down the key specs slightly. The display is smaller (5 inches vs. 5.5 inches) and it has a lower resolution (720p vs. 1080p); the Snapdragon processor is quad-core rather than octa-core; and the camera resolution tops out at 8 megapixels instead of 13.

Like its siblings, though, it is water-resistant and it runs Android Marshmallow. Pricing and specific availability are yet to be revealed, but we’ll add it here as soon as we get it. Stand by for hands-on photos and analysis, as well.

Specs and key features

• Qualcomm 410 Snapdragon quad-core processor
• 5-inch, 720p display
• Android Marshmallow
• 8-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front
• 2,800mAh battery
• Micro-USB port
• 3.5mm headset jack

Sony Xperia XA Ultra Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Sony has yet to put its freshly introduced Xperia X smartphone range on sale and it’s already updating the lineup with a new 6-inch model.

Enter the Xperia XA Ultra. It might be late to the party, but it’s still making a statement.

Unlike the Xperia X, the smaller XA and the X Performance, which are all about top specs and processing might, the real emphasis of this larger phone targeted at younger, edgier phone owners is its photography prowess. And, of course, its attention-grabbing screen.

Just like the Xperia XA, there’s nothing new to see design-wise here from Sony, but the Ultra does support that superthin bezel that so impressed us when we first saw it on its smaller sibling. The benefit of the edge-to-edge display really does come into its own with a larger phone. It gives the impression that the XA Ultra’s 6-inch screen is in fact closer to 5.5 inches in size. With no excess metal down the sides, this phone is also easier to keep a hold of.

A selfie-lover’s camera

The front-facing 16-megapixel camera has a super-wide angle that has been designed to produce bright selfies in all conditions with no sign of blurring. Unusually for Sony, this camera comes with optical image stabilisation. According to Jun Makino, Sony’s senior manager of product experience marketing, this is because “your hands tend to shake when you are taking selfies with a big phone.” We’ll leave final verdict on the quality of the low-light shots for our full review.

A couple of clever tricks like a hand-activated shutter and a timer in the top corner — to encourage people to look at the lens rather than themselves — should enhance selfies further. Additionally, the night portrait mode combines an image taken with the flash off and an image with the flash on to present a single, well-balanced photo in which the foreground and background are both adequately lit.

Plenty of attention has also been paid to the main camera, which packs an impressive 21.5 megapixels. Hybrid autofocus object tracking is built in, which means it should be stay on the ball — should you be attempting to photograph a moving one — but it doesn’t have the same predictive capabilities as the Xperia X.

Internal specs

Inside is the same Mediatek processor as the Xperia XA, 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal expandable storage. As much as it’s necessary to take note of what the phone offers, it may also be worth casting your eye over what it is missing — namely no waterproofing and no USB-C.

The XA Ultra will be available in graphite black, white and lime gold. There is no word yet on availability and pricing, but Sony did say that it had a global release planned for the phone.

Arris SurfBoard SBR-AC3200P Wi-Fi Router review – CNET

The Good The Arris SurfBoard SBR-AC3200P works as both a Wi-Fi router and as a fast power line adapter. The router is compact and includes a mobile app for easy setup.

The Bad The router is expensive and has short Wi-Fi range, natively. The power line Wi-Fi extender, which helps to increase the range, costs an extra $100.

The Bottom Line The SBR-AC3200P, when coupled with the SBX-AC1200 power line Wi-Fi extender, is a sure way to cover your residential home with Wi-Fi, if you can stomach their combined high cost.

The $300 SurfBoard AC3200 Wi-Fi Router G.hn (model SBR-AC3200P, whew!) is a part of a completely new RipCurrent product line from Arris, a company that prior to this made mostly cable modems. The RipCurrent product line includes the SBR-AC3200P, two cheaper models (the SBR-AC1900P and the SBR-AC1200P, which cost $200 and $120, respectively), a $60 gigabit power line extender (model SBX-1000P) and a $100 Wi-Fi hotspot extender (model SBX-AC1200P.) This review was conducted with the SBR-AC3200P and the two extenders.

RipCurrent is a fancy name for the G.hn power line standard that allows you to extend the range of your wired home network without running any extra network cables. Basically when you plug a RipCurrent router into a power outlet, it will turn that outlet into the first end of a power line connection (as long as the router stays plugged in). Then plug a RipCurrent power line extender, or a RipCurrent Wi-Fi hotspot extender, into another wall socket (even if it’s at the far end of your house, a good distance away from your router) and the network will be instantly extended to that corner of the house. Depending on the type of adapter you use (with or without Wi-Fi capability), this will allow you to connect a single wired client or multiple Wi-Fi clients to the network from that distant adapter.

Subsequently, as you plug in more RipCurrent adapters/Wi-Fi extenders (up to a total of 15, according to Arris) around the house you can further extend your wired network, without having to run any network cables through or under your house at all.

In my personal experience, the G.hn is one of the best power line specifications. Using the Arris RipCurrent router and two adapters, I was able to extend my wired network from my home to my garage. The two buildings were connected using the original electrical wires installed some 45 years ago. (Due to the age of the electrical lines, some other power line adapters don’t work for me.)

That said, getting this router and the RipCurrent SBX-AC1200P Wi-Fi extender is a sure and quick way cover your entire residential home with reliable Wi-Fi, fast enough to deliver even a top-tier broadband connection. The only question is if you’ll be willing to pay at least $400 ($300 for the router and a $100 each the extenders) for this privilege.

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The SBR-AC3200P router (back), the SBX-1000P extender (left) and the SBX-1200P Wi-Fi Extender, from Arris.

Josh Miller/CNET

SBR-AC3200P: A compact tri-band Wi-Fi router

The SBR-AC3200P doesn’t look like a traditional Wi-Fi router. It’s shaped like a sideways number 8 and looks like something you’d decorate your house with.The router is compact yet still includes (as most routers do) four Gigabit LAN ports (for wired clients) and one Gigabit WAN (Internet) port to connect to a broadband modem.

As an AC3200 router, the device includes three Wi-Fi bands, one 2.4GHz band with a top on-paper speed of 600Mbps and two 5GHz bands each of which tops out at 1,300Mbps. (Read more about Wi-Fi standards here.) The extra 5GHz band means that the router can handle more 5GHz Wi-Fi clients at the same time without dragging the overall router speed down.

Setup was similar to that of a typical router with a Web interface. Alternatively, you can use the free Arris SurfBoard app (available for iOS and Android) to complete the setup process. The app scans a QR code located on the underside of the router and after following a few simple steps, it’s ready to use.

The router has a responsive Web interface and in my testing most of the changes can (thankfully) be applied without a restart, which is a bonus for those who are constantly making changes to their settings. Unfortunately, most of the router’s features are rather primitive. For example, the Parental Control requires you to manually enter the MAC address of the client that you want to restrict; not an easy task for advanced users. What’s more it USB ports didn’t offer very fast performance, either, when hosting a portable drive. In my testing, when hosting a drive with its USB 3.0 port, via a Gigabit connection, the router registered the sustained copy of speed of just 28MB/s for writing and just 32MB/s for reading. Many routers can do much better than that.

The SBR-AC3200P delivered a stable signal that didn’t drop out as long as I stayed within its range and throughput performance (which measures the router’s ability to transfer files over the network), while not the fastest we’ve ever seen, was still pretty good. The router topped out at 653Mbps on the 5GHz band at close range (10 feet). From 75 feet away, with one wall in between the router and the test computer, it posted just 248Mbps. On the 2.4GHz band, the router averaged 122Mbps and 70Mbps at close and long range, respectively, which is about the average among 802.11AC routers.

The router’s range was short compared with other AC3200 I’ve tested topping at about 80 feet for the 5GHz band and about 100 feet for the 2.4GHz band.

Padcaster Verse Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

There are several iPad and iPhone cases for mobile videographers, but they all have pretty much the same problem: They only work with a specific device.

For example, Padcaster made one of the first, if not the first, case for giving you a steadier grip of an iPad for handheld shooting, but also acts as a tripod mount and has lots of spots for attaching a mic or lights as well as add-on lenses. But it was only for iPads and the company had to update it whenever Apple made a new model.

The Padcaster Verse puts an end to that by using an adjustable mount that works with any small tablet — regardless of make, model or OS — up to the size of an iPad Mini as well as any smartphone. This means it’s basically the one video mount you’ll need now or in the future for you or your friends, family, students or coworkers.

The Verse mobile-media case’s universal mounting bracket holds any smartphone or small tablet making it easier to stabilize, shoot and share video.

Sarah Tew/CNET

The company’s other models use a strong aluminum frame, but the Verse is made from a sturdy lightweight polycarbonate. It looks pretty much like a converted license plate holder, providing a grip on either side for steadying your device. Embedded in all four sides are metal 1/4-inch tripod mounts and there are three accessory shoes on top and two on the bottom. If you’re using an iPad mini, there are threaded lens mounts on front to use with Padcaster lenses.

At its center is an expandable mount that adjusts by loosening a knob on front and tightening again once your device is in. It requires a bit more effort than it should though, which is something Padcaster Founder and CEO Josh Apter says they’re working on for the final version.

The Verse is currently on Kickstarter for $70 (about AU$95 or £50) and has nearly doubled its pledge goal of $25,000. It is scheduled to ship to backers in July. Once it’s available in retail it will sell for $99.

ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 review – CNET

The Good The ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 loudspeakers offer the best performance of any speaker we’ve seen for the money. They deliver deep, tight bass; an effortless midrange and sweet highs. The soundstage is wide and unexpectedly deep.

The Bad The speakers’ vinyl finish isn’t all that durable. Low sensitivity and low impedence mean they may require an expensive, high-quality amplifier to sound their best.

The Bottom Line Paired with high-quality components, the ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 sounds much better than you have any right to expect from a speaker of this size and price.

The hype surrounding speaker designer Andrew Jones’ newest creation was deafening.

The saying goes that everyone who saw the Sex Pistols’ first gig started a successful band. It seemed to me that everyone who heard Jones’ ELAC prototypes — including ourselves — wrote a tweet or post or article saying how the new speakers blew them away. The UB5s promised the sonic world that they could rock, they imaged like crazy, and they would be damned affordable.

I can now report that they do indeed live up to the buzz. For $500, here is a speaker that offers a true three-way design, a compact form factor and true high-fidelity performance. The ELACs produce a stereo image like nothing else at the price, and bass response is superlative. These speakers are both poet laureates and mustachioed headbangers.

The only minor caveat to our recommendation of the ELAC is that the cosmetics could use some work. The design is “love it or hate it”, and this isn’t helped by a vinyl wrap which is not as resilient as that on other speakers.

Between $500 and $1,000 you’ll find a lot of performance bookshelf speakers vying for your attention, but on pure value-for-money terms, none we’ve heard can hold a candle to the the ELAC UB5. The company is clearly on a roll, and based on the showing of the UB5 we’re looking forward to hearing the other announced models in the Uni-Fi line such as the floorstanding UF5 ($999) in the near future.

Design

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Sarah Tew/CNET

In the past few years, the true revolution in audio hasn’t been the resurgence of vinyl — which actually never went away — but instead it’s been that “true hi fi” has finally become something most people can afford. Andrew Jones, first at Pioneer and now at ELAC, has been at the forefront of this movement, and the Uni-Fi UB5 is the clearest statement yet of his intent.

Given that the fundamental design is eerily similar to Jones’ earlier, similarly priced Pioneer SP-EBS73-LR it’s no surprise that the two sound alike. And as with the less-expensive ELAC Debut, most of the money goes on performance, not on pretty doo-dads. The UB5 is an MDF box — albeit a much better braced one than before — which measures roughly 8 inches across, 13 inches high and 11 inches deep.

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The ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 offers a true, three-way design in a compact, affordable loudspeaker.

Sarah Tew/CNET

The star of the UniFi’s design is the concentric driver: it consists of a 1-inch soft dome surrounded by a 4-inch aluminum cone. This driver is paired with a 5.25-inch aluminum cone, and the design is rear-ported. As a result, keeping the cabinet at least three feet away from walls will help to contain boominess — however unlike the competitive B&W 685s, there aren’t any foam bungs to contain bass response.

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The vinyl finish isn’t very durable

Sarah Tew/CNET

The Uni-Fi is covered in the currently chic “brushed vinyl,” and while it looks pretty suave, this material is actually a bit of a problem. We’ve seen other speakers covered in it — from both ELAC and Klipsch — and the material in many cases has either started to warp or lift at the corners. There is one caveat though: we move speakers around a lot and so some of this is from handling in a busy testing studio. That said, even the wrap on one of the UB5 speakers we received had a small ding in the finish at the edge straight out of the box. The older, more traditional “wood vinyl” is much harder-wearing, and a speaker featuring this finish would be the preferable option if they are going to be in a high-traffic area.

Sound quality

Here in the CNET listening room and hooked up to our NAD C 356BEE stereo integrated amplifier, the Uni-Fi UB5 made a powerful first impression.

The bass went deeper than a speaker armed with just a single 5.25-inch aluminum-cone woofer has any right to. Using a tone generator we explored the Uni-Fi UB5’s deep bass extension, first at 50 hertz, then we lowered the frequency down to 40Hz and the Uni-Fi UB5’s output dropped, just a bit. We continued down to 30 Hz and the Uni-Fi UB5’s output dropped a few more decibels, but those very deep bass frequencies were still very present! That’s simply superb on a speaker this size. Mind you, this was in the 14-by-17-foot CNET listening room, larger rooms will soak up more bass energy.

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Sarah Tew/CNET

Bass definition on kick drums on our Talking Heads albums was truly extraordinary. The bass drum sound was controlled and detailed. Moving up from there, midrange tonality was superb, voices sounded like voices.

At this point we brought out our ELAC Debut B6 bookshelf speakers to compare to the Uni-Fi UB5. The B6 is still an awfully impressive speaker, but the bigger Uni-Fi UB5 is better in every way. It has deeper, better defined bass as well as clearer midrange and treble, and the UB5s image better. Listening to the Rolling Stones “Exile On Main Street” album, the B6 lost some of Mick Jagger’s attitude, and the band’s energy was too polite and restrained.